Recently I was going through the magazines at a magazine store and I realized that there are quite a few fashion magazines available in the market today, the top two being Vogue and Elle in my opinion. I have been an ardent fan of Vogue for the past two, two and a half years almost and I have a huge stack in my closet. I was curious to know about the content of Elle and how different it is from Vogue so I picked up a copy and as I was going through it I realised that there are no major differences except that Vogue is obviously for the more wealthy and elite while Elle caters to the upper middle class. The articles featured in both magazines are quite interesting but I personally prefer Vogue because I feel that they provide a deeper look into current trends and designers. It is quite unfair of me to make a judgement about Elle since I have read only one issue, and also international Elle is probably very different from Elle India, which is what I have access to.
This past year I have experimented extensively on my hair and I started with it being long, and I had coloured it dark red, then I cut it into a long bob and coloured it three shades of brown, next I gave myself bangs, and now the latest is that I have coloured the tips of my hair golden brown. I just love experimenting with my hair and I’m so tempted to get a pixie cut or a really short bob cut but my friends and family assure me it will NOT suit me.
A few hair cuts that I’m loving at the moment would be the pixie cut of course and there are various versions of it. Miley Cyrus is really rocking hers, as did Emma Watson when she first got it cut.
The next cut I really love is the bob cut. Again there are so many verions of it but I feel this cut can really accentuate facial features and bone structure. Frankie Sandford’s cut is my favorite, and it isn’t exactly a bob cut, since the back is still pretty short, so I’m guessing it’s a partial bob. I also like the way Dianna Agron wore hers as well as Karlie Kloss.
The last cut I’m not sure how to desrcibe but it is long hair with a shaved portion. Cassie is famous for this cut and so is Ellie Goulding.
I’m really hoping to change my hairstyle again soon because the summers at home are unbearable due to the heat, let’s hope I’m able to get one of these cuts! 🙂 If you have any questions please or comments please email it to me at mangomustacheblog@gmail.com or post it down below! Have a good week!
On Loving The Zombie Apocalypse
TGIF!
Okay, so before I start talking about zombies and my obsession with them, I would like to introduce you all to my new laptop. Yes, it has happened. I finally do not have the put up with the piece of shit machine that would shut down in front of my friends just to embarrass me. :’ ) This is a quick little photo of it.
I quite like Windows 8 so far and I’m a huge fan of big screens, so this laptop has a 15.6 inch screen [oh yeah, Napoleon complex FTW]. Also, can we just admire the black & whiteness of it all? Just SO classy.
Alright, so back to the topic of discussion: ZOMBIES.
I think it all started with the TV series known as The Walking Dead. I’m sure a lot of you may have seen it or heard of it, and at the very least seen ads of it on television if you don’t follow the series themselves. I was initially pretty sceptical of the entire thing. I mean come on, zombies? I thought it would be completely unrealistic and ridiculous, because the idea of a zombie-virus plague just seemed stupid. But I sat down and watched the first episode and… I was HOOKED. I literally couldn’t change the channel and kept freaking out because there is just so much suspense and you never know when one of the characters is going to die. It’s also pretty brutal and gory, and since I am someone who isn’t squeamish at all, it was quite the treat since the blood and gore is extremely realistic. There’s guts and blood and bone flying all over the place, so I really wouldn’t recommend watching this with the whole family. Grandma might start praying, dad might vomit and little kids will start crying.
The Walking Dead is based on a comic book series of the same name which follows protagonist Rick Grimes, a deputy sheriff who wakes up from a coma to find the post-apocalypytic world overrun with zombies or ‘walkers’ as they are referred to in the show. He sets out on a journey to find his wife Lori and their son Carl, and the story follows them after they reunite. They meet many survivors throughout the series, but it’s clear that the walkers have outnumbered the remaining human population, causing the remaining people to form small groups to watch out for each other and try to stay alive. It is impossible to predict who is going to die next because luck and skills with weaponry may or may not walk hand in hand. In a world where human society has completely broken down, there are no rules or laws and survivors have become as predatory as the zombies to find a way to live through the horror and ensure the survival of those they love and their own. There is backstabbing, abandoning and of course, plenty of zombie-butchering.
What’s beautiful is how they have captured the terror and panic along with such a realistic example of what the world might look like after a zombie apocalypse. I love the cinematography, the desolation of the landscape because usually cities are so bustling and crowded, but the cities shown on The Walking Dead are simply shells of what was once creations of glorious human imagination.
The characterization is simply brilliant and my [and everyone else’s] favourite character is definitel Daryl Dixon. Along with being probably the most attractive males on the cast, he is funny and quite an adept zombie-killer, a crossbow being his preferred weapon of choice because of the silence and accuracy.
It’s like a more serious, gory, grown-up version of ‘Zombieland’, which looks like a complete children’s comedy after the complexity and fear portrayed in The Walking Dead. There are times when you will laugh and cry and just hold on to your pillows tightly in fear, and maybe do all three together, but you will most definitely be completely drawn in.
