Archive for January, 2006
Respect
January 31st, 2006 • 2 comments To be filed
I studied at an all-girls convent school in Bombay. Convent schools were (not anymore) known for their discipline and supposed finer quality of education. I got the discipline,(loads of it) but unfortunately apart from excellent grades and a few lifetime friends – I recieved no education or mentoring from my teachers. I often wish my parents had sent me to a better school where I would have been appreciated for myself and would have fallen truly in love with the learning and knowledge. Fortunately, my curiosity and an effort to continously raise the level of my intelligence provided me a strong foundation. But -having a teacher who loved teaching, would have made a difference.
In Scotland however, in addition to implanting a desire for knowledge, the primary school teachers are also inculcating intrinsic behavioural values like respect for fellow pupils, anger management and justice were values developed by parents in their children. Even the youngest children are given lessons in empathy.
Class bullies are made to stand up to their behavior by meeting their victims in person. Younger kids can go to older students if they have problems in classroom or playground with bullying or name-calling. Anger, is not cool is the basic underlying principle Scottish schools are adapting and vehemently teaching their students.
I love it. I love it that the Scotland is taking such a keen interest in the psychological welfare of their pupils. Maybe I should have had such a teacher when the other kids were teasing me tomboy. Sheesh. Too bad for them, i grew up to be very pretty. 
Gen Y across the world
January 31st, 2006 • To be filed
Extracts from an excellent article by Jack Madrid, Country Manager, MTV Philippines
- Generation Y (born after 1981) are influenced by Celebrity Culture, Music and Fashion, Technology and Family and Leisure time
- Gen Y has been raised as consumers since they were born. A first generation of its kind.
- Gen Y admire pro-social causes brands as they exhibit a stronger sense of social responsibility
Accurate observations about Gen Y. What interests me the most about this article is that Gen Y traits across continents and countries are pretty universal. It’s almost as if youth culture all over is evolving at the same pace. The youth in Philippines are just as obsessed with texting and local bands as the American youth, Indian youth or Japanese youth.
What does it imply on a macro level? Can marketers use similar strategies to market to the youth all over, ofcourse giving it a more localized flavor?
A question to ponder over.
Meme – 4 Fings
January 31st, 2006 • 2 comments On my mind...
I don’t usually indulge in memes, but this – for a friend
4 Fings. (why is it called fings?)
4 Jobs that have left me demented or influenced
- Waiting tables twice. (both experiences lasted exactly one day)
- Internship at InStyle magazine.
- Serving as Secretary for Indian Students Association
- Assistant to a Brand Identity Manager, Alina Wheeler
Visual Anthropology- Chinatown, New York
January 30th, 2006 • 1 comment To be filed
I conveniently forgot to take my camera to the Chinese New Year celebrations in China town, Philly. I have never seen Chinatown so alive and vibrant with people before. Last Sunday, Philadelphian Chinese celebrated their New Year with a line parade (a dragon too!) and lots of fire-crackers. It sucked that it was pouring all day and that we couldn’t find parking anywhere AND that there were no seats available at my favorite restaurant in Chinatown. But smart me – I took pictures of a sedate Friday evening in Chinatown, New York last week.
Walking Down China Town
Neon city
Movie Rental Store
Pastry Shop
Fountains
Too much going on!
Entrance to the knick-knack store
Supermarket
Salon
Trading in Chinatown
Fashion China-town style
At home in Chinatown
And then my batteries ran out 
These pictures, although not from ChinaTown, NY were taken opposite my work building — reminded me of the Street Hawkers I was talking about earlier.
Trinkets
Color, Cloth and Sale
Sale!
Shiny Bags
Aladins Den
Wallets on sale
Korean cosmetics hit the sweet spot
January 30th, 2006 • To be filed
Understanding a girl’s relationship with her beauty products
I am a firm believer of what you pay is what you get. Especially when it comes to cosmetics. Young women my age are acutely aware of parading beauty companies, glitzy packaging and quality of products. My generation also has humanist tendencies and does not appreciate animal-testing or excessive chemicals.
Our priorities are mostly to stay up-to-date with trends and for this- we are willing to experiment various styles, colors and companies. Price definitely plays a role in the equation. While we may not cringe on spending $13 for a MAC eye-shadow, we will definitely chuck MAC and opt for another brand if it promises the same level of satisfaction for a cheaper price.
Like these Korean brands.
Simple distribution, inexpensive prices
Missha and The FaceShop , two of South Korea’s most successful and known beauty companies sell excellent quality products (yep, eye-shadows included!) at inexpensive prices.
By simplifying their distribution process- the companies mange to cut major fringe costs. The products arrive directly from the headquarters to the distribution outlets. Missha CEO likens this concept to that of Dell Computers — because consumers can purchase Dell’s only through their website, Dell computers are relatively affordable.
This is how Missha rationalizes their costs: (Click picture for larger view)
Why are they so successful?
The FaceShop is all natural – no animal testing and all its products are made from 600+ natural ingredients like rice, fruit and herbs. It also uses recyclable containers! That the products are inexpensive is a cherry on the icing. Missha too, fills the market-need by providing cutesy packaged make-up. Most of its skin-care line is made of natural ingredients as well. I visited the Mid-town NY Missha store and was very impressed by the selection of products. 90% of the 500+ products are below $10. I think these brands have hit bulls-eye by meeting the two key requirements. These brands have a more rarified presence from the drug-store brands but this presence also gives it an exclusive flavor that attracts more consumers.
