2008 Wichita Air Show

I have been hearing about the air show since I moved to Wichita. Being an aviation enthusiast, I was looking forward towards this experience. Wichita air show was on 23rd and 24th august.http://www.wichitafestivals.com/events/WFF/index.html

When I reached close to the airfield, I could see pilots performing stunts in the sky. I wanted to stop driving and just gaze at the sky. I was enthralled. Eventually I did find a parking and parked my car. There were many acrobat pilots including Patty Wagstaff. http://www.pattywagstaff.com/ I had read about Patty that she is one of the best and this was my chance to see her finesse. Hers was my favorite stunt. The best one was when she flew her plane upside down approx 100ft above ground. To execute a performance like that one needs temperament, poise, and has to be flying connoisseur. Kudos to this young female pilot.

All the pilots were twirling their planes, stalling their planes so skillfully, forming beautiful formations etc. One pilot spin the plane with engine shut off, then came out of spin, and landed. He did all this with engine shut off by just manipulating the elevators, rudders, and flaps. It was amazing. Then a trio performed displaying all sorts of formations in the sky. The scariest one was when all three planes were converging towards each other just to traverse each very narrowly. I missed a breadth for a second. I felt like they almost collided. There was a beautiful display of absolute symphony in their performance.

While all these thrilling performances were being exhibited in sky, there were planes on display in ground. There was a F-86 on display. I climbed on the wings to experience the thrill inside the cabin. I was awed at the sight of the gadgetry installed on that minuscule cabin. It is a beautiful piece of art, majesty, and annihilation. There were business jets and a Boeing plane on display too.

Towards the end of the show came the mighty F-15E. I could feel the sound of this ogre in my heartbeat. It was a breathtaking experience. No, wonder why the world is petrified of it. The show was brought to an end with a performance called Harmony. An old fighter plane and F-15E flew next to each other in complete harmony. Then they went apart horizontally and later the F-15E rose straight up in a line. F-15E flies at the speed of sound and the speed can be professed by the swiftness at which it covers distance vertically. It vanishes in seconds.

I came out of the show convinced that there is nothing more liberating than flying free in sky like a bird.

Disgrace....By J.M.Coetzee

I read this novel first time in 2003 December, my first winter holidays in America. Almost undoubtedly, this was an awful pick especially when I was all alone in my apartment with all my roommates and friends out on vacation. Disgrace is an exceptionally dark book about distressed people in disquieting times. After I completed reading this book, I was miserable for days and felt even more forlorn. Despite its obscurity, this book is excellently crafted work of pain and candor set up in post apartheid epoch in South Africa.

The story revolves around a twice-divorced old professor of communications and romantic poetry at cape technical university, David Lurie. He is a 52 yr old man whose position in college was reduced despite which he taught his classes devotedly. He visited prostitutes unremittingly for his sexual needs. He had just ended an affectionate relation with a prostitute and was looking for another sexual partner. One evening he meets an attractive student from his romantic poetry class, Melanie. Tête-à-tête leads to an intimate relationship. Lurie, although, sentient of the fact that this association will be disastrous for him, goes ahead with the affair. One day he completely ignores Melanie’s wish of not having sex. Circumstances go haywire after this. Mealanie and her father file a sexual harassment case against him. Lurie confesses he is guilty of all the charges but repudiates to express any remorse for his acts in front of an academic committee. With the shifting course of zephyr in the new era, the university was also transforming into a contemporary society. This contemporary society wanted remorse and an acknowledgement that he made a mistake, which he was not willing to do. By the end of first quarter of the book disgraced by his actions, David lurie is forced to leave Cape Town.

