Help others to help yourself.

If you help someone then you don't have to feel great about it, neither you should expect thank you thank you  or that generosity from that person every time you meet him/her nor you should expect help in return from him/her. If you are helping some one then you are not helping him/her, actually, you are helping yourself. Help others to help yourself.

I am a believer of above lines which are given to me as a gyaan by one of my uncle. If you do good things then good things will come to you, its kind of law of attraction, it depends on you what you want to attract to yourself. 
Well, not going in to deep of this philosophy I personally believe that we should help others in whatever way we can, some times people feels that others are taking advantage of your help or may be your friends or dear ones may say to you that other people asks for your help because they don't want to do things by themselves. Well, this is true sometimes, I think it depends on every individual i.e. how to identify/sense that who is taking advantage or who is actually taking help, but you are not gonna loose anything to offer your help.

As I said, I am a believer of this philosophy and this belief turns into reality this year. I can never forget those series of event that took place in the month of Jan 13. As I have to move to Sweden in the month of Feb 13 I was specifically looking for a Swedish currency (SEK) travel card and I had two options, either to take it from HDFC bank or from Axis bank. Having a good experience with HDFC bank I decided to take this card from them and that was the time when my trust with HDFC bank broke and built again. What happened that day is mentioned in my below email which I sent later on to the manager of that HDFC bank employee as a token of appreciation.

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Dear Sir,

With due respect I would like to grab a chance to share my recent experience with HDFC bank executive's in concern to the Foreign exchange department.

This whole experience is from date 10-Jan-2013, I had to travel to Sweden and I was looking a Visa based SEK Travel card which HDFC bank provides. I did a lot of research on SEK travel card and compared travel card provided by other banks with HDFC but I found HDFC SEK Travel card more cheaper so I made my  mind to go with HDFC.

Although, I am not a HDFC bank user but as my father is I have always seen him more then satisfied with the extensive good quality of services provided by HDFC bank to him. Moreover, my father is an extremely satisfied customer so the same trust passed on to me which made me to choose HDFC bank with blind faith.

As I am talking about my trust, this was broken on 10-Jan-2013 but later saved by Mr. Vipul Awasthi.  

I went to the HDFC bank's Indirapuram (Ghaziabad) branch and the customer service executive told me that this branch does not deal in Forex so I should go to the HDFC bank's Vaishali branch. I went to HDFC's Vaishali (GZB) branch, there the lady in the Foreign exchange department told me that I should go to the HDFC's Noida Sector 18 branch to have the SEK card. I asked the lady executive that why should I go to sec-18 branch as this product (SEK travel card) is on the shelf product and as www.hdfcbank.com says that I can purchase this card from any branch by just walkin to it then she told me that HDFC's Vaishali branch is not the Forex branch and sector 18 branch is specialized Forex branch for this purpose.

To my aggression that lady executive asked to me to leave my number so that I can be contacted by an HDFC executive for this matter. I was contacted by Mr. Vineet and I was astonished and disappointed  when he told me that any kind of Travel card can not be issued to a customer who is not having any account with HDFC bank. When I asked Mr. Vineet to cross check this information he talked to me rudely and said that whatever information he is giving to me is correct and the HDFC bank website is not updated. When I told him that whatever he is telling me is not true then he gave me the number of Mr. Vipul Awasthi and asked me to contact him.

As I was in urgent need of HDFC SEK card I contacted Mr. Vipul with the hope that he may help and trust me Sir, Mr. Vipul came to help me as a savior that day. He told me that I have been misguided and any HDFC branch should arrange the card from other branch if they are out of stock of any Travel card. He asked me to wait at HDFC Vaishali branch and promised me to call back with in half an hour. 

Since, I don't have time to wait I went to the HDFC's Noida sector 18 branch and there also the lady executive told me that SEK card is not available with the branch and she don't know which other branch might have it, in fact she told me that HDFC bank do not provide any SEK card, the bank has never launched such card, she provided me the contact details of some Money exchanger from where HDFC's Noida sector 18 branch get its currency conversion.

I again contacted Mr. Vipul and explained him the whole scenario, he asked me to wait for 5 minutes and he talked to Mr. Ajay Tiwari at Noida sector 18 branch to help me out. There after, the SEK card was issued to me in the same branch whose executive was denying the existence of such card in the market.

I was even more impressed with the customer service of Mr. Vipul Awasthi when he himself took out little time from his busy schedule to keep following up the status. He contacted me to confirm whether the card has been issued to me or not, by that time it was not issued and he again followed up the whole issue and scolded some other executive keeping me in the conference call.

I must say employees like Mr. Vipul Awasthi can never let faith of bank's customer down and sets example for other employees for delivering highest customer satisfaction.

If Mr. Vipul has not come in to the picture that day then I surely have loosed my trust and faith with HDFC bank and have purchased the SEK travel card from AXIS Bank.

