And I thought my problems were bigger…

Whenever I get time I try my best not to miss this television show called “Lift Karade”.

This show is anchored by Karan Johar the famous director/ producer of Hindi Films and the show is produced in association of Yash Raj Films and Sony Television.

Lift Karade has a very simple format but an amazing concept. Like any other reality shows these days, the participants compete against each other to prove that they are the number one fan of the invited celebrity of the week. I thought that is the reason the show is called lift karade, as a common man you get a chance to meet your role model. There is another element of this show that they also help an individual who is in serious need of financial help. I think that is the prime reason the show is called lift karade.

How?

These participants have to do some real time selling and earn money; the participant who earns the maximum will get a chance to meet their role model. The money they earn is multiplied hundreds of times and is given to this particular needy.

This week story was on Swarna Kaur, an 80 years old lady (mother and a grand mother) from a very small village in Punjab. Trust me friends after watching the entire show reel on Swarna Kaur the first thing I did, thanked god for whatever I am blessed with. My problems seemed like a micro-organism front of hers.

Her family consists of three members, her son and two grand children. Son is in his 40’s but is mentally unstable and is nothing more than just any other still object lying in her house. A major road accident was the reason for his condition. His wife left him and the two children couple of years back as she didn’t wanted to mess up her life with such a man. Swarna has two more sons but they also chose not to help her out and the brother and always kept themselves away from this family. Swarna’s house hold condition is miserable; there is hardly anything to eat and no money for other necessities.

Although, at this stage of life Swarna is helpless but she has not lost hopes and is doing whatever possible to bring up the two grand children and also take care of mentally unstable son. Swarana is illiterate and not even a skilled laborer so getting some monthly paying job is out of the question. I was in tears when I watched the way she manages to get some food for the family. She cleans and collects cow-dung from every house in the village and in return the villagers just give the family some food to eat and at times some money. I was shocked to know that someone in this world was still dependent on this type of batter system, which was taught to me in my 4th grade at school under a topic called obsolete civil systems of the society.

We get so irritated and frustrated when there is a power-cut at home or stuck in middle of a traffic jam or bad day at work or an argument with a colleague or a delay in salary and we end up saying things like life sucks etc etc. Guys, just for a heck of it try to be without food for just 2 days and you will definitely realize how difficult it is. Think about people like Swarna, who are actually handicap in managing their one time daily meal and also at times the entire family sleeps without food. I am sure our biggest of the problems are tiny front of such actual problems. Let us all appreciate and thank god for whatever we are blessed with.

As they say, no matter how good or bad the time is; it definitely changes one day.

Swarna must have never thought in her wildest dreams that someone sitting thousands of kilometers away from her at Mumbai has come up with such a concept which will change her life forever. Truly, this show 100% stands up to its name “Lift Karade”. She received an amount of rupees eleven lakh from this show. Plus a lakh more, personally donated by the legendary actor Dharmendra (celebrity of the week).

Learning - no matter whatever downs we are going through in our lives, we must never lose hopes and keep fighting because no matter how good or bad the time is; it definitely changes one day.

Tyda Jungle Bells

April 2007

Our MBA was in its final phase. We all were aware of the fact that it was also last stage of our beautiful college-life, and the real-life was waiting for us outside the college gates.

I don’t exactly remember how everything got planned but we, a bunch of friend decided to travel to this beautiful place called Tyda Jungle bells, it is about 6-7 hours drive from Vizag, but we tried our hands on both first train and then a car drive.

All we knew about Tyda from Google search was it is a place situated in middle of dense forests near Araku Valley (a hill station neighboring Vizag). It has AP tourism cottages and people just go there to relax and chill out.

Day 1 Vizag: we had an amazing fun, it was a jam packed day full of site-seeing, eating by road-side, beaches, water sports, rope-ways, pubing and at last amazing sleepy after doing so much in just one day.

