Have been thinking of breaking the silence here and cannot believe this is what does it!
Bet they don't have any plans to setup in India...
Friday, August 23, 2013
Thursday, July 15, 2010
why i love Jewel-Osco
a recent incident at Jewel-Osco that would make mr. stein wish he had more of us around to just up the common sense ante
decided that all i wanted was a body wash - one does find these things handy ever so often eh? so off i go to JO to get one. it says $5.79 but with the JO loyalty card its for $3.99. rummy. unfortunately the thingamajig at the cashier's does not know the store manager is selling this for a discount. the cashier concurs what the computer insists i ought to pay for it - $5.79.
me: but its a sale item. it says on the shelf (50 feet away) that its for $3.99
salesman: well, my computer says $5.79
me: can you have someone check the shelf?
s: (punches into the help phone and then a long pause)
me: well?
s: system still says $5.79
me: (so all you did was... eh what?)
s: since i do not see the sale price here, you can take this for free
me: eh!?
s: yeah, its free
me: but am telling you its $3.99. and i am paying you $3.99 for this one! just go and check the shelf (hasn't moved, still a 50 feet away)
s: sorry, can't do that. if you want it, you have to take it for free
me: hmm... thanks then :)
my goal at JO - find sale items that their system doesn't know of :)
decided that all i wanted was a body wash - one does find these things handy ever so often eh? so off i go to JO to get one. it says $5.79 but with the JO loyalty card its for $3.99. rummy. unfortunately the thingamajig at the cashier's does not know the store manager is selling this for a discount. the cashier concurs what the computer insists i ought to pay for it - $5.79.
me: but its a sale item. it says on the shelf (50 feet away) that its for $3.99
salesman: well, my computer says $5.79
me: can you have someone check the shelf?
s: (punches into the help phone and then a long pause)
me: well?
s: system still says $5.79
me: (so all you did was... eh what?)
s: since i do not see the sale price here, you can take this for free
me: eh!?
s: yeah, its free
me: but am telling you its $3.99. and i am paying you $3.99 for this one! just go and check the shelf (hasn't moved, still a 50 feet away)
s: sorry, can't do that. if you want it, you have to take it for free
me: hmm... thanks then :)
my goal at JO - find sale items that their system doesn't know of :)
Monday, April 12, 2010
quirky reporting
came across this article on NDTV.com about another fire in Bangalore. What's more interesting here is the way Madam Vasanthi recollects the Carlton Tower fire episode - "Some of them had jumped in panic from the top floors of the commercial building and did not survive the fall." Hmmm. Wonder why they didn't make it.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Oops!
so it seems someone was chasing ms. nooriya and she panicked. both case and reaction bought. and one would be compelled to believe that the prospect of a police jeep presenting itself under such cases would be, at best a welcome sight? and given the plight one would also eagerly look forward to a tete`-a-tete´ with the law? she was probably told, if you run into a cop, he will help you. but did she have to take that advice to the T!? even a sloth would, given the requisite hours to mull over the thought, agree that wouldn't be the best way to get their attention. well, it did get their attention but i would wager, in not a pleasant fashion. am sure however, whoever was chasing her, no longer was.
would like to know if mr. khan would come to help this damsel in distress. he's been there, done that and all that huh?
would like to know if mr. khan would come to help this damsel in distress. he's been there, done that and all that huh?
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
why?
now our prez made history today by flying a Sukhoi sortie. great. way to go gramma! this should go down as a feather in a seemingly bald cap, claiming a few firsts. but this brings me to an all important question.
why?
a childhood fantasy? or an item from 100-things-to-do-before-i-die? scores of able-bodied aspiring soldiers would give an arm and a leg to get into that coveted chair and gramma gets to do it? sophisticated and technically advanced it seems. does she know the difference?
one can only imagine the amount of prep work the air base would've done to get this lady into the plane, off the ground and back. did someone mention budgetary constraints?
and why a Sukhoi? why not a MIG?
why?
a childhood fantasy? or an item from 100-things-to-do-before-i-die? scores of able-bodied aspiring soldiers would give an arm and a leg to get into that coveted chair and gramma gets to do it? sophisticated and technically advanced it seems. does she know the difference?
one can only imagine the amount of prep work the air base would've done to get this lady into the plane, off the ground and back. did someone mention budgetary constraints?
and why a Sukhoi? why not a MIG?
