The Indian wedding

FInding your right life partner is a great thing. You must wait, sometimes the wit makes you wonder and you think to yourself,"WTF!"

But there is an old saying right, good things come to people that wait. I waited and I got a good thing, no strike that, its a great thing. Finding my life partner, my Indian brain and growing up with bollywood made me think it would be dramatic. But it was simple, this angel came into my life and now has become my life. I cannot dream of not having this beautiful woman in my life. Love is a funny thing, I never thought I could oove anyone more than myself or my mum. But this angel loves me like crazy and each day I live I fall deeper in love with her. Seems like a lot of fluff, but its true!

My indian wedding is in two months, looking forward to that...

The Hunt

Sometimes you look for something and it alludes you. Being focussed on teh search is very important. The most important thing is planing your work and working your plan. Sometimes you let little things distract you, which is not a good think, one must always focus. Always remember, you may have many disappointments, but success doesnt come easy, rather it comes to those that in times of adversity face their fears and face upto the challenge. Nothing can last forever. Day gives away to night and night eventually to day. My sister winee gave a very interesting analogy, she said, "life is like a railway platform, there are trains that go to different places, but you need to waitto get on to the right one at the right time." So the right time will come, soon!

A river called Meekong- truly Asian, different, but the same

So I have been livingin Singapore, trying to adapt to another market people etc. One of the things that has definetly changed is how my interest in things is changing. I now enjoy watching CCTV, which is the english bradcasting wing of China. In the last one year I have travelled more that my entire life. I am truly growing comfortable being around Thai, Indonesian and Chinese people. I dont understand what they say in their languge, but a sense of belonging is creeping in. I love Asia, the diversity is tremendous, but what amazes me is how similar people are. Now I am not talking about work, but generally in life. I know people are similar, yet some how very different.

I actually am falling in love with teh Japenese with each passing day. their culture food and politeness. I never thought I could eat raw fish, but Shashimi makes you realize what you were missing in life.

I love the fact that Singapore a tiny half a city state is the center of economic power in SE Asia. YEs it can be a mixed bag some days, but you have to salute the spirit of these people, to become what they are. Proud SIngaporeans, truly they deserve that. I just wished they learnt better english skills. But then agian lah, What is Singapore without Singlish. Singlish is the human side of Singapore.
I also love Thai, Malay, Pinoy and Indonesian people. I love Indonesians the best, they are a happy buch, super hospitable and when they laugh, their sould can seen. Its clean and good.

I was watching a program on TV in my office reception, it was about the Meekong river, Asia's longest river. Its starts in Indochina ( Tibet and flows out at Meekong river delta). Meekong is the best example of Asia, its the same thing flowing, but its called different things in different courtries. But what I have realized is this- Asia-Its the same but different

Hard work

So I moved from India to Singapore for a 'better' life. Yes I do have a better life, I live across the office, walk to work have the gym in the same building as my office. All nice. But the last couple of weeks though have been terrible. I have been working my ass off, getting up early sleeping late. What I am saddest about is missing my workouts. Hmmm! work life balance, somehow its always work work balance man. Anyways, wats the point, make a change or shut up.

Weekend In Melaka

Sped off to Melaka this weekend. Lovely place full of history and all. Just relaxed, will go there again. Its a quant little town full of history. Stayed at the Baba house hotel, Hereen street. Highly recomended. Its an old PEranaken house converted to a hotel. But the first night stayed at hotel 906. Horrible place small rooms, the rooms face a building and an drian, cant tell you how distressing it was. Anyways the move to Baba was great. HAd the best breakfast at Hereen street at this new dutch place, excellent food must try.

Dell hell in India, Hello airtel.

