GoOD ALL M(y)T

In a movie which I saw recently there was a very nice dialogue, "religion is art, religion in a representation of many art forms through out the world. Some express religion through Kawali (a type of song, singing in praise of God) or basal or hyms...religion is about the architecture of the beautiful churches, mosques, monasteries and temples all over the world, the frescos, the paintings..."

I think whoever wrote the dialogue of that film was bang on. It has been said a lot of times I am sure but religion is a very strange and mysterious thing. But to me religion is faith and faith is hope, when I am about to venture into something or am in need of assurance or when everything else fails, I pray. Again praying is an individual thing, everyone prays in different ways. While some believes in rituals and worshiping, some just talk to oneself in a very personal way. Praying is a very personal way of delivering a message, probably one of the core very core and oldest forms of communication. A communication with something or someone, not sure which, in order to achieve or seek comfort.

Just to site an example, today a few of my friends went to a temple. We went because one my friend had got a job which he had wanted for years and he finally got it, he went not to make a huge donation or to worship, he just went to the temple and tell his God that he appreciates what he has got, he was thanking God in his own way, in his own personal way. Now I wonder how it works, do you think that God looked his way and said,"okay let's help him out. Let him have the job" and he got the job, or is there a criterion that everyone has to meet...in some ways a criterion to qualify to get the job you wanted...who knows how it works...but the point that I am trying to make in this article is that everyone or the most of us has our own concept of God. But I know that a lot of my concept of God is my communication with him/her, which in turn, is based on all the exposure to different cultures, media and literature.

What is my concept of God?
My relation with God is simple...he/she ( I am yet to decide on the sex) is like a very powerful friend...This friend is not Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or any other. My buddy is someone who inspires me, motivates me and gives me courage...the rest is all me. My achievements are my own, my failures are my own...But like any powerful friend, during a major disaster, I call out to him to save my backside. Sometimes I have bribed him even...I don't forget my friend when I am basking in the glory of success, neither do I nag when things are going pear shaped. 

As I spoke to a lot of my friends on the topic of God. There were so many concepts which came up. Some very interesting, some very lame, some bizarre. But what I found was that in my set of friends, everyone had a very similar concept as I do. A bit different here and there, but essentially the same philosophy. So can we say that this concept that I have reflects the current social format, by that I mean the same way as the formal structure is giving way to a more informal society where referring to your boss, Richard as Richie is alright rather than the Mr. Gere which was prevalent in a more conservative time. This also tells us how the communication methods have changed over time...
From beggars to millionaires, from artists to convicts, everyone prays, everyone talks to God...How do you connect? Share with us...

- Yours Truely

Here or There...where is home?

Its been a week since I have been back home to Canberra from India...I had a great time at home, felt good there, felt at home...Home...I asked myself this question a lot of times but couldn't answer it, I refer to India as home but then I had to go back Home to Australia. I dont know what to call India. And I don't know what to call Australia...Which is a return journey, the going or the coming back? And that is not a dilemma that I face alone. Where is HOME? The first question to unearthing who you are...WHERE IS HOME?

Let me tell you a bit about my life in Calcutta (Kolkata, West Bengal, India), the place where I was born and grew up. I went to school there, was an irresponsible teenager, so never stressed out much about my future or career, both my parents happen to be successful in their own fields so knowledge and exposure was never a problem, be it foreign countries or interests or ideologies or technology. Then I went to High School and college there as well, now equipped with a bit of social skills I went about my college life, having fun and finding new interests every day. Still irresponsible...When the time came to decide on a career I was determined to do advertising or journalism. After getting admitted to college, I enjoyed what I studied...while hanging out with friends, football, cricket and parties...And finally when the question came about my career, I realised that even though I knew what I wanted to do, I did not have a plan. So in order to postpone the inevitable joining of the workforce I decided to take a vacation...do my masters abroad...
After I arrived in Australia I realised what the real education was. Its not just the academics but living alone. Managing funds, cooking, washing, dishes and finally working. Elaborating on the work, my first job was when I was in University, which also happened to be the most expensive University in Australia, as a dishey (read dish washer, kitchen hand). That job did wonders for my ego. Washing dirty plates of customer and tending to the whims of rich drunk customers...But it also taught me the value of money and material which a lot of us tend to take for granted. My parents did send me money every month, but the increasing exchange rate made me feel guilty especially when one time I spent a lot of the money on a birthday party, alcohol does very bad things to you...Hence I stuck to the job, with $13 to spend for the whole month,a job, any job is a necessity. Us Indian's are actually a very dedicated sort of people, whatever we do, we do it with a lot of sincerity. Hence eventually I started managing the restaurants...A long time later, after finishing Uni and  couple of job changes later, I moved to Canberra. By this time I was quite focused about what I wanted out of life. By then I had met a girl and had a dog and cat together, which we had rescued. With a lot of hope and aspiration, we moved to Canberra, I was adamant that I wanted to be an advertising manager. Life sometimes plans something else for you. I got seven job offers after a week of applying. Real good for my ego, but still not quite the advertising manager. Another dog and three job changes later I went back HOME. After four years...and a lot of apprehension...I did not know what to expect. I had got used to the Australian way of life. Till then there was no question that Australia was home. I was a part of the work force and had made a life for myself. I was financially comfortable and had a good job which did not involve washing dishes. I was heading the management for a retail chain. But I was only going back for a vacation, to see my family, my Indian family, I was going back to get married to the girl I had met a long time back, the same girl...