Friday, October 30, 2009
Droppings of a Fall
reminds me of the doings of a disgruntled indian wedding decorator let loose on a car
well, at least it got me driving her in for a long overdue wash :)
Friday, February 13, 2009
working with microsoft...
you lookup their help for a forgotten .pst password
Help topic: I forgot my Personal Folders file (.pst) password
Problem resolution: ...Try to remember...
Help topic: I forgot my Personal Folders file (.pst) password
Problem resolution: ...Try to remember...
Friday, September 05, 2008
next gen
what image would you build in your mind when you think about people like mamooty or dr. m. balamurali krishna? veterans? from the times before you made it to diapers?
well, exactly my thoughts and beats me to no end when i see hoardings with them on south indian bank ads that says "experience next generation banking"
is it a case of misplaced perceptions or their attempt to prove a point with reverse psychology?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
wha..?
fire drill at work this evening. drill instructor cautions the crowd on gas leakages...
"gas does not go up. it goes down. so if you want to smell gas, you should go to the bottom..."
"gas does not go up. it goes down. so if you want to smell gas, you should go to the bottom..."
Friday, May 02, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
and now this...
those were the days when we joked about signs outside IT companies, "trespassers will be recruited", now we've taken recruitment to a whole new level. nothing could quite get as desperate as this. nothing yet. much like a huge trawler slowly making its way through the deep seas. most of what is caught are fresh fish but then also snared are unsuspecting dolphins and seals.
where do we go next? hand out pamphlets and ask them to read it aloud? hold an accent mimcry contest (yeah, its called neutralization in some parts of the world) and hand out employment forms (with first pay check) as prizes? something tells me this is a mere warm-up session.
where do we go next? hand out pamphlets and ask them to read it aloud? hold an accent mimcry contest (yeah, its called neutralization in some parts of the world) and hand out employment forms (with first pay check) as prizes? something tells me this is a mere warm-up session.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
नानो!
The Nano was unveiled today in India and has been creating tidal waves across the globe. reactions range from admiration to sarcasm laced jealousy. Tata Motors has received it all.
a little background about this car to crank us up a bit... its been called (cliched) the 'People's Car' - VW must've let out a yawn too many already. but then, VW has come a long way now and with its customers acting pricey, so have its cars. but then, thats what the nano is for... the masses who care two hoots to exclusivity and frills - just the basics. a set of wheels for the light-pocketed middle class family of 3/4. one would rather risk their lives balancing themselves on a 2-wheeler than be fleeced by the autorickshaws or minced in the city bus. its really that simple. get them onto something relatively safer. replace the bike with a car. if you look at it, thats one mean feat to achieve. safety, efficiency and mobility in a $2500 package.
but not all look at it that way. the New York Times blogsite writes a rather harmless article but the readers' comments make it interesting. ranging from an overly swollen sense of desi pride to cribs of accelerated global warming and substandard products.
i think its time we cleared some smoke here. mostly by americans or supporters of the american auto industry, they are only quick to pass judgements that a cheaper car meant drop in quality and safety standards - a family casket on wheels, throwing caution to the wind. that would be akin to buying a cheap airticket and expect to be air-dropped from a coast-to-coast airline. wonder why no one has thought of that yet... real cheap tickets. as a bonus, keep the parachute! a cheaper car means a more polluting vehicle. little do people know that BS II had more stringent norms than that of euro 3, now BS III is at par with euro 4 norms and the Nano conforms to both. excessive pollution eh? more than the sputtering 2-wheeler it intends to replace?
