It is that time of the year when schools wind up an academic year and the children get a much needed relief to recharge themselves for another high pressure year. The trains and the buses to all destinations run full as everyone is roaming around on their summer vacation. This time around, I had my cousin, nephew and niece over at my home for a week of their summer vacation.
I couldn't but resist rewind back to my school days when my sister and I travel to my uncle's place in the outskirts of Trichy. We used to leave punctually on the day of our last exam and return a day or two before the school re-opens. I also couldn't resist noticing how different the pass times are now and back then. We used to wake up late as a routine and have some 'health' drink with at least 23 nutrients. Then, my aunt will offer us some biscuits. There used to be more of my cousins of varying ages who have joined us on the vacation. When we open the biscuit tin, invariably we will be short of one or two biscuits and one of us will offer to share. Well, if that happens now, the kids don't hesitate to drive up to the nearby store in a scooty and buy more biscuits :).
We used to urge or pester our aunt to take us to Cauvery for our bath. We have to cook up a story to the very little kids who cannot join us and make a stealthy trip to Cauvery for a good two hours. When we come back home almost mid noon, our tummies will already be ringing in the lunch bell. After a good meal, we will nap, or play dice with cousin, aunt and grandma too. In the evenings, we will team up for cricket in the back yards of our homes. After an absorbing hour or two of cricket, we will freshen up and rush to the temple at the end of the village ('agraharam') for hot prasadam.
Kids rarely get out of homes now in the sun. Anyway, even if they are willing to venture out, the over protective parents and the ever increasing heat don't seem to give them much of a choice. They are physically in the same room but socially disconnected as each one is Subway Surfing or Temple Running in their own smartphones. No fighting or crying over a lost dice game, or a card game. Basically, technology has killed all the fun in growing up.
Summer vacations in those days were used to be about a lot of petty things, a bath in the river or a canal, plucking mangoes (most of the times stealthily) from a nearby house, or fighting for a place in the swing at uncle's home, or running a cycle tire, or playing cricket in the scorching sun, or making a bow and arrow with broom stick piece and twine thread.
Nowadays, I guess we plan the vacation far ahead of time and spend all the energy in anticipation. We freeze all the plans and squeeze the fun out of vacations. Pick, click and book your package and get ready to run through the schedule your tour guide has put up for you. How much fun can it be when you exactly know what you are going to do on every day of your vacation?
I couldn't but resist rewind back to my school days when my sister and I travel to my uncle's place in the outskirts of Trichy. We used to leave punctually on the day of our last exam and return a day or two before the school re-opens. I also couldn't resist noticing how different the pass times are now and back then. We used to wake up late as a routine and have some 'health' drink with at least 23 nutrients. Then, my aunt will offer us some biscuits. There used to be more of my cousins of varying ages who have joined us on the vacation. When we open the biscuit tin, invariably we will be short of one or two biscuits and one of us will offer to share. Well, if that happens now, the kids don't hesitate to drive up to the nearby store in a scooty and buy more biscuits :).
We used to urge or pester our aunt to take us to Cauvery for our bath. We have to cook up a story to the very little kids who cannot join us and make a stealthy trip to Cauvery for a good two hours. When we come back home almost mid noon, our tummies will already be ringing in the lunch bell. After a good meal, we will nap, or play dice with cousin, aunt and grandma too. In the evenings, we will team up for cricket in the back yards of our homes. After an absorbing hour or two of cricket, we will freshen up and rush to the temple at the end of the village ('agraharam') for hot prasadam.
Kids rarely get out of homes now in the sun. Anyway, even if they are willing to venture out, the over protective parents and the ever increasing heat don't seem to give them much of a choice. They are physically in the same room but socially disconnected as each one is Subway Surfing or Temple Running in their own smartphones. No fighting or crying over a lost dice game, or a card game. Basically, technology has killed all the fun in growing up.
Summer vacations in those days were used to be about a lot of petty things, a bath in the river or a canal, plucking mangoes (most of the times stealthily) from a nearby house, or fighting for a place in the swing at uncle's home, or running a cycle tire, or playing cricket in the scorching sun, or making a bow and arrow with broom stick piece and twine thread.
Nowadays, I guess we plan the vacation far ahead of time and spend all the energy in anticipation. We freeze all the plans and squeeze the fun out of vacations. Pick, click and book your package and get ready to run through the schedule your tour guide has put up for you. How much fun can it be when you exactly know what you are going to do on every day of your vacation?
