Last post.. maybe

I am very grateful for the views and the people who commented. You guys will be the reason why i get the grades that i will in this assignment.

Yes, this was an assignment for my University subject , 'online journalism'.
I hope my entries and gotten your ATTENTION and you will think about the issues that i have discussed on this blog.

There are so many things more that need to be discussed, so i will see if i get the opportunity,probably with pictures this time to make it more lively as there will no restrain on the time. :)

Till here,

ur very own, NRI :)

Parents.

No matter which culture you come from, you always love your parents because there is nobody on this earth who can actually ever replace them.

I love my parents and i know how hard it is to stay away from them. I never thought it would be this difficult but it did turn out to be insanely hard. I miss my parents and my two crazy brothers all the time because there is no other bonding like siblings in life. In fact,  it is the whole family, irreplaceable.

I always thought the worst part of this experience might actually be the fact that i need to stay in hostel, but man i was wrong. Staying in hostel and spending all the crazy times with friends i awesome, its the anguish of no being able to hug my mum when im sad that kills me.

P.S always respect & love your parents, because you will never understand how much they gave up for you until you become a parent yourself.

ur very own, NRI

Earthquakes?

Okay, so back in HongKong i hardly remember experiencing the earth shaking but since i have been staying in India for my education, it has started seeming like a normal thing.

The first time when i actually felt and saw it was during my final exam last year. I remember it was my Photography practical exam. The exam was held in the room and it was my turn the kind of picture that i was told to. I went to the camera and the next thing i heard and saw was the door literally shaking like someone was shaking it and i thought there  might be someone looking for trouble. i stayed calm and continued to take mu photo but to notice everyone around me had started panicking. I was shocked, all i heard was 'bhochal' , that instant i thought that was storm but to find out after 2 minutes that it was an earthquake.

Some memorable experience i must say.

ur very own , NRI

EXTREME weather..

INDIA IS HOT WHEN IT IS SUMMER & COLD WHEN IT IS WINTER which is the same in Hk but as the caps lock emphasis how the weather is extreme compared to Hk.

Summer is India feels like being fried on a frying pan but without the boiling oil. I personally am not a big fan of summer because there is no solution in summer to feel cool. The only preferred options for me are eating ice cream and turn on the air-conditioner. If i eat too  much ice cream, i will have a sore throat. If i stay in the air-con too much, then it is bad for my bones in the long run.

Winter on the other side is my favourite season. I love winter. The hotness in my mouth of all the hot beverages, the warmth of being under the blanket and the pleasure of sleeping :)

ur very own, NRI

Sexual Orientation

It is true that India is dissolving itself into the western culture but there are things that i doubt will ever change in India. Well, not in another 20 year , it wont. That is acceptance of different sexual orientation.

There are countries like Canada that have made it legal for homosexual to get married and in India, majority of the people still go 'omg' at the mentioning of homosexuality. Apparently it is a very sensitive topic.

Honestly it is,because it is nearly impossible for a homosexual to survive in India. The fact that your daughter or son likes the same sex actually makes you come to the conclusion that they might have some psychological problem.

In my perspective it is not right to discriminate or judge a person from their sexual orientation. Everyone is allowed to love whoever they want. We are living for ourselves and those who are not should really start to because if you sit down and think carefully that  life is all about you and how you handle it. People can stand next to you but it is you who takes the steps forward or backward. Plus, a person who lives for himself is believed to be much happier because who does not enjoy freedom?

I just hope that India would become more understanding towards this issue because i have experienced even how people in university react to it like it is something to laugh about. I have friends who are gay and i am happy for them. I am there for them whenever they need me regardless of who they choose their partner because my concern is their happiness and not what the world thinks.

ur very own, NRI

Halloween.

I MISS HALLOWEEN. It is so much with all that dressing up. I am a fan of scary movies and i believe in paranormal activity. I always wait for three things in a year - my birthday, Halloween and Christmas.

I remember the last Halloween i spent with my friends in Hk. We were all dressed up and thought that most of the people will be at Hong Kong Disneyland. We reached at the gate when we realized that people around us were not really celebrating Halloween like we wanted to. We were shocked and confused where to go. Then it came to one of us ( i don't remember who ) suggested that we could try Discovery Bay. Discovery Bay is a mixed, primarily residential, development comprising a residential development and private and public facilities. 

When we reached there, it was fascinating. We saw a whole family dressed up as the Incredibles and two little boys as the Mario brothers.

