Lifestyle ?

It was yet another weekend in Chennai, was travelling in an auto. Driver was in 50s and a respectable elderly muslim to look. Journey was for almost an hour, so he slowly started talking on condition of Arcot road. Then, as I expected, slowly turned towards my work and sal. As always I told am a software engineer, getting far less than deserving pay :) Immediate response was "I think you are from outside chennai...no chennai brought up person talks as soft as you"...Since I had heard this comment from lot of people earlier, just warded off with a smile. Then he showed his real intention of asking the question...He started saying : Thambi (brother), My son works in a call center. He is getting around 25000 in hand every month. Was a good muslim till that job, used to pray 5 times a day and was regularly going to mosque. Once he saw this salary, he started questioning me how much I earn every day. "Inshah Allah, if I earn 300 a day, I will go home, what ever is the time. Even if I get a savari (trip)after that I don't take it. Allah says earn for your livelihood, don't be jealous." But my son has started spending ruthlessly. He has 3 credit cards...I really don't know what he is spending on....He wears a 3000 shoe and got a bike for 60000...I was rather surprised to see a true muslim, speaking all their custom values ! He told many things more, but I don't want to pen all. I could see a helplessness in his tone for not able to contain his son. Money topples Many !!

In my office cab I have a mallu friend, who is a technical recruiter for my company. Usually I sleep my way back to home in the evening. That day, I didn't. Topic was rather controversial, which big-wig in which company is screwing up teams for their individual appraisals & promotions...when I told him some info regarding my personal experiences, he shared a dream project in a PC giant company, which got screwed up just because the head got promoted. Believe me, if it had come out, numerous rural schools in India would have got much more computers for the students. Wary of this I told him about a person whom I know, who spends in lacs every year, thought his salary is far below that, all by taking loans. He told me - "Palani, depends on LIFESTYLE of people. I will compare two people, you will understand world better. One guy, who is a chief senior architect, getting more than 40 - 50 lacs per year, in a famous chipset company, wears a kurta, jeans and slipper to his office. I got backlashed. On other hand, one person who is getting 15k per month, has RX100 bike and a Blackberry phone. Its all how you want to live rather than how much you earn." I could correlate people with lower salaries falling pray to posh life. Probably a psychological way of saying world, see I have got things, which I didn't have before - Exhibitionism !!

Was talking to my father on something, when he told a very old incident...When Sivanthi Adithan, a power person in TN congress was asked, "You always travel in ambassdor car, but your son uses BMW?", the reply was, "Am son of a farmer, but he is son of a billionaire". Money and fame has made him so humble to tell this, when he was at the peak of his life.

Personally I like Mukesh Ambani - The richest Indian, King of an Empire, when the properties of his intestate father was shared, had enough grip to seize Lion's share in Reliance empire, and of course, these are mere speculations written in Tamil magazines, but I still like them :) India - Australia QF tensions where at the peak in Motera and suddenly when Indians started hitting, I could see a lady who was repeatedly shown in TV...momentarily sight told me who she was - Nita Ambani - Queen of Reliance empire, owner of Mumbai Indians and what more ! There she was, shouting, jumping, laughing, giggling, talking to people around, of course big-shots, but still, she was making the air lively in Motera. This requires lot of courage and self-confidence. Standing before 30000 people, without bothering what will they say about. Even Mukesh was standing behind her, but it was mere enjoyment what they were looking for.

For the first time, felt in my life, as if am loosing smaller and meager happiness, in the blanket of tradition-ism.

My lifestyle should change - uh ?

Bubye Buddy....Thanks :)

Confused with the title :)

It was a normal Sunday at home in May 2008. Myself and my brother started pestering my father to buy a car for us. My papa was as adamant as ever and he put his first question, "Who will drive it?"Being a recognized & licensed driver of India, I told "Myself" cheerfully, only to get a direct snub on my nose, "Who will board the car if u drive."Couldn't control my laughter, but pretended as if the snub didn't go well with me, in the sense I stopped talking to him that day. The most powerful weapon which my father uses against me, if we differ in opinion and he is on the correct side of the game. I followed it or at least tried to, that day.

