Sadguru's Re-Engineering program

There is no dearth of babas/sadhus/self-proclaimed gurus in India.The more suave and clever ones with even passable English speaking skills have been marketing spirituality brilliantly. Over decades, the materialistically rich but spiritually empty West has sought the Indian babas, willingly relinquishing their money and property to be emotionally, financially, physically and mentally exploited . Thus we find obscenely rich babas who have found means to escape the law, till they are (as wont to happen) ultimately caught by law.
My friends and even acquaintances know that I am a very unlikely claimant for such mumbo-jumbo.
Of late, as most of the needs and responsibilities of life and living seem dispensed with, pensive thoughts on meaning and purpose of life haunt me. Towards this pursuit I have been reading a lot. I read different philosophers. Somehow through all this, I was attracted to Sadguru/Jaggi Vasudev's videos. As a rationalist, I find myself agreeing to most of what he says. What he says isn't new.  These are things I already know. Yet, a validation gives me a sense of vindication.
I enrolled for his re-engineering program which consists of an online course of 7 sessions lasting 90 minutes each. I listened with rapt attention to the discourses as he spoke about everyday stuff that a common man experiences. It made so much sense to me. This course was offered free of cost. Following which, I enrolled myself for the paid physical class of 3 hours x 7 days. And that's when the magic started wearing off.
This is also a lesson for entrepreneurs to take care of their franchises as well as they do with the brand...
Videos from the same online course were played one each day in the classes. Thus, what I heard in the online course got reinforced. I found myself listening to that magnetic voice with the same attention. He didn't speak of religion or spirituality but of empowerment, responsibility, loving self and loving all...
My expectation from these classes was that I can further build on my thoughts on life, its motivation, peace, meditate in groups etc...
But what happened was totally the opposite. The volunteers are given a strict regimen to follow and they apply it with a vengeance. Apart from the 90-minute videos everyday, there was an introduction to Jaggi Vasudev's different courses, programs and yoga practices.
Learning is always good but what if it is enforced? No rules are mentioned at the beginning of these classes but they keep a watch with hawk-like eyes and if they find you violate any rule, they swiftly swoop down upon you, forbidding all that they have apparently been instructed to.
Some rules followed during  the program:

1. Be on time: if you are late by even a minute you are pulled up, made to stand outside the room and asked for explanations.
2. No notes taking.. I have this habit of making short notes of important things. When I wasn't allowed to on my tab, I started doing so in a notebook. But shortly this too was disallowed.
3. Sunday is a full day, When asked about the schedule, you are asked to wait and watch the next day. The venue for the Sunday program is informed at 9 pm the night before. You reach  home at 10 pm and are frantically looking at ways to re-schedule your commute at 5 am the next day! On going to the venue, you learn that some outdoor games are involved and a mandatory participation by everyone, sport shoes or no....
You are asked to come, attend the program on an empty stomach at 6 am but beware no breakfast comes till 9.30 ! You must have woken up at at least 4.30 to get ready and attend this program. So, see if you can remain without food for 5 hours' time after waking up.
Sunday was also a day for guru pooja and you are urged to bring flowers, fruits, coconuts, a white cloth. For those not religiously inclined, this request can be infuriating!
4. 40 people are stuffed into a non-ac room. Fortunately, I participated in winter. Can't imagine how summers would be
5. Any drinking water/washroom breaks are strictly frowned upon. You are supposed to  remain seated for 3 hours in your place.
6. During the program, you are asked to discuss topics among yourselves in small groups but not enough time is given to elucidate the information gathered.
7. If you have any queries regarding the videos/programs, the standard answer is "you will learn it in the next few days of this program."
Don't expect the volunteer conducting the class to have the knowledge or be enlightened enough to know these answers
8. In a room where the acoustics were not really taken care of, I ensured I sat next to the speaker so that I could hear clearly. I sat with my head bent and eyes closed which is my way of paying attention without distraction. But then a volunteer comes running to 'wake' you up.
If you love the discourse so much, you will not get distracted and if you find it boring, and drop off, nothing can make you listen to it anyway, isn't it?