The Asian women, familiar with the companies, are thrilled to have their favorite brands in America — the question is, will other companies follow suit or stick to their antiquated methods of marketing to young women?
Glossies zone in on India
January 27th, 2006 • 11 comments To be filed
When glossy international magazines enter a country – is a sure sign of the country’s prosperity and its economic stamina. Unlike USA, magazines in other countries do not derive their circulation income largely from subscriptions. India had the necessary infrastructure to sustain an international publication now : Multinational advertisers and an audience.
Rising pool of potential advertisers
Ever since Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen bought home the Ms World and Ms Universes (respectively) titles in 1994, there as been an influx of giant beauty and fashion labels in India. The year 1994 marked the beginning of India’s ascendence up the social ladder of beauty as one after another models won subsequent beauty pageants. Diana Hayden, Manpreet Brar, Yukta Mookhey, Dia Mirza…. and the numerous models who did their time on that glittering dais.
By far the biggest player in this industry is L’Oreal that entered the market in 1991 via Ultra Doux. In 1996, it launched its hair-color system– fast forward to 2005 where Matrix and Kerastase brands have been launched and will predictably become household names in urban India. L’Oreal’s has seen an impressive growth of 33.4% since 2003. Luxury giant LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesy) opened its first store in Delhi in 2004 and met huge success, so much so that it opened another store in Bombay.
Italian United Colors of Benetton is set to introduce its high-end label, Sisley in India and Spanish retailer Mango already has a store and a following in Bombay. Chanel, Bvlgari, Hugo Boss are nestled in India’s 5-star hotels. French brand Boucheron is eyeing India. And the buzz is, Indian architects and builders are already conceptualizing a giant 400,000 sq ft luxury mega-mall that will only house these luxury brands. Indian cities like Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore will be on comparable level to Singapore, Hong-Kong and Bangkok in next 5-7 years. A thriving village of these luxury brands and India’s own luxury brands make for a healthy advertisers pool – the prime necessity for any magazine to survive.
India. Has. Arrived.
And a discerning audience!
By 2010, India is predicted to have 1,40,000 millionaires. Since the year 2001, India has entered the consumer revolution bringing in more money and more power to the previously absentee middle-class. Indians are indulging more in aspirational purchases and multi-national banks are making this possible by offering excellent payment plans, loan options and credit cards.
India has the youngest population in the world : 65% aged below 35. Add to that a rise in individual spending power and India becomes the likeliest potential country for foreign ventures and investments. Besides, a gradual attitude shift towards sexuality, gender and professions has made India thriving hub , ready for exploration. And this audience that pays Rs. 60 for a cup of coffee is without a doubt, willing to shell out Rs.50 for an international magazine for the prestige that comes attached with an intl. title and for then for the content. You see, subscribing of reading a magazine like Vogue, Maxim or even Glamour is another step up the social ladder to the cosmopolitan world. And reading these magazines – puts this young audience on the same plane as their international counterparts, enabling both to share a thread of common culture.
Coming back to Maxim..
Now on a personal note, magazines have been publishing “100 things you never knew about women,” and “how to make your man happy,” features since the last 40 years. And it still sells! For its inaugural issue, lad-mag Maxim presents the same old stuff repackaged only to suit an Indian man’s sensibilities. There is solid debate regarding the launch of Maxim in India. Conservatives seek it as a threat, adding to the westernization of India. And optimists like me, see it as progress — believing strongly the future will see launches of titles like the Walrus and New Yorker in India. You pick your side.
PS: This and the last post have been inspired by the recent PSFK posts on India and Death of Newspapers. Kudos to Piers!
Bloggers vs. journalists
January 26th, 2006 • 2 comments To be filed
Making name while the web shines
Elizabeth Spiers is starting a Gawker-esque gossip blog about Wall Street aptly called DealBreaker.com. Over at DesignSponge, Grace B, is launching a spanky new dot com website and who knows, in a couple months will quit her day-job and pursue her site full-time? PSFK has been predicting the death of newspapers since last year and bloggers are making headlines more often. (for being fired, for coming out of anonymity or snagging a book deal- or well, just as quotes!) Most high profile newspapers and magazines produce a blog. (Washington Post, Fast Company etc) Infact, it has come to the point where main stream media and journalists are resorting to blogs for story ideas and inspiration. I fiercely defended the proclaimed death of media on PSFK, because I am a part of MSM, I obviously don’t want to think of its imminent death. But, the question remains — will citizen journalism/blogging replace the ultimate pedastal of authority held by traditional modes of media (newspapers/mags)
In defense of journalists…
In J-school they taught us the paramount and the only axiom we were supposed to adhere to as journalists: of reporting only why, who, what, when, where and how. Thats it. And I stuck by it. We were taught to carefully craft our opinions but were always reminded, "Opinions are dime a dozen." Cliched, right? But its true too. I will always be a journalist first and then a blogger- it is something I choose in solidarity for my kind and out of respect for the profession. Brilliant journalists struggle for years to write stories, get clips, make a name for themselves. And it does seem a little unfair to them when a blogger shoots to fame by simply doling out opinions and advices. Or is it really unfair? I have matured into not going ballistic everytime I see the comment box empty with my posts – but I graify myself thinking that my readers are actual, real, busy people with precious time on their hands and just the fact that they read is enough for me to continue writing. (I do not mean that those who comment are idle and have tons of time on their hands! Its just how I rid myself of writing related dissonance) Everyone seeks appreciation for their craft- writers and bloggers included. Bloggers chronically check their visitor stats and comments box and journalists seek gratification in form more work and praise from the editor. Why has blogging become so ubiquitious? More so, do journalists have a reason to feel threatened?
