Saturday 24th August

Job creation in India.
I knew that they employed a number of people to do jobs for which they need only one worker and a machine but I never realised just how many people you can employ to sell a saree.
It actually reminds me of how Mr Whiting, my (old) history teacher, described the GDR's attempts at job creation.
For example, to buy a saree:
- A guy (or two) to check your bags on the way in,
- One guy to show and sell you the saree,
- One boy or girl to hold the other end when unfolding said saree to display to the customer,
- One girl to carry the smokey incense-smelling thing through the shop every now and then,
- One girl (or more) to make and carry Chai for the workers,
- A man to carry your saree to the checkout,
- One guy at the checkout to put the prices into the till and give you a receipt,
- Another guy to take your money and stamp your receipt
- A guy to then look at your receipt and give you your parcels,
- One at the door to put the parcels (which up until now have been in brown paper bags) into a bigger plastic or cloth bag,
- The security guys again to check you're not stealing things and to give back anything you left with them,
and (in yesterday's case) a guy sitting outside to sell you a matching underskirt.

One saree, more than ten people.