Holy Ganga beds!

One recieved a 'patriotic' forward a while ago - an article from yesterday's Indian Express about an IIM-A* grad who chose to go back to hometown Patna, and sell vegetables. We are so cool/ different/ great now. Unusual choice of careers. Think big. Give something back. Nice.

Not! One doesn't know who's weirder here - the writer or the subject, but they're both trying really hard...

Some gems:

• 'We are perhaps the only country that grows vegetables in the holy Ganga beds.' : Well, that could be because we're the only country that has a 'holy Ganga', could it not?
• 'Our fertile land boasting of rich history with Lord Buddha and Nalanda would only add to the marketing of Bihar vegetable': Land fertility is connected to history is connected to vegetable marketing? I'm sorry... What?
  
• 'A cart comes for Rs 45,000-Rs 50,000': Bombay Hindi-to-English, translated word-for-word. Writer needs English lessons.
• 'brand name “Samriddhi” (progress)': Writer needs Hindi lessons too (Samriddhi means prosperity not progress).
  
• 'a digital weighing machine assuring of correct calculation' : Weighing scales that calculate? Holy ganga beds!

Appalling ideas (one isn't doubting the nobility of the 'Brand Bihar' aim, just that the guy has no clue how to get there) and writing that reminds one of a line in a Penn Masala song -- 'I failed Inglis, but that OK, baby'.

Sigh!


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* IIM-A: Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

I'm sari... *what*?

U sent me a link about this Satya Paul creation called the Ooogle sari.

Purely one's personal opinion here, but would anyone in their right mind actually buy this? Especially given that, at Rs. 11,000 (US$299), it is the most.ridiculously.overpriced., not to mention tacky, bit of pseudo-Google-advertising* one has ever seen.

Only Aditi Govitrikar could get away with wearing that, and not look geeky or weird :). Then again, she was being paid!

Pic (c) Satya Paul.

* Yes, the print says Ooogle, not Google. But hey, even Cory Doctorow thought it said Google at first. So will everyone else.

*Anything* rotten in the state of Denmark?

One is bored with the surge of 'Top countries for blah' lists in the news these days... (nothing actually newsworthy happening lately?)

What's singularly interesting in all these weird lists however, is the repeated occurence of (surprise! surprise!!) Denmark at the number one spot.

Lets see... in just this last week, it has been judged: the best country for doing business in (Forbes survey), one of three least corrupt countries worldwide (Transparency International survey) and, wonder of wonders, even happiest/ most content country in the world (a UMich NSF-funded study).

How can a country that's not on the international mindmap even half as much as neighbouring Sweden or Finland be doing so well? (As an example, the only other reason it's made the news lately is as the starting point of a drunken Swede's ill-fated journey)

So. How can it be doing so well and manage to / want to keep so quiet about it?

What is going on? Good governance or good PR? Reality or hype? One wonders!