Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tangential Universes!!!!!!!
It made me feel, that we all exist in parallel universes. Each of us in our own. Everybody is oblivious of what exists outside of their universe. I see J, BB, GT, BT all in their own. For J of course its all about him getting noticed. As for HB too its about the alcohol and the nonsensical chatter. The thai group are in their own. Hoping for attention. Totally ignored.
And as for me, I guess I am ova the hill...Or so I presume.
Do our universes exist in tangent to others. Considering the fact that each of us have the power conentrate and contract the entire universe into us!!! Which obviously is not a very profitable proposition in todays world, We definately are powerful. But does this have to exist so isolated? Can't we in a way co exist?
Or shud i ask, What difference does it make to be in a parallel universe or a tangential universe, or another universe at all. The thought is our universe. Its the mind. The soul of a being that our life lives.
I guess maybe its not that complicated at all. I don't see another way without everyone being aware of al being. Perhaps others defy my thought!!!!
What is such an oblivious existence???
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Vanity Closet!!!
From the outside, for a spectator, this all seems hoity toity. A world enclosed in a glass coach, on its way to the Prince Charming's ball. The problem is, not everyone can fit into it.
It is not easy to change the appearance with which we are born with. Of course with todays advancement, it definitely is, but not man can afford it or go that far. Which mean we try our best to do with what we have.
Having said that, the whole gay community is informally split into two. The haves and the have nots. No its not the money. Its pure physical beauty. Most try and go any lengths to be included with the 'haves'.
I don't know if I am getting this right. I am quite unsettled with this whole preoccupation with beauty and brawn. More after coming here. The focus is not on health, but on who is the next person to eye your handsome figure ( translates: Will I sleep with him)
Somehow looking good and built up and handsome and fitting into our already preprogrammed and preconceived notion of ideal beauty, seems to be like your passport to life.
I wonder about people who are not fotunate enough to be abe to look good. What about them.
I think my question should be, what is it that attracts people to each other.
Somehow also it seems so unfair that all the handsome adonis' enjoy very active sexual lifestyles, get to date the best of guys, have a good looking set of friends and in general a beautiful life. While the others just watch and sigh 'I wish'.
Maybe one should question oneself, what makes one happy...
This is a very hard supposition. I see a very deep imbalance. Looking good is fine, but for whom are you preparing yourself.
Maybe its the issue of a drive. What drives you. Sex, beauty, wealth, achievement, personality, love or satisfaction?
Or I think i should not compare my life with anybosy elses.
My thoughts are all mixed up. But I'll get it through, I know.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Ursula Stephens lame defence on y we have no equal marriage rights!!!
To clarify what I said in my speech to the event in Parliament House:
“ the Australian Government believes that people are entitled to respect, dignity and the opportunity to participate in society and receive the protection of the law regardless of their sexuality or marital status. The Government’s commitment to this belief was demonstrated through the Government’s audit of Commonwealth laws in 2007 to identify discrimination against same-sex couples and their children. This was followed in 2008 by the passage of legislation to remove discrimination from 84 Commonwealth laws.
These reforms mean that same-sex relationships are now treated in the same way that oppositesex de facto relationships are treated for the purposes of Commonwealth entitlements and programs. The general areas of laws that have been reformed are taxation, superannuation, social security, health, aged care, veterans’ entitlements, workers’ compensation, employment entitlements, immigration and other areas of Commonwealth administration. In some areas, such as social security, taxation and veterans’ affairs, the reforms were phased-in to allow time for couples to adjust their finances, and for administrative arrangements to be implemented. All of the changes have now been implemented.
The Rudd Government is committed to ensuring that all couples whether marriage or de facto do not suffer discrimination. The Government’s position is that the most appropriate way to achieve this is through the development of nationally consistent framework that provides the opportunity for all couples who have a mutual commitment to a shared life to have their relationship officially recognised and equal rights for all couples in federal and state laws. These reforms are to be implemented consistently with our commitment to maintaining the definition of marriage as currently set out in the Marriage Act.”
