Tag: Coronavirus

Part 140- Society

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment Social Responsibilities , ,

I honestly don’t know why society is more strict towards a woman than a man. So many rules are put in place for a woman that it’s almost like she has no control over what she can or cannot do. It’s like society doesn’t want her to be who she wants and instead forces her to be someone else just for everyone else.

 To a woman, they’ll tell her to change her dress or cover-up, but won’t say anything to a man even when they don’t tuck in their pants? What’s up with that?  Then, women are expected to reach or be at this unattainable beauty standard, but when they use surgery to meet the standard they get judged? Why is that? Society wants us to fit in a specific category and continuously stay in, but it becomes overwhelming and almost a weight, to keep complying and keep changing ourselves to fit in. It’s almost like we can’t be who we want anymore simply because we’re too afraid that we’ll be judged or criticized if we don’t.

After that, there are gender norms in clothing. Sneakers or shirts are gender-neutral but a dress or heels are not. This is simply because society considers ‘men’ as the default. Something ‘girly’ or feminine is inferior, causing ‘neutral’ to be biased towards most ‘boyish’ or masculine things. Because of this, young girls are to not be like the others, while young boys are afraid of being considered feminine if not boyish enough. Who makes something like this? Why is almost everything, even the simplest things like clothing, categorized by man or woman? Why is it that when things are not categorized it is immediately criticized? Why? Is it wrong if a woman prefers to wear a suit or pants rather than a dress? Is it wrong if a man likes to wear jewelry or wear makeup? Who says makeup is just for girls? Even though girls use makeup more than men, is it immediately labeled as a girl thing and boys shouldn’t wear makeup? 

Not to forget Abortion. I may be a little late to speak about this but I now will. High School Valedictorian Paxton Smith spoke out about Texas’s new abortion law, the Heartbeat Bill, during her graduation. Abortion in Texas is prohibited as early as six weeks a woman is pregnant. 6 weeks. Most women don’t realize they are pregnant within 6 weeks. Who knows if bringing another being into the world is something they are willing to do. The pregnancy could be a result of rape or even be something they are not able to do, mentally, physically, emotionally, or even financially. If it is something they are not ready for, yet have to comply with because of this law, wouldn’t it be a burden upon them? Wouldn’t it be something they would be pressured and forced to do by a stranger even though they are not ready for it? It’s like taking away a woman’s rights. Taking away something that is her decision. Something that will affect her life and is up to her whether she wants it or not. 

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/03/1002831545/high-school-valedictorian-swaps-speech-to-speak-out-against-texas-new-abortion-l

Part 138 – My birthday

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment Me and My Family , ,

 Okay…I’m here. I know I didn’t post last week. Or the week before. But I’m here!  But anyway, I just wanted to share something really exciting happening. As you may have read by the title, my birthday is coming up. ( It’s tomorrow, lol.) Yes, I will be turning 13 tomorrow, and entering the teenager group. I will no longer be a 12 – year-old blogger but a 13-year-old blogger. So, since I am going to officially be a teenager, my parents- and I- did something really exciting. After such a long time, we finally painted my room. It is no longer the dull, common beige we all know, but now two shades of purple. 

There’s this really cool triangle design where we cut the wall diagonally and colored the top a lighter shade and the bottom a darker shade of purple. We did the same to another wall but cut it in the opposite direction so now it looks like a mountain. We also added these really cute mountain climber decals so it looks like they’re climbing the mountain. Apart from that, I also got a new bed which is smaller and creates more space in the room, as well as an “egg chair”.

Another perk about turning 13 for me is getting my first social media. To be honest, I have very little interest in being active online or even having social media. However, I do want Twitter mainly for any political updates. It just feels different when you get to find out yourself what people say instead of from your parents, you know? Aside from Twitter, I’m hoping to get Instagram. It’s not too big or that popular- which suits me just fine- and will work well. I only really wanted Instagram because I wanted some other app to try besides Twitter. My first idea, Insta. 

Last year we weren’t able to do anything with friends due to lockdown, but this year I and my 3 close friends had a sleepover last night. I think it was one of my favorite sleepovers because it wasn’t too chaotic, we all were really close with each other, and we were a small group. Of course, we stayed up until like 12:30 in the morning and acted like crackheads, but otherwise, we weren’t that crazy. A night filled with painting saucer plant pots, building our own mini pizzas, music video, and song shares, and a late-night movie with ice cream followed by a morning of giggles, waffles with raspberries, and gifts is something I will never forget. 🙂

Lastly, I wanted to list out what I’ve done while I was 12. It’s like a tradition where I record a video talking bout what I did at that age the night before my birthday. I haven’t really thought it out but I wanted to list it out now.

  • I did DI this year virtually and placed 4th
  • Coronavirus Log series: 138 parts
  • Live election Blogging for 2020 elections- 35 posts
  • I started 2 new stories- Missing piece and When Can I See You Again- and wrote the most I ever have on them
  • I started following a new musical artist: BTS
  • I started practicing for my SAT’s
  • I’m doing much better in Marathi, and I have started being independent in taking care of and managing my work
  • I finally reached and completed Level J for both math and reading for Kumon ( Something I have wanted to achieve for so long)
  • I started reading Economics 
  • Experienced a slice of real-life: Bourbon Street ( I’m sure all of you know my thoughts on that. If not, here is the link to my “New Orleans Trip” post.)
  • Had a successful plant garden and harvest, and have started another one this year
Now that I think of it, I haven’t achieved/done as much as I usually do. A lot of these are just new things that I’ve done. Not accomplishments. It may be because of COVID, but I definitely aim to achieve a lot more when I become a 13-year-old. 

Part 137- New Orleans Trip

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment Vacations , ,

 By the time you- my readers- read this, it will most likely be Sunday and I’m already at home, or maybe be finished by Saturday, or before I return home from New Orleans. It’s Thursday, as I start to write this post. I’m thinking I should write a little by little during the day so that the memories are still fresh in my mind. Enough about how I’m writing this. Let’s talk about the trip.

