The Subhiksha 'tasty mangoes'

Anyone seen the latest Subhiksha ad regarding the baarish of mangoes in their stores?
Well the ad itself is quite interesting : A PYT telling a lady outside the store "Aapke mangoes kaafi yummy lag rahe hain". Now what exactly did she mean?? What or rather which mangoes?? The ones in the basket or the ones in the... ahem!

Anyway, I was dissapointed to find only the safeda variety available in the here in spite of the ad promising the availability of various varieties. I have never found the Subhiksha shopping experience satisfactory. They will charge extra for accepting some brands of credit cards. The availability of brands is limited. I havent been able to find the medicines I have gone and asked for. Wonder how do they survive and manage the chain. Is there a different set of customers they are targetting?

About Retail Revolution

There are changes happening in the Retail Sector which I dont know how many people have noticed.

Big Bazar in Sahara Mall, Gurgaon has become very crowded. That is the single largest departmental store but it just gets too crowded to shop comfortably. NEVER take the trolley for your shopping as it gets impossible to manouver it within the store looking for stuff. You are much better off holding the shopping basket in your hand and carrying that along. If there are two of you, then its even better because you can carry a basket each.

Even if you struggle and get hold of what you came to buy and approach the Billing Counter, you could very well be stranded waiting for your turn for more than 30 minutes. It was definitely better to shop in the traditional markets of Old Cities where you did not have that 'Aura' of being in a comfy Air Conditioned place. You had decided to sweat it out in the busy, noisy and chaotic market, and you were ready for it. You searched, haggled, shopped and came back satiated.


Coming back to the change I had started this post with. Once while at Big Bazaar, wifey and I got so pissed off seeing the long queue at the billing counter that we just left whatever we had picked and filled our trolley and walked out. We came to a departmental store near our house and picked up exactly the same things at just about the same price and in a duration which was one-fourth of what it would take to do in Big Bazaar. Yesterday I went to do the monthly ration shopping in Sector 31 market where a total of 3 departmental stores have opened and was able to feel the relaxed shopping experience which Big Bazaar gave 3 years back. I think that the concept of one super large store would need to be interspersed with multiple localised smaller stores for success. Super large stores will have their crowds, their one central location. But people are always going to need places right below their apartments where they can walk down when they need something urgently or even pick things up while returning from work.

Big Bazaar, Reliance and Walmart are going to setup and thrive but what they will not be able to do id put the local mom'n'pop stores out of business. The mom'n'pop stores will need to modernize, go in for electronic payment machines, setup airconditioning in their store, learn about consumer tastes and choices and they will continue to thrive.

Silent Temples

There is this temple in South City-I, Gurgaon. When one visits it, next to it one finds a small pond below a huge Banyan tree. There is also a small straw hut which is inside the temple boundary.
There used to be an ascetic who lived in the hut, long before Gurgaon as we know it came about. The hut is still maintained. The pond seems to have shrunk a little in all these 3 years I have visited the temple.

What appeals to me is the thought that once upon a time this would be open land and this ascetic chose to build a hut near a pond to spend his days meditating. It offers a very strong contrast to the multi storied buildings that stand behind it. The multi-storied buildings signifying the modern amenities and luxuries and this with the pond - the simple existence.

In Sushant Lok -1, Gurgaon, there is another temple, which you need to know exists to reach there. It is hidden right in the middle of sprawling Sushant Lok but it too commands an environment of its own. There is a huge pond in front of it which has sand on its banks. It is sorrounded by huge Banyan trees and the temple gives a look of one of those temples which are right in the middle of a jungle because of the sorrounding environment. One can hear peacocks and some other birds and animals. The temple is deserted for most parts of the day and the place is really peaceful.

Two places which are reminiscent of the life away from chaos, noise and stress of modern day living in the city.

About Cities

What makes a city livable? Roads, Water, Power, Climate? Almost all 'cities' in India have these in an acceptable range or one which can be made acceptable by spending some money on backups.

What I am talking about is the culture / the soul of a place. The feeling of belonging or acceptability you feel. The feeling where you do not wish to be in another city or place and are satisfied with what the city has to offer.

Lucknow makes me feel good in spite of its extreme climate.

Pune made me feel good. Was it climate ...I dont think so... was it the culture ... maybe... even though the language barrier was there. There were concerts, recitals, theatre which I attended and relished.

In Gurgaon I really do not have avenues for spending leisure time. There are just the malls and multiplexes! What about the culture... what about concerts... and recitals... and theatre... nope. You have malls and multiplexes and you better make do with those because thats the standard stuff - one size fits all. If you want to experience the cultural part, you need to drive an hour to Delhi for it which gets in it another set of planning and thinking (if the concert is at 5 we need to reach by 4.30 to get tickets so we should start by 3.30 which means that we should have lunch by then which means that there is no chance to do the cleanup and sorting planned for the house for this weekend!!! nah!!! too many things to think about. Just adds to the stress and the frustration)

I do not find Gurgaon having a soul. I have to go to the old city - the Sadar Bazaar to feel it. I like to go to Sadar Bazar just for that. Maybe I am used to the chaotic markets of UP and this is similar. Last week, wifey and I found a reason to go to Sadar Bazar... exchange scheme for utencils and an opportunity for wifey to shop for Diwan sets. Spent about 2 hours there and came back feeling refreshed and satiated with the experience... inspite of the chaos and the noise and the warm weather. I dont feel that way coming out shopping from the neat and clean and spic span and swanky air conditioned malls. Pity, these markets too would sooner or later convert to the mall ilk.