Is it just me?

People, gosh !! Some of them have so unique ways to irk you, when they want to. Like they'll start the conversation with a simple and innocent question "So, how's the job?"
And then, a simple "Fine, going good" just doesn't satisfy their inquisitive nature.
So they go ahead and take the next step and ask "And how's the pay in your company?"
And I try to skirt the issue with a standard reply "Just about the same as any other company in this industry"

No, but they are not yet satisfied. So they take another step and fearlessly (and shamelessly, pardon my words here) fire this question "And how much do you make on your position?"

Now I don't know if it just me who gets irked by this question or others feel this way too, but I just can't tolerate people asking me this question. I feel this questions is total invasion of someone's financial and professional privacy. In my heart, I want to blast out and say "Oh, I just don't make anything on my job. In fact I am doing a charity for my company. And while we are on this, I don't have enough to pay the rent this month. Can I borrow a $1000 from you, if you don't mind"
But on face, I just try to ignore this question. More often than not, topics like weather, TV programs, kids issues come handy.
But the fact is, that I have struggled with this issue a lot and very frequently.
And that too, not just from random people, but people from close relations, people I haven't thought about being and don't want to be disrespectful to.
I could understand if such a question came from someone elderly like my Nani
but the irony is that even when I broke the news of my first job after college (And I was the first girl on my Nani's side going for a job), she never asked me what I was going to earn. I was surprised at her subtle yet concerned comment "Beta Paise to theek thak mil rahe honge na (you must be getting decent money, right?)"

Or may be it was because I came from a background where never once did my parents asked  any of their married kids how much was their salary.
And when I get so upset from other person's deliberate invasion of my financial situation, I try to convince myself that I'll also play this way and ask them the same question when I talk them the next time. But, somehow, I can never bring up myself to do the same. I just steam it off onsomething or other
And the cycle keeps on going.
Does it hapen to you too? Is it some thing that make you really, really mad?
Like this one makes me sooooooooooo mad and helpless at the same time !!

Jumbled up

So, I am back, after a long time on my blog.
And it's not that I haven't been thinking about writing
I actually am at a point where I have a potpourri of ideas and thoughts going on in my mind
I pick up one thing to write about and then another thought plays a peek a boo to capture my attention
and this goes on and on
In fact, the following picture goes very close to picture my state of mind

Pic: Linked from http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/2103347/StateofMind


Now, when I started writing this, I needed a picture to display my state of mind. So off I went to Google.
And then, again I was lost and confused, so many options, so many images.
Which one should I use, which one actually does my mind relate to?
and back to square one ...

Speaking of Internet, with so many media to connect and share and interact, I am still amazed at some of the "not-so-courtseous" behaviors displayed on this media. Don't believe, see for yourself:

a) Mr "I am getting married" from my University decides to tell everyone on the group email that finally he found someone lucky to marry. Fair enough.
But then at least 10 "I am happy for you" folks hit "Reply All" on their inboxes and sent him a message. People, see carefully. There is "Reply"button just next to it and you are supposed to hit that. No one else is interested in knowing how/why you congratulate him for his marriage.

b) Mr "I love to spell words wrong", just so that you know, there is a spell check in almost every email editor these days and it is FREE. so please use it, at least for the official emails. Imagine the receivers' impression when they see you spelling "mentioned" as "mensioned" and "completion" as "complesion"

c) Hey Mr "I want to talk to all on FB", in an effort to just get into every conversation, please do not jump into conversations I am having with people on my wall you don't even know.

Phew !! Yup, these are some of the real life incidents I have faced in just recent past. And I am sure there are many more out there.

Other than that,at my house, we are geared up for summer activities with Aayush. Yes, he is all excited about the water parks and slides and the orange, lime and red popsicles and water melon and bike riding and what not !! He even complains that Sun is a "bad" boy not going to his home for sleep when it is his bed time (sometimes, there is still light when it's his bed time)

Catch you all again soon

Ms Witch

Why do people have to be so,so rude!! And so much so, that it spoils some one's day !!
And that too, the rude person I am referring to , is in a official government position representing my country.

Here's the story and see for yourself..
My indian passport is set to expire in June of this year, so I was preparing the documents for the renewal of passport. I went to the Indian embassy website, clicked on a few links and found that the application has to be filled online and submitted. Once I fileld up the application online, at the end, it gave me an option for setting up an appointment date and time to submit the application in person at the embassy.
Confused by this "appointment" thing, I decided to give their customer service a call.

After 5 rings, Ms Witch(yeah, that's how I am going to refer her in this narration) picks up the number and tells me in her YAWNING voice "Indian consulate passportr services"

I explain the situation to her and ask her whether I can submit the application by mail as well.

And the response I get, "didn't you read the website? It is all there !! and specially in bold font and red color for people like you, who do not read the website"

I still keep my cool and tell her "Madam, I understand that, but when I printed my application, it said that my appointment has been set up for this week itself and this being such an important document, I got all confused"

And to this her response was "It is all there on the website. Let me walk you you through. Open up your computer now"
"I am not in front of my computer right now" was my response.
To which she obliged me saying: "then call me when you are in front of your computer"
By now, she was totally on my nerves. so I just asked her this
"Why do you have to be so rude for all this? I agree this information may be on the website and I may not have looked carefully. But you could have ..."
"Hang on a minute" Came the reply, patak se

Next thing I know, she puts me on hold and in the background, I can listen her, laughing and talking to her some other colleague, saying "some one's trying to lecture me. Now let her be on hold for another hour and she'll know better !!"
I was appalled, disgusted, humiliated and flared up, all at the same time.

So, Ms Witch, here's my revenge for you...
Jaa, main tujhe shraap deti hoon
- Your cell phone bill has some major error this month and when you call the customer service to get it corrected, you encounter a person who is double rude and obnoxious that you.

- Next time, when you go to a resturant for a nice dinner, the server spills up hot soup on your dress, then serves you nastiest food available and you find a dead fly in your half eaten soup
- Next time, you go to a store, you acccidently miss paying for a lipstick/perfume and just when you are leaving the store, their buzzer goes off and the store manager humiliates you in front of everyone byasking you to pay for the things.
And the worst is here
- Tonight, when your teen son/daughter asks you to help them on their science home work with some research, and you cannot find the information you are looking for, they say, "Mom, you are so DUMB"
And now, a prayer to uparwale !!

Uparwale jee, You saw/listened everything, so be a fair judge and make sure my shraap doesn't go wasted.

And me, still in a bad mood !!

Edited To add: I did some searches on Indian Embassy in Washington DC  and looks like I am not the only one. See the following link to read similar stories from other people:
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS317US317&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=indian+embassy+washington+DC&fb=1&gl=us&hq=indian+embassy&hnear=washington+DC&cid=10497388930224686059&dtab=2&ei=wOX_S82uAYzCNamssTs&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAwQqgUwAA