Power saver, thy name is thomman!

The one good effect this city had upon me was that it made me appreciate the value of electricity. The frequent power cuts made me realize how much energy deprived of a nation we are. Sleep one night in this city without electricity and you’ll understand what I’m saying; forget the heat and humidity, it's the mosquitoes that are unbearable. Come to think of it, the mosquitoes in my house which fucked me thoroughly at nights for ages might have become a healthy, energetic lot by now. So you see, I’m not the kind of person who is comfortable seeing electricity wasted unnecessarily. And I almost always switch off lights and fans while leaving any place; uses my mobile in power saving mode; lectures friends and relatives about the importance of saving power etc etc. And last day, I even lectured my dad seeing that he was reading newspaper while the TV was ON. Midway through while I was giving my lecture, mom comes to me and says, “Ahem, one minute, could you please come with me”, and takes me to my room. To my utter disgust and chagrin, the lamp in my room was shining brightly. Now there are times when you wish you could just fade away into thin air, and this was definitely one of those. Five seconds after staring straight into my mom’s face (which sported a pursed lip by now), the light bulb inside my brain got switched ON and shone with mighty glory. 

“You know mom, when a fluorescent lamp is switched ON, the choke acts as a step up autotransformer to increase the voltage and a high current flows through it. So if I had switched the lamp off, and then came back after a minute and turned it ON, then it would have had consumed more energy than if the lamp was working for that time. And I was just about to go back to my room. So technically speaking, I SAVED ENERGY!!”

Background music sets in while I continue,

“And by the way, chemistry people haven’t grown yet to play the game with electronics studs” (my mom is a PhD in chemistry).

Background music reaches its crescendo while I walked away in slow motion with head held high (visualize that Suresh Gopi scene in ‘Commissioner’) and giving a smug look to an agape mom. Yes, I’m impossible, totally!

Well I think my rebounding and the subsequent fiery speeches left a tinge of revenge in her mind, which was evidenced by the way she started giving me advices. But, this man will not take any beatings, quick rejoinders are to be given to stay put in this house.

Mom: Why don’t you switch that computer off and reduce power. It’ll be better for your eyes too. 
Me: Not an option. Why don’t you reduce your washing machine usage and save power? You can wash by hands and get exercise which will be better for your health too. 
Mom: Not an option. Why don’t you reduce your television usage to save power?
Me: Not an option. Why don’t you reduce your microwave oven usage to save power?
Mom: Not an option. Why don’t you reduce your music system usage to save power?
Me: Not an option. Why don’t you reduce your mixie usage to save power?
Mom (pauses for a second): Ok. No problem. Eat idli sans chutney tomorrow morning. 
Me: (Uh oh) umm errr aaa (drats!)
Mom: And there’s no sugar. So eat raw idli. 
Me: (double drats!!)

Revenge, thy name is woman.