Kerala elections – from Texas

LDF had won, but the bigger news of course was that NDA* had scored 0 seats, sending Malayalis all over the world (once again) into the collective self-patting that we love to engage in

I once read an article someone wrote about their father who moved to the US 40 years back with family. When asked if he didn’t miss home, the father said he had woken up every one of those days wishing he were back in his hometown in India.

I woke up this morning to an Instagram filled with stories from my circle. They were all about Kerala election results. Last night on our video call, I had found from Amma that LDF was leading. LDF had eventually won, but the bigger news of course was that NDA* had scored 0 seats, sending Malayalis all over the world into the collective chest-thumping we love to engage in.

In the kitchen, I glanced at the hashbrowns I’d planned to fry for breakfast. I then proceeded to take out dosa batter from the fridge, and put on my kattan (black tea) to boil.

*part of BJP/Modi’s party, put briefly

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Virus

I watched Lady Bird for the first time on 26th March.
I remember the day because I had woken up to my phone buzzing with messages from concerned friends and family – US had overtaken China on the Covid dashboard the previous night to hit 85k cases, and the world was slowly waking up to that in different places. I’d been attending online classes from home for a week, it was a sunny day and most importantly, I had to get a drug test taken at Emory that morning for my summer internship.

The lady at the empty lab was aghast at the sight of me until I told her I was there just for a pee test. Through the two hours that I was out, I was super stressed out and worried shitless, wanting to be anywhere but outside.

I returned to my apartment to find Whole Foods bags delivered outside the door. Bless Amazon. I took all the stuff inside, washed my face and hands, wiped the surface of my phone with hand sanitizer (is that what you’re supposed to do?), threw everything I wore including socks into the dirty laundry cardboard box because who knows what the virus might’ve hooked on to?

I then took a shower, got to my bed, emailed HR that the drug test was done, wondering if the virus was already inside me, all the while thinking about the bus driver on my way back who wanted to know if we’d be back in college by Easter like the President said.

Probably not, I told him (Do you want us to die?). We need to keep things open, you know. It’s just depressing to see the world shut down. Speak for yourself, I wish I weren’t out right now. He was actually sweet and friendly, but I also knew I was going to constantly monitor myself for symptoms for 2 weeks thence. No it wasn’t all that bad then, I was just super paranoid.


US reached 100K cases that evening while I was watching Lady Bird on Prime. The President was talking about opening up localities where cases had slowed down. Blame capitalism and us for letting it feed off us; Amazon, Apple and their sweatshops across the world. Did I still not interview in these places? Yes, sure, but only to prove a point, I guess the competition was too high for me to get to my point. Anyway.

I drank an entire Tropicana bottle that day to buff up my immune system.
Then I hyperventilated once every 3 days until the 2 weeks had passed, suffered some 13 episodes of self-diagnosis followed by panic, and finally began getting out of my apartment two weeks ago once my deadlines were done and summer vacation began.


I haven’t used the bath tub here ever, only the shower. Not even during fall break. Well I’m glad summer is here.

I was trying to learn a choreography today (been all week), and I’m tired and sweaty and my frothy fragrant bath awaits me. One of the positive impacts of a regular physical activity in my life is tire from exhaustion rather than the lack of sleep that I’m used to. My worked up body eventually leads to better hygienic practices, some kind (and frequency) of food intake and even sleep, all of which I’ve been missing these days.

I take inside the bathroom our short stool to have my tiny Bluetooth speaker closeby. I also make sure everything I may need – shampoo, gel, scrub, etc – is handy on the counters to not ruin my upcoming experience.

The water is warm and the bubbles are friendly, and I can see my feet up on either sides of the running faucet. Much like in Lady Bird, different context though. My flatmates aren’t home (haven’t been since spring break), Ae Hairathe Aashiqui reverberate within the bathroom walls, the door is locked from the inside so even if somebody breaks in they could never enter or I could buy time to dial 911. All is good. I could fall asleep right here, eyes closed, the warm blanket reaching upto my neck.

So the other day a girl in my LinkedIn feed thanked Jeff Bezos for inspiring her, only the previous day news had come out about a VP quitting over firings. More than 50% of LinkedIn posts are infuriating anyway.

I open my eyes. The fact that every single item surrounding me was from either Amazon or Walmart hit me. The speaker was Amazon, my shampoo was Amazon, the razor and everything else was either Walmart or Target. I sink further into my blanket.

This is old. You would think an active mind is where thoughts creep up, thoughts and no action of any consequence. How about leave my worn out system alone to doze off on the tub?

I should worry more about the orange juice without pulp that I bought yesterday. Like someone said, I could make a difference to that. I should also try the Lady Bird thing some time. Too exhausted for it now.

So lying in the tub, I decided to not check the numbers today, and I don’t want to know what Trump is saying, I cannot bear to look at migrant laborers’ pictures and stories in my feed, not for another two days, and not knowing seems better than curling up every third day.

I resume my bath, close my eyes again. Radha ragasiya is amazing in the bath tub or even for the shower. I need to do this more often.

I forgot I also have kanji payar waiting for me for when I’m done, ravenous as I know I will be. This will be a good night after all.



Some days, I cannot decide if this vacation is all that bad. I keep my bars low and that helps.

Where numbers come from

So one day last year, three of us were discussing about the rise of BJP in India. The conversation mainly revolved around their proliferation despite outright communal agendas and intolerance.

P1 : But I mean, who votes for these bigots? I don’t expect a remotely sensible person would vote them to power.

Me : I can only speak for myself. Now I may bark liberalism in the workplace and about freedom of expression etc among my social circles, yet when I enter the polling booth – sorry but the Hindu in me is aroused and I vote for thaamara (lotus). Not sorry. (*wink* intended)

P2 (pleasantly surprised) : YEA I KNOW RIGHT! SAME HERE! Same happens with me! Wonder why that is…

P1 & Me :

ആാാ!

How I Made It To the IAS

Disclaimer : This is a grossly misleading account of how I, a non-existent guy, made it to a non-existent service. Kindly do not take it to heart or mind or soul. More importantly, do not hunt me down.

This article is a standalone piece on my path to IAS aka Indian Acronyms Service, a new pseudo- All India Service created and tailored to suit the needs of the present government. If you came here looking for the Indian Administrative Service as I’m sure most of you did, I have to tell you this here is THE NEW bomb right now.

Did you really think the catchy acronymic names of government schemes with no-nonsense fullforms grew on trees (GoT)? It is a result of our Pact (Persistent And unprecedented Creative Talent) and Stuff (Sunny Times Under Football & Fun) and Shit (Shit Has no Ixpansion Though), and not putting together random words as many think it to be.

So here goes.

Getting into IAS is a 3 step process, a lot like the all India services, but not really.

STAGE 1 : The Preliminary Test

Although the competition isn’t as high as for the Civil Service test, I’m sure once this article is out, the number of job applicants will increase by tenfold if not more. The syllabus is pretty much the same which is everything under the sun. This is to ensure that even if somebody (more often than not) mistakes us to be an officer from the Administrative Service, which we usually tend to not rectify, we should be a convincing one at the least.

The exam itself is 50% LUCK, 50% Hardwork and 50% Qualifying Math which I’m naturally good at. I’d say another 25% part is played by political correctness.

For eg: What is SCAM?

(a) Save Country from Amit shah and Modi
(b) SP, Congress, Akhilesh and Mayawati
(c) Both (a) & (b)
(d) I support Jayalalithaa

Like I mentioned, this is not really an all India service to be apolitical.

I owe a lot of my success to Luck (Look Up online in Case of Konanders). For those that don’t know, it’s an app allowed in the exam hall, accessible only to those who voted Yes when MyGov asked “Do you support demonetisation?”

STAGE 2 : The Mains exam (written)

Pro-tip: Squeeze in at least one acronym in every sentence possible, the more it annoys the reader the better. Flaunt your creativity, even if you have none.

This is where they test your skills in balanced articulation, neutered criticism, etc (Exemplary Tailwagging to Central policies). Diplomacy here is key (Kickass Excellence in Your test). Okay I’ll stop that shit.

STAGE 3 : The Personal Interview

This has to be the toughest stage, what with the mental pressure et al (Every Two minutes At the Loo). Present in my interview board was who I will call MPD or Mere Pyare Deshvasiyon (not in the least cos naming him might get me in trouble)’s hologram.

I fainted out of sheer awe at the mere sight of it him.

“Would you like some nariyal juice?” a behind-the-scenes guy ran to me and asked.

“You mean nariyal PAANI, yes please,” I croaked. I knew the panel was impressed. Your degree of political correctness has to be breath-taking, even when your own breath has taken off.

“So tell us, since you fainted et al, why do you admire MPD?”

“Because he is a man with a big heart, sir.”

“Oh you have seen his MRI Scans?”

“Well what do you think the 56 inch chest houses then? Aloo gobi? It’s his BIG heart. I’m sorry to say (SOS), but you sound anti-national (ANAL).” The rest of the panel turned to him, fuming. I thought my job was done.

“Here’s my Adhar, and here’s my screensaver” – it was a cow Gomaatha, “I have a Jio Sim and I only use PayTM.” “Tch tch, sorry we misunderstood”.

“Well. Back to you. What do you think of India’s demographic dividend and our rising population?”

“Sir, when the Army officers and BSF jawans are working day and night at Siachen so that the country sleeps peacefully at night, I do believe people should just sleep peacefully at night, instead of contributing their share to the population. It is the least we could do”.

“Actually…,” the HR member cut in.

SHIT, I knew there had been a technical glitch. Wasn’t India’s population actually stabilizing? I’d fallen into their pit.

“… you do know that babies can be made during the daytime (DAD)?” Well thank god.

“Sir, perhaps if we could make a policy to empower moral policing groups in the context of PvtDA, as it already is legalized in case of PDA, that’s when India would really shine, and that is how India will become digital.”

I knew I was almost there. The cherry on top coming up.

“Or we could play the National Anthem in loudspeakers in every locality every few hours, that’ll terrify them out of their wits, and beds.”

At this, the 56-inch torso’ed hologram got up on his legs, and said, “YOU. YOU will join my Kitchen Cabinet on Monday.”

“But sir, I don’t have a degree in Political Science, I can hardly cook.”

“I’m sure we can do something about that,” said the HR guy. He was already on the phone  – “Yes it’s me again, we’ll need another couple of certificates.”


Like I said, the interview is a little unconventional, but if you get through, you’re a quasi-public servant/IAS officer. You also get a Jio subscription for lifetime complementary.

I soon got married to a rich businessman’s daughter on account of my job title *wink*. She almost kicked me out when she found  what the ‘A’ stood for. Her mother was about to hurl at me my beloved miniature figurine of UN-adjudged ‘The Most Charming PM in The World’ (kuch bhi) when I remembered and yelled, “The car! I still get the car! With the red beacon!”

“OH! Well why didn’t you say so in the first place, son? Come on in,” my mother-in-law beckoned.

Indian parents.

 

PS : This was written after I learnt what PRASAD stands for. I mean seriously.

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