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At ease, ladies ’n’ gentlemen

General Thoughts, Published Articles, Reshma's Blog, The Hindu

Trends In today’s fast-paced world, convenience is what everyone strives for, writes RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA

“Do me a favour please, just get dinner from the nearby pizza outlet? I will be reaching home late,” says Sowmya N., an HR professional and colleague riding home with me on a Tuesday evening. As I look at her wondering if it is difficult to go back home and cook for just two, she defends herself. “Yaar, it is convenient and that’s what is important to me to keep me sane.”

Come to think of it, what is it that most urban dwellers want for good living? Money and a host of smaller wants. But what is increasingly dominating urban minds is the desire for convenience .

People do not mind digging deeper into their pockets to achieve a stress-free life. From what weekend shopping trends indicate in malls and food stores, we like to go to a place where everything is stocked under one roof and we can get out faster. Why? Because it is convenient. When it comes to holidays, many of us want travel schedules that suit our preferences and offer relaxation.

Obviously affordability, rising incomes and glimpses into how people are living in developed countries are making us opt for services or products that bring us closer to that kind of life. Adding to this perception is the idea that convenience is saving time and helping us to multitask. We have technological innovations that offer services through mobiles, PDAs and laptops. Firms such as At My Doorsteps, Rentoys.in and AyurShop offer groceries, toys or even ayurvedic products at our homes.

Books online

A similar initiative started over a decade ago is an online library that picks up and drops off books that you want to borrow. Says Vani Mahesh, Proprietor, Easylib.com, “Starting an online library way back in 2001 was only to cater to an audience that understands convenience using technology. In our case getting books delivered home using technology or as part of premium service is only because Internet is no longer expensive and highly reliable. Moreover, that’s exactly what our customers look for–convenience at their doorstep.”

So is convenience so important that we look for it everywhere? Says Saraswathi Rao, a homemaker and mom of teenage children, “I believe people have grown up from the struggling economy and most living in cities want to lead a good life and achieve things faster. Moreover, they are very much aware of what makes them happy. So you have people going beyond boundaries and taking help of resources and technology to save time, multitask and attain more, even if comes at a higher cost, because that is what we strive for in our lives.”

Global exposure is making people see what it means to live life smartly rather than live life on hard terms. One phase of life that has offered convenience on various levels is motherhood. Says young mother Shruthi Tripathi, “With women returning to work faster post motherhood, this stage of life has embraced many things to make the role of mother easier right from bottles to pacifiers and prams amongst host of other utility items. You even have professional nannies who come to your home at a fee to make you feel motherhood is meant to be as stress free as possible.”

The social fabric of society too has changed and it could well be one of the reasons why people are looking for comfort in every aspect of life. Perhaps 30 years ago joint families helped take some of the pressure off. With nuclear families and multi-tasking being the order of the day, urbanites are now continually looking for that comfort zone in as many services as possible.

Published in the Hindu Metro Plus on August 1st 2012

Click the link- http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/article3709622.ece

Interview with Geeta Ramanujam – Kathalaya

General Thoughts, Published Articles, Reshma's Blog

Hi

Do check this interview done for Chillibreeze. The last part is about me. Appreciate your comments.

Link to the actual article posted on chillibreeze website –http://www.chillibreeze.com/interviews/chillibreeze-interview-Geeta-Ramanujam.asp

Interviewed by Reshma Krishnamurthy Sharma for Chillibreeze

Ramanujam is a storyteller who set up Kathalaya: House of Stories, a storytelling academy in Bangalore. It is the first and the only globally recognized academy for storytelling in the world. Geeta uses storytelling as an effective educational and cultural tool in many leading educational institutions in India and abroad.

She has conceptualized a Diploma program as she felt the need to further the confidence of storytellers to take up storytelling professionally. She is also International Storytelling Network’s Indian coordinator

1. Tell us about your career as a teacher and a librarian. What inspired you to take on the art of storytelling?

I taught English and Social Sciences for over 12 years for classes, nursery to 10th grade at Valley School Bangalore, one of the alternate schools in the city. I believed in teaching everywhere using integrated learning. So I would teach under trees to explain a particular concept and when it came to history lessons to show Indus Valley artifacts, I would take the children to a potter and so on. The teaching career equipped me in dealing with children and I even designed several curriculums. I was then posted as a librarian in the school. I found that children read less so I started narrating stories to them.

It was around this time that I got an offer to conduct a week long storytelling workshop in the city. The workshop was such a huge hit that it inspired me to think of it as a serious profession. I set out to start Kathalaya in 1998 with two others but now, I am the only founder member. The other two have moved on with different interests.