Second thought was "Its a luxury. I don't need it" for which myself and my bro said in chorus "We need it."

The next was "You stay in B'lore and come only in weekends. I stay in Tiruttani and come in weekends. Why do we need one?". I promptly responded, "To drive out in weekends.". I know any of us cannot withstand my father for more than 5-10 mins. Results will be very catastrophic :) So I gave the final blow..."Appa, pesikitte iruntha entha prayojanamum illa...neenga vaangareengala illa naan vaangattuma" (Father, there is no use of talking like this...Are you buying or shall I?)

By now, my father had come to a decision that we both were adamant. So he played safe, saying "I will buy it, but in your name. You are the lucky one in our home...".Surya dasha and sukra bukthi, when it converges on a person, in a favorable manner, will bless him with a vehicle as gift...this was a ruling in an astrology book, I trust most. When this speech came, it was running for me...hence the car in my name....Astrology favored me you know :)

Being very clever, my father finally played his trump card. "No alto, it will be too small to accommodate four of us. Budget max is Rs XXXXXXX. If you find a car like that tell me, we will go for it"...Terrible blow, that no car existed for that budget. Then only I realized one thing, when we were talking, my father was looking to the Automobile section of sunday's paper. He had stood by his own decision :( Although he was courteous, that he gave one week time to my bro to find a car within that budget, much to the expectation that we will not find one.

Very next day, there was a loud mouthed announcement in Vijay "Jodi number 1" that the winner will get a Spark car, and add also said "Kannadikkara car", it will blink when its near to smart girls :) Though I was damn sure that it will not blink its eyes and I have to, being the registered owner :) (hope my father doesn't see this blog), I was happy to see the On-road price tallying with what my father told. So we booked and brought one, much to the dissatisfaction of my father, although it was in my name :) It was May 31, 2008, when it was delivered to us, number was TN10U-8922. Dazzling Silver-grey beauty it was.

The first trip I made was to Arani - Periyapalayam, since my aunt wanted to purchase some saries. It was exactly 50 kms. The next was to the village Podurpet, where my father was working that time. The house he had rented was exactly 100 kms from our residence in Valasaravakkam. I remember feeling sleepy after driving half-way. Then my longer trip was to Thanjavur, driving 320 kms for the Pongal 2009. I was totally lost when reaching Tindivanam, barely 90 kms from my house. I felt sleepy, that my father was ready to rent a lodge and stay midway if I couldn't drive through out single handedly. But Pongal 2011, I drove 450 kms through Nagapattinam, to meet our relative who was just married and yet, didnt feel tired.....Experience helps :)

Through out its tenure with us, it has withstood heavy rash driving from my side and some accidents too. One awesome incident was my brother hitting it in a median around 11.30 at night when our relative lady was hospitalized. It gave me an unique chance, that I stopped him from handling the car :) He is too angry with me I know, but this is a pleasure :)

The most useful day was when I had to take my ailing grandma from Thanjavur to chennai. When I was able to reach Thanjavur in whopping 4.30 hours, at a constant 120kmph through out the Trichy highway, without wobbling, the next day I could reach Chennai in around 5.30 hours. All without any discomfort to her, sitting in back seat. Till today, it has maintained its class in speed, mileage and driving comfort.

Three years went and it was handy in lot many ways...visiting hell lot of temples, very convenient trips to thanjavur and where not ? When my grandpa was ailing and was in his terminal months, many times he used this car, rather than his own Toyota Qualis and Tata Sumo, considering the comfort to enter and exit. It had become one member in our family to say. But as days went, he became weak. There were regular noises from the idler / belt, which didnt go well with us. Finally my father told, "Lets sell this!". Had expected this for almost a month, so i had already made my mind to part-ways with my "Chellam", to say in Prakashraj's style. I have disposed it off too :) It had a ready-taker which made me even more happy.

Thanks for everything buddy and wish you, that you have a better driver and curator than me :) and a long life too :) Hope to see you somewhere in a signal, on opposite lane; just like Madhavan - Reema sen in Minnale.....

"Poo pol Poo pol en nenjai koidhaval" - Chevy Spark.

Happy today...but in August '10 ?

