The first of (hopefully) many

I thought I would share with you all the first of my baby steps towards becoming a journalist. It's not much, but it's a start. This is my first lead story featured in the Wire, SIMC's online news portal..... Yay!

Is there an end?

Leah George
PUNE
Anders Breveik, the Norwegian right wing extremist who carried out gruesome attacks to express his militant ideology against the Muslims, believes that they are ‘colonising’ Europe. In his manifesto, 2083 – A European Declaration of Independence which was issued under the pseudonym “Andrew Berwick” that he shared on the internet hours before the attack, he outlines his beliefs and rationale regarding the attacks. The manifesto brings to light his ultra nationalistic and xenophobic beliefs including anti Islamisation, cultural conservatism and Serbian paramilitarism. He calls for the extermination of Islam in Europe and the end of multi culturalism.
Breivik claims the root of Europe’s problems lie in their lack of cultural self confidence. He rails against the inability of the people to stand firm on their sense of nationalism for fear of sparking fascist elements.
While he claims not to hate Muslims, he also acknowledges that he will not tolerate Muslim presence in Europe and warns the European public that all Muslims who have not been completely assimilated into the European society by 2020 will be deported as soon as his group seizes power.
Expressing his solidarity with his “Serbian brothers” he expresses his regret and sympathy over the US and European bombing of Serbian forces to halt their bid to deport Albanian Muslims back to Albania.
Breveik speaks of his decision to oppose the infiltration of Muslims into Europe. In his manifesto he says, “Protesting is saying that you disagree. Resistance is saying you will put a stop to this. I decided I wanted to join the resistance movement.”
Breveik clearly states in his manifesto that he believes that no price is too great for the cause he believes in. he states that “it is better to kill too many than not enough, or you risk reducing the desired ideological impact.” He advises the world to get used to the idea that some innocents will die in their operations, simply due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. That these are some of the casualties in the war he is waging.
Breveik makes it abundantly clear that he will not cease or desist in his fight against multi cultural forces invading Europe. He says that he will “make certain everyone understands we, the free peoples of Europe, are going to strike again and again.” That there will be no end.
In his manifesto, he commends Japan for not allowing Muslims to immigrate, although the country does not have any specific ban on any ethnic or religious group.
It is obvious that Breveik has an extremist’s point of view, and thankfully he has now been apprehended. But there are bound to be more Breveiks out there and the more worrisome question is, how many?

A lot of nothing...

The problem with a course like what I'm doing, that involves so much writing ALL the time, is that the idea of coming back to your room, to write about what you've been writing about all day is a little depressing..
I love this blog, but of late, I've found myself wondering what on earth I'm going to write about!
I mean, class progresses as usual, I'm meeting the same people everyday, the assignments are piling up, and though it's a subject close to my heart, there's only so much I can talk about food!
Beyond the obvious writer's block I'm facing, I'm also just so tired! You don't understand it! I work from 8.30 to 8.30.... six days a week.. and I walk so much... and horrifyingly, I'm getting used to it! But by the end of the day, all I have left in me is some mindless facebook time and a few telephone conversations.. and god forbid anyone asks me to sound intelligent.
But now that I'm writing this, I suppose I should carry on to what's happening in my life.
I'm sitting here, bathed (having managed to catch the hot water by some twist of fate), in my pajamas, waiting in earnest for what's bound to be an awful dinner. My day has been good.
Life is looking up with my trip home almost within touching distance. Anyone acqainted with me for over a year has been witness to the greedy, birthday crazy beast I become one month before the fact.. alas, this year, other than short bursts of manic joy, the beast lies in exhausted slumber... at least till some more time has passed. But I've spent a lot of time wondering what I want.. and I want food.. Good food.. and a massage.. a long one, not those shady three minute ones that just let you know what you're missing.. I want hot water available 24 hrs a day... I want to wear a dress that shows off my legs..so I remember what they look like.... I want to have tea brewed on the stove.......
The list may seem long, but my wants are simple..... so please.. please, someone give me a massage...!

This truly is all in a days work!

