Embarrassing..

My Laptop (got as a hand me down from a dear friend last year) conked a couple of days back..

The service centre guys spoke like how a multi speciality hospital would talk- video chipset cud hav failed..but we need to see..if we change it, the laptop might work or may conk out fully or there will not be display..it willl cost u xxxx but we are not sure..

Else u can spend yyyy and do bla bla..

Oh! Phuckk…so these are all manufactured so that one has to throw things every couple of years and buy new one is it?

Hmm..set me thinking..I rejected blades for the simple reason there is so much imperialism and corporate greed behind ‘blunting its edge’ so that we buy n shave more frequently than it is actually required..so I said- no shaving guys..i don’t care..

Then see the clothes closely..so much of pollution..so much of water used (esp in dyeing)..so one shud avoid color garments I thought..then so much of heavy machinery process, energy intensive process..so I stopped buying clothes since last 5+ years..now slowly most of clothes are wearing out..if I have to buy it will be organic cotton, supporting livelihoods like hand weaving and natural dyeing (infact shud avoid colours even if its natural dyed)..but for now, no new clothes since a few years, as I had mentioned here some months back..

Same for almost any equipments, fancy stuff etc..

But what happens when the phone and LT conks? How many times to ask friends for hand me downs?

As I was thinking of this- my  LT conked..

And the service centre said those ominous words as most service centres these day advise- they will work on it, u pay but the product might not work later..so anyways buy a new one..

Then I went to my ‘go-to-folks’..the famous ‘buddies’..this is a bunch of my friends who together floated this IT firm and are running successfully for a decade now..but thats a digression..

Seriously, these are my go to guys..if i am stuck with a phone or LT problem, if I need a site to be launched (for eg- they helped bring out Indiaforsafefood.in within no time to help us during the safe food campaign; till date they help us pro-bono maintaining kisanswaraj website) or just about anything..

Just to add some more about them & their magnanimity, even at the cost of the length of this blogpost: - when I and a few friends took the decision to support and run the serious classic tamil magazine on sustainable agri & self reliant life style called Thalanmai, I just mentioned them that a few of us have decided to support this mag (content and financial) and our buddies jumped in to say..’here is the money to run it the next 3 months..by then u can organize all else..go, jump start.’such is their magnanimity and generosity..always, consistently..

But here it’s a diff story..so when I went there to their office to my PC doctor- Samba, the LT had breathed its last..and suddenly three of the buddies get together and decide something behind my back..but ask me to finish my work around and come back in an hour and that they have asked for a mother board ..bcos I know they know my wish for repair than replace, I went out..and when I come back they have a new laptop..

And 4 pages of  reason as to why I shud be taking a new LT..

How  much ever I told them that it aint economy but ecology and that I just cant take a new one, when I have been denying myself so many new things at various times just to live by my principles..

They push me by saying, since am anyway using technology I shud be taking the new one to ease and help in my cause/work..

They just don’t budge to accept my offer to pay either:-(

So, the long of this short story is- I have a new Laptop, thanks to buddies..

But I feel embarrassed..

Somewhere its not a comfy situation- to have got a new LT and that some one else bought it for me..