what's with the fascination with white mirror-like marble floors? wikipedia says it was earlier used in tombs, temples, and palaces. but is now increasingly used in homes. improving living standards?! but even if purchasing power has improved, why marble? why stone at all? wooden paneling is softer on the feet, but of course you cannot continue the inheritance of 'pochha' on that. ok, expensive stone. why white? so every strand of hair sits proudly in contrast, annoying and challenging all cleaning efforts. I suspect it is both to do with wanting one's home be like the Taj Mahal, and wanting to set it apart from the ubiquitous brown dirt outside. if only we all cleaned our homes ourselves, at least regularly, even if infrequently. we wouldn't tolerate dirty streets and towns and cities. but most people don't see the continuity there. they prefer living in a sparkling stone palace, to maintain which, a small army of other unfortunate people are hired, to collect all incoming dirt and to throw it back out.