What was India like? Well, mixed...new and old feelings were formed and churned up...When I first landed, mum, dad and sis after four year, was great. When I met them as I stepped out of the arrivals gate of the airport, it sunk it that everyone had grown older. But somehow, like good wine, everything had aged gracefully...The city itself is still the same, the same colonial hangover, the laid back attitude, the thing that has changed a lot is the traffic and the face of cars. The equality between the two strata of society has diminished drastically. It is not uncommon to see an Audi Q7 vehemently trying to pass a handpulled rickshaw. Anyway, that could be a topic of discussion for another day...

So what happened in India that made me question where I really want to belong? A lot of people I have met here in Australia have all wanted to live in Australia, very badly indeed. Some people I know have slogged for years and years, working two sometimes three jobs for fourteen hours everyday. And all this just cause they are either sponsored by their employer for a Permanent Residency visa or saving money so that they can study more so that they are eligible to live permanently in Australia...

After the hugs from my family came the pampering, the food and above everything else, the love and care which you can only experience if you have ever lived apart from your family and then gone back after a period of time. When I woke up in the morning I was given a choice of breakfast, poached eggs and sausages or cereals and coffee or...etc etc...In Australia, on a good day my breakfast is coffee and then work...Then comes the comfort, if you are rich in India you will have everything money can buy...We have an ancestral property in India, the village was named after my great great grandfather in the glory days. And we have a lot of agricultural land from which we hardly get any return. This is because of the lack of time and other commitments from our other family members. The investment required there is not just financial...Anyway, so being the eldest son of the house I have a hug opportunity to work there and make a million bucks...Everything that I have aspired to achieve in the future was there right in front of me. All I really wanted from life was to live with a bit of open space, have a money, but not the millionaire club, but enough to be comfortable and be able to buy anything that I really want. And I can have it there. Given a bit of time and hard work, I might make it, even to the millionaires club, maybe...But I do the hard work bit, but I am making money for someone else, sweating it out for someone else to join the millionaires club...I remember very clearly that a conversation my father had with another, where wrapping up the property and settling the business were mentioned, especially with the son settling abroad...So should that be my HOME?

I love Australia, love the lifestyle, love the way of life, love the open space, I have a set of dreams, goals, ambitions which I want to see realised...in Australia. And then I have a love India, love the warmth, love the comfort, love the sense of being near family, I have a set of dreams and goals for there as well which I want to see fulfilled...So there is my dilemma...and I echo the thought for a lot of people I know, living here...When we are international students, a foreign country seems like where life is. Then we stick to the plan and somehow stay on, and then when things slow down a little bit or sometimes speed up a lot, then we reflect and think what life would have been if we would have 'stuck to the plan' in our country of birth...

And I am still here...and I keep referring to Australia as here...

Where is your 'here'?

- Yours Truely

Everyday Christmas...

What does christmas mean to you?

I was at work yesterday and everyone there, well mostly everyone wished me a merry christmas, and then mostly everyone asked me if I celebrated Christmas...My answer to most of them was, "yes, I celebrate every festival". And then I pondered, what does a Christmas mean to me...

