Forbes recently defined what upper middle class in India means. I don’t know what it means to be upper middleclass but according to their definition, I may belong to that category. Personally, I believe that upper middle class is a meaningless term created by the rich to keep the middle class from joining with the lower class when the revolution comes! (This man’s words, not mine)
So for the past few months, I have been learning the ways of the Upper Middle Class from my elitist cat c2 and I am now ready to pass on my knowledge. Here’s how you can be upper middleclass:
Chapter 1: Stop doing middle class things
To belong to the upper middleclass, the first thing you have to do is give up your old middleclass habits. That means no borrowing two table spoons of coffee powder or a small piece of ginger from your neighbor when unexpected guests turn up towards the end of the month. If you don’t have coffee, serve them organic green tea!
Neighbors play an important part in middleclass life. When I was a part of the middleclass, I knew everything about my neighbors. It was normal for neighbors to know every little thing about each other – from the source of the latest conflict between Atthagaru and Kodalu (Telugu for saas & bahu) to the birthdays of cousins of their kids!
We even knew what curry they were cooking on any given day because a) we could smell it and b) they would send over a serving every time they cooked something special as a gesture of goodwill and later in the afternoon, all the “aunties” would discuss the recipe.
We knew everything about them. And they knew everything about us too. Pf! Such utter disregard for other people’s privacy! This never happens in upper middleclass neighborhoods, you know?
Upper middleclass people respect each other’s privacy and to be on the safe side, we draw imaginary boundaries and never cross them. For instance, I moved into the upper middleclass neo-liberal island of Koramangala six months back and all I know about my neighbors is that they are a family of five. I think the fifth member is a dog. Or it could also be a third child who barks a lot. Who knows man, and who are we to judge?
If you’re serious about belonging to the upper middleclass, you have to give up your middleclass habits like borrowing stuff from neighbors, traveling by Sleeper Class, maintaining an “account” with the neighborhood Kirana store, commuting by public transport, drinking ordinary water in restaurants, eating street side food, saying “No” to your kids in public etc.
Chapter 2: Look upper middleclass
It doesn’t take much effort for a rich person to look rich or for a poor person to look poor but it takes a lot of effort for the upper middleclass to look upper middleclass! If we don’t take enough care, we risk being mistaken for middleclass (which is the last thing we want!)
So how do we “look” upper middleclass? Should I even be mentioning obvious things like branded clothes, designer wrist watches, smart phones with dying batteries, branded handbags (women only), branded sneakers, branded sun glasses etc.? Before stepping out of the house, always make sure you are endorsing at least 12 international brands because that is our destiny – to be walking billboards!
Apart from clothes and accessories, you can also indicate your class status through pets. Poor people usually have normal street dogs as best friends (with a handmade collar to signify its non-stray status). Most middleclass people don’t keep pets but when they do, it is usually breeds like Pomeranians or Alsatians.
Rich people tend to prefer exotic breeds and species as pets. Don’t worry, you don’t have to buy a 26 lakh rupee Certified Purebred German Shepherd. As upper middleclass people, a relatively foreign breed will do just fine. Labradors and Dalmatians are quite common these days. I am not sure if those ugly little pugs are still in vogue.
Chapter 3: Do Rich people things
Giving up middleclass habits, however hard it may be, is only the first step. The key is to gradually replace each middleclass habit with an equivalent upper class habit. If you use a two wheeler, take a car loan. Don’t use public transport, use your car. Do you still travel by sleeper class? Fly economy class or at least upgrade to AC 2-tier. Check in to a luxury hotel, let the porter carry your bags to the room and lift weights later in the gym there because that is how we roll!
Remember how your mom used neatly fold and save each polythene bag for later use? Typical middleclass buddhi… can’t throw anything away. Always looking to reuse and recycle. Upper middleclass people don’t waste time recycling products. We buy “recyclable” products!
Stop jogging in the park, join a gym and run on the treadmill. Don’t go to the barber. It is time to try out that Unisex Salon. Tell Raymond that you want to see other people now. Give a hi-five to Van Heusen. Settle all accounts with your neighborhood Kirana store. Get a loyalty card from D-Mart. Flush that soap, use shower gel instead. Drink only bottled water, eat only organic food and don’t bother washing your hands because Big Bazaar has a 30% off on hand sanitizers!