I make no comments about the claims of abuse of the demonstrators because I did not see or hear those claims. This morning I spoke to one of the protestors and advised him of this fact and he apologised to me for the disruption. A formal complaint has been made by the protestors to the Presiding Officers of the Parliament and this will be independently investigated.
A copy of my speech is available from my website: www.ursulastephens.com
Yours sincerely,
Ursula Stephens
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Resurrection!!!
Since then its has been a whirl wind. I suddenly feel I have no control over my life anymore. I always said, that we are so conditioned to anticipate that which is safe and predictable. Why is it that only a few of us are brave enough to think otherwise.
When life gives you things that you never expected, you kind of feel humbled and surprised. I am wondering if i should figure out why this happens, or just let it be. This also is a result of us conditioned to find reason and logic in everything that we live by or experience. Its odd.
But I am left at crossroads.
Right from my sudden decision to move, to the loan being accepted to my flying out here. To the people I have met and the experiences i have had. It has left me dizzy. I feel like time out. But I am already in the eye of the storm and can't get out. But then again, why not stay and fight it out.
Well there are so many things i want to say. I guess i'll write from time to time. It feels like Ganga falling from heaven and shiva having to curtail her fury by catching her flow in his glorious mane!!!
Mine flows from my heart. And the pot is full to the brim as it spilleth over!!!!!1
Thursday, May 15, 2008
MS
Nevertheless, I did read the book. It gave me many insights on her life and threw light on a lot of the lesser known facts about her and her famously dictative husband, Sadasivam.
What struck me was that rebels of a certain generation, no matter how massively the have deviated from what was perceived to be conventional among their contemporaries, invariably become an icon of tradition for the next generation. Isn't that amazing.
MS had a very adventurous early life, because of everything that she chose for herself and associated herself with. Having been looked at as a total modernist of her times, she turned herself into the ultimate manifestation of a middle class brahmin housewife, no matter all her racy and stormy past. Her talent famously harnessed and orchestrated by her husband supplemented her submission to control and restrictions.
Yet she had an aura of a true Diva. A timeless beauty, voice and all, a life, determination, dedication, total submission and gut truely inspiring.
Monday, January 07, 2008
The Power of Disguise!!!!
Recently i got thinking about this during the magnificent Christmas day brunch that we were hosting at The Wharf. The Santa Claus is a legend, that has lived for a long time, always mesmerising and transporting the dreamy eyed 3-4 yr olds into a world of fantasy and fables.
In spite of the tremendous metamorphosis, the basic red and white fur ball character as been immortal. Never ageing anymore. I wonder if kids even think about the younger days of Santa Claus. What could he be possibly doing? I wonder if they even wonder, where Santa gets all the money to buy all the presents?
We all know the the Santa bubble bursts as the years pass by , when we start to realise that after all, babies are not brought by the storks, and the likes.
But still the power that a Santa's costume carries is so tremendous, that on that day i thought, ' it is indeed incredible how the red and white bundle actually commands so much of adulation and attention'.
I was watching as our own Santa glided on the shimmering waters of the Arabian gulf on a traditional Arabian boat. There were loud cheers and surprised gasps those that had been reserved specially, probably practised for this day, the whole year.
Little children are the ones who have the most amazing and timeless expressions, worth living a life for.
Later when the Santa was distributing gifts, a young boy all flustered and panting after a visibly hot chase of the Santa, walks up to good ole Santa and says with a doe eyed astonished expression,'SANTA, where were you? We were looking for you everywhere!! thank god we found you!!!'
These are the words of a three year old that lives in a totally non suspecting world, filled with endless possibilities and fabulous fantasies.
That's when I thought, an ordinary guy as M, behind the red and white costume, transforms into this immense and all conquering Santa. While the red and white costume lies in a changeover bag, i wondered again, does this have any value now? How it came alive just a little while ago. It is after all a costume!! No one once thought of the person behind the costume. They only saw the character. The Santa.
