Aha to Ha Ha Moments in My Life

Salam Kabul – Part II ..Strangely Familiar Link to Part I:   Salam Kabul - Part I As I made my way hesitatingly towards the red channel wondering why would the customs officer want me to go through the red channel – I’m not even carrying any red label or any other banned items with me. With this thoughts, I neared him, he took a quick look at my baggage tag and showed me to the almost empty exit. Then it dawned on me that he was actually trying to help me a foreigner struggling to make my way through the crowded exit at the green channel... As I came out of the exit gate, a balmy breeze wafted around me enveloping me in a totally unfamiliar coolness. By Chennai standards, anything less than 25 degree celsius is cool and here I’m shivering at 12 degrees celsius, pulling the zipper on my borrowed jacket all the way up to my chin. I pushed my trolley forward, vaguely looking out for a driver with perhaps my misspelt name on a placard, to pick me up  “ Good evening, welcome t...

I dread opening any messages on March 8th. For the moment I switch on my phone, thousands of pink tinted images and texts from women and mostly men deluge all my social media accounts. First, let’s deal with the men who feel terrible, if they have forgotten to send some sweet, sugar coated imagery of women -  more out of fear of being labelled as misogynist rather than any genuine thought. These messages from men who otherwise put down women, body shame her at any given opportunity, ogle and jeer at women of all ages – suddenly turn into ‘holier than thee’ attitude and shoot off messages- I feel angry and ashamed of my fellow men’s behaviour. I’m fed up praying for these men to put into practice what they so eloquently preach only on women’s day. My issue is with the women who too fall into this trap of worshipping and adoring women. Today, my good friend – a strong woman, a single mother who’s confidence and courage under all circumstances I deeply admire. I had even told my daugh...