and of all the people, the americans complain about this cheap car will only add to the congestion and pollution on the roads - more hazardous emissions, faster global warming. and they feel thanks to all this happening in the developing countries, the "poor" souls in developed countries have to pay higher taxes, environment protection fees and the like to offset this avalanche! now i am all for the butterfly effect and all that, but isnt this theory a little too far fetched? for a country holding a report card like this i must say, some cheek! 5% of the global population contributing to 45% of global vehicular pollution. did i hear someone talk about rising pollution in the east?
for someone who would rather travel cross-country in a 20mpg car burning 15 gallons of fuel than be caught dead in a 50mpg car, should i refer you some books on commonsense? or math rather? take your pick sir. those who inherently travel alone to work are now waking up from their deep slumber to notice rising gas prices. carpool is still an alien concept. and somehow asking their colleagues living in the same neighbourhood doesnt occur to them. they need a 1-800 number to share-a-ride! throw in a dedicated carpool lane to indulge them. never have i seen a populace been so enticed to exhibit common sense!
let not our desi readers be given a clean chit either. one of us gets rather creative in his views... a passionate gujju he comes across clarifies the etymology for the Nano. its got nothing to do with apple's namesake - its नानो which is gujarati for "small" :) and there is this other lady who would rather have Mr. Tata do something for the environment now that he already has done it for humankind. whats wrong with you starting the movement lady? dont see any point in starting the movement yourself? some say a mass transport system is what the world needs and not a cheaper car to add to the clamour. point taken and agreed it adds to the clamour, but it also gets that many 2-wheelers off the road. there's only so much space a car could squeeze into that 2/3 bikes would've otherwise!
a little background about this car to crank us up a bit... its been called (cliched) the 'People's Car' - VW must've let out a yawn too many already. but then, VW has come a long way now and with its customers acting pricey, so have its cars. but then, thats what the nano is for... the masses who care two hoots to exclusivity and frills - just the basics. a set of wheels for the light-pocketed middle class family of 3/4. one would rather risk their lives balancing themselves on a 2-wheeler than be fleeced by the autorickshaws or minced in the city bus. its really that simple. get them onto something relatively safer. replace the bike with a car. if you look at it, thats one mean feat to achieve. safety, efficiency and mobility in a $2500 package.
but not all look at it that way. the New York Times blogsite writes a rather harmless article but the readers' comments make it interesting. ranging from an overly swollen sense of desi pride to cribs of accelerated global warming and substandard products.
i think its time we cleared some smoke here. mostly by americans or supporters of the american auto industry, they are only quick to pass judgements that a cheaper car meant drop in quality and safety standards - a family casket on wheels, throwing caution to the wind. that would be akin to buying a cheap airticket and expect to be air-dropped from a coast-to-coast airline. wonder why no one has thought of that yet... real cheap tickets. as a bonus, keep the parachute! a cheaper car means a more polluting vehicle. little do people know that BS II had more stringent norms than that of euro 3, now BS III is at par with euro 4 norms and the Nano conforms to both. excessive pollution eh? more than the sputtering 2-wheeler it intends to replace?
and of all the people, the americans complain about this cheap car will only add to the congestion and pollution on the roads - more hazardous emissions, faster global warming. and they feel thanks to all this happening in the developing countries, the "poor" souls in developed countries have to pay higher taxes, environment protection fees and the like to offset this avalanche! now i am all for the butterfly effect and all that, but isnt this theory a little too far fetched? for a country holding a report card like this i must say, some cheek! 5% of the global population contributing to 45% of global vehicular pollution. did i hear someone talk about rising pollution in the east?
