…Hutch (now ‘Vodafone’) World Calling Card — Sucks!…

Utilizing my own blog to share the experience of using the Hutch World Calling card! To give the context, I am put up at BTM I Stage, Bangalore. And I use the above mentioned card for STD and ISD calls! Well the experience is pretty bad, sadly!

* Network problem is what I was left stunned with! On using the Calling card its like only after 4-5 attempts, I get connected to the number. And this is not the case with calling directly! I came upon this observation when I tried calling in directly, immediately after unsuccessful attempt through the Calling card. Thrice I experimented with it!

* Secondly a minor point, but being of great value in terms of customer service and satisfaction, I found the toll free numbers getting changed and the new toll (won’t term them as ‘free’) numbers getting charged! Well, it does leave the customer with a sense of dissatisfaction in their minds.

…India Vs. Australia, 20-20 World Cup Semis…

nota bene: I am writing this to show-case the humorous side of feelings associated with the great game called ‘Cricket’. Please, ‘take light’ and enjoy!

A funny incident! Strange but true! A superstitious act! These are the words I would like to express about an act of us (Me and my roomies, viz. Chimti, Bhatya and Bhagwaan). We peed in turn so that India win! Yes……. You are reading it right!

May sound funny and unimaginable but these are some moments in life which would always be worth remembering. Its started off with a bottle of coke! All of us having filled our tummies with so much of fluid, one of us started off with pressure mounting both on the field and in the stomach. And when he was back, there it was! The first Australian wicket.. Gilchrist clean bowled! We rejoiced and from then started our visits to the bathroom turn by turn! Each visit earning India a wicket. Bhagwan delayed his turn and we saw that over very expensive without a wicket. And he was grandly showered with all the possible offensive words available. Then on we made a point that the trick is working a bit. Coke gave way to water gradually for our visits! Also, one more point worth mentioning is that it took two to clean bowl Hayden which was ‘the’ turning point of the match!

Well, a funny incident worth mentioning and remembering! Well, India… Lots in our store for many more matches to win! Come on, Go get the world cup first!

…Why with Me?…

Yes! That’s the question most of us ask God (or whosoever) in our daily lives whenever any unwanted/unimaginable incident happens with us! And that’s what my gesture was when I learnt that the cost of the laptop I had bought a month back (HP dv2500t) for $1234 has been slashed by around $200!!

Well, not that I haven’t seen such a thing happen with others, but experiencing it sucks for sure! And I am left, wonder-struck, only with the thought “God, why with me?”!

…The day I lay flat on road!…

Yes! Today (August 30) was the day when I first met with an accident riding my Honda Unicorn which I had bought 3 months back! I was waiting for this day for experiencing my first road accident! Offcourse, I hope it doesn’t happen very often… Here goes the story.

And I feel bad that reckless driving by some girl was the cause of me hitting the tempo! Ok let me put it up with some mirch masala. A girl on Activa and me on Unicorn were on a hot pursuit of a tempo which was in front of us. However, the speed was around 30-40 kmph! Without mutual understanding, the girl went for the left side and me on to the right. The tempo decided to take on left side first but applied brakes suddenly on knowing the presence of the girl over there. And there I was, going straight and dashing the tempo. And then laying flat on ground with the vehicle above me! Luckily both of us (me and my vehicle) escaped with minor bruises. And thanks to the caring people around me, I could straighten my gear peddle which had got screwed! But, a lucky day for me I would say!

Well that was it. My first experience of doing a stunt and escaping major damage. Ending with the hope it never happens in future……

… Funny ways to avoid annoying Telemarketing calls…

I came across these ideas through a mail! Just compiling the thoughts together in the chain mails..

1. Telemarketer: We are offerring you personal loan with 10% interest.
Me: I want it at 0%. Can you give that?

2. Telemarketer: We are giving you Credit card free for lifetime. You just need to give some documents. When shall our representative meet you?
Me: I will not give any document. You just send the credit card. I will give the address

3. Telemarketer: I am calling from xyz bank. Would be interested in personal loan?
Suresh: How much can you give?
Telemarketer: Upto 20 lakhs sir
Suresh: No, that is too less for me. I need more.
Telemarketer: Oh ok. I can speak to my manager sir. How much are you looking for.
Suresh: 17 crores.
Telemarketer: I am sorry sir! Is it 17 crores? Why so much sir?
Suresh: Because I want to purchase your office and kick you out.

4. As soon as the telemarketer called,
Suresh: Thank you for calling on this number. This is ____centre. It is international support number. You are being charged Rs. 60 per minute. If you want to continue dial 1 else you can visit our support site _____ for self help.

5. After the telemarketer finishes speaking, propose marriage to him/her.

6. Tell the telemarketer you are busy at the moment, and ask him/her, to give you his/her home phone number and cell number so you can call back maybe very late at night.

7. Keep asking the telemarketer to tell you his spiel all over again. Do this several times.

8. If you receive a call during a meal, tell the telemarketer that it’s lunch time, but ask him/her to hold. Switch to loudspeaker mode and eat your food in a languid noisy fashion, chomping away and continuing with the conversation.

