Ripples of my Reflections

I think, therefore I write

Category: I OPINE (Page 13 of 15)

The woes of a share-auto traveller

December 26, 2011 / / 17 Comments

Hey people,

Hope you had a merry Christmas and wishing you a Happy New Year in advance 🙂 Everyone is in the holiday mood and blogging seems to be downstream except for a few posts here and there. Anyway nothing has changed in my life. If you wanna know what exactly is happening in my life, I can tell you – “When you expect something to happen, it seems like your life is on a pause button and time is taking its own time to give you what you want. But, when you love doing something, time just spins on its wheels” That’s exactly what’s happening to me. My life seems to be in pause mode.

Enough digression! Being in Hyderabad for the past year and having used share-autos for commuting to office daily, I have come to observe and learn the tactics needed to travel in a share-auto, which by the way is a more popular mode of commute than the local buses themselves. So here are some interesting almost life-changing things that might happen to you if you travel regularly by share-auto.

By share-auto, I do not mean the big ones which can accommodate 8 people. It is just the normal auto used as a circus show-off carrying more than it can. The share-auto drivers are self-assumed kings of the world and will have fixed destinations. They will run their auto to and from their destinations without a single passenger but will not think of changing their route to another one even if there are mobs of people waiting for a transport in a different route. Once you spot a share-auto, yell out the place where you wish to go to. If he finds you right, he is likely to stop the racing auto 10 feet forward from where you stand and look back, else he will just speed off.

Next, they have fixed rates. Either accept and get in or it is just get out. You cannot tell him that just the day before you paid 10 bucks and it is unfair that he is charging 20 bucks today. This rule applies especially when the never-ending recurring T-strike is on.

Suppose that it is your lucky day and you get a share-auto within few minutes of wait, make sure to hop in as quickly as possible, else you will find yourself face-down on the road, for the drivers will have an estimated instinctive time-limit before they start the auto. They won’t look back to make sure that you got in, if that’s what you were expecting. And if you are waiting for a share-auto and so are 10 others, prepare yourself to be a street rat and fight your way. If you prefer to be the docile type, call up your manager and apply for leave and go home.

Once you are inside the share-auto, hang on to the side bars for your dear life. The auto will race light and win the race! It will slide through all gaps available rocking back and forth, with its passengers juggled mercilessly. You will actually feel that you can fly. Women folks, be wise and choose the corner seat if there are guys in the back seat. Use one hand to hang on to the auto and one hand to defend yourself, else pervey perversons will show what they are capable of. This sad thing still happens.

And guys, you are cursed for life to be hanging only from the front seat along with the driver. Even if you come first and wait in the share-auto for an hour, you won’t get a reasonable seat to place yourself on if there are more than 2 girl-travelers. Be it pouring rain or scorching heat, you have to just accept it. Sometimes 4 guys including the driver will sit in the front and 3 passengers behind happen. Though I can’t say if the driver is really sitting and driving the auto, in such cases. He might as well be pressing random levers at the end of his foot and driving the auto by instinct. But, if you want to reach office on time wading through layers of traffic, you cannot put your mind through all that.

Image Courtesy: http://www.shatabdigaurav.com

And when you want the driver to stop at a place, yell “stop” 10 feet before the place actually comes to save on the walking time. And one universal rule, if you are in a real hurry for a meeting, just hire a direct auto and go. Else, you will have to wait in the auto until it fills up and overflows with people and by the time you reach, you will definitely be late.

Even with all this, you need a lot of luck for reaching your place safely without your heart popping out of your mouth. So, take care and good luck!

Until later 🙂

How I dumped Facebook!

October 20, 2011 / / 8 Comments

I heaved a big sigh of relief as I click the delete button on Facebook. Phew! Now, I am gonna bask in my newly acquired freedom. Free from notifications about Ms.X’s friend’s boyfriend liking her photo, free from the tendency to check out others’ profile and compare yourself with others. (Don’t even think of denying it. We all do that) Free from the smiley statuses, the life updates of persons whom you have not spoken a word to and probably will never speak a word to. Free from all the crappy, spammy updates from FB applications, videos and photos.

Do not take offence at my statements above. It is not that I am demeaning friendship though it may seem so to some of you. It is my worry that Facebook has become so inherent in everyone’s lives that they are not realizing that they are not living life in reality, that everything goes in the reverse order. As far as I am concerned, I believe that in the world where sanity exists, two people meet up somewhere, go past introductions, do things together and then try becoming friends. In reality friendship means much more than sending a friend request and accepting the same. It does not mean seeing the birthday notification on the right pane and then posting a standard, clichéd, canned “Happy Birthday” on the friends’ wall, just for the sake of it and without meaning it. I would say, I can forgive you if you do not remember my birthday and forget to wish me. I am totally OK with that. Forgetting my birthday among many others’ or in the busyness of your career/life is OK for me. But wishing friends, communicating with them, playing games should not become your highest priorities. That is not real living, in my opinion. That is virtual living.

