Sha Rukh Khan-Bollywood Actor Detained in US Airport...SO WHAT?

It's Sunday. I'm feeling good... I reached for the Sunday's newspapers hoping for some good news to warm me up.

Since last night, there was one news that the media treats something like its very important and it was annoying me...
Today, in the newspapers headlines, entertainment, editorial and other pages, all are talking about one thing, "Sha Rukh Khan Detained in US Airport". Now, its really getting into my veins...

What's the fuss all about... WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL BOUT THIS?

The big deal was that he felt ashamed and insulted as he is a global icon (as he claimed to be) and that nobody in the airport seemed to recognize him and treat him as one. Let this be an eye opener for you, Sha Rukh...You are NOT as popular as you think you are. I lived in a country where global icons and international actors are recognized and worshipped by common people and I haven't even known you until I come here in India. Yes, you are a great actor. In fact, one of the best in Bollywood... I've seen a lot of your great movies for the past two years of staying here in India and I liked them all... You're a great hit in India but that doesn't mean you're also a hit worldwide...

Yes, you are shooting various films in the US, but don't expect all US citizens to recognize you just because of that. You are merely shooting there, NOT an actor there.

Indian media, what's wrong with you guys? Why are you making this such a big fuss? You could have talked about more important issues in the headlines, you know. What can people do about this? Just hate the Westerners for doing so?

US Airport security were just doing their job...Specially with terrorism issues, you cannot blame US security to be more careful...
One actor said that if they are doing these to Indians, we should also do this on our Indian airports...
For what reason? To humiliate Americans?
They are doing this checking stuff for security reason, not for humiliating people and I'm sorry you feel humiliated Sha Rukh but you should understand their side as well. I was expecting you to understand the situation as it was needed... I don't think your reputation is affected unless you're guilty of something...

I hate the media for bringing up this issue again and again as if its world war... Remember that your Bollywood stars are also humans and they are not always exempted of some stuff. They may be worshipped in India but dont expect the whole world to embrace them like you do... Unless they are as popular as Michael Jackson...

This is Leigh...signing off...

What is CVS?

If given a chance to choose which sense organ I would prefer to deteriorate last, I would choose my EYES...

Most people these days are spending more than 4 hours using the computer or laptop taking for granted one sense organ that is exposed to harm everyday...
A friend forwarded me an email regarding CVS (Computer Vision Syndrome) and I would be glad to share it to you guys... Wish I knew who's the author of this so I could give credit to him...
COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME (adapted)





Other Factors which cause CVS:
* Lack of image clarity
* Computer users have a very fixed posture
* Constant gazing at a near distance at the monitor (which leads to convergence fatigue
* The upper body remains fixed for very long period of time
* The eye muscles do not get much opportunity to move
* Uncorrected visual effects



According to AOA (American Optometric Association), anyone who exceeds two hours of computer use a day is at risk for CVS...

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MINIMIZE CVS?

Anyone who suspects CVS, should have a thorough eye exam by an opthalmologist.
FEW ADDITIONAL TIPS TO HELP REDUCE CVS ARE THE FOLLOWING:








TAKE CARE OF YOUR EYES: THEY ARE THE WINDOWS TO YOUR SOUL :-)

My Funny Hindi Moments

Photo: Aamir Khan from apunkachoice.com


I've been here in India for almost two years and still learning on their language called "Hindi"... Hindi sounds good but its difficult to speak, for me... I can understand now some long sentences but speaking it.....is too hard for me...
I'm trying everyday to speak some words but everytime I speak a Hindi word, they would ask me, "what are you talkin bout? Is that an english or filipino word?" Grrr!

The funniest moment was when me and my brother in-law Simit were watching a Hindi movie titled "Lagaan". It means tax...The leading man was Aamir Khan... In the movie, Indians have to play cricket against British to save themselves from paying taxes to the British government... While the British team were practicing cricket, I asked my brother-in-law,
"How bout Aamir Khan and his team, do they know how to play cricket now?"
My bro-in-law responded, "that is British team."
I was shocked at his odd response, I asked him again...
"I'm talking bout Aamir Khan and his team, not this British team".
He said, "there is no american team in this movie, its between British and Indian."
And that's when I realize my pronounciation of AAMIR KHAN's name...It sounds like AMERICAN...
I said "No, I'm talking bout Aamir Khan, the hero in the movie"...
He realized what I was talking about and he laughed so hard... Grrrrr!!!