I’m actually not sure about what I’m feeling about this trip. No specific emotion comes to my mind. Am I enjoying it? Am I upset? Do I love it? Do I want to go home? Am I afraid? What do I think about this? Don’t get me wrong, I’m really grateful that my parents gave me this and that we’re somewhere for spring break. But… I can’t describe how I’m feeling. I could say that I’m enjoying it, but it feels wrong. I’m not hating it or upset either. I’m…neutral. To be honest it didn’t register clearly in my mind that we were going somewhere for the break. Usually, I would be excited and would be ready at least a week before but this time… I don’t know. I just kind of went with it at the moment. But then it started to sink in. On the way here, during the 8-hour-long road trip, I understood that we were going to New Orleans.  It’s been about a full 24 hours since we’ve been here and I’ll share some of my experiences. 

Yesterday, once we arrived, we rested for about 2 hours and then walked around Bourbon Street. I didn’t realize it was Bourbon street until my dad told me, and I was surprised. I did not expect for it to be crowded, filled with a strong stench of alcohol, cigars/smoke, and a faint pungent smell of what apparently is weed. Not to forget, the loud, blaring music and cheers from people on balconies and on the streets, partying. I don’t have a problem with that. Well, the smells were a problem, it otherwise it was fine. People were having fun and were leaving me – and my family- alone so I didn’t have a problem. But, there was something/somethings that were very uncomfortable and disturbing. I don’t want to really mention it, but I’ll just say it wasn’t very appropriate. This threw off my first impression of the city. I have to admit, I was starting to think negatively after that. Did that really happen? Oh my god is this what it’s like? I hope not. Oh god, I wanna be at home. Should I just fake being happy? For my parents? No. I shouldn’t. I at least shouldn’t let it get to the best of me. ( I learned later that this is how Bourbon Street is, at night. It’s not the safest or best place for kids at night.)

Walking along Bourbon Street

The best part of that night, though, was dinner at GW Fins. It had amazing food. The Lobster Dumplings for appetizers were incredible. The sauce that went with it was perfect and was really good. It was really creamy and went nicely with the lobster. I had the Parmesean Crusted Sheepshead which was pretty okay. I didn’t really like the charred taste from the beurre blanc or the taste of the sheepshead, but it was tasty. 

The Parmesan Crusted Sheepshead

We later had a Creme Brule with fresh fruits at the restaurant and took “home” a Salty Malty Ice Cream Pie. It was basically a regular pie with a pretzel crust, topped with caramel whipped cream and chocolate-covered pretzels. Even though it had partially melted when we ate it at the place we were staying, it was really good. ( It had also rained later at night but wasn’t that big of a deal.)

 I still didn’t forget about what happened that night, so the next day- Thursday- began with the same negative thoughts. In most of my pictures from Thursday, I’ll have this weird, unhappy-like expression of me trying to smile. I guess I wasn’t really in the mood in-between times. Now as I look back at them I mentally slap myself for being such a dumbhead. It was a really nice day and it was really fun but I was being a dumbhead and had a bit of a sour mood. I tried to be happy, but it didn’t really show.

Anyway, on Thursday we had breakfast at Cafe Beignet and it was…not that great. The space was pretty but the food didn’t really have any taste. I’m not sure if that makes sense. It was bland. 

Picture of Cafe Beignet taken at night
Breakfast at Cafe Beignet

After that, we just walked around and hung out at Jackson Square. We saw the St. Charles Cathedral, walked around Jackson Square, and went on a lunch cruise. The cruise included lunch with a tour along the Mississippi River. Lunch was of fried(?) fish, rice with red beans, andouille sausage, Jambalaya, and a side of Potato salad with Bread pudding for dessert. I can’t eat pork so I wasn’t able to eat the sausage- apart from a small piece I was allowed to try- but otherwise, the food was delicious. Even though rice with beans isn’t very tasty, it fits well with the menu. Best thing I ate, the fish. It was a bit hard to cut, but it made up for the taste. It was cooked well and was really tasty.   I don’t remember exactly how the Jambalaya tasted, but I do remember eating the chicken from the rice and leaving the sausage bits. I’m not sure if it was made traditionally or a more quick-recipe kind, but, it was really good. ( That’s really all  can say, seeing that  can’t recall the taste properly.) One thing, though, potato salad is cold and tastes weird. Oh and, the bread pudding was kind of okay. I was pretty surprised when eating it. I thought it would taste like bread, and never had it before, but I was pretty shocked to taste something much more interesting than bread pudding-ised. ( Is that a word? I don’t think so.)

Cruise Lunch
The cruise was also really fun. The boat gave me “Steamboat Willy” vibes. We saw an old Domino Sugar factory, different ports, and boats, along with a couple cities and houses. 
Boarding~
One word to describe Beignets is Powdery. You won’t believe the amount of powdered sugar they put on. There were about 3 per bag, and once you finish eating them, there’s only a whole 2-3 inches of powdered sugar left at the bottom. The Beignets itself tasted like a mix of funnel cake and a fried pastry with a topping of powdered sugar. It’s guaranteed to make eating messy and stain your clothes with powdered sugar drops. For a popular treat, it was pretty okay. Even though the taste is faint now, it was really sweet and tasted good, but I wouldn’t recommend eating one every day. 
Me and my dad attempting to eat a Beignet
without being messy
( *whisper* we failed)

We later walked around Jackson Square a bit more, missed going to the French Market, got a foot massage, and went back to the hotel. We just decided to go get some McDonalds for dinner. ( I know right, amazing.) The biggest achievement of that day, to me, was how the negative thoughts in my head reduced. By the end of the day, I was convinced that New Orleans wasn’t that bad of a place. Yes, I was uncomfortable from time to time, yes it was a new environment, but that didn’t mean it was all bad. We got a new hat for dad! We went on a steamboat cruise and saw amazing things, ate delicious food, and got our pants stained with powdered sugar! We visited Jackson Square and visited St. Charles Cathedral. We even saw a magic show just in front of the cathedral and had a good laugh! So many wonderful things happened that day, and I realized that I was wrong for thinking so negatively. 

