An afternoon (not so) well-spent...

Been too long, eh?

So this is how I spent my Saturday afternoon. 

3.15 pm - Go to local police station to report lost mobile phone. Its probably the cheapest piece on the market right now, barely breaking into 4 figures, plus I've been using it for more than a year, so I don't really want to go through this hassle, but the local Reliance outlet ladies tell me that I can only get a new SIM card if I can give them a copy of a police complaint/FIR. I figure 'Fair enough', so I go to the police station. 

Hawaldar-type fellow/some other guy asks me receipt for the phone. I tell him its a really old piece, I'm not really bothered about it, I just want to lodge a item missing complaint. They (also kinda reasonably) tell me that until they have some proof for proving that the item missing is mine, they can't register the complaint. Ask me to at least get proof that the SIM card was registered to me. I guess that shouldn't be a problem. 

3.40 pm - At the Reliance mobile store. They're reasonable too and give me a printout of some screen which shows my name next to my mobile number and some other information. I ask them to put some kind of stamp and/or sign it. They tell me that's not possible and since the screenshot shows the company name, that should suffice. I'm not convinced, I know the cops are going to ask for it. I ask them again, again I'm refused. I'm beginning to get a little irritated.

4.05 pm - Back at the police station. Same fellow asks for stamp on the paper. I'm laughing at myself now. I tell him the 'gallery' people aren't giving it and are being unreasonable. He goes on for a 2-minute rant, ending with the usual 'Saab se baat karo'. I'm like, 'Fine, at least its moving ahead.' Saab is a pretty nice guy, asks me where I lost the phone. I tell him at the railway station. Saab is very pleased at this and says that's not our jurisdiction, go to the railway-wala police station. Helpfully tells me where the 'thana' is located and that the railway police at Thane have caught some big gang of mobile thieves and hopes I find my mobile amongst their loot. I'm smiling, he's smiling, everyone's smiling even though nothing is being actually done. 

4.30 pm - Its not very far away, so I decide to walk down to the station and speak to some police fellow. Be aware that this is Mulund station we are talking about. Fellow there again sympathetically listens to everything I have to say and then tells me I'll have to lodge a complaint in Kurla. I'm like, WHAT? He tells me they fall under Kurla's jurisdiction, so they won't be able to give me the certificate or complaint copy or whatever else. Another fellow tells me 'Sab sahab log wahaan pe baithte hain, toh aapko sign karke wohi denge, hum nahin de sakte.' Now I'm truly irritated. I ask them once more if its not possible for them to do something at Mulund, they say sorry, no. All very nicely, I must add, but that really isn't helping me.

4.45 pm - I'm out of the railway police station and I'm buying sevpuri, because I like sevpuri. I've dealt with the Kurla railway police station before and its definitely not something I look forward to. Not to mention, its a half-hour train journey from Mulund, which I have no intention of taking on a holiday. Suddenly, I get a brainwave and call up the Reliance helpline, and ask them the procedure for canceling my number. Its not a number I use much and I haven't given it to many people either, so I'm perfectly OK with stopping the service. I come to know that for completely stopping the service, I require only a few documents which I'm already carrying on hand. I'm feeling better now. 

5.15 pm - I'm at the Reliance store again. I tell them I want to cancel my number. Suddenly, it appears that I, in fact, don't need a police complaint to get a replacement SIM card. Fifteen minutes later, I walk out with my new SIM card.

Derive your own conclusions. (10 mark question)

Here's that damn number again. All questions answered randomly, I swear.

Created by Oatmeal

Z

Zed's dead Baby, Zed's Dead.

You're Normal

Inspired by this. And how anyone can make tomdickery sound great. I don't know where they're coming from, nor do I care. The post sounded churlish. So I write. If you need such posts to inspire you, then God Help You.

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It’s Normal

Maybe it is a consequence of when I was born (1986) and where I grew up (Mumbai), but from a very young age I've not believed in most things. Not all things. Most. Most important things.

I believe that each of us is an accident, that most have neither potential nor purpose. We can deny ourselves the lack of potential and purpose. We can even be denied reaching what little potential and purpose we have by others. But we cannot deny the non-existence of that potential and purpose.

I believe, as part of this purposelessness, we are born to relate to no other on earth, to dislike spending time with others, talking with each other, listening to each other, having little or no consideration for each other in convenient relationships. I believe that spending time on other humans is a grievous thing. We can deny ourselves this grief. We can be denied this grief. But we cannot deny the existence of this grief.

I believe, as part of this grief, we are made to share, to suffer communal participation in things. In sharing, we make ourselves vulnerable. And in that vulnerability is loss. That that vulnerability and that loss inhabit all our relationships.

I believe, as part of this vulnerability, we are forced to learn. To learn while relating to the people around us, to learn while sharing, to learn while making ourselves vulnerable. Learning involves doing new things. Sometimes the new things are called failures, sometimes they are called successes. We should deny both as learning.

I do not believe that doing all this: learning, loving, sharing, socialising: it’s called living. I do not believe that anything that stops us from reaching and extending our potential and purpose is wrong; I believe that anything that stops us relating to others is right; I believe that anything that stops us sharing is right; I believe that anything that forces learning is wrong.

I believe that, seen from this perspective, there are many things that are wrong with this world. That this is not normal. And that we have the power to change it.

Remember who we are.

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There, is a perfectly misanthropic/pessimistic view of the world. And who is to say they are wrong?

P.S.: This post does not encapsulate an iota of my thinking. Its just an extension of my belief that all purpose, all inspiration has to eventually come from within oneself.

Perfect

Its begun.

Back at a place that I used to call home, its begun all over again.

Not as bad as we had it I hope, but still with enough rancour to leave a bad, bad taste in everyone's mouths.

But that is not what I remember.

What I remember is eight people fighting, screaming, shouting, laughing, crying, talking as one.

One Single Unit. One Team.

I'm a young guy. Hopefully, I'll have an average lifespan. But I'll consider myself pretty lucky if I ever get to work in such a team again. Lucky, and Privileged.

There are reams to write and someday, slowly, steadily, I will.

Till then, to you, who know who you are, Thank You for letting me be a part of this. I hope you enjoyed having me around as much as I did being with you.  I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Oldie...

Just four lines of an unfinished poem that I had written when I had just gotten into my B-School..

The very thought should make me weep.

In my B-School I am falling asleep,

Desperately do I some shut-eye crave,

Some alumnus must be turning in his grave...

After that, since I was "too new" in my opinion to write more, I left it at that...And it never got completed. 

If I were to write now, what would I write?? Well, the first para wouldn't change for sure ;)

Damn..

I hate having to do this, but have to do it over and over again....

COMMENTS PEOPLE!!!