Say Hello to Utopiaboy!

Hello Steemit! I've been meaning to start posting here for a while, at the encouragement of my friends @ashtraymonument and @riotdog: apparently, though, they're even lazier than I am, because my own account predates theirs by two and four months respectively. Honestly, that's kind of weird, but I would say @riotdog in particular operates somewhat erratically, plunging suddenly into projects he conceived only moments before, or otherwise completely ignoring the tasks involved for some project he conceived himself. In a manner more like the former, these and other friends created a Facebook page for me for some reason, having said at the time they did it because (in their words), I "just say the most awesome shit."

(So, I'm internet-famous with like 750 anarchists and communists on Leftbook. Obviously I'm an incredibly accomplished individual.)

Anyway, I guess today's the day I'm finally jumping into it. Nice to meet you all! I go by Priyank Bang. Though I believe strongly in security culture, Facebook doesn't even believe that's a real name, so I feel pretty safe disclosing it. I'm 24 years old, and I'm coming to you live right now from Kolkata, India.

(Photo from my window of scenic Kolkata. I understand the United States has a pair of subcultures that either love squatting or gentrifying. I believe Kolkata would satisfy them both. But please send the squatters from your shithole country to ours, because they sound way more fun.)

Regardless, I apologize for the delay in introducing myself! Of course life has reasons, and not excuses. That said, I've spent like a year preparing for and taking a series of exams to gain employment as a government bureaucrat. That involves a surprising number of questions like the following:

Which one of the following is correct? 1. He has taught us for four years. 2. He taught us for four years.

"What's the context, damn it?! Did he stop teaching?!"

Which of the following is correct? 1. Juhi has saved enough money, she will be buying a new car next week. 2. Juhi has saved enough money, she is going to buy a new car next week.

"Why are you dropping conjunctions when you're trying to test my fluency in Standard Written English?! Should official government documents use an active or passive voice?! Finally, where's the simplest and therefore correct answer, '...she will buy a new car next week'?!"

Anyway, that leads me to something I'd like to talk about, in case anyone reading this doesn't know much about India. First, I'd like to emphasize that we aren't all that different (assuming you're an Anglophone Westerner). I mean, sure, there are some obvious and major differences, but these differences remain similar in type to those between other regions and ethnicities. To pick a true "all-American" example, I understand from talking with my American friends that Northerners may not necessarily know what "grits" are, though grits are a staple of the Southern diet. (Disclaimer: I have no idea what grits are, and the name itself sounds unappetizing to me.)

But the weird thing is, the fact that we're not all that different reflects historic tragedy: the tragedy of colonialism. Today, the government of India publishes most official statements in English, along with local languages. As an example, talking with @riotdog, I realized that not only have I never read "Krishnamurti" written in Hindi, I have never read Hindi outside of school. Do you see what I mean, then, when I talk about the tragedy of our similarity? I haven't ever seen a particular name written in its native language. In effect, I have a colonized mind--perhaps most evident in my appreciation for British TV shows, hahaha.

Even worse, most parents of the economic middle-class (and a grim minority of the lower-class) send their children to English-medium schools. As a result, they read in English most of the time, and have little exposure to Hindi literature. In contrast, the vast majority of the population only receives education in Hindi or a local language and learn no English at all. Altogether, that produces a profound personal disconnect between the monied classes and the everyday lives of most Indians, along with a deplorable insensitivity to the majority's plight.

(In other words, the tragedy of colonialism continues, with a capitalist spin.)

Nonetheless, the past is the past, and let's study the past at the same time that we figure out the best way to go from here. I'll keep my face undisclosed, since I'm going after a government job, but once again, nice to meet you all, and I'm excited to finally get started on Steemit!

Take care! Looking forward to talking with you all again soon.