I really think that one of questions to ask when determining how settled you are in foreign parts is where do you buy your undies? Yes - your underwear - or in Indian I should be saying inner - wear.
Having been brought up in the UK, I was a real Marks and Sparks gal. Even after years in the US, I would retreat to the safety of the known and on visits to the motherland would scurry into M&S to replace the sagging and bagging. The off white with the pure as the driven. The faded, jaded black with the dark as night etc.
It was only after many years and less trips homewards as the brats were born and the family expanded that I ventured into Victoria Secrets which became my new knicker (oops American now) panties place. Only now have I realized what a significant moment that was in my Americanization.
So now in India, where to go, what to do........The washing machine seems to shorten the lifespan of elastic and stretch at an alarmingly fast rate of knots and as for white........in a flash of an eye it has become a dreary sort of gray.
Its only two months before I pay a visit to the motherland and can enter the wonderful M&S lingerie section of my previous life. Or I could send Ads into Victoria Secret on his upcoming trip to US - JOKING, JOKING!!
But I have discovered an online undie provider, here in India. US/UK labels and sizes. Stocked up my virtual shopping cart and then............it all went wrong.
Need a credit card - debit card will not surface. We have managed with our debit cards. Actually I think that should say survived - for big purchases like air fares the upper daily limit is too low which means hassle I cant be bothered to write about, or maybe I have previously. After over two years in India, without warning when we'd totally written off the possibility Simon recently received that magic bit of plastic. Why not me, why didn't I get one so I could reinvigorate my little bits and pieces?
Well Simon has a tax identity here, manifested in a PAN card which doubles as Indian photo id. Me, I don't qualify. The only Indian pic id I seem to be able to qualify for is a driving license - sounds like another adventure - but I think I will get to M&S first!
And the last bastion........maybe it will be a credit card!!
Having been brought up in the UK, I was a real Marks and Sparks gal. Even after years in the US, I would retreat to the safety of the known and on visits to the motherland would scurry into M&S to replace the sagging and bagging. The off white with the pure as the driven. The faded, jaded black with the dark as night etc.
It was only after many years and less trips homewards as the brats were born and the family expanded that I ventured into Victoria Secrets which became my new knicker (oops American now) panties place. Only now have I realized what a significant moment that was in my Americanization.
So now in India, where to go, what to do........The washing machine seems to shorten the lifespan of elastic and stretch at an alarmingly fast rate of knots and as for white........in a flash of an eye it has become a dreary sort of gray.
Its only two months before I pay a visit to the motherland and can enter the wonderful M&S lingerie section of my previous life. Or I could send Ads into Victoria Secret on his upcoming trip to US - JOKING, JOKING!!
But I have discovered an online undie provider, here in India. US/UK labels and sizes. Stocked up my virtual shopping cart and then............it all went wrong.
Need a credit card - debit card will not surface. We have managed with our debit cards. Actually I think that should say survived - for big purchases like air fares the upper daily limit is too low which means hassle I cant be bothered to write about, or maybe I have previously. After over two years in India, without warning when we'd totally written off the possibility Simon recently received that magic bit of plastic. Why not me, why didn't I get one so I could reinvigorate my little bits and pieces?
Well Simon has a tax identity here, manifested in a PAN card which doubles as Indian photo id. Me, I don't qualify. The only Indian pic id I seem to be able to qualify for is a driving license - sounds like another adventure - but I think I will get to M&S first!
And the last bastion........maybe it will be a credit card!!
Ah yes the expat nicker conundrum. Do you buy in ridiculous bulk and know that the shop assistants think you have a terrible incontinence problem or source locally where the average shapes don't match yours.
ReplyDeleteI'm in Mumbai and revel in having M&S outlets. Sure the range isn't as big as elsewhere but for plain cottons they do they job nicely. Have they not yet reached Bangalore?