I cannot remember that and every Halloween in India i miss those times..cannot wait to go back for Halloween. Those haunted rides .. :(

ur very own, NRI

Diwali

This Diwali was awesome! All those fire crackers and loud noises were one of an experience.

Diwali in Hk is a bit boring because its not a country-wide festival where everyone would be celebrating like Chinese New Year. People would want to sleep away from all that noise and not be disturbed and that is how i have lived my Diwali's in hk. I know it is boring but then it is not like i had any other choice for that matter. It was getting ready, praying with family and then lighting candles and divas and then it was a night. There were some small crackers but then it was not as crazy as in India.

I spend my Diwali with my Aunt. My uncle spent a good amount of money on the fire crackers. Honestly, I was scared so i did not do much but seeing my cousins and aunt screaming around with the loud noises was really entertaining.

I would love to do that again for next year, being my last year in India for as long as i know. I will be one firing these crackers like nobody else. Wish me luck :)

ur very own , NRI

Classrooms.

OMG i cannot forget my first day in Lovely Professional University. It is one of the largest Universities in India and INDIA is BIG. The walking around of the Uni made me lose 10kgs last year and hoping for the same this year.

Let me share my first day in Uni class. I stepped in and i don't remember if i was late as usual or was i early for once. I remember sitting down and everything just zoned out. I had no attention on the teacher or what she was saying. I was looking around the walls and just imaging if i could survive here. It was hot and with no Air-Con. I am not a spoiled brat but then i did go to college with Air-con and that was comfy. Plus,don't forgot how much hotter India is compared to Hk. It gets insanely hot and no I am not exaggerating.

It was not a great experience. In fact, i wanted to head home ASAP and i am glad i am still here , trying my best to cherish this experience and learning something new everyday. I will not give up until i get my degree.

ur very own, NRI

Friends

Friends are important people and  we meet new ones all the times of our lives. There are the ones that stay and the other they are temporary.

Since I have been to India, I have met all kinds of people. There have been good and bad people. There have been crazy and normal people. I have made a lot of friends and made a couple enemies too i suppose. Well, don't we make some all the time. It is how nature works where good and bad always come in the same package.

Coming to India, I have learnt a lot. There are so many fake people it is not even funny. I was surprised and hurt in the last year. It has surely been an experience and i wish to learn more as the times comes. I have made some great friends who , who i know will be there to make me smile when i am upset because they truly care.

ur very own, NRI

Tv shows

India is known for its culture. There are so many joint families all around India. This shows the bonding in everyone.

There are popular Indian TV shows that all the housewives and family love to watch together, or not.
These shows go on for over hundred episodes and dead characters come alive. It is pretty illogical but who wants to see logical things all the time. We want to see the impossible coming alive in front of us sometimes just to entertain ourselves.

In fact, these TV shows have family stories where there is a protagonist and antagonist. It can be thrilling to see at times because the camera effects are really awesome. The shows are short and the ending is always a thrill and viewers wait desperately for the next episodes. I know this so well because i used to watch these shows before.

I watched 'Dil Mill Gaye', 'Geet', 'Prem ki ek kahani' and some more. i enjoyed all of them and would have a replay at any time :)

ur very own, NRI

Dreams are to be followed

Being deprived of your own dreams and being forced to be an engineer, doctor or lawyer is reality when it comes to the Indian society. I have so many friends around me who are upset with what they are in. They don't enjoy studying engineering but they try their best to make their family proud.

It is true that we should do what our parents say but when it comes to dreams and things that form our lives, we need to know what we want in our futures. It is true that we can succeed in anything if we work hard enough but that is not all. One can get good grades in Engineering but then that does not strictly imply a good engineering.

We need to enjoy what we do in order to reach high grounds. That is why we choose what we like to study and then work hard in it and succeed in life.

We should work for happiness not merely for money.

ur very own, NRI

3 Idiots.

Continuing on the same topic from the previous post.
Everyone must have heard about the movie ' 3 idiots' if havent seen it. I remember seeing that movie a couple times and still not getting bored of it even when i seldom watch a movie again once im done with it.

