Flabbergasting

It was 3.30 PM on Thursday. I went to Rolla, Sharjah  to catch a bus to Dubai. Found a long queue and joined the same. It took some time and gave me time to observe and ponder. The first thing I noticed was that it was so orderly. Not a single soul was jumping the queue and everyone was so patient. No police man or any authority to man the queue. On return from Dubai to Sharjah on the same evening it was the same experience. The queue was longer but orderly too. Collecting passengers and leaving the station was also very efficiently in both stations. Cudos to the RTA.

Why can’t the drivers from Sharjah to Dubai (and vice versa) follow the method? Why should they jump the queue and make others’ life miserable and full of tension and anxiety?

If ordinary people can resort to such an orderly action, why some should ignore those on the queue and approach authority oblivious of the poor souls – in some offices and supermarkets? And why and how the authorities accept such actions and attend to the miscreants??

Also wondered way back in their own country will they be following the same pattern or make it most unruly??

What is the magic behind the orderliness, decent act??

Ti O Li

Not any far eastern name.  This is the trend of the time – “Take it or Leave it.”

On a doom’s day, the land lord skyrockets your rent – by 10000 -15000. If complained, you are old – “Ti O Li “

Rent of private parking is rising slowly but steadily. Place which caused 100 is now 500, when asked the how and why of it, the reply is “Ti O Li”.

Competitive marketing ends up in your obtaining credit cards with lots of coaxing and cajoling. Most of the organizations accept credit cards, free of commission. And yet some organizations both in public and private sectors charge commission. If protested their response is: Ti O Li.

You are welcome in the automobile show room . The customer executive is all smiles and friendly. Arrange loan in a jiffy. Agrees to deliver the car within no time with the preferred colour. But when the time comes no colour of your choice available. You are annoyed, and questions the guy. He shirks off his shoulder tells you “Ti O Li”

The private bus agrees for your transportation – to drop you near the office; gets the advance too. Yet on the very first day you are asked to get down and walk through the hot sun. When complaints, you are warned: “Ti O Li”

The restaurant you frequent for daily meals, uses too much oil and spices. In the best interest of all concerned you point out the after math. Your are looked down by the manager and are told “Ti O Li”.

And it goes on and on - that attitude and the phrase whether it is a favourite musical program, cultural events, shopping, travelling and what not!

Beggars are no choosers – are they? Hapless, poor public!

Sans sense of direction

The number of job seekers around the world are appalling -indeed a grave global issue. Each country has serious problems of unemployment and of migrating job seekers.

When we try to scrutinize the issue, we find that the main problem lies with the job seekers who are without any aim, sense of direction. Majority of the employees are not qualified; they do not know what type of job they can do and want to do - any job.

Apart from such uneducated guys there are qualified ones too – but without any definite aim. Because they took the certificate for their parents/eleders. How to assess a job seeker who is a Mechanical Engineer and apply for the position of Logistics Officer in Shipping industry? A Computer expert thinks he is fit to work in a restaurant. How about  a Medical doctor working as a receptionist ? Engineers, managers and many such qualified ones end up in petrol stations and super markets. What do they all indicate? They spend a lot of time and money  pursuing their studies; but  in the race of obtaining a job compromise with the availability. Is it a good trend?

If the youngsters do not have any sense of direction, who are to be blamed? Of course the elders. The elders with their experience could have guided the youngsters; helped them out in their lives. Maturity should come with age, and elders should not be selfish in guiding and equipping the youngsters to face the life. Instead of learning the interests of their wards, encouraging them to pursue their field of interest many a time the elders force their likes on the youngsters and the latter learn things half heartedly. How can they do justice to their studies if the interest lies somewhere else and are not properly guided and assisted during the delicate, fragile adolescent age? Net result is frustration, despondency which results in destructive tendencies. The desperate feeling felt in the family is carried over to society, and affects others too adversely. And it grows globally too in an alarming way.

But then all is not lost. There are still parents who try to understand the interest of their children, and help them out. And such youngsters are sure of their aim in life.  They even reject better paid jobs to pursue their field of interest – peace prevails in them, in their family and will be reflected in the society if things happens so.  Only that their numbers are few. Let us strive to increase that number- so peace and happiness will prevail in the family which  will be infectious and reflected in, society, country and the world as a whole, slowly but steadily.

Ruthless Villains & Innocent Victims

News of one more bomb blasts were in the latest news – this time near the place of judiciary and that too in the capital of a country. Many got killed and more were wounded. Soon after the blast one group claimed responsibility; and soon after another one – as if it was a great deed they did. Authorities as usual “expressed shock”. Well so what? Those victims were innocent and did not deserve  such a fatal fate. I feel so sad at those unfortunate souls, their families and friends; and absolute ire against those were responsible for the heinous crime and the callous authorities who waited till the last to happen the worst. Prevention is better than cure” goes the adage. When we had many such cases in the past, had efficient intelligent agencies who had forewarned, why remedial measures were not taken to avoid such tragedies?

