Sup 2017!

Gosh, I've been on this blog after so long, it doesn't even recognize me anymore. It's giving me this cold look I usually get from my parents when I've haven't called them for weeks. But like family, I'll always come back to it. It's home.

I've been traveling so much, I felt like I've lost touch with my writing. Which is why I am here and plan to be here regularly. I need to reconnect with words. I will no longer wait for a perfect topic to write about or editing it. Henceforth, My Cactus Dress will be all about my ramblings and non-stop chitter-chatter. I'll talk about my book, books that I am reading, art, food, travel, science, movies and TV, and any thing under the sun that inspires me to form words about it.

Like 2015, I was not able to post a 2016 year-end post, because life (read procrastination), but let me update you on my 2017 so far.

I was visiting India and France from the beginning of the year. I got to attend a wedding for the first time in five years, the last wedding being my own wedding. I danced like nobody's business, I ate a ton of food and put on 3kgs (yes!), I didn't get sick, I ate mangoes, I celebrated five happy years of my marriage, I conversed intimately with the mountains (my favorite part), I danced in snow a little, I legit had a silent conversation with a baboon, and had the most amazing time with my family.

If you don't already know, I've been working struggling to finish my first novel since more than a year. It's a dystopian science-fiction novel about two different worlds and its residents crossing paths. More details about the book here.

So far, I've written two drafts. My main story is out on paper, but I am still working on little details, world building, and some new characters that were born after I finished my first draft. I learn something new every time I sit down and write my book, which adds to some extra work. My plan and my biggest dream was to publish my book before I turn 30, which is March 23rd this year. I am more than confident to declare that's not going to happen. I've sulked enough over this fact and I am not going to do that anymore. I am just going to get it done this year.

I have finished reading only one book so far this year, a book that I started in 2016!! That makes my goal of reading 40 books in 2017 a tad bit irrational. Which apparently makes me a deadbeat in one more department.

On the bright side, after taking over 3 dozen flights from and to the US in the past 9 years, I was held at the immigration at LAX for the first time, when I flew from France last month. It included a mildly invasive pat down and sitting in the immigration office for more than 45 minutes (only to be told I was fine to go after checking my passport and documents). Fortunately, I didn't have a connecting flight to catch. Did I say "bright side"? I need sarcasm fonts.

After being away from home for almost two months, I am glad to be back. I am a bit salty right now, but I am sure I will get my groove back in no time. I promise.

How was your 2017 so far?

P.S. Elon Musk is sending two people to the moon and I am depressed about the fact that I am not one of them.

Summer Book Bingo Challenge.

What better way to bring me back to blogging than a Summer Book Bingo Challenge.

I am right on track with my 2016 Goodreads Reading Challenge. Out of 24 books that I want to read in 2016, I've finished reading 11. Add me on Goodreads here - GOODREADS - if you want me to catch up with your reading challenge as well. I was a bit bored with watching myself being the goody two shoes. So to spice it up a bit, I am participating in My Life As A Teacup's Summer Bingo. It's like a bingo game, but with books!!!

You basically check off  the challenges in a row, either up, down, across, or diagonally to win. For clearer rules and info about the prizes, check out Kristin's blog-
http://www.mylifeasateacup.com/2016/06/summer-reading-bingo

I'll keep on updating about the challenge on my Facebook page or here, if I have more to say. Let's get started with the strategies.

Cultural Appropriation is not an art

Coldplay made an "exotic" video along with Beyonce and a micro-second appearance by Sonam Kapoor. Now, I might be surrounded by socially-aware friends, because most of the people I know are speaking against it, but YouTube is filled with people, especially Indians, telling how the video is not offensive and people should stop making fuss about it.

For those of you who have not seen the video, it features Chris Martin walking around the street, mainly in the dented and slum areas of India, singing, “I’m feeling drunk and so high”, while small kids dance around him and Holi colors fly high . Then something more interesting happens. He walks up to a small theater that is running a movie “Rani” (written in Hindi because that’s exotic) and our very own Queen Bee is doing some weird hand motions on a green screen, and sporting an overly done Indian attire, while too stubborn to let go off her blonde dyed hair.

