Anju Gattani's Blog, page 2
January 9, 2013
Jyoti - The Light
Hi,
Her name is Jyoti.
In means 'Light'.
On Sunday, December 16, 2012, Jyoti, 23, was brutally gang-raped by 6 men on a 'joy-ride' aboard a bus in New Delhi, India, in the dead of night.
Her male friendk Awindra, tried to help her and was brutally beaten with an iron rod. Jyoti called for help on her cell phone but that was taken from her.
Then Jyoti lost all connection to the world and was trapped in hell, to be raped and beaten.
After a harrowing - no. Vile - no. Grotesque - no. Is there a word in any language that can depict the hell she endured on that bus for a whole hour? I don't think so. Is there a heart that doesn't bleed for Jyoti and the ordeal she was forced to endure? I don't think so.
What followed shortly after was the struggle to survive as Jyoti and Awindra were taken to the hospital, admitted and treated. Awindra survived the brutal attacks. Jyoti scraped by, had to be flown to Singapore, and died early Saturday morning.
The aftermath is a series of vigils, angry demonstrattions by the public where "incidents of rape, sexual abuse and harrassment are frequently reported in a country where little is done." (Wall Street Journal, Dec 29, 2012), petitions on the internet to tighten India's laws protecting women and... I could go on.
Celebrities have spoken. Politicians have spoken (some much later). The people continue to speak. Women want to be heard. So many women endure silent torture at home, at work, for too long. So many women report cases of abuse. But does anyone listen?
What will it take to change people's thinking patterns?
What will it take to make men realize that women are NOT a 'joy ride'?
What will it take to change a whole country's attitude and perception?
Politicians? Celebrities? People? What people?
WE ARE THE PEOPLE.
Her name is 'Jyoti'.
She is the light.
The beacon we should all stand up for.
http://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2...
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-ne...
Her name is Jyoti.
In means 'Light'.
On Sunday, December 16, 2012, Jyoti, 23, was brutally gang-raped by 6 men on a 'joy-ride' aboard a bus in New Delhi, India, in the dead of night.
Her male friendk Awindra, tried to help her and was brutally beaten with an iron rod. Jyoti called for help on her cell phone but that was taken from her.
Then Jyoti lost all connection to the world and was trapped in hell, to be raped and beaten.
After a harrowing - no. Vile - no. Grotesque - no. Is there a word in any language that can depict the hell she endured on that bus for a whole hour? I don't think so. Is there a heart that doesn't bleed for Jyoti and the ordeal she was forced to endure? I don't think so.
What followed shortly after was the struggle to survive as Jyoti and Awindra were taken to the hospital, admitted and treated. Awindra survived the brutal attacks. Jyoti scraped by, had to be flown to Singapore, and died early Saturday morning.
The aftermath is a series of vigils, angry demonstrattions by the public where "incidents of rape, sexual abuse and harrassment are frequently reported in a country where little is done." (Wall Street Journal, Dec 29, 2012), petitions on the internet to tighten India's laws protecting women and... I could go on.
Celebrities have spoken. Politicians have spoken (some much later). The people continue to speak. Women want to be heard. So many women endure silent torture at home, at work, for too long. So many women report cases of abuse. But does anyone listen?
What will it take to change people's thinking patterns?
What will it take to make men realize that women are NOT a 'joy ride'?
What will it take to change a whole country's attitude and perception?
Politicians? Celebrities? People? What people?
WE ARE THE PEOPLE.
Her name is 'Jyoti'.
She is the light.
The beacon we should all stand up for.
http://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2...
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-ne...
January 3, 2013
A New Year with Tragedies Trailing Behind
Hi,
It's another New Year and a sombre beginning I should add. At the end of last year we had 2 very very unfortunate incidents... the CT Sandy Hook School massacre, USA, and the gang-rape of a woman in New Delhi, India.
The atrocities shook the world and took our hearts by storm. We watched on TV and read the papers as news and details of the 2 atrocities began to unfold. One massacre happened in the USA and the other in India. But it didn't matter... they were monstrous and heinous crimes. People died as a result. The world was left with more tragedies to lead us to a new year.
Attached below are some links which showcase the brutality of humanity and the tragedies they leave behind. Here's hoping we never see the daylight of any more in the year ahead:
CT, USA tragedy:
http://thoughtfulindia.com/2012/12/th...
http://thoughtfulindia.com/2012/12/fa...
