Rant

Why you should not bargain with poor people

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Bargaining is an integral part of the Indian psyche. An Indian has an intrinsic urge to get the best deal out of every situation. They bargain in stores, hotels, taxis, airports and even Restaurants. While some of the bargaining is pardonable (when dealing with situations where the price is not justified), one should not bargain with poor people e.g. Rickshaw-wallahs, auto-wallahs etc. (unless he’s trying to rip you off, of-course)
I will provide an example. A middle-class woman takes a rickshaw from Point A to Point B, the rickshaw puller asks for Rs 20/- for his labour. The woman’s internal instincts take over and she haggles with the rickshaw puller for ten minutes, saying that Rs 20/- is too much and Rs 15/- is what he deserves. She would prefer to waste ten minutes of her time, just to save 5 rupees.

Now I ask this- What is 5 rupees for a  middle-class woman? Not much. Now, what is the same amount for a poor rickshaw-puller who works 14-15 hours a day just to bring food to the table? Certainly much more than what it is to the woman.
Now consider the same woman, in a mall, shopping at an expensive retail store. She wouldn’t bat an eyelid putting down a few thousand bucks for some dress manufactured at a rich designer’s factory, with a manufacturing cost 1/20th of the retail price & not worth it.  It is obvious that the rickshaw puller works 10 times as hard as the designer, but earns less than .0001% of the latter, just because he was born in a poor family and not provided the means to earn anything more.
Also what I don’t agree with is people giving away 10-20 rupees easily to a beggar but not to a person who works hard.
I find it shameful that people haggle for petty amounts with the poor, especially when giving away 5 to 10 bucks would not matter much to the giver, but would mean a lot to the recipient.
Because of such attitude, the rich get richer and the poor stay poor. Just because labour does not have a price tag, doesn’t mean you can decide what it costs.
I would request everyone in such a situation to think if haggling is worth it. If it is going to make a poor man happy at almost no expense on your end, don’t bargain.

Rant

The inscrutable Haryanvis

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This is not aimed at 1 particular Haryanvi, but all of them. Also, I have nothing against them, many of my friends are Haryanvis.
I witnessed a curious scene today morning. I visited the local Puncture repair shop to get my bike tire fixed. While the guy was working on my bike, a Maruti SX4 stopped near the shop with 1 flat tyre. 2 Haryanvis (wearing traditional garb) stepped out and instructed the puncture-wallah in Haryanvi to fix the tire. Let me describe the car in more detail.
It had silver license plates with the numbers written in golden. Completely incomprehensible unless you look at it from just the right angle. Also, there were no alphabets, only numbers. All the windows (including the windscreen) were covered with pitch black (illegal) film. While the door was opened for a few seconds, I could see that the upholstery was bright red in colour.
With the car out of the way, let me describe the folk in detail. They talked in loud voices in Haryanvi, were wearing a lot of jewellery and looked completely un-educated. It was obvious that they were one of the people who had sold their farms at exorbitant prices to the government, had a lot of money and didn’t know what to do with it.
After instructing the Puncture-wallah, they opened the car boot. One of them asked the nearby shop-keepers to bring out a couple of plastic chairs and had them set up on the pavement. The other got out a huge hookah from the car boot. The Hookah was one of the biggest I had ever seen. It was set up in between the chairs. The base was heavy and stationary, the part above it was rotating, to facilitate passing the pipe between multiple people.
Within 5 minutes, the Hookah was lit and the Haryanvis bubbled away peacefully while the puncture-wallah toiled. I have nothing against smoking the Hookah (having tried the non-tobacco version at a Cafe Coffee Day outlet once myself), but what I failed to understand was the desire to have it right there, on the pavement next to a busy road, while the puncture was being repaired.
In sometime, the work done, the puncture-wallah asked them for 400 rupees (he had installed a new tube). The Haryanvis started abusing him vehemently, threatened him of dire consequences, gave him 300 bucks and sped away. While reversing, the car emitted the tune of a popular Hindi song and everyone around them laughed. After they were far away, the puncture-wallah abused them and their mother and sisters vehemently in return.
As for me, I had a good laugh early morning.

Rant

The Great Indian Elevator (lipht) paradox

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One thing I have noticed since a long time (albeit with much frustration) is that Indians can never operate the Elevator (also called lift or lipht) properly. 99.9% times, people press the wrong buttons and mis-use the elevator. A few common scenarios
1. People press the DOWN button to call the elevator down, the UP button to press the elevator.