I wanted to leave the program the very next day. But then I continued as I wanted to see it through...and also alert others about it.
What was good...
Breakfast and lunch was provided during the full day session on Sunday. The satvic food consisted of almost 0% cooking. The menu was made of a hot glass of ragi milk, various fruits and salads. It was not only very healthy but also quite tasty. I always believe that the taste of food depends on the care with which one prepares and all that love and care reflected in the food. All cooking was done by the volunteers. The menu, along with the recipe is predetermined.
I am sure that people will be more willing to participate if things are not enforced.
It will be good if they share the detailed program before it starts. You are at least aware of what to expect in the 7 days. Nothing would then seem enforced as you have willingly enrolled for something that you are conscious of and not something that is sprung upon you as a surprise
My recommendation is to continue listening to Sadguru's videos. The re-engineering program online is very good but then don't waste your precious time for these physical classes. Speaking of yoga, practising yoga has many well-known benefits. Just do that. There is no need for all this mumbo-jumbo. 

Hotel Studio Estique

Pune, though not far from my city, has so far been an unexplored arena for me. An impromptu plan of meeting a few of my classmates from school triggered a frenetic lookout for hotels to stay. I shortlisted three and finally selected one: a 3-star rated Hotel Studio Estique. Compared to the Gujarat hotels (on my previous vacation), I found Pune hotels rates on the higher side and therefore decided to try Airbnb. The rooms, I found were okay, but then most of the amenities not even close to the ones offered by hotels. My selection would be decided by
1. Room rate
2. Flexible check-in, check out timings
3. Provision of complimentary buffet breakfast
4. Availability of Wi-fi
5. Proximity to the railway station
I had almost zeroed in on a room with airbnb, albeit reluctantly because of its distance of 7 kms from the station, when son found a very sweet deal through makemytrip which would knock off 50% or more from the hotel charges. Yipee! I could get the hotel I was looking for and that too at a much cheaper rate. Not having tried these deals ever before, I was skeptical of how it would work and if there would be a glitch and a substandard room because of the reduced rate.
But no, none of that happened. The check-in process was smooth. The only difference I found was that the amount needed to be paid upfront. I was fine with it. When escorted to the room, I was quite floored. The first impression was, " it is so cozy!"  The narrow entrance had the bathroom to its left and a space to place one's bags and baggage on its right with big drawers below it. What really impressed me was the single queen-sized bed that had only two sides, the third and the fourth sides attached to the wall against which you can lean and laze around when in the mood to.

The room on first day

Another view: the room on first day

One complimentary bottle of water was given everyday. The room had the kettle with sachets of tea, coffee, milk and sugar provided.

The bath area reflected in the mirror

The bathrooms were excellently maintained...the bath area neatly partitioned by a glass wall. Only two toiletries were provided though-- a body wash and a shampoo. One major drawback was that, they assume that the client isn't an Indian. I say this because there is no provision for a faucet at the W.C. There is only the toilet roll and also no provision of buckets to fill water in for a bath. You can only shower. The third drawback is the very low pressure of water . It becomes exasperating  to see what you thought had flushed down hasn't actually done so. The water in the washbasin too swirls around for quite some time before it drains.
The buffet breakfast, from 7.30 to 10.30 a.m, is a major draw. There was a great variety of the Indian and the continental food. Apart from this, a live counter providing varieties of dosas, parathas, eggs and pancakes. The usuals were the fruits, fruit juices, the cereal, freshly baked bread rolls, sauteed vegetables, beans and one non-veg item. Other Indian items would vary.
Where they scored in the continental and West Indian dishes, they didn't do well in the South Indian...clearly not their forte. But that's okay. I just loved their sauteed vegetables and had my fill with it.

My favorite item from the breakfast

The distinctive feature was their coffee. It wasn't any machine-made one but was prepared afresh and I greatly enjoyed their cappuccino.
Coming to the service, I found it very decent. My do-not-disturb board was earnestly honored and not a knock once the board was hung.
The reception was quite friendly too and helped me find directions and one of them even booked a transport for me when I wanted to go around the city.
Only when I wanted to check out after the first day, I was told rigidly about the check-out time of 12 noon and that I could not occupy the room after the said time. Nor was the foyer air conditioned so that I could relax there.
I checked in a day later to stay for two more days. The room I was allotted this time was supposed to be an upgraded one. It was good with a double cot and carpeted floor instead of a wooden one. Though a very good place, it didn't give me the comforting feel of the previous one. It wore a severely sterile look. This was on first floor. What was disconcerting was a connecting door to the adjoining room. I used to double check the door to ensure that there would be no surprise intruders.

