The Rebelle blog

‘The only way to get rid of temptation,’ Oscar Wilde wrote in The Picture of Dorian Gray , ‘is to yield to it.’ I am yet to experience this personally. The temptation to keep buying books when I enter book stores doesn't end even after buying more than I can carry back home. The temptation to eat sweets even though I have had more than my share is difficult to get rid off merely by yielding to it. The temptation of spending time  with my beloved ones  without watching the clock ceases to come to reality. Good things end so early. But then, we need these restrictions. We really do. Our fickle minds need some discipline. It was Ben Franklin who wrote in his Autobiography - ‘I wish’d to live without committing any fault at any time; and to conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into.’ The virtues he listed were temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness,  tranquil...

Festivals have ceased to make me happy since a couple of years. They don't carry the same innocence and excitement any more. And since India is a nation that celebrates culture and life so vivaciously, it's weird to feel this way about culture. Really, but what is culture? Is it merely being happy and celebrating and spending money while many more can't afford a one-time meal? I think it is. We have commercialized and categorized celebrations too. Festivals no longer bring happiness because while the rich can splurge however they wish the poor worry about meeting expenses and trying to make their children not feel the brunt of being helpless and poor. Do they not have any right to be happy any more? And when I see this blatant display of wealth everywhere with not an iota of discomfort on the faces of those who are flaunting it, it makes me wonder as to whether we have ceased being humans after all? Poverty can't make everyone move to tears. Why don't we, the commo...

Marriage woes everywhere! Indian TV shows suffer from a serious case of a lack of originality and good story-telling! Why? Its apparent after viewing every single show aired on TV these days. Every fictional show concentrates on and keeps revolving around married lives of its protagonists! Even historical shows are no exception. Is there a dearth of literature that the Creative heads choose to show the same things over and over again in the name of entertainment? Why do people watch TV shows? To get some respite from the chaos of their daily lives and what do they instead get to see? Same frustrations and loud, trashy dialogues and scenes which not necessarily even imitate the real life. Some shows with despicable depictions of negative characters and arguing mothers-sons-daughters-in law are a disgrace on our rich culture. Young children who watch TV have nothing educational to derive from the variety of channels. Instead, all they see is Reality TV shows which have the worst possi...