Bean Bags on the Balcony

To celebrate my birthday I decided that I wanted to construct a bean bag toss game for the party. The enthusiasm for party games seems to be shared by many other friends, especially the midwesterners. After enlisting the help of fellow 'sconie Will, a new math/tech teacher, we set off for Pali Market.

In typical India fashion, there is no Home Depot or Menards where we could go to get all the materials we needed. Added to that, I don't have a jig saw here in Mumbai (it's back in Minneapolis). Luckily, Will has a power drill so at least we didn't have that obstacle. We went to the lumber store for some plywood, which is surprisingly expensive here (although when you think about it, there are a lot of people and not too many trees left). At the shop next door, we picked out six brass hinges and the 36 screws needed to install them. Then, we found a different lumber salesmen who actually had a jig saw. We left our wood with him for an hour while he cut out the circles. The shop next door to his sold us some sandpaper.

While we waited for the hole to be cut we shopped around for some bean substitutes for the bags. We eventually settled on a dal-like grain we got at Choice Foods, our favorite local grocer. We arranged for the kind folks at Choice to meticulously weigh six portions of the grain into six plastic bags. After walking into several fabric shops, we settled on Satnam's, the same store that provided us with our couch cushions. Mr. Satnam himself helped us pick out different colors and promised to have them ready in time for the party, which Will kindly picked up on the way from his apartment to our party.

So, to review:

4 pieces of cut plywood -- 575 INR

6 Brass Hinges and 36 3/4" screws -- 410 INR

Use of jig saw - 400 INR

4 sheets of sandpaper - 12 INR

Six bags of grain -- 270 INR

Fabric and tailoring -- 375 INR

TOTAL COST = 2042 INR ~ or about $41

Number of shops needed = 6!

Hours = 4 (+3 for the tailoring)

Maybe a lot money and certainly a lot of walking around the market asking questions (and getting confused looks!), but a wonderful insight into the local economy. Highly specialized small businesses drive the local economy here. This means many more jobs but lower efficiency. Conversely, customer service is WAY better because each exchange is more personal -- you better believe the next time I walk past those shops I'll get a smile from those shopkeepers. Think about that the next time you walk into Home Depot.

The bean bag toss was a wonderful addition to the birthday party and much fun was had by all. Perhaps it will catch on here in India?