Looks like bad luck doesn't come alone. Sify says it is india's no.1 internet service, my brown arse! I spend about 1.5 hours a day for my work in a nearby sify browsing centre. Yesterday, I left my files saved on a computer here and when I come back, all files except for html files and pdfs are missing. The guy here says when a session is closed, all pictures and zip files stored here are deleted!!! WTF!#(*$#
This is because some needly morons download naughty pictures and save them here for later viewing, so this is a precaution. I have no other choice but to accept what these idiots have to say here.
Apart from that, just going through my movie collection, listening to music and playing with my cousin's 1 year old baby during free time. Nothing much to do otherwise. They graciously let me sleep till afternoon here.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Costly affair
Heavy customisation and not joining the crowd can be a very costly affair as I recently found out. I wanted the security of windows 2000 just about a year back and removed XP for it. Now it has come to bite me in the back. Not only I have to download separate versions of software for it, I can't even use some games which my mother loved to play on my old win 98 machine. Now, after going for the only broadband ISP willing to give a connection to my home, I found out my system can't be used as it is. I have a lot of problems in my hands now after updating to windows XP (again). None of the administrative tools in control panel are available, there are problems with my TCP/IP settings, cannot use my old 56K modem, my new Cable modem, etc etc. They say I have to format my harddisk now and do a fresh installation of windows XP. The thing which I used to do for free now will cost me Rs 250 (discounted), and each CD that I write will cost me Rs 550 (!), I was robbed off of Rs 200 per CD last summer, when I had to recover my crashed harddisk. The 'tech' guys who came to 'install' broadband could not find out this problem after working for two days. Most of the time they were just refreshing the desktop as if it would do something magically. One guy who came today found out what the problem was. Why didn't they send him first? Now, they won't even give me a refund for unutilised unusable services. I stand to lose close to Rs 2000 just for finding out that standing out from the crowd is costly indeed! When will I realise any slight deviation in this country will leave you hanging?
Anyway, I will be leaving this city for the city said to be the main cause of AIDS in India, after spending a few days for my convocation in the place I called home for the last 2 years. People say I will spend close to Rs 10000 on house rent alone, a huge part of my salary.
Anyway, I will be leaving this city for the city said to be the main cause of AIDS in India, after spending a few days for my convocation in the place I called home for the last 2 years. People say I will spend close to Rs 10000 on house rent alone, a huge part of my salary.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Broadband and construction boom
After much consideration, I have decided to get a big pipe internet connection in my home. No, this is not a celebration post but a crib post. Yeah!
Contacted a lot of ISPs here trying to get a broadband connection to my home. As it happens only in India, blocks behind and in front of my block, and the blocks flanking mine get it but not mine. Of the only two operaters willing to give me a connection, one doesn't want my account it seems. Repeated calls go unanswered. In a weird sort, the cable division of it picks up my call after a couple of rings but the internet division does not. The other guy says my connection will take a couple of days for 'processing my applicaion' - it has to go to Surat before coming here. The dude in the metro region has trouble getting a broadband connection but dudes in places considered far-away-from-the-city have five or six to choose from! Bah!!
Also a lot has changed in the last 1 year, there is a construction boom, like we saw before and during the dotcom boom. Maybe we haven't come out of that cycle itself of the construction cycles are now shorter. While I am happy that there will be plenty of 'foreign' jobs in the next few years, the dip after may be 4 or 5 years might be bad. Just remember what happened after that y2k craze ended. Hmm!
Contacted a lot of ISPs here trying to get a broadband connection to my home. As it happens only in India, blocks behind and in front of my block, and the blocks flanking mine get it but not mine. Of the only two operaters willing to give me a connection, one doesn't want my account it seems. Repeated calls go unanswered. In a weird sort, the cable division of it picks up my call after a couple of rings but the internet division does not. The other guy says my connection will take a couple of days for 'processing my applicaion' - it has to go to Surat before coming here. The dude in the metro region has trouble getting a broadband connection but dudes in places considered far-away-from-the-city have five or six to choose from! Bah!!
Also a lot has changed in the last 1 year, there is a construction boom, like we saw before and during the dotcom boom. Maybe we haven't come out of that cycle itself of the construction cycles are now shorter. While I am happy that there will be plenty of 'foreign' jobs in the next few years, the dip after may be 4 or 5 years might be bad. Just remember what happened after that y2k craze ended. Hmm!
Saturday, February 26, 2005
I thought I would not get a chance to crib about something here, but the Chief Village Idiot (aka the president) of the gated community I live in gave me something to talk about. This guy if born into a political party would have become second only to Jayalalitha or Laloo Prasad Yadav. As they say about first gen rich guys, he had humble beginnings, then went on to get elected the president of this community. After that, there was no looking back. He has now a huge construction business, which he started here itself. He has installed only his yes men everywhere from the glorified dogcatchers aka the community security guards to the entire council office. He has managed to get himself elected for the last 10 or more years, with the support of the idiots or the residents of this colony. The truely sane are the minority here.
