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Bandhini: Creating fine masterpieces

Deccan Herald, General Thoughts, Published Articles

Traditional Craft

Fabric in vibrant hues, bandhini, also known as bandhej, enjoys popularity not only on the streets of Rajasthan and Gujarat, but all over the world too.

The rich colours have a huge sense of appeal for buyers and they instantly symbolise a certain element of Indianness for the person wearing it. The origin of this fabric has an interesting history weaved into it.

The word bandhini means “to tie” and is derived from Sanskrit. While some believe that Muslim Khatri women brought this art form to Kutch, a few others in Rajasthan believe that artists from Neelgar and Chippa communities were the original practitioners of this art form.

Interestingly, this tie-and-dye art has evolved over the years and today bandhini fabric is available in various forms — sarees, lehengas, cholis, dupattas, scarves, stoles, shawls, skirts, and even bed spreads and cushion covers. No wonder, this traditional art form has found its way into the glamorous world of fashion and films too.

It is said that the process of producing bandhini cloth is one among the oldest crafts of the world. It is a skilled task where the artisan has to initiate the process of creating a bandhej fabric either with malmal cotton or georgette which is folded to a quarter of its size. The cloth is then placed on a table and desired designs are marked using a wooden block dipped in red colour known as geru in Kutch.

This process is alternatively done by placing a clear thin sheet of plastic pierced with pin holes on this fabric and then transferring the imprint of the desired pattern on to the fabric using the thin sheet. A rag dipped in geru is then washed over the sheet, leaving an imprint of the desired pattern on the cloth. The craftsperson then pulls a small area of the fabric where each hole is placed and winds the thread tightly to form a tiny knot.

Hundreds of such knots are formed to retain the original colour in that portion. The cloth is then washed to remove the imprint and dipped in yellow or other lighter colours.

Following this, the fabric is rinsed, squeezed and tied and then dipped in a darker colour. After the last step in the dyeing process, the cloth is washed and, if necessary, starched. The folds are then pulled apart in a particular way, releasing the knots and revealing their pattern.

Traditionally, only natural colours were used, but today, the colour scheme involves the usage of synthetic colours for faster results and bulk production. According to Abdul Kayam, owner of a small manufacturing unit of bandhej in Jaipur, “Synthetic colours are used to save on time. Women do the tying using their nails that are specifically grown long for this purpose or a spiked metal ring is used to lift and tie the tiny knots. Men do the dyeing as it involves a lot of labour. The entire process of tie-and-dye may take anything from two days to 45 days, depending on the design and embroidery involved.”

According to Raju Bhai Navrathan Makwana from Kutch, “The bandhini created in Gujarat varies from that of Rajasthan in terms of quality and design even though the process is the same.” In their book on world textiles, John Gillow and Bryan Sentance mention that bandhini was so popular in the 18th century that spotted scarves in English came to be called bandana.

Though bandhini is worn across India on every possible occasion, in Gujarat and Rajasthan, the fabric is associated with certain special occasions. For instance, Gujarati women wear bandhini saris known as garcholas only for weddings. However, for the artisans, bandhini is not only a source of livelihood, but a reflection of their rich culture.

This was published under Sunday Herald ( from Deccan Herald) on July 10, 2011 under Arts and Culture page.

To go to the link click here http://www.deccanherald.com/content/174900/bandhini-creating-fine-masterpieces.html


Inevitable evils

Deccan Herald, General Thoughts, Published Articles

If rocking music can substitute for crude lyrics, we do not need poets.

I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard my close friend’s four-year-old humming loudly a song that I had detested for many days now. Yup, the one Deepika is swaying her hips to the item song in ‘Dum Maro Dum’. I casually asked Sneha the little one, if she knew what the line in the song meant? Pat came the remark “Aunty it is potty pe bethe nanga’, don’t you know what it means?

Purvi her mom laughed loudly as she gave me a hug to calm my stunned expression and said, “C’mon it is this generation song what is there to feel so bad. The question left me wondering if the lyricist wrote the song actually in the studio or elsewhere. Wherever he wrote I am sure people like me would never appreciate language to be diluted so much that it causes me to be ashamed to spell it out.

