I Shall And I Will

2009-01-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

Human Trafficking

Introduction

Trafficking of human beings is the movement of persons within or across borders by any means such as force or fraud into forced labour, slavery, or servitude. It has always existed; however, its phenomenal growth in the last quarter of the 20th century has caused alarm around the world. It is now a multi-billion dollar industry run by individuals and small and large organized criminal networks. Although precise statistics do not exist, anecdotal evidence and studies indicate that hundreds of thousands - if not several millions - of people are trafficked worldwide annually. Experts agree that a disproportionate number of trafficked persons are women and girls. According to source, there are an estimated 600,000 to 2.4 million victims of human trafficking worldwide.

This phenomenal growth has resulted from the simultaneous existence of a number factors including deteriorating socialist system, environmental damage, natural disasters, violence in the family, and uneven economic growth. Women's unequal status in societies means that the burden of poverty and the direct and indirect consequences of violence impact disproportionately on women. This has resulted in an emigration of women from poor countries and conflict areas, larger than any before. Many of these women are particularly vulnerable, and end up being victims of trafficking.

At the same time, the absolute or relative prosperity and peace in industrialised and newly industrialising countries also play a part in international migration. Growing economies create increased demand for imported labour as citizens increasingly refuse to take low-paying jobs. Young women are in particular demand because they are considered to be more compliant and detail-oriented, and less likely to rebel against the conditions of forced labour. Some young women are pulled into migration by the prospect of marriage and a better life abroad. Some of these marriages are arranged by unscrupulous brokers, with women being trafficked into servile marriages.

Growth in the industrialised economies has been accompanied by a quantum leap in low-cost transportation and communication technologies. Many traffickers with legal status abroad fly to their countries of origin to find new recruits for forced labour. They use modem technologies to transport their victims with little risk of detection.

The gap between strict immigration policies and the need for migrant labour provides a perfect environment for trafficking. Trafficking will probably increase, for example, in Europe, where the demand for labour will continue to grow as birth rates continue to decline.

The existing human rights framework in relation to International Human Trafficking

Until recently, no international legal framework existed specifically to address all forms of trafficking, even though all of the human rights violations that occur in trafficking are covered by existing human rights instruments. In 1998, the General Assembly established an ad hoc committee open to all states for the purpose of negotiating an international convention and related protocols against trans-national organized crime. On November 15, 2000, the General Assembly adopted the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and two optional protocols on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, viz; The United Nations adopted the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. The complete Protocol consists of three documents: the Protocol itself, relevant provisions of the new Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, and the Interpretative Notes to the Protocol. One hundred twenty-five states signed the convention when it was opened for signature in December in Palermo, Italy.

The Protocol was created at the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna rather than at one of the human rights bodies located in Geneva. The NGO community was represented by the Human Rights Caucus, which had two goals: to ensure that the first international definition of trafficking recognises that women, men, and children are trafficked into forced labour, slavery, and servitude; and to incorporate a human rights framework into the final document.
Despite the best efforts of the Human Rights Caucus and a few delegations to raise the human rights issues, there was no time to discuss protections because so much time was wasted on the yearlong debate over prostitution.

The first international definition of trafficking reads:

"'Trafficking in persons" shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal or organs.”

Slavery, forced labour or services and servitude are all defined in other international instruments8 and cover all forms of trafficking. The terms 'exploitation of the prostitution of others' and 'sexual exploitation' are not defined in the Protocol or anywhere else in international law. This ensures that governments will be able to sign the Protocol, despite their different laws on sex work.

Under the protocol, the parties shall criminalize trafficking offenses (including organizing, directing, aiding, abetting, facilitating, or counseling the commission of an offense), shall provide assistance and protection for victims, and, through cooperative programs and information sharing, shall seek to prevent trafficking.4 Because of the mutatis mutandis clause, the main convention's provisions concerning cooperation in law enforcement including those on extradition and mutual legal assistance-are applicable to the protocol.
Thus, the compromise recognises the difference between forced (or involuntary) and voluntary adult participation in sex work. Governments can choose to define the terms in any way they choose. However, there is no reason to include the two undefined terms in domestic legislation because they only add unnecessary confusion. Additionally, all possible forms of trafficking are included in the terms 'forced labour or services, slavery and servitude'. Involuntary sex work (like other forms of involuntary or forced labour) is covered by the term 'forced labour or services'. Furthermore, voluntary migrant sex work (like other forms of voluntary migrant labour) is covered by the Smuggling Protocol.

Countries that decide, nonetheless, to include those two terms in their domestic laws will have to define them. Every element of a criminal prohibition must be clearly stated so that the public is given notice about the prohibited activity, and judges and juries will be able to determine guilt or innocence. Undefined crimes violate international human rights norms and most (or all) of the world's constitutions.

The final Protocol, then, is primarily a law enforcement tool. Governments 'shall adopt' laws to criminalize trafficking, share information, and extradite suspected traffickers. They only 'shall consider' and 'shall endeavour' to provide assistance and protections. The Protocol perpetuates the two-tiered approach to human rights.
The Human Rights Standards for the Treatment of Trafficked Persons (GAATW et al. 1999) were developed by organisations worldwide that work with, or advocate on behalf of, trafficked persons. They are based upon existing international human rights norms. The Human Rights Standards document contains specific recommendations on measures that governments should adopt in order to avoid re-victimising trafficked persons. The main goal is to ensure that all of the Protocol provisions including relevant sections of the Convention and all of the protections called for in the Human Rights Standards are adopted into domestic law.

