What do you say?
This post is two 55 word stories, based on two separate real conversations I (OG) had with another desi software engineer (XX) last month here in America.
Love or Staged:
XX: I am getting engaged this June.
OG: Congrats! Arranged or love?
XX: Love!
OG: Great dude! Best of luck!
XX (continued): She is also Mar Thoma like me. At this age, we also need to consider our parents wishes.
OG (to himself): Is this truly love??
Prasadam and Jesus:
OG: Here is prasadam from the temple.
XX: Sorry dude, I cannot have it.
OG: Why?
XX: Jesus in the bible has asked us not have food offered to an idol.
OG (to himself): Jesus, please forgive this person as he is ignorant.
Interesting Update:
I showed to post to XX (being the open person I am), and his reply was great. He said that he has prayed to Jesus many times to save my soul and teach me the right path!!!!!!
It is all about faith and perceptions, was his answer. What do you say now?
Hit the nail on the head, both times! But sad to say, it will have no effect on those whose heads need to be nailed
Wonderful satire!
yeah, XX does not realize the Truth!!!!! he will at some stage in his life………….
OG:
No he won’t sadly.. if he had to he would have by now!
OG:
Love or staged: Did the dowry come first or the mar thoma ?
Jesus also said do not lie and cheat : all those soft ware programs you wrote for the financial companies and cheated millions of people?
OG: i did not get your point…….
if by “dowry”, you mean issues with hinduism, then yes, it came first i suppose…….. what is your point here?
and if by cheating millions of people, you are referring to me, then I am sorry!!!!
we really dont cheat people….. 
I come at very lower rung, where people merely do the work assigned to them…
so your point is?????
kindly clarify please……….
Love or staged: I have seen men who will calculate if the dowry will come along with the love — And sometimes that would mean parents wishes –i know it is a sweeping statement but i have seen this happen in most mar thoma cases – 8/10 times.
jesus and prasadam — if the bible said not to eat food that has been set before the idols, the bible also says many things like lie and not to cheat in all spheres of life even at work ! ( No this was NOT to you ) i just associated the first and the 2nd example together..
okay, now I got it…… 
yeah, there are so many people who calculate dowry….completely agree….
LOL hehehehehehe
OG:
and yes, People just follow what rules are convenient for them……. Yes.!!!
For a moment, I thought it was for me
Anrosh,
Software programmers didn’t lie and cheat – bankers using software did…
OG:
of course — well all the stakeholders of the direct blame — i have posted it on my blog — titled “same old same old ” ( but will change the title some day.
And more such posts are planned — i just can’t resist writing about it. if all these geeks ( could have solved other useful problems the world would have been a better place — this is exactly from a horse’s mouth who works with financial instruments… the ones i blame the most are the mathematicians/physicts/oceonographers — they know that too. but they are geeks who are enticed by the green moolah.. before they know it they are sucked in offering how to hedge in various markets of the world.
i’ll stop right here and let others comment on what OG has wrote for the post.
this is actually where parkinson’s law of trivality comes in ! – jesus and prasadam case.
OG: seriously, so true!!!!!
I can’t believe someone refused prasad because it had been offered to an idol – hmmm…People quote scriptures when it suits them…
OG: The age of degenerating decencies has descended upon us!!!!!!!!
Bones, a 9 year convert refused to accept a shelled coconut from me because it was kept in front of Krishna.
OG:
Right, Solilo, i know of so many who refuse prasadam because it is not of their faith, and has been offered to idols with heathen practices
OG, these are not fictions but sad reality. I have couple of comments on my blog which actually justifies not taking prasad.
Any logic? Any reasoning? Nothing. Just that it is written in our religious book.
As if people follow everything in the book.
OG: yeah Solilo, as I replied to Bones comment, The age of irrational reasoning has started…….
and misguided people just follow what is suitable…..
what was the justification for not taking prasadam??? may we all know please………..
Did you read Coconut story I mentioned on my blog? Check last comment on ‘Gets my goat’.
OG: just read it now…….. yeah, I liked your justification…………. I dont know what to say… heavy topic for me……
another thing is that Hindus who dont eat beef, dont eat it anywhere……..
A better justification for not accepting the prasad would have been hygiene
OG: yeah, seems a valid one!!!
As for case 1 (love or staged), it’s neither. It’s convenience
Period.
As for case 2, well… lol … it’s more like:
convenience…. that would have been a better word to use……. 
AAAAMEN!!!!! 
LOL
karthaave, ee kazhuda parayunnathu ennthennu ivan ariyunnilla… ivanu maappu nalkename! Amen! lol
OG: yeah!
and LOL about second part!!! ahahahahahahahaha
Translate it no ? what does it mean ?
OG: it actually means the same said in proper mallu christian style.
“Lord, this donkey does not know what he is saying..please forgive him”
ha ha ha!
