The children were all revelling , making merry in their exotic costumes on the annual day function of their school. The whole atmosphere was electrifying , charged up on the occasion. As I sat watching with pride ,my children bringing the stage alive with innumerable twists and turns, memories of my own school day came flooding like a torrent.....the year 1977, I was selected to play the part of the magnificent maharaja Mahabali in a dance ballet not due to my ability to shake a leg, but because of God's gift in the form of natural curly tresses that suited ideally to adorn the looks of a king.My mom, like any other proud mother would be, went honky dory and news spread like wild fire that I would be playing the generous and benevolent Mahabali.
On the day of reckoning, the participants came from the side of the dias and I was supposed to sit graciously in the middle facing the audience but much to the dismay and the amusement of many, I sat with my beautiful back to the curious onlookers. My mom threw up her arms in despair and tried some damage control measures by showing gestures to turn around but all in vain...it was all Greek & Latin to me .
The show finally got over, though I did not face the audience I definitely faced the music of all and sundry and it is still ringing in my ears loud & clear.
Cut to the present ,my children agog with excitement , discuss whether their attire is proper, make up is in order and they know not only to face the audience but enthrall them as well, hip swinging to the racy numbers adding a dash of aerobics & gymnastics here and there! Giving photogenic poses , not only for the ordinary flash bulbs, but also for the umpteen number of digital cameras and mobile camers phones these tiny tots are simpiy amazing.
The stage has also indeed come a long way with musical psychedelic disco lights, smoke and glittering decorations adding glitz and glamour to the bubbling young dancers setting the DANCE FLOOR ON FIRE!
Sunita Sriram.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The new age Lingua Franca
As we were awaiting our turn at the clinic,my son was animatedly conversing with his friend who happened to come by.All I could decipher were these words"mom doesn't give me any space".This led me to wonder why his skeletal frame needed more as I had already given him one full chair!That was when he explained that "space" meant freedom & not the literal quantum of place to be occupied!The immediate & prompt response to all our queries to children yields one answer "that's cool" irrespective of how oppressive the outside temperature may be!
Welcome to the new world of "lingua franca",communication is now really "mind blowing" if I could dare to borrow a phraze very commonly used.Be it nightouts or parties or family gettogethers or simply a concert,the chorus of words uttered at the end of it "yeah,it was rocking"! The rocking that I knew was putting a baby to sleep in a cradle!
Tune into any television channel,the oft repeated word,be it from the newsreader or the anchor or the host or the video jockey is simply"fair enough" - do they mean complexion,I bemuse,are we still in the age of apartheid! On other occasions,it is "somewhere down the line" - please don't search for the line as it as imaginary as the lines of latitude & longitude!
The entry of computers in a big way in every walk of life has further made languages more complex as the "webs of the spider"- be it uploading or downloading.You better get the lingo right or else be "booted out"! Now,from grandma's recipes to technical knowhow is being "outsourced"!
Are you planning to go on a trip,don't say holiday as it "passe" - better "unwind" at an "ecofriendly" resort.If you are on a shopping spree,never go to a supermarket,instead head towards a swanky "mall" replete with multiplexes (not age old movie theatre), food court (I had previously heard of only tennis courts!) & different garment stores(not the place where you stack your provisions)
If you chance to strike up a conversation with a software professional all you hear are the words - schedules,projects, assignments or deadlines!
The paradigm shift of the language jargon has assumed dismaying proportions & is now embedded in the society,we have but to adapt to new language formula or else we remain a square
peg in a round hole - a total mismatch! I am practising this latest fad 24x7 - How about you folks?
- SUNITA SRIRAM
Welcome to the new world of "lingua franca",communication is now really "mind blowing" if I could dare to borrow a phraze very commonly used.Be it nightouts or parties or family gettogethers or simply a concert,the chorus of words uttered at the end of it "yeah,it was rocking"! The rocking that I knew was putting a baby to sleep in a cradle!
Tune into any television channel,the oft repeated word,be it from the newsreader or the anchor or the host or the video jockey is simply"fair enough" - do they mean complexion,I bemuse,are we still in the age of apartheid! On other occasions,it is "somewhere down the line" - please don't search for the line as it as imaginary as the lines of latitude & longitude!
