Isha's blog

For this post, I am going to pick a couple of today’s popular music hits, and go through the lyrics. Some people have no idea what some of these songs actually mean. The songs that are being played, teenagers and younger are singing them not knowing the real meanings behind the songs. These songs can be demeaning to women, making sexual comments, and other meanings that many adults do not even know. So I am going to pick some songs.

One song that has been playing a lot on the radio would be Cake By The Ocean by DNCE. I actually went to Myrtle Beach with a couple of girls last week. They insisted that we get cupcakes and take pictures of them “eating cake by the ocean”. They, however, did not know what that meant. The term “eating cake by the ocean” means to have sex by the ocean. Another part of these lyrics are “You should be rolling with me, you should be rolling with me”. This is saying that the women he is singing about should be “rolling” in bed with him. Another term for having sex with him. The last part of the song is “Red velvet, vanilla, chocolate in my life, Confetti, I’m ready; I need it every night
Red velvet, vanilla, chocolate in my life”. This part of the song shows different cake types. Another way to sing about that they could have sex with any “color” of women, every night.

Another song that has been playing is Me Too by Meghan Trainor. I am a big fan of Trainor’s work since her song All About that Bass. All of Trainor’s songs are about positive outlooks. She has been an inspiration to many girls, to be who they want to be and to be confident in who they are. Her new song Me Too is another one of those songs, however, it talks more about Trainor’s fame. It goes through her normal day, like looking in the mirror. She talks about how when looking in the mirror that every day she is still beautiful, no matter what anyone says. Trainor is known as having a wider shape, so when her video got enhanced (a smaller waste), Trainor flipped out. It was soon fixed and got blown up by media. Me Too is still helping girls understand who they are and that they are perfect.

Some of the songs today are positive and highlighting that women are independent and do not need to be someone else. However, some songs are not like that. I personally think that everyone needs to listen to the lyrics and to also look at the lyrics to better understand what we, and our children are singing about. Limiting what they listen to at least till they are old enough to understand what these lyrics mean.

Three months gone by in a whiff ! Missing home, missing friends and family, the familiar surroundings , the early morning activity in the house, everyone getting ready for work and the lazy evenings with aromatic smell of dinner preparation .

During the first couple of weeks when I wondered if the excitement of this new life, new place, distant bright future was worth the sacrifice of staying away from things I loved . As I gradually settled  into a regular college life , this feeling of despair gradually evolved into a realization wherein I have started to appreciate everything I had back where I belonged.

Filling the  gap in the two societies  to accept another type of  culture into my daily life.  Adjusting  myself in a new environment, making new friends, accepting different opinions and values, and seizing every opportunity was not easy. Living far from home, even for a short period of time, can be really tough at the beginning. We have to remember that  though all these changes are difficult, but  are necessary to go through to build what I dreamed for- to carve out a bright future out of the excellent education that I am getting .

Now , after these three months have  gone by I realize the major hurdle that I  am facing right from the first day onwards and still trying to beat, is  time management, my Achilles heel. This has totally defeated me, I seem to be running around in circles, on my feet most of the time, running errands and yet I have to strive, to hand in my assignments in time, do my week end cooking and I am constantly lagging behind my chores. Time management is the skill that I have yet to accomplish. It is such a difficult thing for me to manage, possibly because I come from I close knit family where  I would do the house chores for fun, most of the outside responsibilities were shared  by the elders of the family. The only total and absolute responsibility I had was ,my school and studies. Throughout my semester this is one problem I am desperately trying to deal with. I know I shall be a more relaxed and happier when I can do the things IN TIME…..

It is said , looking at the past everyone is wiser……Reminiscing about my past, brings good memories of childhood and sneaking along with them are also  the disappointments of the ‘difficult’ teenage life , when things never seem to happen as quickly , as efficiently as we want them or the way we want them to. I can recount list of things that did not go “My Way” .  Now when I give them a thought it is difficult to contemplate that there was a time that when my thoughts were so myopic that I missed out the larger canvas of life.

Growing up in a family of Doctors, can be very inspiring but at the same time it has its own disadvantages ; missing out on family vacations ;or when they are late to my school programs .Getting back from a movie halfway was quite common to attend an emergency at the clinic .

