Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Leotards anyone? (published in Deccan Herald in 1995).



These are just some fun pictures of Aerobics class nothing to do with Leotards


The last three years have seen me exercising with a vengence : yoga,  swimming calisthenics, aerobics,  gym workouts--- you name it,  I have done it. By now you  would think I had  a Karishma Kapoor figure. But alas, I am nowhere near it.  I am still aerobically  chasing  the ever elusive hour glass figure.


All these years I had been exercising wearing jogging pants or ordinary tights and baggy shirts. I wasn't burning any fat dressed in such mundane outfits.  A change in strategy may do the trick, I  thought.  I would now workout in leotards--just like those beautiful bodies you  see on the TV fitness shows.
 With renewed hope and enthusiasm, I set out  to shop for leotards. I let loose my imagnation, picturing myself in the most becoming leotards-- flowered tights, dark body huggers , sedate pastels etc.  Soon,  I felt, I could stand up to a Karishma or a Mamta Kulkarni. ( these were the famous heroines of that time)
I entered a big department store and asked to be shown some leotards. To my surprise the salesgirl led me to the toys section. When I told her I wanted to see leotards , she looked at me strangely  and affirmed that there were plenty of Leo Toys to be found--I could take my pick .  Either my pronounciation was bad , or her hearing was poor (or both),  when I patiently repeated my request,  she blinked in utter confusion.
Finally I explained I wanted an exercise dress which was called leotards.  Visibly relieved,  the poor girl confessed to having only jogging suits.  In my next outing, having bought a pair of sports shoes,  I went across to a sports shop to buy a pair of cotton socks,  seeing a variety of sports dresses on display, I couldn't resist the temptation to ask the salesman for leotards (silently praying that he should understand me).
One look at his face told me my prayers had gone unanswered. He went, "He, he,he!" and in heavy,  Malayalee- accented Kannada he proceeded to give me directions to the nearest Leo Toys shop. To add insult to injury my husband chose this time to educate me on  pronounciation.
 You see, he is considered a sort of authority on pronounciation in our family --- when boys of his age were reading Biggles for fun , he was busy memorising Webster's page after page .  But I was wary,  knowing too well his passion for pulling one's leg.
He said I might have better success if I pronounced correctly,  viz. le-tards, the "o" being silent.  Right then and there,  I wanted to roll the new pair of socks into an "O"  and silence him forever. 
A few days later,  as I was window shopping,  I came across a big,  exclusive Leo Toys shop with eager looking salespeople peering out. Feeling a little reckless,  I thought I might have some fun for a change, stepping in and asking for leotards.
Imagine my surprise when the manager pulled out stacks and stacks of leotards in a variety of colours and prints! "Ma'am",  he confided in me,  "all leotards seekers in Bangalore eventually end up at my store.
What is your  preference? Lycra or Cotton?"
Did you have fun reading this?
Do you have something similar to share with me?

29 comments:

  1. Rama, this is too funny for words:) I am cracking up as I write this:):) So, I am assuming that now you are the proud owner of several leotards - photos please of you in your leotards:)

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  2. Good to know that this post was published in Deccan herald!I learned how to pronounce Leotards.Enjoyed reading this post.

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  3. Thanks Kala and Sudha.
    Alas, I can't post pictures of myself in leotards, I am not the same slim person I was then. I do have lots of them, and I do fit into them,but I don't look as good as I looked in those days.

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  4. hhahah..that was fun...seemed like an O Henry short story :)

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  5. ROFL .ROFL.You made my day .Thanks.haaaa.

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  6. Oh Rama ! This was a really fun read.I could picture the sales girl in the first half.This kind of things often happen to me here.The other dayd I asked for flour , the sales associate to my dismay guided me to the flower aisle !!!How much ever i try rolling my tongue to bring out an American accent , it still fails at times...:)It was a great post , Rama .very entertaining :)
    See..that is why I eagerly wait every morning for your blog post :) :)

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  7. Rama,

    It is funny. My pronunciation is pretty bad and I make no effort to fix it. It is bad for Hindi too ..not just English. Anyway I don't believe a particular type of outfit would do the job & I also believe if aerobics can keep me fit (not necessarily skinny), that will do it for ........

    Simply Speaking "A" Simple
    Blogger

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  8. It was very funny,and is it true that most people reach leo toys shop looking for leotards? I just go to a reebok or any similar and they have loads of exercise gear :). I assume this was a few years ago. Have you ever tried saying lingerie to anyone in bangalore. I have heard lingery and god knows what. It is best to stick to common terms when shopping ;-).

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  9. A sweet post which made me smile!Little wonder then it was published in DH.

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  10. Rachna, even now you cannot ask for leotards, for people in good sports shop too will blink. Leotards are different than regular exercise dress, that you would find generally here. I was quite naive at that time, but you learn with experience, and know what to look for yourself, and what not to ask the sales person.

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  11. Thank you,
    Sudha, Kavita, Amrit, Harish and Asha. I am glad you people found it funny enough.
    Thanks Sarmishta for sharing a similar experience with us. I am really flattered to note that you look forward to my posts.

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  12. Wow! Smart shopkeeper! As well make the best of out ignorance! He sure is going to get a good inflow of customers because of our ignorance or mispronunciation. :)

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  13. Saw your home over at Patty's.It is beautiful , gorgeous and totally dreamy !!:))
    So much love and dedication you and your family have put in creating this home is visible in every corner.I loved your home tour.

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  14. oh that was absolute fun. Nice read. Keep them coming Rama. have been missing your comments for some time now

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  15. Thanks a bunch for your lovely wish! Your words are very special..it means a lot to me and you know it :)
    Thanks once again!

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  16. Hilarious incident Rama .Leotards is a no common term in the regular backdrop of bangalore rama and so there is no wonder if she showed you leo toys.But sometimes,I have come across people at a big grocery store like bigbazaar ,not knowing what is "rigati pasta "/cheese or corn flour.can you imagine that?nice narration rama

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  17. He he he he :)

    I was going ot ask what is leotards :O


    Bikram's

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  18. That was a funny read. Which shop is this and where is it located? I might drop by for a dekko during my next Bangalore visit.

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  19. Good one! Now all Leo Toys shops would store some Leotards!

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  20. Nothing beats exercising. Those who have no time to exercise will soon have to find time to fall sick.

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  21. superb post! Reminds me my terrible weakness- no exercise and no diet....great pictures!

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  22. loved reading it dear thanks for sharing and yes such things happens in life and stay in memory forever,and sometime we think that we just forgot it they just come in mind and bring smiles on our faces,

    god bless.

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  23. Yes, of course its fun reading and also learned what leotards mean! lol

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  24. Dear Rama, thank you so much for visiting my Blog and leaving kind words... my e-mail is
    RCGrose@juno.com

    You have a lovely Family and Home, it was a pleasure visiting your Blog too.

    Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

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  25. fun n informative post yar..enjoyed reading..

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  26. Rama, you really do mazke me smile. I am so grateful to you for that and also the memories. Personally, I wore a leotard and Reebocks for the 10 years I taught classes. It was difficult to get something more appropriate for my age. The high cut leg and low cut neckline was a scream.
    Also your husband reminds me of the relationship I shared with my Mum. We had a passion for words in the English language and would ring the ABC if we were unsure of pronunciation.
    Live, Laugh and Love♥

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  27. Hilarious. You got a talent for writing funny anecdotes.

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