A list to live by

I have this “list” that I live by. Here goes…

1. THE SIMPLE LIFE:
NO: Television, mobile phone, air conditioning at home, car, credit card, cola, candy, keeping up with the Joneses.
MINIMUM: Jewellery, eating out, processed and non-veg food.
YES: Cotton handloom clothes, oats, fruit, water, early to bed and early to rise.

3. READING: Prefer hard bound second hand books. Not just fiction – I read on diverse topics (except real technical stuff) from architecture to philosophy, world history (especially 20th century) to developing economies (keenly watching the BRIC countries).

4. MUSIC MANIA: An eclectic mix. Genre wise, The Blues. Also Soft Rock, Country, Zydeco, Cajun, Latina, Soft Pop; Hindi film music of the 1960s and 1970s; semi-classical Tamil and Malayalam film music.

5. MOTHER EARTH: I have been passionate about the environment and reducing my carbon footprint long before the terms became fashionable.

6. MY PUBLIC PERSONA: Calm, reserved, very different from my inner self – racing thoughts and bubbling laughter. I don’t particularly enjoy crowds. More of a loner and observer.

Reading back I think I sound pretty eccentric – but I’m comfy with myself and I sleep well at night!

© Sosha Srinivasan

Head for the hills!

I’ve been going on about the shrinking patches of green in the city in the face of progress.  What have I done about it?  Nothing much I’m afraid, except perhaps take time off to “smell the flowers”, “stand and stare”, enjoy the moment and, of course, vent on my blog.  I don’t think much can be done but retreat along with the green…  Pessimistic, huh?  Realistic, I think would be a better adjective.  You see, I think I know my fellow countrymen quite well.  As I mentioned earlier, the motto of the majority is “me, mine, and money”.

First, we must realize there is a vast difference between the developed West with their relatively low populations and India with her her sheer numbers pouring into the metros on a daily basis in search of jobs.  Over 50% of India’s population is under 25.  This is a vast resource manpower wise.  At the same time, it puts massive pressure on our cities’ infrastructure.  Public transportation is bursting at its seams, potable water is hard to come by and often has to be paid for.  However, youth in this age group grab the opportunities that come their way with both hands and the majority couldn’t care less about the environment and sustainable practices, even if they were made aware – their first concern is earning, their second, enjoying themselves.

What I do see, however is that school-age kids in their teens and even younger, especially those that are city based, are more environmentally conscious, and this translates into hope for the future.

So what am I doing in the city, you may ask.  The answer is common to all of us working age individuals – jobs are easier to come by in the cities.  Of course, I plan to head for the hills and work online from there as soon as I can – but that looks like at least 10 years down the line until my son is done with his education.

© Sosha Srinivasan

Alien Nation & the Bell Curve

This following is excerpted from “Hats, shawls and dubious deals” from Ardeshir Cowasjee’s column “View from Pakistan” in the Deccan Chronicle:

“Karachi: The expatriate community is all at sea. Its members cannot comprehend or work out exactly what is happening in their homeland. They are puzzled, they are confused. They are also disgusted. One e-mailer writes: “Having spent almost all my life as a second class expatriate, I have no home to come back to. The Pakistan that my forefathers created has no room for me as now I am a complete misfit. I cannot lie, cheat, bully or kill — the supreme criteria for being a true Pakistani. I just want to know how long are we going to survive like this as a nation?”"

Change the words “Pakistan” and “Pakistani” to “India” and “Indian” – and this may well be a cry from my heart. It is a sad fact, but true – this feeling of alienation from the majority of my fellow Indians.

I cannot relate to them – to an essentially petty attitude of pulling down, exploiting and stomping on, at every turn, those they see as even remotely “better” in any way. For what is lying, cheating and bullying but a reflection of pettiness?

There are the colleagues who twist the truth, trying to discredit you at every opportunity; the insurance agent who tries to unload on you the policy that gets him the highest commission; the linesman who demands a huge tip for shifting your landline, essentially part of his job (the threat of the line mysteriously going on the blink for extended periods hanging unspoken over your head).

I cannot subscribe to their mindless quest for things material. Materialistic? Indians? I can almost see the raised eyebrows, sense the sceptism… after all India is the home to so many religions and is seen as a spiritual land.

It may have been historically, but no longer. The older generation tries to gauge your net worth by asking pointed questions regarding property and assets owned and even remuneration. The youth are out for a good time with things their (and others’) money can buy. Flaunt it but chuck it when a new model enters the market seems to be the collective mantra – whatever it may be – cell phone or kitchen appliance, car or two-wheeler…

The levels of corruption and sheer wastage this country sees are staggering – and terribly saddening.

I am not generalizing – there are exceptions, as always – but we are all, I think, familiar with the bell curve…

© Sosha Srinivasan