'End of life as they know it', reports the TOI.
Thousands of residents are being evacuated by MHADA following the 4th collapse of a century-old building in Mumbai. The media has already rushed out and labelled it an epidemic.
To reach it one had to climb a rickety flight of stairs. A portion of the building had collapsed some years ago - only the front was still standing. In defiance of the laws of physics, in all probability!
Chawl Chalan
I learnt a few things about residents of condemned buildings - not all of them are really poor. One of the residents was a Catholic family - a lady and two young infants. The father - I was surprised to learn! - worked in the merchant navy.
Why would a family that earned enough to move elsewhere choose to stay in a 100 sq ft space? A space where you had to cook your food in a corner of the 'living' room, and queue up for a communal toilet every morning?
The question bothered me.
By this time I'd figured out that chawl furnishing did not vary much. Chiefly, it consisted of:
* One really Large Bed which serves 2 purposes: you sleep on it; store your worldly possessions under it!
* One TV - precariously perched on a metal/ wooden shelf
* One stove in the 'cooking corner'.
Stuck in the past
Another old couple residing in the same building - but in a much smaller size chawl -had 2 sons living in Dubai, and one quite well to do daughter in Thane. Despite pleas from the kids, this couple would not consider moving.
'Yehi hamari life hai', they believed. This was their comfort zone; their extended community.
Yes, the prime location of the building had attracted many builders who promised to convert the mess into a skyrise - along with flats for the original tenants. But doing this required the signatures of all existing tenants and owners and getting that was proving impossible.
Many tenants believed they would be out in the cold - and that was not a fear unfounded. There are horror stories of families stuck in 'transit' camps for years and years. There are horror stories of tenants never receiving their promised flats. And so on and so forth.
But at the heart of the matter lies the unwillingness of most chawl residents to contemplate change. To be happy with whatever they have, and not strive for more - whether individually, or collectively.
Take the merchant navy family. If it did move, yes there would be some initial separation anxiety from the old milieu. But in a few months time the luxury of space, of modern amenities like personal bathrooms, the privacy - all these would make it impossible for them to move back!
Time to pay up
I personally feel the squatter mentality has to go - rents frozen since World War II have to revised upwards. Perhaps not all at once, but a start must be made somewhere!
Many rent-controlled properties are sub-let at handsome prices; others used as commercial space. So it's hardly a case of protecting the poor. A survey can be undertaken to identify those who are really unable to cough up. The rest must start paying up.
Will this pinch? Yes.
Bottomline: There are many possible solutions - none of them easy - but nothing at all can be achieved unless people stop resisting the very idea of change!
Perhaps it's the young people growing up in this sub-standard housing who will be the change agents, persuading their parents to think beyond greed and beyond convenience.
At least, I hope so! If you do not willingly embrace change, it will tip-toe into your life and silently smother you. In the case of these old buildings - quite literally!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Washing maketh woman?
Detergent advertising has reached new highs - or new lows - depending how you look at it. The last ad for Surf Excel was trying to sell us the idea: "Daag acche hai ".
Yeah, right.
This particular ad seemed to have been giving the following brief: Housewives love cute kids. Find two such specimens and build some story. After all, it worked for Pepsodent ...
So you have a little girl who stains her dress by walking through a puddle. And a little boy 'hitting' the puddle to punish it for spoiling the girl's dress - in the process becoming quite a mess himself. Cho chweet no?
It's the 'daag accche hai' line at the end that's hard to stomach. It's no fun getting your favourite clothes stained, and never will be!
Are you washsome, tonight?
Of course, it is tough being a brand manager of a detergent. You have to produce 30 seconds of brand communication to air in the ad breaks during K serials. Year after year. Even though you have nothing new to communicate...
Everything that could be said about the benefits of cleanliness and daaglessness has been. Husband ka promotion, society mein izzat, bachche ka future - all the demons have already been invoked.
I have a little bit of inside info on the world of detergents. In those days the 'Bombay 1' unit handled all the Lever's business and was regarded simultaneously as the most prestigious. But it was a somewhat interesting time as Ariel had just been launched and Surf had a fight on its hands. Personally, I was an Ariel fan - it had made the washing of clothes so much easier than the traditional ragadte raho method. This experience came to me when i started to wash my own clothes.
I had read somewhere in the Ariel campaign itself about the attributes of a survey the company conducted. A survey conducted to make aware the growing consumer about the new ways of washing and the health concerns related to it. Of course, a new innovation by a detergent company to establish itself amongst the minds of the maturing Indian consumer. There were 17 'wash attributes'. Cleans... Whitens... Keeps clothes bright... Keeps clothes like new... Removes stains easily... Removes tough stains... Gentle on hands... Keeps husband faithful ...
