Sloppiness in service sector seems to be on the increase in USA while developing countries are improving on them. And this is not just limited to public/ government offices. Check some events over last week.
NJ Motor Vehicles Dept. Change of address on driving license. The agent verifes 6 points of Id and then issues you a new license (all 20 minutes of work), with the same old address (you need to be there to believe it). She then uses the F* word in frustration and issues another license card with the new address after another 20 minutes.
COMCAST Cable Unable to get proper resources to install a digital television cable connection to my condo for last 2 months.
Correction: Comcast was able to set up the service. A couple of really good helpful supervisors and engineers got this working around 20th.
Graceful Spa in NYC. Lost all their Valentine's Day week appointments due to computer crash. No back up available so all appointments are messed up. First come first serve. Can you believe this is New York?
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Home-made Indian fare
I cannot believe this. More than a year in mid-town Manhattan and still didn't know of this hole-in-the-wall Indian food joint at 6th Ave and West 38th before last afternoon.
No menus. Just plain veggie dishes to be ordered.
6 dollars flat. White or yellow Indian rice, Saag-daall, Okhra-squash sabji curries, 4 rotis heated with traces of ghee, a lentil soup with sambar, Mango-chilli pickle, and a gulab jamun to end it all.
Try it out! Its a good break from Kati rolls and other Indian buffet fares. If you get bored with the veggie fare (the side dishes are different every day), then try the next enclave of Spanish non-veg food.
No menus. Just plain veggie dishes to be ordered.
6 dollars flat. White or yellow Indian rice, Saag-daall, Okhra-squash sabji curries, 4 rotis heated with traces of ghee, a lentil soup with sambar, Mango-chilli pickle, and a gulab jamun to end it all.
Try it out! Its a good break from Kati rolls and other Indian buffet fares. If you get bored with the veggie fare (the side dishes are different every day), then try the next enclave of Spanish non-veg food.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Broadway Show in NYC
Broadway Show: Chicago Venue: Ambassador Theater. New York City.
Tickets are worth 112 dollars each and then you get seats with the smallest leg space you do not even want to experience in your nightmares. Even in Mumbai, which has higher real estate prices compared to mid-town Manhattan (source Time.com), I have had better seats to watch movies than in this theater. By the time the show is over, you develop serious knee cramps. The whole experience of watching and enjoying a diabolical and historical broadway show got marred by the weird alignment of seats. And believe me I was not alone in that theater with the problem. Indians and Chinese are "smaller" compared to Caucasians and most people around me were trying to "fit" in their seats or stretching their feet out to the next seat (in case it was empty).
The show was marvellous-the orchestra, the choreography, the costume and the light arrangements. Totally commendable. However for the seats...may be they need to find a new theater.
Tickets are worth 112 dollars each and then you get seats with the smallest leg space you do not even want to experience in your nightmares. Even in Mumbai, which has higher real estate prices compared to mid-town Manhattan (source Time.com), I have had better seats to watch movies than in this theater. By the time the show is over, you develop serious knee cramps. The whole experience of watching and enjoying a diabolical and historical broadway show got marred by the weird alignment of seats. And believe me I was not alone in that theater with the problem. Indians and Chinese are "smaller" compared to Caucasians and most people around me were trying to "fit" in their seats or stretching their feet out to the next seat (in case it was empty).
The show was marvellous-the orchestra, the choreography, the costume and the light arrangements. Totally commendable. However for the seats...may be they need to find a new theater.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Time to write
During the last month, I attended a couple of church sessions and was really amazed with the following
1. use of technology to deliver sermons
Use of technology to spread religious thoughts is kind of controversial ....however I think its one of the key things that any progressive religion should adhere to in order to get the message across to the tech savvy generation X. Today people in general are more aware of technology than they were even 5 years back and so the use of sophisticated presentation software, big screens, full wall blowup of pslams, displaying actual lyrics of the gospels on the screen during chorus music help the pastor address the diverse crowd much more eloquently and effectively. The audience is no longer distracted with a mundane speech, they do not feel guilty of not being able to spot the right page for a gospel in the Bible (you can read it on the projection on the wall !!).
Organized religion is here to stay.
1. use of technology to deliver sermons
Use of technology to spread religious thoughts is kind of controversial ....however I think its one of the key things that any progressive religion should adhere to in order to get the message across to the tech savvy generation X. Today people in general are more aware of technology than they were even 5 years back and so the use of sophisticated presentation software, big screens, full wall blowup of pslams, displaying actual lyrics of the gospels on the screen during chorus music help the pastor address the diverse crowd much more eloquently and effectively. The audience is no longer distracted with a mundane speech, they do not feel guilty of not being able to spot the right page for a gospel in the Bible (you can read it on the projection on the wall !!).