The room on the second day

Be a little wary when you are allotted room on this floor though, as the walk-in wardrobe has a full length mirror and when you open the doors, the light automatically turns on and then you see a refection in the mirror. You stifle your scream when you realize that you are only looking at yourself.
Both rooms allotted were absolutely noise-free. The comfortable beds and the noise-free environment allowed one a sound sleep.The first room had a wooden ledge all around which helps you rest your stuff on but the second room didn't have any such facility and the only table was so cluttered already that it leaves you very little surface to place anything on.

Another view: the room on the second day

In these times of technology, more electric sockets to plug your electronic equipment would help.
During check out, I, unfortunately returned late to the room and then had to hurry to check out and reach the railway station.
What irked me then was the amount of time taken by the bell boy to check around and get the luggage down to the reception. Second, my debit card didn't work. They tried thrice but it failed. I had to use another one. Later, when I checked my messages I came to know that instead of swiping for a certain amount, they had tried by adding two more zeros. Luckily that particular bank of mine didn't have that kind of balance or I am sure I would have been held up for a longer period. I am sure this was a human error and not intentional but then when you are tense about reaching the railway station in time, all these delays add to your stress.
The blessing though is the proximity that made me reach the station in fifteen minutes. Well, all's well that ends well.
Do I recommend this place ? Yes, definitely: for their service, the breakfast , excellent wi-fi connection, and the amenities. You want a cozy room, go for the ones on third floor .
Having an INOX multiplex right beside the hotel doesn't hurt either. Go for it!

Stay at Pelling, Sikkim: Hotel Hill Retreat

We were driven to Pelling, a distance of 110 kms from Gangtok, through a mountainous terrain. It is at a higher altitude than Gangtok and increasing altitudes leads to lowering expectations of the quality of accommodation.
Our tour operators chose some other accommodation for us but we got it changed to Hotel Hill Retreat which is ranked#2 as per Tripadvisor. Below is the picture of the room that we were allotted.

Hotel Hill Retreat, Pelling, Sikkim

Definitely not as big as the one in Gangtok. It is about 3/4th the size. What is comforting is that the room was carpeted wall-to-wall. And warm water is provided for drinking. These two factors are a must, I realize, or else it is difficult to handle the cold temperatures.
Pelling is chosen as a tourist spot because it is closest to Kanchenjunga. And the view from the room is awesome!
The hotel is housed in a lovely building, the size, space and design is something that we in Hyderabad would die for. But it looks like once it was built, people had no idea as to what to do with it. The service or the amenities do not match up. First, they still have the archaic bell system to call the reception and not the telephone. And to top it, the bell wasn't working! So whenever you needed to call the help, you had to walk down two sets of stairs. If you are ranked #2, one expects the best.
Getting hot water through all the taps in bathroom is compulsory in Pelling. Yet, the tap supplying hot water in the wash basin was broken. You had to go downstairs to let them know that you need hot water and only then the geyser switch is turned on at the reception. They switch it off once they feel everyone in your room had had his bath. The bathroom did have the basic amenities but not really well-maintained. Also, the towels provided had some marks on them and were dirty. We could not use them and it is on this last leg of our journey that we had to take out the towels that we carried as a stand-by.
The bed is also a bit small for two members. The curtains instead of being thick were rather flimsy and we couldn't block out sunlight before we were ready to get up in the morning. And remember, sun-rise happens at around 5 am there. So you keep lying in your bed tossing and turning after 5, wishing to block out the rather too bright sunlight.
Breakfast on both mornings we were there happened to be the same: aloo paratha and bread toast. Meals are cooked for you on request but we got a delayed order as there weren't many tourists when we were there. Food and the restaurant are quite decent. The food is slightly expensive though.What they are really good at are their 'phulkas.'  Small round, thin rotis, fresh off the stove...awesome in taste.
Because the hotels in Sikkim cannot compete in amenities with the bigger cities, all they can do is provide superior service.  But, there was nothing in the service that I can say went beyond expectations.
Yet, they don't fail to put the Tripadvisor logo on the front door, proud to be recommended by them. To be ranked# 2, you need to provide much better services and amenities. My rank would be a 2.5/5.