Going by the fanatic devotion wives in detergent ads have traditionally had towards whiteness and brightness, I'm thinking there has to be a deeper, primeval reason. People love to hate advertising, and they call it purposeless without realising that they are buying into it!
Coming to "daag acchche hain", it was a refreshing departure from the age old cliche "white is good, clean is good" etc. If you need to make a difference and do good things, you need to get your hands dirty, right? So Surf Excel said just that: go ahead, get dirty. It told mothers that getting dirty doesn't mean your kid has been up to no good - he's just living his childhood. It's almost an anti-detergent thought! And who better than a powerful detergent like Surf Excel to give you that confidence to let your kid get dirty! Now isn't that confidence and peace of mind something mothers will want to buy into???? Its not targeting youth and its plainly appreciating the joy of being a child and that dirt is a part of childhood so get on with it!!!
The insight for the latest Surf campaign is completely different. It is part of a global 'Dirt is good' campaign. The whole thought there is that kids love to play and get themselves dirty. That's part of growing up and in this increasingly mechanised world, encouraging kids to play, exercise thier imagination, get dirty and therefore more immune and resistant, is perhaps the best way to help them grow.
Actually Persil had a similar ad campaign in England. The ad showed kids in the normal 'growing up activites' and generally getting clothes dirty. The catch phrase goes somethign like 'its not dirt'.
The idea, i believe is just to say that kids will be kids - they WILL get clothes dirty, but a housewive need not worry because Persil will clean them anyways. If you think about it the theme does strike a cord - it talks about how a major worry for housewives need not be a worry anymore.
The idea is not to say 'dirt is good' but that 'dirt is no longer a problem' - and maybe thats what Surf Excel is trying to communicate.Yeah, and the mother of all such ads was the Nirma one that used to come earlier in my schooldays. Kind-o got on your nerves, right?
Actually this kind of "dirty is good" stuff has been done before - Recall a washing machine ad which celebrated kids getting dirty - and another where assorted people willfully get dirty - and Sunlight in some countries worked on the premise - "an invitation to get dirty"
Well..the discussion about the 'detergents n soaps' are incomplete without mentioning the classic "iski sari meri sari se safed kaise..". I dont understand how could that commercial make an impact on women, when white sari wasn't a famous choice as it represented something else. "iski sari meri sari se bright kaise" ..yeh hota to baat samajh mein bhi aati kuch ..!!!
The worst part about detergents and toothpastes today is that they have special microscopic Oxocholoroflourocarbohydratoneuroprotono molecules which pass through even the toughest little knots in twined network of the cloth (for toothpastes it is those miniscule caverns between two teeth but that they manage to penetrate through) and pulverize the dust particles. I don't even understand why they are given sobriquets like Power boosters, White Washers. As far as the chemistry lessons in class X have taught me, detergents can have the simplest chemicals in the right proportion to remove the stains. I wonder which planet these manufacturers drop from. And talking about bristle design on brushes, every other brand has joined the bandwagon claiming a new effective design. I wonder how all the old ones fail as soon as the new ones enter the market.
Wonder if Marilyn Monroe's problem might have been not using the right detergent. Maybe gentlemen really prefer whites. With fresh lemony fragrance.
Yeah, right.
This particular ad seemed to have been giving the following brief: Housewives love cute kids. Find two such specimens and build some story. After all, it worked for Pepsodent ...
So you have a little girl who stains her dress by walking through a puddle. And a little boy 'hitting' the puddle to punish it for spoiling the girl's dress - in the process becoming quite a mess himself. Cho chweet no?
It's the 'daag accche hai' line at the end that's hard to stomach. It's no fun getting your favourite clothes stained, and never will be!
Are you washsome, tonight?
Of course, it is tough being a brand manager of a detergent. You have to produce 30 seconds of brand communication to air in the ad breaks during K serials. Year after year. Even though you have nothing new to communicate...
Everything that could be said about the benefits of cleanliness and daaglessness has been. Husband ka promotion, society mein izzat, bachche ka future - all the demons have already been invoked.
I have a little bit of inside info on the world of detergents. In those days the 'Bombay 1' unit handled all the Lever's business and was regarded simultaneously as the most prestigious. But it was a somewhat interesting time as Ariel had just been launched and Surf had a fight on its hands. Personally, I was an Ariel fan - it had made the washing of clothes so much easier than the traditional ragadte raho method. This experience came to me when i started to wash my own clothes.
I had read somewhere in the Ariel campaign itself about the attributes of a survey the company conducted. A survey conducted to make aware the growing consumer about the new ways of washing and the health concerns related to it. Of course, a new innovation by a detergent company to establish itself amongst the minds of the maturing Indian consumer. There were 17 'wash attributes'. Cleans... Whitens... Keeps clothes bright... Keeps clothes like new... Removes stains easily... Removes tough stains... Gentle on hands... Keeps husband faithful ...
