I belong to the peer group who turned 40 over last year and this. I somehow get a feeling that we belong to one of the most fortunate generations. Though we broadly fit into Gen X we were lucky to have joined them towards the end of it with an overlap with Gen Y and have children who teach us what Gen Z is all about through their actions. I will try and elaborate on the fortunate part since I’m sure most of my friends from other generations might not agree with me. Though I write this predominantly from an Indian perspective, global events and changes during this period definitely made an impact on how we were shaped. Please note the population in their 40’s right now is the protagonist of this piece.
Most of us who are part of this ‘generation’ which I intend calling Gen X’ were born between late 60’s and early 70’s and were in all likelihood born to parents born in the late 1930’s and 1940’s the transitional generation between the traditionalists and the baby boomers, a period I believe, was one of the most defining periods in world history. The end of the great depression, the beginning and end of World War II, the first use of Atomic weapons are some of the events that would have influenced the character of any individual being born and brought up in the period. From an Indian perspective they were born just around the time India attained independence and were at the right age to appreciate freedom and understand the values of living in an independent country imparted by their parents who probably went through the struggle. They made it a point to impart the same to their offspring.
Though each generation will have its own share of experiences I believe the generation I’m talking about were fortunate to enjoy the right experiences at the right time. Be it technological or political. On the tech front, computers were born with us and internet made its appearance just when we were around 18 plus, an age when we could handle and enjoy it responsibly. Politically the Berlin wall went up when our parents were around 18 and came down when we were around 18. They were mature enough to understand the agony and we were mature enough to understand the ecstasy of this event. The interesting part is that the fall of the wall coincided with the advent of internet. The melting of the Iron curtain, official end to cold war and the era of globalisation all came about when we were wise enough to accept, appreciate and evaluate their pros and cons. We grew up dependent on the newspaper for our daily bite of information but were also open to accept information in the form of ‘bytes’ later on in life.
From an Indian perspective we were around 18 when India was opening up to the world and were full of hope at the opportunities ahead of us. We were the flag bearers of India into the millennia. The great Indian dream was just beginning.
We are able to appreciate the smaller, finer things in life because we were witness to the evolution of the television in black and white, colour, plasma, LCD and LED. We used the floppy, diskette, CD, DVD, USB, memory device and the cloud. We read newspapers and we read news from apps. We walked, cycled and biked to school and now appreciate the best of the cars in town. We grew up eating plain dried fish with rice but along the way learnt to appreciate fine Sushi and Sashimi. We have seen postmen bringing tidings of comfort and melancholy. We also have active email accounts through which we still receive the same. We had pen friends and we now have friends who write on our walls on facebook. We grew up appreciating music across genres. We began our day listening to suprabathams in the morning, felt at peace with the muezzin’s afternoon call to prayer and went to bed hearing the church bells toll irrespective of our religion.
We were in my opinion the last of the GENERATIONS. What came next were only short periods of experience with no influence from the decades before or after and the worst being the current Gen Z who in my opinion are only as old as a mobile phone or a tab model? I’m sad about this since I have my own daughters and a whole lot of nieces and nephews belonging to this period. Wonder what the generation beyond Z would be called. Since unlike the X and Y that spanned decades the Z and above will only span months hence the need for more innovative variables to name them seems inevitable.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
The dog dogma!
Annual vacations to India can be a revelation of sorts and mine was no different, the rapid changes to culture and lifestyle surprises me to no end. As years go by I feel that I’m more of a tourist than a son of the soil and indulge in all kinds of touristy things. The one thing I notice is that, the haves and have-nots divide is widening. The weekend morning paper is flush with ads on Sunday brunches costing around 50 $ and above per head, while the same paper also talks about government subsidised canteens serving meals for less than 10 cents per head. This is not a rant post by an NRI or an effort to define the poverty line which I have left to the eminent alumni of Cambridge like Sen, Bhagwati et al to bicker over. This is an effort to unravel and understand the changes happening in India. Though I have spent my childhood, adolescence and youth in India, I somehow get a feeling of disconnect with the country. What surprises me, is that as someone who has made it a point to spend 30 days every year for the last 17 years and still very much connected in every way to India can feel the gap growing by the year.