New Delhi, India tragedy:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ci...
http://thoughtfulindia.com/2012/12/bi...
It's another New Year and a sombre beginning I should add. At the end of last year we had 2 very very unfortunate incidents... the CT Sandy Hook School massacre, USA, and the gang-rape of a woman in New Delhi, India.
The atrocities shook the world and took our hearts by storm. We watched on TV and read the papers as news and details of the 2 atrocities began to unfold. One massacre happened in the USA and the other in India. But it didn't matter... they were monstrous and heinous crimes. People died as a result. The world was left with more tragedies to lead us to a new year.
Attached below are some links which showcase the brutality of humanity and the tragedies they leave behind. Here's hoping we never see the daylight of any more in the year ahead:
CT, USA tragedy:
http://thoughtfulindia.com/2012/12/th...
http://thoughtfulindia.com/2012/12/fa...
New Delhi, India tragedy:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ci...
http://thoughtfulindia.com/2012/12/bi...
December 10, 2012
Author of the Week
Hi,
I'm hanging out with Full Moon Bites tour host Holly Polk for 'Author of The Week'. Hop on over if you'd like to know more of the journey behind DUTY AND DESIRE
http://fullmoonbites.blogspot.com/201...
Hope you'll have fun too!!
I'm hanging out with Full Moon Bites tour host Holly Polk for 'Author of The Week'. Hop on over if you'd like to know more of the journey behind DUTY AND DESIRE
http://fullmoonbites.blogspot.com/201...
Hope you'll have fun too!!
December 4, 2012
Zumba Thinks!?
Hi,
Yes, it's Tuesday and I made it to another Zumba class. I think I'm getting better... considering I'm able to cue in more than before and follow the steps. Plus I know what to expect.
But little did I expect that after just a few sessions everything would gel into one so quickly. Latina, Hip-Hop, Salsa, Bhangra - the dance steps switch from one to another so quickly. You begin with one thing and before you know it, you're tapping to another beat, then hopping to another, lunging to something faster and slowing the tempo to a little shake, rattle and roll!
It doesn't matter what genre, language or voice the lyrics flow with. It doesn't matter what beats you're dancing to. It doesn't matter if you understand the language or not. The rhythm, the movements and the excitement revving through all our veins were the same. Sure, some were better than others. Some worse! But in the end we danced as one.
Fiction has the power, sometimes, to do just this. You can't all be in the same dance studio and expect to read in one go. Some read in English, others in French, German... you get the idea. But the human condition, emotions, thoughts and values are the same for us all. And when it isn't, that's when you stop to think. It's what good books do.
It's what good fitness instructors do too.
Stop and think about yourself with a different perspective.
Yes, it's Tuesday and I made it to another Zumba class. I think I'm getting better... considering I'm able to cue in more than before and follow the steps. Plus I know what to expect.
But little did I expect that after just a few sessions everything would gel into one so quickly. Latina, Hip-Hop, Salsa, Bhangra - the dance steps switch from one to another so quickly. You begin with one thing and before you know it, you're tapping to another beat, then hopping to another, lunging to something faster and slowing the tempo to a little shake, rattle and roll!
It doesn't matter what genre, language or voice the lyrics flow with. It doesn't matter what beats you're dancing to. It doesn't matter if you understand the language or not. The rhythm, the movements and the excitement revving through all our veins were the same. Sure, some were better than others. Some worse! But in the end we danced as one.
Fiction has the power, sometimes, to do just this. You can't all be in the same dance studio and expect to read in one go. Some read in English, others in French, German... you get the idea. But the human condition, emotions, thoughts and values are the same for us all. And when it isn't, that's when you stop to think. It's what good books do.
It's what good fitness instructors do too.
Stop and think about yourself with a different perspective.
November 26, 2012
Zumba N Fiction
Hi,
I'm looking forward to my Tuesday morning tomorrow because it'll be another class of Zumba!
My first class was last week... and when I entered the studio I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I mean I've taken step aerobics, Pilates and muscle toning classes but Zumba was a first.
At first I thought, OK, this isn't too bad. You see there were little bits and pieces from step. Then when the Latina dance moves kicked in I was wondering if I was meant to be here! I wasn't atrocious or anything... I just hadn't wiggled my hips to tantalizing music in a loooooooooong time. But it was fun! Then the Indian 'Bhangra' dance moves kicked in and I thought this is good and feels good! After a while the cool down settled our heart rates to normal while sweat continued to pour down in buckets.
The instructor had spoken to me about Zumba before we started and mentioned that I should give it 3 attempts before saying 'NO'.
I remember watching the instructor's moves and looking out for the hand signals (she'd mentioned) to cue us in for the next step. I also remember how young she looked - around early 30ish, causing me to think... Well, now wonder she's so good at this... she's younger than I am!
What a surprise when I thanked the instructor (later for the class) and found out she's older than I am and did the good ol 'A' levels and 'O' levels from the British Education system that I'd done... 4 years ahead of me.
And now here I am sitting once again before my 2nd book trying to put a detailed synopsis together. I've done the whole book. It's complete and edited fantastically by a professional editor... we've worked on it several rounds now. But I have to attempt something new with the same piece again.
So what do I do? Walk in the studio where I've taken step, cardio and muscle-tone classes before - except this time I attempt a new feat / Zumba! with my completed novel.
It's going to take some time and lot of thought... but if I've done it before, I can do it again!
I'm looking forward to my Tuesday morning tomorrow because it'll be another class of Zumba!
My first class was last week... and when I entered the studio I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I mean I've taken step aerobics, Pilates and muscle toning classes but Zumba was a first.
At first I thought, OK, this isn't too bad. You see there were little bits and pieces from step. Then when the Latina dance moves kicked in I was wondering if I was meant to be here! I wasn't atrocious or anything... I just hadn't wiggled my hips to tantalizing music in a loooooooooong time. But it was fun! Then the Indian 'Bhangra' dance moves kicked in and I thought this is good and feels good! After a while the cool down settled our heart rates to normal while sweat continued to pour down in buckets.
The instructor had spoken to me about Zumba before we started and mentioned that I should give it 3 attempts before saying 'NO'.
I remember watching the instructor's moves and looking out for the hand signals (she'd mentioned) to cue us in for the next step. I also remember how young she looked - around early 30ish, causing me to think... Well, now wonder she's so good at this... she's younger than I am!
What a surprise when I thanked the instructor (later for the class) and found out she's older than I am and did the good ol 'A' levels and 'O' levels from the British Education system that I'd done... 4 years ahead of me.
And now here I am sitting once again before my 2nd book trying to put a detailed synopsis together. I've done the whole book. It's complete and edited fantastically by a professional editor... we've worked on it several rounds now. But I have to attempt something new with the same piece again.
So what do I do? Walk in the studio where I've taken step, cardio and muscle-tone classes before - except this time I attempt a new feat / Zumba! with my completed novel.
It's going to take some time and lot of thought... but if I've done it before, I can do it again!
November 19, 2012
Fall Clean-Up N Fiction
Hi,
I spent yesterday evening celebrating fall clean-up with my son. The yard was a mess! Dried-up, cruncy leaves were strewn all over the ground and we could barely see the grass. This has been going on for a while now and yesterday we finally decided to do something about it. Thanks to good ol' rakes we were able to collect the scattered leaves into piles. The next step was dumping them in lawn bags. Needless to say we filled 5 bags and ran short... that's where trash bags come in handy!
The blower was next! With me behind its controls, I made sure to get as many leaves out the way - until I pointed it in the wrong direction... OOPS!
We had 3 huge piles and as I started bagging them, my 12-year old son decided to jump in with Scruffy the puppy... OOPS! It's not actually as bad as you think. The worse part was pulling the leaves out Scruffy's fur - he's a Shih-Tzu! But we did leave a few leaves. They look good.
We bagged. We dragged the bags to the kerb. We were finally done!
And now I'm back to looking at a critique from my wonderful friend and editor. She's got me thinking. Hard. I knew the chapter was finally done. But I hadn't realized it wasn't working the way I'd intended it to. So I'm scraping all the dried up words. Piling them into heaps - to scatter them all over the place so they're not all in one heap. And I've got to bag them so I have a clean surface to work from. Let's see how this goes...
Oh yes... there's still the back yard 'to do'!!