for someone who would rather travel cross-country in a 20mpg car burning 15 gallons of fuel than be caught dead in a 50mpg car, should i refer you some books on commonsense? or math rather? take your pick sir. those who inherently travel alone to work are now waking up from their deep slumber to notice rising gas prices. carpool is still an alien concept. and somehow asking their colleagues living in the same neighbourhood doesnt occur to them. they need a 1-800 number to share-a-ride! throw in a dedicated carpool lane to indulge them. never have i seen a populace been so enticed to exhibit common sense!
let not our desi readers be given a clean chit either. one of us gets rather creative in his views... a passionate gujju he comes across clarifies the etymology for the Nano. its got nothing to do with apple's namesake - its नानो which is gujarati for "small" :) and there is this other lady who would rather have Mr. Tata do something for the environment now that he already has done it for humankind. whats wrong with you starting the movement lady? dont see any point in starting the movement yourself? some say a mass transport system is what the world needs and not a cheaper car to add to the clamour. point taken and agreed it adds to the clamour, but it also gets that many 2-wheelers off the road. there's only so much space a car could squeeze into that 2/3 bikes would've otherwise!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
to scrap all your friends at once... click here
to my fellow "orkutters" who were on the receiving end of these software bots on orkut, let lose on them by friends/acquaintances/remotely distant contacts/products of forced amnesia.
wishing on an occasion couldnt get any more impersonal. paper cards gave way to ecards. people said if you cant sign it how is it personal? turn in your graves purists! mass scraping is here. so you now are greeted by blokes from school whom you wished you never met ever again in their lifetime (but accept their "friend invite" just to be polite). pleasantly surprised to hear from them? yeah, right!
so you pick one of these codes put in your greetings and lo & behold! you just sent your wishes to everyone. including the ones you didnt know existed on your list. as dubya would say, "which is a good thing!" you are spreading smiles across the world (under breaths of frustrated groans) but thats so impersonal. and bots, as they are meant to be, become more intelligent (but smarter? naah. they have limits you see) they now pick your first name and you have a "personalised" greeting. what does it make of those who use nicknames or for someone like AFKAP? ;)
Seasons' Greetings everyone!
wishing on an occasion couldnt get any more impersonal. paper cards gave way to ecards. people said if you cant sign it how is it personal? turn in your graves purists! mass scraping is here. so you now are greeted by blokes from school whom you wished you never met ever again in their lifetime (but accept their "friend invite" just to be polite). pleasantly surprised to hear from them? yeah, right!
so you pick one of these codes put in your greetings and lo & behold! you just sent your wishes to everyone. including the ones you didnt know existed on your list. as dubya would say, "which is a good thing!" you are spreading smiles across the world (under breaths of frustrated groans) but thats so impersonal. and bots, as they are meant to be, become more intelligent (but smarter? naah. they have limits you see) they now pick your first name and you have a "personalised" greeting. what does it make of those who use nicknames or for someone like AFKAP? ;)
Seasons' Greetings everyone!
Friday, December 14, 2007
whereabouts?
v ordered a GPS online. it was to reach him in 2 weeks. its close to 4 now. guess its lost its way...
Thursday, November 15, 2007
中国!
yup, pretty much all of that land is considered forbidden by most of us... from straight-jacket government policies to the language and the food... very much an enigma for society at large. and anyone who's been there (and survived to tell the tale... :P - sorry couldnt resist that)... is looked at with awe and disbelief. and if you are a vegetarian, there are questions of whether you have finally decided to graduate along the food-chain (more of a PhD at that!)
so there i was, a short hop & jump trip to the land of the dragon... part aware, part enamoured but largely amused :) its like an ancient conspiracy... a project in mass cloning. every one of them just like the one who just passed you by! met l (almost all of them have an english name along with their chinese name) on the evening of our arrival and after the preliminary intros decided to catch up the following day over breakfast. quite unsuspecting, i would be damned if i could spot him the following morning! totally lost as i stood there in the restaurant amidst a sea of clones... saving grace - had he not walked up to me, i would have spent the rest of the day playing dumb charades with the hotel staff...
