Changing Times.....Changing Lives

We never know whether change is for the better or worse, but, change we must. As change is the only constant in our lives. Cityscapes, a striking interface that mirrors a nation in hurry. Mundane and commonplace, but, nevertheless stark and defining the aspirations of an evolving society.
As I travel regularly what strikes me more is the attire, now altered drastically. You don't need to make an effort to dress well or look good, either. Dress casual. They just came up with the new bedhead look and lived in clothes, so unkempt is cool. Just thrust yourself into some kurti or tees and unwashed jeans and slacks, they just called it leggings, jeggings, whatever. And presto !! you're on the go. Grunge is in, they say. No more worry of washed clean clothes. Jeans, now our national dress, is supposed to stay unwashed for days; paired with any tee, jersey or shirt, is supposed to be fine, saves effort of colour coordination. Slippers once meant for bathrooms, now found it's way to streets. Funnily, the look was supposed to end with college. But, people have carried it to work place and so now jeans, sneakers, backpacks, slippers and the stubborn stubble completes the look. They say, in West people dress casual to work so why not us. I've yet to see pictures of Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg dressed casual at work.
Girls have done away with long hair, an impediment to career pursuit, also, it's not fashionable anymore and whatever little is twisted and tucked into odd clips, messy buns or braids, casual chic, they just said. Time is premium in Mumbai, so, neat combed, oiled, braided hair and flowers are passé, it ended with the last generation. Slick back combed oiled or gelled look for men was long over with our dads.

Weekends are meant for lazing I believe, so shopping centres and markets are where you see folks in pyjamas, shorts or home dress straight out of bed look. And to think, I thought people needed to look decent when they left homes for we never let without washing or grooming ...what a criminal waste of time. Only the other day I attended a wedding where few young guests waded in tracksuit and slippers leaving the elders fuming…... Anything goes, I suppose.
Food is undergoing a sea of change and breakfast the first casualty. It is no more a sit down meal, either you skip it altogether or grab it on the way, munch, gulp on the street, train, bus from handcarts, canteens, only a few blessed continue to eat from home. Returning from work in the city means dinner from local takeaways, hotels, or roti subzi kiosks on your way, the lucky few have maids to fix evening meal where 6 rotis and 1 vegetable meal meant shelling 2000 odd bucks a month depending on which part of the city you live in, town side could cost you a bomb. Maids are a costly affair, so many prudently continue living with parents to take care of the household.
City life has taken it's toll with ready to cook and eat meal in packets. Since we don't have much quality control regulations in place, unscrupulous advertising practices thrive and we are a sitting duck to food manufacturers. Instant foods like breads, noodles, pasta, spaghetti, corn flakes, wheat flakes, muesli, digestive cookies, granola bars, canned juices and fruits, preserves are the new fads we have discovered in recent years. Though high in sugars salts, colourants, preservatives and chemicals, we conveniently ignore the warnings so long as it saves time and effort. Food is not for nourishment but subsistence here, and life just got shortchanged. Since, we've abused our bodies with terrible food indulgences, partying and drinking at the drop of a hat, we have now got to knock it off at the nearest gym, but something only when the doc orders. Till then eat drink and be merry.
We're a generation gripped by mad ad world, and children, an easy and vulnerable target. Advertisements show kids relishing rotis disguised in heavily slathered chocolate spreads, jams, ketchup touted as healthy and instant noodles became manna, to lazy folks. Looking around, you see the chips packs offering freebies of games and toys in the hands of every second child. Children don't listen says fond moms. And we thought moms were supposed to make them do just that. You don't need ketchup, jams, mayonnaise, sauce to relish food. Hunger is the best appetiser. But who cared.
Once guests treated to much loved chai or coffee to poha, upma, pakoras or even home cooked snacks murukkus, chivda, sev is now abandoned. Today coke and chips rule. Perish the thought of looking forward to any good homely chai and home snacks if you are visiting, though I prefer our nimboo pani instead.

Weekends mean mall life, lured by discounts and offers, you're soon loaded with cart full of stuff you neither wanted or planned to buy. Earlier Sundays meant picnics, beach outings or outdoors fun and games with friends and neighbours joining, or bonding with relatives. Now entertainment in cities are the malls, where parents wander shopping in the cool interiors till they drop or wallet dries up or card expires, children are handed over to play zones, maniacally gaming over machines or warring on video games and the day ending at food court, overeating and overspending.

Today, I don't know the people in my housing society. The towers got taller, flat space enlarged with shrinking heart space, sadly. Why, today, we we just pick across the mobile phone to invite people across for functions, and no more take the effort to visit people to extend invitations. There's this neighbour who took a snapshot of the society members name board because she couldn't get the names of the members or their flat numbers right, so snapshot served the purpose. Earlier children fought for playground space, now grown ups do the same for parking space.
And space is something we can never have enough of. Once a 1bhk (1 bedroom hall kitchen) house served well for a family of six, even more at times to accommodate an unemployed cousins, unmarried uncles or aunts, even odd village folk, by all stretch of imagination. Now, I dare say a couple of extra guests dare not over stay until you got confirmation beforehand. Even unexpected visitors are not very welcome either. Please confirm your visit is the polite expression.

Layout of house is detailed and elaborate with help available from interior designers who have sprung all over. Prime space accorded to the much loved television and its audio systems, dining and lounge area, kitchen and bedrooms follow and any little space available is let out to the deity and temple (adjusted either in the kitchen or bedroom depended on whether you are vegetarian or otherwise) while the bar just got elevated to our living rooms.

Now we've truly arrived.

 

Thanks for your observations. It's watching life pass by and the many changes as bystanders. Change is inevitable like it or not.