(7 Apr ’13)
Like many, I’m a working woman, not
a career one. Like few, I’ve changed not just jobs, but industries. I’ve been a
teacher, a librarian, worked in a hotel, a hospital, sold greeting cards to
raise funds, helped edit a magazine, and now have joined an upmarket
‘lifestyle’ shop. What’s a lifestyle shop, I asked myself, not having been inside
one before. I learnt that it’s a place where you get ‘everything you need’ for
a house except appliances, toiletries, groceries, fish-and-fruits, underwear,
taps, washers …
What you do
get is furniture, curios (dust-worthy things), curtains (sheer and fancy),
linen (sorry, no towels, no napkins, only razais, digital cushion-covers and
handwoven/block-printed rugs), artefacts (same things as curios), mirrors,
bars, bar-stools… in other words, stuff to add style to your life. When you
have the money and the will to spend, you go to a lifestyle store. You could
spend on charity, but… the way to heaven is paved with ‘buts’.
The money
comes in from orders executed on site. Customers flip through albums real or
virtual and tell us (I’m part of the ‘us’ for the moment) what they want. Their
wish is the carpenter/tailor’s command and they’re happy to be billed for it.
My interest lies in the walk-ins. People to stop their taxis (no commission
here) to see what this fancy village shop has to sell. They’re on their way to
the airport, and they need to pick up gifts for neighbours, cousins,
colleagues, parents… urgently. We don’t sell soaps shaped like fish or stars,
we don’t sell cashews with skins/naked/roasted/salted/with chocolate, mango or
any other flavour, we don’t sell liquor or shell/coconut photo frames, we don’t
sell crocheted ‘tops’ or balchao masala, so some go away.
Those who
stay to browse are more interested in the air-conditioning, I thought. I was
wrong. There are those who sit on something and like it so much that they buy
it without bargaining, then and there, they want instant gratification. Some
fiddle with items, turn them around, inspect them, put them back, pick up
others, spend time aimlessly. There are others who think their spouse will like
a particular screen and buy it as a surprise gift, definitely not need-based.
This is going to be a great study in human nature. Those who have opted to make
Goa their home, first or second, don’t necessarily want an ‘only Goan’ look for
their houses. One Goan NRI wanted an authentic antique Cardinal’s Chairs. How
many were there to begin with? Were any (chairs, not cardinals) dismantled to
make children’s toys or book racks? There seems to be a shortage of them by the
looks of it.
Am looking forward to another chapter in my
life.
My favourite
topics to end each column are water resources/shortages, garbage disposal and
public transport. Today it’s the turn of the taxis. I took a pre-paid from
Tivim to Sangolda. At the end of the ride, the driver was in a bad mood because
he guessed (wrongly) that we were in Porvorim. Whether he threw a tantrum at
the counter on his return to the station, I don’t know, but his nastiness was
uncalled for and left a bad impression on us. When I read out his number-plate,
he said, “What else do you want, my mobile number? Take. Complain. Do what you
want.” Sadly, friends and family tell me that such rudeness is the norm. I
usually travel by bus, hence have a poor audit sample of taxi-drivers’
behaviour. I have no idea whether Parrikar’s government has the will or wish to
improve the public transport system. The attitude of the owners, drivers,
conductors and overcharging can’t be changed by the government alone. Unless
Goans themselves want a change and insist upon it, we will continue to be cowed
down by the bullies. I wonder if there is any other place in the country where
passengers pay a return fare for a one-way journey. And that too way above what
the actual per kilometre rate should be. As in the case of mining, garbage or water,
we Goans will react only when we are in deep trouble. I’m waiting for the deep
trouble to start. Earlier the better, for only then will we
passengers/customers react. Que sera, sera.
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