I always knew about the super talented Bruce Lee and yes more so Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Chow Yun Fat who came later on. The east is fantastic as it gave the world martial arts, yoga, Ayurveda, acupressure, Tai Chi, spirituality( in a big way) etc. Yoga, I have done for many years now, but I’m learning about Tai Chi only now.It's really very, very interesting to know so much about the mind body connection, the importance of the spirituality factor in life. That's where the real power lies- in the mind.
This is a continent which gave the world quite a bit in terms of culture. You know why I get to talk about Asia so much now. The last was when I studied Geography is school and it’s been a while since then. I gathered my knowledge(and am thankful for the same) but it was not my favorite subject anyway. It's only after I started staying out of Asia and moved to the American continent, did have more chances to talk about it. That's the irony of it. But it's nice to talk so much about where you come from right now, outside of the country of your birth.
I love to talk about the positive aspects much more than the negative ones. People think I know so much about martial arts.Well I did contemplate taking up karate when I was very little(just wanted to be a tough little girl) but that never materialized.
It's actually mt very someone special who taught me a lot about martial arts and the talk started not very long ago. "You have the strong legs for it and the body too for kung fu", he would say! You know I now really regret not taking it up. I would really have been such a tough girl and it’s important for people to be a little scared and intimidated by you these days! Also it's a great way to stay fit without depending too much on weights etc!
I have become mentally strong and have also taught myself how to not be at a weak spot in life.
But physical strength is a must too! So yes, it would have been really nice to be a karate or kung fu chick.Martial arts experts can also fight injustice and evil not just with words but more literally too!
Now it seems a little late in life to do that...
Anyway most importantly being more Asian and not just conventionally Indian looking has worked to my advantage outside of India.
Well, in northern and western India, they would say I look more oriental, as if from Singapore or Bangkok. Well, not all of them were the same but with some I feel it was more a jibe and it’s nothing great to be like that (as if only the typical Indian looker with a sharp nose is only good enough)!
Many other oriental lookers(especially for whom it was more prominent) would feel it much more. Guess, it was a jibe from from the narrow minded with their limited knowledge of the world! Or maybe sometimes people are so envious and hold underlying resentment towards someone that they it kind of clouds their views and way of speaking!
Anyway, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.What might be beautiful or even good for some mightn't be good for the other. Of course while making choices, one's class matters!
Okay, not everyone was narrow minded though. My ex roommate, a small time model, a wannabe celeb said I am and could be more international( here I'm happily representing my kind as well) than Indian.
Well, what she said a few years back, became a reality now.
Also some nicer folks in India and Mumbai appreciated my exotic look in the last few years and it's nice to know that at least some with a broadminded outlook. Maybe being from media and the constant education made them so.
But there were some guys who admitted they were attracted to me but I felt they couldn't figure out properly what the heck made them feel so! Guess that's because they weren't clearheaded and it isn't a good thing at all!
By the way, I'm saying all this for the sake of it. Thankfully I have been knowledgeable enough and by the grace of God continue to gather even more wisdom as the days go by. I want to be content in my own space and not get swayed by the opinions of others. So jibes/ criticism or compliments, I feel the same.
And as I said, I strongly believe in the saying, "Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. It's just that some people have genuine reasons to find someone beautiful or ugly while others have none and are influenced by emotions- lust, fascination, envy et al.
Anyway, a few have often wondered( even when I was in Mumbai) how I managed to look so different in all my modelling pics. A little make up and hair change and I would change!
Even in normal pics my look changes, depending on the lighting and background etc. I was called the chameleon and I would graciously call myself the master of disguise. It's like literally following and living according to the very famous Shakespeare quote,"All the world's a stage and we're all actors and actresses" .
“I think you are either Mexican or Egyptian”, said a very pleasant bartender at a restaurant in New Jersey a year back.