Good one mate . Liked the 2nd story more .
OG:
Lovely 55ers
I guess that’s what they call the arranged love kinds
OG: yeah!!!!
Yeah I know so many of my friends finding girls in their sect,sub-sect and claim it’s love marriage..they have these pre conditions for falling in love and then fall for the person who matches them…is it love?…got to think seriously
Point 2.Though I am not a great admirer of idol worship, still the reason given by the person was irrational.He got to understand christ has nothing much connected to modern day christianity..anyway only if he was half as intelligent.
OG: yes man, I find that many people do it…… finding a girl as per caste………
and second point, all I can say is that all the religious leaders would be horrified if they come to present day Earth!!!!
I knew these 55-ers are addictive. LOL.
First story : You talk to animals????
Second story : and animals talk to you also ???
OG: dai, dai…. enna kooona adikkaladae!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I knew Vimmuu couldnt resist..after the serious comment at Smitha’s
…I thought you would be in Europe by now
*dreaming of the day when Vimmuu will be in a far off land cutoff from the net *
OG: I think it is his alternate aatma which is still roaming in this blog wordl!!!!!!!!
LOL, Im leaving only on 9th. I mentioned that in the post !! Hmmpphhh!!!
OG: but isnt a person going to “fariin”, supposed to plan and pack and do other misc. activities
LoL! I did read that Vimmuuu BUT thought you weren’t logging in because wasn’t seeing any of your comments.
OG:
hmmpphh!?? now we dont want that do we?offending Vimmuu and drying up our only source of funny comments for the day
We love your comments Vimmuu
your aatma has permission to roam here
OG: yeah Vimmuuu, your aatma should comment
LOL , Vimmuuu!!!
OG:
hahaha… good one!
OG:
Both of them were really good.
OG: Thanks!!!
I first had to go and see what marthoma meant
had no clue…
brilliant 55ers OG! Usha has said it all..
you are bang on target!
the OG (to himself)said it all!
A sad situation this…and you have put it in a nutshell!
loved the way it hits home..
OG: Thanks Indyeah!!!
OG! Loved both of them. Still laughin when thinking about it.
, Thanks….. have you met people like this in UK?????
OG:
LoL! Not people like in the first story BUT definetly in the second story. My mum and her mum are people like that. The difference is, my mum isn’t quie so direct.
I guess it’s an “Indian” thing. 
OG: hmmmm
found my way here through indyeah’s… XX seems like an interesting guy..entertaining in fact… wat exactly does he mean by”At this age ” makes him sound like he;s 50 yrs old! lol.. n ‘we also need to consider our parents wishes”?? i thot in india, and specifically with respect to things like marriages, ppl always needed to consider the parents wishes! at least thats how it tends to be most of the time.. n why only marriage, parents here like to tell you wat to study, where to work, wat the wear!!
loved the “Jesus, please forgive this person as he is ignorant.”
OG: Hey, welcome here!!! yes, XX does seem to be the interesting guy!!! LOL at 50 years old…. even i was confused when he said that!!!
Thanks!!!
Both the 55er are so enlightening!
I get so bugged up with ppl like him
There is this girl in my office she is getting married to a guy who is super possessive. After engagement when she was with him, she received a call from her “DAD” he got so angry that he threw away her sim after breaking it.. and then gifted her a reliance mobile.
And now, she doesnt give her ph# even to her dad ( she is the only daughter) go figure!
And the guys only qualification is that he is loaded!
Phhbbbt!
OG: does that girl have no self respect!!! that guy is certainly an A(*&^%$ of the first order……
what else can i say…………….
Winnie – makes me wonder why she needs a mobile phone at all – clearly if she can’t receive a call from her Dad – who can she receive a call from??? And she is going ahead with this marriage??? Shocking!!
OG: truly shocked!!!!
I second you on that “why she needs a mobile phone at all – clearly if she can’t receive a call from her Dad – who can she receive a call from??? And she is going ahead with this marriage??? Shocking!!
LOL hehehehehehe
” BUT why would her partner refuse her contact with her family? What does he have against them? To me it sounds like a case of domestic violence and that the man wants her under his thumb. Unbelievable.
OG: what makes girls look up to losers…. I dont know???????????
especially when there are free smart single good looking men available in the market like me
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
OG: that was shameless self promotion, kindly excuse….. hehehehehe
You thought that was shameless?? Read what I wrote for you on winnie’s blogg.
RUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!
read that……….. and I take this oppurtunity to say that I play a “straight” game 
OG:
ROFL!!
When money speaks rest just disappears!
P.S: I forgot the point I was making.. everyone in office seem to accept it as right.. even justify it! Think of the fact that Dad approves of it!!!
He chose such a daamad for her :O :O
OG: idiots!!!!!!!!!!!
