10 things I hate about India

February 4th, 2010

India is my country and I love my country like any other foreign national. And this gives me right to criticize about the things I hate most about it.

1. People spitting on road: I just hate it. I am a biker and I cannot go near a bus. You’ll find people spitting out from the window of the bus and that too without looking if someone is down below. People spit on the road, corners of a building staircase, they empty their nose and stick the material on the walls and practically any place where they don’t find another person’s spit.

2. Getting the garbage out of your property only :  In India people keep their houses clean by dirtying their neighbor’s. It takes enormous amount of effort to just throw your garbage at the right place. Instead people just push it to the place which is out of their property and jurisdiction – To their neighbor’s land. Use of plastic and paper in daily lives has increased the garbage to another level, Not to mention that there isn’t a good recycling system, but all this just spreads out on the streets, sewage or some remote area which contributes to a very bad smell everywhere around the place.

3. Bribe: One may have heard about politicians being corrupted, but corruption at local level is also very common. Giving bribe is very common. Without bribe or tip money, its not that your work wont get done, but definitely not smoothly. Everyone takes a bribe or commission in whatever manner they may get the opportunity for. The term ‘chai-pani’ or tea-snacks is quite famous which means some tip for snacks or sweets. Even after paying service charges + service tax , a person would ask for ‘chai-pani’.

4. Unnecessary Wastage: What’s the point in cooking for 10 dishes for a family invited over for dinner. Answer: Show off. This results in a major wastage of food, decoration. Lavish marriages, Lavish apartments, Lavish use of Petrol & energy and everything. Its like “Have money, will spend it”.

5. Media & Controversies: Media plays very important role to destroy the real meaning of news. Some news channels present news in a manner which we call “Masala” or spice which just increases viewer’s attention and not awareness. Political controversies, Celebrity controversies juices up everything which is just unnecessary!

6. Traffic. : Everyone in India is in a hurry. Pedestrians and vehicle owners share the same area of road. Foot paths are for Hawkers selling things on road right from junk computer hardware to cheapest food. Traffic congestion is everywhere.

7. Attitude of people and Competition: In India people compete with each other forgetting the common goal. They keep fighting for their own self meaning rather than achieving a common goal. Everyone has a lazy attitude, until poked by higher authorities they don’t start working or improving things on their own. Laziness among the people doesn’t allow them to be creative and even make others lazy. One dirty fish in the pool makes the entire pool dirty.

8. Caste system and Reservations: Everything in India has caste systems, there is hidden discrimination everywhere. I just hate it when a job is denied to a person just because he may be from another state or another culture. I hate it even more when people treat each other as outcast if one is from separate state. They forget that they are from the same country afterall.

9. Reuse until death. The mentality of people in India is to re-use everything until its final death. A new shirt will be a shirt for a year,  A second hand shirt for a poor guy. Then a dusting cloth for a few months, then a further degraded cleaning cloth for a few months and finally it will end up as a unusable rag. I am ok until the last part. The cloth has finally lost all its recyclable value and ends up as a dead end.

10. Cheapest bargain: Indian’s want to get the best deals from the shop owners. They bargain to the level where in a shop owner will have no profit margins. There are something which can’t be bargained and Indian’s will bargain on that as well. Bargaining is good, but the thing I hate most is that’s its not equal. A shop owner may slaughter a newcomer customer with a sticker shock because some previous customer gave him the least profit margin of the day!

But alas, India is pretty pretty better place to live in comparing its neighborhoods… :)

Best friend’s wedding

January 8th, 2010

You know you’re someone’s best friend when you goto to that person’s wedding and everyone knows you! And for those who don’t, you’re introduced as a very special member with words like ‘Hey, Meet my best friend”, and their family members as “Meet him, he is bride/groom’s closest friend”

I had this experience yesterday when such friendly love was bestowed upon me by my friend’s family members. I felt like a family member. Simple yet meaning words like ‘closest’ and ‘best’ carry a very special meaning for me as I don’t get to hear this a lot.

Yesterday I understood how much happiness I’ve given my friend by being present on her wedding. And the same on my side to have received such warm gift of being special. I was too excited that she is getting married with a guy who will take care of her no matter what! Its not everyday you get this but its a life time opportunity.

My friend had an inter-caste marriage at a mosque(she being a muslim) and a church(groom being a christian) on the same day. The Boy converted to Islam and she converted to Christianity. Very rare in India and I’m quite lucky to have witnessed both in front of my eyes.

When I was leaving the reception she said to me “and you know the best part is that you attended all the events in the mosque and the church and finally here at the reception party! “. I enjoyed this wedding more than any other social events.

I wish the lovely couple my heartiest congratulations and may they enjoy lives and fulfill their dream.

Welcoming 2010

December 31st, 2009

2009 was indeed a good year. Made good money, spent good money and it was all worth it. Made a lot of serious decisions. Gained a lot of experiences.
My 2009 resolution was to travel a lot as I’d not traveled anywhere in 2008. And so I ended up visiting 10 countries which include China, UK, US, France, Italy, Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium & Germany.

I plan to get the following things done in 2010.
Travel – Plan to travel on a pilgrim to places around Iraq, especially Karbala. Hopefully take my grandmother along.
Social - Be more Social. I will try ;)
Donate - 10% of all profits and income shall be donated in Charity.
Renounce - I plan to renounce all income which involves interest on money or bonds. Banks are unavoidable, Plan to distribute interest earned in Charity.
Reduce - Shell of some extra pounds. This is my resolution every year!
Re-gain - Try to regain old friendship with lost friends.
Expand - Expand like always :)
Spend - I plan to spend and invest like before.
Marriage – Yes, Lets keep our fingers crossed!

Besides I have a big wish-list like always!

So wish you all a very pleasant 2010 with lots of prosperity and solace! Shalom!