If India wants to move forward as a unified country all members must be treated equally this must start with the people. As long as fundamentalist are not publicly shamed and called out then the government will help to grow these differences in order to maintain their corrupt power.
It is my opinion that what causes the riots between Muslims and Hindus in India is not just a hatred between each other but the police and Government. They want to keep the people apart so that they wont join together and fight the real enemy police who do not look out for the well being of the people. If Indians were allowed to buy guns this problem would change because the people could fight the police and force them to protect all and not just some.
My friend and roommate went to India last summer. She loved it there and wants to go back sometime soon. Anyways, today on Facebook she posted this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYqiK4WfLBE&feature=related
Her comment was “craving some good indian chai”. While I have had Chai in the states from how I’ve heard people talk about chai in India, it sounds heavenly. It’s not the first time she has craved “real Chai”. So basically I was just intrigued by this video. It, to me at least, shows how Westerners are video tapping being served Chai on a train. It’s interesting how that can seem so foreign or “Oriental” while I know in America/Western countries they serve coffee and other drinks on trains. Granted its a different culture and is done a bit differently but it just really points out how India can be viewed as exotic and strange even though its something quite simple and common; expect the Chai which is apparently hard to get a hold of the good stuff.
I don’t know why but I was thinking about what my favorite book we read for this class was. I normally don’t like to play favorites but it’s always fun to think about why I liked something so much or more than other things. The top two would be The Quilt and Other Short Stories and Firaaq. I guess for some reason I found those the most intriguing and gripping. They are complex as is everything else we read/watched but I think one of the bigger draws was that they were translated. It’s nice to read/watch something that was actually written/filmed for the people of that culture. I know sometimes things can get lost in translation but I found those works very moving and still got the message across. Also, the Hindu and Muslim people engaging each other, as well as the tensions there, was just something I had never been exposed to so I just ate that up to learn more about it all and grow in a better understanding in general.
Last night on TMC for Cary Grant’s day, the highlight at 8pm was none other than Gunga Din. This was the prime time slot. For some reason this surprised me. Perhaps it’s because before this class I never knew about this movie or that Cary Grant was in it. I had seen the Philadelphia Story and North by Northwest before, which were both being shown earlier in the day. I guess I would have thought that one of those movies would have been given a prime time slot and Gunga Din been played earlier. This is due to what the American culture pushes as a “Cary Grant film” and how before this quarter I had never heard about Gunga Din, meaning it may not be as well known as other films Grant has done. Granted Gunga Din is a very Western representation of India, but it was fun to recognize what the context surrounding all of this was and know more about India in literature/media than what Gunga Din shows. It makes me wonder though how many people saw Gunga Din last night for the first time, or a second or third, and that reinforced their Western outlook on India.
Monica, myself, and our friend John went to Aab in Grandview last week and I must blog about it because IT WAS AWESOME. This was Monica and John’s first time eating Indian food and it was my third. However, this was my first time tying Indian beer and it was pretty fantastic as well.
We did the lunch buffet in order to try a little bit of everything and I can report that there wasn’t one thing on the buffet that we didn’t like. I definitely recommend it. So, my little classmates.. go indulge! But don’t plan anything for the rest of the day because you will be put in a food coma.
Here’s the web page: http://www.aabindiarestaurant.com/
and yes, the web page does open with a picture of an elephant 🙂
I just wanted to share the topic of my paper with those who may be interested in a little further reading.
I wrote my paper on the Indian author Premchand, and his story “The Road to Salvation.” It’s just a short story, but I was most interested in the conflict the exists between two peasants and how they essentially destroy one another. It is an interesting perspective that we don’t really see elsewhere in the course reading materials.
End of the quarter! I won’t lie and say it went fast, but I will say that I did enjoy class. I’m not shy, but I am more of the silent type, and that’s because I enjoyed listening to what others had to say. I think it’s rather refreshing to get so many perspectives on something that is unfamiliar to most of us (at least me for sure). I did like the infusion of pop culture with the class, though I honestly would’ve liked to seen more of that. Most of the stories we read were very stimulating and different, though I admittedly thought Gandhi’s autobiography was an absolute struggle to read, and The Shadow Lines I didn’t really enjoy all that well, though it’s because of the novel’s structure, not the content. The only time I’ve ever enjoyed a jumping chronology is the Back to the Future trilogy.
Prior to this class, my experience and knowledge with India was very limited to much of what I blogged about, along with a couple of films I never mentioned (see Fire. It’s really well done and entertaining). I was initially concerned with how this would strengthen me as someone who one day aspires to write my own novels, but I can honestly say I feel much stronger as an author due to my experience in this class. Thank you all for making it very enjoyable!
-Justin O’Riley
Future writer of fantasy sci-fi
I found Firaaq to be surprisingly a very good film. I was initially skeptical, as I do not usually like multiple narrative films (like Traffic and Babel). However, this did do a lot of things right. I didn’t find the switching of the narratives to be at all confusing, and it give the characters with more emotional weight the proper amount of screen time, such as Arati, Sameer, and Moshin. I actually liked the blending of languages (though I can’t tell the difference between English and everything else), although I did think it odd, as it’s something not commonly seen in American culture.
I did have some criticisms though. I did not like how the movie ended, as I felt it was a very cheap way to keep the “indie film” feel alive, though the movie did not need it. I think that more closure was needed with some of the characters. Leaving a bit of interpretation is fine, but too much just leaves too many questions. What is the fall-out of Hanif being assaulted (did he die?), leaving behind a wife and newborn? What was the deal with the marbles? Is Aarti coming back or going for good? For someone like me that has a very limited knowledge and understanding of the subject matter, I think some of these questions should have been dealt with.
Overall, it is a great and powerful film that is equal parts drama and thriller. It has its flaws, but what it does well it excels in. In hindsight, I’m so glad this movie was suggested over Slumdog Millionaire. After all, winning an Oscar doesn’t mean your movie is enjoyable (The English Patient. Trust me, it really sucks).
Image via Wikipedia
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Americatown in Mumbai? Hm… What if Americans did migrate abroad in search of job opportunities?
In other news… I met someone from Chennai, India at the Taj Mahal open mic last week (great food, fun music… highly recommend!). I felt really cool, or maybe dorky, that I was able to bring up some things from this class during conversation with him. He got really excited when I mentioned some of the books we have read. You never know when this info comes in handy outside of the classroom!
Imagining India 