Received this witty yet insightful one liner from my ex-boss.
What worries me these days is when my bank tells me that my outbound cheque could not be cleared due to insufficient funds, I am not too sure whether he is talking about my account or his!
October 8, 2008
October 7, 2008
The laughter monster
This incident happened earlier today while I was at someone’s house. I had gone there with my mom and my cousin to call them for the marriage of my niece. There was a baby in that house. He must be about 6 months old. He was playing while we went there. His mother told us that he is not usually so jovial. The baby had GOD written all over it (to deviate slightly from the theme).
The baby came to all of us without being shy. He was really enjoying his time. Till something happened... I started laughing! Yes, I got a call and what I heard made me laugh. What was told over the phone is irrelevant here, how I reacted is.
The merrily playing baby was too shocked to hear me laugh. And as one could expect, he started to cry. Cry very very badly. He got scared. We had to leave a little earlier than our plans so that the boy could be pacified saying ‘see, that monster is gone… cheer up’ :) Poor kid.
Two things here. Firstly, my laughter can be scary if I go full on. Secondly, the baby did not get scared because he was a baby. Even men get scared! Two incidents I can think of straight away.
FIRST
This one happened about 5 years back. I was returning home from classes. It was about 11pm if I am not wrong. I was the lone passenger in the rick. As we (me and the rick driver) were passing a cemetery that falls on the way, I remembered something and started laughing (I do laugh remembering things too). The driver got a stunner and he almost lost control of the rick. Thankfully, it ended well. I had to hear few comments from him though – some not so friendly comments!
SECOND
This happened again about 4-5 years back. We were having a boys’ night out at a friend’s place. After dinner, we were just whiling away time discussing ‘worldly issues’. I guess we were 8 of us. All except me was sitting in the bedroom. I was watching TV in the living room. After some time, one of my friends came to check on me. By that time I had switched off the TV and was blankly looking at the ceiling lying down. He came and asked me to come in. He started to pull my legs saying few things. Others from the bedroom were calling us there to be together. So my brave friend was with me and others inside. Suddenly, the laughter bhoot came into me and I started laughing thinking about something. At first, normally. Then gradually geared up and soon it was a full on laughter (Again, I can laugh for an hour at a stretch). My brave friend kept teasing me and was smiling for some time. My roar of laughter reached the bedroom and they were all shouting at me.. Yeh fir se shuru ho gaya, hey bhagwaan.. I could hear them saying. All of a sudden the power went off and it was dark. That made me laugh more (I am reeeeally mad). The guys inside closed the bedroom door leaving my brave friend with me! After few seconds, may be sensing something is seriously wrong in me, my brave friend ran towards the bedroom and started banging on the door to be opened so that he could be ‘safe’!
These incidents are extremely nostalgic for me. What fun! At others’ cost. :)
The baby came to all of us without being shy. He was really enjoying his time. Till something happened... I started laughing! Yes, I got a call and what I heard made me laugh. What was told over the phone is irrelevant here, how I reacted is.
The merrily playing baby was too shocked to hear me laugh. And as one could expect, he started to cry. Cry very very badly. He got scared. We had to leave a little earlier than our plans so that the boy could be pacified saying ‘see, that monster is gone… cheer up’ :) Poor kid.
Two things here. Firstly, my laughter can be scary if I go full on. Secondly, the baby did not get scared because he was a baby. Even men get scared! Two incidents I can think of straight away.
FIRST
This one happened about 5 years back. I was returning home from classes. It was about 11pm if I am not wrong. I was the lone passenger in the rick. As we (me and the rick driver) were passing a cemetery that falls on the way, I remembered something and started laughing (I do laugh remembering things too). The driver got a stunner and he almost lost control of the rick. Thankfully, it ended well. I had to hear few comments from him though – some not so friendly comments!
