Birth place: Earth, Race: Human, Politics: Freedom, Religion: Love

The recent selection of US Senator from California - Kamala Devi Harris for Democratic Vice Presidential nominee for 2020 election, and the Desi,s going gaga about it by calling her to be their native Indian, from their heritage, their village, town, state, and what not!!!!

"Shallow understanding from people of goodwill is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection." ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

This makes me feel so ashamed of as how quickly we change our stand. Racism is head on in people's mind and behavior when it comes to black lives matter and now the same Kamala Devi Harris who is a mix of Indian American and American African - they give more preference to the Indian heritage of her and celebrate it.

I was happy to see a woman was selected as Democratic Vice Presidential nominee for 2020 election but then again it could be another political attempt to gain votes. But still she is the first African-Asian American, and the third female after Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin to be picked as the vice-presidential nominee for a major party.

"You cannot claim you treat everyone equally, if you are duding others by their ethnicity" ~ Charles E Hudson

However, if they get elected in the coming election in Nov 2020 then it will be a relief from the current administration.

We all wish to be at that stage where even though we come from different country, race, religion we should be able to identify ourselves first as human. 

I wish good luck to Joe Biden and Kamala Devi Harris and wish they will spread the message of humanity overall.

"I believe there's only race and that is human race"

~ Dawn

A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything .....!

It's pandemic time and probably I am experiencing this for the first time in my life. Thank goodness for technology otherwise people would go crazy sitting at home.

I am sure lot of you are also staying home and trying to be safe and sane. I like to watch movies and who doesn't ! I have been watching a few but I want to give a review for two movies that deals with racism and it is the hot topic currently around the world along with COVID-19.

"There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race - scientifically, anthropologically" ~ Toni Morrison

 Axone - a film which is directed by Nicholas Kharkongor. But  I watched it because I saw one name that is my favorite - Adil Hussain. An amazing actor who has worked in Indian and International cinemas and a National award winner too. The movie is about the North-East Indians who have moved to Delhi for better prospects and their struggles in a new place.
When people move around for job or any other reasons they don't lose their nationality or identity when its within the country or for that sake even out of the country until and unless they change their nationality. But still why differentiate among ourselves because of race, religion, ethnicity, caste or creed?

The movie is about the North-East Indians who have moved to Delhi and one of their friend is getting married. Everyone is busy in planning, decorating and making sure of the menu for the wedding party dinner.
As you know every culture has their speciality whether its about clothing, food, festivals, beliefs, customs and traditions its an amazing mix of fragrance that differ from each one yet brings an amazing aroma to everyone.
Why can't we embrace this and enjoy the flavors?
The movie talks about the hardship one has to go when they are not from that place. New-comers have to work harder to achieve anything.

I loved the movie and Adil Hussain had a very tiny role of being a citizen who is keeping a keen eye on these North-East Indians. Which is also part of our society how they treat people and how they consider others as outsiders is very well depicted through his simple gestures. Believe me there's no dialog yet Adil Hussain has put him impact in this movie. Some of the privileges that some of us have of being an immigrant can be felt by watching this movie where its a struggle for them. I wonder how racist we are? Even though they are from India just because their looks are different a bit they treat them differently. I am sure the North Indians treat the South Indians differently and vice versa. 
Can't we just see each other as a human?

"In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist." ~ Angela Davis

To my readers let me tell you first what is Axone? It is called Akhuni in Sino-Tibetian (Sumi) language that is spoken in Nagaland. Akhuni is a signature dish of North-East Indian made out of fermented soybeans. 
My only critic for this movie is that, wish they had shown how Akhuni is cooked, a dramatization of cooking of this dish would have added more flavors to it.

Besides that, my favorite Papon's music and he is singing one of the song - Dance it out. It's amazing, one must watch and understand the pain of migrants.

"Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible." ~ Maya Angelou 

Another movie that I saw on Netflix was Penalty directed by Shubham Singh. I was a hockey player once and sports is closed to my heart. If you love sports and / or football then this is for you. This movie has interesting game sequence which literally puts you in action mentally but then the politics is everywhere which one can see here too.

