'Desi' Home Run; lingo explained

Here is a collection of cool 'desi' definitions for the uninitiated American, who have not yet been 'blessed' with the Indian philosophy :-). Let me know if this helps.
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Desi:A colloquial name for South Asians, people who trace their ancestry to South Asia, especially India, Bangaldesh, Pakistan. Pronounced "THEY-see," it is the Hindi word for "from my country" (from the word 'desh' or country). In an article about the South Asian party scene in the Big Apple, New York Times reporter Somini Sengupta described the word as a "Hindi version of homeboy or homegirl" (NYT, 6/30/96: "To Be Young, Indian and Hip"). That's a pretty good definition.
ABCD "American Born Confused Desi" : A slightly derogatory name used to describe desi children who were born and brought up in America and are "confused" about their South Asian background. Read Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri for insights.
Non-resident Indian or NRI: A term coined by bureaucrats in New Delhi to define Indians who live outside India. Indian tax law includes three categories: resident and ordinarily resident; resident and not-ordinarily resident, and non-resident. The first is one who lives in India all the time; the second, one who lives at least 180 days in India, and the third, who lives less than 180 days in India. Also stands for Not-required Indians or Non-reliable Indians.
Asian, Asian American: Be careful of this usage when talking about those of Asian origin (like me). The key is to know is your reference really about all Asians or only about East Asians and/or Southeast Asians!! For example, an American reporter might write about the 'Chinese New Year being important to Asians in the U.S.' South Asians are a part of the Asian American community, and they don't care about Chinese New Year.
Diaspora:The British colonial legacy and large-scale immigration resulted in large number of pockets of people of South Asian origin scattered around the world (besides South Asia, of course). The government of India puts the size of the diaspora at more than 20 million. There are more than 2 million South Asians in the United States, a lot of them married to americans.Is there any statistics of the successes of these marriages?
Bengal, Bengali, Bangali, Bangla: During partition of India, the Indian state of Bengal was divided into two: the mostly hindu state of West Bengal, which went to India, and the mostly muslim country of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. However, political borders are not necessarily cultural borders. Both Bangladeshis and West Bengalis speak the same language of Bengali, though with slightly different accents, and call themselves "Bengalis" or "Bangalis" (never Bangalees.) I am a Bengali Hindu from West Bengal in India: ooh what a legacy.
Hindu, Hinduism: One of the oldest (older than Christianity and Islam) religion practiced by about 80 percent of the population of India. The values and beliefs of Hinduism are not derived from a single text, institution or pontiff but have evolved over several thousand years in the subcontinent into a set of theological and social values embedded in a range of ritual observances, mystical contemplation and ascetic practices by its followers. Although Hinduism is often portrayed to be polytheistic, many scholars consider Hinduism to be henotheistic or monotheistic, the gods and goddesses worshipped by Hindus representing manifestations of One Supreme Being. Among the many sacred scriptures and texts of Hinduism are the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita (a segment of the epic Mahabharata). Do not confuse Hindu (the religion) with Hindi (a language).
Hindi: The primary language of about 30% of India's people, and one of almost two dozen major languages spoken around the country. It is derived primarily from Sanskrit, using the Devanagari script
Urdu: One of the official languages of Pakistan; also spoken in many parts of India, especially in the North. Also the language used in ballads known as ghazals. Urdu romantic shairis are the life blood of any good desi crowd.
Sanskrit: Indo-Aryan language in which many ancient Indian texts are written (Vedas); also used by Hindu clergy for recitation of most prayers.
qawaali or qawwali: (not capitalized) Devotional songs of the Sufi tradition of Islam. In the style popularized by the late singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, this old tradition has been sped up and blended with Western instruments.
Bhangra: Dance and music style originating in the Indian state of Punjab. Now often refers to a blend of western pop and traditional Punjabi music when performed in the West.Check out LA for regular Bhangra sessions.balle balle.
Mehndi: The traditional Indian and diaspora art of intricate hand and body decoration using dyes from the henna plant. Used mainly by brides during marriage ceremonies, it is now becoming popular as an exotic decoration and a non-permanent "tattoo." In recent years, mehndi has gained attention in the West as a result of its use by Madonna and Gwen Stefani. They have also popularized the 'Bindi', a hindi name for the decoration worn on the forehead by many women of South Asian origin.Contrary to popular perception, the bindi does not necessarily indicate the marital status of a woman. It can be applied as a turmeric-based powder or a quick-drying liquid, but many contemporary women prefer to use "stick-on" bindis that have a weak adhesive on the back.
Chai: Hot/Iced/Frozen tea served with milk, spices and sweeteners. Most of coffee shops in USA think that the trendiest beverage is neither espresso nor cappuccino, but chai. Rooted in the tea-drinking traditions of India, chai is suddenly the hottest sip in America.Note: The "ch" is pronounced as in "check." The vowel rhymes with "eye."
Cashmere: Fine wool from the undercoat of the Kashmir/cashmere goat. While mistakenly applied to all kinds of soft wool, only the wool from this goat is true cashmere. The wool, known as pashmina, is popular for its use in beautiful shawls and other handmade items produced in the Indian state of Kashmir (now China does too).
Diwali, Deepavali: One of the most festive holidays observed by Hindus, its overall theme is celebration of the triumph of good and truth over evil, symbolized by the lighting of fireworks and clay lamps at night. Diwali occurs during late autumn (late October/early November) and is celebrated in different ways in different parts of India to signify different local customs and religious traditions. Although it is celebrated among many north Indians and the diaspora as the start of the new year, Diwali should not be referred to as the 'South Asian new year', 'Indian new year', or the 'Hindu new year'. No such event exists.

