Sunday, February 14, 2010

You Poor? How lucky!!!

Sometime last week, there was one more report about Indians being targeted in Australia. That's no news!! I know!! I am up to date Ladies and Gentlemen!!. What caused an uproar was because of one Mr Overland, the Chief of Police, Victoria. His advice to the great Indian diaspora caused quite an uproar among Indians in Australia. He asked the Indian students to 'look poor'. No display of gadgets, no jewelery, try looking as poor as one can. To deter attacks, transform yourself to tramps and beggars!!

Whats the big deal? Common!! why take the man's statements wrong? Don't you all know being poor is the new hip thing around town nowadays? Just look around you. It is cool to be poor!! Everyone is endorsing it. Wealth and poverty are not the same as you think, anymore.

A friend of mine invested around 10000 INR in a bicycle; to commute to work. The humble bicycle once used by postmen and milkmen is being used by CEOs and elite rich to commute. My milkmen has got a cool 120 cc motorcycle now!!

With our politicians chanting 'austerity' as their new mantra, trains and buses have become their favorite mode of transport. And if they fly, its the 'cattle class'...ooops!!! I mean the economy class.

And yes, does anyone remember cotton or khadi being a symbol of working class? Just go try buying a pure cotton dress. I bet you can't measure how big it makes a hole in your pocket. And yeah, not to forget the extra money you need to splurge to maintain the cloth. It costs Rs 25 to wash, starch and iron a cotton Saree!! Its better to leave cotton alone for the rich!

And how does a millionaire want his house to be? House made of bamboo, thatched roof....Nah!! not such houses where the ceiling would look if it pours!! With cooking utensils being earthen wares, made of clay! Don't believe me? Walk into a posh high-end restaurant and see what they serve the food in. The earthy earthen utensils, which are cheap to afford; have been transformed as a substance of sophistication and projected as an affectation.

My grandma had large collection of brass and copper vessels which she used to cook. Off late, I don't see them being used by any poor folks, but is a display which decorates designer homes and bathrooms! They are sold at exorbitant prices as antiques.

And the food? Gruel; the humble food made with coarse grains only; staple food of the poorer folks are the staple health food of the rich and the swanky. Unpolished rice, grains, cereals.....are all packed in glamorous packets and sold in super markets as health food.


Image from www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/tramps.Html

Hmmm....so all typical characteristics of poverty has become a symbol of status and suave for the elite. So are you not lucky if you are poor? Think!!

42 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Very Very funny post. I loved it. Showing yourself as a poor person is fashion. Have you seen Bill Gates in person in jeans and T-shirt. He looks like if he can afford to buy a movie ticket. That is fashion.

    Another advantage. If you look like a poor person, no one will ask a loan from you.

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  3. Most interesting topic!!!!:-)) That was a nice observation. My younger brother wears Adidas chappals these days - being fashionably poor as is the trend!! It amuses me no end. Loved the post Insignia.

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  4. rich get poorer and poor get richer.. thalaiva unga kanavu neraveriruchu...yellam akka senja velai.free

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  5. ethnic poor:)..that statement was really funny:)

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  6. I met some youngsters all wearing jeans and torn here and there but darned. They said they are called beggar jeans.. OMG where are we heading to.

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  7. @ Bindu.
    Ha ha ha ha... Loved the tone, the topic, and the content. I am as perplexed as you are! Everyone knows that leading a simple life is extremely difficult. Maybe this generation thinks it is cool to be simple, which is cool! We are definitely in that generation that is seeing diversity and rapid changes in points of view.

    @ Soin, annanukku jai, thalaivarukku jai! Thala pola varuma?

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  8. Dont tell me you were smiling while writing this post. were you?

    because i were smiling while reading lollzzz


    Keep begging...ooops I mean Blogging.

    :-)

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  9. An interesting observation. Hmmm makes you thoughful. It's really funny what things we set as poor and what as rich.

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  10. Lol....great observation...
    Something to think about indeed...and that pic looks interesting. Somehow it is also quite ironic in the Indian scene. The rich in open jute chappals and the poor in gum boots :D

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  11. Hehe.. what an observation!

    Yups. it looks like a trend now. Just recently my friend was not given a job because he went to the interview in a big sedan! :P

    but this suggestion of looking poor is similar to a suggestion in Goa about women's clothing..! #bs

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  12. Being poor is in. For instance, I have developed this habit of saying...arre yaar i dont have money, meri kadki chal rahi hain when actually i have a decent bank balance. Kadki chalu hain has become a 'yo' statement amongst us. Sometimes I feel that the rich are doing this purposely to evade taxes.

    I liked your detailed observation. Nice post...

