Miss you MJ

I am probably the 10 millionth blogger to say this Gosh ,I feel a sense of loss that Michael Jackson passed away. I grew up in Chennai, not exactly the most happening place in the 80’s , but my small taste of “America” was MJ and the Grammy’s. My cousin was back from the US and he had brought back a VHS tape of Thriller

As a 5 year old .I remember wondering what all the fuss was about, till he switched it on. Then after the initial scream when the zombies came out, I couldn’t believe the dance moves. So started the fascination, more for my sister than for me. After that it was late nights waiting to see the Grammy’s airing at 11 PM on DD. But Thriller to me was always special when my cousins used to darken the room, and invert their eyelids, play the song and dance (though I must say that’s the reason, I need to have a light on in my room even now ).I loved the zombie dance and still do that move sometimes when I get totally zonked out at work.

I used to try the moonwalk during Family get-togethers, much to the amusement of my relatives and horror of my parents. The MJ poster on my sisters wall came down, but somehow his music was always played throughout. Right from “Off the wall” to “Invincible” every album was bought and replayed at least 20 times on the first day. I remember breaking the cover of thriller ,with MJ in a white suit on his side, and being worried if my sister would kill me :)!!. Growing up, though his music assumed a significance that went beyond a song and dance routine. “Man in the Mirror” was a study in human introspection and “Heal the World” an anthem for World peace. “Billy Jean” and “Dirty Diana” were details of mistakes made while “Beat it” and “Bad” was a push back against aggressors in life. His music spoke to his personal life from “Leave me alone” against the paparazzi to “Childhood” about his loneliness and child abuse, he said "childhood", was the most honest song of his career.

I love all his songs, but “The way you make me feel” and “Smooth Criminal” can get anyone’s foot tapping. I remember we got the video for Smooth criminal during the holidays when I was 10. I watched it 50 times atleast. The story was crazy, but the dance could make even my dad break a move.There is a part in the video, when he slants to 60 degree angle, and they said it wasn’t through special effects. Tried that out a couple of times and nearly broke my nose. “Black or White “ came out when MTv first came to India, and the morphing technology at the end of the song blew my mind. I didn’t care too much for his History or Invincible albums. But “They Don’t really care about us” Im sure influenced quite a few music directors in Bollywood.

Its sad the last 15 years of his life was intersected with taints of abuse and plastic surgery wackiness, but this is all I say, I loved his music early on. It gave me the basis of western music, through which I developed most of my other tastes. The current artists are good but MJ’s genius comes once in a century, and I don’t think I am going to see another like him in my lifetime

So Goodbye MJ, hope the next life is better for you than this one was.

This song is how I would want to remember Michael - young and full of energy ,his songs hopefully his only legacy which live forever.

Shake a leg today today ppl,

Anu

I am woman, hear me Roar

I think I had it!!! I am so disappointed with some people that I would love to scream!! Four months back I had a beautiful bouncing baby. I didn’t care what sex the baby was, just that she was healthy and had every one of her little toes and fingers in the right places. But as I progress more into the world, I just hear more about how quickly I should try for a second one. Why? “well for the boy of course!!”.



I thought gone was the time when getting a girl or boy mattered. Woman nowdays are strong individuals, not dependant on their families and living life to the fullest. I can almost expect the "must have a boy" sentiment from the older set, but it’s the younger lot which scare me. I have friends (Gosh I dread calling them that now) who say “Cho chweet” when they see lil V in the same sentence as “You wish she was a boy , don’t you”. To all of them I say this “IT DOES’NT MATTER”. When the baby looks at you with the complete trust, it’s your heart and soul which are deposited in its care. As a mother do I care if they wear pants or a frock- NOPE but do I care that they remain safe and healthy through life – a big resounding YES. People always asked me when I was pregnant would you like a boy or girl. There is no harm in wanting a son or daughter based on opinion, but after you deliver the child, its pathetic to lament!!. The child whose born is not purely defined by its gender, its defined by the love it receives. That love cannot be tampered by whether its going to like playing with barbies or with rangers.

Especially in days when we have ladies like Sonia Sotomayor being elected to US supreme court , its sad that Generation Y apes its parents for a child preference. I love dressing up my daughter in frills and lace, and if I had a boy unfortunately for him, I would have done the same :D!. One of my older aunts lamented when she heard I had a girl.. “You have to give her away in 25 years when she gets married”… well if I had a boy I would have given him away at 15, when he saw his first playboy :))! Seriously how many men do you know who live with their parents forever. I knowall my girl pals who support their parents emotionally or financially.. cant say the same of the guys.. Nope, Im not saying the guys are bad, just that their priorities change mid life with family. But girls seem to cling on to the old and new and form the thread. As a grown woman, somehow I feel that though I accepted the additional responsibilities , but never leave the initial ones behind. Its funnily the way of the world, woman have always been the binding force in any family. So all those Indian and Chinese couples who genetically try to get a male heir are missing something precious, and by their act alone they don’t deserve a little girl

Take a girl child away at a time, and then the world would be a cold place with each man frozen in his own island.

I just want the younger generation to wake up . It’s hard breaking the glass ceiling with 60 year olds standing in your way, it worse when you have 30 year olds during their job. The reason I write this post is that I never want “V” to feel ashamed for a tiny nano second that she is a girl. I want her to stand proud in her feminity and grace. She has so much color and joy to spread around and that shouldn’t be tampered with the darkness of archaic views of gender preference.



So this is what I need to say to all those mothers who think baby girls are secondary

“I feel sorry for you as you don’t know what a miracle a girl baby is
I feel sorry for you as you miss her spontaneous smile when your wondering if she should have been a boy
I feel sorry for you as you will never sit with her and dream about dancing ponies and flying rainbows
I feel sorry for you as you will not understand the joy of girl talk with the one who sees the world through new eyes
I feel sorry for you as you won’t see your best friend growing in front of your eyes
I feel sorry for you as you can’t seem to let go of your inhibitions so you can soar to new heights with her
I feel sorry for you as all said and done, your the one who let herself down”

Well.. after that rant.. a little smile may be in order
(Guys.. this is just for fun ,Promise :) )

WHY WOMEN ARE SUPERIOR

We got off the Titanic first.
We can scare male bosses with mysterious gynecological disorder excuses.
When we buy a vibrator it is glamorous. When men buy a blow up doll it's pathetic.
Men's clothes make women look elfin and gorgeous. Men look like complete idiots in women's clothes.
We can be groupies. Male groupies are stalkers.
We've never lusted after a cartoon character or the central figure in a computer game.
Taxi's stop for us.
Men die earlier, so we get to cash in on the life insurance.
We don't look like a frog in a blender when dancing.
We know the Truth about whether or not size matters.
It's possible to live our whole lives without ever taking a group shower.
We don't have to fart to amuse ourselves.
We never have to wonder if his orgasm was real.
If we forget to shave, no one has to know.
We can congratulate our teammate without ever grabbing her ass.
If we have a zit, we know how to conceal it.
We never have to reach down every so often to make sure our privates are still there.
We have the ability to dress ourselves.
Our friends won't think we're weird if we ask whether there's spinach in our teeth.
We know that there are times when chocolate really can solve all of your problems.
Gay waiters don't make us uncomfortable.
We'll never regret piercing our ears.
We can fully assess a person just by looking at their shoes.
We can talk to people of the opposite sex without having to picture them naked.

Keep Smiling ppl
Anu