What Can I Say?

Modern Luxor, Egypt around or way before 1300 BC

 

 

Delhi, 2008

Book For Thought

This happened about three years ago. I was new to the city. Looking for work. And time to kill… loads of it. My only escape was books. I had reread everything I had with me. That’s about a carton (hmm… say, a 29-inch TV carton) full of them — I had a tough time convincing everyone that I had to carry my books — all of it — wherever I went.
Well, what next I thought. Knocked on my neighbour’s door one morning with an unusual request. “Do you have some books you could lend,’ I asked. My neighbour with his half open eyes stared at me for a while.

I have to give some introduction here about my impression of Delhi. People here don’t know the concept (read benefits) of a library in a residential colony. Forget a library, even a stationery store is unheard of in most colonies. There will be grocers having  maybe a stack of notebooks and some Reynold pens. At least, that’s how it is in the colony I live in. I voiced my concerns to the mesh uncle — a Tamilian, who instals mesh for windows and doors. “See madam, ‘douwn’ South, people give a lot of importance to education. So, you have one small stationary store for every lanes on an average. Up north people get money through house rents or their flourishing businesses. Most families (read well-settled) don’t think education is mandatory. So, only if there is demand, there will be supply,” he analysed. There was some sense in what he was saying.

Coming back to the neighbour, he said he had some books. I was both surprised and happy. Such good luck comes by very rarely, I thought. Imagine a Delhi-ite having books in his/her house. Then he lent me a couple of them. One of them was this strange title ‘Many Lives Many Masters’ by Brian Weiss. The neighbour stressed to surely read this one. (Of course I would). ‘Many Lives Many Masters’ was one of the most strangest, spookiest books I had ever read — basically how a psychotherapist, the author himself, heals his patients using past life therapy.

I won’t say the book changed my life or any such thing. But it was surely different. That it was based on real life incident freaked me out even further. Well I read it, reread it…phew. And then after a couple of weeks, I returned the books to the owner. He had his eyebrows up in a queer way, ’see, didn’t I say this was different and interesting?’ sort of expression. “Yeah, yeah, I know what you meant then,” I told him and went back to knocking more doors.

 

Book Zone_ The Conch Bearer

For a long time I have been wanting to write on books. Now that it is a small part of my job too, I thought, well why not blog about it. This is one of the recent books I read. The Conch Bearer by Chitra Divakaruni is an ideal book for children. Chitra, according to me, is India’s J.K. Rowling. (Although, Chitra is based in the US now). I recently even watched the movie The Mistress of Spices – adapted from Chitra’s book. Good book, good movie. The Conch Bearer is the first of the trilogy of Brotherhood of Conch series. Now this book was written way back in 2003 but published and released in India only this year. The other two in the series is yet to be released here. Meanwhile I am yet to read Chitra’s latest novel on Draupadi –The Palace Of Illusions. If you are sick of the campus literature that’s hogging the limelight these days, Chitra’s books are a good bet. Anything more on the author and her books, it will start sounding like a plug. Aren’t u guys glad that I am back. Back with a blue this time

The L-Class

I know I haven’t been writing at all. And I am terribly missing the whole fun of writing. So many things are going on right now, but that’s no excuse for not writing. I just hate reading newspapers these days. It’s not fun anymore. I prefer reading washingtonpost.com, businessweek.com, telegraph.co.uk these days. Mint is a good paper. Indian newspapers these days are full of accidents and crime. If that’s missing then there’s the overdose of luxury related news. I mean what the heck, who can afford a Rs 10,000 Manolo Blahnik shoe or a lakh and a half LV trunk. I would much prefer a ‘price on request’ label than seeing the rates with more zeroes than India’s population (ok that’s a little exaggerated figure). Having said that, these pull outs are talking points while chatting with friends and colleagues.

 

Lazy weekend in Jodhpur

We just got back from a two day trip from Jodhpur and realised we could have done it in one. Although there is nothing much to see, there are loads of eating joints one shouldn’t miss. When I surfed the net for Jodhpur, I really didn’t find much. We hired an auto rickshaw and asked him to take us around. I guess it’s Jodhpur through the eyes of a rickshawwallah. And here’s my mini guide to the place.

Where: In Rajasthan, overnight journey from Delhi and take only Mandor Express, the only train that perhaps reaches the city on time

Legend: It is believed that Ravan’s wife Mandodari was from Jodhpur, which is why Mandor Express and Mandor Gardens a Lodhi-garden like park in the city (a town really).

What to see:

Umaid Bhavan, only part of it is open to tourists. Good interiors, the king has many achievements to his credit. Beautifully done palace. Felt like a queen walking through the ornate corridors and halls. Entry is Rs 15.

Mehrangarh Fort: Don’t take the elevator, walk. You can see the blue city from top. Supposed to be 500 ft above the ground. The terrace bedroom is breathtaking and so are the stone studded and gold-plated cradles. Don’t miss the Palkis and elephant seats. Take a guide. It’s Rs 150 for 4 people. Even if you are just 2 they charge the same. Entry to the fort is about Rs 20.

