Why are we rude?

Why are we rude? Yes...we are.And guess what we are also perceived to be rude.I have had american colleagues remarking that in India people walking on the streets do not acknowledge a friendly nod, or a smile.You smile at them they stare back as though you were invisible and they could see through you! Women especially are so much accustomed to road romeos who stare incessantly at them as though they were a specimen from outer space.

..."So you stare at them, smile...no response.If you are lucky you may not be mistaken to be a loafer and spared."

I heard this remark and did not know what to say. I mean what could i say? Why are people like that?

Come on this may not suffice to be called rudeness , but wait iam not done yet.

Retail has picked up pace in India.They are retail supermarkets in every corner of the country.Reliance fresh, Foodworld, Food Bazaar, More, Nilgiris etc etc etc...this list is expanding as i write. Good Service is also one of their several mottos.They recruit staff left and right. Of course they need staff don't they?If the person knows to read and write ..thats enough..( I seriously dont know what the selection criteria is ) The person learns on the job is evident from the fact that they never seem to know where which stuff is to be found, and also take up enormous amounts of time to bill the items.But then what about manners? Are they ever taught how to deal with customers?How to be polite?Most of them assume that their mere prescence is enough.They are not supposed to be of any help whatoever.

Queues? How can we forget that? People fall on you, step on your feet, swear at you ...all this just to save a few minutes. No one bothers to apologise. Waiting for your turn patiently is passe and jumping places and pushing your way through people is considered an achievement.

Customer service is abolutely non-existent .I have come across rude and curt replies from customer service executives.

Need one point out about "Road rash"? That people hardly follow traffic rules is well known, but what is really vexing is the lack of empathy people exhibit. Paedestrians are generally given a hard time and people swear incessantly to get their way.And when we are talking about rudeness , chivalry is best forgotten.It is a forgotten virtue. An extint virtue.

We teach our children alphabets, numbers, tell them stories, ensure they go to the best of schools and speak english better than our neighbour's child.But i wonder how many teach their children to be polite?Say "sorry" and "Thank You".Children are impressionable. In most cases they inculcate manners from their parents. A country that sees divinity in animals , mountains and rivers fails to respect and regard fellow human beings with grace. India is definitely a country of paradoxes.

Over here each and every person steps out of the house with the mindset that he is about to fight a battle. Everyone goes on a kill here and goes about thinking that every other person on the street is out to deprive him of something. Any advantage gained on another person is an achievement , a victory.So even if one has to compromise on politeness , they don't give any "damn" about it.

Moneybags anyone????

RBI has decided to introduce 10 rupee coins soon. Industry has welcomed the decision saying that once this happens consumers will shell out 10 rupee coins without hesitation.( All in the mind....coins seem insignificant right?)
It happenened so when 5 rupee coins were introduced.People did not think twice before shelling out a extra five rupees for their purchases!

Smart thinking people I must say! But then what next?

Can we expect 20...50 ....100 rupee coins? Just imagine how it would be then? Paper money is just a modern invention.It took years for it to come to the form it has.Earlier ages ago, people were carrying metal money....gold coins, silver coins,broze coins...etc etc....I wonder will we soon be carrying moneybags?
Metal money to paper money...and now back to metal money.Interesting thought this is...

We may not be Mr.Bachchan ,but listen to us also...

We may not be Mr.Amitabh Bachchan, but we also need our civic woes to be listened to.It seems Mumbai's most famous resident wrote in his blog about the water clogging problem at his bungalow in Juhu and lo and behold, Mumbai municipal officials were at his doorstep explaining what went wrong and why the water clogging took place.

Municipal babu sahebs, we keep explaining to you guys what is wrong and you pretend to be deaf .Why so? Can we not have legitimate problems that deserve to be looked into?

There are residential localities with roads filled up with potholes, drains overflowing, not to mention that water clogging is a usual phenomenon in most of the areas in Bangalore whenever it rains heavily.Yet we common people are never blessed with a "darshan" by our municipal authorities in spite of our repeated entreaties. The day they react to our problems like they did to Big B's, our country will never be the same. Touch wood.

Cuckoo ...koo...koo

Of all the things I am really gratified about , one is that I get woken up inthe morning by a great " Good morning" song these days! A Cuckoo has taken a fancy to a tree opposite to my balcony window and makes it a point to perch itself on its branches every morning and croon "good morning" koo...koo...koo....

It is also quite diligent about it...always on time.Touch wood. Just when Bangalore is getting crowded and polluted by the day, trees are being cut left and right ( Cubbon park! ), I happen to have a cuckoo croon to me everyday! What next? Perhaps a few sparrows hopping around in my balcony? Now that is what I call wishful thinking!

Bill comes free!

By the way...an interesting message displayed at a coffee day counter :

Please ask for the bill. It comes free!!

Cool one right??

Disappeared from blogosphere....and back!

