Category: Family

Not so classy

This is the third post in the series of customer care. This one is a partly third person review. Today it’s the airlines Etihad Airways.

Quick background.

My parents flew business class on Etihad airways. One of the flights was more than 14 hours long. My mother (no she doesn’t have any medical condition that stop her from flying or eating crappy Airline food and stop having negative thoughts!!!) doesn’t eat onion or garlic in her meal. So I booked Hindu Jain vegetation meal for her.

On her 14 hour long flight she was offered a breakfast and that’s it. When she asked for more she was told nothing is available for Hindu Jain meal. She told them she can have fruits, bread, dry fruits and juice. So it was offered to her. All she was offered on a 14 hour flight was breakfast, fruits, juice, some dry fruits and bread. I believe people are served better food on shorter economy class flights. So this was the third party review. Because I don’t know how much food was served to my mother and what quantity.

But let’s review the customer care of Etihad. I dropped them a feedback on their official website and there was no reply. I assumed because there are more than million people airlines so who will take care of so many feedback. So I decided to call up the customer care. Being a global brand contacting customer care till less than 5 minutes to be connected to a representative. After telling him all the issue he said that because my mother has a special meal so and the crew carry just one meal per person. I asked him should I pack lunch for my mother and he said yes. The customer service representative forgot that my parents are flying business class and not economy. But none the less he took my compliant and seems to forward to his internal team. Not till date there is no update from them.

My rating for Etihad of
Customer Service = -/5 (i have not received the service so cant comment on this)
Customer Care = 0/5 (No Updates, zero follow ups and clueless customer care executives.)

A different perspective

For many of you 31st Aug 1992 is just another day in the last century. Not for me, it was my first day in hostel. Yes it that long time ago. Those who are mathematically challenged it’s more than 23 and half years.

It must have been too much for any 9 year old. (Yes, yours truly was only 9 years old when I went to hostel). There was precedent already set with my elder sister and brother both going to hostel at a very young age before me. So I was mentally ready. But what about my parents? Were they ready? If they have sent two of their kids to hostel they must be ready to send the youngest one too. I digress.

Let me explain. Assume you have 3 fruits (or any item you love to eat. It doesn’t matter).

Scenario 1 -> If you to give one of the fruit (or the item of your choice) to some one else. You may be reluctant but you may share.

Scenario 2 -> What if someone extort two of the fruits(again assume the item) from you. You will be heart broken but have to part with 2 of the items. Because you are still left one of the fruits(just assume your favorite item, don’t make me repeat)

Scenario 3 -> But if you have to give up all three of fruits because they will become better fruits in foreseeable future. Will be ready to give away all the fruits (still? Even after missing last one). Remember these are your favourite and you would like to keep at least one of them with you.

Now replace fruits with your own kids and think of the scenario 3. Yeah the same feeling. For any parent having an empty house is the last thing they will want. And mine had the same for last 23 and half years. An empty house..

For those who are thinking why am I writing this, is because I am leaving my wife and 7days baby (yeah 1week old) with my parents and going back to Hong Kong. This really breaks my heart and I can’t do anything. Now that I know what is the pain of being separated from your kid, I can only assume how much pain my parents have felt.

BTW it’s a girl.

Getting Screwed

I have been a fool for a long time now. And still am. I have taken some wrong decisions, did wrong stuff but lived on. I do look back and think that those decisions and things that I have done have made any difference. Sometimes they have. some times it was just another moment in life which we all recall to laugh, cry, feel sad or just use them as stories for our grand children.

The mistake will always remain with you no matter how old you grow or how much you repent. They will come back to bite you in the ass. No matter in what form but it will come back. Life is like that. I knew that day will come to me but never knew it will come so soon. My hot headness, stubbornness, rudeness and thinking I am always right is the reason for this. I don’t know if I deserve this or not but the situation I am in will either leave me battered or lonely in the end.

When one knows they have dome some one wrong and can’t do anything about it. They start to find company to support their relationship. It may be either support of near an dear or solace in a bottle of alcohol. For me it was always the lonely room and myself that comforted me.

Life teaches you a lot of lessons and this was taught to me. So teaching you guys for free. Remember when life teaches you a lesson the course fee is tears, pain, regret and heartache.

For My Friends

Its been exactly one year and I have not updated this page. The last time it was to wish you guys a new year. Looks like this time it’s for the same reason.

Wishing you all readers a happy new year 2013. Seems like the mayan calendar had a bug and no one bothered to fix it. Jokes apart, the reason for this post is my friends. I saw my blog open on one of friend’s computer screen, and I asked why is this open? His answer I love this site, why don’t you write more? So this post goes to you.

Speaking of friends, there are different type of friends, some are casual, some fast, so best and some no string attached ( if you know what it means *wink* *wink*). I have my share of friends and its the friends which makes a person. I was blessed with friends with who I learnt some valuable lesson of life, about girl, about birds and bees ( and world thinks its the parents who have a give a talk about this)

Birds and bees remind me of two thing courtship and marriage. A quick poll how many of you hated it when your roommate, colleague, flatmate keeps of yakking all night of phone and all you can do is watch. I had my fair share of the same. sometimes it was me who hated my friends on the phone and sometimes the roles reversed.

There are different roles one plays in their life, from a supporter to an arch rival, from a lover to a enemy, from a friend to a foe, from a shoulder to cry on to a elbow jab which make you cry.  But one role is played by all of us and that is of a peer.

Peers lead to something called peer pressure. For those who don’t know what this thing is let me given you some hint. It is because of this you bought that new phone/iPod/ Car/ Home or you went to that play/ outing/ joint/ disco/ bar  because all your friends are doing and you don’t want to stay behind in the rat race.

I am running a rat race of my self, in fact there are two of them. One is to earn more, and other is get my brother married so that I can also get married because all the cool guys are doing it. 🙂

Being Hypocrite

Note:- The post has got no relation to being human campaign run by salman khan except the resemblance of name.

Before i start let me describe, according to me,  “who is a hypocrite?” Such person whose actions are not same as his/her thoughts. I am sure some of you will agree to this and some of you will disagree. I give a damn. but all of you must have met, known or live with a person like that. It may be your teacher who has taught you not cheat in exams but have cheated during exams or a friend who want all the help but never come forward when you need it.

I have also met, known and lived with such a person. I have know this person for long.  but this is not the one single person. i found them in all walk of life and some times i think that they have left a mark on me. such a deep mark that i have become some one like them.

My actions never speak what are my thoughts. and some times i think if this is correct? I have seen my self change from a obnoxious person to deep dark and cruel persona.

that was one of things that was on my mind and i feel good that its out of my system. Now to some things which i was doing for last few months.

I have booking ticket for whole of my family that includes my dad, mom, brother, uncle, grandmom, friends and myself. which made me think it would have better if have started a travel agency i would have got some money out of it :).

The only good thing that i have done in past few months is that i have taught my dad how to check is his e-mails. For those whose dad’s are tech-savy think it like this. My dad is in a small village in bihar where broadband is yet to set its foot and computers are alien gizmo. The reason he had to learn how to check mails was because my family has started to search a bride for my elder and half of the parent sent a soft copy of “Bio-Data” .

and just to add to the list My travel mania has started, last month i was in hyderabad, next week i will be in mumbai that is (15th and 16th of oct) and from 22nd to 25 i am off to GOA.

rest later.