A lot has happened in the past year and a half since I last posted. While I had originally intended for my blog to document my travel experiences, I ended up using it more for ranting and movie/book/TV reviews. That also suited me fine. While I blogged I failed to mention my travels to Rimouski, Montreal and toronto (Loved Rimouski and Montreal, hated Toronto). I went back to Winnipeg (“Winterpeg”), and had my first (and hopefully last!) experience with negative 50 celsius weather. A few months later, I packed up and moved to Vancouver to be closer to my family.

Vancouver has been quite an experience. After a few months of not working I found a job that ended up not working out- that led to another few months of not working. I finally found a job I’m enjoying, and am looking forward to starting graduate school this fall. And now that I’m earning again, I’m resuming one of my favorite activities- travel. I am visiting Washington DC for a mini-reunion with my college friends, and I’m hoping to travel to India in May for my cousin’s wedding.

But enough about that. The real reason I’m back is because of social media. I had been using facebook for about 4 years before starting my blog. I never considered it to be anything more than a tool for me to keep in touch with my friends around the world. Then, I discovered Twitter, and that was when my world changed.

Twitter was a tipping point for me. It took a while to get into it- it didn’t hold the same fascination for me as Facebook did when I first began using it- but once I really started using it, I began to realize its value and potential. As I previously mentioned, Facebook was my tool for keeping track of my friends and sharing personal information- Twitter was my means of meeting new people and interacting with organizations who worked on issues I felt strongly about. In the past year, I have made friends in different parts of Canada, North America and the world; I have found out about several job opportunities and contests that I otherwise might not have heard about. I found out about networking events and activities going on in the city. Lastly, and most importantly, I found out about an American non profit organization for which I currently volunteer as Director of Grantwriting. So even though Facebook has since risen in terms of its marketing potential, to me Twitter is still the ultimate social media tool in that it allows for easy and open interaction and dialogue with people from around the world.

After moving to Vancouver last spring, social media was what kept me going. Not having a job I lacked the incentive to go out to anything but networking sessions; I lacked funds to participate in the types of activities and courses that would allow me to meet people in the city. My family, friends, and the friends I made online, provided me with the inspiration and support I needed to keep going.

My interest in social media grew because of my positive experiences and also my observations about the potential these tools had to allow for communication and the creation of change in various parts of society. I was particularly struck by the reaction of social media participants during last year’s crackdown in Iran, the Haiti earthquake, and more recently, the Olympics. These experiences made me wonder what kind of power these tools had to affect change in issues surrounding human rights, for instance. This is what I plan to research for my master’s in Public Policy- I am interested in seeing what kind of potential social media has in affecting women’s rights in South Asia. My ultimate goal in life is to become a policy analyst and social media communicator, and work for a non-profit or international agency dedicated to promoting women’s rights in South Asia. Everything I am currently doing- my paid and volunteer positions, social media classes, research- are all intended to lead me towards achieving that goal.

That’s all I’ll say in this post; however I do intend to post more in the future. There’s so much to say, I can’t wait to put it on (electronic) paper!

Hmm. The potential excited me, the idea to create parallels between two cultures and situations, but the execution was quite disappointing for the most part. And again, that<s the way I felt about this article- it promised a lot more than it delivered.

I personally don’t do drugs, but I think that people are responsible for their own actions and should be free to do whatever they choose- as long as their actions are not harming anyone else.

The hullaballoo over Michael Phelps’ bong usage is completely unnecessary and inappropriate. Yes, he is an idol to so many young people and yes, he does have a responsibility to be a mentore by example. But, he is only 23 (it’s so hard to forget that!), and he’s not perfect. His punishments are too severe- we should accept his apology and initiate punishment should he regress and publicly use drugs again. Besides, if he wasn’t ‘Michael Phelps’, all of this commotion wouldn’t even exist.

So, I completely agree with Seth Meyers’ (hilariously accurate) rant against Kellogg and the douchebag who sold that picture to the media. Michael Phelps deserves a second chance.

Loved it.

If you scroll down all the way on this page you can see pictures. Love it!!