It is not the first time that vulgar lyrics have been prompted in large scale mediums like films. One such song was the Karishma-Govinda starrer song ‘Sarkhai lo khatiya jada lage’, though popular made my parents to switch of the television sets in case little guests had come home or worse watch those movements danced to the dance number. I am sure Karishma now would never think of this song and she would get amnesia if someone mentioned that she had danced to this song.

Forget 2000 onwards; if one thinks of the era of great lyricists like the 50s-70s, I wonder if lyricists like Majrooh Sultanpuri or Shailendra would ever find a job of writing even one song in the current lyricist’s generation. Could they attempt to write in their wildest dreams lines like ‘Shaam ko daaru, Raat ko ladki’ from ‘Shoot out at Lokhandwala’ or ‘Kal meri skirt keechega’ from ‘Dum Maaro Dum’?

If people argue that rocking music can substitute for nonsensical or crude lyrics then we do not need poets. Obviously the need of the hour then is those who can write songs which are controversial and blend it with foot tapping beats. Better sill write songs that can make children and teenagers smirk when parents try to switch off the radio or TV set. Another opportunity for children to show they can rebel by listening or lip-syncing to such songs!

As I left my friend’s place in my car, the RJ on the radio announced the top 10 songs and the one that had been on my mind however much I detested all morning came back again. This time however I decided to accept it as a phase that will soon pass as I thought one needs such songs to cherish good from bad.

This was written for right in the middle column on editorial page.

Breeze through with baby

Deccan Herald, ,

Vacations can be stressful for new moms who want to take that break, but worry whether they will be able to handle a cranky baby in a new place.

Dr Meena Menon, eye specialist, offers sound advice:  “As long as the baby is healthy, I am all for the new mum to go out and take a short holiday whenever she can. If possible I would suggest that the parents take take a third person along, like a relative or house help, so that the mother can relax.”

Roopa Rangaswamy, HR professional, admits that the first trip with baby always unveils new learnings! “The trick is not to be aggressive about your holiday schedule,” she says, adding that one must be prepared to enjoy fewer outings in a day.

Dr Meena Jain, child and adolescent psychologist, argues that unless there is a strong support system, like a care-giver or a very understanding husband who is ready to share responsibilities, a holiday is bound to be stressful for both baby and mom.

But Dr Hari Priya insists that holidays in the initial years of baby’s life bring happiness and adjustment. “I suggest that parents make short trips and ensure the child is well-fed. Keep meal times regular,” she says.

Here’s what you need to ensure:

  1. Carry enough baby supplies and essentials, be it in clothes, diapers or formula.
  2. Be flexible with your schedule and understand that a baby will not identify with your idea of a holiday like trekking excursions or shopping sprees!
  3. Try to visit places that are less crowded.
  4. It maybe worthwhile to carry a stroller or a baby sling to make commuting easy in a new destination.

Tell me how

The Hindu
Answers In maternity studios Photo: Shaju John
Answers In maternity studios Photo: Shaju John

Couples taking counselling for marriage has been there forever. With globalisation, parenting also seems to have a manual. There is a wealth of information to be had from different sources. Now there are child birth educators and counsellors to take you through ante and post-natal classes. Motherhood studios have mushroomed in metros and parents are making a beeline for them.

Along with information, these studios offer yoga and Lamaze classes, access to fitness programs. Baby care includes information on massage, tips to put baby to sleep, calming an unsettled baby right from the first three months till the little one is around two years old.

Pointing to the changing scenario that leads parents to turn to professional help, Rakhi Kapoor who owns Dwi Studio says: “Nuclear families with both parents working, frequently lead to parenting issues as such and even in cases where the mother is a stay-at-home mom, the lack of support from family members leaves parents clueless as to how they to manage their children.”

Child psychologist, Mina Dilip says: “Parenting has undergone a sea change in the last few years. Our ancestors led simpler lives than we do. Our lifestyles have become sedentary and stress levels are soaring. As a result, more and more people seek professional advice to help them cope.”

Elders love to shower advice, but disagreements in parenting styles leave couples looking for other answers.

It is not just individuals who are trying to establish their hold in this high potential area. Even retail spaces sense an opportunity and have moved into baby care. Mahindra Retail Pvt. Ltd. with Mom’s Lounge offers information from pregnancy to post child birth and includes access to a child psychologist to deal with baby blues. Says it’s Business Head, child birth educator and pregnancy specialist, Anika Puri: “We have from the very start seen ourselves as providing a complete solution. We also provide free advice twice a week in the form of parenting forums in all our stores where our customer can access childbirth professionals and seek tips and advice.”

