You Toobe ?

I read recently in a tech newsletter that the very first video uploaded to YouTube, all the way back in April of 2005, was a simple 19 second video of YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim visiting the San Diego Zoo

In just these past 6 years of You Tube existence, the net savvy neo Indian has  taken to this video sharing service like a Tamizhan to his early morning Kaapi.

 In the initial days we saw only our NRI brethren using this for sharing compilations of some “society functions”  like the SunnyVale  Sangama  or some Tamil Sangam get –togethers. 

As days progressed we started finding more uses for this service and by more segments:

Whether you want to publicize Acchukutti’s first Achooo, or teach the world how to play “Jai Ho” on a Casio, why fear when You Tube is here?

This is the popular vehicle for NRI aunties sharing their domestic expertise -  like new age dronacharyas to far away ekalaivis across the oceans. They  de-mystify in a fake nasal accent a wide range of topics:

Recipes  of  “aamlet” , “aappam” , “vaazhaippoo  usili” to “mysoor paagu” . They even share secrets on how to source these ingredients in the wild wild west.

Poo thoduppathu eppadi ?  How to stitich a button-hole?

Quite useful to all the world wide Indians  staying away from mommies

YouTube has now been glorified as the tamizh magan’s  preferred communication vehicle with our own superstar maappillai releasing a so-called candid video of his upcoming movie’s catch song Kolaveri. How candid the video is , is anybody’s guess – with a poor gawking music director seen lurking in the corner frames , the made-up-to-the-teeth director Aishwarya occupying most of the screen. Whether or not it is worth the attention, you-tube has managed to put this tanglish sangu on the lips of every single FM jockey all over India.  The craze for this ‘soup-sangu’  is now so much that it has spawned off its own offsprings .

Popular singer Sonu Nigam has released a video of his son singing Kolaveri . Maybe to prove to the world that even a  4 yr old can pull of  such a song with some clever editing and cute montages.

Last night at 11 my daughter and son were rolling in the ground laughing to a cartoon version  where Tom and Jerry were lip-syncing to vent their inner KolaVeri – My eyesu  fulla tearu.

No! no aanantha kanneer this -  I was just thinking of the difficulties of getting them ready to school the next morning  on time!

Welcome FDI = Community Retail RIP?

Is FDI really going to  change the fabric of our Indian Retail?
If it is indeed true that 70% of India lives outside of  cities, why are we so concerned in letting open a few monster stores in cities?
Cut down to the cities. Being a city girl myself, I would talk about only these here.
Given the fact that most of our populace depends on public transport, and these mega stores owing to their sheer size needing to be located on the outskirts of the city, how many of the complete BPL + SEC C +SEC B + SEC A diaspora do you think would end up going to these stores regularly ?
BPL and quite a chunk on the lower SEC C populace have smaller wallets and practically very poor storage space at home and  buy stuff on a daily - weekly basis. This would translate to really smaller packaging or sachets. None of the HyperMarts carry this kind of merchandise.
Owing to their smaller bills and frequency of purchases this section tends to buy from as near home as possible. This means 95% of such buying would happen from kirana stores even if it means there's a Carrefour right around the corner.
Most of out community retail or unorganised retail operates on two key words - convenience and loyalty.
These kirana stores whether its a "Bhauji ki dukan" or a "Pandian Kadai" each have their own catchment (read residents of a few streets around the shop).
Main reason being their 
1. Willingness to entertain credit sales (Khata / kanakku/ account book ) which would be settled every month  after the customer gets his monthly salary
2. Selling items in very small sizes - imagine selling 'thengai chillu' or 'thengai bathai' instead of a whole coconut. Would any WalMart sell you Rs 5 oil sachets? Hey, and where would we go for buying our shampoos and conditioners in sachets, and the fair visage for Rs 10?
3. Carry specific quirky items in their stock even if it is just for a handful of households
4. Loyalty due to personal touch  - the  shopkeeper would remind you of buying something even if you have forgotten. Selvam my mom's vegetable vendor calls her up to remind " Maami  naalikki amavasai vazhakkai vangama poiteenga paiyana anupparen!" . After this would my mom ever go anywhere else to buy veggies ? No! Never.

Is FDI really going to  change the fabric of our Indian Retail?
Well, for the majority of the vaadikkai makkal  - they are going to be least bit affected by this, let alone change their habits for some few firangi backed megaliths.

A New Beginning

Decided to finally kick-start my lazy self and start writing.

For whatever it is worth, I plan to share something positive with any interested netizens.
- providing you are patient enough to dig a bit under all my bitter-sour sarcastic language