Thats one thing that immediately comes to my mind when I think of my MIL. She's a chronic feeder :-) She comes from the school of people where you are the nurturer of the family and their needs come first. A very selfless gesture i am sure but something I could never understand or relate to. Maybe mothers are meant to be selfless, I mean all of them are to whatever extent. But there is just something thats just so difficult to digest about such behavior.
Maybe only I feel it and that too because I am quite quirky to begin with :p and also the fact that my mum comes from slightly different school of caring/nurturing. Maybe its also a lifesytle thing. Mum's always been a working woman, a single mother at that, something thats not at all easy on you or the family. So, her culinery skills have been more short/swift/shortcuts variety. No complaints mind you, I love whatever she cooks. Most of what I have learnt is from watching her cook in a rapid but perfect manner. Though I may never admit in front of her, but she has always always made sure that there is enough food at home when we came back from school, yum snacks dime a dozen and not to mention impromptou things she would always experiment with. Experimentation is a part and parcel of our kitchen, I have never known her go by a few weeks without trying out a new dish giving it whacko names :-) But thats my mom...
She has never waited on us on tables nor tolerated every whim and fancy of mine or bro's. It was a practical household where we would eat on time and eat healthy. There was no question of getting a glass of juice because we felt like having juice or anything of that sort. Whims needed appropriate notices and maybe over weekends we would get to see some action ;) But it was a life that I felt was extremely healthy and inducted so much of independence in us since we were kids. I remember making my own porridge, serving myself and eating all by myself even when I was a mere toddler and it was encouraged.
Cut to present, I am a part of a family where serving is a customary thing. But customary is probably not a good choice of words as except for my MIL, i haven't seen anybody else doing it at home. Maybe because rest of them are men! I don't know, that could be a reason.. They are all fairly independent so to speak but somehow basic things are still left for the womenfolk (read MIL here) to do. I find it extremely uncomfortable at times. I have never been asked to move even a little finger to do anything but seeing her do just about everything makes me slightly mad! Tried screaming at her saying please do not serve me at least, I can definitely manage. Got scolded by hubby in return because he believes that it gives her joy to take care or people and serve etc etc and I am actually depriving her of that!! :O Anyways, broached the topic one time myself with her but was given a disdained look which said, what are you saying, its not like I am doing any work, its my family and I am making sure they are happy and well fed etc etc.
I agree with the sentiments and even appreciate it. But its disconcerting nonetheless. I wonder if hubby and his bros have gotten very used to it. Its slightly disconcerting because me and maybe my future co-sis's may not agree or even share the same sentiments..As I ponder over how the dynamics will be when I will have to stay with them over a prolonged period, I am further inching towards apprehension wondering about what values/attitude my children will pick up. At the end of the day honestly speaking, this is not the kind of example I want to set. I want them to be independent in all respects and not expect anybody to wait on them. With all due respects to motherhood, its just not right. As much as they claim to love it I personally feel its because that their set way of life and probably a lack of having done anything differently.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Potter Mania
Its amazing how much furore a children's book can generate... But I guess with HP, we are speaking of a book which is not ordinary in any sense and has readers spanning generations :-)
Newspapers and magazines were full of nothing else but the hype around the new book and the demand figures and of course the twist in the new book ! (A beloved character's death). Read the book myself over the weekend, decided to take the plunge and buy the book the day it released. Bro laughed his guts out when I told him it costed me around 700/- (after discount ;)). I smirked and said that is probably the cheapest you can get it for right now! O, how deluded I was...
Yesterday's news was buzzing with piracy of the book and how peddlers (young children at that!) were selling it at Mumbai traffic signals for almost 1/4th the price I paid for it!! I am appalled! Partly a feeling of immense stupidity and partly indignition at the fact that Bro was right! Mmmfffpppttt :p
The whole episode made me very uncomfortable and I started wondering why things are the way they are. I remember when I was a kid, we regularly subscribed to Tinkle and dilligently scrounged for ACK's (Amar Chitra Katha for the uninitiated). These were affordable Indian monthlies for children. Mum used to get me new or used Enid Blytons and other Phoeren books on a regular basis (depending on my behavior of course) :-)
Basically, it was acceptable to ask for books to be bought if they were supposedly spectacular or brand new..Zooming to today, I am a little apprehensive of the same statements. Is it Acceptable for parents to be asked to buy books like Harry Potter for 700-800?? That is steep no matter from which angle you look at it! Is that even a price for middle class families to shell out for a story book? I am thinking not!
So, are these books only aimed for children from families who can afford them? I do not understand that.. The main intention for a children's book as well as a so called social responsibility for publishers like Penguin, India, should be to make it in the reach of educated children all over irrespective of their socio-economic background. I wonder whats happening really..
