Bangalore – The population ranges from the mildly rich to the extremely prosperous. Most IT bigwigs get paid obscene salaries and they spread the goodness around resulting in obscene salaries for their drivers and maids as well. I see a cellphone in every hand, unfailingly. Every new condominium which comes up for booking gets lapped up instantaneously. Money is being spent, no burnt.
I went to the I-Bar at The Park Hotel. Many of the city’s movers and shakers were present of course and more poured in as the night progressed. The bar was overflowing with people demanding booze at a faster rate than the bartenders could supply. The dance floor took a while to warm up but once we started, there was no stopping the crowd. Everywhere designer shoes, designer clothes, designer bags – I wondered whether I was the one from Singapore here. I seemed to be too ordinary. Someone stopped me and asked whether my bag was an Aigner original. I earnestly nodded yes to gain that instant look of acceptance into the hoi-polloi. When the lady turned away to talk to someone else, I confessed to my colleague that I had bought my Aigner original for all of S$35 at a Rock Bottom price sale.
The disco crowd of course gets younger every day and it was distressing to see 14 year olds (or perhaps they were 12) smoking a sickly sweet substance. I wonder what it was, but it made my head spin and I had to get off the dance floor.
Outside, I looked at the line of cars. All big. I think I must be the only senior manager in Bangalore who owns a puny Santro. But compared to my life in Singapore where I didn’t even own a car, I am doing good (I think)
Then I was at a birthday party with Arya today evening. Again, the prosperity is so in your face. This was a luxurious 3 bedroom flat with a lovely terrace garden with actual artificial grass laid out all over. I hadn’t stopped reeling from that fact when the women with their sparkling diamonds chirped all around me, only interested in the fact that I was from Singapore. Every man of every age was wearing a pink shirt. I was wondering why that was, when it suddenly occurred to me that it was a fairyland theme. I can’t imagine for the life of me – the Indian men in Singapore complying with the rules if they involve wearing a pink shirt. I am tempted to try it out with Arya’s next birthday party.
Everywhere I look, people are withdrawing thousands of rupees from ATMs, spending thousands on meals (and they are not all expense accounts), squandering away tens of thousands on holidays, clothes, what not!An Indian girl who’s lived in Singapore for a longish time went to Delhi to shop for her wedding trousseau. She came back in a state of shock saying that while she was hesitating about what to pick and checking out the price tags (despite the fact that she was earning in Singapore $), it was shocking to see locals not batting an eyelid while shelling out upwards of INR 50000 (SGD 2000 approx) for their wedding dress (something that you end up wearing only once in your life). I couldn’t relate to it then, but you bet I can now.
I went to the I-Bar at The Park Hotel. Many of the city’s movers and shakers were present of course and more poured in as the night progressed. The bar was overflowing with people demanding booze at a faster rate than the bartenders could supply. The dance floor took a while to warm up but once we started, there was no stopping the crowd. Everywhere designer shoes, designer clothes, designer bags – I wondered whether I was the one from Singapore here. I seemed to be too ordinary. Someone stopped me and asked whether my bag was an Aigner original. I earnestly nodded yes to gain that instant look of acceptance into the hoi-polloi. When the lady turned away to talk to someone else, I confessed to my colleague that I had bought my Aigner original for all of S$35 at a Rock Bottom price sale.
The disco crowd of course gets younger every day and it was distressing to see 14 year olds (or perhaps they were 12) smoking a sickly sweet substance. I wonder what it was, but it made my head spin and I had to get off the dance floor.
Outside, I looked at the line of cars. All big. I think I must be the only senior manager in Bangalore who owns a puny Santro. But compared to my life in Singapore where I didn’t even own a car, I am doing good (I think)
Then I was at a birthday party with Arya today evening. Again, the prosperity is so in your face. This was a luxurious 3 bedroom flat with a lovely terrace garden with actual artificial grass laid out all over. I hadn’t stopped reeling from that fact when the women with their sparkling diamonds chirped all around me, only interested in the fact that I was from Singapore. Every man of every age was wearing a pink shirt. I was wondering why that was, when it suddenly occurred to me that it was a fairyland theme. I can’t imagine for the life of me – the Indian men in Singapore complying with the rules if they involve wearing a pink shirt. I am tempted to try it out with Arya’s next birthday party.
Everywhere I look, people are withdrawing thousands of rupees from ATMs, spending thousands on meals (and they are not all expense accounts), squandering away tens of thousands on holidays, clothes, what not!An Indian girl who’s lived in Singapore for a longish time went to Delhi to shop for her wedding trousseau. She came back in a state of shock saying that while she was hesitating about what to pick and checking out the price tags (despite the fact that she was earning in Singapore $), it was shocking to see locals not batting an eyelid while shelling out upwards of INR 50000 (SGD 2000 approx) for their wedding dress (something that you end up wearing only once in your life). I couldn’t relate to it then, but you bet I can now.
2 comments:
You bet Anu, even when I was amazed at the spending that people do nowadays! A couple of grand jsut does not have any value. I remember when I was doing my masters, i used to feel good when I had a couple of 100's in my pocket...and nowadays kids deal in terms of thousands....its dunno amazing or disturbing, but definitely a drastic change...
Need a new post now!
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