Friends

I have a friend at work. Let me rephrase it. I had a friend – work. We were getting along just fine when I started. It was a lot of fun spending time with him (shall I call him “him”). Apart from work, I had  a couple more friends namely exercise and sport. After some time, work introduced me to a kid called Stress. He said, Stress in small doses is good (no pun intended). I was okay. Once when I was about to meet work, I called Stress and said, “buddy, do you want to come along”. Stress was happy to tag along. He was still in his nappies so I had to drive him along, but he helped me in my interactions with work. We had a lot of fun together. Stress didn’t have a lot of money though. I had to feed him. I was more than happy to do it, because he was a friend. Unfortunately though he had a liking for junk food and over time, he grew big.

Think of this as a small whatsapp group. Initially I was the admin. Once Stress grew, he asked for Admin privileges, and like a fool I gave him. After some point in time, I was stripped off the Admin rights. Suddenly, I see that Stress has called in couple of his own friends to the group. Anxiety and depression. I could see that Exercise and Sport didn’t like the new entrants and they didn’t like the new transformed Stress as well. They slowly started deserting me. If I called them, they wont even pick up my calls and one day, they left the group. I am still wondering if they left on their own or Stress made them to.

Anyways, work, Stress, Anxiety and Depression are in my group now and except me, everyone else is enjoying each other’s company. Everyday, they are bringing in new friends and have a party at my expense. The other day, Stress asked if he can add a couple of new friends - smoking and drinking to the group. I have asked him to hold off for now. I may include them later. What do you say?

The data pack still comes from me to feed all of them. If you find Sport and Exercise, can you please let them know that I miss them?

#fuel price hike

Bday toon for one of my friends

wifeisms

• I usually have the last word in any argument with my wife - #sorry
• we all have done something in the past which we are not very proud of. my wife asked me to name one. I told "getting married". from that moment on, this became one of the moments I was not particularly proud of #sigh

Looking at the positives

Miscellaneous

I think my laptop has Alzheimer. It keeps saying "not enough memory" # big excel file.

The Martian - please don't bring any more people home

I watched Martian yesterday and what a waste of time. By now most of us know the story. On a manned mission to Mars, obviously something goes wrong and one man is left behind. The whole story of how that man comes back is shown in an excruciatingly painful way. We have seen this in Gravity itself. But unlike Gravity, where we connected intimately with the person trying to get back, we don't get the same feeling with the man in The Martian and that ultimately lets the film down. I will probably be killed for saying this as the film is minting money and that makes me wonder if there is something wrong with me. my verdict though #please don't bring any more people home.

Toon Blog - #desktop

This happened with one of my friends #just saying

Happy Birthday Suji

You showed me how to dream

You pushed me beyond limits

You showed me giving up is not an option

I may not be the best dad in the world

But, no one can love you like  the way I do

Happy 9^th birthday Sujith Krishna, my dear son

World Cup Toon - WI vs IRE

World cup - Toon #IndPak2015

Suji's poem :)

Oh Stars

Oh stars why couldn't you come near to us

I wonder why you don't come near to us

Wonder you will come and take us to see the space

we like to see the Sun, Mercury, Venus

Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune

Please come to us and we will explore together

Cricket toon

Short bits

• I have been given a time out once by my wife. But, when I told that to my friends who are married, they all thought that the number was too low to even mention it.
• I drive so well that a buffalo wanted to ride with me once. Unfortunately, it didnt know where the passenger seat was and ended up on the car's bonnet instead
• i wanted to telecommute one day and the request was turned down on the grounds that i cant work from home on a "bring your spouse to work" day