I am a layman and have never been able to comprehend the purpose behind such crimes. What benefits the culprits intend to achieve by murdering the innocents and making their family and friends bereaved, turn the government against them and have to live in perpetual fear of man hunt?

Are there no other civilized ways to sort out the issues they wish to win than killing their human fellow beings? Those few who indulge in such inhuman deeds are psychopaths and need to be treated nor sent behind bars – so majority can live in peace. Their approach only aggravates the issues they want to solve. Such criminals should be shunned from the  society and made to be aware murdering their fellow beings will invite ire and punishment. The families and friends of the victims can never forgive them. The pang of separation will result in hatred and vengeance which will not be in the best interest of the criminals, their ideas and ideologies, Wish wisdom dawn on them sooner than later so all can live in peace and harmony.

Religion Vs Real Life (Sent on 18/07/2007; published on 20/07/2007)

The number of people attending Churches, Mosques, and Temples are in the increase. In many places there are serpentine ques and the statistics in the religious institutions boasts of the increase in numbers. Most unfortunately the atrocities in the name of religions too are increasing. It seems both are inversely proportional; but the proportion is alarming.

Friends, from all religions live together and move together in many places and one wonders why then the intolerance in the name of religion. No religion advocates hatred and violence. Yet it is that what is happening all over.

Who wants to live in perpetual fear and anxiety? Why can’t we follow the religious tenets religiously and lead a friendly peaceful life?? Instead of hatred and violence why can’t we resort to tolerance and love??

Who is the culprit? What is the solution? Who will bell the cat??

However, leave alone the religions; do not tarnish the great religions for some one’s petty little purely personal feelings.

Performance Appraisals

A friend of mine was terminated from his company due to his “poor performance”. Within a week he was selected for a job with more than double his salary and perks and made a manger shortly. While regretting the years he wasted in a poorly managed company, currently he is enjoying every moment of the time spent in the new office which is manned by real professionals. Another person was commented as not an indispensable one and was made to leave his company – he is now a manager, bestowed with best attitude award and is definitely indispensable to the company as well as colleagues. You too might have had such experiences.

In yet another scenario, the Boss was always the decision maker even for minute matters, thus affecting the decision making capabilities the juniors – managers and supervisors. When the house is on fire all have to wait for permission from the Boss. And yet in the appraisal form decision making capabilities of all was poor according to the rating. What do they all prove?? Performance and appraisals have no relation in most cases.

It has become a second nature to many managers to belittle their subordinates and infuse as much inferiority complex as possible so much so that the one affected feel really miserable and feel at a loss and as totally useless- starting from office, it is even taken to home too. Depression steps in and they even venture in the thoughts of suicides.

But then beware. Solution lies in not complaining and brooding over weakness, but in thinking of strength. Once we learn the nature of the bosses, we can always deal with them in a diplomatic way, either facing or tactically avoiding such occasions. If we cannot mend it then we can end it- either way it should be to be of our self-benefit and should not be self-destructive. Learn to outlive the criticism – for success comes to those who build up strong foundation with the bricks of criticism with which they are thrown at.

Gastronomical Musings

Can any other country except UAE boast of such variety of restaurants and cafeterias?? I wonder. At times each state of a country is represented by respective restaurants here it seems. But then there ends the matter.

The experiments to which the poor customers are subjected to at times is preposterous. The same dish can be named differently and taste too. Same name is given to varied dishes too! In one restaurant what ever be the funny name they give to each dish will have same gravy – be it vegetarian or non vegetarian. Chilli chicken. favorite of many will look and taste different in different restaurants.

Apart from the star hotels and their restaurants, are there qualified chefs/cooks who are qualified/experienced .In many places it is an adventure by those who came to this dreamland in search of some or any  job. And the poor customers are subjected to their trials and errors, daring experiments. They can use any amount of spices, oil and what not completely oblivious of the harm they are causing to the hapless customers.

How do we counter the situation, escape such cooks’ clutches???

On Peace talks

I am a layman and  have never understood the logic of conducting a meeting else where than the respective places where the problems persist – Sri Lankan/LTTE  peace talks are done in Switzerland. India/Pakistan talk is carried out in London and is continued in Paris or some other great cities. Palestine/Israel peace talks  too is undertaken in cozy places. And most of the meetings are conducted in posh, luxury hotels when innocent souls are massacred atrociously in the respective country- and the meetings go one. None of the meetings ever meets with the desired results, but all the participants are happy they had a nice time in a comfy atmosphere, shake hands and promise to meet again in the next venue, another posh luxurious place. The huge amount  spent over there can very well be used for better purpose – to feed the famished poor souls, to cloth them and shelter them. But then that is the way of the world. How to change the system for the better – one does not know.