This one is again about a North-East Indian guy Lukram who is from Manipur joins the college in Lucknow only for his passion to play football for India one day. This college seems to be a great platform for such sports lovers.

This character reminded me of my classmate in Pune Fergusson College. I have seen racism then and I used to feel bad about such treatment hence we became good friends and I made sure he is not feeling left out.

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." ~ James Baldwin

Kay-Kay Menon is another my favorite actor who's films I hardly miss and in this film as Vikram Singh character he shows his racist self and how he himself learns a lesson out of it and corrects himself by giving the opportunity to play Lukram who is talented and deserving to be in the college team. Other characters such as Shashank Arora and Manjot Singh are some of the actors who have become my favorite after watching some of their movies. They have done justice to their roles in this movie, one must watch this one.

"It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you - always." ~ Oprah Winfrey 

The struggle to standup against people who are racist or do injustice is really tough though courageous yet when five fingers come together they become one and united.

Everywhere we are fighting racism and I feel we in India also should get rid of such disease and should cure by seeing everyone as equal.

What I liked about these movies is that even if its about entertainment, different culture and traditions its shows the mirror to the society. And we must see that mirror and reflect upon it and bring that change that is much needed.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

~ Dawn

You'll laugh. You'll cry. And then hopefully you'll feel just a little bit less alone in your struggles.

This Sunday morning woke up to a really sad news: #SushantSinghRajput no more, died of suicide.

Such news often made me feel like, wish this was a fake news because I feel depression is a disease and it should be treated well and a life could have been saved. 

Even though Science is progressing in many different ways, its still a taboo in our society where people are not comfortable to discuss their issues with their close ones.
Mental illness and depression is such a serious illness that negatively affects how one feels, the way one think and how one will act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person's ability to function at work and at home.

"Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad." ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

If anyone of you find someone going through it, then they should lend them a helping hand. Sometimes, people who suffer they don't want to share anything with anyone and in such case you can always reach out to get professional help.

It's indeed sad such young lives are gone so soon because of this disease. There's cancer and other disease where patients fight it till their last breath, depression should also be considered in that way so that one is always fighting to beat this disease and overcome depression and lead a peaceful life.

"There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds." ~ Laurell K. Hamilton

It's really sad when people lose hope and give their life this is a sad situation for the society and indeed a shame that we talk about materialistic things so proudly that even today people don't know how to deal with failures in life. 

"The real fear of depression isn't dying, its living with yourself, forever."

We as human have evolved so much but we haven't come across to accept anyone's fact whether it's their achievements or their failures or even any health issues. One human should be a help to the other but we have always tried to show the other in a situation where they will feel ashamed and sad. 

"Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression." ~ Dodie Smith

I think in general one should bring more awareness in the society to people to understand that depression is a disease and it is treatable and need professional help.

This is a good source of information to read and understand the statistics - Read and understand about this disease and please, reach out for help at SAMHSA.

Let's take a pledge to eradicate this disease and let our people who are suffering from this disease called Depression, save them by giving them help and by holding hands and let them live freely and longer with happiness.

"Hope is giving your pain meaning."


~ Dawn 

Not Human! We failed!!!!

What is racism? This is still unknown to many,

Learned about apartheid in elementary school,

But that time also it was taught as others problem,

Those who live a privileged life know nothing about it,

May be that's the reason racism, untouchability,

All this became mere a chapter in the school syllabus,

That is taught from year to year in literature,

How many tried to understand about racism?

No one validated that when they were teaching,

But everyone got full grades in the examination,

We learned to become intelligent but not human,

We always found a reason to discriminate,

Racism, color, caste, religion, you name it,

And if all this is not enough then gender inequality,

To play with people's life is like a game,

Can't believe how we call ourselves intelligent 

We achieved everything in life with education 

But, not Human! We failed!!!!

~ Dawn

#blacklivesmatter , #NoJusticeNoPeace, #StopRacism 

I can't breathe,

I am getting suffocated,

I can't breathe,

I am troubled!

Listening to these words,

Still what kind of hatred 

Does one has?

