Being of the conservative kind, who seldom tries something out of the blue, I have been quite relieved to observe that, of late, I have been surprising myself quite a wee bit. My best guess is that it all started somewhere during my days in hostel where a lot of innovation went in doing even the smallest of the things. Small things led to even smaller actions, albeit with great implications. My gang used to snatch the steam inhaler machine from a fellow friend who hardly used it but claimed to have sinus. And in it we boiled majestic eggs. It remains one of my favorite anecdotes which I often narrate at those intellectual type get togethers, hoping that the ladies might be attracted to my goofier side. Because I know for sure that I stink when I try to act as an intellect of sorts.
The latest fad to hit Nalinville is to gain weight. So these days I have been hogging on the kind of food which Vir Sanghvi describes as uncomplicated, unhealthy and delicious. Before those of you who know me start to make judgments about how it was time for me to gain weight, let me be clear on the onset that the impulsion to eat more is not to attain a Adonis like physique, but to make sure that I can flaunt half a grand’s worth of a sleek black belt in the manner it deserves. Yes, in the times like these, the will of a materialistic consumer has taken over and has a more profound effect than the repeated pleas of a concerned mother for the same cause.
Let me tell you more about the whole scenario. The previous belt purchase, from a bustling Janpath, was basically done by my father. I had no idea about the cost, quality, length or type of the belt and it remained that way for just short of a decade. Then, as a, fifteen year old, I was concentrating only on the cold coffee from Deepaul’s. Things changed drastically between then and now. First and foremost innovation paved way to aloofness, and secondly my sister turned fifteen. Cold coffee being a passé for her and a socialite in her own right, she decided to give me a makeover. Stern looks and verbal bashing were used when humble requests did no good. And unlike most elder siblings I succumbed to the pressure. My visit to malls with a ‘target rich environment’ was reduced to mere window shopping. Now here comes the surprising bit I initially mentioned - I started enjoying such an experience. Even the cheap thrills of trying on expensive watches and sunglasses. Even the courage to purchase outrageously high priced goods.
One of which is the belt. Though it wasn’t love at first sight, but the impulse to acquire good things made me buy one (and of course the pressure). And during the process I forgot the fundamentals while making a purchase, which my folks taught me to address the dual concerns of comfort and value for money. At half a grand it was comfortable no doubt, but I didn’t try it. I was devastated to find out that its length was such that I could wrap my waist twice over. I had hit rock bottom. The only reason as to why I didn’t hit the bar to drown my sorrow was not to spend another fortune, this time on cursing the purchase. Instead, I came across a joint near my place which serves some form of chicken – an absolute delight. This has given me a new found motivation to use the belt as a yardstick of my gastronomic adventures and waist maturity.
All in all, with the purchase of the belt (and also a shirt during the same spree) I believe I have joined the compulsive buyers club (a club wherein they also serve a lot of tasty food.) And with it have shred another chunk of conservatism.
June 13, 2007
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
Of Cricket & Regional Divide
Most Indians would remember 1983 as the year we won cricket’s holy chalice – The Prudential World Cup. But ask people of my age and they will tell you that it was also the year they were born. Not surprisingly then, it won’t be wrong to say the passion for cricket resides in all twenty three year old Indians by default. Add to this passion the opportunity to be away from the prying eyes of parents, glass-pane-window-loving neighbors and being with some three hundred like minded individuals. The result leaves nothing to imagine.
Just like the fervor for the game, the culture at college was such that my mates savored the same belief as our cricket’s governing body, of Zonal Selections. The teams so formed were strictly on the basis on the region the player hailed from. There were regular and emotion packed matches between teams from Delhi, U.P., Punjab and Himachal. The remaining teams which did not constitute of players ‘exclusively’ from a state had a heavy regional influence. Being someone who believes in the notion that an individual is at his truest form when engrossed in a passionate game, such duels were of concern. Inevitably, one would observe an undercurrent of regional divide that plagued the atmosphere; and at times highlighted the true emotions.
It was not just on the field but off the field as well that one could witness the unrest. Those matches that involved two different factions meant another Heysel Stadium disaster like atmosphere. The joke was that the playing field has been a witness to less matches and more fights and that our neighborhood dhaba often doubled up as the maison de justice.
Now, the development of groups is a common feature in any social setup. People interact and integrate on the basis of a common thread that binds them. In cases wherein the individuals are subjected to an environment that is new and to adapt is a must, they generally stick with individuals having similar cultural background. This is so because out of all things it is one’s culture and not interests and skills, which make him / her socially acceptable. The same happens in an engineering college where people from different cultures and background come together. The groups so formed are basically on the basis of region and ethnicity. So we see that from the very beginning there is an inclination of sticking with people whom one can relate, which is absolutely perfect and understandable. However, in due course of time, as the comfort level within an existing group increases, the individual becomes content and makes no efforts to mingle with individuals from / of different groups.
