Posted in Mother on 05/11/2006 11:34 am by Seema Shaikh
Yet another Maa’s day is here and I’m wrecking my brains trying to figure out what to gift my mom….Jus had a tiff with her this morning (one in a list of many 
). I know what she would like as a gift but I can’t afford it. Bcoz I jus can’t avoid arguing with her and its been aeons (yawn!….) since I gave up trying to explain to her the new mantra’s of the 21st century. We share a normal mother-daughter relationship. She’s not my best friend. I’ve never gone running to her to tell her of my first crush or the first valentine’s card I received.
She finds my choice of clothes unimpressive, my hairstyles always look like disasters to her 
(she’s literally told me more than once that my hair look like the rats have nibbled at them). She would gladly hide my cell-phone in a place where i won’t find it for ages coz she can’t stand me chatting with my friends for hours. She’s always complaining about what a spendthrift I am (my friends wonder how I manage to save more than they do!). She goes bonkers coz I haven’t yet learned from her the tricks to prepare mouth-watering biryani’s (Oh! they r a must u see to qualify me as the ideal muslim girl). I have to beg, plead and cry to convince her to let me hang out with my friends………..So by these standards the gift(s) that she would want from me is waaaaay beyond my reach.
But hey!there’s one that’ll more than make up for it I think!! It’s inexpensive and yet the costliest, and it seems trivial but I know it’ll be the most special one for her…….For, this year I’ll gift her a “Thank You”…..for standing by me, as professionally I treaded through a path that was supposed to be a man’s domain, for waking up early in the morning to prepare my breakfast, for encouraging me throughout my school n college to participate in extra-curricular activities (so what if that meant a dip in the rankings). For being there despite our differences, for helping me grow into a strong, independent woman. And also for grudging at my faults n mistakes n blunders ( n there’ve been many of those I tell u……..). For loving me despite the number of times I’ve hurt her n fought with her n back-answered her……………And most of all for being “my” exclusive “Mom/Mummy/Ammu/Ammi”…..the most special miracle in my life…….. 
Posted in Books on 05/04/2006 12:18 pm by Seema Shaikh
When I first came across the title, “How Opal Mehta got kissed, got wild and got a life” I already knew that I wanted to get hold of this novel and read it. The title instantly sparked an interest. And that it was written by a 19 year old Indian studying at Harvard came as a pleasant surprise. I remember reading about Kaavya’s interview where she has stated that she had earlier thought against having an Indian character for her novel as it might not get any takers, but later changed her mind. More of a reason to feel proud of a teenager whose very first literary attempt sky rocketed to the best-sellers list. And that is when the trouble began……..
Charges of plagiarism leaped from all fronts and I still thought that she must have lifted some idea or maybe some characterisation. But that 40 odd passages were lifted from Megan McCafferty’s novels, “Sloppy Firsts” and “Second Helpings,” wasn’t an easy news to digest. And while Kaavya apologised and her publishers backed her claim that it was done subconsciously and unintentionally, and some people debated, some argued, some sympathised, came the second round of accusations that Kaavya lifted scenes from Sophie Kinsella’s novel, “Can you keep a secret?”. You will find more of it here:
[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/02/books/02auth.html?_r=1&n=Top%2
fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fV%2fViswanathan%2c%20
Kaavya&oref=slogin]
Kaavya’s apology after the first round of accusations was found to be weak and not accepted by Megan McCafferty. The second time around she chose to remain mum. And finally the last nail in the coffin was driven - her novel was taken off the bookstores by the publishers.
Is there a lesson here for all of us to learn? What drove a 19 year old ( I believe she was 17 when she began writing it) to plagiarise to such an extent? Although I haven’t read her novel, reviewers have noted that while she might not be a volcano of literary talent she’s not a no-gooder either. Many believe she could have carried the novel on her own shoulders. Kaavya is guilty no doubt, but to crucify her to the hilt in forums and blogs would be stretching it a bit too far. As writers we all owe responsibility to our readers. Our writings can inspire or lead them to conspire…..And especially with blogomania looking to stay around for a long time to come we need to watch our step. There have been reports of wrong info being posted in blogs and questions have been raised about opinions being expressed in blogs about sensitive issues. And while many argue that writing is “freedom of expression” and blogging is part of a personal domain, there’s no denying the fact that we are influencing minds. And lets strive to do this more responsibly…..