Types, Forms and the Impact of Human Trafficking

There are several forms of human trafficking that are prevalent in different parts of the world:

Forced Sex Work & Sexual Exploitation

In many cases, women and girls are promised employment as migrant workers, domestic helpers, restaurant workers, shopkeepers, or other unskilled jobs but then are forced into sex work once they arrive at their destination. In other circumstances, women are aware that they will enter the sex industry but are deceived about the conditions of work and are then forcibly confined and not allowed to refuse the work.

Sex Trafficking and Prostitution

Sex trafficking is considered the largest specific subcategory of transnational modern-day slavery. Sex trafficking would not exist without the demand for commercial sex flourishing around the world. The U.S. Government adopted a strong position against prostitution in a December 2002 policy decision, which states that prostitution is inherently harmful and dehumanizing and fuels trafficking in persons.
Prostitution and related activities including pimping and patronizing or maintaining brothels encourage the growth of modern-day slavery by providing a façade behind which traffickers for sexual exploitation operate. Where prostitution is tolerated, there is a greater demand for human trafficking victims and nearly always an increase in the number of women and children trafficked into commercial sex slavery. Few women seek out or choose to be in prostitution, and most are desperate to leave it. A 2003 scientific study in the Journal of Trauma Practice found that 89 percent of women in prostitution want to escape prostitution but had no other options for survival.

Children Exploited for Commercial Sex

Each year, more than two million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade. Children are also trapped in prostitution despite the fact that a number of international covenants and protocols impose upon parties an obligation to criminalize the commercial sexual exploitation of children. The use of children in the commercial sex trade is prohibited under both U.S. law and the UN TIP Protocol. There can be no exceptions, no cultural or socio-economic rationalizations that prevent the rescue of children from sexual servitude. Terms such as "child sex worker" are unacceptable because they sanitize the brutality of this exploitation.

Child Sex Tourism

Child sex tourism (CST) involves people who travel from their own country to another and engage in commercial sex acts with children. CST is a shameful assault on the dignity of children and a form of violent child abuse. The commercial sexual exploitation of children has devastating consequences for minors, which may include long-lasting physical and psychological trauma, disease (including HIV/AIDS), drug addiction, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and possibly death.
Tourists engaging in CST often travel to developing countries looking for anonymity and the availability of children in prostitution. The crime is typically fueled by weak law enforcement, corruption, the Internet, ease of travel, and poverty. Sexual offenders come from all socioeconomic backgrounds and may hold positions of trust. Cases of child sex tourism involving U.S. citizens have included a pediatrician, a retired Army sergeant, a dentist, and a university professor. Child pornography is frequently involved in these cases, and drugs may also be used to solicit or control the minors.

Labor Trafficking

Most instances of forced labor occur as unscrupulous employers take advantage of gaps in law enforcement to exploit vulnerable workers. These workers are made more vulnerable to forced labor practices because of unemployment, poverty, crime, discrimination, corruption, political conflict, and cultural acceptance of the practice. Immigrants are particularly vulnerable, but individuals are also forced into labor in their own countries. Female victims of forced or bonded labor, especially women and girls in domestic servitude, are often sexually abused.
Forced labor is a form of human trafficking that can be harder to identify and estimate than sex trafficking. It may not involve the same criminal networks profiting from transnational trafficking for sexual exploitation. More often, individuals are guilty of subjecting one domestic servant or hundreds of unpaid workers at a factory to involuntary servitude.

Bonded Labor

One form of force or coercion is the use of a bond, or debt, to keep a person under subjugation. This is referred to in law and policy as "bonded labor" or "debt bondage." It is criminalized under U.S. law and included as a form of exploitation related to trafficking in the United Nations Protocol To Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (UN TIP Protocol). Many workers around the world fall victim to debt bondage when traffickers or recruiters unlawfully exploit an initial debt the worker assumed as part of the terms of employment or when workers inherit debt in more traditional systems of bonded labor. Traditional bonded labor in South Asia enslaves huge numbers of people from generation to generation.

Involuntary Servitude

People become trapped in involuntary servitude when they believe an attempted escape from their situation would result in serious physical harm to them or others, or when they are kept in a condition of servitude through the abuse or threatened abuse of the legal processes. Victims are often economic migrants and low-skilled laborers who are trafficked from less developed communities to more prosperous and developed places. Many victims are physically and verbally abused, experience breach of an employment contract, and/or are held captive (or perceive themselves as held captive).

Debt Bondage and Involuntary Servitude Among Guest Workers

The vulnerability of migrant laborers to trafficking schemes is especially disturbing because this population is so sizeable in some regions. Three potential contributors can be discerned: 1) Abuse of contracts; 2) Inadequate local laws governing the recruitment and employment of migrant laborers; and 3) The intentional imposition of exploitative and often illegal costs and debts on these laborers in the source country or state, often with the complicity and/or support of labor agencies and employers in the destination country or state.
Some abuses of contracts and difficult conditions of employment do not in themselves constitute involuntary servitude, though use or threat of physical force or restraint to compel a worker to enter into or continue labor or service may convert a situation into one of forced labor. Costs imposed on laborers for the "privilege" of working abroad can place laborers in a situation highly vulnerable to debt bondage. However, these costs alone do not constitute debt bondage or involuntary servitude. When combined with exploitation by unscrupulous labor agents or employers in the destination country, these costs or debts, when excessive, can become a form of debt bondage.