Next day we boarded a train to a place called Bora Caves which was on the way to Araku Valley, the train was one of its own kind of an experience, wooden seats people were sitting and sleeping wherever they got chance too. Finally, even we all managed to find some place, to be specific it was exactly the way Shahrukh Khan traveled in the movie Swades, to a village. We reached Bora Cave after 4 hours and soon got done with caves-tour in just an hour and started on a memorable journey to Tyda Jungle Bells.

On the way we passed by Araku Valley and if I am not wrong we reached Tyda in just 2 hours of car drive. We had our booking from 10 in the morning but we reached about 5 in the evening.

Tyda: Oh my god! It was heaven on earth, I have been an avid tourist aroundIndia but trust me guys this one was something special. I was already feeling tranquilized, romantic, dreamy, and wonderful, there was some magic in the air.


We got the keys at the reception office and then the attendant guided us towards are cottage for which we had to walk around 250 yards up the hill into the forest. The wooden cottage was simply astonishing; two walls were completely glass and other two wooden. Down the hills there was an open restaurant which served a limited menu. When I went and spoke to the restaurant in-charge, seeing him I got reminded of a bhatakti hui atma from ramsay movies. Attendant told us that there is no means of communication with the outside world from this place no telephones, no televisions, only way to commute is by own car or city bus.


Wow! the girls were little scared but I was so trilled...

I looked at the sky above; there was a lovely spray of clouds. I looked at the majestic mountain. The cool breeze was almost kissing our faces. I looked at the valley and there was all darkness and not a single movement till the eternity it was all so quiet and composed. Everything was perfect, pure bliss. It was all like a dream. I wished if I would stay there forever without speaking a word, my soul was completely lost in the scenery.

As I came back out of this lovely dreamy feeling, the breeze, the sky, the day, had all ceased to exit and it was all getting darker.

Yes, we all headed for our dinner after which there was a lovely campfire and dance show arranged by the local tribes for our entertainments. After that we all went back to our cottage and crash landed on our beds into the real dreamy world.

And we say we are a developing nation!

SMS exchange:

Me: Lets begin (for playing badminton) half-an-hour early tomo mrng (by 5:30am)

Ashwin: Y so?

Me: I just wanna play continuous for 2 hrs & check my capacity.

Ashwin: Seems lil difflt but let me try.

Me: Ok!

Next day morning: (5:34am)

On my bike heading towards my school; we group of few ex-students play badminton, every morning. It was cold enough to allow me the pleasure of breathing out white frost in the morning. This promised to be a chilly December. Reached school in just 5 minutes (5:39am); Ashwin, was already waiting at the parking.

Didn’t you notice that huge mountain of fire by the highway? Ashwin Said.

What? No… where? I Said.

Let’s go: Ashwin Said.

Immediately we rushed to the scene.

On the way Ashwin told me that he had already called-up the Fire-Station (101) at 5:35am and they would be reaching at the sight, anytime.

It was still dark and no sign of any extra terrestrial lights. Fire sight was horrendous, a huge house was burning full throttle.

(I am still not that expert a writer to describe the fire scene, but let me try).

A huge Indian structural design, basically a hut, neighboring to it was a motorbike repair garage. Flames all over, forming mountain like image, intensity of the fire was so high that although we were standing a good 50 yards away but we could still feel the warmth. Barely, countable heads were present at that hour of the day; a by stander (local guy) informed us that no one is inside the hut. It was just an Indian liquor bar shop (local daru ka theka).

Ashwin was already on his 3^rd call to the Fir-Station as there was no sign of Fire Brigade (6:00am). As expected everyone started getting buckets of water to extinguish this giant mountain of fire (Situational Heroes, our country is full of these situational Heroes).

6:15am still no sign of Fire Brigade; the mountain started melting on it’s on as the fire had already done its job good enough to go on a weekend break!

I was sure by the time Fire Brigade would reach; this place would have already turned into remains.