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  13. Hi SG,

    Glad you found it funny. :-) It is hep to show oneself as poor. Oh yes!! I have seen in a couple of pictures - Bill Gate in jeans and T shirt
    You think so? Nowadays its fashionable to as loan from a poor person!!! :-D

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  14. lostworld,

    Was it? Thank you. My folks at home wear Fila slippers, torn and rugged jeans and what not. Oh!! I do it too.
    thats the trend :-D Thanks much for your appreciation

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  15. soin,

    edha thalaivair-a solringa? Ippo aal-aalukku naan thaan thalaivar nu suththuraanga!!
    and which akka? :-P

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  16. Antarman,

    Thanks much. Glad you liked it :-)

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  17. hi chitra,

    hahahaha...Thats the trend. You have to catch up too!!

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  18. Gautam,

    Thanks much :-). glad you liked it. Leading a simple life is yeah difficult, we need to keep with the trend as well make it simple!!

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  19. Makk,

    I was smiling i guess :-)
    Thanks much, happy that you liked it and were smiling throughout!

    :-)

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  20. The Holy Lama,

    Thanks. Yeah!! the dimension is conventional but things have changed.

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  21. Hi Destiny's child,

    Thank you. Exactly!! the rich wear cheap jute, thats sophistication for them and the poor want to wear brands

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  22. Hey Abhi,

    Thanks much. What?? Poor him. Hope he takes care next time!!
    Lol!! the suggestion is as loose as women's clothing in Goa

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  23. Hi Gayathri,

    Yes!! It is!! Oh yeah!! My mom would say never ever say "You dont have money". But say "I had it, but gave away as loan just sometime back" in case someone asks for money.
    But now, its fad. Thank you

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  24. now it's my turn to pass on that title to you

    Observation at its best Insignia :-)

    loved the post, the sarcasm, the examples and the subtle humour..:)

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  25. thats an interesting take... loved the sarcasm dripping from each point :P indeed poor is the new rich :)
    well written gal :)

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  26. @ Gayathri,

    "Sometimes I feel that the rich are doing this purposely to evade taxes."

    Found this line extremely funny!

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  27. Neha,

    Thank you very much for passing on my title back to me :-P

    Observation at its best!! Glad you grasped the sarcasm in this post. It was very subtle and could easy go unnoticed. :-)

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  28. Rajlakshmi,

    Thanks much. Glad that you found the sarcasm. It was hidden throughout. Glad you liked the post.

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  29. Some like to pretend and act poor(look at our politicians).
    I am different, I look and actually am poor.
    But dressing casual has been there for ages.
    A saying goes ;
    Once Henry Ford was spotted in Central Africa by a friend of his when he was casually dressed.On enquiry, Henry told him that here no one knew as to who he was so it didn't matter how was he dressed.
    Years later,the same friend met Henry in the US when again he was casually dressed.Henry's answer was -here everyone knows who I am.
    Did someone say dress poor?

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  30. hah.. its all about perspective.. few days back I was reading.. 20 people in a train are considered as crammed and 50 people in a disco is hip cool party so there we are.. something which was considered cheap or poverty few years back is the collector's item in a drawing room these days.. :)

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  31. yayyyy thats what it is .. i guess we r going back to roots.. soon living in a cave will be luxury..

    ligthing fire ... making a wheel

    wowo i can fancy living myself like that ...
    hahahha

    nice article VERY TRUE other then my stupid comment :)

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  32. ulgathuku only one living thalai.. and akka i meant sornakka..btw pudhu template nala iruku..free

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  33. Chowla Sir,

    Thanks for that trivia. Ford was witty!
    Some like to act poor as it is cool! But if they are pushed to real poverty, they would know :-)

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  34. Scattered thoughts,

    That was awesome. Yeah!! People yelling in the disco is cool, otherwise its NOT. Funny world, funny people :-)

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  35. Bikram,

    :-) Hahahaha. You seem to be excited about living like a cavemen!! :-P

    Fancied yourself? Its so much fun isn't it? :-P

    Nice comments, loved it :-)

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  36. soin,

    :-) Thanks pa...for clarifying. Illaena vambu. You liked the new template? Thanks much :-)

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  37. Very well said! Wonderful observation and interesting post! :)

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  38. I wonder how you come up with such diverse posts every time.
    Masttttt observation.
    And you know, I just tore my jeans at the knee. :P :P

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  39. Karthik,

    Hehehehehe....Thank you. How do I come up with diverse posts? I dont know!! Maybe I am lucky to find diverse topics :-D

    Whooa..You tore your jeans, now you are the new poor cool kind in the block :-)

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  40. Poor in a diffrent way and that too Ethnic..:)
    Wow!!
    Where did that come from??
    Quite sarcastic i suppose..

    Lovely post.

    Cheers

    Nuts

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  41. Nipun,

    Yup!! you guessed it. Its pure sarcasm and nothing else....:-)

    Thanks for the comments

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I'd love to know what you thought :-) Please shoot!