So many times I would crib, cry and throw a tantrum. But again, admission of a mistake, even if only privately to myself, makes learning possible by moving the focus away from blame , towards understanding.  I understand now that it was the commitment that my parents had, that the sense of responsibility towards our duties that they have inculcated in me is reaping rewards ..Now. I wish I could have been more appreciated of all the efforts that they made and also put up with my constant demands..patiently.

Making it to college ,  was an achievement ! Freedom, of living  on my own terms . After all I am grown up!!. Strange, how situations  are just perspectives, depending on which view point the observation is made from. What to me was “grown Up” to my family was teenage tantrums. I felt hanging out with friends, to be allowed to spend a day at friends and allowed my own space, is most natural..I was an adult…On the contrary, my parents thought it was the time I should be more responsible, be focused on making a career for myself. That the hard work of these couple of years would go a long way in my life , this was the opening line of all my mornings. This advice runs counter to the cultural assumptions we have about mistakes and failure,. We’re taught in school, in our families, or at work to feel guilty about failure and to do whatever we can to avoid mistakes. Yet we all make our set of mistakes and learn from them, gradually over the years as wisdom sets in, the insight into the statements are finally understood.

But now, there is another feeling making its way gradually into my consciousness. That all that did not go my way had the hand of someone much superior than all of us .

EDUCATION SYSTEM IN INDIA AND U.S

A+..B+……anything else is unacceptable, unthinkable  and God forbid if you trip to the otherside of the B+ surely there is not much future for you….so get down to those books of yours ….they are your Bible…there is nothing much you have to do when you are a student ..there is time enough for every thing in life…if you don’t get those grades….you don’t stand a chance!! On the flip side…Critical thinking…. out of the box ideas…creative writing…..my point of view, may just be as right as anybody else’s…books help but understanding matters. These are the most basic differences in the education methods, concepts and aims , of India and the USA. Back home , as known , most of us live under our parental guidance till the time we are through the college and finally “on our feet” many a times ..all through our lives. In contrast to our counterparts in US who develop a strong sense of independence, self dependence and decision making at a very early stage in life. This is so much evident in marked differences of the behavior pattern, maturity level of the children of various age groups from India and US. In my opinion, although it is cultural difference between the two countries, This the pivot and probably the most important influencing factor that effects the education pattern of the two places.

Without being overtly critical about the education system back home ….I actually cannot, after all we have a long list of successful, influential and trend setters rising from the depths of  this grueling education system. I grew up understanding that the most important aspect of the education is the grades that we read and memorize the written text and the student who can do this to the last full stop and comma is the one who shows the best prospects of being successful in future. We were segregated on the basis of performers and the non performers, depending upon the percentage of marks we procured. Written material was provided for learning and to be reproduced as written ..word by word and expression by expression…that does not allow much scope of introduction of self ideas and critical thinking on those issues.This most striking difference that I personally experienced is that here we all are given the liberty to think , to come up with our own , indigenous point of view that is not wrong or right ..it is just our perspective, our understanding of the subject. Here I felt, I had the liberty to express without my teachers being judgmental of my skills and abilities. I am made to understand that if there is something I do not do well then there is definitely something out there ,at which I am excellent.

And the best …The freedom !….freedom…the scope of exploring my choice , interests and strengths. What impressed me most in the system here is that I am not bound by Science stream, Humanities, or Arts… that once I choose my stream I bear its burden all my life , that I cannot switch between streams even when I realize that it is not cup of tea ( without of course sacrificing a couple of years ). I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at the choices that were with me to pick from and that I could easily slip into the subjects that I was most comfortable with , all the while exploring my virtues and understating  what I am best at.

All in all , even though I am thankful to all my teacher and mentors back home with all due regards it is a life time experience to be a part of this prestigious education system that is probably now recognized the best in the world.

“ WHAT CONSUMES YOUR MIND, CONTROLS YOUR LIFE”, this is thought that crosses my mind every time I happen to pass by our very own The Reclining Thinker. Personally, my favourite landmark on our campus.