Involuntary Domestic Servitude

Domestic workers may be trapped in servitude through the use of force or coercion, such as physical (including sexual) or emotional abuse. Children are particularly vulnerable. Domestic servitude is particularly difficult to detect because it occurs in private homes, which are often unregulated by public authorities. For example, there is great demand in some wealthier countries of Asia and the Middle East for domestic servants who sometimes fall victim to conditions of involuntary servitude.

Forced Child Labor

Most international organizations and national laws indicate that children may legally engage in light work. In contrast, the worst forms of child labor are being targeted for eradication by nations across the globe. The sale and trafficking of children and their entrapment in bonded and forced labor are clearly the worst forms of child labor. Any child who is subject to involuntary servitude, debt bondage, peonage or slavery through the use of force, fraud or coercion is a victim of trafficking in persons regardless of the location of that exploitation.
Some of the children engaged in street begging, offshore fishing such as jermal, and work on plantations have been trafficked into their current situation.

Child Soldiers

Child soldiering is a unique and severe manifestation of trafficking in persons that involves the unlawful recruitment of children through force, fraud, or coercion to be exploited for their labor or to be abused as sex slaves in conflict areas. Such unlawful practices may be perpetrated by government forces, paramilitary organizations, and rebel groups. UNICEF estimates that more than 300,000 children under 18 are currently being exploited in more than 30 armed conflicts worldwide. While the majority of child soldiers are between the ages of 15 and 18, some are as young as 7 or 8 years of age.
Many children are abducted to be used as combatants. Others are made unlawfully to serve as porters, cooks, guards, servants, messengers, or spies. Many young girls are forced to marry or have sex with male combatants and are at high risk of pregnancy. Male and female child soldiers are often sexually abused and are at high risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
Some children have been forced to commit atrocities against their families and communities. Child soldiers are often killed or wounded, with survivors often suffering multiple traumas and psychological scarring. Their personal development is often irreparably damaged. Returning child soldiers are often rejected by their home communities.
Child soldiers are a global phenomenon. The problem is most critical in Africa and Asia, but armed groups in the Americas and the Middle East also unlawfully use children in conflict areas. All nations must work together with international organizations and NGOs to take urgent action to disarm, demobilize, and reintegrate child soldiers.

Domestic Work

Domestic workers both abroad and in Indonesia are trafficked into abusive labor conditions that include the following: forced long working hours, illegal confinement, non-payment of wages or reduced wages, debt bondage, physical and psychological abuse, sexual assault, denial of food or insufficient food, and the denied ability to practice religion or being required to violate religious practices. Some employers and agents hold passports and other documents to ensure workers do not try to run away.

Other Forms of Migrant Work

Although many persons migrate as domestic workers, others are promised unskilled jobs in factories, restaurants, cottage industries, or small shops. Some of these migrant workers are trafficked into abusive and hazardous working conditions with little to no pay. Many are trapped in such work through debt bondage, coercion, or violence.

Cultural Dancers & Entertainers

Women and girls are promised work as cultural dancers, singers, or entertainers in a foreign country. Upon arrival, many women are forced into sex work or other slave-like working conditions.

Mail Order Brides

Some women and girls who have migrated abroad as wives of foreign nationals have been deceived about the nature of the marriage. In such cases, husbands force their new brides into slave-like labor for their family or sell them into the sex industry.

Baby Trafficking

Some migrant workers are deceived into false marriages while working abroad and are then forced to give up their babies for illegal adoption. In other cases, housewives are deceived by a trusted domestic helper who runs away with the child to sell it on the black market.

Trafficking of internals

This type of trafficking is the most secret, cryptic and “perspective”. Many people in our world require for the transplantation of different internals (heart, kidney, and others). Through lack of internals, “black market” develops. Sometimes, the Russian press reports about cases of illegal trafficking of internals, but trustworthy information does not exist.

A number of means are necessary to force governments to act. Research has the potential to reveal the scope of the problem, if not the exact numbers of people involved. Research should cover all forms of trafficking, e.g., trafficking of women into forced prostitution, forced marriages, and forced domestic work, and of men, women, and children into forced labour or slavery in factories, fields, streets, and homes. Popular awakening, Undercover videos, high-profile media campaigns and international pressure are important tools that have been successful in many countries.

Human trafficking is first and foremost a human rights offence, in that the essence of the offence that could be called human trafficking is the denial of the most basic human rights to the victim.
Governments consistently fail to consider the crime from the perspective of the trafficked person and are particularly inept at understanding the problem from the perspective of trafficked women. They view trafficking as a problem of organised crime, migration, and/ or prostitution, rather than as a human rights abuse. Authorities appear rigid on the issue and insensitive to the rights and needs of trafficked persons.
A particularly difficult aspect of this work involves demonstrating to authorities that women who are trafficked into forced prostitution, forced domestic work, and other forms of forced labour should not be deprived of their rights on the grounds that they are undocumented migrants who 'knew' what to expect and so deserved what they' got'.
Even governments and NGOs that are sincerely concerned about the situation of trafficked women often treat the women as vulnerable and passive objects who are incapable of making reasoned judgments and, consequently, need to be rescued and 'rehabilitated'. The reality often stands in stark contrast. Trafficked women, and men, are likely to be strong, risk-taking individuals who have made rational choices and exercised their own agency in deciding to migrate. Unfortunately, they become victims of traffickers. They often have compelling reasons for leaving home, and those reasons remain once they are freed. From the trafficked person's perspective, their need to feed a family or send siblings to school may be stronger than their desire to see their traffickers brought to justice.
A significant difference could be made in the process if a different approach was taken to the provision of justice for human trafficking victims. The ´default´ position should be that people located/detected are trafficking victims. No harm can be done from providing basic human rights to all found in such circumstances, but much harm can be done by denying such rights to people already victimised and probably traumatised.