டைம் பாஸ்

ரெண்டு வாரம் முன்னாடி கார்லே போகும்போது மீடியன்லே நின்னுக்கிட்டுருந்த ஒரு எருமை மாடு (நிஜமான எருமை மாடு) என் வண்டியொட டிரைவர் சைடுலே குதிச்சுடுச்சு. அதுக்கு என்ன கஷ்டமோ, இல்லே லவ் பெயிலியரோ. வண்டிக்கு நல்ல அடி. அத எடுத்துகிட்டு வொர்க் ஷாப் போனா, நான் பேசற தெலுங்கு அவனுங்களுக்கு புரியல. நான் "ஏக் buffallo படி போயிந்தின்னு" எனக்கு தெரிஞ்ச தெலுங்குல பானட்ட காட்டி பேசினேன். அதுக்கு அவனுங்க பானட்ட திறந்து பாத்துட்டு, "இக்கட லேது சார், போயிந்தி" ன்னு சொல்றானுங்க. அடபாவிங்களா, எருமை உள்ள இருக்குன்னா சொன்னேன். காருக்குள்ள எருமையை வச்சு ஓட்டற அளவுக்கு நான் என்ன அவ்ளோ பெரிய அப்பாடக்கரா.

Fracture

Hair line fractures are the worst thing that can happen to anyone. Not because of the pain associated with it, but because of the way it happens and the way you become the laughing stock of people. I had one in 2008 in the most innocuous way possible. I was driving a saffire back from office to home. That bike was such that if I had to start at 9 AM to some place, I will have to start the process of starting it at 8. It was old, but I think its sheer disrespect for people that made it behave the way it did rather than its non maintenance. Anyways,I was riding it very fast to be true - at 30KM/hr. Fast by the bike's standards and I saw a cyclist in front of me. I tried to overtake him and he suddenly took a turn without a warning. I was on the road before I knew it. I fell on my right shoulder but I didn't realize that I had broken my collar bone. I was overwhelmed by the help I received when I fell down in the middle of the road. People were rushing in to see if I was alright and helped me up. Wishful thinking. In fact, none of this happened. People just took a detour to avoid hitting me. That's the best in terms of support I got from the people on the road. Anyways, I didnt expect much from the people either as I was not anyways looking remotely like a lady.  I tried to start the bike and it immediately started. Though I was in pain, I was able to ride back to my home. When my wife saw my torn shirt, she asked what happened and I told her. She immediately rushed inside and came back with a bottle of oil and started rubbing that on my shoulder. The broken collarbone responded immediately, and the swelling was becoming prominent when I told my wife, " I think you have done your job, let the doctor do his". The next day, when I showed up at office with a cast around my shoulder, people obviously were concerned. But upon hearing the story, they showed a lot of empathy, by laughing their hearts out. 

பயணம்

முப்பத்தஞ்சு வருஷத்துல மொத தடவையா சென்னைலேர்ந்து காரைக்காலுக்கு ட்ரெய்ன்லே போனேன். என்ன ஒண்ணு. நாலரை மணி நேரத்துலே போக வேண்டிய இடத்துக்கு 9 மணி நேரம் போறானுங்க. வீட்டுக்கு சீக்கிரம் போக வேண்டிய அவசியம் இல்லேன்னா, சிதம்பரம், நாகப்பட்டினம்லாம்  ஒரே ரூட்ல பாக்கணும்னா நீங்க ஒரு டிக்கெட் எடுத்துட்டு போகலாம்.
இந்த தடவை கேரளா போனதுலே பையன் நல்லா என்ஜாய் பண்ணினான். மூணு நாய், வீடு ஃபுல்லா பறவைங்க. அவனுக்கு கொண்ட்டாட்டம் தான்.

வழக்கம் போல குல தெய்வம் கோயிலுக்கும், குருவாயூருக்கும் போகும் போது நமக்கு மினி வேன்லே பேக் சீட் தான். என்ன ஒண்ணு. நாங்க போன வண்டியிலே பேக் சீட்டே கிடையாது. வீட்டுக்கு திரும்பி வரும்போது முதுகு வலியோட தான் வந்தேன். பட்,  நல்ல தரிசனம் அது எல்லாத்தையும் மறக்க அடிச்சிடுச்சு.

எல்லா தடவயும் மூணு மாசத்துக்கு முன்னாலேயே டிக்கெட் புக் பண்றவன் இந்த தடவை மிஸ் பண்ணிட்டேன். எல்லாருக்கும் வெய்ட்டிங் லிஸ்ட். கழுத மூவே ஆகலே. அம்மாகிடேயும், அக்காகிட்டேயும் நல்லா பாட்டு வாங்கினேன்.