Friday. The next day was Friday, and oh boy was it fun. We had breakfast at The Ruby Slipper Cafe, and I REALLY recommend eating there. Their food is amazing and really good. I ordered French Toast Bites- I was in the mood for something sweet- and it was delicious. The description makes it sound really sweet with the French Toast bites fried and tossed in cinnamon sugar, served with cream cheese icing and praline sauce, but in reality, it wasn’t that sweet. It was very light and you would only really taste the sweetness when you first eat it. My parents ordered Egg Benedicts, and they look SOOOOOOOOO good. ( They also tasted amazing. I loveddddd it)

Eggs Benedict

If you want a light, yet filling breakfast, I recommend The Ruby Slipper Cafe. Their menu has a lot of exciting options, and I bet they all taste as amazing as what we had on Friday. Anyway, we went on a guide around the Garden District. Garden District: Pretty and old. There’s a lot of history dating back to the 18-1900’s and just looking at the houses is amazing enough. Such simple yet amazing designs each hold a unique story about the past resident. ( No spoilers!) 

After the tour, we went to eat lunch at a restaurant which I forgot the name of. Katie’s something. Not that great customer service- it was really slow- but really good oysters. We only ate oysters there. We were in and out in less than an hour. I preferred the Spinach cheese oysters over the garlic ones, but they were both really tasty. 

Oysters for lunch

However, we had EVEN BETTER oysters at Red Fish Grill. Well, my dad did. He ordered BBQ Oysters while I and my mom shared crab. I can’t explain how amazing their food was. I love crab, I didn’t know I was craving crab, and I got crab. Even though all I actually could do was crack open the shell, extract the meat out, and dip it into butter, it was really good. I became a crab-cracking master that night! We also had cauliflower-rice and crawfish balls with the platter. I’m not that interested in crawfish or cauliflower-rice, but it was pretty tasty. I have to say, the BBQ oysters were tied with the crab. They were also pretty amazing. Even though blue cheese tastes like nausea to me, it was really good. The oysters were pre-shelled and you tasted the sauce and actual BBQ taste rather than the oyster itself. It was like the oyster was a base, and everything else was the main part. I’m not complaining. I really liked it.

Me enjoying some crab
Crab platter to the left, BBQ oysters to the right

 Everything was really savory. In the end, we had Bread Pudding, a house favorite. They brought over two plates of it- one with and one without soft serve- and poured the chocolate sauces on it IN FRONT OF US. I have a video of it but it’s not very good quality. Just imagine two brownie-like cakes in a medium-sized cup-bowl thing, one with a bunch of vanilla soft serve, topped with almond bark, with white and regular chocolate drizzling over it. Yum, right? We then left and took one final picture of Bourbon Street. Here it is. 

You can’t see my face, but this picture shows me happier than how I was last time we took a picture on this street. 

My Overall Opinion:

You’ve read all my crazy writing and made it this far. Thank you. Now, here’s my opinion. I see New Orleans as a very lively and fun place. Everywhere you walk or go, it will always be filled with noise. Mainly music, but also from chatter. People talk, interact, and have a lot of fun in this city. There won’t be a single spot without some music, whether it’s from street DJs, stores, or even cars, it’ll always be noisy. Even though there are times you could be uncomfortable or uneasy with the people around you and their actions, you can see that they’re just having fun. How they’re having fun is a different story, but that doesn’t matter. I really admire the people of New Orleans. In the Garden District, I saw people greeting each other- stranger to stranger- and helping each other out. When a person needs the nearest bathroom or wants to find an ice cream shop, a person or two will be there. New Orleans is a very exciting and thrilling place to be. I wish I had a little more time to enjoy myself, but that doesn’t mean that I regret wasting most of my day on Thursday. My mood on Thursday actually helped me see how exciting New Orleans is. The liveliness of the city changes my original opinion and showed me how amazing and exciting a place it is. So, in the end, I enjoyed myself. I was feeling happy. 

Blog Format:

I’ve never written about how I write, but I wanted to explain myself and how I wrote this blog. You see, I’ll be publishing this post without editing most of what I wrote. Yes, I’ll revise the spelling and grammatical errors, but not what I wrote. I decided that I would write this blog and leave it be. I wouldn’t go back in and re-write a sentence or a thought. I wanted to just write whatever I felt at the moment. I wanted it to contribute to the story of my experience. Even though I may not have had a lot of opinions in between, I kind of just wanted to share my thoughts and the “journey” of how I got to my opinion. I wanted to tell every thought and feeling as well as the restaurants and places we visited during my break. I hope that makes sense. 🙂

Miscellaneous:

Here are some miscellaneous pictures along the way!
Guess who~
The fish bag is the perfect touch.
Some pretty houses near the Garden District.
( I put on a filter)
Me chilling while wearing my
dad’s newly purchased hat.
😉
On the way back home to Texas.
I had carried my iPad and keyboard with me
in case I had some inspiration for my story.
This is one of my INSPIRATION moments.
Quite a big tree, isn’t it?
Me and my mom near the Garden District
Us at The Ruby Slipper Cafe

Part 136- Short Check in

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment General Topics ,

 Hi. I’m not really sure what I want to write, so I’m just gonna go with the flow. To be honest, I don’t even know why I suddenly felt like posting. Maybe because I haven’t posted in a while, aside from Sunday. Otherwise, I’m not sure. What should I write about? Everyday life, recent topic? I’m not sure. Things have changed around here. ( Gosh why does this sound like a diary entry?) Just last week Governor Abbot announced that masks were not mandatory and stores can fill up with the normal size. I guess it’s a bit of a personal treat, seeing that March 2nd was Texas’ Independence Day. People have been taking advantage of that, and over the weekend, I saw a couple people not wearing masks. We can’t complain though. I had actually expected more people to not be wearing masks but apparently not. Just a few picked out from the crowd. 

