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Today being a Sunday I rambled out and went to the Total Mall as I wanted to have Garlic Bread-- as the weather sort-of teased my taste buds and I was unable to relinquish the pangs and there was a case of excess salivation(really, Amma, I miss your thattai and murukku and the hot sweet ginger tea you make and the chats we share while looking out the balcony). Having had my fill, I looked round if there was a place I could have some hot filter kaapi, and darn-it, couldn't find one. Having no choice, I went back to MacDonald and had to get hot tea(nowhere near home). Gulping it down with great difficulty, I looked up and asked an in-charge if there was ANY place in the whole MALL where I could get Kaapi. Response: Amused grin. "No ma'am, we have cold coffee." Why not hot!?!??! "Because cold coffee is IN, right now, Madam." I don't care what's in, what's out, I want it HOT! OK, What else do you have? "Coke. All soft drinks." I meant HOT. Wince. "No Madam. Everything is cool." Of all the daft, absurd, loony, laughable..!
I felt like that customer in that joke book with the waiter jokes. "Waiter do I have to wait here until I die of starvation?" "No Sir, we close at six o clock." Hmmm, except, I didn't crack a rib laughing over it this time. I looked skyward and petitioned the Almighty, questioning him if today was my guinea-pig-day. The sky rumbled in response, and it started pouring. Oh Great. I guess He was laughing so hard He had tears coming.
Why do we have to give up things that clarify our comfort-zone.. Like hot cups of beverages.. We do not go by the rules of the West.. We do not have burgers and soft drinks for breakfast. We're more realistic and deep down know that it would be much, much better to go by the traditional Dosai/Sambar/Chutney Combo and a swig of (dark) joe. Why can't we aim to become developed by still hanging on to our old niceties and tradition?
I almost made my mind up to go to the railway station, where I could get decent cups of chai. But I didn't. Luckily, I found a Sukh Sagar nearby and duly went in and had some. Something better than nothing!
I really need to start a coffee business. I think the urge is growing stronger. Feedback, potential sponsors/investors, business advisors: welcome. :P What is the essential need-- that you feel has not had justice done to it? Lets see if we can take it forward. According to me, it was coffee outlets and proper coffee/chai availability/service this evening. Do not frown. There is more than half probability of this decision having been an emotional one, rather than some remote possibility of being an EconomicTimesBusinessIdea Finalist one as there was too much blood in my caffeine system, and I KNOW the decision I made was at an emotional low. ;) But I am much more in favor of simple, out-of-the-box ideas than ones involving software or technology. Give me a Sarath Babu who originated Food King Catering for a purpose, or a Shahnaz Husain or an E-Bay. Actually E-Bay has me hooked. I heard it was founded by Pierre Omidyar(CEO) to help his fiancee get rid of her broken printer. It might/might not be true, but some stories stick.
Please let your imagination run wild.. and think. Do you have anything to dispose of, that could actually help me find a multimilliondollar company? I'll put you on the board of directors, and you'll have my ear. And you'll make money when the company floats onto the stock market. :P
(Now whats that I hear about counting chickens wayy ahead of time? Shut up! Abdul Kalam has told me to dream, dream and dream!)
we talked about the coffee business! :p
ReplyDeleteHot sweet ginger tea with thattai murukku in the balcony? Are we the same person? :p
And its weird that you couldn't even manage some form of hot coffee... even the fancy capuccino/mocha/latte? Then b'lore's worse than what you call 'the west' ;)
:) Nice post.
ReplyDeleteHaving been away from home for about 6 years, this is not a change I was expecting.
I still dont get the justification behind the day-light robbery of charging US-Dollar-To-Indian-Rupee converted prices for entities there. A coffee here would cost abt $1.7 - but that gives no justification to price it at 1.7 * 50 = Rs 85 yonder. And we seem to have accepted it! Fifty rupees is still worth more in India than what a dollar is worth in US. (We could buy sumptuous food for 5 folks at Rs 250 ($5) in a normal restaurant in India, where I'd have to pay 5$ at the very least to get a measly meal here)
But, on another front, my question is... are you expecting the wrong thing at the wrong place? I mean, the concept of a shiny mall is by all means western (as opposed our very own concept of bazaar), and I am not surprised that the shops and ways inside is much along that lines as well.
Now, with regards to your request for a million dollar business to the readers ... :) Nice try!
Thanks Sreeram, for the instant enlightenment :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I think the western civilization is a good idea. And that is all :P
What has transpired till now, whatever has become a craze till now(majority of what has hit the markets) are only hits BECAUSE they are received quite well in the international market. Cold coffee? Check. BURGERS? (Expression of distaste) Check. Pizza? Check!
I was looking not just in the mall, but outside, too.. There are no roadside Muniyandi Vilaases like in Chennai :P
Chennai I miss you :P
Divs: Great minds think, relish, savor alike :P
Well said... Need to look for a proper Indian shop which sells authentic tea n coffee... Hope to see ur stall soon :)
ReplyDeleteWell said... There is a need of Indian stall which sells authentic tea n coffee (kapi)... Looking forward to ur stall :)
ReplyDelete