Wednesday 27 May, 2009

Saving cents... makes sense?

Since we are all now officially in recession . We go after every cent. So I now pick up 4 kilos of potatoes for the price of 2 . 36 litres of detergent . ... But nothing comes close to the telephone deals we are after.
I have 2 cell phones in two countries. landlines in both . And I cant figure out if I have the best deal. I have an offer on my spanish number where I am an added member so that my husband gets a better deal when he calls me between 1-4 from monday- friday and sat/ sun 8-8. ok thats a good deal. Not that my husband calls me or our conversations go beyond ... did u pay the bill yes its raining here.But it makes us feel we are a couple togetherness. We once had a deal 10 euros flat rate to call anywhere in europe. each conversation was to be 30 minutes. after the first week of about 10 mindless 29 minute and 30 second conversations we realised europe plan was not for us . suddenly friends in Belgium and Portugal were wondering if we were off our rocks. You see we had never exchanged Christmas greetings in 10 years and now we were keen to ask about their neighbours the carbon emissions , the European fishing policy ......
In India I have a limit on my usage apparently the company decided it´s good for me. I have many services like CLIP , which I dont know what it is . But I was told everyone has it. Every week I get smsed a new offer that will radically change my life.I have a landline in Spain where I was called in the last 5 minutes and thus this blog. The first question- are you in a position to take decisions. I said yes I guess so. Are you a pensioner or under age. And what of that is your problem. How are you related to the owner of the telephone line. Can we speak to him . Well if you want me to listen to your crappy offer and I have nothing else to do just get on with it . The offer I never understood. But it came down to the fact that I would need some installation in the next 2 days as I was travelling and the guy kept saying as a promise of our utmost quality we will call you wherever you are and inform you when our service team can attend . i thought touche. Bang came my reply . Call me on my India mobile on friday after 15.30 Spanish time . By then I am in India, incoming is free and I dont have any problem doing time pass. Can you imagine now... one telephone guy scanning his offers to see when he can call my number. But the guy did just that and replied we will put you on our privileged customer base and inform of you of any new offer when you return.
OK bad luck. now back to cooking 3 kilos of potatoes , 33.3 litres of detergent to be used and did i say apples were on offer too . I have about 37 doctor free days thanks to the apple collection.
saving a few cents is nice but in the larger picture does it make any sense ? ask my husband he will tell you how it feels to have a new potato avatar , clothes that are getting washed continuously and apples... well he mentioned that he hated it. that was when we got married so cant blame that one on him

Friday 15 May, 2009

Slumdog show

When we saw Rehman pick up the Oscar every Indian went Jai Ho. We sent out our sms és and explained to every foreign person that India is BIG. We have a bollywood that has now taken on Hollywood and won right there in the middle of Hollywood . Forget that the movie shows poverty or how some Indians live . We were very happy to see India win. And we did so very justly. But soon afterwards the Media circus took over. The two kids from the movie were made into stars . They walked the ramp in delhi , charmed the photographers in Barcelona and then were dropped right back in a stretch limo into their chawls in Dharavi . Just as Indians were getting used to being one of the Oscar countries we had the girls father trying to sell her. The boy´s father trying to beat him up and now we have their houses being torn down by giant bull dozers . In between the usual he is not my father , my father is bad kind of accusations.As an Indian who is firecely patritotic I have to wriggle everytime slum dog is mentioned. The next sentence never turns out very complimentary. Are Indian children being sold .And this is being asked in countries that are really small . A talk show today in Europe spoke about how the children should be given in adoption and how rules are making it tough for them to live a better life. I for one hate these prejudices about my country. But for once I have to shut up . I have to listen to women in mini skirts and red lipstick tell us how we can better our lot. How our karma and kama sutra have made us have children who are sold in the flesh trade . How it is unfair that some children went to Barcelona and their neighbours still do not have a toilet . What can I say. I feel extremely ashamed . Is this some kind of Reality Slum dog show that we are witnessing? In true Bollywood style the children will do well and have one song and half a locket dangling from their necks that will unite them. I really hope so. But whom do we blame ? The media , the oscars or just ourselves for taking these so out of context and making these children into some kind of pawns in some other kind of power game .
I sincerely hope that the children will have a decent education and live a dignified life and not belive too much in the hype surrounding slum dog. Because in the end like you and me , the media has a short memory . Today´s its two kids in a mumbai slum , tommorow two cats in a New York mansion may be cute and then we will forget about two two kids who may still be holding on to their oscars and hoping for slum dog part 2