I am sorry to write such a long mail but the intention was to let you know how customers are misguided by the bank executives and how helpless they can feel in the era of competitive banking. Such small things and misguiding results in lose of customer which is not good for a premier bank like HDFC.

I hope some sort action can be taken against those executives.

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Well, this whole experience left me with few questions:-

1. Who was Mr. Vipul Awasthi?
2. Why did he helped me as a unknown person?
3. What he is benefiting from all this?

I only had answer of question 2, may be because I have helped some one known/unknown some time and I got the return that day. 

All I could have given to Mr. Vipul is my sincere thanks and the above appreciation mail to his manager. I don't know if there was any action taken against those executives who were misguiding me but my purpose was solved by a unknown man.

Don't be so formal.

You may have noticed that most of the time we say in formality "come'on yaar don't be so formal" but we sometimes mind if one does not say things formally or considers that person as rude if they say things directly which they actually mean to say instead of saying it in other way around with a nice wrapping of words so that the recipient don't feel bad.

There may be culture difference, since we adopted all these mannerism and formal words like sorry, thank you, excuse me from British we expect the same things from others, at least from those who are just acquaintances. 

What I mean by saying all these, about what and whom I am saying these? May be those are the questions in your mind, so, I am talking about some of my work culture experience which I gained by working with my Swedish colleagues. 

 I have observed following things which they say and I will compare these with our way of saying (with all my so called learned Indian corporate ethics of never saying no directly).


Situation 1: When you want some information from a colleague who is doing some other work.

Me: Hey!! Did you get a chance to look at that mail which I sent to you?

Colleague: I don't have time for it and I am very busy right now.

How I would have said this 

Me: Hey! Yes, I looked at it from the very top level but to answer your question I need to collect some more information. Do you mind if I come back to you on this before EOD today as I am occupied in this task?


Situation 2: When you go to a colleagues desk to ask some thing and they are working on something.

Colleague: (After they sense that you are coming towards them or you are sneaking around) Give me a minute. (They say it and continue doing their work with out looking at you).

What I would have done in this situation

Me: (After sensing that somebody is around to say something and before they say something, look at them) Hey!! (and listen to them/their question, reply it quickly if you know the answer already and get back to the screen or if you don't know the answer, say) do you mind if  I come back to your desk with the answer .


Situation 3: In a meeting, you are explaining to your boss about your plan to do a particular task.

Boss: I don't care how you do it. Do whatever you want.

How I would have replied if I were a boss

Me: Hmm!! that sounds like a plan, let me know if you  need any information or assistance from me and keep me posted.

Initially I felt rude but then I come to know that in Swedish language there is not much formality like English and may be what they are trying to say in English is completely different from what they are trying to meant in Swedish.

I guess I will come to know about this later part when I will be proficient in Swedish but the thing to note is that you can really reduce the amount of words to say if you don't care how the receptor may feel :D 

***Disclaimer:By this post, I am not implying that Swedish work culture is like what I am representing here but it is from my so far work experience while working with Swedish colleagues in an Swedish software firm. ***

When you find Gandhiji randomly..

We all know very well that where we can find Gandhi ji these days (at least not in the morals and ethics of people), may be in government offices or I believe I am not wrong to say in the wallet or pocket of every one in the form of currency.

I am not going to write about any random encounter with Gandhi ji like Munna bhai but what I meant to say from this catchy title is what would you do when you find some money randomly when there is no one to claim it ?

If my memory is not wrong then I have not found or been lucky in past 10 years to find money on the road or any other places when there was no one to claim it but I do remember what I did when I found it and my actions were different according to my age.

I finely remember that I found Rs 20 while playing outdoor when I was in my childhood, me and my friend went insane on deciding how to spent this money. It looked to us that we can buy lots of candies, chocolates, cold drinks, red color rubber ball for our cricket matches, funky stickers to stick them on our school notebooks, wo lambi waali pencil with the palm cap and many other things. But, we were not aware that we could actually buy few of them from our long list. We settled for two red color rubber ball for our cricket matches and chocolates for rest of the amount.

As I increased numbers in my age count with passing years I got a gyan funda from somewhere that "Jo aapka nahin use rakh kar koi fayda nahin he... agar aap use rakhte ho to aapka hi nuksaan hoga".
Believing this from a fundebaaz or I should say getting scared of loss I donated rs 100 in the donation box of a temple with the belief that when it neither belongs to me nor to any one else then it belongs to god.

