No Borders and Binaries

Today is Karvachauth — a day on which married (presumably straight) Hindu women pray and fast for the long lives of their (presumably straight) husbands.

BARF. BARF. BARF.

You can read about the origin of this religious festivity? and what it constitutes here. In recent years, the sentiment has been popularized by god-awful, cringe-worthy family dramas of Bollywood and Tellywood alike.

Obviously, my intolerance for such regressive traditions is no surprise. I just have to look past the coincidence and tolerate my mom for making any obscene jokes about this.

BARF. BARF. BARF.

Somewhere between Day 2 and Day 3 — Let me just say that this is difficult with a screaming Tiny Tot in the house and completely ignorant family members.

A slight headache and fever is not enough to unhinge me; I am stubborn and relentless. I am the idiot who didn’t go to the emergency room with a broken ulna (that is still healing 7 months later btw).

But I am more sensitive to advertisements about food. Greasy pizza from PizzaHut, Oreo Sundae Shakes at Burger King, McDonald’s french fries, and my favorite Chalupas from Taco Bell (no, don’t laugh) … Yep, food I haven’t eaten in months, MONTHS, have all crossed my mind in the past 36 hours.

This is not what I eat on a normal day. My meals usually look like this, in order from breakfast to dinner:

• Cereal, Orange Juice, Fruit with Multi-Vitamins/Fish Oil / Calcium supplements
• Chicken Taquitos
• Noodles
• Jamba Juice / Protein Shake with more Fish Oil supplements
• Cereal / Fruit

And I tend to get more carbs in if I have some rigorous activity planned for the next day.

Fasting is probably good for people with bad diet habits just once for a 3-day period after which they can try to adapt to a light-moderate diet with exercise. It is a huge no-no for me.

Did I mention I have a tennis class early on Saturday morning? Someone wish for a downpour for me; a downpour in sunny California, UGH, I would win the lottery sooner.

Being hungry also makes me angry, irritated and temperamental — Of course, a ‘friend’ noted that this wasn’t any change from my normal behavior. It’s a good thing she is safely cocooning in Crete exploring her non-linear side. See, I even sound bitter. What?! No, I am usually not THAT bitter …

(grumbles)

Jokes aside … This is probably also a good time to reflect on everyone who does not have the privilege of keeping ‘fasts’ - Those that are malnourished and starving not out of choice, but poverty. A few fellow critical geographers would problematize the concept of ‘poverty’ — after all, it is borne out of Western epistemology and specifically, capitalism. It is true that perfectly well-off communities and civilizations have been deemed ‘poor’ by the standards of someone else, but obviously that is not what I mean when I use the terminology.

Poverty, not in strictly economic terms, but denoted by lack of access to food, clean water and health care–the result of various factors from discrimination to government corruption to neo-liberalism–and hinging from that real desperation, influences the decisions of thousands of migrants to come here with or without documentation. Our parents were drawn to the promise of this ‘land of free and home of brave’ (who falls for such corny lines btw?) to build a better future for us, and falling for that false promise does not make them de facto criminals. It serves no compelling human or state interest to detain migrant workers, rip families and communities apart, stomp on the dreams of innocent children and “deport them all.” How about some real and meaningful immigration reform now?

Seriously, there is no line to get into for the people who do want to fix their immigration status. Take a look at this chart put together by Reason Magazine!

I would like to thank Mo for joining in on the fast for even a day. Thanks bro.

And a shout-out to all my friends doing Ramadan. I don’t know how you do it year after year. I may not exercise much tolerance towards organized religion but I salute your faith and willpower.

1. Sign the Pledge today!
2. Join the Fast for as many days as you are able.
3. Recruit everyone you know to join the Fast.
4. Forward the Pledge to your networks.

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