Stay at Gangtok, Sikkim: White Conch Residency

I must begin by saying that as far as hotels in hill stations are concerned, the expectations, as per my experience, are pretty low. They are so far from the plains and not really easy-to-access. It would be too much if one has expectations as from the hotels in a bigger city.
Hence, when we went to Gangtok, we were prepared for a not-so-great accommodation. But when we stepped into the room, we were all smiles when we saw the size. Huge! And all the three beds ready and prepared. Here's a pic of a room that we were allotted (from Tripadvisor):

White Conch Residency, Gangtok

Pretty decent, don't you think?
The pluses of the room was the size, neatness and came equipped with all necessary furnishings. We weren't into the pricing details as the accommodation came as a part of the package that our tour operator provided.
The room was quite well-lighted as it has glass windows all around. The view from the largest window is that of the Kanchengunga mountain range and it is a sight worth waking up to! This teeny town has its greatest and one of the two shopping complexes, on the MG road very close by. The wooden floor helps absorb cold and you can dare walk bare foot despite the cold. 
A huge plus is the size of the double bed and the excellent mattress used. Quite firm and gives you a comfortable sleep. 
The staff is very courteous and try to help you in which ever way they can. The manager at the desk is quite informed about Sikkim and it is a pleasure to interact with him.
The minuses: Despite the fact that this is a hotel in the capital, they don't have the amenities provided in a larger city. Apart from the toilet roll, a soap and a shampoo sachet, there really isn't any other more-sophisticated stuff in the bathroom. And you don't really mind. That they have hot water from all  taps 24/7 is enough. The best part is that the manager knows this and admitted that they, of course, can't compete with hotels of a bigger city.
Another funny incident was that when we left the room, we had agreed for a room service. They seemed to have outsourced this stuff to a couple of cleaning ladies. When we came back, we found that all the plastic covers which we used to carry our extra pair of shoes, all the bigger 2 liter empty bottles which we kept as stand-by, all were thrown away. The ladies had gone around the room with a comb and trashed all that they thought needs to be. LOL! During travel, I am wary of throwing away anything till just before the last leg of the journey and was now at a loss as to how to wrap my extra shoes. This concern was more so as Sikkim, blessedly, doesn't allow plastic at all. When I told about this, the staff provided me some cloth bags. So if you go there, rule out room cleaning, especially if your stay is short like ours was.
We had agreed to this hotel as it had advertised itself as a hotel with a vegetarian restaurant but when we went there, there was no restaurant at all. It was supposed to be under renovation. Our lunch, on the first day, was brought from outside and arrived after an hour of ordering by which time we were like half-starved to death. 
For all other meals, we ate at the MG road before we came back to rest at our room. They provide a breakfast free with the package, though not a buffet.
By our Hyderabad standards, this hotel might not stand a chance but as per Sikkim standards, I would rate it a 3.5/5. This is for sheer courteousness of the staff.

Stay at Kolkata: Casa Fortuna

I short listed some hotels for our stay at Kolkata. The typical middle-class me tried different deals to get some discounts. Make my Trip was one of those. But later, I realized that you get a better deal by directly talking with the hotel rather than going through any agent. Especially, if you are not clubbing it with a tour package.
I also learned that using TripAdvisor is like using a spell-check in MS Word. Some things may not fit your requirement but are still okayed. This applies especially to Kolkata Hotels.
The hotel we selected, Casa Fortuna, ranked 7 as per TripAdvisor, was Rs. 6000/- per day for a teeny-weeny room. An extra bed, and there was no room for maneuvering. We had to wait to give space when another person walked by. They are so crunched for space that the bathroom had a sliding door with a mirror which doubled up as a dressing table. If you have the other person in the room wanting to use the bathroom, you find your dressing table sliding away like in a bhooth-wala cinema.  The room reeked of cigarette smell, doubly unbearable as none in my family smoke. On complaining, we had some kind of a triangular devise which was said to absorb the smell! 
We arrived in batches of two. One person in the morning as per his train timing and two of us by the noon flight. This was clearly told to the hotel. Upon arriving at around 1330 or so, we were very starved as we had had a meager breakfast at 0730 before we caught the flight to Kolkata.A welcome drink was part of the deal. We had to ask for this welcome drink (imagine). And then it arrives a good forty minutes later as we were just about to leave for lunch. Sometimes a warm moist napkin accompanies your welcome drink but what I was unprepared for was a small towel almost dripping with water along with our drink (canned juice). 
The house-keeping services were pathetic too. When we left the hotel for lunch and came back late evening, we found that the dishes ordered for breakfast were still not cleared though someone had stepped into the room to take away the smell-absorbing device.
And due to the highly congested traffic, during the time of check out, we barely were left with any time to talk to the hotel for the discount discussed earlier, and though we overstayed by 2 1/2 hours, we were charged for one extra day despite the fact that we had had complementary breakfast only on two days and not three days which is supposed to be a part of the package.
To top it all, the hotel calls itself a Boutique Hotel. LOL! They need to search for the meaning of the term before calling themselves one.
If one were to pay the same amount in Hyderabad, one gets a far superior room and amenities. For less than half this price, we got an excellent room, much larger and with same amenities in a tiny town like Rourkela (Hotel Radhika) in 2010. And to our great surprise, it had such a vast spread for a breakfast, that we couldn't do justice to even half the fare.
Casa Fortuna, the plus: Proximity to many significant places, including the Metro. A decent breakfast buffet. Noise-free room. No unnecessary intrusion from the staff.
My take away: Take any review of Kokata Hotels with sackfuls of salt as the expectations of a room, amenities and service seems pretty low. Rooms priced as they are with the service provided would not last two weeks in a city like Hyderabad where hotels are compelled to provide services exceeding expectations all the time.