Fancy Flights

Visited India once more. There's no point ranting experiences for fellow readers..you just have to DO IT to know it. However I can enlighten you on the diversity of the airlines/aircrafts that could be afforded on my economy budget.
It all started with boarding a CR7 American Eagle at XNA to reach Chicago.This is one of the smallest, no frills plane one may fly; its too narrow with two seats on one side and one on the other.I fitted in my butt into the single seater and fell asleep to avoid the torture of being shaken like a cocktail drink during take-off.
The next flight was a gigantic leap from CR7. It was a Boeing 777-200; direct flight from Chicago to New Delhi. Mine was the first such non stop flight operated by AA.
They had special parties and guests to launch this event and the airport lounge was crowded lot. We were given special souvenirs and I hoped the in flight food would be special too (you cannot trust AA with good food).
However, the plane is super magnanimous. Just check out this blue print to gauge the enormosity of this beast.

The flight crew was happy to go to 'mystical' India for the first time. To my utter discomfort, I learned that AA doesn't serve free drinks (read alcohol) even on international flights;I don't know how they expect people to survive for 15 hours, in a closed airplane, in coach class, in the company of grey haired 40+ air hostesses without some liquor. I was fortnuate enough, when I could talk an air hostess to get me a free bottle of scotch. I could manage some sleep after that. The food was not alarmingly bad but also not superb. The limited variety of the food, keeping in mind it is an international flight also surprised me. You get better food on Indian domestic air routes. Read further.
Once in Delhi, I had to wait overnight to catch my next flight from New Delhi to Calcutta (Jet Airways). Believe me or not they use a Boeing 737, which is way bigger and spacious than the American Eagle stuff. The food is also sumptuous and plenty. http://www.airlinemeals.net/meals/JetAirways.html This is way much better than what I ate on the 15 hour flight. This feels like home. Good food. Indian hospitality. Prospering service industry of international standards.Mera Bharat Mahan.
The way back to USA from India it was Boeing 737 (Kolkata-Delhi), followed by Boeing 777-200(New Delhi-Chicago). After Chicago,I was to get NorthWest to fly back to Fort Smith via Dallas. Chicago to Dallas was good in a big Airbus. But the one from Dallas to Fort Smith took my wits away. It was one of those SR (short range) aircrafts with propellers driven by GE jet engines. The last seat looked actually like a couch where 5 people were jostling for space.I was seating on a single seat, luckily.That take-off scared me so much that I fell asleep once the plane was in air.The aged air hostess didn't even bother to ask for any beverage. It feels good to be back in USA where you have best of all facilities but the quality of air travel in USA is really not worth mentioning compared to SE Asia.
Let me know your feedback.

Bad Feminism

Myth :Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just take the rotten apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy... The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.
Now Men...Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

Truth: No apples & No grapes & No Generalization. There are both types in either sexes. There are women who are good at throwing guys of the tall trees inspite of all their valiant attempts and there are men who like being stomped before rejecting her for being muddy.

If you read my last post's comments you will know who have been made into liquor (aka stong bitter beer)....and how the imbecile thinks of Karma (without knowing what it means) as the biggest excuse in life to stomp upon good people..how women need to push good prospects down to make themselves taller and feel high and take 'revenge' for past bad experiences.

Indian Guy and American Gal

According to Monica Bellucci from Chicago, most american (born in usa not immigrants) gals would be very pleased with smart people of my type on a first meeting. And she is right. However I will successfully freak the chick out by giving too much attention and care. I will scare her if I call up the next day. I will make her apprehensive if I speak of relationships even if she is spending the time with me. I will make her feel vulnerable by asking her out even if she is telling me that she likes me. She will think that I'm all excited about nothin and not goal oriented and not for real. And she is right again. This has been my experience with most of the american gals I have hung out with in near past.
However what I have doubts I my mind is that why these gals are shying of care and attention? The obvious melodramatic answers you can expect from chicks will be "I don't know you that much...""..you might be a psycho"..."you must not be for real..I never handled so good guys.." "Iam not used to this, I need my space.." "I'm all by myself..wouldn't a relationship ruin my independance" "you are coming in too strong..".
Well babes, how many psychos or serial killers reported so far in USA were from India and how many of them were IT professionals??? And is life all about having test tube babies (single moms) or is it about having families?? Is love and care and attention wrong?? Is being a little demanding going to brush your ego on the wrong side??Or you read somewhere that cute successful guys can never take care of you and make you feel inferior? Or you have a brain crisis?
And what about appreciating the fact that the guy is a transplant to your country and living an isolated, lonely existence and require true honest someone to spend some good time. That his life may not be as filled up with friends as yours is (you have been born here not me) because there is not much outside work life to look forward to.