He goes to live with his daughter Lucy. She is living alone in countryside on a small plot of land and sells flower for living. There he tries to revive his relationship with his daughter. There he also faces the challenge of understanding and adjusting to the changing equation of blacks and whites relationship in post apartheid Africa. It was here where he again stumbles upon disgrace but this time from receiving end. Three ruffians beat him, pilfer there belongings and rape his daughter. Lurie later tells that they did not rape Lucy to have sex but as an act of Lucy and Lurie’s subjection and subjugation. Lucy and Lurie were white and their assailants black. Lucy decides not to report her rape but instead only report the assault on Lurie and stolen chattels. Lurie is outraged and wants justice this time but Lucy confronts him with the fact that in this changing time no authority or process is equipped to deal with there situation. In the book, there is manifestation of rule of law but throughout the novel, there is barely any respect shown for the authorities and procedures. Lucy like Lurie does not believe in the law and so does not want to report her rape though this time the situation for lucy was more complicated than lurie’s. Lucy has a black hand, Petrus. Petrus had affirmed his independence by buying his own plot of land and working on it. Lucy had realized that this is what the future in South Africa holds for her and she will be able to survive there only at his sufferance. As the story progresses there is a palpable and expedient shift of power from lucy to petrus. Lurie returns to cape town. He starts helping in an animal clinic. In the meantime, Lucy's situation becomes more precarious, but she will not accept Lurie's offer of escape.

At times, the haughtiness or absurdity of the characters in resisting doing what is the obvious solution gets under my skin. Lurie is willing to send Lucy to Holland, but she does not want to abandon her small piece of land. I fail to understand what holds her back from leaving considering the sort of life she has here, despite the compromises she will have to make. But then, the protagonists are the soul of this narrative and the fact that they are very convoluted and classically perplexing delineates the novel. I find it very distressing that instead of getting over the rape Lucy decides to live with the reminiscence of it, her rape child. Even her logic of keeping her child did not bode well.
Asked whether she loves the child growing in her yet she says: No. How could I ? But I will. Love will grow -- one can trust Mother Nature for that. I am determined to be a good mother.

At this stage, lurie chooses not to remind lucy where her fortitude has gotten her, nor does he question her premise of love. This time, for the first time, he chooses to be supportive of a woman in his life.

Ending of this novel will leave you dreadfully bitter and wanting to amend it. After a lot of contemplation, I could not think of any other obvious ending. The story is immensely sad and no fairytale quick fixes have been offered by Coetzee and rightly so. Can there be any quick fixes to a predicament, which is a product of a century of racial oppression? Coetzee’s protagonists throw light to the post apartheid times in south Africa. Despite the darkness of the story, Coetzee keeps the reader cling to the book with his impregnable yet exquisite tone. This book is brutally truthful and immensely compelling, often moving. What i found most compelling about this book is its bellow of agony and its imperative honesty. This is a must read book for every person but don’t read it when you are alone.

The sweetest memory of my life...........

I vaguely remember this incident. My mother was pregnant. It was some festival and I went to a fair with my father. My mom wanted us to bring a picture of Bal Gopal instead I made my father buy a picture of a cute baby brother. I gave it to mom and told “I got bhai”. That was the first face I gave to the word brother.

The only day in my reminiscence so lucid is the day my brother was born - 6th January 1989. That day it was drizzling since morning. There was a total blackout in Punjab since the two assassins of Indira Gandhi were being executed. All shops were closed and there was barely any soul seen in the streets.

I was at a family friend’s house. Baba entered and told me that I will be getting to meet my baby brother today. I was ecstatic. That day baba’s scooter stopped working abruptly so we took a rickshaw for hospital. I can still feel the smell of wet earth and dank rickshaw cover. We reached hospital and we went to see ma. She was wearing a blue gown. Ma was anxiously waiting for me to reach hospital. She was very critical and she did not want to leave for operation without meeting me. I remember her telling me "Tinny, ma loves you and take care of yourself. Study well.” I don’t think at that time I really comprehended the gravity of the situation. I was blissfully lost in the thought that today is the day I will get my playmate, my companion.

After ma went into OT, I was taken to my father’s colleague’s house. His parents use to work in that hospital so their flat was inside hospital premises. I was sitting down on floor. My father’s colleague’s mother offered me cookies, paratha and especially requested me to sit on a couch. It was a freezing January afternoon in Ludhiana. I just wanted to be left alone.

After hours of waiting I saw Mita aunty and Paul aunty coming. They said in a loud voice “You have a baby brother!”. That was not news to me. My sister instinct knew this from the day my parents informed me that I will have a sibling. I always knew it will be a brother.

