Lazy Guy's Journey

The journey to my hometown Raigarh always brings in new experiences and observations. The lazy eyes of this lazy guy observe a lot. Moreover, when you are getting bored alone, cribbing yourself for not carrying a book, writing your thoughts down seems like the right thing to do.

Regardless of where you are traveling in India, you would always find few specific types of people. The train journeys give you the most enriching observations, as this is the most widest used medium of travel and let's you meet the widest varieties of people.

Regardless of what kind of office it is, government or private, IT or core, public services or retail, one thing that is common in all these offices is, the bunch of 3-4 people bitching about others. The bitching kind are specifically common among working travelers. These people would commute every other day between 2 close stations A and B, without caring about buying a frequent traveler pass, usually paying the TTE 50/- bucks, only when they are spotted traveling in reserved compartments, without a reservation.  Of course, they travel only in reserved compartments. 4 people would occupy a 3 people seat and consider yourself lucky if they leave you a little space to breath. Don't worry, it all comes with the masala entertainment of who 2 are the changu-mangu in their office, who has a crush on whom,  who gets special favors from the boss and how they are the epitome of sacrifice and truth because they don't butter their bosses. More or less, this is the same content in every bitching conversation I have heard so far.

One other common set of people one would find is the Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam (वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम) folks. These ones understood the phrase a little differently and assume the the whole earth to be their own property, instead of their family as the quote suggests. They would assume that they are okay with using your charging pins, your seat, your bag (to use it like a pillow) and sometimes even your thighs to rest their hand. Touching is all apart a different phenomenon in India. You are supposed to be okay with it. That's it. No Questions! While doing all of this, they make an ASS of U and ME, because they ASSUME! They assume you are okay with all of the above. "Chalta Hai Yaar" has been one of the very common assumptions among us Indians. 

The other kind are listeners. They would listen, listen very carefully, very thoughtfully, while excessively staring at your face. Well, unlike the previous set of people, these guys mean no harm. They just want to listen. It's the stare that sometimes blows you off. Then you go into deep thoughts, what if this guy is a stalker? Did I say too much? What would he do if he knows where I work? The reservation chart already has my name. What if your identity is used to commit a heinous crime? So and and so forth.  Then you go into a sudden silence. The journey is quite boring after that moment, unless the guy starts talking or gets down at his stop.

Then there are talkers. They start talking to you the moment they see you. The questions begin with - where are you going and can go unto - why aren't you married yet. Of course they would ask you with a smile where do you work, how much do you earn and who all are there in your family and what do they do. :) There is nothing like a "Personal Question". Be ready to answer anything.

Another specie in the bunch is the Kumbhkarnas. These mythological creatures have the insane capability to sleep 24x7. You would not want to lend your berth to such people for even short naps. Chances are very high that you would never get your berth back.

Now there is one particular event in which every passenger turns into a Kumbhkarna. It all happens with just the sound of couple of claps. A small group of Eunuchs usually go around the train asking for money. The moment the claps are heard, 90% of the people around you would give their Oscar winning performance of being in a deep Kumbhakarna Sleep. Mind you, these eunuchs as per themselves, are not beggars and won't accept change. Nothing less than 10 bucks would satisfy them, else be ready to hear the worst of abuses and curses you would have ever heard in your life.

One interesting group is Pets. Not the animal kind although. These are guys and girls with a collar around their neck. Only difference, the collar in this case is their cell phone charger. India became independent in 1947 only to be slaves again to our phones in 201X. Sometime you also get to hear their girlfriends/boyfriends petting them as Janu, Baby, Teddy and what not. :) 

Rise, awake and don't stop till you achieve your goal. The next bunch of people have got this quote from Swami Vivekanand totally messed up. These are the Impatient. They would start clogging the pathway the moment they see the first glimpse of their destination, at times without a glimpse. I would count myself in here, but I am impatient by force and not by choice. Reason being, there is another bunch of impatient people waiting for you at the arriving station who want to get on to the train, even before others could get down. Patience requires lots of "Pay-Sense", and not everyone has it.

