Consistently Ignored

Although The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poets contained many possible candidates to write about, admittedly very few of the poems intrigued me. This is not an insult to the writing, but rather due to the reason that many of the pieces contained in this wide selection of literature did not particularly draw a connection or relate to me. After skimming through the book for the second time in an attempt to find a viable piece to write on, I stumbled upon a particular poem called “Consistently Ignored,” written by G.S Sharat Chandra, that happened to catch my attention. The poem itself is rather short in length, however the message conveyed by the poem caught my attention, as it addresses a topic that I was able to relate with (as well as my parents) growing up, and has also been encountered in class through the novel, The Inheritance of Loss.

My interpretation of the poem “Consistently Ignored,” (although it is rather straightforward), portrays a situation of a young boy, born into a large family of ten. The boy is constantly ignored and paid no attention, leading him to doubt his place in the crowded family. After questioning his mother about this, she sarcastically/humorously informs him that he was purchased from a beggar. From this, he begins to wonder of his 'real' identity, spending his time envisioning his real home and mother, even going as far as to search for them. The inferences that I drew from this poem was that the boy already lived in a somewhat lower class family, as he seems to be in close proximity to beggars; however the main reasoning for this assumption was his large family – as generally in the past many people would choose to have a large number of children, who could provide assistance with manual labour and/or secure jobs that would provide money for the family. We see this situation occur in The Inheritance of Loss as well, with parents having many children in order to bring in more income. Expanding from this, another characteristic of the boy's situation that is also prevalent in The Inheritance of Loss is the lack of attention that the boy receives in the family. Gyan and the Judge have both been through similar experiences in the novel, as their siblings were also denied attention and care, which was instead given to them in order to provide as much support as possible for them to succeed and provide support in the form of status and wealth for their families. G.S Chandra provides insight into the dynamics of large families in past times, further expanding on a theme explored in The Inheritance of Loss as well - the sense of not belonging, and loneliness that arises from attention being diverted from one sibling to another, along with the sacrifices family's make in order to ensure sure the success of one sibling. 

Works Cited:

Chandra, G.S Sharat. "Consistently Ignored." The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poets. Ed. Jeet Thayil. Tarset, 2008. 61. Print. 

The Times of India - are Changing

Article : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/man-woman/Marrying-an-NRI-is-no-longer-in-vogue/articleshow/12143944.cms

The article “Marrying an NRI is no longer in vogue,” written by Arunima Mazumdar,

is one that I found quite interesting, as it is directly related to something that we have examined and discussed in class through the film Monsoon Wedding. In the article, Mazumdar provides insight about arranged marriages between Indian citizens and non-resident Indians (NRI), explaining the general reasoning behind them. This particular article caught my attention because while we did discuss the aspect of arranged marriage in India to a NRI, we were discussing it somewhat as 'outsiders looking in,' while this article provides us with a different perspective, one from an Indian background. An interesting note however, is that many of the points raised in class about arranged marriages to non-resident Indians were actually rather valid and accurate when compared to the article. The primary reasons for marriages to non-resident Indians according to the article are, “financial security, better standard of living, and career growth”. Of course, these are reasonable traits to look for in a marriage, and they are what draw appeal for Indian parents to look for possible marriage candidates for their children in the West. However while a promising financial future proves a large temptation, there are some very large negative attributes associated with finding marriage partners from the West, which is leading to the recent decline of those looking to get married to a non-resident Indian. One of the most important aspects – and one we have covered in class – involved in marrying an NRI, is that often the married couple will move back to their Western home. Moving away from India means leaving family behind, and family is an ingrained aspect of Indian culture, one that is still very strong today. Modern Indian families are now straying away from finding Western suitors, as the rapid economic growth in India means there are more opportunities to find steady and financially secure jobs without having to leave home, and family. I believe that this article would particularly be of interest to the students in our English class (or anyone interested in Indian culture or arranged marriages), as it explicitly covers something we have looked at in the course. It is great to be able to see things from a different cultural perspective aside from our own Western-Centric views, especially since we are able to see the side of arranged marriage from an Indian standpoint. The concept of an arranged marriage is something that many people in the West do not seem to understand fully, and is generally viewed as a restriction of free will. This article provides some insight about arranged marriages, and shows that the reasoning behind them are ones that are generally held by many cultures all over the world regarding marriage. Financial stability, standard of living and career growth are things that almost all people, regardless of culture, look for in a marriage partner; whether they are the defining factors of marriage or not, they are still considered. For these reasons, Arunima Mazumdar's article provides an interesting look into arranged marriages and non-resident Indians, and the determinants that families look for when choosing the best bride/groom for their children.