It is very much the case that at this point in the chronology of the crime that a victim presents as an illegal migrant first. It is only after some investigation that a victim may be recognised as such, if at all. The continued deprivation of liberty of the victim at this point is almost tantamount to a state -sanctioned continuation of the human rights offence perpetrated against the victim. Where rescued victims are deprived of their liberty by the state, denied any status, and deported as illegal migrants it is essentially a revictimisation by the criminal justice or immigration authorities of a State.

The tendency to objectify trafficked persons is doubly problematic when the focus is only on women and children who are trafficked into forced prostitution. This gendered focus and conflation of trafficking with forced prostitution is especially problematic in Western Europe, where governments and NGOs ignore other forms of trafficking as well as the trafficking of men. Women trafficked into forced prostitution are treated as 'madonnas' (innocent, vulnerable) who need assistance and support or as 'whores' (conniving, tainted) who need redemption and rehabilitation. . Governments and NGOs appear eager to help certain victims but not all victims. Objectification can also lead to laws and policies depriving young women of their right to leave their countries of citizenship by withholding passports or stopping women at the border. A human rights approach would lessen the potential for such discriminatory responses.

Another negative consequence of conflating trafficking with prostitution is the development of abolitionist proposals to criminalise prostitution and clients (but not the sex workers). Abolitionists believe that, by magically prohibiting prostitution, all forced prostitution and trafficking into prostitution will disappear. On the contrary, criminalising prostitution and clients simply gives more power to criminals. It forces independent sex workers into the hands of third parties who offer protection from arrest and police abuse. Once the industry is pushed underground, organised crime takes over and trafficking into forced prostitution increases.

Governments at the Protocol negotiations refused to accept an obligation to provide services to trafficked persons despite the existence of human rights principles that 'recognize the right of everyone [including non-citizens] to an adequate standard of living ... , including adequate food, clothing, and housing', 'the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger', and the obligation to create 'the conditions which would assure all medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness. Some delegates objected in principle and other raised financial concerns.

Delegates from poorer countries pointed out that their governments cannot afford to pay for services for their own citizens, let alone for immigrants. A Human Rights Caucus proposal to exempt poor countries from providing services until they are financially capable of doing so was not adopted.
In such a scenario a mechanism is required to be set up to ensure that the basic human necessities and services are provided to the trafficked persons. This shall only be in the best interests of humanity and in accordance with globally accepted Human Rights principles. This may include governments fail to provide any services, then NGOs will face the entire burden of providing services and seeking financial support from the government and other sources. The following services, which could be funded - at least in part from confiscated assets, should be provided or funded by the government: as:

Basic medical and mental health care;
Shelter that is not a form of prison or detention;
Protection from the traffickers;
Access to information on legal rights and to attorneys or advocates;
Financial or other assistance, for example, for food, clothing, and telephone calls home;
Means to return home safely.

Conclusions

Trafficking in persons or “human trafficking" — is a form of modern-day slavery.
In recent years, progress has been made in the development of a common understanding of human trafficking and in the establishment of international legal norms regarding trafficking in persons. Much less progress has been made, however, in determining the scale and magnitude of human trafficking and in developing effective ways to collect helpful data and much more needs to be done to eradicate the problem.

Governments and law enforcement agencies must be prepared to combat trafficking with increased vigor and, at the same time, prepared to provide adequate protection to the victims of trafficking. At the same time, society as a whole must understand the gravity of the issue and resolve to fight the growing problem.

The last of the abhorrent crimes against humanity needs to be fought by tough domestic laws and fluid international co-operation and understanding and active and immediate efforts at putting in place a system to eliminate the evil should be undertaken.

Human Trafficking is the most glaring example of a total failure, transcending throughout the world, to protect basic human rights, prevent the abuse of humans by other humans and prosecute those who abuse. It is not only in the interests of upholding human rights and securing them to every individual that the problem must be eradicated, but the world owes it to the millions of victims of this continuous exploitation, who could not be protected, whose dreams and hopes were snatched away, as a form of vengeance. Victory over this evil is true victory of the human spirit and kind.

Finally..

2009-01-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

Finally the days are here, the days I always wished never came.. the days post the college festival, the days that include nothing but the huge reading hall. And finally, college is almost over. Now thats scary! Now that college is almost over, im trying my best to think 'its gonna be okay after college'. But then again I try to be an optimist and I love to believe I am one, so life post college is gonna be fun. Something to look forward to. New work, new people, new friends, a different routine!

Now that I sit here and write this, I am sure its gonna be different and its gonna be fun although it can never replace college. But it can always be the same. So I think now Im almost ready, ready to move on and leave college. To try something new and make a career out of it. And most importantly to love it. Im sure Im gonna love it!!