The Thinker is seen rising magnanimously from the green grass outside the Olscamp hall, the all metal structure is strikingly different from otherwise the bland monotonous building around the campus. It sits there deep in thought, forelone eyes gazing into oblivion, searching for what answers , no one knows. It is oblivious to the flurry , the winds , heat and the snow that surrounds it during the winters. It sits guard outside the Hall ,patiently waiting…endlessly. One thought always intrigues me , what would have run in the unmentioned artists mind while conceptualizing this statue, it bears such a thoughtful look that it would have indeed be worth knowing the frame of mind of its artist.
As for me when ever I happen to cross Mr Thinker..I whisper “Penny for your Thoughts” to him. The position which the contemplative figure finds himself in is one of deep thought and concentration. The arched back and curled hand resting under the chin are signs of study that would have been hard to capture were this figure standing up. This also allows for the figure’s muscular back and broad shoulders to be fully defined, the powerful physique of the sitter reflecting the high esteem. The mood of this piece is one of calm. The very human emotion of The Thinker which may go some way as to explain how this piece became one of the artist’s most famous works.

I think that this monument aptly describes the ideology That BGSU works upon, We all are encouraged to do our share by thinking out of the box , coming out with something new and exciting in their respective fields In the end we are to endure our constrains of cultural difference and stand to the difficulties and pave our path to our bright future with this unshakable Thinker as our guiding angel …….

Black Swamp Arts Festival (BSAF)

It’s final!, after months of applications, paperwork – It was decided I shall be attending BGSU in Ohio, Naturally I was excited about the prospect of whole new country , environment ,  culture  and my curiosity about the place . I read about the courses and people on the internet.

One thing that struck me was “black Swamp Art Festival ’’ labelled the best Juried Show Award in 2012, “Ohio’s best Art festival’’ etc.And now I find myself being a part of this twenty second   annual Black swamp festival.

One expression that came to me at the first sight Gosh!! What a riot of color on a bright sunny day ……. The storm last night cooled the day a bit….a perfect day to spend a Sunday afternoon as I did. As far as I could see, there was all… pottery, painters, illustrators, photography and none the less Music!

A paper cutting artist sat amidst her scissor cuts , till then I came upon a display of some breathtaking paintings of wild life , the tigers looked real enough to take a leisurely walk . The kids were seen enjoying    the pony rides and also that children’s corner to keep them busy into something creative.

Another pottery maker has everything from bowls, honey pots and so many handy crafts items.

Last but not the least , I would call it a “chalk walk’’, students created a paint art displayed in the middle of the street , for the kids to go around on their bicycle  and create beautiful color patterns with paints on the tires.

Huge skilled, random, drawings.. It was a awesome sight. ( I wish I were a kid)!

Finally after the visual treat my eyes enjoyed, it was time to get back, blissfully lazy after that relaxed afternoon walk, being a part of some amazing music and creativity … I believe the festival lives up to its name . I pledge to be a part of it  the next time too. 

My most prized possession would surely be a hardy, spiny, green cycuspotted plant. This plant is like a sibling to me. We have practically grown up together. Looking back I feel it has been my mate since I was a little girl.

I remember when we had recently shifted into our new bigger house that had both, front lawn and a kitchen garden in the backyard. I had yet not made friends in the neighborhood and so I spent most of my timeindoors, my parents gave into my pestering for bringing home a pup.

One day my mother came home with a small potted plant, A “Cycus” .She asked me to take care of it and water it from time to time, now I know it was to inculcate.

I sense of responsibility in me. In a couple of days I had to rescue thisplant whom I named as ‘Spiky’ , our pup who decided to explore spiky’sroots . I brought spiky in the family room and propped it onto a high chair closest to the window, the chair that spiky gracefully occupied for many years to come , saving a visit to the garden once in a couple of months . Since then spiky has been a part of all our family discussions,aspirations, decisions, festivals and functions. It was a mute spectator toeverything in that room, if ever we kept it out for a day or two, everyone would start complaining about that corner looking very vacant and so there was spiky back into the room .As I grew up , so did spiky , each whorl of leaves like the years I added to myself , as I grew taller , so did it .

This plant is really special to me not only because it was gifted to me by my mother, with an aim of making me grow up into a responsible and caring individual (that I learned for sure!),but also because it has been a constant companion in my growing years.

I took care of it time to time, watering it, taking it out in the sunlight,carefully planting the bulbs out that grew around it. I feel spiky has been a part of our family .When I finally move on in my life and into my own place , it would be my treasure to carry with me , so that it can be a reminder of the home that I grew up in…..

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