Thoughts # Stereotypes

I’ve been gone a while again. But I recently realised that I write because I want to. So that should allow me some slack…

I spoke to an interesting girl recently. One who is vehemently against any stereotypes. I am not sure how I feel about that. I don’t like being stereotyped. But many phrases that we use in our daily lives are at the end of the day stereotypes. Words which previously held little significance for me now hold immense meaning because I’ve suddenly realised something that the society and I have done without ever realising it. Generalising people based on color, caste, gender, occupation, nationality or even religion.

Do I subscribe to such bias? No. Yes I dislike certain nations or people because of their actions/inactions but do I hate every single one of them? The answer probably is no. But the truth is I don’t know. What I do know is that only some blondes are dumb just like only some brunettes are dumb. Yet until I spoke to this one person (who I am sure my subconscious mind ingrained with certain subtle bias shall chase away), I never truly realised that yes, I too use certain words that may be offensive to the people concerned.

And for this reason I will strive to improve myself. Yes. Some may say I’m doing this for a girl. But even if that’s your reason, improving yourself is never wrong. Though I do hope you’ll continue even if she leaves. Because regardless of whether some fat person has a disorder or whether he’s just fat it isn’t our business and we should be more concerned about what we are doing wrong than what they’re doing in their own lives.

Good bye and Good Night! 🙂

Signing off.

Thoughts # Head of Household

I’ve been questioning some of the things I think. Topics which are usually taken for granted but are actually not. I’m an Indian. And while this immediately causes some people to generalise me as a Male Chauvinist interested in only Bobs and Vagene. I can’t help but wonder why is this the image of Indian men in particular.

But I digress.

I was thinking about various topics the first of which started from a seemingly simple question I read on a pseudo-personality test: “Do you think men should be the heads of household?”

The answers were an MCQ in Yes or No. So I started wondering what the actual answer to this question was. What exactly is a “Head of the Household”? As one of the 21st Century Internet-addicted guy I took to Google to search the definition of this term and what I came across was this:

Vocabulary.com defined it as “a person who is in charge. The Patriarch or Matriach”

Yourdictionary.com defined it as “the person responsible for governing a group that lives together such as a family”

The question the arose here was what makes a Head a Head? (I’m not ashamed to admit the repetition made me laugh)

In my family, as the sole bread earner I suppose my father is the head of the household. He is also the eldest age-wise making him the most experienced person. But any household decisions are made by my mother. So doesn’t that make her the Head?

And why does a household truly need a head? Parents as a unit are responsible for raising their kids so that can’t be the reason. Any important decisions are usually a joint decision so that can’t be it either. I suppose from a legal point of view I can see the necessity but from a social viewpoint the need escapes me.

Maybe it’s just because I’m not old or experienced enough to realise the need or requirement. Perhaps age shall grant me wisdom as to who and why the Head should be. Or perhaps its just one of those social nuances that I managed to ignore learning in my absent mindedness.

Either way I think the answer to the question was simpler and yet more complicated than a yes or no. The head of the household should be anyone who is competent enough to fit the role.

Potterhead Post # The Resurrection Stone

Hey there. It’s been a while. Yes I haven’t been posting regularly. But I can’t say anything to justify it. I’m sorry for the sporadic nature of my posts. I’ve just been preoccupied with everything else that life throws at me. But… Times awasting.

The third and last post of the Deathly Hallow Trio nearly a month late but here at last.

The Resurrection Stone created or obtained by Cadmus Peverell to get back together with his lost love. The stone was said to have brought back a shade of the person who you loved and you couldn’t truly touch them or be with them. ( Kind of defeats the name itself a ‘Resurrection’ stone that only resurrected a shade instead of the entire soul). There have been many theories across the fandom that the shades brought back were only illusions which used memories of the wielder. But that’s not the point of this post. And I should get back to it aye?

The person I feel most associated with this Hallow is obviously The Boy Who Lived (after losing his parents), The Chosen One (who was chosen to die for the greater good of defeating Voldemort), and The Man Who Vanquished (only to marry his fan girl. Why would The Queen do this? Why why why?).