SECOND
This happened again about 4-5 years back. We were having a boys’ night out at a friend’s place. After dinner, we were just whiling away time discussing ‘worldly issues’. I guess we were 8 of us. All except me was sitting in the bedroom. I was watching TV in the living room. After some time, one of my friends came to check on me. By that time I had switched off the TV and was blankly looking at the ceiling lying down. He came and asked me to come in. He started to pull my legs saying few things. Others from the bedroom were calling us there to be together. So my brave friend was with me and others inside. Suddenly, the laughter bhoot came into me and I started laughing thinking about something. At first, normally. Then gradually geared up and soon it was a full on laughter (Again, I can laugh for an hour at a stretch). My brave friend kept teasing me and was smiling for some time. My roar of laughter reached the bedroom and they were all shouting at me.. Yeh fir se shuru ho gaya, hey bhagwaan.. I could hear them saying. All of a sudden the power went off and it was dark. That made me laugh more (I am reeeeally mad). The guys inside closed the bedroom door leaving my brave friend with me! After few seconds, may be sensing something is seriously wrong in me, my brave friend ran towards the bedroom and started banging on the door to be opened so that he could be ‘safe’!
These incidents are extremely nostalgic for me. What fun! At others’ cost. :)
October 6, 2008
The ‘tipping’ point
The backdrop of this post is a lot of outings that I have had with my close friends over the last few years. I am a ‘tipping’ person. I believe in giving tips when I like the service offered to me. Restaurants, public cabbies, ricks, private cabs when I am traveling officially, etc all fall in this category of services. In restaurants, for instance, I prefer tipping about 10% of the amount of the bill. This habit has stayed with me wherever I go. Or, if the rick fare comes to 18 bucks, I do not mind giving 20 bucks and walking off.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not writing this to talk of what I do. The reason is different. There have been instances where few people I know have mentioned that this is a bad habit. Or that I am trying to show off that I have a lot of money. I belong to a traditional family that had a modest financial background for most part of my life. If I tell my mom today that I gave 10 bucks to a beggar, she will be stunned. As a family, we still are very conservative spenders.
I had a very heated argument with one of my closest friends when we were holidaying. It was about the tip to be given to the driver who carried us to a lot of places when we in Delhi. The debate was on the amount. Points that he mentioned against my suggestion of giving a bigger tip than what he suggested? He thought I am spoiling the habit of the driver, in this case. The driver was just doing his job. He gets paid for it. The tip is just over & above it and need not be significant. If I tip him something abnormal, then he might expect the same from each of his customer and if one of his customers is relatively poor and cannot afford a big tip, the driver might not treat that customer properly. There were more points put forward, but I thought this one was the most important.
To be fair, the point has substance to some extent. I really do not intend to ‘spoil’ someone’s habits. But I guess a tip of Rs.50, for instance, for an entire day’s driving is ‘immaterial’. So either you give something more material or just do not. For me tipping is not a formality. It is a way of acknowledging that I was treated well. Of course, treating the driver, waiter, etc well is also crucial. If I treat him badly all day and end it off by even giving 500 bucks, I don’t think he would be too pleased. Emotional satisfaction is important. But let’s face it, emotional gratification does not help kill hunger. Money matters. So a fairly healthy tip also makes the receiver feel that he has done a good job. At least, that is what I intend when I tip.
My criterion of tipping is fairly straight forward. The amount should not pinch me. I should be happy giving it. When I travel for trainings, in most cases the client arranges a car for me for commuting. I do not pay for the car hiring charges. But the driver serves me directly. Most drivers I have met are extremely well behaved. They are courteous, take care of your schedule and do not do things that might put me into discomfort like talking loudly on phones, keeping the music loud. For a typical day, I end up giving upwards of 200-250 bucks to the driver. I hope that the amount helps him in a right way. I hope that he values it. And there is a point in it. 200 bucks is not even a per cent of what I get for a day’s training. To be fair, it is not very material for me, touch wood. But the same 200 bucks could be very material for the driver. Similarly, the value of extra 2 bucks given to cabbies/rick drivers is probably more valuable for them than me, in most cases I guess.
Another point against this habit… It is inflationary! Yes, in a sense that the rick drivers/cabbies might expect the same extra 2 bucks from every customer. Some one put this point across to me. I am not entirely convinced though.
If a tip is going to help the receiver and not pinch the giver, should it not be encouraged? Is it not a way of sort of helping people who are less fortunate than us in some ways?
