Another "Your country My country" story...

It’s the story of my Frankfurt trip in Oct. Yes, little delay in sharing the experience!!  Actually, there were quite a few incidents that had made impression on my mind. We went their to attend CPhI, a global pharma fair. One of my colleagues had lost his wallet while returning from the fair ground. Bur he was not very sure about where exactly he had lost that. We all have tried to locate the bag at all possible places. But all was in vein. It was two days over. We’ve lost our hope and accepted the fact that it has gone. My colleague was so upset of losing his wallet. It was carrying not only currencies but all his cards and other few valuables. He really had to spend a hell lot of time to get all those items available after his return.

Now, on the before last day, when we all were planning to go for a team dinner to a close by Thai restaurant, we got a call at my room from the reception. I was amused to know that someone was waiting for us at the lobby when all of us were at our room only. Someone had cracked a joke “Who has called whom and by how much?” We busted in laughter and two of made our way to the reception while others said they will follow soon.

Being at the reception we found a middle aged, two days not shaven beardy man was looking at us. He was five feet few inches with a fair complexion. We looked at each other assuming that any of us might have recognized him. But the reactions on all our faces were same. Neither of us actually identifies the person. Meanwhile that man came closer and said he is “Fernando” and he is a taxi driver. Oh so, this is the matter. Someone had called a cab for the restaurant.

We’re about to take a U turn for calling the other fellows; suddenly Fernando asked from the back “Who is Raghvender Reddy?” With a stomach ticking shock all three of us turned around and looked at him puzzled. In Frankfurt, you don’t need to book a cab in you name. Then how in the world, this taxi driver came to know Raghvender’s name. In the very second moment we saw that the gentleman was holding Raghvender’s office ID card in one hand. How did that reach to him? We couldn’t figure it out, at least not that very moment of time. Before we say anything more, the man keep comparing Raghvender with his ID card photo. He did it for minimum three to four times. Being assured he blew the second blow. With the uttermost surprise to all of us, he took out the black wallet from his long pool over and asked “Is it your's sir?” Now, what can you say? Raghvender was spellbound for a few second, so we all. He tried speaking but was not audible, and then some sound came but without any sense. After 15-20 second, he could clearly say “Yes, yes that’s mine”.

The man counted each and every article that was there in the bag and not a single item was missing or less or altered. He told that 3 days before he found that wallet in his taxi’s back seat. He stays at absolute opposite side of the city than our hotel and before today he came to hand that over 3 times. Wait wait, what did he just said? Three times? from the opposite side of the city? Just to hand over the bag to a person whom he never known or may be will never meet again in his life?

Now to cut the long story short, he claimed sixty euro as fuel charge for his four times journey. Now, the Indian mind asked me, did that person really came 3 times earlier or he just took sixty euro from us. No, I’m not ashamed to accept that the thought came in my mind. But, later I realized and slapped myself. What a mindset we have? The act that we can’t do or what we don’t do but we don’t let an opportunity go to raise finger against someone who actually does!

Now I don’t know how many of you really believe that we’ll or we can do so? That’s on you ..

Oh by the way, the other thing I must tell you, I don’t know how many times I’ll go to Frankfurt in my life or how many other cities I’ll travel in my life but Frankfurt will remain in my mind for this incident especially. Someone had rightly said, “it’s the civilians who make the city/country….”

“Your Country, My Country”

 

Konnichiha!!

My job allows me to interact with people from different countries and their cultures. My last visit with one of my Japanese clients pushed me to jot this down. It was just a few days after the latest deadly earthquake hit Japan and their two nuclear centers were on high alert.

Two gentlemen from the “land of rising Sun” had actually showed me why are they being considered as the world third largest strength even after complete devastation in the second world war.

It was a successful meeting for both of us. Following the formal discussion, we were talking about the recent status of their country and showed our concern. The very moment when there was a flair of disbelief in our word about Japan's fate and future after consuming frequent shock of Tsunami and quakes, the two gentlemen stepped in and manifested the idiosyncrasy. They'd been continue talking for 10 minutes non stop, probably the longest one they'd delivered in their entire visit with us.

I was amused. No, not by their speaking skills or by what they said. It's simply the impromptu attempt of the people of a nation,even when they are outside, to support the entire community when they are in need of it. Tell me honestly, how many of us, after a successful meeting and achieving the goal we were looking at, would beg to our clients/ business partners for keeping their support on India. Exactly, this is what they had done. They bowed to us and pleaded not to discontinue our any sort associations with Japan and keep our good wishes for them, so that they can cope us with the bad time soon. This has no relation with why were they here? Would our ego allow us to do that?

Special point to be considered, they were the user of services that my company offers. So obviously they were in the advantage position. Still they didn't hesitate in doing so.

In the entire conversation they never said Our country, always “My country”. Did they sound possessive? What's wrong to be possessive for your country? This remains an enigma!!