Later, I started believing that god does not need money and god will be happy if I help some body with this money who is in actual need. So, the next time when I found Rs 100 again, I gave it to a beggar and made his day. That guy looked at me like I am very rich man and started doing salaam, giving me blessings. While he was doing all those beta...bhagwaan things I noticed that other beggars are coming towards me with the gleam in their eyes and hope in their hearts "Arey koi gaadi waala bada sahab aaya he aaj to.... usko 100 de diya to hume bhi de dega"  but their facial expression changed from raised eyebrows to narrow eyebrows when I picked my bicycle and ran from there. (Kya perception hota he logo ka... cycle waale ko koi kuch samjhta hi nahin he).

And the last when I found Rs 500 I was in first year of my graduation and my philosophy was changed again "Instead of giving hard cash to poor buy them a meal" so I kept those rs 500 separately in my wallet and whenever I saw any poor guy begging for food I bought them some meal and learnt that rs 500 is too much to spend if you start buying cheap meals from road side vendors. 

Its been 10 years and I am still on that last philosophy.

Till 2012 before leaving India I had one time meal in Rs 10 from a road side chole kulche waala, not sure what is the condition now but I feel rs 500 are too much if you have to buy some one this 10 rs meal or 5 rs Parle G biscuit which reminds me one of my experience with an old lady in Congiri or emotional atyachar

Superstitions.

It does not matter in which part of world you are superstitions always follow you and are present in every where with in the locals.

Few days ago we invited some of our Swedish friends over Indian dinner (as their taste buds are compatible with spicy food) and while chatting with them topic of Superstitions came and we were surprised to find few of Swedish superstitions common with our Indian superstitions. We didn't expect to have commonalities in few of our very common superstitions.

The common ones:-

1. If a black cat crosses your path then it is treated as bad luck and to cancel it Swedes spit three times or wait some one other to pass.

2. Sneezing: I remember that we ask that person to sneeze one more time to cancel the bad effect while Swedes consider it as your enemy has mentioned your name and ask you to say 'prosit' or to make a pair of sneeze.

3. Don't go under a ladder, I remember this as told by my grand mother but I never understand the exact logic (may be something fall you and you get hurt) but Swedes consider it as bad luck for 3 weeks.

4. Touch wood: I think for us this one is a modern one but Swedes also touch wood to prevent something nasty happened with a line "Pepper, pepper touch wood".

The uncommon ones:-

5. Not to step on a crack in the street. If you do it will bring terrible, irrevocable misfortunes.

6. Never put your keys on the table.

7. Spilling salt gives bad luck.

8. An open umbrella indoors spells serious bad luck.

So, that's why I said that  it doesn't matter in which developed country you are people are superstitious every where. Well, I can say I am little superstitious, I mean, why to take chance when you come in such situation but I don't follow all of them.

When I saw a black cat crossing my way I just wait for some one else to pass it first, I know that's selfish but that's how I cancel its effect and I don't follow the days to cut my nails, hair but I have stopped putting my keys on table from the moment I came to know about this Swedish one.

Well, are you superstitious? What!! you said no, come'on!!! I know you are... Chalo tell me which one you follow.
6.

I wish if I could have more than 24 hrs

Yes, that's what exactly I am thinking, I wish if I could have more than 24 hrs in a day. Arey yaar kitna kuch karna he time hi nahi mil rha and my TO DO list is growing day by day.This laziness and mood to do nothing is keeping occupied me to do nothing and only keep me thinking and planning about ticking those items from my yellow sticky notes. Uff!! ye lazy lazy lamhe. And, jab mood karta he tab neend aa jaati he or it is too late in the night that I had to leave it undone so that I can reach next day office on time.

Wo saying he na ki "Aalasaya manushya ka shatru he" but I think these days this Aalasaya is my best of best friend. Every day after getting home from office I get on to the couch and leave it to answer either nature's call or to go to sleep. Yesterday was the epic, I slept on the couch and when a loud voice (from my wife) broke my sleep I simply changed the place of sleeping from couch to my bed just like a small boy who do the things silently which his parents told him to do with a scared and about to weep face.

Bahut kuch karna he yaar mujhe:-

1. My friend has asked me to design his website in the month of May and I have not completed it so far. Neither I am giving up nor I am completing it. WTF I am doing!!!!!!!

2. Its only one year left for me before I turn 30 and I have to start controlling my sugar intake, start some exercise to be on healthy side of 30.

3. I have to be more serious about my writings if I have to achieve my dream of becoming a writer ( I know every blogger thinks that). I don't know if I have that writer thing in me but sapne dekhne ke koi paise thode hi lagte hein. :)

4. I have to finish reading my unfinished novel.

5. I have to study some technical things related to my job on a very serious note.

6. I have to do some more studies for my certifications.

7. I have to ...

Well, the purpose of writing this list is to give it to the world so that world can help me to complete it. Ab aap soch rahe honge ki kya funda hua illogical sa... to ye funda nikala he The Secret book se... usme kehte he na secret batane waale log "All you need is to tell the world what you want and the world will attract those things towards you" so for now I want this Yellow sticky note in the recycle bin.

