Hidden Worlds

I am a documentary addict. I will watch any documentary provided it keeps me glued to the screen. There I was flicking through the channels while waiting for the water to boil. My parents use traditional kettles to heat water so yea, there is a certain while to spare before the water's temperature reaches boiling point. 

Anyway, that's not the point.

This documentary was about Transvestites from two different regions in Asia. 

Both the regions were covered alternately. But I'm not gonna go back and forth of course. The first region was from this particular place called Koovagam from Tamil Nadu, South India. This area was famous for its large population of Transvestites or Hijras/Aravanis. They are often referred to as the Third Gender. I am assuming this reference is within the Indian population. Correct me if I'm mistaken. These people pray to a particular Hindu deity called Aravan which probably was the origin for the term Aravani. Why you may wonder, that they pray to this particular God and not to the well known Shiva or Elephant God. 

Apparently the reason goes back all the way to the Ancient Indian Scripture, Mahabharat. Aravan deity was looking for a bride and many refused to marry him. Seeing his plight, the Lord Krishna, took the form of a female and married Aravan. Funny how they choose to pray to Aravan and not Krishna. Hmm..The Anthropologists who were interviewed didn't clarify this choice either. 

So, one of the many rituals that these Hijras look forward to is the day when they will be married to Aravan. On this particular day, the "females" dress themselves up, purchase the sacred Mangalsutra and head to the temple of Aravan. There the priest ties the holy thread around the Hijras, to signify the sanctimony with their God. And only the Priest of that particular temple has the right to tie the knot. These brides remain brides only for a day. The next day the thread is cut, their bangles are removed and they are widowed. "This is the only way and Aravan  is the only person we can be married to", says one of the Hijras who was recently "widowed".

The other community were the Bugis people  from Sulawesi Islands, Indonesia. Many or at least the majority of the human race on Earth and the mentality we have been nurtured with is that 'there are two genders in this world'. What the Bugis men believe is that, there are not 2 but 5 genders in this society. The first two are the traditional male and female roles. The other three refers to males who are brought up as females, females brought up as males and finally a speciel group of male priests who are capable of being male and female concurrently. Strange would be an understatement. It is both interesting and baffling to learn about these communities.

Initially I thought these priests were being similar to bi-sexuals. But not exactly. The priests grow beards like males, they dress themselves up as females. They use cosmetics similar to that of females. A particular ritual meant requires them to prove that there is a spirit present in their body; a good spirit I'm assuming. To prove the presence, they use a traditional Indonesian knife or Kris and stab themselves in the palm, cos the hands are used to touch things. The throat, cos food enters via the throat and finally the stomach cos thats where the journey of the food ends. Their knowledge on digestion is not thorough but thats besides the point. 

These priests are the ones who also hold rituals for the two other genders apart from the conventional males and females.

I learn something new everyday and people amaze me every other day as well. I am impressed with the world I inhabit. 

A Random Ayu-bowan!

Cleared my room of the few stuff that still remains to remind me I grew up within that four purple walls. One of it was this huge world map that kept me company on days when I repeatedly told myself why the periodic table was my Bible.  The map by the way is gonna cross seas and accompany me back to Shanghai. :-)

I was doing all of these; cleaning and packing away without my mom telling me too. Which explains how so very bored I was. It was raining every other day, and I felt ill for a couple of days as well. On a whim I decided to leave the cuckoo's nest for a short while before I leave for my semester again. No, I didn't make that decision cos both my mental and physical status were on a record low. Randomness makes up my life.

Oh well, bottom line is: I have now recovered and am gonna head to the nation that has only recently, come to embrace peace. The location however only involved partial randomness. Budget control is a must for unemployed undergraduates. So, the place was a random pick from the list of where-usha-will-be-able-to-afford-ten-days-without-sleeping-on-the-roads.

googled the image guys :P

If any one of you reading this have visited this part of the world, let me know what I should be looking forward to. If there ain't none, wait a while and I will come enlighten you. ;-)

I wanted New York...

Apart from the awesome music and voice, I am head over heels in love with the lyrics. It sums up my present feelings. If not entirely, partially at least. I would gladly run without shoes in the rain to catch paper planes and a Pollock's splashed on my wall might just give character to my room. :) :)

I wanted nothing

I wanted it all

I wanted green

not yellow leaves

In the fall

I wanted sugar

But I don't do sweet

I wanted a simple talking

boy with philosophy

I wanted New York

I dreamed of Berlin

I ran with no shoes in the icy rain

to catch paper planes

And I don't know how 

I got lost here now

So I close my eyes 

for a slow surprise

I prayed with a gypsy

I slept with a saint

I wanted a Pollock's splashed 

on my wall without any paint

I looked for a feeling

I only found numb.

I put out a welcome mat at my door 

so no one would come

I wanted New York

I dreamed of Berlin

I ran with no shoes in the icy rain

to catch paper planes

And I don't know how

I got lost now

I just close my eyes 

for a slow surprise

I waited for Christmas

without all the lights

I rolled up a snow-pot of jokes

I'm too scared of heights.

I wanted New York

I dreamed of Berlin

I ran with no shoes in the rain

to catch paper planes

And I don't know how

I got lost now

Don't tell me to close my eyes

when there's no surprise

I wanted New York

I dreamed of Berlin.

- I Wanted New York - Leonie Casanova -