No, she wasn't my girl friend..

The phone rang again, sixth time on a row this time. I was rolling over the floor in this threatening summer afternoon, tryting hard to finish that unattended class notes, boring though. But I had to do that as all said this is the hot cake for our next exam and who doesn't want to have a ready to eat food!

By now the phone have already buzzed a few rings and about to expire. I picked it with full of disgust as I know this will be an another story of some nonsense that had happened to her. Already I had heard five of them, not that i was interested to but I had to. Keeping my tolerance at threshold I prepared myself for the sixth one. To the highest of my shock she asked me, "are you busy?" Now this is something that you never expect from her to say or to start the conversation with at least. I was trying to find the answer,

No, I was not I mean yes I was. But how come that matters to you? You go ahead with what you wanted to say.

Pause for a second on the other end...

OK, bye then, I'll talk you later..

I said byeee.. knowing that this is her trick to take the advantage on her side..

Hey are you really going to drop the phone..I've called you, I'm spending my hard earning money to call you and you even doesn't bother to talk to me..you are such a nerd.

I took the command right away, "wait ma'am, first of all, I know how hard earned money is this for you as if taking money from a careless dad's wallet in his absence is really a hard work to manage and secondly, if you are considering yourself as great by giving me calls then I'm feeling even much greater than you to receive calls for the sixth time in the evening. Do you get that?

OK OK, now will you listen what I want to tell you..

As if you will let me go without listening that?

Surely I won't ..( Giggling..)

So start your story telling.

You know what happened today to me? (with full of enthusiasm)

Yes I know. I know the five "what happened" to you till now and going to have the sixth one right away..hi hi..

Shut up and listen carefully. Neither I won't tell you this one.

Ok , I'm listening.

Now, I really wanted to have the "what happened" story. This is what she is very good at. She can tell you a simple incident with full of attractiveness which will make the simple one into an interesting piece.

Oh ho, I've to concentrate on the story neither she will kill me. Even she can ask me anytime any question from the said story and if I found myself cluesless, no that'll not be the end of the story, but that'll be the end of the conversation for that day, atleast.

Honestly, I don't care of that. Because I know if she is the one to stop talking then she only will be the one to start it again. Only thing that matters to me is how soon she gives me the call? I mean does she break her earlier record or is it still intact?

Here she goes for the sixth time...

To cut short the 15 min story in a single line, "an auto puller today had winked at her while she was on her to college". So here is she told me a nano second incident in 15 min. Even though I made a forceful stop. This makes it obvious that how well story teller she is. Now, this was truly the most interested one on that day as I found the existence of a guy in the story. All the five before was about her and her girly pals. Upon completion she was eager to have my expression. Now what reaction do you expect me to give? I had no sign what to say. There were two answers and respective repercussions hit in my mind simultaneously, one if I say oaooo..great!! that means I'm sucked tomorrow in college, two, if I say, I would have slapped him had I been there with you, she will laugh at me as she knows that I couldn't do that. So, to be on respectful side, I exclaimed "waooo.. great...finally you got someone to wink at you"

Bang!! The very next moment what my hear heard was a shell exploded in the warfare.

I could neither catch it nor gulp it..she got absolutely furious. Firstly I thought she was mocking but in reality she wasn't. With the top of her voice she kept on screaming for the next few minutes and hung the phone abruptly.

Now, this was great feeling for me for two reasons. first , I'll get time to understand what went wrong second, while talking to her my ultra old phone gave me the signal that my girlfriend was trying to reach me. Now, who in the world wants to get questioned by his own girlfriend for being busy over phone. It's rather better to sacrifice friends for the sake.

By the way, did you just ask me, who was on waiting over the phone? Yes, you are right, it was my girl friend. So, whom was I talking to? Of course she was not my girl friend and thats the truth.

P.S:She gifted a four letter "F" word to that auto driver. Poor one!! I hope he understood that.

A Boy's bus expedition

This is my daily bus catching story. Before I tell you mine, let me ask you how do you manage to catch the right bus on road? May be by seeing the bus number or the place name written on the top of the front glass or may be hearing the ear pinching voice of conductor..but do you know how do I manage every morning? It's my self discovered way in Hyderabad. I catch bus seeing color, size and conductor of it. I've noticed a bus that comes almost at same time to my place and goes to my office. So, I wait for that everyday, but it's not as simple as it's appearing here. Ofcourse, I made mistakes in doing so but only once!! quite impressive success rate....!! Isn't it?

