Perception

Thought for the day: Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

Winston Churchill

Just a few days back, I was wondering what the US-based(crazed?) NRIs must be feeling like, now that the dollar’s slumped to an all-time low, and, most of the goodies which people used to look forward to, from anyone returning from the US of A, are now available in India. Of course, the fact remains that not much is really ‘Made in US’ now- most of it comes from China, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, et al. I do remember, some years back, how things like a pack of Gillette razor blades, a pair of Levis/Wrangler jeans, a remote-operated car and what not! So, I had a big smile on my face while reading this article in last week’s Weekend, written by C Rajghatta. Some of the particularly enjoyable extracts:

“- The tidings about the demise of the NRI cachet and the rise of the RNI(Resident Non Indian) legend was brought recently to America, the largest hangout for NRIs, by a crestfallen member of the long-hyped tribe.
- He had returned from India rather shell-shocked. It’s not just that the dollar had sunk below Rs 40 and touts at Taj Mahal were using greenbacks to blow their kids’ noses, he sniffed; it was the way he was treated at home. Apparently, our bharat mahaan is rolling in so much lolly, and such is the attention being lavished on it by the world, that NRIs are being told to take their depreciating dollar and dafa ho jao. Dirhams and euros are still okay, but the dollar is definitely in the doghouse.

- When he sat down for breakfast expecting to be served pohua and idli, he was fed Post’s Banana Nut Crunch. Olive oil had replaced asli ghee in the making of parathas. When they went out to dinner — Tex-Mex, no less.

— friends whipped out their wallets faster than Clint Eastwood drew his six-shooter in For a Few Dollars More, and didn’t allow him to pay. His Amex card returned to the US unmolested. - - He says “The horrible moment of truth laughed me in the face when i handed out a nice T-shirt i had bought for a brat, only to be thanked with ‘‘Chee! It’s Made-in-Bangladesh.’’ The sneakers, it turned out, were made in Thailand, and the baseball cap in Vietnam. The nadir came when the gang espied my cellphone, a model that was apparently discarded in India in the 20th century.”

So, where does that leave the NRI? Word is that they are pressing for a change in nomenclature. They’d now like to be known as INRs — Indian Non-Residents. "

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On to the end jokes:
Husband to wife: When I get mad at you, you never fight back. How do you control your anger?
Wife: I clean the toilet bowl.
Husband: How does that help?
Wife: I use your toothbrush
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Pun of the day:
He used to kiss her on the lips, but it's all over now.

Till next time, keep smiling.