Handy Designs

No wonder the shopkeeper at an upmarket crockery store in New Delhi was afforded some amusement when the usually fastidious Mrs Jain rejected all the glassware the shop had on display. Why? Because it didn't have bubbles. 'All this is for the masses,' she said, the sweep of her hand dismissing at one go the branded products.

In the end, she ended up buying cheap glasses from the roadside for Rs 1.50 each, the kind most commonly seen at the chai-dhabas. Her kitty party, where they first made their appearance, led to such an enormous demand for these glasses that pavement vendors doubled and tripled their rates. A further effect was that the dhaba owners had to increase the price of chai because cheap cups and glasses were no longer available. Instead, they now came with labels that said 'Hand-blown in India'.

 

The last we heard, a case of six glasses were available for around Rs 120.

Glad rags

Fabrics with snags and misprints, leather products with dye stains, furniture with scratch marks, wall surfaces that are uneven