There is virtually no end to the number of changes you can make. It is only constrained by your skills, motivation, attitude and sometimes, your credit limit.
Chapter 4: But you’re not rich!
Now that you have shunned your middleclass habits and replaced them with upper class habits, you should know that upper middleclass existence is not as rosy as it seems. The fact that you’re not rich but only upper middleclass comes back to haunt you from time to time. Upper middleclass people cope up with this reality in peculiar and amusing ways.
Some people get involved in rich people activities but they do them in a very middleclass way.
A gym membership is a perfect example for this. Rich people don’t go to the gym. They usually have a gym in the basement of their bungalow. Upper middleclass people can’t afford that. So they buy membership, drive to the gym and ride a stationary bicycle. Or signing up for a Gourmet Barbecue & Wine Tasting Workshop and paying for it with sixteen discount coupons.
Speaking of discounts, reading all the 18 pages of classifieds in the Times of India and keeping track of sales, discounts and other special offers on all brands across all stores is a new hobby that is catching up. I swell with pride every time I see educated people applying the entire math they have learned in school to figure out the cheapest way to shop. This kind of obedient consumerism gives me hope that one day, even we will become a developed country!
The Middleclass Knight Rises
Then there are some upper middleclass people whose middleclass instincts suddenly spring out because no one is looking!
An upper middleclass chap will buy a 300gm subway sandwich for a hundred and fifty rupees without thinking twice but will haggle for an hour for four rupees with the vegetable vendor over a kilo of Tomatoes!
They don’t mind spending a few thousand rupees on A C 2-Tier tickets for the whole family but when the porter demands some extra 30 rupees, they are enraged! (Arey bhaiyya, paanch platform hi toh hai) If the one you are paying is a corporation, just pay. If they don’t have a lawyer’s address, bargain the hell out!
You can see this everyday and everywhere. Don’t we all have friends with smart phones that cost as much as thirty grand but don’t spend that extra 200 bucks for an unlimited data pack? What’s the matter with them? Perennially sniffing for free, unsecured Wi-Fi connections so that they can check into foursquare and earn an extra discount coupon!
The worst class to belong to
What I am trying to say is that upper middleclass is the worst class to belong to. Rich people are rich and own pretty much everything. The middle class person spends all his life to make ends meet and when the ends eventually meet, he is a happy guy who thinks “Hey, at least I am not poor!”
But being upper middleclass people is like being stuck in a limbo. Our needs are already met but our wants can never be met and most of our problems have no solutions!
For instance, I like to carry around my Kindle but it’s too big to fit in my jeans pocket. The Kindle is designed to fit perfectly in a coat pocket but we don’t wear coats in Bangalore… so I have to carry a backpack all the time just to hold a device that is the size of my palm and weighs 200 grams! Do you have any idea how inconvenient that is?
And there is no solution to this problem! There is nothing one can do to fix this… I am stuck with hundreds of such first world problems in this third world country.
The worst part is that we can’t even complain because 700 third world kids have died of hunger, disease, bad economic policies and war in the last few minutes you were reading this article!
Photo credit: deseretnews.com
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Having Spent most of his life as a backbencher in premier institutes, g2's (Jayanth) interests meandered from History to Science, Photography to Religion and Philosophy to International politics and found humour in everything. His mission in life is to point out the silly stuff before anyone else does. He regularly litters the internet with insane ideas, quirky blog posts, rage comics and writing for The NRI is yet another way. g2 survived IIT Bombay and now works as a Software Engineer in Bengaluru.
Peta Jinnath Andersen is a freelance and fiction writer. Born in Sydney, Australia, to a Fiji-Indian father and Scottish mother, she’s a bit confused about her background, but loves it all the same. Currently living in the US, she has just had her first child, and is busy studying hard in an effort to learn more about her Indian heritage – including taking Hindi lessons – so she can teach her son about just what it is that makes an NRI special.
on June 6, 2012
at 5:37 am
Go ‘Artsy’ upper class and carry around a ‘murse’ (Man – purse). Riding bicycle with messenger bag murse is ultimate in cool (and upper middle class signaling).
on June 6, 2012
at 5:58 am
Great article, really enjoyed that…
I was anticipating examples on social activities while I was reading it, so maybe there will be a part 2
(from only ever eating at home to group dinner parties at the new hot spots in town, knowing the right people/getting on “lists” for openings/jumping onto page 3, social drinking, etc.)????
on June 6, 2012
at 7:05 am
@Angela: Thanks!