Ummmm, apart from that, nothing else. I’ve been writing a lot lately. Not just on “When Can I See You Again” but also a short story series called “Missing Piece”. This one’s a more relationship-emotion-based story, focusing on the bond between 21-year-old Abyssinia-Nia- Eswaran and her 5 stepbrothers- Rune, Evander, Abraxas, Cronus, and Kadon. Obviously, I’m a stickler for rare, mythical names. I literally spent a whole 2 hours researching the perfect names for the boys after 20 minutes of finding a name for the main character. (Nia.) I dedicate myself to writing stories with odd, unique, mythical names for the characters. There will, not be a story that doesn’t have some rare name. 

The reason I brought this up is that I can’t seem to focus on ideas. You see, I had such a good idea and was so excited for “When Can I See You Again”, but started losing motivation. I soon got the idea for Missing Piece and started working on it. But now, I have another story idea. It’s an action-based one that I got inspired by from a short series I finished reading. Like, I just finished, and my mind is in SHAMBLES, absolute shambles after reading that. It was so good and such an amazing thriller that I’m just, blown by the ending. The ending was REALY simple but the story and concept and plot were just so good that it really breaks my heart to have it end. That’s where my idea comes from. And this is where my problem is.

I’m not focusing clearly on ideas. As much as I want to at least get down a few thoughts on a document for this idea, I’m trying to hold myself back. I already have two storylines I’m working on, and I don’t want to start writing a third that I’ll most likely stop paying attention to soon. Plus, I want to actually get somewhere with my plots and ideas before working on a new one. If I start working on a new idea, I’ll get caught up in that one until I lose motivation ( which happens after a few weeks) and then feel bland and with no mood to write on that story, or the other two. Sooooo….you see where my mind is right now. Shambles and mixed-feelings. 

< Minor Side Thoughts: Me fangirling warning>

And, a minor side-note. I’ve recently had BTS’s Born Singer stuck in my head and I have DEFINITELY NOT been crying every time I hear the song. ( I read English lyrics while listening.) The song is so good, even though it’s really old, and it makes me cry because it’s such a from-heart and experience song. Recently (a few months ago) they received their first-ever Grammy Nomination after a long time, and found out a few days ago they will be performing there. The song makes me cry because the song talks about their struggles as they became idols, and now those struggles were worth it. ( I’m fangirling so much right now, I’m sorry! ) But here’s the first few lyrics of the song- translated- so you know what I mean. 

I’m a born singer,  A belated confession ( I Swear)
The mirage that always seemed so far away is now before my eyes ( It’s here)
I’m a born singer, A belated confession 
But I’m so happy ( I’m good)


{Suga} The very first stage we stood under the name Bangtan
I revisit how we felt about our first stage 3 years ago
Still I’m nothing different from a rural Daegu rapper but
I wrote the word “pro” on top of “amateur”  
While rapping and dancing on the stage I wanted so badly
I feel yet alive, the tiresome trip to work and back home
I can withstand such troubles because my people are watching me
Because even if my body hurts, the cheers come rolling in…

Favorite Part-
{RM} And let the haters on me It’s a day job they’ve always been at
While you were teasing the keyboard I fulfilled my dreams 
Sunglasses, hairstyle I know why you ridicule me
In any case, it’s me who’s gone further than you at age 20

Born Singer– (It’s a stage mix- watch with captions)

Translation – English translation

Alright, alright. I just fangirled there for a couple of minutes but it was worth it. I needed something to write about and I needed to write out my emotions for this song anyway. But, I do recommend it. It’s really good and so heart-felt. But, anyway, I’m out. Bye!!!!!

Part 135- Money

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment Economics , ,

 We all know what currency/money is and can easily recognize it. But what about people who can’t? What do they have to do? 

Many countries have their currency in different sizes depending on the denomination, but in the United States, only the coins are different. Otherwise, the paper bills are all the same size. Frankly, the idea of having different colors or sizes for US dollars didn’t exist. Plus, it was cheaper to print them all in the same color and paper. Nowadays, it is expected for them to be the same color and size because it’s stayed this way. 

Countries such as India, Australia, and Malaysia, have a distinct length for each denomination. Not only are they different sizes, but a simple, money identifier card can be used. 

Tactile marks along the tool can help identify which bill is which when lined up to the card. Money identifier tools are also very useful. The user has to insert the money into one of the devices, and then the device will provide information about the bill through speech, or a combination of beeps or vibrations. 

Some governments tried a more direct approach. In Canada, money is produced in such a way that there are braille dots to indicate the value of the bill. 

A very simple way to identify the denomination of bills can be through folding. Particular bills can be folded in particular ways to identify which is which. To be honest, I don’t find this very efficient. Yes, folding may help but it also may be a hassle to fold a bill every single time in a very specific/particular way each time you get one. 

Okay, okay. I know I’m not some cheesy reporter or spokesperson telling you stuff, but I’ve really got to explain one- no two more things. Laws! Yes, laws. Specifically, ADA and IDEA laws. ( Oh and maybe a mention of the U.S. Currency Program in between.)
ADA stands for Americans with Disabilities Act. This is a civil rights law that “…prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and public places that are open to the general public.” This law is to make sure people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone. IDEA stands for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Similar to the ADA, IDEA provides students with a disability with Free Appropriate Public Education. There are 4 parts to this law. Part A covers the general provisions of the law; Part B  covers assistance for the education of all children with disabilities; Part C covers infants and toddlers with disabilities; lastly, Part D consists of the national support programs administered at the FEDERAL level. 

Under the U.S. Currency program, U.S. citizens who are blind or visually impaired can obtain a currency reader device at no cost. The story behind this is quite interesting. You see, the BEP ( Bureau of Engraving and Printing) was directed to file a status report every six months on their project to provide meaningful access to the United States currency for blind and other visually impaired people. In May 2010 the Department of Treasury and the BEP issued a notice in the Federal Register to inform the public of the features BEP was proposing to the Secretary of Treasury. This included raised tactile features, large, high numerals, and a supplementary currency reader program. 