Before that in this Caribbean island people often wondered and asked me as to what kind of an interesting mix I am! "You seem to be from the western world. Did you study in America? You dress up so well', they would ask. That I owe teachers in school as well the internet, international movies and of course my work in the media! By the way,I stayed in an Indian metro city called Mumbai as a media person for a while,so I know a bit of style. No big deal!
Once before even these real life experiences, a well wisher who’s quite the world traveler had said after looking at some pics of mine, “Oh, she looks more Brazilian than Bollywood which is so typical and boring.” And some more people had recently said,"She looks as if she's from Venezuela? She speaks Spanish, right?"
And I would like to just take a bow. Thank you everyone for your unbiased views. Maybe yours truly has a kind of physique, brown hair, exotic light brown eyes and a nice tan which makes them feel she's more Hispanic than Indian.
Ummm...I remember being the short haired, very skinny, gawky kid not too long ago.It's nice to have come a long way since then! I've been called the exotic looker many times and I thank God for that! From a little tart to an exotic damsel.Come a long way...
Plus that gives me inspiration to learn another language. Not bad at all! And I and a few other aware people from India too, find Latin hottie Jessica Alba absolutely stunning. And yes, Shakira and Salma Hayek too as well as supermodels Gisele Bundchen, Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio.
J lo, Eva Longoria, Eva Mendes etc have made some news too!
Check a picture of Jessica Alba and her gorgeous olive skin and unconventional good looks- it must have come as a whiff of fresh air when she and the likes of her got mainstream type of fame in Hollywood.
The fashionista can look effortlessly sexy even in casuals.
And even hotter when she plays Mommy to daughter Honor.
And in a personal way, I've liked Panama born(smaller star) Jordana Brewster's ('The Fast and the Furious' was one of her better known movies)features, pretty tanned skin and style, which has been a hit with me for years.
And a kind old lady said I look very Polynesian-Hawaiian to be precise. I love Hawaii and used to always dream of going there especially after loving the classic ‘From here to Eternity’ so much. I love the sea and it's my dream destination. That gives me more justification, right? Dress up in coconut leaves skirts, the pretty garlands and the floral head gear. It would be nice to take pictures like that with the beautiful beaches as the backdrop!
Dream, dream, dream...all I have to do is dream...( Courtesy- The Everly brothers)
After hearing so much of all this from non Indians over the last two years and so, I kind of felt I should have been like Lou Diamond Philips. Gosh, I could have been his sister or niece!
,Maybe I would have played various types of roles on celluloid just like him, inspired by him. That would have cut my struggle in life so much!! Man, I wish I was that lucky.
But one thing remains certain, I gel better and am more suited in the more cosmopolitan society here.I wanted to shift to California almost 7 years back( sadly it didn't pan out then but I'm glad I always knew myself and was aware of what was good for me) and am really thankful I could move to the western world if not exactly California.
Better late than never.I always prefer the broad minded outlook. But yes, I'm very much an individualitic person who developed a definite set of views over the years. So I love to preserve my Asian morality, ethics, and spirituality in the western world! That's like enjoying the best of both worlds.
But It's really nice to be more international than Indian, and not just belong to one country, but to the world. I'm proud to be an Indian, and I love to imbibe the good things from my culture and hold them close to my heart forever.
Now most people have the dream of travelling the world or being a called a global citizen. It doesn't always come true for all but many would appreciate it.
But jokes apart ,vanity isn’t my thing at all.I would like others to compliment me instead of doing it myself( it's so very silly to blow one's own trumpet!) Modesty and humility are signs of strength not weakness though many don't admit it.
But today’s discussion is important in more ways than one.
It’s meant to broaden one’s outlook. I for one never have or had anything against the sharp nosed, typical Indian beauty; I appreciate beauty as a whole. And as a good journo, I have always been unbiased and it shows here on my various posts as well. My mother though isn’t that kind. I picked up the finer things including values from the country of my birth.
She strongly thinks that 'the north east of India has been ignored big time by the centre Indian central government)'. Amongst other things, the not typical looking Indian girl( more oriental) is not treated well enough in the entertainment world.
