Life’s two cents in the six months

Sambhavami yuge yuge. And here I am. Back to blogging after a gap of 6 months which, for sure has been a yuge (millennium) for my readers. Ahem. Okay seriously, my absence here is because I have become more lazy & busy at the same time. While Team India has gone from being celebrated world champions to finding themselves down in the dumps in England and again close to being considered world number one, personally I have become that guy who did his mechanical Engineering to become an IT guy. Yes. I am that guy. A trek to the Himalayas, a few hard decisions, and a couple of months in Bangalore later…here I am writing this post from my office cubicle taking some time off my CAT preparations. True story. So,here are some of the things i learnt in this period.

If you thought a 36 hour train journey in a crowded unreserved compartment is the closest you can get to hell, you are wrong. There cannot be more fun than that. Go give it a shot.

Delhi is shit. Shame its my nation’s capital. It has huge, empty roads with attitude written all over it. Impossible to find an ATM when you need it and the people kind of reflect the city’s image.

Trekking is something I cherish. Sincerely hope it becomes a frequent pastime.

Tents are fun. Cramped ones, more so.

I don’t smell that bad if I go without a bath for over 6 days.

Never be too excited about experiencing snow for the first time. It’ll be a disappointment.

If you do a snow slide of more than one kilometre, your kundi becomes numb for at least half a day.

If you are into high altitude trekking in India with a bunch of people, there will always be one Amit uncle who would have carried the national flag.

Never plan too much of your travels. Unreserved trains, dabba buses in which you travel for more than 15 hours and get to arrange your luggage on the roof top are the kind of stuff that turns a journey into an experience.

The Taj Mahal is truly a wonder. Admire its breathtaking beauty from the outside but try to curb your curiosity and do not venture inside the Taj! You will curse your countrymen to no end. There is no end to the ‘Priya loves Anand’, ‘Amit luvz Apurva’ scribblings.

Do not attach too much importance to deadlines.

When you have free time, be free. Relish the period, you may never get it back.

Watching movies in Bangalore is an expensive affair.

My two months in Bangalore was a lot of fun, but hey I am tired of this Chennai v Bangalore debate. There can be no comparison. I intend to settle this debate for once and for all in the next sentence.

It’s Chennai!

Chennai Autokkarans vs Bangalore Autowalahs

In the case of both Chennai(C) and Bangalore(B), the 3 wheelers that flood the streets in some way define the cities.The yellow ones of Chennai and their drivers display the atmosphere and the attitude of the city respectively. The Bangalore Blackies symbolise the city’s environment literally and the style of thinking of the locals. It might sound trivial, but the comparison of the Auto rickshaws says a lot about the 2 cities, which together are contributing in a massive way to the nation’s growth.

1. To find the right Auto
Be an Indian when in India. To call an Auto, all you do is clap randomly on the road or do the whistle if you are up for it. Considering the amount of these vehicles, you are bound to attract atleast a couple of them. You name the place and you are taken there. Atleast that’s what you thought. That’s not really the case in B.

You: I want to go to xyz place.
B Auto: xyz? Auto won’t go there saar. Too much traffic at this hour.
You: Where else will you go?
B Auto : Anywhere else.
You: Fuck off.

In C ,
You: I want to go to xyz place.
C Auto: Get in sir.
You: How much?
C Auto: You tell me.
You: No, you tell me.
C Auto: Get in saaaar.

B 0 – C 1

2. The cost factor

Bangalore Autowalahs religiously insist on employing their meter. For the Chennai Autokkaran, the meter is just a stationary tool kept for some decorative purpose. But in B, you have to pay 1.5 times the number that the meter shows when you travel from 9pm to 6am. No such caluclations required when you are in C.

In B, (After the ride)
You *Thinking you’d have to pay something around 80 and then look into the meter and it shows 50* : Wtf? *Hand over 50*
B Auto: Saar, what saar, that’s it?
You: It’s 50 right?
B Auto: Give me a 20 more saar. Tough to get a customer here, and it looks like it might rain today.
You: Yeah right. Here, have this 10.
B Auto: Thank you saar.

In C, (Before the ride)
You: You tell me how much? *You’d have 80 in your mind*
C Auto: 120.
You: Wtf? I can give only 80.
C Auto: No one will come there for 80.
You: I will find someone.
C Auto: Okay, give me 100.
You: Whatever, let’s go.

B 1 – C 1

3. Customer satisfaction

In B, the Auto usually takes the longest route possible to reach the place for obvious reasons. Take into account the city’s traffic and the time wasted is aplenty. However, that’s not the case in C. You will be taken through the narrowest of streets and witness your driver throw a few swear words at people blocking your way. If time is of your concern, C scores bigtime over B.

If you want to destress yourself during the ride, again C wins over B. B guys rarely talk during their work. But the C guy can’t usually keep his mouth shut. He may take freedom to even interrupt your conversations over the phone or with your co-passenger/s. If you are returning to the city after a while, you are updated with all the latest news in the neighbourhood and also weather updates. All Add-ons free of cost.

B 1 – C 2

4.The battle within
B Autos have the fancy digital meters and some have an electronic speed indicator and self start buttons. Says quite a bit about their work ethics. Whereas, the C guy has no heart to do away with the traditional pom-pom horn and the put-put sound is heard when the engine starts. It is in this segment, that the features of the vehicle greatly define the city. So, depending on your attitude, your preference will vary. Even stevens.

B 2 – C 3

5. Other Factors
B Autos run on LPG while C Autos run on diesel. The entire B city carries that smell of gas and you can sense it even if you are indoors. The C autos are more noisy but less polluting. Also, the fuel is a reason for the difference in prices.

B Autos display the license of the driver behind his seat, along with his contact number, address, etc. Why would you care? Because, the Govt. there has made it mandatory to do so after some call taxi guy raped a lady. In my opinion it’s a naive move and instills a sense of insecurity within the locals themselves. However, in C you get into an auto if you don’t want to get raped. This isn’t to suggest all B Auto’s are unsafe and all C ones are safe. Just a case in hand.

B 2 – C 4

Though the scoreline is one sided, B scores on the cost factor. If it satisfies to somehow travel cheap and put up with it, B is the best. If you want to have a quality experience in an auto and would want to know the place better, C is the one for you.

To each his own.