Yes. I for one feel that it’s none of our business to get into someone’s life, though, If a victim, I would often wonder why no one is coming to my help when I require some. The fact is that in India it is best to let things be as they are. This, you may think, despite all the measures by the Government to let there be more good Samaritans.
I remember once, a very long time ago, walking on the pavement near Taj Mahal Hotel at Colaba, Mumbai, when I saw a foreign lady desperately trying to help another lady lying on the ground who clearly required help and an Indian ( who was obviously accompanying her) desperately pleading with her not to be too involved in such incidents. So many people walked about and around that lady but few even considered it worth the merit of a second look. Such is the deep rooted apathy among Indians and the instance quoted by your well-meaning brother is just one of the many that we come across in our lives. Of course this happened a couple of decades back, but I don’t think it will have changed a lot. Compare this to the situation abroad. I remember an instance, when my children were in the US, when they had to move to the grass curb of the road and stop, away from the fast moving traffic. Many travelers stopped to enquire if they needed any assistance.
The fear of getting involved may take some time to change- the picture of great trouble that awaits the Samaritan is too vivid to change in a jiffy by just some rule or reward. It could even take more than one generation too and more proof of the changed situation with live personal examples of such incidents. Societal change needs time and I do hope the government stays the course. Getting help to victims in the golden hour is so important.
When you discover that you are one among ten siblings, the rules of ownership of property is different. More so when there are no marks to differentiate. Be it clothes, school bags and you guessed it right footwear too. My parents never purchased anything retail. When it came to stitching new clothes for a festival, we never had disputes because the color and design was the same for all of us. Our family tailor seldom took our measurement. He delivered ‘One size fits all’ garments. His argument: children grow up fast and we would grow out of it if stitched to size. One look at our childhood group photos, and you will understand what I mean. Probably we would have had window curtains too if there was sufficient left over material. In the list of items purchased en masse was the Hawai Chappals too. When we were all at home, the ten pair pile would like the ones outside any busy temples. Since they were all blue, a little variation in size hardly mattered. We were quite content that we found one chappal for each foot.
Dear Brother once more you have displayed your flair for writing on subjects of interest to each one of us and takes us back to our childhood days.
The beauty is that the topic of “ walking on the street “ veered off to footwear.
I did my schooling even before the Hawaii Chappals landed in India. We had the humble PT shoes one was white which had to be administered a plastered dose of Blanco and the other was brown PT shoes which just needed a dusting. As far as I knew there were only two brands Bata and Flex
In early 60’s I was living with my parents in Nasik and one of my relatives visited us from erstwhile Bombay. In those days Bombay was what London was for Dick Whittington.
The relative came home in his white Tinopal sparkling and starched white trousers and white shirt and well heeled. While none of us wore any footwear inside homes, he wore a pair of Hawaii chappal with Blue strap and blue sole. All of us admired the chappal and wore it in turns to feel the comfort of the soft rubber sole. It so happened that he graciously left behind the chappal and we took turns wearing it at home.
I very eagerly wanted to show off the chappals in school and our school did not permit chappals. I put up a fake bandage on one foot and went to school one day and I was the cynosure of all students who wanted to know from where I got the chappal and no one showed concern for my injury
Dear Mr. Prasanna, As usual your Filter Coffee is so very tasteful, I look forward to it every Sunday. Today it takes you back to your childhood, so many memories come flooding back. Looking back I cant even remember when I started wearing chappals.
About 7 years back I had had to go to Trivandrum to attend a wedding and I decided to go by bus. My husband was leaving me at the bus station. As usual with the evening traffic in Bangalore, we got stuck in traffic jam about half a kilometer from the bus stop. There was no hope of reaching there by car, so I decided to walk. The road was jampacked including the footpath. Within few minutes of walking in the uneven footpath and trying to avoid two wheelers and other objects, my chappal broke. I threw away the other one and went barefoot. When I reached Trivandrum the first thing my brother-in-law asked me was 'why I am walking barefoot". I had to narrate the whole story. Then I went for the wedding also without wearing chappals. Everybody wanted to know why I was walking barefoot, it was too funny.
There's so much colour to life in India, which you brought out so well. The chappal was used quite purposefully in my childhood to administer a couple of whacks to the rear end. I had a grand uncle who was a major in the army, who believed we children had to have shoes (and socks) on when he came to visit us and the more humble chappals were given the derrogatory term "chapplis".
A friend of mine told me that when it is necessary to leave footwear in a public place one should keep one footwear in one place and the other in a different place so the footwear will be safe.
In our younger days they used to make chappals from tank rubber meaning that the rubber was from the world war II discarded military vehicles. it used to cost five rupees.
In my english subject there was an essay called "umbrella morals"where a person,in England, would exchange his old umbrella with a new one and console himself by saying that he has not stolen but left his umbrellla
Hawai chappals used to come from china,
as you said it was costing five rupees a big money, as gold was costing ten rupees for one gram
Dear Prasanna,this post took me back in time. It was so true and funny. The picture of chappal prints in the sand is excellent. But you forgot Didi. She is the paragon of Hawaii chappals.
Ha ha, Pras, at our age , I mean yours and mine and the like, if we dredge our memories we can come up with so many like the beloved Hawaii chappals you wrote about. Bell bottomed trousers, fountain pens, HMT watches, old fashioned cycles........ and of course the smell of filter coffee and jasmine flowers in T Nagar. We miss them, but thankfully only when we remember them. Enjoyed your taking me back in time.
Brings back a plethora of memories. Oh! 'those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end...' . Such a refreshing read, almost cathartic!
Thank you Lashika.
