Diamonds are for Life! De Beers Story

De Beers

Whenever you think of a diamond you think of this company. It’s maybe like a xerox in photocopy world, absolutely peerless, anyways interestingly both uses carbon in one or the other form.

Most of us think that there must be some CXO type of post which was and is being held by some Mr. De Beers. The fact of the matter is that there in no Mr. De Beers (whom I can marry off to get all the diamonds) De Beers brothers owned a kimberlite field which was later bought by Cecil Rhodes( yes the guy who went snooping around Africa discovered have of it and owned a quarter ( that’s my perception and may be highly exaggerated but its not inaccurate… you would recognize if you were half awake in your history class)  

But this hunky dory tale of diamonds dint last long with the setting in of the second world war their markets slumped drastically as no one saw the need to make a lavish buy with the world burning. But two things change the scene:

One, the war ended and there was a surge in the marriage market as people looked for reasons to celebrate in an otherwise devastated world or men out on war for long wanted to seal their wedding after seeing in death in close quarters. 

Two, DeBeers came up with brilliant marketing campaign of ‘A diamond Is Forever’ (yes that line which makes every guy and girls in the world go red – of course the former as he sees a hole in his pocket and the later with the blushing joy of a bride ).

With the booming wedding bells everyone wanted to have or give a diamond ring on their left ring finger. The market went from good to great in the famous post was baby boom era.

By the way for those still wondering who the hell was Cecil Rhodes! He was the founder of the state of Rhodesia, which was later bifurcated into two African nations Zambia and Zimbabwe.

*Almost forgot the story idea: courtesy Abhishake Diarhea 

When the Fence ate the Field

Beli edu hola meydante ( kanada) means when the fence meant to protect eats the feild whom do we run for protection? Thats the first thought that came into my head when I was reading Karnataka Chief Minister's reaction to the entire Managlore pub incident. Some of the classic perspectives given by the CM: 

• The decision that though the incidents are condemnable the need is to stop the pub culture from seeping in to Karnataka.
• Banning Shri Ram Sene is not the solution for the problem
• The Leader Promod Mutalik need not be arrested! ( When he was initially arrested it was on charges of distributing inflammatory pamphlets - which actually called for volunteers for a Hindu suicide squad! - and not instigating mindless violence in the city) 

Just in retrospection what culture is the CM trying to protect? A culture where women can be molested by goons in the middle of the street, the media watches the tamasha , records it and sell their TRP and the CM is worried about the pub culture when women are being battered in broad daylight! heavens that was some culture! He would probably arrest the famous vachana sahiti 'Akka Mahadevi' for obscenity in public!!! Today pubbing might be wrong tomorrow working, dayafter steping out of the house. The list goes on till they replace women with slaves in the society. 

Secondly, if any other religious group had gone on a rampage would this be the reaction? If Pak Taliban was not banned in Afghanistan we call it uncivilised! 

Finally if we don't arrest the unapologetic leader of a psychotic group of vandals what message are we sending out to the public?

That's how it feels when the protectors turn attackers, there is a saying in kannada which means when the fence eating the feild situation 

This just reminded me that in colleges there were these rules prohibiting girls from wearing jeans as it was provocative!!!! If a goons eve teased a girl at worst times even raped the girls  the reason given "the girl dressed provocatively!" well what a defense! Maybe that was the reason for the molesting the women in the pub... 

For how long will we be the victims to this social perversion? 

Things are to be used and people are to be loved. But in today's world people are used and things are loved...

Dutch, India aur Sensex

I always thought America the great Juggernaut of modern day capitalism was the first one to have a stock exchange or may be the great Britain, But when I got to know that it was Amsterdam which has the credit for the first stock exchange I was surprised. 

A little of jogging my head reminded me the Dutch were the super power before the Anglo Saxon domination over threw them.

Yes, coming back to the Stock Exchange it was formed in 1602 by the Dutch East India Company for dealing in printed bonds and stocks. It also has another first : It was the first to begin trading in securities. 

The oldest Building were not available but the picture is of the building which hosted the Stock Exchange before it merger in 2000

The stock exchange has changed names several times from Bourse to the Brussels Stock Exchange when it merged in 2000. Then it became the Paris Stock Exchange and it is currently merged with the Euronext.

Birthday Celebration

For the First 15 years of my life Birthday was such a red letter day in my calender. It meant all friends would be home and I would blow a candle and cut the cake, get a new dress, plus gifts and we would play endlessly. It was the planning and anticipation which was sooo much fun!

But as we grew older Birthday parties started seeing a change... it meant friends would gate crash at 12, there would he those painful birthday bums ! It would be one treat for which you would save money for like months together.... and of course if you are lucky to co incidentally have a friend with birthday around the corner it would mean pool in. But it would mean hours of logistic about where to we go out and eat and have fun.... but parties were more of a friends and family celebration held separately....

The B'day gal in her new dress 

Then I grew up further ( Wow! that's news ) and started working, birthdays became a formal social calender event with some cake cutting, formal cake smashing and nice dinners..... now with family friends and colleagues. With a visit to the temple thrown in! 

But, last Sunday we decided to bring the good old Birthday Party back home on my Roomie's Birthday. Well after months of planing which had her parents come in from Kolkata... we had all the classic bits like a B'day cap, Balloon filled with glitter which were suppose to be burst at the stroke of 12 ( but due to a malfunction kept blowing up as weird timings...) and a huge " Happy Birthday" wall hanging, cake with candles on it, Friends standing all around with gifts in hand (well it was a gifts must bring event).....

After ages it felt great to be blowing balloons and putting up decoration in the house, deciding the menu took more time then the finance minister takes to draw up a budget.....

If you are wondering whats special in all this ? No no it was not a surprise party, but still the joy of celebrating just like when we were kids was fun. After a long time we had something to look forward for with childish enthusiasm , unabashedly looking forward for gifts and goodies.... It was nice to be a child again. 

It doesn't take a lot to be Happy :) And... Happy Birthday Arpita Mukherjee...