I’m struggling to verbalize my distate of this idea- but I am unhappy about it. I believe that the motives behind these people’s desire to turn their faile dlove lives over to their families is precisely because they’ve failed at finding their own ‘soulmate’, and perhaps consider this to be their final option.  Or perhaps they truly believe that by participating in this television atrocity they will find the love of their lives. (That second option’s worked out really well for others, by the way… the Bachelors have all upheld a stellar record of sticking to their choices!)

The problem is that there are some cultures, including my own, of which this is a significant aspect. Arranged marriage in Indian culture, as well as others, is far more than a ‘last option’ for people. The traditional view of marriage is that you marry into a family, not just an individual- so finding the right individual from the right family is paramount. The other reason, as far as i understand, is that parents know their children for the most part, and will endeavour to establish a match that is beneficial to both parties. They wil do everything an individual would normally do when looking for th love of their life, except more practically. They look at it as a long-term commitment and will find a match for their child who they believe would best be suited for them in the long term.

This may all seem to be tradittional and romantic, and although ‘love’ marriages do take place in India, more commonly so now than ever, in fact, but arranged marriage is still an important tradition in the indian community. The fact that an American television network is producing a relaity show like this seems not only silly but also a tad insulting to me. as is obvious, i do support the institution of arranged marriage, and will not be happy to see an effort by the American media that will not only be uninformed, but will also inaccurately ‘educate’ North Americans on this insitution.

The DJ was discussing Black History Month events in Winnipeg, expressing how celebratory events are not just for “black” people, but for everyone. “In fact”, he said, “Black History Month is especially significant during this time because a coloured man, Barack H. Obama currently the commander-in-chief of the largest democracy in the world.”

I immediately sat up in my bed, and thought of calling the DJ to correct him- because that statement is as incorrect as it is kind of inappropriate.The United States is not the largest democracy in the world. It isn’t even the most populated country in the world. As an International Relations scholar, this offended me greatly. The issue to me is not that people incorrectly assume the United States to be the most powerful country in the world. Coming from the US, I’m not surprised that people feel this way- it often seemed to be that we were in our own bubble, and no other part of the world mattered unless it affected our country directly (I am generalizing- of course not everyone felt this way, but it seemed to be the most commonly-held belief.) To me, the issue is lack of education about the rest of the world, the fact that few people recognize India to be the largest democracy in the world.The fact is, unlike in other parts of the world, North American education focuses primarily on North America, history, geography, politics and economics- very little time or attention is paid to educating youth about the rest of the world. Very few people can even identify the Middle East on a map, according to a recent CNN poll. (Will try to find that link). Very few people seem to be able to even write a proper essay or, even worse, tell the difference between ‘there’, ‘their’ or ‘they’re’. But that’s a different quarrel I have with North American education.

This bubble that North Americans- now I cannot hold Americans accountable, apparently Canadians are the same- this bubble that North Americans live in, is simply unacceptable. In the age of internet and globalization, it is saddening that North Americans still consider their continent to be the centre of the universe and care little about understanding the rest of the world.

A friend and I were discussing this development in gay rights, or regression, rather. The outcome of this conversation was very interesting to me, thus my reasons for sharing and raising this issue in the first place.

There is an important difference between a marriage and a civil union. A marriage is the religious version of a civil union. These days the two terms seem to be interchangeable, which is a mistake. Proposition 8 is against same-sex civil unions, and I fully support protests against it. Civil unions allow for tax breaks and other legal benefits, which any citizen of any country should be able to access, regardless of their sexual preference.

However, the fight for ‘same sex marriages’, as opposed to same sex civil unions, is one I do not agree with. Marriage is an inherently religious institution, one that takes place in a religious space, say a church, or a mosque, temple or synagogue. In most religious texts marriage is referred to as bond between a man and a woma and the fact is that it’s going to be a while before religious folks accept anything other than that. Why, as my friend asked, would people fight to be included in a system where they are not even wanted? If the fight is to gain acceptance in a religious setting, to allow for ‘marriages’, I do not support this fight. It’s a wasted battle and one that is essentially pointless because not only is it not going to happen, but it’s a stupid battle as well.However, when it comes to civil unions and the protests against Proposition 8, I hope the American government gets their act together soon and acknowledges the fact that each and every one of their citizens deserve equal treatment under the law. (Yes Arnold Schwarzennegger, I’m looking at you!)

