Experiences

Ever thought about surname? Sure, I did. My surname is Shaw and that is not so common in India. Quite often I am asked, where do you belong to, what’s your native place, are you a Christian, are you a Muslim or more directly how come your surname is Shaw. Once I was asked are you an Anglo-Indian. So every time I meet a new person, I have to explain why is my name Shaw. But, sometimes I also get complemented on having such a cool surname. It’s actually quite a tale behind my surname. People have weird surnames, some are funny too. Especially in India, which is a land of diversity, you can find all kinds of surname. Your surname or as for south India your initials are supposed to carry your family legacy with it. Some people have their father’s name, grandfather’s name, community’s name or even villages name as a part of their surname. With all these sub-names, you tend to have quite a big name, so you have to use initials. But, in my case I have a short and cool surname. ...

Grocery shopping is an art which requires awareness and experience to master. In India, most of the people buy grocery from small vendors in a place called mandi or bazaar. In order to bag the best of fresh pieces for a good price, you need skills which I find lacking among the millennials. There have been instances where the fruits which I had bought were not of good quality or sometimes I have paid much higher price for the items bought. Here green grocery is not like packaged goods in supermarkets which would have a MRP and best before date therefore skills are required in a mandi bazaar. The demand-supply ratio is the basis of these mandis. The prices fluctuate quite often in a wide range. One has to be aware of the current prices otherwise you might end up paying much higher price for the items bought. These skills come with experience which requires the best of hand-picked fresh pieces to be selected from the lot. Good quality fruits and vegetables are chosen on the basis o...