Bitter, But Home Sweet Home

How do you know that you are back home? Is it when you are chased and mollycoddled by an airline staff before asking you for "English Money" for a tip or swarmed by a dozen cab drivers at the airport instantly making you feel like a celebrity? Nevertheless, when you see friends waiting to receive you at the airport seeking no appointments to catch up with you and family waiting to shower their unadulterated love and affection, it confirms your arrival back home beyond reasonable doubt. 

Before I ramble further, I am seeing young Indians in love with Chetan Bhagat, older folks reading on Kindle, people aren't apprehensive of using smart phones for day-today activities including shopping and ordering cabs. India is going through interesting times. 

PAN Card fixation

I was at a Vodafone trying to convert from pre-paid to post-paid connection and when the lady asked me for PAN Card, I had a pan in the flash moment. I quipped at her demand and asked her if PAN Card was mandatory to have a child in this country? 

While I was at the T-mobile outlet in the U.S. I wasn't even asked for an ID and here they were asking me for PAN Card copy, a document and unique ID used for opening an bank account, receiving your remuneration, filing taxes, or borrowing money. I don't understand the logic behind the need of a PAN Card to convert from Pre-paid to Post-paid. Do you?

Family Planning for my number

Within minutes after my connection got converted, I received a barrage of marketing messages on my mobile from enticing me to buy land in Thiruporur to taking a religious trip to Shiridi. 

I don't know if you will appreciate my humor, but when I asked for my number to be enrolled in a family planning scheme aka marketing castration, the staff at Vodafone Store was shocked and confused. When I told her that I was referring to registering my mobile with "Do Not Call Registry" so that I can insulate myself from solicitations, she was relieved, but stil,gave me a funny look.

People are smarter and savvier 

I went to the post office yesterday to encash the matured National Savings Certificate (NSC). Before I ventured out, my mother went on Google to find out the hours of operation and also look for the list of documentation that I need to carry in order to cash in. 

My mother is a smart woman as much as an organized woman; she is not afraid of ordering an Ola cab through their mobile App to get a ride in the city.

But still productivity is low

Having done necessary homework, I was confident of returning home with some money, but I was in for a surprise when I reached the post office. The place wore a deserted look; skeleton staff and dwindling patronage for postal service. And when I had my turn to speak to the staff, he asked me to come back the following day. Why? Because the staff handling NSC had left for the day. While our public is getting savvier in using technology to find their way through the city and lead productive lives and demand for postal service on the decline, the productivity at our Government Postal Department is abysmally low. Should our tax payer money be wasted like this?

By the way, I was soaked in sweat within minutes after stepping out of the flight, which was an instant confirmation that I was at home. And the ride back home confirmed that metro rail connectivity to the airport was progressing at a snail pace. The wait to metro ride from the airport to city centre seems light years away, but until then our roads will be eternally clogged. 

Today, I'm going to venture into the OMR, the IT hub for Pay Pal, Amazon and other block buster American blue chip companies and the journey qualifies for a triathlon race. A 500m walk from my home to the train (MRTS-mass rapid transport system) station followed by 15 minute train commute and finally another 15 minute shared auto ride to the 10-floor high rise. Come back later for more on this expedition. Did I miss the Mylapore Mamis? :)