I wanted to go and see him but they said I have to wait for some more time. That really exasperated me. After a while baba took me to meet my little brother. He was the cutest child I have ever seen. Tiny hands and feet, cutest face and head covered with beautiful black hair. Baba had bought a small jar of honey. Baba enlightened me with the information that the first person who will make him taste sweet is the person he will love the most. So I took little honey and put it in his mouth. In few seconds he did green toilet. I got scared. I asked baba “Did he not like me?”. As it turns out later, he did.

We have spend very few yrs together living in the same house. I left home for engineering when I was 18yrs and at that time he was only 9.5 yrs but it has never felt that we didn’t live long enough together. We were always a thought away. I love and care him the most and will always be. I can do anything to ensure a happy life for him. I wish I could take all his sorrows and miseries and just fill his life with happiness.

He has entered into a new phase in his. He is in engineering college now. When he was a child he was my best buddy, my playmate. He has always been there for me, supporting me always in whatever I did. Now he is not just my kid brother but also a genuine friend and a confidant. As times passes our relationship will grow stronger and maturer. He is my strength, my pride. I hope he realizes someday that he has lot of potential and he needs to work really hard to reach where he deserves to be. I love you bhai and will always be there to watch your back.

Sarah Palin..... One woman I adsolutely detest.

Sarah Palin is the vice presidential nominee of John McCain. The debate that she having a down syndrome baby makes her nomination weak or erroneous is bothering me. Hello! If there was a man instead of her he would have been sympathized and it would have been taken for granted that his wife will take care of the toddler. So the problem is that this time the “mother” is running for office. I can’t stop but ask this question that why the society is not stipulating the father to take or substantially share the responsibility of the child? Is it that fathers are meant to be doing nothing except giving their surname to the child?

For me both parents of a down-syndrome 4 month yr old child will disqualify to run for the second highest post in a country- vice presidency. As parent’s people have certain responsibilities and after knowing that the child will suffer down syndrome one decides to give birth to the child is a brave step but the responsibility just starts there. There is no point in being Pro-Life if you cannot nurture a life. Sarah Palin just seems to be thinking that giving birth to a down syndrome child makes her a Pro-Life candidate. To me she failed to show her commitment to the cause. She is willing to abandon her child for Vice-Presidency or vice versa. Both of which will be disastrous especially the later.

Another astounding news came from Sarah Palin’s family. Her 17yr old unmarried daughter Bristol is 5 months pregnant. Wow! What happened to all the talks of “conservative” family values? She couldn’t even control her 17yr old daughter and she is against sex education in school? Basically Sarah Palin is against sex education in school and Pro-Life which means in the next few years if she comes to office we will see a sudden rise in teenage pregnancy. Wow! That is the definition of women progress according to Sarah Palin. How can she even compare herself to Hillary Clinton. Hillary stands for women emancipation and Sarah stands for woman suppression.

Its great that Sarah made sure that her daughter keeps the child but my question is that is she capable of taking care of her child on her own? Does Sarah Palin still not get it? Her Pro-Life stand will either fill the lives of many young teenage girls with melancholy or increase the number of orphans in this country. How can an unwanted pregnancy of a young teenager be fitting? A child should be given birth only when parents can support the needs of a child. How can anybody take care of child when they can’t afford to buy the basics for them? Sarah Palin’s daughter is amongst privileged few whose parents are rich enough to help her in this juncture of her life but there are many who are on their own. How can anti abortion activists justify the birth of a child and then either engulf a teenage mother’s life with desolation or landing a child in an orphanage? Every child who is born deserves a home and government should support programs which give every child a home and not increase orphans. One cannot blame a 16-17yr mother who will be forced by government (if anti abortion is established) to give birth to a child just to abandon her child to orphanage. Its true motherhood is all about caring, loving and nourishing but girl/women needs to be prepared to take such a gargantuan responsibility.

Some conservatives might argue that reckless young people should not be given a chance to get away with there ruthlessness. Why is the society not forcing the fathers of young teenage girl’s child to owe the responsibility? Are guys not as responsible for their action as girls?

I agree that the prom culture of this nation is scary but more programs which will encourage school and parents to talk to their adolescents is vital. Despite all efforts when a mishap happens, one should not be forced to face the brunt of it so callously. Also society never forces the father of a teenage girl’s child to take the responsibility then why do women want to add another injustice against women in the already long list of injustices?