A friend of mine karthik, an avid blogger is struggling with Airtel, a leading mobile phone company. They seem to be screwing up with one customer now they are india's largest cellphone company, obviously the numbers means more problems and KArthik rightfully says, this is Airtel HEll, like Dell Hell!. Dell smartened up, unfortunatley Airtel is dumb and is not doing anything its actually a wonder they are the biggest, I guess country folk where they get thier numbers dont ask for relistic things unlike city subcribers. IF your reading this, help make things right, compnies cannot take their customers for a ride, spread the word Airtel YOU HAVE TO ACT and listen to the customers

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HEre is karthik's post:

Airtel HELL…the new Dell Hell!
Posted on April 2, 2009, 7:50 pm, by Karthik S, under opinion.
Or should it be, AirtHELL? (BTW, this is Dell Hell)
My problem that I first complained and blogged about is still unresolved. Here’s the mail I sent to 121@airtel.in yesterday.
“Subject: Simple problem not rectified since March 11th - What is wrong with Airtel?
My number is 9845XXXXXX and I’ve logged in a complaint on March 11th over the fact that I’m not able to dial into a particular number - 0008004401625. This is the India bridge number of an international conference call and works with EVERY single service provider in India. I’ve personally tried this number through Aircell, Tata Indicom, Spice, Idea and Vodafone. It works.
In Airtel…landline and mobile, the message I get is, ‘this number does not exist’.
I’ve made several, several calls since March 11 to solve this issue, but it has still not been resolved. I was supposed to get on to this conference call today at 7 pm and its 7:45 pm now. Still, no help. I’m on a call with a customer service right now as I type and he gives me a number supposedly belonging to a nodal officer. I place him on hold and call that number, only to be greeted with a time announcement that that particular number is valid only from 9:30 to 6 on weekdays.
I’ve been making calls almost every other day, each lasting more than 45 minutes. No body has even been remotely helpful.
A technical person called me last week to say that the number I gave does not exist and that they’ve closed my problem entry. I asked him a simple question, ‘Did you try calling from a non-Airtel phone?’. He actually said, ‘No, we do not have non-Airtel phones in our floor’.
Don’t you think this is extraordinarily silly? That is precisely my problem and I had raised exactly that in my first complaint.
So, how long should a customer be harassed before a seemingly simple and harmless problem is rectified?
I’ve been an extremely satisfied customer of Airtel’s services and have 2 of each - mobile connection, landline connection and broadband. This is the first time I’m facing this problem and it has been a harrowing time trying to explain the same problem along with verifying everything from my phone number, billing address, waist size, passport number…and what not.
What is wrong with Airtel? Let me remind you that as I type this, my problem is still unresolved.”
I got this response.
“Dear Mr. Karthik,
Thank you for contacting Airtel.
You have expressed concern over the inability to call the particular number 0008004401625 from your Airtel mobile number 9845XXXXXX.
We completely comprehend your viewpoint and sincerely apologize for any difficulty caused to you.
Please be informed that your concern has already been registered. Kindly refer to the Service Request number 27112609 in any future communication about this concern.
We would revert to you by 24 working hours.
You could view the status of your Service Request by dialing *121# (Toll Free) and press the call button, details will immediately appear on the screen and you could also dial 12115 (Toll Free) for the same.
For further assistance, mail us at 121@airtelindia.com
We value your association with Airtel.
Warm Regards,
ArunCustomer Care ExecutiveBharti Airtel Limited”
And, I mailed this today evening after making that grave mistake of not being able to take the call from 9845012345 thrice. Why? I was attending the call of the nature - I realize now that it was a miserable error in judgment - I should not have stepped inside that darn loo.
“As I type this, its 7:10 pm. I got many calls from Airtel today - none were even remotely helpful. A customer service manager I spoke to last night (Phani Kumar), as promised, called me and said my problem is being looked into. Someone named Mamta from Gurgaon called in the noon and said the problem is being looked into. On last count, there are at least 7 people and 3 departments that are ‘looking into’ my complaint.
You mean to say that all these folks are either extraordinarily incompetent or just do not care for a customer?
I get 3 missed calls from 9845012345 at 6:45 pm today evening and unfortunately I was forced to attend to a personal emergency, pertaining to my bathroom - in other words, I was taking a shit. I try calling the number back and try to get the update meant for me - a customer service person says that ‘they’ will call me in 24 hours.
Is that the price of going to shit in the evening at 6:45 pm? What sort of demented customer service is it that doesn’t allow me to get in touch with the person who was supposed to update me and tried to reach me so desperately to give me 3 missed calls?
Do you even understand the magnitude of this problem? My complaint was placed on March 11th. Today is April 2nd.
I still don’t even know what the problem is, could be or will be. One of the many people I spoke to suggested that the number I tried calling/ or its owner may not have an agreement with Airtel. Is that a joke? When every other service provider in India has an agreement to connect to that number, why not India’s largest Telco?
I have about 10 service request numbers on SMS, have spent almost an hour trying to explain my problem every alternate day in the evenings and sometime during office hours.
That number I’m supposed to call (0008004401625) is a bridge number for a client conference call. Can I tell my office that due to Airtel’s incompetence I’m not able to dial into that number and join the conference? How is that every other service provider in India supports that number, except India’s largest telco which reverts a ‘number does not exist’ message?
How is it that I’m able to call another number with the same 6 digit prefix, through Airtel? That number is 0008006501314. If that number works through Airtel, why not the number I’m trying?
What exactly is wrong is Airtel? This is the first time I’m facing such undue nonsense from Airtel, a brand that I used to admire for its prompt customer service.
This is the most disgusting chapter in my entire life - I can say it with confidence because I’ve logged in so many valuable hours speaking/ shouting/ abusing/ pleading/ begging/ explaining/ praying my problem to so MANY people at Airtel customer care.
The only outcome? From March 11, when I placed the complaint first, I still have my issue unresolved.
I’ve blogged about this earlier - on March 11. Also recently. I’m blogging this entire mail (the one below too) now, so that my blog’s readers can know how India’s largest Telco treats its customers.”
What more can I do? All I want is to have my issue resolved and get onto that conference call.

