If I was an auto driver

People living in Chennai and Kolkatta should be familiar with the concept of share autos. The auto drivers have fixed rates. If you get down anywhere in a stretch of five kilometres, you have to pay four rupees, after 9 P.M. at night the fare is five rupees. This fare system works on the Udhayam theatre to Guindy route. One day as I travel by these share autos, I thought of the life these auto drivers lead.

A look at their life:

One should have finished tenth standard and started driving an auto. Just think after taking a look at these calculations. For an average student who does not study engineering, law or medicine, but some arts, science or commerce course, the fees from nursery to college graduation would range between 7 and 12 lakhs depending on the city and the institution that the student studied in, if its engineering, well then add another 3 or 4 lakhs to that number.

Suppose you own a share auto, assuming that you have taken a loan from a bank to buy the auto, then this is how the balance sheet will appear:

Monthly payment to bank-Rs 4000 (for 3 years).
Monthly petrol expenses-Rs 4000 to Rs 5000.
Monthly maintenance expenses-Rs 1000.
Monthly mamool(bribe) to the traffic police-Rs 1000 to Rs 2000.

Assuming that you ply the share auto on the Guindy to Udhayam route from morning 8 A.M. to 10 P.M. at night seven days a week, you should be able to make thirty to forty trips a day. On each trip (one way) on an average at least 15 people travel by the auto. So 15 multiplied by 4 equals to 60 rupees for one trip, a two way trip gets Rs 120. So, forty trips a day gets Rs 4800 a day.I will keep the figure to Rs 4000 for easy calculation. So at the end of a month the auto driver earns Rs 4000 multiplied by 30, that equals to Rs 120000.

If I assume that all the auto-related expenses cost Rs 15000 a month, even then he earns about a lakh of rupees every month. Much more than many IT engineers and seasoned BPO executives. Assuming that he drives a hired vehicle and pay Rs 1000 to 1500 as daily rent, then it comes around Rs 50000 to Rs 60000 a month.

There is also an added advantage of being an auto driver. Great heroes like Rajini and Vijay have acted as auto drivers. Then I could have worn khaki shirts and moved about in Rajini style singing "Auto kaaran, auto kaaran, naan naalu terinja rouute kaaran."

That is life I guess having all the adventures on the road!!!!

South India's Gift to the World

South India has produced some of the finest luminaries in the fields of arts, science, literature, theatre, etc... As far as I am concerned the simple 'idly' is the biggest contribution of South Indian culture to the world.

Just think of the soft steaming white idlies with piping hot onion, ladies finger, pumpkin, and tomato sambar, accompanied with tender white coconut chutney, and crispy golden vadas, all washed down with a cup of Madras filter coffee. A heavenly experience, nothing can beat the taste of idly with sambar and chutney.

No one knows when they were prepared for the first time. References to the idly are made in works that are more than a thousand years old. Nowadays one can find different varieties of idlies - rava idly, mixed vegetable idly, mini idly(14 small idlies floating in a bowl of steaming hot sambar), chili idly, fried idly, idly uppuma, the list is endless as one can substitute ingredients to satisfy one's taste and palate.

Happy eating...

The Toastmasters Club

Last Sunday, I had a chance to go to the Toastmasters club. The meeting was about two hours from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. I truly enjoyed being a part of the club as it gave me an opportunity to meet people from various walks of life who meet every weekend to learn to communicate effectively. I attended the meeting as a guest for which I had to pay 100 Rs.

What is a Toastmasters club?

Toastmasters is a great organization to get lots of speaking practice and increase your confidence. Toastmasters has been in service for more than 85 years, offering enjoyable way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills.

And by becoming a member, you will:

1.     Improve your presentation skills.

2.     Increase your leadership potential.

3.     Increase your self confidence.

4.     Get rid of your fear factor.

5.     Improve your public speaking skills.

6.     Get a better command over the language.

People who are moderately/ highly fluent in English can attend the meeting. Committed individuals with high aspirations and interest in learning are most welcome to the club. For more details on Toastmasters, log on to: www.Toastmasters.org.

The Role of a Technical Writer

Technical writing can be said as writing technical information in an easy-to-understandable manner for a specific set of readers.

Many would wonder why hire a technical writer, whats their role in a Porduct company. Well ..

Why do you hire a technical writer?

·         Having an on-staff technical writer, whose only job is to create properly written, prepared, and presented documents, shows customers that you endeavor to provide a quality product.

·         A skilled technical writer researches the document's target audience, determines the information required, and delivers it in a format that fits the need.

·         Technical writers design, write, edit, and manage a variety of documents.

As technology inserts itself into every aspect of daily life, there is an increasing need for clear, concise, accurate documents to explain that technology. If developers, engineers, or other high-level staff are writing the documents, you are taking time away from the staff's development, engineering, or other important tasks. Technical people typically write technical content which is very vague for other readers.

An excellent technical writer

1.     organize information so that main points are easy to find and ideas are easy to follow.

2.     adhere to conventional rules of grammar and punctuation.

3.     communicate visually as well as verbally.

