dippu.com

   This time, Decruz did not have to beg, plead, cajole, demand or ask for a blog post. The title happened because my brain is short on serotonin. That's one possible self diagnosed explanation. I'm also hoping that there will be more posts in the future. 

I will be doing a lot of thinking about dippu. haha. maybe. if i get time.

This could be called a plug of sorts. This year, I got a chance to work with the new york chapter of KPWF ( Kerala Pentecostal Writers Forum) as a Joint-Secretary and Webmaster. The webmaster title is self appointed. I don't know what Joint-secretarys do. But for now I get to talk about KPWF NY as if its the best thing since a perfectly round chappati.

So take a look around the site if you feel like clicking on the link.

Yes, we're still sneaking around on this website, writing subversive posts like this.

muhahahaha. said the dandy man.

For some ineffable reason, when God decided it was time for my particular identity to spend time on this planet, he made sure it would be as a malayalee. Being mallu has been incredibly enriching, and part of that is getting to see all the specifically mallu things that I would never get to see otherwise.

Be warned, some of this humor can only be properly appreciated by those with a knowledge of malayalam. And some only by those with a knowledge of IPC. Enjoy.

The first video I want to share is music video of sorts titled "Who are We - IPC". Brought to you by the Wrath of God aka Sypher Productions, this is a collaboration by some people down in Florida. With the sound of the dirrty South, they're repping IPC with the necessary acoustic guitar. Its just not IPC without the acoustic guitar, people. We always need an acoustic guitar somewhere in a song. Or a keyboard.

Yo we lean and we rock and we bring the noise IPC is a cult get you crunk (its a like them franchise boys) Cant stop wont stop ipc's hot If you got a problem, then you will be dropped but drop to the lord coz we here to edify.

Interestingly, I noticed a small blurb on their video page that I really wonder about. It says "... it was a real blessing when god gave this to us at the CF2 youth retreat at 5 in the morning..." Now, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but if that is true, then we need to consider what some of the lyrics say. I suppose the biggest issue here is the "IPC is a cult get you crunk" line. Maybe because of the negative connotations associated with that word. Anyway, I'd love to hear your feedback on the lyrics of that song, and possibly the music, if you feel you're qualified to comment.

Who are we - IPC

The other videos are all part of the same project, a small movie called American Malu, directed by Bijoy Thomas, who lives about two towns away from me. Its fascinating to see how young mallus(and I would think Indians) continue to put the spin on parental behavior.

American Malu Part 1

American Malu Part 2

American Malu bloopers

Update: I got some of the lyrics wrong, but the guys at Sypher Productions were good enough to tell me what the lyrics really were. In the interest of blogging ethics, and because Decruz  mentioned it would be the christian thing to do, I leave you this note explaining my error.  

I attended a seminar organized by the Kerala Pentecostal Writers Forum called "Malayalees and the Media" Sunday evening. There were four writers on the panel, who have been repping Mallu pride with extreme class, and it was a pleasure to hear from all of them. I'm just going to straightforward and leave you the questions and the panelists' answers. But first, the introductions.
The four panelists were...

George Rajan Thomas - Reporter for CBN News (and there is absolutely very little information online about him. If you want to see him, you can search for George Thomas on CBN News) 

Sree Sreenivasan - Professor of Journalism @ Columbia

George Abraham - Founder of Kerala Digest, a malayalam newspaper in North America.

Sarita James - Freelance writer exploring the art of the personal essay.

On to the questions. The following questions were thrown out by the moderator, Sybil.
I've tried to be as accurate as possible, but there's some probability that I have attributed a few comments to the wrong panelist. And whenever I've felt like it, I've just given the gist of their thoughts.

photo by Balu Menon

Q. Give us a little background on how you approached journalism.
Sarita: Well, I'm not really a journalist, I'm more of a freelance writer. I used to write for the Harvard South Asian Journal, do guest editorials for the Harvard Crimson and got experience writing like that. After getting my personal essay published in the NY Times, I have been approached by several literary agents and am currently in discussions with publishers on a book. 
George Abraham: When I first came to the U.S. in the 60s, I had to choose between what I wanted to do and what I had to do. I wanted to write but I ended up studying computer science. We first published a newsletter called "Chalana" and then "Tharavad". We had the inspiration to publish a newspaper, so we started a handwritten "Keralam Sandesham" and then started Kerala Digest which ran for three years. "Nadham", "Prabhatham" and other publications came after that.
Sree: My parents didn't want me to be a journalist. In fact, my grandfather  used to ask why I wanted to be a journalist. In his words, "Why would you want to be the guy running around asking for interviews when you can be somebody who gives interviews." He was finally happy to know I had an M.S. in journalism and he would tell all his friends that I worked in computers, which of course I did, being a journalist.
George Thomas: I grew up in Tanzania and East Africa and the country was under the control of a dictator. The only way to get any access to news was to listen to the radio or go to an embassy. My dad would make me go to the American Embassy every day and watch the news. He would then make me summarize it when I got back home.