From a teacher who was not even a graduate but who had valuable support from the management to complete her Bachelor of Arts, Masters in Economics, History and Political Science and then do my B.Ed to M.Ed while teaching, the journey has been challenging. I have to admit that getting into teaching was a forced career option for me. I was allowed to work only as a teacher and I had decided to make the most of the profession.

2. Tell us more about Kathalaya and your journey as a storyteller.

It is wonderful to be recognized by numerous centres and academicians as a professional storyteller. For 16 years, we have trained over 57,400 adults here and at schools and various sectors in the society. I learn something every single day from people I come across, especially children. I have narrated stories to children in urban spaces, children in rural schools and children with special needs. We recorded a set of stories and gave it as a tape to 28 schools for blind children as part of a Rotary initiative. I have traveled to various countries to do performances, to listen to stories and meet global storytellers.

We organize Kathothsava, an annual storytelling festival, our collaboration with the Swedish government to narrate stories. The journey has been marvelous with all its challenges and we hope to do well in the future too.

3. Who according to you is a good storyteller?

One who is grounded, able to communicate with his or her audience regardless of language barriers and is highly creative in communicating concepts. So you need to be highly sensitive and this reflects in your narration and the way you are able to engage your audience.

4. As an academician what is your view of children and their levels of comprehension today – are they able to understand concepts faster?

Definitely! I recall a recent incident at a workshop – I was narrating the story of how planet Earth moves on its axis; a 4-year-old child stood up, started turning around in his position, and said, this is how the Earth revolves! Probably five or six years back, I would not have even narrated such stories to kids but today, I understand that they are up to date with concepts such as hurricanes, science and nature.

5. Is storytelling only for children?

Not at all. This can be taken as a profession if you have the passion and grit to carry on. We have conducted several workshops in corporates where we narrate stories of children to professionals. It helps them in improving their listening skills, communication skills and is a great de-stressor. I have people at the end of workshop telling me they felt child-like and had gone back in memory to their childhood.

6. Do you always narrate stories that you have read or do you write them yourself?

Because I love narrating stories with an element of humour, one cannot go on with the same set of stories, I do create them as well. Maybe that would be my line of career in the future as I know I may not be able to carry on like this forever. I have written over 600 articles as a freelance writer. Now I like to write poetry and whenever I think of a new story, I write it as a gist so that I can shape it later.

7. Your advice to budding storytellers

Good storytellers are born. Learn the art of observing things around you and possibly the art of doing nothing (Laughs). Yes, it can make you can think of a situation where the leaf is swaying and telling something to the tree, a mountain talking to its passersby and so on!

8. Are you inspired by other storytellers?

Storyteller Antonia Rocha from U.S has an impressive use of language, choice of words and a beautiful voice; there are several elements that I admire about his narration. Another person is this lady from Austria, Karen who narrated a story in her home on why the “Sun does not rise every morning?” Her house was located in the mountains and it gave a completely new meaning as she was narrating it with such passion. Her narration came straight from the heart!

9. Any particular story narration that has stayed with you?

I has conceptualized a story based on a mountain in Tiruvanamalai and then narrated it the foothills of the very same mountain. It was twilight and a group of children was listening to me. It suddenly started raining and there was a power outage. After a few minutes a diya was brought. The entire scene – nature unleashing her fury, the mountains in the backdrop and the diya – everything added to the narration. After a few minutes, I noticed a few saints listening intently to the story. The moment was surreal and it will be with me forever!

Interviewed by Reshma Krishnamurthy Sharma for Chillibreeze.

Reshma is a communications executive at a leading maternity hospital in Bangalore. She is also a freelance writer and has written for the Hindu and Deccan Herald. She writes on lifestyle, women and parenting. In the past, she has worked in PR and advertising. She was also an RJ with FM Rainbow 101.3MHz for six years.

Lost without searching?

Published Articles, Reshma's Blog, The Hindu

TRENDS We have come to a stage where we are all excessively dependent on search engines — whether it’s a pasta recipe or your doctor’s analysis, finds RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA

As the Internet has become an integral part of our lives, we are now using the Web space for work, correspondence and social networking. One product of the Internet, the search engine, has become so essential that most urban users cannot think of alternative tools.

Why do we use search engines? Because it offers instant answers to whatever we ask? The World Wide Web is a huge resource, and a search engine organises the information we are looking for, whether it is a question of etiquette or resume writing, or where to watch a movie, in any form we like.

