The Seatbelt Syndrome

A silly disease! Why I call it a syndrome is because it's a disease of the intelligent brain. It's really funny how some people, educated people (mind it), can be so silly when it comes to something that's in the best interest of their safety. I call this common silliness the seatbelt syndrome.

However, there's effective treatment available. It can be treated with the right doses of common sense and then some love for your precious. No, not the ring of the Lord of the Rings fame, but your precious dear life.

By the way, there's another treatment. You know what it is. It's the fear of being caught by a traffic cop and having to pay a Rs.100 as fine. Isn't it funny how we need a fear of a petty fine for our own safety.

Let's not forget those who quickly wear their seatbelt when they see the white and khaki at a distance! I've seen and heard it umpteen number of times from my near and dear ones. "Is there a fine for not wearing seatbelt?" Well, there will soon be a fine for sure for not using those dormant gray cells! Do you know anyone suffering from the seatbelt system?

'So Who's Poor, Him or Me?'

This is not a first-hand experience but one shared by my mother-in-law. But it's something that made me think about how we, the middle-class folks, may be the new 'poor.'

It happened outside a temple. When she came out of the temple she saw some 'poor' people waiting for alms. So, out of goodwill, she gave 10 bucks to one of them, a man in ragged clothes. Little was she prepared for what happened next. The man threw the money back at her and said, "You're giving me 10 bucks? I'll give you 100!" She was, not-surprisingly, shocked and hurt.

After she narrated this incident, she innocently asked, "So who's poor, him or me?" That's something to think about.

Baby, Say Hello!

Well, I might be touching upon a very sensitive topic, especially for those of you who're parents. I'm not one, yet, so I must say I find it most amusing when parents make their little ones, yeah really tiny, little ones, to do things to show off how talented the little one is at say 8.5 months!

Only recently I came across such a situation. The mom asked her 11-month-old baby, a very cute kid, to "say hello" and "bye-bye." What she really meant was for him to wave, may be. The kid kept clapping and smiling all the while when his mother kept on asking him to "say" goodbye. I thought it was quite funny at how hard she was trying, only to be disappointed.

In hindsight, this is not the first time I've witnessed such an act. It's happened before, but I never really thought about it so much as to share my thoughts on a blog post. But considering how common this is, why not!

Do babies really understand what we adults say in our grown-up language? They sure respond with their goos and gaas, so you may think they do. But there's no way of knowing the science behind it. This is one fascinating, thought-provoking communication, isn't it? Well it does leave you thinking "what did that baby say?" Are you a parent who's been there, done that?

'What's the best price?'

"No, no, no! That's too much. What's the best price?" Haven't all of us said this most of the times we went shopping? I am guilty!

Negotiating and bargaining is our birthright, or so we feel. We see a window of opportunity, and we'll haggle with all we've got. Talk about little joys even those measly discounts can bring. Oh the awesome feeling of achievement on getting a "big" discount!

For some of us it happens in phases: You ask the price. The shopkeeper tells you the price. You saw the price sticker even before he told you, but you pretend not to know. Then you look astonished with the 'hey I saw a UFO' expression. Nod your head in disapproval. Contemplate for a few seconds maybe. Then, finally, the verdict. "That's too much!"

And how it suddenly makes us a quality expert is amazing. "This is not even good cotton." What is good cotton again? When it comes to bargaining, we can even tell that the third carbon on the polymer chain is slightly out of place. Okay, that's exaggeration. But hey "I see invisible holes in this dress, give me a discount!"

Rarely do we have a context or reason to bargain. But still we do. And we will till the end of time. Even when we know the prices are already inflated and the "after-discount" price is just a drama. That feel-good factor I say!

The 'Good News' Phenomenon

Unlike the El Niño phenomenon and other rare ones, this one is very common — at least in India! If you're married, especially if you're a woman, you already know what I'm talking about. And if you're not married, then I'm sure by now you've got a hint!

I'm talking about the 'good news' phenomenon. And the rate at which it happens will blow your mind. Still clueless? Let me put it in layman terms. The only news that makes it to the 'good news' category is that you're pregnant!

So it happened to me! After only a week of being married. No, I didn't get pregnant. Seriously? Does it even happen so fast! But i made a mistake of calling up relatives whom I don't usually call. So much for being good!

What pleasure do relatives and friends-of-parents get in asking for 'good news' every time you meet or call them? Are they curious about your sex life? Or is it because they're worried about extinction of human life on planet Earth?

I don't know what it is. But if you find out, please feel free to leave a comment!