Monsoon Wedding

My first impressions during the opening minutes of the film Monsoon Wedding, directed by Mira Nair and written by Sabrina Dhawan, were generally that of confusion and disarray. Admittedly, I am not the biggest fan of Indian/Bollywood movies, and prior to Monsoon Wedding, the number of them I had seen was – rather shockingly - zero. This was mainly due to the fact that aside from those who are actively seeking out Bollywood Movies to watch, usually very few are encountered/shown in North America, be it on television or in the cinemas. So when I first hit play on Monsoon Wedding not really knowing what to expect, I was initially left somewhat lost and bewildered at the scenes transpiring before my eyes. The film opened on a very hectic note, with little background information as to what is going on; which most likely contributed to my initial trouble following what was occurring. Scores of characters seemed to appear one after another with no indication of who they were, and soon I found myself struggling to figure out who everyone was. To add to this, I also had trouble at first understanding what the characters were saying when they were speaking english; often finding myself having to replay certain segments of audio to figure out what everyone was saying. However as more time into the movie passed, I began to get accustomed to the characters and the slight nuances that had been plaguing me earlier, and finally I began to comprehend who everyone was and what was going on.

Once past the minor inconveniences, I found myself rather immersed with the film. It may not have made my list of ground-breaking, revolutionary movies, but it was rather enjoyable and provided some insight about Indian values and customs/traditions. I don't know how much can really be inferred about real traditional Indian weddings from this movie however, as it seemed to me that almost all of the immediate and extended family of the father, Lalit Verma, seemed to be rather privileged and wealthy as reflected by the extravagant nature of their wedding/housing. Taking this into consideration, Monsoon Wedding did show the tremendous importance and process of planning (not to mention the cost involved) that goes into an Indian wedding. The wedding itself was very vibrant and festive, a joyous occasion filled with dancing and singing; it was an event that truly lifted spirits and brought families and friends closer together, even if the journey to get there may not have been so smooth. This leads into another very key aspect conveyed by the film; the powerful connections that families share, apparent all throughout the movie. Family relations are shown to be a value that is held very dearly in Indian culture throughout the movie. They care for each other, look out for each other, and support each other in times of need – demonstrated most powerfully by Ria looking out for her little cousin, and in turn having Lalit support her as well. Having said that however, there were times when I felt that I couldn't really connect to some of the characters due to the sheer amount of them, and the small amount of characterization that they received. There just seemed to be too many small sub-plots occurring the within the film. One character that I did enjoy watching though would have to be PK Dubey. He represented the common man, and watching the struggles he faces with finding a partner outside of an arranged marriage invoked sympathy. This is not to say that having an arranged marriage is easy, as shown by the many trials along the path to marriage that Aditi Verma and her stranger of a husband faced. Monsoon Wedding did a good job of showing the difficulty and awkwardness that must come with being married to someone you have never met before. I did find it quite amusing though that what saved their almost failed marriage were the Western/American values held by Aditi Verma and Hemant Rai. All throughout the film, we see the contrast between traditional Indian and Western values and beliefs from a variety of characters, and the prominent globalization of Western ideals in India.

In conclusion, I did find Monsoon Wedding to be an enjoyable and well produced film that allows us, if only slightly, to see what weddings in India are like. Family values run deep for the entire duration of the film throughout all the drama that occurs, and we see the emphasis placed upon this strongly. Along with this, Westernized ways of thinking are now becoming common place in India, especially among the youth, and India is evolving and changing constantly because of it. Monsoon Wedding is a good place to start for those looking to get a glimpse of India, without straying too far from the familiarity of Hollywood movies.