It all originated from George A. Romero’s ‘Night Of the Living Dead’, the main progenitor of modern-day zombie apocalyptic stories/movies/series, and the concept has been one of the most explored and popular themes of television and pop culture.
Bollywood is also stepping into the action with their own flesh-eating desi zombies. Granted, this movie is a comedy, but hey it’s a start. The movie stars Saif Ali Khan Kunal Khemu, Vir Das & Puja Gupta.
So remember, if you ever need to learn how to survive a zombie apocalypse, watching The Walking Dead is the way to go. If you’re in India, tune in to FX at 11pm every weeknight to watch, but it’s already in season two, so I recommend getting the DVD series or watching it online. You’ll learn all about how to turn anything into a skull-bashing weapon, including toothbrushes and katanas. You can also check out survival guides on YouTube, but don’t hold your breath. It’s all guns and proud displays of how much of a man a gun makes you. : p
If you like watching The Walking Dead or any other similar TV shows or movies, do leave a comment below or email us at mangomustacheblog@gmail.com and tell us about it! : )
See you next week, lovelies.
Manga Moustache Part 1
The hands of those with power are so imperial that they can write the fate of others. Hell, it’s not just those who are powerful, anyone can decide someone’s fate. So why is it that when you have such incredible hands, the only thing you can think of to do is to cause pain, create chaos and shed blood? It says a lot when all you can feel is emptiness when you hear of blasts occurring in Boston and Bangalore.
But enough of that right? I exhausted my quota of depression with last week’s post. Today, I’m going to introduce you guys to one of the loves of my life: manga.
I started reading manga when I was around 14. I discovered manga through anime, which is another love, although admittedly I haven’t been paying her much attention in the last couple of years. Manga are basically japanese comic books. Yes, it’s a lot more interesting than it sounds. Unlike american comics, they aren’t targetted mainly towards children and adolescents. Hell no, mangas are a lot more versatile than that, and you’ll find them discussing really mature topics.
Mangas are segregated by demographic. Mangas aimed towards young girls are called Shojo manga. Mangas aimed towards young guys are called Shounen manga. Mangas aimed towards older women are called Josei and mangas aimed towards older guys, Seinen. There are a lot more segregations but you can easily look them up. Basically, there are mangas for everyone. They all get serialized in weekly or monthly magazines in Japan. A shojo manga gets serialized in a Shojo magazine and so on.
Really popular ones get made into animes, which are basically japanese cartoons. Of course, with distinctive styles.
Another thing about manga is that they’re usually in black and white and have to be read right to left.
Well, there’s the boring introduction.
I love mangas. So many of them have such deep and intricate plots packed with emotion. They aren’t brainless and you usually take away something from them. The mangas I’m more familar with are Shounen, Shojo and Josei.
Shounen mangas, like I said are male-oriented, so they’re action packed. Personally, I prefer watching animes to reading actual manga because the fights are epic, and well, you’d rather watch a fight happen than read it in panels. I’m sure you guys would have heard of Dragonball Z, which is a pioneer in shounen manga and one of the biggest animes in the world. Many shounen manga today like Bleach, Naruto or One Piece have been inspired by the awesomeness that is Dragonball Z.
If you’re not into action that much, there’s this manga, that everyone, regardless of their gender MUST read. It’s called Death Note.
But quite honestly, I would suggest watching the anime for this one. It literally boggles your mind. It makes you think so much. The synopsis is this. A high school student called Light Yagami gets this notebook that a Death God dropped, called the Death Note. The rules to the notebook are this:
- The human whose name is written in this notebook shall die.
- This notebook will not take effect unless the writer has the subject’s face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.
- If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the person’s name, it will happen.
- If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack.
- After writing the cause of death, the details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
Initially Light uses the book to get rid of the scum of the earth, y’know rapists, murderers and the like, but just like in George Orwell’s animal farm “Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.” Light goes about killing all these people, and people soon get wind of this vigilante murderer. They call him “Kira”, and everyone designates the world’s greatest detective who goes by the name of “L” to catch him. The race between L and Light, the competition between them, who eventually wins, all of this has you at the edge of your seat. I was obsessed with this series. I suggest people watch this as an anime because it has 37 action packed, brilliant episodes that will have you in awe. The manga while being short for a shounen manga isn’t for everyone. And this is actually something that tests your intelligence, see how you can keep up. I wouldn’t call it a guy’s manga.
Another Shounen anime which is relatively short which is a must watch is Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, which in the manga world is known as Fullmetal Alchemist.
Oh my god, how I have bawled in this series. Fair warning, both Death Note and FMAB aren’t exactly shy in their treatment of violence and they don’t gloss over pretty issues like death and insanity. Both of them have a pretty sober tone, but the reason I’m suggesting stuff like this as opposed to the more comedic ones like One Piece is because these have depth in terms of their messages and the stuff you take from the stories. Death Note is more intelligent than FMAB though.
