Mangled Family Structures

My Ba (grandmother) is my biggest fan. Our connection is as strong as sugar and candy; I am a hybrid incarnation of her. I am her and she is me. You would think that our spiritual connection would manifest in us living in proximity. I live in Florida and my Ba lives in Baroda (India). She lives alone, alone in a grand two story house that I bet my Dada (grandfather) dreamt would be filled the laughter of his grandchildren. I never lived in that house.

The unfortunate consequence of being a modern nomad is that you must sacrifice family ties and since family is the core of most cultures; you must sacrifice culture. Is that too high a price to pay? I think it is.

The cornerstone of human success as a thriving specie is the family structure. Generations living together meant distribution of work, increased productivity in finding food and most important of all companionship. My grandmother never finished elementary school; she got married and spent her life raising her family. And her reward for her life long labor, she gets to live alone. Dreams should never go unfinished, because Dreams have ghosts too. Raising a family is like no other job, your hard work does not get rewarded with a salary increase, but I think you should be able to at the least enjoy their company.

In my pursuit of my Dreams I have made myself a nomad, Diwali could have been filled with the smells of my Ba’s cooking, this year I spent it talking to my mother on the phone. In pursuit of my dreams I have killed my Ba’s Dreams, I am a Dream killer and their ghosts haunt me.

- Paayal Patel

nationmaster

A massive central data source and a handy way to graphically compare nations. NationMaster is a vast compilation of data from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, UN, and OECD. Using the form above, you can generate maps and graphs on all kinds of statistics with ease.

Loverly... It's seems like its a pretty decent stat site. The really cool bit though is you can get a firefox search plugin to search anything on the site. Right from you little browser there.

<link>

Surely there is better poetry out there

Patient and steady with all he must bear,
Ready to meet every challenge with care,
Easy in manner, yet solid as steel,
Strong in his faith, refreshingly real.
Isn't afraid to propose what is bold,
Doesn't conform to the usual mould,
Eyes that have foresight, for hindsight won't do,
Never backs down when he sees what is true,
Tells it all straight, and means it all too.
Going forward and knowing he's right,
Even when doubted for why he would fight,
Over and over he makes his case clear,
Reaching to touch the ones who won't hear.
Growing in strength he won't be unnerved,
Ever assuring he'll stand by his word.
Wanting the world to join his firm stand,
Bracing for war, but praying for peace,
Using his power so evil will cease,
So much a leader and worthy of trust,
Here stands a man who will do what he must.

Pakistan deletes 'pro-Bush' poem

An Ideal Boy

There's a certain way good desi boys should act. An ideal boy is an illustrated guide to teach you exactly how you should behave. <link>