Posted in Personal on 04/26/2006 10:54 am by Seema Shaikh
How many times have we deferred our tasks for tomorrow…simple tasks like washing, cleaning, paying bills….Its a bug that catches up with all of us (more so with me ;)). I had once made a new year resolution for doing away with it. I managed to play along with it for about 3-4 months in the beginning and I found my life getting less chaotic. But resolutions are so difficult to follow, aren’t they? My closest friend had the same bug when it came to saving money. She would keep putting it off till she would get the next best job which (unsuprisingly) never came along….
My father tried to instill in us, the fervour of “kal kare so aaj kar, aaj kare so ab!”. But it’s oh! so tempting to let things lie for some more time. After creating havoc in my personal life I found this bug trying to create problems for me at my workplace. But I managed to overcome it and it seems to be easy to do things on time now. And the feeling of mental calm at the end of a day with no worries of pending work is soooooo rewarding. Of course it isn’t always possible to wind up tasks in a day. So i still find myself with unpaid premiums or a pending visit to the tailor at the end of the week. But the difference between “now” and “later” is stark and I hope to spread the good word around…….what say?? :^)
Posted in Personal on 04/20/2006 11:15 am by Seema Shaikh
Hello!
I am a goan….and proud to be one! Read through this and you will know why….
Goa! a land of myriad cultures, people, customs, traditions and of course beaches!! The very mention of the fact that I am a goan often sparks an interest in those around me. And then follows the steady flow of inquisitive questioning to know more about this land that has never failed to mesmerise people from all over the world.
“Go Goa! 365 days on a holiday” is how the tourism industry promotes Goa. But it isn’t a holiday for us the whole year through. We have enough problems at hand like the other states. But what marks us apart is our carefree spirit and the ability to look at the brighter side of things, even in the face of the gravest adversity, a little more than the others. This has earned us the title of “susegaad” a word in konkani that best describes a person with a laid-back attitute.
But goans have excelled in the fields of music, literature and arts to prove that they are competitive enough. And with efforts on to set up IT parks in the state, it is all set to be the next IT hub.Moreover, nature has been kind to this smallest state in our country. Nestled in the west, manned by breath-taking beaches, it has earned itself epithets like “Kashmir of the West”. Having been ruled by various dynasties and the Portuguese for several years, Goa showcases the best architecture of the past and is the perfect amalgamation of the ethnic and the modern. The magnificient churches and temples of Goa stand witness to Goa’s resplendent past.You will find traditionality seeped in its core with traditional dances like the “mando”, “dhalo” and the “kunbi dance” being very popular amongst the young and the old. Not to miss the platter of goan folk songs that are lively, entertaining and fun-filled!! Tourists are not only welcomed with a dose of the world famous goan hospitality but also with a range of mouth-watering traditional goan dishes like “sannas”, “sausages”, “vindaloo”, “bebinca” to name a few. The famous cashewnuts and “feni” of Goa are also relished by many.
Cashing in on this heavy influx of tourists are world famous resorts like Park Hyatt, Ramada, The Taj and many others. Although tourism has by far been the major factor for attracting people to Goa, students from all over are flocking to Goa to pursue education as well. And the Goa Institute of Management having earned a ranking of 17 in a list of the top 50 institutes of management in India has only helped the cause. Goa’s scenic beauty has been captured by many filmmakers on screen and with it being declared as the permanent venue for IFFI many more will be inspired to follow suit in the coming years. Notwithstanding the communal riots that took place recently, you will still find people of different communities, caste, creed and colour living peacefully here. Although a dot on the huge map of India, Goa has managed to carve a niche for itself over the years. So when you come to Goa and smell the whiff of sea breeze, and bask in the sun with swaying palm trees around you do raise a toast and say “VIVA GOA”!!