Do we gay men also go behind personality costumes, so no one would recognise us? Do we also command wider and better respect behind these 'costumes'? Are we so scared to be ourselves? Can we show the world who we are without hiding and yet attract all the attention?
Sunday, November 18, 2007
....................<>...........................
rises to leave, urged to look for better bearings,
The sun sets,
we light candles,
Open to serve,
dance to every fancy,
powered by every whim,
a calm and peace, painfully delivered,
so easy it seems, yet so hard we feel,
from greeting to seating, paying and leaving,
circles within circles, bound by the rhythm,
the magnet that sucks the energy,
from deep inside them, they can't still fathom
is the life we chose to live.....
of the dreams and desires...
of passion and dedication, ...........
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Acceptance
There are some people I know who live their lives the way they think is the widely accepted way. In the process loose their entire identity. Why would you want to wear certain clothes, only because one thinks they would be looked up with high regard, and therefore will enhance your personality, or speak a certain way cause that will raise your status.
Don't you think in such a gamble, the person will forget, what he /she really wants. What were his/her true ambitions and true personality. There are some who forget completely who they really are cause they are so busy being somebody they perceive to be cool.
There is, I believe, a thin line between, such a perception and widely accepted social norms. People who have been famous are the ones who have complied to norms yet have been themselves.
Imagine a society where nobody is pressurised to prove anything to anybody. There would be numerous personalities that would make plain living itself such an enriching experiance.
Instead we are like puppets, trying to be a certain way without realising for whom we do it. So much that some even start denying their nationality and roots, not realising that no matter how much one denies their roots, we still are what we are only because of our roots.
Be what you are. You are unique in every sense of the word. All you need to do is follw your heart and be yourself, instead of pretending to be somebody else!!!!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Two juicy oranges after tiring, hot summer's day......
I relish every drop of the orange juice as i reminisce the lunch i had with V, the afternoon of yet another hot summer day. Inside the womb of a massive shopping mall terrace, one doesn't feel the heat. As though one is wrapped in fiction. Forced to believe what is not. Like a baby is sheltered in the safety of its mother's womb, we (V and I) experiance the feeling of a pre monsoon drizzle while we sit in this contraption in the middle of the desert.
A meeting thus progressing, naturally 'auto saves' itself in the memories deepest chests. How often can one open up to a total stranger. Sharing your every emotion. Laying your trust in someone, u never knew until few days ago. Just our sexuality bringing us together. Believing his every word about himself to be true.
It is not quite often that we meet lovely individuals in our lives, that when we meet it is hard to believe that the joys of that meetimg remains nowhere but in one corner of our brain, where all sweet memories are destined to be locked in for the pleasure of just one person. ME....
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Falling in love!!!
Anyways, i have come up with these 2 theories , that are conflicting and am trying to figure out which is right.
One is that if you like somebody and decide to fall in love, then go out of your way to make your feelings known and then try your best to woe him. But in this scenario, there is a possibility that the other guy does not like you. In which case your effort goes in the dump.
On the other hand, you could wait until somebody falls in love with you and then evaluate him to decide if you like her. In such a case, you might have somebody you don't like fall in love with you, or there might be someone who likes you but thinks that you don't like him, so is waiting for you to make the first move.
I guess both of them oil down to one point.
Just Keep trying!!!!
Still doesn't answer my question!!!! Should i fall in love or wait for my prince charming?????
Answer!Answer! where art thou?
Friday, May 11, 2007
Table for 2? right away...
Working in the same restaurant for the last 3 years, I have seen many join this place with me, have left and new ones joined and left too. Being quite positive, i don't look at my staying here for so long as a negative, nevertheless I am trying my best to move out.
However, the reason I am writing today is because of something that has bothering me for quite sometime.
People who dine in the restaurants dine there for various reasons. Entertainment, Status, business, to show off or just plain hunger.