Yes, the video is offensive and let me explain you why.

For generations, Indians have been mocked in the US for sporting a bindi or wearing Indian attire. So much that they were called “Dot Indians”.  They still do. Forget yesterday. Take any current American movie or a sitcom and you’ll notice how  Indians are mocked for their accents, their dressing sense and their food. As funny as Koothrapali is to Indians, he is still shown wearing tacky sweaters on top of his shirts because Indians are not supposed to know what goes on what. Indian food is always said along with the word ‘diarrhea’. Indian women are still stared at on the streets while in their Indian attire. Not just Indian, but most ethnic cultures have been mocked and caricatured in the western countries.  In the same timeline, they also want to use this very specific culture and its traits as a fashion accessory, when they want to. From music festivals like Coachella to music videos made by the entertainment Industry, you will see the usage of bindis, sarees, bridal dresses, etc. being sported in the name of fashion without actually understanding or respecting what it means to people who wear them in real life. That is called Cultural Appropriation and it’s offensive as hell.

I am no protector of Indian culture. I couldn’t care less if a bindi is sported by Beyonce, Iggy Azalea, or a cat. Just because I am an Indian, I do not have the rights to tell you what to wear, for I am not a tad bit responsible for building up this rich culture, but what I am asking is for a little bit of respect. Respect for my countrymen who had fought many battles to build up this rich history and culture that you easily mock. Please, don’t use other cultures if you don’t know what it means to its people. Most of the times, I feel proud when I see Indian culture being adopted by westerners. It creates a mutual bond. But that’s when they actually like it and try to learn the idea behind it, not when they use it as an accessory to lift their own personality or to feel exotic or to sell their art.

The second reason this video annoys me is because every time westerners want to portray India, they would not go beyond slums, dirty roads, poor people and some colorful festivals. Showing developed cities, educated youth, or modern infrastructure wouldn’t be entertaining now, would it? There has to be some random poor people dancing around them while they take a proud white walk on the dirty streets of India. It makes them feel good about themselves.

And if you think this issue is too small to talk about and that we should focus on wars and famine, as a lot of empathetic individuals would say, go find an answer to give to the Indian-American girl who was bullied and pushed around because she wore a bindi and a Punjabi dress for her birthday, to school. A lot of vital issues stems from smaller issues. No issue is a small issue.

It is okay to be a Beyonce or a Coldplay fan and still find this offensive. You don’t have to defend them shamelessly because you like their music. I am (was) a Coldplay fan and I liked the audio. I wish Chris Martin had not gone for an easy sell-out, like everyone else.

So dear Indians, if you think this is not offensive, speak for yourself. Don’t say, “We Indians love it and don’t find it offensive,” and give a wrong message. Just because you are an Indian, you don’t have the right to be not offended on behalf of 1.2 billion people.

And to you Americans, it’s 2016 and we Indians have gone way beyond our snake-charming and elephant riding days. Pull up your creativity socks and try to meet us where we are.

A class on sociology

Marc Andreessen's tweet on India and Zuckerberg's pushy attitude with Free Basics is just another example of how rich white men think of India as a poor, third world nation, incapable of taking care of itself.

Last year, an Australian cartoonist made a cartoon about Indians munching on Solar panels.

Not a long time before that, during our successful Mars mission, an American cartoonist portrayed Indian scientists in the form of rural man with an exhausted cow.

Now let’s hop on to a completely different topic and reflect on some of the most popular Indian characters on TV.

Apu Nahasapeemapeilon (The Simpsons) is an Indian, voiced by a white actor! I don’t even need to mention his insulting, stereotypical character traits.

Then there is Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali (The Big Bang Theory), who is a genius astrophysicist, but cannot talk to women without getting drunk, wears tacky three layered clothes even in summer even though he complains about India being hot and crowded, all the time and Skypes with his annoyingly caricatured  parents who watches Doogie Howser in Delhi (seriously, which middle age Delhite watches Doogie Howser?! But because it makes a joke, it works)!

Venkat Kapoor, an important Indian character in the book, The Martian, is replaced with Vincent Kapoor, in the movie. Vincent Kapoor was played by the British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. Not to mention, he still played the character Hindu. Because it was too hard to cast an Indian actor?

