Yesterday, I got an SMS from Airtel, thanking me for choosing their AUDIO TALKIES! Also, they promptly deducted Rs.1 from my balance! Wow! what a service! Only problem is, I never heard of such service AUDIO TALKIES, and I never subscribed to it!
So, I promptly tweeted to Airtel_Presence as well as updated in my Facebook. Also, I sent an email to Airtel Customer Care email ID as well as its nodal officer of Delhi/NCR. I am still waiting for their response.
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If you are parents of kid around 5 years old, if you have a TV with cable connection ( or DTH), chances are you have bought an item called “Kinder Joy” for your kid. This product Kinder Joy is advertised extensively in all Kid’s channels like Cartoon Network, Ceebies etc.and chances are, you get to watch its advertisements at leas once in every 10 minutes. Also, your kids.
The cost of this Kinder Joy is Rs. 30. But did you know what contents does it have ? Here is the pictorial explanation :-
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I tried to sell two things in Quickr, once a almost new Nikon D5100 DSLR with kit-lens and the other time, I tried to sell my Nikon AF-S 70-300mm ED VR lens. Both the times, I was contacted buy Nigerian Net fraudsters!
The first one posed as an wife of Indian Oil executives posted in Nigeria and asked me to ship the camera to some address Nairobi. Another one posed as doctor in United Kingdom. It was interesting experience, these fraudsters think that it is easy to dupe people!
One lady went on to such extent that she even sent me some bogus PayPal payment notification which I could capture only when I actually ship the material and give them valid courier tracking number! I was almost tempted to courier half a KG of camera sized rock! But when I found out that the cost of such shipment is above Rs. 3000/-, I resisted myself from throwing away money!
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While traveling around India, as well as some other South Asian countries, I have observed that, the migrant communities normally live in and around railway stations! I have not found any difference in this pattern even in Raurkela, in my numerous visits here!
Raurkela was a place of Adivasis ( original inhabitants of India, now classified as scheduled tribes) as I heard. I have done any studies about this, so I can not vouch any truth in it. But, I can vouch that, the areas near Rourkela railway station, is inhabited by migrant community, who can not be local here! I found many Rajasthani people, Bengali People, Bihari People who can not be local here! I mean they are migrant here, may be living here for long time. Thanks to Raurkela Steel Plant, this town also have migrant community from almost all states from India, in last 50 years!
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As per latest report, 22 people have reportedly lost their lives in New York City in a devastating hurricane Sandy which struck east coast of USA yesterday. Millions of people went without power and people are updating their Facebook status as having to have candle light dinner!
Once again, nature has proved itself to be much more powerful than humans with so much progress in technology and information! Humans become helpless in front of natures fury again and again.
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I always knew KFC for its crispy chicken wings. But sadly, I experience in KFC, Udaipur has not been very good so far. I went to KFC only once, though. It has opened recently, so may be after few months, it will have better quality product.
KFC has visible signboard inside it where it mentions clearly that it cooks its vegetarians items in separate utensils! Most probably, that is there in order to attract large vegetarian community in Udaipur. Now a days, it no longer surprises me to find vegetarian items in any foreign chain of restaurants serving vegetarian in its outlets in India.
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There is always a cost for learning a new thing. Today, after spending Rs. 1050/- I got a very good lesson and I am thinking to share it with you all for free! This is one of the reasons why I like internet.. and blogging!
As I came back to Udaipur after almost two months from Assam, I found out that both our water closet ( WC ) were not working properly and I had no clue how to fix it! So, I had to call a plumber. For one WC, he advised to replace the water tank itself as there were few leakages too. I had no option, but to accept his recommendation! The exact situation one finds when they visit a doctor and doctor prescribes hell lot of tests before giving any concrete consultation, and one has not option but to get those tests done!
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Most probably, not many people will travel from Udaipur to Jamnagar unless they have some work in Jamnagar, specifically refineries of Reliance or Essar. But if some one wants to to Jamnagar from Udaipur in shortest time and low cost with comfort, best is to go to Abu Road Railway station and take a overnight train to Jamnagar.
I traveled to Jamnagar on 17th July 2012 from Udaipur. We decided to drive down to Abu Road by car, park the car at Abu Road junction for 2 days and come back from Jamnagar, pick the car and drive back to Udaipur!
NH76 is in very good shape and one can easily drive at 120KM per hour. This four lane high way has less traffic. Look out for falling stones at some places though!
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Back in India, one of the rare commodity is trust, and trust in strangers in almost extinct. To be fair, trust is not that rare in western and eastern part of India, though it seems almost extinct on the plains of Northern India.