Harry Potter’s entire life has been guided by people he loved and he lost. His mother who gave him her unconditional love died to save him. This unconditional love leaves him with a protection “that cant be seen”. His nightmares are consistently haunted by her death. A flash of green light and the words “Avada Kedavra”. (feels really depressing that he remembers his mother’s last words as she is killed as if she is inconsequential). Supposedly, the love of Lily Potter leaves him with a protection strong enough to warrant emotional abuse at the hands of uncaring relatives.

He is starved for affection at the Dursleys. Even without using the usual fandom exaggeration it is very well known that Harry is emotionally abused and had never been shown an iota of love by the Elder Dursleys. His regarding of Hogwarts as his home due to his unreserved acceptance there despite the deadly problems he runs into there is proof of it. He is consistently seen defending people who have shown him any love and support whether Platonic(Ron, Hermione, Twins, Ginny) or parental (Hagrid, Sirius, Remus, Minerva, Albus, Arthur and Molly).

The loss of Sirius leads him to attempt to torture Bellatrix and the insulting of McGonagall results in him successfully using Crucio. Even as he walks to his death to save the wizarding world he is shown reaching out for his loved ones so that they can be with him in his final moments and avoiding his best friends so that he doesn’t get deterred from his path of self sacrifice.

Harry Potter is the living symbolism of the love that the Resurrection Stone was meant to initially provide. And this is my reason why he is the most apt living representation of the stone instead of Albus Dumbledore despite the latter’s consistent preaching about it.

This is the end of the Harry Potter End of An Era Posts. And I will probably posting about more inane topics like my exploits on various dating apps or some such.

Wishing you a good day!

Signing off!

Once-upon-a-time friends (and more)

http://wp.me/p8uZAI-4Q

All of us have gone through phases of lost friendship and heartbreaks when you realise that someone who was the first on your dial list when anything happens is now one of those who you merely wish on their birthdays. Priorities change, life changes, people change and as everything around us changes we realise we’ve left behind a part of us that we may not want back but can’t help but feel nostalgic for.

These lost friends and confidantes are a lot like the memories of our school where we pulled each others hairs, pushed each other and teased each other, bunked classes, played chase and so much more. Things we are glad we did. But things that we may not want to do anymore.

I stumbled across this blog by sheer luck. And I am grateful that I did. For what the blogger has written in this post and in most of their other posts is beautiful. Please do go and read it.. Hopefully the few shall make many and many shall make many more.

P. S. Yes I know I messed up. Disappearing again. But frankly I think you’re used to it by now. Exams are here again. If I don’t clear them this time I’m just gonna focus on work instead.

Potterhead Post # The Invisibility Cloak

Hey there I’m back with the 3rd installment of the series and the 2nd Deathly Hallow of my post the Triangle. Or what’s more commonly known as Harry’s invisibility cloak which is a Potter Heirloom.

The Cloak given to the 3rd Brother Ignotus Peverell by Death represents the acceptance of death “as an old friend”. It represents a person unafraid of death because he’s lived a long full life so he accepts his death and moves on.

I feel this Deathly Hallow is best represented by Albus Dumbledore. Now I’m sure many would disagree. Many people whose posts I’ve read believe Harry represents the Triangle rather than Albus. But here’s my reasoning.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was a 120 year old successful Professor, Headmaster, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, Defender of Muggleborns and had his own Chocolate Frog Card.. I could go on but his achievements far outnumber my capacity to list them.

He lived a whole life. Yes he was haunted by his mistakes. He lost his family and he had to defeat and imprison his own best friend maybe even lover. But he rose above it. While he held the Elder Wand, he never misused it.

He lived a whole full life. And when the time comes that he knows he’s about to die from The withering curse on The Gaunt ring he chooses to give up his own life to strengthen his spy’s position in the enemy camp. In fact he embraces death with the iconic lines: “Severus, please..” and he becomes immortal in that very moment. Greeting Death as an old friend and leaving the mortal plane going on to the “Next Great Adventure”.

This is my reasoning on why Invisibility Cloak, despite being Harry’s heirloom, is symbolical of The Venerated Headmaster.

Last up The Ring/Stone and The Boy with more Titles than Names. Ciao!

Potterhead Post # The Deathstick

As I shared earlier this week. I planned on sharing why each Deathly Hallows has its own Main Character Counterpart along with a brief or not so brief history and description of said character.