i must confess, just visiting ShenZhen makes for a very skewed fraction of the country. but thats been by window. an extremely young city that could easily pass of as an average american city... wide roads, american cars, swanky metro rails, buildings shooting into the sky... they say the place has grown from the prosperity of Hong Kong nearby. and with one humongous port to boot, things only got better. but what keeps it from being like any other american city? he he heee... :)
three things. they get those right and nothing could probably stop them. language, language and language. these people couldnt speak english to save their lives... yes, our interaction was with those in the MNCs and they knew english (they had to!) but that doesnt make all of china... a walk down the street and you will find the stores playing ONLY english hits. abba and their remixed derivatives seem to have taken their fancy around here. albeit, not one soul will talk to you in english. you could blabber and mime into eternity and they would keep smiling and noding at you like a hit-me doll... s & i eventually resorted to conversing with them in tamil & hindi. heck! it would sound just as strange as english!
and oh boy, those that do manage to speak a bit leave you astounded to say the least... we ask for directions to a shopping plaza supposedly nearby and lady staff in the 5-star hotel (yeah stayed in one of them! :P) says we need to just walk down the road and its right there. unsure, we confirm if a cab or bus would be more suitable and she rather animatedly, with all five fingers pointing to the pavement below, says "no! nooooo! yu wok on zis gvaund. ok." well, at least someone takes crouching tiger seriously!
and that was only the beginning of an adventure... entered a plaza that would remind me of mumbai's heera-panna or chennai's spencer plaza... bargain to your heart's content here folks. and you can do that rather successfully without a word exchanged... all with the help of the handy calculator. store guy punches in his quote and you need to respond accordingly :) and thats how it goes... right down to the basics there - conning ability against perceived value/cheap buys.
s & i eventually managed to get some cheap stuff (with a bit of help from l) - a shuffle lookalike... 2GB for INR450 equivalent (it was fine at the store, but now it only prefers mono) and an 8GB "SONY" flash drive for INR500 equivalent (it was fine at the store, but now its a black hole - files only get copied onto it) i am now left with a USB charger that i dare not plug any of my gadgets into!
so there i was, a short hop & jump trip to the land of the dragon... part aware, part enamoured but largely amused :) its like an ancient conspiracy... a project in mass cloning. every one of them just like the one who just passed you by! met l (almost all of them have an english name along with their chinese name) on the evening of our arrival and after the preliminary intros decided to catch up the following day over breakfast. quite unsuspecting, i would be damned if i could spot him the following morning! totally lost as i stood there in the restaurant amidst a sea of clones... saving grace - had he not walked up to me, i would have spent the rest of the day playing dumb charades with the hotel staff...
i must confess, just visiting ShenZhen makes for a very skewed fraction of the country. but thats been by window. an extremely young city that could easily pass of as an average american city... wide roads, american cars, swanky metro rails, buildings shooting into the sky... they say the place has grown from the prosperity of Hong Kong nearby. and with one humongous port to boot, things only got better. but what keeps it from being like any other american city? he he heee... :)
three things. they get those right and nothing could probably stop them. language, language and language. these people couldnt speak english to save their lives... yes, our interaction was with those in the MNCs and they knew english (they had to!) but that doesnt make all of china... a walk down the street and you will find the stores playing ONLY english hits. abba and their remixed derivatives seem to have taken their fancy around here. albeit, not one soul will talk to you in english. you could blabber and mime into eternity and they would keep smiling and noding at you like a hit-me doll... s & i eventually resorted to conversing with them in tamil & hindi. heck! it would sound just as strange as english!
and oh boy, those that do manage to speak a bit leave you astounded to say the least... we ask for directions to a shopping plaza supposedly nearby and lady staff in the 5-star hotel (yeah stayed in one of them! :P) says we need to just walk down the road and its right there. unsure, we confirm if a cab or bus would be more suitable and she rather animatedly, with all five fingers pointing to the pavement below, says "no! nooooo! yu wok on zis gvaund. ok." well, at least someone takes crouching tiger seriously!