And almost all Hollywood movies with Indian backdrop has the same old typecasts with a overused formula for locations.

Few weeks back, I had written a post against Coldplay’s video and to my surprise, almost everyone on internet was defending it.

Yes, India is not just about advanced infrastructure or educated youth. It is not wrong when we say, India’s heart lies in its villages, but I am still against the portrayal of India in this video and many other, because If they can manage to present western countries without stereotyping them, they sure can find ways to portray India without depending on the classic poor-dirty-uneducated version. Why don’t we see Kangaroos jumping around everywhere, when we see portrayal of Australia on TV? Do we only see pubs, buses, and telephone booths when they show London? Do they show snow everywhere when they shoot scenes in Canada?

No. They don’t.

All these countries are treated as countries and not as a cultural-exhibition experience. Yet, when they show India, they pick the parts that are more sell-able. I don’t want them to show pubs or malls. There are many ethnically rich places in India that are not just dirty streets and slum areas. Snowy mountains of North India, luscious foothills of East India and the tropical beauty of South India are never explored. Northeast India is never in the picture, because they wouldn’t ‘look Indian’. It all ends on fake, doped sadhus doing rope tricks, roadside entertainment, some of which are hardly found these days, half naked skinny kids dancing around muddy streets and Holi colors.

The only time we are correctly brought into limelight is when we make any technical advances in the field of science, which too mocked in various ways (the cartoons above).

Now how is Andreessen’s tweet related to all these? Let me explain.

These little things, when seen individually are not offensive. That is why a lot of people don’t get when people raise their voices against them. They look normal. But when you see the big picture, it tells a very different story. These little things when fed to Americans on TV, it helps them build conceptions about India and Indians. Conceptions helps us in coming up with conclusions and those conclusions ends up being the lenses we view everything through. A lot of poeple are surprised when they see pictures of the Lotus temple or the beaches or the snowy regions of Kashmir.

Television is a very important medium to explore the world and its people, without even leaving your living room. We cannot travel all around the world, so we build our conceptions about other countries and their cultures over what we see on TV or read in papers.

That’s social psychology.

Like I said in my last article, as far as India or Indians are concerned, like many other Asian countries, it has some very specific traits that lingers around its portrayal, which they are not ready to change, because it’s something that sells.

If we spend our whole life watching Friends, we’d come to think it’s normal to have a two bedroom apartment in Manhattan without a handsomely paid job. We’d come to believe that it’s possible to see six white friends sitting at a New York’s coffee shop all day, and not spot a single Indian around in all the 10 years they are sitting there. Both of the scenarios are next to impossible.

So when I say that cartoon with the rural Indian man is offensive, it does not mean I am offended by dhoti or poverty in India, I am offended by the imperial mindset behind it that has a very strong and stubborn negative perceptions about India and Indians. They know it’s not correct, but it still goes on, ready to be distributed on every doorstep, in every living room.

A four minute colorful video is not the end of the world, but it’s the tiny bricks of misconceptions that starts building on its foundation. The cartoonist who made those cartoons probably grew up watching videos like this. We don’t find anything wrong with the video, but we sure would hate the cartoonist for reflecting their build-up perceptions.

I am such portrayals because all these little bricks falls harder on the tender mind sitting in the other corner of the world, thinking this is what India really is. I am against it, because someday that little mind will grow up to be a powerful businessman or an entrepreneur or the president and start dictating what’s good for India and what’s not. I am against it, because that very person would tell the world that the poor, uneducated India was better under the slavery of Britishers. Because that very same mind will consider India as a third world nation to market his business in the name of philanthropy. Because that very mind will feel the need to babysit a developing nation.

Things are changing, though. You’ll notice powerful, non-stereotypical Indian characters on TV now. Aziz Ansari’s character from Parks and Recreation is one such brilliant example. Actors like Sendhil Ramamurthy have strictly refused to accept offers of stereotypical Indian roles. It’s also because of this fight, people have started to recognize the wide, extensive culture, that’s not just limited to a couple of ideas. This small changes, all because of the voices raised against this idiocy for decades.