(All this just because I was scared of college getting over. But no, Im scared nomore. Im eagerly looking forward to whats next)...

The AXE effect!!!

2008-06-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

Just realized something.. college has started now and im at college the whole day except in the evenings. And dunno why, time has started running too fast. During the vacations, the hands of the clock refused to move. And now that they have started moving, they just wont slow down a little. Im wondering why I started writing this post. And now I realize, I was just thinking of my Deodorant. Yes thats right, my Deodorant bodyspray. Sounds strange? Well, it does to me!

A very odd thing i'd like to mention here is one bottle of my deodorant lasts for almost a month. And for some reason, im buying new bottles real quick one after another. Does that mean the months are running too fast?? Or is it just the AXE effect? Well as strange as this post seems, so do the days, weeks and months seem to me. Or maybe it is really just the AXE effect!!

I THINK I HAVE LOST IT :D

My Daily Time table!

2008-05-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

The vacations are almost ending now, its almost june and college is gonna start soon. My college summer vacations are ending :( and this is my daily time table.. hehahah...

I get up every morning with my dog's nose on my face.

Start reading the newspaper along with my bed tea. Okay not my bed tea but my mug of tea that I have without brushing my teeth. (and yet i have never been to the dentist all my life. TOUCH WOOD!) :D

Watch TV.

Brush my teeth at around 11 or 12.

Have my breakfast.

Use the comp for some time.

Lunch time.

Computer time again (or leave for college).

Get back home and start reading. Get up again after reading 3 odd pages.

TV.

Dinner.

Walk my dog at night.

TV.

BED.

Im actually not very proud of this, but what the hell, college is about to start and these are the last summer vacations of my college life!! And i wana enjoy them now :D. And now that I know I have finished writing this post, I realized its too dumb. But again, this is a blog. Im writing what I feel. I feel relaxed. And I dont wana pull my hair out thinking what im gonna do after TY. Im gonna enjoy these 10 days! :D.. CHEERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:D

2008-05-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

Im so happy the damn music player is gone :D.. The songs were good, yes they were. But was just getting a little too irritating :p.. hehehehe.. Bye byeee.....heheheheh...

Whoa...

2008-05-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

Was just sitting earlier today and thinking about stuff generally, when I suddenly realized im in TY now. WHOAAA... im graduating next year which is almost about to start next month.
Although I knew this, it just struck me this is my last year of college. Last year in Ruia college, last year with college friends and last year at Vishnu and Narayan :p. Wow, im not that big yet, or am I? The feeling is quite scary, yet im looking forward to what i'll do in the future. Have planned quite a few things, hopefully they work out. I'll sound a little more optimistic now, I WILL do the things I have planned to do :D. Seriously, I remember every single day in college, since the day I got in after my 10th. Im so sure im gonna cry on the last day of Utsav :p. I know I will. But who cares, college will be over soon. Dunno what others think, but this college is one of the best. Atleast for me. And I have no regrets studying here. And im happy i'll complete 5 years here after my TY :D. YAY... But at the same time, im gonna miss college for sure :(..

Have a look :D

2008-05-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

I clicked this! :D >>>>>

Badey Miyan...!!

2008-05-01T02:18:00.000-07:00

After a not so tiring day in college, a friend and myself decided to go down to Colaba. Go down to Badey Miyan, a place of which we had heard a lot. Im sure every one of you must have heard of this place. And if not, you are missing out on something really great, just like we did until yesterday. And if you are a real foodie, you MUST be there as soon as you can.

The place, a 5 star hotel in itself, bang behind the real 5 star, Taj hotel, Colaba. All you gota to do is get down at VT station, and hop into a cab. And there you are, Badey Miyan. Its a medium sized stall which wont be that impressive at first sight. But you'll manage to see everyone from youngsters, to families, to the 'firangis', to old men. Although, it is a medium sized stall, all the footpaths around it are used as a place for the tables and chairs. And the waiters are quick and prompt. The food comes as soon as the glass of water reaches your table. You can eat your heart out, the food not being expensive, although its not that cheap too :). But as we say, its 'paisa vasool'. More than that I think. So tasty, not so oily, quite hygienic, delicious. And the best part is, it starts after 7 pm. Thats makes it a lot of fun. I would really suggest this place to all. Im anyways sure all of you must have heard of it a thousand times.
PS :- Only for people who eat non - veg food!

RAINY DAY!! (Part 2) :P

2008-04-20T00:59:00.001-07:00

Now if you are wondering why part one and two, its just that I was too bored typing stuff on the same post. Also the satisfaction of writing a new post. That increases my count of the number of posts written :P.

Anyways, as written in part 1, we slept at around 2 am. After an hour or so, we got up at around 3 - 3:30 in the morning and decided we'd start back home. At around 4 am, we started walking back, and soon realized that the water was deep, deeper than what it was last night and the rainfall heavier. All four of us got too excited now and we decided we'd continue walking instead of going back to college. We walked upto King's Circle again hungry and cold yet all excited. King's Circle was where the real fun was. A shopkeeper was offering unlimited tea just for Rs. 5. Now obviously he had some trick up his sleeves. Each one of us gave him 5 rs. and sipped almost 5-6 glasses of tea. Ofcourse it wasn't the best tea. The very smart guy had put a few extra litres of water in it. I was sure I would puke there and then. So we sat there for half and hour. When we felt a little better, we started walking again cursing that man.

