To the modernists and to the saviors of Indian culture..

Let me get this straight

1. I do not like pub culture.
   
2. I do not like what sri ram sene did.
   

These are two independent statements, But reading the newspapers and following the electronic media. It seems, that one can either be someone who loves going to pub or someone who endorses what sri ram sene did.

Now, let me explain the first two sentences.

I said, i do not like pub culture. I believe, this is entirely my own choice and i do not have to clarify my stand to anyone fearing that i would be labeled as a fundamentalist. But since i am in mood of explaining my stand, i will explain :)

When i said i do not like 'pub culture' I do not mean that i hate everything about the existence of pubs. Though i am not a pub going person, i have had a few visits to pubs. And in one of those very few visits, i figured out that i will not enjoy my pub visits. This is purely a matter of choice, isn't it.

There is very little to enjoy in a pub if you are a teetotaler like me. However i do believe that if you are part of a group where everybody else is drinking except you; you will probably enjoy the most. Simply because of the fact, that most of your friends assume the role of an entertainer / philosopher / comedian, when they are drunk. You can simply take a back seat and enjoy the show. But i don't see these 'shows' in pubs, may be because everybody is lost in the crowd. What i see is; drunk people misbehaving with staff, a girl in the dance floor surrounded by 10 guys trying to take advantage of her {I am not gender biased, but i have never seen a guy in the dance floor surrounded by >1 girls trying to take advantage of him} and most of the male crowd ogling at the female in the closest vicinity {Again, i am not gender biased}.

And then i said i do not like what sri ram sene did, which i think is self explanatory. They are wrong, and they should be punished for what they did.

I think, the seeds of culture lie in our households. If we want to call ourselves liberal, we should embrace the 'modern' thoughts. Being modern is much more than having high cost of living and speaking pseudo english. Similarly, If you claim to be the saviors of indian culture, fight your battle against dowry, child marriages and caste system. Leave the youngsters alone, who are mature enough to decide how they want to spend their evenings.

And i pray for the day, when our media becomes mature and liberal in thoughts. At the moment they are just concerned about TRPs, see this if you don't believe me.

Revenge is a dish that tastes best, when served cold !

Mumbai got hit. Hit hard, and hit where it hurts the most. The synonyms of mumbai's prestige (Hotel Taj, Hotel Oberai) and glorious history (CST) have been attacked. And it has generated a reaction, that is unprecedented. Undoubtedly, first of its kind. Politicians, Media, The Common Man ; everybody has some kind of suggestion on 'what should we do'. But frankly speaking, all of it seems to be a knee jerk reaction. Nothing more than that PERIOD

'The only people who did anything to mention over the past week were the NSG who quietly came in, stoically risked their lives, killed our enemies, walked out onto the debris filled streets, boarded red BEST buses and went home.'

Everybody else is 'shouting' (to put it straight); so as to not curb their anger. 'The reason' : they are frustrated, they are hurt, they are angry. But is it making any sense ?? I fear, that all this will die down with people moving on with the so called remarkable spirit. This term is used so frivolously that, i have started considering it an abuse to mumbai.

Don't throw your anger making noise. Keep it in tact, Nourish it, Channelize it to grow within yourself. It will be itchy within you. But, its all worth it. You need that itch for the rest of your lives.And use that itch in preparation of that 'dish'. And the recipe says, it will take time. It is not a 'two minute' instant noodle.
And i am sure, you will get the taste, which all of you are luring for.

And please do not forget, don't compromise on the 'preparation' part.

What will you do, if you get 500 Rs ??

So, someone asks this question to a variety of people, ranging from poor to middle class to rich segment of people. And captures their response in the video. This video gives a perspective to us : on our country's current situation, the inequality among aam junta, our attitude towards life.

Most of the young crowd who is earning money in their bachelorhood or who have enough sum of inherited money have very common answers like

• Spend it on some food joint /pub /disco, 
  
• Get a haircut / body piercing done, 
  
• Go for a movie, 
  
• Recharge the sim card, 
  
• Buy branded clothes [well, actually 500 is not enough for that these days :), but thats another issue ;)]
  

Then there are some poor guys (children mostly) who say

• Spend it on school ka saman / tution fee
  
• a vibrant face says 'ghar ka kharcha chala sakta hun, thoda market karke.. tamatar, aaloo wo sab leke'. I wonder if that guy can teach a lot of us something about 'positive attitude'
  
• Bade hotel mein ja ke khana khayenge. (its a dream for that child !! )
  
• Stove kharidenge, rashan layenge 
  

Then there is the famous lower middle class of india that have answers like

• 500 rs mein kuch nahi ho sakta, na kuch aata hai na kuch jata hai (the pessimistic uncle)
  
• Thoda bachha logon pe kharcha karungi, baki ka balance bhavishya ke liye rakhoongi. (This single sentence explains so many things, but none so appropriately as it does..... the mother nature). I am sure, the pessimistic uncle will laugh at her ' what can she do with 500 rs in bhavishya'. But the main point is.. the attitude !! 
  
• first class ka pass kharidunga (the daily mumbai-local traveller)
  

The video asks a question. And if i got it right, it does not give you a straight forward answer. It gives rise to new questions. It hits your sensitive chord. It intrigues you, isn't it ??

It got me thinking. The first thing, which came to my mind was : I will buy something for me. Well, buying is obvious. You earn money to spend. That brings the next question. What is that spending, which will please me. That makes me think, i should spend it wisely. i should not feel, i have wasted it. Then i start thinking of my first reaction 'I will buy something for me' . Why is it always me ?? Can't i do something for someone else ?? Which in turn gives me internal pleasure and happiness, makes me feel i have done something worthwhile. So, that effectively sums it up for me, eventually its me who is getting benefitted. I am not doing something for someone else, even if it looks like so.

Well, the point is, i will spend wisely, if i 'think'. And that essentially is the message of the video. 'Think before you spend'. You are earning money to lead a comfortable life, to spend. But just give it a thought 'Think before you spend'.