FOLKTALES:IS IT THE END?

IS IT THE END OF FOLKTALES?

Those were the days!Through long afternoons and cold nights,they lulled me into the arms of dream-filled sleep.It relieved my mind,shaped my ideas,gave wings to my imagination and unfolded an innocent view of my cultural ethos.

The folk tales that my grandma told me!

They came quite spontaneously from her mouth, with a serene flow.Storytelling sessions were my first avenues of socialization.A folk story,from whichever region,has its own unique fragrance.My grandma would swiftly move from mythology to magic, from fabled kingdoms and queens to the humble farmer.She would swiftly adapt stories to suit my childish moods with amazing skill.Storytelling is an art that is dying a fast death and that’s what makes me aware of how much we have left behind in our pursuit of ‘advanced entertainment’.

     We all grow up and ruffle all the feathers of childhood.In hot pursuit of studies,career and family those childhood years seem like a dream,or from another life.But no matter how busy one becomes or how far one travels, most of us cling to the nostalgia of our childhood.Looking back,I remember those days that I have spent hearing all those quaint little stories from my elders. Not only did those stories comfort me then,during bland afternoons or cold nights,they formed the connecting link to my childhood.They introduced me to an altogether different world full of starry eyed joys.

It would all start quite spontaneously.I would go and pester my grandma, ‘Tell me a story’ – a short, peremptory demand, a demand which has been made by millions of little Indian children since the beginning of civilization.And then the story would begin, ‘Once upon a time….’

Technology has made the world exciting yet too mechanical.It has affected social institutions like the joint family,shattering them first into large nuclear families and then into small nuclear families consisting of just 2 to 4 members.For many children,the ‘grandparent’ has become quite an alien!And the kids today are brought up on a diet of youtube, pogo and cartoon network? Morever,when the child’sgrandparents sit by themselves in far flunghomes,and parents remain busy in their duties,who really has the time?

Today when I watch my cousin’s children gulping down their dinner, absorbed in the latest ‘Tintin’ or the latest ‘pokemon’ videos on youtube,I wonder,how can they know what they are missing?They have an astounding number of choices, but divorced from culture, reality,depth and humanity.I remember when I was very small and made faces at my food,my mother would tell me tales that made me gulp my dinner without even realizing it!Even when I was too young to understand her every spoken word!The sound of her stories had a unique hold over me, which cannot be compared to digital entertainment.

Materialistic values,disintegration of the joint family,kinship ties,time constraints,availability of alternatives have all contributed to the decline of folklore and the art of storytelling.My assume that the practice of storytellingand folk tales started in earliertimes,when people gathered around fires to save themselves from biting cold.In order to distract themselves and make children sleep,they used to weave stories from their imaginations.This ability of man to imagine has led to unbelievable strides in the field of technology today.It is not the emperors that gave birth to history and culture;rather,our culture and history was created by those villagers beside the fireplace.In future,it won’t be democracy or technology that will give birth to the tradition of a country,rather the ideas that bring man closer to his ownkind and his environment.

   Folk tales are stories that have been passed from generation to generation, inextricably intertwined with our culture and our past,wherefrom our identity is derived.The parents of this generation are well aware of these stories but many do not have the time or will to pass it on to their children.I fear that when this transmission has almost died the folk stories will also die.Will this be the end?Time will tell! But I still hope and imagine that even today in some far off remote corners of our society there is still a parent or a grandparent telling stories to an inquisitive child (like I once was!) and saving this art of storytelling from being buried in the graveyard of history.

FUN IN THE UNIVERSITY AND NEARBY PLACES

PROBLEMS IN THE CITY(HYDERABAD)

       
          I am back to the city finally.To my university.Hope this sem I won't have restricted access to city due to Telangana issues or communal violence.Last time I went to my cousin's place I had to miss a really important class and stay in Ameerpet as roads were blocked due to Telangana issue.Its a controversial issue and I have my own opinion regarding it.But I would like to keep that to myself since its very controversial and hotly debated in the campus.I stay in the campus and my opinions may not be appreciated by all.I only hope that this time the class won't get disrupted due to such agitations.I also wish the situation in the old city (esp. the Charminar area) improves.If people of all communities and politicians stop giving hate speeches then only any sort of harmony can prevail.Recently,a politician made a hate speech that sparked off national debates.Unfortunately his speech went viral on youtube.This must stop.Circulation of hate speeches online will only lead to more hatred within both the communities.Anybody giving hate speech must be immediately arrested right on the spot,no matter from which community/religion he or she is.I often wonder why can't people just mind their own business and stay away from each other's affairs. Only by this I think any clashes will be avoided. The politics of vote bank is killing all ethics these days.Particular areas in the city are sensitive only due to the provocation of politicians from all most every party.
           The Hyderabad University is a politically charged place and this gets in its heights during elections.Its really nice to see such awareness among the youths.And fortunately,there are almost no violent clashes between various political groups within the campus.Everything is mostly peaceful.The politicians and groups operating within the old city must take a cue from this.
       
