Raped again

The society we live in right now is more hypocritical than ever, where the victim is punished and the criminal is given all help. This is compounded by the fact that even in this century of the common man some hypocritical Pharasiees still exist to use religion as a tool of repression instead of a tool of freedom. Religion is supposed to save a person but everywhere it is being used to trample on the rights of individuals. And the fairer sex are bearing the worst of it.

The latest in this long line of religious/traditional hypocrisy is the story of Imrana, who was raped by her father-in-law in India. The Muslim law board instead of condemning the vile act and punishing the perpetuator of the crime issued a fatwa against the mother of five to separate her from her husband and children. This is not an isolated case. The other headline generating case is going on in Pakistan where a tribal court ordered the rape of Mai to punish her because of her 13 year old brother's relationship with a women. In each of these case, the government has not stepped in as they are supposed to and have let these vile lonely old men to trample on the rights of the victims. I personally believe that in a secular society the law of the land is paramount and sovereign over any tribal/religious customs of laws.

This exploitation of victims, most of whom are women, is not confined to a particular region or religion. The above two examples were Muslims, but other religions do have their hypocritical notions. I have known of cases in rural India, where the village panchayat orders such brutal punishment like parading women naked through the streets to teach the Lower castes a lesson. The Hindu caste system is a real bane on the Indian society. And these punishments are usually for perceived slights on the upper caste by the lower caste.

The Christians don't have the caste system or the shariat, but we have in words of Jesus "White washed tomb stones", preachers with holier than though attitude and a judgmental spirit. Jesus was all about love and forgiving but a few Christians I know are all about judging and condemning. Jesus washed the disciple's feet and had the last supper with them, but the Christians of today talk about refusing to give the Eucharist to people who support abortion. We talk about pro-life issues but have no real love for the people going through it. Instead of looking at the victims of rape through a humane eye we look at them with a hypocritical eye and judge them. We offer no solution to the stigma of rape but want them to carry the sign of it for the rest of their life. All in the name of a loving God.

"Men are born free, but everywhere they are in chains"

Engaged

No not me ... A couple of weeks back I said that I have an announcement to make. I know a few of you have been waiting to see me get stuck but I you got to wait a little longer ... maybe a lot longer. Well the announcement is about my dear sister Eugene who got engaged last month and is getting married in September. I waited to get a picture of the engagement before made it.

I can't wait to go home ... can't wait to eat 5 times a day. I am going to eat as much home cooked Indian food as possible to compensate for the next year.
Well off to sleep I go then ...
Till Laters

"Recognition is the greatest motivator."

Odyssey - Book 1 - Chapter iii - Canada

Finally my first international road trip has come to fruition. It was
a interesting and bumpy ride with my first accident. But over all it
was a wonderful trip ... just me, my machine and the road ... From
what I have see of Canada its a mix of North Carolina and Iowa,
Greenery everywhere with sporadic farmhouses. I was almost convinced
that Canada had better roads than the US till I reached Toronto and
then the city roads are the same all over the world.

The main reason for the trip was to get some immigration work done but
I couldn't help making it into a vacation with myself!! What with
Niagara falls nearby, I couldn't let the chance go to waste. Also I got to go
to four different places (Toronto, Niagara, Detroit and Chicago). Each
in a league of its own.

The trip to Niagara was of course the highlight of the trip. One of the best natural wonders that I have ever seen.
In front of Niagara 
I don't know how many people would like to enjoy such beauty alone like me (I had to). It was funny trying to take a picture of myself with my left had with the falls behind me. I did have a fellow loner at the CN tower and my trusted camera remote!

Trying out the remote on my camera 

Rainbow on the Niagara 
One thing I couldn't capture on my camera was the night lighting at the falls (Believe it or not I waited two hours for the lights to come on with nothing else to do)
The Cultural mosaic
Toronto is a nice big city, and a melting pot of cultures and ethnic
background. I loved everything about the place accept the traffic jams.
But I sure did feel at home with the driving style (What true blooded
Indian would not feel that way in that Darwinian style of traffic). I
have heard stories of New York but till I see that place I will have
to give the prize to Toronto for being the most global place. How do I
decide on that ?? Well it all depends on the number of radio stations
and the people I see on the streets. From what I have seen, Toronto
has few French channels(which is expected), a couple of Spanish
channels, a Punjabi channel, a Tamil channel (Sri Lankan Tamil) and a
African tribal music channel. If that's not diversity then what is ???
The world surely is getting smaller. I was also impressed by the
public transport system, the Street cars, Buses and Metros. The
students of the University of Toronto which is at the heart of Toronto
sure do have a party time.

Inside the CN Tower Skypod. The tallest observation point in the world. Also supposedly one of the 7 wonders of the modern world!!! 
The tale of two cities
The Downtowns of two big cities couldn't have been more different than
those of Toronto and Detroit. I was freely roaming alone in downtown
Toronto till the early morning hours but Detroit downtown sacred the
jeepers out of me even with a friend to boot. Toronto had a few old
buildings but the whole place was lively and fun while Detroit seemed
like a lost city with debilitate buildings and a eerie darkness all
around!!

Downtown Toronto !!! 

Detroit Downtown!!! 
Culinary delights
Most of my friends know about my appetite. And boy did I have a ball in Toronto. Tried out a lot of different cuisine. Loads of the sucked though. Went to the India town and had Bhel Puri and Dosa at two different places. The dosa wasn't good but I did give a ride to a Pakistani person. Now I am sure that food is the solution to the India-Pakistan problem. Or the sight of a common enemy - the lines at the US consulate!!! Another bad experience was the Vietnamese food that I tried in China town. I have had it in California but this was totally different ... I was ready to throw up because of the smell that came with my order of Pork soup! The highlight of the Culinary experience was the Kothu Parota at a South India restaurant.

Me enjoying the Kothu Parota with a fan of Indian food! 
Hits and close Shaves
I am never going to rent a car again. Its just going to be my baby in future! Started off with a accident on I-270, after changing cars I almost ran off a rain soaked road and followed that up by almost running over a cyclist in downtown Toronto. Oh ya forgot the parking ticket!! Either I am loosing my touch or I drove sloppy cars. The other issue is that it sucks to drive a automatic after driving a stick shift. You have no control over when the gears change!

We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.

Odyssey - Book 1 - Chapter ii

Just call me plain lazy. I am too lethargic to write a post so I decided to make it a photo blog of my memorial day trip. One of the best trips I had ... best because I got to meet old friends. Pictured here with are Aarthi and Preeth ... a better picture than the one below. It was tiring and good at the same time. And after this trip I would recommend the smoky mountains to anyone. The place is amazing, would be a good choice for camping. I got an announcement to make too ... but I guess it will have to wait a couple of days. 

My first tattoo ... ya I know its painted on and not permanent ... hey somethings just don't gel ... like me and tattoos 

This trip was a reunion of sorts. Old collegemates ... though only three of us. Pictured here with me are Preeth and Aarthi 

Memorial day was spent at the Smokies. This pic was at a water falls called laurel. Believe you me those stones were slippery ...