Eco-friendly bags
January 25th, 2006 • 4 comments To be filed
My mom used to recycle gift-wrapping paper, so everytime I’d want to rip apart a gift (like they show in those Hallmark ads) my mom would reprimand me and yell at me for wasting paper. I still thinking ripping the paper to get to the gift is very glamrous and sexy but – I’m so sold to the idea of using reusable gift bags like these.
I respect companies with a cause, with a reason. And Lucky Crows fits the bill. Not only are these funky cloth bags propagating the idea of recycle-reuse-rejuvinate, but the owner also donates 1% of her earnings to One Percent for the Planet.
(Via liquidtreat)
Spring’s newest fashion accessory
January 25th, 2006 • 1 comment To be filed
Y’know what I absolutely love about this wine? It’s packaging. Why didn’t wineries think of packaging wine in cans before? The cans have been made to appeal the "Sex and the City" crowd which means, the young, hip and urbane.
I haven’t tried it yet – but considering the kind of movies Sofia Coppola makes, the wine will hopefully live up to its expectations.
Did I mention it comes with a matching straw?
Philly Tea party
January 25th, 2006 • To be filed
If you ever visit Philadelphia, you should stop by my friend’s cozy tea bar. In class, I could have never imagined Courtney was researching and learning about teas while the rest of us scrambled to meet deadlines! Well, it was worth the effort.
Remedy Tea Bar , a lovely mint green walled cafe opened its doors last year to a very Starbucked Philadelphia. Sisters Courtney and Kristen decided that Philadelphia needed a real tea bar when they were touring London and “were shocked at the number of coffee shops in a place historically known for tea.” (A tea bar with a story! mmm)
I am not a huge tea fan– but how can you resist a place that serves “mar-tea-nis”!
Besides I like the fact that these teeny clusters of tea Bars is helping promote a new beverage culture in coffee-washed America. Yay to that! And like I said, do visit! (and say hello to Courtney!)
A click ahead
January 25th, 2006 • Marketing/ Advertising
Seshu Badrinath, a wedding and events photographer, gifts his clients an Apple Video Ipod with their wedding photographs on it! Smart, eh. He approaches wedding photography like a photo-essay — none of those “say cheese- look at the camera” kinds. And no, I’m not thinking of my own wedding, I just happened to drop by his site. Sheesh!
Disco makes a comeback
January 24th, 2006 • Culture Briefings
(Image via Coolhunter )
LED lights -the new avatar of our discotheques. The lights interact with a dancer’s moves and the Dj’s music, adding an entirely new dimension to the discos. Popularity for the LED floors is only going to increase this year, so much so that entertainment and event management firms are already booking LED floors for 2006! Check out more pics and videos here
She walks in beauty
January 24th, 2006 • Culture Briefings
At this years World Economic Forum, India had every intention of walking away with the most praises, like a beauty strutting in a swimsuit for Miss Universe pageant. Only, India had already announced itself the winner of any and all pageants!
What did she not do — she posed brilliant blue-lit banners at the airport to announce her participation in the forum, she lovingly packed a goody-bag of pashmina shawls, an Ipod filled with Indian pop and classical music, ayurvedic oils and what not. In the evenings, she serenaded her guests and even showed off some of her bollywood jhatkas while feasting them on spicy kebabs and samosas.
I’m beginning to wonder if this really was a summit to discuss economic prowess…
Cosmopolitans and CultureHawkers
January 23rd, 2006 • Culture Briefings
This weekend (back in Philly!) I lunched with a bunch of friends who were visiting from Curacao. If you are wondering where Curacao is….
A Dutch island in the Caribbean, Curacao boasts of a large and vibrant Indian community, predominantly Sindhis. Our table seated an eclectic bunch of Indians — the three Sindhi’s born and raised in Curacao with bi-yearly trips to Indonesia and India where the rest of their family resides. Another friend, Indian- but born and raised in the Middle East and me– plain old Indian, born and raised in India!
As our conversation steered towards growing up and childhood memories, I noticed that even as each of us had a distinctive flavor to our pasts, on a larger level, we all converged on shared memories of Sesame Street, Tin-Tin, Batman and Robin and KitKat. And this was during the 80’s and the 90’s. Today, the permeation of cultural imports is commonplace and the diffusion happens via various channels – TV, music, movies and book being the most pervasive of all.
Back in the 80’s, India was flooded with…
Recent Projects
January 23rd, 2006 • 2 comments On my mind...
I have been incredibly busy which explains the rare posts. I do have a few updates –
DesiCritics.com — the finest South Asian bloggers, writers and journalists in an adaptation of blogcritics.com (I will be cross-posting on StyleStation and Desicritics)
Mumbai Metroblogging – Although I cringe at calling my Bombay, Mumbai – that’s the official name. I do not live in Bombay but then again, I do not live in New York or in Philadelphia. So I’m entitled to write about and for a city I’m passionately in love with.
And — I will be covering the Fall 2006 New York Fashion Week (Feb 3 – Feb 11) for PSFK For updates straight from the tents — keep checkin psfk in the coming weeks!
CultureFiles – Glance around the world
January 20th, 2006 • Culture Briefings
American designers look to Japan for fashion inspiration, Gwen Stefani, I guess, leading the pack…
Phone Trends for 2006 — I think I need a Blackberry, but then I’d be glued to my email 24/7. Nah..