The UP and DOWN buttons are used to select which direction you want to go. If you want to go up, just press the UP button irrespective of where the elevator is. The next elevator going up will take you with it.
Most of the times, these people end up stopping the elevator going down (when they need to go up), get on the elevator, crowd it up un-necessarily and then the elevator stops again on its way up.
2. People get on the elevator even if its not going the same direction they want to go.
This just crowds up the elevator. The elevator is NOT a joyride, wait for your turn and then get on it.
Sadly, such behavior is not only exhibited by un-educated folk but also well earning people. This is just something that Indians are not capable of.
Music

Great Gig Part-2

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June 30th, 2011 was a day I had waited for a long time. Think Floyd performed for the second time in Hard Rock Cafe. I had informed everyone of my absence from the other responsibilities of life days ago, as soon as the dates were announced. The concert was slated to start at 10:00 PM, we reached there at 07:00 PM, waited till 8 to get the tickets. The concert actually started around 10:30 PM.
For those who don’t know about the band, read my last post or facebook fan page
https://thescurvydawg.com/2010/05/22/the-great-gig-in-hard-rock-cafe/
http://www.facebook.com/thinkfloydindia

I had a few apprehensions on what the playlist would be like on this occasion. My minimum requirements were Dogs, Sheep, Echoes, Shine on you Crazy Diamond & of course, whole of Dark Side of the Moon.
Un-like last time, the concert started with Coming Back to Life, followed by Poles Apart and then High Hopes. Just when I was yearning for some classic(old) Pink Floyd songs, they Started with Dark Side of the Moon and played the whole album, just like last time.
While they were playing, I started looking around the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of Vasundhara Vee, who sang the part last time; however, I could see no signs of her. We were all surprised when the Sax guy (whose name I never heard or forgot) played the vocal parts on his Sax. It was simply amazing and played perfectly. All in all, I can safely say that “The Great Gig in the sky” was the song which surprised me most both the times.
After this came the mandatory alcohol top-up break after which they started with Echoes, followed by Sheep, Dogs, Shine on you Crazy Diamond, finishing with comfortably numb.
A few differences from last time

  1. The show was technically more successful. Last time the Sax sound went in and out, the keyboards couldn’t be heard on many songs, but this time everything seemed good.
  2. Everyone seemed more drunk than last time. Gaurav Chintamani looked like he was almost about to throw up.
  3. Rohit Kulkarni had more role this time, did most of the lead guitar work.
Overall, a very satisfying experience. I hope they do play “Careful with that Axe Eugene” next time.
Music

Return of the Gig!!

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More than a year ago, on Thursday, May 20, 2010 something legendary happened. Think Floyd played at Hard Rock Cafe Delhi and changed our lives forever.
For people like us who would never see Pink Floyd live, this was the next best thing, and the best thing we can get ever. I covered this event on this blog a couple of days later
https://thescurvydawg.com/the-great-gig-in-hard-rock-cafe/
One reason the evening was so special was we had mediocre hopes from the concert and instead they blew us away. We didn’t expect a Sax player or Vasundhara singing “Great Gig in the Sky”.
Since then, we have all been waiting for a reprise, and after more than a year the dates have been announced. It’s June 30, the same venue at 9:00 PM (right!!)
http://www.hardrock.com/live2/eventDetails.aspx?LocationID=542&eventID=49111&MIBEnumID=3
With expectations already so high, will the band exceed expectations again or fail to live up to it’s expectations? Only June 30th will tell and we will be there.
Rant

Honey I shrunk the sweaters

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I am quite new to household chores and especially when it comes to washing clothes, I have next to no experience. I just know where to put the clothes into the machine, which knobs to turn and where to put the soap. I had no idea that woolen clothes don’t like appreciate the same treatment as summer clothes.
I washed my sweaters one day, in the way described above and when it was all over, the sweaters were all a size that would fit a 5 year old boy. I had no idea what happened.
Reading/asking around, I came to know that woolens are not to be washed with usual soap; and while most shrinkage is irreversible, there were a few things I could try.

I soaked my sweaters in warm water, hung them on a clothes stand and with clips attached to one end, stretched as much as I could and attached clips to the other side.
The sweater does look normal for now, let’s see how it fares up when it dries.

Nostalgia, Rant

Here comes the rain

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Yesterday was a good day. My dad called to tell me that the Registration card for my bike, which I assumed lost for years was back from the dead (from a pile of old stuff actually). I had long been dreading another trip to Nagpur, just to get a replacement registration card.
I remember the last time this happened. I spent 10k for air travel, a few thousand I paid to the RTO guy, had to wait for months to get a replacement and on top of which my Dad impounded my bike till I got it. So as you can imagine, it was a relief.
I had been roaming around with a constant apprehension that I would be stopped by the cops and without Registration, I would have to fork out a hefty bribe. Now, however, I will get my insurance renewed as well and be in the clear completely.
On this happy note, I left for office and while leaving back for home, was surprised to see that it had rained and rained well. The streets were wet, a cool breeze was blowing and there were the occasional drops of rain. I instantly traveled back in time, to college days, where bike was our only means of transportation, be it rain or sunshine. (I am being nostalgic a lot lately)
I rode slow, took my time to reach home and enjoyed every minute of the ride.
Well, after the seemingly unstoppable approach of summer, we were delighted by heavy rains and the temperature has gone down to a comfortable 15 again.

 

Looking for years of pleasurable biking to follow.

Music, Nostalgia, Technology

Bye Bye Worldspace Satellite Radio!

