Showing posts with label Being Indian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Being Indian. Show all posts

Friday, July 10, 2015

Maggi | Furore | Two Cents

With the stigma surrounding Maggi, everyone’s been in a tizzy of thoughts about its disappearance from their lives! How in the world is everyone going to claim to know how to cook now? What’s going to replace the one single solid go-to Food at 4 am post-party get togethers ? What are all the hostel-ites going to make on their iron plate? What’s going to entice kids to have dinner? Clearly, India has more to lose than gain with the current ban, no?
I agree that everyone with half a mind has given their opinion on Maggi, but then again Is the problem really a corporate one ? It’s like society blaming sleazy dance numbers on celluloid as objectifying women when clearly there is a huge demand for viewership in the very same society. Are we the problem?
For one, I think population is definitely the biggest problem plaguing the world and every other problem is an offshoot. The earth is not the milky way galaxy people ! “Stop Procreating!”should be the clear message that every responsible government must tell its citizens. Instead they promise jobs. The hope for a better job and better lifestyle drives not only the lower strata of society, but also the top echelons since that’s what human beings are about, wanting more no matter what ! Don’t get me wrong! I mean, I get the elevation out of poverty bit, but what about those with twin bungalows in Lutyens still wanting more??? Insatiable is probably an understatement when it comes to human greed! So eventually, everyone’s looking for better paying jobs, faster cars to buy (though roads are still pot-hole ridden!), swankier houses to own! No-brainer that corporates would be first choice of employment, corporates in-turn waste not a minute in capitalizing
this vast human population for their revenues. They sell and want to sell more. Somewhere some boss is swirling in his typical boss-like cabin chair, throwing his head back in evil laughter & rubbing his hands in glee with the dollar signs for eyeballs! Do you think such bosses even have the time to think about ethical food practices when all they want is triple digit growth?? Lead, Iron, Aluminium, Tar, Cement…. The list is endless; they will not hesitate to mix any of this to make profits. Monitoring all this is a corrupt Quality department in a government office, with slow fans, tons of files on the table, creaky doors and officers who seem to lead entire lives in slow motion! These snails would grant anyone who’d grease their fingers, a Quality OK Report ! Have to send kids to better schools, you see? Ultimately this led-soaked maggi is at the dinner table of the very same household, the one where the eldest son just got a job with a Cola manufacturer and so they have more disposable income for indulgences like Maggi !

What’s the end to what seems like an eternal vicious cycle? I would say two things, curb population and start organic farming. If each household supported its own food needs, we will be killing ourselves a little less with poison in the name of food !

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Vixen Parables



The term “metro-sexual” man totally has me mind-boggled. Is he the one who is allowed to flirt-ogle-drool all he can? Or wear pink and get away with it? Or the on who gets to sleep over at his female friends place claiming they are “jus-good-friends”. I have had quite a few hilarious escapades with the Indian male tiger (especially the ones prowling our urban jungles).


Modesty is definitely considered a virtue by me, but a single independent pretty woman is never deprived of attention in this city.Considering my life style is most conducive for encounters with this species, I’ve frequented parties citing social obligations to bid farewell or congratulate or welcome a friend and have ended up distributing my number like flyers to friends of friend because you don know what to say to “Can I have your number please?” You could probably be downright cheesy to say “Yeah, you could, if you guessed all ten digits” but you wouldn’t want to offend the Friend. The “known” guy-friends are no less in coming up with evidently made-up “Cooks’ called in sick today. Why don’t you invite me over for dinner?” They exemplify the term knowledge is power with lines like “I know you hate coffee. Why don’t we meet over green tea instead??” Fashion big-wigs declared fuschia to be in vogue in Fall 07-08, and I happened to just be one of those fashion slaves who pave way for more fashion trend setters to earn their living. And I decided to team a black outfit with fuschia shoes for a Movie screening at Zenzi. So what is with men wanting to know about this? Aren’t they supposed to discuss spokes on football shoes? ‘Hey! Great pink shoes’ exclaimed someone. Arrrrgghhhh!!! Dude, the Diors’ and Giovannis’ would have turned in their graves then! Alcohol is a guy’s best friend when it comes to asking a girl out and when it turns sour, blames it on intoxication in a desperate bid for normalcy! “I am sorry about last night’s messages. Too many vodka shots!!” “Did I just ask you out last night?? Sorry, but I sent the message to the wrong number!!” Workplace men are a different league altogether, mind you, only in their ways and not their intent! This weirdo I was sharing desk space with (whom I have NEVER interacted with) once exclaimed loudly to no one in particular “Bright sunny day ain’t it??” I bit my tongue before I could retort “Get a Life!!!” Yet another time, I entered a conference late and in denims with a casual tee only to face comments like “I thought you entered the wrong conference hall” not to mention the bold wink it came with! On a second thought, maybe all these actions really do help every woman with her million dollar question of “Is he Mr. Right” “Or at least, Is it Mr. Wrong worth going through the trouble anyway???” Moreover suggestive compliments are never unwelcome in the Venus-influenced women’s life !!! ;)

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Indian idiosyncrasies

Busy bustling road, a banyan tree unnoticed, coffee shop bursting with ever-so-boisterous teenagers, office goers slamming cab doors to vent out what they went through during the day. Amidst all this, an ordinary looking man, (could belong to any profession, really!! Listing ones most popular in that area, broker, RBI clerk, church gate staff, just anyone!), takes out this idol and photograph of a saintly looking man (read heavily bearded) and guess what! He begins performing poojas and singing bhajans for it with incense sticks and all the paraphernalia, looked like he was absolutely prepared to pull off this stunt…. Soon, people started gathering around him, hopeful street children started clapping, ever-so-inquisitive firangs who looked in amusement (everything in India seems to amuse them !!!!), the youth leaving the coffee shop looked skeptically, all the office-goers seemed to offer their salutations, and all of this WITHOUT once questioning who was being worshipped or who began the whole charade ! tsk-tsk !!