Sunny Days and spices in Istanbul

One of my pet peeves with the English language media in India is the westernized approach many of their columnists / analysts take. In the world-view that English newspapers present to their readers, the following gems are oft repeated and make me mad  

1.       Sunny Days

India is probably a cold, temperate country, as per this world view - What else can explain the refrain and references to sunny days. In this world (existing in the heads of English newspaper columnists) sunny days are good and we all should look forward to them. Try telling that to someone staying Delhi, having to go out at 2.oo p.m during the month of June. Or a labourer working on a construction site in Chennai during May! Have they never heard any bollywood songs, extolling the virtues of ‘suhana mausam’, ‘badal ghir aaye’  and so many songs on ‘sawan’. In India, its the monsoon season or rains and clouds which are harbingers of prosperity happiness and joy (being an agrarian economy and a warm, tropical climate).

2.       Spices in Istanbul

When one travels to say, Istanbul or Egypt, one can look forward to buying spices! So on your visit to the Grand Baazar or Kha-al-Khalili markets or any of such souks or old markets in Asian / Middle-Eastern countries, we should spend foreign exchange in buying ‘haldi’ or ‘saunf’ !

3.       Mumbai street-food is the best

Every week, one of the three newspapers I read have something or other stating or indication that Mumbai has the best street food. Hailing from U.P and having stayed in Calcutta for a considerable time, this irks me no end. Ok, it might be a personal prejudice. But have any of these people ever tasted the chat in Delhi, puchkas in Kolkata, kachori in Varanasai or Bhalla in Agra? Just ‘coz Mumbai has crappy food overall doesn’t mean that facts can be manufactured and an illusion built around its street food. 

                (I read the editions in Mumbai, but can safely assume that the same would apply  elsewhere too)