The Prodigal Daughter

So friends, fellow countrymen, NRIs and Sonia Gandhi: yesterday I did something earth shattering, something which will ensure that my life is never the same again, something which will change the basic framework of my communication.

Yes, I finally gave in to peer pressure and bought myself a smartphone! After two months of research, discussions with cretin colleagues, inputs by tech-savvy friends and bullying by a geeky brother and fund raising from family, I am now a proud owner of a Samsung Galaxy Duos. I am yet to figure out what’s so great about it, I am still struggling with basic functionalities like receiving calls/texting/setting an alarm and I am too scared/nervous to explore too much lest I drop it/spoil it. But I am sure in the next few days I shall realize that it is god’s gift to mankind, that the whole world is, in fact, not as stupid as America and it is indeed a device which would solve all the problems in my life and make my existence a little more meaningful. After all, the power of WhatsApp is so overwhelming that it has the potential to alter my general aversion to social networking or indeed, any kind of networking.

I also bought a new watch from Citizen (simple yet classy) but I still miss the Titan Raga one which I lost in freaking Malaysia. Finally, I bought myself a very pretty churidar suit and matching accessories. So yes, I have been on a shopping spree. May be it’s the impending Durga Puja when all Bongs tend to go crazy and loosen their purse strings for a change.

Now that my credit card bill has shot through the roof, I have been having recurring nightmares of my dad chasing me with one of his dynamic excel sheets. Now you have three main regulators in India: RBI, SEBI and my dad. Not only does he manage all my investments, tax filings and demat accounts, but he also insists that I file quarterly expense reports in a complicated format where I can’t fudge information. So yes, I am dreading to send him my next one.

It’s amazing how much baggage a simple phone can carry, it’s amazing how much of your life is reflected even in a non-smart phone, it’s amazing how difficult it is to let go of a stupid ugly handset.

But now that I have a new phone and I am making a fresh start, I think I am going to be ok...