Plug in to your ‘inner-net’

Though an unusual sight, it was a wonderful session when Gopi Kallayil, the Chief Evangelist, Brand Marketing at Google, addressed the crowd at the Sharjah International Book Fair.

Wonderful because of the message conveyed – to reconnect ourselves with our inner- selves. Unusual, because a man belonging to the world of technologies was cautioning us against his own source of living.

What an irony, you may say.

But what he said, could not be ignored. His suggestion to go back “from Internet to Inner-net” could not be disregarded.

It’s obvious that Internet has become the backbone of today’s society, but it has become the “Weapon of mass distraction” too. 

The best example is watching people walking on the streets with their heads bowed down, as if in some deep meditation.

Today, we give more importance to this 79th organ – as Gopi Kallayil calls it for it is inseparable from us – than we have ever given to our other sensory organs, who have served us loyally to date.

Your heart skips a beat as you notice the low battery sign flashing across the screen of your smartphone. You have a hide-and-seek game with your charger. And amidst the game, if the mobile is switched off, you would run at a lightning speed and plug it in to the switchboard, praying for it to survive the ensuing life-and-death battle.

As if it was your relative in the ICU and not a discharged mobile phone.

Our relationship with this 79th organ has increased so much, that it has become unhealthy for us. But what can we do? For it is impossible for us to plug out of this life in the modern world, where the world revolves around the technology, and plug in to your inner-net.

Well, we could probably hold weekly appointments with ourselves. Or spend only a few minutes daily on ourselves. These are but a few of the golden tips that the maestro of technology has laid out for us, so that it becomes easier for us.

What harm would connecting to your inner-net, without disconnecting from Internet, do to you? Better to follow such advice than to cry over spilt milk later.

(Published in The Gulf Today on November 12, 2016)

Books in a Boat

 The 35^th Sharjah International Bookfair has become a reader’s paradise, indeed. Housing over 1.5 million books is certainly a boon to avid readers.

I often wonder what would have been the scenario when the bookfair was first hosted in Sharjah 35 years ago. It would have been a daunting task to initiate the project and make continuous efforts to instill the love for printed words in the residents.

This reminds me of the noble initiative taken by an Indonesian man. Guided by the same spirit, he runs (in this case, sails) a boat library in the remote parts of the country. All along the way, distributing free books to children and novels to adults, inculcating the love of reading.

He just wanted to bring fun in the lives of others through books. To simply etch upon their faces, a beautiful smile.

I am sure there would have been limitations preventing him from taking the initiative. For, society is harsh that way. Judging you either way – when you help others and when you don’t.

I can imagine others persuading him to quit the plan.

“Oh, why would you leave your job for such a silly thing?”

“If I hadn’t known you better, I would have thought this is your way to gain popularity!”

“Well, I too had thought of it once. But you see, I am a family man. And so are you. My family depends on me. And so does yours. Then why would you leave them behind to fulfill the wishes of others.”

But he wouldn’t have let those talks sway his determination.

He would have said, “My family is satisfied. But others are not. My family is happy. But others are not. And neither am I. For, I would want to share my happiness with others.”

We should realise that a small step, like the one he took, can enlighten the lives of others. It would do no harm to us. All we have to do is feel. Feel their pain. Feel their sorrow. Feel what it feels when you are deprived of the bounties of life.

(Published in The Gulf Today on November 5, 2016)

En Vogue

In the contemporary world, ‘fashion’ is the only word that echoes throughout, reaching out to every corner of the planet.

It has an extraordinary power of attracting people of all the age groups. A grown-up man remains updated about the latest designer dresses. A teenager fawns over the new hairstyle in vogue. And a kid? Well, a small child too has been sucked into the world of fashion. After all, the store’s catalogues do include a section vibrant enough to capture a kid’s attention.

However, it is no secret that the teenagers of today are more enchanted by the sense of fashion than others. Youngsters of today – boys and girls – are very particular about fashion. They would often stare at their classmate incredulously if he (or she) would confess that he (or she) is not an ardent fan of expensive brands.

Many students, probably to create a reputation for them in the trendy world, wouldn’t mind emptying their pockets for the sake of following what is ‘in’. An expensive dress and a trendy smartphone are considered essentials.

Earlier, movies were considered a significant factor as film stars used to set a trend. Not anymore. Youngsters try to imitate superstars of today, whether one follows his (or her) screen idol or a role model from the world of sports.

One is bound to get sucked into the world of fashion irrespective of the fact that he (or she) follows soccer great Lionel Messi or tennis icon Maria Sharapova, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar or master golfer Tiger Woods, chart-topping singer Justin Bieber or pop star Beyonce, legendary actors Pierce Brosnan or Amitabh Bachchan.

Each one of them endorses a number of products, prompting their ardent fans to follow them.

It is hard to escape in today’s commercialised world. After all, “a world without fashion is like a body without a soul.”

(Published in The Gulf Today on October 15, 2016)

Demystifying mysteries

Demystifying Mysteries

Mysteries have always enthralled us. It has always been the suspense in a story that makes a book unputdownable. Similarly, the mysterious climax of a movie is what enchants cine-goers.

Mystery is a preferred genre of most of the bookworms or film-goers. Perhaps it is the element of curiosity in fictional works that gets us excited. Since mysteries provide us a break from our daily mundane activities, many of us get attracted to it. Or, maybe because many readers love to solve a mystery.

It is difficult to pinpoint any particular reason.

But I do understand that hadn’t mystery been an aspect of our lives, life would have been plain boring. Mysteries are a rollercoaster in our lives as they fill us with thrill. We do not know when the plot will take a twist and throw the readers to the side.

This fascinating, attention-grabbing world of mystery isn’t limited to just fiction. Our universe too is full of mysteries. 

