Puppy of Doom

“There is no water to go to the toilet, two people have to survive on one bucket of water in Bangalore” – this is how my mother opens the family group call.  It is wild that India’s biggest cosmopolitan cities are underprepared for its ever-growing population. I am not a particularly updated political enthusiast; a bit tired of yet another old + reeks-of-privilege man deciding which war to fund or not. Yet, a policy I think should have been implemented a lot more is Indira Gandhi’s family planning. Take one look at any city in India and you will agree that not only do we have a massively young population, but we also have a massive and unemployed population. How many times have you walked on a random road and seen a bunch of young folks walking around, not looking very “builds the future of the country” but more “distressed with their life having grown up and still living with limited resources?”  Maybe a capitalist economic revolution can help but the Jamnagar footage builds little confidence in that possibility.

Singapore faces the opposite problem, a future of too few young people. I came to know of the BTO (build -to-order) system recently, wherein a young couple can sign up for one of the government’s upcoming housing projects.  It is an apartment lock-in contract in one of the worlds' most expensive cities. And all you need is a partner to sign it with (easy-peesy). No wonder most of the young folks I see here are in stable long-term relationships, genius move by the government.  And in case your BTO plan goes south, there’s always an attractive gym subscription plan awaiting you on this island. How many broken hearts have been mended by the mirror walls, loud up-beat music and open ceilings that display all the plumbing and electrical fittings? Maybe it's the general air of competitiveness, and whey protein. Improving your physical health is still a smarter and positive ROI response to misfortune than any vice though.

Courtesy the reels on my Insta feed recently, I dragged my reluctant sister to Mustafa to buy Rooh Afzah. I remember the TV ads from my childhood but hadn’t ever tried it. Appa strictly banned sugary-syrupy drinks, a montage of him emptying an entire Coca Cola bottle down the kitchen sink in a fit of rage comes to mind (what an icon).  Mustafa - the all-famous Indian store in Singapore has more variety in consumer goods than I have ever seen in India. As we made our way through the maze, we could hear the diversity – a mother deriding her son in Bengali for not getting the right cooking oil, two Punjabi friends boasting about their cooking skills, a Tamil speaking man video calling his wife to ask which fish to buy – kids whining in Marathi, touristy grandparents admiring in Gujarati, aunties buying three trollies worth of “samaan” for what I could only guess was a massive feast. A few Chinese locals, Filipino tourists and Malay aunties fighting for their fair share of space too. And all of us were served by the grumpy cashier ladies. They were likely fasting, although I think cashiers tend to be grumpy all year round.

Speaking of grumpy all year round - the kids/no kids debate with a friend translated to dogs/no dogs, naturally. He, the consultant, was walking me through a strategy to convince his parents to get him a dog (he is also a fully grown adult in his mid-20s). I don’t think I particularly liked dogs ever, having been chased twice in my life. Eight rounds around a village farm plot as a child, by the bulldog that guarded it; when I had joined my uncle in inviting people to my maternal family’s bhootha-kola (check out Kaanthaara for the ones who don’t know).  The second time, by four Vastrapuri stray dogs, through the diagonally placed square dorms of IIM Ahmedabad’s new campus while screaming at the top of my voice. For months after, when I recounted this story, my batchmates and seniors would respond with “Ohhhh, that was youu??” Both experiences really tested my understanding of geometry more than anything, for I know I didn’t beat them by speed. And that kids, is why you pay attention in math class.