People who work in restaurants also work there for many reasons. Passion, Career, no choice or simply to make money.
Now in between these two comes this whole experience of the meal. The waiter provides, while the guest enjoys.
We have all this unwritten notions about various professions, that i don't know comes from where. Whatever it is. The bottom line for every restaurateur is to achieve guest satisfaction. For us it is a major part of our job and many of us got at great lengths to get the approval of guests.
Sounds simple. No. The problem arises with the expectations that guests come with. Nothing worng with that. Every human is not the same. Well, i don't expect them to be, the fun in this job is because of the variety we see everyday.
The problem also lies in the fact that we don't realise that every guest is different. In our pursuit to offer consistency and high quality standard, we fail to realise that each one has different expectations.
It is obvious that it is very difficult to figure out what exactly is every individual's route to happiness or satisfaction is.
There are some who are so easy to please, yet others will complain no matter what u do, some want you next to them all evening, for some u have to behave like a servant, while others treat u like any other person. The restaurant profession is a very grey area. No obvious rules. So people are so unsure as to how they should deal with a restaurant staff.
After thinking about all this, one thing i am sure about, is that the weakest point every human has is the ego.
It is the ego that is appeased of every satisfied guest. Every guest nees to made to feel important. It is the restaurant they know, even if you are nothing outside, u are still royalty. Whether a millionaire or a carpenter they are all treated like royalty.
But every restaurateur has to have the skill to be at all the levels to recognise the ego levels they need to boost, which few possess. Many have their own ego to deal with before they deal with guest's.
Guess what i am trying to figure out is, What makes people happy? Why are we taught what should make us happy? Why should we not figure out ourselves? Why do we need our egos to be boosted? Why are we taught to have set notions about people, professions and expectations?
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Love making.... !! or ??
on the entrance of Cafe Ritazza.
Waiting for a toasted sandwich,
I ponder,
is there any other emotion,
as driving as love making?
That which elates, heightens,
brings such a sudden surge.
The thoughts of which lingers on,
as the days pass by.
What makes love making,
so overpowering, all encompassing?
Some lives are so driven by him.
Yet others long to be with him.
You tell me S.
Is it the love making,
that brings us
together again and again,
or is it him,
that will break us apart?
Saturday, April 14, 2007
In pursuit!!!
In the midst of all the things that are going on in my life, I had to meet S at this time. I really don't know why. There is enough going on but still this had to happen. He is a guy I would love to grow old with, but does he feel the same way. He has his life that he was living before he met me. How much of it am i going to like and not? I have a phobia to put the first foot forward, lest i be dejected or disappointed.
The real question now is should i wait for circumstances to lead my way or should i fight it to go the way i want. I don't know if i have the energy to.
I am trying my best to keep afloat at work.All the work i do, never seems to be enough. Trying my best to complete my studies. Trying my best to deal with my hearing loss. Trying my best to be there with friends. Trying my best to find an alternate career. Trying my best to get out of this place. Trying my best to find a life partner. Trying my best to now to understand S and give him a good impression.
As the warm days roll by, I wonder to myself, what is it that would truly inspire me. What will wake me up and make me do all that i have always dreamt of doing.
Spark! that's what is missing. I guess its just me!!!!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
shaadi karo paise kamao!!!
This is the first wedding i have experienced so up close and personal and it has been a one of its kind experience.
How we reduce an honest religious/social requirement into a completely blatant excuse to mock a thing like marriage.
I always believed marriage was about relationships, promises, party, fun but this experience has got me thinking in many ways, i never wanted to think.
How we have to deal with clashes in our value system especially in the Indian community. I enjoy the whole idea of an Indian wedding, the dressing up, the customs, the reunions, the organising and many other things, but at the same time I am gay and will NEVER be able to experience all this myself. How money starts to rule every action and becomes the criteria to judge an entire family. How people within the family can ruin an entire wedding just because he wants more attention. How we are slaves to this culture.