Highest paid politicians in the world

Dont see these guys taking a salary cut yeah:)

There is nothing like a scandal involving porn films claimed on Commons expenses to focus attention on the pay and perks enjoyed, sorry earned, by our public servants.
Even before Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, was forced to apologise for her husband's blue movies there had been calls for the whole system to be overturned. The committee on standards in public life which has promised to report on MP pay and expenses by the end of the year is under pressure to do something radical.
Whenever MPs come under attack over pay they are quick to argue that compared to executives in the private and public sector they are not particularly well paid.
With the G20 leaders in the country we thought it was worth getting a snapshot of how much the highest paid presidents and prime ministers around the world earn. For comparison's sake all earnings have been converted into dollars. It also shows basic annual salary only, not the expenses claimed on top.
So, where does our own Gordon Brown stand?
1. Lee Hsien Loong - Singapore
Salary in dollars - $2.47 million
Salary in local currency - S$3.76 million
2. Donald Tsang Yum-Kuen - Hong Kong
Salary in dollars - $516,000
Salary in local currency - HK$4 million
3. Barack Obama - United States
Salary in dollars - $400,000
4. Brian Cowen - Ireland
Salary in dollars - $341,000
Salary in local currency - €257,000
5. Nicolas Sarkozy - FranceSalary in dollars - $318,000
Salary in local currency - €240,000
6. Angela Merkel - Germany
Salary in dollars - $303,000
Salary in local currency - €228,000
7. Gordon Brown - UK
Salary in dollars - $279,000
Salary in local currency - £194,250
8. Stephen Harper - Canada
Salary in dollars - $246,000
Salary in local currency - C$311,000
9. Taro Aso - Japan
Salary in dollars - $243,000
Salary in local currency - Y24 million
10. Kevin Rudd - Australia
Salary in dollars - $229,000
Salary in local currency - A$330,000

Source: http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2009/04/the-10-highest-paid-politicians-in-the-world.html