On the very first day I was only too happy to observe that the bulk of people who were allotted rooms on my floor were all from Delhi. The ones on the floor above were from UP. To this day I am not certain if the sorting was done on purpose. The consequence of the sorting was hardly on my mind. To have a room mate whose residence was only five minutes walk and getting acquainted to people with whom I shared common friends from school was reassuring. Hence, I did not look anywhere else for friends. It is my understanding that most other students had similar experience since in the first two months or so I never saw anyone mingling with students from other floors. Hence, my interaction with people from UP was restricted only to the classroom. Overall, this resulted in regional groupism rather then groups based on intellectual likings. This was the foundation of the regional divide that was to be experienced.
There is an interesting point highlighted by a good friend who graduated from a different institute, but having similar experiences. She points out the role played by the Alpha Male (or Female) in a group. He or she would be the pivot around which the group revolved. The internal scuffle among group members to play the role of that Alpha Male was witnessed too. This further confirmed by belief in the notion of hanging together on the basis intellectual likings was crippled by the ‘charm’ of being socially acceptable first. She goes on further to observe, that even in universities abroad, which often boast of their rich diversity, the students from different countries prefer hanging out together. This may only be partially true but the existence of various region based clubs in almost all universities is a testimonial to the fact that region plays a major role in bringing about the cultural dynamics that exist within an institution.
(With Contributions from Neha - friend, colleague and social counselor)
Just like the fervor for the game, the culture at college was such that my mates savored the same belief as our cricket’s governing body, of Zonal Selections. The teams so formed were strictly on the basis on the region the player hailed from. There were regular and emotion packed matches between teams from Delhi, U.P., Punjab and Himachal. The remaining teams which did not constitute of players ‘exclusively’ from a state had a heavy regional influence. Being someone who believes in the notion that an individual is at his truest form when engrossed in a passionate game, such duels were of concern. Inevitably, one would observe an undercurrent of regional divide that plagued the atmosphere; and at times highlighted the true emotions.
It was not just on the field but off the field as well that one could witness the unrest. Those matches that involved two different factions meant another Heysel Stadium disaster like atmosphere. The joke was that the playing field has been a witness to less matches and more fights and that our neighborhood dhaba often doubled up as the maison de justice.
Now, the development of groups is a common feature in any social setup. People interact and integrate on the basis of a common thread that binds them. In cases wherein the individuals are subjected to an environment that is new and to adapt is a must, they generally stick with individuals having similar cultural background. This is so because out of all things it is one’s culture and not interests and skills, which make him / her socially acceptable. The same happens in an engineering college where people from different cultures and background come together. The groups so formed are basically on the basis of region and ethnicity. So we see that from the very beginning there is an inclination of sticking with people whom one can relate, which is absolutely perfect and understandable. However, in due course of time, as the comfort level within an existing group increases, the individual becomes content and makes no efforts to mingle with individuals from / of different groups.
On the very first day I was only too happy to observe that the bulk of people who were allotted rooms on my floor were all from Delhi. The ones on the floor above were from UP. To this day I am not certain if the sorting was done on purpose. The consequence of the sorting was hardly on my mind. To have a room mate whose residence was only five minutes walk and getting acquainted to people with whom I shared common friends from school was reassuring. Hence, I did not look anywhere else for friends. It is my understanding that most other students had similar experience since in the first two months or so I never saw anyone mingling with students from other floors. Hence, my interaction with people from UP was restricted only to the classroom. Overall, this resulted in regional groupism rather then groups based on intellectual likings. This was the foundation of the regional divide that was to be experienced.
There is an interesting point highlighted by a good friend who graduated from a different institute, but having similar experiences. She points out the role played by the Alpha Male (or Female) in a group. He or she would be the pivot around which the group revolved. The internal scuffle among group members to play the role of that Alpha Male was witnessed too. This further confirmed by belief in the notion of hanging together on the basis intellectual likings was crippled by the ‘charm’ of being socially acceptable first. She goes on further to observe, that even in universities abroad, which often boast of their rich diversity, the students from different countries prefer hanging out together. This may only be partially true but the existence of various region based clubs in almost all universities is a testimonial to the fact that region plays a major role in bringing about the cultural dynamics that exist within an institution.
(With Contributions from Neha - friend, colleague and social counselor)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)