Not another Review!!

Not another review! What makes this different? Well, for starters, the person(s) reviewing stuff here are people who grew up in a world thats far removed from "the Reviews on Gruyere cheese and Asparagus..." In other words,
1. We love Amul butter - the salted yummy thing better than all the 'sophisticated' imported butter in the world!
2. We love the gooey, drippy sweetness of Indian sweets
3. We have, at some point in our lives, ate spoonfulls of Milkmaid conensed milk - right out of the can
4. We understand food and wine pairing (Courtesy the persistent lecturers in Hotel mgmt college), but would rather have chilled beer or the exotic looking potent cocktail with our spicy chicken tikkas or fish fries
5. Prefer to use words like 'delicate' for silks and 'sharp' for tools... NOT food!
6 Are dying find product which make lives easier for working mothers, wives, girlfriends or considerate (also read that as hen pecked) husbands and boyfriends!

So go on... pour your heart out about stuff you liked or hated!



Friday, December 19, 2014

Of Sex, Marriage and all that comes in between

Isn't it funny how deep down inside, we are all drawn to words that are scandalous, or even taboo maybe? I think its in our DNA to be interested in everything we are told not to be! (Remember the forbidden fruit?)

Falling within the same logic, we discuss here a three letter word so powerful that it could overturn governments, could drive entire kingdoms to ruin, had evolved into an art form that ruled from behind closed doors and silken sheets, and is today the nightmare of practically every parent with an adolescent child. Yes, my dear friends, we talk about SEX !

Firstly, the thoughts expressed in this discussion are only the author's (yes, I insist that I be called an author even if not a single story that I sent to publishers have seen the light of day) opinion, and anyone who may have any issues with that......... well, there's nothing much that can be done about that, is there? 

This post is an attempt to win a prize from an Indiblogger contest while also trying to get into some heated debate in this chilly winter :-). So please feel free to voice your honest (but void of any hate words) opinions here.

The debate is age-old actually, especially for us Indians - Yes or No to Pre-marital sex. Some points to ponder:

  • Fact 1 : We are obsessed with marriages. We plan, save, pinch pennies, borrow money (hell, maybe even steal it), sell our souls to be able to splurge money on weddings. Weddings that (we wish) tied up two people who barely know each other, in the midst of decked up relatives whose primary focus is the bride's jewelry or the 64 course menu laid out for attack.
  • Fact 2 : A marriage is everyone's business (except the bride and groom, ofcourse).  From the ancient aunt who cannot hear well, to the pompous cousin who has a word of advice for every problem, and lets not forget that nosy neighbor who has an ear glued to all the gossip doing the rounds.

courtesy www.timecrest.com

  • Fact 3 : We are also obsessed with virginity. Especially of the womenfolk. We are so focused on that V-word that we ingeniously connect everything we possibly can, with it. We have devoted entire lifetimes to proving that watching too much 'foreign' TV, wearing 'western' clothes, studying beyond kindergarten, or even eating chowmein can affect the longevity of Virginity. Ask the local 'thauji' if you don't believe me.
  • Fact 4 : Again, the womenfolk's virginity is everyone's business. From the pharmacist selling birth control pills, to the landlord who looks disapprovingly when a single woman walks in late to the house, to the entire clan of Hindi serial saas-bahus. 
  • Fact 5 :  We are a fast growing nation (pun definitely intended here), we have proven to the world that we have indeed put the Kamasutra to full use. We are populating extremely well, especially considering the fact that sex is considered a taboo. That, my friends, is the definition of irony.
After putting all the above pondering points together, I would like to step into the age old pre-marital sex debate. 

I all honesty, I have only one argument for the debate : How is it anyone's prerogative, except for the two people (or more, what the heck - this is no topic to be prude !!), to decide on whether sex between them is right or wrong? In other words, the entire debate's existence thrives on only because people do not mind their own business!!


Another perspective to all this - how does marriage suddenly sanction sex? Doesn't marriage then only become a tool to ensuring easy (and 'approved') sexual contact?

I think sex works differently for different people and hence the approach will be different - while some cannot imagine sex without emotions hence call it love-making, others may have a more physiological approach to the act. While some may believe in waiting for 'the one' to have sex, the others may be more willing to experiment.

Either way, the only thing required for the good ol' romp in the sack is consenting adult partners - and let me reiterate - marriage and consent are two separate words, one necessarily doesn't come with the other - so why the fuss?

This is a post written for a contest in Indiblogger and Poonaam Uppal's True Love - A Mystical True Love Story