Yes, this is a beginner’s level post. Those things will be covered in the advanced level
on June 6, 2012
at 7:14 am
Superb job Jayanth!! You perfectly described this dramatic dilemma drilling us(the third world people) each moment. I feel,affordability and sensibility must matter all-how, however, seems like this branded-at-any-cost trend doesn’t require any concern. And after squandering every single out of our wallet and clock, how could it be possible to find even a jiffy and penny to spend thinking over those 700 succumbing kids! Regardless or worthless. Isn’t it so?
on June 6, 2012
at 7:28 am
It’s not even a dilemma for most.
The upper middleclass increasingly spend their lives completely disconnected from the poverty, inequality and ground realities of the country (and the world) they live in.
on June 6, 2012
at 7:54 am
“Upper middle class is a meaningless term created by the rich to keep the middle class from joining with the lower class when the revolution comes!”
Loved the flow! It started on personal lines, went on to generalize and then again ended on a personal note. The ending was especially good
Excellent article!
on June 6, 2012
at 7:56 am
But I think people reside across a Poor country could never entitle as Rich or Upper Middle Class!! And anyone in doubt over India, visit internal roots of our Incredible India or better say, third world. In my terms Upper Middles Class is nothing but just a scurrilous show off of wealth in a country where still a huge population have no food, no shelter, no education and nothing except a starving life ahead!!!! I am not against this new lifestyle or hi-tech standards of modern living but at least keep some humanity alive yet…
on June 6, 2012
at 7:59 am
I often wonder where does all the money I (and my husband) earn vanishes. Its strange how we find it difficult to survive in a salary that is almost 5 times the money our parents used to make. Needles to mention they managed easily with that amount.
Now I realized, it is all the fault of the upper middle class to which we belong
on June 6, 2012
at 8:47 am
@sourav: Thanks
@veby: Yeah.. that empathy is culturally going away (or may be it never existed and I am realizing it now) People who ought to feel empathy are feeling embarrassed that the things are not beautiful enough to look at.
@Jyoti Agarwal: Yes.. it is your upper middleclass-ness that is to blame
on June 6, 2012
at 9:25 am
Buying iphones and ipads and complaining the app costs 50-100 bucks
on June 6, 2012
at 9:37 am
Yup @Jayantha!!! But I would say “Simplicity is the most beautiful form one could ever acquire and it doesn’t reside in hi-fi brands and all. Actually change in time has blessed us with numerous changes and, consequently Brandization and terms like Upper Middle Class occurred and it’s not bad somehow. But just check around and find toward whom we are pointing our fingers? Don’t we have different frame of mind over people having big names Van Huesen or Gucci in their wardrobes? We are actually poor people, hungry people trying to compete with flashing lights of modern standard of life today, aka Upper Middle Class.
on June 6, 2012
at 9:39 am
btw if you’re worried about carrying a bag around for your kindle.. you should get the kindle app for Iphone/android (judging by the fact that you’re ‘upper-middle class’, i’m assuming you have one of these devices)
on June 6, 2012
at 9:48 am
Utterly brilliant! Hits the nail right on the head – walking billboard, loved that!
Perhaps you could elaborate abt the holiday habits of UMC’s as well, is it okay for UMC to take holidays inside India or not?
on June 6, 2012
at 10:58 am
@Noel: Er, I don’t have a smart phone. I prefer dumb phones with a one week battery life
@hunk: Spot on… I wonder how I forgot to mention that!
@Nilanjana Bose: Thanks
… yes, travel and hobbies deserve a special post in itself. Wait for the next part.
