Change-ing BEST

Change can't be handed over to you, You must bring change,

These are not Mahatma's words, or any great visionary around the globe, but of a humble gentle man who with his rope commandeers the fate of Millions ferrying them to their workplaces on time,:- CONDUCTOR. I would not have dared write about this demi god, had the following incident not have happened.

It was a thursday morning and a lady asked for a 25 Rs ticket. She pulled out Rs.100 Note. the conductor curtly said, Sutte kaada (please tender change). In perhaps mocking his dismal fate he emptied his pocket inside out to prove his point The lady was too his match, she said rather strongly, I am giving you change since Monday, tere peeche mere ghar kay sare chutte khatam ho gaye". The whole bus started laughing. What happened after that is for the lady and the conductor would rather best describe.

Under this seemingly more jovial exchange of words, I think there is more to this change of BEST. In india you mostly find things in short supply. From petrol to veggies & homes to shoes, the same story continues. Even when you like a particular shirt all shirt except the one in your size are available. Only your shirt is in short supply.

But returning to topic, I cant seriously understand the fascination BEST has for change. Does it give incentive to conductors who bring in change, 25 ps for every 100 Rupees debited to their salary. I only feel pitty of the Petty cashier who has to do and stock all this change. I can understand that a middle journey change might be a problem, but a bus which just left the depot, should the conductor not have some petty cash. If its a exercise of BEST to remove mumbaikars affection to change, surely is it a long haul.

When the banks are pushing for plastic money, I think RBI mite have appointed BEST as a depository of all the petty-change in economy. Change, as i believe is now the scarcest in Indian economy. "Chutte" as referred to, commonly are staple currency. In this rate if the conductor keep asking for change without refunding them, the indian economy would become Penniless (Quite literally). Do some thing..

Caution:- I have exaggerated the blog to make it more attractive so that more people can read it and inturn, I can earn some change for tomorrow’s bus journey …J

Kv

The sound of silence

In the busy world, we all are running. Some, after the bus & some after their fate. In this mad rush we forget a lot of things unless some one drops them in front of us.

how many of us have ever heard silence??. Those who were regular at libraries, Hands Down . But seriously, being in this bustling city the chances of having a silent moment is wishful thinking, Its true then that is said that this city never sleeps. how can it with no silence around.

This is what I did, finding no one at my house I just closed my eyes and started to hear each every sound curiously. there is something that the mind does when your sight is cut off and you concentrate more energy to listening. The feeling is magical especially when many thoughts are running into your mind. this can offer a sound way out.

Silence here may not necessarily mean pin drop silence. Its just our ability to respond to phonetics (or sound waves). and the feeling i said about the mind makes you feel is simply magical..try it out....

-Kay-v

A new beginning

In old ages there were People who gave up food, Life pleasure
for Immaterial pursuits... they were called saints then...
Today we call them "Office Executives"

After the 3 days hence I will be part of the same tribe. Happy in its nonchalant ways of life, where one forgets that work is supposed to liberate (arbeit macht frei- german idiom) rather enslave us into modern day. Anyways its not that intimidating too.

I have heard stories from my friends about how work is, but actually that makes me skeptical because this is a free advice and as it is with free advice, any 2 advices are never the same. some are best modest to say- "work is good and worthwhile" (worthwhile of what??..you do get paid..huh??), some overtly exaggerated " that's the best thing to happen to me". I hope his boss was listening to this...sincerely.:-P

Coming back to the topic, work has its own advantage too. After one full month of hiatus, I will be pushed into regulars 9 to whenever-your-boss-call-the-day time slot. Call me a hypocrite, but I do enjoy plucking a few strings of stressful work. It gives me options to do the same work differently. My only compliant is it should not be too routine to become a regular feature. innovation, after all, is worth only till next date.

my work should offer me mobility. I like moving around in office, talking and meeting new people. more like a "social catalyst". off what i heard in shapr contrast- Modern day offices are filled with loners busy with making people more lonely so that they get company (cruel irony, trust me offices are filled with ironies). I just fear that esprit-de-corps, (of what all the hoopla is all about) it might turn out to be an empty preposition . for my part of the bargain, I am ready to scale down my sociali-Zing.

Atlast, in some context my job is mobile. i.e it has location beyond Mumbai. so I am a little worried about how will I do in alien lands. but as my friend reassuringly said, whats life without a little challenge. Probably he does not know the locations i have on my transfer card-
-Shirwal
-Dahej
-Bhagwanpur
-Mohali

coming to think of it, I think I must take a little chance with my luck. unknown places can offer unknown pleasantries too. and Mohali has a Scenic climate and "Oye-Hoye Beautiful" punjabi Peeepals too!!..very endearing ones..