Today, motherhood and parenting has an entire market tailored around it. Becoming a mother today is seen as a phase that needs counselling, professional help and a stage that a woman can associate with herself and her baby.

Girls just wanna have fun!

Deccan Herald

Ever wondered if a new learning in your life could help you de-stress, make new friends and find a way to carve out some precious ‘me time’?

Young women in metros seem to be asking themselves this question and finding the answer in  hobby classes and workshops that promise loads of fun while helping them acquire a new skill and connect with other like-minded women.

Voice modulation classes, story-telling sessions and fitness workshops that incorporate dance, aerobics and zumba are becoming increasingly popular with women, be they busy working professionals or equally busy homemakers.

Kanchana Kathiresan, a social worker who recently wanted to enhance her skills at story telling, says: “Women are usually good at expressing themselves. Given the right training and the right opportunity, I discovered that many of us did  become adept story-tellers. We bonded very well as a group and by the end of the six-day course, we were sharing our deepest secrets with one another!”

M N Leela, property consultant and mother of a teenager, shares Kanchana’s opinion. “I found the story-telling course interesting more so because it brought out the child in me. Some participants were above fifty, yet their enthusiasm was so contagious that none of us had problems either discussing our fears or showing off our strong points whether in making puppets or telling tall tales! Obviously, the short-term course had much more to offer than just helping us acquire a new skill,” she says.

Does this mean that women, irrespective of age and income, are exploring new ways of reinventing themselves?

Jennifer Pinto, zumba co-ordinator in Bangalore, says: “A course like zumba can become a hobby class, a fitness routine or a life-changing experience.  It  generates plenty of positive energy as it combines intense dance-aerobics workouts with foot-tapping Latino music.”

Given the fact that such a form of fitness can be learnt even at home, watching DVDs there are many enthusiasts who want to join a group.

“It is definitely more fun  in a live class and in the company of other women,” adds Jennifer.

So happy are the women that odd timings of the class and the challenge of juggling their professional and domestic responsibilities are not seen as deterrents.

One reason could be that these courses act as a tonic in times of stress.

“When I am at place other than home or office and when I am doing what I love to do, I forget everything else and focus only on the task at hand. I enjoy being with other enthusiasts,” says one of the dance workshop participants who declined to be named.

Describing the classes she organises, Snigdha Kemkar, RJ and corporate trainer, says: “The only reason I think women come in as early as 6 am every day for the class is because they feel energised and happy after an hour’s dance and fitness session.”

Snigdha Patnaik, a medical transcriptionist, says: “Joining dancercise has made me look forward to more such sessions where the class turns out to be an opportunity to network, bond and have fun while being fit.”

Clearly, it doesn’t matter what age group you belong to or from what background you hail from. Innovative hobby classes are mushrooming in your neighbourhood to suit your lifestyle and your convenience, so have you signed up yet? Now, whoever said only men have all the fun?!

Twinkle-Toed Tots

The Hindu

Reality television has changed our perception of classical dance, writes RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA

In step With salsa, hip hop and Bollywood taking over, there are fewer takers for classical forms
In step With salsa, hip hop and Bollywood taking over, there are fewer takers for classical forms

When we hear the word ‘dance’ do we think of only hip hop, break dance, disco and bollywood dance or does classical dance have a place in our minds?

Well known Kuchipudi dancer, Vyjayanti Kashi, says: “With children and youngsters being exposed to a host of new stimuli, they are getting aware of many things. Unfortunately focus on art is lacking. Perhaps the lure of fame and money makes parents send children to learn those dance styles that are suited for reality shows rather than traditional dances.”

Does this mean reality shows drive the choice? “Parents today, not only from metros, but also smaller towns and cities want their children to be quick achievers, which reality shows promise. Unlike traditional art forms which is considered an inward journey. Fame is achieved here too but requires continuous effort, interest and patience,” Vyjayanti adds.