Damn the bureaucracy

The wait for the magic Green Card just got longer.
Just check out the details at http://us.rediff.com/money/2005/oct/07visa.htm?q=tp&file=.htm
H1b holding professionals of the highest quality, and tax payers contributing to the US are forced to live in a state of constant flux due to poor adhoc decision making techniques adopted by US law makers.
Please do raise your concern.

You and me babe, how about it?

Wish I could write something like this...this expresses the eternal story of romeo so well
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A lovestruck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a streetlight steps out of the shade
Says something like "You and me babe, how about it?"
Juliet says "hey, it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack"
He's underneath the window
She's singing "hey la my boyfriend's back
You shouldn't come around here singing up at people like that"

Anyway what you gonna do about it?

Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet that you exploded into my heart
And I forget I forget the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
Juliet
Come up on different streets, they both were streets of shame
Both dirty, both mean, yes and the dream was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?

When you can fall for chains of silver
You can fall for chains of gold
You can fall for pretty strangers
And the promises they hold
You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah
Now you just say "oh Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him"

Juliet,
When we made love you used to cry
You said "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die"
There's a place for us you know the movie song
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
Juliet
I can't do the talk so like the talk on the TV
And I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be
I can't do everything, but I'll do anything for you
I can't do anything except be in love with you
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be
All I do is keep the beat and the bad company
Now all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme

Juliet,I'd do the stars with you any time
Juliet

A lovestruk Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a lovesong that he made
Finds a convenience streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like "You and me babe, how about it?"
"You and me babe, how about it?"
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Life @ Fort Smith

Day 1 @ Fort Smith: Pensive mood


After 6 months: W/ my colleagues

Relationships and Maturity

Eh! Bad topic. First deal with maturity. Hope that would inevitably land into something to do with relationships (keeping in mind my overworked grey cells) ;-~
Hope we all agree that maturity is something elusive that comes with age, education, exposure to different cultures, interaction with multiple communities and has nothing do with CMM (Capability Maturity Model) practices led down by Carnegie Mellon University for improving the maturity of any process(industrial, techno-commercial). Wish they had a model for improving maturity of a person or a relationship for that matter.

Univ of Wisconsin tells that "When a person can live with her past without being bogged down by it, she remains adaptable, capable of continued change, then she is mature."
The mature individual can accept her own shortcomings, realise her faults and is usually much mellowed about life. The mature person knows that she has to go on choosing alternatives, that each alternative costs something, and there are things she will never be able to do and experience, but then maturity is about giving up a lot and realizing how much to give up. She also knows that there are things she will never be able to do again, that she can never recapture the youth or relive her first encounters with certain experiences. She will give up all temptations for a cause that has long time effect. She knows that her integrity would be continually threatened by practical demands, by seductive temptations, by concessions, by conflicting values, and can only be preserved at the cost strong resolve, love for life and faith in mankind. A matured person would take that extra step (often interpreted by immatures as sacrifice or compromise) to make things happen, to keep falling pieces together, to caress a lonely heart. She would make that effort to survive a relationship that is going through a bad patch or may not have blossomed completely.
I don't see too many trendy and smart youth (both guys and gals) doing such things for their relationships; they are all about move-ons, break-ups, divorces. They are afraid to take that risk as it challenges their ego, dreams, sense of freedom and pride. They are all about take-it- easy.Definitely they are good, attractive, smart people who have a lot going for themselves but they are just afraid to settle. So most beautiful men and women have the most confused and most hazy souls. They think settling down will make them like the other 'schmucks'.

Believe me. Trust me. Having one to relate to, talk to, share your life is something so sublime and special; it makes life so easy to live and enjoy. Extend your hand for the person waiting. Your relationship deserves your maturity not whims. Amen!

Crossroads:Walk carefully

Life has put me in a terrible mess. A cracked ring finger on the lefthand is not the only thing thats going wrong. After a long time, I realized that my personal life is also in a mess, and Iam 28 going on 29. I have been looking for that special one (after the first breakoff) and whenever I thought I met one (@bar, @train,@concerts etc), I realize thereafter that I have been wrong. That I will not be able tolive my life with the 'one'.
I, as an Indian, believe in only one marriage for one life, and so there have been multiple times, when I had to refuse women because I knew things would not work out. Women on the other hand think Iam cute,intelligent, have a good job and make good money, cultured, friendly,caring, a-keeper and so the vicious cycle repeats on. Lets be friends or Iam confused with my life right now has been the excuses that I used..And when I think I can find whom I need, whom I have been looking for, hope God will be good enough not to make me taste my own medicine. I, the born athiest, and spiritual is ready to pray to any God to make this work. Just pray for me and my life. This is important to me. Amen!

Bold Topic

This is going to be a bold topic to deal with.
How much time should you give yourself before you sleep with your date?

Iam sincerely asking for opinions and hope this one would draw some good opinions. Remember, this is true for both guys and gals who wants to love life and are based in US.