Welcome to SPIT ZONE!!
I have heard people speak loftily about the clean roads, swanky shopping malls, office buildings in many western and eastern metros. Some of us who are born into these set ups may not have been a part of the processes that make it all happen!! Here is one such!
I am in Birgunj a major town of Nepal. Birgunj is a bustling town with large scale commercial activities as nearly 80% of imports pass this town from across the Indian border. With Nepal opening its doors to foreign ideas and goods, the city is in a transition stage. It’s amusing to see people using the state of the art products but practising habits that seem to die hard!
People generally in this region are traditional tobacco/pawn chewers. It’s hard to find any public space that hasn’t been coloured by the “ red’ spit. The act of spitting happens almost involuntarily almost anytime any where, In a cyber cafe which I have been visiting since my 10 month stay here, the cubicle walls and floor have graffiti formed by the spit. Nothing strange!?? This is where the postmodern and the cultural habit clash!The cyber owner is worried! His idea of providing a common spittoon was of no success.
Last week when I walked into the cafe, each cubicle looked afresh! There was the gentle whiff of fresh paint. As I took my seat to surf, I saw a large poster stuck to the wall next to the seat. The poster displayed the images of Goddess Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Lord Ganesh! I gave a questioning look to the owner. He smiled and said” Madam, “We get the shop painted every year. And this year I have pasted the Gods poster hoping that it would dissuade the would be pawn / tobacco chewing customers from spitting !! “Post modern time vs indigenous culture ! The cyber owner had to seek out Gods help to serve his end! Did this work? I shall inform you in the next news letter! Till then I shall look around for such interesting happenings in my otherwise( boring ?) Birgunj
The airport here should have a Spit zone!!.(An inclusive idea!!)
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