FMAB is the one of the saddest and most tragic anime I’ve watched. I cried so much in this. As the name suggests, the manga and anime have to do with alchemy, which is basically manipulating matter using natural energy. The science of it is very complicated but it all starts with these two brothers, Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric, who after the death of their mother try to resurrect her using a forbidden form of alchemy called “Human Transmutation”. Alchemy is based on the “Law of Equivalent Exchange” which is you have to pay an equal price for everything you get. Of course, the experiment fails because it goes against the rules of alchemy and both of them nearly die. Edward loses his leg and Alphonse nearly dies but Edward saves his life by using alchemy to attach his soul to an old armour.
Both of them go on a journey with the initial intent to research on how to get Alphonse’s body back. It sounds strange but believe me it is fascinating, tragic and in many ways, a sad commentary on our world today.
There are actually 2 animes, Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (2009).
The 2003 version was made when the manga was still going so that’s why it diverges half way. The 2009 version follows the manga perfectly. I’m always for staying true to the source so I’d suggest watching Brotherhood.
Other shounen mangas or anime for you would be:
- Naruto
- Bleach
- One Piece
- FairyTail
- Inuyasha
This is just for now. All of these are really good too but just a lot longer than Death Note and FMA. If you guys want to share other mangas you know, talk about anime or need recommendations, leave a comment.
Next week, expect an equally long post about Shoujo and Josei Manga, which also has some amazing gems.
The sad part is all of them are so elaborate, emotional, deep and just everything a good story should be. Sure, there are a lot of weeds or stones, but finding that one flower or gem makes up for everything, because that’s how good they are. A million times better, I can guarantee you, than the crap Bollywood churns out these days.
Await Part 2 next week, and do not hesitate to watch these suggestions. 🙂
Coachella
Hello everyone! Hope you are all having a good week. All you celebrity and music lovers must be quite aware of one of the biggest music and art festivals in the world, Coachella, that takes place in Indio, California in the US. Bands from all over the world come to Coachella to perform during the three day festival, and apart from the music it’s also known for it’s massive celebrity attendance.
This year again it was a huge success with bands like Red Hot Chilli Pepppers, Of Monsters and Men, Tame Impala, Benni Benassi, etc. performing. I, however, am going to talk about the fashion statements and outfit combinations that were seen.
The celebrities that attended the festival this year were Katy Perry, Ashley Benson, Alessandra Ambrosio, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, Diane Kruger to name a few. Since the weather in Indio is pretty hot because it is located in the Colorado desert region of Southern California, the fashion too is very casual as well as minimal.
I love how Vanessa Hudgens has paired the shorts with a lace top and red shades, clearly the hippie look is back. She is also sporting a bindi which is strange yet cool at the same time because though it’s a custom practiced by Indian women, it’s slowly coming into fashion in the West now since I’ve noticed many celebrities wearing a bindi.
Anna Sophia Rob’s striped maxi dress is also quite tasteful, though I must add that personally I did not really like the stripes or colour and I feel the dress doesn’t do anything for her.
Last I absolutely love Lucy Hale’s choice of a tie up top and a maxi skirt. The two go together so well and I love the contrast between the black and the brown print of the skirt.
This year flowers seem to have been a major theme along with bindis since many celebrities were spotted wearing them.
These were a few other outfits that I really loved and felt displayed the kind of fashion seen at Coachella.
A few major trends that can be seen at Coachella this year are crop tops, maxi dresses, bralettes, high waist shorts/skirts. Fabrics that were preferred were lace, crochet and cotton and a lot of patterns such as flowers, aztec print, army print and a lot of colours were seen. As for the makeup a lot of colour was used, like red lipstick and bright eye shadow. Most people preferred to wear boots or sneakers to Coachella or any all-day/night concert/festival since they were comfortable to move around in. Bags too were mostly backpacks, large handbags or messenger bags depending on the contents and how long one was staying at the concert so that carrying supplies like water bottles, food, sunscreen etc. wasn’t a problem.
Here are a few ways to get similar looks that can be worn to any concert anywhere.
I hope that I have provided an informative post on Coachella/concert/festival clothing. For any questions about this post or anything fashion related feel free to email me at mangomustacheblog@gmail.com! Have a great week ahead! xx
D for Depressingly Underrated Singers
First up, we have Brrrrandy (obviously). My inner cavemen takes over everytime I hear Brandy sing and I lose all sense of civilty. Like, literally – I start behaving in socially unacceptable ways and do embarassing things that I don’t feel embarassed about later (which isn’t normal). I usually start crying when I hear her speak or sing live (her live performances sound ten times better than her records), or I just start dancing with abandon (which in my case is REALLY embarassing), and I sing at the top of my voice and try to imitate her style (which gets embarassing really fast). Sometimes I go “WHOOP!” because I just can’t take how awesome she is.
She inspires me so much because of her honesty and how real she is – she has had a long journey into herself, and the maturity she exudes shows in her singing and the way she carries herself during interviews. There is so much one can learn from her – not just as a person, but from the way she sings – the whole world of R&B has acknowledged her undeniably huge impact on the industry, take this video for example – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsThLkuGsZM (skip to 5:00 if you don’t want to watch them dance to Brandy’s hits).
