BENGALURU: Good morning, Bangalore! Over different millennia, the world has seen its share of large scale destruction. Natural disasters, volcanic eruptions that blot out the sun, earthquakes, floods and many a time the human race has helped in these calamities. Plague, pestilence and other incurable diseases have only helped in bringing down the population. Now we have the newly minted coronavirus and that, in my opinion, is a mutation of the common cold which is effectively scaring enough people to stay indoors and avoid one part of the world completely.
It is alarming how fast and effectively this virus spreads! The tourist influx into China, Japan, Singapore and Thailand has almost petered down to a trickle. Thailand has always been a favourite ‘destination wedding’ venue and I have heard of mass cancellations because no one wants to take a chance. I have had friends fly in from Thailand and Singapore recently and they too were shocked at the deserted look both these once-bustling airports presented. There has been such a mass frenzy to buy masks that in most countries they are out of stock! People are stuck on ships and boats as different countries refuse to allow them to dock, petrified that they may be contaminated. This is reminiscent of the days of the holocaust where boat loads of persecuted people were turned away!
I have a theory. Whenever there is an uncontrolled population explosion, Mother Earth has no option but to preserve the earth’s natural resources before we annihilate ourselves by breeding and eating. It is unfortunate that the virus has been named ‘Corona’. The different brands of beer and footwear that carry the same name must be very annoyed! Well, since it is yet another pestilence that ‘plagues’ us, a little humour will definitely help.
But sometimes ignorance is bliss! Being blissfully unaware that sneezing, coughing and spitting is instrumental in contaminating others; being ignorant of the political scenarios and still thinking that loud arguments score you more points and my personal favourite… being blissfully ignorant of invading one’s personal space and being ignorant about basic manners. Very much like the law, not being aware of the rules does not absolve one from breaking them. Similarly there is no excuse for being boorish or bad-mannered. As Indians, we are curious to the point of being invasive. Many times a mere ‘excuse me’ to a person tying to peer over your shoulder at the ATM, or a random person trying to listen to a private conversation while one is on the phone or with a friend will not do the trick. The interloper will in all probability glare back at you!
Though my week was full of ignorant transgressions, my mood was instantly lifted when the ‘food-master’ Suresh Hinduja invited us to join his table for a Wazwan feast. Wazwan is specialty Kashmiri cuisine usually served for feasts or weddings. Needless to say, the choice of the venue (Renaissance Hotel), an intimate group of aficionados and the superlative food was a sure-fire hit. Scintillating conversations were had in-between savouring the food and chef Waza Bashir who flew in from Kashmir especially to curate this meal, looked very pleased indeed. From plate to palate, this was an exhilarating experience.
Good friend Manjusha Maheshwari easily carries the title of ‘hostess with the mostest’ with ease. Her eye for detail when she curates her events is almost legendary. Her choice of venue, the friends and guests she invites and her hospitality are almost impeccable. She hosted the fabulous designer, Sabyasachi ukherjee, at the Taj West End, where he displayed his ethereal line of jewellery. It was wonderful interacting with the humble artiste and eye-balling his exquisite work. The way his pieces were flying off the shelf, it is apparent that inflation is a fallacy! Till next week, dance like no-one is watching but you can be sure someone will!