This is a blog post from
July 7
Dear Diary,
YOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS!
Actually even I didn’t know whether to believe it or not. You know how Poonguzhali Akka keeps making up things, right? But then Varun Anna came and confirmed what she said. And he isn’t the lying types. (He’s cute. Poonguzhali Akka is lucky. But Poonguzhali Akka is maha cute. So Varun Anna is maha lucky.)
Anyway, back to topic. Babies.
Here’s what happens:
1. Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. Boy, girl fall in love. Boy, girl get married.
2. Sometimes marriage is arranged by boy, girl’s families.
But this is not the important part. The actual process of baby forming happens like this:
The man inserts his penis into the woman’s vagina. The first time is usually painful for the woman. But after that it becomes pleasurable. Anyway, during the act, the man’s sperm (sex cells) is secreted into the woman’s body. The woman’s ovaries are also releases eggs. When the sperm meets an egg, the baby starts to be formed. But the chances of this happening are one in 14 million. Also, the woman is not always producing eggs. It happens only for a few days a month during a period called ovulation. So once the sperm latches on to the egg, the baby is formed. After nine months of growing in the uterus, the baby can come out.
First first when Poonguzhali Akka said all this, I was so disgusted. She could see it on my face, I think. So she explained why we needn’t feel disgusted. That it is a natural process. And the stigma attached to it is what is making things difficult for women in society. She said that it’s funny how people say sex is a bad thing when they are all doing it anyway. I don’t think that’s funny. I think it’s stupid and so hypocri-typical (whatté coinage, hah) of grown-ups. They’re all like this: “Don’t watch TV it’s bad for your eyes”. But the next minute, they have changed the channel to the cricket match and they watch it for six hours straight.
I asked whether Poonguzhali Akka had sex. She smiled and said, “What do you think, Nila?” I guess it means yes but I didn’t want to ask too many times because Shanky was also there.
Oh! You should have seen his face. For the first time in the history of Shanky, he sat like a statue for one full hour — not saying a single thing. Only in the end he opened his mouth because I had finished all the lemon tarts and only one was left.
Poonguzhali Akka asked Shanky to talk to Varun Anna because only he can properly explain the guy stuff. Just then Varun Anna came home. “We’re talking baby formation, Varun.” Poonguzhali Akka laughed her hyena laugh. Varun Anna slapped his forehead, took Shanky by his hand and went to the balcony. It seems Akka has this personal mission of educating children about sex. And usually it helps if a man talks to the boys so Varun Anna has to do the follow-up talks even though he doesn’t really like to.
I really don’t know what to make out of all this. Head is slightly spinning. I asked Poonguzhali Akka if she could also talk to Poo and Rads about it. “Of course, babe! More the merrier,” she shouted and did one small balle-balle dance. So crazy fun she is.
Before I forget, other important facts:
1. Legal age for having sex is 18 for both women and men.
2. Sex can and often does happen even before marriage. But people say it is wrong even though the law says it’s ok.
3. Pregnancy doesn’t happen easily.
4. If you want to have sex but not have babies, then you can use tablets called contraceptive pills.
5. Or you can use condoms.
6. She mentioned some condom names. They show those ads on TV but they don’t show anything about sex. Poonguzhali Akka smiled and said, “Well, that’s India, babe.”
7. Sometimes if you have sex and forgot to use contraceptive pills or condoms, then you can take emergency pills called i-pills and they will reduce the risk of pregnancy.
8. Sex should always happen consensually — that means man and woman should agree to it. Otherwise it is a crime.
SO MANY OTHER THINGS ALSO.
I had some doubts but it was already late by then and I had to finish this stupid History project. Who cares about Roman Empire when we have so much stuff to learn about the real world. Strange this country is — all nonsense in textbooks. Why should we learn about about which king murdered which previous king, and all that pooh. They want to save the world, no? Then why can’t we have gardening lessons everyday instead of once a month.
Ok ok. I shouldn’t be complaining so much. One big lesson learnt today. Can’t wait to discuss it with Poo and Rads tomorrow. Or maybe I should get Poonguzhali Akka to do the talking. I’ll surely mix things up and make a complete mess of the explanation.
Yours hurriedly and still-somewhat-confusedly
Nila
