don't lEavE homE

it seems like Murphy's law and air travel go hand in hand. If you don't think so, well it surely does go hand in hand in my case. i am a staunch believer of Murphy's law and it is for real good reasons. here is one.

it was my day of return from the American dream. i was on my way back to the land of the normal and abnormal, land of shattered dreams, India. for the first time since long, it snowed (practically ice but I'm taking some artistic liberty) in Dallas and i managed to reach airport just in time. i got the boarding passes but not after i shelled out 50 bucks (DOLLARS not rupee) for the over weight luggage. at the airport security check, i don't know why (may be because i am a young man in the right age to blow up things or may be i was brown) i was taken through some intensive security checks, no complaints as it ensures some false security in our palpable minds.

at the new york JFK airport i had a 5 hour wait and finally when the boarding time dawned, emirates showed the true Asian spirit. they came around 2 hours late after all the defrosting the plane and length check in process to board the mega airbus a-380. needless to say, for the first time i saw snow (no artistic liberties here) in my life. to blow down the joy of seeing snow and having wonderful food and movies on board the behemoth, the flight landed in Dubai 2 hours late and the painfully long time to get out of the 380, oh man Murphy was laughing at me saying I told you so...

i ran breathing my lungs out through the Dubai emirates terminal number 3 and when i finally reached the gate, it was closed (no surprises here). then i contacted the transfer desk and they were able to find a flight leaving to Bangalore 5 hours later. thank God, at least i have a flight. i waited endlessly and sleepily until the hour struck and was soon on my way back to the garden city (cliche accepted).

do amEricans cElEbratE Christmas?

Of course dummy they do. That will be the first reaction of any normal human being. After all they are one large conglomeration of Christians and of course they ought to celebrate it.
OK, now let me explain my stand on this. Americans do CELEBRATE during Christmas. Wait a minute, I said, celebrate DURING Christmas. Hmm I smell a rat. In fact what I meant is Americans don't spare the celebration during Christmas, but what they seem to celebrate is question worth asking. Well, the time from Black Friday to Christmas is the biggest shopping season in the US of A. So what? During these 30 days or so, in the name of Christmas they spent a hell of a sum shopping for gifts and other such items of colossal waste not to mention the parties and boozing during Christmas. All this to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ who, despite being son of the God, opted to be born in a humble manger outside the rich & prosperous quarters of the city. In celebrating Christmas as a giant shopping season they are destroying the name of the Christ and the path that he asked us to follow, one of humility and service to others.

The way Christmas has been contorted is so evident that the main character during this season is Santa Claus. The picture of Santa that I had was one of a priest who led a pious life and helped the poor and needy of his society and who never took or wanted to take credit for any of his work. Claus has been turned into a gargantuan of consumerism and capitalist awkwardness.

It seems, Americans are taught from childhood onwards to be big spender and they reach the pinnacle of this during this season. How else can you explain the greed and selfishness that surrounded the black Friday trampling of a security guard in one of the wal-mart stores during this year’s black Friday? I heard that the Wal-Mart was temporarily closed because of this sad demise but they customers demanded that the store be opened. All this from a supposedly high cultured society that wears this mask of courtesy and pretence.

As Gandhiji once remarked, if the Christians acted like the Christ did, then all world would be Christian and peaceful. By jumping into this madness of consumerist bandwagon, pride, arrogance, selfishness and greed they have denounced the teachings of Christ and no longer credits themselves to be called Christians. But they quote God for all the wrong reasons like going to war and attacking helpless civilians and destroying nations.

The only silver lining seems to be the fact that the name of the Christ is associated only with the name "Christmas" and as years go by this time of the year will be called something like mega shopping season or festival of shopping.