I can well imagine the plight of a parent whose child comes home saying his/her friend has the new Potter book and he/she wants it as well. I can very well imagine the child's face when told that its out of question as its not affordable and maybe a suggestion to borrow it from friends. I totally support borrowing books from friends, sharing books has been a long standing tradition among children but thats really not the point here. The point is that children being children, are beyond concepts like economical disparity. A basic tendency of a child with a new object, whatever it may be, is to flaunt it. For reasons unknown, we all do it when we are kids, or have seen other kids doing it (if you are among the few with some sense not to show off :p)
Don't such books actually promote something like that? I believe so. And its sad, especially when you see that in the end, there is a certain segment of children who will probably not get ride in this wave of the recent Potter Mania.
Having said that, I wonder if Piracy is really such an evil as its made out to be, in cases like these, wouldn't you really be tempted to buy one of the paperbacks just because its within your reach? I see myself tending to that at least, as I am sure did a lot of people who bought over 10k books last 2 days since the pirated version has been out..Brings the eternal question back doesn't it- Whether inflation and piracy are the two sides of the same coin. As long as one exists the other will certainly. In a country like India, unless you make things within the reach of the everyday men/women, there will always be a cheaper/fake version of it as there will always be people venturing to produce these commodities and there will always be a market for the same !..
ps: Please do not interpret this as an endorsement for Piracy, I do not like the phenomenon myself, I am just musing aloud the cause and effect theory involved in it :-)
Newspapers and magazines were full of nothing else but the hype around the new book and the demand figures and of course the twist in the new book ! (A beloved character's death). Read the book myself over the weekend, decided to take the plunge and buy the book the day it released. Bro laughed his guts out when I told him it costed me around 700/- (after discount ;)). I smirked and said that is probably the cheapest you can get it for right now! O, how deluded I was...
Yesterday's news was buzzing with piracy of the book and how peddlers (young children at that!) were selling it at Mumbai traffic signals for almost 1/4th the price I paid for it!! I am appalled! Partly a feeling of immense stupidity and partly indignition at the fact that Bro was right! Mmmfffpppttt :p
The whole episode made me very uncomfortable and I started wondering why things are the way they are. I remember when I was a kid, we regularly subscribed to Tinkle and dilligently scrounged for ACK's (Amar Chitra Katha for the uninitiated). These were affordable Indian monthlies for children. Mum used to get me new or used Enid Blytons and other Phoeren books on a regular basis (depending on my behavior of course) :-)
Basically, it was acceptable to ask for books to be bought if they were supposedly spectacular or brand new..Zooming to today, I am a little apprehensive of the same statements. Is it Acceptable for parents to be asked to buy books like Harry Potter for 700-800?? That is steep no matter from which angle you look at it! Is that even a price for middle class families to shell out for a story book? I am thinking not!
So, are these books only aimed for children from families who can afford them? I do not understand that.. The main intention for a children's book as well as a so called social responsibility for publishers like Penguin, India, should be to make it in the reach of educated children all over irrespective of their socio-economic background. I wonder whats happening really..
I can well imagine the plight of a parent whose child comes home saying his/her friend has the new Potter book and he/she wants it as well. I can very well imagine the child's face when told that its out of question as its not affordable and maybe a suggestion to borrow it from friends. I totally support borrowing books from friends, sharing books has been a long standing tradition among children but thats really not the point here. The point is that children being children, are beyond concepts like economical disparity. A basic tendency of a child with a new object, whatever it may be, is to flaunt it. For reasons unknown, we all do it when we are kids, or have seen other kids doing it (if you are among the few with some sense not to show off :p)
Don't such books actually promote something like that? I believe so. And its sad, especially when you see that in the end, there is a certain segment of children who will probably not get ride in this wave of the recent Potter Mania.
Having said that, I wonder if Piracy is really such an evil as its made out to be, in cases like these, wouldn't you really be tempted to buy one of the paperbacks just because its within your reach? I see myself tending to that at least, as I am sure did a lot of people who bought over 10k books last 2 days since the pirated version has been out..Brings the eternal question back doesn't it- Whether inflation and piracy are the two sides of the same coin. As long as one exists the other will certainly. In a country like India, unless you make things within the reach of the everyday men/women, there will always be a cheaper/fake version of it as there will always be people venturing to produce these commodities and there will always be a market for the same !..
ps: Please do not interpret this as an endorsement for Piracy, I do not like the phenomenon myself, I am just musing aloud the cause and effect theory involved in it :-)
Friday, July 15, 2005
Book Tagging
Taking cue from all the book tagging going on, I venture forth to put out my list:
Books owned so far: Approx 210 so far. Unfortunately lost my whole adoloscent/growing up collection while shifting from Delhi and not to mention all the books lent out to people who never returned them.. grrrrr!
Book that I am reading currently: The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
Books bought off-late: Bartimeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, 1st to die by James Patterson, One false move and Tell no one by Harlan Coben. Book that I will purchase this week: Harry Potter and the half blood prince :-)
Books that I can read any given time of the day: Any PG Wodehouse !
Zimbly proud of: My collection of 'almost' the entire Agatha Christie books ever written (except the short stories and novels under any other names) and my collection of 'almost' the entire PG Wodehouse books written (except the short stories and golf stories). As you can see, I am not really a fan of short stories :p
:-)
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