Romancing the Balance Sheet of Life!

For the past couple of months I'm learning a few things about financial statements such as Profit and Loss Account and the Balance Sheet.
I won't say I'm very good at making them!

But today, at the end of the Year 2010, the end of this decade...I'm wondering....What is it that I learnt in this decade?
Especially this Year?

And you know what?
I might not be knowing how to make a financial Balance Sheet,
But I sure have learnt to Romance the Balance Sheet of my life!
Everything did not turn out my way, the way I'd planned for it...( In commerce terms, I did not stick to my Budget!)
A few things failed terribly - causing pain, difficulty and heart ache. ( They call it- Losses)
But a few others turned out good!
I goofed up at times!
But few risks, were worth taking!
Life's a gamble!
Nothing comes with guarantees!
But you gotta trust your instincts!
Your strong points- your assets- Parents, Friends,well wishers!

What's the point in gains that you haven't worked hard for?
Why be so sad about losses?
It's all a part of life!
The point is to try and keep the balance and have fun while doing the balancing act!

Wished I had some more time to write some more,
But I gotta go and welcome the new year!
After all, it's going to be a new day, a new year, a new decade and a whole new beginning!

I wish you all a wonderful new year and a new decade!
Have a good time!

About: Auto Drivers and their Nakhraas!

I just arrived in Bengaluru!

Rickshawalas lined up after me to take me to my destination....but I wasn't picking any....Some said they would charge only Rs.150,some for 1 and half the actual meter fare ...but nobody said they would take me home at the meter rate.

A proper meter usually comes to Rs.95 to 100 for my trip. No more!

So I took my time, I did not want to curse myself for being fooled again by another rickshaw driver.

At the end of the road stood one driver with his rickshaw. He looked simple and decent. And he did not follow people ,coaxing them to take his services. So I went and asked him for his services. He said he would go on meter charge.

I felt so happy and proud of myself for being able to spot an honest auto driver. I thought this time, I can relax in the auto without having to keep a watch on the meter.

Not even 20 minutes down the road, I felt the meter was running too fast. I looked at it again.....tried to tell myself that maybe I was hallucinating! This has happened so many times, I don't know how the correct meter works anymore. But no.....it had happened again! Like every other time! The meter was not just fast...it was running super fast. Faster than the Auto!

 I wasn't even close to Dairy Circle and it had crossed Rs.130/-. I could no longer shut up and as usual started my argument about faulty meters, complaining to the police and blah blah!

The driver paid no heed. He plainly asked me to go ahead with my plans and do whatever I liked! And that Nothing could stop him or hurt him!
I felt like a small rat trying to fight a huge monster!

I quickly got to work then. Typing on my cell as many details about the driver as possible! When he saw me do that, he got even more wild and rude and started abusing me in Kannada or some south Indian language.

When I reached my destination I asked him again about the faulty meter. It was showing 176 now! The highest I've seen so far for that journey.
Thought he would get scared of me as he had seen me note down his details. I also questioned him about the validity that had expired. But nothing could scare him, nothing made him stop abusing me. Finally I showed him the middle finger , threw the money on his face and walked away.

But I decided I wouldn't ignore this one this time like every other time. I'm always in a hurry to get somewhere and these kind of people take advantage of that fact.

So I mailed a complaint 1st on transcom@kar.nic.in.

Then I asked Kiran to supply me with any other agencies keeping a watch on these auto's.

And he sent me dis link : " http://auto404.org/



You dont even need to log in and do any of this stuff if you have the application for mobile phones installed:


http://www.getjar.com/mobile/47748/autocomplaint-for-nokia-e51/?s=phones


To Download to Your Phone:
1) Go to m.getjar.com on your phone
2) Select Quick Download code on the bottom of the page.
3) Enter Code: 47748 to begin download."

I registered myself and the complaint.
These guys also have their blog at http://auto-404.blogspot.com/
Do check it out.

I don't know if anything will happen about my complaint. I'll keep you updated about it.
But I would like to believe something will be done!

Life moves on... ( Random letter to someone Part 2)

Dear Someone,

Not that any of my days have been bad this year.........in fact they have been GOOD!
It's  Gooooooood! (Remember Jim Carrey style in Bruce Almighty?)

And Yesterday was a particularly GOOD DAY!

I'd gone to Roshni's house yesterday. She's giving the same professional exam as me.
We were studying together. This is after such a long time that I'm studying with someone. And it so felt like I'm back to school life! She has this very cute house with 2/3 levels of terrace and a mini terrace garden. We sat outside on one of the terrace studying all day. It felt so good to sit under the bright blue sky and study. We studied from morning 9.30 to evening 5.30 pm. (Wohha)With mini breaks in between and ending the day with a game of badminton! Perfect!

I felt nostalgic....it brought memories of some long lost forgotten faces. I stood on the terrace thinking, trying hard to remember....who was it that I've spent so much time with in my childhood? I remember she had a house similar , with multiple levels of stairs which I used to love to climb and jump down from.....I remember we had played a lot of games on those stairs, and I've  fallen on them, injured my leg and gone home limping on many occasions.