Yes. I for one feel that it’s none of our business to get into someone’s life, though, If a victim, I would often wonder why no one is coming to my help when I require some. The fact is that in India it is best to let things be as they are. This, you may think, despite all the measures by the Government to let there be more good Samaritans.
I remember once, a very long time ago, walking on the pavement near Taj Mahal Hotel at Colaba, Mumbai, when I saw a foreign lady desperately trying to help another lady lying on the ground who clearly required help and an Indian ( who was obviously accompanying her) desperately pleading with her not to be too involved in such incidents. So many people walked about and around that lady but few even considered it worth the merit of a second look. Such is the deep rooted apathy among Indians and the instance quoted by your well-meaning brother is just one of the many that we come across in our lives. Of course this happened a couple of decades back, but I don’t think it will have changed a lot. Compare this to the situation abroad. I remember an instance, when my children were in the US, when they had to move to the grass curb of the road and stop, away from the fast moving traffic. Many travelers stopped to enquire if they needed any assistance.
The fear of getting involved may take some time to change- the picture of great trouble that awaits the Samaritan is too vivid to change in a jiffy by just some rule or reward. It could even take more than one generation too and more proof of the changed situation with live personal examples of such incidents. Societal change needs time and I do hope the government stays the course. Getting help to victims in the golden hour is so important.
Excellent and insightful observations.
When you discover that you are one among ten siblings, the rules of ownership of property is different. More so when there are no marks to differentiate. Be it clothes, school bags and you guessed it right footwear too. My parents never purchased anything retail. When it came to stitching new clothes for a festival, we never had disputes because the color and design was the same for all of us. Our family tailor seldom took our measurement. He delivered ‘One size fits all’ garments. His argument: children grow up fast and we would grow out of it if stitched to size. One look at our childhood group photos, and you will understand what I mean. Probably we would have had window curtains too if there was sufficient left over material. In the list of items purchased en masse was the Hawai Chappals too. When we were all at home, the ten pair pile would like the ones outside any busy temples. Since they were all blue, a little variation in size hardly mattered. We were quite content that we found one chappal for each foot.
Dear Brother once more you have displayed your flair for writing on subjects of interest to each one of us and takes us back to our childhood days.
The beauty is that the topic of “ walking on the street “ veered off to footwear.
I did my schooling even before the Hawaii Chappals landed in India. We had the humble PT shoes one was white which had to be administered a plastered dose of Blanco and the other was brown PT shoes which just needed a dusting. As far as I knew there were only two brands Bata and Flex
In early 60’s I was living with my parents in Nasik and one of my relatives visited us from erstwhile Bombay. In those days Bombay was what London was for Dick Whittington.
The relative came home in his white Tinopal sparkling and starched white trousers and white shirt and well heeled. While none of us wore any footwear inside homes, he wore a pair of Hawaii chappal with Blue strap and blue sole. All of us admired the chappal and wore it in turns to feel the comfort of the soft rubber sole. It so happened that he graciously left behind the chappal and we took turns wearing it at home.
I very eagerly wanted to show off the chappals in school and our school did not permit chappals. I put up a fake bandage on one foot and went to school one day and I was the cynosure of all students who wanted to know from where I got the chappal and no one showed concern for my injury
Hilarious Thomas. Thank you. It was like an extension to my post!!
Dear Mr. Prasanna, As usual your Filter Coffee is so very tasteful, I look forward to it every Sunday. Today it takes you back to your childhood, so many memories come flooding back. Looking back I cant even remember when I started wearing chappals.
About 7 years back I had had to go to Trivandrum to attend a wedding and I decided to go by bus. My husband was leaving me at the bus station. As usual with the evening traffic in Bangalore, we got stuck in traffic jam about half a kilometer from the bus stop. There was no hope of reaching there by car, so I decided to walk. The road was jampacked including the footpath. Within few minutes of walking in the uneven footpath and trying to avoid two wheelers and other objects, my chappal broke. I threw away the other one and went barefoot. When I reached Trivandrum the first thing my brother-in-law asked me was 'why I am walking barefoot". I had to narrate the whole story. Then I went for the wedding also without wearing chappals. Everybody wanted to know why I was walking barefoot, it was too funny.
Thank you for sharing your unique chappal experience. I couldn't stop smiling.
There's so much colour to life in India, which you brought out so well. The chappal was used quite purposefully in my childhood to administer a couple of whacks to the rear end. I had a grand uncle who was a major in the army, who believed we children had to have shoes (and socks) on when he came to visit us and the more humble chappals were given the derrogatory term "chapplis".
Hilarious! Thank you Nisha.
A friend of mine told me that when it is necessary to leave footwear in a public place one should keep one footwear in one place and the other in a different place so the footwear will be safe.
In our younger days they used to make chappals from tank rubber meaning that the rubber was from the world war II discarded military vehicles. it used to cost five rupees.
In my english subject there was an essay called "umbrella morals"where a person,in England, would exchange his old umbrella with a new one and console himself by saying that he has not stolen but left his umbrellla
Hawai chappals used to come from china,
as you said it was costing five rupees a big money, as gold was costing ten rupees for one gram
Thank you brother for your nice comments. Loved the umbrella moral.
Dear Prasanna,this post took me back in time. It was so true and funny. The picture of chappal prints in the sand is excellent. But you forgot Didi. She is the paragon of Hawaii chappals.
Thank you Madhuri. Ref to DD was funny.
Ha ha, Pras, at our age , I mean yours and mine and the like, if we dredge our memories we can come up with so many like the beloved Hawaii chappals you wrote about. Bell bottomed trousers, fountain pens, HMT watches, old fashioned cycles........ and of course the smell of filter coffee and jasmine flowers in T Nagar. We miss them, but thankfully only when we remember them. Enjoyed your taking me back in time.
Your recollections resonate so well . May be i will use them sometime.