Amrita S., a homemaker pregnant with her second baby, says she uses Google and Yahoo to learn more about parenting, recipes and just plain news. “Google or any other prominent search engine ensures I am very much updated on world happenings. Moreover I do find would-be mothers or anyone who wants to know anything that a doctor has said will definitely search for that condition, therapies and medicines available and how to tackle it.”

How dependent are people becoming on search engines? For Priyanka, a class 12 student, searching is an inevitable part of her life. She looks for information on a host of topics, whether the musician or lyricist of a song she liked on the radio or in-depth analysis of a subject that has been explained in class that day.

With many websites, including search engines as part of their page, people feel search engine information is trustworthy and presented as though a friend has shared it with them. Says civil engineer Akhila Haranahalli, “I use it mostly to learn more about anything from a pasta recipe, to why a certain friend’s platelet count went up. It helps as a source of reference pictures for sketching. Yes, it is fast and gives one information about almost everything under the sun. Also, the content is trustworthy and if someone mentions something that I have no clue about, I quickly do a search and update my knowledge about it.”

Do search engines encourage students to use shortcuts? Rishabh, a class 10 student, says he is so used to Googling — when he has to look for background material for his projects, the latest wallpapers, or anything on teenage issues — that he finds it hard to manage without it even for a day. He adds that searching on the Net has made life easier for him in completing his homework or projects and that’s what gets him hooked on to search tools.

Entrepreneur and techie Sheshgiri Kamath explains how search engines became inevitable. “Search engines are a means to an end, the end here being getting information. They do make the process of getting information infinitely easier and efficient than what we did in the past. However, even if they did not exist, our need for information would always exist and the human brain would have come up with alternative ways to get this information. This could be reading, travelling or something else altogether.”

What is revolutionary is the way they now work, he says. “Search giants are already mapping our search behaviour, which enables them to show customised search results, based on our online behaviour. This is like them knowing what is going on in our head and it is simply amazing. We are already living a future, where we are being given answers, even before we can finish asking our questions. It remains to be seen just what form search engines will take in the future. ”

John Battelle in his book “The Search” states that every day millions upon millions of people lean forward into their computer screens and pour their wants, fears and intentions into Google.

That human input is what is making this phenomenon something different from the kinds of research we used to carry out. “Link by link, click by click, search is building possibly the most lasting, ponderous and significant cultural artefact in the history of humankind: the database of intentions.”

Published in The Hindu Metro Plus on April 2, 2012. Link to the article-

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/article3270919.ece

Time to get smart about art

General Thoughts, Published Articles, The Hindu

While visiting an art gallery for fun might be a distant dream, attitude towards art is changing, writes Reshma Krishnamurthy Sharma

While browsing a newspaper are you tempted to skip the art exhibition listings? Do you feel movies or malls can be entertaining but a visit to an art gallery is not for you? Is it lack of interest or awareness that keeps many people from venturing into an art show?

Indira Bhardwaj, partner Rightlines Art Gallery, feels that people commonly consider an outing to an art gallery elitist. “Over the years basic art forms like glass painting or something on fabric may have become accepted in the society but when it comes to larger canvases, people prefer to shy away. Of late there has been awareness amongst youngsters, yet I do wish that people understand art is something that is very much a part of our life!”

She adds, “One must also get rid of this notion that visiting an art gallery means you cannot look and come out without buying.”

S.G. Vasudev, a well-known artist, says the scene has changed greatly in the last ten years, but galleries will never attract the numbers that a music performance does. “It is not just traditional any more. A lot of experimentation has gone on, unlike music which is more traditional. This is slowly making people interested in art. It is also heartening to know that many art spaces are trying their best to get more people to visit them and their artist’s works.”

Strangely, while parents encourage their toddlers to draw or colour, they worry if their older child spends more time on art than on academics.

Srividya G.S., a watercolour artist, feels this is also changing. “I feel a lot of parents have realized this is a viable career option in recent times. As far as understanding on the subject goes, more people seem to understand art and view it even as an investment.” Still, she adds, buyers prefer traditional figurative art over abstract art.

Meenu Jaipuria, owner of the Mahua art gallery, says, “We have worked with children on folk art, etching and printmaking for adults, but the initiative of taking art to common person has to begin from school and institutional levels along with galleries as a collaborative effort. Thankfully parents are slowly encouraging their children to follow their talent. However, I think this ratio has to rise in huge number to make art a regular part of our life.”

