The Ever Changing World

Year 1996 : A Visit to one of the National Banks with  my relative and I noticed a room from a distance that had an electronic machine with a display on it. After an enquiry, I learnt that it was an ATM - Automated Teller Machine. My relative chuckled and said its a waste as nobody uses it. Coming from a small town and looking at the machine was something new and I was quite inquisitive. I accepted the comment from my relative though the thought of the machine giving away the money for the customer was there for some time. Times have passed by and people cannot live without using an ATM.

As the time has passed, things have changed on a day to day life, remembering some of those things is nostalgic.In the past two to three decades, life has changed completely not just for me but for every one around. I could recollect some of those things here, and there may be many.

Antenna : This one is of the most nostalgic and I miss climbing the guava tree to go up the building,then take a pole,  try tilting the antenna towards a particular direction by looking at how others have positioned their antennas. And, shout below to your mom or aunt or father  to check if the TV is functioning with clarity. It has been over  a decade that I have seen any tv antenna.

Banking : The generation next might be oblivious to the word 'Chalan'. Long queue was inevitable to deposit money and /or withdraw cash. Perhaps, the incidence in the beginning of the article is evident for the reason of the way banking has transformed. Internet Banking, Mobile Banking , ATMs have taken over. Though the nationalized banks have  transformed, they have more trust than the private ones.!

Bulb :  Nothing lasts forever, not even the Great wall of China (someday). Edison demonstrated the bulb in the year 1879. He is one of the most influential person who has influenced life around every one. As the times have transformed, the bulb is out of production. Remembering the days when the bulb used to fuse out and you try to merge the cut tungsten wires by tilting left, right and some times it used to work also! I wish I could capture those moments !

Camera : Things that were expensive and/or rare are now ubiquitous and camera is one of them. Imagine taking a Konica or a Kodak Roll, rolling it inside the camera and getting ready to shoot for a family event. After 36 shots, you take it to print and sometimes you realize the prints have not gone bad. Not only you curse yourself, but also others whom you  clicked with the camera would have cursed you.  Such a scenario is a  history. But, the reactions after taking bad shots would be unforgettable now !

Internet :  Wheel was one of the incredible innovation (though it may not appear anymore) of all times. On top of the wheel, there were other innovations like the transport system, pulleys etc. Like wise, if computer is one of the greatest innovation, Internet could be considered as another greatest innovation that was built using the network of computers. Without Internet, computer could have been less useful. Further, Internet could be considered as wheels for Social Networking Sites. Perhaps, there are many more things to innovate in future.

Language ,Writting & News Papers:  The only time you pick up the pen these days would be to sign and sometimes to take notes. Seldom you would have written a sentence using a pen. Writing is still an art, but the use of pen is getting obsolete.  Similarly, seldom I read Kannada nor I write in Kannada, same would be the case with others for their mother tongues. And, with the round the clock news channels, social networks the importance of newspapers has diminished and rarely have I subscribed to news paper in the past 4-5 years.

Mobile Phones: Certain things that were a luxury are now ubiquitous and have become part and parcel of life. Along with Roti, Kapada, Makaan, Mobile is one of the essential needs for everyone. There was a time when we applied for a telephone and it took over 3 years to get the phone. And, receiving the phone made us feel that we have achieved something incredible and definitely there was a moment of celebration. And, now ! If you do not have a mobile,  you are looked down !

Post : Some of  the new generation are oblivious to the word 'Post' and they may not be able to associate with it. The peak of the postal department was evident through the program 'Surabhi' that used to be aired on the national network. The program used to ask questions and the public used to send answers through post and a special post was designed for participating in the competitive question. The cost of normal Post Card was 5 paise and it was such damn cheap so that even the poor can send message through post. Ofcourse, like every one I used to write post to my parents and cousins. Probably, It has been over a decade and a half that I have written anything on the post card or Inland Letter. The reason for this is evident and its none other than Mobile Phones. No doubt, the postal department it trying to transform itself, it is still the most economical way of couriering letters and any other items.

Retailing:  Organized retail is around 5 % of the total market. The recent developments in the retailing have changed the way we shop items. The ambience, the discounts, the size and the lifestyle dictates how we shop and what we shop. The Kirana Stores or the local retail outlets are not only facing the pressure but also compelled to change their profession.

Roads and The Trees : Traveling on the roads might be quicker than before, but the ride has lesser pleasure than before,  because of the trees on either side. No doubt, the highway roads are now two lanes or three lanes and the travel time from Hubli to Mumbai is now around 12 hours from 16 hours earlier. Thanks to the National Highway authority of India (NHAI) and buses like Volvo !

Scooter : Many of you might remember the 'Humara Bajaj' ad. The ad had gone viral through out the country if I can call it so. But, the scooters have diminished. We had the Allwyn Pushpak (also akin to Lambretta) bought in the early 80's, and we used to make out whether my Uncle had come home from work just by the noise of the scooter. And, we sold it couple of years ago. The mileage of the scooter was still around 25 km when we sold it.