Jaswant Tada: On the way back from the fort take a deviation and you will find this place. Supposed to be a Taj Mahal like structure — the samadhi of King Jaswant Singh. Quiet and serene place.

Where to eat: Priya Hotel in Nayi Sarak. Rs 100 for two people. For sweets go to Pokar Sweets next to Priya and Janta (superb place) opposite Priya. Mishri Lal Lassi centre at the end of Nayi Sarak near Clock Tower is popular for Srikhand-like Lassi. Mirchi wada is mind blowing. Also try mawa kachori with sugar syrup. Opp this lassi centre is Mishri Lal tea centre that sells masala garnish for tea . At 10/- a packet it works wonders for a sore throat (add a pinch of this powder to the tea that you drink). He also sells tea powder. If you feel a little bit generous, treat yourself to a pool side dinner at The Park (Rs 600 for 2!!) and order Spinach curry, the chef’s specialty there. And of course Rajasthani Ghatta is available everywhere.

Shopping: Tripoliya bazaar for dirt-cheap bandhini sarees, National Handloom for all sorts of Rajasthan related stuff, Mochi Bazaar (15 min from Nayi Sarak, 20/- in auto) for jhootis, Swasthi Gate is another area with some good shops. Area around the clock tower for everyday stuff.

If you need any more info let me know.

S

Too many holidays and nothing to do

Deepavaliya shubhashayagalu… A good three-day weekend. And nothing to do. I feel completely useless. I read a few chapters in the books I am reading. Cleaned the store room… ah! what a good feeling that gives. And of course tolerated noise and smoke thanks to Delhi’s fetish for crackers. I wish someone could host a workshop on what to do during extended weekends if you don’t plan to travel anywhere. At least a ‘things to do’ list. I wish I could go to Bangalore though. But tickets don’t come cheap these days. My best friend has gone to Bangalore, it’s her first Deepavali after marriage. I am sure she will be so busy, she won’t have time to breathe. Some stuff I could have done, but I didn’t

1) Learnt to use the “semi-automatic” washing machine (yeah, yeah I know it’s easy and all, my mum says that all the time)

2) Updated my blog (which I am doing now)

3) Do research on a few topics I plan to write on

4) Catch up with old friends (I promise I will call them before Monday, this Monday)

5) Dust my treadmill and start using it.

6) Check if the heaters are working now that it’s getting more chilly by the day

7) Get my DVD player repaired (haven’t watched anything except for our wedding CDs. Can you believe it?)

Take driving lessons

9) Shopping

10) Shopping again

Luxor, The Open Museum

4. 00 am flight from New Delhi to Istanbul. Reached Istanbul five and half hours later. Then, took a flight to Cairo two hours later, then took a flight to Luxor again two hours later – yes a very tiresome day. We reached Luxor — the open museum — which it truly is, at around 5.30 p.m. We were contemplating whether to shower and have dinner or look for placed around the hotel for a good vegetarian food.

Now, Egyptians hardly understand the concept of vegetarian food. (at Cairo, this guy behind the McD counter asked me whether Veg food included fish. More on that later). Although our hotel in Luxor, The Sheraton, had an Indian restaurant called Agra, we decided to visit that place the next night. We went and had a look at the buffet dinner Sheraton served. At 170 Egyptian Pounds (1 EP= Rs 7), they had a good spread but nothing that we really wanted to gorge on.

We were also thinking of doing a trip around the market area in the caleche – a horse driven cart (also the name of a Hermes perfume), decorated like the one in the Indian baraats. There are hordes of them there and for 5 Egyptian Pounds the caleche drivers will take you around the city. Now, tipping is a major epidemic in Egypt. Everyone expects it and they are great salesmen with good knowledge about how human psychology works. Besides, dinner we even had to book for the Luxor sightseeing and were at a loss as to whom to consult since it was already past business hours. Before stepping out we inquired at the guest relations desk about it. The final figure came up to Rs 7,000 for an organised tour which also included the entry fare. We thought it’s a little too much.

Luxor is divided into West bank and East bank. West Bank – the Western side of Nile, the historical site — is where you will find the Valley of the Kings and Queens, all the famous tombs, the papyrus factories, alabaster stone factories etc. The East Bank where we were staying is the commercial side of the city. East bank also has a few tombs and temples such as the famous Luxor Temple, the Karnak Temple, Luxor museum, etc.

Back to our booking confusion, we had a chat with the hotel guard about daily city tours. Egyptian English accent is entirely different from the English we speak. So after explaining to him in great detail about what we wanted, the guard made a few calls and asked us to come back in 20 minutes. We went into the city for a stroll and immediately found a Pizza Hut around the corner. Scanned through the menu, met a very friendly caleche driver who looked exactly loke Eddie Murphy. He gave us an estimate about how much a day tour of Luxor should cost, and later bought some water bottles (3 EP each) and went back to the hotel. Allah our driver who would take us around Luxor the next day was waiting at the hotel his face beaming at the prospect of a possible trip (read money).