Her riffs, her runs have been widely envied and emulated, though most singers can only dream of acheiving the smoothness and ease with which she navigates her notes. The vocal layering that is a trademark of her songs has heavily influenced R&B today. And emotion she feeds into her music always has the capacity to affect the listener and recreate the same in them. She often uses her voice as an instrument in ways that take my breath away. However, her new album, ‘Two Eleven’, that has been hailed as one of the best R&B albums in a long time barely sold though it debuted at no.3 on the Billboard 200. And her best album to date, Afrodisiac (2004) was another one of her commercially less successful albums. She can SING like no one can, yet not many people sit up and take notice of her these days. She usually sings softly and sweetly, but she’s also got the power as you can see in this video of her singing in her bathroom – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8-Ui9W1Vqs
Paula DeAnda is another talent that the music has been sleeping on. Like Brandy, she too debuted at the age of 15, releasing a single ‘Doing Too Much’ that was a radio hit in the southwest of the US, following which she got to audition for Clive Davis. He signed her to Arista Records on the spot with a seven-album record deal. Now THAT is talent. Her album Paula DeAnda (2006) has some of my favorite pop songs ever – Walk Away (Remember Me), Easy, Wanna Be With You and When It Was Me. She has got a lot of love for When It Was Me and Walk Away on Youtube, and Walk Away even managed an impressive peak at no.18 on the Billboard Hot 100, but she has had no top 40 hits since. Ever since, she’s been uploading videos of herself covering other people’s songs and recently released a new song, ‘Your Place’, but it’s gone almost unnoticed, which is a shame since she’s so good. Please give her a listen if you like pop-r&B and check out this song – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TojOVJel8wo
Siobhan Donaghy, in my opinion is one of the most brilliant artists out there that has barely received any recognition. I mean, she creates ART. Her album ‘Ghost’ got amazing reviews, yet never got the attention of the public – it didn’t break through the top 100 of the albums charts, and it is one of the BEST albums in existence. It takes you through surreal imaginings, relatable experiences, reassurances, cries for help and delightful mild masochism all with perfect fluidity, transition and sufficiently doing justice to each title. She does justice to the title ‘Artist’. And like Brandy, her live vocal performances are another dimension of experience to be had. She can even sing BACKWARDS live – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2qgp7qsqTc
In addition to her talents as a soloist – she is more famous for being one of the founding members of the Sugababes, and singing lead for their first hit, ‘Overload’ in 2000, though she left the group after their first album. Now they’re back together again and not to be taken lightly – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kiki7sofCUg (Siobhan’s the one on the right. Keisha’s in the middle and Mutya’s to the left). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgCOxDiN4Bo And finally, this link leads to her single, ‘Don’t Give It Up’. Check out her other songs as well – she has a very diverse sound. – Joshua
Tattoos and Hip Hop
Thank God It’s Friday Sunday!
Hey everyone. I want to apologize for not posting last week as well as posting late this week. We had our exam week going on and things got hectic, and as soon as I came home I discovered I had no working internet connection until this morning. I seriously wanted to rip my hair out. Thankfully, it’s all sorted now and all of us here at Mango Mustache will be back to regular posting by Monday. : )
Okay so the first thing I want to tell you guys is that I got another tattoo. It came as a bit of a surprise to a lot of my friends and family because I hadn’t been very vocal about it and it was a very personal tattoo. I got the word ‘drive’ on the side of my right forearm mainly to celebrate the fact that I can now drive cars. It may sound a little weird, but driving and cars are extremely important to me. Ever since I was a little kid I’ve dreamed of being able to sit behind a steering wheel and take complete control of a car, maybe drive down open roads by myself, listening to some great music and starting out on a brand new journey. Knowing how to drive makes me feel independent and empowered. I took the initiative on my own to go get driving lessons and get my licence and this year I actually drove a BMW which was simply the icing on the cake [even if it was just down around a parking lot].
The word ‘drive’ itself is the second reason I got this tattoo. It means ambition and determination and I wanted to remind myself that I won’t get anything in life unless I work hard for it.
I couldn’t be happier with this tattoo. The font is absolutely perfect and looks handwritten and my tattoo artist added a teal highlight around it. You can’t see it in this photo because of the lighting, but maybe I’ll upload a clearer photo once it heals. I absolutely love getting tattooed but the healing process is annoying because it itches like crazy when it scabs over. The actual process of getting tattooed doesn’t hurt that much, but then again it depends on how big your tattoo is and how much pain you can endure. I think I do see more tattoos in my future, but we’ll see. ; )
Another pretty fantastic thing I discovered on YouTube recently is a channel called ‘Epic Rap Battles of History’. You may or may not know it, but I can tell you it is one of the most entertaining things I have EVER come across.
What they basically do is pit famous figures in history and pop culture against each other in a rap battle. Some of my favourites include Skrillex vs Mozart, Barack Obama vs Mitt Romney, Batman vs Sherlock Homes, Sarah Palin vs Lady Gaga and Darth Vader vs Hitler. The lyrics are hilarious, the music is fantastic and you won’t be able to stop laughing. They’ve even had Snoop Lion in a video and YouTubers like Jenna Marbles have also guest-starred. This is a link to their YouTube Channel.