Happy blogging!!!!

Cheers to Life

Raise your hand if you are happy today. Raise your hand if you were happy yesterday. But how many of you ARE GOING TO BE happy tomorrow.  We never know that because happiness had always depended upon something or somebody.

When I was 5 years old, I was happy whenever I saw my mom waiting at my school gate to pick me up. When I was 10 years old, I was happy whenever my Maths teacher was on leave.

In my teenage, I was happy whenever my crush smiled at me.

Wow!!! Cheers to Life!!!

Don’t you all think I am really blessed? Let me narrate my story to you.

When I was 24 years old, I got happily married. On November 14, 2011, we were blessed with a cute little angel. When we thought we are the happiest couple, our excitement got shattered. Our little daughter Sahana was admitted in the ICU due to serious breathing complications. The doctors spoke of medical terms we could least understand. They never gave any positive hope.

Days passed. She was not discharged from the ICU. We started to get nervous. I insisted in seeing her. Nobody has ever seen the child after her birth. After much persuasion, the hospital allowed me to see her. When I went inside the ICU, I saw her lying in the ventilator machine.

My daughter was surrounded with tubes and ventilation support. The motherliness in me wanted to lift her, kiss her and feel her soft skin. But the nurse prohibited me from even touching the child.

I kept looking at her and how much I wished I was holding her in my arms with my husband by my side arguing on whom she resembled much. The situation forbid me from having the little pleasures of life.

When I came out of the ICU, I hugged my husband and said “Honey, she is looking exactly like you”. I was happy that I was the first one to see the child.

Wow!! Cheers to Life!!! Every day I was allowed into the ICU to just have a look at her for 2 minutes. Each day, I was eagerly waiting for THAT 2 minutes. Whenever I went inside, I whispered in her ears, “Dear, Come to us. We are waiting”. She never blinked or moved. She lay there idle.

After a week, she was discharged from the hospital they telling us about the complications of grooming the child.

They said “You have to be a little careful with her, she will not be like the normal children. She requires extra care and attention”.

I turned nocturnal carrying her in my arms throughout the night. It was my mom who carried her in the day time. Though some of my days were 20 hours long, I was happy to be holding her in my arms ………for 20 hours. There were not much progress, so after six months, the doctors advised us to take Sahana to occupational therapy.  From 20 hours in a day to 2 years……

OH MY!!!! Those two years were tough. Was it was a real struggle???? Believe me, it was worth it. My daughter Sahana beat all the milestones the doctors laid for her. She did crawl, she did stand, she did walk and she did talk… The struggle and pain of the 2 intense years vanished when she uttered the word…………. “Amma”… …….’’ Amma’ …..…… A fabulous moment, a fabulous feeling.

WOW – Cheers to life.

Life deals you with a pack of cards, how you choose to take it is in your hands.

When I tonsured my hair as an offering for Sahana‘s good health, my entire family was crying. But I was happy that I had the perfect hair style for summer.

Life, Perhaps, dealt me this - The struggling, the difficult, the sad face

But I chose this, the optimistic, the brighter and happy face.

Though I have a strict mother-in-law, I am happy that I atleast have a mother-in-law to complain about. What is there in life without a little spice.

Is your happiness meter scoring low? Learn to appreciate the little good things around you. We have a lot of things to be happy about.

Cheers to Life!!!

My Experiment with Chennai Road Transport

I am always overawed by the huge variety of vehicles in chennai. Autos, share autos in all shapes and sizes, a variety of cars, buses, two wheelers, call taxis, trucks, load vans, and the list goes on. In Madurai, that is where I come from, I would have seen a few buses, a lot of cycles and tricycles, some share autos and very few cars. We rarely get to see Audis and BMWs as we see in Chennai.

Back in 2006, I came to Chennai in search of a job. As I had no own vehicle I had no other choice but to take the buses. That was my first experiment. In Chennai, the bus stops are too big and long and I often get confused on where to stand. More than me it is the bus drivers who are erratic. Once I was standing in the Saidapet bus stop waiting for 5A bus to go to velachery. I was standing right near the board which displays the numbers of the buses. The 5A bus arrived and all the people started running towards the bus. I got scared whether they were either trying to hit the bus or attempting a mass suicide.  All the people got into the bus on running itself, and then the bus stopped twenty feet away from me. Before I could run and catch the bus, it left. Me not being PT Usha, missed the bus. So From then on I have learnt to get onto a running bus or stand twenty feet away from the bus stop.

The next experiment came with the share autos. I come from Porur. To come to office, I have to take share autos from porur to guindy. From guindy, I have to take M119 bus to reach SRP tools. I was amazed by the very first fact that the van like structures called TATA ACE is called as share autos here. The share auto drivers are very patient people. They will not budge until the very last seat in the share auto is occupied. So I make it a point to always get into an auto that has only one seat left.

One day, I got into a share auto which had only one seat left and the auto started off to guindy. But luck didn’t favour me. At DLF IT park, except me all the 8 people got down from the auto. Both the share auto driver and me were very very disappointed.