From King's Circle, we started for Sion. That was the worst walk ever, yet fun. It was so very risky. Since all of us know how the roads are maintained by our very own BMC guys, the walk was so wonderful. Everyone had to walk in a single line, one behind the other. There were potholes, open manholes, gutters, etc. A few manholes overflowing which were almost like mini hurricanes. When we finally reached Sion hospital, the friend who stays at Dadar turned back, while the other two took their way back home, towards Thane. From Sion, I started walking alone. Reached Priyadarshani, where there was this super hero dog, who was determined to cross the road although he could hardly stay above the water level. The fun part was that everyone started cheering the poor thing and amazingly, the dog was succesful. He crossed the road and proudly turned back and gave all of us the 'look'. Once I reached Chembur, I knew dad was closeby. But all the excitement in me stopped me from going to my uncle's place. And so I decided to continue walking. But I soon realized it would be impossible to walk all through the Vashi bridge and then all the way back home. So I waved and stopped a truck. And before i could get in behind the tuck, fifty other people jumped in the truck. I however managed to squeeze in the truck, gave the driver 20 rs., and started my way back home. The truck driver dropped me at the Palm Beach road. Again, I had to walk the entire road. Finally when I was close to my place, I stopped at a tea shop for a while, all exhausted, muddy, stinking, ditry. I sipped one more glass of tea, feeling good this time and walked back home. I saw the news and then realized how bad the condition really was. That made me so proud. Altough the situation was really very bad and caused so many lives and damages, it just made me stronger. And it brought me face to face with mother nature.

RAINY DAY!! (Part 1) :D

2008-04-19T23:47:00.000-07:00

In this boiling hot weather, the only thing I can think of right now is the monsoons. The heat is unbearable and the roads are as hot as a frying pan. The other day I took my dog down for a walk and the poor thing couldn't walk on the road and amazingly I had to pick him up all the way back home :P. And now Im looking forward for the rains, not only because of the heat, but also because I love rains. The cool weather, the pleasant atmosphere and the cold showers make me smile and so optimistic. I look forward for all the good things to happen in my life. I keep smiling, I hate going back home, I love roaming in the rains and I love having chai. The monsoons double my chai intake :D.

Now that Im talking so much about the rains, the one day I can very well remember is 26/7, 2005. That is 26th July, 2005. The day that almost everyone from Mumbai hates has proved to be one of the most adventurous day of my life. The day was just next to perfect for me, not to mention the risk, fun, chai and the place my friends say is my second home, college! :D And the best part was me not being alone. I was in college with two of my friends. Getting back to where it all started, my friends and myself as usual were loitering around college, when we decided to go meet our Mam for our 12th standard classes inside Matunga market (our college being in Matunga). As we reached there, it started raining, raining heavily. When we decided to leave, some uncle told us about the trains not running and the streets being jammed. We wasted time deciding what to do, when we realized it was already 8 pm. A friend and myself decided to check out the situation ourselves, so we walked out only to find out that we were walking in to chest deep water. I remember being so cold!! We reached King's Cricle after 30 minutes, tired! It usually takes hardly 10 minutes to reach that place. We saw a huge traffic jam. Buses, cars, taxis, bikes, scooters, trucks etc, every possible vehicle. When we started walking back, to our amazement, we a saw a huge tree on a taxi, the windows smashed and the cab crushed! For some reason, I felt so excited when I saw that. We reached back to our class and decided we'd stay back in the class itself although our Mam for some very odd reason couldn't stop cribbing. She wanted to get back home. Finally irritated, she locked the class, shuuing us out and started walking her way back home with a fourth student. We had no option but to walk out. Wet and really cold, we requested a vada paav wala to give the three of us a vada pav each. We were short of money so the very kind guy gave us his left over vada paavs for free. We had no option but to have them because every single shop was closed.

We later on decided to walk towards Matunga railway station to check out if there were any trains running. It was so much fun to walk towards the station. My friend singing loudly while we walked desperately being ever so careful of the open manholes and gutters. Not surprisingly, no trains were running. Some one then told us about our college taking in students for the night. Happily, we started for college, but decided to roam around before getting there. And hence, there we were roaming, singing, shouting looking at the destruction around us. Huge trees on the ground, bikes lying under water, and four wheeler roof tops above the water. We could see people sitting outside the shutters of closed shops, smoking, a couple cuddling, a few chatting and we shouting and singing. Finally, when we reached college, all drenched and stinking, at around 11pm, to our amazement we saw almost hundred students there along with the non teaching staff, a few professors and our canteen 'Maushi'. They prepared such a wonderful meal. After filling up our stomachs, all of us called up our parents at a time. I was wondering what my parents would say, when dad told me he was stuck too and that he was staying at an uncle's place. He spoke to me as if all of us here in college were hijacked by terrorists! He asked me not to worry, be a brave boy and to be with my friends :P. Finally, all of us entered into a class room where we switched off the lights and all started singing loudly, banging the tables and desks. The songs sung were all marathi songs, so that made it so very different. Later on a friend called up at around 12 am and walked upto college all the way from Dadar. The fool reached at around 1 am. Later that night, or morning I should say, we couldn't sleep. So we walked down to the ground floor of the junior college and the four of us couldn't stop laughing for some very odd reason. Finally, we dozed off in the college lobby, on the tables....... ZZZZzzzzzzz.......

HMMMM.....