Life in college has started accelerating to a point that I cannot believe that just a little over three weeks ago I was cribbing about how I was wasting time, and how I couldn't believe I had wasted nine lakhs to sit around all day playing games.
Now my days are defined by 8.30 to 8.30 classes, six days a week, and frantic movement from lectures to cells and clubs.. and then of course the dreaded assignments.. I cannot begin to explain to you the delirious pleasure a Sunday morning now gives me.
When I first got here, and I was primed for the fantastic party life I'd heard so much about, I would race off into the city a few times a week for some good old urban living. Now however, it's a miracle if I manage to make it to the foot of the hill once a week to grab a few beers... (although I must confess, on the days I do manage, I more than make up for my absence)..:)
But I have to admit, I really enjoy it. For the first time in my life, I'm actually starting to feel like I'm studying about things that I've always wanted to know.. things that are relevant. Alright, so we'll ignore the fact that I'm not the most well read person on a number of things in class.. but I do make up for it with my zeal, enthusiasm.. and quick research..
In the few weeks I've been here, I've discussed the Iraq war, the Kashmir conflict, farmer suicides, Salwa Judum, Picasso, Turner, Bernini, Indian theatre, the Babri Masjid demolition, watched the Matrix, Motorcycle Diaries and Peepli Live (which had to be translated to me line by line).. and its been interesting, stimulating, passionate and sometimes a little daunting.
I dash out of a day of thinking out of the box; questioning what I believe; stepping aside for someone else's view and patting myself on the back for a point well made, to running madly to my Online Branding meets where we endeavour to put SIMC's 'best foot forward'..(I love that phrase.. what does it even mean?!)...From here, your valiant soldier forges on to the cell meet for SIMC Wire (the online news portal) to struggle through my understanding and reinterpretation of the business world...(oh no!).. and just when you think it's over, you discover the mess is serving sludge and you have two hours of reading material ahead of you.
Obviously, when I finally hit the bed, it's with the desperation of a dying woman and there are some mornings I would rather cut my arm off than get out of bed.. but it's worth it because for the first time in my life I can actually feel myself getting educated. And it fills that space in my head that's always felt a little empty.. :)

My slice of happiness

The last few weeks were havoc on my personal life to say the least, so as the time drew near for my boyfriend to show up, I was caught between trepidation as to how it would turn out, and off-the-charts excitement at finally seeing him again. Of course it didn't help when he sweetly informed me that he's not the kind of guy to get excited about these things. Talk about deflating! :)
When he did show up (late), I had already made up my mind that nothing would spoil our little interlude, and there would be no more fighting. Of course, about three hours later, I opened my mouth, and it all came tumbling out. In a nutshell I sort of accused him of forgetting about me when he's in Bangalore, only to be calmly told..'But baby, that's me'.... to which I sputtered something about how it doesn't have to be that way... Faced with his absolute incomprehension of this concept, I could do nothing but subside... for about five minutes.
Anyway, long story short, we did talk, he did listen and we did work things out.
I think most of what we were arguing about, while it did mean something to me, was also brought on by the distance. But the part that really stuck with me was when he told me that what he had always liked about me is my independence, and my ability to have my own life in exclusion to him.. which is now apparently fading. Needless to say, I was quite, quite outraged, but in the greater interest of carrying on the conversation, I didn't kick him, as I would have very much liked to have done. That statement stayed with me for quite a while later, after all, I couldn't understand why wanting some sort of regular contact with your far away boyfriend could classify you as clingy. I was out all day with my friends, in classes. I was not hiding in my room, crying into a pillow..But then I came to the conclusion he just might have a point.
Although I don't think I have to call him any less, or text him any less, or expect any less from him, I had come to set too much store by his responses, his attention and his time. It was not a dependency, it was a habit. And, of course, a habit I intend to kick.
The entire time he was here was absolutely blissful.. We lazed in bed watching movies, making out, eating and generally feeling (what my fluff books would call) decadent..It was perfection. Of course I howled incessantly into my pillow when he left, but that's practically a pre-requisite.. :) And eventually, I stopped howling, got out of bed, got into a cab and got back to classes and reality. Which, it turns out, is not so bad either :)