Thin girls Vs full-figured damsels (part I)
Published December 9, 2011 | 
The argument continues! A snappy survey in Karma Kerala office was held in a bid to know whether men prefer slim or curvaceous female frames. In this interesting game, the men grouped themselves into two teams, supporting and opposing this cause!
Times have changed ; however men’s outlook about feminine beauty hasn’t. Well at least that is what the result of this game revealed ! A sizable number of men preferred a femme fatale with ample curves in lieu of a very lean or famished figure.
The men who prefer full bodied figurines have their own justifications to back their point.
- Let us start in the reverse chronological order and go back to the olden times. Most of the Indian goddesses flaunt a full figure to die for, the masterpieces of many classic painters like Ravi Varma portray voluptuous ladies and these wall frames are grabbed for a fortune in auction halls even today!
- The Indian movie industry, the largest of its type in the world often has been the harbinger of the latest trends. It had set off a frenzy by introducing many actresses who are bestowed with the most desirable figures. It is not by chance that a majority of well known Indian heroines like Madhuri Dixit, Kajol, Hema Malini , Sree vidya and Vidya Balan among many others are full bodied. The sensuous Shakeela whose mere screen presence could pump up heart beats of many men became a trend setter in Malayalam film industry, which in itself is a proof that men adore sensuality.
- The wedding snaps of the famous American actress, Kim Kardashian, well known for her sexy curves was sold for a staggering $1.5 Million, which shows that the curves are always in hot demand!
Let’s admit it, the genes in males are made to appreciate sensuous beauty.Smitten by their erotic charm, one of our Malayalam poets had even sang that gold and feminine beauty could give you a heart burn! 
Now coming back to the terra firma from epics and poems!
- When a man starts looking for a life partner, the first thing he insists is that the prospective bride should be full figured and not very lean. Whether you like it or not, even the TV ads of body enhancing tonics blare out that lean girls are NOT in demand in matrimonial circuits!
- Often well built body types are associated with fertility , health and sex appeal. After all who doesn’t want his wife to be a crowd puller in a gathering?
- Most of the Indian dresses are designed to accentuate the curves of a full feminine frame. The typical Kerala attire of set mundu is best carried off by full bodied females; and very often lean frames look miserable in most of the Indian costumes (Men say they will look like “ a stick dressed in a cloth ” ).
- Most men even have the opinion that if a lady has to wear traditional heavy jewelery, she should have a healthy body.
- These men unanimously say, if they have to balance the weight while travelling on a bike, a full figured wife is a must
Or else, if a strong wind wipes past, chances are that she might fly off and the rider can lose control. - Last but not the least , all men who support healthy , full bodied females say in chorus that only such girls can discharge their domestic chores easily and can be perfect home makers!
When the stories of cat walking skinny girls who collapsed on the ramp are going viral in the media, don’t you think that these men do have a strong point to their credit?
Men in Kerala ranks first in opting for cosmetic surgeries
Published October 21, 2011 | 
Though there is a misconception that it is just the women who are obsessed with perfect looks, this piece of information that the men who resort to cosmetic surgeries in Kerala far outnumber the women would come as a surprise! The number of men in Kerala who opt for cosmetic procedures is higher than the national average and that in other states of India!
From hair transplant to tummy tuck and nose job, men seem to have no qualms in paying through their nose to get that perfect look that they wish to have. The cost of the cosmetic correction might vary depending on the time and other parameters. On an average, a botox shot to smooth the wrinkles might leave you poorer by 14000 Rs whereas major procedures like rhinoplasty is priced at 30,000 Rs and a hair fixing session comes with a cost of 50,000 Rs or more.
Many hospitals in Kochi like Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Lake shore hospital and Specialist hospital see a steady stream of men who die for a perfect look. Hospitals register an average of seven new patients every month, which is a proof of the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures in Kerala. The best part is that in Kochi, not only the well heeled and the affluent opt for these surgical corrections but men from all social strata approach the hospitals. It is startling to note that the number of men who do cosmetic surgeries in Kerala is even higher than in metro cities like Mumbai, which is considered as a hub of fashion and glamour!
A good percentage of men who opt for cosmetic surgeries fall under the age group of 20-35. The increasing acceptability and awareness of these procedures among men could be one of the reasons for the boom in demand. Most men are quite eager to avail these quick fix procedures and to have a perfect look. The best thing is that these options are available right at their door steps now unlike the earlier days when it was not popular in Kerala. No matter whether beauty is skin deep or not, the men in Kerala are leaving nothing to chance as they feel that they are judged by the way they look and not by what they are!
The shout out at Karma Kerala!
Published October 14, 2011 | 
A shouting competition- In all probability, you might not have heard anything like this before in Kerala!! The brain child of Sholto, our boss from the UK, who wanted to try it out as a small experiment to find out why Kerala ladies almost always talk in muffled tones, this interesting shout out competition was held in our office at Karma Kerala. The ladies and the gents teams were drawn up and everything was well set for a high decibel shout and screech. The winning team would have been the one that made the maximum sound.
Obviously the all girls team of 17 was not a match for the men’s team and the ladies were clearly outclassed in the first round of the shouting competition. In the second round in a hotly fought contest 15 ladies shouted their lungs out as loud as they could against a truncated men’s team of just 5 and even then, the men won by a clear edge. When a combined round of both men and women was done, the sound tapered as it reached the female side. In this melee, a few anxious faces did came out from the adjacent buildings to see what it was all about.
At the end of it all, it was concluded that the women in Kerala have chosen to be soft spoken and quiet due to an array of social and cultural factors when they are outside the comfort zones of their homes. However, I feel that to measure the real power of the female vocal chords, one might have to step into their homes unexpectedly when all the male voices of the house will be drowned in the clamor of the females:). Share your views on this interesting topic !
Kerala brides – grooms come calling from far-off lands
Published January 12, 2010 | I read this great article in Economic Times about Malayali women and how they could soon be getting “bride money” instead of giving dowry. How can this happen you may wonder, but this was an article in the Economic Times, so money has to play a part right? And so it does…
Kerala women to men ratio has always been amazing when you compare to the rest of India. It is 1058 women to every 1000 men in our little state and I did the Whoop Whoop for women power after reading this! This figure is in stark contrast to other states that grapple with the effects of female infanticide and abortions. It’s all finally catching up in states like Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan and they are now turning to Kerala women for brides.
Women of Kerala have lots of great traits, they are educated, good with languages and are known for their adaptability. Payyanur in North Kerala has married away quite a few of its daughters to far off Punjab and Haryana and the ladies have reported that they are very happy with their husbands and the in-laws.
But, now there are more grooms on the horizon according to the ET article from far-off China no less! In the next 10 years, 24 million Chinese would find it difficult to find a bride all thanks to gender specific abortions there.
From Chinese fishing nets to Communism, common grounds aplenty in this Kerala-China marriage situation. And if hefty sums for brides come calling the adaptable Malayali is sure to think of the economics of it all and at the same time make sure his daughter is married off well. You see finally it is all the economics and fewer local men available! Interesting, right?