Winnie the Poohi this is a case of Domestic Violence. How can her father approve of this man? We seem to forget that eventually we all just want to be happy and how much happiness are we going to get from such a relationship…no matter how loaded he is
And the marriage is not consummated yet! I mean the marriage is in June! And he is already being so forceful!
Imagine how it would be afterwards.. the girl is just 21! and the guy is nearly 30! I know it is wrong.. but family as well as the girl seems to be in 7th heaven!
Both are very good:)
OG: Thanks!
All sorts of people exist in this world !!
but lovely 55 ‘ers !
OG: thanks Dhirubhai, how is the bachelors days coming along????
Why is this Hitchy talking like an enlightened soul?
He wants to feel intelligent and and show that he’s very understanding.
well well…. seems I am under the hammer everywhere from sililo sardar and badrika devi !!! geez…
OG: lot of fans dude!!!!!!!!!!
Great ones, as usual, OG. You and IHM are really into this now!
@Bones: I have many colleagues who refuse to eat any ‘prasad’ for the same reason. Suits me, as I get more of it.
And nothing stops me from eating lots of cake and kebabs.
Quirky Indian
OG: thanks Mate!!!! and LOL at kebabs and cakes, I love kebabs!!!!!!
Fantastic!! I really wonder what the guy’s ‘filtering criteria’ were when he decided to fall in love – based on his parents wishes!!!!
As for the prasadam thing – I had come across this when my aunt’s maid converted and then started refusing prasadam! But to see well educated(?) people behaving like this shocking, to say the least..
LOL… people are strange creatures………
‘Jesus, please forgive this person as he is ignorant.’ – is totally apt…
OG:
About Love or Staged, OG this sounds more like choosing to fall in love with an approved partner.
The second I have not faced … generally I am sent lots of prasadam by various friends, and I enjoy it too
OG: yeah, agree and what about second thing IHM…. dont you think he is being a stupid fundamentalist??????????!!!!
OG I would be really hurt if I offered something respectfully and politely to someone and they refused it for any reason. It’s obvious that religion is doing exactly the opposite of what it’s supposed to do these days!
But more than religious this guy seems rude and confused.
I know some elderly people in my family may not eat some eatables from homes of non Hindus, but they will accept it politely. My grandmother’s sister didn’t eat from even non vegetarian Hindu families, my mom’s a staunch vegetarian too but she will never be holier than thou – I feel it’s their stomach they can eat whatever they like, but your friend here seems keen to make a point of letting you know he wasn’t going to eat it. He seems to have some issues. I would have to count to ten and resist an urge to argue, and then maybe avoid such people.
By the way OG I have added your blog amongst many others to my readomatic but your updates didn’t show and I was under the impression that you and HW have not written any new posts.
OG:
LOL@that update
err *ahem*
Ask him what IS the right path?
The one that Jesus says is the right path?
Does god come and whisper in his ear?
Exactly whose soul needs saving here that I can see…and who needs to BE on the RIGHT path also I can see
On second thoughts OG dont bother…some people will never get it…
Religious Fundamentalism be it of any religion makes one want to bang one’s head on the nearest wall..
since I dont want dear friend OG to hurt his head (where all the gyaan comes from…all the OGitish posts)
I will say desist from asking questions! 
no I also want my head intact!!!!!!!! and I am not going to debate with him as well……… as such people are actually dense headed!!!!!!!!!!
OG: hahahahaha
suddenly now It came to my7 mmkind why my cook (mary) doesnt take anything at my place, till now I thought she is..may be very self respecting or whatever, now I know..its her religious belief:(
Sad but true..
there are “enlightened” Christians who behave thus.. but then look at the hazzle if a Christian from one denomination chose to marry for another… a close relative chose to love one from another denomination and that has made the girl’s church denounce the entire family for 6 months.. meaning they cannot attend Church for 6 months and neither will their priests preside over the wedding/engagement unless the boy joins the girl’s church…
Christ has vanished from most Churches and hearts…
and Marthoma or not most will have to show money first else all “love” will vanish…
Why the youth of today is so obedient? What will u do OG if u like a pretty christian girl?or is this just an aberration and not the rule? Religious fundamentalism is growing in all religions especially among educated youths and Campuses are hot beds of this trend. Wearing religion on ur sleeve is the current fashion like ur friend . He has the right to refuse eating prasadam if that is his belief. As long as he respects others religious views it is ok. But such ppl rarely do that.
Renu: Such Mary’s and Thomases do exist.. but the traditional Christians in Kerala continue to follow certain Hindu / Indian customs and hence “prasadams” will not bother them.
but what Charakan says is unfortunately true..
Religious fundamentalism is growing in all religions especially among educated youths and Campuses are hot beds of this trend. Guess other than politics, the Youth of today have one more reason not to study: religion!