My name is Sundari Dharamveer. I was born in the beautiful City of Ludhiana, in the Indian State of Punjab. I recently transferred from the Punjab Engineering College in metropolitan Chandigarh, the Punjab State's best town, to Carleton University in the City of Ottawa, Province of Ontario. Leaving my homeland of India for Canada hasn't been easy. However, when destiny calls, every man and woman must answer its call. How do I feel about life in the Capital of Canada? It depends on the days. Right now, I'm having one of those days. I woke up late for my civil engineering class and as I ran to get there, I tripped on the freshly fallen snow and fell on my big butt. The white guys walking by laughed at my plight. However, I got some help from a most unlikely source. A big Black guy who was also on his way to my engineering class.
The stranger's huge shadow cast over me like a towering mountain. I looked up at him as he pulled me to my feet. I've never seen a guy this big! The stranger was easily six-foot-six, and had to weigh close to three hundred pounds. With a bright grin, he asked me if I was alright. I nodded, and thanked him for his help. I noticed that I was staring at him and excused myself. I really had to get to class. The stranger nodded, and told me he woke up late for his civil engineering class. I smiled, and he said nothing. I told him I was late for the same class, for I noticed he clutched the book under his arm. Together we dashed through the Carleton University campus, and made our way toward the Minted Center, where the advanced courses in engineering are taught.
I sat in the back of the class, and my rescuer sat next to me. Our professor, a middle-aged white guy, droned on and on about applied civil engineering and its role in changing the developing world. I noticed that he was referring to India as a developing country. My Sikh pride arose in my chest, and I hastily raised my hand. I got everyone's attention by saying I had a question. The professor looked up, saw me and nodded. I politely but firmly reminded him that the Republic of India produced more millionaires between 2000 and 2011 than did the United States of America, Canada and the European Union. The only nation which surpassed us economically was the Republic of China, and even they had better watch themselves. The professor seemed miffed by my statement. I sat down, well-aware that a lot of people were staring at me. I didn't care. What could they do to me?
The big and tall young Black man who helped me out earlier smiled at me. He held out his hand for me to shake. Smiling, I shook his hand. He introduced himself as Zithulele Dumisani, of the Zulu tribe of the Republic of South Africa. I introduced myself as Sundari Dharamveer, proud daughter of the Sikh Nation of the Punjab State of the Republic of India. Zithulele smiled, and congratulated me on standing up to our obviously smug and Euro-centrically biased professor. A lot of white guys in Canada think they know everything. I'm in my second semester at Carleton University and in most of my classes, I outperform white guys and white chicks left and right. The only competition I sometimes have trouble getting around are Chinese students. I hate to sound stereotypical but they really are something else. They're wickedly smart. Too bad so many of them love sucking up to authority figures.
As class droned on, I noticed Zithulele looking at me. I wasn't surprised. I'm somewhat imposing at times. I stand five feet eleven inches tall, curvaceous but fit, with light bronze skin, Black hair and light brown eyes. I've got a cute face, curvy body, sexy legs and a nice, round butt. Like all Sikh women worthy of the name, I am beautiful, proud and strong. And I don't mind expressing my opinions. Among the Sikh, it's well-known that women are considered equal to men. According to the tenets of the Sikh faith, practiced in the Republic of India for centuries, female warriors and female leaders are just as capable as the very best of their male counterparts. We've had legions of female warriors among the Sikh people defending our land, culture and traditions from invaders at a time when most European women, the so-called inventors of modern feminism, were baking cookies and saying yes to everything their men said. I'm just saying. By the way, unlike European women and North American women who bash their men at every turn, Sikh women love their men. Ask anyone in the great nation that is the Republic of India.
Class ended, and I headed back toward the campus library to grab some food at the small restaurant hidden inside. As luck would have it, I ran into Zithulele again. For some reason, I decided to go talk to him. I'm ashamed to say that although I've been at Carleton University for an entire year, I really don't know anybody. I'm either studying, or working. I work as a bouncer at a nightclub in downtown Ottawa. One located not far from the Rideau Shopping Center. Yes, women can be night club bouncers. The owner of the club had doubts about hiring me. I had to get an Ontario security guard licence first. And since I'm an international student from the Republic of India instead of some Canadian hussy, they made me get a work permit, social insurance card and health card before hiring me. It was a lot of hassle but I don't mind. I like my job. I make three hundred dollars every weekend for working only twelve hours. How cool is that? Yeah, it's pretty cool. Anyhow, where was I? Oh, yes. I was telling you about my taking a break from being a recluse and asking Zithulele to grab dinner with me.
The big and tall young man from South Africa flashed me a big grin and thanked me for the invite. We sat down and got to know each other over coffee and egg sandwiches. Zithulele was born in the City of Johannesburg in the Gauteng Province of the Republic of South Africa. His parents moved to the United States shortly after his birth. They wanted to escape the horrors of Apartheid. My heart winced as I heard this. In India, we also suffered the horrors of European colonialism but we never got mistreated to the extent that Blacks in South Africa did. Zithulele told me how his parents, Malusi and Siyanda Dumisani of South Africa, emigrated to the United States in their mid-twenties and had to adjust to life in a new country...with their new son in tow. They settled in the City of Brockton, in the State of Massachusetts. Zithulele's father Malusi became a cab driver and his mother Siyanda eventually became a nurse's aide at Caritas Hospital after obtaining her certification.