Check out their video Barrack Obama vs Mitt Romney. It’s definitely my favourite.
I also love the Skrillex vs Mozart video.
You can vote who won the rap battle on their website http://epicrapbattlesofhistory.com/. They also have behind the scenes videos of each of their episodes and you can see how much work goes into each video. I am addicted.
Alright, so there you have it. I’ll definitely keep you updated on the state of my tattoo. I got it last Monday [two days before an exam that too] so it has scabbed over right now and itches like CRAZY. If you want any information/tips on tattoo upkeep, just email us at mangomustachblog@gmail.com.
Take care and see you next week [hopefully on a Friday this time]. : )
Fashion Obsession
Hey guys, sorry for the very late post, had few glitches because my laptop wasn’t working until today and all my files were on it, hence the delay. But this is what i had written for Wednesday, that’s now being posted on a Friday.
Wednesday, 10th April 2013 was the last day of college, first year undergraduate degree for my fellow classmates and me. It was a big day for us, because we looked back at the year that had passed by, at the time spent together, learning about each other, making friends, studying (bleh). It was also the time when we had to say goodbye to our friends and seniors. It was pretty hard because I’ve made a great friend but now she’s graduating and I don’t know when I’ll see her again. Don’t worry, this isn’t a sentimental post and for all the fashionistas reading this, this is the right blog. I just wanted to add a personal note to this post in particular because I was heading home on that day. Hadn’t seen my family in three months and I was pretty stoked.
Today I want to show you a little something that I did to this Tommy Hilfiger shirt, (he would be fuming with anger if he saw this) but I really detested the frills on the front. I personally don’t like frills, so away they went! Plus they pack on the heat especially during summer, and we do NOT need any more of that.
I think this summer I’m mostly going to be wearing sleeveless button down shirts with shorts. I have a newfound obsession for these shirts after seeing Emma Watson in this one.
This is a fairly old photograph, but I love the way she carries herself off. A sleeveless shirt looks great with shorts, a maxi skirt and jeans/tights. It’s actually so perfect!
Here are a couple of outfits that you may want to try out:
Another thing I absolutely love this season are maxi dresses. I’m not sure if they are in fashion right now, but I just love them. I bought one myself recently, but haven’t got the chance to wear it as yet.
These are a few great looking maxi dresses that might turn you into a fan too. They are great for summer because though it’s full length, there’s plenty of air circulation and it’s comfortable.
That’s basically what I wanted to tell you guys. I hope all of you have a great summer, I will continue to write from home of course, but thought I’d wish you anyway. See you next week!
A Thousand Silenced Voices
My deepest apologies for the irregularities with the posts. I was really busy with exams and ah, forget it. Excuses won’t do. It’s a nasty habit of mine to find excuses for shirking responsibilities, so yes, it’s my fault for not making time and posting nearly a day late. I’m sorry.
Today’s post is dark and depressing, which kinda goes against my relief of exams ending. I recently dug up a book I read more than two years ago. It had quite an impact on me back then because it exposed the naive, spoiled me to a world of suffering and misery. It’s “A Thousand Splendid Suns” written by Khalid Hosseini. The book portrays the bleak situation of women in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban , and how their spirit is indomitable.
More than a review, its probably more of a commentary and my own personal thoughts on women and I was worried that people would stray away since this topic has been done to death, but I don’t think you can ever speak too much about oppression.
It’s pretty explicit, violent and sad. I remember being horrified when I read it. So its not exactly an easy read.
The book is divided into four parts, the first two are about two women living in Afghanistan belonging to different generations respectively. Circumstances force them together and the third part is about them relying on each other during hard times and the fourth one is about them going their separate ways.
Two women are the main characters in the story. Mariam, who is the first lead and the protagonist in part 1. She was born as an illegitimate child or as they say it, Harami. Her father was a rich man and he built her and her mother a small hut-like place to live in outside the city. As we can see, Mariam is cursed to not only be born as a woman, but as an illegitimate child as well. Her father, Jalil comes to visit every week and she yearns for his affection. Her mother is a bitter woman who spites Jalil. Anyway long story short, events force Mariam to marry a man named Rasheed who is several years older than her.
Things seem good at first, but after she suffers a miscarriage, Rasheed loses interest in her until he finally begins abusing her. The first time is when he spits out the food she cooked and makes her eat stones which crushes her teeth.
The second part is about Laila who has a far more privileged upbringing than Mariam. The story is set in the backdrop of the Soviet Invasion and the rise of the Taliban. Laila’s brothers have gone to fight against the Soviets and her mother’s affections are focused only on them making Laila feel lonely. Her father dotes on her and wants her to study hard. There’s also a budding romance between her and Tariq, her neighbour.
Bad things happen and her home is attacked by a stray bomb. She is taken in as the second wife of Rasheed when they find her and take care of her.
Anyway, I won’t go too much into that. But consider this, both Mariam and Laila are hardly 15 or 16 years old when this happens.
