The Impossible Burden: Why Being a “Conscious Consumer” in India Requires a PhD in Chemistry and a Law Degree

 

In India, most products marketed as “Natural”, “Organic”, “Herbal”, “Ayurvedic”, “100% Pure”, “Chemical-Free” etc… simply are not.

They hide behind regulations.
They hide behind language.
They hide behind loopholes.

And the burden of safety is dumped on the consumer.

21 Days to Form a Habit? Nah… Not Really

We think habit formation is about discipline and schedules — but it’s actually about attitude.
Why do some people stick to habits for decades and others collapse at the first drizzle?

Digital Islands

This Diwali was beautiful — lights everywhere, laughter at home, the comforting smell of sweets, and the quiet joy of being with family. It felt good. Warm. Familiar.

And yet, amidst all that brightness, one small thought kept surfacing — I didn’t receive a single personal wish or call from anyone.

Not one.

My day out - "Digitally Disconnected"

It was a pretty average afternoon, the kind you get on vacation. A day-long family outing, with all the usual suspects: cab rides, a few dozen photos, quick payments, and a whole lot of Google Maps. But by the time the afternoon rolled around, my phone battery was gasping for air, sitting at a perilous 30-something percent. I needed it to get us back to the hotel later, so I did the sensible thing: I switched it off for a few hours. No big deal, right?  I'm not one of those social media addicts who gets withdrawal symptoms from being offline. I was just cutting off a device, not a lifeline. Or so I thought. 

Hello World...

It’s been almost 6 years since I wrote anything in this blog. Not that I had a huge following when I was actively writing 😊 However, it is interesting to read those articles again and fascinating to see how my thought process has / has not changed in the intervening years. The world around has also changed dramatically. Blogging itself has dropped in popularity. Back in the 2000s, almost everyone I knew had a blog and wrote lengthy articles. Now, almost every single blog is lying dormant like mine. Blogging has now become restricted to serious writers and professionals who are looking to market their offerings or make money out of their blogs. 

'Mobile' Madness

It was a cloudy afternoon. A slight rain had washed over the city and the clouds were threatening to burst (Though as is usual every year, they did not). I was slowly making my way towards my house trying to stick to that 'non-existent' footpath, jumping over the small puddles of water that had formed and trying to avoid the numerous holes, mud and garbage. That short stretch to my home literally felt like crossing the fabled 'Seven Seas and Seven Mountains'. I was cursing the fate of the poor Chennaite, having to endure such troubles, when a voice rang out slightly behind me, near my right ear - "Chee, Poda Panni" (you pig !). I was startled. Who would scold me like that in broad day light and right on a busy road !

I turned around and noticed a woman, about 30 yrs old, leaning on the gate of a house and giggling looking at something straight ahead of her. The fact that I'm standing right in front of her, looking at her, did not seem to register in her mind at all. "Did I suddenly become invisible?", I wondered. Again, she went on talking, "Nee Eppavume Ippadithaan" (You're always like this).

Memorable London

The London 2012 Olympic Games are just about to conclude. More than 15 days of pure action with over 10,000 athletes competing in many different sporting events. As usual, the big sporting nations have amassed medals. The list of their medal winners alone extends to several pages in the official website. After a losing the top spot to China in 2008, USA has reclaimed the top spot in the medals table with 105 medals (including 45 Gold medals). China comes next with 87 medals (including 38 Gold). The Host UK has won a record haul of 29 Gold medals to come third in the table.