@veby: Of course, technology and things like that should never be blamed. Exactly, a whole new culture that equates the worth of a person to his/her appearance or the kind of gadgets he owns is being aggressively pushed through the media and entertainment outlets and they have been quite successful too in making a section of the population very brand conscious.
on June 6, 2012
at 11:45 am
OMG! you’ve covered almost everything bang on! and to my utter horror I realized I’m slowly turning into one of them when I innocently thought I was just enjoying my upgraded pay package.
btw does tweeting, and tweeting about football and tennis also make one an upper middle class in the virtual world?
on June 6, 2012
at 12:14 pm
@Violet in Twilight: OMG… “Murse” in India on a bicycle? Where? I need to get that imagery removed from my brain through laser surgery now!
on June 6, 2012
at 12:53 pm
@Sonali: You’re also ‘Going over to the dark side’ eh?
Yes, following European Club football would put you in that league. :p
International football is different though.
on June 6, 2012
at 1:15 pm
Kathi laga cheppavu baasu….kevvu keka anthe
on June 6, 2012
at 1:23 pm
Nice observation. Really hilarious.
on June 6, 2012
at 2:18 pm
Great insight, g2!!!
on June 6, 2012
at 3:52 pm
@ravi, @Vivek, @Giribala: Thanks
on June 6, 2012
at 4:54 pm
@ Jayanth
Nice article,
but, I do have a question, lets say, if all the above is not covered by you, are you still middle class? bearing in mind, you run up a beer bill in new Delhi 5* hotel for two night at cost of 15000 rupees and then hustle with fruit vendor on the price of banana from 50 rupees to 40 rupees. I’m lost, I don’t know where I fit now.
HARRY
on June 6, 2012
at 8:56 pm
If you say five star,
Upper middleclass you are :p
on June 7, 2012
at 5:05 am
@Jayanth aka g2
Es war Humor extra Klasse, Sehr witzig und ich habe nur kaputt gelacht. Meaning your article was humor extra class, really funny and I broke myself laughing.
My grandfather may have been in a position to afford many luxuries available in his time but even though he owned of lots of land his income would have been one twenty fifth of mine today. However, the times he lived through were devoid of technology and fashion and he did not live in London.
Plenty of essential commodities were available at a fraction of today’s prices and oil prices did not affect price increases of essential commodities during their time.
To what class we belong today depends on, letting us be pressurized by others to keep up with the Jones’ and by how much we could be extravagant and if our extravagance pushes us into a lower class. Increasing our income by being well employed and modest spending could give us comforts we are all dreaming all the time. I know I could afford things that I could not have afforded 40 years ago.
If people are smarter they won’t need smart phones. Smart people use technology only if it could make money and not as a means for showing off. Money can’t buy friends but you can blessed with a better class of enemy. Money may not buy everything but it can make your miseries a lot more bearable.
A friend of mine’ wife’s credit was stolen. When I asked him if he had informed the bank to stop it being used he said NO. When I asked him why he told me he was happy the thief was spending lot less than his wife.
on June 7, 2012
at 5:50 am
Correction: A friend of mine’ wife’s CREDIT CARD was stolen. When I asked him if he had informed the bank to stop it being used he said NO. When I asked him why he told me he was happy the thief was spending lot less than his wife.
on June 7, 2012
at 6:16 am
@Rajpriya: As always… thanks
on June 7, 2012
at 6:24 am
@Rajpriya: It is true that globalization made the economies of the world more fragile… in the sense, anything from riots in Tunisia to the political climate in Israel could potentially affect the stock markets around the world because everything is connected.
on June 7, 2012
at 7:41 am
Nicely written. This article made me laugh
.
on June 7, 2012
at 10:22 am
that Rich class promotion remains loans n credit card bills only not assets(pulini chusi naka vathalu oetukunatlu , utiki egarlenama akasaniki egirinatlu -Telugu proverb)
on June 7, 2012
at 10:45 am
@Sundeep: Thanks
@Praveena: Baaga chepparu… andaru appu chesi pappu koodae beraale
on June 7, 2012
at 11:59 am
mindless article.spend ur time on something constructive.really dismal article.waste of time and energy
on June 7, 2012
at 12:07 pm
Yes, this article in poor taste! Making us laugh so much while all those poor kids die in third world countries!
on June 7, 2012
at 1:00 pm
@shailu: Could you be more specific?
