Go bananas ~ the cost of the fruit !!

Robusta, Dwarf Cavendish, Rasthali, Poovan, Nendran, Karpooravalli, Monthan, Virupakshi, Sirumalai, Manoranjitham , Kathali ……. – simple – varieties of banana, that delicious fruit.   Then there is the ‘green banana’ – in one way green is unripe …having starchy texture and inedible – but green banana is a variety – generally big in size …… modern technology is supplying that yellow banana in green (confusing !) –  Banana, that delicious fruit is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa ~ interestingly, bananas do not grow from a seed but from a bulb or rizhome. 

Big burly fast bowlers require energy and they have health diets ! ~ an interesting story of Australian Quickie Peter Siddle who upon getting engaged to  Anna Weatherlake, turned Vegan. .. .. his staple diet became bananas !

Most of us relish food – sure you would have noticed that in luxury hotels, the food cost and the cost of beverages is surprisingly high .. .. but then we are used to dosa at Saravana bhavan being much costlier than other ordinary hotel !  - there was some fuss when  Rahul Bose who is currently shooting in Chandigarh and is staying at the JW Marriott, took to Twitter to share a video and wrote, “You have to see this to believe it.

Down under, competition for Ashes selection is heating up among Australia’s fast bowlers, with Jackson Bird, Peter Siddle and Michael Neser all making strong cases on day one of an intra-squad match. While Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson are all guaranteed to be picked in Australia’s squad for the five-Test series against England, the fifth-seamer’s spot remains firmly up for grabs.  With a charging run-up, powerful delivery, worrying bounce and elongated appeal, Peter Siddle was a reassuringly consistent presence in Australia's Test attack and is part of Australia's illustrious 200-Test wickets club.

I live on a plant-based diet now,” said Siddle. “My partner has been a vegetarian and vegan all her life. I have had a few niggles through my career and I have done a bit of research on different ways of approaching my game and that is the lifestyle I have worked out now. It is working. I am feeling fit and strong. It can vary anything between 15-20 bananas a day. Obviously it is a fruit-based diet and a lot of vegetables. It keeps my healthy, it keeps me strong and that is what is working at the moment.” 

Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner and Excise and Taxation Commissioner Mandip Singh Brar on Wednesday ordered a high-level investigation into an “illegal and exorbitant charge of GST” by Hotel JW Marriott on two fresh bananas, for which actor Rahul Bose was given a bill of Rs 442.50. On Sunday, Bose had posted a video on Twitter expressing shock at being charged Rs.442.50 for two bananas at the high-end hotel, located in Sector 35.

Attempts were made to contact JW Marriott officials, but to no avail. After calls to the communication manager went unanswered, their PR agency was asked for the hotel’s version, but they did not respond. The AETC has also been directed to inquire whether or not the hotel was depositing GST on other chargeable items with the excise and taxation department.

Ajay Jagga, who has authored two books on GST, told Newsline, “Fresh fruits and vegetables are not chargeable under GST. Offering two bananas in the garb of a fruit platter and charging exorbitant GST is also a matter to investigate under the Consumer Protection Act. If it would have been a proper fruit platter, even then they are authorised to charge only 5 per cent GST and not 18 per cent as was done in this case.”

n the 38-second video, Bose says, “So I am shooting in Chandigarh and I am staying at this beautiful suite at JW Marriott where they give you all these elegant freebies like these chocolate cookies…god knows how much these beautiful flowers must have cost…but get this…I was in the gym and I asked for two bananas…and check the bill out.” According to the bill shown in the video, the actor was charged for a ‘fruit platter’.  Till Wednesday night, Bose’s tweet had been retweeted 1,500 times and 1,200 users had replied to it.

‘Go bananas’ – is an idiom – which means – to become  irrational or crazy.

Interesting !

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

25^th July 2019.