Going by the fanatic devotion wives in detergent ads have traditionally had towards whiteness and brightness, I'm thinking there has to be a deeper, primeval reason. People love to hate advertising, and they call it purposeless without realising that they are buying into it!
Coming to "daag acchche hain", it was a refreshing departure from the age old cliche "white is good, clean is good" etc. If you need to make a difference and do good things, you need to get your hands dirty, right? So Surf Excel said just that: go ahead, get dirty. It told mothers that getting dirty doesn't mean your kid has been up to no good - he's just living his childhood. It's almost an anti-detergent thought! And who better than a powerful detergent like Surf Excel to give you that confidence to let your kid get dirty! Now isn't that confidence and peace of mind something mothers will want to buy into???? Its not targeting youth and its plainly appreciating the joy of being a child and that dirt is a part of childhood so get on with it!!!
The insight for the latest Surf campaign is completely different. It is part of a global 'Dirt is good' campaign. The whole thought there is that kids love to play and get themselves dirty. That's part of growing up and in this increasingly mechanised world, encouraging kids to play, exercise thier imagination, get dirty and therefore more immune and resistant, is perhaps the best way to help them grow.
Actually Persil had a similar ad campaign in England. The ad showed kids in the normal 'growing up activites' and generally getting clothes dirty. The catch phrase goes somethign like 'its not dirt'.
The idea, i believe is just to say that kids will be kids - they WILL get clothes dirty, but a housewive need not worry because Persil will clean them anyways. If you think about it the theme does strike a cord - it talks about how a major worry for housewives need not be a worry anymore.
The idea is not to say 'dirt is good' but that 'dirt is no longer a problem' - and maybe thats what Surf Excel is trying to communicate.Yeah, and the mother of all such ads was the Nirma one that used to come earlier in my schooldays. Kind-o got on your nerves, right?
Actually this kind of "dirty is good" stuff has been done before - Recall a washing machine ad which celebrated kids getting dirty - and another where assorted people willfully get dirty - and Sunlight in some countries worked on the premise - "an invitation to get dirty"
Well..the discussion about the 'detergents n soaps' are incomplete without mentioning the classic "iski sari meri sari se safed kaise..". I dont understand how could that commercial make an impact on women, when white sari wasn't a famous choice as it represented something else. "iski sari meri sari se bright kaise" ..yeh hota to baat samajh mein bhi aati kuch ..!!!
The worst part about detergents and toothpastes today is that they have special microscopic Oxocholoroflourocarbohydratoneuroprotono molecules which pass through even the toughest little knots in twined network of the cloth (for toothpastes it is those miniscule caverns between two teeth but that they manage to penetrate through) and pulverize the dust particles. I don't even understand why they are given sobriquets like Power boosters, White Washers. As far as the chemistry lessons in class X have taught me, detergents can have the simplest chemicals in the right proportion to remove the stains. I wonder which planet these manufacturers drop from. And talking about bristle design on brushes, every other brand has joined the bandwagon claiming a new effective design. I wonder how all the old ones fail as soon as the new ones enter the market.
Wonder if Marilyn Monroe's problem might have been not using the right detergent. Maybe gentlemen really prefer whites. With fresh lemony fragrance.
Splogger's Park
The latest in spam trends a while ago was 'spim' (spam on IM). Now it's 'splogs' (spam blogs). What's more these blogs have some kind of automated bot which goes and adds authentic sounding but totally irrelevant comments to genuine blogs.
Dunno if the word 'sploggets' exists but it sounds apt to describe spam blog comments!
The intriguing thing is unlike spam mail there is actually an attempt to 'personalise' and make the spam sound like a comment from a real person. Check these samples:
Hi good blog! I'm gonna bookmark for future reference. I have a pet supply chicago site/blog. It pretty much covers pet supply chicago related stuff. Come and check it out if you get time :-)
Well you obviously have not read my blog or you'd know I live 3000 miles from The Windy City!!!
Bloggs are such a wonderful way to plublish ones thoughts. Thanks for letting me visit and leave a comment. Link to Low carb diet store.
I let you visit? That's news! The spelling mistakes are a nice 'bozo' touch.
My boss doesn't want me to surf on company time, but I had to check out your blog and leave my comment. I think you've done a good job on it. I hope you don't mine if I use some of your ideas on my own blog about engine information marketing niche search.
Flattery gets creative - still doesn't work coz anyone who's blogging has the brains to know a real person didn't write that!