and that was only the beginning of an adventure... entered a plaza that would remind me of mumbai's heera-panna or chennai's spencer plaza... bargain to your heart's content here folks. and you can do that rather successfully without a word exchanged... all with the help of the handy calculator. store guy punches in his quote and you need to respond accordingly :) and thats how it goes... right down to the basics there - conning ability against perceived value/cheap buys.
s & i eventually managed to get some cheap stuff (with a bit of help from l) - a shuffle lookalike... 2GB for INR450 equivalent (it was fine at the store, but now it only prefers mono) and an 8GB "SONY" flash drive for INR500 equivalent (it was fine at the store, but now its a black hole - files only get copied onto it) i am now left with a USB charger that i dare not plug any of my gadgets into!
Monday, November 05, 2007
sigh!
people. yes, interesting as ever :) and the chennai-singapore sector has presented itself with quite a few fables... was privy to couple of them this time around.
lone traveller lady (A) steps in with a tiny bag i could bet fell in the check-in category. purely for weight. struggles to get it into the bin above, doesnt quite make the cut and gives me the why-the-hell-cant-you-just-lift-it-and-put-it-up-there look. as i offer to do the honours i am thanked with a glare for keeping her from her window seat. lesson - if you have an aisle seat, never board the plane when your seat is called. murphy has a law for this where the middle and window sitters always drop in later. and there are those who think cabin baggage is just another opportunity to carry more luggage...
group member (B) separated from his tribe across the aisle and has the misfortune (mine actually) of being handed the middle seat. i was already kicking myself for having chosen the aisle... yup, i asked for it. passengers are just about getting cozy in their seats as our man calls for "one coffee and biscuits". at least say please dude!
now A & B start chatting up (they happen to speak the same language) and find delight in conversing over their blaring headphones... inqusitive looks from seats around seem to put them at discomfort and they now decide to remove their headphones and converse over others' headphones :) this over healthy gulps of beer by B (to the point of refusal by the crew) makes for interesting travel company :P
and as we finally make it to singapore and our way out, shift focus to the remainder of the tribe... you know, singapore airlines does a pretty neat job of keeping its flyers happy. but theres that feeling of grass being greener on the other side. here's where our (economy-class) tribe eyes the first-class goodie-bag. its a tragic scene... but cant miss the eye. tribesman eagerly scans every seat of the premium zone, spots one (mind you, discarded by one of the passengers) and quickly grabs hold of it. not sure if the crew spotted him pocket the spoils of his war (am sure he is a socialist - or robinhood deep inside), if they did, they feign ignorance and hold their natural warm smile...
sigh!
lone traveller lady (A) steps in with a tiny bag i could bet fell in the check-in category. purely for weight. struggles to get it into the bin above, doesnt quite make the cut and gives me the why-the-hell-cant-you-just-lift-it-and-put-it-up-there look. as i offer to do the honours i am thanked with a glare for keeping her from her window seat. lesson - if you have an aisle seat, never board the plane when your seat is called. murphy has a law for this where the middle and window sitters always drop in later. and there are those who think cabin baggage is just another opportunity to carry more luggage...
group member (B) separated from his tribe across the aisle and has the misfortune (mine actually) of being handed the middle seat. i was already kicking myself for having chosen the aisle... yup, i asked for it. passengers are just about getting cozy in their seats as our man calls for "one coffee and biscuits". at least say please dude!
now A & B start chatting up (they happen to speak the same language) and find delight in conversing over their blaring headphones... inqusitive looks from seats around seem to put them at discomfort and they now decide to remove their headphones and converse over others' headphones :) this over healthy gulps of beer by B (to the point of refusal by the crew) makes for interesting travel company :P
and as we finally make it to singapore and our way out, shift focus to the remainder of the tribe... you know, singapore airlines does a pretty neat job of keeping its flyers happy. but theres that feeling of grass being greener on the other side. here's where our (economy-class) tribe eyes the first-class goodie-bag. its a tragic scene... but cant miss the eye. tribesman eagerly scans every seat of the premium zone, spots one (mind you, discarded by one of the passengers) and quickly grabs hold of it. not sure if the crew spotted him pocket the spoils of his war (am sure he is a socialist - or robinhood deep inside), if they did, they feign ignorance and hold their natural warm smile...
