[Update: Uberdesi kindly sent us the link for the ad which inspired it all. Now you can freak out, too!]
The commercial barely disturbed my reverie; I’m thinking about how much I hate moving, and that is exactly what I’ll be doing at work tomorrow, as we prepare for some renovating which couldn’t come at a worse time. At first, I can’t figure out what this spot is advertising, it looks like college kids, seems to focus on shoes and just as I decide that it must be something to do with the latter, I see it.
A girl, in somewhat cute, patent, MaryJane-esque shoes, in a library like setting…using a stack of exactly and approximately half-a-dozen books four books to step on, to reach a higher shelf. Or something. My brain shorts, because I’m so shocked and my inner pragmatist is all, “That’s so unstable! You’re asking for a sprained ankle.” The thought which immediately chases that maternal scolding is, “Eeeek, that’s not very respectful.” And that is why the shoes are “somewhat” cute; I can’t disassociate their shiny happiness from the taboo, the disrespect.
It wasn’t always like this.
Believe it or not, despite all the other random Hindu-lite rituals I grew up with, I never was scolded for touching a book with my feet. I think this had to do with two things:
1) I loved books so much to begin with and was very careful with them, since I’m vaguely OCD about things getting dirty or ruined
2) My room wasn’t so cramped that books were ever on the floor. They were on shelves. Or my desk. Or my bedside table. The floor was for my clothes, much to my parents’ disgust.
I’m surprised that this is also something I didn’t learn from my sundry collection of Hindu ex-boyfriends, though I vaguely remember hearing about it once in a while. For whatever reason, it wasn’t expanded upon or elucidated.
It was you who informed me of this prohibition against disrespect, and it is you whom I think of, in my tiny studio apartment, when I’m trying to re-organize my bookshelves. I take everything out and stack it on the floor, because there’s no other place to put anything and then I dust, rearrange, etc…but once in a while, especially now when I’m hobbling so awkwardly, if my feet even graze the tiniest part of a book or magazine, I freeze, feel guilty and then think of these cultural mores.
Thanks, mutineers. You’ve given me one more thing to get neurotic about…aww, you shouldn’t have. 😉
My high-level point is, this website has changed how I consider or interpret things, in a significant way. I will never think of the Sepoy Mutiny, the word “mutineer”, paneer dosas, Lemurians, ketchup, Scythians or a thousand other things without being reminded of this space.
That’s why when one of you emailed us a tip, which said:
A quiz on Indian independence and the first question is quite, ahem, mutinous.
…which pointed us to a brief, enlightening quiz in the Economist, I smiled and had to see it for myself. Indeed, the first question was special and it’s why I wrote all of this, because I love words and I find them powerful.
When a word’s definition is altered so dramatically, it’s not trivial, not to me. The last word of the first question of that quiz now means something very precious, and it always will. I thought you should know that, because I’m grateful to you for amending the dictionary in my brain, to accommodate such a delightful mutation.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I got a “seven”. 😉
A letter in today’s The Telegraph (UK):
Tibetans place a high value on books
Sir – In contrast to Harry Mount (Comment, August 14), who questions reverence for books, Tibetans revere books almost more than anything. When handed a book, a Tibetan often lays it on his head, murmuring a prayer that he may gain from its wisdom.
Tibetans are morbid about books touching shoes. Marco Pallis relates in his book Peaks and Lamas that one day in 1936 at P’hiyang Monastery, Ladakh, while sitting talking to Lama Gyaltsen, his colleague Dr Roaf put his feet on Professor Boyd’s Textbook of Pathology, to which he had just referred.
The lama stopped in mid-discourse and, in shocked tones, said: “Excuse me, but you are treading on a book.” Roaf at once apologised, picked up the precious volume and laid it in a safe place.
Pallis thought its learned author would have been surprised at such respect, an honour it probably never received from his students in his laboratory at home.
Roger Croston, Chester
Yeah, I don’t think I can do the eskimo boots over denim, just because I don’t think I could wear white boots, particularly not ugly white boots. uggs + miniskirts is soooo 2003 from a Californian perspective 😉
ak, thanks — it IS my first full-on east coast winter (at least since I was 6). I don’t think it’ll get as cold as Boston here (knock on wood, with global warming who knows?), and I don’t mind investing in a good pair — I did this with my rainboots and it was well worth it. Ideally I’d like to find something where I can tuck my jeans in or wear them over my boots, something waterproof, definitely something warm, and something not inordinately hideous. I was seriously considering Uggs just because they a) fit, b) people are used to their ugliness, and c) I could take them back to CA eventually. Thank you for the BR link, though — I never really look at their boots/shoes, but I’ll give them a second look. 🙂
its tougher to dress as a girl. i mean, if miniskirts are in, that should give people fits. its tough to pull one of those off…
clearly, not me. i just watch what the 18-year-olds at my university were wearing. but as camille pointed out, it seems even they have been holding on to a dying trend 😉
camille – np. so glad to be out of the boston weather, though after 4 years (and a few weekends in vermont), anything above 25 degrees is actually warm to me. also check out nordstrom – they have some cool styles, and the junior section is good for some really stylish stuff.
puli, thanks for the style acknowledgement – even though i love clothes, they can be a pain sometimes, and being a guy definitely has fewer constrictions in that area…
Camille, check out the footwear section here. I’ve bought plenty of stuff from them and have never been disappointed.
