All that glitters is Gold!

We as a country are obsessed with Gold. When I say obsessed I mean super obsessed. Any major function calls for a visit to the Goldsmith. If its a festival or any auspicious day like Gudi Padwa, Akshay Tritiya, it is not surprising to see a huge line to buy gold outside most of the prominent and well known Jewelers' shops. No matter what, people will buy gold. Whatever the price whatever the hardship(standing in the sun for hours to just get into the gold shop). And people like me just find it amusing to watch. Any auspicious day and gold prices are sure to shoot through the roof. So buying the day before the auspicious occasion and selling it the next day seems more auspicious to me (You may frown here).

What is this age old love affair with the glittering metal ? Well, it stems from the fact that we Indians are very conservative in our approach to everything. Be it our dressing, our homes and even our investments. No one believes in the stock market. Most excuses seem to hover around reasons like - It is just too unpredictable., I dont understand it, I think its very volatile, you never know when is the right time to buy. Umm, one may argue these excuses are very valid, but isnt that true about gold as well? Do we really understand gold? Isnt it unpredictable too? I mean there is sometimes a difference of 1000 rs per day in the price for 10 gms.
There was a recent article in a reputed finance newspaper about how Indians keep buying gold, whereas that money could have been invested in equity which would mean that companies would have more capital to work on and expand and grow. Gold on the other hand just sits at home, needs to be guarded and does not really do anything except put more worry into our already over stressed heads.
Don't get me wrong. I am not anti-gold. Like every fellow Indian  I too love Gold jewellary. But I dont believe in it as an investment. Its like any other Commodity I may buy. A cell phone or a laptop, It is mine. I will not sell it. The Gold chain and earrings mean something to me and have sentimental value which is the exact reason why gold just piles up at home. You will never sell it.

So buy gold but use it. Dont let it gather dust in the dark dingy lockers in the bank and in the cupboards.
Because for anything to shine there has to be light.

The Water Crisis : Credit v/s Debit

The recent water shortage has everyone up in arms. The very mention of a water cut sends jitters down the spine of most people. I am no different. I love water. I have been swimming, playing holi, watering my garden etc etc. All the activities I enjoy have one major  component. Water. What are we without water. approx 70% of the human body is made up of  water. SO when there's going to be a shortage, everyone should be worried.

Water is found in abundance in most places where civilizations flourish. Or let me put it the other way round. Civilizations and life flourishes where there is abundance of water.
So most cities have a river or two running through the heart of the city. Now earlier the river was the main life line of the settlement. All the activities would center around the river. The river was the local deity. The "Karta Dharta" of the village. Since there were no dams or storage reservoirs, how good or bad the summer was going to be could be predicted by looking at the water and the health of the river.

Fast forward to today. The rivers have been reduced to a stinking mass of sewage. It is no longer a sight to behold. The chances are that if one is crossing a bridge, most probably the noses would be wrinkled in disdain at the stench emanating out of the waters. The water is now stored in huge reservoirs outside the city where the rivers originate and thankfully they have been maintained clean and pure. Thanks in part to the various crocodiles that supposedly dwell in their waters.

But the problem of water shortage seems to occur over and over. This year the city received 1.5 times more rainfall than the previous year. And still we have a water problem even before the start of the summer. What may be the cause of this? Well, the same thing that seems to be causing the numerous recessions and debt crisis. Mismanagement of resources. Consuming more that we have. What needs to be remembered here is that money can be spent in credit. But the water reservoirs are more like debit cards. What you see is the amount you have. You cant borrow water from nature when the reservoirs dry up. You will have to wait for the monsoons to fill it up kind of like you have to wait for your paycheck. And one more key difference is, there may or may not be an increment in the rainfall this year similar to your paycheck. So spend wisely and enjoy the fruits for a longer time. A penny saved is a penny earned and a drop saved is a drop earned.