On Bali’s revival…
Students at a college festival in India decide to adapt an eco-friendly approach
About fashion photographers and their women, inspiration comes in many forms…
A wonderful anecdote about America and pissing by the highway as percieved by the French
The cure for Hikikomori
January 18th, 2006 • 9 comments Culture Briefings
I was disturbed when I first read of this social disease in the NYT magazine. Hikikomori, a noun, adjective and a verb all rolled into one, is a psychological atrophy Japanese youth are increasingly withdrawing under. The simplest understanding of this phenomena is when a teenager isolates himself from all social contact and retreats to his room- emerging maybe occasionally for dinner or late night runs to the local stores. A complete and absolute social withdrawal. Teenage boys are especially prone to Hikikomori and lock themselves in their rooms (in some cases for as long as 15 years) spending time on the internet, playing video games and listening to rock music.
In 2000, Time Asia that questioned the paradoxical nature of the country that spews out socially-disconnecting gadgets like the SONY PSP’s expressing concern about hikikomori. The impact and gravity of which didn’t hit until hikikomori emerged out of his isolation only to hijack a bus and kill a passenger. Another held a girl captive for 9 years in his room. Yet another became so obsessive-compulsive that he took showers several times a day and wore thick gloves while in his room.
Psychologists, parents and teenagers are still confounded and ponder over what causes this intense withdrawal. The history of Japan- the fact that the country kept itself isolated from the world until the mid-19th century, the traditional mother-son relationship, interdependence of Japanese parents and their children, social stigmas children face in high-school and the importance associated with the male gender in Japan — have all at some point been thought to be at the root of hikikomori.
There may be cultural roots to this disease– but maybe the penetration of technology — the mere existence of the possibility that an entire day can be spent in an entertaining manner bereft of the company of actual humans- may have contributed to some extent in snatching the power to communicate and be socially adept from the Japanese youth.
Americans and prospering countries all over have a reason to be alarmed. Already the youth in schools and colleges are asking each other for their myspace.com and facebook.com profile addresses instead of phone numbers– what will happen if some so-called genius figures out a way to keep these youth connected (make it possible for the youth to watch movies, chat and eat together) in the comfort of their rooms! (Like that isn’t already happening)
When I turned 16 –ICQ was the rage in India. My dad had recently purchased a snazzy new computer, with cool speakers and the works. On the pretext of studying for SAT’s, I’d chat online consistently. I even got a diary on diaryland.com and when random people commented on the overtly dramatic state of my life, it gave me thrills. Worse– as a freshman in America, instead of making new friends and doing things that normal freshmen do, I was so hung up on chatting that I spent all my time virtually -chatting with my friends in India.
Luckily for me, I learnt to recognize the voodoo magic a virtual life possess. Now as a rule, even though most of my work is virtual and I spent close to 12 hours a day stuck to a PC, I know where to draw the line. We all have virtual lives – they are inevitable, but it is imperative that the youth learn to strike the exact balance. Years later, what we’ll cherish and remember is not how many soldiers or enemy planes we killed or how many “virtual” people we know.
Sometimes, I wonder if all this technology and progress is really all that.
Street Vendors of Bombay
January 16th, 2006 • 6 comments Culture Briefings
Bombay, New York and then some…
Work takes me to New York very often. Infact, I only return to Philadelphia during weekends now. The minute I spot the NY skyline from my rusty, spring-roll smelling, Chinatown bus – adrenaline rushes through my veins and I am instantly filled with a new-found vigor and zest for life. Cliched? Maybe. But it doesn’t stop be from feeling giddy-headed and energetic everytime I’m in New York.
New York is the closest I’ve come to feeling like I’m back in Bombay. (Notice how I do not refer to Bombay as home anymore Travel, age and wisdom have thankfully made the idea of home deliciously uncomplicated for me) New York posseses the same unruly, filthy and glamorous aura that Bombay emanates. The surging "anything is possible" optimism and the juxtaposition of poverty and wealth, grit and style, blue-collar and chanel collar, and lust and love — makes New York impossible to resist. The city simulataneously inspires fear and longing within me. It awes me, yet beckons me.
Street Hawkers – A thriving culture in Bombay
This isn’t meant to be a gushing appraisal for either cities. Its acutually a post on how street-vendors, or street-hawkers contribute largely in making a city’s culture.- in building its buzz and lending it character and color. Growing up in Bombay, the street-hawkers were perhaps our most reliable sources for everything from vegetables to quick snacks, from sumptous desserts to varied knick-knacks. Even with the large department stores, megamarts, hypermarts and whatnot clouding the Bombay markets, the street hawker/vendor culture is still thriving and vitally alive!
When I moved to Philadelphia, among other things what I missed most was being able to simply walk out and buy warm roasted corn or hairpins or a quick snack from a vendor. As a vegeterian, I couldn’t really enjoy the hot-dog carts but even then – the street carts in Philly and in USA in general were just way too sophisticated and urbane for me to enjoy them! Weird, huh.
The closest Philly ever came to emulating Bombay’s hawkers were the random vendors in downtown Philly selling fake Prada bags. And the singular Korean woman selling cheap glitzy scarves for exhorbitant prices and who adamatly refused to bargain! If you are an Indian – the skill of bargaining comes ingrained. It’s a package deal. (Even if you aren’t aware of it or do not appreciate bargaining!!) Flea markets presented the absolute opportunity to polish my bargaining skills and return with a load of cheap plastic junk! Like the huge Tokyo-style paper umbrella that I paid $3 for– or the pack of 24 AA battery for $5! More than the actual products- its the process of obtaining these products that thrills me!
