New Breakfast Trends

Eating out has really caught on in India in the last decade. Visits to restaurants for lunches and dinners are fairly common and occur on a weekly basis. We have imbibed a lot from the west and the most recent addition is 'breakfast at the cafe'.

A typical day for any Indian would begin with a cup of chai and Times of India accompanying his breakfast. Now the breakfast varies depending on which part of the country he is from. Parathas in the north, idlis in the south and poha in the west are the conventional choices (of course there are plenty of options and egg remains the universal choice). The reason I am talking about this, is because there is a new trend of having breakfast at the cafe. McDonalds has launched a new breakfast menu across few cities. Costa coffee and Barista already have the breakfast option.

What this means is that there is a significant number of people willing to have their breakfast outside home every morning. We have moved from traditional fare to cereals and now breakfast on the go. I would attribute this change to the effect of western sitcoms. Its not a question good or bad, these guys have identified a growing trend and are capitalizing on it. It makes the food industry more interesting now.

Now its Gold

Gold the ethereal shiny metal has been in the spotlight of late. We Indians have a fairly complex equation with gold. In the Western world it is viewed just as any other asset.In India it has a lot of symbolic value, parents gift their daughters on their wedding day. Gold remains the most popular gift on Diwali. In essence, gold is not traded frequently and mostly owned in physical form.

There has been a shift in recent years. Securitazion of gold has made it more accessible and to some extent reduced its elusiveness. Gold exchange traded funds (ETF's) allows you to own gold without physically owning it. Gold is now a financial asset which is traded on an exchange along with its derivative products like futures etc..

The real estate bubble burst and the equity markets collapsed in 2008. Oil witnessed a three fold increase in price but has now collapsed to reality. During this entire period gold has been quietly rising. Now when you compare returns across asset classes gold has outperformed. Now a lot of money is chasing gold, the quintessential safe haven.

I am no expert, but I can identify euphoria. The gold rush seems to be reaching the crescendo of madness, what with all the small players wanting a piece of the action. I see the headline of newspaper in the future reading, "Now its gold.....

The graph above is very interesting. The price from 1978-80 went from $200 to $820. The nature of the current incline seems to be following a similar trajectory.

Beach

I walk on the sand, with no one around me,
only my footprints follow me.

I wonder where my destination is,
as I watch the sun come out of its cover.
Illuminating this dark world.

The beach is empty, the waves are my only companions.

I venture into the water, not too deep though.
A wave hits me and I am back on the sand.
The journey is easier here, no challenges, no hardships.

The beach is filled with people now, the sun fully out.
I look behind me and realize that my footprints have disappeared.

Few people head for the water, the rest throng the sands.
I wake up to the fact;
the water is where I should venture.