Roads of India
I was wondering how ladies of the past who conformed to the *"rules of good lady", managed to be so...
Well, let me explain the basis of my doubt. I was walking from the cafeteria towards my work place... I was alone and lost in thoughts... so, i was staring at the road while walking... There was a profile of a Toad (hey this is not some DW tool, it is a real toad)... poor thing got smashed by one of the cars parked there... Yuck!!! So, I had to walk the way Mahakavi Bharathi (a well known patriotic tamil poet) wanted from a "Pudhumai Pen" (like me ;-)) : "Nimirntha Nadayum, Nerkonda Paarvaiyum" (that means, "Strides that are erect and a look that is straight" don't ask me if those old ladies had a crooked way of walking and looking... they just bent their heads down)
This made me think of our Indian roads. Don't ever dare to look at the road while walking, even out of "adakkam" or "thoughts" especially when u r @ chennai. you'll end up vomiting... As the road belongs to every man here... He makes use of it perfectly... as his dustbin, W.C, or a place to throw off his mucus... (to be fair, replace he with she wherever it is applicable)
* There was a tradition in India that women should walk with their heads down, (don't worry there was not much traffic in those days!!!, they won't be hit by tanker lorries ;-)) and Subramaniya Bharathi, A great poet protested. And tried to save women from this plight.