But New York– ahhh. Every nook in NY has its special falafel cart or the fruit cart or the fake prada cart! I remember two summers ago, (2004) I was interning at an upscale magazine house and one of the magazines the company publishes had recently done a large 2-spread story on how fake Louis Vitton bags were affecting LVMH. It was incredibly ironic to read that story because right infront of the company’s building, a Nigerian guy has been selling these fake LVMH and Prada bags for since 2003!
Junior college days in Bombay (11th and 12th grade) were tagged by luxurious afternoons spent sipping milk drinks and feasting on pav-vadas and sandwiches. Certain hawkers with makeshift carts had become a staple in our day-to-day routine. Every few days, there would be a police raid and the hawkers would pack in a frenzy and flee their carts, hiding in the next street watching intently. The police would confiscate the carts and belongings of the ones who were left behind. And yet– miraculously, the next day or often, within the next few hours, the hawkers would reappear at their usual points and resume serving the hungry college students. We never once questioned how the hawkers managed to stay illegally on the streets – but we guessed they had an unofficial agreement with the police and probably bribed the police with a part of their earnings.
There are streets in Bombay infamous just for their hawkers. Khaudra Gully/Bajaj Road in Parle West where the fresh juice-wala cart has a website, the owner owns a cell-phone for home deliveries and his son studies in Australia. Or Linking Road in Bandra, which is dotted with cheap and stylish shoe-carts that scamper everytime a police van draws closer and reappear minutes later. Infact, I heard this crazy story from a friend who’s in Bombay about a bunch of hotel-management students setting up a street-cart outside Shivaji Park making fancy golas (crushed ice topped with syrups, nuts and tangy masalas) – the buzz was that the students used mineral water to make the golas and were extremely careful about hygiene and cleanliness – a trait often not associated with street vendors in Bombay. *sigh* The street vendors in Bombay contribute to its bustling city life, an image synanmous with the colorful stridents foreigners always associate India with.
Drawing Parellels…
The street vendors are a by product of an economy largely underground and tax-free. Unless you buy stuff from actual stores, the hawkers rarely, if at all, charge sales tax. The transactions are cash only– and if you develop a personal relationship with the hawker then the transactions happen on credit- the kind you pay in cash at the end of every week or month. I am not sure but I think a large number of street vendors in Bombay come from outside the city – immigrants who want to make it big in Bollywood-city. Take for example, Mucchhad, he is notorioulsy famous for two things: his uber-long mustache that reaches his ears and his paans (an indian after-meals snack made of betelnut leaves and stuffed with condiments) His family originally came from Allahbad, in 1977 and has stayed in Bomaby since, incurring fame and name for his tiny paan shop.
In New York – I’ve gleefully noticed the same. Pardon my ignorance or any mistakes in observations and drawing these conclusions for my knowledge about New York is limited to the last couple of months of constant traveling and working in the city. New York’s economy has symbiotically existed with the street-vendors cash-only transactions to make life easier for the often non-english speaking immigrants or aspiring non-new yorkers who are either here because of their families or the desire to make it better living.
I already have a 
fruit-cart on 42nd Street that has become my favorite. The sandwich guy near Bryant park happily accomodates my vegeterian palate and these cold January days are made cheerful thanks to the rare occasions I meet the roasted-chestnuts cart. Yumm. As a group of drunk Indians ambled past the twisted streets of Chinatown looking for the bus that would take us home to Philly, my friends were thrilled on finding a street cart selling hot, spicy kababs on skewers at 7am on 1st January 2006. Like those streets in Bombay you hear of via word-of-mouth, Canal Street in Chinatown and the area around Battery Park rocks for street jewlery and pirated DVD’s — (don’t buy them– they are cheap but the print sucks!) I am convinced, if I look hard enough and stay long enough- I will probably learn of those hard-to-find street vendors that are skilled in their craft (whatever that may be!) and who knows, I may probably find a random cart in some gully of Queens selling pav-vadas, very Bombay style!
Other places…
I can only refer to experiences from my stay in Italy to draw more parellels to the street-vendor culture in mega-cities. Bangaledeshi and Pakitani immigrants sold cheap cashmere scarves and jewelery, enticing tourists in perfect Italian. Infact, I met an illegal Sri Lankan immigrant who spoke perfect French, Spanish and Italian in addition to Hindi and English, selling scarves by a beach in Sicily. He hops from one country to another, adapting the country’s language, customs and selling-techniques to make money. In Florence, I haggled with an Indian leather-vendor for my friend so that she could buy the coat of her choice for a much lower price. This was all three years ago. Maybe much has changed after, maybe nothing has changed. But Rome reminded me of India a lot. Instead of shopping for vegetables at a huge store like I did in Philly, I bargained for my fruits, veggies and bread and cheese at an open-air market in Rome. Most of the little shopping I did in Italy was from the street vendors. Leather wallets, stone jewelry, a soft pink wollen shawl, and random Made In India cashmere scarves (!!) all bought for cheap from street-hawkers. What the heck- I even bought half a dozen "blessed" little silver crosses from a vendor near the Vatican. Ofcourse I did the perfuntory visitations of classy stores and teeny boutiques, but looking back, my fondest memories of shopping in Italy are those experienced on the streets.