Another factor in the popularity of contemporary dance is Shiamak Davar’s dance classes, which are tailored to suit the modern lifestyles. Danseuse Vani Ganapathy offers some hope for traditional dance forms when she says, “Today corporates prefer to support traditional art forms. When foreign delegates visit our country, they would rather watch a classical performance rather than a Bollywood jig. Also, thankfully there are children who are serious about learning Indian classical art forms. The Bollywood influence cannot be ignored. Earlier heroines such as Hema Malini, Vyjanthimala and Rekha had a knowledge of classical dance unlike today’s heroines who do not have this knowledge and yet are poplar as dancing heroines.”

The perception that Bollywood-style dance is easy to learn may also be reason for children to opt for it. Most classical dance teachers are not against modern dancing styles but they do not want Gen X to forget their roots.

Rehana Firdous, a Kathak student in her late twenties says: “There is no need to hype traditional dance forms. Those who are genuinely interested will come to learn. I feel Kathak is an extension of one’s soul.”

When opinions vary on the appeal and popularity of classical dance forms some changes like the concept of entertainment can be redefined. Dance can be projected as being much more than Bollywood, disco or salsa.

This shift can be kicked off by taking youngsters to classical performance and once a classical performance is made accessible, it is only a matter of time before the cool quotient of classical dance zooms straight to the stratosphere.

Touch wood, and it’ll be fine

The Hindu

As much as we would like to believe we live in a scientific and rational age where reason triumphs, old superstitions always live on.

India’s gen next may be flaunting their tech-savvy global attitude. But existing covertly with that is a compelling need to conform to superstitious beliefs.

A cat crossing the path just before Aditya went out for his Math exam created in him an unwanted fear. He didn’t want to believe it, yet something told him his day would not be fine.

What is it about superstitions that we tend to hold on to them, despite seeking scientific explanations?

BE CAREFUL With the mirror, lest it break… and other such beliefs

Is it that we do not want to “risk” executing some important task without pandering to these beliefs, despite it being considered silly by others?

Or is it that we just want to follow these beliefs as there is no harm in doing so, if, eventually, something good comes of it?

Many adhere to them to avoid unpleasantness with elders, or because it has gradually been implanted in their minds, since they are young.

Personal experience

Sumithra T.V, a lecturer at BNMIT Computers says: “Others may find it strange. But, for me, it is a way of life. I strongly believe wearing certain colours like red, orange and pink benefit me more than other colours. Since I was young I have been told by my parents that these colours are good for me and somehow I have believed in them as I have found that good things happen whenever I wear them.”

Twenty-something Abhijit Sharma, a student of architecture, says: “Though I may not feel horrible when a cat crosses my path, certain things like handing over money with the right hand is somehow within me as that’s how I have learnt it from my parents. I have never bothered to question it as I think it is to show respect to something like money.”

He also points out that traditional superstitions might have had some reason associated with them, but down generations it might have got lost, with no formal documentation.

A practice such as not cutting nails at night may be embedded in the rationale that centuries ago there was not much light and one could get hurt.

“But unfortunately only the principle is passed and not the reason, hence we find these beliefs silly.”

Homemaker Girija Prasad says: “While I might laugh at others with silly superstitions, come to think of it, I do not like giving money to my house help on certain days as I have come to believe it will decrease my fortune! Now this might be a frivolous issue but by following it, I see no harm.”

Avoiding fear of the unknown

However, there are quite a number of youngsters who want to reject such beliefs to show that they are, after all, simply superstitions; false beliefs.

Suman Jadugar, an artiste, says: “I find many of my peers follow certain beliefs that they have inherited from their parents or something that has been on the circuit as ‘invented beliefs’. This may be because they have found out something good happening to them accidentally by adhering to certain practices. Yet the real reason they follow such ideas mindlessly is because they lack the confidence, and try to avoid fears.”

Acknowledging that superstitions can co-exist with modern ideas, today’s youth have no qualms in balancing the two thought processes.

While some may give in easily to these beliefs, there are those also who want to confront it on the basis of rationale.

RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA

Add to multi-tasking, foster friendships

Deccan Herald

Catching up with friends and being in touch with old pals is not a daunting task for women, if only they make the effort.

Whatever happened to your childhood friend, your best friend in school to whom you pledged ‘never to be apart?’ Those notes on friendship on chocolate wrappers, getting the same hairstyle done; for that matter looking at the same guy in the class and sharing secrets amidst giggles — do all these seem like distant memories?