6:20am: I Said.

I have never seen something like this before, this is an experience: Said Ashwin.

Fire brigade….. Fire Brigade… screamed a local boy; his excitement was equal to, if would have got a chance to see a live dinosaur.

Fire had already burnt all the electric, telephone and TV transmission wires.

A small toddler of fire was slowly trying to get into the bordering garage via ventilator-window without anyone’s notice. By the time we all could spot it, the fire had already trespassed borders into the garage territory.

Firemen were immediately on their job, it took hardly 5 minutes for them to break through this mountain of flames with their fire-guns. Although there wasn’t much left to work on.

Local guys were trying their best to break the shutter of the garage as good amount of fire was already in the garage. It took good 5 minutes to open the shutters; it was shocking to see the two LPG cylinders were just a foot away from the live flames (Anything could have happened). A situational hero jumped inside the room and took out both the cylinders.

Finally everything had come to an end. I just happen to realize and told Ashwin. I find all this so funny that just out of the blue last evening I called you-up to come half an hour early for badminton. If not we would have never been part of such an experience.

We simply laughed and drove back to the school….

This whole incident reminds me of…

[When I was in school, I was a big fan of this television series called ‘World’s Most Amazing Videos on AXN'. I always wondered that when will I get a chance to see at least one video from India; I always waited assuming some day there will be a video from India. Finally, the day arrived they screened an amazing video which was from my country; a multi-story building had caught fire and till one hour there wasn’t any police or fire-brigade and how amazingly the local guys worked together to come over the fire.

I had a mixed feeling, happy to see a video from India and at the same time a little low that they were trying to show the world that how terrible systems and facilities are in India, even during such major emergencies]

Customer Service at its best...

Customer Service at its best!

Saturday morning 10:45am, I reached my bank (PNB) to collect my renewed Debit Card. Which I had applied couple of weeks back and because of very hectic schedule was not able to collect it, but finally I managed it this weekend.

The lady at the counter gave me a sealed envelope; when I looked at my Debit Card I noticed that my name was missing on the card (not printed). I immediately turned back on the same lady enquiring for this miss-out by the bank.Sir, these cards come from our head office we are not manufacturing it over here, She said!I was shocked to hear such a reply; I gave her back asking, who is more sensible person to help me out on this issue…

She directed me towards one old man, stating that he is the concerned manager. Mr. Manager was on phone and without even listening to me he pointed out a finger towards another table. At that table, was one very interesting lady who was speaking very loudly to every customer in her mixed Punjabi, Hindi & English.I explained the problem that my name does not appear on this Debit Card.Sir, we do not print names on any debit cards, she said. But, as per my knowledge there was an option on the card asking me to fill the name in block letters as I want it on the card to appear, I said.

She gave me the funniest reply ever I could have expected…

Come on sir jee don’t try to teach me, and there are so many things just written on the forms, should we look into each and everything kya, she said… And she directed me back to the first lady again; I realized that I can’t be pushed from one table to another this way as I was in no mood to play office-office…

I finally asked the way to the manager’s cabin, immediately I was directed towards the manger’s room by a peon standing by and seeing this whole drama. Mr. Manager was another piece (one of its own kinds).Yes sir, what I can do for you, he said in a typical South Indian accent. I explained him the problem of no name on the Debit Card.

But, sir why do you want the name on the card, without the name also card is working no!

I use this card extensively to book online movie tickets and over there we need to enter the name printed on the card or else it declines. I said!

Oh! (Looking at his colleague sitting beside him, he said) Why these people (websites guys) ask for name for online booking, I will take this issue up with the head quarters, you don’t worry sir soon they will stop asking you for the names while online ticket booking, he said! (Solution to my problem was one of its own kinds, as I already mentioned it before)

I was like “god”, why only me between such intelligent people?

Without a second thought I just ran out of that place. Otherwise, these guys would have mentally raped me early on a Saturday morning.