Just Google it!

'I think it's called bottle gourd' said the husband non-chalantly.
'No! Lauki is called bottle gourd not Turai' I exclaim, twisting the cloth in my hand as I try to think hard, in the middle of a squabble with the husband about the English name of the vegetable - Turai. The word is right there on the tip of my tongue, but is not coming to me. It has to be some kind of gourd - but which? I wish I could google it ; And for the hundredth time, I pick up my phone and see the no network/service sign. We are in the interior part of the country side with little to no signal. And as I try to plug my phone to the charger, I wonder for probably the first time, whether it is a good idea. A feeling of frustration starts creeping up inside me. When did I start depending so much on Google that not having internet for one weekend is making me feel helpless.


Hasn't Google become synonymous to internet? We hear people casually saying why don't you just Google it. I know there are many other search engines out there, but none of them are in the same ballpark. Google means different things to different people-

For students, it is like a good teacher, always there to clear any doubts, having a load of information.

For lost tourists, Google is like the best tour guide, knowing every part of the city(Have you ever tried asking for directions from a complete stranger on the road and he tells you to take the 2nd left then the 3rd right and then left and then right and you decide to head back home).

Sometimes it is like an elder sister/agony aunt. When you tell your problems ( you don't even have to type the entire thing, Google guesses it for you!) And gives you the possible solutions, others' experiences etc.

For new moms, it is like a best friend at the same time her worst nightmare. Most of the new moms have googled things like swaddling a baby, the right poop colour, when a baby starts teething or the symptoms like fever, vomiting etc.

Talking about illnesses, I think most of us have consulted Dr. Google with our symptoms at some point in our lives and have ended up thinking the worse possible outcome. The fountain of information that Google provides is beneficial in numerous ways, albeit must be used wisely.

What did people do before Google was launched? They relied on books, encyclopedias, newspapers, went to libraries and generally were OK with not knowing everything. Recently, NewYork Public Library released some of the queries they were asked before Google existed. One of them was - Can mice throw-up? Which was asked in the year 1949 and the writer of this question recieved a reply after 23 years in 1972 from a lab assistant that mic do throw-up after all.

Now at the beach with a little network/service at my disposal, I quickly open google and type "What is Turai called in English?" And within seconds I get an answer that it is infact called Ridged gourd. Smiling, I take a sip of my tea, thanking the search engine for its existence.