TRAI’s decision to support Net Neutrality and refuse Free Basics is one such victory of recent times.  It was the combined efforts of that same “educated, elite, urban youth” that saved the nation from operating under foreign power. Any entrepreneur will henceforth think twice before assuming it’s a cakewalk to dictate what a developing nation should and shouldn’t have.

In the cobweb of sociology, it’s all related. Small or big, it will all come around. Cultural Appropriation or stereotypical portrayal of characters does not just affect NRIs, it affects everyone, from every class, from every country.

And if you don’t get this, you don’t understand how sociology works and if you don’t understand sociology, then you are a mere sheep, following the easy path, aimlessly. You are the one who defends a pop-star shamelessly and then question the audacity of an entrepreneur for assuming what the pop-star has shown, as reality.

Stop following. Start thinking.

Live long and prosper

When I hit an eve-teaser

As much strong as I want to be, I'm a wuss. Even after growing up, I used to cover my face and shout for my mom, when my sister harassed me. I am a kind of person who'll probably take a turn and walk away if you slap me for no reason. I am really really not proud of it, though.

One evening, my sister and I went for grocery shopping at our market in my hometown. It's a typical Indian vegetable market; dark and Mumbai-local crowded with women yelling names of vegetables and their value, people with two-wheelers trying to drive their vehicle with feet on the ground, path all muddy and soft and you really have to shove your face into someone to talk to them. We only had to pick up a couple of things so I asked my sister (the shopping enthusiast) to grab them, while I (the lazy shopper) take a u-turn on my Street-smart bike. That way we don't have to park and can easily drive away.

I took a u-turn and was waiting for her near a Khaman shop, when a man walked passed by me with his hands swaying on his side. When he reached me, he swayed his hand on my thighs and kept walking. I blamed the crowded place. After few seconds, he returned from the opposite side and swayed on my thighs again. This time I was sure he did it deliberately, but before I could react, he turned immediately, repeated the same action and walked away hastily. He mingled in the crowd and I wasn't able to spot him.

I decided to not tell my sister when she came back. She sat behind and we started to ride our bike in the crowd. We were going at the pace of a bullock-cart when the same man came from behind and touched my thighs again. I have never felt so angry, ever. I felt my blood boiling and I wanted to shout, but instead I did something amazing. Because of the crowd he couldn't walk fast, so I drove a little faster to reach him and hit him SUPER HARD on his back. Yes.

Something like this

My sister was horrified.
She yelled, "What are you doing? Are you crazy? Drive fast or the crowd will attack us for doing that."
The man escaped like a chicken because he knew he'll be broken in to pieces if I shout for help from the market crowd.
I had to explain my sister the backstory. For days she couldn't stop laughing. She was utterly surprised by my aggressive gesture.

So was I.

We agreed to not tell our parents about it. I've never laid my hand on anyone, but this will remain as one of the proudest moment of my life. This incident proved how horribly disgusted I was, by people like him.

This happened years ago when news of rapes, eve-teasing and molestation were not constantly blinking in the newspaper. Maybe it was the absence of this same kind of news that kept me fearless during this incident. Because a similar incident happened few years later, where I was not able to react as bravely. I hardly remember this incident. It has not managed to be a part of my life because I never felt like a victim. Not when it happened, not right now. In fact, it amuses me when I think about it. Whereas, the Ahmedabad incident still terrifies me. Maybe the fear that arises from listening similar stories have crippled our strength. Maybe all  of us are very strong from inside. Maybe the real way to rediscover this strength, lies in not feeling like victims, but feeling like the Protector. Maybe we all have the ability to say, "That's enough!"

All I can remember right now is his scared, sorry face when this wuss managed to gather the strength to hit him.

