Small joys of life!

As I walk hand in hand with my husband learning to slow down in my last few days of pregnancy at the place that belongs to the common man... Worli sea face.

I am amazed to see or rather it brings a sweet smile on my face of how life gives happiness to everybody.
Sitting on the parapet that's just being renovated most couples sit oblivious to the world spending their best times together.

They sit all evening till finally the security guy whistles and gets them out through the rocks... Those times together always seemed to pass so fast. Some people look at the sea, soul searching waiting for it to reply to the questions in their life. Some others look up at the stars and wish life was beautiful and they achieve all they wish. Some stroll up and down having the conversation of their lifetime.

Some fitness freaks walk the talk and enjoy the freedom that the road offers unlike a gym, with no restrictions. Remember the road comes free and available 24/7.

Animal lovers love the no timings rule where they can spend quality time with their pets at any hour they desire.
Some people exercise in weird poses stretching their arms and legs not bothered wether people laugh at them or not

little children hugged and kissed the statue of the common man by R.K. Laxman not knowing who he was but sure someone important as he posed there. Tourists took pictures with him as memoirs of their visit to one of the tourists spots in Mumbai.

The ice cream vendor on the cycle ringing the bell with kids following him with the hope that their parents would buy them a small candy. A newly married couple sharing a candy that was melting in the Bombay heat but seemed like the best joy toy for them. They looked into each others eyes and shared the candy and laughed on their coloured lips.

An old couple maybe in their 80's where both of them supported and watched the path of the other as they walked along to ensure the other never falls.

A father running after his growing son as he learned to cycle along in life. He may hav ebeen a high profiled banker, a ceo, an ace surgeon but then he was a father.

Shedding all inhibitions people came to this space just to be... Who they were, which role they played nothing mattered. It was their time and they lived it.
Everything wasn't perfect but everybody was happy. Actually after a really longtime I saw that childlike happiness on so many faces at a go.
The simplicity of life is what touched that cord in my heart and made me appreciate small joys of life!!!

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The transcending lord

Someone once told me that in India there are 5 things that can never fail to connect with Indians, religion, bollywood, cricket, politics & humour. But one of these is something that transcends itself even beyond India and that is Ganesha. I have never ever seen any god have so much pull.

He finds his abode not only at the biggest and richest of pandals but also in little huts, to palatial homes of celebrities & industrialists. It doesn’t matter if you are a gujarati, maharashtrian, Punjabi or Sindhi. Then the communalism between Hindus and Muslims appears to cease.

I think its a great idol that has been converted into a great product by people which is marketed in whatever form to generate a lot of revenue.

He hasn’t restricted his presence only to the temples but also to cute idols which one wants to keep with him all the time. In his new car, new home, with a new life partner, while traveling. He is suddenly a mascot of great and cute gifts. He has made his space at all the gift shops from Archies, Satyams, Hallmark or any popular gift store. He transcends across mediums like music,art, television soaps, festivals, occassions.

It’s the faith that he has ignited of being a true vighna harta that we believe in. It’s just his presence alone that will destroy the evil. It’s the faith with which people walk to him after all their problems are accomplished, it’s the faith that makes people of Mumbai walk to Sidhivinayak on every Tuesday no matter where they live.

When is it that this little cute lord made himself so popular.
Is it faith or cult? I wonder!

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Global brands in globalization of emerging economies

India is the hot focus of many brands. Last year we had so many brands come in, in all genres of life like food, lifestyle, services, etc. Each year we keep on adding to the brands and the hungama that happens around it.
All international brands claim that they translate the best consumer experience for you from across the globe. But the truth is that brands still haven't been able to do it.

Do Indian brands service better? I remember when Hyundai first entered India while everybody loved the car, the service and availability of spare parts was still an issue to ponder. Maruti beat all the other players on account of best service and its accessibility & availability in the remotest areas in the country.

I am not here to generalize or make statements but the fact is that most of my experiences with global brands have made me believe and translate my beliefs into words. A recent experience that shook me and only strengthened my belief was Mac. Donald's. Promises smiles, fun a great family experience moving away from the platform of great yummy food as that has become a hygiene factor for them. Everybody probably knows what Mac food tastes like. But my smiles at Mac soon vanished when I found a living worm in my burger. I complained at the outlet, wrote to their customer service email address, but nobody heard me or even bothered to write back.