So Finally. Armed with all the Stocks a modern stationery mart can provide, informed of all risk and eventualities , Beaming to the ends with self confidence (or the atleast faking it), HR-Professional Vineet Kamat is finally ready to take his Bosses first order...Adios folks..here I go.

will tell you what was it all about in next blog

A great evening

'Best things happen they don't occur as planned"

Perhaps yesterday my fate read this somewhere, It was supposed to be another evening as is any other evening...(you know those same old, same old evenings). An unexpected call from a distant uncle to join him for a "high tea" was otherwise not a bad option. considering i m only fukat in evenings

anyways, the high tea was fabulous, no sorry the milkshake was great, and the other servings too. the best part was the conversations. right from Special Pani of pani puri and the killing of OBL, to the changing trends in marriage. It was a treat of sorts..

As if this was not enough, A coincidence call from a friend when I was just passing by from his lane. this was enough for me to take a U turn and go back to his place. Having visited him after long time, I could not resist saying no to have dinner at his place. I was hence served exclusive dinner which was just to tasty to described. the best part of it was the talk we 2 friends had.

After it all ended, i was already 10 PM. Conversations stopped only because of limitation of time, rather than anything else. I drove home with this thought in my mind. despite all planning, the best thing happened unplanned.

Blogging Season 2.0

I know my blogs are not very famous, so me restarting is not going to attract a lot of attention still. while advising my friend to take interest in blogging. I had to perform my part of promise.

Some one advised me to countinue blogging and hence the attempt.

Regds
Vineet

and the VOTE goes to

This is the season of election one cant but think of election when one writes. so i decided in pursuance to my earlier post. what more to write than "MY VOTE" per se.

Let me begin with saying that we all should vote. No! not because everyone says so. afterall copying is also an art. Voting, as said before is, quintessentially, not just a right but also a duty. By voting we express our opinion. Some people who claim to be too matured "not-to-vote" will be more than happy to point out to me many lucanae in my argument. chanakya answers correctly " There are infinite reasons not to begin, but Only ONE reason to succeed". let me put forward to you my example

Vote according to me is the expression of my choice- by voting i am choosing issues which matter to me, which relate to me, which are of importance to me.
Also by voting i am letting elected representative know that i am lookin forward to their work now that i have voted for them- they have to deliver. here i must say proactive involvment is necessary. it doesnt end on the voting day. You may have to undo what you did last election.

By voting i am choosing tht no one bogus votes atleast on my behalf.

there may be many reasons and counter reason(u will find many in my comments section). but this is one of the most convincing comments. what we see in the country. some pressing issues are get bulldozed by polpulism. we ignore it saying "good politics is always bad economics". why does this happen.

why did farmers let loan waiver?- because a farmer VOTES.
why did slums and illegal immigrants got residential status? becoz they VOTE
why is money spent on rural india more than urban when revenue generation is opposite ?- because our cousins (improverished, they may, still) VOTE
why is country not ready to do a rethink on reservation? -becoz people affected by this change VOTE
why is india still following orthodox legislation issues of gay rights and live-in relationship, etc?
becoz people who wish to countinue of such status quo- get it VOTE (in large numbers)

Chanakya said "you need one reason....."- i have given you many. The notion of what my vote does atleast is shattered, i suppose.




VOTING ENDS 2DAY AT 5PM . IF YOUR NAME IS THERE PLEASE TAKE PAINS TO GO TO POLLING BOOTH

VINEET

the holiday that isnt

the great election in Maharashtra is just about a corner away. what is worrying people the most is whether the day will be a holiday or not a holiday. (oct.13-2009)

the election commission which is the body which grants this holiday....sorry election day, is decided with consideration like-logistics, security forces, religious festivals and ofcourse 6 month deadline. but now the new consideration is countinuos holiday. so the election day has to be in middle of the week.

the Represenation of People Act says that "such a day as declared as voting day by the election commision shall be treated as paid leave subject to corresponding state directive." so it is silent about it being a holiday. it leaves us to the intepretation as-

1. either its a day of holiday with leave
2, or it is to the discretion of the employer to decide whether a holiday.

anyway you see it, we should not see it as a holiday. we people like to ape our american counterparts in thier culture and fashion. now even in awarness. we are very vocal and agitated about our right. but who will talk about our duties what we ought to do. voting is not just our right that we can avail or redeem. its also our right to see if this right is not misappropriated.

it is sad that election day is taken as a holiday and there is discussion in front pages of nat'l dailies whether it should be declared as one. what more can you expect where even national days if coming to be sunday is cursed.

Etu

PLEASE VOTE AND BE AWARE ABOUT IT...