Also, the main reason I dumped Facebook is because of the recent news on FB. I have been following news on FB vividly because I am not a very good technical person to know about the implications of FB on my own. So after a lot of reading and discussing with people who know better, I came to know that FB does have serious privacy issues. You can ask, any other social networking site is also going the same way, why FB? All I can say is, FB is the king of such businesses and so I start with it.

I was in an ON and OFF relationship with FB since I created my account. I have been at stages like I had an account but I didn’t just know what use to put it to, then I started becoming active but the lack of internet connection prevented my addiction, then an addictive stage when I thought refreshing FB home page and playing Happy Aquarium was all I was created for, then a hibernation mode where I started thinking and realizing that it is not what it seems to be, then now I am dumping it today.

Below is the farewell message that I posted in Facebook:

Quitting Facebook on my birthday!

As a little birthday present to myself, I am permanently deleting (not deactivating, deleting) my Facebook account. Meaning, I am exporting all my data and am going to bid a final farewell to Facebook.

If you are already close to me, you know how to contact me.

If you want to keep in touch, you can drop in at:

My diaspora profile: http://diasp.org/u/keirthana

(or)

My website: //www.keirthana.in/

(For people who are unaware of Diaspora, visit http://joindiaspora.com/ or any Diaspora pod like http://diasp.org/ where I have my account)

Why I am leaving:

1. As most of us know, Facebook has gone to extents that we no longer control our own information and our privacy. I am no technical person,but I am able to understand the implications of what I post on the web. So, if you want a justification for my 1st statement and learn more on Facebook’s antics, visit http://gizmodo.com/5530178/top-ten-reasons-you-should-quit-facebook. Facebook is getting worse everyday and the recent news about shadow profiles (http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/18/1429223/facebook-is-building-shadow-profiles-of-non-users) is just a proof of that.

2. Facebook is annoying – I have been an active user of Facebook, when I was so ignorant about it that I thought if I click delete on a pic of mine, it is actually gone poof on the Facebook server and that playing Happy Aquarium is the highest priority of my life. But, now I know better! So, with more knowledge and enlightenment, I could see that people are trying to live their life on Facebook rather than living in reality (I accept that I was one such person in the past). I did not like that when I realised it. I am okay with communicating with people over the web through social networking, but I am not okay with living my life on a virtual, fake platform when I have a life to live in reality.

Will I come back?

My requirements for an acceptable social networking tool are simple. It must honor users’ privacy and information and help people to just communicate. And better, if it is free(dom) open source. I know that I am not as great an free(dom) open source enthusiast as Richard M Stallman, but as I get to know more about it every day, the more I like the ideology. So as of now, the least I can do is to support it. Like-minded people who believe in freedom should do the same.

I can consider coming back, if Facebook is honest enough to accept its antics and respect the privacy of users. This is never likely to happen because Facebook is just another business trying to squeeze out as much money as it can.

If you want to leave too:

Read about how to export your info and delete your account, get the word out,here:
http://blog.thesilentnumber.me/2011/07/delete-your-facebook-for-your-birthday.html

P.S: I have used a modified version of the note from the above link, since I just felt the same and wanted nothing more than a personal touch.

And that’s the story of how I dumped FB 😀

Until later 🙂

P.S: My intention is not to insult people who sincerely wished me on my wall. I respect and thank you all people for your wishes. My post addresses those who just do it out of habit than out of friendship. Also, I do not have the slightest thought that my move will nudge many others to do the same and put an end to the blatant abuse of privacy. I want my life to be as I wish and free of invasion. I did it for myself and it is up to you to decide for your life.

Not f'd — you won't find me on Facebook

It’s time to advertise

October 11, 2011 / / 3 Comments

I have a strange habit, watching Ads. You heard it right. I watch advertisements without switching channels. I smile at those that are creative and constructively intriguing and cringe at those which are nothing but pure crap.Everyone knows about these 2 categories, but there is yet another category. They won’t have a point in the first place, to start with. I have listed a few from the top of my head (no chronological order or stuff like that), in each class. Readers are welcome to add their favourites and the opposite in the comments form 🙂

6 creative Ads:

Servo Lubricant Oil: The little boy dragging in his creaking car toy and the guy placing servo oil container caps as wheels and then the creaking stops. It is not much but  it puts forth the point brilliantly,IMHO.

Dairy Milk Silk: The dancers who forget that they have to get on stage in a few minutes and keep on eating the chocolate mesmerized by its taste. Good one 🙂

Airtel: Har ek friend zaroori hai yaar. The different ways of portraying how nonsensical friends can be; yet all of them are needed and hence airtel connects you at lower rates. It gives you a feel good touch because all of us know how nonsense is understood, discussed, valued and respected in friendship 🙂 😉

Bournville: With only the perfect cocoa from Ghana 🙂 The cocoa bean which gets rejected starts crying. That’s very cute and the ad puts forth the point that the chocolate is made from the best of best cocoa beans.

McDonalds: This ad used to run a while ago. I haven’t seen it in the recent past. 2 kids, a girl and a boy would be sitting in a bench and the girl would ask the boy if they are girlfriend-boyfriend yet. The boy would say not yet justifying that girlfriends are too demanding. The little  girl would then pout and say “Muj ko sirf McD Aloo Tikki chahthi hoon” meaning “But, I just want McD’s Aloo Tikki and nothing else”. The little boy would smile and tap his pocket and say “Then, ok”. The low price is put in the limelight.