I was so disappointed that it just completely shook me and I narrated my experience to atleast 10 other friends. What amazed me was obviously the hygiene level that a chain of this magnitude operates at and secondly that they didn't even have the audacity to write back. Do they believe that Indians who want a burger for 20 Rs have no right to demand for quality products?

There are a lot of other brands that haven't particularly impressed me in their customer service one of them is the world's favourite Mac. A Mac customer is so passionate that he anyways knows his product and brand well but the store staff can still be atleast a little bit useful instead of being arrogant and having minimal product knowledge. All the customer expects him to do is share his passion

I’m sure all of us can think of lots of instances when we felt that global brands service standards vary from city to city, country to country and continent to continent. I would like to leave you with a question:

Is it because it's India that it doesn't matter?

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Mirror mirror on the wall

All that is beautiful is white. It’s not an Indian syndrome alone, so don’t view it like that. It’s not the belief of the past, the roots are strongly embedded that it has its relevance even today.

It’s not restricted to women alone it transcends to men as well. The first black president Barack Obama vs. former white first lady Hilary Clinton. Why did Michael Jackson change his colour then? Why from the black to a white.

It’s not restricted to humans alone it extends to animals as well. The white cat is the cute purr pussy while the black is evil & witchy. The white brown dog finds his place in your lap while the dark black dog at the gate. The grey pigeon is a victim of abundance while the white one is a sight to spot.

To think of it as a matter of past would be closing your eyes to it. Fair has its roots in the Hindu mythology with all the goddesses and lead protagonist all fair & lovely. Be it Radha, Sita, Parvati, Durga, Saraswati or the most worshipped Laxmi. Their imagery in our mind and the pictures and idols we grew up worshipping were all fair & pink.
Kali is probably the only goddess that i can think of who is dark but also is someone whom we are scared of. Why are we scared of her is because she is dark & kills the evil.

Simple things like a day & night, why are we always so scared of the dark. Why do the ghosts & evil spirits come out only in the dark?

The formative years of our life, our childhood, we grew up reading fairy tales of Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast. Fairy tales children’s best imagination was painted with fair is beautiful, black or dark is evil.
Barbie the biggest filament of male imagination and the first girl friend you want is fair, tall and beautiful.
As we grow up and get to know some more the comics that we read beginning from Archie, Veronica was always fair and sexy. Veronica was always the girlfriend and Betty always the friend. Fair always gets you to be the first fiddle.

Do you remember reading any Mills & Boons without the FPB syndrome? Were any of the men’s fantasies sans this syndrome? For those of you wondering what FPB is, it’s Fair, Petite and Beautiful

Venus Williams may be the better tennis player but Anna kournikova & Maria Sherapaova are still the pin up girls.

Films the biggest and truest reflection of our society is so true to this. Halle Berry is the ‘sexy siren’ while Julia Roberts is a fine beautiful actress. Hema Malini was ‘dream girl’ while Smitha Patil was a talented actress, she was never attributed to being beautiful.
Why is it that the fair girl gets to play the leading lady and the dark one only a supporting actress?

There are so many qualities & feelings associated with being fair:
“Colours come alive on the fair”
“Only if you are fair can you wear red”
“Being fair gives me the unfair advantage”
“Gives me the natural confidence to achieve”
“Beta kaisa bhi ho bahu to gori chitti hi chahiye”
“Fair is always right”
“Fair always attracts male admiration” – My Fair Lady
“Fairness opens a world of possibilities”
“Fairness is an attribute I can pass on to the next generation”
“The colour of your skin decides the colour of your clothes”
“Fairness the magnet of envy”
“If I had a wish I want to be fair”

It’s such a desirable attribute that it runs across strata’s of society “from the maid to the memsaab.”

While fair is still a boon the dark will catch up.

These insights are what beauty companies thrive on; there are activists who blame them for creating this discrimination. I would rather say they have just showcased an existing menace in a positive light; the bigger issue is which the society needs to address.

These are only a few instances, I’m sure when we walk through life everyday there must be so many more instances that reminisce us either of times where we felt good being fair or wish we were fair. It will also remind you that it’s not only the step mother in snow white who asks the mirror on the wall, “Mirror mirror on the wall who is the fairest of us all?”

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