OMG Camille! That’s exactly what I was thinking.
Camille:
Please do not wear Uggs in NYC. It’s my personal mission to remove them from the world, but I’m starting small. It’s not that I have a problem with the type of boot, but rather the complete lack of design. There are many, many brands that function the same way as Uggs, but guess what? They actually look decent!
Actually, though, the problem in NYC is the nasty black slush, and enormous (like, five feet wide!) puddles that form on the street corners. So Uggs are useless. Wearing heavy duty (not the kind that are half tweed – what’s the point? other than they’re cute) rubber boots is so liberating. Once it drops below 65 degrees you’ll see them in the window of EVERY store. While other people have to walk halfway down the block to cross the street, I can plop my feet down into the puddles. It’s actually kind of fun.
Over and out.
One word: Wellies.
or, what Tamasha said. 😉
But I still loooove my mukluks.
Thank you, shoe friends 🙂 I will take your recommendations and links to heart! (or to my wallet)
Haha, BIG, it’s true, uggs + miniskirts are old hat from a west coast perspective! [to my credit I have never worn Uggs, nor miniskirts, nor any combination thereof. Also, there are 1-2 ugg designs that, on occasion, I have thought were not as hideous as the “standard ugg.” Unfortunately, they don’t make any of those non-ugly designs anymore]
Aren’t rubber boots kind of uncomfy? I only ask because I have rubber rainboats, and, while I love them, I don’t think they breathe very well, nor are they as “free moving” as I would like. Perhaps I protest too much. I think we’ll get a lot of snow — not as much sludge, per se, but definitely sludge-like snow. Waterproof is best 🙂
ANNA,
“That was charming, and by charming I mean obnoxious. Lurkers are intimidated enough, sentiments like that don’t help them feel comfortable.”
Did you change your post’s text? I distinctly recall it being something along the lines of “Gee thanks, that makes me feel a LOT better.”
Mods have editing powers. 😉
I know this will disappoint you, since the totality of your comments indicate that you dislike me, but no, that’s not what I wrote. Your distinct recall is flawed, but then, so is your tactless way of expressing how anyone who scored less than you needs help. Rude much? And this isn’t about my score…I don’t give a shit that you got a few more questions right. Have a cookie, if that’s so important to you.
This is what is important to me: I’ve met so many people who lurk on this site, especially after the marrow drives and out of curiosity (and later concern) I have asked nearly all of them about their reluctance to comment. Some say that they don’t feel it’s their place or that they don’t have anything to add to the discussion. An even greater number blush and express how “it’s intimidating”. This is something I’m becoming consumed with, especially since a majority of the people who are intimidated in to silence are women.
I thought your comment was rude and yes, obnoxious. My original retort was a sarcastic, “That’s nice. Really nice.”, but I thought I’d be a bit more articulate in the vain hope that you would see past your negativity towards me and understand that I was concerned about others, whom you couldn’t possibly have beef with…but I see how effective that was.
Camille, your NorCal lingo is sicker than cancer patients. Yadidimean?
OK losers, I just scored 13/12; the Economist’s editor has sent me a congratulatory mail asking me to pat myself on the back and take yesterday off; this is like, so cool.
I’m laughing so hard right now because I was thinking the exact same thing when I first saw the commercial. I was, naturally, very offended by the that part of the commercial. I stepped on a book once when I was little and my mother gave me the most severe reproach ever – I never did it again. Even now, it’s such a reflex to do a quick namaskar to said book before going on with whatever I was doing.
This is not just a ‘hindu’ thing as #132 suggest. It is for anyone of any religion/ race that respects the idea that books = knowlegde and this is something to be respectful towards.
The removing shoes idea when entering a house, again as someone says spans many cultures and people and sometimes it’s actually ok with me. There’s even a vegetarian Korean restuarant in NYC where are asked to take your shoes off and given slippers before being taken to your table (Hungawi).
I’m sure if anyone wrote to Payless to inform them this act is sensitive in many cultures it will be well received. In our company which is wholly American, we have diversity training and all these nuances seen in other cultures is embraced and any new information is well received and appreciated.
That was my hope. I wrote a polite email along the lines of “here’s something you may want to be aware of.” Beyond the stardard automatic acknowledgement, I received the following ‘non-response’ after a couple of days:
Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for contacting Payless ShoeSource.We appreciate feedback whether it’s about our shoes, the programs on which we advertise, or about our advertising in general. Your opinion is important to us. You are a valued customer and we hope you will continue to allow us to serve your footwear needs. Laura Payless ShoeSource Customer Support Center
Areem, Don’t know if you have read “Catch-22” but the response you received reminds me of the Colonel’s idea of sending out form letters to the families of the deceased as in “Dear mr./Mrs/Miss/Dr. X, We are sorry that your son/brother/nephew was killed/died/wounded/missing in action…..” 🙂
Sorry for the off topic rant but if anyone hasn’t read the book read it now.Its anti-war brilliance is even more relevant in these times, given what;s happening overseas ….