Disappeared without any trace...what a shame...bloggers like me (phew!!!)...
A friend in fact asked me if i was resting in peace...(scroll below my last entry....Rest In peace R.I.P)......But nope iam back and hope to start posting....And for all those who reached out to enquire my mental well-being after reading the poem, plz rest assured Iam completely sane and undepressed as yet....

Kahaani Soap operas ki

Do you feel like detaching your brain from your head and feel "brainless"? Fret not then!
Tv soaps will help you !

For years now TV soap operas have done their bit in the emancipation of millions of womankind and also mankind (why leave them behind?) who needed that bit of thrill, fantasy, drama and glamour in their dull , boring drawing rooms.In came the soaps and there was perhaps nothing better.First it was the K - sagas started by Ektaa Kapoor. Her K - influenza of soaps churns out and hits the TV screens at regular intervals.Why blame Ektaa alone? What about the horde of Balaji telefilms inspired soaps on rival channels like Zee ,Sony ,Sahara etc etc.These k- soap cronies are no different.Its the same stale stuff dished out with new names.

There was a time when tv serials highlighted issues, told and depicted stories in a realistic manner.Then the budgets were small but originality and quality compensated for it.Today TV portrays a wide range of issues :ranging from the same old saas -bahu sagas....to the endless confrontations between the heroine with "sanskaar" (Indian values) taking on the devilish (ultra-modern ,un-sanskaari )vamp........to an "icchadhari nagin" seeking reveange..... to Re-incarnation a la "Om Shanti OM".And i thought icchadhari nagins , bhavishya- vanis and re-incarnations only happened in Chandrakantha! But who's complaining? All this stuff is greedily lapped up by millions of viewers.A new section of Pseudo celebrities have sprung up.Their claim to fame : mediocre acting skills in even more mediocre soaps or participation in some of the numerous reality shows on TV.

TV once held the torchlight to Bollywood when it came to quality entertainment.But now check the facts...Most of the TV soap plots are inspired from B-grade bollywood flicks.Not to mention the occassional film song that breaks out during the serial .

When satellite TV invaded our homes years ago, we took it as a boon as compared to old,boring Doordarshan.But old serials from DD like Malgudi days, Byomkesh Bakshi are still being watched ardently by people on the internet. Will there be any respite in the future? Hope so! So while Ektaa and her growing tribe make millions out of their soaps ...we in turn face the plight of engrossing ourselves into the "everyday problems"of imaginary khaandans ,bahus and betas on Indian TV! Whoever named TV as Idiot Box could not have been more correct.

The other side of the Jassi story.....

The ugly unattractive woman facing lot of hardships and discrimination at work has been the most loved theme worldwide. And this despite the fact that she is intelligent, amiable, smart and truly capable. Also many women identify themselves with the protagonist. Proof?....this is the underlying theme for many a successful soaps made world-wide. Jassi Jaisi koi Nahin is India's version of the story. I wonder what makes the theme so popular?

1) Yes, looks do matter. A good-looking person/child may be a lot more popular and confident compared to the not so good looking counterparts.

2) All these soaps had the ugly duckling transforming into a swan and winning the Handsome prince and giving it back to her detractors. Who wouldn't identify with this? The good underdog finally wins.

But all said and done i still wonder is it always a cakewalk for the prettier ones? Take the workplace for example. Are there no issues whatsoever. Think about it. A good-looking woman gets promoted and a few disgruntled jibe "Well she had to get it, didn't she? After all she has got the looks to kill!"
The fact that the woman worked for it and deserved it hardly counts.

In my college we were told by our male classmates that it was comparatively easier for pretty girls to get selected for jobs. They just had to smile throughout the interview. You call this a sick mentality? I would agree and also pity them. It is not that all men think this way. But some men and also some women do think on these lines. A well dressed fashionable woman is labelled a bimbo. She is in the company for obvious reasons. She lacks substance and capability. Forget about expecting hard work from these women. If by chance this woman is smart and assertive, then she is immediately labelled arrogant and demanding.

Luckily these mentalities are not common. But even then this disease in some people must be treated. How? Maybe by purging their minds and by setting aside the prejudices. Have a re-look and stop judging the book by its cover. Or rather don't judge a woman by her looks. So one can see that Ugly Betty /Jassi is just one side of the coin. There might be several untold or rather unseen sides to it. Women in general (ugly or pretty) still face some challenges be it in a workplace or society in general and will continue to do so until some ill-conceived perceptions regarding them change.

Snow snow everywhere..........

Snow is everywhere...a wonderful sight to behold...

Create a Free Slideshow

Taxi driver in Las Vegas

We hailed a taxi in Las vegas during our trip last month.The Taxi driver seemed to be a slightly built man with a soft voice.It took him some time to determine where he needed to take us to but finally he got it.

"I do know the place,but just wanna be sure so that i make no mistake" - he chuckled.
"Good" - we thought.

A short pause later, he asked us - "Where are u guys coming from?"

