Upheaval by the Inflation

According to a latest update, people are seen to be crying their eyes out while cutting onions. And it is not just because of the Sulfenic acid. The price of onions is apparently what is driving the middle class to tears. While the onions, tomatoes and pulses keep fluctuating and getting normal, what we as a user fail to notice sometimes is the gradual increase in costs. Household articles, groceries, public transport etc. is way more expensive than what it was few years back. The thing is we get so engrossed in our everyday day lives that we forget to sit back and see the happenings around us. Moreover the concept of super market shopping deters us to actually check the price of the stuff we blindly toss into our shopping baskets.

Picture Courtesy - blog.doctoroz.com

I had a revelation recently when while ordering Aashirwaad aata from my local vendor on phone. I asked him to quickly send across Rs 35 wala 1 KG bag of aata, he quickly corrected me to say its for Rs 46 and not 35! I actually started caring about these things when I first started cooking and buying my own groceries (roughly some four years back). At the very start the aashirwaad aata was probably costing Rs 35 and the same cost is somehow just truck on my mind. Blame the supermarket shopping for this! While I waiting for the Bhaiya to bring over my aata I did a quick recap of the things whose prices have rose right in front of my eyes. A few examples from the formulated list is presented for your analysis below.

SNo	Item	Before Price (2011)	After Price (2015)	Percentage increase
1	Auto Meter (Mumbai)	Rs 12	Rs 18	50%
2	Aashirwaad	Rs 35	Rs 46	31.42%
3	Amul Butter	Rs 24	Rs 32	33.33%
4	Amul Cow Milk	Rs 15	Rs 22	46.66%
5	Mutton	Rs 260	Rs 440	69.23%

These are just a few of the things I remembered and the numbers are definitely scary. Inflation is fine as long as our salaries also increase with the same percentage and curve. Sadly in most of the jobs it is not the case. So we the mango people continue to bear the brunt of the huge hole in our pocket after the 5^th of every month. And this is only considering the fact that you really only on home cooked simple meals. God save you if you are fond of eating or drinking out. Not only will the food and drinks be overpriced (A drink like Old Monk will also be sold at two times its price which by the way is Rs 100) the additional cost of VAT and service tax will increase your bill amount by atleast 30%, if not more!

Picture Coutesy - www.telegraph.co.uk

 I salute people with families, children, their education, clothes, food, bills… the list is endless. Just like our expenses and woes.

 *Long Sigh*

Love:

Sepo

Some Keen Observational Theories

1. The closer you are to a person the harder it is to tell them the truth – an honest opinion you have about them. On the other hand the closer a person is to you, higher is the chance of you venting out all your accumulated anger on them.

2. Some people get up in the morning, open their cupboards and wear the first thing(s) they spot. Irrespective of whether they are event appropriate or matching with each other. Now we are not expecting you to be dressed up to nine, looking like diva’s or studs. But green colored pants with purple Tee, red colored polka dotted pants to office and a tight fitted top struggling to stay on a plump frame is not a sight for the sore eyes.

3. While we are on the subject of clothes another important point. Leggings are not pants. Yes, even if you are a proud owner of a 26inch waist. They were made for kurta’s and look horrible with tops and shirts.

4. There are some people who go grocery shopping and forget one very important article every month. We are talking about the DEO here. Small word big benefits. Coz, sitting in cramped spaces with air conditioner blowing the same stale air, trying to breathe through your elbow or hair in public transport ain’t no fun.

5. When you finally get that motivation to join gym and one week down the line you start feeling somewhat fabulous about yourself – people will start commenting on how fat you look. Well, that drives you right towards those creamy macaroons and Dutch truffles.

6. An observation based on the above point. People criticize you when you are thin, they will criticize you when you are fat, and they will probably find something wrong with you when you are actually pretty alright. Listen to the people who matter, ignore the rest and do what YOU like. Just do your thang.

7. After a particular age you just loose interest in making new friends. You become content with the close set of fools you have managed to keep over the years. Friendships often sprout during those carefree phrases of live. Once responsibility kicks in, you’d rather make acquaintances rather than friends. That said, some rare exceptions are always there.

8. You start developing a “taste” for things. Now this can be anything ranging from clothes to furniture to alcohol. While in your teens and early twenties you are ready to experiment, as you mature you’d probably invest and explore something that you are familiar with!

9. However hard you try, innumerable promises you make – People still drift apart. In spite of all the wtsapp, skype and vibers long distance things rarely workout. And for those it does work, well congratulations!

10. Even though you may not realize it and in fact hate using SMS and texting lingo it still reflects in your writing. I just had a hard time understanding why MS word refuses to acknowledge “yourself’ which in my writing flow I had spelled as “urself”. OMG. I gave myself the biggest palm-slap after realizing my mistake.