Dhara

Mandatory Year-End Post

2014 has been the most productive year of my life. If this year wouldn't have taken away a beautiful soul from me, I would have given 2014, the best year tag. I did some pretty amazing things like,

ü  Learn a sport (Tennis. Reached Intermediate level)
ü  Learn a form of dance (Ballet. I can do Pique Turns without falling or fainting. So that's something)
ü  Travel a lot (traveled for 31 days through land, water and air)
ü  Visit a new country (Canada. That's a fourth country in a row, one per year)
ü  Read good books (Oh, yes. I didn't read as many as I wanted to, but read some great ones)
ü  Do something selfless and meaningful (volunteered at an animal shelter and donated hair)
ü  Create art (I sucked here, but it was better than last year)
ü  Watch great movies (some of the best ones and abundant in quantity)
ü  Cook a lot (fancy, non-fancy, everythang!) 
ü  Discover a new cuisine (courtesy of my friend Jessica, I got to roll all over Korean cuisine. I made Kimchi at home and tried a lot of other Korean recipes)
ü  Hug one of the the tallest tree to exist (what? That can be a milestone)
ü  Make new friends (I am worst at this, but made a great friend this year)
ü  Reach 1000 followers on Facebook (925.. meh, but close enough)
ü  Write more on blog (hmmm.. ya... moving on)

That's a lot compared to all the other years of my life.

2014 also marks a 10 year anniversary to my nomadic life. Exactly 10 years ago, I left my parents' house to make a life of my own. Nothing has been stable ever since. Life's been one hell of a journey. I never got to stay at one place for more than a year (except for my current place), never had a house of my own where I could have my own room, stayed with some 30+ room mates, some of whom were gold, but some plain nightmare, got degrees, worked with amazing employers, tasted some ridiculously tasty food around the world, but also slept with empty stomach on numerous nights, traveled A LOT, visited six countries, met amazing people from different cultures, but also cried to sleep at night missing home and family, had great days, met worst days, smiled, wept, fell, got up, achieved, lost, gave up on few ambitions, experienced something new, read, and evolved. Evolved into a much better, smarter and wiser being. 10 years younger me would definitely lose against the current me and I am proud of it.
The best part was meeting my other half. That was the highlight of this decade. A big, bright one.

Life only got better and steadier after it.

2014 motivated me to do even better next year. Apart from all the things mentioned in 2014 list, which I want to do more in 2015, I want to attempt new goals like,

 Learn a new language

 Make a difference to someone's life (small or big, doesn't matter)

 Learn Guitar (my guitar bag is catching mold)

 Write a lot on blog (pretty simple)

 Write boldly and shamelessly (a huge goal for a person who think a lot from reader's perspective)

 Have a timely schedule (meh)

 Stop procrastinating (meh2 )

 Be there for my family

 Be more tolerant and less critical

 Be a better person

 Be happy

2015, I'll see ya soon.

Be nice.

Dhara

Donate your hair

I'VE MOVED FROM HERE. PLEASE CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE WHERE I SHARE MORE INTERESTING INFORMATION - www.dharaparekh.com 

Charity is never meant to be announced, but charity, like a lot of other important issues needs awareness. A part of this donation process was to spread awareness and encourage others to donate, specially if one has access to a huge number of crowd, which I do. Therefore, instead of cherishing this noble feeling all by my myself, I thought of sharing it.

About a week ago I chopped off 14 inches of my hair to donate to a non-profit organization called Children With Hair Loss. When I read about hair donations on a website, I knew the very second I wanted to do it. After doing a bit of research, I found CWHL. Adults can deal with  understand physical changes like losing hair, but children can't. They go through a lot of mental crises. They lose their confidence and self-esteem. They are often bullied which pushes them more on the dark side. Organization like CWHL accepts hair along with monetary donations. The donated hair is used to make wigs which is then given to children with hair loss, for FREE! (the cost of which could go up to $2000/above 1 lac rupees).

Why donate hair?
Human hair is precious even though it is available in plenty. Almost all of the human hair is supplied to the beauty industry, where they are made in to wigs, which are then sold for unbelievable profits. Tons of hair shaved in India for religious purposes is also supplied to Europe (check the documentary here) where they are sold for profits. This buying and selling of hair business leaves only artificial hair available at cheap prices.
Children and adults suffering from serious diseases like cancer, go through hair loss because of chemotherapy and other hormonal changes. Buying a real hair wig is almost impossible for a normal person with all the heavy medical bills they are already paying. Organization like these, with the help of our donated hair, help these patients gain physical normality and self-confidence in the form of hair wigs. Hair is just a superficial part of our body, but it does bring a lot of changes to our appearance, which is again a superficial trait, but it means a lot to a person who has already lost a lot of their body to evil diseases.