I'm Proud to be PINOY

Photo: Manila, Philippines

I received a forwarded email from a friend with an article who talked bout the Philippines and the Filipinos nowadays... Here are some of excerpts from his article and my reaction below it...

My Fellow Filipinos,

When I was small, the Philippine peso was P7 to the $dollar. The president was Diosdado Macapagal. Life was simple. Life was easy.
Life was so peaceful, so quiet, no electricity, no TV. Just the radio and on weekends, I played with my neighbours (who were all my cousins). Tumbang-preso, taguan, piko, luksong lubid, patintero, at iba pa. I don't know about you, but I miss those days.

These days, we face the TV, Internet, e-mail, newspaper, magazine, grocery catalog, or drive around. The peso is a staggering and incredible P47 to the $dollar. Most people can't have fun anymore. Life has become a battle. We live to work. Work to live. Life is not easy.
The Philippines used to be one of the most important countries in Asia. Before & during my college days, many students from neighboring Asian countries like Malaysia , Indonesia , Japan and China went to the Philippines to get their diplomas. Until 1972, like President Macapagal, President Marcos was one of the most admired presidents of the world. The Peso had kept its value of P7 to the $dollar until I finished college.
Today, the Philippines is famous as the 'housemaid' capital of the world. It ranks very high as the 'cheapest labor' capital of the world, too. We have maids in Hong Kong, laborers in Saudi Arabia, migrants and TNTs in Australia and the US, and all sorts of other 'tricky' jobs in other parts of the globe.
Quo Vadis, Pinoy? Is that a wonder or a worry? Are you proud to be a Filipino, or does it even matter anymore? When you see the Filipino flag and hear the Pambansang Awit, do you feel a sense of pride or a sense of defeat & uncertainty? If only things could change for the better.......

MY VIEWS:

I MISS THE OLD DAYS...Change is the only constant thing in this world...You can never stop the world from changing...we're lucky enough to have experienced the old days of playing in the field like patintero, tumbang priso, etc...

In regards to the laws in the Philippines, the author above said that the Filipinos do not know how to follow laws and regulations...
My stand is that Phillipine laws are NOT STRICTLY MANDATED...for instance, if there's a sign "NO THROWING, NO PEEING, FINE 1000 PESOS", you can see people are throwing garbage in front of the sign and the POLICE is doing nothing...WHAT IS THIS? Don't compare the laws of Philippines to other countries because in other countries, the authorities are watching intently and give punishment to those who are not following...that's why the people there are disciplined coz of strict authorities and no "under the table" stuffs...
I admire Davao City in the Philippines...It was awarded as one of the cleanest cities in the world...You cannot see even a single candy wrapper around. How do they manage this? The city mayor is very strict and he sees to it that people complied with the laws... Why can't other cities do this?

Regarding traffic rules in the Philippines, if you ever crossed in red light, you just have to give 100 pesos (2 US dollars) to the officer and go away...compare that to other countries...

This issue regarding overseas workers...Filipinos go out of the country coz of one BIG REASON...TO EARN MONEY FOR THEIR FAMILY...There is a BIG DIFFERENCE in earning money in the Philippines and abroad... Who are we going to blame for this? And does blaming helps in resolving this issue?