Mall culture has come to stay, wish the authorities linked the approval for malls with laying and maintaining of roads within a radius of 30 Km (or if that is too much to ask for, at least 15 Km), I’m sure with this they could increase the foot fall to their malls and also fulfil their corporate social responsibility by reducing the carbon foot print on the foot falls. Moreover the roller coasters in their play areas would be more fun than the ones (Read Roads) that were used to reach them. Recently a McDonald outlet in one of the malls in the erstwhile communist Kerala got into the record books grossing the highest first month revenue for an outlet opened anywhere in India. The comrades who were once proud to bite into their Parruppu Vaddas and Kattan Chayyyas as they discuss socialistic reforms will now have to settle for Big Macs with Cappuccino to discuss on how to stall the next capitalistic venture.
I should say the only day that I felt like a vacation was the day of the Hartal in Kerala. It was very kind of the government to grant me the much deserved break. Having nothing to do, I googled the difference between a Hartal and a Bandh and realised that the former enjoyed the luxury of being declared just with a 48 Hour notice, but all I got was 48 Minutes to muster up a couple of beers to keep me company on my forced day of rest.
Apart from the snippets above what follows is a little thought provoking anecdote from my recent visit.
During this visit my daughters and I had the fortune of being introduced to a brilliant mongrel or a beach dog that had made the Elliots beach its home. When my sister in law called out his name, Castro, the black dog with white spots came running and was overjoyed to see her after many months. I was told that this dog was special; nobody knows who christened him Castro, probably one of the ‘socialist’ who frequented the beach did the honours. He does have friends from all walks of society and I was told, when one of his friends move out of the city he or she makes it a point to introduce him to other friends….or so the legend goes. He stayed with us for the time we were there and refused to let other dogs or ‘strangers’ close and guarded us as though we were his own. He drank tea, which made me wonder if this was a reincarnation of the pre-independence memsahib’s pets. The best part was that he walked us across the road and stayed back and ensured that we were well on our way back and then left. The values that this mongrel displayed was amazing and at the same time made us introspect. These are days when human values erode faster than the roads. It was one of those rare occasions when you ask your kids to learn from dogs.
Ironically right opposite the beach that was home to ‘Castro’ was a premium pet store which claimed to be into Pet Management, Events, Training and Premium Store. I realised that the widening divide was not limited to humanity alone but to the canine community as well.
Mall culture has come to stay, wish the authorities linked the approval for malls with laying and maintaining of roads within a radius of 30 Km (or if that is too much to ask for, at least 15 Km), I’m sure with this they could increase the foot fall to their malls and also fulfil their corporate social responsibility by reducing the carbon foot print on the foot falls. Moreover the roller coasters in their play areas would be more fun than the ones (Read Roads) that were used to reach them. Recently a McDonald outlet in one of the malls in the erstwhile communist Kerala got into the record books grossing the highest first month revenue for an outlet opened anywhere in India. The comrades who were once proud to bite into their Parruppu Vaddas and Kattan Chayyyas as they discuss socialistic reforms will now have to settle for Big Macs with Cappuccino to discuss on how to stall the next capitalistic venture.
I should say the only day that I felt like a vacation was the day of the Hartal in Kerala. It was very kind of the government to grant me the much deserved break. Having nothing to do, I googled the difference between a Hartal and a Bandh and realised that the former enjoyed the luxury of being declared just with a 48 Hour notice, but all I got was 48 Minutes to muster up a couple of beers to keep me company on my forced day of rest.
Apart from the snippets above what follows is a little thought provoking anecdote from my recent visit.
During this visit my daughters and I had the fortune of being introduced to a brilliant mongrel or a beach dog that had made the Elliots beach its home. When my sister in law called out his name, Castro, the black dog with white spots came running and was overjoyed to see her after many months. I was told that this dog was special; nobody knows who christened him Castro, probably one of the ‘socialist’ who frequented the beach did the honours. He does have friends from all walks of society and I was told, when one of his friends move out of the city he or she makes it a point to introduce him to other friends….or so the legend goes. He stayed with us for the time we were there and refused to let other dogs or ‘strangers’ close and guarded us as though we were his own. He drank tea, which made me wonder if this was a reincarnation of the pre-independence memsahib’s pets. The best part was that he walked us across the road and stayed back and ensured that we were well on our way back and then left. The values that this mongrel displayed was amazing and at the same time made us introspect. These are days when human values erode faster than the roads. It was one of those rare occasions when you ask your kids to learn from dogs.