Vasudev feels that society must be educated to appreciate contemporary art. “Artists should be employed by schools so that the children get better education in art. It’s time that children should be taken to museums to keep them updated on various interests in life. This has been done in the west. We do not have the habit of visiting art galleries and museums. Only when the child starts going to these places, the adults will follow.” He and other Bangalore artists have formed a group called Ananya Drishya to run workshops and lectures on art appreciation and to create a digitized library on art.

While it may be a long time before art can actually be seen in every person’s drawing room, smaller initiatives could make many of us look beyond malls and movies for entertainment.

Published in the Hindu Metro Plus on February 29th 2012.

Link to the article- http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2942086.ece

The one and only English?

General Thoughts, Published Articles, The Hindu

More and more children now speak only in English, and are losing sense of their mother tongues completely. RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA tries to figure out where the problem lies.

“Ruchika, do you want this book on Winnie-the-Pooh or the Doraemon series toys?” asks Sandhya Rao to her two-year-old at a bookstore. It may seem ordinary, but the toddler replies in a language that was never her grandmas’s or even her mother’s own. An increasing number of children, especially in urban areas, are speaking more English than any other language. Has English become the new mother tongue in many homes? Given the environments in which Gen X children are growing up, the answer seems to be ‘yes’.

One contributing factor could be that in recent times the country has seen a significant rise in inter-regional marriages. Perhaps parents feel it is better to communicate in one universal language than to speak to the kid in two regional languages.

Shiril Pinto, a HR professional, talks to her three-year-old in English. “I am in a mixed marriage where my mother tongue is Konkani and my husband’s is Bengali. As we were unable to learn each other’s languages, we have resorted to speaking to our kid in English. Also, as we have always communicated to each other prior to marriage in this language, it just continued as a natural progression of communication at home.”

Chaitra Kiran has different reasons for choosing English. “I do speak in Kannada and am married into my own community. Yet, I feel parents like me have started stressing English because we see children are not able to understand anything if they are not fluent in this language and somehow it has become the common spoken language in activity centres, play areas, in upscale apartments and so on.” Book stores, children’s activity centres, play-homes, and even workplaces encourage the use of English than any other language. The presence of international schools in cities and strict codes in even regular schools on the use of one common language has somehow pushed English into homes as well.

Moreover, parents often believe that speaking in flawless English from a young age, children are better equipped to work in global environments, so they converse in this language predominantly so that their child is not left behind.

Smitha Roy, a communication professional, did not make a conscious decision to speak in English to her three-year-old daughter Aahana. She and her husband have always spoken in English as a matter of convenience. She adds: “Somehow, even my parents conversed with me and my sisters generally in English, perhaps because we went to a convent school. I ensure Aahana learns Kannada from her grandparents. I don’t her to feel she did not get the opportunity to learn any other language.”

According to Nandini Ashok, an educator who runs a preschool, “I personally think parents these days find the interview process at the kindergarten level cumbersome. It is unfair that the child is spoken to in English, and there are lesser opportunities for Indian languages to be learnt and of course, this in a certain way pressurises parents to speak more in English.”

Yet parents who speak to children only in English are content that it is a global language and that their children will learn other languages if they are interested in them. Fifty years down the line, will we be surprised if English becomes the single spoken language and kids go to special schools to learn India’s regional languages?

Published on www.thehindu.com under LifeStyle and Society section on February 12, 2012

Kabhi, kabhi mere dil mein…

Deccan Herald, General Thoughts, Published Articles
Jan 20,2012:

TOUCHING A CHORD

Lyrical melodies or funky upbeat numbers, Hindi film music has always connected with the whole country. Reshma Krishnamurthy Sharma tries to explain its popularity.

EVERGREEN HITS Whether it is foot-tapping numbers like Ra One’s Chhammak ChhalloIt’s been 100 years since cinema officially made its presence in India. ‘Pundalik’, a recording of a play directed by Ram Chandra Gopal Torne was released in 1912, while the more well known movie ‘Raja Harishchandra’, a full-length film directed by Dada Saheb Phalke released in the year 1913. It is over eighty years since India’s first talkie film, Alam Ara, was released. The movie and its music were a big hit including the first song of Indian cinema, “De de khuda ke naam par.”

Since then songs have become a key to film plots, and except for the rare filmmakers, none dare make movies without music. No wonder then that Hindi film songs have been a major source of entertainment for generations of Indians. Just ask middle-aged people about their younger days, and many will nostalgically reel off the popular songs of that period. In fact, after cricket, it is film songs that bind the country as one.

