Well it might sound hilarious but for an Indian who comes to US, like me it is a reality. India at least the one that I left behind we do the shopping the 1920's US way. Where shopping especially grocery is predominately by Mom and Pop stores and non self-service grocery stores and non-existent franchise system.
And so when one comes to US where in 2000 we come to the third generation of grocery and shopping by just taking the plane across. And it makes the effect of the wow effect, as it happened with me when I first visited my first Walmart. The economies of scale and the mere choice and prices are a "Knockout".
But it takes a while to come to know why there was a wow effect. US has already seen three generation of evolution from the 20's way of shopping to the todays shopping. It has gone a big way from the first supermarket's then revolutionary thougth of self-service grocery (Clarence Saunders and his Piggly Wiggly) to the next wave of discount retailers like Walmart to the most recent wave of warehouse clubs like Costco, Sam's.
The effect of the automation and effeciecy leads to choice and convienece which is unparralelled. And it opens mind to things which one can not have imagined. Where so many innovative ideas in production delivery and packaging can be seen in these shelves.
Yet it does not goes without it's drawback. Through it leads many choices in durable stuff it certainly lacks the one for non durable products especially food. A small Indian market can easily challenge the choices of food vegetable than a big Kroger's and all of them are freshly and locally grown. The selective medium term extinction of not so durable choices which people like us get to see after the glitter wanes off after sometime.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Angst of Indian Going Back to India for a vacation
So it happens that in last two weeks I meet with two of my friends who come back from their long awaited sojourn to India. And as for most immigrant Desis, it is a long awaited break from his newly difficult adjusting home in US. And so this vacation besides meeting his loved ones also carries with itself a big hope of finding something new. And especially fuiled by all the media hype about the NEW EMERGING INDIA that he immersed in the US media he in his heart hopes to find a better India than he had left. And as had happened with me the trip though brings happy memories it also brings bewilderment or as my friend put it puts him in a "CATCH 22 SITUATION", of not being very happy with life up here but not also happy of how things are shaping up in India.
India is going thorugh a phenomenal change not only in its econonomy which the whole world is catching with its breath, but more importantnly socially and enviromentally. This becomes even more poignant as this development means development of more than 1 billion people, which has increased by 200 million( almost the population of US) in last ten years. A high growth of 8% in GDP which India is acheiving, is a good thing economically but its other effects especially seen thorugh the eyes of visotrs like me and my freinds is not so rosy. much o
Another aspect is cultural change with respect to indian family system.
India is going thorugh a phenomenal change not only in its econonomy which the whole world is catching with its breath, but more importantnly socially and enviromentally. This becomes even more poignant as this development means development of more than 1 billion people, which has increased by 200 million( almost the population of US) in last ten years. A high growth of 8% in GDP which India is acheiving, is a good thing economically but its other effects especially seen thorugh the eyes of visotrs like me and my freinds is not so rosy. much o
Another aspect is cultural change with respect to indian family system.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Why we immigrant flock to America yet remain indifferent to this country of oppurtunity
It all started I suppose with an inquisitive question from a native about a degree of indifference to US by the immigrant population. And her question "then why do you all come here." On the onset it could be answered by simplistic answer, better opportunity, better pay or more money. But then when we try to have a macroscopic insight into it, one is made to think why do these things are not found in ones own country. Why this country is so attractive and why is so indifferent. And though there are so many reasons one can give, but it all comes from one word CORPORATION. Why this individual is very important. If there is one thing that US has perfected though might not have invented is corporation. And in no place has corporation become as big and influential as in US. And this age belongs to corporation as earlier
belonged to large governments or communism or industrial age. A true discovery done by American as Industrial revolution was done by British.
And the Mecca of Corporation is US. And if you want to be a part of this omnipotent force that is becoming a part of any part globe it is better to be part of it. If one believes part of it which better place than US. But corporation is unlike any other individual ( note corporation is an entity like individual made of chartered group of individual, having rights like people made especially relevant after 14 amendment). But this entity unlike other entities like government or other people have allegiance only to its only stakeholders i.e. shareholders, who are few (50% of shares are held by 1% and 80% own only 4% of shares). And this make things very complicated, especially as they become as they have become ( the top 20 companies in US is larger than US GDP). They are "no souls to save and no body to incarcerate". And unlike other entities like governments they are very selfish individual as people for whom corporation work are highly concentrated.
And to me that certainly which hits a person who comes to America. He finds himself bitten by this enigmatic but to a degree malicious entity called corporation. Being malicious as unlike other entities which live one earth, as one goal is profit and everything towards that pursuit is legitimate. And as anything that is important in larger perspective becomes externalities as it does not hits bottom line.
