Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - May 2009 - Index

Her grandson’s reaction?
“Dadima, you have Ice Age
ideas!”
Born and educated in Uganda,
Sharma, 69, moved to England
after marriage. The retired
teacher has seen wealth, poverty,
and then relative wealth
again.
Her father left India for
Uganda at a young age. There,
he did extremely well for himself,
but also, because it was
nearly 10 years before his wife
could join him, he was lonely
and began drinking heavily.
“I was born soon after my
mother joined him and I recall
growing up in luxury. We had
three bungalows, cars, gardeners...
But people took advantage
of his weakness and he lost a
“My grandson says
I have Ice Age ideas!”
SHANTA SHARMA
lot of money. Then he lost his
job, the houses, everything. We
moved into a cramped apartment.
My mother tried hard to
make sure that our needs were
met but there was nothing left
over for luxuries.”
And her father continued to
drink. In grade 8, she approached
him for school fees,
telling him she’d be asked to
leave school if they didn’t pay.
“I still remember like it happened
yesterday. My father was
sitting there, drinking. The same
man who had got me a walkietalkie
doll that was three feet tall
and a plane that could fly, the
If you think only desis bargain,
think again. An Italian
lady proudly claims
that she has never ever paid the
asking price for everything
from a new roof to hiring a
cleaning service. “Get competitive
quotes,” she advises.
“And then beat the best one
down! Everyone is hungry for
business and they will lower the
price, or throw in an extra...you
same father who spoilt me rotten,
looked at me and said, ‘Go
and collect your books from
school; I can’t afford the fees.”
Her elder brother, who was
married by then, paid the fees.
“He paid my fees for the rest
of school through grades 8, 9, 10
and 11, for teacher’s training, for
university,” she says gratefully. “If
it hadn’t been for him, I’d have
been a grade 8 drop-out.”
Sharma says she never actually
dealt with money until a few
years ago. She had a joint ac-
count with her husband and he
took care of everything. She’d
never even gone to a bank,
never written a cheque.
She recalls with a laugh her
brother’s horror at the trouble
she almost got into with her
naïve behaviour.
“I was living alone in England
until my husband could
join me. Once, during a vacation,
I wanted to go home and
bravely marched up to a travel
agent and paid for a ticket with
a blank cheque! My brother
How to stretch your dollar
just have to learn to ask nice!”
Other tips include waiting for
off-season sales. The best time
to buy Christmas ornaments or
gift wrap is just after Christmas!
Look for bargains at factory
outlets.
Set up an exchange with your
friends or on your street and
swap things that you might not
need any longer but someone
else could use.
The gardening season is here
– divide and share plants!
Take advantage of lowered
entry fees that many city attractions
offer on certain afternoons
a week. Go back often if you
have to, it’s a more sensible way
to introduce children to cerebral
NARI MAVALWALLA/DESI NEWS
sent me back to say he’d given
me cash for the ticket and to get
that cheque back!”
However, she was responsible
with her money and the
Sharmas spent wisely and saved
well. When their only son
moved to Canada soon after his
marriage, they purchased a
home for his young family.
There was quite a bit of opposition
to the move. Family
members already here questioned
the wisdom of buying a
house for their son when others
had come and faced hardships
and purchased their own.
“But I was determined. I
didn’t want our son to suffer.
When we are gone, it’s all his
anyway, so why shouldn’t we
enjoy seeing him enjoy it? I
don’t believe in leaving lots of
money to a child after death
when he could use it right now.”
She also moved to Canada 15
years ago to help look after her
grandchildren.
Her grandson was then just
a baby. Her daughter-in-law was
also working and Sharma did
not want her grandchildren being
brought up in a daycare.
“Our elders inculcated good
habits in us, and I guess I saw
that as my role!” she laughs.
Now the children are 18, 16,
and 11 and Sharma reports
mixed results.
“Gaurav is not working parttime.
He is more seriously into
studies,” says Sharma.
“Chandni works part-time
and comes with bags of clothes
every week - some of which she
wears only once! She got $50 on
pleasures than paying full pop
and then leaving in a couple of
hours when a kid gets tired.
* * *
The prize for the most drastic
measure goes to... Freegans.
Freegans are anti-consumerists
who go dumpster-diving for
food. Out of choice. Check out
www.freegan.info for more on
the trend that has people foraging
for food in Central Park, NY.