@Sunil Deepak: Thank you sir
on June 7, 2012
at 1:03 pm
@shailu – I think you have had a major sense of humour failure. Not sure exactly what your objection is but think you need to get out more and do something constructive with your own time.
@Jayanth – brilliant piece, btw
on June 7, 2012
at 2:19 pm
I feel we should all stop laughing at anything funny (only in India) because those poor children are dying in the third world countries, take the next flight over to those countries and stop them die. Who makes the start?
on June 8, 2012
at 8:12 am
Haha..I loved reading this. Amazing observations.
on June 9, 2012
at 4:14 pm
Perfect sarcastic post on “upper” middle class.
In becoming something else we are forgetting ourselves.
“Be- Never try to become ”
on June 9, 2012
at 8:18 pm
Dear Mr. Tadinada,
I think you are terribly mistaken on the concept being upper-middle class. It’s not the worst, it’s the best class to belong to.
Here is how:
It comrises highly educated individuals who are not aristocrats. All their money is hard-earned and so they know how to value it. So even if you love brands and can afford most of them, you never really become walking billboards. Upper-middle class people do not obsess over brand names the way business-class people do. We attach enough individual value to ourselves and don’t need brands to dictate our personality. Even if we can afford luxury brands and buy them when we want to, we are not ashamed of things that we buy from the colorful bazaars or flea markets of India. Good tastes matter most. We appreciate the decor of our friend’s home or the way they dress paying the least heed to what brand their beautiful things come from.
Then about middle-class things: A car is only to make us more comfortable, safer, and to save us from the pollution outside. NOT for any kind of show-off. Besides, we do use public transport when it’s efficient, comfortable, and saves time.
And as far as being alienated from the rest of the world is concerned, we are much more aware about middle class and lower class problems than our richer counterparts probably are. We contribute to social welfare in more ways than one – a) We pay higher taxes on our incomes b) We employ more people in our homes and offices c) We are involved in a bit of charity (May be the sums wouldn’t be as large as the rich people’s)
As for needs and wants: All our needs are met – true. All our wants would never be met – Okay, but whose are met, anyways? Haven’t you heard the idiom – “Zarrortein fakhiron ki bhi poori ho jaati hain… Khwainshey shehzadon ki bhi adhoori reh jaati hain”.
By the way, carrying a backpack is a fashion faux pas (school and college students and backpackers are the exceptions of course). Have you heard of masculine satchel bags? And don’t worry, even mid-range brands make them!
Sorry, the last one has nothing to do with the discussion, just comes inevitably due to my love for fashion.
on June 10, 2012
at 12:51 pm
Like Maya Sarabhai puts it, “Uff! So upper middle class”
on June 10, 2012
at 4:00 pm
@Jayanth,
You should have known better: That only the highly educated people in India earn their money working hard. Being in the upper middle class you love the brands but not necessarily become walking billboards. That exactly makes them different from the business class. I truly would like to learn about understanding attaching individual values.
Then about the middle-class things: When you own a car you come down to middle class because they make you safe and help you out of pollution. You can easily spot the Upper middle class person by the number of domestic aide they employ that certainly contributes to social welfare of poor class and that is no exploitation (cheap labor) of the poor class. Though they pay them the lowest wages they compensate by involving in a little bit of charity. Isn’t that fair enough for their generosity?
They also employ more people in their office even though they are not business class people. So much for this confusion over Poor class, Middle class, the Upper middle class and the Business class.
Anyway I am flying Business class in two weeks. I paid for Economy class but as a frequent flyer had enough miles to upgrade. So to which class do I fall into?
on June 10, 2012
at 9:37 pm
Dear Ms. Rajpriya,
I said, they earn money by working hard. I didn’t say they are the ONLY ones that earn money by working hard. I’m trying to explain here that they get the best of both worlds in a way – the good middle-class value of not spending unnecessarily, and the freedom to fulfill many of your wants (if not all).
“They love the brands”: Some do, others don’t. Most can afford many of those brands out there. So it’s an advantage. At the end of the day being able to get things of your taste matters – whether they come from brand or bazaar we love them both.
Valuing yourself as an individual means: I know I am well-educated, diligent, and have a good personna. These attributes make me feel good about myself. So I don’t need to be a walking billboard to enhance what I am worth.