Q. What are we talking about when you say media? What opportunities are available for those interested in the field?
Sree: The journalism industry has lost 80,000 jobs since 2000. Columbia has a M.S. in Journalism, and there are other undergrad programs that you can apply to for journalism. You might want to think about non traditional methods however like blogs. The most important thing is having something to say.
George Thomas: documentary filmmaking
Sarita James: I've often found that its easier to approach local papers that have ties to your community. I submitted my first article to Urban Indian. George Abraham: In addition to blogs, you should consider ethnic journalism.

Q. Why is it important for our community to be in the media?
Sree: We have to get involved. It makes a difference if you write letters to the editors. The story about "Flying while Brown" after 9/11 did not break until Ashraf Khan took a stand when he was kicked off a plane. We have power as consumers of the news.
George Abraham: The image of Indians in the media is slowly changing. We have been improving the image but there is an inconsistency between the way we view prejudice here and in India.
George Thomas: We've always had an image as a Non Aligned Nation. I noticed when I was in India covering the Bush visit that Indians had so much pride in what they were doing as a country. We tend to be quiet, both about the good and the bad, but people are realizing that we are an important part of the world.
Sarita James: We need to get involved in our local communities and in the political process.

Audience questions
Q. (Mathai Alumootil to George Thomas): Did you have the vision to be a journalist when you were young?
No. I hated my dad for forcing me to do it. I love him for it now. Before 9/11I was submerged in an islamic group for a year, and I found out later that the group had direct ties to the 9/11 bombers. It has come upon me as a burden to report on these hotspots around the world where there is no peace.

Q. What concrete steps would you recommend for people who are looking to break into journalism?
Sree: Get in touch with us. Use the SAJA discussion board. There are numerous scholarships available that we are often unaware of. Get in touch with ethnic journalists. They are on the front lines of the news.

Q. How has your personal faith influenced your journalism?
George Thomas: Tremendously. I don't leave my faith at the door. Its who I am. I have to report both sides of the story. The goal is not to show my bias but to show both sides and allow the users to make up their own minds.
Sree: I'm not a christian, but I have been brought up with a strong sense of the malayalee culture, and I've worked at helping correct errors about the indian culture. I am proud of my culture.
George Abraham: I have grown up in Kerala, noted for its communal harmony and I strive to see that played out wherever I am. Social justice, baby.

Q. How much interest is there for ethnic media?
Lots
Sarita: Mainstream is beginning to mean immigrants.

And that was about all the notes I managed to take. I gave up on writing it all down when I found out they were running out of time. I had so many questions to ask too. I don't think I've added in any opinions of my own so far, so I'll take this last bit of space for some venting. It was good. Real good. End of personal opinion. 

I'll throw in all the questions I prepared along with dippu staff as an added bonus. Maybe, if some of the panelists read this article, they'll address some of the questions that weren't raised. Or you could leave your opinions and answers. Feel free to add your own questions to the discussion.

Q1. As malayalees, are we using the internet to integrate into world culture or are we creating a virtual ghetto?
Q2. Are there more opportunities for malayalees/indians in general in the media? (answered with a resounding yes. GT says that CBN is making more of an effort to bring diversity to their newsroom. Sree mentioned the increasing visibility of Indians on network television. )
Q3. Do you find it hard to practice your faith and be part of the media...(Answered above. )
Q4. Do you have to look good to get on TV? (This question was sent in by Laney, who wanted to know if there was ever any pressure to get plastic surgery in order to get a little more telegenic for the camera.)
Q5. Do you have to hide aspects of your malayalee culture?(Answered above in the faith question)
Q6. How do you express your malayaliness through your writing? Do you try to let the rhythms of malayalam affect your writing in English. (I asked Sarita about this, and she said that she knew malayalam as a little child but forgot it as she grew older. which is its own answer. )
Q7. What kind of writing are you seeing now, done by other malayalees?
Q8. In your writing/media experience, do you ever find yourself explaining to people about being malayalee. or do you ignore that?
Q9. How integral is being a malayalee to your writing?
Q10. Do you feel that there aren't enough indian women doing journalism?
Q11. As writers do you find it unsettling in any way that the majority of the writing done by malayalee pentecostals tends to be expositions or short homilies?(this one is probably for George Thomas or George Abraham since the other two panelists aren't mallu pente.)