Sarah Palin’s family story pose the question how can somebody in her shoes be Pro-Life? To me Pro-Life is somebody who embraces life and ensures a secured and safe childhood to their children. Can Sarah Palins 17yr old daughter who is just a high school student ensure that promise to her child without her parents help? If elected as Vice- President, can Sarah Palin keep her promise to her 4 month child whom she decided to give birth with a promise of love, care and extra nurture that child will need? If the answers to the questions above are no then somebody who fail fails to keep the promises to her children, can never be trusted to keep the promises to the nation.

I am an ambitious woman but there are times when both men and women need to make some conscious decisions about their loved ones and career. It may be the most difficult choice but that also shows the strength of character and commitment of the person. Being a governor of Alaska and juggle between breast feeding and blackberry is possible, not vice presidency. I will be really scared and uncomfortable with a Vice President who is completely inexperienced and has a very demanding home responsibility. If she is worthy of this position she could have deferred her plan to run for Vice-Presidency or even Presidency for another 8 yrs when her child would have grown a little and her daughter would have settled in her life. These 8yrs would have given her enough executive experience as Alaska governor. Sarah Palin should know this that being a parent demands its own sacrifices and so does having a successful career. It’s important to make the right scarifies at right time. This wasn’t the time to sacrifice family but instead was the time to sacrifice career

A Tribute to Satyajit Ray

I am a Bengali who was bought up in Punjab so my only interactions with Bengal was during my summer vacations. My earliest memories don’t go back to my parent’s watching Satyajit Ray but instead my mom with her brother and sister in-law watching Uttam-Suchita movies. I used to get really bored and could never understand why anybody should watch Bengali movies. I found the answer to that question years later. I am not Uttam-Suchita fan and may be rightly so. I don’t belong to the generation of Uttam-Suchita hysteria. I am ardent fan of Satyajit Ray and can anyday watch his movies except maybe Shatranj ke khiladi . I was introduced to Bengal through Satyajit Ray movies and I am not talking only about Pather Panchali but also Charulata, Nayak, Ghanashatru etc. Satyajit ray was a director who could capture emotions on camera as it would be in real life. He was probably the first person in Indian cinema to introduce true cinematography. You can watch his Pather Panchali where young Apu and his sister discover train or Charu falling for her brother-in-law and both emotions seemed so unadulterated. Though the emotions are so different, Satyajit Ray's touch is evident in both the scenes. Whether I watch his Devi or Shonnar Kella or Agantuk I can’t stop admiring his ability as a film maker. Bengal has been blessed with some phenomenal writers, filmmakers who have very sacredly preserved the era they belonged in their work. Satyajit Ray was amongst one of them. In my library I will have one complete section dedicated to Satyajit ray movies and books and that will be my small tribute to him. Watch this space for movie and book reviews.

This is me...........

I have been thinking about blogging for quite sometime. To introduce myself, I am a Bengali girl, my parents' loving daughter, a caring and protective sister (my brother says so), a lover- soon to be wife, an engineer by profession, a doctoral student in aerospace engineering, working in an aviation company (we build business jets), a painter, an avid reader, a movie aficionado and aspiring to be much more than what I am. I am a very opinionated person. I have opinions and stands on almost everything starting from politics, to books, to movies, to fashion, to feminism, to love, to marriage, to what it means to be a Bengali or an Indian... you have guessed it right, almost everything. So blogging was the best way of sharing my thoughts and opinions with faceless people out there with whom I may never meet but their thoughts and opinions may change the way I see and perceive things or make them even firmer. This blog is an effort of trying to find who I am. Isn't that a huge question? I believe the choices that we make are what shape us, for good or bad. We make these choices based on what we think is good for us or people whom we care for.So at the end it all comes down to our thoughts. So this blog is all about my thoughts and opinions on various issues, books, movies etc.

Now let me share my reason for my blog's name "An Argumentative Indian"which is also a name of Dr. Amartya Sen's book. These three words best express me in a nutshell and besides this the other raison d'être is that I have colossal respect for Dr. Sen. I hope you all enjoy reading my blog and your comments are welcome - both honest condemnation and approbation!