NATASHA'S CHRONICLES : The new ICT nationality!

Meanwhile, as we head towards the future we have slowly embraced a new nationality, with a new mode of communication and even different languages altogether. Let’s look at some of them; out looking, phoning, and texting, paging, emailing, chatting, photographing, scanning, beeping! Etc. not that these concepts are new, they’re as old as history, but still, they’ve found their way into our systems. Used by students, cooks, mechanics, the jobless, ‘girl and boy friends’, and even officials. The people’s own beeping language has even been created, tailor-made for particular people… we beep to say ‘call back’, and ‘can I call now?’, ‘Don’t call at all’, ‘I am at place x’, I am running late’, ‘dad is at home’, ‘I’m not fine’, ‘I’m free now’ etc! And whether our dear MTN, TIGO, or RWANDATEL like it or not, beeping is the people’s own industry; however we thank you for providing the foundation. One can finally beep their way through 2010! However, there still are the beeper’s enemies. Those who want to catch them in the act and cause them immense financial loss or even bankruptcy! Exposing them to the risk of missing from the network, I think this can be a major health hazard. Heart attacks are even possible! Then here comes the slung language, in short, simplified. Slowly but very surely encroaching on the traditional English we’d been accustomed to. Of all the things to be stopped, the slung language is not to be hindered anytime soon. Let’s all be honest here, it’s irresistible, simple, fun and addictive! For example ‘badees’ meaning friends, ‘no shifting’, meaning “nothing much is going on”, ‘hp 2 c u’, the numbers and letters make things much easier, ‘dem ends’ meaning “there”, and the letter ‘d’ in place of “the”, ‘gdn9t’ to mean “good night”, ‘luv’ to modernize and shorten “love”, ‘ha u’ to mean “how are you?” And of course to make the pronunciation a little more exotic, ‘gtm’ to mean “je t’aime”, ‘long-t’ for “long time” and the list is endless! Isn’t it all hilarious? I think so. Well, this ‘tribe’ and its mode of communication have obviously got their horrible disadvantages regarding the negative side of its influence, but I believe that cannot change to suit the satisfaction of every human being. So we’ve got to live with it but still shun it whenever necessary. This is one of your works, man and woman of the 21st century due to our civilization. In my view, these things just don’t cease to be amusing. I’d say, the members bare me witness, that being a part of this ‘tribe’ is real adventure! For people from all ages and walks of life, it’s a common fascination. And I can’t help but wonder what the 22nd century has in store, but more so, for our good and that of those who’ll follow. The author is a Senior 5 student at Riviera High School hozatash@yahoo.com