Tattoo diary: Queens, New York

check out today`s NPR all things considered archives [2/21/02] where there is a review of mira Nair`s latest play, Monsoon wedding.

I`ve been wanting to watch ``Bawandar`` for a long time now..especially since Nandita Das is in it.

Samina, I remember showing part of a Hindi movie as part of a presentation in class, and my instructor was just so struck by the richness of the particular scene. I tend to agree somewhat with your Jewish-American friend about South Asian music...particularly the older stuff. I suppose it does fill a void...I personally have been more ambivalent about the medium in recent years, but I`m going out to the theaters and watching new movies again.

Public television is showing a Hispanic series these days..and in all the years that I`ve been watching American television, I`ve never seen a show representing a Hispanic family, and representing them positively. I`m really hoping that there will be more representations of South Asians, not the occasional cabbiewallah or Sirajul and Mujibur in David Letterman of years past. Perhaps we can have a dramatic serial that will not necessarily follow the same pattern that the ones on Zee television or TV Asia....

Also, let me tell you how many of my university colleagues LOVE Indian videos and movies in terms of the richness, multiple realities and cultural representations, (and the diversities of beauty)and the negotiation of influences in the music; one Jewish American poet friend describes South Asian music as fun, soulful, moving and inexplicably sad....any comments? (But then, we are both big fans of Asian cinema) Perhaps these videos and movies are what fills the void...

Aamir

me and fight?? never! I am as they say sugar-coated twice over : )

re negotiating .. - all the time.

Just kidding here, but of late have been thinking about it. I think everyone swings both ways some choose to follow their instinct some just bury it.

Drumz #141 ``Acid victims, rape victims and the like have a right to be upset and sensitive, but not someone who`s caught feelings on an internet message board.``

Good advice.

you continue ``And yes ganja also teaches people how to remain calm and to focus on the present (not carry grudges) and to not center themselves around the opinions of others...``

Really, really bad advice. Same results can be achieved by serenely reflection upon things (if you wish, you can adopt a Buddha pose while serenely reflecting), thus becoming a truly liberated man - free of the need for ganja to be calm and grudge-free and able to tell right from wrong.

anNy rehan

ankles - yes very pretty but safe. It has to be a bit more exciting than that !

chotu - i hear you. It brings to mind teh dentist drill - so even i sit and dream but havent gotten one : )

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Rehan, Ana, Roohi

The South Asian experience represented in mass media is as scarce as the Asian presence-not much. My Mamu Jan knows That Pakistani Actor, you know, the one who plays us in tiny Desi roles from Doctor to Cabbie-and nothing in between, in the US that is. He`s a very nice person and all, and you``ve got to hand to him and all our South Asian and Asian bros and sisters...

Also, let me tell you how many of my university colleagues LOVE Indian videos and movies in terms of the richness, multiple realities and cultural representations, (and the diversities of beauty)and the negotiation of influences in the music; one Jewish American poet friend describes South Asian music as fun, soulful, moving and inexplicably sad....any comments? (But then, we are both big fans of Asian cinema) Perhaps these videos and movies are what fills the void...

Mehndi/ink tattoos on the blade of the back, just beneath the shoulder...but then my Austrailian friend has one on her hip bone-and its solely for her and her husband. Can`t argue with that....

roohi

I agree with scout about Monsoon Wedding. I won`t say its boring or anything, in fact, it is a total time pass movie. But Oscar or any other awards, I doubt. Can`t say anything about Lagaan. Haven`t seen it.

Mona

Re: Temporal # 52

Welcome back! Chowk was missing its venerable sage of sarcasm!

Yes; but I think that problem in Pakistan is that there is no political tolerance, because of the last 20 years of political power plays. Pakistan is polarized in the sense that the groups, which thrived on absolut (pun intended) power do want to share it.

Ciao

tahmed321 #50 and ras siddiqui:

…I have a feeling the dec 13 attack on the indian parliament, the shifting of venue for pakistan west indies test matches, kidnapping and murder of daniel pearl and the resumption of targetted killing of shia professionals in karachi can be better understood in the light of an on going turf battle between the coalition of hardliners and moderates in pakistan (for lack of a better word)…it is not entirely the ‘curse of mullahs’ as you say…there are various other factors involved including our apathy..let us not forget that…(where is ferozk?)...

…advice caution to you friend till the dust settles down…

…rehan…been some time bud…how are you?…the mehndi tattoos are the best…like old soldiers!…and like that dictum in real estate…location, ,location, location!

regards all..

t

Ras Siddiqui: Daniel Pearl`s death is indeed sad. From the pictures, he seems to have been a kind and gentle soul, smiling bravely even in captivity. The thugs that killed him did not even have pity on his young wife`s pleas and his unborn child. May God bless his soul.

Just this afternoon, a friend of mine from Karachi (a globe-trotting IT specialist) told me that he would like to go work in Pakistan next, except that he is a shia and the mullahs are targetting shia professionals for some reason. May God lift the curse of the mullahs that has descended upon us.

Subroto #47, ``Yep saw Monsoon Wedding last week and feel it should have been India`s entry at Oscars rather than Laagan.``

are you kidding me? i don`t know about Lagaan (didn`t see it), but ``Monsoon Wedding`` was a horrible, cliched, ugly looking movie. it was a lot of taboo subject material thrown together into a big messy, sloppy piece of cinematographic trash. the ending with a gorgeous model coming and making googly eyes at the sexually abused underdog female was a bit too childish and typical of desi movies.

the only good part about it was the subplot lovestory of the poor wedding planner and the household maid. take the rest of the movie out and explore those two characters more and maybe you have a winner.

i`m sorry to say this, but desis haven`t reached Oscar status yet. <

MT #116 you ask ``Would any chowkie from Pakistan care to explain caste in Pakistan ?``

There are two castes in Pakistan. These are (a) the MT caste and (b) the non-MT (aka the ``FULL``) caste.

The MT caste asks MT questions, i.e. questions that are driven not be a sincere interest in learning but by a sincere interest in putting down other nationalities, communities etc, and passes MT comments. The Full Caste does not ask MT questions or engage in any other such MT rhetoric.

Hope this helps.

ylh #113 you write ``... I`d rather save Pakistani Women from getting gang raped than worry about Indian Muslims...``

Well said. I am glad there are people in Pakistan who are speaking out in newspapers and other places against the appalling jirga-sanctioned gang rape (where some of the ``judges`` themselves then proceeded to administer the punishment) and the terrible stone-killing of this poor man because some damned imam ordered it.

These terrible deeds are a result of the evil that has been created in Pakistan through shameless abuse of the name of Islam by Zia who introduced the hadood and blasphemy laws. These evil laws were imposed on Pakistan by a military dictator, and these should be revoked by a military dictator as well. If this is not done, future generations of Pakistanis will look upon these times as the ``dark ages`` in Pakistan, when evil men ruled and raped the country, literally and figuratively.

ana,

Thanks for the feedback on Monsoon Wedding - I guess it`s worth a trip to the Indian Store then. Look forward to seeing it.

Has anyone (specially you guys in silicon valley) seen Bugaboo ? I heard a lot about it a while ago but somehow it never made it out here ...

Shocking about that poor man Daniel Pearl - like Ras said, it`s a sad day.