It's a lie. All of it. We have spent the last year or so, living a lie. All at the behest of a mandan whose hearing disorder has resulted in a combination of syllables that may be the perfect malayalee name, but is actually the result of faulty hearing.

dippu.com. Does it sound like a real name for a website?

and yet it is us.

dippu.com.

I finally heard the truth from Decruz. He broke down completely and wept. "It's all a lie. How could they do this to me? Is everything I've ever believed a lie?" In the midst of this soul searching, I had the temerity to ask him what the problem was and found out the whole sad story. A story which puts the very existence of dippu.com at risk. Yet, in the best interests of journalistic integrity, I leave this story with you.

He was sitting at his ancestral home in Kerala when his world crumbled around him. Feeling very proud of himself, he mentioned that he had a website which provided a unique perspective on the south asian christian movement. And he added a kicker. "I named it after that dog we used to have here. Dippu."

He got blank stares.

"You know, Dippu, that little black and brown mongrel that used to bark incessantly whenever people came from foreign."

A lone voice piped up,"We didn't have any dogs named Dippu."

Indignantly," What? Of course we did, and we called him Dippu, Dippu."

Comprehension seemd to dawn on a few faces. There were "Ohhh"s and some of them started laughing. "That wasn't Dippu. That was Tippu. You thought your grandmother called it Dippu, so you always called it that. Now we know why." Decruz wasn't ready to let it go, so he had his grandmother come out and asked her what the dog's name was. Sure enough, she said "Tdippu" with the T silent.

This is a moment of loss for all of us. We are mourning the loss of a dog's name, a name that defined who we were. A name that inspired my slogan in better days.

We dippu in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

What can we do with Tippu? On a related note, why are there so many dogs in Kerala named after kings and generals. Tippu, Raja, Kaiser, Captain, Rex, Sultan, Rani, the list goes on.

We must find new meaning in dippu. No matter the cost, we continue to dippu. I Dippu. We all Dippu. Mad love, and much respect to the memory of our lost dippu. Pour some out for the name. We keep the faith.

Indiepente.com 

It will be interesting to see how many people start using this forum as a replacement. About the only thing I know about this site so far is that it has the standard forum interface and is easier on my eyes than the pcnak discussion board.

if you've been craving some organically grown meat in your burrito, head over to chipotle  for some free range beef, chicken and pork.  Now this thendi alert would've gone out from bobby, but decruz  our mighty overlord has done something to the system and taken away bobby's rights.  Until that's fixed, I'm going to be pinch hitting.

Yesterday, National Geographic had a 2 hour special on the Gospel of Judas.  I really don't have much to add to the information that has been gathered here and here.

However, I will provide some excerpts and note that while its a nice show that National Geographic is putting on, I fail to see what relevance it will have on the Christian faith. If anybody does want to use this as a conversational gambit, have fun. I'd like to see if this makes any sort of splash in the wider world. While trying to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, how would you deal with this account of Judas' betrayal?

The content of the Gospel of Judas was referred to by Irenaeus, an early Bishop of Lyons, in Adversus Haereses,  written in about 180 C.E., who said that some

declare that Cain derived his being from the Power above, and acknowledge that Esau, Korah the Sodomites, and all such persons, are related to themselves… They declare that Judas the traitor was thoroughly acquainted with these things, and that he alone, knowing the truth as no others did, accomplished the mystery of the betrayal; by him all things, both earthly and heavenly, were thus thrown into confusion. They produce a fictional history of this kind, which they style the Gospel of Judas. [1]

Thanks for the tip, Karthik.