Why I donated?
I am not going to lie. I had second thoughts. I always loved long hair. The last hair cut I had was around 2 years ago. I never had short hair for almost all my life. Even though I knew I wanted to do it from the very moment I read about it, I always kept wondering if I'll be okay to accept this huge change. Then I saw these pictures on CWHL's Facebook page.

And I thought, to hell with my hair. I would give everything that I can to bring that kind of smile to a suffering child. I didn't have to think anymore. I went to the salon next day, got as much hair as I can in a ponytail, chopped according to their guidance, filled their form, put my hair in a ziploc bag and mailed them.

Why CWHL? 
I chose CWHL because,
1. It was for children.
2. It is not just for children who lose their hair because of cancer, but also for children suffering from Alopecia, Trichotillomania, burns and other disorders that causes hair loss.
3. It is old and trustworthy. No scandals or cheating.

Celebrities donating to CWHL

 4. Unlike other organizations, they accept colored, chemically treated or gray hair. (mine was ombre colored). Other organization also demands for minimum of 10 to 12 inches. CHWL is okay with a minimum of 8 inches.

How to donate hair in India?
I researched about hair donation in India and found these two organizations. I do not speak for them or guarantee their integrity. If anyone in India is interested in donating their hair, they can do a little more research and go for it. Please let me know if you are aware of other such organizations in India.

Hair For Hope - India (an international organization)
HairAid

UPDATE FROM AUGUST 2018: I recently donated my hair in India to a very reputable organization called Cope with Cancer. The procedure is very simple as mentioned above. 

For more details, visit their website -  https://www.copewithcancer.org/hair-donation.

Cutting your hair is painless unlike donating your blood or an organ, and it grows back. So what is there to lose? Go for it! You can make someone's day life by doing something as simple as this. For us, it's just an accessory, for someone it's something to look forward to on a crappy day.

If you are running a hair salon or a beauty parlor, you can initiate and help this cause by encouraging your customers to donate hair or sending the chopped hair to non-profit organizations like these.
If any of the readers donate their hair, do share your pictures or stories with me on my Facebook page and I will be more than happy to share them. It is the action of one that encourages the action of second. Together we can make a difference and bring positive changes to unfortunate lives.

Lastly, I want to dedicate this donation to one of the most important person of my life, Nidhee. 
This is for you my love.
I miss you SO MUCH. I am sure this will make your day, wherever you are. I know you are smiling right now. :)

A letter to my mom

TO MOM,

Let me start with a confession. Few years ago, one fine morning, I saw a really old notebook lying in your bedroom. [Let's just say, I see a book, I HAVE to look what it's about. Unless there is something written on it like "personal diary" or "Do not open" or.... "Nicholas Sparks"]. I opened the notebook (sorry mom).

The first page was filled with your name in various fonts and floral designs. The rest few pages were filled with writings in Gujarati. I flipped pages to check the whole book. It seemed that as time passed, you solely used the book for noting down grocery lists, to-do lists or random reminders.

I started reading the second page which was written decades ago. The paper was pale and the blue ink on it a little faded. It was a philosophical paragraph written about fish and water. It explained some sort of analogy about humans and their desires. I don't remember much of it, but that was the first time I realized that you were a writer or at least loved writing too. That's when I understood about my indispensable need to put words down with a pen or a keyboard to express myself. There are too many things I got from you, but I am most thankful for this one.

You are one of the most interesting woman in my life. I remember every small things you said and did. "I want to write so much about her character" was your way of paying compliment to one of your favorite daily soap actors. I also remember when you told me about your passion for doing something different in life, doing something to make a difference in the society. I know you saw yourself running among needy people, helping them, cheering them and making their lives better. As a person and a woman, your opinions and ideas were always unconventional. You even chose bold paths for us, rather than doing what parents were supposed to do with their daughters.

I don't think I'll ever get over this picture of you. It's perfect.