Hindi film songs have loyalists across the length and breadth of the country, regardless of regional differences. These songs, lift arrest their mood swings, keep them away from boredom, and most of all keep them entertained and happy. For example, Abhilash Sivadas, a visual artist, says he listens to the old time classic, Kabhi Kabhi, as an anthem everyday. “I cannot work without listening to film music, which means I am listening to them for about eight to nine hours a day.”

To cater to these fans, we have private FM radio stations playing film music, just as government-run stations like AIR and  FM Rainbow which have dedicated slots for loyalists. Moreover, the key ingredient of many of our events is film music. You’ll find fans jiving to these desi numbers,  books being churned out on Bollywood songs, and events organised to pay tribute to renowned singers, musicians and others from the film industry.

What is it that makes Hindi film songs so popular that radio stations, wedding celebrations, reality shows, discotheques, and parties are never complete without them?

Perhaps, it is because this music touches our senses and emotions in a special way.  In our country audiences tolerate hackneyed plots and characters, but when it comes to music, people demand and expect originality.

A strong factor that makes or breaks a film is its music. Many times, it is the music  that lives on even after the movie is forgotten. Film music has a tremendous amount of marketing glitz attached to it and every effort is made to make it a crowd puller every time a film is released. Even if the film flops, its music connects with us over a longer period of time.

Says Prithvi Vishwanath, a very popular RJ of Radio One, a station that plays only Bollywood music, “I have grown to be a Hindi film music fan from the time I joined Radio One.”

He further adds, “I find Hindi film music very popular amongst our listeners. Clever utilisation of the media, marketing, glitz and glamour, and of course some genuinely good music make for some potent ingredients to popularise Bollywood music. At our station, although we do play retro music, but it is more of the 90s. In fact recent research results point out that our people have quite an appetite for retro music and melodies rather than fast numbers.”

Another huge fan of Hindi film music, is an active participant of a semi formal group known as Recreational-Music Indian-Miscellaneous (RMIM), which strives to remember and revive old memorable songs. Chetan Vinchhi says, “Personally I do not like most of the music churned out in the last two decades, due to the fact that songs these days are more processed and synthetic and the voice is less important. But I must admit that Hindi film music has had a mass appeal for years. Undoubtedly, it is an art form with no parallel. It encompasses the common man’s cultural identity like nothing else does.”

So whilst there are weddings and other  functions at home that have us play these songs, there are also rituals like  the Mehndi and Sangeet that depend on Bollywood’s numbers. In fact, although these ceremonies were initially region-specific, they have now become a must in  many brides’ pre-wedding itinerary.

According to DJ Jasmeet, known for his penchant for playing funky and upbeat numbers, “Bollywood music is something that has tremendous mass appeal and many understand the songs and can dance to them even if they are not very conversant with the language. A lot of people can relate to them even if they are the kind who party only once in a while.”

Its ability to provide a temporary escape from mundane worries, as well as its ability to identify with personal situations have continually contributed to the popularity of film music. It has a certain style that even someone not trained in music can appreciate. This is an advantage that film music has as other forms may demand a deeper  understanding.

Most of us remember popular songs and associate actors and actresses with them, and subsequently singers and music directors. So, no matter which genre of music is introduced to further generations, as long as movies are made, Hindi film songs are going to be evergreen forms of entertainment.

Published in the Deccan Herald Living Supplement as Cover Story on January 21st 2012.

An online link to the story- http://www.deccanherald.com/content/220789/kabhi-kabhi-mere-dil-mein.html

Where stomach meets heart

General Thoughts, Published Articles, The Hindu

TRENDS-  Bangalore’s affair with darshini hotels has been a long and steady one,  observes RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA. Even in the face of MNC eateries, what wins the foodie’s heart is the taste of home food

Even in the face of MNC eateries, what wins the foodie’s heart is the taste of home food What defines Bangalore’s culture? If you look at the lines on the street corners, the answer seems to be the darshinis. At any given time, thousands of people in the city are bent over their idlis and coffee at these convenient and affordable eateries.

Today there may be debates over how many can actually survive competition from international chains and the test of rising prices, but darshinis have ruled Bangalore for over 30 years. True darshini eaters vouch that these little joints serve as their second home, and many have their favourite darshinis for different foods such as dosas or coffee. Darshinis are everywhere. They allow diners to be themselves, without bothering about dressing up. Hot food is served almost instantaneously and diners often share tables with those from different walks of life, adding to the cosmopolitan opportunities of Bangalore. A neatly dressed corporate executive could be sharing his table with an auto driver. They need not make eye contact and yet they can both enjoy their snack or meal. Why do darshinis hold a special place in the Bangalorean’s heart?

