At a job that's"for people"

These are the series of observation or events in no particular order that happen to strike my mind at my newest job:

• I really thought I cant manage a customer service job that involves those fake smiles, false apologies, but I guess I was wrong. I am doing pretty good ( Good to know i m all human!). And most of the times its not fake. I started liking it somehow.
  
• On a different note, the tag line " Thank you. You have a good day " after every transaction crept subconsciously into my mind. The other day I went to Dunkin donuts at 11 pm in the night. The guy handed me my cup of coffee and instantly my words were these lines. And the guy looked at the watch. Gosh! its good to laugh at yourselves sometimes.
  
• Usually the customers don't know care what they are getting; the key to sell food : it should be good looking and Sate Boldly that " its NON FAT".
• Most people really are talkative ( I mistakenly asked a regular student customer "whats his major?" Voila! I get the detailed biography, hes into hospitality management, did his bachelors in cuisine art, his father's a chef for 40 yrs, he wants to open a hotel and the food we sell here is nothing compared to the so called actual American cuisine)
• Its really really a different talk in "women's world" I so agree with men on this. The ladies I work with have a very different subjects to discuss.
  
• Work place is a more prominent platform to see cultural differences:
  

L:Do you have boyfriend? Did you date someone interesting?
I: No. I dont have time for one and I am happy as I am( in my mind : No, its not like that at our end of home )

L: Are you engaged? Eyes fixed on my fingers
I: A straight No and fullstop. While my mind went wild : (Its funny how you perceive the whole world according to your ideologies I like wearing rings irrespective of my marital status and we dont exchange rings in our marriages) .

L: Ah, So u dont get married and just stay like that. Ahaan haan(She meant without any strings)
I : (Man! Thats height of ignorance and assault) trying to prepare myself in the most polite way to answer. Hmm...the customer comes and saves my soul.

• If you are at a workplace, Learn to ACT BUSY. (Life's difficult if you are caught doing nothing)
• You mess it up, You clean it up ( whether you are helper or manager - that so different from the country I come from)
• The terrorism hasn't really moved from the first few pages of new york times for almost a decade now. (thanks to student center free newspaper services that i visit quite often now)
• I really don't miss high school, so I completely forgot about the uniform monotony until I started this job.
• Some people have a weird sense of dressing.
  
• Next time you need an off from your job, make sure you approach your manager with all the proper preparation. Otherwise, you might end up with an answer like this " Look honey! whatever you have on your mind just spit it out. I dont have time to look at your face." I was just startled and blank at this. Never ever heard it from anyone before.
  
• Though I like Oscar Wilde saying " Its absurd to divide people into good or bad; they are either tedious or charming" . People are generally good AS LONG AS you don't cross their path.
• You are not allowed to eat and also to "Drink Water" at my work station. Thats one of wierdest and stupid rule i came across here.
  
• Your co workers matter alot. One of the ladies in my morning shift is pretty fussy and grumpy. I keep looking at the watch for her to leave.
  
• Students take no heed when they drop four paper towels or spoons and forks on the floor when all taking one and dont even realise. I wish I could put a bold notice: "Bend your back dumbheads. Pick that spoon from the floor when you drop it."
• Either cooks really LOVEEE making food to be a chef or they dont have any other chioce. Thankfully i dont belong to either of two. Man! Its so damn hot, sweaty near that kitchen to stand all day long, everyday for whole lifetime.
  

well. lot more to write but i m outta patience

for now , Bon nuit!

Bring it on, anything sells !

Recently, I was introduced by one of my roommates' an Indian TV series called 'Sach ka Samna" - its another reality show on the block wherein participants are asked a set of questions [???]:

• Have you ever visited a prostitute?
• Have you had a child out of wedlock?
• Would you sleep with another man if your husband wouldn’t know?
• Have you ever peed in a swimming pool?