The entry of computers in a big way in every walk of life has further made languages more complex as the "webs of the spider"- be it uploading or downloading.You better get the lingo right or else be "booted out"! Now,from grandma's recipes to technical knowhow is being "outsourced"!
Are you planning to go on a trip,don't say holiday as it "passe" - better "unwind" at an "ecofriendly" resort.If you are on a shopping spree,never go to a supermarket,instead head towards a swanky "mall" replete with multiplexes (not age old movie theatre), food court (I had previously heard of only tennis courts!) & different garment stores(not the place where you stack your provisions)
If you chance to strike up a conversation with a software professional all you hear are the words - schedules,projects, assignments or deadlines!
The paradigm shift of the language jargon has assumed dismaying proportions & is now embedded in the society,we have but to adapt to new language formula or else we remain a square
peg in a round hole - a total mismatch! I am practising this latest fad 24x7 - How about you folks?
- SUNITA SRIRAM
Oh for a cricket match !
High voltage drama prevailed on that Sunday morning.Probably none of the members of our family had better business that day,than to go hammer & tongs at one another.The verbal dual reached an all time high with each one of us trying to outdo the other,hurtling abuses & making a mountain of a molehill.
I was fervently hoping that somebody would drop in to say hello,normally we would detest the presence of a visitor spoiling our Sunday but I thought a guest would create a welcome change in the charged up atmosphere.But not even a single crow cawed,not a soul turned up.When I had almost givenup hope of bliss returning to our household,my husband switched on the TV only to find our men in blue up in arms against the mighty Aussies,the so called world champions! I cringed at the thought of this maddening sound adding to the already high decibel level.
My father-in-law occupied his favourite chair,there was a big round of applause when our Saurav da won the toss.A quick calculation & my husband predicted that the stars were favourable for India to comeout victorious.Veeru,with his cracking shots,brought a smile on everybody's face & slowly the soaring temperature came down.A sudden bad shot again silenced the house.Then there were curses flying at the white coat for giving a blatantly erroneous decision.My mother-in-law chipped in to say this umpire is racist,a white fanatic.The situation was palpable,the match could go either way,at that very moment,my grand mother prayed to Lord Ganesha that she would break a coconut if mere bharath mahan could pull this one.As if in answer to her prayer,the tide turned in India's favour as our players bowled like men possessed.And I was thanking my hubby silently for switching on the TV at the right time.
The exciting win for India made our day & blind patriotism came to the forefront - all of us forgot how that Sunday had dawned,eventually turning to be a fun filled day afterall!
SUNITA SRIRAM
I was fervently hoping that somebody would drop in to say hello,normally we would detest the presence of a visitor spoiling our Sunday but I thought a guest would create a welcome change in the charged up atmosphere.But not even a single crow cawed,not a soul turned up.When I had almost givenup hope of bliss returning to our household,my husband switched on the TV only to find our men in blue up in arms against the mighty Aussies,the so called world champions! I cringed at the thought of this maddening sound adding to the already high decibel level.
My father-in-law occupied his favourite chair,there was a big round of applause when our Saurav da won the toss.A quick calculation & my husband predicted that the stars were favourable for India to comeout victorious.Veeru,with his cracking shots,brought a smile on everybody's face & slowly the soaring temperature came down.A sudden bad shot again silenced the house.Then there were curses flying at the white coat for giving a blatantly erroneous decision.My mother-in-law chipped in to say this umpire is racist,a white fanatic.The situation was palpable,the match could go either way,at that very moment,my grand mother prayed to Lord Ganesha that she would break a coconut if mere bharath mahan could pull this one.As if in answer to her prayer,the tide turned in India's favour as our players bowled like men possessed.And I was thanking my hubby silently for switching on the TV at the right time.
The exciting win for India made our day & blind patriotism came to the forefront - all of us forgot how that Sunday had dawned,eventually turning to be a fun filled day afterall!
SUNITA SRIRAM
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