We always talk of improvement, growing up and changing for the better. But the things that i have seen and heard i the last 1 week only makes me feel we are walking backwards. On one side is this whole thing about upholding culture and sanding by centuries old tradition, which we so proudly and expertly have guarded for centuries affected by change only at a mega micro level, and on the other hand we are trying our best to to bring about change in ideology, in thinking and society
But where do we find the balance between these too. To change we have to break away. But to proudly guard we can't perhaps embrace change so easily.
In Tirupati, where millions of Pilgrims and the most orthodox of people visit mesmerised by the divine power, the lord is worshipped besides his two wives, yet another goddess who supposedly angered by the lords previous bigamous marital status has another temple away for herself out of vengeance is also worshipped. And yet we are so sceptical about bigamy and extramarital affairs. The Gods are at it dammit!!!
Isn't this proof enough of how we are struggling with our belief systems. Will we be able to embrace change so easily?
I am a trained amateur Indian classical dancer. I am taught to portray celestial and mythical love stories among gods and goddesses, but I am gay. Will i be able to portray gay references from the holy books? Will the audience accept it as ye another dance performance? Will the same old Mamis and mamas witness this performance?
We spend our lives trying to deal with things that are not going to benefit, improve and help us in any way, just because of the SOCIETY we live in. Won't this world be a much better place if we spent that energy in something more constructive, Personal development and the like?
Like I told A, one of the main reasons i left this place is to get away from all of this and just concentrate on ME and just be ME.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
V day Vignettes
Gaudy flowers in a shape of a huge heart in our hotel lobby,
Love struck teenage school children hiding fron their parents meeting their crushes to exchange gifts,
Long queues at the florists,
Young couple (all dressed up) talking to another couple asking them to take the best taable at a restaurant,
Man in red shirt with red roses at the red traffic signal waiting for his lady love,
Young Indian couple, she probably wearing hih heels after a long time or for the first time, hair loose, Garden vareli saree, He just back from officem picked her up on his way, She clinging onto him, limping in her heels, He just happy,
Old Mallu couple, Nice starched off white saree, on their way, Romantic dinner?
Traffic jam apparently caused by valentines day,
A german farmer family in a Dubai bus in blazers and ties just out of the fancy Cruise at the port, bus full of labourers staring,
Valentines day cake at Cafe Qasr. Was finished when we reached.
Two well dressed young men, waiting for their dates ? or were each other's dates?
Lonely white man frissing on a lonely pizza.
'A' still confused. Doesn't know if he wants me or doesn't want me!!!!
B & S my sweetheart buddys.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Strange World
After having me for 3 years suddenly my bosses realised i could not hear too well, which in fact is true, but i have always tried not to let it affect the quality of my work. Guess it was still not good enough. NowI am indirectly being asked to pack my bags and leave. What happened to those countless extra hours i worked without asking for compensation. What happened to all the projects i have done for the restaurant. what happened to every aspect of the restaurant i have so truly bothered about. What happened to the training i had to do for my assistant managers and supervisors who did not know their job too well. Wonder what really matters to stay popular in a profession. Is sweet talking the only way up?
In the middle of all this my staff tells me that our new south african assisstant manager who has been double promoted for her blond looks, tweety voice and i don't know what else, is actually pocketing a fair amount of cash meant to be shared by the staff at the end of the month!!!! Beat that. A blond south african lady thief.
Strange world is an understatement!!!!!!
My long long last friend from pre-school days. sent me her wedding pics. I was shocked to see how much she has grown to be this lovely adorable woman. We used to play games after school in the colony. Climb trees together. Jump over other people's compounds. Well. Well.
My Brother has finally decided to get married!!! After 4 yrs of courtship. I strange couple they make. Full of fancy, fanatical and flungigulous ideas like worms in their heads. He is making a docu for a Japanese television company. Wonder where their lives are taking them. Hope i can make it to the wedding. Will be the only wedding in our family. Unless i find a enterprising soul mate willing radically stun(Shock) the great Indian middle class brahminical society by staging a wedding between 2 men!!!!!