What'd'yu do 'bout it
Someone wrote about the attack of the 'splogs' a week ago and suggested users of blogger go to the comments section and add a 'word verification' option. That's a great idea - I shall do it right away.
The moral of the story is that whenever any medium becomes slightly popular you have unwanted marketing intruding on that space. In the case of the internet it's not only unwanted but random and untargeted since it's 'free'.
Spam - even with a .02 % response rate may have worked with email - since every old idiot uses email. But I don't think it will work on blogs because it's still a more elite and IQ driven universe.
Afterthought: Has Google Adsense worked for any of you? I signed up but never actually inserted the code since I couldn't figure out how it might make me money... I have never clicked on an Adsense banner myself.
This is not a matter of principle or anything. It's just that the ads served on Indian blogs - the ones I read more often - are pretty uninteresting. That could change with time, of course.
As of now, the only way I see the cash pouring in is via 'click cartels'. Like I noticed on a popular blog references to MASAT: Mutual Adsense Amukkum treaty...
Comments spam is a big problem, most blogs have put in filters etc. My blog is off-google so doesnt get spam (doesnt get traffic too, but thats another story).
Regarding Google ad-sense, I guess everybody signed up, but it's like the old time ad banners, nobody gets paid.
But Time of India obviously likes it, their main page has several google ads. But they probably wanted to keep the experience consistant with the print edition... search for news needle, in the ads haystack.
Splog comments are probably a prick in a blogger's post. I wonder why they are still trying. If it's the link that they're trying to add / clutter so that they rake better on Google, they've lost it already. Because Google initiated an industry wide "nofollow" attribute which is widely adopted by most popular blog software and services. Look up your source under comments. All href links in the comments are rel="nofollow" attributed.
Perhaps there are bots who do this kind of thing... Program how many "splicks" (spam clicks) you want and watch the $ pouring in. But hark, Big Brother Google has probably figured that out - and is watching!
Dunno if the word 'sploggets' exists but it sounds apt to describe spam blog comments!
The intriguing thing is unlike spam mail there is actually an attempt to 'personalise' and make the spam sound like a comment from a real person. Check these samples:
Hi good blog! I'm gonna bookmark for future reference. I have a pet supply chicago site/blog. It pretty much covers pet supply chicago related stuff. Come and check it out if you get time :-)
Well you obviously have not read my blog or you'd know I live 3000 miles from The Windy City!!!
Bloggs are such a wonderful way to plublish ones thoughts. Thanks for letting me visit and leave a comment. Link to Low carb diet store.
I let you visit? That's news! The spelling mistakes are a nice 'bozo' touch.
My boss doesn't want me to surf on company time, but I had to check out your blog and leave my comment. I think you've done a good job on it. I hope you don't mine if I use some of your ideas on my own blog about engine information marketing niche search.
Flattery gets creative - still doesn't work coz anyone who's blogging has the brains to know a real person didn't write that!
What'd'yu do 'bout it
Someone wrote about the attack of the 'splogs' a week ago and suggested users of blogger go to the comments section and add a 'word verification' option. That's a great idea - I shall do it right away.
The moral of the story is that whenever any medium becomes slightly popular you have unwanted marketing intruding on that space. In the case of the internet it's not only unwanted but random and untargeted since it's 'free'.
Spam - even with a .02 % response rate may have worked with email - since every old idiot uses email. But I don't think it will work on blogs because it's still a more elite and IQ driven universe.
Afterthought: Has Google Adsense worked for any of you? I signed up but never actually inserted the code since I couldn't figure out how it might make me money... I have never clicked on an Adsense banner myself.
This is not a matter of principle or anything. It's just that the ads served on Indian blogs - the ones I read more often - are pretty uninteresting. That could change with time, of course.
As of now, the only way I see the cash pouring in is via 'click cartels'. Like I noticed on a popular blog references to MASAT: Mutual Adsense Amukkum treaty...
Comments spam is a big problem, most blogs have put in filters etc. My blog is off-google so doesnt get spam (doesnt get traffic too, but thats another story).
Regarding Google ad-sense, I guess everybody signed up, but it's like the old time ad banners, nobody gets paid.
But Time of India obviously likes it, their main page has several google ads. But they probably wanted to keep the experience consistant with the print edition... search for news needle, in the ads haystack.
Splog comments are probably a prick in a blogger's post. I wonder why they are still trying. If it's the link that they're trying to add / clutter so that they rake better on Google, they've lost it already. Because Google initiated an industry wide "nofollow" attribute which is widely adopted by most popular blog software and services. Look up your source under comments. All href links in the comments are rel="nofollow" attributed.
Perhaps there are bots who do this kind of thing... Program how many "splicks" (spam clicks) you want and watch the $ pouring in. But hark, Big Brother Google has probably figured that out - and is watching!
