Experiment!

Traditional, poor, orthodox, spiritual and…. Tandoori Chicken Tikka! This is what most foreigners think when they think India. Or should I say used to think? Because India and Indians are changing, and how! Many of us would call it the GenX syndrome or the Internet revolution or the Satellite television age. But I being one of the wise ones (and credit hungry) in this blessed country would like to put it this way that all the changes we have been witnessing are because we Indians have finally opened up our hearts – minds – souls. In my dictionary, the X in GenX stands for EXPERIMENT!

Time for my famous examples to explain my blabbering. Half a year ago, hardly a few would have known Sebastian Vettel or knew which team Fernando Alonso races for (which is Ferrari by the way) or knew anything more about Schumacher other than the fact that he is a celebrated car racer. In fact my neighbor did not even know what the F in the F1 stands for!  But with a few days to go before the F1 racing is finally inaugurated on Indian Soil (specially treated for the event, mind you!), the whole nation is going berserk! Everywhere I go, people are talking about it, buying tickets (at exorbitant prices!), planning F1 themed parties and what not. Seems like Cricket would be having some tough competition in the near future. And not just from F1. Maybe from Basketball or American Football or Rugby or Golf!

Well, the point that I am trying to raise is that we have solemnly opened ourselves to experimenting. We are not hesitant to explore little explored territories. No wonder we have so many restaurants exclusively dedicated to Chinese, Italian, Japanese and Mexican cuisines (By the Sancho’s is a great place if you are looking for authentic Mexican in Delhi).

We have begun experimenting with sports, food, fashion, even what we want to see on the television. And before we realized it, the others did. They saw tremendous scope in this country. So they took up the task of taking us on a journey of the less travelled road; and our enthusiasm, which exuberates from our pockets, increases the number of zeros in their profits! But I certainly don’t see anyone complaining.

But I hope that on seeing this adventurous streak in the GenX, the landline generation doesn’t think of it as a further increase in the chasm which still divides India into two generations. And I don’t hope in vain. Because slowly, but surely, we have been able to coax their rigid minds to open. And every little experiment they open up to, marks a new ray of hope. Guess what, my Dad loves Mexican cuisine and my Mom almost owns the same number of denims as I do!

Let’s keep experimenting. J