The Bags of Life

 The Green Teal Bag

The bag you carry, the shoes you wear, the car you drive, the cigarettes you smoke, the scotch you drink and ofcourse the clothes you wear. 

Even the food and drinks you order, say a lot about about you as a person.

It’s often said clothes maketh a man of course amongst many other things…

However, in recent times Gautam Singhania the fraudulent owner of the famous Raymond’s brand has let down the company logo and tag line - the complete man. Who is a complete man is a discussion and debate we will leave for another time or take up in another post.

Accoutrements and Accessories say a lot about the person you are.. like hats … that even defined the person you are and perhaps the profession and ofcourse the story of the seven hats…wearing different hats is also a proverb.

But why are we meandering, let’s talk about bags… waiting at the Berlin airport… my friend Kamal Lamba remarked… 

yaar ye gorey koi bhi bag le len to acche lagte hain

Aur hum Hindustani mahenga se mahenga bag le kar bhi evaiyen dikhte hain ( the best impact is in chaste punjabi)…

Also Indians dress for comfort rather than style at the airport… which makes them look like the ugliest race at the airport… old parents travelling to baby sit their grandchildren in USA and Canada often carry… plastic shopping bags… the dark fat guy in a round neck tshirt and Capris should be summarily shot on sight…

Yes, the Indians do not dress up for travel and definitely do not consider their body type and sometimes get carried away… like wearing sleeve less T-shirts while traveling to Goa or Thailand..

My God the flights to Goa have such specimens… aunties and young behnjis in saare bandhan tod do in  exhibiting tons of  jelly like cellulite…dressing for travel is another post.

I have always believed that the immigration of a country treats you the way you are dressed… hence I always throw a smart dark  jacket or light linen one… the job is done..

Talking of bags I have had interesting bags like my growing up and professions I have had.

The very small aluminum briefcase in early school

A green backpack also called basta while my brother Sanjiv had a khaki one albeit more robust.. in later school

In college doing History ( Hons) I was a true blooded Marxist smoking non filter cigarettes a jhola for a bag jeans and khaki kurtas with Quo Vadis sandals

That gave way to a small pack 08 and FSM0 big pack in training for the Indian Army training for combat with the full kit weighing 21 kgs and 5.5 kg rifle… those were some days

Back to business school I for some reason carried a briefcase with black leather trimmings and black and white silk ikkat print..I slowly converted to a more conventional sling bag seeing my contemporaries who were much younger to mix in the melee..

A smart ad sales executive days got me back into a smart leather satchels (the wife had something to with the theme) paired with Oscar dela renta hand my down suits from my dear brother..Sanjiv

Cut to TV Days .. Discovery Channel we became the bag experts of the TV industry we made 5000 gym bags three times over for cable networks… everyone wanted one.. they were great useful for daily use , gym and urgent travel..

The Story going around was I was always packed and could get onto an airplane any time…which wasn’t far from the truth. Similar style days at StarTv

There was an era of an unsettled life … between Bombay Delhi Chandigarh…I succumbed to a back pack or a small shoulder bag from Kumho tires or Glenlivet or any promotion at the duty free..shops.

Then I got into an era of hands free a small folder wallet had everything I needed.. cards, cash, toothpick, urgent medicine pill, prayer mantras and condoms ( okay okay an exaggeration). late tv days..

Hotel… Senior Executive saw me only in suits and jackets… my suit jacket or sports jacket became by bag … worked very well with  wallet charger, blackberry, a book and a lot more…sometimes a bar of chocolate too. I did buy bags too in this era… for family and self… learnt about Hermes, Feragamo etc … bought but used the humble Kipling.

With Askme.com  I was back with a small over shoulder bag and sometimes hands free with the hold everything wallet often persuaded by my dear friend to carry a satchel .. I succumbed to one.. which was gifted by the friend…

A lot of the crinkly tan soft leather bag and a matching gym bag my Mom Got me and stood me well when I carried a lunch and was scurrying and meeting the mass affluent in the Luxury Liner Cruise Business… Celebrity Cruises in India..

Now for nearly five years I was work from home consultant at large was totally hands free combined with a sports jacket became if travelled and went for meetings… which I did quite a lot especially the year consulting for Hinduja’s…

Finally, the penny dropped when I took a professorial role and had to carry lunch among other things… the same crinkle leather shoulder bag and sometimes my friend’s satchel got me through  a  year or two…

Now my Mom insisted she’d like to replace the Dulichand&sons bag by yet another… I was reticent, not more of the same she went hobbling thrice once with me .. I was reluctant to… finally today eyed this green- teal leather bag and  I wanted .. here I am gathering a rush of memories of bags of life and my life both virtually and metaphorically…