Are you a sellout yet?

I feel hugely honoured at having residence in the same lane (actually just two buildings away) that Gandhiji chose to live for almost 17 years of his life. His bungalow is now converted into a museum called Mani Bhavan, which is a big tourist attraction.

So you’de think that giving directions to my house would be easy, right? Wrong. The give and take usually goes something like this:

Person: So, where do you stay?

Me: In Gamdevi, very close to Mani Bhavan.

Person: Money-what?

Me: The Gandhi museum?

Person: Ummm…

Me: You know the West Side on Hughes Road?

Person: Ah! Say that way na…

See what I mean? Our landmarks have changed, our reference points have taken a tumble. And it makes me wonder whether we’re giving more importance to something that’s more or less irrelevant. These days, we give directions via malls, shops and restaurants.

And if someone hasn’t noticed it yet, we’re also getting increasingly afflicted by this infectious disease called mall madness. Yep, India’s economy is booming. And this same mall madness is partly responsible. But im not sure if its worth it anymore.

Oh, and another thing. What’s synonymous with Mumbai monsoons? Apart from potholes and floods, that is. Yep – SALE! It has the power to alleviate our spirits and excite us. It’s now a conversation-starter; to hell with the weather.

Not the one to stay behind, I outdid myself this season by spending as much money on indulgences as I normally do in 6 months! And I’m completely disgusted with myself. Whatever happened to ‘less is more’? And im not talking about the pink halter top I just bought.

My new motto in life: buy only when there’s a sale. Every time.