தமிழ் நாட்லெ டாஸ்மாக் மாதிரி கேரளாலே லாட்டரி. கும்பல் கும்பலா கத்து கத்தா வாங்கி சொரண்டறாங்க. மோஸ்ட்லி ஆட்டோ டிரைவருங்களும், பஸ் டிரைவருங்களும், கண்டக்டருங்களும், தின கூலிங்களும். வீட்டுக்கு பைசா குடுபாங்களேன்னே  தெரியல. எப்போதான் இதெல்லாம் ஒழிப்பானுங்களோ (பாவிங்க, என்னோட ஐநூறு ரூபாய்க்கும் ஒண்ணும் விழலே. இத கண்டிப்பா ஒழிச்சே ஆகணும்).

ஆச்சர்யம், ஆனால் உண்மை. சென்னை கிளைமேட் கேரளா கிளைமேட்ட விட பெட்டர்.

நிறைய  ஃபன்னி ஸ்டோரிஸ். சாம்பிளுக்கு ஒண்ணு. எனக்கு தெரிஞ்சவங்களோட தங்கச்சி ஹஸ்பெண்ட் இறந்துட்டாங்க (நல்லா வயசானவங்கதான்). அத ஒருத்தர் ஃபோன் பண்ணி இவங்களுக்கு சொன்னாங்க. இந்த கான்வர்சேஷன் இப்படி போச்சு.

"அம்மா இவரு இறந்துட்டாரு"
"ஐயோ அப்படியா. அந்த வீட்ட எனக்கு தரேன்னு சொன்னாரே. என்ன பண்ணாறோ தெரியலையே." திடீர்னு சுதாரிச்சிகிட்டு "நான் இங்க அழுதிட்டிருக்கேன்னு சொல்லிடு".

பையன் ரொம்ப சீக்கிரம் வளர்றான். இன்னைக்கு திடீர்னு "டாடி சில்கூர் பாலாஜி டான்ஸ் ஆடறா  மாதிரி கனவு கண்டேன்னு சொன்னான்." நானும் சரிடான்னேன். டாடி அது உண்மையிலே நடக்கும்னான். எப்படின்னு நான் கேட்டேன். " டாடி, நான் கீ போர்டு விழறா மாதிரி கனவு கண்டேன், அது அடுத்த நாள் உண்மைலேயே விழுந்தது, சோ, சில்கூர் பாலாஜியும் டான்ஸ் ஆடுவாரு".

happy new year all. have a blast.

கொசுறு

10 வருஷத்துக்கு முன்னாலே நடந்த சம்பவம். சென்னையில் வேலை செஞ்சுக்கிட்டு இருந்த சமயம். வேலை முடிஞ்சு நைட் பத்து மணிக்கு ஆயிரம் விளக்கு வழியா நடந்து வந்துட்டிருக்கும் போது நடை பாதையிலே ஒரு குழந்தை அழுகிற சதம் கேட்டு பார்த்த்தேன். ஒரு அம்மா நல்ல தூங்கிட்டிருக்க, ஒரு பெண் குழந்தை நல்லா அழுதுகிட்டு இருந்தது. எனக்கு ஒண்ணும் புரியாம  நான் அங்கேயே நின்னேன். நான் நிக்கறதை பாத்துட்டு அந்த சைடா போறவன் வர்றவன் எல்லாம் என்னை ஒரு மாதிரி பாத்துட்டு போனாணுங்க. அங்கே நிக்கறது அங்கம்ஃபர்ட்டபிளா ஃபீல் பண்ணினேன். ஆனாலும் அந்த குழந்தையை விட்டுட்டு போக மனசில்ல. பக்கத்துலேயே  ஒரு பிச்சைக்காரன் படுத்து இருந்தான். அவன எழுப்பி 100 ரூபா குடுத்து பக்கத்துலே இருந்தா ஒரு கடைலே பாலும் பிஸ்கட்டும் வாங்கிட்டு வர சொன்னேன். அதுக்குள்ளே அந்த பொம்பள ஒருவழியா எழுந்து உக்கார்ந்துது. போன பிச்சைக்காரன் பாலும் பிஸ்கட்டும் வாங்கிட்டு வந்தான். அவங்கிட்டே ஒரு 50 ரூபாயும், அந்த பொம்பள கிட்டே  ஒரு  50 ரூபாயும் குடுத்துட்டு நான் போனேன். 

