Second to all day-tripper?

As a tourist in an unknown famous town what is your identity?

Famous cities make you less significant. That’s what happened to me when I was walking ‘all over London’ (intended) for a week. Not that many knew me in Leeds or Delhi or Pune, but me knowing those cities and people there gave me a false sense of worthy existence.

At the same time wandering alone in an unknown place gives me a notorious sense of freedom, time to ponder, play day-tripper, second to all.

Here is a piece that I wrote while on the move in London city:

4^th June 2008

I walked streets yesterday n today…God knows what I was looking for, until today when I managed to strap myself with a flouroscent* band at The Metro (which I entered thru the back door, another story in itself) next to the Tottenham court station giving me access to a dozen almost secretive in their soul type of gig locations (I am so tempted to call it London’s underground scene, but honestly I wouldn know). Appropriately, this event is called city-showcase encouraging upcoming talent from all across England and some European artists too..

Yeah so at The Metro after watching some practice sessions as I was there early I’ve come The Fly on New Oxford street, where I’ve heard someome’s doing a Reggae act..

Right, I think there on..laterz

5^th June 2008

So from where I left yesterday, I heard this R&B set by artists who called themselves ‘Queens English’, local band (see the irony). Anyways massively talented, super attitude and loads of fun. Anyways after their set I strolled back to The Metro. This time in thru the front door,, just when I was thinking not as exciting as the backdoor, the doorman asked me to get rid of my ‘sparkling water’ bottle. It wassun really that sparkling know. Anyways he din mind the hip-flask…strange..maybe he knew better. Now then, by now it was late and the place was packed. ‘When Gravity fails’ an upcoming English rock band were playing, nice one. Stuck around for another hour or so and headed back on the tube to Wembley…

---So I was in London for a week, mostly alone, met a few people for brief periods and moved on. I was strangely restless. Its really weird you know when one joblessly moves at the pace of a city as fast as London. Its not like I had a job to do a place to be, still.

It was exciting yeah but I liked Leeds better which was more easy paced inspite of pressures of the day nol(hardly)…more English u c… It was a crazy bit of 4 odd months that I cannot paint a word(th)y picture of, highly recommended tho…..

Cheers

Friends:the sob story

The other day I was at the gym, where all the four TVs were playing Friends the famous and supposedly funny story of 3 men and 3 women in New York city.
There is no doubt that the show is a phenomenon and will have a place in the history of civilization if some sociologist does a research on its effect on the funny sensibilities of a generation. My Generation.

But I think the time has come to move on. To stop laughing at the same technique repeatedly. I am obviously not recommending suppressing your laughter if you pass by an electronics showroom that’s selling TVs, Friends and New York.
What I am suggesting though is alternate humour, the one that’s all around us.
Also, I’m suggesting to all the comedy show producers there is a serious void created and Friends has long reached saturation and the time is ripe for another Cult series. To think about it there might be one out there that I have missed.

I’m no critique of comedy show’s but I do know what people at Friends have successfully done is create distinct characters who have a certain funny quotient which is only funny in the presence of the other characters. It’s easy and brilliant just like most of the other brilliant stuff, uncomplicated to face.

So what’s worrying? The fact that there is an army of mini Chandlers, Joey’s and Monica’s being created. You see people trying so hard to copy their style that they forget, they cant possibly replicate the context, even if they start staying opposite 2 reasonably pretty looking girls in a “New York like” city flat.
Also, not as worrying is the fact that all the TV stars have a career graph that has just one peak, a 10 yr or so peak tho.. and they make a living off royalties etc.
Reason simply being the friends lens wit which audience watches all their other performances.

So all those who remember every dialogue, the one wit’s n the rest… friends is not the only freakin source of humour…take your mates out for a beer and explore their potential and yours.

*the opinion itself might be freakin outdated

Consumer’s a Hobo and [Y]atra.com=Shoddy Co.

Growing economy, increasing buying power, liberalization etc. etc. are only fancy phrases. The modern Indian consumer market is as progressive as an Opera.

After all the bullshit is slinged and the beat settles, the fact is you still have to pay extra in the form of a tip, bribe or commission to get basic service.
Let me narrate one of the instances that has disgruntled me.

I’m coming to U.K. so I book a ticket from Delhi to London for a particular date.
Then I change my mind and decide to fly to Manchester instead. Promise you for sane reasons. Now, I check with [Y]atra, the online booking portal I've got my tickets booked with, if I would be paying any extra money to cancel the ticket already booked and book another one on the new route with the same airline. Unfortunately, people at their call centre cannot even attend to an FAQ respectably.
They were however nice enough to give me the requisite information ultimately. So, I’ll be charged Rs. 400. I’m like fairplay, I’ll go with that.

So I cancel my ticket to London and book one to Manchester. Now, both tickets cost close to 20,000 leave alone the cancellation charges. That apart, the time and effort in calling these instruction reading service executives, takin a million ref. no.s and wt not.
Anyways, once I’ve booked it I ask them how long it would take for them to credit the amount of the first ticket into my account. Now the thing is, this is my dad’s credit card and its not a lot of fun playing wit. Right so these buggers tell me they’ll credit it back to my account within 3-4 days. Fairplay.
Its been a month since I’ve come to Leeds, and the money has still not been credited to my father’s account. This, inspite of him repeatedly calling them up and mailing them.
Its painful to even think of him going through that routine. I mean he had to pay the credit card company double of what he had to at the end of Jan.
It is important to understand that this is not just about the money, but about the whole façade of customer service and online transaction security.

Its time we have better consumer forums that are accessible and fierce. Some one’s gotta take [Y]atra’s trip and make mine better. Untill then, I’m awaiting a defamation case. haha. O I forgot they’d be too lazy to file one, besides their damages would never exceed mine. Fuck it! who's reading this.