Firstly, I realised it meant a holiday, a day off work. Stepping aside from my daily routine to do something which you do on your day off, and a bit more. We all have off days, and on our off days we have a routine as well. On a regular day off work you wake up late, clean your car, clean your shed, go for a ride maybe, cook something nice, and how can I forget, do your damned laundry and then watch a movie... So how is this Christmas day off special. This day you wake up early, dont clean your car, dont even bother about our laundry. Yes, I still ride around a bit, but all the houses in the block were either full or completely empty. It seemed there was life and laughter everywhere. The whole place seemed to be in a festive mood. There were kids running around the streets, playing cricket, soccer and what not, a sight which you hardly see in our street.
The next thing to do was to have a big breakfast,Christmas breakfast. Something which I wouldnt normally have on a regular day off. And then packed the van, put the dogs in and off we went for a picnic lunch to the lake shores. And on returning home, fired up the Barbeque and had friends overfor a barbequed dinner in the backyard. Not a regular day off work at all...

Secondly, the extra effort taken to stay on path with the 'Christmas Spirit'. By that I mean, simple things like smiling at everyone and wishing them. Even my normally grumpy neighbour asked me about the dogs he is generally complaining about. Then calling friends and colleagues, who I haven't spoken to in ages, and finding out how they are doing and stuff. And of course not to forget the meals, on Christmas day you EAT...you don't just eat you gorge. Turkeys, chicken, fish you name it. And it starts from early morning.

And lastly, you feel happy and merry. And its not just because of the spirit (the alcoholic kind). In general you feel like smiling and being nice to everyone. Small example would be donating your prized soccer ball to the neighbours grand nephew, who is visiting from the States. And of course whom I am never going to meet again. Well, I have done it so there is no point thinking about it.

My question is why do we feel like that on one special day or special period? Does festivals bring people together? Then why is said that religion divides? For people back home its the same during Durga puja and Diwali and Eid, can anyone disagree? Why can we not feel like this everyday? Like everyday is a festival.
My observation is that great tragedies and grand occasions bring people together...And if its a common, average everyday, then we are still trying to find a way to get our soccer ball back which we gave away generously to a five year old just yesterday...Because yesterday was Christmas...

So to answer the original question...what does Christmas mean to me...Chirstmas means how I would like to feel everyday of my life...Merry...

Please share your thoughts and come up with a solution to make a festival out of our everyday average life...lets make this age a festival...have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year...

Yours truly....

Live cattle export

It has been quite sometime since the live cattle export debate has been raging in Austrlia, with the government banning the live cattle trade to Indonesia because of the unacceptable conditions of the abattoir's where the cattle is slaughtered.
The Indonesian abattoir operator and the crew has been offered help and training by the Australian government over a long period of time. Time amounting to over 18 years. Some of the abattoirs even have Australian made equipment however according to the government officials the conditions are still not up to scratch. The whole can of worms was unearthed in the ABC produced show "Four Squares" which was documentary on the whole slaughter house condition and the live cattle export where a team of journalists follow a trail to check out the conditions of the slaughter houses and also question big beef companies about their responsibility in the whole affair. On the show there is footage of the cattle being slaughtered and the conditions are truely horrifying, the way the cattle meet thier end is terrible. On one instance a cattle is made to watch her heard gettingskilled and cut up in front of her. The look in her eyes is at of fear while she shakes and trembles in fear awaiting her turn.While in another instance there was the incident where a large bull falls and breaks his back leg but the slaughter man tries to force the bull to move to the cage, when the bull does not move, he is whipped, his tail broken, his eyes gouged and finally water poured into his nose.

A few of the companies did accept responsibilities and had promised to take measures but a few claimed ignorance and one of the CEO of a multiple billion dollar firm was quoted saying that he was not aware where each and every cattle went and what conditions they were kept in.
After all that hum drum the government finally did impose a ban on live cattle export to Indonesia until the condition of the abattoirs got better.

This has given rise to a new problem faces by the government. The cattle station now have surplus cattle which they do not know what to do with. Considering Indonesia was one of the biggest clients for the beef farmers, a few small stations have said that if nothing is done or suitable compensation is not given they will go under. With so much pressure from both sides the government has got to take a decision quite fast wether to continue the ban on export of live cattle to Indonesia while the millions of surplus cattle wait on their and their owners fate?

Please leave yours comments on the issue and figure a way where the balance is tipping.

Aditya Banerjee