Perhaps this is a post which I should not write but rather photograph. Sadly for those who sit down to read this I didn't have my camera on me when I wandered with a friend through the little roads tucked away in Indira Nagar. Ever built a house? Yes? Does it have a balcony or a gate that leads to it? How much thought did you spend on choosing that particular piece of appearance?
These are the details which make up a locality. Do I just buy the stuff that is available nearby or do I make a conscious choice according to preference and decorate carefully?
The balcony and gate grills I saw were all of similar shapes and patterns. Four-leafed clovers as shown in the picture of the blog title, and a lot of similar four-and eight-leafed clovers. Maybe this just tells me when the house was built. Maybe that was the fashoin of the day in the 1970's. Or are these the patterns typical of houses in Tamil Nadu in particular.
Variety is limited because variety implies lower efficiency. Have a look at the major shopping streets for apparel in European cities. What makes the difference between such a street in a metropolis and a small city are merely the small boutiques. Major shops are the same in all cities. If there are warehouses, then most products are made by a small number of manufacturers. Pencils are made by Herlitz, Faber Castell or Staedler in Germany. With pencils this makes sense. But with clothing this is monotonous. People allow the manufacturers of major brands to determine the colours, the shapes and the materials of the clothing they wear. Just because smaller shops "don't survive".
This feature of the globalized market we have today for most goods struck me as I saw the similarities in iron grills during my walk. It seemed unexpected to see any product look so "standard" in Chennai, India, where to some extent the clothes we buy are unique pieces and not pre-decided the way clothes are in the average European market. I looked at the H & M online clothing store recently. This is one of my favourite stores because the clothes are really affordable and last about one or two seasons. Not to be compared with the wide choice I have in any (individual) store in Pondy Bazaar.After having spent time here I realize how nice it is to have stores to buy material and get it stitched with a local tailor at a reasonable price. I am going to miss this when I go to Germany.
Anyway now in most cities apartment blocks are on the rise, and with them, dear average consumer, your builder will choose your balcony and window grills for you! One choice less for you to make...
These are the details which make up a locality. Do I just buy the stuff that is available nearby or do I make a conscious choice according to preference and decorate carefully?
The balcony and gate grills I saw were all of similar shapes and patterns. Four-leafed clovers as shown in the picture of the blog title, and a lot of similar four-and eight-leafed clovers. Maybe this just tells me when the house was built. Maybe that was the fashoin of the day in the 1970's. Or are these the patterns typical of houses in Tamil Nadu in particular.
Variety is limited because variety implies lower efficiency. Have a look at the major shopping streets for apparel in European cities. What makes the difference between such a street in a metropolis and a small city are merely the small boutiques. Major shops are the same in all cities. If there are warehouses, then most products are made by a small number of manufacturers. Pencils are made by Herlitz, Faber Castell or Staedler in Germany. With pencils this makes sense. But with clothing this is monotonous. People allow the manufacturers of major brands to determine the colours, the shapes and the materials of the clothing they wear. Just because smaller shops "don't survive".
This feature of the globalized market we have today for most goods struck me as I saw the similarities in iron grills during my walk. It seemed unexpected to see any product look so "standard" in Chennai, India, where to some extent the clothes we buy are unique pieces and not pre-decided the way clothes are in the average European market. I looked at the H & M online clothing store recently. This is one of my favourite stores because the clothes are really affordable and last about one or two seasons. Not to be compared with the wide choice I have in any (individual) store in Pondy Bazaar.After having spent time here I realize how nice it is to have stores to buy material and get it stitched with a local tailor at a reasonable price. I am going to miss this when I go to Germany.
Anyway now in most cities apartment blocks are on the rise, and with them, dear average consumer, your builder will choose your balcony and window grills for you! One choice less for you to make...
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