One incident shared by a good friend of mine always helps me seal my decision to tip well. She shares my philosophy of ‘healthy’ tipping. She was escorted by a private car while she was on a 2-day official visit to Hyderabad. Finally, when she was dropped at Hyderabad airport after the 2-days trip, she handed over a 500 bucks note to the driver. She politely thanked him. However, the driver looked stunned. After few seconds, he suddenly started to thank my friend. He mentioned that his child was unwell and while he was driving, his mind was busy thinking of means to borrow few hundred bucks from any of his friends for the medicine. Receiving the 500Rs. took care of that problem. My friend’s face glows even today when she describes the driver’s reaction. This incident makes me and surely my friend to try and give a healthy tip that does not pinch us too. In the process, may be it helps solving some small problems of this world through us.
My good friend Mangesh wrote this article in The Times of India editorial page last week. It stresses on an aspect that I believe could be linked to tipping. That, perhaps the way overall scheme of things work is, the giver ends up receiving much more. Giving does not make you poorer, it makes you wealthier. It has worked for me perfectly. Trust me.
P.S.: 1. This piece is not about how great I am :) Any such sense that you might get is totally unintentional!
2. The title is also the name of the book I just completed reading. The book is not on this subject at all, but just used the phrase. No correlations intended.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not writing this to talk of what I do. The reason is different. There have been instances where few people I know have mentioned that this is a bad habit. Or that I am trying to show off that I have a lot of money. I belong to a traditional family that had a modest financial background for most part of my life. If I tell my mom today that I gave 10 bucks to a beggar, she will be stunned. As a family, we still are very conservative spenders.
I had a very heated argument with one of my closest friends when we were holidaying. It was about the tip to be given to the driver who carried us to a lot of places when we in Delhi. The debate was on the amount. Points that he mentioned against my suggestion of giving a bigger tip than what he suggested? He thought I am spoiling the habit of the driver, in this case. The driver was just doing his job. He gets paid for it. The tip is just over & above it and need not be significant. If I tip him something abnormal, then he might expect the same from each of his customer and if one of his customers is relatively poor and cannot afford a big tip, the driver might not treat that customer properly. There were more points put forward, but I thought this one was the most important.
To be fair, the point has substance to some extent. I really do not intend to ‘spoil’ someone’s habits. But I guess a tip of Rs.50, for instance, for an entire day’s driving is ‘immaterial’. So either you give something more material or just do not. For me tipping is not a formality. It is a way of acknowledging that I was treated well. Of course, treating the driver, waiter, etc well is also crucial. If I treat him badly all day and end it off by even giving 500 bucks, I don’t think he would be too pleased. Emotional satisfaction is important. But let’s face it, emotional gratification does not help kill hunger. Money matters. So a fairly healthy tip also makes the receiver feel that he has done a good job. At least, that is what I intend when I tip.
My criterion of tipping is fairly straight forward. The amount should not pinch me. I should be happy giving it. When I travel for trainings, in most cases the client arranges a car for me for commuting. I do not pay for the car hiring charges. But the driver serves me directly. Most drivers I have met are extremely well behaved. They are courteous, take care of your schedule and do not do things that might put me into discomfort like talking loudly on phones, keeping the music loud. For a typical day, I end up giving upwards of 200-250 bucks to the driver. I hope that the amount helps him in a right way. I hope that he values it. And there is a point in it. 200 bucks is not even a per cent of what I get for a day’s training. To be fair, it is not very material for me, touch wood. But the same 200 bucks could be very material for the driver. Similarly, the value of extra 2 bucks given to cabbies/rick drivers is probably more valuable for them than me, in most cases I guess.
Another point against this habit… It is inflationary! Yes, in a sense that the rick drivers/cabbies might expect the same extra 2 bucks from every customer. Some one put this point across to me. I am not entirely convinced though.
If a tip is going to help the receiver and not pinch the giver, should it not be encouraged? Is it not a way of sort of helping people who are less fortunate than us in some ways?
One incident shared by a good friend of mine always helps me seal my decision to tip well. She shares my philosophy of ‘healthy’ tipping. She was escorted by a private car while she was on a 2-day official visit to Hyderabad. Finally, when she was dropped at Hyderabad airport after the 2-days trip, she handed over a 500 bucks note to the driver. She politely thanked him. However, the driver looked stunned. After few seconds, he suddenly started to thank my friend. He mentioned that his child was unwell and while he was driving, his mind was busy thinking of means to borrow few hundred bucks from any of his friends for the medicine. Receiving the 500Rs. took care of that problem. My friend’s face glows even today when she describes the driver’s reaction. This incident makes me and surely my friend to try and give a healthy tip that does not pinch us too. In the process, may be it helps solving some small problems of this world through us.