After bargaining a bit and bringing down the cost by about 100 Egyptian pounds, we shook hands, paid him an advance and took his card (you know why) and went back to our room. The next day we set off to see Valley of The Kings, tomb of Queen Hot Chicken Soup actually Queen Hatshepsut, tombs and more tombs… more later. 

Walk like an Egyptian……

HI all, Must be wondering why I haven’t updated my blog in the past few days. I am just back from an amazing amazing trip from Egypt and Turkey. My first trip outside India. Feels good to see the stamped passports at last — I thought I would find cobwebs inside it when I was hunting for it In the next few blogs I am going to talk just about my trip so beware…To start with we hopped on to three different flights to reach Luxor in Egypt. Delhi to Istanbul (5.30 hours), Istanbul to Cairo (2.30 hours) and Cairo to Luxor (1 hour). People in both Egypt and Turkey are wonderful. Quite helpful. Amitabh Bachchan is quite a phenomena in Cairo. Everyone is in awe of him. That’s one word vendors try to use to lure Indian shoppers — well, not that it works. But it sure makes heads turn, which is good enough for the salesmen — one step achieved. Now all he has to do is call out some random single digit numbers indicating the price of his wares and people walk toward his direction — at least 1 out of 10 do that we noticed. Turkey is like a live modelling ramp. Stylish men and pretty women on their stilletoes, well-behaved kids and impatient teenagers. After my Turkey experience all I wanted was to run to the nearest computer and type “jobs in Istanbul” on Google. More later. I know you would wanna read more… 

Why work should be worship

Indian offices these days are full of well-dressed people. Flawless (almost) skin, whiff of the latest perfume, a bagful of latest gadgets and of course, the required skill set to do the job. What else can an employer ask for, you would say. But there are several things most Indian schools and colleges don’t teach. Punctuality and discipline. These are inherent qualities which you either learn at home, or if you intern or study in a place that values time. For instance, I would say the IIM and IIT students cannot afford to be lax. They have to be proactive — their curriculum demands that. In turn, these graduates — at least most of them — implement the habit at workplaces. But what about those millions who graduate from local colleges and get into a job.

To start with, most newbies need to undergo some sort of army training before their contracts are signed. I will tell you why without any specific example.  For most people, a job means several things such as swiping the card when you enter office, checking your salary online during the end of the month and somewhere along the lines even meeting deadlines. But there is more to a job than all these. Someone I know who heads a team of 15-16 people in an IT firm told me that the new recruits don’t take decisions even if they are encouraged to. Taking initiative, contributing new ideas, being proactive — for instance, if your meeting the deadline is dependent on your colleague, then you are in a precarious condition.  

1) You could talk to your boss about it and update him of the situation

2) Talk to the colleague who is not so eager to help you meet the deadline. (And if your deadline is an hour or two away, for heaven’s sake don’t just send an e-mail. Visit his cubicle if he/she is in the same office, or pick up the phone and let that person know that you are waiting.

3) Best, finish your bit of the project and pass on the final amalgamation to who finishes last. Of course this is not possible in most cases.  

As I read in a mag recently the HR department needs to focus more on the human factor of the words “human resources”.What one could follow as a daily routine to inculcate discipline: 

1) Update/e-mail our bosses on the work at the end of the day. This not only helps you assess the workload, your habit will even come handy during appraisals.

2) If there is something that needs to be done within the next two days, reiterate the information to those associated with that particular project.  

3) Team work at the end of the is work done by the whole team. So update your colleagues too about how much you have accomplished — and how much is left. If your work is dependent on them, remember, theirs too is dependent on you.

4) Never keep anyone waiting — be it meetings, telecons, or even meeting deadlines. If you know you will be late, a call or a message always helps. People (read bosses) do chat up about your plus points with other senior members in the team.

5) Last, always work smart and not just hard.  

More on attitude towards work in future posts.

India after 60

 Indian Independence Kanakabhishekha Zindabad 

1)      Glued to the idiot box to see the India week on Discovery Travel & Living, but pull down the window when we see a similar scene while sitting inside a train?

2)    Love to know how much your neighbour makes in a month, but don’t want to reveal your CTC.

3)    Inquisitive to read your colleague’s blog, but that would mean adding to the blog stats.

4)    Look up media mamu or press talk (if you are in media you will know)

5)    Laugh out loud while on the handsfree.

6)    Have the wisdom of reading the mail trail to catch the gossip

7)    Charity vs Affinity visit

8 )    Hate to talk in your mother tongue.

9)    Home-warming ceremony, what’s that? Don’t want to reveal you have one more property to your name.

10)  Let’s skip the wedding reception, EMIs are eating into the gift funds.