So, I've been thinking about venturing into blogging for a long time now, I'm glad the thought is shaping up to be a reality now. As most of my friends know, I recently gave up a cushy job in the States to move back to my Des. A lot of people have asked me and are still asking why I made that sudden decision. To a lot of people, the fact that I was on the beach and basically getting paid for doing no/minimal work was the best place in the world to be in and to give up a job like that could well be classified as an act of insanity.

I had my reasons though, personal and professional. For someone like me, who spent her entire childhood and fun college time in the comfort of my parent's and friends' company, it was a nightmare living away from them. Don't get me wrong, I made some amazing friends in the States and grew up as a person with them. I really do miss that grad student fun I had - making endless cups of tea for my friends or dropping in unannounced at my friend's place when none of us roommates wanted to cook. Or better still, all us girls trying to lose weight by pretending to play badminton while doing nothing but giggling like schoolgirls!!

There were always plenty of reasons to just stick around. And when they say that 'Amreeka ne jhappi maar ke roka hua hai' they're not lying. There were a lot of perks of staying. But all those reasons seemed hollow and incomplete without the closeness of loved ones. Now that I'm back, it's hard to pinpoint what it is, but I do feel more at ease and relaxed. Maybe it's the familiarity, maybe it's the food, maybe it's the comfort of knowing that somethings never change.!

But one thing that has certainly changed for me over these years is my love for television. I used to be a TV addict- put me in front of the idiot box and I could go on watching it midlessly for hours, flipping through channels, hopping from one absurdity to the other. But now, everything on TV seems like torture, to say the least. One big reason for this is that in the mutiple homes I changed in the last 3 years, I hardly ever had a television. First because I couldn't really afford a good one, and then because I never felt the need for one. But a bigger reason is the quality of stuff (or should I say the lack of it) they show on the tube. The most popular theme seems to revolve around how an unfortunate woman is unable to get married because of her disability. This is the basic storyline, the disability can range from hearing impairment, speech impairment, dark complexion, protruded teeth and swolen gums to weak eyesite/bespectacled appearance, no bank balance or being fashion challenged. And there you have- 8 different TV series just by tweeking a woman's impediment! The irony is that our country lacks so badly in providing facilities for the truly physically challenged people, making it hard for them to go about their daily routine independently!

I always knew that our society is obsessed with marriage. Random people whose name you have a hard time remembering come up to you and say 'Bas ab tum shaadi kar lo'. I fail to understand their angle in my life, now and in future but oh well... Apparently this obsession is being reflected in the kind of television we watch. Women clad in heavy brocade sarees wearing makeup while sleeping, donning jhumkas as big as chandeliers - we as a society really do want to run away from the reality of day-to-day life.

Some would argue that who would really watch a show about the mundaneness of life or about the things that plague our society? I partly do agree with them. I am not against a little bit of exaggeration. Who doesn't love a little comedy, some laughter. I grew up watching Zabaan Sambhal Ke, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Shriman Shrimati and an equally good lineup of phoren shows like Different Strokes, Who's the Boss and I Dream of Genie. Those weren't exactly reflecting real life either but at least these shows didn't have dramatic background score that includes thumping sounds while the camera stops indefinitely on one actor's face to catch all his/her concocted emotions! Aargh!!

Coming back to the topic of marriage obsession, I think every society places some sort of pressure on marriage. It could be an age limit that's set for marriage, not because of practical reasons like difficulty in late conception, but because it is "the right age". Or because "people" will wonder why the girl or boy isn't getting married and the speculations would range from possible diseases to alternate sexual orientation. I don't think this mindset is going to change with my blog or anything like that since it's so deep rooted in society (I repeat not just ours). But what is frustrating is that television is throwing this concept of marriage in our faces and how it should be the center of existence and how a family's routine should revolve around finding a suitable match for their son/daughter soon lest any of their natural features become problematic for the prospect of matrimony.

I want to dedicate this blog to all those people who, despite the media overflowing with all the saas-bahu serials, choose to flip the channel and watch something a little more brain stimulating. Or even something brain-dead that makes them laugh and have a good time!