Concluding…
I’m a city-girl. Heart and soul. Which is perhaphs why, street hawkers are such an essential part of my travel memories. To me, they lend a certain authenticity and life to a city that is invisible it its concreate department stores and glass showrooms. In the midst of fabricated beauty and culture, the street represents to me the true, liquid, soul of the city. When I think of the familial hertiage Bombay and their first street-shop has lent the Mucchhad family or the aspiration of the Huanese bus-driver who he shuttles between Philly and New York delivering passengers to their destinations or the Sri Lankan immigrant on a Sicilian beach, more qualified and smart than I can ever be — I know I have truly recognized and known the soul of that city.
* Photos from Flickr.com, and paan.com
CultureFiles – A glance around the world
January 15th, 2006 • Culture Briefings
Hollywood stars aim for the real stars!-
Pitt and Jolie to travel in Branson’s Virgin Galactic Spaceship that will leave for uhh. .space in 2010.
Bangladesh Rickshaw Arts- Pretty self-explanatory
A new kind of music – Vietnamse pop music enters the scene.
Generation D strikes India – An interesting view about the rise of pub-culture in mega-cities of India.
Blogging about work-places – LA Times warns about the mishaps of blogging. (Like that’s gonna stop people from raising their voices!)
Ironic
January 14th, 2006 • On my mind...
Transcript of an MSN Chat between a close friend in Bombay (Mumbai) and myself –
Friend: Guess what I’m having for dinner?
Jinal S: What?
Friend: Subway! Mmmm.. It smells soo good.
Jinal S: What kind did you get?
Friend: the veggie…what you upto?
Jinal S: Just getting ready… we are going to Jersey for pani-puri!!!!!!!!!! And pav-bhaji!!! And maybe a hindi movie after
Friend: Cool.
The irony of the chat struck much later– my friend was eating an American Subway sandwich for dinner and I was about to drive 2 hours to Jersey to eat typical, junky Indian food.
Hah.
Face Recognition Rocks!
January 13th, 2006 • 1 comment To be filed
I never knew technology could be soo much fun! Apart from making me feel utterly glamorous, I’m addicted to this site and have been on a roll uploading pictures of my friends and family to see if their celebrity is better than mine. 
hehe
Check it out for yourself!
Btw, if you can’t read the fine print– I got Penelope Cruz! (Wheeeee… Yipieeee!!!) And you are not allowed to tell me I do not look like her.
(Via Sepia Mutiny)
Gadget-friendly fashion
January 11th, 2006 • To be filed
I was almost tempted to buy the pathetic bag-organizer they aired on QVC. The kinds you can buy for $19.99 and get some useless items free. It is a pain to dig into my bag everytime my cell-phone rings or I need my digital camera.
Diana Eng of Project Runway was probably just as frustrated, which is why she created an entire line of fashion accessories that are gadget-friendly and for women that love technology.
Switch – a DIY show starring Eng and her colleague Allison is about to unveil the products, a video show at a time. I’m not only impressed with the site-design but also the concept. Why wait for a TV channel to approach you for your show? Embrace technology and make your own video-shows. Hats off to Eng’s endeavors and lets hope the site lives up to this hype.
(via Coquette)
Sticker Art
January 11th, 2006 • 4 comments To be filed
When I was little, I had a little sticker album where I’d save special stickers that my relatives sent me from America. I never used those sticker strips but still have that album somewhere, hoarding dust, in my attic in Bombay. The glue has probably dried out and the glitter off the shiny stickers must have faded. Although the 3D disco stickers should still be intact.
I think collecting stickers and stamps is a phase most teens go through. But the last time I checked, no one was collecting food-stickers.
Incredibly patient Barry Synder has an odd hobby and a unique mission. He collects food stickers, the teeny green, blue and red kinds that are stuck on Chiquita bananas or the green apples and on practically every product in the produce section. He creates mosaic-style art work out of these stickers! (Now I feel silly for making a shrine out of my stickers instead of getting creative with them!)
Each piece takes anywhere from 3 to 5 months for completion and the orginals (if sold) would begin at $10,000 each!
Synder has also started a Save Our Stickers (S.O.S) foundation via which he encourages others to save their food stickers and use them as artwork or mail them to him.
Amazing, innit?
Anderson’s lab
January 10th, 2006 • To be filed
Chuck Anderson, one of my favorite artists, has a new print for sale. If it were my creation, I’d call it Electric Dreams. Anderson calls its, "First Breath." Doesn’t matter what its called- it has personality and the signature Anderson glowlights.
I already own Godlike and this is one is on my list to buy next. For $30, it is quite a steal!
(Via Coolhunting)
About Workplaces
January 9th, 2006 • 1 comment Culture Briefings
A recent article in WSJ said that aesthetically pleasing well designed computers increase productivity at workplace. I vouch for this. I recently moved to another freelance job at another publishing house in NY. This company had brand-new MAC’s installed a couple months back. It was AWESOME working on those! Compared to the ridiculously pre-historic computers at the other company, it’s like working in wonderland here! I not only felt important, but I kinda took my job a little more seriously as well. A sexy computer just made my job significantly worthwhile for me.
Among other differences, my new company doesn’t really have offices. It has cubicles for almost every position and offices are limited to the top 2-3 people. My older company had offices for everyone. It would be cool to have my own office, but the open cubicle culture kinda invites more dialogue within the employees and creates a fun atmosphere.
