Opening Doorz
“Celebrating Life”
Sometimes I wonder: why can’t people be fashionably on time? You know what I mean; you are invited for a party, from 7 pm, so you think it would be fine to walk in at 9 pm, what they call fashionably late.
By Marcellus Baptista | Opening Doorz Editorial | November 08, 2019
Sometimes I wonder: why can’t people be fashionably on time? You know what I mean; you are invited for a party, from 7 pm, so you think it would be fine to walk in at 9 pm, what they call fashionably late.
Perhaps only in India, particularly Mumbai, people have no sense of time. They don’t respect the host who has put in so much of trouble and effort to serve you from 7 pm onwards.
He/she is on time, the hotel staff is on time, the place is carefully decorated well before time; the guest list is at the entrance, the guest relations girl is waiting and waiting for the first guest to arrive.
Suddenly, hours after the specified opening time, the guests all arrive together. They are eager to enter the premises and feel insulted if they are kept waiting, for the girl at the door has to check her list and tick the name.
Inside, the bartenders have a tough time, listening to each and every order, trying to cope with so many cocktail requests, wishing people would just have beer, wine or a straight drink and make things easier.
Sometimes I wonder; what do all these people do from 7 pm to 9 pm? I am sure they have nothing else to do, but feel silly if they go to the party on time. Each one feels that the other won’t show up on time and they would look silly if they are on time.
Of course, there is that standard excuse: the traffic is killing. The traffic has been killing for years on end; you are not new to the city that you don’t know the scene! You very well know that you have to set out early to be on time.
Okay, if there is a genuine reason you could be excused, for there could be an emergency situation, health issue, etc. But people turn up late for no reason at all. If there is a fashion show on the charts, it is put off for a later time, the models are ready, the choreographer is cheesed off, but the show cannot go on with just a few guests.
At the specified closing time, people are reluctant to leave, everyone wants one more drink, one more bite.
Of course, being fashionably on time could also be a disaster. You are the only one in the room, even the host is not there. But then you could be the first to welcome the host!
Also Read: Tricked and Treated!
