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!!!

New Year Resolutions...Yawwwwnnn!!

There goes another year 2012 and hops in 2013. There are people who tend to ponder over the last year and make up new year resolutions (only to break them on the 2nd of January). So, I am not going to go blabbering about my last year. It hasn't been that good after all. New year resolutions is something I can look at again this year may be.

New Year Resolutions are more or less like the birthday balloons that everyone is eager to burst as soon as the cake is cut. Most of us are a kid when it comes to committing to something for self improvement. Remember the last time you told kids to not to eat chocolates, because it may spoil their teeth? I am very sure, the same moment they would have started imagining all different kinds of sweet delicacies, and would be eating even more. Specially when you give these To-Dos the name of a new year resolution, there is hardly a chance they will get met.

He who breaks a resolution is a weakling;
He who makes one is a fool.

But still, always like last year I looked at some of the new year resolutions, to think if I could pick up one. Here it goes:

1. Lose Weight: Well, I have been trying about it for over 4-5 years now. I have only gained never lost. Whenever I try to lose it, it always finds me. Not being lazy has never been a resolution and probably that is the reason I still have a gigantic satellite antenna around my waist. People would say control your diet, but I have always been on a diet. A seafood Diet. I see food and I eat it. Out of my league, something that hasn't happened in 5 years, is hardly going to happen this year. Let the nature's course run. Well, the positive side of it is, I still have only 2 chins... so far..!! Well, as the great Ramadhir Singh in GOW said - "Beta, tumse na ho payega!!"

2. Quit Drinking/Smoking: This is the 2nd most common resolution people take up. Irony is I don't pursue any of these already to quit. I have seen people not drinking for as much as a month, then it would be one of their close buddy's birthday and they will dilute their resolution with the Tequila shots and forget about it. "Arre, mere dost ka birthday hai yaar, wo mera bhai hai!" and "I only drink Socially" are the common phrases that are heard after breaking this resolution. Smokers have even less of a patience. They can't even stand a day. The very 2nd day, you would see them asking people "Bhai, Sutta hai kya?" because they threw away (more likely ashed out their lungs)  last night while they were talli. I certainly don't need to have any of the 2 resolutions. I don't even drink socially! I can blabber without being drunk.

3. Saving Money: Being financially dumb (and I accept it honestly) there is a hardly a focus I give on any of the money matters. I have been spending carelessly and on a better part, transferring money to my Indian account once in a while. I have been generous enough to throw the money around and not to care about it, that is me being dumb. But there are some things in life that I have always considered immaterial, money is the first of them. So would I save money? While I wait for my 3rd amazon order worth over 2500 Rs this week, I say no! Although, I said no to another prospective (and expensive) trip a friend was asking me about.

As Ayn Rand said - Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.

4. Plan a trip: Last time I checked, I did not win a lottery or a million dollars while I was in Vegas. Trips need expenditure and working in a mediocre job in a mediocre salary, does not make it any easy either. Now although it would sound like, I am in America but still cribbing about money? Well, Is there a single person in the world who doesn't. I have seen enough of America already and America and I are through, I will be moving on to my next destination, as soon as I get outta here.

 हमको मालूम है जन्नत की हकीक़त लेकिन,
दिल बहलाने को ग़ालिब ये ख्याल अच्छा है।।

5. Learn Something New: Hmm... But Learn what? Guitar? Tried - Didn't learn anything, and I am anyway over age to impress girls, so not guitar. Photography? - Well, I am still learning for more than 3 years now, have I learned? No.. Just spent more, learned almost nothing. Painting? - I am already a cook, once I start painting and Silai Kadhai kinda stuff, मेरी माँ कोई अच्छा सा लड़का देख के मेरी शादी कर देगी!! So, that's not an option either. Martial Arts - Yeah, goes well with those dunlop tires around my waist right? Stop the madness! New Language - I understand many, and moreover this is something that you do for once and then forget about it. I didn't have anyone to say "Ohayo Gozaimasu", in the morning did I? Those Japanese skills went in vain.  Well, even though I don't brag about it in my blog or in person, (not even bragging now :P ) that I already have tons of skills ;) That's what I hear from friends at least while they are forcing me for getting married. :P

                    So all the big ones are gone. There is another forced one that people have started floating around this year, is getting me married. What is the big fuzz about getting married people?

Me : Marriage :: Sachin : Retirement

That's about it! I will avoid that question as long as I can, and will submit one day without any will of my own. I am not making a new year resolution this year as well. Better not to make one rather than paving hell on it a week later. So as far as New Year Resolutions are concerned,

"बेटा, तुमसे न हो पायेगा, तुम्हारे लक्षण ठीक नहीं लग रहे।।"

P.S. - Happy New Year everyone! May god give you a big fat bank account and a thin healthy body. (Dear God, please don't mix these up, like you have been doing it for me year after year!!).
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