     

MY ROOM MATE AND ME

    Now holidays are about to over and I will be back to my hostel.I have a really cool room mate and we have become good chums so there's no problems between us.She was in the hostel since her grad days,and being a novice (in the hostel) she is always there to comfort me when I miss home or mom! I learned some Malayalam words from her and the cosmopolitan Keralite culture (there is no caste feelings there even in villages,amazing!).Like every girl of our age she is interested in all these talk about sex and love but like me she is single and virgin!She often tell me the kind of guys she likes but no one is really interested and the ones interested are not of her type!GOSH.Too complicated.A couple of guys have flirted with me too but none has been interesting yet.Dating is a self imposed taboo for me.WHY?cuz I do not trust guys.We study in silence but we get crazy while cracking jokes.We talk about mad philosophers and there madness(Altuzer and Marx dominate!).She feels I am a bit of philosophical sometimes and eccentric.Many times while going outside I have forgotten that she is in the room and had locked her off then she has shouted from behind,calling me.I unlock and apologise.Once I locked her up while going to take bath and when I shouted her to give me the shampoo she calmly said 'hey!u hav locked me!!We talk about movies,books,being feminist,boys,love,et all.Lately I have been urging her to read newspapers (she procrastinates!) and wash her clothes regularly,since she washes a huge bundle at a time making herself so exhausted and wearied.Whereas she has been urging me to stop walking so fast (which makes me quite breathless at times) and not to have infatuations towards older people which I often do!But here we both have been very adamant.I never had to adjust to anything(other than the small room) as she can sleep with both lights switched off and on.Ingenuity is a trait that both of us make an effort to have.We love to go to the nearby market and munch on anything we please since both of us are hard core foodies.
    And yes we love to make fun of our profs. and talk a lot about these guys.....who are both brilliant and amazing,dynamic....yet very funny as individuals and boring (some of them) as teachers! She speaks about the young teachers (who are handsome and cool) in her dept. and I talk about how our Sociology profs. make life really hard but give grades like 'misers'.Tough guys to impress.
   Now to describe her.....she like me is a bit of messy! she is open,funny,cheerful,frank but she cannot make friendships outside her circle of friends(now am officially in her circle) but I have no circle and I can chit chat with et al,everyone.I do not think physical description is necessary here since its character that matters.But let me tell you she is cute and good looking.
   To be frank I had these nightmares about horrible room mates in hostels I have heard about room mates who always create problems intentionally,steal,make filth,disturb you when you are working and made fun of you and bitch about you.I was so damn worried about handling all that alone.But this room mate of mine....thanks to god is quite opposite of the stereotyped I had created in my stupid mind.
 

LIFE IN MY NEW CITY

    It has been now four months since I moved into the sprawling campus in the university of Hyderabad.For a person who has lived all her life in the home and her mom doing every little things for her,from washing clothes to cooking food living alone seemed a little scary.But I had firmly decided to move out after my graduation since I mostly wanted to escape from this city(Bhubaneswar) where I have been living since 2 decades!A very long time.And secondly,I did not wanted to do my masters in a state university where teaching style is not upto the standard. Moreover,University of Hyderabad is one of the best university in India.

   So on 23rd June this year,I made the really small one room hostel my home for two years.For someone who has never imagined to live in so small a room it was really depressing for the first one week.There were moments where bouts of emotions were so strong that I would go into the washroom and cried my heart out.I never wanted consolation from anyone in the campus since I decided I had to deal with this all by myself.I never showed anyone how emotionally fragile I was in the first two weeks.Then slowly and steadily I changed a lot or I guess the word evolve is more appropriate. I carried the mantle of my own life and made my own decisions.Soon I was doing everything on my own….washing dishes (when I did not felt like using the utensil provided by the mess n cleaned by them),shopping,hanging out through out the city,bargaining,travelling all alone sometimes, in a completely new city(but never getting lost,thankfully!) I traveled all alone to my cousin’s place without having any faintest idea regarding the bus numbers and their routes.,booking cabs,dancing in pub with my friends,sweeping and cleaning my room,doing my own laundry(when I was not satisfied with the way the laundry fellow washed my bed sheet,I washed it myself!),eating whatever I felt like and at any time from anywhere!I girl who was scared to go to the toilet alone at night actually slept peacefully with lights off when her roommate was not there. I did things that I never did at home and my parents who would never accept it(like tasting beef!).I told people everything on their face if they are causing problems and made friends from every states and diverse cultures from India and abroad.

