Me and iMac

Guess this Saturday night was a night of smiles. I got flooded with memories that were way too back of my mind. I am happy. Thanks to the movie "Steve Jobs"! The genius Mr.Jobs, whose idea for easy to use devices, has made most of the world accessible just by the touch on the screen. But back then in 1998, little did I know or admire this genius man. Today after seeing the movie, I now know what I missed that time.

I got my first job in 1998 (thanks to DC) at a computer store that had just opened a branch office in Pune. The name of the store was weird and confusing - "Rahul Commerce". People always had the question of why it was named so and why not give it a regular computer store name. The owner didn't bother about the questions, for he knew exactly what it stood for. There were 2 computers in the store when I first joined. One was a regular PC and the other a Macintosh. I got the job because I knew MS Excel and Word. The boss used the Mac. It was weird looking and always made me think why would he use that old computer. I was just out of college and had hardly ever, almost never, heard of a Mac. When asked, I was told it was almost a 10-year-old computer and has been working without any problems since then. I also was told that the store was the first in India to have imported a Mac and started selling it. They had sold a few, but not many bought it. Though I didn't know then, but now I feel privileged to have put my hands on that Mac! Thanks to Mr. DS!! I remember my Compaq PC crashed almost every month. But the Mac stood tall, I mean small, and never surrendered to the voltage fluctuations.

Then maybe a few months later the boss started talking about the iMac. What on earth! Now, what would that be about? There was no Google, so I couldn't (never thought) search about it on the internet. We just waited for it to be delivered. And it arrived... the first ever iMac, in Pune, in front of my eyes! What a beauty it was! Aqua color. "So the CPU is in this?", "that mouse is so small!", "those are the speakers?", "this keyboard is light as a 100 pages notebook!" For heaven's sake! What on earth and how and why and who??  Steve Jobs my dear, Steve Jobs! And that's when I fell in love with the genius. Who would have thought? The compact design, different color options, simply wow! It was difficult to explain the design at home. People came from everywhere to see the iMac. It was an unbelievable device for us regular Indians. "Where is the god damn CPU?" was the most commonly asked question. People doubted its reliability. Then the price was outrageous too. Who would buy that thing, and why? But DS never bothered about the questions. He knew there was a market for it. We did manage to sell a few around the country.

When I saw the iBook - the small colorful laptop, I once again fell in love. I vowed to myself to buy the iBook someday, the orange colored one was always on my mind. But then, times changed. I got married to someone, who was just like the people who walked into my office to see the iMac and never trusted it. But now he swears by the genius design.

My eyes welled up while seeing the iMac and its launch in the movie today. Now with the "i" revolution taking over the world, I feel privileged to have got to use the old Macintosh devices. Thanks to RC and Mr.DS, I am forever indebted to you to introduce me to Mac. Ever since the iMac, I have been a devout admirer of the pioneer and genius, Mr.Jobs. Perhaps that is why my child was born on the same date as his birth date. (Yes, yes! Right now there is this huge smile on my face!) Who knew!

I salute and bow to you, Steve. Thanks for making the world a better place by your designs.

I love my ear muffs :)

Early spring, I bought new ear muffs. It was a difficult find, but I really needed one. I love it for so many reasons – it makes me look cute, it’s purple and fluffy and soft, it blocks the cold wind entering my ears, thus helping me not getting sick. Also, it prevents me from tying my scarf around my head-ears-neck and avoid a few scary stares. No, I’m not scared but people are scared of my scarf and brown skin color these days. I never imagined that a humble scarf around my neck would scare people and label me as a Muslim.

Nothing wrong in calling me a Muslim, as people have always liked guessing my religious profile. But that was in India, as I was always a darker shade of brown. In India everyone is profiling you by your shade of brown and in US, everyone calls any shade of brown – a Muslim or as long back Priyanka Chopra had said, “Arab”. Say whaat??

With the recent happenings across the world and the US elections, every brown person is looked at suspiciously. I get stares for even opening my purse in the train or bus. I had never traveled frequently by public transport before in the US. The overall experience is new and less chaotic as compared to the desi commute. It happened first time when I felt that I was looked (stared) at even while I opened my purse. A lady stared at me continuously – which was pretty odd – till I stopped fidgeting with my bag and scarf. I smiled slightly, but she looked away. I should have ignored the incident, but could not, as such small but irritating reactions happened a few more times.
From where I come in India, I am used to covering my head, face and hands with a scarf or a dupatta to protect the skin and hair from the scorching sun or the cold wind and drive around like a terrorist – openly! Then again, some Americans hardly know India and for them to know the Indian weather for that matter, is out of their world (American) knowledge.

I always wondered why Bella from office didn’t ever smile at me, while talking and laughing with everyone around me. Until, last month when she “dared” to ask me (with a forced smile), “So, are you fasting for Ramadan?” Ting! The bulb above my head shone so bright, so bright that it reflected on my teeth with a not-at-all forced smile and I replied, “I’m not.” I have the complete right to keep my religious identity in wraps. I ate a piece of doughnut right before her eyes and walked away, while she “tried” to smile back.

Yesterday at the office party, a guy literally tried to force me to eat barbeque pork and also trying to convince me it was chicken. Little did he notice that it was clearly written on the food tray as “pulled pork”! Nice try, dude! With the amount of food in your plate, it was clear you were hungry, but what you really need is to pull that pork out of your brain – and take in the food of knowledge which you have in abundance on the interwebs.

To my surprise, these reactions and responses to my skin color were not as common as it has become now. I have met so many Americans who have appreciated my country, my culture and I respect the US culture and the freedom of expression it allows me (which is also there in India, that is why we desis quickly adopt US as “home”). Many dream of coming to this great county to live the American dream and freedom. Winds of change are affecting many countries, mostly in a negative way. The negativity that has been flowing rapidly in the country for the past few months, reached the UK at a lightning speed.

In elementary school years, there was always an essay topic to write about – “My favorite festival” and most of the kids always ended up writing about Holi. There was a common sentence in everyone’s paper – “Holi is the festival that brings people of all religions together”. I feel there should be more cultural festivals throughout the world to celebrate various cultures. Let people know who your neighbor is, what kind of food he eats, what customs he follows in his country. Less of religious symbols and more of happy, smiling faces. No one should judge you by your attire or your skin color or your scarf or your hat or the food you eat.

The world needs more of love and understanding. I fear for my fellow women commuters from other cultures who have to wear a scarf for religious reasons and who bravely accept the stares and conclusions from the person sitting across them in a bus.

For me, ear muffs are the way to go! It’s purple and warm and fluffy.