Today’s Hallow of the Day is: The Deathstick, The Wand of Destiny, The Elder Wand.

The Elder Wand symbolised by a straight line represents Power. Its an Unbeatable Wand and it craves to be used by those more powerful than its current master. As no doubt many of you would agree it is most aptly represented by The Dark Lord of HP Series.

The big bad villain and archnemesis of both Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort, born Tom Marvolo Riddle is a Power house. Regardless of who knew about his half blood status, everyone knew about his power and its the habit of sheep to follow the ones in Power. This Power can be of a position, innate or of knowledge. And The Dark Lord for all his obsession possessed all three.

He was the embodiment of Slytherin. Cunning, because lets face it you cant plan the takeover of an entire Society without having the cunning to plan it out meticulously. Without being able to lure, cajole, threaten and force his followers and his enemies he wouldn’t be able to take over a house let alone an entire country. His ability to make the supposed Purebloods beg and grovel is in itself a very apt example of his cunning. Ambitious beyond measure, because you don’t try and organise a revolution on a whim. You do it because you want to achieve something!

Lord Voldemort was feared! Feared so much that people refused to speak his name. I dont believe Slughorn and Dumbledore were the only ones who knew his identity. I’m sure many others did. Yet being able to create such universal fear that even after your death people refuse to say your name out loud is a feat worthy of recognition.

And let it not be said that he was stupid. For all of the feats that Harry accomplished. Most of it was truly luck when faced one on one with Voldemort. Harry had the luck to have the right tools at the right moment. Whether it be the diary and the Basilisk fang, the Holly wand or the fact that Voldemort didnt know about the protection Lily left Harry. HP was lucky (obviously by Rowling’s design) to survive. Because Tom Marvolo Riddle wasnt just any Slytherin. He was a Prefect and Head Boy. He was expected to be the next Minister of Magic by his very own teachers! He had perfect OWLs and NEWTs. He even managed to find and accumulate enough knowledge of the Dark Arts in a school which didn’t even teach them to be a threat to one of the greatest minds of all time (referring to both Dumbledore and Flamel who had to resort to destroying it to keep it safe from Tom).

Thus, The Dark Lord met all the requirements for power. Smart, Innately Powerful, and holding a powerful position in the society viewed as a Revolutionary who’d cleanse the Wizarding World. Lord Voldemort was Power. He believed he was powerful enough to even cheat death. But, sadly, like the Unbeatable Wand was beaten (multiple times), so was Lord Voldemort.

And this is why, according to me, The Dark Lord Voldemort represents The Line in the Symbol of the Deathly Hallows.

Next up will be the ring and why HP represents it the best. Hopefully it’ll be out by either later today or tomorrow. Till then Good Luck! Good bye! And May The Force Be With You!

Potterhead Post: End of The Wizarding Era

Hey there! I’m back again. And I’ve been told my blog formatting is really subpar. But considering I’ve been posting from my Cell Phone I hope you’ll excuse me.

Recently we saw the passing of a date of great significance to Potterheads. 1st September 2017. The “19 Years Later” when Albus Severus Potter leaves for Hogwarts leaving us Potterheads with a completed series, goosebumps (because “All was well.”) And a huge void which couldn’t be filled (though we tried hard).

To this effect I raise my wand and, even as my heart aches, I bid the Canon Universe of The Boy-Who-Lived a sweet farewell.

The book that ended it all featured a set of objects that were supposedly highly coveted and highly mysterious. Their powers unimaginable and their lure even more so. The Deathly Hallows.

The Wand, The Stone and The Cloak.

Each of these objects was represented by one of the MAIN characters who owned atleast one of these items with or without knowing its actual significance. These people being Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the holder of the Elder Wand, Tom Marvolo Riddle a.k.a. Lord Voldemort, holder of the Resurrection Stone/Gaunt Ring, and last but not the least Harry Potter, the holder of the Invisibility Cloak.

I feel each of these 3 people represented one of the 3 Hallows and not necessarily the ones they themselves held. I will ofcourse provide my reasoning for such thinking and will also be giving each of these characters their due attention in one of the following posts in the coming week. Be assured. All 3 will be completed by the end of the 1st week of September.

Till then I wish you a good day and an adieu!