Ironically right opposite the beach that was home to ‘Castro’ was a premium pet store which claimed to be into Pet Management, Events, Training and Premium Store. I realised that the widening divide was not limited to humanity alone but to the canine community as well.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Connectivity – The new addiction!
I’m actually writing this from on board the new Boeing Dreamliner, 41000 ft. above sea level experiencing the luxury of connecting to whatsapp and what not. Technology has pushed boundaries in all dimensions. We are always in awe of it but really wonder if this is the best thing to have happened to mankind. When I say I don’t think so, I know, I will invite raised eyebrows. I have been observing people over the recent past. Humanity in general seems to be slaves to ‘smart’ phones / tabs and the likes and in the process getting less smart by the day.
The so called social networking is creating a kind of social vacuum and social insecurity in my opinion. Networking it is, but the social part is suspect. This was fittingly highlighted by a recent joke that was doing the rounds on Social networking sites…A teen posting on twitter…The internet was down all day, spent time with family. They seem to be nice people...is what it said. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was not a joke but a real posting by some teenager somewhere. There is a vacuum these days at restaurants, airport lounges and even at home with people too preoccupied with their tabs or theirs phones the customary smile or even a courteous salutation is almost extinct. Recently when an old colleague of mine and I were having lunch, his phone beeped he told me that it was just a reminder for his next meeting and went on to sadly confess that he was no longer the owner of his diary or his time these days.
Connectivity is the new addiction. The flashing arcs that represent the strength of connectivity on our phones / laptops or tabs are our strength and security these days. We have reached a stage where we can stay without food and water but not without internet connectivity. As I’m typing this I have lost mine on the plane not because it’s not available anymore but because the time I paid for has elapsed and I don’t intend extending it. Hence, though I’m writing this at 41000 ft. I might post it only when I touch down.
If connectivity is an addiction then Facebook is the ‘LSD’. This is a stage where you see posts about a toddler calling out papa or mama for the first time. The parents are so excited because both of them were at work when this happened and their tech savvy maid at home captured it on her smart phone and sends the audio file via ‘whatsapp’ to her memsaab who in turn ’shares’ this joyous event with the world and ‘tags’ her husband who in the middle of the meeting gets 35 ‘likes’ and 70 ‘comments’ congratulating him on his little ones first uttering of papa. Later that evening they posts pictures of the dinner celebrating the event which is again liked by hoards of ‘friends’. I’m not sure if the quintessence of the event was lost in the entire social melee. Amidst all this sharing and tagging I wonder if the parents really spent quality time with the kid or really gave it a try to prod the kid to address them. How many of those 35 likes and 70 comments really meant it? Where they fulfilling a virtual ritual? I recently saw some ‘likes’ on a post on the death of a loved one? Their phones must have beeped and they religiously carried out their ritual as responsible social network citizens by ‘liking’ it!
Twitter is the other, the tequila of social networking. These are the ‘shots’ version of social networking, 140 characters is all you have to express yourself, be it messages of joy or sorrow. You get a high shooting off your cuff. This has spelt doom to many politicians’ career. Even though some of them were educated in the best of institutions in English literature they were not taught precise writing of a political discourse with a limitation of 140 characters. Mind you, the space you don’t have these days also accounts for a character. Sad they are referred to as tweets, the irony is the infrastructure that facilitates these ’tweets’ has almost driven the original tweets of sparrows and other birds to near extinction.
On the other side after accessing the internet from 41000ft I plunged to reality reading a news article on the nature’s devastation in Northern parts of India. Sad that technology that enabled me to send pictures to my loved ones of the in-flight food served was unable to deliver food to people stranded at much lesser altitudes.
My feelings on the achievements of humanity fell from a zenith of 41000ft. to a nadir of helplessness to foresee nature’s fury. Realised that even after all the advances technology has made we are all mere mortals, yet to fathom Mother Nature in all its glory or fury.
The so called social networking is creating a kind of social vacuum and social insecurity in my opinion. Networking it is, but the social part is suspect. This was fittingly highlighted by a recent joke that was doing the rounds on Social networking sites…A teen posting on twitter…The internet was down all day, spent time with family. They seem to be nice people...is what it said. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was not a joke but a real posting by some teenager somewhere. There is a vacuum these days at restaurants, airport lounges and even at home with people too preoccupied with their tabs or theirs phones the customary smile or even a courteous salutation is almost extinct. Recently when an old colleague of mine and I were having lunch, his phone beeped he told me that it was just a reminder for his next meeting and went on to sadly confess that he was no longer the owner of his diary or his time these days.