11. The more you stay alone, the more impulsive and short tempered you get. Adjusting, patience and compromise become pariahical qualities.

12. A heart felt compliment makes everyone happy, no matter how old. So go on and don’t hesitate to make someone happy.

13. When women go on criticizing and complaining about themselves, all they are looking forward for to is some reassurance. "You look great" or "You are awesome" are some acceptable answers. Go not agree with her on this one. Its as simple as that. And men say women are hard to understand.

14. There should be at-least one that thing in life for everyone doing which makes you happy.

15. Lastly, everyone should watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S atleast once. If you aren't, you are definetly missing something really special in life.

LOVE:
Sepo!

The Modern fairy tale

Since time immemorial fairy tales have always invoked a great sense of wonder and marvel. The magic of Cinderella’s shoes, snow white’s jungle adventures and Rapunzel’s long Goldie locks. We wanted it all while growing up. As adults too many a times we aspire for things fairy-like. A beautiful Cinderella like dress, snow whites’ charm and of course the prince charming riding a horse. What we read as kids stays with us till a long time after.

My fascination with fairy tales and Barbie dolls is inexplicable. Having an elder sister and many cousin sisters, I neither had to buy any fairy tales books nor force my parents to buy me dolls. I had abundant passed on dolls and books from sisters. Also some utterly fascinating bedtime stories and folk tales that I read and re-read every night. It would not be wrong to say that childhood fables leave a lasting impact in our minds. As adults we may seem to outgrow them and at times even see some glaring flaws in them. But there will always be a part of us that will smile fondly at the all the memories they invoke.Being a book-nerd I always push people around me to read. I try to narrate excerpts from my favorite books to interest them. At times highlight the advantages of reading, argue that books are way better than the monstrous movies they turn them into. So it was not much of a surprise when I bought a big book of all-time favorite fairy tales for my 4 year old niece. Since it was out of question was her to read it herself. I, very willingly made myself her self-appointed fantasy tutor. I thought it would be a great way for me to re-enter the childhood world of magic.

disneyprincesses.wikia.com

While reading and explaining the intricacies of having mouse’s as friends, evil stepmoms and fairy godmothers, I was somehow not convinced this time. Wisdom imparted through years made me skeptical on the whole helplessness portrayed by Cinderella and other fairy tale protagonists. Ok so the step sisters and mother treat her bad. Why does she not stand up for herself? Why does she behave like Tulsi from Ekta Kapoor’s Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi? Why does she have to rely on magic? Why is the fairy godmothers magic so conditional, 12’O clock, carriage to pumpkin and those shoes pretty and all but glass? It was not easy explaining to my niece that glass shoes are not only unavailable and also impractical. The final straw was on how everything falls into place right after prince walks in. Whether to sweep Cinderella off her feet or kiss Snow White to life. It was then I realized that this book is full of damsels in distress, waiting to be rescued by the prince charming rather than taking an effort to do it themselves.

leopold-and-loeb.blogspot.com

I definitely did not want my niece to grow up reading this stuff. Thinking that having men in her life is the solution of all the problems. Don’t get me wrong, men are great. Getting into relationships is great but designing your own life around their existence is not! This is not how the 21st century women are or should be. I have witnessed smart independent women transform to shadows of their better half soon after getting hitched. Maybe they take their cues from the stories they grew up reading. Their man is the only topic they can talk about. The clothes they buy will be of his choice and not theirs’. They will stop doing stuff he doesn’t approve of. Some even stop eating because their man does not want them to get fat (ouch). While many of you would say that this is a perfectly fine thing to do in love. But I say why love have to be about compromise and adjustment why not acceptance. If you love me at size 4 you should love me at size 8 and even size 16. Encourage and challenge me to lose or maintain not taunt or threat. Companion ship should be about the freedom to do the thing you love and at the same time taking time to cherish the thing you both like. Acceptance of YOU as YOU are and not as someone they have mentally pictured. And if the pictures don’t match then, well then Just Keep Searching.

I want my niece to grow up reading a story of a princess who is awesome. One who eats green vegetables with delight and sips green tea. Occasionally indulging in pizzas and pastries (this would help her to understand the secret behind her slender waist from a young age). She eats a balanced diet rather than going on fad diets. So she will not grow up to have eating disorders. A bright student, she believes in wisdom from knowledge. She has fun hobbies like playing congas. She lands a fabulous job doing what she loves. She is kind but does not let people take her for a ride. She knows karate and can like literally kick some ass. She buys sexy shoes (not made of glass, duh). And if she does meet that special someone who loves her for who she is, she takes out that blue gown and her tiara :)

sarahbetty,co.uk

That’s more like the stuff to read and replay, let me know what you think in the comments section!

Love

Sepo