The Versatile Blogger Award

Recently I have been awarded with "The Versatile blogger award" from my blogger friend Pooja who writes her blog Thoughtless Ramifications.

Well, there was no award ceremony for it through which I got it but one day when I visited her blog from my blog feeds I was surprised to see that she chose me to share this award with me.

As the tradition of this award is to write seven things about your self and share this award with 15 other people so I will start writing seven things about myself:

1. I love eating all sweet things specially cakes, pastries, ice-creams and Indian sweets with out thinking their effect on my body.

2. I love reading novels in me time. (Those who are married can understand the meaning of me time). :D

3. I love cooking and it leads me to give suggestions to my wife which sometimes turns in to more suggestions rather than appreciations.

4. I don't why but I always seek perfection in things and I also try to do things in perfect manner. I know sometimes somethings get worse to make them perfect and they are perfect being imperfect but still I always try it.

5. I love travelling to new places and gaining new experiences.

6. My favorite time pass is to observe people when travelling through bus, train or any public transport.

7. I bother a lot about people or I am too conscious about people i.e. I always think ki "main aisa karunga to mere baare me log kya sochenge, kya kahenge, mera mazak udayenge" which sometimes leads me to not enjoy in some scared situations or moments. 

Although, I had some more points to write in above list but I think seven are enough for the moment :)

I would like to share this award to my other fellow bloggers and I hope I will add more people in chain.

Sakshi Chopra: Timeless Imagination

Chithira Menon: My Space

Supriya Garg: Being what I always wanted to be.

Ajai Ravikesavan: AJ's Take

Pratik Gupta: Hakuna Matata

Divya: Sprinkles of Stardust

Megha Punjabi: Alone on the road

Congratulations guys!! I hope you all keep writing on your blogs from your heart, mind and soul.

The day that went by.

By the way, this post was supposed to come on 26th July or if it would have been posted on 27th July then also it was acceptable because one can understand that the guy must have been busy in his bday celebration but posting it after two weeks is something weird but as I promised in my last post that I will write an post on how my day was so here it is. (And, if I say my apologies then is it fine with you?)

So, it was my 29th birthday with full of surprises and I still have 1 year to turn 30, I don't know how I am gonna feel on turning 30 but lets forget about it. Tab ki tab sochenge :) ... back to the topic again.. 

So, it was my birthday and it was a working day so I had to go to the office but the day started with some breakfast surprises, my wife made my favorite things in breakfast and there were the things which I am not allowed to eat very often. When I saw cheese balls and Moong ki daal ka halwa served for me my eyes were gleaming like a 5 year old child who gets happy to have candies and chocolates.

This year my birthday was different as compared to past birthdays, it was my first birthday on a foreign soil with my wife. Earlier, all day used to went in taking bday wishes on phone calls from family and friends but this year it was replaced by few messages on Whatsapp and few calls on Viber (Hum foreign me rehne waale desiyon ke liye Whatsapp, Viber, MobileVoip/Rynga jaisi applications hi sahara hein apni country waalo se touch me rehne ka.) Also, some of my friends and relatives gave me birthday wishes at 00:00 hrs according to Indian time which actually was 8:30 pm here in Sweden so it was a strange feeling to get your birthday wishes on the day before it. Ab ye to hota hi he, hum videsh me chale gaye to kya, apne log to apne deshi time se hi kaam karenge. :D

Oh!! I get carried away in emotions, bbrrrrrrrrr!!! Haan, to kahan the hum....

Yes, after taking that delicious breakfast (with out any suggestions only with appreciations...[what was that?? Well, you will come to know about it in my next post]) I went to my office and it was a usual day with meetings, client conference and daily official work but guys at my office have arranged a little gift for me. They surprised me with a bottle of nice Red wine and it was a first experience to receive my birthday gift in such a nice manner, kyun? India me to toot jaati thi yaar bumps kha kha kar but I was kind of missing my those  kamine friends jo pehle room pe maarte the and phir office waale alag maarte the :)

When I came back to my home in evening my lovely wife has decorated our living area for me for my little bday celebration and she has invited few of our Indian friends as well. Bas, fir kya tha...wohi sab.. cake cutting, bday jingles, exchange of cake and cake facial.

Although it was little but it was nice celebration, 
at least we had some friends here to come over otherwise we two would have celebrated it by ourselves.

The best thing of the day was cake, it was so yummy!! That's why I love Europe, you will get many varieties of breads, cakes, pastries, bun etc and if you are a sweet lover then you will always crave to have those fancy looking items.




Lastly, we went to an only Indian restaurant here for dinner and my special day got finished with the cup of ice-cream. 

So, this was the day that went by and it is always nice to get surprises.... only the good ones :D (Come on who loves to receive bad surprises?)