Blog 3

When two aspects of different cultures clash, what should be done about it? Should one culture be forced to submit and assimilate to the other? Maybe just leave both of them be and hope for the best -  or perhaps there should there be a compromise between the two? Of course, there is no definitive answer to the question asked about what should be done with minorities/immigrants regarding their values and beliefs in contrast to those held by Canadian society. There most likely will never be a solution that completely satisfies both sides of the spectrum (minority/Canadian); yet this is a widespread problem that plagues the country of Canada daily, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Not surprisingly, murder and killing is almost universally viewed as wrong and immoral in all first world nations, and Canada is no exception. Regarding the recent 'Shafia Honour Killings,' the guilty verdict announced on January 9, 2012 was probably expected – and considered just - by many. Although while in this particular incident, the actions taken by the three guilty members of the Shafia family are seen as extreme in any 'westernized' nation, it portrays a common problem prevalent in many minority families living in foreign countries all over the world, where a new set of values and beliefs conflict with old ones, leading to sense of loss/'dishonour' regarding religion and culture. With such a diverse and multicultural type of society prevalent in Canada, it is almost certain that there will be conflicts between a family's native and Canadian values and beliefs, something that I, like many, have experienced firsthand. While I was born in Canada, both of my parents were born and raised in China, leading to their cultural values and traditions being a bit different than the ones generally held by Canadian society. As a result of this, my sister and I have been generally been subject to a different upbringing to that of non-immigrant families, which has led to many disagreements and arguments over the years. When I was younger, I often felt that the values and traditions forced upon me by my parents were too strict and confining, and as a result I often rebelled and retaliated against them. My argument was often something along the lines of, "If you came to live in Canada, why do I have to cling onto your values and beliefs? Why can't I just be a regular Canadian like everyone else?" I was simply incapable of seeing things from their perspective; I had been raised in a mixed cultural environment, and therefore was able to adapt both sets of customs, while they had only ever lived in one and had only one cultural identity. Of course as I grew older and matured, I realized how immature and foolish I was behaving, and that my parents were only doing what was best for me - raising me in the only way that they knew how. While it is easy to simply observe a situation and criticize, we must understand that when someone has been raised and lived a certain way their entire life, simply conforming to and adapting a new culture's set of values and traditions is not an instantaneous act. However, while I do believe in the right for minorities to be able to practice/express their native beliefs and values, there must be a compromise between their homeland's culture and their new country's. One obvious example of this is respecting and abiding by the laws set by a country, even if they infringe upon one's own personal creed. Moving to a new country means accepting it as part of your new identity, and this means abiding by their rules and regulations. As long as your actions based on your beliefs and values do not conflict with that of Canadian law, I believe that you do have a right to uphold them. This is not to say that I support the complete segregation of cultures within a country however. Integration into society is crucial for a socially sound and diverse environment, and my own personal opinion is that all immigrants should at least to some extent attempt to integrate into society rather than create racial divisions; which lead to ignorance and prejudice/misunderstandings between different cultures. If you have chosen to immigrate to a new country, you should be expected to adapt it's culture and social behaviours as well. However once again, this raises the problem of 'how'? Many people come to Canada because they believe that it is a free land, where one can practice whichever religion they choose without fear of persecution or reprimand. We cannot simply force immigrants to give up their personal beliefs and adapt our set of social values and behaviours.

Thus, I can really see no concrete answers on how to encourage sub-cultures to fit more into the main core of Canadian social values and beliefs, other than to enforce that they practice their cultural traditions and values within the confines of the law, and allow them to slowly get accustomed and integrate into Canadian social customs and values. I realize that this answer really does not solve anything or give any new insight, but the problem of cultural clashes is not one that can simply be solved - short of stripping away the free will of immigrants and forcing them to assimilate. It is unfortunate, but many first generation immigrants (especially older ones) are already too ingrained in their cultural ways to be able to change very much. So all we can do is to respect their beliefs, discourage extreme actions such as honour killings by preaching tolerance and acceptance for different cultures (whether they be Chinese, Canadian, India, etc.), while enforcing that they abide by our laws. Through this, hopefully someday they will be able to change their convictions and respect and perhaps adapt some of our 'Canadian' values as well.

Black Gold

The Keystone and Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline projects are two highly controversial and widely debated topics that our modern generations face today. Concerning the pipelines, there are two major, conflicting forces that drive this debate; both of which are opinionated on two very different sides of the spectrum of thought. On one side we have those in support of the pipelines, individuals who speak in terms of money, mainly concerning the amount that the pipelines would generate for both the United States of America and Canada. They claim that this would prove a large aid to the struggling economy, not only from the billions of dollars generated from oil revenues (also decreasing the dependance of oil from the Middle East), but also from the jobs that the building of the pipelines would provide. Approximately 13,000 laborers will be put to work to construct the Keystone Pipeline, with an additional 7,000 workers needed for other manufacturing jobs related to the pipeline. With regards to the Northern Gateway Pipeline, nearly 3,000 temporary and 104 permanent jobs would be created. Now while this may sound quite beneficiary, there are issues that must be raised concerning these newly created jobs. Just how many of the jobs created by the Keystone Pipeline would be permanent? Of the 20,000 individuals put to work on the pipeline, how many will still have a job when the construction is over? If the number of jobs that would remain after the building of the pipeline is anything similar to that of the Northern Gateway project - then most likely a large majority of those employed will once again be out looking for employment after the Keystone Pipeline is built.

