i think we must be the only country in the world where majority of the population are so fascinated with plastic. and i don't mean 'plastic money'!
look around you, and you won't need to go beyond your own house, and you'll know what i mean.
i don't know about you, but i still collect plastic bags. i just can't bring myself to throw away the plastic bags which you get when you buy almost everything ranging from clothes to food to jewellery and more. i firmly believe that some of these bags, especially the ones from high end stores, have been designed for you to collect and reuse. and being seen carrying these bags is almost like being seen wearing some designer clothes! ok, maybe thats carrying it a bit far, but i'm sure you will agree that we do have some kind of class hierarchy associated with the bags we collect. we would not want to use certain bags for some chores which we believe are far below the status of those bags. we would also not want to give away certain bags when we want to give some stuff to your friends/neighbours/relatives to help them carry it; unless you wanted to impress them in the first place, of course!
and i am also the kind who still feels that there is something very basic missing when i use the bathrooms when travelling overseas. i miss the ubiquitous plastic bucket and mug in the bathrooms. and in these places you don't get them even if you wanted to buy one. trust me, i've tried! unless you were living in an indian neighbourhood! and i realise that it is again a very indian phenomenon. (could those of you living in other parts of the world like the us and uk tell me how you manage life without these critical appliances in your bathrooms?)
and to be brutally honest, i have, on more than one occassion, been tempted to buy some of the plastic plants and flowers and trees that you find in our part of the world. its the picture i get in my mind, when i think of my wife's reaction when i walk home with one of these fascinating creations, that reins in my enthusiasm. but i am convinced that there are millions of people out there, my brothers and sisters with like tastes, since there are tons of such plastic macrocosms being picked up from the shelves across the country.
so there, i feel much better now that i've got that off my chest! you should also try this sometime!
do you have your 'plastic' stories you'd like to share?
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4 comments:
When we travelled to Holland, I insisted that we have a bucket (they call it a pail) and a mug (pitcher) in the bathroom. I simply don't get the satisfaction of a bath in a shower!!!
I also believe that we Indians who have higher comfort levels in the 'Indian toilets' should insist in big companies to have separate INDIAN toilets rather than suffer the discomfort of climbing up on the toilet seat and balancing critically on shoes!
Also, I have stopped being ashamed of dunking bread/biscuits (they call it cookies) in tea because that is how I like it.
Everytime, I have a 'hi-fi' dinner abroad (or with some Indians who consider themselves always 'abroad' even if all they have ever had is a trip to Nepal), I moisten a napkin and clean my hands with that; I just don't seem to get a clean sensation unless I wash my hands with water.
I have more, but let us do it at another venue...!
i hate plastic smiles though.
Oh, I think of innovative ways for the mug in the toilet. I found one perfectly-sized plastic water jug in my hotel this time, which served the purpose very very well (I am not talking about bathing).
Usually, I simply manage with mineral water bottles!
And when it comes to the long haul flights, when you have fewer resources to deploy - especially when the flight attendent informs you that all they have are 150ml mineral water bottles, and nothing bigger - you got to be a lot more creative in those aircraft toilets! Unless you have done prior preparation, those paper cups above the sink will have to suffice ! It takes a lot more time to do the chore, but it does serve the purpose finally.
And regarding the plastic bags, and the hierarchy in their usage and also in the choice one exercise when giving them out, I could not agree with you more Guru !!! It's ditto with me - all of it !
Sometimes, when I am changing apartments, and I am forced to throw away stuff, it pains me to throw away those beautiful bags from LifeStyle, Shoppers Stop, etc. which I have been saving for some big occasion that never came !!
Remember the timeless line from "The Graduate"-the future is plastic!!
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