The book made me go research on the rule of the Taliban and the situation of the women there and it haunted me for days. No education, no freedom, no life. Women are at the mercy of men. Even now, things have not changed much. Women had to stay home at all times and when they were out, had to be accompanied by a man. They were not allowed to wear cosmetics or laugh in public. They had to wear a Hijab at all times. There were many more rules that came with this but failure to comply would result in getting beaten or worse.
This was a story I recently read. It didn’t happen in Afghanistan but just imagine, she is seventeen.
All these women are property, toys to be manipulated in any way the men like, and if the toys don’t work properly, they are cast aside or defaced.
Husbands, brothers, fathers, uncles-they aren’t relatives. They’re owners. It’s so frightening. I can’t imagine what these women go through everyday. Raped, beaten, tortured, mutilated and failure to comply allows state sponsored executions.
One thing I loved about the book is the ending. I won’t spoil it but it’s a hopeful one. Despite everything Mariam and Laila go through, they still have hope for the future. They still want to find happiness. Their wonderful relationship, similar to that of a mother and her daughter is very poignant. It’s as if they have both been abducted by Rasheed, and the only people they can depend on is each other.
“Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman”
These are lines said in the first chapter, and you realize how depressingly true it is throughout the novel. It’s unfathomable to someone like me who has been living the fortunate life that I have.
When I read stories and news reports like this, I realize what the true meaning of being a second class citizen is. Although I’ve always believed it to be unimaginable, I shudder sometimes to think how easy it would have been for the arrow of fate to have turned a completely different direction. How easy it would have been for me to have been born as one of these women, and how all my feminism would have been complete bullshit.
Why only Afghanistan? These things happen closer to home. I hear of girls as young as 12 being sold into prostitution in the name of religion in Karnataka. There must be Khap Panchayats also who dictate rules similar to the Taliban. I could have been born as one of these women who have no future, who live at the mercy or men and who are real second class citizens.
It makes me recognize that I don’t really have much to worry about. It makes me see how biased feminism is (although I do call myself a feminist). It makes me feel ashamed that women as privileged as me have a voice and are able to complain and seek justice when these women aren’t. Suddenly my complains and woes as a woman seem so trite, so childish, so insulting compared to the state these women live in.
Feminism really is an educated, urban woman’s tool. Only a woman who has opportunities is able to make use of it. Feminists don’t make any sort of rage for these women, and it’s unbelievably sad.
When I read this book, I remember feeling so guilty. These women would give anything to have the opportunities I do and lead the life I do, and what’s more they would use those opportunities to the fullest extent. They would put in all their effort if they had that choice. But they don’t. I do. And I behave so frivolously with these choices, not realizing what a blessing it is to be born as I am. I complain about stupid things, and even talk about discrimination. Looking at these women, I seem like such a joke to be talking of discrimination.
What I’m trying to say is, everyone should read this book, men as well. Everyone needs to understand what’s happening in our world, and how people are being treated. We need to remind ourselves of how fortunate we are and put our petty concerns away, because really, we’re all pretty lucky to even be reading stuff like this on a computer screen.
Short Story- An Empty Heart
Okay, I am seriously cringing right now. Not only is the title extremely lame, but I might actually be offending someone with this post. *Hopes that no one throws a knife at her.*
It’s my day again. I thought for this week, I’d do a story. I’ve been wanting to do one on this theme for quite a while now. It’s so frustrating that none of my stories come out the way I want them to in my head. I really, really wanted to do justice to the theme, but it seems I lack the artistic chops necessary to pull it off. This is a work of fiction. No particular inspirations. I’m sorry that I’m unable to do it better, but I hope you like it even a little bit. Let me know in the comments section what you think of it. Sorry for the long read and typos if there are any! 🙂
An Empty Heart
A young woman stands at the quay of some water body staring into space. She perks up at the sound of “Mama!” coming from two children. She turns around to see two kids, a girl and boy who can easily pass off as twins. Her cheeks flush from the happiness of seeing them. They are the most beautiful children she has ever seen. She bends down and hugs them tightly while they hug her back. Her expression changes as she embraces them, into one of unease and sorrow. She releases them, and with sorry tears in her eyes, pushes them into the water body. The water body is now a deadly vortex which is swallowing them in a swift yet gruesome fashion. They scream “Mama!” at her again but she only looks on apologetically as they disappear. First the legs, then the arms, then the torso and finally the face. She does not see their last expression.
Dipali woke up, panting and sweating. This was the thirty-second time in two months that she’d experienced the same nightmare, the images becoming clearer each night. Tonight she could see their faces, and she was sure they would haunt her during the day from then on as well. She paced to the bathroom to wash her face since she felt dizzy and had achieved a splitting head ache from the nightmare, like she did every night the ghosts visited her. “Will they ever leave me alone?”
“This is my punishment.” She thought despairingly. “This is my punishment for making one wrong choice in a life of perfection.” And it wasn’t even that wrong a choice. She was a nineteen-year old, college going student who simply made love to her boyfriend, like half the girls in her class. The moral gurus could not fault her too much because she was sure of her decision, did it with someone she truly cared about and ensured every protective measure was taken. In fact, they’d even planned the day beforehand so that she could make an appointment with a gynaecologist. But somehow, the Gods decided to spite her, making her that one in a million chance of getting pregnant, despite being the most conscientious person.
