Modernisation !

With all the technology available at our fingertips,one has to wonder whether life has become more easy or not.I remember a time at my Nani's place when there wasnt a TV.

My parents had just returned back to Kuwait and found themselves a job after a war,so it would be a couple of years before a TV was bought at my nana's place.So what did I do the whole day? I woke up quite early in the morning,had tea and walked to the beach where I spent hours amazed at mother nature.I was a student back then ,so the only form of work I did was wash my share of clothes,sweep the entire house and wipe and sometimes fill water from the wells or government taps into the huge vessel in the bathroom.Sometimes,my nana or aunt would stir in some cow dung into the water and throw it into the compound and make a proper ground for playing.The surprising thing is when I got over the fact that I actually play over melted animal crap,I was surprised to see that my feet never got dirty and I never had to play with shoes on.It didnt smell funny at all.I helped in performing this task sometimes.

But then one day my folks bought a Tv for us at our nana's place.they didnt want us to be bored whatever time we spent there and from then onwards it was watching stuff whenvever we got the time and bringing movies every weekend.And In villages out there,you dont watch the telly in the privacy of your home.It becomes a neighbourhood thing,everyone from a km radius is at your doorstep watching the TV with you.Sometimes it was fun but then it was downright annoying when you couldnt change the channels to watch anything you want.

Its not that I hate the TV,Im at a state where without a TV I would go nuts.Since I dont have kids,I depend even more on the telly to overcome loneliness and boredom.That still would be a poor excuse because many moms I know leave their kids in front of the telly ,so that they can work in peace around their house without being bothered by tiny terrors.

We have allowed the telly to be such a important part of our life actually.In the name of saas - bahu ka serials and many other things,we have become couch potatoes.TV can be informative and it is.No argument about that but its the amount of time one devotes to to it which is the debating factor.

The weather in Kuwait is absolutely dreadful,very hot to go out.One can suffer a sunstroke in minutes.When Im too hot,I cannot think straight coz I sweat a lot on the head.It takes literally 5 minutes for my hair to soak in sweat when Im out during this season.I dont wear any makeup as well coz it just leaks.So people confine themselves to their homes throuhgout the 8 months of summer season and watch nothing else but TV.Those who can afford go on vacation to greener pastures but hey! no one can stay for 8 months on vacation.

Fully automatic washing machines,automatic kettles,grinders,choppers,people buying readymade food stuffs all the time coz they dont have time to cook at all and what not.People have become so luxury dependent and we think its a sign of prosperity,its a sign of doing well.That we can afford all this means we are doing very well.In return what has this luxury given us,fat filled waistlines,tires upon tires,big bums,sloppy appetite and lifestyle,lazy children,etc.The list is endless not forgetting all the diffrent health problems like diabetes and blood pressure and high cholesterol and triglycerides.

It wouldnt wise of me to say that wish life was much simpler like 30 or 50 years ago becasue from now oinwards it wont be simpler,may get absurding complex but not simpler.We have accustomed ourselves to this complex choice of life but I just hope that we dont forget the simplicity of things.Not let machines be masters to each and everything.Its like when you slave over cooking the perfect meal and in the end,nothing seems to be pointless(unless it tastes like crap) and you attain your minor victory over the sight of smiling people eating away to glory.Thats the simplicity of it all,I mean no amount of readymade gourmet meal can give you that satisfaction.

Now we complain of having no time at all and putting an unfrozen meal in front of family is a big thing.

"Yeah! Right..."Thats what I heard a busy working mom of 2nhalf just say.Thats a diffrent territory to charter and debate about .But for now....lets try to relax our eyes and mind and take a chill-pill.