Good morning Bangalore! It’s that time of year again when we celebrate mothers. Call me a cynic, but celebrating a woman on designated days irks me a wee bit. Somehow, there is always a feeling somewhere deep in my gut that says, having a ‘day’ designated for one is like acknowledging the fact that one is becoming extinct! Something akin to ‘Save the Tiger’ day, only 1,088 of them left. Sometimes they condescendingly designate the whole month to women, just in case we become extinct. Surely Archies cards must be laughing all the way to the bank.
I am often accosted by white-clothed gentlemen (we know who they are), who smugly tell me with folded hands, ‘’Maydum, all ladies are like Goddesses, we must and should venerate and ‘raspect’ them.’’ Oh right! I wonder where you guys are when women are harassed, bullied, disrespected and molested on a daily basis on the road, in buses, at their workplaces and in public spaces. I don’t see any Happy Mother’s Day cards handed out at that juncture. I often smile back and retort that ‘please don’t equate us to Goddesses, treating us as equal human beings is quite sufficient’. Why put us into moulds of your conception, why not just consider us as wonderful, powerful, empathetic, multi-taskers. Does not giving birth automatically lower our Godly status? That being said, Bangalore is by far, way more genteel and safe compared to our country cousins ‘up Narth’.
There was a spate of celebrations marking Mother’s Day in the city. Some were sweet and pulled on my heart strings, whereas some were downright crass. I don’t know how cocktails available at a 50 per cent discount, or weighing your mother, or taking her height (directly proportionate to the discount one would get at a bar or clothing store) is celebrating ones’ mother. I, for one, would be mortified! My kids would have been able to drink and eat and clothe themselves for free if my height and weight was taken into account! Though my son eyeballed me with a certain expectation in his eyes, my furious face signaled him to back off! He relented and took me out to a new hotspot in town, and peace was restored after many delicious cocktails. After that we spent a languorous afternoon, bingeing on back-to-back episodes of Game of Thrones.
Bangaloreans seem to be completely hooked onto Game of Thrones. Personally I find the episodes dark, violent and sometimes downright preposterous, I dare not utter my feelings aloud. There would be a frenzy of wild-eyed ‘Thronees’ who would bite my head off. Imagine a whole group of educated, erudite adults being referred to as Thronees! A term like that would be more suitable for people who tended to sit on their bathroom ‘thrones’ for too long!
Well, I must sheepishly admit that I too succumbed to the throne fever by accepting good friend and fellow gourmand Aslam Gafoor’s invitation for a massive GOT-themed dinner at GYLT. GYLT is the brainchild of restaurateur Pravesh Pandey, who has recently opened this massive Gothic-style restaurant in the city and is adept at turning dreams into a reality. The sit-down dinner had tables that were over 30 feet long with candelabras and nitrogen smoke billowing from the drinks and food. Very imposing and slightly intimidating as an attentive staff cut and carved our food. This restaurant is the first of its kind in India and I’m thrilled that Bangalore has a big presence in the evolving food scene.
I suppose I must be grateful. Whether it is a small soiree or a big bash, women are being celebrated even for a day! I don’t think we are going to be extinct anytime soon, and surely, we aren’t going anywhere without a fight, that’s for sure!
Till the next time, Ciao!