9. Tell the telemarketer that all business goes through your representative, and hand the phone to your five-year-old.

10. Say that you are hard of hearing and that he/she needs to speak up — louder — louder — louder!

11. Tell the telemarketer to speak *really really* slowly because you want to write every word down.

12. If the telemarketer starts off with “How are you today?”, say “I’m so glad you asked, because no one these days seems to care, and I have all these problems…”

13. Cry out in astonishment, “Johnny, is that you? I’ve been hoping you’d call! How is the family?” When he/she insists it’s not Johnny, refuse to believe it and say, “Stop kidding me!” This works especially well if the telemarketer is female.

14. Tell the telemarketer to call at your office number and give him/her the number of a rival telemarketing organisation instead!

…Good Old Days…

NB : A senti thought emerging as I browse through the photos at midnight!!  

It really makes me sad to be away from those friends who have always made me comfortable in their company in our company!! Confused? Yes, am very much speaking of the wonderful friends I have made during my first job as a fresher from college… As I browse through the snaps of the wonderful times we have had together, i feel depressed about the thought, will such days ever, ever come back again?…….. those trips, those single liners, laughing madly, those pranks, those himesh tunes, those taunts and finally the love that we all shared for each other. I yearn for it nowadays especially after the life has become more professional…..  Though the love and affection seems to be kind of loosing its way in our friendships right now :( (due to work and priorities getting changed), but I will be right there for ‘the’ friends, forever. Well, as the thought goes, whatever happens, happens for the good! Hope that life turns good for all my dear friends..  

…Blog Writing — Application…

Just a few days back, I was learning how to code in Java to connect to internet. Amid the learnings, I came across a thought of how nice it would be if there existed an application wherein I could write down my blogs and directly publish on website with a single click. Being a software developer myself, I thought of writing it down myself!! However, on discussing with some people who have been in the blogging industry (as I term it), I learnt about Windows Live Writer (exclusively for Windows) and Bloged (Open sourced application). So, here I write my first blog using the first application. And would like to comment on it…

As usual, the windows application’s interfaces are just superb. Its a treat using them (am sticking strictly to the user interface right now!) Also, the simplicity that it shows in connecting to the concerned weblog is awesome. Some of the plugins too are cool like inserting code snippets, writer’s firefox plugin, et al. Still exploring them. Well, to say in short, this application rocks and is just a very handy tool to use!

Now, am in search of some other useful utilities that I can develop!! Thoughts invited.

…Spelling in English — American/British/Canadian…

Something I observed yesterday (August 13) while writing a blog. I used to spell the word as ‘judgement’ but my word dictionary red underlined it and then on auto correcting modified it to ‘judgment’. Out of curiosity, few moments back I searched through the net for some more interesting spelling differences in the English speaking nations. And phew!!! I was shocked to see a big list of words. I wonder a time would come when kids would have to deal with the flavours of English. What a stressful thing!!! Though there are indications for the commonly used spelling for a word, however I think applications like Microsoft Office/Open Office or for that matter any text editing tool should incorporate the words present in all the flavors of English (not only the American!!)

NB : The following link points out some of the commonly used words with different spellings.
Click Here

…Sanju Baba – Judgment…

nota bene: These are my views on Sanjay Dutt’s being convicted for the Mumbai bomb blasts.

To start with, I am a great fan of Sanjay Dutt. Initially, as most of Indians (I suppose), I too felt very unhappy for Sanju baba being convicted and given 6 years rigorous imprisonment. However, on thinking and analyzing the situation, my views have changed gradually. I feel its very much right for the law to punish him. And moreover, he has got the minimum (the range, I suppose was between 5 to 10 years).

• Firstly, we should not forget the magnanimity of the damage that happened in Mumbai. And he had been taken to court ‘coz he was a part of it. So, no matter, of what cadre/caliber the person be, law is same for all! Its not at all necessary that good actor be a good person.

• Secondly, he didn’t realize the blunder he committed during the early days after the bombings. He tried to escape out of the conviction. Now, its too late for a person to be released based on his present realization.

I hope he returns back as a much better person after the punishment especially after he has impressed almost every Indians with his acting and changed personality!!

…Deepali Exits :(…

nota bene : The following blog is on Indian Idol.

As Javed Akhtar rightly said on the Indian Idol episode on August 11, 2007, when one amongst the seven contestants was supposed to be eliminated, that it would be none other Deepali ‘coz the only eyes (and not the ears) have started judging! And sadly it happened so… I felt very disappointed at her exit. However, I do appreciate the maturity level she depicted on her elimination. It was an expected shock especially when the people are on a spree to eliminate girl participants. (NB: I have voted regularly for her for past 3-4 weeks). What a voice she had and recently she had started giving decent performance too. Well, who can defy the fate! But, I felt happy for her when Anu Malik announced of her soon getting to sing for him. The first time a participant has been assured of a break. I wish all the best for her. Great going Deepali!!

And along with her departure, I have lost faith in the judgement that people are giving and have decided not to vote henceforth….. But, I feel a true talent won’t fade away with time and now especially with the kind of exposure she has got, hope she makes it big one day!!!