country life, 'The Third Wave', Alvin Toffler

this is my grand ma's barn. what you can see here is the wood logs and an old wood stove. she cooks certain dishes using this wood-fired kitchen. i loved to sit here to get the aroma of the food as well the smell of the burning wood. i wonder if this kitchen is less environmental-friendly compared to gas or electricity fired stove. i should do some research on this fact!

whenever there is a need to cook dishes on a larger scale, e.g. during festive, we will swarm this place. we need to get a hand in preparing the food. it used to be joyous, momentous and free from the outside world. but after my grand pa passed away few years ago, the event is not as joyous or momentous as before. there are less participation nowadays. in fact the conversation becomes more and more about work, car, house, technical, money and about people. the modern life has finally creep into this country life.

is country life style need to be defended? may be it is because i notice that more and more vacation planners promote this 'country life' getaway. i, myself, longed to live in this kind of life style. but according to Alvin Toffler in his book 'The Third Wave', the change is initiated by every one of us.

about a year ago i worked in a company overseeing massive development areas initiated by the government. one of the area is very close to a small town. one morning, i am having my breakfast alone in a traditional styled outlet when a local man, about 50 years old, came and shared the table with me. after learning where i'm working he expressed his eagerness to know about the development. but after that he expressed his concerned on what will happed to his sleepy town, traffic, to their villages and also the effect on the environment. immediately my mind struck back to the Alvin Toffler's book.

i believed i heard someone talking about 'the price of development' not long ago. but i couldn't remember the context of the conversation. may be i, myself, can fill in the context of such phrase. after all, i, is the one who initiate the change.