Blog@GraceJunction

Every morning I approach the news papers with the fear of getting de-sensitized. Today for instance, The Times of India, Ahmedabad Edition carried news about an act of unnatural proportions – Man having sex with a calf! The matter was brought in to light due to the animal protection activists you may read the entire article here.

Thank God, there are at least some people in the society (People for Animal) who think that there is something called as evil / wrong and the matter was brought to light. A voiceless animal found some one who could fight for its cause; unfortunately our big mouthed society has none! (more…)

The credit cards and easily available loans made almost everything available to the common man. When the generation of the 50s-70s worked a good 25 plus years to buy a decent house with minimum facilties and bought a car after the age of 40, the new generation is buying a much costlier and better equipped (loaded) or rather luxurious house at a much earlier age (early 30s) and this generation is also buying a car much earlier too. Of course the myriad professional options have resulted in greater opportunities for earning, but the thrust has mainly come in from easier funding - credit. However, there are still things out there that even credit will not allow many of the big dreamers to acquire.

Satiated at a much earlier age, it takes much more to now challenge and satisfy these young turks. High ticket paraphrenalia, available at the malls and exclusive shops, or even in the high-end shops don’t catch their attention at all. They are aiming much higher, at things not even in the luxury list of the average citizen (muggles!). The boundaries have been pushed much higher (monetarily). Now, what’s enabling these proponents of “dare-to-dream” to fulfil their dreams and desires has nothing to do with wizarding, but its the age old business of ‘Hiring’ and ‘Renting’! (more…)

Every other Saturday, Joshua Haedelt leaves his home in Westchester County, NY, and makes the hour-long drive to Shotsie’s tattoo studio in Haledon, NJ. There, Joshua, a 28-year-old record executive, prostrates himself on a table for three hours while tattooist Juno Vassi pricks his back thousands of times with inky needles. For the next week, Joshua is miserable, bandaged, and sore. He won’t fully heal for two weeks and then it’s back to the drawing board.

It’s the most painful trend since whalebone corsets. Tattooing, the art of the primitive and the outlaw, has been moving steadily into mainstream. No longer are tattoos for the exclusive decoration of sailors, marines, and bikers. Tattoos are leaving a permanent mark on arms, legs, chests and other body parts of a growing number of celebrities and even normal people. (more…)

If a stranger asks for direction in most places of Gujarat, India, he is likely to encounter some strange words, especially English words. Two of these words strangely occur together-‘Round Circle’. I mean, what’s a ‘Round Circle’!? People here, usually use it to define a Round-about ahead on the road! But isn’t it a almost redundant usage of words. A circle is round and a round can be defined as a circle! However, be it right or wrong, it does serve the purpose. People won’t remain lost on the roads in Gujarat.

Now I was reminded of this odd usage when I read about the ‘Tobias’ family in the USA. For Keith and Tracy Tobias, the parents of three teenagers in La Quinta, California, turning an old workshop behind their house into a movie theater for their children was an obvious move. In fact, the couple’s reasons had to do with more than their love of fun. The Tobiases were looking for a way to keep their children at home! For parents determined to stay on top of their children’s social lives, a rec room, fitted out with a movie theater, a Ping-Pong table and a video game area, seemed an ideal solution. (more…)

A recent survey done in Britain found that two thirds of adults believe that the moral values of young people have declined considerably since the time when they were young. According to most of them, the rise of the celebrity culture and weakening family bonds are undermining traditional moral values among young people! Who is to blame? Are these adults listening to their own conclusions? Or its everybody else that is wrong!

We cannot do much about the celebrity culture, can we? But weakening family bonds? But it seems, the society is not too eager to do much on that front either! Bonding with kids means investment. Investing time and also infusing values.

It’s a very bad world out there. It’s pretty much difficult to barely survive! When do we find time and opportunity to care about values, much less, pass it on to the kids! Who has time to intervene in the kids’ lives and help them navigate the challenges of modern day life? They will find their way. (more…)

Out of the total arrests made in the country, 44.6% belonged to the 18-30 year age group. Many of them are novices and are not hardcore criminals. Most of them engage in crime for easy money, money they use to fulfill the aspirations raised in them by the “glamour” they see around.

The police and experts feel that these should be given “a second chance“, and they are sure that most of them will reform. Well, might be.

Many youngsters are increasingly being attracted to the word ‘hack’. They sleep during the day, chat with the world at night and make money too! Using ‘keywords’ and ‘codes’ and help from others across the world, they hack into servers of multinationals and payment gateways and make money through online fraud. It has changed their social life, made them happening and cool and also equipped them with the right gadgets! Another chance? (more…)

Some years ago when youngsters would be free and would want to unwind themselves, they would meet up with friends and have fun. The fun element would be derived from the various games they played, movies, music, lunch or dinner at a good restaurant, or just simple chitchat at a coffee shop or an ice cream parlor. But today if you think that the usual hotspots would be one of the coffee shops or favorite restaurants, you may be wrong. Those are a bit outdated now. The latest ‘cool’ hangouts are hookah bars or restaurants offering hookah facility. The latest trend rampantly creeping in amongst the teenagers and youngsters is the hookah trend, which is mistakenly believed to have no health implications. A new tobacco fad to attract the youngsters it seems. Another challenge for the government and anti tobacco campaigns trying to curb tobacco usage and smoking. So hookah trend is in. Is it in to devour the moralities, valuable time, health,talent and parents’ money or is just an instrument to relieve stress or a mere substitute for cigarettes?

What is a hookah used for anyway? Is it trendy? A cultural tradition, social activity or a substitute cigarette vice? A hookah, shisha or narghile is a water pipe used to smoke sweet-flavored tobacco. It can also be used to smoke other drugs as well. (more…)

I can never describe the feeling and the ecstasy I felt as I flew over the cool icy blue waters of Maldives (well cant describe the color by words, nor I can compare it to something we’ve seen). What a scene!!

Like a small child, whose eyes glow up with wonder each time he sees the magic trick performed – I was held “gasp-less” as I was unveiled to the wonders of the Grand Designer. Every thing I put my eyes on, captured me. I saw splendid true colors that I had observed marketing companies so poorly trying to match. I saw ideas that we so beggarly try to copy. To a much-wearied traveler like me, in my lifetime of travels so far, nothing caught me in this frame – “Wonder with jaws hanging”. (more…)

“Aaj kal key log pehley kapdey dekhtey hey (Nowadays people look first at your clothing)”, says the punchline on a hoarding.

I was wondering what did people look at in earlier days?! Were they looking with eyes that could penetrate into the soul??! Could they see through? Didn’t they look first at clothes too?

Haven’t clothes and apparel always made fashion statements? Haven’t clothes always rode on the winds of change in society? Have they not represented rebellions, revolutions and new worldviews and philosophies? Have not clothes almost always expressed the views and opinions and allegiances of people? Have they not always been associated with bit of controversy? (more…)