Now, I know the questions that you would ask me. Why don't I go for other buses? Very obviously, there are other buses also that I see to go on the same way but, they confuse me more. How? Let me frist explain you the bus transport system here. In Hyderabad, there are different types of bus services available. I guess the types are four or may be more. In case of intracity movement, they have deluxe metro, deluxe express, normal red buses and Setwin services. The first three types are Govt services and they are like paying a lot to fuck a foreign hooker and then realise that's a painted one, without any other choice left. These buses have different colors (Green, red and blue) to distinguish among themselves. All these buses have route numbers which varies from simple numeric to alpha numeric.(More details are available at APSRTC website. Yes, their bus service have websites!! unlike West Bengal) More interestingly, they have huge number of these buses running on the road in good frequency. Can you believe it? Govt. Buses in ample numbers running on the road, and they all are excellent conditioned. A picture of developing India...

Now, going back to the color and alpha neumeric route coding system, where exactly my confusion starts from. You see, how many variables are there, 4 types of buses, 4 different colors, Each services run on all the routes. So, at least 16 different buses in one route. For example, one day I noticed that the bus number 10 goes to my office and I target that. Upon my successful boarding, I paid my fair to the conductor and asked for the ticket, he gave me a look with all the expressions mixed of laugh, wonder, fun, anger, frustration and what not, then he grinned to the extend as he could shoeing all his not properly brushed teeth and told, "Yeh 10 nehi, 10M hai". Actually, instead of telling me the right bus number, I think he was more keen to know "who the hell let this idiot come to Hyderabad?" In fact all the passengers were staring at me as if they're seeing a fucking dumbo for the first time in their life who has got the wrong bus. But, yes that's the truth. With all their funny expressions the ultimate understanding was that "I'm in a wrong bus". Fortunately, that conductor was kind enough to drop me at a place where from I took an auto to go to office. On the same day in office, I browsed through the great APSRTC website and to the fullest of my surprise I found 11 subtypes of the bus number 10!! Now, What The Fuck is this? Are they taking memory test of common people? What type of test this could be? I think matching with "On-line" test this could be an "On- road" test. I also discovered that this could be one of the reason for Andharites having lesser brain but greater memories. Anyway, coming back to APSRTC website details, these buses are classified with alphabetic suffix after their main route code(e,g; 10M, 10N, 10L blah blah blah...). Their starting points are same, Secunderabad but they all goes to different places. So, different suffixes from different routes.Sounds logical? But, sorry not to me, because all the 11 types comes to my boarding point and take diversion after that. SO for me all the 11s are 10 only. So, this ends my bus no. 10 endeavour. Oh ho, another twist still remains, 10M follows one route while going but takes different route in return journey. So, again confusion !!

Your second question will be, can I not choose bus by seeing the destination name written in front of the buses. Yes, you are right, I have thought about that. But, I think one should remember that this is India and every and other state has love for their mother tougue. Fellows like me are then in the soup. All the old buses have names written only in Telugu. If you have a good star, you can see few of them have names written in English. This will make you delighted for having a chance in other buses. Wait a minute...the bus comes, ogles people out, gulps people in and vanish....all these happens in motion....The bus never stops fully. So, where are you after the bus has gone? You are still in the middle of the road. Because, in that 7 sec time, yes it takes max 7 sec to complete the full acts to the driver and passengers, you were busy to read the name written in English. In most of the cases the name plate is not properly aligned and being at the bottom of that plate, the English names are hardly visible. There can be other reasons like the name plate has its own age so the person can't read the name in 7 sec. I wish I can show you some of these plates. I, personally, do have another reason for failing to read those names. It's my height! I keep jumping between the pavement and the road like small monkey kids, I try all possible angles just to read the names but the result remain the same. It happens a couple of times that I could manage to read the names and will full of joy I go to the door to get into the bus but mean time it starts taking speed and the word that buzzes in my head is "Bus, train aud Ladki k peche kabhi mat bhago, ek jayegi to dusri ayegi". So I let them go.

By the way, if you feel that I'm trying to point out the bad sites of AP bus services, of course not. How can I forget that I'm from West Bengal and Bus service there....better I shut my mouth here. Finally, I should tell you about my favourite and only bus. "The Setwin Service". This is blue and white bus. Actually it's a mini bus. The uniqueness of this service is, the conductor will take money from you but will not give you ticket. Shocked!! Yes, that's the fact. Don't worry, there is sure shot chance of making black money out of it but not as much as you and I are thinking. Actually, the background story is like this. The bus owners bid in govt. auction and win the annual license for driving their buses in specific routes and then they enjoy it. I appreciate this effort of the govt. They realises their shortfall and come out with a solution too. Even the fares are controlled by Govt. Only and they keep it lower than those govt. buses. So, now do you understand why I call them, painted foreigner hooker? Basically the Setwin buses are like govt. regulated private one. Most importantly, I love to ride these buses. They are small, cute, sexy and fast..running through the road as a 8 year girl with full of enthusiasm. In traffic, it makes its way winking at those biggies stuck in the middle of the road. So, in all cases they are good and I just love it man....