Monday, October 18, 2010
On 'top' of the world
There are two important rituals associated with kiddie birthday parties
a) handing over the gift at the start of the party
b) demanding the return gift at the end of the party
Teaching a six year old to say 'thank you' instead of grabbing the gift from outstretched hands is quite a task. Selecting an appropriate return gift is equally bothersome.
More so if you're in south Bombay, of course, where the gifts are designed more to impress the moms than the birthday child's friends. So you not only have to have jugglers/ magicians/ clowns-on-hire but also 'unique' return presents. Such as handmade caps with the names of all 40 kids invited to the party embroidered on them.
Why 40? Because every child in the birthday boy/ girl's class - along with respective maids/ mothers - must be on the guest list. Never mind the chaos!
Cake n chips
Things were a lot more 'normal' in my part of town. Good old middle class. We believed in the ekdum regular return gifts such as pencil boxes and lunch boxes.
Magar as years passed by the friendly shopkeeper, whipped out something new: 'Beyblades'.
So who or what is a Beyblade? Well, it's just a fancy name for one of the most ancient toys known to mankind: the spinning top. The Beyblade comes with a 'rip cord' which allows you to launch it at a phenomenal speed as well.
I remember playing with something similar when we were kids. Of course, it's a lot more 'exciting' in this new avatar - and backed by a TV series as well. Cartoon Network India has authorised Funskool to retail 'beyblades' based on the show's characters. Priced between Rs 149-349, 100,000 units have already flown off the shelves...
But generally the stuff you get in the market is not the 'real' beyblade - they are all Chinese rip-offs costing 30 bucks. But they work pretty well.
There are actually a large number of variations - even in the 'official' beyblade series - with names like 'Wolborg', 'Dranzer' and 'Dragoon Fighter'. Successful kid fads are always collectibles. That keeps interest alive - and the cash registers ringing.
Collect All
The most recent such craze was, of course, Pokemon cards. But I remember children including myself collecting similar cards for racing cars, and cricketers. And when I was really tiny I had an impressive collection of little animals which came free with Cibaca/ Binaca toothpaste...
The right collectible can hugely drive kiddie product sales. At my mausiji's wedding I recall we were the baraatis who ordered Gold Spot after Gold Spot. The drink lay untouched while we kids fought over the Jungle Book 'crown caps'!
Aside: Some of us even fantasised how nice it would be to work as a waiter ... Uske paas kitne crown caps hote honge!
Coming back to beyblades - one of the potato chip companies is already on the bandwagon. They have a little top you can assemble out of 4 cardboard pieces with excellent spinning capability.
If they're smart, the cornflakes, soft drinks and chocolate companies will soon follow!
Yeah those things are the craze everywhere. Dumb things kids use to irritate old grannies with. On the other hand, old grannies are irritated with almost anything dumb kids play with.
I remember, during my schooldays. I kept getting GK books as my birthday presents. The parents of all my friends thought they would mould my dysfunctional intelligence. Dumb people. The closest thing I ever got to a good present was a chess set, which was both here and there.
In return it served me right if i gave them cheap stationary (a scale with a load of useless holes, two pencils and a rubber) as their return gifts.
Bottomline: Kids aren't inherently couch potatos or mouse potatos. They do enjoy physical sport/ activity. The challenge is to re-package all the classic children's games and sports in a manner that appears modern and cool.
It's all about capturing their imagination. Both Harry Potter - which revived interest in books, and Beyblades - which have made a rage out of the simple spinning top - prove that!
a) handing over the gift at the start of the party
b) demanding the return gift at the end of the party
Teaching a six year old to say 'thank you' instead of grabbing the gift from outstretched hands is quite a task. Selecting an appropriate return gift is equally bothersome.
More so if you're in south Bombay, of course, where the gifts are designed more to impress the moms than the birthday child's friends. So you not only have to have jugglers/ magicians/ clowns-on-hire but also 'unique' return presents. Such as handmade caps with the names of all 40 kids invited to the party embroidered on them.
Why 40? Because every child in the birthday boy/ girl's class - along with respective maids/ mothers - must be on the guest list. Never mind the chaos!
Cake n chips
Things were a lot more 'normal' in my part of town. Good old middle class. We believed in the ekdum regular return gifts such as pencil boxes and lunch boxes.
Magar as years passed by the friendly shopkeeper, whipped out something new: 'Beyblades'.
So who or what is a Beyblade? Well, it's just a fancy name for one of the most ancient toys known to mankind: the spinning top. The Beyblade comes with a 'rip cord' which allows you to launch it at a phenomenal speed as well.