    But whatever I did I took the permission of my parents.where there was things which they did not approve off(like going out with friends late night to a club) I had to convince them to let me experience it once and my parents actually allowed it,although they may not approve it but they thought I have every right to experience everything in life and the ball is always in my court,since I am old enough to decide what is right and safe for me.I am actually very lucky to have such parents who actually allowed there daughter to do everything out of her own free choice,this is very unlikely about most Indian parents who believe in keeping the children with a lease and treating them like a pet dog!Many people I know in the campus do all sorts of things behind the backs of their parent’s back,while back home their parents sadly believe that the lease is still their hand.I cannot do this not because I am a ‘very good fellow’ or quite ‘moralistic’ ,rather I cannot live a double life,like most middle class people I cannot be a hypocrite and hate it like anything.If I do something out of free will I am not scared of telling that, by yelling at everyone who wants to know.Nobody’s opinion has ever mattered to me,other than my parents.And I always thought I need to tell them everything.And thankfully my parents never ever bury me under their advises unless and until I seek them.

   I went around the city of Hyderabad with friends,eating out in different restaurants and trying new dishes,going around the major landmarks in the city and trying to grasp its contradicting cultures.Sadly am not able to visit Charminar due to communal tensions in the area since a month. The moment you enter from the new city to the old city suddenly it hits you! the sharp differences between a westernized,global Indians and  the so called conservative,primitive culture still clinging to whatever left of their old world.I have no complains regarding such ‘conservationism’ if people who practice it are really happy and not doing it under any compulsions.As far as I discovered that people in the old city are quite happy and comfortable in keeping the flag of their tradition high,which actually made me happy too.Dividing people as ‘modern’ and ‘conservative’ is a colonial construction and a westernized concept where people who did not adhere to the ethos of ‘westernization’ are branded as ‘primitive’ or conservative’.I know friends who are quite very modern and secular in their thoughts,warm in their behaviour and smart in asserting their opinions,hard working to the core but are quite traditional in their dressing and I love the way they are.I admire such people for doing what they really feel they should, instead of being slave to the dictates of fashion and peer pressure.From them I learned that life should always be lived in our own terms and one is not born to please others.

  About the city of Hyderabad I would sum off as one of my prof. said ‘there are many ‘Hyderabads’ in one Hyderabad,so go ahead and explore the city’.As student of Sociology and wanting to do journalism in future, I feel its very important for me to understand the people,place and the culture around me which will I believe help me to understand myself better and help me in my career ahead.Now let me move on to the most important stuff the reason am here!STUDIES.I must say that the course outline is quite tough and huge.The things which we can complete in one year,we had to complete within four months.The schedule is very hectic and I have to spent most of my money on photocopying the study materials.Just three weeks before the semester a prof. actually mailed us more than 600 pages of reading material!I cannot go out every weekend as I have to appear for innumerable internal tests.By the time the internals are over,the semester hangs heavy on your head and one actually get very limited time for fun if one is truly devoted to studies.I had to work so hard this time which I had never imagined.I really do not care what will be my grades(CGPA)since I tried my best and gave all my efforts,the rest is not in my hands.And now am at home enjoying my leisure.I do not want to tell anything about the mess food since it is so depressing that it will make my mood bad and I feel even more surprise that I have adjusted to it so well that I haven’t lost any weight,which I want to. :( 

