We have been thinking a long time about buying a music system.
Our last music system died before we packed up from Hounslow to move to Reading, three years ago. Since then, the DVD Player/PC doubled up as music players while we decided which music system to buy.
Bose had always been a clear favourite. We visited its various showrooms in London, Oxford and Delhi to look at the models available. The trend is digital, so it was always the iPod dock that appealed to us. But the Bose guys would always create a doubt with their sound and theatre systems.
We had almost made up our mind to go in for an iPod dock when the India thing happened. So, we decided to pick one up when we got to Delhi. Seven months on, we were still researching - wondering what happens when/if we return to the UK? Surely, 50,000 INR is a sizable expense considering we would have to buy an iPod as well.
What made our decision easier was the television in India. At best, it is vaguely interesting. At worst, it is idiotic. Despite the hundreds of news channels, there is hardly anything worth watching as they are either itching for a war with Pakistan or China or are busy pushing a news agenda that is more about crime, sports, films and godmen than about anything of substance.
Of course, the little one is glued to kids' channel, Pogo - with its local superhits like Chhota Bheem and New Adventures of Hanuman and international superhits like Tom & Jerry, Pink Panther and Animated Mr Bean. Summer months have meant that she had been watching more TV than she used to. And watching more TV means watching more commercials - Coke, Maggi, Cadburys, McDonalds, KFC etc etc.
On Friday, I went and picked up a Sony Micro Hi-Fi. It is very much like our old music system and is just the right size for our lounge/dining area. It plays CD, cassettes (you never know when you need it) and even music from a USB device
Life has been very different since then. The little one keeps listening to her perennial favourites - Rock On, Delhi 6, Ishqiya and 3 Idiots - while I and my better half are rediscovering western music. The best of Snow Patrol, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Rod Stewart, Robbie Williams and the recent albums of Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga are occupying about 1.2GB on the 4GB USB device at the moment.
The TV hasn't been switched on all of this week. The little one did use it to watch Pogo over the weekend, but it is nice to hear her say "Can you play my music, Dad" as against "Can you switch the TV on, Dad" that she used to say before.
That reminds me. I still need to get her the soundtrack of the film, Kites.
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