Ranting about Hyderabad and kids who are not familiar with it, studies and careers!!

Yesterday, went out to buy some books in Abids. Shanti and Varun (my uncle’s kids) also accompanied me. After buying the books, I said let us go and have some ice cream. So I took them to Famous Ice cream in Mozamjahi Market and ordered Seetaphal ice cream. This is the season for Seetaphal (custard apple) and is one of my favorite fruits. That is one fruit I do not mind eating at any time. Unfortunately, I haven’t been here in the season to get to eat in the past 10 yrs or so. And Famous Ice cream is really famous and is one of Hyderabad’s landmarks for those who are familiar with it. The ice creams are hand made and you also get these seasonal fruit ice creams depending on the season. And I thought we were lucky to get Seetaphal ice cream. Santhi and Varun each took a bite and pushed away the ice cream. They did not like it. And they finally ate Butter scotch. Then from there, we went to do some more shopping and I proposed lunch. At Basheer Bagh, I told them, lets eat at this place “Oris”(I think that’s the name. Its new, but well recommended) and Varun said, no, lets go to Paradise. This was an extremely good turn. I thought they can appreciate at least some of Hyderabad delicacies. So, off we go to Paradise. We went into the AC section, and I ordered kababs and Biryani for me. And what did they order???? Butter Nan and Paneer Butter Masala. Absolute disgrace!!! There is no other easy word for it. Eating Nan and paneer at paradise. I really felt the founding fathers (ok, no founding fathers for Hyd, but atleast the people of history who have eaten at paradise before) turning in the graves.

This is so sad!! These kids were born and spent all their life around Hyderabad. Whatever be the reason, going to Paradise and eating Paneer!!! How can kids miss out on Hyderabad? Kids today, in general, do not know where Chor bazaar is, what is in Salarjung Museum, Where and what is laad bazaar, the story of Charminar, the food of Hyderabad. L So sad!! I tell them, this is Ramzan season, let us go to Madina and have Haleem and roti, and they stare at me. They do not know what is qubbani ka meetha, do not know what qubbani is, in the first place.

All they know is Hyderabad central, Prasad’s Imax, snow world. How can such a thing happen? Are the parents to blame here, for not teaching the kids about their history and the greatness of their city? Or is the school system? Or the Media?

History in general is such a neglected topic in life. Today I was telling Amrusha (one of my nieces) some stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and in general history of AP. I was very glad that she was at least partly interested in those stories and asked some good questions. I never had anyone tell me any stories in my childhood. I had to read them up myself from the comics and up. Just for that reason, I always feel like I missed out on a lot when someone tells me their parents or grand parents tell them stories and so on. My parents were always behind us to study and study. I hated it so much. Why are parents in general so fixated on Math and Science? Why does everyone expect their offspring to become Engineers or Doctors? They are even ready to pay such huge fees for that. Don’t they realize that, those kids who do their Engineering and Medicine by spending so much, might actually harm the country and population more??

All these Engineers, coming out of college and they do not know even the basics of a circuit or basic conversions. It makes me so sad to see that our education system has become so skewed. God help people who go to those Doctors who have a degree but no brains. There is no awareness about other careers outside the Sciences. Why doesn’t the media create awareness about those other options available for people? Everyone wants to be a computer graduate. No one wants to invest time in research or history or even statistics for that matter.

India has already screwed up its population ratios and now it is screwing up the education system by giving college licenses to every one who applies. Norms are violated left and right. No one cares. And this is the worlds largest democracy with the most screwed up bureaucracy and even more idiotic law makers who come up with nonsensical laws. One thing they do not fail to come up with, are the salary hikes every year.

Oh my country! I weep for thou!!

Lousy politicians, lazy bureaucrats,

Greedy and corrupt,

They vie for ruining you the first.

Illiterate and an ignorant populace,

Who have a hazy idea about you and freedom,

Who do not care about you!

Oh my country!

Camouflaged by darkness,

Hunger, as bright as lightning

Ignorance, as loud as thunder.

Corruption seems like heavy rain,

And poverty is like deep floods!

Forget the past, leave today behind

Lets imagine a new future and a new beginning.

Lets look forward to that glorious future where

Its sunlight all around you and everyone is happy!!

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