Vinayaka Chavithi/Ganesh puja : the preparations

Our Ganesha this year

Ganesha after our puja

Jilledakayalu

Let me add a disclaimer even before I start writing this post.
I am not a person who is regularly into the traditional pujas and stuff. For me, God is everywhere and I pray wherever and whenever I feel the need to have a conversation with Him
I celebrate all our festivals by wearing new clothes, preparing sweets and a longer prayer than usual. But if there is one puja/festival that is done with great zeal, it is Vinayaka Chaturthi.When praying to this God, one does not ask for riches or any other generous gifts. All that we ask is removal of obstacles on the path to our intended goals
This post is for all infrequent worshipers like me who want to follow the traditional path once in a while but are not conversant with the preparations. Provided below, a check-list of all things that need to be bought or readied as it is considered inappropriate to get up in the middle of performing the puja. If I have left out anything, do let me know. Probably, the same method is used by all South Indians.
We need two of everything as we worship the pasupu vinayakudu first and repeat the puja with the actual idol.

No:	Telugu	English	Quantity	Description
1	Pasupu	Turmeric		One is not supposed to ask 'how much' for Pasupu and Kumkuma. Their supply ought to be limitless.
2	Kumkuma	Vermillion
3	Doodi	Cotton	Two for each family member who performs puja	To make Vattulu, Vastramlu, Yagnyopaveetamlu: (Wicks, clothes, sacred thread)
4	Gandham/Chandanam	Sandalwood paste	One teaspoon
5	Akashantalu	Sacred rice	Half cup	Rice and a pinch of turmeric powder mixed with half teaspoon of water or a drop of oil
6	Agarbattullu	Incense Sticks	Two for each family member who performs puja
7	Karpooram	Camphor
8	Aku- Vakka	Betel leaf and Betel Nut	Ten  of each
9	Panchamrutam	Translated as a nectar made of five liquids	Half-cup	A mix of milk, sugar, ghee, honey and curd
10	Neellu	Water	Half glass for each family member who performs puja	Insert spoon in each glass
11	Deepamulu	Lamps	Two	Deepam to be filled with oil. Light them at the beginning of puja
12	Puvvullu	Flowers	About 250 grams for each family member who performs the pooja	Any kind, one of which may be a lotus
13	Aakulu	Leaves	To use 21 varieties if possible, but I make do with 5	Of these, one that is compulsorily  used is grass. I try to include leaves of fruit-bearing trees like guava, jamun
14	Pallu for naivedyam	Fruits as offering	No limit but at least one per family member if possible	Banana is considered Ganesha's favorite. Coconut is compulsory. And any other fruit that you want to offer
15	Jilledakayalu	An Indian sweet		A sweet made of rice flour is compulsorily made for this puja
16	Vinayakudi vigraham	Ganesha Idol	One	Available in the markets a day before or can easily be made with clay (link)
17	Pasupu Vinayakudu	Ganesha idol made of turmeric paste	One	A few drops of water added to turmeric powder and shaped into a small mound
18	Data needed at the beginning of puja			Name of the Telugu year, the tithi, name of the week, your name, surname and your gothram
19	A camera			Gods and pujas have to be uploaded to Face book and other social networks (Sigh!)

Water, water everywhere...

