Every city and town has a unique culture and ethos. Mumbaikars rush about in public transport and swear by their vada paavs, Kolkatans never rush about and swear by their maccher jhol, Delhities just rush about and swear.
So what about Gurgaon? Is it just a dimple on the fair cheek of Delhi or a pimple on the hairy chin of Haryana? Every day, hundreds of people tumble into the Millenium City trying to figure out how they can quickly assimilate into the Gurgaon culture. The good news for wannabe Gurgaonites is that you don’t have to be born in Gurgaon or grow up in Gurgaon to become a citizen of Gurgaon. In fact, no one over ten years (apart from a few buffaloes) was born here.Being a Gurgaonite is really about adopting the Gurgaon way of life, a unique lifestyle that is different from life in any other part of the country.
Here is a simple checklist to decide if you qualify as a Gurgaon citizen.
1- You have four cars- one for the spouse, one for the maid to ferry Pinky and Bunty to after school classes, one is a Santro just in case the Honda City doesn’t start, one is a BMW for special occasions just in case people think you own only a Santro.
2-You complain about the traffic, the terrible pollution and the lack of parking space in Gurgaon at all. Really, it is too bad.
3-You employ two full time maids, one part time cleaning maid, one standby maid, one driver, one car cleaner, a regular cook, a party cook, a dog walker and one security guard.
4-You complain about how it is so difficult to find good domestic help. Really, it is too bad.
5- You never walk to anyplace. You only drive to the malls. You never climb stairs, you only take escalators in the malls.
6-You have a membership in a gym because you never get any exercise. The gym is only a kilometer away from your house. You rarely use your membership because you get stuck in traffic every time you drive to the gym.
7- You have bought an apartment or two. You look down on those who haven’t- they have no idea about real estate. Prices will only go up.
8- You are thinking about buying an apartment or two. You look down on those who already bought their own -they have no idea about real estate. Prices will only go down.
9-You have four brokers (real estate consultants) on your speed dial. Two are good friends. Your spouse is thinking of becoming a real estate consultant.
10- You complain about the lack of greenery and open spaces around you. Your family compensates by staying indoors and switching on all five air conditioners, watching three televisions and chilling beer in two refrigerators. Then each one takes a car and drives to Delhi to get some fresh air.
If you have scored more than 7, you can now proudly wear the ‘ Iam a Millenium Citizen’
badge.
A score of 4- 7 indicates that there is still hope for you. You should buy another car and complain more.
Anything less than 3 and you need to crawl back to wherever you came from. Alternately, you
can become a real estate consultant.
