It's Disgusting

I went to the Times of India website in hopes of searching in the Life&Style or Health&Fitness categories as those are my favourite articles to read. However, as soon as I got to the website, what caught my eye was not an article about "How to imply that you want sex" or "8 exercises that burn stomach fat fast," what caught my eye was: "Girl jumps off moving car to escape rape."

This article was short, as are most articles from the Times of India. It provides us with the main facts of the occurrence but it left much to be desired for my curiosity and disgust. In this particular article, a 24-year old girl was abducted as she was walking home after work and was shoved into a car to be raped. What's horrifying was that she knew the kidnappers. They were no strangers to her. As she tried to escape from these two men, she was hit by the car.

I was already aware of the harsh reality of rape in India and what seems to be a sudden increase in the rate of rape. Or maybe there has always been a wide amount of rape but has only recently been brought to light in such a manner. Perhaps it may have also been due to my ignorance of India. I realize that rape is a highly immoral act and I never thought much of it as in the North American culture, it is quite common to see it in the news, movies or read it in books. India, however, is under a different circumstance. Rape is not a comfortable topic. This may be why many are unaware of the crimes that have been going on. I just feel as if suddenly I'm bombarded with the horrors that Indian women are facing. I don't believe that rape has suddenly become a popular trend in 2012-2013. It must have always taken place, but is only now widely known to the rest of the world.

In the conservative country of India, a woman's virginity must be protected. This ensures her future. It is kind of like her insurance. Indian men do not want a "dirtied and used woman" even if she had sex without her consent. It's horrifying what Indian woman must live through each and every day of their lives. The fear that they must live in, never knowing if they're safe. It seems as if some men of India have absolutely no discrimination as to who and where they rape. It may be a two and a half year old girl in a hospital as her mother is giving birth, or a mentally ill woman. I hope that through raising awareness by people reading these articles, something can be done to protect the women of India. It also makes me feel so lucky to be living in a safe, or much safer, environment and world than these women.

The article for "Girl jumps off moving car to escape rape" can be found at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Woman-jumps-from-moving-car-to-escape-rape-bid-two-arrested/articleshow/18992925.cms
"Two-and-half-year-old girl raped in MP town" http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/Two-and-half-year-old-girl-raped-in-MP-town/articleshow/18994174.cms
"Hotel worker held for raping mentally ill woman"http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Woman-jumps-from-moving-car-to-escape-rape-bid-two-arrested/articleshow/18992925.cms

The Crocodile and The Monkey

This poem was chosen after reading all the titles of the works in Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poets. "The Crocodile and The Monkey"is written by Vikram Seth found on page 137. After I saw how long the poem was, I was kind of hesitant about finishing it since poetry is definitely not my favourite pass-time. After I read the first few verses, I felt that this might be a very enjoyable poem. I loved the rhyme scheme as it made it an easier read due to the flow. It wasn't like a typical poem in that it was descriptive with little action. When I read it, it was as if I was reading a mini children's story. It brought back childhood memories of reading fables with morals. About a big bad creature and the intelligent victim.

The poem began with a colourful description of the crocodile and its surroundings. It incorporated alliteration and a rhyme scheme such as "Greeny-brown with gentle grin,/stubby legs and scaly skin..." As I read more into the poem, a smile lit my face. The relationship between the crocodile and the monkey was so adorable and not what we normally find in stories. They were friends living in a mutualistic relationship. The monkey would kindly provide the crocodile and his wife with fruits from the tree while the crocodile would not...I guess, eat him.


The crocodile, Kuroop (I love this name and find it very entertaining to say), had a wife. I happily read the loving relationship between Kuroop and his wife as the "prime pleasure of his life" was to "drag the carcass to his wife" while she endearingly called him, "Scalykins." Vikram Seth gave this poem a romantic sense in that even animals can have such a relationship with one another, even animals that are classically classified as vicious. However, my romantic cloud was broken when I found out she was the witch of the story. She started to yearn for the heart of the monkey. I was horrified at the turn of events as it was so happy and light in the beginning. Suddenly it was not only wanting to eat the monkey, but wanting "something sweeter still than fruit/sugar-cane or sugar-root: I must eat that monkey's heart." The fable that I thought I was reading, suddenly turned into a horror story. 

There are many morals in this story, but I think a main moral that I was able to depict was that one should not trust those who are normally untrustworthy. When I read the first few verses, I mentioned that I was surprised at the friendly relationship between the crocodile and the monkey that would in other fables be shown with hostility. Seth develops our prejudice just like how Mukherjee developed our prejudices in "The Tenant." However, in the end, Seth proves that our prejudice may have reason. Afterall, stereotypes and prejudices must have developed from past experiences and have some substance. Even when we are walking towards our death, if our 'friend' backstabs us, we should not give up. We still have hope at the last moment as long as we do not give up. This is a great story with edge for both children and adults!

This is a must read poem if you want to read an Aesop-like fable in poetry format. It was an easy read using simple words with much action. It made me experience a wide range of emotions such as appreciation of the wit of the monkey, humour, fear, contempt, anger, and moments that made me say "Awww..." inside my head. I definitely did not regret reading this and would like to read more poetry similar to this. 

Are you a Selfish Driver?

Normally I am a totally indecisive person. The debate on whether a person should speed or not, however, is not a mere choice between buying the blue shirt or the green one. I do not believe speeding should be allowed unless given an exclusive circumstance. The allowance of speeding really depends on the circumstance. For regular drivers, why should they be allowed to speed just for exhilaration or because they are late? Speeding wouldn’t be illegal for no good reason after all.

            If a person does not have a good reason for speeding, then I think that when they make the decision to speed, they are acting in selfish interest. If a person speeds because they need the adrenalin rush, why not take up another activity such as skydiving or riding a rollercoaster? Is it really that much fun to not only put their own life on the line, but also the other people on the road? If someone is rushing because they are late for work or school, they could have left their house a little earlier. There really is no excuse for speeding. Ironically, the only reason for speeding is due to a life or death situation. It is kind of like a life or death situation versus another life or death situation.

            Honestly for me, I find it difficult to conjure up realistic reasons as to why someone would justify speeding so I turned to Google search for a little help. I searched, "reasons for speeding." From the first result 'Top 10: Speeding excuses run from 'real' to ridiculous,' the first reason was: "My colon has fallen in my vaginal canal." The second reason was that the driver was "going so fast because I [he] couldn't see the speedometer." These are not reasons for speeding, but rather excuses. How often does a speeding person have a legitimate reason for exceeding the speed limit? Is that reason valid enough when the driver costs the life of someone else because they "couldn't see the speedometer?" 

            Speeding can not only result in someone paying a $250 fine, earning 2-6 demerit points, but can also cause death. I think driving within an optimal range is the smart choice because driving too slow can also cause problems. No one should be making the selfish choice of speeding when they are putting multiple lives at risk. If an accident were to happen, think about how many people are involved. It’s not just the drivers but can also involve the passengers, pedestrians, witnesses, family members, friends, and the police and ambulance drivers. The guilt of costing someone’s life for momentary pleasure can forever plague a person. Can you live with the thought of having made someone lose a friend, mother, sister, aunt, and daughter (assuming the victim was female)? Even if you do speed, I am not labelling you as selfish. Just make the right choice and think of the potential consequences before you drive. 


To view more of 'Top 10: Speeding excuses run from 'real' to ridiculous':
http://www.murfreesboropost.com/top-10-speeding-excuses-run-from-real-to-ridiculous-cms-16028