My good friend Mangesh wrote this article in The Times of India editorial page last week. It stresses on an aspect that I believe could be linked to tipping. That, perhaps the way overall scheme of things work is, the giver ends up receiving much more. Giving does not make you poorer, it makes you wealthier. It has worked for me perfectly. Trust me.
P.S.: 1. This piece is not about how great I am :) Any such sense that you might get is totally unintentional!
2. The title is also the name of the book I just completed reading. The book is not on this subject at all, but just used the phrase. No correlations intended.
October 2, 2008
Mumbai meri jaan
Some times, a lot of expectations can make something a let-down eventually. One of the reviews I got about this movie was that this is a better movie than Taare Zameen Par. Quite obviously, I was expecting a lot.
Even after that, I now believe this movie is awesome. Should definitely have been our entry for Oscar instead of TZP, like Amol Gupte said. Lovely script, excellent direction and subtle yet effective performances from the cast makes this a must-watch.
I have personally known a lot of characters played by Paresh Rawal, Madhavan and Kay Kay Menon. More so like Menon. A movie with substance and soul, it has a conclusion that could not have been better. Simply apt.
Some of the scenes in the movie still hit me when I think of them.
Yet again, sadly this movie is already out of multiplexes. Rock on, which got released around the same time, is still running. When will we mature as audience? When will we undestand that lot of songs and a happy ending is not what a movie is all about?
Kudos to the entire team of Mumbai meri jaan...
Even after that, I now believe this movie is awesome. Should definitely have been our entry for Oscar instead of TZP, like Amol Gupte said. Lovely script, excellent direction and subtle yet effective performances from the cast makes this a must-watch.
I have personally known a lot of characters played by Paresh Rawal, Madhavan and Kay Kay Menon. More so like Menon. A movie with substance and soul, it has a conclusion that could not have been better. Simply apt.
Some of the scenes in the movie still hit me when I think of them.
Yet again, sadly this movie is already out of multiplexes. Rock on, which got released around the same time, is still running. When will we mature as audience? When will we undestand that lot of songs and a happy ending is not what a movie is all about?
Kudos to the entire team of Mumbai meri jaan...
September 27, 2008
Women may have to go to Venus!
Men are from Mars, women are from venus... say's the title of a book. Me thinks women might have to go to Venus to get married! Why? Read on..
3 of my good female friends are planning to get hitched. All 3 are CAs, working for reputed organisations. This one is about one of them. She has commited a crime of doing a MBA too after CA. Yes, that is a crime as far as the matrimonial market goes. To add to the dual qualifications, she looks fab. Don't be jealous girls, some of them come with all the luck. Now, the parents of the waiting-to-get-married girls are worried. They are not finding any 'suitable' groom. If everything from family background to habits to nature to looks are approved by the waiting-to-be-married girl, the point comes to how well is the guy 'settled'. The groom's parents suddenly have swelled chests and they say he earns a lac of moolahs every month. Oops, that hurts. It is ONLY about 65% of what the girl earns. No actually, 64.32% on a in-hand salary basis. Similar situations surround the other two friends too.
Economic boom has helped all. More so, a CA+MBA. Each year's appraisal makes marriage more improbable for her! Close to 40%-50% hikes with a big booty of bonus. We men have BIG egos. Wife earning more than us, and we knowing about it.. no ways!.. is how many thinks.
Possible solutions? Like for tax purposes, show lower income. Risky, since it has to be hidden for a long long time. The taxman does not sleep on the same bed with you, husband sometimes does. :)
Or perhaps go to the HR and ask them to cut your salary. Ask for a demotion. Underplay yourself. Nay, not acceptable gals, rite?
Or resign and be a good homemaker. What is left in the corporate rat race anyways... Resign, my left foot - I hear from my friends.
Well, then two choices left for you sweetheart. Read this book - 'Why marriage sucks' - and spend the rest of your life. Or, plan for a trip to Venus where you originally came from apparently.