    The campus is 2500 acres in area,largest in Asia!And suppose a student stays in the campus for many years and never venture outside then he or she cannot see or know what Hyderabad is!since the campus itself is like a small town!Everyday the same life,even if the entire city is in chaos or there is civil strife the campus will remain the same!Its actually funny to see students and also my roommate who never read newspaper,they are so unaware of what is going on just outside the campus that you feel we all are staying in a different planet! It makes you feel like as if you have a cocooned existence.But the moment you step into the campus after roaming outside for long you feel as if you are home!For those who rarely go outside feel that ‘the university is Hyderabad and vice versa’….so most of us need to go out  at least thrice a month to escape from boredom.The nearest market is called ‘Indira Nagar’.Its like a long market lined with mostly food joints(MC Do,Dominos,subway,etc).Be it chinese,South Indian,North Indian,continental,cafes,icecream parlors and cookie stores,bakeries,sweets,junk food or street food you will get it all,and there’s a small store and boutique,gift shop,showrooms for specs and shoes,ATMs,cellphone stores,spencer,groceries et all!!Take an auto and you will reach the place in 15 minutes and get or do everything you want.The price of food ranges from 700 in hotels to 20 rupees on the street and I do what my mood dictates!Then the next hangout place is the ‘food court’ inside inorbit mall in Hitech city and the multiplex inside the mall.Have your food in the ‘food court’ and then take a packet of over prized pop corn and munch as you watch movies.If any student want it cheap(and most does!) then theres a theatre called ‘talkie town’ where tickets are only 55 rupees and in its first floor there are 3 to 4 food joints,including ‘dosa plaza’ which boost of 255 types of dosas!If you want a quick bite to satiate your hunger then the food court in the campus (known as gops after a shopkeeper Gopal!!) can only come to your rescue anytime.If you are too lazy then you can always or too busy then you can have home delivery from Dominos(if you want junk food) or from Green Bawarchi(if you want cooked,tasty food).’Kairali’ a roadside restaurant that prepares really nice and cheap Kerala food is one of the favourite of my Malyalee room mate and to some extent mine.A lot of options!huh?But ‘Indira Nagar’ followed by inorbit remain my favourite.

   I cannot end this without telling anything about my really nice roommate,Haritha. In such a few months she has really been a good room mate and a person with whom I have always enjoyed talking.Even if the lights are on or off she can sleep.Staying in a hostel since the last three years she can adjust to almost everything unlike a novice like myself.Haritha and I and one of her friend and one of my friend!hang out together. I am really happy to get a nice roommate who is not only friendly but also cheer me up when I am homesick or nervous due to exams. 

   So here I end this about my new life where I have adjusted and blended so well that I wonder how can I??!! For more about my experiences in the university and in the city tune in to this page!For now,Sayonara.

Its vacation time

      I have now been in the home since a fortnight and will nearly 30 more days.Its really nice to be returning to your home after a long spell of hard work and tension filled nights(due to exams that preceded the vacation) where I felt racing against time since the course work was too heavy and time equally short.Now I have no priority and can do whatever (and whenever) I want.Its sometimes cool that way but on a long run it will be boring.I would be glad to return back to my university life after this much needed break.The greatest benefit of staying in the home is getting to eat what I want! :) Earlier when I was at home I had to eat what mama prepared but now its different!Everyone sympathies with me since the food is really,kind of sucks,in the mess!So I can demand anything I want in terms of food and get it.Before I used to sulk on the table and had to eat whatever was prepared.See,friends,that’s the benefit of staying away from home.Am treated like a queen on the table!! lol…

     Since its a long vacation I have got a hordes of really nice books to complete but my writing is moving on a snail’s pace….sad!I had left the practice of writing since 4 months and its taking time to catch up the speed.Hope I will make it.Now,as far the reading is concerned I completed the book ‘Dongri to Dubai’ and now I am reading Richard Dawkins ‘God Delusion  and my favourite William Dalrymple’s ‘Holy mountains’ simultaneously. Reading ‘Dongri to Dubai’ was like watching an action packed thriller.Its about Dawood Ibrahim and the history of the underworld.Its quite good and you never get bored.’Nine lives’ transports me back to the past and present in a very fast manner but I have always enjoyed reading history.’God Delusion’ says that god is a delusion and defends atheism,although I am a believer I really like the way Dawkins defends himself and gives the examples of religious fundamentalism.Anyone wanting to deal with a little philosophical angle and intellectual arguments regarding god and atheism,this book can be interesting. 

   In the meantime I watched the much hyped movie ‘Talaash’ with my best buddy who is also on a vacation (from JNU).But we had expected to much of suspense and realism but it only with an impractical illusion and paranormal stuff.But I must say it was kind of good since you can know nothing till the last.One friend actually had posted the story on FB so I knew everything before :( Crazy guy he is!! 

   That’s all I have to say.While my sister is appearing exam I am enjoying my vacation! I am really enjoying and more plans await me with friends and family….and I will be here for a while.So now I must rush and take my noodles…bye till then….