TRUST Folder modified

I should say that last 'Sunday' was a day of learning for me. There are times in life when you change your perceptions towards life. Two such incidents have modified the folder of 'Trust' in my life. This is one of the folders which had constantly got updated in my mind till today. 

First in 'Coffee Day'. After a long while, in the hot sun, wanted to have cold coffee. It had been a long time since me and my husband went for a coffee chat. Each step there took a long time, from receiving a menu card, to taking an order, and receiving the order. People there didn't bother much about the long wait, all in their own world with their friends! We got our menu card, me a 'cafe frappe', a 'cappuccino' for him and a 'warm choco indulgence'. The waiter didn't speak good English, but he uttered words very fast and asked about lot of toppings and add ons. We avoided the toppings. The order arrived little late. Time just passed looking at people around, muted 'animal planet' on TV, loud Hindi song. Finally my 'cafe frappe' arrived, but without the whipped cream on top! 'Where is the whipped cream?!' was my first reaction. Then they added to it.The hot weather made me enjoy the cold coffee. I really relished it and the yummy choco indulgence. I was happy about the wonderful evening and the coffee, but the happiness really didn't last long. Here comes the Bill, almost double than what we had ordered! We could count the three items we had ordered, and there was a fourth one 'Pomegranete quencher' - quantity 2. Oh! we hadn't ordered that. When enquiring the guy said that it was the sweet flavour which was in the coffee! 'Can you show us in the menu card?' was our next questions. The guy showed us a 'drink' in that name and said that was the extra flavour we had ordered. He argued with us for long and trying to make us believe that he was very correct. We went to the branch manager and asked him about it. His response to his subordinate was 'this is different' and cancelled the charges for that order. After this a lot of unanswered queries still linger in my mind:

1) Does all the people in the branch have a hand in this fraud?

2) Missing of 'whipped cream' - was it deliberate?

3) When people come with their girl friends and boy friends, do they find it hard to get into the details of the bill, feeling that the other might take it bad?

4) Does the shop do this kind of things regularly or am i the only victim?

A basic shake of TRUST from a branded popular chain. But we could get our money back. How many people here are getting deceived??

The next incident want in the Gaming area of 'Skywalk'. The same evening, after returning home, me and my daughter went out to Skywalk. I always wanted to take her to the Gaming area of skywalk and finally found time for her. I am not an ardent lover of video games. I went to the counter, asked the guy for details of payment, since I was going there the first time. There was an offer that day, i.e., you pay for 2000 and get 4000 rupees worth of gaming free, pay 500 and get to play for 700, pay 300 and play for 380. It took the 300 rupee scheme and he gave me a card. The money is not refundable unlike the food counters in Skywalk. The place was so crowded as it was a Sunday evening. I was looking around to see what kind of games would suit my daughter. A small boy came to me, and guided me to a direction where games for small kids is available. I didn't find the games suitable for kid. But swiped the card in two areas, and played the games, with guidance from the small boy. The third game was bike racing. The boy swiped the card for me, to start the game and gave back the card to me. I was holding my daughter and helping her play and after which, I found the boy missing. I thought he might have gone to help others. I took my daughter to a next play booth. I didn't know what the game was about, no instructions. I swiped the card, and got an error 'Insufficient balance - please recharge'. I counted the expenditure the last three games and it was less than 100 rupees. I tried 2 to 3 times and I thought there was some problem with the machine. Another set of people were able to swipe their card and play in the same booth. Then I realised there is something wrong with the card. I went to the counter and asked him to check the balance. The balance was 10 rupees. I realised that the has swapped the card! Then I told the man at the counter that there was a small boy with me who was helping me operate. The person at the counter said that there are people like that, and he could do nothing, but put some 100 rupees in the card. He escorted us with a person and asked him to take us around. I was not in a mood to play any further. I never expected this from a small boy like him.I went out and called my husband and narrated the incident. He asked me to be there and he could come. I suddenly realised that since it is an electronic card, it should be easy to block or deactivate the card. I went to the gaming section again, asked the person in the counter if it is possible to block. At first he hesitated, but finally agreed to check it for me. I narrated the first 3 games we played and the approximate time. He could trace the card name for me. He made the previous card balance as zero and moved the balance of 300 in a new card and he gave me the new card! I was happy, thanked him and came out. Here too, I have a set of unanswered queries:

1) The people at the counter are aware of such frauds. Why have they not written down any 'warning'

2) Are they also involved in this fraud?

3) How did the small boy target me?

Whatever be the situation around us, the success or happiness lies in how well we handle the situation. My TRUST folder has been modified and folder is linked to a SITUATION HANDLING folder. Both the folders have been updated with some valuable information.

VALUABLE MONEY

This piece is one inspired from a line from Airtel Ad - 'What is valuable money?'
What is the value of money?
Few searches on the net quoted this:
"It is the ability to use them in exchange for things we want or need that gives them value. As long as individuals have confidence that their money can be used in that way, then the money will have value."

If you ask people what do they consider as valuable money, it will vary with each individual.
It is finally "MONEY AT THE RIGHT TIME AND RIGHT PLACE"

Till today, what I consider valuable money for me, was '50 paise'! This value, I recognized during my college days. We had college bus to travel, and there was hardly any need to take other modes of transportation. In spite of this many students would travel by their own bikes and scooters. I would travel by college bus everyday. One evening, a friend of mine from a different department said she would drop me home by scooter. I wanted to have a change from the routine college bus travel and readily agreed to her suggestion. We started a little later after the college bus and half way, her scooty got punctured. She suggested that I take the local bus. I left her there on her own, and went to take the local bus. Today, when I think of that, I feel I should have been with her and helped her correct her scooty. I don't remember, if I offered her any help.