Connectivity is the new addiction. The flashing arcs that represent the strength of connectivity on our phones / laptops or tabs are our strength and security these days. We have reached a stage where we can stay without food and water but not without internet connectivity. As I’m typing this I have lost mine on the plane not because it’s not available anymore but because the time I paid for has elapsed and I don’t intend extending it. Hence, though I’m writing this at 41000 ft. I might post it only when I touch down.
If connectivity is an addiction then Facebook is the ‘LSD’. This is a stage where you see posts about a toddler calling out papa or mama for the first time. The parents are so excited because both of them were at work when this happened and their tech savvy maid at home captured it on her smart phone and sends the audio file via ‘whatsapp’ to her memsaab who in turn ’shares’ this joyous event with the world and ‘tags’ her husband who in the middle of the meeting gets 35 ‘likes’ and 70 ‘comments’ congratulating him on his little ones first uttering of papa. Later that evening they posts pictures of the dinner celebrating the event which is again liked by hoards of ‘friends’. I’m not sure if the quintessence of the event was lost in the entire social melee. Amidst all this sharing and tagging I wonder if the parents really spent quality time with the kid or really gave it a try to prod the kid to address them. How many of those 35 likes and 70 comments really meant it? Where they fulfilling a virtual ritual? I recently saw some ‘likes’ on a post on the death of a loved one? Their phones must have beeped and they religiously carried out their ritual as responsible social network citizens by ‘liking’ it!
Twitter is the other, the tequila of social networking. These are the ‘shots’ version of social networking, 140 characters is all you have to express yourself, be it messages of joy or sorrow. You get a high shooting off your cuff. This has spelt doom to many politicians’ career. Even though some of them were educated in the best of institutions in English literature they were not taught precise writing of a political discourse with a limitation of 140 characters. Mind you, the space you don’t have these days also accounts for a character. Sad they are referred to as tweets, the irony is the infrastructure that facilitates these ’tweets’ has almost driven the original tweets of sparrows and other birds to near extinction.
On the other side after accessing the internet from 41000ft I plunged to reality reading a news article on the nature’s devastation in Northern parts of India. Sad that technology that enabled me to send pictures to my loved ones of the in-flight food served was unable to deliver food to people stranded at much lesser altitudes.
My feelings on the achievements of humanity fell from a zenith of 41000ft. to a nadir of helplessness to foresee nature’s fury. Realised that even after all the advances technology has made we are all mere mortals, yet to fathom Mother Nature in all its glory or fury.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Hey Teacher (& Parents) leave the kids alone!!!
I haven’t written in a while. During this period the world around me went through a lot of changes, Rupee touched 60 to a dollar, gold plunged to an all-time low, Comrade Narayanamurthy was back in Infosys trying to salvage the company he founded by following the Congress policy of, East or West, in kith and kin we trust! Advani flip flopped and flopped for the third time around, once bitten twice shy, they say, but thrice my friend, is almost back in a sty! The reputation of the gentlemen’s game of cricket took a beating when it was compared to a game of chance and not skill. Cricket is no longer associated with the Lords but to Las Vegas
Coming to what made me write this blog after a while. My second daughter all of 5 came back from school with tears in her eye having lost a recitation contest. Though I’m not one of those pushy parents who wants to see his daughter cornering glory, I was devastated, because I had taught her a poem about 10 little tortoises. The poem begins with what 1 little tortoise can do and then goes on to say what 10 can do too in a language 5 years olds understand. It was, what I believed, a perfect amalgamation of counting and literature and very age appropriate. She had delivered it well too.
She lost out to a kid again all of 5 who recited ‘Daffodils’ by William Wordsworth. ‘Daffodils’ is what I learnt in Class 10 and in which I had trouble understanding the following lines even as of today… ‘In vacant or in pensive mood they flash upon that inward eye, which is the bliss of solitude’. Can you imagine a 5 year old narrating this without understanding the state of being in a vacant or a pensive mood or knowing what an inward eye can see or experiencing the bliss of solitude!!!