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My Mom gifted me my Worldspace satellite radio around 5 years ago, knowing how much I liked music. Though it was available in India for years before this, it was not very affordable and their receivers were huge and bulky.  My mom got mine for around 5k with a yearly subscription of around 1200 Rupees in 2006.
I took it with me to Nagpur, where, reaching at 11:00 at night, the first thing I did was install the receiver on the roof and listen to music all night long. After that, I knew which direction “South-East” was, in every house I lived. After moving to Kolkata, we went to great lengths to install the receiver on the apartment roof, run the cable down to our flat. Did the same when I moved to 2 different houses in Gurgaon.
While satellite radio might not a hit amongst the general population in India (“Who listens to Radio at home when you have TV?” or “Who pays a subscription fee to listen to radio when you can download pirated songs for free?”), it was a boon for music lovers. Almost every genre of music imaginable, spread across more than 50 channels, with excellent sound quality, it was everything a music lover had been waiting for.
My favorite channels used to be Orbit Rock and Voyager. It was on Orbit Rock that I first listened to Echoes by Pink Floyd. I had tuned in mid-way and the haunting nature of the music instantly mesmerized me. The music went on for 20 minutes and I was left with an overwhelming desire to listen to it again. Thankfully, the Worldspace India website provided a way to find out which song played when and there was also a section to request new songs.
After moving for the second time in Gurgaon, the Radio fell in bad times. I did not get to install it for almost 5-6 months, and even after I did, I didn’t listen to it much, partly due to my hectic schedule.
Then one day, I read in the newspaper that Worldspace had broadcast it’s last song in India on December 31, 2009, the company already having filed for bankruptcy in the US a year ago. I immediately turned on my receiver and as expected, there was no Pink Floyd; just silence.
I felt bad as well as nostalgic. Bad because I didn’t listen to it much during it’s last days. Nostalgic because I had great memories associated with it and there is no alternative to it in India at the present.
Still, I refused to take down the cabling and the antenna placed on the rooftop, braving rain and cold and the harsh Gurgaon summers. I was hopeful that somehow the company would be revived or there would be a different company which would launch services compatible with the existing hardware.
More than a year later, there is no Satellite Radio Service in India and while tidying up my place, I decided to take down the antenna from the rooftop and remove the cabling (due to which I had been unable to fully close my window for years).
From what I can surmise, worldspace failed in India primarily because they didn’t launch a car version of their radio. No one really listens to Radio at home when they have TV and no one would dare to pay to listen to Radio. True blue music lovers are quite scarce, not enough to keep the company afloat. They did team up with airtel DTH TV services for bundled services, but apparently that didn’t help.
However, people do listen to music in their cars. Worldspace should have taken a note from What Sirius and XM have done in the US and teamed up with car  and car stereo manufacturers to put a Worldspace module in mid and high-end car stereos.
Even if Worldspace does return, people would have a hard time trusting them with a pre-paid yearly subscription, having been cut short the last time. I myself am not much fond of Internet Radio, with the lack of dedicated Internet Radio receivers available in this country and unwilling to keep the whole computer running just for radio.
Worldspace, we will miss you. may you R.I.P!!

Motorcycle, Movies

Wild Hogs (No more)

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3 years ago my Friend Ayan wrote a blog post about this movie, how 4 guys forget who they really were and head out into the open roads forgetting  wordly concerns.
But I would not write what it is about, as Ayan has already done a better job.
This is about how the movie moved me. I remember in college days we used to just start up our bikes, head over to far off places with no worries about when to return, how late it was getting and how to wake up on time the next day.
I remember many trips to Ramtek, Boar Dam and other places far away from the city. Most of the times, we didn’t even have an idea of where we were going. I remember many journeys on the Wardha Road, going hundred kilometers at a time, only turning back when the money in our pockets and the fuel in the tanks got low. Also, we travelled on the Koradi road heading up the hills many times just to get away from the city.
Still remember when heading back, there’s a point where you are still some way up the hills and you can get a good view of the Industrial Area, chimneys bellowing smoke in the backdrop of an amazing sunset.
No, in those days I didn’t have to worry about SLAs, attendance was the biggest joke, exams were a mere inconvenience and oil stains on my jeans were a part of life. Money was something Dad provided and I had no idea where it came from.
In Nagpur, wearing the helmet was forbidden, cars were a novelty and the long awesome flyovers were always free of 4 wheelers and you could test the max-speed of the bike whenever you wanted.
Of course, all that has changed now. My current life would be understandable from the fact that my bike is 5 years old, has 50,000 kms on it, 40,000 of it from the first 3 years.
Now I know if I take my bike out, I would be stopped at least twice on the way from here to CP and looted dry by the police; who due to some reason seem to have a personal enmity towards bike riders. Cars  have the right to have dark windows, screech tires into oblivion and ride over pedestrians. No one heard of a biker killing anyone on the road, still they are the ones who must suffer. Wild Hogs, no more. Domestic Swine most likely.
I feel like the guys in the movie feel. Only difference being they were in their late 40s and I am in my mid 20s.
I need a month off, a full tank of gas and the road spread out in front of me.

Earth bound misfit, I