So if you are 40 years old and a dwarf, you still qualify for a half ticket on the state transport buses in Tamil Nadu. I thought it was brilliantly stupid.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
The ultimate test of Age
So if you are 40 years old and a dwarf, you still qualify for a half ticket on the state transport buses in Tamil Nadu. I thought it was brilliantly stupid.
Pondicherry
lman
After a overnight train journey to Chennai, I boarded a "Boing Jet 747 (above)" to take me to Pondicherry. ( 3 hours & Rs.55/ [approx 1 Euro] ).
I spent over a week in Pondi, mostly relaxing. Also I did these series of eye exercises at the School for Perfect eyesight there to help improve my "vision" ;)
I can say that those exercises definately helped, my number was down .75 point after a week.
Pondi is a former french colony and the french influence is still very much visible in one part of the town. The Indian part is fast growing over it though. Road names are still in french in some places but the other end of the same street would have an indian name, couldnt get more confusing.
I also visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville, both impressive institutions in their own right. The star attraction at Auroville is the 'Matri Mandir' this giant sphere with a mediation room inside.
After a overnight train journey to Chennai, I boarded a "Boing Jet 747 (above)" to take me to Pondicherry. ( 3 hours & Rs.55/ [approx 1 Euro] ).
I spent over a week in Pondi, mostly relaxing. Also I did these series of eye exercises at the School for Perfect eyesight there to help improve my "vision" ;)
I can say that those exercises definately helped, my number was down .75 point after a week.
Pondi is a former french colony and the french influence is still very much visible in one part of the town. The Indian part is fast growing over it though. Road names are still in french in some places but the other end of the same street would have an indian name, couldnt get more confusing.
I also visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville, both impressive institutions in their own right. The star attraction at Auroville is the 'Matri Mandir' this giant sphere with a mediation room inside.
Bangalore
So once Citibank gave me the free ticket after that nasty negative review on Mouthshut, I was in bangalore, staying with Kamal. A friend of mine from mumbai, now working in Bangalore.It was good to catch up with him after a long time.
Bangalore is a nice city, except its unbelievable how the who is who of the IT industry from the world over have setup shop there inspite of the pathetic condition of roads and traffic.
Its a city literally bursting at its seams in some places.
I met up with some old friends, bumped into one out of the blue at a mall . On my last day I took a half day bangalore city tour, which took me to some impressive sights, including the Vishveshwaraya Industrial And Technological Museum. The picture above is of this installtion there. The Magic tap, I couldnt figure out where the water came from . .. can you?
I also visited Tipu Sultan's summer palace in the city, Lalbaugh Botanical Gardens and the Bull temple. All in all it was a nice 4 days spent in Bangalore.
Who says complaining doesn't help
Whoever said complaining doesn't help .. In the last one month, my complaints have yielded results beyond my own imagination.
1) Citibank had this fly for sure offer in January, where if you spend 30K in a given month you were guaranteed to get a free air ticket.
I was sent a voucher to claim my free ticket, which I did. Subsequently I got calls from Citibank expressing unavailability of tickets for different choice of dates and destinations. In mid march I was 'given' confirmed return tickets to bangalore for the month of May. In end April a week before my travel date, Citibank calls me to inform me that tickets are not available.
I fired the executive who called me and wrote this threatening review on Mouthshut.com
I got a call within the next two days, offering me free tickets as per my original plans.
2) In April, I was booked by Mumbai Traffic police for over speeding. I was doing 55 Km/hr when the speed limit was 40 Km/hr while climbing a flyover at andheri, mumbai.
Anyways, I reasoned with the traffic cop on duty about there being no visible boards suggesting the speed limit on the flyover. Reluctantly I had to pay the fine that day.
The next day i visited the Mumbai Traffic Police websitee and sent across a feedback using the form on their site.
Within four days I get a call from Traffic officer Patil (incharge for Bandra - Andheri) saying he is in receipt of my complaint and would like to come and meet me. He does and understands my point of view. Within hours I have a written letter confirming receipt of my suggestions and promised action.
3) The road outside my house had been dug up since the last four months. It was proving to be a traffic menace and a pedestrian disaster.
I complained to three different Municipal corporation departments using the Online Complaint management System provided by PRAJA in association with BMC (Bombay Municipal Corporation).
The next day there were men and road rollers, working on the road outside and within 4 days a road which wasn't attended to in 4 months had some semblance of repair.
Three positive experiences in as many weeks. All of us should stand up for our rights.
Make the administration work for us, there are here to serve us. The government is working for us, the politicians are our employees. We pay them salaries through the taxes we pay.
1) Citibank had this fly for sure offer in January, where if you spend 30K in a given month you were guaranteed to get a free air ticket.
I was sent a voucher to claim my free ticket, which I did. Subsequently I got calls from Citibank expressing unavailability of tickets for different choice of dates and destinations. In mid march I was 'given' confirmed return tickets to bangalore for the month of May. In end April a week before my travel date, Citibank calls me to inform me that tickets are not available.
I fired the executive who called me and wrote this threatening review on Mouthshut.com
I got a call within the next two days, offering me free tickets as per my original plans.
2) In April, I was booked by Mumbai Traffic police for over speeding. I was doing 55 Km/hr when the speed limit was 40 Km/hr while climbing a flyover at andheri, mumbai.
Anyways, I reasoned with the traffic cop on duty about there being no visible boards suggesting the speed limit on the flyover. Reluctantly I had to pay the fine that day.
The next day i visited the Mumbai Traffic Police websitee and sent across a feedback using the form on their site.
Within four days I get a call from Traffic officer Patil (incharge for Bandra - Andheri) saying he is in receipt of my complaint and would like to come and meet me. He does and understands my point of view. Within hours I have a written letter confirming receipt of my suggestions and promised action.
3) The road outside my house had been dug up since the last four months. It was proving to be a traffic menace and a pedestrian disaster.
I complained to three different Municipal corporation departments using the Online Complaint management System provided by PRAJA in association with BMC (Bombay Municipal Corporation).
The next day there were men and road rollers, working on the road outside and within 4 days a road which wasn't attended to in 4 months had some semblance of repair.
Three positive experiences in as many weeks. All of us should stand up for our rights.
Make the administration work for us, there are here to serve us. The government is working for us, the politicians are our employees. We pay them salaries through the taxes we pay.
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