In April 2011 BEP developed an app called EyeNote to assist blind and visually impaired people in identifying U.S. currency. 2 years later, in June, BEP submitted its plan for Meaningful Access to U.S. Currency for Blind and Visually Impaired Individuals to the Treasury and the Senate Committee Appropriations. However, in September 2014, the GAO released a report saying that BEP fell behind schedule in its plans to produce U.S. currency with raised tactile markings. BEP estimated that currency with tactile features could be delayed until 2020. Until then, the GAO encouraged the government to focus on distributing currency readers while the plan for tactile features was developed. 
Maybe we will have a new type of U.S. Currency. Or I wonder if it will be a special order once only disabled people have this type of currency. Hmmmmmmm. I wonder… Or would that be harder? I personally think that tactile marks or even a bill reader are the best options for finding the denomination of bills. Only 1 out of 10 students learn braille so tactile marks may not be very common or effective unless we do something to increase the learning of braille. ( But we can’t force people.) Maybe just get them to memorize the tactile marks. They wouldn’t necessarily have to learn braille but instead just the needed dots/marks that are associated with the currency. Even if people don’t learn braille, we can always have bill readers which are already effective and useful today. Either way, they both help disabled people with bill denominations.
Even though the U.S. has come up with a solution- as I mentioned above- I think that they should consider or even try printing currency of different sizes. Even though we’ve been used to printing them all the same size would it be more effective to just change the size or would it be costly and a problem? It really doesn’t matter, to be honest. ADA was made to prevent discrimination against visually impaired people yet it can’t help with money? What if they’re out in public and don’t know how is around them? That person would know how much money they have, right? So now, when you think about it, the United States hasn’t really come up with anything for this problem. ( And it took me nearly 7- 8 paragraphs to get it through.)

https://www.banknoteworld.com/blog/the-dimensions-of-money-why-do-banknotes-come-in-different-sizes/

Part 134- Death Penalty

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment Law and Justice , , ,

Quick Facts:

  • Capital Punishment, or more commonly known as the death penalty is a state-sanctioned homicide as a punishment for a crime. ( Also known as death row)
  • The ordering that someone is punished with the death penalty is called a death sentence
Okay, so, big news. ( More like drastic, serious news.) A woman named Shabnam Ali has become a death row convict in Uttar Pradesh. What’s wrong with that? Well, she is on course to become Independent India’s first woman to be executed. This means that she is the first woman to be executed in India since they became independent. ( Well, there have been a few cases, but this is the first time a woman has been hanged in recent times.) Shocking, right? Here’s why.
In India, women were never, or even rarely, given the death penalty because they were seen as multifaced and indispensable members of the family. People would/could never see women as criminals, stereotyping them as caregivers and nurturers. Yes, they were arrested for crimes, but never sentenced to death. I have to ask, did they think that a woman was innocent just because she is a caregiver. Even though they take care of a family and are very precious, women shouldn’t be let go easily or not given the right punishment if they commit a terrible crime. Barbaric, inhuman ones. For instance, the Amroha Case. The one we will be talking about. 
Ms. Shabnam has been convicted of killing 7 members of her family- Father, mother, older brother, brother’s wife, elder brother’s 10-moths old son, younger brother, and her cousin- in 2008. She apparently, sedated 6 of the members- except the child- and then chopped their heads off with an ax while her lover- Saleem- held them by their hair. She then throttled her 10-months old nephew. After doing so, she would have been the sole heir to the house and property. Apparently, her family did not approve of her relationship with Mr. Saleem, a Class VI dropout. 5 days after that they were arrested, and Ms. Shabnam was found to be 7 weeks pregnant. Her 12-years old son appealed for President Ram Nath Kovind to “forgive” his mother, and that same day Ms. Shabnam filed a second mercy petition with the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. 
She initially claimed that she was the one who raised the alarm of her family’s murder and that, unknown assailants had entered her house and killed everyone. During the trial, the couple turns on each other. Ms. Shabnam claims that Mr. Saleem entered the house and killed everyone, but Mr. Saleem claims that Ms. Shabnam called him and confessed that she killed everyone. 

The Mathura Prison- the only place that has a female execution place- “prepares” itself for Ms. Shabnams’s execution. Apparently, the hanging house has not been used in quite a long time and needs maintenance. 
I actually want to know why she did this. I know that her family wasn’t in favor of her relationship and her anger could have gotten the best of her, but why? It’s even slightly possible that she is innocent. She has been doing her very best to use legal remedies so her mercy petition could be heard. Under the law, if multiple people have been sentenced to death in the same case, they have to be executed together. So, they have to be executed after they exhaust their legal resources. But, I think that she shouldn’t be forgiven. Even though the death penalty is kind of a way to get justice for murder or even free a family from the guilt of not finding the murderer, it is really extreme and inhuman. It’s been about 12 years since this has happened, and she has been in jail this whole time. During this time she might have changed and realized the gravity of her actions. I’m not saying to easily let her go. She literally murdered 7 family members, including a teenager and a mere child. Maybe life without parole would be better than the death penalty. I don’t think she or Mr. Saleem should be let go easily or even sent to rehabilitation and then be let go, but I also don’t think they should be given the death penalty. 
It doesn’t show that we are any better than those who have murdered others. Even though we are legally doing this, it is still inhuman and very extreme punishment. We’re almost the same as them when doing this. It’s like violence for violence. Except, more controlled violence for uncontrolled violence. Even if the penalty isn’t given, they should be given life without parole. To make up for the time lost for those family members. ( I know that’s not how it works.) Maybe serve to make up for the lives lost and make up the time they still had left? If given life without parole, they already would be serving prison until they die. But maybe they should do something during their time to make up for it. I’m not sure. ( It’s a bit silly, I know, but I’m just stating my mind.)
Anyway, that’s all I have to say in this case. I honestly am at a loss for words. I just don’t know what to say about this. I had to stop in between writing and think about what I mean and actually think. I could feel myself going back and forth from sides and facts, not knowing where I was going. There are so many things I wanted to talk about regarding this and I just couldn’t phrase it right. It’s so hard to believe what happened. I-I just don’t know what else to say. 

