I am now officially a sinner. YAY!

I have been waiting for this tag to come around (that is, for someone to tag me officially) ever since IHM started it off. True, I don’t usually wait for the tags to come around but do them anyway, but this time I wanted to be tagged officially and do it completely legally (what if by doing it illegally, I get stuck with wrong colors). Finally, PB tagged me. A BIG thanks to her :)

So the tag is about breaking the gender stereotypes: things you do that do no belong to your gender’s characteristics as defined by the society. Hence, making you a social sinner. The tagee (the one who has been tagged) is supposed to list 10 such sins and then tag 12 more bloggers (otherwise the tagee will be cursed to wear blue clothes pants if they are a woman and pink shirts if they are a man – for next twelve years). Hence, the taggee now becomes the tagger and can officially join the facebook club of the sinners!

So here goes my list:

1. If I like someone, I usually make the first move. I actually prefer it that way. It makes me more comfortable. When I am out on a date with someone, I usually pay for myself, and often for the date as well ( I was the one who invited them for the date, then shouldn’t I be the one paying for it? Just my logic). The only trouble is that I am a big snob and hence, don’t have a crush as often (or may be its a good thing, at least good for my wallet).

2. Photography is my passion. To the extent that most of the people around me (usually guys), ask for my opinion before buying a camera or a lens, and at times, when their camera is malfunctioning (no, I don’t know how to fix a camera. Seriously).

Most of the photography club trips I have been to, I was the only girl amongst 15-20 odd guys. The photography trip I take alone, I usually end up talking to strangers (usually photographers). Some of them have given me excellent tips.

3. I have learned martial arts for 2 years and I am a blue belt in Kenpo Karate (I am planning to continue that once I am done with my PhD). I think I can do some damage to anyone who dares to attack me. I relish a good defense technique, even though it might mean gouging opponents eyes, or breaking their ribs, or snapping their neck, or breaking few bones, or taking off someone’s knee cap. Brilliant! The knowledge that I can do all that, gives me a lot of confidence, not that I will necessarily apply any of them in real life, unless I am attacked. However, I still don’t enjoy watching the WWFs or any other wrestling contest or any brutal sports. I think they involve unnecessary violence, done for the entertainment of some dumbos, instead of self defense.

I should point out that martial arts, among all the sports, is considered least favorable for a girl because, number 1 it’s a contact sports which means you have to be in close physical contact with the others almost all the time (and its a mixed sports, you have to work with both guys and gals). Secondly, it does involve getting hit repeatedly, which yet again not a very desirable thing for a girl, is it?

4. I am good in Maths. I have always been good in Maths (I consider it as my strength). I can solve quite a lot of questions in my brain without any need to write it down, which, for some reason, people think is amazing (or so have I been told). At times, few of them don’t believe that I have done it in my brain and accuse me of cheating or guesswork! Usually, their argument involves something on the line that a girl can’t solve those things in her brain. The girl’s brain, you see, is more adaptive in memorizing stuff than problem  solving. Or, so I have been told.

5. I read news regularly. I keep in touch with current affairs and follow the politics (world, US and India). I have political opinions. I can explain you anything from Kashmir conflict (when and why it started) to Arizona immigrant law to Tories recent budget in UK (not too many details but an overview). 

But I should confess that I am not a very good debater. I avoid conflict as much as I can.

6. I like Lego and any such puzzle solving, building things kind of toys etc. My room-mate and I put together all our furniture when we moved in our new apartment (in US, you usually get furniture in pieces with nails and everything which you need to put together). Since the age of 15 until I was 25, I was the one responsible for putting the lights up in our house on Diwali (as well as the Rangoli).

7. My specialization, Geophysics, requires a fair bit of field work. So I have roamed the villages of north-west Rajasthan, Gujarat and upper Himalayas during different field trips. And I must say, there is no better way to know the place than to do field work in that area.

8. I am an agnostic atheist. More importantly, I am anti-religion (basically, anti anyone who tell others what to believe in, how to believe, how to pray and how to reach salvation. To me its a personal business. None of us can know more about God than others, so the people who pretend they do, they are simply frauds). Though I am not sure if this is a manly stereotype or not, but there have been studies that say: ‘women are more religious than men’. So I am counting it.

9. I am not a clean/neat freak. I can easily leave dirty utensils in the sink for more than 2 days (if you live with room-mates with different cleaning habits, it stops bothering you after a while). I will prefer living in a clean place, but I am not too much bothered if I am not. It all depends on my work load. Cleaning the house is never on my priority list. I will do it if I have time.

10. Lastly, the most trivial point, which I think most of women in this decade have done: I have travelled alone. I actually travelled all by myself to a new country with no friends or family and no one to pick me up at the airport.

I am also a movie freak and love watching movies in the theater, which I usually do alone. I usually eat alone which means I can eat alone in a restaurant, even in a crowded restaurant. The stares and looks don’t bother me anymore.

 

As for tagging, I agree with liberalcynic that this tag is easier for women to write about and very difficult for men. Its easier to be a tomboy than a ‘girly’ or ‘sissy’ man. Still I would like to tag few of the male bloggers I do read and like. Hope they take up the tag. So I tag thee: Rachna, Pradeep, Viji, Gopal, Aathira, Sudipta, Broom, Titaxy, Braja. Guess, I have to wear  blue pants after all (I could tag only 9), can I wear blue jeans? Please?

Now I am off to my FB account to join the group officially. Sinners here I come..

P.S.: 1. BTW, if you want to take up the tag please do. I was being too prudish for waiting for it to come around. I don’t think you will be stuck with wrong colors for taking the tag anyway. Right IHM?

2. I should also confess that I like wearing dresses and skirts, and jewelries. I can spend hours shopping for those things as well.

For other things (as camera, laptops and other gadgets), I do like to search the market for the best deal (usually online). Am not sure which category does this fall into. (Buying gadgets vs shopping research: masculine vs feminine traits). Any ideas?