Here is where immigrant find it more difficult than a native American. People form Asia and Europe have meet more unselfish concepts like government and family system. These are less selfish as it has less externalities and more responsibilities. And as these individual and systems were more lenient and it was good to be selfless, changing to selfish individual just like John Nash's game theory is a anathema. And thus an enigmatic attraction.
Thus till America remains the Mecca of corporation it will be flocked by immigrants but like a mirage when he comes close he might see a very different picture thus his aversion.
belonged to large governments or communism or industrial age. A true discovery done by American as Industrial revolution was done by British.
And the Mecca of Corporation is US. And if you want to be a part of this omnipotent force that is becoming a part of any part globe it is better to be part of it. If one believes part of it which better place than US. But corporation is unlike any other individual ( note corporation is an entity like individual made of chartered group of individual, having rights like people made especially relevant after 14 amendment). But this entity unlike other entities like government or other people have allegiance only to its only stakeholders i.e. shareholders, who are few (50% of shares are held by 1% and 80% own only 4% of shares). And this make things very complicated, especially as they become as they have become ( the top 20 companies in US is larger than US GDP). They are "no souls to save and no body to incarcerate". And unlike other entities like governments they are very selfish individual as people for whom corporation work are highly concentrated.
And to me that certainly which hits a person who comes to America. He finds himself bitten by this enigmatic but to a degree malicious entity called corporation. Being malicious as unlike other entities which live one earth, as one goal is profit and everything towards that pursuit is legitimate. And as anything that is important in larger perspective becomes externalities as it does not hits bottom line.
Here is where immigrant find it more difficult than a native American. People form Asia and Europe have meet more unselfish concepts like government and family system. These are less selfish as it has less externalities and more responsibilities. And as these individual and systems were more lenient and it was good to be selfless, changing to selfish individual just like John Nash's game theory is a anathema. And thus an enigmatic attraction.
Thus till America remains the Mecca of corporation it will be flocked by immigrants but like a mirage when he comes close he might see a very different picture thus his aversion.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Nature at its menacing yet beautiful
Nature at its most menacing yet giving
Summer rain is making the roof create a music which can equal the grandiosity of Beethoven’s symphony num 6. Visibility has been reduced to feet. And the beaming and tormenting sun has been replaced by another life live dance on car tops.
It is raining and nature present itself at its most embellishing, dramatic and menacing form. The wind surfed sleets with the howling of the rain Gods makes a dramatic sight. Very emollient especially when seen through the windows. And as usual it bring to life the synapses in the brain as it is doing to the environment outside bringing back memories, thoughts and reinforcement of many facts. Rain and water cycle is certainly the most important ingredient of life on land, water with its magical properties of heat capacity and solvent makes the most dull and pale of landscape pristine and verdant. And in the cloudy terra incognito of the known landscape.
The bringing to life to dormant form also rubs on to the those dormant memories. The rainy days, the idyllic days not so long ago. And with each memory we see the enactment of life of past. Sounds sights suddenly come in front of eyes. The school days, the water logged roads. Wading through water with heavy bags in the murky water. Hot pakoras, tea, afternoon movies and tea. The incessant rain of university days of Goa. Where rain was considered so much of life that nothing stopped because it was excessive rain. [Some facts, Panjim gets 115 inches that more than twice that of Miami, which gets 48 inches annually. But more drastic is that it 80% of it in monsoon’s three to four months interestingly Cherrapunji gets 450 inches]. And from there to white pristine precipitation of snow capital of US. Where the snow bought everything to close except the best natural ice-cream you could make and before the weeks of slush the white pristine snow cover was the one of the best landscape eye could chance upon.
And as the terra incognito is replaced by terra cognito by the sudden disappearance of clouds, it bears upon the important task at hand. And soon the mind set changes from historic to tactical.
Summer rain is making the roof create a music which can equal the grandiosity of Beethoven’s symphony num 6. Visibility has been reduced to feet. And the beaming and tormenting sun has been replaced by another life live dance on car tops.
It is raining and nature present itself at its most embellishing, dramatic and menacing form. The wind surfed sleets with the howling of the rain Gods makes a dramatic sight. Very emollient especially when seen through the windows. And as usual it bring to life the synapses in the brain as it is doing to the environment outside bringing back memories, thoughts and reinforcement of many facts. Rain and water cycle is certainly the most important ingredient of life on land, water with its magical properties of heat capacity and solvent makes the most dull and pale of landscape pristine and verdant. And in the cloudy terra incognito of the known landscape.
