When the Idiot Box becomes smart!

So, This post is on a lighter note (As compared to my last one) but about something that is close to my heart! Television! Ok, Now before you roll your eyes and dismiss me as this
Un-intellectual person, let's try and see my point of view here.

And first disclaimer: Am not referring to the highly inane, regressive, annoying and sometimes even offensive Indian television. Big thanks to internet revolution , broadband and the magical world of Torrents that I got introduced to something called 'Quality Television'. No, its not an oxymoron and yes it does exist in other parts of the world where people are not fixated on just the evil mother in law and her scheming plots

So as I started following the exciting and creative content that American Television industry produces, I became more and more interested and engaged in it. What appeals to me the most is their ability to develop amazingly complex and unique premises and execute them in an intelligent way that keeps the viewers engaged and guessing for at least 2-3 years (On an average, A hit series runs for multiple seasons spanning over a period of 2-3 years). It's no mean task to hold the attention span of restless viewer who is mostly critical and always wanting to switch channels.

Some of my most favourite epic series which re-defined television or rather story telling via visual medium for me are Breaking Bad, Lost, West Wing, Sherlock(BBC), Fraiser, The Wire, Modern family- Just to name a few. The writing in these serials is phenomenal, meaningful and superior and the production quality is par excellence making it completely worth your time. Moreover, they have charmed and drawn viewers from almost all sections of the societies across the entire WORLD!

Other than the delight of enjoying refreshingly different, intriguing and smart television experience, I have also had learnings from this seemingly "dull" habit. Now the the first reaction would be "How can u learn anything from watching TV ?? !"
Don't blame you! We have been told since childhood that watching TV is useless and books are the ONLY source of any learning.

However, since I have never been much of a book lover (Find it hard to survive an entire book) I can say I filled in the gaps with television instead and it worked out quite well for me and how? Here are 3 big things that my TV viewing habit has taught me :

1) Window to the world - Understanding and appreciating different cultures. For example; the fact that women in more than half of the world don't have to worry about wearing a skirt on the street was re-assuring for me - It gave me a peek into how people live in other parts of the globe.

2) Perspectives - That every coin has two sides, that every issue can have multiple viewpoints and approaches- Neither one is better or worse than the other - its all subjective and more importantly relative.

3) Tolerance - Well written character/s(Like Walter White from BB) can really make you think about human emotions, relationships and build your tolerance levels with your own family and friends. Make you less judgemental may be!

So next time you take the moral high-ground and chide someone for watching Television and "wasting" time, Think again!  Its not always just entertainment only and neither am I suggesting that it replaces reading or books - Am just saying for me, it had more merit than you think! Afterall, learning can come in different ways.

Cheers
Sush

Give me a Break!

One of life's greatest aspects is Time! We all run against time, lag behind time or crave for time; Just some free time. That little extra 10 minutes of sleep in the morning, those few extra hrs on a weekend, that one extra day of a vacation. In the crazy race that our life is today, we all struggle for some free time once in a while, that will recharge our batteries and remind us of what we really are doing.

So, me being the mere mortal with very same thoughts , wanted some time off- Some complete unhindered, uninterrupted time -For my family, For myself, For sorting out complexities that situations and circumstances have thrown at me. And after months of procrastinating and ruminating the thought, I finally took the step . Taking time off from work or job as we call it. And that's when the opinions and judgements started flowing in.

I was told it was a bold and daring step. I was told I was lucky to have the luxury and feasibility to do it. I was told I was rushing into it. I was told that I was living someone else's dream. I was told to rethink it. I was told I must exactly plan what I should be doing in this break. I was told I was doing the right thing . So on and So forth. And amidst all  this free flowing advice and views, I was so confused. I thought It was my time and my decision -But apparently its not! All my eco system needs to be in sync with it otherwise am not allowed to do it. Did someone say we are a free society!

So after battling all this excessive attention to my personal decision, I finally took the plunge and somehow fought my way to the end of the battlefield (Read Last working Day ). And I came home that night and felt exhausted more than excited or any other emotion for that matter!

So in the days to come, I finally start to experience what I wanted to - The pleasure of time. To sort out long pending tasks, to sort out my head, to travel, to read, to cook, to watch my favourite pending movies and TV shows- To sort out my life which got knotted and twisted somewhere along the way - and finally sometime to breathe!

However, all through this time, I have constantly encountered endless questions, condescending attitudes, curious expressions, gossipy bitching,self righteous judgements, unsought advice and what not ! From almost all sections of people in my life - the ones I know every well to the ones who barely know me! Almost Everyone felt the need to express their view on my break! Again- When did this become everyone's problem? I wonder....

And Corporate India in no exception to this! We are the children of same tree - The eyebrows raised, the suspicions, the judgements.Why is taking a break from work viewed so negatively? Aren't we all entitled to some personal time- isn't it like a basic human right or something ? Never quite understood the cynicism surrounding it.


In the most of the world countries, especially Europe, taking regular breaks from work for travel or otherwise is quite a common practice and is in fact one the reasons why lot of innovation and creativity is born out of those countries.

As I am going through this phase now, I felt it was an appropriate time to pen down these thoughts. As the title suggests, despite being on a break, I feel like telling people "GIVE ME A BREAK"! Ironical, ain't it!

And I walk away, listening to Metallica  sing " And nothing else matters....."
Cheers
Sush

Thinking Aloud

Here goes my first attempt to blog. Have been wanting to do this for long but Twitter and Facebook came in between! But we all love to say things in more than 124 characters -Don't we!  I have always been a Netizen and Social media enthusiast; reading blogs of many people over the years. I plan to use this space mostly to share some little stories, experiences and views on things that matter and things that don't matter that much - After all, its all relative!  I have always loved perspectives - it's so interesting to know what different people think about the same thing- So, comments on posts are most welcome  :)

Here's raising a little toast to the curtain raiser post of my blog- About Experiences, Stories, People, Perspectives and other miscellaneous chatter !

I look forward to an enjoyable, enriching experience in this little virtual space of mine.

Signing off on the first post
Sush