Compare the earnings of filipino professionals like teachers and doctors who are working for few years in the Philippines and few years working abroad...
In the Philippines, even if you're working very hard, you can never get enough money to buy a car or a house but in other countries, if you work hard, you'll earn more and you can buy a house and lot after few years...I could say FILIPINOS TODAY ARE JUST BEING PRACTICAL...They don't mind what kind of job they're having abroad as long as they earn for the family...First year working abroad is a hell coz they need to pay loan credits and the agency who put them there but after that its worth the effort because they can earn more and can send money to their relatives and can even buy a house...I ADMIRE OVERSEAS WORKERS because they are very patient and diligent enough to absorb all the pains and sacrifices... It's never easy to be out of our home country. Some are discriminated and exploited...They are not doing it just because of money of course, most of them wanted to help their families rise which they couldn't do in our own country...If only our country could provide jobs for everyone...Even selling newspapers in Korea or peeling oranges in Australia are already good earning compared to professional jobs in the Philippines...Even some celebrities in the Philippines went to the US to be a waitress...
There is nothing wrong in Filipinos as a servant or doing any tricky jobs...they chose it coz our government cannot provide them good salary package... they chose it, not for themselves but for their family...they chose it to survive...
IM STILL VERY PROUD TO BE A FILIPINO!!! I salute those who are so humble to be a servant...They serve humbly and sincerely to other races and most of them even made a difference... I've read in one of my emails about a filipina yaya (term for those who care for kids) who's serving a family in Europe...The parents rarely have time for their daughter... That yaya is a Catholic and always go to church on sundays with the kid... On the kid's birthday, parents asked for her wish...she asked that they would go to church together... It was a simple wish but it made the kid very happy to have her parents with her during her birthday and from that time on, the parents realized that they should do it always...they should spare time for their kid and they should go to church every sunday...thanks to the filipina yaya, their family was reunited...
There are so many stories of filipinos making a difference in other countries...I could say they are like ANGELS in disguise...they are disguised as servants but because of their good attitude, they are changing some bad things into good...You might have heard the FILIPINOS in other countries are getting popular not just because of these types of work, but because of WHO THEY ARE...
Despite the bad things and bad governance in the Philippines, I'm still proud to be a Pinoy... There are also a lot of good things that you can find only in the Philippines...
SO BE PROUD TO BE A PINOY!!! MABUHAY ANG MGA PINOY!

Indian Matrimony

In the Philippines, I used to joke around to my friends who are singles (those who wanted to marry but have no one to marry with) that there should be a MATRIMONIAL CLASSIFIED ADS where an individual can advertise themselves in the newspapers for marriage...We used to laugh about that silly idea... When I came in India and fumbled through the sunday newspaper, I was so surprised to see the Matrimonial Pages,GROOMS WANTED, BRIDES WANTED...wowwww...I can't believe it... Here in India, they advertise themselves in the newspapers (others in matrimonial websites) to find their ideal life partner...Honestly, I find it so weird and silly...

Sample ads:
GROOMS WANTED:
High status south delhi based Punjabi family seeks alliance for their beautiful 27 yr.old daughter,slim,smart,MBA...
BRIDES WANTED:
Handsome,fair Gupta boy,5'6",Graduate,with 3 million property,own house in Delhi,caste no bar...

My husband said that here in India, most women do not have social life... They don't usually go out in the mall, in discos or go for an overnight company beach outing unlike in the Philippines... Most women stays at home...
Plus, family plays a big role in choosing their son or daughter's life partner... Mostly, its the parents who choose and decide a partner for them...

There are two types of marriages here. ARRANGED MARRIAGE AND LOVE MARRIAGE...

ARRANGED MARRIAGE
Well from the word itself, is a marriage that is arranged...by the parents of both parties (bride and groom). The families would discuss and evaluate if both of them were fit for each other. They consider a hell lot of factors like birthdate, alignment of moon and sun, religion, girl's dowry and so many other things...If both families agreed that their children are fit to marry, then they would arrange the marriage... Some families in the far villages arrange the marriage of their children right after they are born...

LOVE MARRIAGE
This is kinda weird to most indian communities... The usual thing in the Philippines and other countries where the couples meet and fall in love and decide to tie the knot regardless of what the family will say is a strange thing here...

I questioned my Indian fellows on which type of marriage they prefer and I was surprised at their answers... Most women prefer love marriage while mots indian men prefer arranged marriage. I asked them why? Women said, "I trust myself in choosing the best life partner for me", while men told me they trusts their moms in choosing an excellent wife for them... Hmmm, any comments?

I'm so lucky to be a part of a very open-minded and modern Indian family... They do not believe on arranged marriage... They trust their children's choice of life partner. My mom-in-law also prefer happiness and love to be there in his son's life and in order to achieve that, he should marry the one he loves... and he married me :-)

Hehehehe...so much for indian tradition talk...This is Leigh...signing off...