The bringing to life to dormant form also rubs on to the those dormant memories. The rainy days, the idyllic days not so long ago. And with each memory we see the enactment of life of past. Sounds sights suddenly come in front of eyes. The school days, the water logged roads. Wading through water with heavy bags in the murky water. Hot pakoras, tea, afternoon movies and tea. The incessant rain of university days of Goa. Where rain was considered so much of life that nothing stopped because it was excessive rain. [Some facts, Panjim gets 115 inches that more than twice that of Miami, which gets 48 inches annually. But more drastic is that it 80% of it in monsoon’s three to four months interestingly Cherrapunji gets 450 inches]. And from there to white pristine precipitation of snow capital of US. Where the snow bought everything to close except the best natural ice-cream you could make and before the weeks of slush the white pristine snow cover was the one of the best landscape eye could chance upon.
And as the terra incognito is replaced by terra cognito by the sudden disappearance of clouds, it bears upon the important task at hand. And soon the mind set changes from historic to tactical.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
So India turns 60!!!!
Soon India turns 60, and with all the fanfare that surrounds the new emerging India, one becomes retrospective as well eager what future beholds. And being a part of at least the last 20 odd years of its life I find it interesting how all of this will play around.
I still remember the 1987, the "Mile sur mera tumhara", in a country coming out of the disillusioned of the late 70's and early 80's and inspired by fresh blood of Rajiv (was it is the teenage idealism but he was heck of a man). And this new blood and new ways to mend mistakes of the past was carried in this essense of this song. I would still say one song that still invokes so many passions in even people today.
Mixed with the so called "politically mistakes" of a politically neophyte PM, and changing global economic of the world India and world were soon going to be changed. Suddenly the disadvantaged country with 2nd highest graduates but still a third world country, could this huge number of educated mass its greatest enviable asset.
And two things which certainly made things make this turn for better at least economically were first Sam Pitorda. The self altruistic who came to pay back to his homeland and the PM who brought the biggest economic policy change without him knowing the significance of it (PV Narshima Rao, Gurcharan Das: India Unbound). And suddenly the dormant advantage both culturally ( more emphasis on intellectual than worldly Maya oriented) and its educational system ( by a true idealist and futurist Nehru, whom I still believe was the best India produced on equals to the "Mahatma: in its Hindi meaning" ).
And with the economic opening of world especially the early 90's and building of cheap fiber optic cable by telecoms companies (which would become their graves) suddenly allowed two ancient lands to rise. Suddenly India and China suddenly became a force of not the NEW OPEN MARKET of globalisation, as envisioned, but the predators interestingly becomes preys. I suppose no one at that time especially with all the low self esteem of Indian could have never have thought it could play to its advantage.
And suddenly the always sulken middle aged country has spring in its feet. But more importantly confidence, the one stuff we all Indians lacked for so long. And when the whole world beholds rise of these ancient cultures (including China) there is finally hope of alleviation of poverty from half of mankind. All must have been so apropos though a bit late to Nehru's speech on that night, Tryst of Destiny, "Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom"
I still remember the 1987, the "Mile sur mera tumhara", in a country coming out of the disillusioned of the late 70's and early 80's and inspired by fresh blood of Rajiv (was it is the teenage idealism but he was heck of a man). And this new blood and new ways to mend mistakes of the past was carried in this essense of this song. I would still say one song that still invokes so many passions in even people today.
Mixed with the so called "politically mistakes" of a politically neophyte PM, and changing global economic of the world India and world were soon going to be changed. Suddenly the disadvantaged country with 2nd highest graduates but still a third world country, could this huge number of educated mass its greatest enviable asset.
And two things which certainly made things make this turn for better at least economically were first Sam Pitorda. The self altruistic who came to pay back to his homeland and the PM who brought the biggest economic policy change without him knowing the significance of it (PV Narshima Rao, Gurcharan Das: India Unbound). And suddenly the dormant advantage both culturally ( more emphasis on intellectual than worldly Maya oriented) and its educational system ( by a true idealist and futurist Nehru, whom I still believe was the best India produced on equals to the "Mahatma: in its Hindi meaning" ).
And with the economic opening of world especially the early 90's and building of cheap fiber optic cable by telecoms companies (which would become their graves) suddenly allowed two ancient lands to rise. Suddenly India and China suddenly became a force of not the NEW OPEN MARKET of globalisation, as envisioned, but the predators interestingly becomes preys. I suppose no one at that time especially with all the low self esteem of Indian could have never have thought it could play to its advantage.
And suddenly the always sulken middle aged country has spring in its feet. But more importantly confidence, the one stuff we all Indians lacked for so long. And when the whole world beholds rise of these ancient cultures (including China) there is finally hope of alleviation of poverty from half of mankind. All must have been so apropos though a bit late to Nehru's speech on that night, Tryst of Destiny, "Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom"
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