Grumpy Old Man or Savvy Investor?

If you're looking for sound investment advice, you might want to consider looking into companies that manufacture or research the development of auditory aids. There is an ever-expanding cohort of young Indian professionals that will be requiring their services in the next fifteen to thirty years. Don't believe me? Head to the top floor of any mall in Gurgaon on a weekend and follow the music.

Saturday night we had the opportunity to attend a work celebration for one of the teams in Lindsay's group. There was nothing formal about the evening, it was really just a social gathering for the team to celebrate an accomplishment. We arrived fashionably early, or around fifteen minutes after the scheduled start time, and there were probably only ten or fifteen other people there. When we walked into the club, the DJ was already spinning ear-splitting remixes in a near empty atmosphere. Without people filling a confined space, loud music seems even more out of place to me. The fact that I walked into the party with a pre-existing headache certainly didn't help matters. Regardless, Lindsay and I didn't even attempt to talk. There was simply no point to verbal communication. As people arrived and the club started to fill, they invariably introduced themselves to the lone westerners. I dutifully shook their hand, smiled, nodded, and mouthed, "I'm John....yes, John....very nice to meet you", but I have no idea what their names are. Of course, as the club started to fill, the music didn't seem incrementally softer, so my "empty confined spaces are louder than full confined spaces" theory was quickly shot to the wind.

If you think I sound like a grumpy old man that can't believe those crazy kids would treat their future health with such ill regard, I again suggest you head to the to top floor of any mall in Gurgaon on a weekend, follow the music, stick around for a couple songs, and come back and read this post again. There's a greater difference between "decibel level at a typical concert" and "decibel level in an Indian night club" than there is between "decibel level of jet turbine" and "decibel level in an Indian night club".