Part 132- So…Hi?

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment General Topics ,

I have no idea what to write, so yeah. I wasn’t planning on writing in the middle of the week but, things change. The best topic for a short post is some random topic. ( I think.) Even though I don’t have anything to write about, I have a question. I know that I’m still a kid, not yet a teen or whatever, but I really want to use curse words in my stories. Hear me out first! I don’t say any bad words and aren’t planning to anytime soon, but I really want to. There are always the regular words to use instead such as “dang” or “heck”, but when writing, I don’t really feel like those words give the proper emphasis and tone I’m looking for. ( Maybe that’s because I read young adult books. I’m not sure.) Here’s an example. ( Taken from my own story.)

Replacing Word:
” Dang girl. How are you so happy all the time?” Evans asked.
Curse word:
” Damn girl. How are you so happy all the time?” Evans asked. 
Here, I can’t really feel the proper tone I’m trying to create when I’m using “dang”, but can when using d-a-a-m-n. It’s not about wanting to curse, but instead for the tone. I’m not gonna use any REALLY REALLY bad ones, but instead the ones instead of dang or heck. It’s okay if it’s not the best idea and if I shouldn’t, but I just wanted to know. I’ve tried experimenting with it once or twice, and I personally find it better, but I can always keep using the regular words and wait. 
Anyway, aside from that, I don’t know what to talk about. Oh, this is really random, but I’ve started using contacts. ( I know, I know. This is not a diary but a blog post.) 
It’s been about a week or two since I’ve started using them, and it’s pretty cool. Sometimes it’s not that efficient, taking about an hour to get them in, but it’s definitely worth it. You get a wider range of clear vision without having to move your head in every direction and really helps in preventing you from crying. They also don’t fog up when drinking soup. There are a lot of great pros from contacts, but I still prefer glasses. They are much easier to wear and take off and are sometimes pretty stylish. Plus, you don’t have to go around all day, avoiding rubbing your eyes, and feeling like there is something in your eye. Well, there is something in your eye.
( Once you wear glasses for a while, it’s really shocking to see your face without them.) Even though I’m kinda used to contacts, I still get fears of irritating my eye or even somehow getting it stuck in my eye for the rest of my life. But, over time I’ll get better and those fears will start to go away. But, I definitely recommend trying them out. 
Well, that was a pretty random blog. I really didn’t have anything to write about so I just wrote what was in my head. But, like, I wanna know. Is it okay if I use some curse words in my stories, or should I wait until I’m older? Anyway, I hope you are well, and bye~. 

Part 131- Executive Orders

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment Law and Justice , , , , ,

  We have already started 2021 off with Capitol riots, our Commander in Chief getting Impeached for the SECOND time, and Inauguration Day. Yes, President Biden is now the 46th president of the United States of America. And as the current president, he has already started signing executive orders. Quite a lot, actually. Oh boy, here we go. 


The most basic question to ask at the moment is, “What is an executive order?” Well, here’s your answer. An executive order is just like what it sounds like. Orders produced by the President, head of the executive branch- that are generally directed to, and govern actions, by Government officials and agencies. Okay, maybe it’s not what it sounds like. To clarify, it’s a rule or order issued by the president to an executive branch of the government and having the force of law. Executive Orders are issued by the White House and are used to direct the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government. It states mandatory requirements for the Executive Branch and has the effect of law. Here’s an example of an executive order. ( Or two, or three)

Some of the most notable executive orders in the past include President Franklin D Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 ( February 19, 1942), which authorized the mass internment of Japanese Americans during WWII; President Harry S. Truman’s Executive Order 9981, which abolished racial segregation in the U.S. military; and President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Executive Order 10730, which dispatched federal troops to protect the civil rights of the Little Rock Nine during the integration of Little Rock’s Central High School. 

So far, as of today, President Biden has signed 30 executive orders. So, I’m going to list the top 5 which I think are the most important. This is for two reasons. One, it’s a better idea to point out the most important and key ones rather than all. Two, I don’t have enough energy to write about all 30.

  1. Executive Order on Organizing and Mobilizing the United States Government to Provide a Unified and Effective Response to Combat COVID-19 and to Provide United States Leadership on Global Health and Security

Section 1 ( Purpose):

  • ” The Federal Government must act swiftly and aggressively to combat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).  To that end, this order creates the position of Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response and Counselor to the President and takes other steps to organize the White House and activities of the Federal Government to combat COVID-19 and prepare for future biological and pandemic threats.” – White House

Section 2: (  Organizing the White House to Combat COVID-19. COVID-19 Response Coordinator)

Reason: One word to sum up 2020 is, Coronavirus. When we look back to 2020, we will forever remember what the pandemic did to our lives. There were huge numbers of deaths, and every day there were more cases reported than the last. Seeing how bad the virus was this time, the one next time will very much be much, much worse. We need to make sure we have some sort of firm plan and strategy for next time so that we don’t go through something worse.

2.  Executive Order on Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing  

 

Section 1 ( Policy): 

  • “It is the policy of my Administration to halt the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by relying on the best available data and science-based public health measures.  Such measures include wearing masks when around others, physical distancing… Put simply, masks and other public health measures reduce the spread of the disease, particularly when communities make widespread use of such measures, and thus save lives.” – White House

Section 3: ( Encouraging Masking across America)

Reason: Even though a vaccine is out, we must still wear masks to protect ourselves from the pandemic. Even though it shouldn’t be forced, it should be HIGHLY encouraged. Hopefully, if we encourage people to do so, they will agree to wear masks. They should still have an option on whether they want to or not, but encouraging helps as well. Especially now. Now that we are slowly, very slowly, fighting back against the virus, we shouldn’t stop what safety measures we were doing. 