“When you own a car you come down to middle class because they make you safe and help you out of pollution.” – Please pardon me on this. I don’t understand.
For low domestic wages: I cannot include all upper-middle class people here, but many of us are particularly caring about those who work for us. For instance, paying for their commuting costs, giving them free sanitizers etc. For the domestic help: clothes and shoes in excellent condition, good food (same as we eat), and sometimes medical expenses as well.
Coming down to your flight: It really depends on the distance and the airlines. And also on your age: if you are young and need to save money, it’s perfectly alright to fly economy. You will still be called upper-middle class for your education and good job (I presume you do have one).
on June 11, 2012
at 4:53 am
@Ms. Anjali,
Mr. Jayanth Tadinada wrote his observations and the differences between the Middle class and the Upper middle class and their behavior. The article certainly was not about you in the first place.
How would he have known that you are the spokes person for the entire Upper middle class of India?
In my case I let people who constantly have to do something with me in my day to day life: for example my family, my friends, the people in my working environment, and most people whom I meet under strange circumstances decide if I am educated and have pleasing ways not my paper qualifications. I don’t belong to any class. I want to belong to world class and constantly remind me of this fact to control my behavior.
Yes I was educated in London and New York (That may be much lower than yours) and live in Germany for four decades in my own house. last 20 years work in 5 different countries as a consultant and my customers always send me business class return tickets (all long distances). When I have to pay myself then it’s economy and sometimes business class. The shortest distance I fly is from Düsseldorf to London at least 5 times a year always Eco not worth paying three times higher for a half an hour flight and hardly any difference in the seats.
You tell me about making easy money working in Germany. In the company I tell my son to employ people cleverer than us. No wonder we are successful.
I did not understand what you mean by:
“Then about middle-class things: A car is only to make us more comfortable, safer, and to save us from the pollution outside.
Irrespective of class almost every one over 18 years in Germany owns a car.
If ever I need employment in your office where you say you employ more people I will send my CV for you to decide if I have enough education to work for you.
By the way I pulled two children out of domestic employment and fund their education that includes clothing in southern India when I read the article “All work and no play for these girls” years ago. I would be more than happy to fund any underage children working for you any time.
In Germany we cook good food, polish our shoes take care of our clothes ourselves. I really envy your class having everything done by others and happy I don’t belong to it. I admit you are really living a hell of a life.
on June 11, 2012
at 1:36 pm
Madam,
If I am not eligible to be spokes person of the entire Indian upper-middle class, nobody on the post is. And especially not you since you haven’t been living here for the last many years.
And I too mean modest behaviour, decent intellect, and polished etiquette when I say “educated”. Times are changing (even here in India) and we all realize that the person matters more than his/her paper qualifications.
If you don’t want to belong to any class, why did you mention those economy-business class tickets and so blatantly asked “Which class do I belong to?” I’m sorry but I don’t have a very good understanding of sarcasm, if it was meant to be that way.
Cars: Dear Madam, do you understand the fundamental difference between India and Germany? Here, not every adult owns a car. But fortunately, even middle class and lower-middle class families have started owning a car now, thanks to Mr. Tata. It came as a surprise to me as well when Mr. Tadinada wrote “Leave your two-wheeler and loan money to buy a car, in order to appear upper-middle class”. Ask him how he feels a car makes you upper-middle class, not me. My view was just that these vehicles are for your comfort and not for appearing ‘upper-middle class’.
Employment in my office: I don’t think you are qualified because we are into the medical profession. You are not a doctor, are you?
For your good deed, without a tinge of sarcasm – I say, congratulations. You’re a wonderful person. But you’ll have to be disappointed because there are no underage children working in my house. One thing to make you happy: My cook, a middle-aged lady, has a son studying to be an engineer. Isn’t it better to make people capable enough to fund their things themselves than to fund education for them as charity?
You polish your own shoes? How outrageous a thought it is that we people in India get young children to do it for us!! Lady, do you really think we live in the 1950s Bollywood movie scenario where poor exploited children polish the shoes of big seth jis? I pity you for thinking of us that way.
Envy is only a natural human quality. You have great cars (For every member of the family in every class) – this is because it’s the trend there and you probably need them. You have cleaner surroundings, better roads, uninterrupted power, and many other things that we in India don’t get always.
