New Delhi, Saturday, April 27, 2013
06 my city
htcity
JANPATH’S COOOLER-THAN-THOU LADIES They speak Spanish and French, and can’t do without their weekly herbal facials and the best SPF in their sunscreen. Meet four pavement sellers who don’t cease to surprise I LEARNED ALL THESE LANGUAGES RIGHT HERE, SITTING IN THIS MARKET FOR 40 YEARS
MANJU SPEAKS FOUR FOREIGN LANGUAGES
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN YOUR SKIN IN THIS HEAT AND SUN. I GET FACIALS DONE REGULARLY
VEENA NEVER MISSES HER FACIALS AND SUNSCREEN PHOTOS: ZABEEH AFAQUE
b awaa l sawaal
Namya Sinha ■
namya.sinha@hindustantimes.com
T
heir ghoonghats are deceptive; their humble shops even more so. But, behind every second covered head that sells handicrafts on the pavements of Janpath and Connaught Place is a woman who knows foreign languages, gets a facial every week, or ensures that her sunscreen has the best SPF. Manju, 43, a vendor at stall number 27 on the Gujarati handicrafts lane of Janpath has been on the job since 40 years, and it has taught her a lot. She can speak Spanish, French and English, and even fake accent. “I learned all these languages here, sitting in this market. I can speak and understand basic words and also speak English with the accent that people from various countries have,” she says as she demonstrates how she does it. It seems absolutely effortless. “I cannot speak Japanese but people from Japan speak English with a very cute accent, and I speak to them in the similar Japanese accent,” she says. Manju’s many co-sellers at the market can speak English as fluently as her and also a smattering of other languages, though most of them have never been to a school.
“I have been sitting here for all my life, and I learned to speak English in this market. I have never been to a school to learn this language,” says Rakhi, 27, a handicraft seller who sits near the main Janpath flea market. They also make it a point to dress up in colourful saris, bindis and lip colour every day. “I love to dress up. I get a facial done every two weeks, and I use Shahnaz Husain products — shampoo, mehndi and skin creams. I buy them from their shop in Connaught Place and also picked some from the Trade Fair and Surajkund mela recently,” says Usha Gangarai, 36, who sells handicrafts in A block, Connaught Place, near Hamilton House. Veena, another vendor on the Janpath handicraft lane, adds, “It is very difficult to maintain your skin in this heat and sun, especially if you’re sitting outside. So I get a regular herbal facial done. I even apply a VLCC sunscreen lotion with high SPF, which I keep re-applying to ensure that my skin doesn’t get tanned.” WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE To see the street vendors speaking in different tongues, log on to hindustantimes.com/vendorwoman
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Starting today, every week, we bring you a peculiar Delhi-ism or burning issue that everyone’s talking about. Join the debate!
Why do Delhiites wear sunglasses indoors? Style hai bhai, aur kya! TO EACH HIS OWN. WE SOMETIMES TEND TO GENERALISE WAY TOO MUCH. WITH SOME PEOPLE, IT CAN BE AN EYE DISORDER. WITH OTHERS, IT CAN BE THEIR STYLE STATEMENT. IT’S THEIR LIFE ... WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE AFTER ALL? AND WHO DEFINES STYLE, IT’S AN INDIVIDUAL THING.
NEHA ARORA, 24, CORPORATE EMPLOYEE
It’s ridiculous and so wannabe
VIPIN HANDA, 20, COLLEGE STUDENT
When I was new, I couldn’t believe it TEENA JHA, 24, from Patna
I have seen people wearing sunglasses indoors in Patna too, but not as much as in Delhi. Here, people use them as a status symbol. The funniest of all — people wearing sunglasses in underTEXT: VAISHALI BHAMBRI ground Metro trains.
IT’S TOTALLY STUPID. ONE WORD FOR ALL THOSE WHO WEAR SUNGLASSES INDOORS IS ‘WANNABE’. SUNGLASSES ARE MEANT TO PROTECT ONE’S EYES FROM THE SUN, NOT THE TUBE LIGHTS ... THEY MAY CALL IT A DIFFERENT STYLE SENSE, BUT END UP MAKING A FOOL OF THEMSELVES.
NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION Why do Delhiites click pics and ‘check in’ at every fancy new cafe in town? Send in your take with your pic at meandmydelhi@ gmail.com