I remember that day when i realized it popularity. I was at work if my Chinese best-friend. It was just the both of us and it was a quiet day. We started talking as usual and she told  me how she was going to watch an Indian movie with her boyfriend the next day. I was shocked because it  is predictable to get an Indian going for an Indian movie but then for a Chinese it is a big surprise. I instantly questioned her reason to watch a movie where she will have to read the subtitles. She said it is really good as per what she has heard and i assured her that her decision was great because the movie is great. I told her a little bit about it and she enjoyed what she heard :)

The next thing i know, everyone at work had watched it! The movie stayed in the theaters for the longest time i can remember when in HK movies change very frequently.

ur very own, NRI ;)

Movie not Reality

The famous movie ' Slum dog Millionaire' was a big success. It was mainly because people thought that it reflected reality when that is a totally false view. This is the one reason i did not enjoy the movie.

i don't understand why are movies only made on how 'bad', 'poor' or 'dirty' India is instead of praising its beauty. Every country has its beautiful and ugly side.Then why is only the bad side magnified when it comes to India?

We have some of the most beautiful and breathtaking views and stories behind places like the Taj Mahal. It is purely unfair if you ask me. I love India and i know it is beautiful. I hope some director makes a movie on it or else i will when i grow up. People can call it revenge but i will do it!!!

ur very own, NRI  ( feeling determined)

Tasteee Buuudsssss..

Taste buds

Food is a necessity but we turn that into a pleasure. There are so many different kinds of food all around the world. My top favourite being Korean , Indian and Chinese.

Korean food and spicy and sour at the same time , merging the two favourite flavours of mine into one and making it a full-on heaven on earth. The taste is rich and strong and leaves you wanting for you even when you are full to your neck. For those who have no idea what I am talking about and cannot access to Korean food close to them then I can recommend Korean noodles. The name is ramen and the packing is in red.

Then it's Indian cuisine. The various spices that drive one who tries to cook curry go crazy but in fact its not that hard when you have faced them since childhood but then i don't cook curry. I love every curry. I have eaten curry everyday at home and was asked by friends how to i not get sick of it. Well, there are just so many different kinds of them and maybe the spices added into curries are just a part of an Indian :)

CHINESE CUISINE! excited because i can cook chinese dishes. They are easy and healthy. The ingredients needed is no way as much as compared to curry. However,one can never compare these two regarding taste because they have their own beauty in taste.

Writing about all this food has mad me hungry. :P

ur very own, NRI

Music Trends

Music is what brings everyone alive. There are so many types of music that can satisfy everyone on this planet. There is specific music for specific mood.

Staying India i have so out of touch with the latest english music back in Hk. I remember when i went back for this summer vacations and whenever some song was playing at the pub and my friends would sing along and id look all oblivious to it, totally lost. The site sure amused my friends and made me feel sad and left out. That is why i just told my friend to update me on the latest music and i will download it in India.

On the other side when i am in Hk, i am outdated with the latest Indian jam. Nowadays i am totally addicted to ' Tum hi ho' from the movie Ashique 2.

Music is everywhere and the environment makes out taste differ. People from other parts of India will start enjoying Punjabi songs with insane beats when they stay in India.
I only listened to bohemia when i was in Hk and now i enjoy Honey Singh's music..

Music trend change with your environment.

ur very own, NRI :)

Night life around the world

I have lived majority of my life in HongKong and what i love about HK is its night life.
I am a girl and i can be out after 12 midnight and i am not afraid because it is safe.
In fact, i worked at the Airport and like any other job at the airport i have to work in shifts. My time of shift varied from 5:30am to 1:15am. There were i had to get up at four and times when i got home at 12:30. It was an  overall experience. I live bout 10 mins ride away from the airport but still my dad picked me up and dropped me off at 5:00 in the morning because he is a dad.

I also recall the time i went toSydney and i went out with my best friend Oparinha. It was one of an experience because it was safe but not as much as compared to HK.

Even if Australia wasnt as safe as Hk, it is surely safer than India. Here it feels weird to be out after 8 and parents make sure you are home before 9 at any cost. I remember  I was in India on vacation last year. We always stay in Chandigarh at my grandma's place and we were coming back from dinner on a rickshaw. The road was purely empty and a vehicle passed by and the young boys on it were whistling and both me and my mum. It was disturbing and made me really uncomfortable.

The sad part all these boys who do this do girls surely have women in their family. Everyone has a mum if not a sister. So why is it so hard make a person feel safe in India??

you very own,NRI

Non of YOUR BUSINESS

I live in India,Punjab. This would be reflecting my very own experience here but then I have heard that there are people in other parts of India who share the same feelings as me.

India is a country with various languages and traditions depending on the area it is located in. However to our surprises there is always one thing in common and no its not the SPICES.