2008-04-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

Okay... We screwed up. I mean Arsenal screwed up. Big time. Its done. Everything is over now. I'l now wait for the next season. Until then, all you MAN U, Liverpool, etc. etc.. keep blabbering. Blah Blah Blah.. Arsenal rocks! Bleh you all..

Bucket List!

2008-04-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged again and this time I have to write about all the things I'd want to do before I die. This is Ali's idea which sounds so interesting (from the movie Bucket List). This is just one of the perfect things to post. I feel this post might just tell you what kind of a person I am. Or a part of what I am. Nevertheless, such topics always interest me a lot!

I wish to do so many things before I say goodbye. But that doesn't mean those are all and the only things I want to do. I want to keep doing something. And as I really haven't figured out what interests me, I dunno what those other things are. But I surely want to keep doing something for sure. As for now, the list is endless. But I'd still give this my short. These are the immediate things that come to my mind.

I surely do want to earn a lot! Not millions but quite a bit.
I'd love to have dogs around forever.
I want to roam a lot.
I want to make a shelter for all animals, where all of them can be treated.

Now although all this sounds too fake and too ideal or too dumb or too funny or blah blah.. thats all I can think of right now. I have got too many things that I need to do, which I cannot think of right now. And now I feel this post is a little to difficult to write. I anyways tag all those people who read this [:p]. And I will write if I really think of something serious. Maybe I can read this post and remember all my responsibilities and all the things I wana do before I die!

Metallica again!!!

2008-04-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

• Ain't My Bitch
(Hetfield/Ulrich)Outta my wayOutta my dayOut of your mind and into mine
Into no oneInto not oneInto your step but out of time
HeadstrongWhat's wrong?I've already heard this song beforeYou arrived, but now it's time to kiss your ass goodbye
Dragging me downWhy you around?So useless
It ain't my fallIt ain't my callIt ain't my bitchIt ain't my bitch
Down on the sunDown and no funDown and out, where the hell you been?
Damn it all downDamn it unboundDamn it all down to hell again
Stand tallCan't fallNever even bend at all beforeYou arrived, but now it's time to kiss your ass goodbye
Dragging me downWhy you around?So useless
It ain't my fallIt ain't my callIt ain't my bitch
Outta my way
Outta my wayOutta my dayOut of your mind and into mine
Into no oneInto not oneInto your step but out of time
HeadstrongWhat's wrong?I've already heard this song beforeYou arrived, but now it's time to kiss your ass goodbyeAnd now it's time to kiss your ass goodbye
Dragging me downWhile you around?So useless
It ain't my fallIt ain't my callIt ain't my bitch
No way but downWhy you're aroundNo fooling
It ain't my smileIt ain't my styleIt ain't my bitchOh, it ain't mine
Ain't mineYour kindYou're stepping out of time
Ain't mineYour kindYou're stepping out of time
Taking me downWhy you aroundNo fooling
It ain't my fallIt ain't my callIt ain't my bitchYou ain't mine

Blogger..

2008-04-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

There are many things that interest me. And although many things have interested me, I have never taken those things seriously. But lately, one thing that has interested me the most is blogging. Since I now have a lot of free time in my hands because of the vacations, i turned to blogging. And it has proved to be one of the most amazing things. Its so much fun to blog, to write, to scribble whatever I want and whenever I want. Through blogging, I can complain, scream, shout, laugh, do all that I want. It makes me think, think all the time. I now always keep thinking of what to write, how to write. And when it gets difficult to think about stuff, it makes me think harder. Although im not good at writing poems, songs, stories, etc, I now can atleast write.Write something. Write anything. And it makes me feel happy. I enjoy sitting up all night thinking about stuff to write. The best part of blogging is that I can design, colour, add pictures, videos, etc., to all the so called 'crap' I write. Another great part of blogging is that people can comment on the posts one writes. Reading the comments for my posts is FUN. Great FUN. I was never so eager for people to read what I write. I remember those days in school, where I had to read my essays, dialogue and letters aloud in the entire class, with almost 60 to 70 students staring at me, including one not so encouraging teacher. I was so scared then. It was like the worst thing for me. But when writing here, I donot have to care about anything. I wouldn't care if my teacher read this now. I wouldn't call this arrogance. But here I can be what I really am. I hope I get better here with every passing day and I hope I can start writing better someday. Until that day, im happy that I am blogging the way I want. Happy Blogging!!! [:)]

Tagged!

2008-04-02T01:17:00.000-07:00

Alright, i have been tagged and im supposed to write 5 things i'd do if was a girl. Sounds fun to be honest [:D] ..

1. Firstly, i'd surely cut my hair short so that i wouldn't have to apply oil every second day. I would have thus washed my hair everyday and thus I wouldnt be held responsible for spreading the oil all over the house, including the pillows, the telephone receiver, the TV remote control, the keyboard, the mouse, my dog, his tail, etc.. [:D]..
2. Secondly, if i decide not to chop my hair, id always jump into the swimming pool with a head cap. I certainly wouldnot want my hair to cloud the pool water and kids drowning because of me.
3. I would stop driving.
4. I would'nt stop the gossip sessions because i love gossip. I donot care if im a girl or a boy then.
5. And lastly, I wouldn't call a guy writing such a blog a male chauvinist.
These are the 5 things i'd do if i was a girl. And seriously, im not a male chauvinist [:)]. Now i TAG all those who read this post. And if you are thinking why this pic, then thats because i wanted to add more effect to this post by adding any pic of a girl with hundreds of metres of hair. And my friend 'lola' insists this pic to be scary. Is it? lol.. Happy Blogging! [:)]

Metallica!