For last few years I have been traveling to my hometown for very specific events. This is my first time in 5 years going for Diwali. Journey brings in lots of memories. Some good, some bad. Couple of marriages, few funerals. The one that still haunts me the most is, my grandpa's voice - "Mere Marne ke baad aaoge kya Pandit?"

The end result of a journey is usually very pleasing, only if you reach in time.
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P.S. - It isn't so easy typing this long on an iPhone 4.

Modi & Medu Wada

Modi & Medu Vada - The connection sounds weird? To the typical IT guy standing beside me at the Breakfast stall, it didn't. 
Thanks to America, Indian vendors, and theaters in the IT hubs like Pune & Bangalore have started following the weekend pricing policy these days. For watching a movie over a weekend, we need to shed at least 50% extra bucks as compared to a regular weekday. Well, to many of us in the corporate world that might seem okay. As far as the theater owners are concerned, people are ready to pay, so why not.

Even though one would think that this wouldn't be the case with the small streetside vendors, things have changed. Besides the 3 times price raise in every commodity including food in the last 4 years, I also noticed a change in the financial quotient. The prices seem growing inversely proportional to the financial quotient of buyers. Comparing to smaller cities and less commercialized areas of big cities we all are paying a bigger price. The reason - because we can! The thought process has turned to service and people wouldn't mind paying extra bucks for a better price, even if those extra bucks might not be worth it.

One lazy Sunday one of my best friends and I went to the nearest stalls where small vendors sell breakfast in the morning. There was a huge rush on one of the stalls which had recently opened. There was this gentleman who had opened a sandwich stall. Because of the rush, we thought of giving it a try, if there are so many people waiting, it must be good. After 15 minutes of wait and ordering a veggie samosa sandwich, what we got is a vegetable samosa stuffed between 2 slices of bread. Not grilled, just with some ketchup and mayonnaise. Price? Rs. 80!! Gulp! Comparing that with the very popular Desi Rs.10/- Wada Pav, can you imagine what was so different? The vendor was speaking in English. He had a target audience in mind, which was the typical service-oriented IT crowd, and he was doing quite well communicating with them. People were paying extra for the smile and English. Did people complain? Nope!

People have been very surprised when I used to tell them that I have never been to a CCD, Barista, or Mocha. Is your tiny size coffee worth the Rs 120/- that you are paying? Maybe not. I believe, their business is not coffee, they are selling a place for you to sit and chat with your friends or have an official conversation. Do people complain? Nope!

In the above 2 cases, people did not, and I don't think they would complain. They are buying into the service, class, and communication.

Now coming to the Medu Wada story, there is this vendor at the nearby chowk selling Idlis and Medu Wadas. The typical corporate guy came and asked how much he should pay for the delicious, succulent plate of big Medu Wadas that he just finished. The vendor asked for Rs. 30/-. 

IT Guy - "बाकी दिन तो 20 रुपए ही लेते हो। दाम बढ़ गए क्या?" Vendor  - "आज Sunday है,  आज का rate 30 है। "IT  Guy - "अरे यार, अब तो मोदी आ गया, फिर भी ऐसे रेट ?? "

Unwillingly he took out 3 Rs.10/- bills from his huge wallet and gave it to the vendor. While the vendor was just implementing the "high-rate-because-you-can-pay-for-it" policy, the buyer wasn't so happy giving the money to the vendor. Reason? He had nothing more to offer. Not even a smile or a casual conversation.

People won't reason, won't bargain, and won't object the prices. They all are hoping that with Modi's leadership, everything is and will be alright. This was just a small instance, compare that with the price of larger commodities, the biggest example being real estate. Is that 2 BHK flat worth the 70 Lakh you are ready to spend, just because everyone else is?
Well, there is nothing a Modi or a Gandhi can do for you if you can't do anything for yourself. We all would be part of that typical sheepwalk. Get an engineering degree, get into an IT company, go onsite, buy a flat, keep paying for it rest of your life, raise kids, bored to death in the old age, because the kids are somewhere else far away from you. I consider myself part of that same sheep walk so far. I wish the steps I have taken and want to take, would materialize and I come back to the human race.

Unless you take those steps to get away from this sheep walk.....Keep waiting for that "Modi Medu Wada Yojna", it is never going to come!!!