Says Sriharsha, a businessman who eats at a darshini almost four days a week either for breakfast or lunch: “It’s no frills and that’s what attracts a person like me, where I can save time and eat food that I have grown up eating in the most economical manner.”

For Leela G., homemaker and mother of a seven-year-old, “If I am not cooking at home, the easiest, cheapest, nearest, and come to think of it, the most nutritious food that comes to my mind is getting idli or upma or some rice preparation for my son from a darshini. The international fast food chains or high-end restaurants are reserved for special evenings but something that is immediate, almost like home food, prepared in a hygienic way has to be from a darshini.”

Does she think the darshinis represent Bangalore culture? She adds, “I am not too sure about that, but I do know Bangaloreans would not want to miss out on having darshinis in the city and nothing immediately can replace them.”

Most Bangaloreans are used to eating South Indian food daily and the quickest way to find it outside their homes is to head to these tightly packed little spaces. One of the pioneers in running such a business is Radhakrishna Adiga, who runs Brahmins Coffee Bar in Shankarapuram. “It was Brahmins that started this concept of standing and eating together since 1965,” he says, “but a few others marketed their business with the word darshini and that became popular. The word darshini means having an open kitchen in front of customers.”

He points out that customers nowadays often want to sit and eat more leisurely, but he feels that those darshinis will survive that have won their customers’ hearts by serving tasty food over many years.

Darshinis are also serving food other than traditional Karnataka cuisine. Radhakrishna adds, “With just about 20 per cent who are Bangaloreans and the rest of the city population coming from other States, the food at darshinis has moved away from just south Indian cuisine to north Indian, Chinese and few other snacks.”

For Goutham Halkurke, a software consultant, darshinis are a place in which to chill out with friends. He is fond of particular eateries like Veena Stores in Malleswaram, Mangala in Srinagar, and certain SLV restaurants and Brahmins for the idlis. “If you ask me, darshinis have become part of Bangalore evolution. We have grown up seeing these eat outs, eating here, and as long as they serve food that is good they will not leave Bangalore.”

Priya Sebastian, illustrator and avid food lover, says, “I completely enjoy a snack at a darshini that is nutritious and low on calorie content compared to any fast food chain.” She cooks many south Indian dishes herself and relishes eating, either alone or with friends, at eateries that make authentic food.

As a food blogger puts it, darshinis will forever echo the vibe of Bangalore.

(Published in The Hindu Metro Plus on February 7th 2012)

An online link to the article- http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2869327.ece

It’s a brat’s world

Deccan Herald, Published Articles

PESTER POWER
They decide the kind of clothes to wear, where the family goes on Friday night dinners, which movie to watch and what books to buy. They are the new breed that advertisers hope to hook. No we’re not talking of high profile businessmen or jet-setting executives, here. We’re talking of little children. No longer, someone we can ignore or dismiss, the child has grown in more ways than one.

Consumerism has taken a tangent hitherto unforeseen in urban India. We just have to look at the way children influence our buying decisions to understand that. Marketing efforts are now directed towards this major section which is fast becoming a key segment for marketers to target. Surveys show that children are one of the strongest decision makers when it comes to family decisions.

So you have movies like Ra.One desperately attaching itself to toys, and fast food meals specifically tailored for kids at leading fast food restaurants; then there are malls, the food industry and even corporates who know an interactive session for children will be a definite success, as kids come with mothers in tow, and the situation can be utilised as a marketing event. So, when children want to frequent malls and spend time at restaurants and bookstores, you can be sure their parents will land up there, and shop, eat, or utilise some service, even if this wasn’t initially on the agenda.

This may be hard-core marketing to entice kids, and in the bargain get their parents to spend. However, aren’t kids becoming decision makers at home too? There are many families out there who instantly acknowledge that eating out decisions are made by children, who pick the restaurant and cuisine they want. Social upbringing, values taught at school, the icons that children idolise are all independent and have definite goals. These days, it is common to find young people to be expressive, extroverted and having a definite opinion. No wonder children are growing up to be assertive and opinionated and participate in family decisions.

Says Poornima Girish, a customer relationship manager who has taken a sabbatical from work to pay attention to her teenaged daughter who is in Class X, “Right from breakfast options to holidays, almost every major decision in my life gets materialised with my daughter, Deeksha’s opinion. It is obvious that in nuclear families children’s opinion is highly regarded. I remember when I was her age; my parents hardly considered our opinion in major buying decisions because the social environment was not as open as it is now. Neither were we as smart as today’s kids.”