Same way, we have domestic help because it’s the trend here (although it’s beginning to fade – help is hard to find and is quite expensive too). Can you just let us be this way? Or do you want to poke your nose in our business and pretend to liberate our doemstic helps who in your opinion are subjected to a life of slavery, drudgery, and exploitation by the Indian upper-middle class?
Hell of a life… hmmm I kind of don’t like the expression. Could you say heaven of a life? Yes, I am living one!! And I am genuinely happy. I don’t envy your German cars and clean roads either as I am happy with what I have here
By the way, I’d have loved to own a sunflower yellow Beetel, people say it’s outdated and it’s tad too expensive in India. But I love the curves.
It must be a common car in Germany no?
on June 12, 2012
at 6:13 am
@Ms. Anjali,
I reiterate that I said:
“How would he have known that you are the spokes person for the entire Upper middle class of India?” That was not disputing your eligibility. But I will not take yours as a popular opinion even if you have one.
You are trying blow out of proportion a harmless and humorous article written by Mr. Tadinada. You smell sarcasm; see blatancy and feel insulted by my question to Mr. Tadinada about economy and business tickets while trying to defend your upper middle classiness.
However I would like to bring to your notice that many people outside India know more about the “Exploitation of the poor in India” and the class struggle than you would admit. If you do care to Google search under that title you would know how much of India is exposed to the outside world. The links below and one is by an Indian lady.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/jun2006/indi-j08.shtml
Exploitation of child labourers in India
By T. Kala
http://www.articlesbase.com/law-articles/exploitation-of-poor-continues-even-in-democracy-255653.html
MICRO-FINANCING-–-EXPLOITATION-OF-THE-INDIAN-POOR-BY-MNC
The entire German village where I live is behind me in our rescue missions of the vulnerable (not charity) and most of them have visited India more than once and each one supports children directly.
16 of my close relations are Doctors 7 of them (Ladies) in the US; two are my own brothers’ daughters. 9 of them in Southern India two of them my own sisters’ daughters. Some of them feel that being in the medical profession leaves them hardly any time to travel as much as me.
We are seriously thinking of investing in a hospital for the poor in a southern town and some Doctors from Germany have shown interest in doing honorary work. If it materializes I sure will let you know. There is already a Dentist from Germany in South India and Kerala moving from one village to another with his mobile lab treating the poor. Dr. Dieter Münchensang.
I don’t —- my nose into any business of dirty, the mighty, the powerful and the rich. “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.”
I am not going match the words you chose to provoke me because the little education I have had taught me to show restraint even under extreme and threatening circumstances giving me the satisfaction of being the better person.
If you answer this you have had the final word.
on June 12, 2012
at 8:54 am
@Rajpriya,
I kind of dislike the fact that you tend to own a post and reply on author’s behalf (without asking for his/her permission) while the author is meant to do so.
As far as Anjali’s views are concerned, I believe it is everybody’s right to express ones thought over a piece of write-up. That doesn’t make her a spokesperson of the entire community. If you dislike the fact, its ok. Just accept it the way it is!
on June 12, 2012
at 10:20 am
@Jyoti Agarwal
I am not going to be influenced by your likes and dislikes in this matter. I don’t own this post. I have the right to answer questions as long as they are addressed to me.
I think she can speak for herself without your interference. I will let her have the final say and end this issue and reserve my rights to disagree if it is not acceptable and will not waste one more word on it. If you read the last sentence of my post above my intention must be clear to you and not because you say so.
on June 12, 2012
at 11:40 am
Ms. Rajpriya,
Most part of it was meant to be harmless and humurous, okay, I agree. But the last paragraph that says it’s the worst class to belong to compelled me to write my first comment as I really feel it’s a very good class – an amalgam of good values and sufficient financial freedom. Anyways, if he doesn’t like my commenting on his humurous post, he will say so himself. My last few comments are all going into answering your questions and not blowing his post up.
Well, I did smell sarcasm and blatancy, but the insult part: no, I didn’t feel insulted.