I know you could have a done a lot more in life than what you have already done (which of course is plenty), but you chose to sacrifice it all for your family, for us. I never saw regret in your eyes. You did it with pride. Your values, your character and your beliefs molded me in to a person I can feel good about. You have a heart of a child and your conscience is filled with empathy and love towards people around you.

It's your birthday today and I have always forwarded you this old article that I wrote few years ago because that pretty much explains how I feel about you, but this time I wanted to tell you how much you mean to me as a person than as a mother. You are more than a wife and a mother. You are a beautiful human being who bettered so many lives. I hope you don't feel otherwise. I am proud of you and I am proud to be your daughter.

There is not a single moment when I don't feel your absence. I miss you more than my heart could bear and I wish to see you soon.

Stay healthy and happy. Stay awesome.

I love you.
Happy Birthday,

Kittu

Checklist for Indian Men

 Ignore the invisible 'Occupation' under personal information on your birth certificate. It probably reads Engineer or Doctor.
 Accept that as son, the sole responsibility of earning bread, running/protecting the house and keeping the bloodline alive lies on your head. A side effect of having just one X chromosome.
 Childhood comes with being bullied by studs, adulthood comes with being challenged by studs. Nerds, geeks, artists - No No! Go for sports. It's a safer zone.
 Learn that your career and the scores on your mark sheet is a global issue. From your dad's friend to neighbor's aunty, everyone deserves to know them.
 Choose career based on everything else, but your passion. Passion won't get you a wife, six digit salary, a car and a 2 bhk house.
 Accept your mid twenties as your warrior phase. Earn, make a career, get married and breed. Failure to do so may give society the chance to look down upon you.
 Imagine your life as a conveyor belt. You are the product. It takes you through Birth > School > college > Fancier college >  Degrees > Job > Fancy job > Heavy salary > Marriage > Children > Earn > Earn > Earn > Earn > Earn......... Did I forget to mention, it's endless?
 Value the importance of India's contribution to Zero. The more you have, the worthier you are. On your paycheck, of course.
 Peer pressure; relish it. Pansy, sissy, coward, namard, faggot or loser will be your nicknames if you don't speak up to your girlfriend, don't want to drink alcohol, do household chores or spend too much time with your new wife. "Bros before hoes" is the official manthem.
 Value the importance of a woman's hand. They are costlier as it gets. It's like applying for a visa. Keep your bank statement ready.
 Hurry up. By the time you'll reach the age to get married, women you might like will be extinct.
 Get the striped t-shirt because once married, you are in your referee phase. It's a life long see-saw between your wife and mother. Good way to utilize the time you wasted watching WWF.
 Do not dream about staying at home, cooking or taking care of your children. You don't want to be called "the wife". 9 to 5 job is your Dharma.
 In the land of Rajnikanth, you have no right to be a "sissy". Gun, knife or an atom bomb, whatever it might be, get manly enough to fight them. Inability to do so drops you in the impotent-barrel.
 Urban men, get this. 'Don't be a pussy' is offensive and sexist. Use 'Don't be such a dick' to gain brownie points among women. It increases your non-sexist bar.
 From train coaches to a window seat on a plane, you'll always be given secondary preference. Deal with it. It's called "Darker sex treatment".
 Don't judge women based on their weight or body shape. Your physical aspects on the other hand have to be top notch. Short? Pot-bellied? Bald? No biceps and six-packs? Rot in hell. Stud category only includes Tall, Dark and Handsome.
 Do not go for taller women. Men HAVE to be taller. It's a biological law. How would you look down upon her, otherwise?
 Loving your own gender is filthy and punishable. Raping another gender isn't a big deal. Pick the easier one.
 Women can wear suits and boxers, but the moment you sport a pink shirt, you'll be cursed. Go for bomber jackets, heavy boots, chunky pants and a cowboy hat. Stay "manly".
 Stop being sensitive. Crying or expressing sentiments is not for your gender. No uterus, no tears.
 'Rapist' is a new tag offered to all Indian men by local and international crowd. Wear it with pride.
 Live a struggling life, only to be called dogs or a heartless and disrespectful gender because of few.

A feminist,
We understand. We are there.