BENGALURU: My idea of fun isn’t partying till you’re blue in the face, shopping till I’m dropping or working till I explode! Restraint is the key. Grand openings with grotesquely expensive invitations (some with bottles of fine wine/liquor) stupefy me! Why would total strangers invite you to their massive bars/clubs/restaurants and promise all and sundry a good time? Their public relations partners go into overdrive, sussing out numbers and blitzing you with messages urging you to come and helpfully supply you with hashtags! Totally taking for granted that you (a total stranger) will post your shenanigans on social media and tag ‘seamless-Seema’ or ‘hottie-pototie’ or whatever hashtag the team gives you!
I understand that ‘doing-stuff’ or scratching a friend’s back is kosher. But the bevy of strangers who assume that you will give them publicity is in my books: ‘making someone else do the job that you are hired to do’. Bigger and bigger sharks have entered this arena and they in turn, are employed because of their social contacts! Many young ’uns get wined and dined (gratis) quite expeditiously nowadays!
Call me a dinosaur (I have been referred to as T-Rex by some uncharitable people!), but I like being invited the old -fashioned way. Friends and acquaintances send you an invitation to save the date, followed by an invitation and/or a phone call. Pleasantries are exchanged (no one is too busy for that), and commitments are given. One knows one will bump into friends and the ambiance will reek of bonhomie, good food, ambrosia and conversations. That is where ‘we’ enjoy taking photographs of having a great time, posting about a fabulous event that has painstaking been put together, join in the raucous celebration of an entrepreneurial venture of yet another known person, be it a new restaurant/pub/bar, and then blitz it to the world. There has to be a cut-off point. Either one knows or has a relationship with the person or the said stranger does their own blitzkrieg! Sounds harsh? You betcha!
I received one such polite invitation from Arjun Pandalai to an Art-Rendezvous, Conversations and more of the famed artist-king, Raja Ravi Varma. His works were showcased under the auspices of the RRV Heritage Foundation to honour his 175th birth anniversary. The elegant ballroom of the Taj West End was filled to capacity with adoring fans and artists alike. There was an informative tete-a-tete by an expert panel comprising the Raja’s great grand-niece and Gitanjali Maini, whose art foundation is the most prolific in keeping Raja Ravi Varma’s art in focus and alive. In keeping with the Raja’s homeland, the most delicious food from God’s own country was served. ’Twas a truly beautiful evening.
I formed an almost instant, easy connection with the Israel Consulate-General, Tammy Ben-Haim. Perhaps because I had a close friendship with her predecessor, my first meeting with Tammy was without filters. She and her deputy Limor, are both steel magnolias yet, easy-going, friendly and non-fussy. Their 75th Independence Day celebration was a blast! Again consuls from different parts of the world mingled and mixed. Friends who hadn’t connected for ages were there. A warm and friendly ambiance with great table and pours only contributed to a feeling of bonhomie on a gentle drizzle-soaked night.
Can anyone ask for more?
(The writer’s views are her own)