Saturday, October 4, 2008

Existence in Disparity

Every time i pick up the phone to call a loved one , I have to calculate a time difference.
Appa , Amma - '+10.5 hrs'
karthik - '-3 hrs'
Vidya - '+5 hrs'
I never imagined there would ever be a time like this, when i find amazing happiness talking to home, to people who are just mine. Distance isnt a big deterrent anymore. Not when there are multiple ways you could find to 'be connected' . But is this virtual networking, inevitable of course, doing any good at all?
Reminds me of a crazy mohan comedy where he goes ' We are a joint family - me and my wife stay together ' , though i laughed that day, i thought he was exaggerating.
May be he wasnt.
The drifting lifestyles arent happening all of a sudden and its not something people have control over anymore. Its extremely gradual and most people realize only when they are way into it and consciously make efforts to overcome the distance.
Globalisation, Cross border relationships and diversity is the benefits that just cannot be replaced. Its amazing to have a korean, chinese and american in a team with you and its the next big thing that we are working towards.
But what about the cultural and emotional sacrifices it brings with it? How does it feel to celebrate diwali in a closed room with a collection of similar people from the geography you are in? How does it ever replace a street full of people waking up 4 am in the morning with burst crackers almost in your living room ? (Lets ignore the noise and pollution at this moment! )
I agree that you could always travel back when you want to. But this isn't just a matter of one time.
Its about missing life at one part with advantages over other. People gain experiences, go back home, share knowledge and even find jobs. But eventually over generations there is a huge gap that is being created. If this is trade off where one has to decide their priorities over,
Choosing between moms coffee everyday and earning a global exposure to meet people from 26 countries for an exotic lifestyle - can never be justified.