I went shopping in little india today and I stopped for lunch - a sack of samosas and a mango lassi and as I was sitting and eating I noticed that I was the only woman who was showing both her knees, elbows and neck. All of the other women were covered from head to toe sitting quietly beside their husbands who were chattering away to each other.

Needless to say there was nothing I wanted to do more than slip on the new skirt I just purchased at the sari shop that came down to my feet and blend in a little more (my ivory skin would still pose a problem, but we can all look past that). Above all of that, the women all looked at me with disgust. I felt like a dalit amoung brahmins quietly flipping through my knitting magazine not making eye contact with anyone.

It was there, sitting in that resturaunt that I decided that I have to have children. Growing up my mother told me that I could do anything I wanted and that I was better than a boy. That arrogance will follow me all the days of my life :). I will have a handful of daughters with long beautiful strong names who will be raised to be self sufficient, aware of their own beauty, owners of their bodies and totally undomesticated. They will know how to bake souffles and use power tools (just like their mom). they will knit, sew and have a perfect spin on a football. they will never be ashamed of their bodies. They will speak their minds without ever being feminazis.

bottomline: if you see a too tall white girl in a mini skirt and camisole in a fast food indian dive in iselin - show some love - her kids are gonna be slappin you around someday :)