Sana has started wearing a hijab. She wanted to know: how do people react to women in hijab? How would she react to herself in one? We went out for lunch one day many months back and she explained why she must do this and I gave her my blessings for the experiment. Yesterday we met up for lunch again and she regaled us with tales of her hijab experiences. Someone asked her if she is a Palestinian. Another asked if she wore the hijab whilst bathing and sleeping too. She doesn’t lose her temper or feel exasperated by such queries. She satiates their curiosity with patience; these are opportunities to discuss her religion and bust certain myths and pre-conceived notions without trying too hard or getting preachy.
What exasperates me though, is that when most of us see people with oriental features, we refer to them as ‘those chinkies’ and think they are Chinese or Japanese. ‘Those chinkies’ are from the north eastern part of our country. They are Indians. And they are individuals and not clones of each other. We cannot distiguish their features, mostly because we don’t bother to notice them.
Currently reading Sex And The City by Candace Bushnell. The HBO series took inspiration from this bestseller, which in reality is VERY different from the book. The latter drips with cynacism. It’s set in New York, of course and doesn’t paint a very pretty picture of the uber-urbane, fairly successful career-oriented types in the city. There’s a variety of sex that’s not really marginal but mainstream: threesomes, sex clubs, flings, one-night stands, sugar daddies etc etc etc. The writer is part of this jet set and relates conversations and real life inscidents. Carrie, Sam Jones and Mr Big are just characters in the book. No one beleives in love or looks for it. The book is a journey into a harsh, parallel universe that you want to know more about but run away from and not necessarily ever step into.
Yay!
I get a mention on your blog!
*big hug*
Oh and meera and me are planning to go see KANK this weekend.
Will discuss it then…..I’m kinda looking forward to it after this review.