TV

We are a home without at TV. When we moved here 5 years ago, the cable-wallah couldn't believe it when I told him.

But there we have it - the truth - our last TV was in the village of Tumbagarah. On a monsoon day similar to today a bolt of lightning struck it and it died. Sheba had just gone through the trauma of discovering a husband who wanted to watch every European Cup football match and probably thought it was divine mercy on her. Maybe it was. We never got it repaired and it probably is mouldering in some garbage tip there in Jharkhand.

But not having a TV does not mean that we don't know what is on it.

The papers and internet and other sources are enough to keep us abreast with some of the trends. After various series of 'reality shows' which included riding motorcycles across India, living in a house with various celebrities, losing weight in the company of other weight-challenged brethren - the latest is a notorious skin-showing lady who is acting the simpering bride as 10 men woo her - the finalist getting to marry her live on TV.

But the cake has to be taken by our dear friends from Turkey. Now, for the first time ever official clergical representatives from 4 faiths try to convert 10 atheists on TV - with the prize seeming to be a trip to the holy place of the faith that they are converted to. Read all about it: here.

At the end of the day, Neil Postman was right: we are amusing ourselves to death.