I remember playing with something similar when we were kids. Of course, it's a lot more 'exciting' in this new avatar - and backed by a TV series as well. Cartoon Network India has authorised Funskool to retail 'beyblades' based on the show's characters. Priced between Rs 149-349, 100,000 units have already flown off the shelves...
But generally the stuff you get in the market is not the 'real' beyblade - they are all Chinese rip-offs costing 30 bucks. But they work pretty well.
There are actually a large number of variations - even in the 'official' beyblade series - with names like 'Wolborg', 'Dranzer' and 'Dragoon Fighter'. Successful kid fads are always collectibles. That keeps interest alive - and the cash registers ringing.
Collect All
The most recent such craze was, of course, Pokemon cards. But I remember children including myself collecting similar cards for racing cars, and cricketers. And when I was really tiny I had an impressive collection of little animals which came free with Cibaca/ Binaca toothpaste...
The right collectible can hugely drive kiddie product sales. At my mausiji's wedding I recall we were the baraatis who ordered Gold Spot after Gold Spot. The drink lay untouched while we kids fought over the Jungle Book 'crown caps'!
Aside: Some of us even fantasised how nice it would be to work as a waiter ... Uske paas kitne crown caps hote honge!
Coming back to beyblades - one of the potato chip companies is already on the bandwagon. They have a little top you can assemble out of 4 cardboard pieces with excellent spinning capability.
If they're smart, the cornflakes, soft drinks and chocolate companies will soon follow!
Yeah those things are the craze everywhere. Dumb things kids use to irritate old grannies with. On the other hand, old grannies are irritated with almost anything dumb kids play with.
I remember, during my schooldays. I kept getting GK books as my birthday presents. The parents of all my friends thought they would mould my dysfunctional intelligence. Dumb people. The closest thing I ever got to a good present was a chess set, which was both here and there.
In return it served me right if i gave them cheap stationary (a scale with a load of useless holes, two pencils and a rubber) as their return gifts.
Bottomline: Kids aren't inherently couch potatos or mouse potatos. They do enjoy physical sport/ activity. The challenge is to re-package all the classic children's games and sports in a manner that appears modern and cool.
It's all about capturing their imagination. Both Harry Potter - which revived interest in books, and Beyblades - which have made a rage out of the simple spinning top - prove that!
Tere mere beach mein
It seemed like a surefire way to catapult this beach into the ranks of Bali and Waikiki: a 10% discount for anyone in a bikini.
The scheme was cooked up in 2003 when South Korean officials were looking for a way to attract tourists to a stretch of sand on the western coast of the country. So they renamed it Byeonsan "Bikini" Beach.
Alas! A name change + discount offer was not enough to change attitudes. Barely 10% of beach goers are estimated to have opted for bikinis - and even that number was probably on the inflated side.
So why don't Korean women patronise bikinis? Broadly I would think the same set of reasons that Indian women don't -
a) They feel self-conscious esp. if their bodies are less than perfect
b) They have no interest in getting tanned - fair skin, after all rules in Asia.
c) Add to that possibly the lech factor - don't know about Korea but in India even wearing a one piece swimsuit attracts gawkers. Goa mein bhi!
Itsy bitsy teeny weenie - no thanks
I think it's all about 'safety in numbers'. The standard 'beachwear' for women in India is a hiked up nylon sari or salwar kameez. The more Westernised junta will roll up their jeans or perhaps wade into the water in shorts.
So the tiny minority which does don Speedo automatically attracts eyeballs.
Now as far as feeling awkward in a swimsuit goes - that is a very real problem. But again, it's more about cultural context and not just a body image issue.
Even perfectly endowed Indian women would feel uncomfortable wearing a bikni in public. In our culture it's akin to being 'nanga'.
Are all bikini wearers in phoren countries perfect 10s? Looking at the
the Baywatch beach you might think so but hey - those washboard abs are on hire.
On real beaches in Florida or even Goa you will see plenty of old, freckled and less-than-shapely ladies soaking in the sun in their one or two piece swimmies.
They don't care what anyone thinks! Sun and sand is meant to be enjoyed in this clothing - so why be inhibited and spoil one's fun?
Which is exactly the attitude of Indian men at the beach. Paunchy, extra-hairy, stick-thin - the Indian guy has no qualms about stripping down to his Rupa underwear.
Yes, sadly you see plenty of those on public beaches - along with guys in proper swimming trunks. Doesn't make for a pretty sight but hey - one must admit this is an area where the bhaarat putras are not lacking in confidence!
They don't even bother to suck in their stomachs while sauntering by...
Hope floats
There is however an interesting new development - Indian women are finally embracing a uniquely desi version of the swimming costume: Nylon tights with oversize nylon tees.