And this is story about trust in Nepal. Specifically, in a place called Malekhu, a small town 71KM west of Kathmandu, on way to Pokhara. It is famous for fish in Nepal and many people from Kathmandu visit this place for local fish of Trishuli river. Previously, local fishes from Trishuli river were available here, but after tasting some fish here, I do not believe that local fishes are available any longer!
While coming back from Pokhara to Kathmandu by car, me and my friend Yam ran out of cash and we had to have lunch at a hotel at Malekhu. We went to an ATM there to withdraw some cash, but the ATM was out of order! We had lunch at the same hotel, named Shravan Hotel on our way to Pokhara some three days ago. So, Yam told me, we will eat at the same hotel on credit! Being in Northern India for last 14 years, I was laughing at the idea but I was hungry and did not show my disbelief.
We went and Yam ordered the remaining whiskey quarter bottle which he could not finish on our previous journey to Pokhara. The same bottle was produced instantly. After finishing the bottle, he informed the hotel owner that we have no money to pay. The owner instantly agreed for the credit and asked us to eat what ever we want!
I ordered a beer for me instantly and also some chicken fried pieces. Finally, me and Yam ended up drinking four bottles of beer and stomach full of Nepali Thali. One of those best lunches I ever had on any road trips!
There were two gentlemen who were sitting on a table next to us and they were trying to pay less than their bill by bargaining with the hotel owner. At that moment, we stood up to leave the hotel and informed the owner. She let us go and just informed the amount of the credit, some NPR 2000.
Then Yam overheard the conversation where those gentleman asked the hotel owner, how come they are allowed to leave without paying for food ?
Yam went back to hotel, asked NPR 100 from hotel owner. She took out a 100 Rupee note and gave to Yam and asked he wanted more. Yam refused and left the hotel.
Those two gentlemen kept looking at us.
I came to Nepal in a dramatic way with Yamnath Lamichhane via an interesting route. The road reads like Udaipur – Ahmedabad – Lucknow – Nanpara – Rupaidiha- Nepalganj – Kathmandu. The Udaipur – Ahmedabad stretch as well as Lucknow – Rupaidiha, were covered on road. The road from Udaipur to Ahmedabad were truely world-class while the road from Nanpara to Rupaidiha were, what we can call, India class ? Well that stretch was the worst road I experienced in my recent travel in India!
We crossed the India border at Rupaidiha at midnight around 12AM on 18th June 2012 and then entered Nepal. We traveled the distance of RUpaidiha to Nepalganj on a cycle ricksaw, aprox 3KM and spent the night in a hotel. The hotel was the worst kind of hotel I experienced in last 9 years.
Nepalganj airport is very small, terminal s non-AC ( a first in my life. I never had any experience of non-AC airport terminal before). It did not have any metal detector or security arrangements which are very common in Indian airports.
The flight from Nepalganj to Kathamndu took around 50 minutes and it was on an ATR by Buddha air. The experience of baggage collection at Kathmandu airport was also first of its kind experience for me.
I have not visited many places in Kathmandu yet. Just Patan square, Pashupainath Temple. Patan square UNESCO heritage site. I found many Korean tourists there. But then it is not the tourist season here at this time.
Kathmandu is humid at this time, though not very hot. After living in Rajasthan for few years, humidity makes you sweat a lot and make one uncomfortable.
I met few Nepalese people from the age of 18 to 55 in my short stay for last 12 days. It has been quite an experience. In many tourist places I visit, I am mistaken either as a Nepalese or Philippines! Some thought as Japanese but not a single person thought I would be an Indian! Well, I am used to it now!
I think, Nepalese people are honest, hardworking and very friendly. They dont seem to be aggressive though irony is they supply mercenaries to both Indian Army as well as British Army! If there is a war between India and England, chances are, Nepalese citizens might fight against each other for both India and England!
My general feeling is that, they do not like India much though India share an open border policy with Nepal. Many seem to resent openly that Indian government meddle too much in Nepal politics. Though Indian movies and Hindi is widely popular and spoken every where. Indian currency ( called IC) is accepted everywhere. Some places do not accept 500 and 1000 denominations though.
Nepalese people take pride in the fact that they do not have any day as “Independence day” as they were never actually ruled by foreigners. They say, Nepal may be poor country, but people here are rich. Well, a Tata Nano cost NPR 8 lacs in Nepal and I saw many cars on Kathmandu roads. Maruti 800 is ‘world famous’ car in Kathmandu, mostly used as taxis but costing around 17lacs NPR.
Kathmandu is mostly populated by a community known as Newar ( many opine Nepal comes from Newar). They have their own language and culture.
I traveled to Pokhara, 200km west of Kathmandu. Its a beautiful place. I will write bout it later. Once I am back in India, I hope to write more details about my experiences of Nepal.