I spent yesterday evening celebrating fall clean-up with my son. The yard was a mess! Dried-up, cruncy leaves were strewn all over the ground and we could barely see the grass. This has been going on for a while now and yesterday we finally decided to do something about it. Thanks to good ol' rakes we were able to collect the scattered leaves into piles. The next step was dumping them in lawn bags. Needless to say we filled 5 bags and ran short... that's where trash bags come in handy!
The blower was next! With me behind its controls, I made sure to get as many leaves out the way - until I pointed it in the wrong direction... OOPS!
We had 3 huge piles and as I started bagging them, my 12-year old son decided to jump in with Scruffy the puppy... OOPS! It's not actually as bad as you think. The worse part was pulling the leaves out Scruffy's fur - he's a Shih-Tzu! But we did leave a few leaves. They look good.
We bagged. We dragged the bags to the kerb. We were finally done!
And now I'm back to looking at a critique from my wonderful friend and editor. She's got me thinking. Hard. I knew the chapter was finally done. But I hadn't realized it wasn't working the way I'd intended it to. So I'm scraping all the dried up words. Piling them into heaps - to scatter them all over the place so they're not all in one heap. And I've got to bag them so I have a clean surface to work from. Let's see how this goes...
Oh yes... there's still the back yard 'to do'!!
November 15, 2012
Goodreads Giveaway!
Hi,
I'm giving away 3 copies of DUTY AND DESIRE on Goodreads from Nov 15 - 30 and am thrilled at the number of people who are interested in the read. I'm excited to open the giveaway to readers in USA, Canada, UK and Australia! Why not? Fiction transcends beyond the power of words and the meaning behind the written words when you can touch people's lives oceans across.
So here's hoping more people will hop on over and join the fun as we blast our way from Diwali toward Thanksgiving in America and the beginning of hot chocolate, cinnamon, cider and warm blankets toward winter!
Good luck !!
I'm giving away 3 copies of DUTY AND DESIRE on Goodreads from Nov 15 - 30 and am thrilled at the number of people who are interested in the read. I'm excited to open the giveaway to readers in USA, Canada, UK and Australia! Why not? Fiction transcends beyond the power of words and the meaning behind the written words when you can touch people's lives oceans across.
So here's hoping more people will hop on over and join the fun as we blast our way from Diwali toward Thanksgiving in America and the beginning of hot chocolate, cinnamon, cider and warm blankets toward winter!
Good luck !!
November 12, 2012
Diwali, Fiction & Fact
Hi,
What an exciting day! I'm giving myself permission NOT to write today because there's a storm of work brewing in the kitchen.
It's Diwali tomorrow, folks! And it's Diwali in 'Duty and Desire' as well. The chapter where the two major characters, Sanjeet and Sheetal, call a truce falls on Diwali night. Firecrackers are bursting in the sky all day long, sumptuous sweets and savory dishes are wafting from the Dhanraj's kitchen. Celebration, color and rituals of prayer and worship fill the evening's excitement.
Sanjeet and Sheetal, who have been playing tug-of-war since the beginning of the story find something sparks between them in 'Duty and Desire'.
But that's fiction celebrations in a story. This is real life playing out in real time. But some things are the same. The diyas we light (earthenware crucibles filled with oil and lit with a cotton wick), the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Laxmi, we worship, the bright colors we wear, the lavish food we cook for dinner that night and wishes of a "Happy Diwali!" are the same.
Perhaps that's why fiction can mirror fact?
Happy Diwali, everyone!!
What an exciting day! I'm giving myself permission NOT to write today because there's a storm of work brewing in the kitchen.
It's Diwali tomorrow, folks! And it's Diwali in 'Duty and Desire' as well. The chapter where the two major characters, Sanjeet and Sheetal, call a truce falls on Diwali night. Firecrackers are bursting in the sky all day long, sumptuous sweets and savory dishes are wafting from the Dhanraj's kitchen. Celebration, color and rituals of prayer and worship fill the evening's excitement.
Sanjeet and Sheetal, who have been playing tug-of-war since the beginning of the story find something sparks between them in 'Duty and Desire'.
But that's fiction celebrations in a story. This is real life playing out in real time. But some things are the same. The diyas we light (earthenware crucibles filled with oil and lit with a cotton wick), the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Laxmi, we worship, the bright colors we wear, the lavish food we cook for dinner that night and wishes of a "Happy Diwali!" are the same.
Perhaps that's why fiction can mirror fact?
Happy Diwali, everyone!!
November 8, 2012
Diwali 2012
Hi,
With Diwali just round the corner on Nov 13... there's a lot of activity in the air once again!
Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, is equivalent to... hmm... Christmas or Thanksgiving (in America). It's THE major festival for a lot of Hindus and like all celebrations it involves lots of cooking, visiting friends and relatives and cleaning out the old (cupboard, drawers, etc) to ring in the new.
A lot like Chinese New Year! Red. Gold. Yellow. Magenta. Silver. These are just the colors to brighten up any Diwali. But the most enlightening thing of all is the tiny flame from each diya--a porcelain crucible that is filled with oil and lit with a cotton wick. Put a few of them together in a row, in a circle, any way you want, and watch the light sparkle up your life!
So here's to another few days of cleaning and cooking and running around before we ring in the new year and wish everyone a 'Happy Diwali'!!!
With Diwali just round the corner on Nov 13... there's a lot of activity in the air once again!
Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, is equivalent to... hmm... Christmas or Thanksgiving (in America). It's THE major festival for a lot of Hindus and like all celebrations it involves lots of cooking, visiting friends and relatives and cleaning out the old (cupboard, drawers, etc) to ring in the new.
A lot like Chinese New Year! Red. Gold. Yellow. Magenta. Silver. These are just the colors to brighten up any Diwali. But the most enlightening thing of all is the tiny flame from each diya--a porcelain crucible that is filled with oil and lit with a cotton wick. Put a few of them together in a row, in a circle, any way you want, and watch the light sparkle up your life!
So here's to another few days of cleaning and cooking and running around before we ring in the new year and wish everyone a 'Happy Diwali'!!!
October 30, 2012
Storm Sandy
Hi,
So my husband was in New Jersey the whole time while Sandy's storm was whirling in the north east.
I wasn't exactly thrilled.
Neither was he.
Neither were my kids.
But technology has its charm of bringing us together in a way we could have never shared experiences before. Husband FaceTimed the view from his window and showed us precisely what was going on outside. Needless to say, the view of 10+ trees, being pummeled by the wind, is enough to make your heart thump.
The only relief was the trees were blowing away from his sheet-of-glass window in the afternoon (in the distance, mind you). By evening they were being thrashed left and right and there was no telling where they'd fall - if they did.
Media, Social media and the news had enough info to keep us up to date in Atlanta. And when husband's TV conked off and power failed... I was able to keep him updated on what was happening outside. The power restarted for him with a generator's aid, but in bits and spurts.
This reminded me of living in Hong Kong. The number of tropical storms that would hit us every summer and smash the glass on buildings to smithereens. The destruction, chaos and mind-blowing cost to restore things after the storm... only to be hit by another, later.
The damage, no doubt, is huge. The destruction, massive. The time to restore - ahead. I'm hoping like all happy endings, the end of one storm will close this crisis and hopefully not open the doors for another ahead.
But even if another storm knocks again, there's no hurtling strong people to the ground. Fiction characters rise from destruction precisely because real people do.
So my husband was in New Jersey the whole time while Sandy's storm was whirling in the north east.
I wasn't exactly thrilled.
Neither was he.
Neither were my kids.
But technology has its charm of bringing us together in a way we could have never shared experiences before. Husband FaceTimed the view from his window and showed us precisely what was going on outside. Needless to say, the view of 10+ trees, being pummeled by the wind, is enough to make your heart thump.
The only relief was the trees were blowing away from his sheet-of-glass window in the afternoon (in the distance, mind you). By evening they were being thrashed left and right and there was no telling where they'd fall - if they did.
Media, Social media and the news had enough info to keep us up to date in Atlanta. And when husband's TV conked off and power failed... I was able to keep him updated on what was happening outside. The power restarted for him with a generator's aid, but in bits and spurts.
This reminded me of living in Hong Kong. The number of tropical storms that would hit us every summer and smash the glass on buildings to smithereens. The destruction, chaos and mind-blowing cost to restore things after the storm... only to be hit by another, later.
The damage, no doubt, is huge. The destruction, massive. The time to restore - ahead. I'm hoping like all happy endings, the end of one storm will close this crisis and hopefully not open the doors for another ahead.
But even if another storm knocks again, there's no hurtling strong people to the ground. Fiction characters rise from destruction precisely because real people do.