The parents have encouraged rote learning in this case and the poor child has simply followed it. I can still see the joy & smile in my daughter’s eyes when she enjoyed learning stuff like
……
Three tired tortoises
With feet feeling sore
Along came another one
And that made four.
Four tired tortoises
Just trying to survive,
Along came another one
And that made five.
Five tired tortoises
In a thirsty fix,
Along came another one
And that made six.
…..
My daughter comes to me and says ‘I did not win because I did not say a poem that was long enough with big words in it’ .By big words she means Pensive, Solitude and even bliss. She asks me to teach her poem that is long and with big words in it the next time. I don’t feel sad for my daughter, but for the little girl who won the competition because she was living her parent’s dream and not hers.
This is not a cribbing parent’s sob story of sour grapes but that of a person who believes that the kids these days are being subjected to a different kind of slavery. I’m sorry if that was a harsh word to use but that is what I feel.
The kids these days are living a life not knowing what boredom is. I was bored to hell growing up as a kid. I had nothing to do and hence I was ‘thinking’ on how I can counter boredom. A kid today has his or her day charted out on his / her dad or mom’s outlook calendar with a time limit for everything, even a spare time is well defined. He or she has been denied the joy of ‘thinking’ what to do with their spare time simply because he / she has no right over it. You might have heard of phrases like bored to death or even at some point of time plotted to kill boredom in your childhood, but this is an era of the death of boredom, the death of innocence and the death of nascent creativity. If I mention all this to 5 year olds today, they might even ask me if I have an app for all these.
So all you teachers and parents leave the kids alone…They don’t need no education but some guidance to make them better citizens wherever they live...
Teach them not to be just another brick in the wall but the very foundation of the future!!!
Coming to what made me write this blog after a while. My second daughter all of 5 came back from school with tears in her eye having lost a recitation contest. Though I’m not one of those pushy parents who wants to see his daughter cornering glory, I was devastated, because I had taught her a poem about 10 little tortoises. The poem begins with what 1 little tortoise can do and then goes on to say what 10 can do too in a language 5 years olds understand. It was, what I believed, a perfect amalgamation of counting and literature and very age appropriate. She had delivered it well too.
She lost out to a kid again all of 5 who recited ‘Daffodils’ by William Wordsworth. ‘Daffodils’ is what I learnt in Class 10 and in which I had trouble understanding the following lines even as of today… ‘In vacant or in pensive mood they flash upon that inward eye, which is the bliss of solitude’. Can you imagine a 5 year old narrating this without understanding the state of being in a vacant or a pensive mood or knowing what an inward eye can see or experiencing the bliss of solitude!!!
The parents have encouraged rote learning in this case and the poor child has simply followed it. I can still see the joy & smile in my daughter’s eyes when she enjoyed learning stuff like
……
Three tired tortoises
With feet feeling sore
Along came another one
And that made four.
Four tired tortoises
Just trying to survive,
Along came another one
And that made five.
Five tired tortoises
In a thirsty fix,
Along came another one
And that made six.
…..
My daughter comes to me and says ‘I did not win because I did not say a poem that was long enough with big words in it’ .By big words she means Pensive, Solitude and even bliss. She asks me to teach her poem that is long and with big words in it the next time. I don’t feel sad for my daughter, but for the little girl who won the competition because she was living her parent’s dream and not hers.
This is not a cribbing parent’s sob story of sour grapes but that of a person who believes that the kids these days are being subjected to a different kind of slavery. I’m sorry if that was a harsh word to use but that is what I feel.
The kids these days are living a life not knowing what boredom is. I was bored to hell growing up as a kid. I had nothing to do and hence I was ‘thinking’ on how I can counter boredom. A kid today has his or her day charted out on his / her dad or mom’s outlook calendar with a time limit for everything, even a spare time is well defined. He or she has been denied the joy of ‘thinking’ what to do with their spare time simply because he / she has no right over it. You might have heard of phrases like bored to death or even at some point of time plotted to kill boredom in your childhood, but this is an era of the death of boredom, the death of innocence and the death of nascent creativity. If I mention all this to 5 year olds today, they might even ask me if I have an app for all these.
So all you teachers and parents leave the kids alone…They don’t need no education but some guidance to make them better citizens wherever they live...
Teach them not to be just another brick in the wall but the very foundation of the future!!!
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