3 of my good female friends are planning to get hitched. All 3 are CAs, working for reputed organisations. This one is about one of them. She has commited a crime of doing a MBA too after CA. Yes, that is a crime as far as the matrimonial market goes. To add to the dual qualifications, she looks fab. Don't be jealous girls, some of them come with all the luck. Now, the parents of the waiting-to-get-married girls are worried. They are not finding any 'suitable' groom. If everything from family background to habits to nature to looks are approved by the waiting-to-be-married girl, the point comes to how well is the guy 'settled'. The groom's parents suddenly have swelled chests and they say he earns a lac of moolahs every month. Oops, that hurts. It is ONLY about 65% of what the girl earns. No actually, 64.32% on a in-hand salary basis. Similar situations surround the other two friends too.
Economic boom has helped all. More so, a CA+MBA. Each year's appraisal makes marriage more improbable for her! Close to 40%-50% hikes with a big booty of bonus. We men have BIG egos. Wife earning more than us, and we knowing about it.. no ways!.. is how many thinks.
Possible solutions? Like for tax purposes, show lower income. Risky, since it has to be hidden for a long long time. The taxman does not sleep on the same bed with you, husband sometimes does. :)
Or perhaps go to the HR and ask them to cut your salary. Ask for a demotion. Underplay yourself. Nay, not acceptable gals, rite?
Or resign and be a good homemaker. What is left in the corporate rat race anyways... Resign, my left foot - I hear from my friends.
Well, then two choices left for you sweetheart. Read this book - 'Why marriage sucks' - and spend the rest of your life. Or, plan for a trip to Venus where you originally came from apparently.
September 26, 2008
Gifts, any one?
I am not a gift person. I mean I do accept gifts most times am given, but do not give a lot of gifts. But whenever I have, I really really felt like giving. However, two of the most important ones have gone awfully wrong. Both to people I like and respect a lot. In fact, one of them did not even see the gift!
How's that for a track record? Didn't some one say people like to receive gifts? Trying to find that idiot...
How's that for a track record? Didn't some one say people like to receive gifts? Trying to find that idiot...
September 20, 2008
A costly mistake
Read this in a newspaper today. A German bank based in Berlin sacked 3 of its employees this week. Apparently they transferred 350 million euros to Lehman Brothers by mistake, a day after the latter filed for bankruptcy!
What a weird mistake.. On a normal day, they would have got the money back. But then these are not normal days!
What a weird mistake.. On a normal day, they would have got the money back. But then these are not normal days!
September 17, 2008
The moment of truth
While surfing through channels yesterday, I hit upon this show in Star World called 'The moment of truth'. It is a kind of game show but the concept struck me. It works like this. The contestant is asked about 21 questions to which he has to reply truthfully. If he lies, it will be caught. Before the show, the contestant is asked a lot of questions (about 50) and is put through a kind of lie detection tests (polygraph test) checking his answers. In the main show, few questions out of the ones asked to him earlier are asked. Obviously he has to answer them truthfully now.
There are 6 levels of questions, and the contestant keeps earning money as he clears them. 6 questions in first level, 5 in the next, then 4, 3, 2 and the final question in level 6. As the level progresses, questions get very 'tricky'. The contestant is accompanied by family and friends and everything is happening before them.
I do not know whether you realize by now the gravity of the concept. Earn money for being truthful. Your answers can shock many. They could be potential family-breakers. In the episode I saw, some of the questions asked were:
Do you think your father worked hard enough to provide for the family? His answer was No.
Do you think your wife likes your mother? His answer was Yes.
Have you lost interest in your wife sexually after having a baby? His answer was No.
Have you ever had sex with any of your wife's friends? His answer was Yes.
Do you think your father loves you even today after having a divorce with your mother? (This question was asked by his dad himself who was called as a guest in the show) His answer was Yes.
These questions were a part of the 11 questions of the first two levels. I could not continue watching the show since mom had a serial coming up. I can't even imagine how bad the questions can get at higher levels.
Now, what do you think of this show? I am perplexed. Well, the concept is straight-forward. If you have been truthful to your loved ones, you can simply go out there and win all the money (total prize money of USD 5lacs ONLY). If not, it can be a disaster.
It is not about being truthful on the show. It is more about whether you have been truthful to your loved ones all your life before coming on to the show.
You can read more about the show and its already aired episodes here.
Interesting show indeed. A remake in India? Imaginable?