3. Executive Order on the Revision of Civil Immigration Enforcement Policies and Priorities

Section 1 ( Policy): 

  • “Immigrants have helped strengthen America’s families, communities, businesses and workforce, and economy, infusing the United States with creativity, energy, and ingenuity.  The task of enforcing the immigration laws is complex and requires setting priorities to best serve the national interest.  The policy of my Administration is to protect national and border security, address the humanitarian challenges at the southern border, and ensure public health and safety.  We must also adhere to due process of law as we safeguard the dignity and well-being of all families and communities.  My Administration will reset the policies and practices for enforcing civil immigration laws to align enforcement with these values and priorities. ” – White House

Reason: America is like a Melting pot. ( I think of crayons when I hear this.) America is America because immigrants from all around the world come together, sharing just a little bit of their culture, their style, their flavor, and blending it with other cultures. Everything comes together, and you have America. It’s where a small crayon shaving from each country gets added to this melting pot to create something truly amazing.  Without it, it doesn’t feel right. Immigrants shouldn’t be treated harshly when they come. They should feel safe when coming and not threatened or worried that something would happen to them.  

4. Executive Order on Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers

Section 1 ( Policy):

  • “ Every student in America deserves a high-quality education in a safe environment.  This promise, which was already out of reach for too many, has been further threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic.  School and higher education administrators, educators, faculty, child care providers, custodians, and other staff, and families have gone above and beyond to support children’s and students’ learning and meet their needs during this crisis… However, leadership and support from the Federal Government are needed.  Two principles should guide the Federal Government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis with respect to schools, child care providers, Head Start programs, and higher education institutions.  First, the health and safety of children, students, educators, families, and communities is paramount.  Second, every student in the United States should have the opportunity to receive a high-quality education, during and beyond the pandemic.”- White House

Reason:  When the topic of reopening schools first came up, the president decided to hand it over to the state governors and let them decide. The state governors then decide to give it to school districts. They both passed down such an important thing to school districts, and let them decide what they want to do. It may be a pro, but I feel that it’s more like a con. If the federal government had taken this matter into its own hands from the beginning, it wouldn’t have been a problem now. Cases of COVID are popping up in schools, one after the other, and I think it would have been better if the federal government had originally taken this into their own hands instead of handing it down, twice. 

5.  Executive Order on Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act

Section 1 ( Policy): 

  • “ In the 10 years since its enactment, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has reduced the number of uninsured Americans by more than 20 million, extended critical consumer protections to more than 100 million people, and strengthened and improved the Nation’s healthcare system.  At the same time, millions of people who are potentially eligible for coverage under the ACA or other laws remain uninsured, and obtaining insurance benefits is more difficult than necessary.  For these reasons, it is the policy of my Administration to protect and strengthen Medicaid and the ACA and to make high-quality healthcare accessible and affordable for every American.” – White House

Section 2 ( Special Enrollment Period): 

  • “The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered historic public health and economic crisis.  In January of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading, the Secretary of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency.  In March of 2020, the President declared a national emergency.  Although almost a year has passed, the emergency continues — over 5 million Americans have contracted the disease in January 2021, and thousands are dying every week.  Over 30 million Americans remain uninsured, preventing many from obtaining necessary health services and treatment…”

Reason: The ACA has helped many in the past ( not too long ago) for people who were in need of medical help and were uninsured. It helped reduce the number ( of uninsured Americans) by more than 20 million and was taken out. It’s a good thing that it will be reinstated and strengthened at this time, for COVID patients that are uninsured. Many, many Americans ( 30 mill. +) do not get the medical treatment and necessary health services required for COVID, simply because they are uninsured.  I think it will help to reduce the number of Americans dying from COVID if they get treated even without insurance. Yes, there will be more cases, but at least they will be treated and given the necessary health services to help them. 

I am truly sorry for posting this a week late. It just took a while to make sure I had everything in order and I had the right sources to update me and so on. I had to cut down the number of executive orders mentioned to save time, but I have linked a MarketWatch link with a list of key executive orders and a link from the White House with a list of the presidential actions and more details on it.  ( I have also added the link for each order listed after the first section.) I hope you are well, bye!

Sources:

Britannica- Executive orders

White House- Presidential Actions

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/all-of-president-bidens-key-executive-orders-in-one-chart-2021-01-21

Part 130- Biden Cabinet Members

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment Politics , , , ,

Today’s post is on the members of Mr. Biden’s Cabinet. Below is a table of all the Cabinet members and my opinion on them. ( I know this is not yet completed, but this is what I have so far. I had to finish since it’s getting late and because I’m really exhausted. Like, my brain isn’t even helping me process my thoughts properly and I’m spacing out. I’ll update this tomorrow, and have the full, completed list ready. Bye!  )


Cabinet member

Info/opinion

Secretary of State: Antony Blinken

Bio: Mr. Blinken has held senior foreign policy positions in two administrations over the two decades. He has a recurring mantra: the U.S. should work with its allies and within international treaties and organizations. He also views U.S. leadership in multilateral institutions as essential. He has spent a 6-year term in the Senate with Mr. Biden and has strong ties to other, close Biden advisors.

Opinion:

https://www.politico.eu/article/nine-things-to-think-about-antony-blinken/

Secretary of Treasury: Janet Yellen

Bio: https://www.federalreservehistory.org/people/janet-l-yellen

Secretary of Defense: Lloyd Austin

Bio: Mr. Austin is a retired American four-star Army general who served as the 12th commander of United States Central Command. He was greatly involved in the internal U.S. discussions and the negotiations with the Iraqi Government leading up to the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement. The would-be the first Black defense secretary. 

Opinion: 

Attorney General: Merrick Garland

Bio:  Mr. Garland is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The New York Times reported, “Mr. Biden’s choice reflects his respect for Mr. Garland’s reputation as a centrist and his belief that he can restore the Justice Department’s independence and inspire a deeply demoralized workforce.”

Opinion:

Secretary of Interior: Deb Haaland

Bio: Ms. Haaland is a member of the U.S. House, representing New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District. In a press release, Biden’s office said, “Haaland is a barrier-breaking public servant who has spent her career fighting for families, including in Tribal Nations, rural communities, and communities of color…”If confirmed, she will be the first Native American Cabinet secretary.