Somehow, friendship links get cut off as a woman takes on different roles in life. Is it true that women find it harder to maintain long-term friendship with childhood and college mates than men?

Says Manasi Prasad, a Carnatic vocalist, “I agree that keeping in touch with childhood friends, for that matter even with current bunch of friends, is a tough task for women. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that we women have a lot more demands and expectations to meet in life. Men have more social avenues for interaction unlike women who have to think of a simple meeting with a friend as a planned occasion.”

Besides women, being multi-taskers, find little time for themselves or for socialising. “The life of a woman in terms of her college days, career, post-marriage and motherhood is very different, as compared with that of men. Yet if you want to keep in touch, you will find a way to do it,” she says.

Whether it is catching up over a smoke at a local adda or meeting at a rasta chaiwala, sharing a cup of chai, men do not really have to bother about the place where they are catching up with pals.

Nevertheless there are women who feel catching up with friends and being in touch with old ones is not a daunting task if one makes the effort.

According to Nisha Millet, director, Nisha Millet Swimming Academy, “I have always been at the pool, rather than at school, yet maintaining friendships with my best buddies has never been a problem. Whether it is with school friends or with swimming friends, being connected has always been part of my life.

We make it a point to catch up once in a while. I also personally feel social networking sites  are a great way of being in touch with each other, whether it is sharing pictures or just being in touch to say we are there for each other.”

If time management is the keyword in staying connected, this can be utilised in being in touch with friends in the same city or anywhere else in the world. While some agree that social networking sites like Facebook have brought them close to their oldest friends, there are others who feel if you want to be in touch you will somehow make way for it regardless of the use of modern aids.

Someone like Janet Supriya, a 22 year-old-call centre executive, says: “Men have the advantage of catching up at any point of time or any place unlike women where everything has to be planned meticulously. However, I do feel we can change this idea of making it like a one-off event and catch up with friends more often if we girls put in a bit of effort.”

Remembering each other’s birthdays,  making a point to gift little things or just dropping in at a friend’s place once in a while to ask how she is doing can help women stay connected. For that matter making a phone call once in a while to ask how your friend is doing and sharing whatever is happening in life does help in getting the feeling that friends are around when required.

With SMS, Internet, e-mail and social networking sites, women most definitely have the advantage of being connected with their oldest buddies. All one requires is to primarily have the desire to be connected and take an extra effort for ‘me-time.’

Use technology to stay in touch

  • Keep in touch over phone, email or meet up when your friend is in town.
  • Communicate with each other as often as possible. Make that call to show you remember her once in a while.
  • Send her a card or a bunch of flowers whenever there is an occasion like a birthday. It shows you care for her.
  • Be a good listener when your friend calls you. Listening makes one feel you are there for her when needed.
  • Use technological tools like social networking sites to be in touch.
  • If meeting outside at a specific venue is a problem try and work out meetings at each other’s homes at convenient timings.

Groove on the move

The Hindu

Everyone’s lost between two earplugs, in their own musical world on the cell phone, finds RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA

PLUGGED IN When on the move or listening to that hit number with friends

The way we listen to music has changed over centuries and with rapidly mobile lifestyles, music on the move is getting jazzier and snazzier. Newer and technologically advanced gadgets seem to evolve just overnight. Listening to music on iPods is one trend that has caught up with the middle class and upper middle class. But listening to music on the cell phone has no such class barriers.

Whether it is a teenager commuting by bus or a carpenter cycling by, a single woman walking alone on the road back from work or the dhobi who came home to pick up your clothes, they are all in a world lost between two earplugs. Listening to music on mobiles with ear plugs on is a ubiquitous phenomenon. Earplugs are the new best friends, who offer comforting and melodious company.

Part of everyday life

Says Abhijit Sharma, an architecture student: “Mobiles have become an indispensable part of many of us and that includes me too. The availability of music on mobiles is a boon for me as I listen to it at least two to three hours a day, especially when I am travelling — either riding my bike or driving my car.”

Getting addicted to music on the move is also an interesting phenomenon because it’s not just cut across class and economic barriers, but also across the age demographic. With mobiles getting more affordable by the day, tuning into FM stations on the mobile seems a more common use for the handset than to even make calls! Women, specially, somehow seem to find in their mobiles a constant and reliable companion when they are travelling alone in buses or walking down the road or for that matter waiting for someone at a coffee shop.