As far as she could remember she had always been a good child, bringing home good marks, helping around the kitchen, never hanging out too late and never deliberately rebelling against her parents. Even after finding out she was pregnant, she did not tell her parents, sparing them the possibilities of a heart attack and sparing herself a tirade of “shaming the family.” Gaurav was aghast of course, but being the nice guy he was, he even told her he would be willing to take care of the child albeit with a terrified face and an ambivalent tone. They’d split the cost. Dipali pawned the gold necklace her mother had so affectionately bought for her. Gaurav scraped up bits and pieces and also sold a few prized possessions to come up with the money. From the beginning, this was the only option. She’d never wanted children, and had never experienced the renowned maternal instinct. It was absent in her, which was why she assumed the healing process would be easier.
Why then, was it so difficult? Why did she wake up sweating and sore every night? Why was she so lost during the day? Why had life been vacuumed of colour? Dipali sighed. “I’ll read a good book.” If nothing else, she’d managed to finish many things on her “to-do list” during these nights.
The next day, as usual she dragged herself out of her house and went to college. Life seemed unexciting and dull. It was unexciting before too, but now it just seemed pointless. Every grand passionate affair realizes the pinnacle of that passion only for a few moments, and those few moments hold such dire consequences. This was what she’d concluded after the whole fiasco. She wasn’t even sure if she regretted the act, because it had been so wonderful. She despised her body more than ever now, hating the biology which was so unfair to women.
At university it was the usual chatter, the same inconsequential drivel. People talked of the TV show that was pretty good or the new song released by Justin Timberlake. As she listened to them talk, she could see their masks peeling off, revealing their truest, ugliest forms. This superficiality, she realized, was the mist that concealed everything. She had seen the monster in herself, and wasn’t able to put on that appearance anymore. Even all the joy in the world that people spoke of was embedded in that mist, making it hollow and empty. If you tried to seek true happiness beyond the surface, the universe would punish you. She knew that the best.
Despite this depressing epiphany, she still wanted to live her life being blind to it but how was she supposed to? She had the abortion to protect her happiness but it had culminated in the exact opposite. It had sucked all the happiness in the world, or rather she couldn’t see happiness as a worthy goal anymore.
At the end of the day, as she trudged on home, her eyes were drawn towards mothers with their children. A mother in her fifties shopping with her twenty something daughter, a young mother carrying her baby in her arms, a mother picking up her sons from school; her gaze was affixed to these women. She wondered if these women ever regretted having their children. Were they all happy? Was she the only monster who didn’t feel an inch of regret for her choice? Maybe this emptiness was punishment for that indifference.
And yet, despite believing herself to have made the right choice, somewhere in the deep corner of her mind, she felt a hint of a doubt cropping up. Even though she’d done everything in her power to prevent getting pregnant, she still did. Maybe she’d thought about it all wrong. Maybe the pregnancy was the universe’s way of gifting her with greater happiness. She thought about the children in her dreams, how beautiful and lifelike they were. She had it terminated before finding out the sex so she always saw them as two children. What would they have looked like when they grew up?. What kind of lives would they have had? Would they have gotten married? Maybe they would have become someone important someday.
She suddenly became aware that her eyes were starting to water. “Ah, I see. I wish I didn’t have to make such a choice.” She didn’t want children; she was sure of that. But was it still wrong of her to regret not knowing what kind of people they could have become?
The whole situation depressed her even more and she briskly walked home. She went to her room and shut the door. All of a sudden, they were in front of her again. She was awake and alert and they seemed so real she could touch them. “Mama”, they say unanimously. She walks over to them, but then they transform into teenagers. They’re obviously going through the awkward phase of puberty. And it continues on until their twenties. By now she is sobbing. Their growth stunts there. They turn to her and say “Goodbye” before disappearing into the air. They are so beautiful.
Emptiness, she thought, is like a thin satin curtain that obscures insanity and grief. You convince yourself that you’re empty when the truth is that that emptiness contains so much angst that’s begging to burst free. She realized her nightmares were small bursts of that grief, and today would probably see a larger explosion.
The next day at college, she decided to go meet Gaurav. They had amicably decided to break up after what had happened. She knew he had to be grieving as well. He almost became a father, and he was not the kind of person who would simply gloss over that fact. When they broke up, neither of them talked much of what was really important, which probably deteriorated the situation.
After going through the awkward pleasantries she got straight to the point.
“Gaurav, I haven’t been able to do anything in the past two months. I always thought this was something I could move on from, something I could leave behind in my past. I’ve sort of come to the conclusion that I can’t. This is something I’ll never recover from.” She said hesitantly.
“I realized that throughout whatever happened, everything was my own selfish decisions, and you went along with them compliantly. You didn’t have much of a say at all. I’m sorry.”