I took the bus. Luckily got a seat. Conductor was two seats ahead and he was approaching my seat. I looked into my bag, to get money. The ticket was just Rs. 2 from that point to the stop near my home. I could just get one rupee and 50 paise from my bag. I didn't know what to do. I was scared that the conductor would embarrass me in front of all people in the bus. There was a girl 'akka' sitting to me. She was very pretty! Her charm caught my eyes, even though I was in mixed mood of fear and tension. After thinking for a while and evaluating different options, all these in few seconds!, the conductor is nearing me. I asked Akka, if she had a 50 paise and if she could give me. I never explained her anything, and she never asked me anything. She readily gave a 50 paise coin. I took it in my hand and I see the conductor asking me for 'Ticket'. I gave the money and got the ticket. I thanked her! I felt embarrassment till I got down, hated the act that I borrowed money from somebody. Till today, I remember the incident and still feel that, that 50 paise was the most valuable money for me!

Everybody's Crazy!

I grew up in Vellore, a small town, now a Corporation! Initial few years of my life, I spent in place, where houses are very close to each other, small street, people always on the street or in the front of their houses, chatting, gossiping.. Evening, you can see children playing around on the streets. Being controlled by my mother, me and my  brother would be standing and watching children playing, flower sellers going by, sonpapdi wala's bells, people going to market, neighbours fighting and so many new things. There used to be a boy, who walks in the street every evening. He will stand in front of every house and ask for palpodi box(Tooth powder). Everybody used to give him some old empty tooth powder boxes and he will happily take it. I found out that he was mentally ill, had a little pity on him. I used to be afraid of him too, I should be 5 years then. The boy should have been around 18 to 20 years of age. Learnt that he was from a rich family. Somebody would come and then take him home. I could still get the same scene in mind, as I am writing. I used to think, what would he do with that?

Now here I am, 30 years old. When I think what I do now, I almost do the same thing. I like to store my kitchen  stuff in transparent bottles - Turmeric powder, chilly powder, jeera powder, coffee powder, everything! I started buying Lion Date syrup as a nutritional supplement. After some months, it was for the bottle, which helped to store stuff in the way I wanted. I gathered lot of bottles. After sufficient number of 100g bottles, I started buying 200g bottles and 500g bottles. I have a lot of them.. Ofcourse, now I again when I buy, it is as a nutritional supplement only, but still I store those bottles. I don't throw them away!

What difference is there between the guy who was collecting the palpodi(Toothpowder) and me collecting Lion Dates Bottle! NOTHING.. Everybody's crazy right?

Shruti's Pronunciation and Story Telling @ 2 yrs and 2 months

I must write about Shruti's pronunciation of certain words. She says 'Mickey Mouse' as ' Kimmey Pouf', 'Pig' as 'Gip', 'Frog' as 'Gof', 'Monkey' as 'Kumkey', 'Dog' as 'Gog'. I was thinking, if this is going to be a problem, but she can speak other words properly. Everybody likes these words of hers and asks her to repeat.. It's fun!

Next her story telling and rhymes - She can give the hints for us to develop the story.
For eg.'
'The thirsty Crow' - Kakka (Crow) - kal (Stones)- panai (Pot) - Thanni (water)- mela (top) - Num Num Num (Drink)
'Money and Cap seller' - Kumkey (Monkey) - Tree - Cap - Aiya (Cap seller) - all others in action (throwing caps)

For rhymes, you have to hear the tune and actions to find out the rhymes:
Teddy bear, Teddy bear turn around - She will turn around, bend down to touch the ground and polish her shoes, and put her hands on the shoulders to take the bag to school
Ringa Ringa Roses - She will go around, say words like 'Hush', 'Busha', and 'Down' and sit down

You can hear more stories and rhymes from her. She can even remember small things which happened some months back and tell you about it.. Amazing kids!

Shruti: 1 year and 8 months - shape identification

Shruti was able to identify images for quite sometime, she cannot tell, but can identify whatever you ask her from a picture book. I was astonished to see her identifying 'A' from the car number board, a week back. Now, she can also identify M, O, S. She also know that 'S' signifies Shruti. If you ask her, 'Where is S- Shruti?', she can show the letter 'S'. All credit goes to my Mother.

However I draw a crow, fan, cycle, mixie, auto, car, moon, star, feeding bottle, flower, chair, table, elephant, she identifies. Moment to feel good about my drawing skills.

Inside a car, she can point out where the gear, steering, mirror, AC, lock, seat, horn.

This is the time to teach them everything. Good Grasping power.

Dresses I designed for Shruti

Shruti - 1 year and 8 months

Now, Shruti has started to talk, over the last one week. Don't remember exactly how and when she started, but it just happened! Some of her first few words after amma - kaakka (crow), paapa (baby), thatha (grandfather), Daddy (finally, her father is happy to hear this), vaava (come), .....thi (Shruti), .....kka (sister), ....nna (brother) and trying out more. Very nice to hear their first speech!

Shruti's first ride on a scooty: I never thought Shruti could stand in front and travel on the Scooty. She was crying when I took my scooty over the weekend. So I gave took her on the vehicle with some doubts. But she could stand properly and she thoroughly enjoyed the small rounds we made. When she became confident standing, she started turning around, which was little scary and I had to manage.

Her time-pass with dhal