When Amir Khan telecast his program on "water" and contamination, I thought to myself...'no, it is not applicable to this safe corner of Hyderabad'. In the last five years I am at Tarnaka, I never had any issue of water...lack/contamination. That was till last week.
About ten days back we noticed slightly muddy water from our taps. We waited awhile and filled our water filters. I had very naively scolded the building watchman when he didn't let water into the overhead tank. I told him that we can take care of our water requirement as we have Pureit at home which would purify any and all kinds of impurities.
 On 20th, son complained of feeling feverish. He declined any food. I had a Maggi and went to bed. From the time I hit bed, I had this intense churning in the stomach. Vomiting followed. 21st morning, I too had fever. So, the whole of last weekend, we spent in bed, too weak to get up, or eat-- only spewing fluids from both ends. This continued for three days. When it stopped, the discomfort in tummies continued for another four days. Meanwhile, we bought this water bubble and had the mineral water for a week. I came to know that a few more households in our apartment were effected too!
And, we have Pureit in our home.
When you see the ad wherein the guy pours in water from every drain and river into the Pureit unit and claims it to be 100% germ free, he should have picked up a glass full from my home too. I was furious to see their tall claims fall by the way side. Their claim of 1 crore challenge remaining unclaimed for two years is also fake. Because, when I logged in to their website to actually write challenging the water purity, this is what I found:

 

The way they advertise on TV misleads us into believing that they claim that the challenge is for providing 100% germ-free water but the challenge for the one crore claim is actually to see if you can find a unit from any other company providing the features that Pureit does!
With a six monthly mandatory battery replacement for even a small family like ours, we need a serious re-think on whether it is prudent to go for this, especially when it fails you when you need it the most. Wonder whether the whole Germ-Kit (@ Rs.750) that they provide is merely a placebo!
Why is it that more and more we find that the enthusiasm with which a product is sold, does no longer match with the quality or service provided?

The Cell Bore

The last week I had traveled to a town nearby in an AC chair car. I was happy to have been allotted a window seat. It allowed me a tryst with nature throughout the journey or at least till dark fell. What I hadn't recokned was that I had to make two people at my side get up every time I needed to move out. Well, that had me trapped as I didn't want to inconvenience them too often.
In one of the stations, I started hearing loud songs from a mobile phone. I was engrossed in reading my book and was irritated by this unwanted intrusion. And as this was an air-conditioned coach, most of the sounds and smells remained entrapped. I looked around but couldn't find any source close by. It was only after an hour of enduring this nonsense that I got an opportunity to get up from my seat. As I walked along the corridor, I found that the source of the songs from a mobile was not from an irresponsible youngster but a woman well into her forties. I couldn't really contain myself and told her off. I mean, you want to listen to music, why compel the entire compartment to also listen to the ill-chosen selection. She had the grace to switch it off.

This incident reminded me of an article I wrote nine years back when the mobile phone hadn't intruded as much into our lives as it does today. Even then, I had found it irksome to be rudely interrupted in my work by those ring tones. And in a closed environment, they ring out louder. Had attempted a humorous jab with the article below which was circulated in our in-house magazine:

The Cell Bore

Was thinking of this for quite some time now, decided to be proactive, and write this —
You are seriously at work when there goes —Riiiiiiiing!!!!! Startled, you try to locate the source….and find the cell happily ringing, nay singing...If it is a Zeenat remix ‘chura liya’ somewhere; it is Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘kal ho na ho’ elsewhere. The favorite in our office, though, is ‘sare jahaan se acha’. (at this point, patriotic fervor surges through the nerves and sinews impelling one to stand to attention and salute in the direction of the ringing, singing cell). It may be ‘suprabhaatham’ (the Lord’s wake up call) at 3 am at Tirupathi, but it is ‘ kousalya suprajarama…’ throughout the day for some of us (our wake up call?). While walking through the office, it is like a symphony merrily ringing (singing) away. I mean it is ok, after all, if we had the picnics like we used to have last year, but now, we mean business, friends (this is to be understood as being said with a reprimanding finger).
Please, oh, please understand that a mobile phone has a sensitive microphone capable of picking up a soft voice. Some people, perhaps subconsciously worried that the party on the other end is severely hearing impaired, double and triple their volume. If he wasn't one before (I mean severely impaired) they make sure he is one by now.
The gaze that the loud, obnoxious ring tones, and an obnoxiously louder voice attract is NOT the admiring wonderment variety — masquerading thus is a barely concealed, disdainful smirk. If you don’t believe this, watch the reactions of people near the cell phone bore when the voice or the ringer is too loud.
Shouldn't the goal be to communicate effectively without any body else noticing?