I was offered a job offer at my first ever interview. Crap offer though. Was completely shocked. It seemed so easy.
S came up with this brilliant idea to market handicrafts from around the world in a shop that we can set up. Not a bad idea. I came up with the idea to market paper bags in polythene infested Dubai.
This and much more.
My head is circling. Thanks to B & S i am still sane.
But i am positive.
Positive for a bright new change.
Positive that the corner i need to go round is very close.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Attchments
Those reading this might probably know whom i am refering to. F gave us all a rude shock. It was like bungee jumping above a lake full of hungry crocodiles. I never knew if i was falling off or going back up only to know i am plunging back downwards.
This city of dreams as it beckons, lures, binds, builds and breaks, life moves on. Our torn hearts are stiched back. Dream on.
This ones past.
Who is next?????????
Monday, December 11, 2006
Rattlesnake
a hang out of the days long before
of freshly formed friendships.
now relationships matured and aged..
been thru lot of vengences and contempt..
nevertheless here we were
to the place yet again
all was the same
but nothing felt the same
the pink table cloth and the red lantern
disco lights and a dubai tavern
c says follow ur passion..
oh, how many times have i heard this..
if everybody in this world followed their passions..
what would have the world been like?
circumstances....
am i to blame?
on the other side as i watch
lines of chinese hookers waiting for their
days business patrons...
felt like a china town market..
only it was a tavern in an arabic desert
where it was raining.. old men as patrons
were they following their passion
did they have passions?
............................
could we all follow our passions?
what would the world be like then?
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
...........
Was having lunch with my chinese colleague. I offered to share with him one of the bolied eggs i brought with me, which i boiled in my room, kettle. He said,'Oh! you cook too in the room?' I said,"No just boiling water and eggs. To which he said, boiling is one of the most original and first forms of cookery man invented. So I apparently cook.
Saw Yunh Hota to Kya Hota, Dor and Bas Ek Pal. Were nice.
Poo is back after the wedding. I still can't believe she is married.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Teeth Bring Wisdom???
Nevertheless, it was on my 26th birthday 2 weeks back that I got my wisdom tooth. Had a gathering of my close friends, some i met only a few months back, yet have become best of buddies. Nice to know life could bring such joys too. A party I had after almost 5 years. Was waiting for a time I had friends to care for. And here they were. Made my day!! Was happy after a long time. Thanx to A. Arrived the first to keep me company. To the lovely ever enthusiastic Punj Mallu and the traditional cake smearing ritual. Thanx to The Jaya-Amithabh couple(Amithabh turned up sooooo late) and aunty. Ross brought his GF along. Met her for the first time. R and his usual jokes and a roar of a laughter.And of course S and P had to be there. They have been by me all through these 3 years. Through thick and thin, which I very often go through. And dear C,D& T, they were there for me at work always. S & B did make their absence very obvious. Wait until both are back!!
Thanx guys.
No thanx to you, 'wisdom tooth'. You are still painful!!!
And so after my 26th, I start to think, where does the road lead. Do I just follow the way or do something different. My urge is to break free and go totally against the flow. I wouldn't mind even working in Timbuctoo or in the far east.
Like how I notice very often at work, a dotting Russian mother gets impatient with every childish tantrum her child throws, while she is so preoccupied with her Shringar and Vasthra/Abhushan, that after sometime she just snaps and just the one firm look shuts the little kid for the next half hour.
Am I also getting impatient with my life? or just plain exhausted?
J said I am just wasting my time in that restaurant. C always talks of work as though it were a basket full of mangoes that we carry on our head, and just waiting to unload or pass on. I never saw work as a headache. I always enjoyed this job, since I began. But I know this is not for me. I don't see myself doing this for the rest of my life.
The wisdom tooth surely arrived with much fanfare, painfare rather.
But waiting for the light to dawn!!!