This Girl's Diary: Slumdog millionaire

June 24, 2011

Slumdog millionaire

I am a slumdog millionaire. I may not fit in the ideal definition of how slumdogs are supposed to look like or the lifestyles they are expected to lead. I may have had access to a good education which is not what those in the slums are exposed to. I may have only a few hundred bills in my wallet and the 'millionaire' tag may simply be there to add some glamour quotient to my profile, but I am a slumdog nevertheless. The 20th June edition of Now! confirmed this status for me which is why I can now scream about it everywhere I go.

My Professors have always discouraged the use of wikipedia while seeking answers of any kind because the site itself is not a primary source of data collection. Nevertheless after reading the contents of the local paper I was compelled to opt for a quick response. So after carefully typing "what is a slum?" the response I got defined a slum, as defined by the United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, "as a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security." The next logical step for me was to take a good look around the colony and identify these substandard houses and the supposed squalor. I saw none other than the old government quarters of yesteryears with GCI roofing that are in dire need of proper maintenance.

So, now I wonder what are the parameters along which I have been rated a slum dweller? I'm seeking answers that might provide a reasonable explanation.

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A note for the readers

Dear Stranger,

We've shared a one sided relationship over the past few years. It began for us in 2003 when I started my first blog. A few years later I decided against it due to two chief reasons- I wasn't a regular and my writing credentials were best portrayed in my diaries. Somehow the idea of seeing my neat handwritten journals gave me a far greater sense of satisfaction than Microsoft word ever could. It seemed (and still does) to me a feat I achieved minus automatic spell checks and grammatical corrections; a very important one at that and one which I carry till date.

Back in the blog industry for a second time, this was supposed to be my secret haven. A much needed outlet to pour my deepest thoughts. Regrets I may have, anger I may want to unleash, opinions I may want to make and hidden feelings I might want to express. Things haven't exactly worked out according to plan. Strange as it may sound, I feel a constant fear of being judged according to my writings. As a result, these posts represent only a decent chunk of what I may have liked to say otherwise. I constantly keep you in mind. You may or may not know me but it does not stop me from getting paranoid nonetheless. So if you are here today hoping to know my deepest secrets, don't bother to read further. Technology can only get you this far.