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May 19th, 2005, 07:54
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#1 |
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Maha Guru Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: GA,USA.
Posts: 1,539
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Keeping Up With the Kapoors..
From the May 2005 issue of "Little India"
Keeping Up With the Kapoors By Kavitha Rao An overseas Indian struggles to keep up with the new India. “Customer is king,” says a sign in my local grocery shop. When I left Bangalore to live overseas 10 years ago, this tiny hole in the wall was crammed with Parachute coconut oil and Frooti tetrapacks. Now it’s stuffed with L’Oreal shampoos and Tropicana juice. I ask for Marie biscuits. “Sorry, we don’t have Marie. But we have McVities digestives!” Teatime without Marie? Impossible. But a glance at all the other customers, buying Nivea body lotion and Kellogg’s Cocopops, tells me I am hopelessly out of touch. The Bangalore I left behind was a city with no malls, lounge bars or supermarkets. The restaurants I dined in had rexine sofas, Formica tables and “No spitting” signs on the wall. Boring? Probably. Inconvenient? Certainly. But I miss it. Life may have been less exciting before L’Oreal and Kellogg’s came to town, but it was also a lot simpler. Not to mention a lot cheaper......  More...
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"There’s nothing common about common sense." - Internets. Last edited by Hyderabadi : May 19th, 2005 at 17:25. |
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May 19th, 2005, 09:19
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#2 |
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One in a billion member.
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Amsterdam
Posts: 1,074
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Wow.. good read.
I havent been away for 10 years so the difference I noted was not so profound. (but I did notice it.) If things keep the same pace or get even better... the Kapoor's will have a lot more catching up to do in the next 10 years.  I hope by then smaller towns and villages also see some type of development.
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I need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle. |
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May 19th, 2005, 10:23
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#3 |
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Bulk Carrier
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Chennai
Posts: 1,846
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At least India Coffee House and Vidyarthi Bhavan are still running...
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...and I took the road less travelled. |
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May 19th, 2005, 10:28
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#4 |
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This is just a cameo appearance
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Chennai, India
Posts: 36,189
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I learnt to stay away from food places that look trendy: bad food, bad service, high prices. Same for those coffee places: designer drinks, designed for appearance not taste.
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May 19th, 2005, 11:26
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#5 | |
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Unreasonably Unreasonable Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Where They Wear Clogs
Posts: 1,222
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Quote:
Keep it coming! Yeh dil maange more! (but I like Thanda Coke) All credits for the source goes to Hyderabadi I cannot resist this one: Here's a little quiz for you: when 20 Indian American physicians gather on a stage, do they A.) Lecture on pain management; B) Expound on AIDS research; C) Burst into semi classical Hindi songs, accompanied by a Karaoke machine? |
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May 19th, 2005, 11:44
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#6 |
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Account Closed by User's Request
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: the Netherlands
Posts: 6,009
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Brilliant, consumerism offers a huge array of choices but it really makes life complicated!
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May 19th, 2005, 11:54
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#7 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: usa
Posts: 443
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India has changed alot, Born in 77 in India. Left after 1 year to US, first visit back 1984--was a kid dont remember much. Just came for an uncle's wedding. Things were still very "indian"..I loved going behind my grandma's house and picking jasmine off her plants. Kids would run up to be in the camera my dad brought.
1985--dance school. just spent 100 hours in dance class..Dont remember much except DANCE.. 1989-Another Uncle's wedding, now a pre-teen I cared more about my looks,and was constantly scooping the cute boys out...Things were still pristine and lovely... 1995--College, professional. Totally different. Some parts of India changed but Madras was still lagging behind which is good and also not good. Left India few years later..much different than before, it was cool to be modern and I fell right into it! Modern as they come haha.. 2002--My wedding..wanted it in India...very traditional in Tirupathi. If I wanted modern I could have stayed here and had it, but wanted my in-laws present and their love and affections too. 2004 Dec-Jan 2005---Totally Different India..I am loving it! Spencers plaza in Madras changed dramatically since when I was in college. Hyderabad is clean green and wonderful and Bangalore really rocks... Next trip..hopefully Oct of 2006..we will see..and pray  I miss India already |
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May 19th, 2005, 20:41
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#8 |
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One tight slap!
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: New York
Posts: 323
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Hyderabadi, nice article.
I sympathise with the author. I want to go to my corner store in Madras, and buy stuff like Hamam/Chandrika soap, but the shopkeeper always tries to introduce me to the "latest" product! I don't like places like Barista but then I never go to Starbucks either; the coffee doesn't even taste all that good apart from the fact that Starbucks' are always so crowded. I'm glad Saravana Bhavan is still around in Madras! |
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May 20th, 2005, 05:05
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#9 |
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Guru
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Hollywood
Posts: 4,667
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Funny, but so true..
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