Take that darn TV set away, please<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): In traffic congested Jakarta, why would you ever
\nspend time visiting the house of your relatives or friends?
\nChances are, you'd like to have a chat with them. Perhaps you'd
\nlike to catch up with the latest news about their family. Or
\nperhaps you'd like to exchange gossip concerning your mutual
\nfriends and acquaintances.<\/p>\n
Too bad. In many homes I've visited in Jakarta, there's
\nusually a domineering third party in the living room: the TV set.
\nIt makes its presence known loud and clear. The larger the
\nscreen, the more expensive it must be and the more rights it
\nseems to have in the house. Worse, the louder it sounds, the more
\nreasons it has to be left on in the presence of guests.<\/p>\n
I dropped by a friend's house one evening to see a mutual
\nfriend who was visiting from her home town. We couldn't sit in
\nthe living room because his children and his neighbors' children
\nwere glued to their video games. These youngsters didn't budge
\nwhen the owner of the house instructed them to vacate their seats
\nfor us. Nowadays, who would condemn such disobedience? So we sat
\ndown and talked at the dining table, a part of the household that
\nought to be the most private for the family.<\/p>\n
On the past Idul Fitri, I went to a relative's house to pay
\nhomage and wish minal aidin wal'faizin (an Arabic expression
\nwhich is a prayer that fasting has purified them and Allah
\nbestowed on them His heavenly reward for the month of self
\ndenial). That was not the sole purpose of my respectful visit,
\nthough. I also thought it was a good opportunity to find out how
\nhe was, since I see him only once a year. But there was no
\nchance. The local comedy \"Srimulat\" was on Indosiar and the TV
\nset was blaring. The distraction was unconquerable. We couldn't
\nhave a conversation together so we ended up watching Basuki and
\nNunung, the group's stars, together with all his other guests and
\nfamily members.<\/p>\n
But the TV set can also be a powerful weapon. If you don't
\nreally like your guests, just turn on the TV, assign it the role
\nof a host, and disappear. Still, that's not quite a polished way
\nof saying \"get out of my life\".<\/p>\n
Why do so many people put the TV set in the room where we
\nreceive our guests? The problem is basically the same everywhere.
\nTV sets have grown bigger while our houses have become smaller.
\nFinding a suitable place for that huge 28 inch screen is becoming
\nmore difficult, especially if you insist on sharing the enjoyment
\nof audiovisual entertainment with your housemaids and your
\nneighbors.<\/p>\n
But should the TV really be in the living room? In my small
\nhouse, the 21 inch Toshiba hangs on the wall of my bedroom. It
\ndoesn't take up much space. It does make my bedroom look more
\nlike a hospital ward, but that doesn't worry me. At least when
\nthe TV tax man comes, I can cordially invite him into the living
\nroom and show him I don't own a TV set.<\/p>\n
If you can't find a better place for your TV set than your
\nliving room, remember that the tube should not be allowed to
\ngovern your life. Whatever entertainment it may offer you,
\nremember it's not a great loss. While opportunity never knocks
\ntwice, TV programs knock endlessly. If you miss a program because
\nyou have guests, remember you're not really missing anything.<\/p>\n
The next time you have guests in your living room, please turn
\noff the TV set, especially if you know they have had to brave
\ntraffic jams to get to your place. Or, better still, put it away,
\nout of sight and out of mind. Your guests have come to see you,
\nnot to watch TV.<\/p>\n
-- Zatni Arbi<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/take-that-darn-tv-set-away-please-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }