SORRY ABOUT THAT

Sorry about that

The Americans have taken succinctness to a nether level. But they are relatively verbose when they say sorry, and usually appendage it with “about that”. That is how they say sorry in the land of Uncle Sam.

These days, I am grappling with a sagging paunch. The girth of which shows a hideously audacious stubbornness to any effort of reduction. And my younger son finds this appearance of mine challenging the concept that he has of his once fit dad. But visiting the United State is like redemption or even resurrection of a sagging self-esteem. Obesity and mind you, I am not saying being overweight, is a national malaise today in America. Today and average American is overweight to the state of being sick. The poorer you are more is the propensity to add casual kilos.

The reason for this is that a particular type of street cuisine (read junk food) is very cheap, And if you are less educated and poor, you are prone to gorge yourself more on such street food. And of course the consequence is in front of all of us. And a visitors tryst with this obese nation commences as soon as you board any American Carrier to reach the so famed land of opportunities. The stewards and stewardesses are all grossly overweight, and keep nudging you should you have chosen an aisle seating.

Having said this, it is a pity that some months ago, Barack Obama had the temerity to observe that Indians are responsible for the increase in food commodity prices. There are so many in India who go hungry days on end. Obama must visit their homes to see how they survive on a single meal in days, and how they struggle to feed their children. An average American is actually eating as much as a full football team in India would. More importantly, American is wasting enough food to feed the teeming millions who go hungry each day.

But who should explain this to an election bound Obama. The guy too has political compulsions and all he says cannot be practically analyzed on the altar of rationality.