Hard Work Beats Talent

Anyone can become what they want to be with hard work. We often hear “Oh, he is a

natural talent!’’ -that abilities like singing, dancing, playing a musical instrument, and so

on is inborn. I grew up with a shy girl whose dream was to participate in Miss World one

day. Everyone used to make fun of her dream as she was an average looking girl and

could not even talk in front of her peers. Fast forward ten years, I saw her on TV

representing her country in the Miss World Pageant in the US. I later learned that she

took elocution training, worked as a TV host and a model for several years to prepare

herself for the world stage. With hard work and perseverance, she was living her dream.

Undoubtedly, we will always meet someone who is a fast runner, or a better dancer

than we are, however, if we work on improving our skills we can certainly beat them or

at least be better at that skill. As they say ‘A working ant is better than a sleeping

elephant’- consistent hard work leads us to greater success. I had two friends in high

school, both of them loved singing but for the entire two years, I was their only

audience. One of them joined music school after graduating and practiced her singing

skills for three more years. She was equally competitive as my other friend but with

determination, and working diligently, she is now one of the most sought-after female

singers in the country. Having talent is bonus but it’s no use if we don’t work on honing

that skill. We still need to put in hard work. However, if we acknowledge our weakness

and take small steps everyday to strengthen it, we can do anything, even build a rocket.

Personal Anecdote on climate change

My grandmother, who is 90 years now, used to tell us about that huge flood in the 90s when I was an

infant, but now heavy floods have become more frequent, reoccurring every 5-10 years in the lowlands.

Another climate anomaly I have observed is, fewer snow or late snow on the snow-capped mountains.

(Machhapuchhre and Annapurna Mountain range of Pokhara). From our backyards in the valley of

Pokhara, we have always seen snow-capped mountains during October, when the sky is clear and the

weather is mild but in the year 2012 the unthinkable happened, the mountain ranges stood bare, with

no or probably little snow, looking like black peaks without the snow. We couldn’t believe it, but it is the

new normal now. Some years the mountain peaks are beautiful with snow caps while the other, snow

visits late or is not abundant.

Kathmandu city lies at a higher elevation and has lesser temperatures compared to the lowlands, owing

to which mosquitoes were unheard of before few years, when out of nowhere, swarms of mosquitoes

flocked the valley. The valley has seen significant rise in temperature over the decade, consequently

becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Similarly, colder places have been able to grow tropical

crops and fruits while lowlands have seen droughts and drying water spouts.

Lessons from living in the inadequate

Have you ever experienced a time when there was a water shortage?

Necessity teaches us a lot in life. I grew up in the flat lands of Nepal, in the lap of lush green forest

and abundance of water resources. Growing up, water was plenty and vital part of my childhood.

Summers were very hot, consequently we cooled off with 2-3 showers a day, ice cold drinks and

weekends by the riverside. 

After high school I moved to the city for College. That is when I faced

water scarcity for the first time in my life. It taught me the importance of water and its wise use.

The city was overcrowded so much so the municipal water supply barely met the demands. The

municipality supplied water on alternate days for about 4 hrs on a schedule: from 4 am to 6 am and

1-3 pm, which meant I had to wake up very early to fill my water storage containers because in the

afternoon I would be at college. Two hours might sound enough time but it is not ample considering

there was only one tap for 8-10 families living in the same building and everyone had to take turns

filling up. We had no alternate source except for occasional water tankers which we would pay for.

Some places in the city had old stone spouts while others had deep wells but major areas of the city

faced shortage of water throughout the year. The scarcity was more prevalent during the winters.

Early years in the city was tough. Gradually, I learned to make the best use of what I had. I learned

to take bath with only one bucket of water and only on days when I had enough water. Doing laundry

and dishes was tricky. I used to conserve water from rinsing my hair to use it for washing clothes

(first cycle) and I adopted more denims in my wardrobe because I could get away with washing them

only once or twice a week. Later I practiced rain water harvesting in the terrace; nothing fancy just a

huge barrel and kept the lid open whenever it rained. It collected enough water for laundry and

cleaning- taking advantage of the plentiful rain in monsoon season. I became an efficient user

eventually. 

I moved to Canada recently but life back in the city is probably still the same if not worse.

I still practice sustainable water usage even though my taps are always running. I still have a bucket

in my bathtub, for old habits are hard to break!

Critical reflection

Reflection of Said’s Notion

In Edward Said’s Interview(2012) “Edward Said on Orientalism“, Said explains what influenced him to write the book, the context and his thesis on understanding Orientalism. According to Said, “Orientalism  is a framework used to understand the unfamiliar and the strange.” His book revolutionized the study of the Middle East as well as contested the stereotyping of “the Orient” as "violent, irrational and terrorist people" by the West, specially the American people. Said argues that there is disparity between what actually “the Orient” is and what is been portrayed in the media.Said’s trilogy of books have been fundamental in providing a new perspective on the subject. His notion of Orientalism couldnot have been more relevant in the post  9/11 era.

After the 9/11 event, the perception of Muslim or Middle Eastern people in the West has changed significantly. Especially news, Hollywood movies and  the media paints a villainous picture of these communities.Just consuming the one sided stories of  these people in the  news and how they are represented demonize Muslims and cause consequent racialization and othering of their communities. Post 9/11, Muslims witnessed discrimination, stigmatization of their religion and violent confrontation (Nagra, 2011).