Naukri.com: Everyone knows about the famous Hari Sadu ad. It is one of my favourites till now 🙂

5 mute Ads:

Scooty Streak: I do not get why any sane-minded person would get two-wheeler just because it is sexy. On a second thought, can a two-wheeler be sexy? I do not know. I somehow don’t get a feel that I would want it just because it is sinfully black without wanting to know about its useful specifics. I would rather look at the mileage it gives and how easy it is to handle etc and then come to the stylish part. The ad portrays stuff in the reverse order.

Kalyan Jewelers: I accept that “????????? ???? ???????” concept and the way they present it is good and moving. But, I do not see why I should put my trust particularly in you. I can as well place my trust in some other XYZ jewelers. If you are advertising one of you specialities, justify it. Like how, your jewels are the best so that we can safely trust you and buy your stuff. Else, think of some other creative way.

Kiscol Steel: Namitha as a civil engineer in Kiscol steel? What do you want to prove? :rolling eyes:

Fairness creams: Has anyone really got that fair in one week? No, right? That explains it enough. Just go for something else guys.

Idea 3G Sim card: The ad is different, I accept that much. But, Mr.Jr.Bachan, Idea 3G is definitely not going to stop over-population in in India and you know it too. To top it, the line said by the woman “???? ??????????? ??? ???????? ???????? ??????? ???????” meaning “I am  sacrificing my sex life for the nation” is just  too much. ( Though I feel, the other ad for Idea 3G where a guy presents it to a girl to divert her on the date with another guy, is better. That can actually happen, you know 😉 )

4 crappy Ads:

Deodorants for men: I am not even going to start explaining this one, as we all know what kind of crap they show. *Puking*

Bommies nighties: Any guy who is on the verge of fighting or short-tempered, will calm down on seeing a homely woman in this nighty. So, all the women can wear these nighties and terrorism will stop. Won’t it?

Thums Up: What have I done for thumbs up? None and I wont do anything in future also. If I lose a bottle of Thumbs up, I will go buy another bottle or if I could not I will buy something else to quench my thirst, but definitely won’t jump off a cliff and jump into fire.

Ponds Dreamflower Talc: The Guy feels bad for eloping and the girl consoles him saying that they can call everyone for the reception. That’s a twist in the love story and this is an ad for a talcum powder. Yuck!!!

Well that’s it for now. I had come across the below image long back in one of the forwards that flood my inbox. It impressed me and here it is for you.

Gogola

Now, that is called creative advertising 🙂 Though they don’t say anything classy about their product, it catches the eye. And that’s all is needed. Just make the mass pause and look at your product for a while.

Until later 🙂

P.S: I did my first recipe post (Golguppas @ Paanipuris) at DOV 🙂

Has mankind evolved, really?

September 20, 2011 / / 4 Comments

It seems that public display of affection is becoming more and more common in India. I am not sure whether the girls and guys of this age have gone crazy or is it that people have become more acceptable about the fact. In the recent past, I encountered 2 situations, out of which one, I experienced myself and the other, my friend.

I was travelling in a fully-packed Hyderabad bus on a Saturday evening. A girl came and sat beside me. Within 5 minutes or so, she called her boyfriend and asked him to sit beside her and started squeezing me towards the window. My first thought was “What the heck?”.  It was a 2 seater where there is no way you can adjust for a 3rd person. The bus had those small-chair-type seats. I just did not want to create a scene and so kept mum thinking that maybe the guy is not feeling well or whatever the heck it is. Then started the drama of cuddling, cajoling, twisting, turning, sleeping on the other and other things that could have made a 3 hours love film. All this, with everyone staring at our seat and me stuck there like a …… You get it right?

The incident my friend encountered topped mine. She was travelling by train in sleeper class and there were only boyfriend-girlfriend pairs in her bay. She had had a horrible experience trying to mind her own business and digest the fact that the world had come to this. I do not want to elaborate but 1 sentence will give you the picture. One of the pairs actually shared a berth in spite of having separate berths. When she told me this, I was reminded of the scene in the film “Nandha” “Mounam Pesiyadhe”, where actor Surya reprimands a couple for having their hands on each other’s shoulder on the road. Maybe, these people need rules like that to behave themselves in public.

 I am not taking the role of the older generation and saying all those stuff that makes you feel eons back in ages. I am just asking to give some respect for yourselves and your privacy. I don’t say that you should think about others’ opinions before you do each and everything. I am just saying that there a threshold for everything and people must have enough common sense to know it. At least, be discreet for crying out loud. You love your partner and all that is fine. But, there is a reason privacy is a concept and has a meaning.

P.S: I am not going to put a P.S for a disclaimer saying that this is my opinion and not intended to hurt anyone 😛

Until later 🙂

« Older posts Newer posts »

No plagiarism, please!

Please link back when you refer/use any media/content that I own, in your website. Let’s not encourage plagiarism, there’s enough trouble in the world as it is.

© 2025 Ripples of my Reflections

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