Personally, I do see the merit in the business/economic standpoint involved in the building of the pipelines; however another crucial element must be examined first before any conclusions can be made. Shifting to a different perspective on the issue, would the creation of a relatively small number of permanent jobs justify the undeniable widespread environmental damage that these pipelines would cause? While the constant need for a source of energy in the rapidly expanding and growing Asian and American markets is something that cannot be ignored, we also cannot simply neglect the effect that it would have on the environment. Oil sands are said to be dirty fuel, and with good reason; as the methods of extracting and refining oil from them are high in costs, and also have a large impact on the environment due to the large amount of pollution and greenhouse gases being emitted in the process. We must also consider the amount of damage caused by the drilling and mining needed to obtain the oil sands initially. The damage caused to the land by the actual building of the 1,177 km Northern Gateway and the extension of the Keystone Pipeline to a total of approximately 5,162 km would also cause a significant amount of damage, and this is not even taking into account the possibility of any leakages in the pipes or spills caused by the transportation of oil by tankers across the ocean to Asia. These spills cause immense amounts of irreversible damage to wildlife and their environment, and the most recent large scale incident – the BP Oil Spill – is not one that will soon be forgotten.

While I do see the benefit of the building of the pipelines, I believe that the environmental impact caused by them is simply too great. There will always be a need for a source of energy in our highly industrialized world, but relying so heavily on crude oil in my opinion is a careless choice. We must strive to seek more sustainable and environmentally efficient methods of producing energy, instead of gouging the land and amplifying the effect of global climate change, leaving future generations to face the problems we have created. Although President Obama has recently (and perhaps only temporarily) turned down the application for the Keystone XL expansion, TransCanada (the company behind the Keystone Pipeline) has stated in the past that, “development of oil sands will expand regardless of whether the crude oil is exported to the United States or alternatively to Asian markets through the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines or the Kinder Morgan's Trans-Mountain line”. So while the expansion of the Keystone Pipeline has been halted for now, this victory may be a fleeting one if more people are not able to recognize the environmental damage that could become if the Keystone Pipeline is built. 


Sources: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_Pipeline
http://financialedge.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0112/The-Keystone-XL-Pipeline-Explained.aspx#axzz1kvW30n6u
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/65315--some-facts-about-enbridge-s-proposed-northern-gateway-pipeline 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/01/18/pol-keystone-xl-pipeline.html 

Admittedly, my knowledge of the country of India is not particularly one of my strong points. Suffice to say, that does not mean that I have never heard, learned, or seen anything pertaining to India and it's culture in my lifetime – I have, but the knowledge that I can recall about India off the top of my head is rather scarce. I do know some of the very basic statistics about India (aside from the ones I hastily searched up on Google before I started writing this). It has the second largest population of any country in the world, one that will most likely overtake China's number one spot sometime in the foreseeable future. Also, that while it is still a developing nation faced with widespread poverty, it's economy is one of the fastest growing in the world. Sadly, these are probably two of the most concrete facts that I know about India, which is rather unfortunate considering the large role that India plays in our globally integrated world.

Formally I have never been taught about India, but I have had a number of friends of Indian descent in the past, and still do to this very day. However there is not much I can say about them without generalizing their entire culture and ethnicity as a whole, but most of the friends I have had did come from rather traditional Indian backgrounds. Many of them are very studious and hardworking academically, probably passed down to them from the values and beliefs of their parents. This is not to say that every single person of Indian background possess these qualities, as I am sure that many other cultures can be said to be generally hard working as well. Also a number of them were of Sikh religion, and while only one of my friends wears a turban, they all seem to leave their facial hair uncut. Other than that, I don't believe I have much more so say about India sadly. Aside from some rather common things people have heard/seen about India (Gandhi, Slumdog Millionaire, Russell Peters, etc),  I have actually seen some documentaries about India (mostly about the poor living conditions in areas of poverty), parts of Bollywood movies, and heard some music from India shown to me by friends. However that really doesn't provide much insight not already known by the common person. So while it is a shame that I know so little about India, hopefully this class will shed some new light on India for me, and leave me more globally minded as a person.