Do you know or remember - II

 Life then  .......

Among the items for men, only two things were known. These were the 7’O Clock blade and ERASMIC shaving soap in two forms- a stub and soap in a cup. Can we ever afford to expect durability from a   shaving soap? Erasmic cup / stub would last for months. Frugal customer- attitudes prompted blade manufacturers to design a blade honing device. It was a glass block with a shallow cavity of ground surface. The blade could be sharpened by placing in the cavity and rocking it to and fro applying the index finger across the length of the blade. It could prolong the life of the blade by 20-25% and people were never shy of these methodologies. Recycling and extending the utility of objects were shameless acts –so to say.  The long hollow fountain pen barrels [of unusable pens] were not discarded.  They would be “holders” for short stubs of pencils that can not be held even by the primary school child. Most things were recycled and the public garbage was limited in volume. Cosmetic items were bought by women with a sense of guilt. LUX was the major soap, with the same claim of being the favorite of actresses, only changing to the then “star”. Actors never figured in any sale promoting. Even tobacco products portrayed actresses but not with the item tucked between fingers. It went on unabated for quite some time. Facial beautification efforts largely depended on PONDS and REMY talcum powders. The dark complexioned used a cream – popular then as snow. It was “RAJA” snow, innocuously implicating the kings.      

Among the washing soaps SUN LIGHT was the only national brand. Others were restricted to small regions. RINSO was the first ever washing powder of the late 1950s.

Edible oils were not marketed on brand names. Exceptions were the two vanaspathi brands DALDA and TUSHAR. To my knowledge the earliest compact discs were  varieties of “APPALAM” liberally marketed.  In hotels there were 2 facilities, seating on floor and on dining tables. Serving food items on banana leaf was a must. The customers would directly settle their bills at the counter, reverently decorated by pictures of all known Gods.  A burly man would smilingly collect the money and refund the dues. Things have changed a lot in structure and even in food habits. In all towns and cities buses were supplemented by carts either drawn by ox or horse. Later man-drawn rickshaws, Cycle rickshaws, Auto rickshaws have dominated in that order. All the time taxis have coexisted. A new dimension is the share-auto. Life has become fast. None knows the reason, but everyone is busy.