As I knew he will not move, I got down from the auto and started shouting “ guindy, guindy”. The driver was shocked and was staring at me. Fortunately, the share auto got occupied and then he moved and I reached guindy.

At guindy, there is a line of M119s parked. I got into the bus in which the bus driver and conductor got in. The driver started the bus and was roaring. All the people in the bus stop rushed into the bus, fought for the seat and was happily settled. Then the bus moved a few inches and then stopped.  The driver and the conductor got down and went away. When I was confused on what went wrong, the bus standing right next to the one I am sitting started and was roaring. Now all the people in my bus, got down and went on to catch that bus and left.

Actually this bus had moved so as to pave way for the one standing behind. Feeling so deceived and irate, I got down and then hired an auto.

Now, my third experience came next.

I told him “Anna, SRP tools, taramani”. “OH , ascendas ah?, “ NO no, SRP tools bus stop, anna”. I had to argue with him to switch on his meter box. He became so irated. He said “Ok, then you have to give me 20 rs extra”. I reluctantly gave in and said OK. He started the auto and when we were crossing Phoenix mall, the auto was bumping so badly. I didn’t know whether it was due to the bad roads or he was angry on me. The auto was bumping so heavily that I was clinging on to my dear life. When I reached office, I was happy that I was in a one whole piece. 

From all my experiments I have understood that the best way to get around the city is to perhaps have a two wheeler and stay near to office. 

My diet with my Mother in law

There are two terrifying things in a woman’s life. Fortunately, I’m blessed with both. One my weight and two my mother in law.

Last month i went for a complete health checkup. I underwent a series of tests and spent half of my salary. I collected the reports and consulted the doctor. He gave me a serious look and said “Sevitha, obesity is a major problem. You’re prone to diseases like cholesterol, diabetes, thyroid, and android.”

I was shocked. He continued saying hypertension along with blood pressure, liquid pressure, vacuum pressure is on your way. I was already pressure less, but my husband was pressurized. My husband looked at me and said “Honey. Please take care of your health. After all, who will do the laundry.

The very next day i decided to go on a strict diet and joined a gym where they plucked the rest of my salary. At the gym, they gave me an ever green diet plan - green vegetable, green salad, green grass, green, green, green. Exactly a menu for a cow.

What i don’t understand is in spite of eating only green grass, why are some cows fatter than me?

I came home from the gym and received a phone call from my mil – “Hi Sevitha. I am going to come home tomorrow”. I realized my doctor’s words were coming true – hyper tension along with blood pressure on my way.

Next morning, she reached our house, went straight into the kitchen and started cooking. That was when my hubby told her about my diet plans. After keenly listening to it, my mil gave me a wicked smile.

She said “No problem Ajay. I will take care of it.”

Leaving the kitchen to her, i rushed to the gym. My trainer, after seeing me, he was instantly inspired and asked me to stand on the weighing machine. As soon as i got on it, it started beeping with an automated voice – ONE PERSON AT A TIME. I looked at my trainer and said, “After all… weight is just a number.”

He then asked me to raise a 10 kilo bar, i lifted it like a chocolate bar.

His ego was terribly hurt. He never gave up. He asked me to do 25 minutes of running, 25 minutes on EFX, 25 minutes of floor exercise, and finally he gave me 25 table topics. I was exhausted.

I came back home. And the breakfast was ready.

I went to the dining table and saw two idlies in my plate…5 idlies and 2 vadas in my husband’s plate……It gave me the same feeling of someone else’s appraisal letter and my appraisal letter…

For a minute, i thought of slim goddesses like Priyanka chopra and Kareena Kapoor and quickly gulped the two idlies and started to office. Vada…..poche!!!

I reached office at 10 am and exactly an hour later i started to hear different sounds from my tummy. i couldn’t wait for lunch time. During lunch, i rushed to the cafeteria and opened my box ravenously. I saw two chapathis and a small cup of dal.

I understood why my mother in law said, “I will take care of it”. After work, i reached home by 8pm. When i entered the house, i smelt fresh ghee in the air. I was about to dive on the food. Just then my MIL told, “Sevitha, Wait. Let Ajay come”.

I was waiting for my lovely husband to come.

A few minutes later, my lovely husband arrived. My mil served him hot puris and chicken and she brought a hot pack from the kitchen with a smile. i opened it so eagerly to find biryanis. But i found 3 dry rotis.

Rotis!!! Really!!! I felt like stuffing all three roti’s in her mouth and suffocate her to death. Oh…no she is my mother in law, how can i kill her?

Frustrated, i skipped my dinner and went to bed. But I was not able to sleep. I kept rolling….and rolling…. and rolling…..in the bed but my husband kept burping…. and burping…. and burping….in the bed. I got up from the bed and rushed to the kitchen. I brought all the possible dishes from the kitchen to the bed room. My husband was shocked and was staring at me. I saw my MIL standing at the door and smirking at me. I looked at my husband and told “Sergeant at arms!!! Please ensure the doors are secured until i finish eating”.  

Ladies and only ladies!!! Dieting is a tough job. Do it. But do it only when your MIL is not around.