Kamala Devi Harris - A Tamil, out of the blue!

 

When Kamala Harris was debating incumbent Vice President Mike Pence, I still did not know she had her ancestry roots in Tamilnadu and that she was, as-a-matter-of-fact, a Tamil. I, actually, thought she was a product of a white and black American marriage. Though the name of Kamala is common for Tamil females I did not give it a thought, then. Names could be stylish and could be very deceiving, as to a person's real racial or national identity. 

When the Democrats won the election I was jolted. Who is this woman who has the chance to become the future President of United states! I googled and Wikipedia said her name is Kamala Devi Harris, 'Harris', being the name of her spouse. That's it! 'Kamala Devi' is a very common Tamil name. Believe it or not, my own sis-in-law's name is Kamala Devi! No, I am not making it up! It is real! She has her Certificate of Birth and the Malaysian Identity Card to prove it. My sis-in-law, being, unfortunately, poor and, naturally, having that feeling of deprivation, will be, indeed, very proud and, surely, get some solace and satisfaction, from knowing that her namesake is soon to be the Vice President of USA! See what I mean? Ha ha! Good for her! By the way, congratulations to all the Kamala Devis out there, on your proud association!

It is, truly, an 'out of the blue' thing to me, this news about the vice President of the great superpower America being a woman with Tamil roots. Yes, say what you want about her ethnic status - black American, African American and what not - but the fact is she is an American Tamil! I wonder if she knows the Tamil language, her mother having migrated from Tamilnadu of South India. 

Moving over to another matter, a matter of tongue-in-cheek in nature, if you will, Kamala Harris becoming the vice president of US will be the subject of future motivation talks for women. It may go like this:

“Women, you can really achieve anything if you really put your mind into it. You can even enter the man's domain. Look at Kamala Harris!”

Or,

“Black women are not any less inferior than white women. They are equally good, if not even better. Just look at Kamala Harris!”

Or,

"Asian women are no less talented than the western women. You are also as talented as them. You can also do what they do. You want one example? Kamala Harris is there! So don't let anything demotivate you!"

Or,

In Tamilnadu, India – “ You, the Tamil women of this nation, you can also become as great as women of other races. You also have it in you to become great. Just look within yourself. Don’t give up on anything that you want to achieve. You must try and try until you acquired your purpose. Look at the Vice President of US, Kamala Devi. Come on, she is also Tamil, an American Tamil!”

Ha ha ha! There you are! Those are just assumed examples. Just having some fun in the excitement! Good for you, Madam Kamala Harris!

Covid- 19. End of the world?

Remember the 2012 spectacle and brouhaha. There were strong speculation  and assertions that the world was going to end on December 21, 2012 because the calendar of the Mayan civilization (Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador) ended on that date! 

Well, the world did not end. We are still up and about, but not very much of it, up and about, I mean. Because we are engulfed by the plague of Covid- 19 virus disease. Here is the bombshell! Could there have been a mistake in the deciperation of the Mayan calendar. Could the year of doom be 2021 and not 2012, what with the all present incurable disease? Looks like vaccines for preventing the deadly coronavirus are not being found. Many countries have claimed "Eureka!" But until now nothing has materialized. The countries are desperately competing to be the first ones to have discovered the vaccine. They want other countries to applaud them, accept them as the genius they are! You see, they are greedy for the wealth and the power that monopolizing the vaccine will bring!

Coming back to the matter of similarity, just look at the numbers; December/21 /2012 or 12/21/2012. It could easily have been 12/21/2021! 

Painful, it may be, yes, let the world end in 2021! Man has gone overboard. He has thrown morality out of the window. He is slaughtering his own kind for the control of territories, for power, for wealth.  Abuses of all sorts are becoming the norms of the day – women abuse, child abuse, abusing and killing of one’s own kin – you name it, they have it. Even the priests whom we, faithfully, respect cannot be trusted! They can be so shamefully embarrassing! Adulteries, infidelities, frequent marriages and divorces are almost accepted as trends and envious life styles. Platonic friendship has given way to what they call now as polyamory – a term stylishly given for multiple partnerships. Innocent group relationship has been taken over by their ‘polyfidelity’. “Till death do us apart” has become “Till wealth do us apart”!

Man’s morality has gone down the drain! It is right that he too should follow along and drown! Yes, let the world end before more humiliation surfaces! It did not end in 2012. Could it end in 2021?

(The above is my singular observations and frustrations. Don't let it affect you).

1Malaysia wonders - the mamak restaurants

People may say what they want. That, they are expensive. Or, their food is tasty because they are putting the harmful monosodium glutamate in their recipes. Or, even, that they are dealing in some ‘mantras’ or magic spells to attract customers. Ha ha! But the fact is, the Indian Muslim (follower of Islam of the Indian sect) restaurants, fondly called as the ‘kedai mamak’, are real portrayers and propagators of the 1Malaysia, or unity of the Malaysian people concept, initiated by the, then, Prime Minister, Najib Abdul Razak. People of all races and religions - Malays, Chinese, Indians and even the westerners - are found eating there.

To explain further, Malays hesitate to go to the Indian or Chinese eateries because of the halal (food fit to be consumed by Muslims) requirements, which these places may not have. The Indians shilly-shally to enter Malay restaurants because of the fear of being, unintentionally, served food containing meat of beef (disallowed in Hinduism). It is difficult to see Chinese patrons in a Malay restaurant either because the food is not to their likings or the uneasiness that they may attract undue attention upon themselves, being consumers of foods prohibited by Islam. Having said that, to be fair, I do remember having seen, occasionally, some Chinese customers in a Malay eatery, most probably, due to the eatery being in close proximity.

The mamak eateries seem to have overridden all these obstructions. The Indians in Malaysia, who mostly comprise the Tamils, go there as the hosts speak their language, the age old Tamil language, and the food is similar to their own, what with dosai, capati, rice, curry and so on, and the ingredients, spices and such, similar to that of the recipes of Malaysian Indians' cuisine. 

The Malays patronize the kedai mamak because the food is halal, and what's more, the recipe also is not too far from their own, most of their ancestors having some South Indian roots. 

The Chinese are there because they like changes in their taste buds and also the Indian outlook of the hosts at these restaurants put them at ease. The other races are also there due to the wide variety of colourful and spicy fare.

Now, a kedai mamak is a place where all races of Malaysia converge and see each other eat! They are all under one roof, in a small place, rubbing shoulders with one another, if you please. To all the mamak eateries of Malaysia, I salute you! You are indeed 1Malaysia exhibitors. Long live the kedai mamak!