A Pity-Ful experience

Today morning , I went to the Provident Fund office in Pune. This is a long pending issue - when my husband moved from Mumbai to Pune , 2 years back , he (or rather the firm) had submitted a request to transfer his PF account from Mumbai to Pune . As of now we have had no intimation as to the status of this.
Visit to any government office requires a mental preparation, building of fortitude, the right mindframe of doggedness, perseverance .. I dont know how much I was prepared for it , but 'its just an enquiry...I just need to check the status ..after all its 2 years..Im sure its done already'...I thought.


The auto-wallah , on specifying the area , immediately asked if I was going to IBM , and I smiled.. it always strikes me as how these people need to ..and keep themselves updated about latest going ons.. and how he pinned me right for being a s/w professional..am I stamped or what.
Neways, once I told that no...I would be going to the PF office .. he un-hesitatingly asked me if I 'knew' someone in there..and as I replied in negative again..he recounted his story of PF woes.. wherein his PF of 22 years work with Philips is still pending. He said that those people directly ask for 10% of the payable .. and they are un-willing to even tell him the total amount he can expect. Since he used to be paid on daily wages system, he doesnt have a record of what sum it might be..
We both berated the system..and said..yeah..Surely everything is computerised and automated now , and they would have all the information at their fingertips, its just that they do not want to tell it.. etc ..etc..
But the talk had certainly damepened my spirits..
I started feeling like the grey sky outside..


I went in.. it was 1045 am ..people were still drifting in.. chatting lazily.. no sense of urgency here...I went to the enquiry section, where a person took down the PF account number I gave, wrote it on a form and re-directed me to the 3rd floor.. 13th group.. I climbed up...someone pointed me to the right section...which comprises of shelves and shelves of dusty old files..4 females sitting idly, their tables empty and clean..work completed ? or not even started ?? and...no computer in sight ! I could not believe it..though my pragmatic self mumbled that maybe I was expecting too much..and ofcourse when they say 'India Shining' they dont even know what it means ..
So here I am ..among a group of ladies...ordering for kaande-poha and chai...gossiping about yesterdays rains..and whose house was filled up...and how heart wrenching it was to hear about all this...
I intruded with my pithy little request...trying to gauge the most active and authorative among the group...who could help me.. she reluctantly rose from her place...checked a few files and said that there is no such entry... so...what does it means ? that the entry is missing..or the transfer never took place...the matter is discussed and I am informed to leave the acct number and that inquiry will be done.. 'we will need to check other records' .. how long will it take ? can I call at some number ? when can I expect an answer...no one meets my eyes...suddenly all talks go through me.. not sure..some number and name..no idea..need to check..blah blah..boom...I disappear.. Im not there anymore..in the eyes of those ladies..
and they resume their work-day .


And I indulged in some retail-therapy to forget the depressing experience...

Golden words ...

Due to the flood situation in Pune and adjoining areas it has been decided that
the offices will shut down at 2PM this afternoon. It is strongly recommended
that all associates leave for their residences immediately.

GOOD BOOKS/GOOD CAUSE BLOG-A-THON

Check the idea out at http://contemporarylit.about.com/b/a/186033.htm
Check out the video link http://www.vidlit.com/mj/
Im not sure about my support for the book type..but its definitely ON for the G o o d C a u s e Folks !

Chutti in mid-week

what do you do then ??
>> Get the various chores done
>> Clean the house
>> Cook something good

No No No.. !
you kiss hubby good-bye as he goes to office..
arrange the pillows in most comfy stack..get some munchies...open the window to the great breeze blowing..wrap yourself in the cosy cover..
and devour ' HP - The Half Blood prince ' .. start to finish in 7 hours..non-stop..
the coolest way that I could spend my day .. !

This HP certainly is more intense .. not a tear-jerker...but did moisten my eyes...
It builds up a tight anticipation for the next one.. and about how much more action packed its going to be..as Harry is almost alone now..and will be killing you-know-who ..which sure is gonna be a tough one !

Rearranging...

In progress of moving my techie posts to http://centaurtech.blogspot.com/ ..

Hoax Love..

Forbidden Love..
Yesterday I started reading and completed the above book .. (While hubby dear was reading HP !)
I have been reading quite a few books about Arabic, Muslim background ..so it kind of got repetitive..but I still persisted...
It was horrifying..the murder..or rather 'honor killing' of a girl ..just because she fell in love with someone from a different religion..


The friend , Norma - whose first eye account this book is.. seemed a little selfish to me in the end..leaving the country as she did.. kept on niggling at me..
Today , I googled Norma Khouri and it seems that she is a hoax..she never lived in Jordan .. never had a friend named Dalia..!!
This was jolting.. and the more I read about it ..it figured that she is a conniving person..who has taken advantage of the fact that we believe anything about Islamic practices..how the book as a medium can be so abused.. she claimed it to be her auto-biography... !


Or is it that as she portrayed in the book.. Jordan is trying its best to protect its image as a democratic nation .. so its trying to suppress her voice ??


I cant decide...and I feel emotionally cheated .

NowWhat .. OhWell

these are name of places in the novel 'Mostly Harmless' , by Douglas Adam ..
Quite funny and original (or not)..

I can come up with some more ...hows OhhShucks .. NotReally .. NoImagination :-))
SomeMore ??

Thoughts >> words.. Not so easy

Today , I had a formal chat with a person .. I did not like his attitude, but I cannot pinpoint what exactly bugged me about it..

Im trying to clarify my thoughts here.. was it because he was asking me inane questions.. or was that his 'ohh..is it' look .. that one really irritated me !
After some time I just stopped responding ..I started wishing this would get over soon.. I started rolling my eyes when he wasn't looking..

Maybe I didn't put in all the efforts .. since I didn't really needed to impress .. or
maybe his demeanor totally turned me off.. how can people manage to be such turn-offs...for that time span..I just lost my will to communicate.. just stop talking..and stop being so condescending.. Jerk !!

peace

I feel so peaceful..even after having made the great decision...rather putting it on paper..I have resigned from my current employment today..and feel nothing but a feeling of tranquility envelope me..

This might be also because of the fanta-mazing-bulous R&R I had in Leela..Goa.. for the past 4 days..
All words would be inadequate in describing the classic hospitality that Leela provided... I cannot elaborate enough...you gotta experience it..
Pictures to follow..