There have been strange incidents that keep boggling our mind. Many questions often pester us. Are UFOs real? Are ghosts a reality?

Mystery fictions pique our curiosity, while we rarely pay much attention to the non-fictional mysteries. How many of us have Googled the Bermuda Triangle, the Taos Hum or even about the Voynich Manuscript?

Though we fancy being surrounded with mysteries and love finding solutions to them, we do not prefer pondering on the mysteries of the world.

And, that remains a mystery to me.

(Published in The Gulf Today on October 8, 2016)

Home sweet home

What do you choose?

A house. A home. Two simple words. Considered synonymous. However, they carry different meanings. A house is made of brick and mortar but a home is made of hopes and dreams. We all know that, don’t we?

But I would dare to disagree. I think a house is not different from a home. At least not in the modern world.

Don’t get me wrong!

A house is supposed to protect us from elements, while a home is where happiness is nurtured. 

Therefore, a house is a house until a family starts living in it. Our love for each other, our hopes and aspiration, our care and concern for each other transforms a house into a home – sweet home, in fact.

But the sweet homes were built long before the modern gadgets were introduced. People used to live together and make merry with their family until electronic gadgets came in vogue. Earlier family was a priority. Now it appears that a home is nothing more than a house thanks to television and smartphone.

At dinner table we interact with our friends and colleagues through smartphone and, in turn, we tend to ignore our family members sitting around us at the dinner table. Our guests too start fiddling with gadgets rather than conversing with their host. And hosts don’t mind as if it has become a kind of norm.

I have noticed that the rise of the smartphone has created a nasty dent in the world called family. Now a sweet home is turning into a house without people realising it.

The warmth and love one used to feel sitting with one’s family beside the hearth during the freezing nights, hearing the peaceful crackle of the burning fire is no longer found in many houses.

Let’s find out ways to change our ways and work hard to convert a house into a home. Then only we’ll be able to sings songs like: “Home! Sweet Home!” or “Country Roads Take Me Home.”

(Published in The Gulf Today on October 1, 2016)

Let’s say grace – together

Let's Say Grace - Together

How many of us spend dinnertime interacting with our family members? I don’t think many of us do.

Since the evolution of mobile phones and the rise of the Internet, we have started paying less attention to our family members – even when they’re sitting just next to us.

During supper, we prefer to check the latest comment on our post on Facebook or watch our favourite daily soap – soaking in tears or laughing our hearts out – instead of sharing our day’s experience with our siblings and elders.

Doing so we enjoy ourselves, don’t we? Many of us feel keeping ourselves busy with electronic gadgets is the best way to relax. 

However, I don’t think it’s the best way to unwind. I prefer indulging in small talk at the dinner table waiting for the dinner to be served, and later praising the culinary skills of my mom or grandma. 

During the course of meal, we discuss a range of topics. These conversations help me to connect with our family and understand the world around me.  

I have noticed some parents set up their children in front of the television as a bribe for finishing their dinner. In my opinion, this is an unsavoury trend that parents need to avoid.

I wonder if the parents in question ponder the pros and cons of their action. Being a couch potato can have an adverse effect on children’s physical and emotional well-being.

On the contrary, when children spend time interacting with their parents, siblings and elders at the dinner table, it lifts their mood and brings about a lot of good behavioural and attitudinal changes. 

Light-hearted conversations at the dinner table boost children’s mental capabilities. They develop personality and even improve our vocabulary.

When the menu consists of delicious dishes and candid conversations – instead of a meal with free tickets to the “cartoon-world” – it can do wonders for physiological and emotional health of both parents and their kiddos.

However, children need to be respectful of their parents in order to get maximum benefits of dinnertime conversations. And, yes, parents should be engaging and supportive, rather than being intrusive, restrictive and judgemental.

So from now onwards, let’s gather at the dinner table and say grace – together.

(Published in The Gulf Today on September 24, 2016)

Rise of selfies

Hold your smartphone at a perfect angle, select the filter, put on your best pose ... and click!

Capturing a selfie is a piece of cake, isn’t it?

The art of taking selfies is probably the only art that almost the entire world has mastered. It has gained lots of practitioners in recent years.

Seriously, lots...

On Instagram alone, more than 30 million posts are just selfies. From celebrities to national leaders to regular folks - everyone is fond of selfies.

So, it didn’t come to me as a surprise that “Selfie” was declared the 2013 Word of the Year by the Oxford Dictionaries. But despite its popularity, selfies leave both positive and negative impact on its fans.

It has been observed that selfies boost self-confidence. However, they might even lead to narcissistic tendencies.

Selfies have the potential to improve our self-esteem. But, we should watch out for associating our self-confidence with the positive comments and “likes” that we earn upon posting selfies on social networking sites.

Some believe that selfies help teenagers develop their own identity. But don’t you think that the process of clicking and uploading selfies, which were meant to be casually taken photographs, becomes an addiction for teens, thanks to various social media apps?

I don’t know whether a selfie creates an identity, but it can take someone’s life.

Danny Bowman was one of the victims of this craze. The selfie-obsessed teenager almost committed suicide. Thankfully, his mother got there on time.

He was depressed. But, why? He could not get a perfect selfie after having spent 10 hours. Reportedly, he used to click 200 selfies every day. Mamma mia!

Often, people become oblivious to their surroundings while clicking selfies. A girl fell off a cliff into the sea while taking selfies in Mumbai. Selfies even caused several holiday-makers to fall at the popular Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Like everything in life, selfies too have their own pros and cons. So, indulge in some selfie fun, but be on your guard against its adverse effects.

I must confess that I take one or two selfies once in a while. Still I’m not a “SelfiNatic!”

(Published in The Gulf Today on September 17, 2016)