Had been to Bombay (Mumbai) recently and things were not the same.
It was supposed to be the peak time for kite season but hardly any kites in the sky.
Things were quite different when we were kids.
Kite flying was one of the in things those days and we almost had a sprain in the neck from constantly looking up at the sky.
The mad scramble for the kites starts when one of the kites get cut off and then that becomes the property of the boy who gets hold of it first.
On the way down it could get tangled in a tree (like in the picture above) or it could be caught by the smartest boy in the alley. Remember Hassan in “The Kite runner” ? He knew exactly where the kite would fall and would head in that direction.
Here was a kite which was lying on the ground …… and no takers.
These three pictures were clicked in a big housing complex where there were plenty of kids.
Could we attribute this to the present day kids who are more comfortable playing games on the TV or busy with their fancy phones / ipad / kindle / notebook / etc and all sort of physical activities are kept aside?
11 comments:
At first when you said kites, I thought, gee, haven't even seen a kite in years. We used to make kites out of old newspapers back in the day.
The only time we played indoors was when raining, and then it would be monopoly or something.
aww. when traditions just don't mean the same to the next generation, it is rather sad...
Ha, all we need for the K now is Charlie Brown and his Kite eating tree. Ha ha. WE made kites from balsa and newspapers, along with strong string to fly it with.
Best regards to you. Ruby
Even I was in Bombay a few days back, and I don't blame anybody for not flying kites these days, for did you notice how hot it is these days, not like the good old days when spending time outside was most welcome. Those days were different, although the summers were hot, but never so hot, we could be playing all kinds of games outside from Gilli Dhandha to what not.
Now with more people, more pollution, more buildings, and less space , and more heat, I can understand children wanting to stay indoors and play indoor games,children are left with no choice, sad for them, but it is a fact that one cannot deny.
i only made a kite once as a child, but it really is sad that most children these days aren't playing outside anymore. my father would've never let me play a game on his computer and, anyway, i was much happier to do other activities! x
I was not lucky to fly a kite. But when I learn about kites in text books, I used to wonder how a kite flies..I am not yet clarified about the science behind it..
This reminds of my younger days in Chennai, when I was fully involved in making kites, coating the thread with barley and glass powder and fighting to cut down the other kites which fly. We called this Kite fight as Deal. This was a great attraction for us kids for at least a month. As far as chasing the cut kites was a great excitement especially if it is a good kite. Me and my friends will chase the kites for long distances sometimes in alleys and sometimes in busy roads. But then we always had a trick up our sleeve. If we can't get the kite we will punch and tear it from the hands of the person who got it. This is a terrible thing to do but then as kids we were very naughty and mischievous. All said and done it was an exciting life. I wish I was young again. In addition to kite flying we also used to play gilli thandu,marbles, poke which is a game with cashew nuts and a stone,caroms etc. The holiday season used to be great fun.
Best wishes,
Joseph
I'd love to see more people flying kites! Last weekend I saw several couples flying kites and it was surprising, simply because you don't see it that often anymore. Makes me want to get out there with a kite and beat the odds. :)
Hi Haddock, Many thanks for stopping by Pen and Paper, I do hope you weren't too disappointed to discover my post wasn't about Bond Girls. Anyway, nice to have met you, I enjoyed your post as it took me back to many a happy childhood day.
Awe...my grands love to fly kits and with the wind we've had lately Kite flying is great! Thanks for stopping by my blog for my Friday Favorites. Nice to meet you. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
Yeah.. I agree. Kids these days are more inclined to stay inside and play video games... It is quite sad.
Amanda
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