Proving ground for the ego
Published by Yazad Jal April 9th, 2005 in Culture and SocietyFrom Suketu Mehta’s Maximum City.
[The Taj] is less a hotel than a proving ground for the ego. The Taj lobby and its adjoining toilets are where you test your self-worth; theoretically, anyone can come in out of the heat and sit in the plush lobby, on the ornate sofas, amid the billionaire Arabs and the society ladies, or relive themselves in the gleaming toilets. But you need that inner confidence to project to the numerous gatekeepers, the toilet attendants; you need first to convince yourself that you belong there, in order to convince others that you do. And then you realize that the most forbidding gatekeeper is within you.
The realization that the hotel gatekeepers were all size no substance was one of the great epiphanies of my adolescence. I used to work in market research during my summer holidays all through college. Trudging through loads of homes and offices in the hot sun was not exactly pleasant. Worse, the job required uncomfortable formal threads (I.e. shirt and trousers. No jeans, no t-shirts). One steamy afternoon, I was outside the Oberoi hotel in Nariman point. On a whim I walked towards the glass door. I had an excuse ready for the burly Sikh gatekeeper – I had to get an appointment with the Manager. What happened next was a huge culture shock.
As I approached the door, the gatekeeper saluted and opened the door for me. I muttered a thank you and staggered in.
What?
Not only did he let me in, he also saluted me?
Am I no longer a pesky 17 year old?
Does he think I’m someone “big”?
Stunned, I wandered around in the deliciously cool lobby, peed in the marble loo and flopped on a sofa. It took me thirty minutes to regain my sanity.
Since then hotel lobbies have always been an irresistible attraction for me. I’ve walked in many times in many fancy hotels during my market research years (and later) just to cool down. Never been stopped. Often been saluted. I love the attention.
My friends (and fiancée) wonder at my lobby proclivity. But hey, if the burly Sikh gatekeepers (a feature of Indian 5-star hotels) let me walk in (and open the door), they must think I’m someone big. So what if they’re wrong. Hold that thought buddy!
be sure to check out the loo at Hotel Fullerton, when you are in Singapore.
That brings back memories from my hostel days in Bombay. The hostel gates used to close at 11:00 pm which was way too early for some of us night birds. When the guard who used to refuse to accept our ‘gift’ of a bottle of Old Monk to look the other way as we shinned up the gate was not on duty, we had no choice but to spend the night out on the streets.
Eventually we figured out that the 5-star hotels were open all night and had excellent coffee shops. After a survey we also figured out that you could get a Kona coffee at the Taj for Rs.35 (not such a small amount when you’re in college) but there were endless refills.
My friends and I have spent many a night at the coffee shop (I believe that they’ve shut it down since) having some really profound discussions (as profound as you can get after a night of drinking and maybe the odd puff or two of a green weed).
The real treat of course was when the Cathay Pacific air hostesses would come in after a late night flight wearing their slinky sarongs and perfect figures).
Am glad to know that I’m not the only one who has availed of the facilities provided by the venerable Taj.
Reminds me of the tour of the Taj you gave us in December. :-)