The Indian in The Old Barbershop

Lazy, Techie, Gadget lover, Procrastinator, well behaved, Emotional, Environment friendly, animal lover, Internet freak, Formula-1 fanatic, Cricket lover, a Manchester United fan, and above all, an INDIAN. Well, that kind of sums me up as a new writer in Bob’s blog. I had never thought I would be writing out such posts when I started blogging back in November 2008. I had always thought I would be into something technical, something that would always involve my interest for Computers and gadgets. My acquaintance with Bob can be categorized under “strange”. We do not know each other in person, no family terms, no business requirements. We met on a community site and I left out a message for Bob to visit my blog, TekBlogger. Bob visited me and asked me to “Pardon the Old man’s ignorance, but what is a full time Engineering course”. At once, I had known that Bob would be a good friend to be with. And so I am here, only ten sentences exchanged between Bob and me, and I am writing out a post for Bob. Bob, you are a wonderful man and I am loving this post more than my regular posts at my blog. When I first visited the Old Barbershop, the first glance told me there was but not much for me in it. It was more about friends coming together and talking about something they did in the past or something they were doing in the present. But as and when I read some of the posts written by Bob and Carol (Pardon me, these are the two people I have read on Barbershop up top now), I realized that if I did not follow what I read there, I would be missing out on something I should know. It lets you feel so very confident when you read out what Bob has to offer by sharing his experiences. Skipping the formalities, let me first introduce myself to the Barbershop. People around me call me Ashutosh Tiwari, (you can always call me Ashu), I am a native from India, and I love the Internet and Blogging. Though only a year since I have been into this beautiful pastime, I am loving it already. I am an engineering graduate (I know as I write out this post that I have already bored you people a lot and am still going on doing it, but you will excuse an engineer for being more boring, won’t you). My story about myself is kinda the same as is for most Indians, I was born in a Hindu family way back in November 1986. I was an excellent student all through my school (I guess up to class XII, after which I had my attention diverted to various other things but studies). As soon as I completed School, I went to an engineering college to get my four years degree in Computer Science. (In India, when you are born, the path is laid down for you. When I was born, people already had started hoping that I would be a bright engineer and my parents will be proud of their son. Not only your parents, everybody else expects you to become something they want, I know it sounds embarrassing but still remains a fact). So, I completed my degree in 2009, i.e., this year June, and am back to my place with my dear Mom and dearest Dad. (I have a job with me but I think I will be joining the company only later this year or early the next year). Completing all short and long introductions about myself with all words and phrases describing me as a person and telling very little about what I do or have done all my life (the long 23 years), I guess it would be harsh not to mention something about India and what I feel about it. When you talk about India, you are talking about a nation that accommodates almost all cultures that can exist on this earth. (Rule 377 of Indian Constitution was challenged by a decision by the judiciary in favor of Gays), so that presumably tells you we are now ready to change and accommodate almost everything on this planet. I have not been abroad (yet) and have no plans whatsoever, because I find the environment in India so complete. According to me, (though me still being very young to make such a call), I feel a person can live his life in two of the following ways: fast or slow. So if you are a person who wishes to slow down a bit while doing a lot of work, India has place for you. If you wish to rough yourself and push yourself to the limits in your area of expertise, India still has a place for you. We still follow all our relationships with so much of understanding that many will find difficult to digest. For instance, I still know the great grand children of the cousin of my great grand father and anything that happens in their family affects the people of my family. When you sit down to think of it, it may seem a bit odd and a bit useless, but in the end, its India you are talking about, we maintain what we have maintained!! When you start visiting temples, you will find people offering more to the idols than they would have offered to a person who was in desperate need. It’s not because we don’t care, but because we have so much of faith in those stone idols. We somehow still fear that if we don’t cater to the needs of those that are watching us (The Gods), no good can ever come to us. Pilgrims gathering in thousands and millions everyday on the banks of the holy Ganges; when you see them, you know, nobody can ever make them understand, their taking bath in the Ganges does not help them get better, but pollutes the river. But as I said, its India frenz!! You won’t believe me when I tell you this; my grandfather won’t shave on Thursdays, why, because his father did not, and his father did not, and his father did not and so on….You can’t blame it on them, they have done it for so many years that they won’t understand. But yes, we follow it, not because it is right but because it pleases our elders and we respect and love them so much… And yes, we care for each other a lot, even a beggar who seems quite fit in health is given proper food to eat and is given few bucks to buy his next meal. Does it not impress you that even begging can be a profession for about a million people in India? (According to stats, there are more than a million beggars in India who make their living sitting outside temples and mosques or going door to door). There can be no doubt whatsoever in the natural beauty that we have within our boundaries. The extreme north contains Kashmir which has no comparison I am told in terms of natural peace and beauty. I have been to every part of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and believe me, once you find a silent corner in the Himalayas, a perfect venture for snow and peace together, close your eyes and sit still, thinking nothing but about yourself, you will know why poets call Kashmir, the paradise on earth. It seems I will never end up writing when I talk about India, so let me keep something for the next post. I will be visiting soon and will definitely have something for all the readers of Bob’s barbershop!!. It was fun writing out something for you Bob, and at such short notice, I could not think of something better. Cheers!!