China's Voices of Dissent..

A small group of activists continue to call for political and legal reforms in China, despite the tight control of the Communist Party.

SHI TAO: Journalist, in jail

Shi Tao, who worked for the Contemporary Business News in China, was jailed for 10 years in 2005 for "divulging state secrets" - a charge commonly used to prosecute dissidents and pro-democracy activists.
Mr Shi was jailed for sending on to foreign websites an e-mail from the ruling Communist Party warning journalists not to cover the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 2004.
His case has become a cause celebre for free speech campaigners - not least because internet firm Yahoo was accused of informing on him.
The US-based web giant passed on details of his whereabouts to the authorities, and has since apologised to Shi Tao's mother.

Adoption - Why hesitate?

I have been discussing about adoption with my friend for over a year now. She has tried everything possible to bear a child. Those painful expensive infertility treatments, change in lifestyle and many other options, but all in vain. Finally she decided to go for adoption. I know how much pain she had to swallow in-order to take that decision. It wasn't entirely upon her to decide, if so, it would have been easier. She has started the process and its not easy as I thought. She will have to make a lot of sacrifices. She is one gem of a person and is ready to race trough all the darkness and give love to a child. Nine months of bearing a child is much easier compared to the stressful process of adoption. So I'm sure the outcome will be sweeter!!!

When it comes to adoption I dont understand why many people hesitate! For me it is the best thing a human being can do to another who is orphaned, abandoned or is suffering. Why is it so complicated to understand? I know there is coercive adoption and in many places it has turned into business than good intentions. I regret those. But this post is about people who believe giving birth is the only option to love a child. That is ridiculous and absolute nonsense!!!! When I got pregnant I was overjoyed. I was waiting for the big day to see my little one. If you are someone who is finding it difficult to conceive, and thinks that pregnancy is such a pleasure, you are wrong. It is full of tiredness, morning sickness, afternoon sickness, evening sickness, mood swings, back pain and so on!!!! I know poets like to glorify pregnancy, ignore them. They are not true most of the times. Pregnancy is not just exciting but also exhausting!
Eventually, when I got Saira in my arms, felt her little hands and feet I got that wonderful smile on my face. I knew then she means the world to me. Trust me, it is the fact that your child is all yours, completely dependent on you, trust you on everything and follows you everywhere(even to the toilet!) which creates that special bond. You don't have to give birth to a child for that. What about fathers? Do you think being the 'sperm part' brings out that special bond. No, most of the fathers get closer to their child after the child is 3 yrs old. Thats when the children start to spend more time with their fathers.
So my point is, whether it is a biological or adopted child, when they are in your arms, cuddle you, come to you for all those silly matters, trust you completely, and shows off their little tantrums you are gonna love them forever. At those moments you wont think about 'DNA's you just feel love.

My life in a nutshell !!

Instead of stuffing 'about me' space, I thought it would be ideal to outline my life in my first post.
I was born to a well educated very practical father and a homely sweet sensitive mother in a village in India. We are 3 sisters, me being the eldest. None of us have anything in common apart from the looks! We fought like warriors over anything ranging from a ring, book or an unnecessary comment. Now there is no more fights to hold us together. The fights are replaced by the eagerness to stay in touch over long distances and the affection of old memories.
When I was 12  we moved to the city, where I found out I was no longer a champion. Initial days in the new school were a torture to me as I found myself to be a 'frog in the well'. But it didnt take long for me to be a winner again. I changed my views, my ideas, my lifestyle and dared to do new things and pushed myself to the front line. From then onward I realized if you have the willpower, right attitude, determination and boldness to change you can reach up to the sky!
Moving from village life to city life was my first eye opener. Then I got the second chance when we (me, my husband and my child) relocated to Britain, one of the most civilized parts of the world. It has been 5 yrs here and it is hard to explain in words how much this culture - the people here has taught me!
Moving from one culture to another, living in different societies and knowing deeply people from different parts of the world has enabled me to think differently. In my future posts I promise to share my thoughts which come with experience and exposure.