I LIKE TO SWEEP IT SWEEP IT..!!!

Domestic Help. Maid. Kaamwali Bai (Henceforth referred to as “Bai”).. as she is called in Mumbai. Presenting to you.. a tribute by Channel V to Mum-bai-waali-bai..

The house-keeping or the more commonly used “Bai” industry is in great demand in today’s fast moving modern world. The husband and wife go to earn and the house maintenance and cleaning falls in the hands of the bai. Bachelors living in a group far from their respective hometowns find bai as a boon to their messy and unorganized structure of living.

I remember the time when I first moved to Mumbai and was staying with a bunch of guys from work. A decision was made and the security guards were requested to send any bai that they encounter straight to our apartment. The next day we had an aspirant who viewed this as a job prospect. She confidently agreed to our demands and picked up the broom to show us her talent.

She had hardly spanned one sixth of the 3 BHK flat when she threw the broom to the floor and called out to us. Before we could fathom the situation and get her in our line of sight, we could only hear her fading voice.. “Ghar bahut bada hai. Mujhse nahi hoga. Main jaati..” (The apartment is too huge. I won’t be able to do it. I’m leaving.) We never saw her after this encounter.

The bai that we’ve currently employed comes on every alternate day although she had promised to come every day. But her work is satisfactory. She comes in the morning as and when she desires and leaves quickly after doing her work. First of every month is her payday. I’ve noticed this over the months that whenever we pay her salary, she does not come the next day. I don’t know what she does that day. Maybe she goes out partying with her ‘bai’ friends or goes clubbing to some “Laavni” themed nightclub.

Our bai is cool and lenient when it comes to unkempt and disheveled rooms. In contrast, my friend’s bai scolds him if the house is unclean. I mean.. Excuse me! If we could have done that on our own, we wouldn’t require hiring you in the first place! That is your job, lady!

My friend was once imparting knowledge about his bai wherein he mentioned that his bai was very dedicated to her work. Anything outside the perimeter of the mattress (placed on the floor) was taken away and dumped in the dustbin. Even if that thing is partially on the mattress with a majority part of it outside the boundary of the mattress, you could bid goodbye to that thing. Such dedication and hardwork has made my friend lose high utility possessing commodities like cigarettes, lighters, earphones and the like.

The demand for bai is high as compared to the supply and efficient resources available. This has made their attitude a bit arrogant and cocky. For instance, just a few days back, our bai came up to one of my roommates and said.. “From 13^th May onward,  I will be on leave till the 5^th of June. And as per the Union, you are not allowed to cut my salary for any leaves taken in the month of May.” (Of course, she said it in Hindi! Duh!)

Nowadays, bais demand gifts. Back home, I remember our bai asking my mom for a Diwali gift! As my mom delayed the gifting event, it could be seen that her work and productivity came down day by day. A few days later this percentage plummeted to less than 50% which was conspicuous in her work. My mom then had to go hunting for a suitable gift for her. When this gift was given, her productivity shot up from the very next day like how the happiness of a long-lost thirsty Indian stranded in the Sahara Desert soars on seeing an oasis after weeks. This entire attitude was displayed because of the lack of bai resources in and around my locality. It was like she had a monopoly.

Bai seems to be an important and integral part of a busy household. One day she doesn’t report and the house experiences some tiding irregularities. We are dependent on her directly and indirectly. Some say that they can manage without her but they won’t be able to live a relaxing balanced life after a couple of weeks. Different bais have different attitudes and approach to things. There is nothing much that we can do about it.

However, we can think before we act on hiring a bai. We should hire a bai who won’t run away because the house is too huge or someone who won’t steal your valuables from your house. Hire someone who understands the way that you live. Someone who tidies the rooms without any hassles but not "too dedicated" to her work. Someone who does not fill up with rage every time an untidy place is encountered. Someone who does not scold you early morning thereby ruining your mood and leading you to vent out your anger on some innocent civilian. Someone who is sedate and calm. Keep a calm-waali bai!

ARE ADVANCEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY HAMPERING OUR THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS?

The above mentioned statement asks a serious question: Does the use of computers and other technologically advanced gadgets hamper our thinking power and deteriorate the problem solving skills that we possess? I am not exactly in accord with this statement as there are myriad fields in our everyday life where we do not utilize or come across technology but still rely completely on our intellect.

Let me first stress upon the fact that in a way technology has mastered our everyday life and habits. Even if we are in a situation where we ought to calculate something or do some math, in the unavailability of a calculator, we usually tend up unlocking our phones and getting the desired number. There is no thought given to think or to calculate mentally. This is like the most trivial scenario where we take the assistance of technology.

Moreover, what I think is that advancements in technology do not affect everyone equally. It depends on how each one of us is dependent on it. For example, a computer programmer or a web designer, someone who is into the IT sector doing technical stuff, cannot be adversely affected by the technology growth. He/she is bound to think or analyze the situation at hand to arrive at an effective, efficient and acceptable solution. Here, he/she has to think and then implement the design that has been accepted by the client. So, the “thinking” does not cease. Rather, it undergoes a continuous development process. Another example of continuous thinking involves people in the advertising, publicity and marketing fields. They acquire the inputs to their decision process via computers or other gadgets but still have to think day and night in order to devise a strategy which is one step ahead than their competitors'. They may take the assistance of computers, but the way to execute the plan comes from within the employee. There are many such examples to support this stance of mine which impacts professional fields of consultants, counselors etc.

One of the most powerful and significantly noticeable impacts of technology is in the field of medical sciences. It is through this very means that epidemics like smallpox and plague were completely wiped off from the face of this planet. There are various fields in which research is being carried out with massive involvement of technology. Analyzing the tremendous amount of data residing in the entities of nature is a daunting task which can be accomplished with ease by the use of technology. However, this influence of technology is also accompanied by the intellect of great doctors and scientists, without whom technology alone would not have done anything worth appreciating.

The life of a commuter has been made simpler by the introduction of the various modes and means of transportation. The proliferation of automobiles has facilitated man to move around and go from one place to the other. Making the use of vehicles has not made man dumber but rather it is saving him some time or taking him to a place where his intellect can be utilized for some grand and manually unmanageable task.

Internet. Almost everyone uses the Internet. It has not made man to think less but has given him an easy access to a huge amount of knowledge which he can utilize to educate him and grow as an individual. If man does not use this swarm of information for his benefits, then he is the one at a loss and fault. Technology cannot just teach you, you have to be willing to learn what technology has to teach.

After the boons of technology, shifting the focus to the cases where technology can be considered as a bane to the thinking or problem solving skills of an individual, there are various categories of professions that are impacted by this so-called technological boom. But in this case too, the impact is not in its entirety. It's just a partial impact as some thinking ought to be done. You cannot just place some pieces of metal and expect a finished and flawless car at the other end of the assembly line. Some intellect does go in the making of the car. Technology is used only to boost the speed and accuracy. Similarly, while operating a machine you cannot start a machine and expect it to do your work. You need to provide the right inputs to the black-box so as to get the final and desired output(s).

No doubt technology makes life simpler. In today's fast paced world, time is considered equivalent to money. According to the previous statement, technology acts as funding institution - it saves time! A task that could take you an hour can be done in minutes using gadgets. This time that you save can be utilized to indulge in some complex thinking and doing other chores that are an important part of our routine. But even if we have ample time in our hands, we don't take the extra effort to pressurize our brains to get what we want. In the battle for effort and convenience, the latter triumphs.

But however, computers and gadgets are made by humans. Whatever a human brain is capable of doing cannot be easily done by a technological gadget, especially when it pertains to the realms of innovation and creativity.