Organized religion is here to stay.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Usage
Bucknor: (n) (adj)
1. Temporary blindness leading to missing out on the obvious.
2. To be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
3. Situations leading to grave judgmental errors.
Usage: I feel bucknored by my boss. Life often throws a bucknor at you.
Couldn't help but copy this piece of information from my friend Kali in India...anybody who follows cricket will hopefully know what this is all about!
1. Temporary blindness leading to missing out on the obvious.
2. To be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
3. Situations leading to grave judgmental errors.
Usage: I feel bucknored by my boss. Life often throws a bucknor at you.
Couldn't help but copy this piece of information from my friend Kali in India...anybody who follows cricket will hopefully know what this is all about!
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Porque?
Why? Why do we fall in love? Why do we fall in love very well knowing that it is a bottomless pit of suffering? Why do we trust when we know that they don't? Why do we take trouble for other person when we know that the other person might not do so when required? Why do we feel lonely w/o the other person when we know they are running "errands"? Why love cannot be a little more patient, comforting and selfless? Why do we have expectations? Why? Porque?
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Penn Station, NYC, 18th Dec. 7.30am
Lots of people.
People coming out of the station as waves in a sea, relentless...wrapped up in long coats, jackets, scarves, gloves and what not, stepping on each other...impatient to catch the next red traffic light to cross the roads; the Salvation Army Santas ringing bell for donations; Scarlett Johanssen on Macy's bright, colorful, digital billboard doing her jig for holiday perfume; the sanitation department people cleaning of the streets; free newspapers and pamphlets being distributed by punters; two cops sipping hot coffee in the comfort of their white-blue sedan.
And then you see a couple of odd seagulls elegantly finding their way in the myriad of skyscrapers and hoardings towards the Hudson.
Good Morning New York! I'm ready for work.
People coming out of the station as waves in a sea, relentless...wrapped up in long coats, jackets, scarves, gloves and what not, stepping on each other...impatient to catch the next red traffic light to cross the roads; the Salvation Army Santas ringing bell for donations; Scarlett Johanssen on Macy's bright, colorful, digital billboard doing her jig for holiday perfume; the sanitation department people cleaning of the streets; free newspapers and pamphlets being distributed by punters; two cops sipping hot coffee in the comfort of their white-blue sedan.
And then you see a couple of odd seagulls elegantly finding their way in the myriad of skyscrapers and hoardings towards the Hudson.
Good Morning New York! I'm ready for work.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
All Things Considered!
All things considered, I'm going to start an article on emergent relationships....human relationships....I used to write quite a few during the hey days of my blogging however have not been so pronounced from the time I moved to NY/NJ. Why? May be people in NY/NJ people whom I'm acquainted with are not relationship-emotional oriented.....they are more profit motivated...I mean material profits, career targets, real estate dreams. May be because I'm the right person at the wrong time (super narcissism)....may be because of the whole subprime meltdown (blame it on Merrill and Citi)..hahaha...it can be for a 1001 reasons and again for no 1 good reason...its for me and others to figure out.
BTW, what is a emergent relationship? well its something of a sort of flower bud..trying to bloom against all odds of fluctuating and inconducive climatic conditions. So putting it into human perspective these climatic conditions can be
BTW, what is a emergent relationship? well its something of a sort of flower bud..trying to bloom against all odds of fluctuating and inconducive climatic conditions. So putting it into human perspective these climatic conditions can be
- busy schedule to find time for togetherness, or
- defensive and cautious approach to the whole subject of committment and relationship (because of past experiences!)
- just being overly practical and analytical (read anal :-)) about the other person
- lack of communication between 2 persons with respect to expectations (I lost my blackberry couple of days back and that provided me some downtime to update my blog...)
However, perseverance is the key. The bud can bloom to a flower only by perseverance against these adverse conditions. So all of you out there (believe me I know so many of you now), keep your patience, keep working at it....and be convinced in what you are doing..........you waver from this conviction and a strong wind will pull down your potential bud into ground....
Let me know how you are doing....
Friday, November 09, 2007
Things I want this Christmas
- Wicked remote controlled airplane (to feel the speed whenever I get a chance)
- Illuminated globe (to see how far I'm away from home)
- Meerkat slippers
- A freaking BMW
- Cheap and easily available white wines
- A smart dining table
- TUMI Backpack
- Perfect Pushup Handles
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