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Friday, July 07, 2006
Guilty Pleasures 4 -- Smarties and the antibiotic
Yes, it was mean, and evil, and demonstrates just what a terrible person I was. When I was college, in the early 90s, I'd walk into the common area of my hostel holding a packet of Gems -- then the Indian version of Smarties, those "brightly colored, sugar coated sweets with a milk chocolate center." I'd merrily pop one into my mouth; then another; and another. Then I'd look at pre-identified bakra and ask, "You want one, dude?"
"Yeah, why not?" the chappie would say, no doubt desperate for that sweet taste in his mouth, and to sound cool by saying 'yeah' instead of a simple 'yes'. I'd hand him one of them coloured pills. He'd pop it into his mouth, take a bite, lean forward and gag furiously.
You see, in those days erythrocin, the antibiotic, was available in the form of a coloured pill that looked just like Gems. (Hope I remember the name right.) Naturally, it tasted different.
Utterly abhorrent behaviour, and I'm suitably ashamed to remember it. What brought it to mind? This did:
Earlier Guilty Pleasures: Lost Cause by Beck, Aao Na from Kyun Ho Gaya Na, Hunger Strike by Temple of the Dog.
"Yeah, why not?" the chappie would say, no doubt desperate for that sweet taste in his mouth, and to sound cool by saying 'yeah' instead of a simple 'yes'. I'd hand him one of them coloured pills. He'd pop it into his mouth, take a bite, lean forward and gag furiously.
You see, in those days erythrocin, the antibiotic, was available in the form of a coloured pill that looked just like Gems. (Hope I remember the name right.) Naturally, it tasted different.
Utterly abhorrent behaviour, and I'm suitably ashamed to remember it. What brought it to mind? This did:
Police in Berlin said on Wednesday they had arrested two men on suspicion of placing cement-filled soccer balls around the city and inviting people to kick them. At least two people injured themselves by kicking the balls, which were chained to lampposts and trees alongside the spray-painted message: "Can you kick it?"Hmm. Most disturbing.
Earlier Guilty Pleasures: Lost Cause by Beck, Aao Na from Kyun Ho Gaya Na, Hunger Strike by Temple of the Dog.