The unconscious, unconcerned, unmindful, unperceptive, and unaware cell phone bore seems oblivious to the discomfort that results with the intrusion into others’ personal space as he raves, rants, gushes, jabbers, blabbers, prattles, and splutters into the phone as if no one else around him matters!
Dear cell bores, spare others this agony by keeping at least ten –twenty feet away from the nearest person. They need their personal space and want you to respect this need.

PS: This article does not contain any fictitious characters, is based on real life incidents, and written with intent of malice towards one and all!

Air-Conditioners: the Voltas experience

It is that time of the year when we, of the middle class, run to buy the Air Conditioners hoping to be able to cash in on an off-season discount.
Well, we had done the same the last year at this time, buying two ACs, one for self and one for son's room.
After a diligent research for a month, my son assured me that  the best product is a 1.5 ton Whirlpool Master Mind. We have a Whirlpool refrigerator which has been working silently and efficiently for the last 7 years 
Despite these two factors in favor of a Whirlpool product, I went for the 1.5 ton Voltas Vertis saying that it is a known product; it has been around for the longest period known; it is recommended by people who have been using it for years etc...
I guess these are signs of my growing old when I rely on the safety net of 'tested' rather than the 'unknown and untested'
Now came the ordeal of having them mounted. 
Be prepared for a lot of noise, dust and dirt for at least 5 hours and the cleaning that you are left with at the end of the work. There is dust everywhere. So I covered the beds, my desktop everything with a dust cloth before the work commenced. We had two sets of mechanics representing each of these companies and also two sources of noises of drilling emanating from two different rooms. Also if you aren't careful, they will leave the drilled holes agape.You need ensure that they seal those holes.
We barely managed to have food amidst all the noise and dust. At the end of the day when they left, I simply collapsed on my bed feeling drained from all that noise, clutter and chaos.
This is not the end of the story. In less than two months of use, in the middle of the night I woke up to a tremendous noise. Heart beating wildly, I started looking for the source of the noise and realized that the noise was emanating from the AC. Startled and fearful, I switched off the AC first and went out to the balcony to examine the reason. I found nothing in the darkness. The next day we found that one of the wings of the fan had broken and hence the noise.

The one-winged fan

What we found when it was opened

The damage done by the broken wings of the fan

Broken into smithereens

                      
In the peak of summer (in May 2011), sweltering for lack of an AC, I sought a quick resolution to the complaint. We had first called the show room where we bought the AC. They connected us to the service center.  They sent some mechanics home who asked me for the service certificate. I didn't know that when the people had earlier come to mount the AC, we were supposed to collect a service certificate for the work done. They refused to repair the AC without the service certificate. We then called the Voltas show room in Hyderabad. The next day, they sent the mechanics with a fan which looked all rusty and dirty like it has been used for years. Fortunately, they found that the fan didn't fit in this AC. They went back and again there was no response. I again called and this time escalated the matter to their supervisor/manager. The third day they returned with a new fan of the right fit.

The new fan

I have no clue of the quality of the new fan...again a piece of plastic.
Now that the guarantee has expired, if I lose the fan again in two months, I do not know how much the replacement will cost me.
The Whirlpool in my son's room purrs on silently.
The Voltas in my room makes the noise of a tractor so much so that one of the guests in our house could hear it in the next room and was unable to sleep because of it.
Better be safe than sorry. You decide what you want to buy.
After Sales Free Service:
Just happened to view this in a mouthshut review. Wish I had seen it earlier.  The guy who wrote that review did not tell how the service was done. Let me tell about that as well. Two guys came home and first asked for the now-famous service certificate. I had it ready this time. Now they asked for a cloth. I wasn't prepared and searching for a dirt-free old cloth took time. In almost the time taken to search for a rag, the service was done! They dusted the indoor unit and cleaned the filter. The filter is nothing but a sieve. I could have easily removed, washed and replaced it. Mugs of water were poured on the outer unit and wiped. All this took less than ten minutes. So it is better not to waste your time waiting for these guys to turn up. You can clean it better yourself.