Cute and smart kids always attract attention. In advertisements, the featured child models are shown to give tips to their parents and suggest solutions too. Children are shown to have an opinion right from the brand of dog food to buy for pet puppy, to the hair oil to get for mother, and the detergent to be used for clothes. A child’s pester power is of huge value.

The recently launched show on Colors, Badmaash Company-Ek Shararat Hone Ko Hai featuring Juhi Chawla has got her talking to kids as young as five on various subjects and each has an opinion on everything under the sun. That’s marketed as the highlight of the show and one can see kids wanting to be part of the show to prove they are smart as they hold an opinion. Children are being encouraged to be expressive in school and at home while advertisements are re-enforcing these values and opinions

Bhavana B, a marketing professional was surprised when her older son, Vishnu, all of twelve, commented on her dressing ways. “Yes, children these days are more expressive and that’s how the world works now. Children have an opinion on everything and I see all my son’s friends being assertive and influencing parents in major decisions at home. We encourage children to be open so why complain when they have an opinion or help us take decisions? Almost all our holidays are decided by my children and I have to acknowledge even my career choice was made, considering my children’s opinion and welfare.”

So you have electronic stores, bookstores, cinemas, fine-dining restaurants and branded pizza chains like Pizza Hut doing promotional activities, having a designated play area for kids, story sessions, merchandise, toys attached to favourite movie characters, to attract children. Weekends at libraries, theatre spaces, malls are sure to have fun and informative sessions to attract children. The idea is to get children enthused in these arenas and make them step in thus making way for adults too. Marketers can be sure they’ve hit the bull’s eye once they succeed in getting children convinced about buying something. Surely, when children demand, can parents refuse?

Double incomes and new lifestyles have meant higher pocket money for children. Kids have the option to spend on clothes, books, movies, restaurants, electronic gadgets, be seen at hangouts, or attend courses of their choice. The list goes endlessly on as far as opportunities for a child in an urban scenario is concerned. Technology, new career choices and education have made growing children feel it is their right to hold an opinion on every topic and they have every right to contribute to decisions at home, be it minor or something major.

Undoubtedly children are far more smarter than their parents who at that age were not allowed to even overhear the conversation of elders let alone participate in it. Today, you have parents who will involve children in a majority of their decisions, be it buying a new pet, making a career move or even the clothes mother should wear. Of course, mothers may not change their entire wardrobe, but there are moms like Kavitha Prasad, a communication professional, who gets constant feedback from her eleven-year-old daughter, Kruthi, who tells her what’s cool and what’s not.

Child psychologists and sociologists may opine that encouraging too much independence at such a young may not be such a wise thing. For how can a child of five decide on what his parents with all the wisdom of their combined ages, cannot? Parents and marketers couldn’t care less. For them at least, the world belongs to the brats.
Published in Deccan Herald in the Living supplement as cover story on December 3, 2011

The Kannada conundrum

Deccan Herald, General Thoughts, Published Articles
What bothers me is when people assume I do not know Kannada.
It has always been that either my complete name or my face makes people guess and, as an instinct response, makes them speak the language they believe could be linked to my lingua franca.  And that has been everything, except the real one.

Perhaps there are many others like me who have a name that does not reveal their identity in terms of religion, caste. To add to the confusion some faces force people to assume. When I was in college, people would often approach me and ask:?Are you an Anglo-Indian, Gujarati, Muslim and so on. I never objected to this guessing game since I found it amusing and thought it added a certain mystery to my persona.

Off late though, since the way I way dress up, I have been spoken to a number of times in Hindi, and when I replied back in Kannada, the coconut vendor or bus conductor and the flower seller would be taken by surprise.

Recently, an attendant at a cash counter in a mall asked “Kannada ata hai kya?”. When I snapped out of the thought I was engrossed in, I questioned:?“Barutte, adare Kannadalle keli nange baruto illuvo anta?” I?have nothing against the national language as it is one of the languages I speak and use everyday.

What bothers me is when people assume I do not know Kannada and speak only English. Even autorickshaw drivers look at me differently when I respond to them in Kannada. I?have often discussed with friends that they should speak in Kannada, for, others might respond in the same language.

But some of them would quip, saying Bangaloreans take pride in speaking all languages and can even sense what linguistic background others are by simply sizing them up. By this logic they conclude that Bangaloreans are cosmopolitan.

