Just another week…

…and I will be back here. I need to be back here. I miss being here.

I have spent this last month wishing there were more than twenty four hours in a day and less then five working days in a week but more than two days in a weekend. Which is to say, I have been drowning (yes, literally) in work, wishing R stays with me in Delhi more often and hoping the time stops over a weekend.

Also I have written at least ten posts in my head every single day. Which comes to approximately two hundred and eighty posts! Gah!! And I haven’t written down even one of those!!! Double gah!!!!

So. Yes. That’s a very brief summary of my February.

How was your last month? All good? How was Valentine day? You tell me yours and I’ll write about mine in the next post. Promise.

And thank you, all of you for hanging around. Thanks for the calls, emails and messages. Means the world to me.

So long guys!! I WILL be back soon.

On a day like this.

You know those days at work when just CANNOT concentrate. When you stare at a document full of information in front of you and your mind keeps wandering elsewhere. When you keep jumping from Gmail to Facebook to Twitter and back to Gmail and think of a thousand and one things to write!

*Sigh*. I am having just that kind of a day. I have my planner open on my desk, a book on a very serious issue and relevant print outs. But I have not looked at them once. I have been on Gmail and Facebook and you know the works.

So. In the course of all that hopping I came across this. And then this. Found it very funny and thought I should post the link here. So that, you know. Its already Thursday. And we all get a little fidgety on Fridays…

Have a good weekend you guys.

On staying calm…

You know what they say about a duck being calm on the surface and paddling furiously underneath?

My God! Am I paddling or what???

On doing your job!

I went to the HDFC bank today with the sole purpose of taking out the last 6 months’ bank statement.

Response from the Counter 1:

“Madam you cannot get the statement today because the printer is not working”.

“Can I have it emailed? I can print it out later.”

“Ma’am you have to go to the next counter.”

Response from next counter:

“Madam, you can go to any other counter and get it.”

“Yes, the other counter sent me here.”

“Ma’am I have very urgent work and I don’t have time. Why don’t you go to the next counter?”

Response from another next counter:

“Madam, you have to go to that counter (pointing at the previous counter).”

“She said she is busy and sent me here.”

A two second phone call follows.

“Ma’am please go to that counter. She will help you out.”

So I go to the previous counter:

“May I have the account number, please?”

“xxxxxx”

Click. Click. Turn around. Collect print out of three pages (without getting out of the seat). Turn back around. Staple. Stamp. Sign.

Time taken- less than one minute.

Now tell me. Why? Why won’t they do the work at the first go?

It made me mad today. And it is not just the bank. I call my RO guy and the first thing he says that he cannot make it at the suggested date and time. Even with ample notice. I have to call his supervisor, scream, threaten not to pay and then and only then I will get the work done. The car dealer refuses to provide with the registration plates on time (and asks for extra money), the Airtel guys refuse to repair the broadband connection on time (they want a week!), the Reliance guys have a problem with emailing bills, the flight operators refuse to refund fully refundable fares and refuse to let you on the flight when you have a confirmed seat. And for each of the above, all that screaming, calling important people, wagging the finger and tearing your hair out is an absolute requirement.

I just don’t understand. Simple regular work has to be done. Why say “No” first? Why not try to accommodate? Why don’t you say you will confirm in five minutes and actually keep your word? Why is it so difficult to DO YOUR JOB? Why?