Seven Year Itch

My seventh wedding anniversary definitely called for something special ... from Saat phere to tiding over the seven year itch is not something easy these days. Heard from somewhere that this period is drastically lowered from six months to four years these days. Btw there is special color for the seventh year too.. it is off-white.

Our options were limited. Most of our close friends were travelling. If one couple went to Kenya, the other were holidaying in Czech and another had left to Belarus. Yes.. you heard that right .. Belarus, a small landlocked country south of Russia with a population of 9.5 million, a little more than Hyderabad. Anyways the point here is (1) People are travelling everywhere (2) No friends .. no party.

One option was to spend the night ‘royally’ … just the two of us and what better way to do it than staying in one India's magnificent palace hotels, the nearest palace hotel being Taj Falanama. But with the temperature hovering around 42C, the idea evaporated as quickly as it came. I still have great fascination for palaces and greater respect for the kings. The ability to have maintained so many wives speaks for itself. Wondering whether they celebrated their wedding anniversary or just married every year? 

Anyways we brought in the celebration by clubbing and then went out for midnight dinner.. just the two of us.  We decided to simplify the customary mutual gift exchange ceremony. We shopped for ourselves and had lunch at home. And what better way to finish the day than an 'IPL after hours party'? ... that too, in a day when the Decccan Chargers won one decent match against Bangalore which sent Chennai into the semifinal... Geeez, that Dhoni guy is sure lucky. Watched the cheer leaders shake their booties, the super models walk the ramp, some of the players, supporters and commentators catching up over a drink. 

We ran through the memory lane just for kicks ... Jab We Met to Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. But somewhere in a quiet unsaid moment we added an annual ring to our relationship. 

In the final seventh phere, the couple pray for togetherness, loyalty and understanding between themselves. After that, there are no more rounds. You only add rings - rings that affirm the strength of the relationship. 


Let me dedicate this Shania Twain's number on this occasion 'You are still the one'


They said "I bet they'll never make it"
But just look at us holding on
We're still together still going strong

You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life

Vicky Donor or Picky choosers?

"Wanted  IITian sperm, healthy donor, no bad habits, tall and fair if possible but will consider the right donor regardless of looks etc. Time is of the essence, so please call asap. Compensation twenty thousand rupees cash" . This was online ad posted by a Chennai couple earlier this year. It amused me but not enough to write a blog. But with the new Bollywood movie ‘Vicky donor’ bringing in the topic of sperm donation and insemination to the Indian masses, I thought its time.

Are the IITians the most desirable for a good looking high IQ level progeny?  Considering the time that an average IIT student (for that matter any professional college student ) spends alone, watching porn, it’s better to sell it than ... you know… 'flush it down the drain’.  IITians are anyway going to take over the world in a few years. They are the ones who will write books, they are the ones who will crack CAT, manage MNCs, join politics, invent stuff etc. So no harm there asking for their sperms, but I would put my money on an IIM graduate, since most IITians anyways proceed to do a MBA.

We seem to have a choice here. Let me call it the ‘Cafeteria approach’.  We have the IIT sperm, the IIM sperm, then the medical college sperm. For a lower price we may have the Regional Engineering College sperms and other colleges.

Lets widen our net and look at other interesting sperm donor cohorts too .. IPL player or any  other young sports person, politicians, actors, models  or... wait a sec, how about a combination .. a cricketer turned politician or IIM graduate turned actor.  I recall a senior  gynecologist friend of mine who worked in a corporate hospital in Hyderabad telling me that in 1980's  their main donors were night watchmen (Poor guys.. what a job)  I guess, we have come a long way!!

Now about the cost, Rs 20,000  for an IITian ($400) seems to be a little low since a Ph.D in America gets around $500/ ejaculation as against a college degree holder who get $160. We could standardize the rate as we did for our capitation fees. For the IPL player sperms, we could go in for an auction.

Ironically, the World's largest sperm bank is the ‘California Cryobank’ in the United States, though India and China have the world's largest population. Four US sperm banks control 65 percent of the global sperm market and US exports sperm to over 60 countries. In short, American sperm rocks. This is one area where India has been caught with its pants up. Our men spend most of their time adjusting their crotches in public when they could be spreading the goodness around the world. Sadly, our ballgame is cricket.

