NYC Taxi Driver Stabbed for Being Muslim

A really horrifying report (scroll down for text), from Democracy Now!

Orientalism in New Movies

Here’s an NPR story talking about Orientalism in Julia Robert’s new movie Eat, Pray, Love, as well as Sex and the City 2. Enjoy!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129254808

Batter Fried Fish

Ingredients 900 gms./ 2lb Fish 1cup gram flour (besan) 1 green chili (chopped) Salt To Taste 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 3 tbsp fresh bread crumbs 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1/2 black pepper powder 2 cups water 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves For Garnishing : 1 lemon (sliced) 2 tomatoes (sliced)

Instructions * Wash the fish thoroughly and cut into pieces. Rub the turmeric over the fish pieces with about 1tsp salt and set aside for 15-20 minutes. * Rinse the fish under running water. * Mix gram flour, bread crumbs, salt, chili & pepper powder, green chili, coriander and water and form a smooth batter. * Heat the oil in a kadhai or wok . * Coat the fish nicely with batter and deep-fry until golden all over on a moderate heat for about 8-10 minutes. * Serve batter fried fish hot garnished with lemon & tomato slices.

I am not very brave when it comes to trying (or cooking) new food. I know fish – considering I have been serving/working with it for 3 years. So when I was looking at South Asian/Indian food to cook and try, I came up on something that I know maybe might be similar to what I am already familiar with. Now, I made a mess when trying to fry the fish and I do not own a wok, so I used a regular old pan but my family and I enjoyed it very much. It was much too spicy for my little one to try it, but still very good. I might venture and try something out of my comfort zone soon.

The Laramie Project

During one of our last class discussions, we talked a great deal about hate crimes and the documentary Divided We Fall. In one of my theater literature classes, we read this play – The Laramie Project. It does not focus on hate crimes towards South Asian Immigrants but towards being gay and how sexual preference can also result in discrimination. I highly recommend this play – I thought when I started reading it I would not enjoy it but after reading it, I was given a whole new prospective on people as a whole instead of individuals. I think this book demonstrates how one voice becomes a wave; something we saw in Divided We Fall. If we could eliminate the ignorance and spread knowledge – hate crimes would happen less often. It is not until after these crimes take place that people start talking – and if it had been talking first most of this could have been avoided.

Community Service Options

http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/

Here is a website about international volunteering. My step brother went to Eastern Europe last summer with a group of kids from his school and he said it was the experience of a life time. They also offer volunteering projects in Asia as well. They also offer intern work.

Some Statistics.

Here are some fun statistics for you – The divorce rates in America were mentioned on the CNN the other day and how the rate is going up. I wanted to compare to these stats to that of South Asia, and I was able to find India’s. It seems that the value of marriage may be a little higher there than in America. It makes me curious to the divorce process – because from what I am told it is extremely easy to get divorced in America if there are no kids involved.

 

–Divorce rates
US – 50%
India – 1.1%
The divorce rate in America for first marriage, vs second or third marriage
50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce, according to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri.

According to enrichment journal on the divorce rate in America:
The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%
The divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60%
The divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%

Divorce Rate In India

Divorce rates in India are amongst the lowest in the world. 11 marriages out of 1,000 marriages (around 1 marriage out of 100 marriages) ends up to divorce in India. This figure was even low in 1990. In 1990, 7.40 marriages out of 1,000 marriages ended up in divorce in India. 

 

Here we go..

Okay.. So a little late than never, I am blogging clear from Iowa. ( And I am posting all 5 in a row – But they were written down previously and I just had to figure out how to get them on here.

I think one of the reasons I remembered the blog was after my experience at the airport Tuesday leaving Columbus (Yes.. Our flight went crazy and my son and I, instead of getting here Tuesday, got here today because we had to enjoy a lovely layover in Chicago for 36 hours.).  So brief overview – liquids are not allowed on airplanes unless it is put in small plastic bags and in measurements of 2.5 oz. Well my son is drinking formula still.. I took 5 bottles each containing 8 oz. They make exceptions for things such as this because its considered medication or something – you just have to go through extra security. Well what they do it they test the formula on little strips and they do this in a big room with other tables right next to the security check. When you have a child in a stroller and are waiting on them to come back and say everything is okay – there is a lot of time to observe. What I witnessed made me sick. I have never been so furious. The security guards were second screening all the passengers who were in turbans or any other type of headdress. They were not treating them with respect either.

    I understand the sensitivity in airports after 9/11. I really do. But what I witnessed made me so mad I could barely handle it. It was the perfect demonstration to the two separate cultures that we discussed in class. When really it just boils down to ignorance. If all airport security and everyone else for that matter were educated by a documentary similar to what we saw or just sitting and talking with someone who does not share the same beliefs they do – things would be so different and this who thing could have been avoided. How long is it going to be like this?