The movers brought my stuff and everything from my college to this place, the security would not allow them to enter, for 'security reasons'! They went and came the second day, only to be stopped at the gates again. I personally went to talk with the idiot on guard and he says I have to 'talk to the Chief'. The moron then says the vehicle has to enter through the gate at the opposite end. I say to the duffer, but my house is right next to the gate! Logic is always lost on people with no brains. The poor mover brings in everything through a tiny opening in the gate. He (the alpha-moron) says 'he works for the welfare of the residents'. This is welfare? Dear Lord!!! Atleast he has served himself, bought houses at atleast 3 different localities, one a 4 storey building, misappropriated the funds given by the government to lay roads, his close friend's wife is the dummy corporation councillor, complains to newspapers that a nearby fruit shop (owned by himself and his politician friend) dumps garbage inside this community, converted a vibrant playground which hosted many cricket and football tournaments into a park, but complains 'the government did not plan well to have a playground'.
The movers brought my stuff and everything from my college to this place, the security would not allow them to enter, for 'security reasons'! They went and came the second day, only to be stopped at the gates again. I personally went to talk with the idiot on guard and he says I have to 'talk to the Chief'. The moron then says the vehicle has to enter through the gate at the opposite end. I say to the duffer, but my house is right next to the gate! Logic is always lost on people with no brains. The poor mover brings in everything through a tiny opening in the gate. He (the alpha-moron) says 'he works for the welfare of the residents'. This is welfare? Dear Lord!!! Atleast he has served himself, bought houses at atleast 3 different localities, one a 4 storey building, misappropriated the funds given by the government to lay roads, his close friend's wife is the dummy corporation councillor, complains to newspapers that a nearby fruit shop (owned by himself and his politician friend) dumps garbage inside this community, converted a vibrant playground which hosted many cricket and football tournaments into a park, but complains 'the government did not plan well to have a playground'.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Saala Madrasi
My father is a great motivator, just talk to him for a few hours and he will give the worst case scenario possible that you would wanna pick up yourself, and run as far away as possible from the life he just described would happen. Not bad in itself, but let him bring in a couple of high placed friends to reinforce his beliefs. Just today, he took me for a covert counselling session with a Joint Director in a government office. That lady gave me the worst possible cases on why I should not have a girlfriend at very impressionable young age of 25. If you come here, you will understand that the whole of South India is like my father and my relatives, maybe except for Bangalore. Now, I am not searching for a girlfriend, but still they assume I am 'weak' and 'some attraction' will be there. Every little paper and TV prog that comes in to my home is closely scrutinised for any trace of a girl. My mom left her hair band in my bag which I took to my hostel, and brought it back. My father was curious about to whom that belongs to. When he sent me to insti, he was disappointed to note that there are hostel blocks shared by both 'boys' and 'girls' and 'girls' can visit the 'boys' in their rooms. What a surprise!
As a guy who wants a small government, I am surprised at the human resource capital my family has contributed to the government. Looks like my great-great-great grandfather and his cousins went hyperactive and incorporated the British government office gene in their progeny.
Next, Chennai with CAS sucks big time both GWBush and his father. Coupled with the fact my dad would not let my buy a set-top box, someone call the wah-mbulance. He wants me to watch some old ladies crying a river on some soaps shown here. Couple with the India-Pakistan cricket series coming up, well, understand my frustration. My friends just outside of Chennai taunt me much with this tiny little thing called CAS (or the lack of it). The first presentation I made my insti was in praising CAS and this is the rewards I get. I just want to create a time machine, go back 2 years in time and wring the puny little necks of Sushma 'Sucks' Swaraj or Pramod 'Miserable' Mahajan whoever was the I&B Minister at that time and brought the curse called CAS to Chennai. I am now waiting eagerly for my comp to be delivered and more sad stories from Chennai to follow shortly, after a couple of days.
As a guy who wants a small government, I am surprised at the human resource capital my family has contributed to the government. Looks like my great-great-great grandfather and his cousins went hyperactive and incorporated the British government office gene in their progeny.
Next, Chennai with CAS sucks big time both GWBush and his father. Coupled with the fact my dad would not let my buy a set-top box, someone call the wah-mbulance. He wants me to watch some old ladies crying a river on some soaps shown here. Couple with the India-Pakistan cricket series coming up, well, understand my frustration. My friends just outside of Chennai taunt me much with this tiny little thing called CAS (or the lack of it). The first presentation I made my insti was in praising CAS and this is the rewards I get. I just want to create a time machine, go back 2 years in time and wring the puny little necks of Sushma 'Sucks' Swaraj or Pramod 'Miserable' Mahajan whoever was the I&B Minister at that time and brought the curse called CAS to Chennai. I am now waiting eagerly for my comp to be delivered and more sad stories from Chennai to follow shortly, after a couple of days.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)