He looked at her for a few moments and then said, “You don’t have to apologize. The truth is I’m more to blame than you are. Even if I didn’t have a say, I didn’t really give you many options either. I’m just some stupid, reckless kid who can’t do anything. I’m sorry for not being reliable I guess.”
She smiled. “Do you ever think of what could have been? You know, if we didn’t go through with this?”
“I do. All the time. But then I realized there’s no point. We could have been happy, unhappy or a mix of both. We can’t really tell. Even if it was a difficult choice, we made one we were sure of. I’m glad we did that.”
“You know, Gaurav, as far as traumatic experiences go, I’m happy I experienced it with you. Thank you for everything.” She said, smiling through her tears.
He flashed a painful smile right back. “Likewise. I’m glad I met you, Dipali. I won’t ever forget you.”
That night, Dipali managed to sleep the whole night. It wasn’t a dreamless sleep, but it wasn’t an unpleasant one either.
It is the same scene by the quay. A young woman is embracing her children tightly. She lets go of them and then says, “Let’s go home. Your father will be there soon. We’ll surprise him.”
Makeup Shakeup
Mascara, eyeliner, kohl, lipstick, foundation, eyeshadow, lipgloss, blush, and the list goes on. The things we girls wear to look and feel pretty is quite baffling, and usually I’m the kind of person who feels that it’s the inner beauty that matters, but we all know that if not most of the times, then on a few rare occasions we do like to cake our faces with the stuff. The market is pretty loaded with products, but the question is, which ones are worth the money? That is exactly what I am going to discuss today.
Let’s begin with the basics- Most of us prefer to begin with the foundations of makeup that is foundation. Initially whenever I had an excuse to get dolled up, I never used anything more than eye shadow, liner and kohl. But after watching so many makeup tutorials and seeing how using some basic makeup products gives you a better look, I’ve realised it’s probably better to start using foundation and concealer. I haven’t had the chance to pick up any yet, but my friends tell me that the Loreal true match foundation is really good because it’s not oily not does it look like it has been caked on. Well, I will definitely try this one out, as well as others to find the right one for me.
On to the eye makeup: I’m a huge Maybelline girl, so I use their Colossal Volum’ Express (waterproof) mascara in black, and I really like it. The mascara wand is easy to use with thick, long bristles, the mascara itself has a good consistency (not too liquid-y nor too dry) and the waterproof part is very true- It simply won’t come off without makeup remover.
Next I use Maybelline’s Colossal Kajal for kohl or kajal because it’s called kajal here in India. It lasts for quite a while, and it smudges which I like, but if you don’t want it smudging then I would suggest not buying this. For eyeliner, I recently bought Maybelline’s Hyper Glossy Liquid Liner which again I absolutely love because the brush is thin, but not too thin so I can make thin or think strokes as I want. My father had been to the US and he bought me a Lancôme eye shadow palette, I will try to post a picture of it for those of you who can buy it, please do. I used to use Lakme earlier but I really love this one and I wish I could get my hands on another palette of theirs, since I’m not sure if it’s available in India, and if it is, it’s sure to be quite expensive.
I will give you a few cheaper substitutes though, like I said, Lakme was my go-to for eye shadows after buying my first palette from them, but now I prefer Maybelline (no surprise) though I don’t actually own any eye shadow of theirs. I’ll be sure to let you guys know when I do pick one up from them. Eye pencils are another thing that I love hoarding (it’s actually hoarding when it comes to me). I usually buy them from Lakme since they are of good quality and aren’t a strain n my wallet, but I honestly haven’t tried any other brand as yet.
For the lips, recently I bought Maybelline’s The Jewels lip colour in a rich red.
The shade is 630 Rubilicious, and I know it isn’t the ideal shade for summer, but I just had to have a red. I just discovered my love for lipsticks so I don’t really have too many yet, but I’m sure to buy some soon. I’m not very big with gloss, so I prefer a sort of lip balm that has shimmer, but I love the Maybelline Fruit Jelly lip gloss, the Tempting Toffee flavour because I absolutely love anything chocolate. The taste of the lip gloss is delicious and it doesn’t last more than 5 minutes on my lips because I invariably lick it off, but if you have more self-control than me, do check it out.
If you don’t like toffee, they also have it in Crazy for Caramel, Treat me Sweet, Mint Sheer, Sparkling rape, Cherry Kiss and Mad about Melon (my next buy is Mint Sheer 😀 ). I don’t wear lip liner so I can’t really help you out there, but if I do start I will let you guys know.
Another thing I do not use is blush. First, I’m Indian so I have a relatively darker skin tone, and I suppose that doesn’t really matter. Second, I’ve just never got around to using one or finding the right shade for me, so again can’t help you there.
I’m still not accustomed to cosmetics just yet, so these are the products that I’ve discovered and have liked. You are free to recommend products that you use or like, just email me at mangomustacheblog@gmail.com, I would love to find new products to try out! I will try to keep up with the latest makeup stuff and will let you guys know as well. Last week I remember I promised to show you some nail art that I had planned, so this is it:
It’s my first time trying the heartbeat pattern so please excuse the unprofessional attempt!
Until next week, ciao!
Mango Mustache 