High-tech lifestyle

Who is between you and your loved one?

To begin with, what's the universally gadget? Of course, no points for guessing that it are the mobile. Bank employee Sunita is oft busy deleting irrelevant messages and delivery reports when her husband is narrating his day at work. "No wonder, I miss half of the conversation. It's almost like a habit," she confesses. Another MNC employee Abhinav returns all the calls at the dining table. The result? Zero interaction between the couple and a boost for bad eating habits.
Another culprit causing havoc in relations is the game console. For many workaholics like Mohan, a day stands incomplete without a relaxed game. So by the time the Tekken champ hits a high score and turns to his wife to talk, she is fast asleep. "But then, it's my only way of de-stressing and she knows that," he justifies.
So does confession of an obsession for a gadget leads to better understanding, we wonder? "Surely," say Reena and Santosh. The couple has their pre-retiring to bed schedule set. Reena visits her Orkut and Facebook profile and Santosh listens to John Denver on his Ipod. What about interaction with each other? "It takes place in-between these techno-sessions," they tell. And besides, they stay in touch through out the day, thanks to Gtalk and SMS.
Now, receiving a lovely message when the work stress is getting on to one, sure peps one up but can a SMS replace the real sweet nothings? "Well, one does miss the personal touch and the face-to-face interaction," admits Reema. Another related problem is the inability to resist the temptation to check the mail or reply back to a SMS as soon as one receives it.
And then the temptation is so strong that one doesn't stop using it even when it irritates the other person.
Now, technology is a healthy boon but then, isn't it also time to review our use of technology? So people, before gadgets become more important than your dear ones, log out or switch them off!

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TEA: Most popular beverage in the world

When Amrita Pritam and Imroz moved into their Delhi house, their pact was that the lady would cook the meals while Imroz would make tea. It seemed quite a profitable deal, till Imroz most of the time found himself in kitchen, with the kettle as company, thanks to the visitors, who poured in to meet Amrita. "It was Amrita, who introduced me to tea. I came from a village background where the Hakim used to prescribe tea if someone fell sick. But after I met her, I realized the role it played in her life. The crucial part was her 1:00 a.m. teacup, when she wrote. Around that time, I would automatically wake up and head to the kitchen. She won't even look at me, but take the cup," says Imroz. Such devotion and nostalgia are difficult to find, especially when most couples prefer an instant brew. The elegant high-tea concept is perhaps alive only in Jane Austin books.
Ashwini Dutt looks sad, "While living in the tea gardens of Assam and Darjeeling, organizing tea parties had become a daily affair - especially 11.30 a.m. casual tea party and afternoon high-tea. But, I miss that kind of culture here." However, she hasn't given up the style in which she used to serve it, like hunting for China teacups wherever she goes.
A die-hard fan of garden-fresh orthodox tea, Ashwini and her husband Vikas Dutt, now make do with Green Label and Tata Gold for daily cups and Duncan's Runglee Rungliot for formal occasions. And here is how Ashwini likes her cup — put tealeaves in the pot and then pour hot water over it. Add milk later to retain the original aroma of the leaves.
Ravi Kumar is another tea planter, who got used to the routine of high tea during his postings in Assam and North Bengal. "I look back at those high teas with nostalgia, but got myself used to having the cup that comes prepared from the kitchen. However, we do organize high-tea when we use all that fine china, tea cozy and tea caps," he adds.
However, a few die-hard tea fans like Arvind and Sulekh are trying their best to keep the tradition alive. The young businessman spends half an hour every morning indulging in an elaborate tea affair. His collection includes Lapsang Souchong, Oolong Tea, Hojicha Matcha in Japanese variety, Tra Sen and Rose Hip from Vietnam, Rooibos, a South African Red Bush tea, Chamomile from Germany and Hydrangea tea from Korea. He has elaborate tea paraphernalia to enjoy each variety, the cups for his Korean tea come with an inbuilt sieve, besides bamboo whisks to make a frothy drink from the Japanese fine powdered tea.