Opinion: I’m not sure if Ms. Haaland is the right nominee for Secretary of Interior. Yes, she has spent her career fighting for families of rural communities and of color, but I’m not sure if that is enough experience for this. 

 

Secretary of Agriculture: Tim Vilsack

Bio: Mr. Vilsack has held 0m

.this position before in the Obama administration from 2009-2017. As head of the USDA, Mr. Vilsack was responsible for implementing programs that provided “leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.”

Opinion: Mr. Vilsack has indeed put as much as he can into supporting programs that provide food, agriculture, natural resources, etc., and has really dedicated a lot to it. I think he is the right nominee for this. 

Secretary of Commerce: Gina Raimondo

Bio: Ms. Raimondo served as the general partner of Point Judith Capital, a venture capital firm headquartered in Rhode Island. The New York Times reported that Ms. Raimondo “is seen as a relatively traditional choice for commerce secretary, a post that oversees relations with the business community but also technology regulation, weather monitoring and the gathering of economic data, among other duties.”

Opinion: To be honest, currently I am not sure what to expect from Ms. Raimondo. I don’t have enough information/ evidence to actually make an opinion so, for now, only time will tell. 

Secretary of Labor: Martin Walsh

Bio: Mr. Walsh was previously a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, serving in that office from 1997 until 2014 and representing the Thirteenth Suffolk district. He was the Chairman of the Committee on Ethics and served as a Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party Labor Caucus.

Opinion: 

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Xavier Becerre

Bio:Mr. Becerre is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 33rd and current Attorney General of California since 2017. He previously was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Downtown Los Angeles in Congress from 1993 to 2017. 

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Marcia Fudge

Bio: Ms. Fudge is a member of the U.S. House, representing Ohio’s 11th Congressional District. Ms. Fudge has also served as chief of staff to U.S. Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones during Jones’s first term in Congress. 

Opinion:

Secretary of Transportation: Pete Buttigieg

Bio: Mr. Buttigieg is an American politician and former U.S. Navy intelligence officer. Mr. Biden said in a statement, “Jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate all come together at the DOT, the site of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better. I trust Mayor Pete to lead this work with focus, decency, and a bold vision — he will bring people together to get big things done.”

Opinion:

Secretary of Energy: Jennifer Granholm

Bio: Ms. Ganholm is a Canadian-born American politician, lawyer, educator, author, and political commentator. She clerked for U.S. Judge Damon Keith on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In 1990 she became an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. In 1994, she was appointed Wayne County Corporation Counsel. 

Opinion: 

Secretary of Education: Miguel Cardona

Bio: Mr. Cardona is an American educator who has served as the Connecticut Commissioner of education since 2019. He began his career in education as an elementary school teacher. Mr. Cardona then became the youngest principal in Connecticut at the age of 28. 

Opinion: I think that Mr. Biden made a good decision in nominating Mr. Cardona to be Secretary of education. Even though he may or may not have a lot of knowledge and experience in politics, he was an education” figure”. To know how to do something is different from experiencing it. This is similar to Mr. Cardona. Even though he may or may not be as experienced as the other members in politics, he knows schools and what it is like being a teacher, and how things will affect kids.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Denis McDonough

Bio: Mr. McDonough is a former White House chief of staff, serving in the Obama administration.

Secretary of Homeland Security: Alejandro Mayorkas

https://ballotpedia.org/Joe_Biden_presidential_transition

Part 129- New novel

Rovija Khapre 0 Comment General Topics, My Stories , ,

 H-hey! This blog may be short but I wanna know your thoughts. So if you may or may not know, I am a writer. Well, duh, I blog. But I also write novels and stories. (I’m not very good at finishing them though.) I am a huge fan of non-fiction and fantasy stories, so you can always expect some crazy imaginative idea in them, but yesterday- actually a few nights ago- I had an idea and I was like, dang brain, you’re genius! I don’t read a lot of realistic fiction, but I was reading something that gave me this idea and I really like it. 

The title is called, When Can I See You Again? and it’s a book on a girl who lives an everyday, normal life. She goes to college and has a job. She has good friends and stays out of trouble. But one day she gets into a car accident, and she loses her sight. She’s blind. Her life goes through so many changes and her world is turned upside-down by these struggles. Can she accept her new life and the way she is, or will she forever be troubled by the event? 

I originally wanted the main character to have some medical disease but I wasn’t sure how I was going to write such struggles without knowing what it actually is like. I don’t want to write something wrong or false, or even something that can offend others. I think “blindness” was a safer option. (Please note, I’m not trying to say anything harmful about blind people or people who cannot see. They are also struggling, and I just thought it would be easier to write on blindness, than on a life-threatening medical disease.) 

Anyway, I just wanted to know your thoughts on this idea and the ideas you have on how the plot could move forward. Here is a snippet of chapter one. ( This is what I have so far. There may be some grammar mistakes and things I need to take out, but this is what I have so far.) 

When Can I See You Again?

 

My name is Serendipity Esma Williams. I know. My first two names are savvy and unique whilst I have a bland last name. People often question how I got my name. I’m not sure. My parents say that I was an unexpected good fortune in their lives or something. I don’t care. As long as I can find a good nickname for it, it’s not a big deal. Usually, I’d ask people to call me Esma, but now I’ve been asking them to call me Ren. It’s boy-ish but who says it can’t be a girl’s name? I’m currently 19 and am living with my two close colleagues and friends: Evangeline “Evans” Bennet and Mari “Mar” Tartal. 

 I’m a stickler for nicknames as I just can’t stand addressing people close to me with a formal name. Evans and Mar don’t mind. They’ve seen enough to know this is the most normal thing about me. I’ve lived with them for about 3 years, after wanting to get away from my family to become independent. Not as independent as I expected. Evans and Mar take care of me like a baby even though I’m months older than them. I always try to act more mature and start the day off by cooking a breakfast buffet for them and helping them get ready. Yet in the end, they’re the ones sending me to bed early so I wake up for college on time. I have a normal life- with normal friends and lifestyle- and thought it would stay the same. Oh how I was wrong.