(deadly private and embarrassing - all of us have something to hide kinds), and are connected to a lie detector and as the title goes they are confronting the truth by accepting or denying the questions. And the result is the usual " sansani " (though translated as breaking, it has its essence in Hindi ). TRPs that are far from the average. If the saying that TV and movies are an index of society stands good, are these recent reality shows that are vulgar, disgusting and cheap the index of our societal preferences? Man, Almighty save the moral fabric of our society (Though few people might have problem with this statement - spare this for arguments). Whats happening to the cultural taste of Indians? (Though i usually TRY to stick to the principle of: To each his own -the repercussions of this ethical depletion in masses is i think, not acceptable)

There was a time in the Indian television where one could sit with family and watch sitcoms (malgudi days, Dekh bhai dekh, zamana badal gaya hai) together - they were the true representative of the average family net, light uncheesy humor in the air that lighted the peoples stress without offending any ones soul.

But then in the late 1990s the boom of multichannel world syndrome hit the Indian television and down the drain went with it the standards and ethics of it. The television took a 180 degree turn. No more middle class families, normal looking faces or day today activities - the time for some dramas of high profile lifestyles, multimillionaires (hence could afford plastic surgery every 6 months) people who dont cook in their houses and sleep with tons of makeup on their faces, where in the children of family can roam around in dainty clothes yet the mothers of the family has to abide by the cultural bindings of sari, pativratha patnis doing prayers for her husbands, yet a man can sleep with many women and bring home children ( lost and found unit). I just cant help but mention the complete white and black shades of characters - The evil always the wicked, more sophisticated( in clothes, wacky makeup and very characteristic bindis and istyle) and the Godly good (humble, persevering, patient to the wicked yet fighting for the truth and getting killed every 6 months). Though many directors and producers rushed towards these type of sagas that emptied the streets of India from 9 - 11 everyday in the night, the one person that tops the list is Ekta Kapoor. I so thank Lord that shes not a political figure. Many of the viewers said that she had done alot on the women issues prachar ( awareness). Think again, Did She ? She was the one who highlighted that a dark woman cant survive, students who come from small towns or chawls to study always land up marrying the rich guy throwing away their careers and dreams, all woman are born idiots to always give Agni parikshas irrespective. These sickening ideologies have crept to such an extend in the emotionally foolish Indians that people give ads in matrimony that they want a bahu like parvati and the prices of the same bangles that vendors were selling for past 200 yrs cost Rs. 100-300 more being tagged as Parvathis or Tuslis bangles. Though I really dont have a liking Ekta kapoor for all above, I duly respect her for Entrepreneur skills. Shes proven cent percent one of my Father's much quoted saying

" Jab Tak Bewakhoof Zinda Hai, Akhal mand bhooka nahi mar sakta " ( I dunno how to translate this - any idiom of similar context that reader noe plz add on!)

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I with an " I "

As I stare down the window sill
Cuts my face a windy chill

I engross, entice in emptiness of road
Find it hard to take up the load.

Looking around.........

I saw leaves dropping down
And heard a subdued inner sound

Wish I could breakfree
Like that leaves from the tree;
leaving myself to the destiny of wind
Rustling all way carefree of end
Taking path at my own pace
If I dont feel gud, giving up the race



Suddenly, a man tramped under his feet
the tiny leaves without any heed
I heard a silent moan from beneath
leaves now dead, lie like a wreath


Do I really Wish I was leaf?

No, came an answer with a relief
Tanking Lord for reinstillin my belief


I am a Human wit an " I "

This is dedicated to the utmost important person of my lifetime

My best(est) friend, My moral inspiration, the man who stood besides me alwayz whether I was happy or sad......whether I was angry with him and stubborn not heeding, whether I was bubbling with joy or crying in pain......irrespective of me being right or wrong....He alwayz had his hands spread for me, to hold and embrace me, who alwayz planted a little kiss on my forehead to ease my tensions or worries....

the only man who said I look beautiful irrespective of I being jus awake from bed or in my best dressing sense ....the person whom i addressed as BABA..."my father"

He understood me without words, jus a little change in my walking style n he wud infer whats wrong.....u dont hav to wrry abt school picnics, frnds get together, petrol in bike or pocket money ....I noe hes there n took his presence for granted...

Late night political, philosophical or religious discussions and debates, watchingon TV football matches or urdu shaiyari concerts, a hot cup of tea at sum crazy hour at night, getting away from moms scolding or looking for a bail out from home chores, going back and shopping tht RED tagged dress that mom dint let u buy, yet at the same time whose anger was dreaded by everyone, never worry abt how much was tomato or rice...Man, Babas was thr!

