Third World Designer
2005.08.24
I was sitting, as usual, at my home computer (an ancient PIII with a 14″ monitor that shows signs of failing) playing with a comp for a website when I heard the kids’ laughter. Our little neighbours, brother and sister, were playing with polythene bags. They had attached strings to make the bags look like parachutes, and were throwing them up in the air. Every successful landing was cheered with a squeal of delight.
Those kids live in a single room house, made out of rough wood planks, sitting on illegally acquired government land. One wall faces a stinking canal, the kind that would make a sensitive first world citizen puke. They get water from an illegal extension from our own water supply line. As far as I know, they don’t have anything resembling proper sanitation. Life doesn’t get much more difficult than that even in a so-called third world country (unless you’re from a forgotten nation in Africa, where you’re destined to die your unheard death from starvation).
But these kids go to school. They play. Once I saw the little sister swinging like a monkey on a rope hung from the roof. They send parachutes. They laugh. They remind me of my early childhood, those beautiful days I spent in a remote village among my always-smiling third world relatives.
You see, these mundane difficulties don’t make us laugh less. Sometimes, they are the reasons why your achievements are sweeter. I see it happening everyday at work, when fellow geeks try desperately to update a site over a failing internet connection.
And when I hear someone say you need a Mac to do graphics, or you need a T3 to do websites, I laugh the laugh of a third world designer.
21 Comments
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Gerard McGarry
August 25th, 2005 at 3:22 am
I love your attitude! Wish more people could see things from your perspective!
The kids you describe sound so much like my own children, yet they are worlds apart - geographically and culturally.
I hope you continue to hear that laughter next door!
Prabhath
August 25th, 2005 at 9:46 am
Yeah, me too :)
Dulan
August 25th, 2005 at 10:07 am
Totally agree with you.
The high you get out of doing something spectacular with what most people would say are “insufficient resources” is beyond explanation.
mat
August 25th, 2005 at 3:47 pm
Shit, but I just got myself a Mac.
Tinus
August 25th, 2005 at 4:41 pm
My ex-girlfiend was (adopted) from Sri Lanka. I have a soft spot for that country since I met her.
Prabhath
August 25th, 2005 at 4:49 pm
Mat: Haha… of course, I wouldn’t say no to a Mac if I could afford it.
Mahangu
August 25th, 2005 at 8:09 pm
One of the best blog posts I’ve seen (anywhere) in a long time. Right up there with your Bamboo Canon entry. We need to post this on the new blog as well. :)
Prabhath
August 25th, 2005 at 8:40 pm
When Mr.Copywriter says it, you are flattered.
Tye
August 26th, 2005 at 6:29 pm
Superb - I do have a Mac and I do do Graphics… but I love your style more :)
Matt Robin
August 27th, 2005 at 8:05 am
That’s a good laugh…and I hear where you are coming from (even though I’m not in the Third World….I’m not cutting-edge either though)
Macs, T3s…it’s a nonsense really isn’t it?! :)
Prabhath
August 27th, 2005 at 8:18 am
Matt: Design is about bullshit afterall :)
Usabilidoido&hellip
August 27th, 2005 at 8:05 pm
Resultado do Perfil Semitico com leitores
Pesquisa aponta preferncias dos leitores sobre o design grfico do Usabilidoido.
Usayd
August 28th, 2005 at 4:02 am
Touching, something that people in the Western world seem to often forget…
Kev
August 28th, 2005 at 8:59 am
Great post Prabhath. And a great reality check.
Prabhath
August 28th, 2005 at 5:53 pm
Thanks guys.
Camille Clark
August 30th, 2005 at 2:56 am
Thank you. Necessity is the mother of quality, sometimes.
We can get very distracted with the “bells and whistles” of life as well as those of computer capabilities.
Nisadas » Life on t&hellip
September 2nd, 2005 at 12:47 am
[…] day sadly face in our island home. Having read Prabhath’s wonderful post on being a Third World Designer the theme of this movie was even more relevant. A fascinating point tha […]
P Kanth
September 4th, 2005 at 2:48 am
I can feel it when I read your post, what makes me sick is the way we treat ourselves as people at one end people are dying of hunger and you have others fighting for trivial reasons which have no justification what so ever.
A little bit of humanity and sense of belonging might change all that. None the less its nice to see people being happy in there own little worlds with what they have.
I miss that childhood, when I used to look forward to going back from my school and run in to the street to play with my friends, oh yes the very same streets with open gutters and small houses, plastic bags and used bicycle tubes were all we had to play, none the less we were happy. Looking back now I don’t regret it, I learned very important values from that upbringing. I have learned to value life.
I do my bit now, everyone should thats the only hope.
I don’t know if it would be fair to compare with the developed nations, I’m sure at some point they would have gone though difficult times too. The level of difficulties might have been different ( I dig into the history ). Do you really think if the governments that represent us, or the people who are making those decision that mipact our everyday life were right or had some sense or cared, would the situation be the same? I think we have our own selves to blame.
Prabhath
September 4th, 2005 at 10:12 pm
Points to ponder, Kanth. And I love that quote from Gandhi.
Alen
September 10th, 2005 at 8:25 pm
Your words got to me. I support your positive thinking and knowledge of true values.
Even in web design the most valuable piece of equipment are not you mega ultra sonic comp. It’s your imagination and your approach.
May you and those children you mentioned continue laughing.
laidoff
May 18th, 2006 at 5:36 am
So this is where my job got outsourced too!!!