Visit Esselworld's Water Kingdom - where 'swimming costume' is compulsory to enter the water - and you'll see women short, fat, young and old all togged out in this somewhat strange but socially acceptable adaptation of the swimsuit.
The tights come in ankle and knee length versions; the most popular colour is navy blue.
The suits are available on hire but I'm wondering why doesn't some smart company market the concept? Nike or Adidas could actually sell such costumes - and make a success of it.
This in turn might encourage more Indian women to actually take up swimming instead of the standard sight you see at all but the most upscale holiday resorts: women watching their husbands and kids splashing around in the pool from a safe distance.
The west never got to where it is now in a jiffy. There was a time, if you need reminding, when nothing short of ankle length skirts were permitted at Wimbledon. The reason there has been relatively less clamour in the west about women's clothing becoming skimpier is that the process has taken place over the course of decades. For over a century now, women have been wearing successively fewer clothes - the current "norm" being the lower than low neck.
Contrast that to Bharat where in less than 15 years, western wear has become ubiquitous (atleast in the Metros).
A decade ago, a jean-wearing lass would have been "ogled" at (your term, not mine). Today the jean is so commonplace that it takes more than a jean (or rather, less than a jean) to attract attention.
The human mind has a problem accepting changes even if the change were positive. The pace at which our society is transforming right now is certain to cause pressures and tensions that only the next generation will be rid of.
Even that would be a big enough revolution... Bikinis? Now that will take another hundred years! Unless some secret ingredient is added to our morning milk which mutates the ogle-ogle gene in mankind.
Ashton Kutcher being voted American President sounds rather more plausible...
The scheme was cooked up in 2003 when South Korean officials were looking for a way to attract tourists to a stretch of sand on the western coast of the country. So they renamed it Byeonsan "Bikini" Beach.
Alas! A name change + discount offer was not enough to change attitudes. Barely 10% of beach goers are estimated to have opted for bikinis - and even that number was probably on the inflated side.
So why don't Korean women patronise bikinis? Broadly I would think the same set of reasons that Indian women don't -
a) They feel self-conscious esp. if their bodies are less than perfect
b) They have no interest in getting tanned - fair skin, after all rules in Asia.
c) Add to that possibly the lech factor - don't know about Korea but in India even wearing a one piece swimsuit attracts gawkers. Goa mein bhi!
Itsy bitsy teeny weenie - no thanks
I think it's all about 'safety in numbers'. The standard 'beachwear' for women in India is a hiked up nylon sari or salwar kameez. The more Westernised junta will roll up their jeans or perhaps wade into the water in shorts.
So the tiny minority which does don Speedo automatically attracts eyeballs.
Now as far as feeling awkward in a swimsuit goes - that is a very real problem. But again, it's more about cultural context and not just a body image issue.
Even perfectly endowed Indian women would feel uncomfortable wearing a bikni in public. In our culture it's akin to being 'nanga'.
Are all bikini wearers in phoren countries perfect 10s? Looking at the
the Baywatch beach you might think so but hey - those washboard abs are on hire.
On real beaches in Florida or even Goa you will see plenty of old, freckled and less-than-shapely ladies soaking in the sun in their one or two piece swimmies.
They don't care what anyone thinks! Sun and sand is meant to be enjoyed in this clothing - so why be inhibited and spoil one's fun?
Which is exactly the attitude of Indian men at the beach. Paunchy, extra-hairy, stick-thin - the Indian guy has no qualms about stripping down to his Rupa underwear.
Yes, sadly you see plenty of those on public beaches - along with guys in proper swimming trunks. Doesn't make for a pretty sight but hey - one must admit this is an area where the bhaarat putras are not lacking in confidence!
They don't even bother to suck in their stomachs while sauntering by...
Hope floats
There is however an interesting new development - Indian women are finally embracing a uniquely desi version of the swimming costume: Nylon tights with oversize nylon tees.
Visit Esselworld's Water Kingdom - where 'swimming costume' is compulsory to enter the water - and you'll see women short, fat, young and old all togged out in this somewhat strange but socially acceptable adaptation of the swimsuit.
The tights come in ankle and knee length versions; the most popular colour is navy blue.
The suits are available on hire but I'm wondering why doesn't some smart company market the concept? Nike or Adidas could actually sell such costumes - and make a success of it.
This in turn might encourage more Indian women to actually take up swimming instead of the standard sight you see at all but the most upscale holiday resorts: women watching their husbands and kids splashing around in the pool from a safe distance.
The west never got to where it is now in a jiffy. There was a time, if you need reminding, when nothing short of ankle length skirts were permitted at Wimbledon. The reason there has been relatively less clamour in the west about women's clothing becoming skimpier is that the process has taken place over the course of decades. For over a century now, women have been wearing successively fewer clothes - the current "norm" being the lower than low neck.
Contrast that to Bharat where in less than 15 years, western wear has become ubiquitous (atleast in the Metros).
A decade ago, a jean-wearing lass would have been "ogled" at (your term, not mine). Today the jean is so commonplace that it takes more than a jean (or rather, less than a jean) to attract attention.
The human mind has a problem accepting changes even if the change were positive. The pace at which our society is transforming right now is certain to cause pressures and tensions that only the next generation will be rid of.
Even that would be a big enough revolution... Bikinis? Now that will take another hundred years! Unless some secret ingredient is added to our morning milk which mutates the ogle-ogle gene in mankind.
Ashton Kutcher being voted American President sounds rather more plausible...
The God of All Things
Long before early morning walks in salwar kameez and Reeboks became socially acceptable, the only excuse bahus had to get some fresh air and 'darshan' of the outside world was to say,"Maaji, main zara mandir ho kar aa rahi hoon".
You could even dress up a bit for the occassion - and get away with it.
What's more, given the number of festivals and fasting days on the Hindu calendar, there was always some God or Godess who would need to be paid a personal visit.
I am here depicting the image of the world famous Akshardham. The grand Swaminarayan temple in Gandhinagar - now better known as the temple once held hostage by terrorists.
You can't really forget that - given the elaborate, airport-style security at the gate. If yor mobile phone has a camera, even that will have to be surrendered outside.
Kotler would be proud
However the trouble is worth it. It's truly an impressive complex. The gardens are immaculate and lush green. Not a piece of kachra to be seen anywhere. And the temple building itself is grand - by any standard.
Of course, once you are inside the temple you're slightly disoriented. There are no Ram-Sita/ Krishna/ Durga statues. Or the standard shiv-lingam. It is after all a 'Swaminarayan' temple, so you have a giant golden (or is it pure gold?) statue of Swaminarayan maharaj.
No explanation of any kind is given about him. To learn about his claim to sainthood there is of course the 'exhibition hall'. Here, there are giant tableaus of key scenes from the Ramayan, Mahabharat, Upanishads et al. Some of the exhibits are mechanised in "It's a Small World" style.
Welcome to Spiritual Disneyland.
The ultimate objective, of course, is to build the Swaminarayan brand. To associate this relatively growing spiritual name with the old and established names in the religious supermarket.
An education is given about the life and times of Swaminarayan. Now whether or not you leave the hall accepting the fact that Swaminarayan is an avatar of God is debatable. But the idea of planting the seed of that thought in this manner is quite brilliant.
Peth + Pooja
What's more, the Akdhardham complex is now a full-fledged 'entertainment' centre. There are amusement park style rides - including a water slide. And a very clean, cheap and cheerful food court offering everything from paranthas to "nuddles". (their spelling, not mine).
In an era of multiplexes and malls, Akshardham is also working hard to retain its place as destination families choose to go to on a Saturday evening. And I think in that objective it has certainly succeeded!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sky game
If our feathered friends had a news network of their own, this is what one of the top headlines would have read like last night: "Innocent bird killed in hit-and-land accident".
"Aaj shaam chhe baje Amdavaad airport ke nikat ek pakshi ki Spicejet ke hawaai jahaaz se takra kar achaanak maut ho gayi... "
But was it a mere accident or was it a jehadi parinda which decided to propel itself - suicide bomber style - into the engine? The idea being to ground these man-made flying machines marauding the once-peaceful blue skies?
Either way, Spicejet was grounded at Ahmedabad airport. And with no certainty of when the plane would take off - if at all - passengers ended up playing 'musical flights'. Most chose to take the full refund offered and get on to alternate airlines.
Eventually both tempers and temperatures cooled. And Spicejet did manage to take off.
But it got me thinking - flying the friendly skies was never so easy - or so complicated! And not just for us humans...
It's a bird! It's a plane!!! Thank God there is no Superman.
"Aaj shaam chhe baje Amdavaad airport ke nikat ek pakshi ki Spicejet ke hawaai jahaaz se takra kar achaanak maut ho gayi... "
But was it a mere accident or was it a jehadi parinda which decided to propel itself - suicide bomber style - into the engine? The idea being to ground these man-made flying machines marauding the once-peaceful blue skies?
Either way, Spicejet was grounded at Ahmedabad airport. And with no certainty of when the plane would take off - if at all - passengers ended up playing 'musical flights'. Most chose to take the full refund offered and get on to alternate airlines.
Eventually both tempers and temperatures cooled. And Spicejet did manage to take off.
But it got me thinking - flying the friendly skies was never so easy - or so complicated! And not just for us humans...
It's a bird! It's a plane!!! Thank God there is no Superman.
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