But from the time I am away from my home, everytime I walked alone on the streets of this so called Ethiopian land of america, everytime I walked for 25 to 30 minutes to get grocery, the times I wanted to share a joke or a thought without being judged for my statements or craziness, everytime I let my silent tears fall looking with empty eyes for those consoling touch.......I missed his presence. I Miss YOU my frnd.....I really do!

But, the worst mistake or blunder I did in my life n wud ever regret it.................is that.......I never told him........

I never told him.........BABA I am thankful to you for every big n small thing you have done for me........I am sorry if ever I have hurt you ,coz U R one of the most precious gifts ALLAH has given me..........I jus kept postponing it to the time I wud meet him again in person....I FORGOT ..lifez short n unpredictable..........now even if I cry to my loudest...my voice wont reach him.......He gone for ever! I really dont now whr to fall back now.. babs I love you ..miss you deeply and madly. If i wud ever get a miraculous wish done " I wud like ot meet him"

but please, make sure nxt time u wanna say sumthng to sumone......jus SAY IT........u never noe wht might be cuming round ur way......

till nxt time...
adieu

Abstract thoughts !

Once I was reading a religious article and there came a point when the writer describes Man as Ashraful makhlukhaat (the superior of the creation..literal translation!) and gave an argument that A FREE WILL and the ABILITY to REASON (Knowledge) are the most important virtues in human that makes him human. Everytime you try to argue, understand or reason out a situation is limited by the knowledge you have. I am seriously baffled by the genecist who argue that the prime purpose of human existence is the passing of genes like any other creation on this earth (even that is arguable). There was a point when humans learnt to make fire, homes, spades along with making babies. Had our mission be passage of genes we would have also been in the wilds doing same thing as animals on the face of earth. We need not create bridges, laptops, machinery,etc.

I have a special knack of deviating form the subject; coming back to topic: Isnt it amazing and astonishing at the same time that a group of same human can rule scores of other humans, cripple their minds or enlighten them, make them give or take lives? Any time wonder what makes them do that? Well keeping apart the leadership qualities, charming personalities, least I think it is the knowledge and rationalisability of the person, or the knowledge of the power of the person by the followers that make them do that. It is the knowledge that creates a clear rift between the wanted and the trashed. It is natural to reason. Human cannot take the anticipation of not knowing. We would try to build up any damn postulation or theory or hypothesis as long as it satiates our need for reasoning an argument. For instance, at the Galelio era ( i hope i aint wrong on this fact..if yes do correct!) there was a geocentric theroy of universe and it was followed as such for several years till heliocentric theory came to light. But during that era people did belief him because he came up with the best of answers at that time.

There might come a time in the future when everything we take for fact, whether gravity or genes may be challenged and replace with a newer fact but for now, we just take the answers we are getting because they have the best of reasons based on the amount of knowledge we have as yet. Well, lemme wind this up with one of my favourite quotes from Donald Rumsfield

" There are things we know we know, there are things we know we DONT know; but there are things we DONT KNOW we DONT KNOW" and the human nature is moving towards the quest of that unknown unknown.

Everynite I travel an unknown path to abyss
Looking for sumthng; not sure myself whts amiss

Each day seems to downsize me
Something pressing me hard to flee
Trembling in pain i look for solace
search ending at reflection of my own face

Eyes filled with tears
Ringing sounds in my ears
Chaos filling the mind
Shivering of voice interwined

My lips part an unvoiced scream calling 'THE MERCY'

An abrupt peace ruptures my thoughts
Granting serenity to emotional distraught
Every nerve is given pain it can take
Almighty, tests not beyond ones partake

Oh lord, Give me patience
To endure with tolerance
Your's lil tests on way
And, help me find a leeway

I have everythng i need to cumover my grieve
Most of all an undeterred believe

That even though;

Everynite I travel an unknown path to abyss
Looking for sumthng; not sure myself whts amiss

I Still have a clear mind
Sumthng unknown I have to find
It might take time to unravel
THE HIGHEST's with me on my travel.