sigh!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
of queues, trains and buses...
you see it all around you... and its not just here. people hate standing behind someone else in a queue. its a direct hit on their self-respect. they might be headed nowhere for all they care, but a queue wasnt made for them. so here is a guy supposed to be behind me in line for a train ticket but insists on standing right next to me. and thus is born the second queue... make it a point to remind him of his rightful position on the serpentine and i get the philosophical nod... "hmm... i know". my words however arent encouraging enough for him. its a land of equals after all. this is how democracy is deciphered. the right is exercised when we reach the ticket window... and our man tries to thrust his note in before i do... a stern stare is met with a grunt of cheap liquor. he's in his senses alright!
***
one thing i like about this city - its got local trains! reminds me of mumbai. but yeah, not that the locals use them... here in chennai, it is little more than a giant toy. picture this - on either side of the compartment you have not more than 2 seats per row. at the design table, either they expected people to get their daily exercise by standing all the way or so ashamed of their work, they hoped (and ensured) as less people as possible would get onto them... and dig this... the signaling system in chennai stations... they still have someone step out of the station master's room to flash a red & green. yes, i heard that guffaw of yours :)
now here's another thing that really intrigues me. i knew restaurants are to shut down by 11pm. i think this was more for the watering holes as a measure of control. now food courts in chennai central station follow the rule to the T. there's a whole group of hungry travellers at the doors and the stall owners are more than glad to shoo them away.
stall owner: no! get lost. i cant serve you. its 11pm.
customer: but am paying you for it! and its not even 11 yet!
s/o: so!? (10:50 actually but i truly madly deeply hate customers) you better come up with a stronger reason than that my lad!
all this as he rather hurriedly covers the shelves as if we looking at them might end up urging him into making a sale. but then, he looks at it more as "groan! he's gonna make me work! baah!!"
***
now here's my another favourite crib section. BMTC :) bus stand to home is a rs.3 ticket... pay the conductor that much and he gives back a rupee with no ticket... EVERYTIME. insist on a ticket and you will hear the fiercest of the snarls and made to get off at your stop from a running bus :)
***
one thing i like about this city - its got local trains! reminds me of mumbai. but yeah, not that the locals use them... here in chennai, it is little more than a giant toy. picture this - on either side of the compartment you have not more than 2 seats per row. at the design table, either they expected people to get their daily exercise by standing all the way or so ashamed of their work, they hoped (and ensured) as less people as possible would get onto them... and dig this... the signaling system in chennai stations... they still have someone step out of the station master's room to flash a red & green. yes, i heard that guffaw of yours :)
now here's another thing that really intrigues me. i knew restaurants are to shut down by 11pm. i think this was more for the watering holes as a measure of control. now food courts in chennai central station follow the rule to the T. there's a whole group of hungry travellers at the doors and the stall owners are more than glad to shoo them away.
stall owner: no! get lost. i cant serve you. its 11pm.
customer: but am paying you for it! and its not even 11 yet!
s/o: so!? (10:50 actually but i truly madly deeply hate customers) you better come up with a stronger reason than that my lad!
all this as he rather hurriedly covers the shelves as if we looking at them might end up urging him into making a sale. but then, he looks at it more as "groan! he's gonna make me work! baah!!"
***
now here's my another favourite crib section. BMTC :) bus stand to home is a rs.3 ticket... pay the conductor that much and he gives back a rupee with no ticket... EVERYTIME. insist on a ticket and you will hear the fiercest of the snarls and made to get off at your stop from a running bus :)
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