There and Back Again

I was back in Bombay for the holidays which, don't you know, is always a smashing time to visit. Firstly, it's the coolest weather one can expect (clocking in at a marrow-curdling 85F), and secondly, it's the one time of the year when the snappy "Jingle Bells" ditty belted out by the building elevator (to signal that you've neglected to close collapsible grate), is actually appropriate.

Primary purpose of the trip of course was to hang out with the old hive over Christmas-break, but as a side-benefit, I got to celebrate a dear old friend's (Michael's) decision to feed for life out of the same bucket with the lovely Fiona.

While the wedding itself was awesome, the part I enjoyed most was chewing the fat with all the old school friends that I hadn't seen in almost a decade (sometimes more!). What's interesting about a large part of that crowd is that they have practically no internet presence to speak of, and I've had no easy way of getting in touch with them.

Except, apparantly, for Facebook.

While I've heard rumors that Orkut is all the rage in India, everywhere I met up with old cronies, I was presented with the question: "Are you on Facebook?" So there, suddenly, was the "one good reason" I'd been holding out on signing up with Facebook for. And I have to admit, it's pretty scary how many denizens of the old haunts I've been able to find on there.

I still think the site is not all it's cracked up to be, and most of the "applications" are an utter waste of time (send me another stupid "gift" and by Apollo's bronze behind, I'll un-friend you, I swear). But the potential for connection discovery is awesome. Somewhat similar to LinkedIn, but for the non-professional side of your network.

But that brings up the question of social context. I'm part of something like a social network on Flickr/Blogger because the sites are particularly suited towards sharing of ideas within the social context of the photographic community. It'd be hard for Facebook to be the generic social platform for every social context: photography, basket-weaving and physics? That's why I think 2008 will be the year that the industry realizes this and sprouts an eczema of social aggregator companies that claim to unify the experience across properties. This will be an interesting circus to watch...

Misplaced in Translation

A recent trip to the motherland (pun unintended until I noticed it) made me realize that growing up in India placed a few words in my vocabulary which --- while rarely used now in the Republic --- bring a nostalgic sniffle:

• gum-boots: Hideous rubber boots that we wore to school during the monsoon at the age of about 6. Wonderfully watertight, but that only meant that the water dripping into them from the raincoat sticking to your knees had nowhere to go.
• lift: Elevator. But not the fancy-schmancy stuff with the automatic doors. These are the ones with the collapsible metal grating which you have to drag open and shut. Oh, and if you don't shut it completely, you'll be haunted by the midi-style "Jingle Bells" all your life.
  
• "yoo-dee-clone": This mysterious fragrant stuff that my grandmother believed would cure everything from colds to fractures. When I got around to reading, I found out it was eau de cologne.
• flat: Apartment. Not rented but owned; in a building where everyone knows everyone else and their birthday.
• chai: Not the strawberry-raspberry-mango flavored foo-foo crap that Starbucks foists. This is the real stuff. Sold at most street corners (milk and sugar included) and strong enough to make you sit up and bark. Perfect during the monsoons while those gum-boots are drying off. If you're in a hurry, you can ask for a "cutting" (half) serving. By the way, do any of my non-desi readers realize that chai means "tea"? So when you ask for "chai tea" (with or without the passion-fruit infusion) you just sound kinda silly?
  

Anyone else have a list they want to throw in?