Here are some of my observations the past year.
I got back to India for good during the middle of 06 – after 6 years in US. There was lot that had changed meanwhile.
* Any bill gets rounded to 50 paise. No more 5,10,20 and 25 paises. And I see 50 paise rairly too.
* Indicas – it was a time when I was working in TCS the GL ( Group leaders ) got a Tata indica free or for some discounted rate I dont remember – and were going gaga about it – now 7 years later Indicas have replaced the black and yellow ambassador taxis. They look good nevertheless – but the mere sight of an Indica brings some anger in me – daily I see thousands on airport road waiting to cut into my lane( lane – something thats in the figment of my imagination ) – and also on the road – parked in the middle – creating a traffic jam. I dont know the GLs still drive aroun d in their indicas or given them away to the taxi wallahs.
* Pulsar -somewhere in the middle of 04 or 05 I dont remember – heard about this new pulsar which people were buying in droves. I thought – no one can shake hero honda’s stranglehold on the market – but I was shocked seeing the black good looking pulsars everywhere. The new one is even more awesome – led tail lights, digital display dashboard. The roads are full of good looking bikes – unicorn, apache, cbz…bikers paradise this land is !! And hero honda’s net profit dipped by 20% for the first time in its history in the last quarter.
*Cellphones – its a festival everyday everywhere – you get to hear long lost tunes, there is this colleague of mine in another project – who has malgudi days tv serial tune – every time it rings it makes me smile – tananaanaaa tannaanaa !! Only issue is train journeys are a pain with all the phones going off all around you. But its a festival out here – should just enjoy it !!
*Indian railways – Its been 7 months since we got back – make atleast one trip every month on train, and all the tickets get booked on internet – havent visited those railway booking counters at all – a big big BIG pat for the folks who made this happen.
*Cricket – give me a break please. There are dedicated sports channels ( what happened star sports, ESPN to all those rugbies, dart throwing competition, trick ball billiards ) – its that boring game all the time, every time. And yesterday – after dont know how long – Mr.TendulAdmanPeddlerOfAllStupidThingsWeDontWantWasAGreatBatsmanOnceButNowBoringMeToDeathkar
hit a century on a flat pitch ( where the other Mr.Rahul….fill up with more stupid things…Dravid was able to hit a 50+ ) and headlines screamed – Tondulkar and what nots – Its been ages and ages before that Mr.Tendulkar won a game for India. Anyway he has cemented his position till 2011 world cup. Good luck you Gambhirs, Dinesh Karthiks, Uttappas.. Learn from Schumacher and Pete Sampras to bow gracefully at your peak. Ganguly you listening right?
Alright…guess thats it for now – until later – tanannana tannanana !!