In a way, it is good that Indians are not big time into sperm choosing.. or else we would have ads like.

'Wanted  sperms from fair, tall, good looking, healthy, successful, highly educated Religion - Hindu/ Muslim/ Christian,  Caste - Brahmin/ Rajput/ Reddy, Community -  Marathi/ Telugu/ Bengali,  with no family history of Obesity, Diabetes, BP, Cancer, premature baldness or greying'

 And marriage ads will be short and sweet

‘Wanted Rich Male'

I don't - the new vows

Getting a divorce will soon be speedier and easier in India after the government amended the Marriage Laws Amendment Bill last week.  Women will also be entitled to a share of the property from the marriage, the quantum of share will be decided by the court on case-by-case basis.The new clause also allows one-time settlement instead of monthly maintenance in case of divorce.  Sample this ...Mr X  got divorced. He and his ex-wife split the house. He got the outside!


The mandatory six-month clause for filing of divorce will now be waived off on grounds of irretrievable breakdown. According to the new Cabinet Note, while a wife can oppose a husband's plea for a divorce under the new "irretrievable breakdown of marriage" clause, the husband will have no such rights to oppose if the wife moves the court on the same grounds. So it is just a ' I can't get along with him' for a women who wants a divorce.. and 'Why the hell can't you get along with me?'  for a woman who doesn't. Win-win .. YES  ... progress .. progress.... Not sure  


While the reforms are broadly welcomed by women, some are concerned by the new grounds for divorce. The International Association of Masculinists, a Men’s Rights Organization  dedicated to creating a world where Men are seen as worthy of kindness, respect and love. (Didn't know such an organization existed) has come out in the defense of the poor, 'on-the -bench-of divorce' Indian men.  Their chief concern being - Why the bias?  What happens when women is wealthier.. do the men get a share of the marital property? 


In India, with a huge rural-urban sociological divide, not sure where there is going. Dowry or cash/ gift exchange is still common in rural and sociologically backward families.  Prenupt is going to become common and so would Live-in relationships. Me thinks they should amend the marriage vows to .......... I, ____, take you, ____, to be my lawful wedded (husband/wife), to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death or divorce do us part.


I personally feel that it is pay back time for men for all the atocities done by their forefathers. and I am happy that I am woman. 

India failing or shining

Ahhh.. there we go again.. S & P have decided to lower India's rating outlook close to junk status - BBB - , which is the lowest investment grade rating. Last time I heard from S& P was when they stripped  the U.S. of its sterling AAA credit rating for the first time and moved it one notch down  to AA+. You can check on the earlier blog - http://sandwichandpeanuts.blogspot.in/2011/08/great-fall-of-america.html


I tried to make sense of this. BBB investment grade means a country can meet its financial commitments, but an adverse external change can affect that capacity.  All that S&P has done now is to revise long-term rating to negative, rather than stable (From BBB to BBB-)  A downgrade is likely if the country's economic growth prospects worsen, its political climate deteriotes, or fiscal reforms slow down.   More specifically, there is at least a “one in three” chance of a future downgrading from BBB.  Below BBB will take India to the non-investment grade. We are now sharing the platform with countries like Indonesia, Latvia, Morocco, Tunisia, Bulgaria, Croatia.  


I have some questions 
Why does S&P think India has a chance of getting degraded?
Do credit rating agencies tend to rate developed regions unnecessarily high and developing regions unnecessarily low. Btw, is India still a developing country or a new industrial nation?


I understand that S&P views will turn optimistic if food and fertilizer subsidies are targeted (and reduced), GST is introduced and FDI relaxed for banking, insurance and retail which is unlikely considering that we have coalition politics, policy paralysis, naxalism and corruption.  Probably thats what S&P think too. 


What does a BBB rating mean to u and me....markets lose steam. ... price rise .... lack of employment opportunities ... what else. We Indians are used to it..  .