There are 6 levels of questions, and the contestant keeps earning money as he clears them. 6 questions in first level, 5 in the next, then 4, 3, 2 and the final question in level 6. As the level progresses, questions get very 'tricky'. The contestant is accompanied by family and friends and everything is happening before them.
I do not know whether you realize by now the gravity of the concept. Earn money for being truthful. Your answers can shock many. They could be potential family-breakers. In the episode I saw, some of the questions asked were:
Do you think your father worked hard enough to provide for the family? His answer was No.
Do you think your wife likes your mother? His answer was Yes.
Have you lost interest in your wife sexually after having a baby? His answer was No.
Have you ever had sex with any of your wife's friends? His answer was Yes.
Do you think your father loves you even today after having a divorce with your mother? (This question was asked by his dad himself who was called as a guest in the show) His answer was Yes.
These questions were a part of the 11 questions of the first two levels. I could not continue watching the show since mom had a serial coming up. I can't even imagine how bad the questions can get at higher levels.
Now, what do you think of this show? I am perplexed. Well, the concept is straight-forward. If you have been truthful to your loved ones, you can simply go out there and win all the money (total prize money of USD 5lacs ONLY). If not, it can be a disaster.
It is not about being truthful on the show. It is more about whether you have been truthful to your loved ones all your life before coming on to the show.
You can read more about the show and its already aired episodes here.
Interesting show indeed. A remake in India? Imaginable?
September 16, 2008
Money or love?
This one is on public demand! Just kidding... trying to answer the tricky question - money or love?
The problem here is, one can be quantified, the other can't be. Anyone who says money is not important is either lying or has spent his lifetime trying to get it but has failed. The story of sour grapes. Trust me.
Money is necessary, period. The point is, how much? That is the tricky part. I think one can go on and on but still not be able to figure out how much is enough. 50lacs? A crore? 10 of them? I have no idea, even if I have to speak for myself.
But, and there is a but here, why should it be a choice - love or money? Any money acquired beyond a point at the cost of love is just not worth it, if it ever is a choice. Irrespective of whether that point is 5lacs or 50lacs.
Now, on to love side. I have been trying hard but cannot think of anyone who is not loved at all. Every body is, I am sure. Even an orphan would have friends. Love is not a function of relationships. Love is a function of how good a person you are, in absolute sense.
Apart from family and relatives, I am loved by many I know. I love a lot of people. In many senses. Never has any of them been a function of or choice with money. Never ever.
So where is the need for trying to trade off between love and money? If there still comes such a point in my life, would stick to the point I made earlier.
The ultimate objective is to feel happy end of the day. Money helps achieve this to a large extent. Love too does it, but inconsistently I believe. Money can surely help eradicate many problems. Love, I am not very very sure as much as I am about money. Money and love both can multiply by giving. Yes, even money. Finally, they both have to be given to people who deserve them. Or else you will regret it for the rest of your life, especially if it's love.
The problem here is, one can be quantified, the other can't be. Anyone who says money is not important is either lying or has spent his lifetime trying to get it but has failed. The story of sour grapes. Trust me.
Money is necessary, period. The point is, how much? That is the tricky part. I think one can go on and on but still not be able to figure out how much is enough. 50lacs? A crore? 10 of them? I have no idea, even if I have to speak for myself.
But, and there is a but here, why should it be a choice - love or money? Any money acquired beyond a point at the cost of love is just not worth it, if it ever is a choice. Irrespective of whether that point is 5lacs or 50lacs.
Now, on to love side. I have been trying hard but cannot think of anyone who is not loved at all. Every body is, I am sure. Even an orphan would have friends. Love is not a function of relationships. Love is a function of how good a person you are, in absolute sense.
Apart from family and relatives, I am loved by many I know. I love a lot of people. In many senses. Never has any of them been a function of or choice with money. Never ever.
So where is the need for trying to trade off between love and money? If there still comes such a point in my life, would stick to the point I made earlier.
The ultimate objective is to feel happy end of the day. Money helps achieve this to a large extent. Love too does it, but inconsistently I believe. Money can surely help eradicate many problems. Love, I am not very very sure as much as I am about money. Money and love both can multiply by giving. Yes, even money. Finally, they both have to be given to people who deserve them. Or else you will regret it for the rest of your life, especially if it's love.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)