It is frequently observed that Muslim people are racialized and othered through preconceived notions about their religion and that their ulterior motive is to kill Americans. Middle Eastern Muslims are stereotyped as evil, demonic figures of terror. Such racialization influences how people see and treat their communities.On the receiving end, Muslims in the West are direct targets not only in the airports and borders but also in their residences and workplaces. The Orients are living with reduced religious freedom, compromised security and constant discrimination (Nagra, 2011).

Muslims are increasingly viewed as potential threats, hence are vicimized in public spaces, and treated as second class citizens. Post 9/11, Muslim or Middle Eastern men have been represented in the Western World as violent and most likely to be involved in acts of terrorism.In lieu of the misconception, Muslim population work hard to redefine themselves as the loyal citizens and peace loving people contrary to their dominant negative identity.

Thus Said’s concept of orientalism has provided a good understanding of why such stereotypes are happening in the post 9/11 era.

 

 

 

 

Source:

Nagra, B., 2011. Unequal Citizenship: Being Muslim and Canadian in the Post 9/11 Era [PhD Thesis], University of Toronto.Retrieved June 5, 2020 from https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/29823/1/Nagra_Baljit_201106_PhD_thesis.pdf

Reflection on the racialization of Muslim and the Arabs

Role of Hollywood in vilifying the Arabs and Muslims

 

After watching the video  ‘Reel Bad Arabs : How Hollywood Vilifies a People’ of Dr. Jack Shaheen

on his  book by the same title and reading the assigned materials I’ve learned a lot about the real Arabs, their origin and  had a sneak into their history. Edward Said’s take on ‘Orientalism’ was also an eye opener for me. For the first time, I started questioning: to what extent has  everything I watch, hear/listen to or read, maneuvered my opinion about the Arab and the Muslim. I felt like a robot in a huge world factory, who is fed data to believe and act in a particular way.

Both Said and Shaheen touch on the ways Hollywood and  the media paint a villainous picture of the Muslim communities, particularly those from the Middle East. Both argue that Hollywood has vilified the Arabs for long and instilled Islamophobia in our psyche. Never have I ever watched a movie that shows Arab as a peace loving, affable person. Whenever I see a Muslim wearing his white attire and a hat in the subway, subconsciously a chill runs down my spine. My fear intensifies if he is carrying a bag. I am consumed by the thought that it is better if he gets off at the next station and that he doesnot leave the bag. After learning that my mental image of that innocent person could be simply a stereotype perpetuated by Hollywood and other sources, makes me sick to my bones and I’m disgusted about my own thoughts.

Cinema is not only for entertainment, most  movies also carry socio-political messages that can revolutionize a society. It is easy to see how movies have projected Arabs as barbaric people, how they are the Others and deserve to die. Their popular representation is no different than Nazis. Generation after generation we have been told that these communities are perpetrators of horrific acts. Arab men are rich, heartless people who mistreat  women, they hijack planes, terriorize people, they are suicide bombers,etc. This is the immediate image that comes to mind when most people think of Muslims or  MiddleEasterners.

On the other hand, Hollywood and the White House and eventually the Parliament House in Ottowa are connected.  Such fear mongering and cultivation of hatred for the Orients among the West by the Big screen has impacted several policies that are discriminatory towards these specific groups of people. Just consuming the one sided perception demonize Muslims and cause consequent racialization and othering of their communities. Kids who grow up watching such racially profiled movies grow up to be racist policy makers, workers and neighbors. As a result, Muslims witness discrimination, stigmatization of their religion and violent confrontation in the society. Post 9/11, it has become even more prominent.

 So far, Muslim or Middle Eastern people have been represented in the Western World as violent and most likely to be involved in acts of terrorism. As a result, Middle Eastern Muslim  population has to put more effort to redefine themselves as equally human if not better than rest of the people in the world. There have been handful of movies which paint the real picture of these people and some Arabs are trying to correct this misrepresentation through their books, comedy skits.

In the age of technology, there is no limit of  resources we can access to educate ourselves and break the stereotyping of not only Muslims but the Others in our society. It is upto us to stand up against fabrication of facts that weaves this faulty dehumanization of specific groups of people. We can boycott such racially profilling movies and initiate talks among our family members and peers so that moving forward no kid inherits racialization.

Love or arranged?- IV

Time fleets so fast as if it has some kind of magical wings!It has been three years since the first meeting at a cafe in Jhamsikhel. The twenty minutes they spent that day has been so meaningful. it was the beginning of a new chapter, a new relationship It turned two strangers into life partners.

Three years! if you think of the span, it's a long time but when you are  looking back, it passes so soon.

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        words or school of thoughts just a little agitation of emotions, some disappointment, a little anger, a few complains and a lot more unrest.Haven't been able to organize my thoughts or train my emotions. The only thing I taught myself over all these years is to put my random thoughts in writing..that is all I have learned. Whenever I was lonely, sad, upset, hurt, angry, mad, disappointed or happy..I have turned to pen and paper and recently typing in this blogger. I write when I am overwhelmed, mostly by negative emotions. It flows like a stream, continuous and I don't have to think what I am going to write, it just comes, oozing like a hot water geyser...for the lack of a better word..I don't want to mull over a word when I have so much to express. Yet I feel so empty but I need to express because without expression I feel out of control, enraged and out of touch.
Small things...they are when I think about it..even now among all this chaotic whirlpool of emotions of rage, once or twice out of nowhere an opposite thought strikes, peeking from behind the feeling of hurt and pain. It says, "forget it you are better than that,don't submit to these negative thoughts!"I can't seem to hold on to them, they fleet very fast,disappearing into thin air just like how they came.
I don't want to be troubled by trivial matters but I can't stop feeling bad..it drags me into this dark hole in an instant but it takes me hours to get out of it.