Hatred and anger,

For that person?

To whom he killed,

Suffocating him with his knee

On his neck until,

He took his last breath!

I am getting suffocated,

Looking all this,

Which era am I living in?

In the olden days,

I had heard elders telling,

Us the stories from history,

In class and that time,

There was this hope about,

Future,

Where everything will be fine,

Justice will be there,

Equality,

racism will be erased,

discrimination over

caste and religion will be 

over,

One can practice religion,

At home,

But there won't be 

Any injustice!

Today I feel suffocated,

Where are we humans 

Heading?

Why we have become,

Thirsty for each other's 

Blood,

I am feeling suffocated,

Even by thinking of how

#georgeflyod

was suffocated to 

death,

By the law and force,

Protectors,

And all this was,

Being watched by other,

Law protectors,

This injustice was,

Witnessed by the,

Law and Force protectors!

I'm feeling suffocated,

My heart is broken,

I am fallen in my own eyes,

What times are we giving,

To our coming generation?

I am feeling suffocated,

Let me breathe!

Let me have my freedom,

To live in peace!

~ Dawn

#JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #JusticeForBreonnaTaylor #JusticeForTonyMcDade #BlackLivesMatter #ICantBreathe

Life is nothing but...

When you find your demerits,

And accept it then you put all effort,

To change them and make it work for you,

Similarly something happened with me too,

When I saw that my colleagues in telemarketing,

Were better than me, I put all my effort in learning,

With hard-work and dedication I became sales champ,

Initially my job used to be from 4 pm to 11 pm,

With my performance, I got three more projects added,

Into my portfolio for selling on the phone,

Now I work from 8 am to 11 pm 

Work, work, work, sell, sell, sell, products and products,

If you trust your product, it's easier to sell,

Every call of mine started becoming a sale,

Something which I never even thought in my dreams,

To be a top sales representative on phones for cold calls,

That too the products were, credit cards, insurance, electricity,

Long-distance calling packages, Phone companies,

I had never imagined people would buy these on the phone,

But it was the truth, and I believe like they say,

If you sell from your heart the other heart will listen to it,

One floor to the next floor and so forth,

I became famous in the office building,

Many became my friends, and admirers,

So many shared their love and some got rejections,

It's true success brings happiness and love too,

I don't have greed and never did had then either,

Life is to live in the moment and so I lived my moment,

I always had a dream to watch in person India playing cricket,

And that day has arrived too as I read Toronto Star newspaper,

I had decided on Sunday, I am going to watch the match in person,

Monday to Saturday was my work in the Call Center,

It was an hourly job for $10, it was like grasping at straws,

On top of that I was selling few products from 8 am to 11 pm,

It was India and Pakistan Sahara-Cup friendly match in 1997,

I was able to see Sachin - the God of Cricket and Azhar then Captain,

My dream Azhar batting on the field was a mesmerizing moment,

Me common person and they well-known famous celebrities,

Shaking hands with each-other and asking well-being of each other,

Ravi Shastri the commentator too was an interesting in person,

Dada- Saurav Ganguly- that moment still in my heart and mind,

Indian and Pakistani players together in warm-up sessions,

Helping each-other during warm-ups and net practice,

Life is nothing but only love, that's how I see this world!

~ Dawn

This was my first experience!

Living  alone has its own fun,

Fun and despair at the same time,

But if you have a goal in mind,

Nothing can distract you from it,

My goal was to stay there and learn,

Wanted to focus on my sales in Call Center,

Took the training very seriously and,

Understood the product better to sell,

Analyzed the benefits of it for self,

One thing was sure about me 

If I have really liked the product,

I am definitely going to sell easily,

I have always sold products from my heart,

Without cheating and without putting pressure,

I never had a confidence that I will sell anything,

But here, I was making sales 30 everyday,

My job was a bit strange as a telemarketer,

It starts at 4 pm and ends at 11 pm at night,

I used to reach to people where its no 9 pm yet,

I have heard and seen door-to-door sales,

But selling on the phone as telemarketing,

This was my first experience!

~ Dawn