Idiot Box : Preferences

Nuclear family like ours can be so diversified and it is so intriguing that preferences surface over petty things. Lets say watching television... Dad's a news freak, Mom serial follower, Lovely wife the movie buff and finally me 'anything on Animal Planet/Discovery/NatGeo'. Well, the preferences you see :-)

Commonalities are interestingly same...
1. Anything anytime is ok on the preferred program. Dad listens same news through day in all channels and all languages. Mom's schedule is strictly aligned to serials, that means round the clock(oh no she does take break to sleep). Lovely wife can watch any movie from anywhere and still be blissful. Me, hehe needless to say.
2. One preference is not others! One could absolutely do anything to stop another watching his/her preference. Isnt it interesting? I think these are the reasons why drawing room is battlefield in most homes. Now you know :-D.

Poor gadget gets maximum attention from all, wish I were the TV set!

Tom and Jerry and Popaye are also my favourite shows, nope I am not old to watch them, now I'll soon have company of our baby as well :-P

Folk Fair. Saffron.

Last week took off from routine to witness folk fair at my native happening after whopping 35 years! (delayed this far sadly due to village administration collapse). It was one of those never-miss-an-opportunity for us, as it was right one to establish our lost identity since we no longer live in Kanbargi. Did you know villages can be very private and conservative community? Meaning when one leaves the place he/she is alienated from the village and treated outsider. After a long time we stayed at native this long and what a worth! whole family reuniting under single roof.

.

Kanbargi, is a village on the northeast hillocks of Belgaum. Being Deccan plateau rich in paddy fields, agriculture is main means of living; rice being the main crop (think of aromatic Basmati rice). Surprisingly, modernisation has little effect on the lifestyle of the people but largely remains untouched. Beauty of small colony is that, everybody knows everybody(what a contrast, I have difficulty recollecting person sitting next cubicle!) including personal details. Right, personal details as well. Privacy is limited and personal matters are often treated as forms of socialising. Everyone has specific identity. Responsibility, Customs, Behavior and all are supposed to be guided/regulated by the community. Typical of colonial isn't it. For all you fashion freaks this could be disappointing, no fashion statements!! What a peaceful life, everything is guided by seasons/farming, Rainy season is busy period with sowing and watering fields, Winter the cutting crop and drying. Spring the harvest and storing. Summer is leisure with minimum work of preparing land for next season. This is when the events like fair/marriage or fete happen.

.

In my thinking, fair is act or response to keep evil forces at bay. It is believed when people die, crops do not yield proper or cattle die (basically the livestock of farmer is at stake), its time to calm the evil forces. The fair is in answer to the same plus the celebration for hard work that went in. Fair involves worshipping Goddess of village('GraamaDevate'), the icon of protection and offerings livestock as 'Bali'. Fair runs for a period of 9 days with unique customs each day filled with rituals and merrymaking. There are defined customs and book of rule that is followed strictly, else God wont be happy(this forces the process compliance). Panchayat, local administrative body facilitates all the developments or any common activity for that matter. It usually has known leaders, Gouda(chair), Inamdar(legal), Desai(landlord), Kulkarni(accountant), Talwar(security), Kolkar(labour), simply think of it as a organisation structure. Funds are collected from individuals and the sum is spend over various development activities and celebrations. During fair, whole of village cleans up and its THIS part which is crucial to keep evil forces away, basically hygiene is problem which gets dealt-with and will eventually seize deaths.

As a result, my first impressions about village were quite fair by substantial changes my birthplace saw. Roads freshly asphalted, sanitation made up, water connections to every corner and all public buildings, temples newly painted. Every tiny home was refurbished and wearing new look. I went wow! I'd never seen this glowing in my entire childhood. Of course there are now new concrete buildings unlike muddy shacks. Back in 1980 (me kid! ooh I love those days), my home was only home with Mangalore tiles on the roof, not anymore :-). As a child, fair for me was new clothes, mehandi and nail polish, apart from lots of sweets and snacks. Yes you read it, nail polish and it had to be cherry red! I did that this time too... hehe sneaked my Lovely wife's purse to put on a thumbnail (invited weird look on Lovely wife's face) just to recollect old days.

As I resume office on Monday, I realise in this town of silicon valley what I am missing. Life has little or no meaning but is driven to survive, seasons have no effect and identity is merely a resource in so called MNC!

C'est la vie.