I agree with you that many intelligent and philanthropic people outside India know quite a bit about poverty here. But we Indians are not far behind either. I am not from the South, so I can’t say much about girl child laborours in Tamil Nadu. But yes, in my place there are problems too that are quite visible in everyday life. However, in a chain that talks about the Indian upper-middle class being the worst (or best) class to belong to, I think child labour is a digression from the topic. We upper-middle class Indians don’t own tobacco factories and garment manufacturing units to employ little children under inhuman conditions.
About doctors not being able to travel, I would anyways have agreed with you. The long doctors-in-my-family summary was not required. That’s precisely why I confine my discussion to the topic of the post, i.e., UPPER-MIDDLE CLASS IN INDIA. I reiterate, in INDIA. I’m not talking about MNCs employing children or German rescue missions to India.
I am niether dirty, nor mighty, nor am I powerful and rich. I am just a simple young girl dwelling in an upper-middle class society that I feel is an excellent place to live in. Don’t confuse my upper-middle class for rich and powerful. We aren’t aristocrats or politicians out here. Nor are we MNC owners employing children.
My remark to you wasn’t meant to be scornful. I don’t even think I provoked you to play match thy words.
Now as you say “The little education I have..” or similar phrases in all of your posts, alongside mentioning your job spanning nations and oversees education, Madam, who wouldn’t smell sarcasm and a taunting tone? Leave alone smelling sarcasm, I can clearly see sarcasm here.
That was it for the argument part. Now, since it’s the end of our week long discussion I’d like to accept that I thoroughly enjoyed playing this fight of words with you. I was quite surprised in the first place that you took the time to post prompt replies here, given the fact that you are a busy lady with many responsibilities. My comments sure must have been quite provocative.
Also, I’d like to apologize for any hurt feelings or rudeness on my behalf since I am much younger than you. I am a young student, just out of undergrad school and looking for a good University for higher studies for myself. I work part-time as a web content writer and that’s how I came across this page.
I loved having an intelligent conversation with you on a frivolous topic.
All the best for all your philanthropic and other endeavours.
on June 12, 2012
at 2:12 pm
Dear Miss Anjali,
I too apologize for any kind of wrongdoing in this issue and follow the popular saying in German “Wir haben die Sachen hinter uns” meaning “We have the issue behind us”. In the broader sense says, we won’t look behind us to see where, why or who went wrong now that we are at peace.
The next important thing is I am very much masculine though my name sounds feminine. From the day I lost my own daughter prematurely born years ago due to inadequate medical facilities I try to do all what can for children in need and more if they are girl children. I engage a lot in their welfare and spread the word to all who want to join me in this endeavor.
I am not going into those instances where you point out I made them sound sarcastic because I have my own reasons and the matter goes into my deep freezer and wait for the next frivolous one and vow not to get carried away.
I like to debate on things where we all have different opinions but it is sometimes inevitable we tend to go over the top but, All is well that ends well.
I am used getting up at all kinds of odd hours because of the time differences between the US, Europe, South Asia and far East because I have online conferences about urgent matters. That’s one reason why I spend a lot of time on the Internet.
While wishing you all the best for your future, please exonerate me from any intentional offence. Once again “Wir haben die Sachen hinter uns” God bless you.
on June 12, 2012
at 2:36 pm
@ Rajpriya
Come on, stop busting girls balls, there’s no need for that. I was very amused
that she did matched you a word for word, that’s got to be worthy of a prize in my book, bearing in mind that, you can be intimidating at times. 
Today’s young girls have bigger balls then boys. That’s the proof.
Don’t loose your cool dude, I still like you. just about.
I was going to offer you a wager on Euro2012. Let’s say for example if England play and beat Germany, I can have drink on you, and if England loose then, I own you a drink. So what do you say? ? ?
HARRY
on June 12, 2012
at 3:05 pm
@Harry,
Well Harry you tend to get entangled with Balls with most of your comments. I don’t want to start matching words with you. You are far better than me when it comes to intimidating. The word Balls does not exist in my vocabulary and if you cut it out from your comments to me I would really appreciate it.
I can sort my things with anyone my way without the balls talk. When I need your advice I will tell you.
I say yes to the wager offer on Euro 2012 it is taken. I can meet you in London regardless of who wins. We could have a nice chat. So what do you say?