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Ugly Betty has always been a favorite show of mine since it started. When ‘Gilmore Girls’ ended, it filled the ‘feel-good’ spot in my entertainment. (Gilmore Girls, for those who are unaware, is a television show that I credit as being a significant part of my life in America. I know that it’s silly to hold a television show in such high esteem, but The show started the fall that I moved to the states, and echoed a lot of feelings I was experiencing- a new school, my relationship with my family, and so on.)

Regardless, Gilmore Girls ended Spring 2007.  Needless to say, I was sad- but at least I had ‘Ugly Betty’. This show was about an unattractive girl by social standards, working at a fashion magazine- a cheerful, heartwarming individual struggling to maintain her inner beauty in the face of multiple obstacles. Plus, the show introduced the world to Henry Grubstick, who shall be referred to henceforth as the love of my life. (ha!) The overall USP of the show is unique in today’s entertainment environment, which creates and promotes society’s ideals about beauty. Ugly Betty proves that you can be different and still be successful in this world; not only that, but the existence of inner beauty is pivotal to success. As someone who has never felt comfortable in her own skin, encountering a medium like this which allowed me to come to terms with the fact that I am not conventionally beautiful was priceless.

The point of this post, however, is not to sing the praises of this television show- in fact, it is to do the opposite. On tonight’s episode, Betty applied for a spot  in YETI, the Young Editors Training Initiative. So did Marc, her fellow MODE assistant. Apparently YETI only accepted one assistant per magazine, so Marc and Betty were in competition with each other. Initially, Betty is accepted and Marc rejected- and he informs her that the only reason she was rejected because she filled the ‘diversity’ quota for them- she was the token colored applicant. She then decides to resign and give Marc her spot. In the end, everything turns out right (because this is Ugly Betty and of course everything is all cupcakes and sunshine in the end) but I didn’t agree with her decision.

As a visually impaired South Asian female in a competitive wold, I am all for using your advantages to get ahead and using every opportunity you can to succeed in your goals. Of course, I’m no poster child for this- more like I’m the queen of wasted opportunity, but I’m learning from my mistakes. Anyway, that’s an aside. I was irked by the principle of the message. It’s not like Betty did not want that opportunity enough’ it’s not that she did not work hard enough for it. Maybe she had not wokred on her magazine presentation for three months like Marc did, and not that Marc *didn’t* deserve it, but she did not need to decline the offer because she was offended at the fact that she got in not based on merit but because of the color of her skin. I’m not arguing with merit and hard work- obviously everyone should work hard, that’s the only way to succeed. I’m also not convinced by the argument for affirmative action, but my main point is, everyone uses their individual qualities to sell themselves. Is that wrong?

http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/nov/14an-open-letter-to-sir-salman-rushdie.htm

Mehta, who has previously directed the ‘Elements’ trilogy; ‘Earth’, ‘Fire’ and ‘Water’, has recently won accolades for her latest film ‘Heaven on Earth’, the tale of a new immigrant bride who is forced to deal with her new family’s apathy and integration issues, is following in fellow South Asian director Mira Nair’s footsteps; Nair recently directed ‘The Namesake’, an adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s international bestseller. However, Metha’s announcement seems to have caused some uproar in fans of the novel. ‘Midnight’s Children’, a family saga and tale of a boy who is born at the moment of Partition in India in 1947, the novel is filled with vivid imagery and vibrant storytelling. Fans of the book are fond of the intricately woven story and imaignative storytelling, and are confident of Mehta’s failure at properly representing the novel; some even going so far as to say that the novel could never be properly portrayed by any director, and any effort to do so is a mistake.

I, personally, am looking forward to seeing Mehta’s take on the novel. After having enjoyed her previous films including ‘Earth’ and ‘Water’, I’m interested to see how she directs an interpretation of a novel as intricate and complex as ‘Midnight’s Children’. Although ‘Heaven on Earth’ was based on a folk tale, it’s not the same as a visual interpretation of a full-length novel, and I, along with with thousands of other Rushdie’s fans, no doubt, will look forward to hearing about Mehta’s next steps on the project and the final result.