Should definitely call it God's grace and more than that my relative's grace...one experience of how far doctors and hospitals have become ruthless in Bangalore...

It was a cold morning. I was woken up around 5 AM by my wife, who was confirmed carrying that time, to consult a doctor, as she felt some uneasiness. Arranging a taxi was a pain, but our apartment watchmen helped me. I could take her to Bannerghatta Road Apollo Hospitals, that too around 5.45 in the early morning. She was treated with so much of warmth and kindness in the hospital by their Registrar. Though I was a bit tensed when I entered Apollo, as time went up, I became slowly confident. A visibly tired Doctor came to me and said, "Are you alone, dont worry...nothing is wrong". I really thanked her from depth of my heart and proceeded home, only to know in afternoon that my parents have almost reached Hosur to see my wife, since we were alone. Things were good by evening. We were talking like Apollo is the same, where ever you go, and you can rely on it. Nothing serious, My parents left the next morning.

Almost 10 days had passed by.

It was a pleasant evening in office and an important meeting was going on. My wife called me unusually in that time. Could not pick that call up, so I sent a SMS asking what? and she responded urgent...Could easily make out some trouble brewing up and when I called her coming out of the meeting hall, much to the concern of a senior person in team, who was visibly not happy, she told, "Need to go to a Doc". My boss's response was still embarrassing, "Ho u need to go ?", was the reply peeping into the watch.

Travelling from office in Marathahalli to Bommanahalli was a pain in itself and when I reached Apollo, I should say it was my bad luck. Radiologist was not available for scanning. They told me "Sir, pl get a scan done, we will continue the treatment."

That was the time, I entered the world famous certified hospital, as the board claims, which was in the adjacent building. There was so much of warmth and we were directly sent for scan. Scan was done in a moment and there was a young doc, hardly in her late twenties, who was co-ordinating these events. I was so happy that my wife was lucky enough to have a doctor like her in time of need.

Two hours were gone and my wife was stable. Scan report was normal and the staff nurse, who was with us, told me, "Worry vendam sire...unga wife nallayitu"(Mallu slang - Dont worry sir, your wife is fine). I had almost made my mind to discharge her, that the lady doc came smiling to me.

Sir, just I spoke to our On-call consultant Dr.Ch****Patil and she has prescribed all these medicines. There was a paper with 7 injections and 3 more medicines and she added gently, Seems you are alone in Blore. I am admitting her for three days and she will be fine...

Puzzled, I asked, what is the need to admit her, if she is fine. Reply was simple and straight forward "We suspect your wife to abort in maximum of 45 mins." It was like a thunder bolt for me, as many in family including myself were dreaming of a boy to be in hands in March end. I could not digest that, when she added, "We could not identify the cause of uneasiness she is suffering. Even if we give one injection she should be here for 3 days. Dr was kind enough to tell me to administer all injections at one shot"

I thought if at all my wife is a human being or some thing else. Probably the day was when I cried bitterly worse than my Grandpa's death way back in 2001. My colleague who had called to ask what happened, told me the next day that it was so surprising to see me cry :( Deeply disturbed and really without knowing what to do, I should say only wise thing I did was calling my cousin sis who is in Jayanagar. She asked me to discharge my wife and take to her clinic.

I was in a mentality to do whatsoever she asked, so did the same. B/w the lady was smart enough to threaten me, "You need to sign legal documents to get her discharged. You may face legal things later." Fine enough I told and traveled in pouring rain to Jaya Nagar. The travel to "Mayya clinic" was terrible with tension in my mind and to keep things away from my wife too, since she was crying from the moment we left home in evening.

Could not imagine, but my sister didn't give her even a pain killer that night. Good curd rice from her home made us sleep peacefully. Next day morning she came and discharged my wife, without any further medication. When I narrated happenings on previous night, she simply smiled and said, I knew all those stories, since I worked there for sometime. I didn't oblige the senior doctor on threatening people like this, so was asked to leave. My cousin had her training in London, to be apt !

Wanted to write this in blog from long time, but waited for my son's arrival :) Now that he is born, thought of writing this. Never ever believe a Gyneac who is threatening you with lot of medicines - Money has turned them for caring people to devils. Even now couldn't imagine a doctor talking these words...