2008-04-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

Well, where shall i start when i talk about Metallica. Just like most of the music bands, Metallica is also a band, a pure Heavy Metal band, with a history full of ups and downs. This band consists of pure creative minds, who every single time, have created something so amazing, that every single song tends to be a favourite. The band consists of the lead singer, James Hetfield, the drummer, Lars Ulrich, the lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett and the base guitarist, Robert Trujilo, Robert Trujilo being the latest band member. Earlier, Dave Mustaine was the lead guitarist. However, due to some differences, Mustaine left the band and later formed another great band, Megadeath. Getting back to the band's music, as mentioned above, it has every single time proved to create something so amazing and different, that most of the songs are immortal till date, the band being formed in the year 1981. Metallica proves wrong many people who have this 'typical' attitude towards (heavy) metal bands. Like those 'other' metal bands, the songs by Metallica wont cause a headache for sure. Infact, i personally have seen so many of my friends turn to metal, just because of Metallica. The band has many hits on their list, a few of them being Fade to Black, The Unforgiven, Carpe Diem Baby, Nothing else Matters, Fuel, Master of Puppets, One, etc. This band is my personal favourite. For all the days i have been listening to Metallica, i donot remember a single day where i was bored of their songs. And im quite sure that many people out there agree to what i say. If not the music, one would definitely love their lyrics and vice- versa. But what i'd say is, when the lyrics and the music by these artists come together, it creates wonderful piece of work! I so wish that someday the band comes down to India and performs live!!

Random thoughts..

2008-03-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

Alright.. i have been sitting here staring at the computer screen for such a long time thinking what to write.. and nothing comes to mind.. and the internet for some odd reason wont stop disconnecting.. my vacations are on and im waiting for the results not so eagerly.. speaking about the results, id love to mention my second year in college.. well college as usual is too much fun for me.. i cannot miss a single day.. i just love going down to college.. getting up early and going back home not before 5 although my college ends at 12.. being in college is a very important thing for me.. just being in college.. and sometimes a few lectures. Not all of them. Although when i think about the "academic year" syba, the feeling down my stomach is not really pleasant.. to be honest, college for me is about having fun, bunking lectures, blah blah.. but again to be honest, its also about the lectures, exams, the subjects, the portion, etc.. to be specific, the year syba has just bounced over my head and i many a times honestly think about how a student, not only me, but how all the students are supposed to study 8 subjects. 8 subjects that are vast.. not really difficult, but 8 vast subjects when one just has to attempt '8' 50 marks paper, ie. answer only four questions in each paper. In short, i cannot describe the second year of college.. 8 papers for me are too much, not to mention the pressure during the exams. Im not saying i worked my ass off, but somehow, answering 8 papers is a little too much.. here i dont mean i hate education.. but the system being very strange.. PS: im being specific and speaking only about Second Year BA.. Im sure this post aint "mature" enough and maybe it is incomplete.. but thats all i can think of right now.. and this is what comes to my mind when i think of my second year in college.. I think i have been quite "honest" in this post [:p].. I hope i have been successful enough to scribble my thoughts on this topic.. hammer me people!! :)

epl

2008-03-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

Talking about the english premier league.. we, the Gunners, ie. Arsenal (im an arsenal supporter) suddenly find ourselves from the top to the third position.. with Manchester United leading with just seven matches to go.. all thanks to Drogba.. and im sure the thousands of Man U supporters in every square centimetre of the city are smiling.. n already our captain, Gallas is being criticized.. but one never knows wht might happen within those seven games.. not to mention arsenal's victory over the world's best team (my viewpoint) AC Milan.. oh and also d latest victory over Bolton (3-2).. the victory over Bolton makes it six games i guess.. with fingers crossed.. we eagerly wait for the remaining six games.. a task tht is next to impossible for arsenal!

Thank you guys!

2008-03-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

Okay i just posted something.. im still nervous abt all this.. but im glad i started writing this.. since i dunno what else to write.. i guess i better thank my three friends who have at some point asked me to do this!! ehehe.. thank u aditi (fundo), maansi and alisha.. ehehe.. :)

Carpe Diem Baby..

2008-03-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hit dirt

Shake tree

Split sky

Part sea
Strip smile

Lose cool

Bleed the day

And break the rule

Live, win

Dare, fail

Eat the dirt

And bite the nail

Then make me miss you

So wash your face away with dirt

It don't feel good until it hurts

So take this world and shake it

Come squeeze and suck the day

Come carpe diem, baby

Draw lead

Piss wine

Sink teeth

All mine

Stoke fire

Break neck

Suffer through this

Cheat on death

Hug the curve

Lose the time

Tear the map

And shoot the sign

Then make me miss you

So wash your face away with dirt

It don't feel good until it hurts

So take this world and shake it

Come squeeze and suck the day

Come carpe diem, baby

Live, win

Dare, fail

Eat dirt

Bite the nail

Strip smile

Lose cool

Bleed the day

And break the rule

Hug the curve

Lose the time

Tear the map

And shoot the sign

Then make me miss you

So wash your face away with dirt

It don't feel good until it hurts

So take this world and shake it

Come squeeze and suck the day

Come make me miss you

Come carpe diem, baby