While all this might be true why don’t we speak in Kannada to the person in front of us and if they don’t understand then we could always switch to another language. Maybe that would make us Bangaloreans more understanding in speaking a variety of languages while not abandoning our own. Else, the opportunity of speaking this state’s primary language will be lost to us.

So while Kannada Prasara Parishath takes pride in teaching lakhs of students over the years their month tongue, what we as citizens can do is not to impose the language on others. And yet we must make an attempt to speak in Kannada as often as possible — if not at the workplace, at cafeterias when among friends, with shop vendors, the bus conductor and, of course, with people who enjoy speaking Kannada.

Published under Right in the Middle Column in Deccan Herald on November 23, 2011

ETERNAL DILEMMA;The great balancing act

Deccan Herald, General Thoughts, Published Articles

Managing a career is no smooth sailing with the arrival of your bundle of joy. How do scores of women do it, anyway? Reshma Krishnamurthy Sharma tries finding out

An increasing number of women living in cities and metros are career focused. However, with the arrival of a baby much changes in a woman’s life.

Many of them opt to stay at home, while those who are keen to go back to work start out with a part time job or do freelance assignments. Does motherhood mean a stop to careers even for those women who are highly career centric? Or, are there options to manage the baby and focus on one’s career prospects?

Many women admit that motherhood brings a sea change in their lives, so a career for a large number of them, is not the immediate priority. While there are some who leave high profile jobs to become stay-at-home moms, there are quite a few who join work for various reasons.

Says Shreya Rao, Product Manager, Levis India, “I wanted to start work as I did not want to feel left behind in my career. Taking care of the baby for a year full time was fine. After that, however, I wanted to get back to work. Initially, it was good, but later I couldn’t do justice either to my job or to my child. So, after a year I took a break and joined work only when my child started going to pre-school for a longer duration of time.”

In a country where raising a child is considered a woman’s duty, the elders at home too advice the new mother to take time off her job, however high her position or salary may be. But, do all women go through the dilemma of whether to resume work at the earliest or embrace motherhood for life?

Asserting her decision to resume work within six months of her son being born, Mangai Varadrajan, a project manager at a leading software company, says “When you have a good family support system, I think it is important that the woman goes back to work so as to make her feel good in life. In my case, my family and my in-laws supported me whole-heartedly and I don’t regret going back to work. But if you are happy being a stay-at-home mother then it is entirely your decision.”

Padma Srinivas, a HR consultant who is trying out freelance, consciously decided to take a break from work to look after her baby. She balances her work and life by taking up fewer projects.

Having strong family support, and the ability to manage resources in terms of arranging for a caretaker to look after the baby at home, or to get the child to spend a few hours at a day care centre, allows women the option to get back to their careers or at least look for part time or freelancing opportunities.

Before you decide to rejoin the workforce, either full time or part time, ask yourself the following questions:

*How long are your working hours? Working long hours is bound to make you exhausted and irritable. Your child will not be able to understand this and will want to be with you when you get back home. So, whatever the working hours make sure to spend time effectively with your child.

*How much flexibility do you have at work? If your child is ill, will your boss or colleagues be able to understand it? Would you want to give some more time for this phase to pass before heading back to work?

*Can you arrange alternate resources in case your regular back up support system fails? If the normal care giver has to deal with an emergency, would you be able to take care of your child and still manage piled up work and meet deadlines?

*Are you sure you will be happy with your decision? Would you feel guilty about leaving your baby with a care giver? Be sure about what you want. You must be able to take off when you feel your child needs you the most.

According to Career Counselor Janet Parameshwar, “Try to choose a work place that is woman friendly; where you are valued as a professional but where your position as a mother is also understood. Also, in case you are not able to immediately join work because of various reasons, then, whenever you join make sure to be updated with the latest developments in the industry and try to start work at the earliest.”

However she has a word of caution, “Whatever you decide, do not neglect your child at the cost of your career. Believe in yourself; If you are talented opportunities will definitely come by.”

So, if you are confident of getting the right resources arranged to take care of your baby, then there is no one to stop you. But, experts opine that accepting fewer responsibilities at the beginning and lesser hours at work — even if it means a pay cut — makes more sense towards maintaining a work-life balance.

However, if you do feel that you deserve to be in a high profile position make sure you’re guilt-free and get the right resource to take care of your baby. As someone rightly said a happy woman makes a happy mother, so take the plunge after enough thought about you and the baby.

Published in She page of Living supplement of Deccan Herald on November 12th 2011

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/204056/balancing-act.html