Top bina Lap

We have integrated so much with the digital world...I realized this when my laptop crashed. The motherboard that is...and that means a LONG wait as this was the office machine.
The machine was an archaic Dell 430 model. I had initially resisted getting a laptop from office. One, it would mean 24/7 support. Second, I have a very lady-like resistance to learning a new gadget. Gadgets, however simple, freak me out. But then I was given one. I had to learn first, that it has a charger. Two, that I need to learn how to plug in the network cable. Three, plug in the external mouse. I felt like a hardware engineer connecting all these wires to my laptop.
But slowly as I got used to it, I learnt I could operate it without having to keep the charger plugged in, learnt that the wireless can be configured and that the mouse can be done away with. The sleek laptop slowly crept into my bed to become my companion. Work or browsing was now being done while lying down.This serpent position quickly gave way to the supine with the laptop on the tummy. The elevated tummy gives an unhindered view of the screen :)
Well, as I slept on my side, the laptop also moved and I started reading from the tilted screen. When it blocked the fan and made the machine hot, I would turn to the other side. The laptop now replaced the book. Books started getting downloaded and read in bed. It was easier as I didn't need to get up to switch off the light after the book was read. I simply had to sleepily click 'Hibernate' and slide the machine to a horizontal position. The newspapers were discontinued as I could read the e-paper in bed.
And thus my laptop and I became 'do jism ek jaan'. Familiarity breeds contempt, they say, and perhaps that's why the laptop decided to die on me.
The first reaction was, 'you cant do this to me...com'on,  come back to life.' It didn't budge. When the network and support team looked at it, they confirmed my worst fears. The mother board has crashed and will be replaced after you obtain all the required approvals. Sigh! This flagged a loooooooong wait. Now how do I go to sleep? I have to read for at least an hour before I can sleep...what do I do now? I dug out my books again and tried to read them. But the light that the backdrop provided to all my e-books was missing and I started finding it difficult to read by the light in my room and then the hassle of switching off the light before I go to bed. :(
The withdrawal symptoms started, with me becoming grouchy and grumpy at not having slept well in the night without my laptop.
After nearly a 2 week wait, I decided to go and get myself a new one. ( And, this is from someone who resisted buying a laptop for nearly 15 years of computer use) The main purpose was to read in bed and hence the smaller, sleeker, lighter Acer D257.

                                                                                  image courtesy: engadget.com

Now don't ask me questions like what memory, what storage etc. All I know is, it has a 10 inch display and came with a web cam (haven't used the web cam yet). Ordered through flipkart and got a pen drive free with it :)
I now sleep in peace with my newer, sleeker and lighter companion.

Ear Plugs, Gloves and other safety equipment

I guess we people are getting more and more sensitive mentally, emotionally and physically...or maybe fragile is the word. In my younger days I used to sleep like a log oblivious to the surrounding sounds...of my siblings' playing & running around, my mother cooking etc. But when I got introduced to the ear plugs a year ago I took to them immediately. I got the first set of foam ear plugs from the US, the cordless variety, which helped block noise while I slept in peace unmindful of the loud shouts of the morning vegetable hawkers. But when the supply of the ear plugs was exhausted I had to look for new ones and where in Hyderabad do I find them?

A Google search told me that we can get them at Ranigunj in Rupa enterprises. When I went there, I found to my delight that the entire lane is dedicated to the sale of safety equipment. I got the same foam ear plugs, a 3M product. I did not find the cordless variety and was skeptical that the connecting cord might irritate me falling across my face while sleeping but it it so light in weight that I do not feel its presence. I also discovered that the cord actually helped as it is easier to trace the earplugs when I grope for them during night. Another advantage I noticed for the ones available here is that one can actually clean the ear plugs with liquid soap and lo! they return to their original pristine form  and can be re-used with no qualms! When we tried the same with the US bought ones, they bloated to a gross shape and had to be thrown away for good.

Also rubber gloves of all sizes and thickness are found here. I use the gloves for washing purpose in the kitchen and to a woman's(my) delight, I found them in all bright colors...the blues, pinks and lemon yellows which help cheer me up while dealing with those drab chores.:)

Well, for those looking for these things, from the SP road, head straight on the MG road...a km or so till you reach the over-bridge. Just before that, the first left has the entire row of shops selling a wide range of these safety equipment. If they have a product as tiny and frail as the ear plugs, they also have the more robust  red cones used as road dividers.So there! Pick your choice.