No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't remember who she was.....but that Dejavu feeling kept lingering on me throughout the day. I got back home, a bit tired but a lot more happy. Not just because I'd studied so much and covered a lot of portion but also because I'd a good time. At the end of the day, I told one of my friend that I feel as fresh as a school kid! As if I've started my journey into education just now and I can and want to go on....I want to say," I'll become an Inspector, or maybe a school teacher or a Detective!" Nothing is impossible! Nothing's beyond reach!

And then today morning I woke up early...made my breakfast and as I sat sipping my tea, that face I've been trying to search in my memory appeared in front of my eyes. Her name is Sheetal! And she was my best friend throughout my childhood. I've spent so much time with her playing....I don't remember playing so much with anybody else. And for a while I was speechless! How could I let her go from my life? I've been so busy with life and at times I messed up so royally, coming out of that mess took all my attention that I lost these jewels on the way......and I did not make any attempt to get back to them.

Today I'm going back home, we have a family function this weekend. If I want, I can get her number within seconds and give her a call. I don't know if she's angry with me or whether she'll feel that I'm faking a friendship now. I don't know if she's the same girl anymore, I don't know if she'll find me totally changed as well! I don't know if we both will be okay with this changed new us!All I know right now is...I had a great friend called Sheetal and I'm not in touch with her anymore....for whatever reason, I wouldn't blame either of us because that would mar all the good memories that I've of her.

We lose some people in the course of life,
We decide to drop some others out,
Some others we meet by chance and we stick to them,
And a very few are destined to be together!
Only time can tell what's the fate of each relationship.
Whichever way you meet or depart,
Life moves on.... It has to move on!

Isn't it??


LOve

J

Welcome December!

A major part of me has become a weather man for my best friend in Goa. Reporting the weather conditions almost everyday.
The Reason?
The amazing climatic conditions offered by Bengaluru!

For people who haven't lived in hot sweaty coastal areas, you probably don't know what I'm talking about. But after spending my whole life sweating back there in Goa, Bengaluru feels like heaven!

After staying here in Bengaluru the whole year, I'm wondering what's so good about Goan climate that we locals should be proud of?

Goa is well known for the sun,the sand and the sea!

True!
But it makes sense when you reap the benefits of such a locale!
It makes sense if you hit the beach everyday, play on the sand,swim in that clear sea water and bask in the sun.

But my whole life, I was hardly able to do it.

1st: Most locals avoid the beach because of the number of tourists on the beach.
All goans inherently hate Outsiders( We prefer the foreigners to Indian tourists for the obvious reasons being :
A: Foreigners Expose! .....And they say a Hello and they smile!
B: They don't dirty our land!
C: They don't act crazy like they're free after serving prisontime!

Actually, we hate crowds and We love exclusivity.......

That's Bullshit!

The truth is most Goans just don't know to enjoy the beach...we'll never think of graduating to bathing in the sea from making sand castles and taking walks on the beach. We will only watch the foreigners in their bikinis and on their bicycles, we will never even dream of doing it ourselves atleast once in our lifetime....The Reason?
A. Most of us do not have the Bikini figures!
B. Some of us who are blessed with the bikini figures are forced to think...." Log kya sochenge? Yeh samaj kya kahega?"
C. We are boring, lazy and uncreative.....We just don't know to have a good time! We rather sit in a shack and drink a Beer!

The conclusion?
Come summer,come winter....Goa is hot!
Season after season, you go through life in the same fashion.......without learning how to swim, without feeling the clear sand all over you,without enjoying the weather and ultimately your life!

Well!
We Indians shy away from exposing but we love to drape ourselves with lots of clothes...so for that reason cold climate is suitable!
Bengaluru right now is cloudy, windy and cold!

Some of the activities I can think of doing in such weather are:

A. Make a cozy bed with lots of pillows and just dive in! If you have someone along, even better!

B. Pick up a favourite novel, make a hot chocolaty drink, sit in the balcony or on the terrace and enjoy the book and the cold weather draped in a warm shawl/sweater!

C. Roam the city...go on foot in local markets and do some shopping!

D. Meditate in one of the many well maintained parks offered by the city. Or take a walk Or play an outdoor game!

E.  Put on your favourite music and listen......winters are more related to soft, romantic music...so that should be your pick....in case you are confused!

F. Write!

Well! This is just a list of things I can think of doing alone......if there's company, the list is endless!

Make a campfire one particularly cold winter night, call your friends and have a BBQ party on the terrace Or a nice singing session Or  a Story Telling Session....even better if they are Horror stories!

Or a simple Sky Gazing Session!

A few days back we spotted a Huge Halo/Ring around the moon created by ice crystals in the atmosphere.

It really felt like a huge spaceship in the sky with the clear full moon in the middle. We called all our friends and asked them to either join us or watch it on their terraces.

For now,

I picked up my laptop and decided to follow option E and write!

Some of the things you want to avoid doing in such lovely weather is sit indoors and study and that's what I'm doomed to do these days....Well! No worries.....Winter's shall continue longer than my exams so I won't miss the fun!

For the very 1st time in my life....... I welcome the real winters with open arms! Of course snow fall would have completed the picture but that would also ruin so many other plans by limiting freedom of moment.....for now, this is pretty good!