Misc

I have noticed that some of us (or most of us) treat the call center professionals (or the service providers) like they are our servants (or even worse). The other day, the internet was down at our place. We have the service provider's office in the basement and I went to inquire about the issue. While I was talking to the person there, one of the fellow residents came about and started talking trash. He started shouting at the person and even threatened to beat him up. The poor fellow was at the receiving end and he was trying to pacify the person by telling him that we will have the connection back up soon. The resident left but not before threatening the service provider of dire consequences if the services do not resume in 5 minutes. All along, i was looking at this and felt really ashamed to be standing there. I didn't intervene and shout at the resident for his improper behavior - though i had my reasons not to do so - that resident was over 6 feet and was almost breathing down my neck though he was shouting at the other person. I had to be safe first :). But jokes apart, I should have spoken and let that resident know that this is not the way to talk to anyone. I was like this too, but a couple of instances changed my thinking. I was once a call center employee too, though not catering to Indian people, I had to cop my fair share of abuses while on the job. Second, i once tried to shout at a manager of a reputed A.C. company for his lack of responsiveness, but was promptly put in my place. The conversation went something like this

me: Hello, is this Nagaraj from xxx?

Nagaraj : yes sir

me: what are you doing Nagaraj. I have bought this A.C. two weeks back and your people havent come yet to install it? This is the third time i am calling you and every time you promise you will send the person, but no one turns up, what the hell is happening?

Nagaraj: no sir, I will send them in two days sir. ple....

me - (at this time, i totally lost it, since i have been following up for this for quite a while), you shut up and listen to me. you have to send the person in the next two hours or i am going to complain to your regional office. what are you man, do you not understand the word "Service"?

Nagaraj : (silence)

me: why are you not talking, will you send the person or not?

Nagaraj : sir, you asked me to shut up, so i am not speaking. you can scold me sir, you can say whatever you want. I will send the person in two days

me :?????

i was totally taken aback by this. I thought I can have my way by shouting at him, but this person has totally put me in my place. I told him to send the person whenever he feels like and i kept the phone down. I haven't shouted at a call center employee or a service provider since.

Fake news - 2

Srinvasan's latest statement - Gurunath is my son in law, but he is not as bad as these dirty cricketers. He is always an enthusiast and I saw him as a savior of cricket, like Laxman Siva ramakrishnan and Kris Srikanth, to name a few. In fact, I wanted to propose Gurunath’s name to the ICC technical committee, but he was busy with managing the Chennai super Kings, err. No, he was busy watching CSK’s matches that I could not put forward his name. Having said that I will not interfere in any of the committee’s findings as long as they clear my name. If not, they know what to expect. No one has asked me to step down. If the 1 billion people want me to quit, that’s their personal opinion. I have the full support of all my family members, including myself. So there is no need for me to step down.

Meanwhile Lalit Modi cried foul and said that if he has had a son in law, he would never had to leave the country.

Sonia mentioned that it’s the sons in law who keep the family tradition intact, rather than the son or the law. So she fully supports Srinivasan in this hour of need, hoping that he will reciprocate some of the support when her son in law gets in trouble (again).

Manmohan singh, as usual was busy keeping mum so there is nothing new to report there.

Narayanasamy indicated that this problem will be resolved in 15 days. When reporters pressed to know more, Narayanasamy indicated that he had already spoken to the Russian scientists who are working in the Kudankulam power plant to look into the issue. He also said that, because of this, the actual opening of the Kudankulam facility will be delayed by 15 days.

Vijaykanth said that this is the reason why he believes in brothers in law rather than sons in law.