As far as actresses and celebs are concerned, Freida Pinto who made splashes worldwide talked about how she didn’t get too many roles in India( she was apparently called flat chested, dark and all that) before ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ happened. Well she must have had Portuguese ancestors from Goa, India and hence she has the exotic look. That has stood her in good stead internationally and made her so very famous all over!
No wonder model/ actress Koena Mitra is getting much more adulation in LA and San Francisco than in Bollywood. The exotic look must have worked in her favor in the west!
And yes of course, big Indian star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. She can morph into various characters regardless of its nationality and this can very well explain the international movies in her kitty- 'The Last Legion', 'Pink Panther 2' etc.It's another matter though that none of movies made her a big international star.
Some fools (ain't an understatement here) in my country of birth think that becoming fair is enough or maybe conventional sharp nosed Indian looking etc will make them good.Even though there were attractive dusky actresses there doing well too from a long time,more so since the 1990s.
A part of the elite have however asked the public not to have the obsession to be just fair. This came up last year when Aishwarya Rai Bachchan said she didn't want to advertise a fairness cream for L'Oreal. There was a story not too long ago when some people damaged their skin badly during treatments in their quest to become fair. Guess, the obsession is from the many years of living under British rule. The country became independent in 1947 but many things remain the same… Well, the genes remain the same, that's the reason why.
Being fit and exercising is so important, not only to look good but for overall health as well. Having a well proportioned body is so very important and thankfully after globalization the modeling world and B- town has changed the mindset a bit! But still there’s a long way to go. Toned legs, a slim waistline et al one needs to have and not just a big heaving bosom…
Remember the Shakira lyrics from almost 9 years back- "Lucky that my breasts are small and humble So you don't confuse them with mountains Lucky I have strong legs like my mother To run for cover when i need it ..."( Courtesy- Whenever Wherever) 'Next to her cheap silicon I look minimal That's why in front of your eyes I'm invisible But you gotta know small things also count You better put your feet on the ground And see what it's about' ...( Courtesy Objection tango)
Ignorance isn’t bliss in any way! No wonder the country still remains a third world country even after so much economic growth.
China might be rising as the east rises but not India at this rate, with just only a few elite ones, while the rest continue to happily live in the dark-in ignorance, illiteracy and so on. Not the high class and a few knowledgeable ones I am talking about here!
There are a few who are responsible for taking the country forward. But there are too many who love to live in the dark. The ratio must be 20:80 and that's not too good.
By the way, only a good education, class and increase of intellectualism, knowledge and wisdom can make people progressive in life. Knowing oneself is being enlightened while knowing others is being wise. But sadly many don’t have either. Well that’s being tried for but more needs to be done not just in India but everywhere as well.
Otherwise a kind of an ‘Avatar’ like world will become a reality where again a few intellectually and technically powerful people will dominate the majority!
On another note, they might be from a totally different field, but I always felt proud to see Assamese American engineer Renita Saikia Fincke keep her traditions alive. She's originally from the North East Indian state- Assam.
Well, that's my home state in India and some people there have some Mongoloid and Siamese roots.That explains my exotic look as well which has stood me in good stead. Of course Renita gets lots of help from her NASA astronaut husband Col. Edward Michael Fincke better known as Mike Fincke.
He did the the state's most famous Bihu dance in space and enjoyed his time in the north eastern state last year where he was felicitated. The spring festival dance has never featured in a mainstream Bollywood film, but reached space. That sure is incredible.
He loves the river Brahmaputra in Assam and filmed it from space.He also took many pics of the North east and it's scenic beauty from the space station.
Their children who speak various languages and have Assamese-American names, seem to have the best of both worlds- the advancement of the west and the mystique of the east! Kudos to you guys!
P.S.- You guys might be curious but Babetude's personal pics will be shared on the blog only when the time is right and the news is big enough:-) She ain't a celeb and vanity is not her thing.
Till then, ciao.
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