 

Aimless souls

They have high education and certificates- many in entirely different fields! Some has many years of experience; many have none. Those who have experience has no correlation of it with their academic qualification. What do they all indicate? They are not sure of their aim in life. They got education not knowing, not trying to know what will be the use of that education. And once they complete the education they start job hunting absolutely unaware of the neck breaking competitive field. They take what comes in their way and thus will do something not matching with their qualification.

Where exactly the shoe pinches? Though there are career guidance counselors, not many are aware of them; and those who are aware do not make use of them. Result – the poor souls move like ships without rudder!

When parents themselves have no idea and cannot guide their wards, how the children will have the same? And if the children choose a course then the parents object to it for various reason. Perhaps it may be their likes and dislikes, perhaps financial aspects. End result is the same. Very few pursue their interest and achieve success in selection of career. And that is reflected very much when you look for a suitable employee/ suitable job.

Racial Discrimination

And so it is only when a film star is maltreated, it becomes a news. Even when Shilpa Shetty herself admitted the air is clear, the ire is still on. But then how many times in a day it happens in almost all parts of the world!. Here in UAE which hosts multinational, multicultural individuals it is routine and how many times it hits as news?  The hosts are meek and compassionate, decent and understanding the varied culture. What about the guests – many are arrogant.  Some are to be treated as class one citizens and all others have to take back seats. Indians cannot befriend with Pakistanis and vice versa. Africans are dark skinned; Europeans are white skinned. So what? All have same feelings and reactions – don’t they?? Local nationalities in their own place are looked down by many. Why is it so? Do their country, religion, upbringing teach them, train them to disrespect others, ill treat others? What is the chemistry, which makes such thoughts, words and deeds? When they go to bed and put their heads on the pillow can they sleep peacefully without guilty conscience and undue anxiety and tension after all the ill treatment of fellow bretheren? Why should we harbor negative thoughts, ill feelings towards others and spoil our own peaceful life? Can’t we all at least be decent, humane in our treatment of others- the way we want ourselves to be treated?

Parental Woes 2

What all hopes and aspirations the parents keep once they have a child. And how far it gets materialized or go shattered? The kids once reach the juncture for taking a decision to a clear cut career in life are totally confused and confounded. The wish of the parent is one things, that of the kids are different. It is their friends and not parents who influence them mainly. The result is utter chaos. They go with a current trend and end up in fiasco, for by the time they complete the course, saturation and super-saturation have happened in that particular field. Dejected the kids turn to easier fields. Sales, marketing, customer service, “any job”! So it is left to the company to choose the candidates suitability. Educational institutions too contribute to the confusion. Rather than equipping a student for a career, it is the course completion which matters to them.

Parental woe

Recently I heard parents standing in long queue in the biting cold to get admission for their children. I used to see them waiting both in the cold / hot and humid mornings to see off their wards to the school and wait late in the night to receive them. Some even carry food to the kids which is eaten a little or totally discarded.

Many are the sacrifices a parent undertakes – you may call it responsibilities. But then what happens after all the sacrifices and discharging of the responsibilities. Reach the adolescent age, the character of the children undergoes a sea change. They become rebellious and oppose anything and everything. Parents become their archenemies. At times they with their friends show respect in front of the parents; but behind they pooh-pooh them.

I have witnessed such plights of many a parent. The kids behave so decently in front of others. It is only with their own parents they have aversion.

It is termed as generation gap. I do not think it was there in the past – or not so severe. Many youngsters of these years look down upon their parents. To them the poor parents are all nincompoops. Only their friends and themselves are fit to fill the bill. In their attempts to ward off the parents they simply forget they too will have to be a parent once, have to pass through all the phases. And it is better for them to keep themselves in others shoes (a healthy practice!) and try to view things in a different perspective. As for parents earlier the better they come to a compromise with the truth – that they all have come alone to this world and they have to go alone. Do not get attached – practice detached attachment!

Plight of the Pedestrian

It is called the footpath – even if it is called pavement the dictionary defines the meaning as footpath near the road. However in many places the footpaths are invaded by mightier force- car owners, shop owners, hotels and restaurants and even construction companies and work - shops. Earlier the car owners were kind enough to leave some space for the poor pedestrian to pass through; but nowadays they occupy the entire space, so that the hapless lots are constrained to take a detour most of the times. Though there is a rule against parking on the footpath and warning of heavy fines are given out, they feel rules are there to be flouted and not adhered to. Who will help the walking lots???