Critics may argue that cubicles also allow for chit-chat and less productive time but I believe that if cubicles help foster a fun, inviting environment – a couple of lost hours on chit-chat are worth it because at the end, only happy employees will be productive.
What’s your workplace like?
StyleFiles
January 5th, 2006 • 1 comment Culture Briefings
Candy-Colored Dreams - Dylan Lauren, Raplh Lauren’s daughter, builds her own brand, a candy bar …a candy conglomerate!
The Essence of Buzz – Chandler Burr, NYT’s fragrance reporter, writes about the most exclusive and ilusive perfume-shop in New York.
Marrakech Refresh – On this Moroccon city’s revival. Cleaner, chic-er and trendier – words you wouldn’t associate with Marrakech earlier!
Tethered in Technoculture – On death of MSM -mainstream media.
Brazil and Lebanon share a surprising past – About a settlement in Lebanon where the natives speak perfect Portuguese and make traditional Brazilian food. A perfect amalgamtion of cultures. I love this culture-mesh. A must-read!
Make your own South Park Character here! (from Ypulse)
Friendster among college kids
January 5th, 2006 • 5 comments To be filed
I became a member on Friendster long after I graduated. My roommates brother and his friend (both study at SUNY, Buffalo) are crashing with us for the winter break. Instead of exchanging numbers, we exchanged exchanged friendster and facebook ID’s. And I didn’t realize the true potential of Friendster until I spent a couple of days with them!
As soon as they wake up, they log onto to their computers, put their headphones on and start skype-ing people. These kids are cosmopolitan and have friends all over the world. (Mostly girls who have returned to their countries for the winter break!) After making calls to Japan, London and Malaysia, the guys settle down, have breakfast, do the needful and then start battling enemies a.k.a, play video games. They haven’t paid for the games installed on their computer. They got the games from a friend who downloaded the games off the net and found the crack-codes on the internet as well. (It took that guy 11-13 hours to download Call of Duty. And he has eight other games that he downloaded off the net)
But it’s most fun with them come nighttime. They sort through profiles on friendster sometimes asking my input. "What do you think of this girl?" and answer their questions themselves, "Eew, she looks ugly in this other picture. Thats why, never contact a girl who puts up just one picture."
Then short-listed girls get an invitation to become their friend on friendster. And if the boys are lucky, the girls immediately give out their msn ID’s and the boom- enter next stage of Friendster relationships — online chats! Today, one of the guys got very lucky and jumped to Stage3 without having to go through the chat-sessions. The girl he picked approved him and sent him her phone number. As I type this entry, they have been on the phone for 30 minutes.
!!!!!
I hit myself on my head. DUH. Friendster is an online dating service for college kids! i just didn’t think people actually spent time browsing profiles and looking at pictures.
"How do you trust these girls… I mean, you give our your number just like that!" I asked. "It’s not a big deal….what’s there to lose!" The kid replied.
I guess so. So when they aren’t studying, playing sports or attending parties, college kids are busy SKype-ing, chatting online and looking for possible partners on friendster.
That was my University Life 2006 101 education. Session complete. Grade A.
Skype’s new avatar
January 4th, 2006 • To be filed
December’s "International Fiction" issue of the New Yorker has a short article about university students at Swarthmore using Skype to interview Iraqi’s for their radio show, War News Radio.
The show offers podcasts and streaming videos on its site.
âIf youâre working for a big American network, with a film crew
following you, youâre not going to get out on the streets in Baghdad,â
Wren Elhai, a sophomore, said. âWe can do a lot from here that the
networks canât do."
Not only is the sound quality on Skype excellent, but the students realized they aren’t missing out much by not being present in Iraq physically. Fellow bloggers in India offered help-lines via their Skype accounts to Hurricane Katrina survivors. Skpye has become much more than just a social networking tool.
Citizen journalism has gained another dimension by invention of tools like Skpye. What next?
Sex, Stardust and Beijing
January 4th, 2006 • 1 comment Culture Briefings
Carrie Bradshaw has a sibling in Beijing. Single, a bourgeois bohemian and a journalist – Bradshaw’s Chinese counterpart is named Niuniu. With minor career changes and cultural make-ups, the rest of the cast is alarmingly similar to Carrie’s closest friends.
Married, super rich boss of an entertainment company and indulges in chronic sexual activites with younger lovers : A Chinese Samantha a.k.a, BeiBei.
Single, Oxford educated, erudite, works at a PR company and has a penchant for satirical remarks, Miranda garbed as CC.
Single, editor of a magazine and still believes in prince charming, Beijing’s Charlotte -Lulu.
Together, they star in Annie Wang’s upcoming book, "People’s Republic of Desire."
Intriguted by its brilliant title, I picked up the book to review a couple days back. The author wrote an eponymous weekly column for the South China Morning Post for almost three years. The columns repackaged, is now a book. Reading People’s Republic was like browsing through insipid archives of China’s Page 6. (Or Page 3, for my Indian readers!)
Words like money, wealth and sex have been thrown around abundantly and each story is written to reinforce that every Chinese woman is on the prowl for a Green-card holder husband. Even the married ones. The prose is hardly commendable – a chick-lit writer can do better.
The 100 odd chapters (columns?!) replay mere conversations on men, feminisim, America and sex among the four friends. No story, no plot – the columns come off as a rendition of the author’s conversational life. The book aims to portray the contemporary life in modern Beijing, instead it is a feeble attempt to document the social life of Beijing’s upper-east side.
