Friday, June 26, 2009

Flawed humans

I am seeing myriad reactions from people around me about Michael Jackson’s death. There are people who grew up on his music and are on the verge of tears and then there are others who say “good riddance” to a freak . Yes, he did finally descend into inexplicable behavior but does that in anyway undermine his music and its appeal?

On a similar note we have the recent saga of the South Carolina Governor – a rising star in GOP, an independent thinker, a sharp politician and what not, until he had an affair and acted in a somewhat weird manner to hide that affair. Now he is nothing.

I haven’t lived in any other society for my adult life so do not have a perspective on this, but I wonder if it is only US society that holds its public figures to such high standards of behavior. An idolizing to such an extent that the slightest misstep derails everything they might have achieved in life, and strips them of all other qualities they posses. Is there no room for regular flawed humans in public life?

I am reminded of something I read on religion once. Islam and most Evangelical forms of Christianity in the US have a lot in common. They are new religions, still in their teens, full of hope and ideals, and not yet tempered by missteps, questions from within and attacks form the outside. The morality is absolute and the word of religious texts is literal with no room for interpretation. That or as I blogged before, an immigrant's values are stuck in the times he left his native country. Since the US population is all immigrants, maybe that explains the wide-spread prudishness.

The thoughts of Jacko beg another question. With the examples of Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan all around us, what is it that still prompts parents to push their children to be ‘stars’?

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Forced conservation

In India people are very careful about their water usage. They don’t need a TV ad to tell them to not keep the tap running when brushing their teeth. Not many people use showers as they are wasteful, choosing instead to bathe using a bucket of water where the usage is more easily monitored. Many toilets have two different flushing mechanisms, and you can choose one or the other depending upon what you are trying to flush. In Bangalore, many apartment complexes have water treatment plants that process waste water to be used for landscaping and toilets flushing.

In the US, on the other hand, you will have to search high and low, and probably pay a premium, to get a dual-flushing toilet. A few people may use rain-barrels to water their gardens but by and large you could drink from the lawn sprinkler.

It is not that Indians are a more environmentally aware people. The water conservation is a way of life because most Indian cities face acute water shortages. The municipality supplies water for a few hours every day, and everyone must store up enough water to last for a couple of days during that supply time. Just last week, I was in Delhi. There were a few more relatives in the house and we used up all the stored water. Unfortunately there was no water supply the next day, and we had to borrow water from a neighbor. This is fairly common occurrence.

This got me thinking about the current push to be “green” in the US – an extremely consumer-oriented society. I am convinced that to promote conservation we need actual shortages. No amount of awareness or education can make human beings save up resources that seem unlimited, even if they aren’t. Either that or it has to be felt in the pocketbook. The talk of being “green” was highest when gas prices were high. No politician will even go there, but maybe the prices of gas, water and electricity need to be kept artificially inflated. Hell, this could just pay off a large chunk of our national debt while making us greener.

Monday, June 22, 2009

India and development

I made a short trip to Delhi recently and visited the Select City Walk mall. Except for the crowds, and the fact that you didn't have to bus your own tables at the food court, I might as well have been in a mall in the US. Same stores, similar styles, same restaurants. There is much more security of course - you have to pass through metal detectors and get your bags checked when entering the mall, a constant reminder of the terrorist threat that looms close. Same holds for the Delhi airport. I am still pleasantly surprised on every visit.

The newspaper stands are full of the same magazines - Vogue, Cosmo, Elle. Even the home-grown glossy Femina proclaims very Cosmo-like headlines about sex and fashion. There is a craze for brand-names even in little kids. Women dress in the latest styles. Even the leading conservative political party is having very GOP-like identity crisis.

Kids are eating too much junk food, watching too much TV and obesity is a real concern. Going out and playing however poses a problem. There aren't many open areas to play in. Given the heavy traffic, and lack of sidewalks etc. purposeful exercise such as riding a bike to school or walking to the store is impossible. Most houses don't have yards. Most urban kids live in apartment complexes making going out and playing even more difficult.

India is in a rush to Xerox the lifestyle that developed countries took decades to build. The breakneck pace of this development is leaving no room to ponder the downside or a concerted effort to preserve what is unique. Maybe India will continue to remain the mish-mash of old and new that I see now, or maybe our kids will never know what it means to shop at a sabzi mandi.

I still make sure I make a trip to the Haus Khas village and Aminabad before they too become festooned with McDee arches and become a picture postcard of their original self.

So many conflicting thoughts swirl in my mind these days, and NY Times' India correspondent expressed them better and more poetically than I ever could.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Happiness

Happiness eludes those who actively pursue it. It has taken me a long time to learn this lesson and started ruminating on it again after reading this article.

For as long as I remember my answer to the question what I want from life has been “happiness”. I finally find that I am achieving that goal only after giving up its dogged pursuit. Weird as it may sound, once I gave up trying to actively plan to do the things that I thought would make me happy, partly in frustration and partly due to lack of time, I seem to be finding time and avenues to do those things.

I reluctantly stepped out of the rat race a decade ago, thinking I was making a compromise for the sake of my children by giving up on a promising career. However, I have finally achieved professional satisfaction after being freed of the burden to climb the next rung of the corporate ladder. I don’t have some middle management executive position to impress people with, but I do have work I enjoy that utilizes my talents, and I work with people I share mutual respect with. The money is adequate, and the biggest perk is that hours and location are flexible. I am able to spend entire summer break in India giving kids time to connect with their roots and bond with family which will nourish their souls and provide more memories than any exotic vacation could. Summer camps might be enriching, but carefree and agenda-free summer breaks are rejuvenating.

In a similar manner I was very reluctantly pushed into a semi-permanent lifestyle a few years ago – no house to call my own, 3-6 months leases and absolutely no clue where we will be after that. Practicality and lack of storage space forced me to pare down our possessions and stop acquiring new ones. And their again I was liberated from spending time shopping for and caring for inanimate objects. I find time to read, exercise and play with the kids – all activities that add joy to life.

I am not about to renounce the world and enter a monastery. I am quite aware of the power of money. However, I am also convinced that after you have enough money to cover the basics, the correlation between happiness and money breaks. There is definitely more happiness in less, and I hope to enjoy every minute of it.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

A third world country?

I am in India these days and I have to say the contrasts still amaze and sadden me at the same time.

Private enterprise is flourishing and carving out opportunities. I have been going to a club everyday to use the gym and marvel at the facilities there. There is a lovely pool, restaurant, spa etc. but more amazing to me is the fact that there are drinking fountains around the club, all hooked up to a state-of-the-art water filtration system. I just got a high speed satellite internet hook-up that I can use anywhere in the city. For the first time in all my visits, I actually saw street sweeping trucks on the roads. On a smaller scale somebody has setup a diminutive temple under a tree, just outside our neighborhood. Once a few people start visiting the idol, I am sure the shrine will slowly grow and not only a priest have found an income, but a piece of land would have been quietly acquired as nobody would dare demolish a temple. I am always impressed by the ingenuity of people.

However, it doesn't take too long to realize that there is a parallel third world country here too. There are piles of trash, and ragged little children playing in it. The drive from our house to the club is equally revealing. You pass scum covered ponds with water buffalo, and impromptu childcare by the side of a construction site - little kids watching even littler kids, on swings fashioned out of rags hung between two trees, while the mothers work carrying bricks on their heads. But then this is also the first time that I see street urchins dressed in jeans - maybe there is indeed a trickle down affect.

I couldn't help but agree with this article I just read about the state of India.