I have mentioned my love for the sit-com 'Seinfeld' many times in this blog. So you can imagine the sense of surreal that I experienced when I lived an almost parallel experience just a few days ago in Kerala.
One of the best moments in the sit-com is when George and Jerry go to order soup from a store whose owner is referred to as 'the Soup Nazi'. To understand why, please see the video below.
The process of buying alcohol in Kerala is almost identical. (If any of you non-existent readers are shocked at this revelation, that's right, I'm an amoral alcohol consumer) Right from the long and winding queue (which is always stunningly long) to the strict, impatient people behind the counter, there are many similarities.
Firstly, it was a shock for me to see Indians - Indians eager to consume alcohol, nonetheless - following a queue. The guy sitting behind the counter is very impatient, ready to type out your order, collect the money and hand you the receipt. You then move to the next counter, give the person the receipt and collect your alcohol. The whole procedure - if done with the same vigour as the regular customers - doesn't take more than a minute. Of course, you stand in queue for a hell of a long time to get to the counter.
(If you are wondering why there's such long queues near the liquor stores in Kerala, the state government restricts sale of alcohol. The liquor store in the town we were staying in was the only one for a 15 kilometer radius.)
The surreal and distinctly Soup Nazi experience did not dawn on me immediately. Only after going back to the room (but not yet consuming the much earned alcohol) did I realise, "Fuck! That's just like the Soup Nazi!"
Well.. Now all I need to do is be booked for a case of 'innocent bystander' to become a true Seinfeld fan.
Here's some more of the Soup Nazi, in case you are curious.
One of the best moments in the sit-com is when George and Jerry go to order soup from a store whose owner is referred to as 'the Soup Nazi'. To understand why, please see the video below.
The process of buying alcohol in Kerala is almost identical. (If any of you non-existent readers are shocked at this revelation, that's right, I'm an amoral alcohol consumer) Right from the long and winding queue (which is always stunningly long) to the strict, impatient people behind the counter, there are many similarities.
Firstly, it was a shock for me to see Indians - Indians eager to consume alcohol, nonetheless - following a queue. The guy sitting behind the counter is very impatient, ready to type out your order, collect the money and hand you the receipt. You then move to the next counter, give the person the receipt and collect your alcohol. The whole procedure - if done with the same vigour as the regular customers - doesn't take more than a minute. Of course, you stand in queue for a hell of a long time to get to the counter.
(If you are wondering why there's such long queues near the liquor stores in Kerala, the state government restricts sale of alcohol. The liquor store in the town we were staying in was the only one for a 15 kilometer radius.)
The surreal and distinctly Soup Nazi experience did not dawn on me immediately. Only after going back to the room (but not yet consuming the much earned alcohol) did I realise, "Fuck! That's just like the Soup Nazi!"
Well.. Now all I need to do is be booked for a case of 'innocent bystander' to become a true Seinfeld fan.
Here's some more of the Soup Nazi, in case you are curious.
Okay I just watched these videos and it's hilarious! Is it just me or does the soup nazi look like Richard from Friends?
ReplyDeleteNever occurred to me, but now that you say it!
Delete