The mantra at work seems universal. Keep yourself engaged with some music, in the process relax, and what’s more, you don’t even disturb others!

Radio or play list

Mohammad Rafiq, a software engineer at Core Objects, says: “While I do know that listening to music on mobiles especially when riding a bike is dangerous, I have to admit that like may others even I indulge in this habit almost as part of my daily routine. Unlike a few others who may be listening to the radio, I enjoy listening to my own playlist that I create every week and it is easiest to listen to it on the mobile. Also the utility of mobiles in modern living has increased, with inbuilt camera, Internet access and music downloads. So instead of carrying too many bulky things around it is easier to carry one handy gadget.”

Talking about her preference for mobile phones for listening to music Akruti. H, a dental student, says: “I travel quite a distance from home to college. And to avoid either unnecessary gossip in the bus or any other distraction, listening to music on my cell phone is convenient and almost stress-free. It becomes ‘my time’.”

PLAY ON

The multifaceted cell phone is more often the DJ than a telephone

People tune into FM radio stations or create their own playlists on their personal walkman.

Drive-in shopping

The Hindu

petrol.jpgWhen you drive into a petrol station, you don’t just drive out with a full tank. There is coffee, burgers, flowers, jewellery and more to be bought, finds RESHMA KRISHANMURTHY SHARMA

Bite into that juicy burger as your car gets its share of fuel. Yes you read it right. Apart from filling fuel, Bangaloreans have slowly started accessing other services at many city fuel bunks. What was unimaginable a decade ago in India has become reality with fuel stations offering food, grocery, and even jewellery stores on their sites.

Shop for essentials, access ATMs, catch up with pals at a coffee joint, or munch on a burger, buy flowers or even diamonds. Obviously much has changed in the concept of a traditional petrol station. Non-fuel services are in demand as convenience takes centrestage.

Buy movie tickets too: Leveraging on existing space in fuel stations, companies are forging strategic alliances with various retailers; be it cafes or quick service restaurants.A.L Krishnan, Territory Manager, Retail, Bharat Petroleum, says: “We were the first to bring out the concept of allied retail businesses called ‘In & Out’ stores in our petrol stations. At select bunks, a customer can not only shop for daily needs but also use other services like booking railway or movie tickets. Now with outlets like Café Coffee Day or McDonalds, our customers will have more reasons to come over to our stations.”

“In addition, on highways, our Ghar Dhaba outlets at select petrol stations have offerings like restaurants, dormitory and grocery that are targeted at regular vehicle users and truckers” he added.

Talking about her experience on using non-fuel services at a city petrol station, interior designer, Vaishnavi P. says, “With time posing a major constraint, moving on to different locations to buy a few basic things for home becomes difficult. I like to finish a lot of my out-of-home chores at one place. Many a time, I combine the activity of withdrawing cash from ATM at my regular petrol bunk and fill fuel and this saves me an additional trip to the bank.”

Apart from utilising space strategically, fuel stations and alliance partners find support in the form of additional revenues through such services. With marketing gurus reiterating the fact that the customer is the king it has never been better for a vehicle user.

No dearth of takers: Amit Jatia, MD & JV partner McDonald’s India (West & South) says: “In today’s time customer convenience and service have become critical driving forces for any industry. With our partnership with Bharat Petroleum and HPCL at select stations in a few cities across southern and western India, we want to give consumers the option to enjoy our product offerings even when they are on the move. Also the response we have received at our quick service restaurants on Kasturba Road and in Channapatna has been encouraging”

Observer of marketing trends, author, CEO, brand-comm, Ramanujam Sridhar says: “Yes, this is a concept which is extremely popular in the east. However, more than cities, the idea has greater opportunities to succeed on highways as they have more time to shop.”

Whether we like to shop or eat at a petrol station or not, the concept is finding its patrons surely. So remember the next time your family coaxes you for that pending Sunday outing, save time and effort by just driving up to a chic petrol station that does a lot more than just care for your vehicle.

Bang for buck

Pick up your daily needs at a petrol bunk

Avoid traffic, save fuel; eat out at a drive in

Buy flowers or diamonds for your wife, there’s an ATM too, so no excuses

And yes, there’s petrol too!