...And a certain man went out into a field, and found a pearl of exceeding worth. He said nothing, but went and sold all that he had and with the money he got, purchased that field. Now this story was told in the town in later years and many men went seeking for treasure in strange places. But no one found more treasure and it was dismissed as a fable, a story to explain ill gotten gain or an attempt at cheating democracy. For the family of the man had grown large through the years and would tell their story to all others. They would even invite people over to look at the treasure, but for every person that saw the treasure there would always be another person to deny its existence. One day, a young man came to town, and as he heard the tale of the treasure offered to visit if he was paid for his time.  For some of the family was of the opinion that just time in their house would vindicate its existence. And an old man had pity on him and said,"We do not need you to verify the existence of the treasure, but give me a stranger's view of our house and I shall pay you for it. For I fear we have not been hospitable of late."

Interestingly enough, this young man is Indian American. His name is Hemant Mehta and he has been taking his visit seriously. In fact you can read all about it at http://www.off-the-map.org/atheist/ He even hosts his own blog, calling himself the ebaytheist.  The old man is a sometime painter named Jim Henderson who recruited Hemant to get an idea of what strangers feel when they visit churches. Off the Map also has a link to the Wall Street Journal's article. I got all this information off of Bobby who got it off of Sepia Mutiny.

I only wish there was some way to get Hemant to an Indian church in Chicago and get his feedback.

Since Enigma and Pastor Thomas decided to get feisty, I'm welcoming you all to the party in the comments section of  this post.

I know it feels a little juvenile to actually talk about it, but some things need to be wallowed in. The thanksgiving post was doing fine until Enigma decided to put a hand up and ask for pastoral guidance. I've posted the relevant comments below, and you all can take it from there.

Pastor S. -- are u reading any of this? I was wondering if you know much about soulmates... if so, what exactly are they and is this biblical?? can a person have a soulmate, and be wed to another at the same time or should the "soulmates", having found each marry one another, because they are so connected.?.?.?.??(i am just w o n d e r i n g)

12.11.2005 | Enigma

You raise an interesing question Enigma,as usual. Of course, in God's foreknowledge he does know who we will marry. Moreover "what God has brought together, let no man put asunder". If God is brining a man and woman together, earthly "soulmates" or not, they are together. If you are married and you believe your "soulmate" is still out there, your marriage will suffer terribly. The person you are married to is your soulmate, don't wait for someone else. In other words, you can not be married and have a seperate soulmate, such thoughts lead to marital cheating and adultery. I assume you know how God feels about divorce which would be the end result. For this reason I shy away from the term "soulmate" Maybe I am misunderstanding something, Enigma what do you define as soulmate? Sorry for being ignorant, but maybe this term means differently for your generation. I think I have just opened a can of worms on dippu. Pastor S. Thomas

12.12.2005 | Pastor S. Thomas

Actually, Pastor S.-- i have no definition, except an understanding of what a soulmate is.. from having met someone that I feel connected to in such pure way... but undescribable way... is that even a word? =)

12.12.2005 | Enigma

see, i told you dippu was sleeping.

And you ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days
Cuz I don't need boxes wrapped in strings
And desire and love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

UPDATE: DayCruz here, I've decided to also put my money where my heart is or something like that-- I will be matching Zimbly Mallu's donations. Enigma has also decided to do this. So please- tell your friends. You are welcome to donate more by clicking on the links provided.  I will be donating to World Vision. 

UPDATE: Add Bobby to the list, this makes it 4 dollars per comment. Awesome!

all the jesusfreaks who also own an iShuffle can now represent, while listening to their favorite christian music.

while gizmodo, boing boing and lockergnome all got the scoop from moco loco, i heard it from jake.he never tells me about his sources. i never ask. the internet is full of shady places and dangerous characters. some things you dont want to know.

moco loco did get me the scoop on Scott Wilson, the designer.

unfortunately, this is another one of those obscenely mallu pente centric paragraphs that seem to come out of my hindbrain every now and then. which is why this post has also been tagged with more than one category. you know how we have this whole prohibition act on jewellery. or as some people would say. "back in the day we would never wear jewellery, but now everybody is compromising with the world"

would wearing an iBelieve constitute jewellery wearing? i don't have one, otherwise i could tell you what happened when i went to church wearing it. yeah, i go to an old school church. but not old school enough for a thambar.

at the moment, an iShuffle undoubtedly makes you look cooler, but will the iBelieve do it? when form meets function, where does it leave the appachen pastor with his "you shalt not have hair bands on your wrists because it is a bracelet and an abomination to the Lord. and to me, and your parents and the church."?

moreover, if you notice, the point of the designer is to use a cultural icon to focus attention on the brand. what could be more subversive than to change it into an expression of your faith?  the idea is so elegant, i wonder if it is an intellectual fairy tale.