People in India have the tendency to barge into others business. Its like keeping an eye on the others plate when your own plate might be overflowing with problem. There is always a NOSY women in your society who always has a comment for others but whose own family is most likely a mess if she isn't a spinster.
Usually when such women has a daughter with a lose character and goes around with every guy possible. However, if any other girl falls in love she will make such horrible comments and say bad things to the girl's family as well.

Come on, we had someone like that.. its insane..

I believe India isn't bad. In fact i love my Country.. but its people like these that make it so difficult to live happily in India.

We should all mind our own business because we are not aware of the obstacles others have tackled to get where they are presently.

ur very own, NRI :)

Continued... Safety of girls in India..

R-A-P-E

This word can ruin a girls whole life. It is bad enough that she is forced into doing something that she is totally against but then to have the society disregard her because a mishap that she suffered. In fact there is a movie starring Aishwarya Rai and Anil Kapoor that covers this issue. The  movie is called 'Humara Dil Apke Pass Hai',directed by Satish Kaushik. I have watched this movie a couple times because the story is interesting and reflects the cruel reality of life.

Here is the IMDB link for reference : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0255212/

In other words, when a girl is raped in India she might as well be dead. Her family actually believe that if her raper marries her then her life and their reputation will resume back to its original form. I personally believe that is an insane solution to such situations. How can living your life if the person who forced you be any kind of solution? It is totally ridiculous but  have to admit that it is a solution for one thing and that is that the reputation of the girl's family goes slightly better just because people stop pointing at them and recalling the horrible incident that the girl suffered. 

Fine, for a second i will say maybe that can be a solution but then nowadays its GANG-Rape, which guy should marry the girl then? This explains how pathetic the idea of making the girl marry her rapist is. 

Society should start being a little sympathetic towards such cases and give the rape victims a chance to live a happy life. This would help lessen the numbers of rapes as well because the rapist might end up having to marry a girl who suffered from the same incident and that fear would make him rethink his actions. The harm caused by rape is mental, emotional and physical meaning her partner has to work 10 times harder to keep her happy.

ur very own, NRI ! 

Unspoken rules

India is a large country holding the second largest number of population in the world. It is a country with traditions and values that have been continued for centuries. These leads to unwritten guidelines that we all have to follow. There are expectations from every individual.

Girls - should be shy/ a virgin/good housewife/good mother/good wife/good daughter.
Boys- well-educated/wealthy/settled( hopefully government job)

It is what we are supposed to aim for and one cannot live freely...

Although in the 21st century, we have adapted the western culture to quite an extend. There are live-in relationships and sex before marriage but the reality of Indian tradition is no matter how 'used' the boy is.. he wants a 'pure' girl. It is a unfair expectation but then who are we to say? These are the expectations, if you want then put up your points and fight or else.. stay silent and bare what comes to you.

Matter of fact in spite of such expectations, there are so many rape cases in India. People say it is because the girl was probably wearing revealing clothes. BUT HEY!! WE are allowed to wear what we want, well yeah not too revealing but how can these people explain the rape of little kids and girls who are no where near puberty but only with a innocent face and mind.

I personally believe it is all about the mentality, maybe if we loosen up a little.. things will surely improve..

To be continued..

I am Indian by heart and that will never change.
I was born in India but was  brought up in HongKong.
I have seen every corner possible in HongKong but staying away from my 'Real' home always made me feel incomplete. I remember that year when i visited India after 6 long years. Before when i visited India i was young and taken care of by parents but this time i was old enough to travel alone around India. I always knew that India is not as safe as HongKong but when does the heart listen? That was the first time i took the rickshaw all by myself to Sector 17, Chandigarh. It was a taste of freedom in India. The rickshaw wala seemed like a nice guy and the fear of safety washed out of my mind. I felt proud for feeling like a true Indian for the first time. I was always worried that my foreign accent would affect my Punjabi or Hindi and people would treat me differently. When i reached home and told my cousin about this accomplishment,she laughed and said 'The rickshaw wala knew you were not from around, that is why he charged you more than you were supposed to.' I felt a little bad but then that did not affect my sense of accomplishment.

It was then that i decided that i should visit India more frequently because it is around my own people that i truly feel home. The saying 'Home is where the heart is' is not just made of hollow words but words with depth. There are people *hint* *hint* who say that i am not a true Indian but with the help of this blog i promise to prove them wrong. Do not get me wrong, it is not that i need to prove anything to anyone, but who doesn't like the taste of a challenge ;)

ur very own, NRI ;)