Not so wo(man)ly…

I have been tagged for this awesome tag which is doing the rounds of blogosphere for quite sometime!

It was started by IHM and titled ‘Sinners Against Gender Stereotype‘. In her own words:

Please list at least ten things you have ever wanted or done which your gender is not supposed to.

The tag is called ‘My Sins against Gender-Stereotypes’. And you must tag twelve blogging friends or else you will be cursed to wear blue pants if you are a woman and pink shirts if you are a man – for next twelve years

I have obviously sinned against Gender Stereotypes, in ways more than one. Here they are:

1. I do not understand fashion. Skinny/bootcut jeans, balloon sleeves/halter necks, tank tops/kurti-leggings never made too much sense to me. I have lived in baggy jeans and loose shirts till 16 years of age and even attended weddings in them! When I started behaving little more like a girl, I stuck to simple clothings. For the record, I still do not own an anarkali/kalidar churidar, skinny jeans, leggings, gladiator chappals or anything that’s in vogue these days.

But I do dress up according to the occasion. I wear saris for family gatherings,  formal clothes to office, denims/t-shirts for casual outings and dresses for parties 🙂

2. Till 12 years of age, I used to play cricket with my cousin bro. I have always followed the game closely and still enjoy it, along with tennis. I also love visiting the stadium and hooting and cheering loudly for our Men in Blue (or Men in Black/Purple in case of IPL ;-))

But I am not too much into football. I gained some interest in it while watching it with my dad  during WC 1998. I again watched the matches in this WC; after quite a gap! And I never understand the hype about EPL!

3. I am not afraid of lizards. Period. I know innumerable girls who shriek, squeal, shout and cry at the sight of one. I am also not afraid of snakes, at least not of the ones who are safely behind some protective glass walls. I relish my visit to the Reptile House of any Zoo. I am also not afraid of dogs; in fact I adore them. I do not start running if a pack of them start barking at me. I also know men who are scared of big sized dogs and I love to show off in front of them by patting the adorable canines 😉

But I am scared of spiders and cockroaches. They give me the creeps.

4. I prefer horror and action movies to rom-coms. My friends will vouch for my eternal love for horrors and disdain for rom coms.

Some rom coms did win my heart. And I also watch chick flicks for time pass. 🙂 But any day (or night), I shall happily enjoy a horror movie.

5. Throughout my school days, I played a male character in any play or been the guy during any dance performance. Not only because I used to be one of the tallest girls in class and had short, cropped hair, but I loved being a boy.

But in college, during Annual Day, I refused to be the guy in a dance recital. I told the choreographer (who incidentally is a good friend) that I have had enough of playing ‘boys’; its time for me to dance like a woman 😉

6. I hate do not like cooking. Whenever I am asked to do it at home now, I try and wriggle out of it. I get loads of scolding for that, but I am yet to appreciate the art behind cooking! According to my mom, all my future prospective in-laws will reject me on this one count only!

That doesn’t mean I can’t cook. Due to the perseverance of my mom, I can now manage all types of cooking, except the exotic ones. I just don’t ‘like’ doing it too much. Men, who can cook, are you listening? 😉

7. I used to be buddies with more guys than girls. I also used to get into non-verbal fights with them, if I disagreed on any point. Now it has reduced much with age and grace 😉 But sometimes, when I am with old friends, I do tend to greet them with a slap on their head/back 😀 All of them agree that I am just like any other guy pal for them.

Confession time: I once slapped a guy on a public road, because he was irritating me. But, that was the only instance. Now I deal with such situations in a better way 😉 (I mean, without resorting to violence)

8. I never had the taste for girlie games – like dolls, homemaking, teacher-teacher etc when I was young. I used to roam around in my locality with my own group of young cronies 😉 get dirty playing in the ground, go around exploring new nooks and corners of the locality, fight with the local boys for possession of the field, call them all sorts of names, get into serious fights when the boys  forgot that I was a girl etc etc. I used to be a tomboy and refused to be ackowledged as a girl. I have travelled alone and lived in different cities all by myself. I have a streak of independence in me.

But I did have the knack for creative stuff like drawing and sewing. I could make nice embroideries and used to get good marks in the subject ‘needle work’ in my school! Some of my needle work are still displayed at home 🙂

9. I understand technology. Whenever we have bought something, it has been my responsibility to research and compare among different brands and specifications. That includes computers, cell phones, cameras and even home appliances like television and refrigerator.

When I first started blogging, a lot of stuff was new for me. I have self-learnt few concepts  even though I am not a techie. I also ask around friends and bloggers whenever I am stuck anywhere and I am always learning new things.

10. I always had the tendency to question gender stereotypes, right from my childhood. Why girls cannot have any other toy apart from dolls? Why are so many restrictions imposed on girls only? Why is it scandalous for a girl to express the desire to join any so-called male professions? Why are girls’ side always inferior during a marriage? (I blogged about it here) I have surely sinned against gender stereotypes by doubting and questioning them.

Now, its time for me to tag other bloggers. Almost all whom I know have been tagged already and half the blogosphere have finished doing this tag.  😦

Manavi: Its time you revive your blog, now that you have the time. I am sure you are  ‘ghor paapi‘ in this regard 😉

Arpita: Take a break; write a post on defying gender stereotypes 😉

Mansi: Your stories will be interesting, so come out with it.

Nadia: I know you used to climb trees in your childhood 😉 Any more of such instances?

Parth: Very few guys are doing this tag, but I am sure you will take up the challenge 😉

Sudhakar: C’mon, do the tag and let the world know a different side of yours 😉

Rashmi: Take a break from BPL and do this tag. Trust me, its rejuvinating!

Shilpa: What’s your take on the subject? Do the tag and let me know.

Rachana: The one who weaves words in her blog 🙂 Do it, if you haven’t already.

Parama: You can do the tag in my comment section.

Please do leave a comment here if you do it. I would love to hop over for a read 🙂 Thereafter, do join the Facebook group Sinners Against Gender Stereotypes (SAGS) and share your story.

SAY NO TO GENDER STEREOTYPES!