The book makes Niuniu a paragon of the ultimate Chinese woman. Apparently, she has no vices and while she discretly mentions not-so-endearing qualities about her friends (manipulative and power-hungry for BeiBei, erudite, too picky and a Western men lover for CC) The conversations among her friends make Niuniu look good and wise. (it made me sick towards the end! okok, we get the point, Niuniu rocks!) Is it a co-incidence that the book is written in Niuniu’s voice? And that there are glaring similarities between Wang and Niuniu?
Inspite of all this – I was addicted to the book! I couldn’t put it down until I finsihed it. The little snippets here and there offer a glimpse into the contemporary Chinese lifestyle. Brand names, Starbucks, rich boyfriends, martinis and TV shows – the cultural lexicon of China has definitely changed. The book could have done more justice and presented balanced views about contemporary China because honestly, it is a little unsettling to read every Chinese woman is on the hunt of a Green-card holder and will do anything it takes to come to America or elevate their social status. (con others, lie, even pretend to be single if they are married!) Is it really like that?
Any Asian readers care to expound on this? My knowledge of cultural and social life of Chinese women is very limited to my brief forays into Chinatowns in New York, San Fransisco and Philadelphia. I’d love to learn more… and would I recommend the book? Definitely. If you can get past the frill and ridiculous self-aggrandization, the book is an insightful read.
I heart Japan
January 2nd, 2006 • 2 comments Culture Briefings
How can you not love the Japanese?! they make life for me much, much sweeter! First, we have the scented credit cards, and now we have smelly cellys for cell-phones!
Imagine my cell-phone emitting a delicate berry-ish fragrance everytime I recieve an SMS.. or everytime my mom calls! Genious! This is probably one of those ideas that as many of you read, you hit your heads hard for not thinking of it before!
We are moving towards a very multi-sensory consumer experience. Be it credit cards, cell phones or books.
Nice Smell Kaori-Chan, even has a curry-fragrance for their cell-phones, among more appetizing ones like English tea and raspberry!
Trends are so old-school
January 2nd, 2006 • 4 comments Culture Briefings, Marketing/ Advertising
Trendspotting has become so passe that firms no longer need to hire outdoor agencies to do this job. Thanks to online behemoths like PSFK and TrendWatching, emerging trends and signs are available to anyone who seeks. Every once in a while a major newspaper will do an article covering new trends in trendspotting and try to appear news-breaking. A couple months back I expressed disappointment on seeing the same names appear in every trendspotting article. This time, its no different. Instead of talking about Jane Buckingham and Irma Zandl, this NYT article reports on ad-agency DDB’s trend-spotting unit.
Every marketer wants to stay at the top of the game and yet they lack the one necessary skill: the skill to observe and listen. Dropping fancy names for trends has become akin to dropping brand names at a Fifth Avenue penthouse party. PSFK predicted the death of trend-spotting way back in January 2005 and the exit door has already opened. Trendwatching.com’s (free) December newsletter outlines super-obvious methods to spot trends -browsing on flickr.com, street-walking and visiting random culture-specific websites. Both have been constantly reinforcing the idea that trends and signs are available for free to those who seek!
(BTW, focus groups have never predicted trends. They are so outdated that I’m surprised some big ad-agencies till use them!)
Ritz Theaters- leading the future
January 2nd, 2006 • 1 comment On my mind...
Last night I watched Munich at the nearby Ritz theater. On the back my ticket it said,
People used to go to the movies as they now watch teleivision – not to see something but to see anything. We’re trying to select from the films avaiable to us, features for those who want to see something.
When you enter a Ritz theater, you know your choices aren’t limited to movies by the handful of known studios -TriStar entertainment, Columbia and Dreamworks. I’ve watched both obscure and mainstream movies at these theaters- movies like The Triplets of Belleville, The Motorcyle diaries, The Little Seamstress and Balzac and more recently, Memoirs of a Geisha and Munich. I’m not too impressed with the quality of the cinema screens– a little dull and dark. But the theaters constantly impress me with their selection of movies. A perfect mix of foreign movies and mainstream titles.
There’s a good chance you’ll never hear of the movies this theater plays if you don’t read its bi-monthly filmbill or don’t stop by the theaters once in a while. Strange movies in foreign languages, experimental movies , thought-provoking movies that discuss homosexuality, transexuality and unconventional relationships and political dramas that are too intense for regular theaters — are the usual pickin’s at Ritz. They strive to initate a dialogue. Every movie I’ve watched at Ritz has resonated within me and has become a topic of conversation among friends often leading to burning debates. I guess this reaction is what they are aiming for. From it’s website-
The Ritz Theatres aim to play films which will appeal to a discriminating audience — movies which portray people and experience in ways that bear a reasonable relationship to the way life is lived, or which possess elements of artistic merit or provide an entertainment based on adult wit.
At Ritz, paying $9 for a movie you’ve never heard of – is completely worth it. More theaters should take lead and offer a more diverse selection. Sometimes it pays to not think just in terms of profit. Do you agree?
Dancing on The Streets
January 1st, 2006 • 1 comment To be filed
28th Dec 2005, On Times Square the show, Dancing with the stars, booked a glass-enclosed room and had two dancers tango-ing !
Brilliant marketing. Brilliant promotion.
CoolSpot – Family bag
January 1st, 2006 • 1 comment To be filed
Spotted a woman with this bag peering at the window decorations at Lord & Taylor, New York. Thought it was cool!