Getting used to...blackouts!

With only three weeks left before we set foot in Bangalore, I’m trying to prepare Abhay for life in India and what to expect when we start living in Bangalore. For starters, he has absolutely no idea what a power cut is or what it means! Abhay is in for a rather unpleasant surprise when he has to miss his favorite TV program because there is no power or has to make do with candle light at night with a scheduled power cut being right on schedule! :-)

In order to give him a peek into some of his evenings in Bangalore, I read "Blackout" by John Rocco. It is a book that presents a romanticized view of what is an everyday nuisance in India. It is a normal summer night in the city – hot, noisy and everyone at home busy doing their own thing with no one having time to play the little girl’s board game. Then, all of a sudden, the light goes out and off goes everything else – the telephone, computer and the electric stove!  The city is dark and quiet and everyone at home is huddled around flashlights and candles. When it gets too hot inside, mom, dad and the two girls go to the rooftop only to find that everyone else is partying on their rooftops, under the star studded sky! When they hear noises from below, they go down to discover a party going on with children playing on the streets, neighbors perched on the steps playing guitar and ice cream being distributed for free! Finally, mom, dad and the girls sit down and enjoy an unexpected quiet family time, all thanks to a blackout! “Power cuts seem like fun” Abhay said! May be ….we’ve probably forgotten how fun they used to be …when we were kids!  To tell you the truth, more than kids like Abhay, it is we adults who need a refresher course about getting used to all those little inconveniences when living in a place that is after all our home sweet home!!