"Chicago" - we replied.

"oh ok, but ur from India?"--he asked.

"Yes" - we replied.

"Yeah i thought so..so this is your first time in Vegas?"

"Yeah thats right" - said we.

"Iam from outside too..Iam from Ethiopia..You have heard of it? - he asked.

"Yeah sure" - we replied.

Conversations with taxi drivers can be pretty amusing sometimes. I remember some of them. Like the taxi-driver who asked us what language we spoke at India.(He said it sounded good)Or perhaps the friendly Pakistani taxi driver whom we hailed in New york who sounded baffled when one of our friends told him that though he could speak hindi, he could not comprehend Urdu! Most of the taxi drivers we have taken in US are friendly and courteous ,but this man was very conversant.

"Well I have been in Us from the last 7 years" - he remarked.

Never the person to let go the chance of having a conversation no matter where, my husband butted in:"yes, we all come to US for the big bucks" - he laughed.

"Yeah" - the driver joined him."

"So you stay with your family?" - Hubby asked.
"No,Iam not married.My parents and siblings stay in my country. In our custom until you have discharged all your responsibilities (towards your family) you must not get married , you see." - he added.
Not to be outdone,my husband replied : "Yes, we have that too. In fact even after getting married we look after our parents and care for them."

"Thats' right, but after marriage it becomes kinda difficult, with wife, kids you know?" - he remarked.

"Yes,thats true" - we agreed.

"So you guys going to nearby places from here?Like grand canyon, Hoover dam eh?" --he enquired.

"No we are going to Los Angeles". -- we replied.

"Ah Los Angeles! Many of your folks stay there right? You guys are good in computers?"

"Is it?"-- We just smiled.

It surely is. LA or rather the Silicon valley has a rather significant Indian population working in the various Software companies some of them being multinational giants.A recent report even states that 30% of the companies there have been started by Indians.
"You people are very bright.It pays a lot does it? These computer jobs?"-- The driver asked next.
"Hmm ...pretty good"-- We replied.

Reportedly Indians comprise the richest ethnic group in US.

"Yeah..You guys (Indians) are a good lot, quiet, decent,educated "....He went on..

Indians are enjoying global presence like never before. Be it Politics,Business, software,law,medicine ,there are a lot of notable names today. Being the richest ethnic group in the US, we are also becoming more noticeable.and what does this mean? It means a great shift in the attitudes and perceptions about Indians and India. I remember one of the Tintin comics where Tintin comes to India and how is India depicted? It is full of jungles. There are elephants,tigers and sadhus. Not to forget the ubiquitous snake charmer! And how are the Indians shown?(rather the natives): brown- skinned,dressed up in a dhoti (loin-cloth.Certainly a reference to the Mahatma, nicknamed as the "Naked Fakir" by the English Press).

Novels, movies documentaries everything about India showed and depicted India the way the west better identified it : Snake-charmers, Elephants,Palaces, maharajas, sadhus sleeping on nails,kamasutra,slums,etc etc. Iam not blaming anyone though. But somehow these images were always associated with India. For an uninformed Westerner it perhaps continues to remain so.
Some sections of the Indian diaspora in US further help in cementing these ideas. Like this Indian colleague of mine ,born and brought up in US who went and told her American colleague how terrible it was for Indian women after marriage.They are forced to break off all ties with their parents after marriage! Imagine my shock when this American woman asked me if it was indeed the case in India. I mean, come on, gives us a break...what do these people think when they go around raking such stupid tales to people of different backgrounds?Aishwarya Rai in the Oprah Winfrey Show expressed surprise that people actually came up to her and asked her as to how she managed to speak English though being an Indian?

Perceptions are changing .India known as home to large slums,poor people, is also perceived as home to a large ,skilled,enterprising workforce.So be it.

"Your education system must be very good.In Ethiopia ,education not very good" --- he remarked.

Here inthe US it is always perceived that Indians are good in Science and Math.In many Indian families , children are always encouraged to concentrate more on these subjects as they provide more viable career options.Whatever the critics may say about schools in India, we must be doing good there.We still produce smart students with better analytical and problem solving skills.The engineers in silicon valley, other parts of the world in high ranking firms have been educated in India . An NRI mother was recently extolling the virtues of the American school her son went to. Needless to say she was still very concerned that her son knew as much maths and grammar as his counterpart in India and spared no efforts tutoring the child.Why?

"why don't you learn computers?" ---we asked the driver.

"I want to .I will some day" ---He replied wistfully.

Just one more encounter which reaffirmed the fact that India's face abroad is changing.No longer the land of the snake-charmer dressed in his loin-cloth, but Indians here are regarded intelligent, educated, smart. (At least most of them think so. Iam not bothered about the disgruntled racists).

And India--A country with a lot of promise. As for that nameless taxi driver( my inspiration for this post), i only hope he learns computers(as he says) and reads this post someday!