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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (45326)	12/20/2003 10:29:20 PM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 50167

Zack on beauty and graves... I just caught a bit of Miss World and the slavs have done it again. Bosnia & Hercevogonia and Croatia are the best looking of the lot and have particularly haunting Slavic looks whilst the former has a bit of Turkish mixed in. I think Miss World does a favour by illustrating the beauty in human diversity, by showcasing the jewel of every nation annually. Just caught Sweden, conventionally stunning, Nigeria, who was pretty, Finland and Estonia, both of whom were quite unique but the Slavic nations are absolutely amazing. I don't particularly fancy Miss Ireland and will have to watch more to decide whether she deserved the accolade of "Miss World 2003". After all my respect for the competition increased immeasurably after it was deservedly awarded to Aishwarya Rai, who along with Rani Mukherji and Karishma Kapoor form the triune of Indian celebrity goddesses. I have taken a fancy to Bollywood films as a particularly fun way to achieve the meditative state as one is further absorbed in the mythic world of billionaires chalets, dramatic love affairs and awe-inspiring beauty. It's a pity that Islamic countries, don't participate in Miss World competition or have a thriving film industry (apart from Egypt, the second largest in the world) since I think Pakistan and Afghanistan could take on the world with the rustic beauty of their people. It is not uncommon to find the blue eyes in the remotest Afghani mountaintop whilst in Pakistan the sturdiness and the fresh features of the Punjabi peasants is well regarded by South Asians. Graves and all Interesting thought I had after a discussion with my mother over graveyards, as inspired by the tepid movie "Don't say a Word". At any rate I realised that the tradition of graveyards and full burial could have only persisted in Euro-Islamic lands because the immensity swathes of land actually allowed for graveyards and burial places. However in the immensely fertile zones of the Yangtze and the Gangetic plain, land could not be squandered on graves and hence the traditional cremation traditions of the East. For instance the Nile's immense fecundity notwithstanding it was only because of the proximity of the desert could so much land have been reserved fro the frivolous enterprise of the pyramids. It's quite amazing the influence geography has had on burial traditions, for instance the anonymous graves of Islam were possible because of the erosion and difficultly navigating the desert. Furthermore the certainty of belief implied that there was no need to remember those who had passed because their fate had already been decided by their faith. What I find exceptionally interesting is how in the smallest of ways the nationstate is justified. Just the other day my Indian friend was correcting me for confusing Bangladeshis and Bengalis as one and the same. The two may share nominal ethnic allegiance but there is a topographic and cultural distinctiveness that extends beyond the Muslim-Hindu dichotomy. The regions comprising Bangladesh were previously populated by tribals that had partially undergone the process of "Sanskritisation" and "Hinduisation" but not enough to withstand the onslaught of Islamic prosleytisation. I'm meant to write something on South Asia but considering my 19th birthday is Tuesday next (15th Dec) and I'm finally going to Pakistan on the 19th I don't know where I'll have the time. Perhaps I'll write it up whilst basking in the Lahori sunshine and munching Bihari kebabs and God I think everyone is right I'm really going to be a foreigner there after being acclimatised to the dreadful weather of London and sub-standard chicken sandwiches. I'll be sure to take some reading material and dedicate some of my time to philosophical pursuits, when I'm not hunting down old friends and checking out for the sliver of nightlife there. I just caught a bit of Miss World and the slavs have done it again. Bosnia & Hercevogonia and Croatia are the best looking of the lot and have particularly haunting Slavic looks whilst the former has a bit of Turkish mixed in. I think Miss World does a favour by illustrating the beauty in human diversity, by showcasing the jewel of every nation annually. Just caught Sweden, conventionally stunning, Nigeria, who was pretty, Finland and Estonia, both of whom were quite unique but the Slavic nations are absolutely amazing. I don't particularly fancy Miss Ireland and will have to watch more to decide whether she deserved the accolade of "Miss World 2003". After all my respect for the competition increased immeasurably after it was deservedly awarded to Aishwarya Rai, who along with Rani Mukherji and Karishma Kapoor form the triune of Indian celebrity goddesses. I have taken a fancy to Bollywood films as a particularly fun way to achieve the meditative state as one is further absorbed in the mythic world of billionaires chalets, dramatic love affairs and awe-inspiring beauty. It's a pity that Islamic countries, don't participate in Miss World competition or have a thriving film industry (apart from Egypt, the second largest in the world) since I think Pakistan and Afghanistan could take on the world with the rustic beauty of their people. It is not uncommon to find the blue eyes in the remotest Afghani mountaintop whilst in Pakistan the sturdiness and the fresh features of the Punjabi peasants is well regarded by South Asians. Zachary Latif 20:41 latif.blogspot.com