A couple of years ago, I was on my way to Switzerland to spend the summer with my parents. This was the first time I was traveling alone and according to my itinerary, I was to take a flight to Colombo (Sri Lanka) and then stay at a hotel for 12 hours and then head back to the airport for my flight to Switzerland. Now, I was never told which hotel I would be staying in. I would know that only after I reached the exit gates of the Colombo airport.
On my arrival at Colombo, I went through the whole routine of getting out of the airport. At the exit, there stood a 'healthy' lady wearing the traditional Sri Lankan Sari. She was holding a placard with my name on it. I spoke to her and she directed me to a person who was to drive me to the hotel. Now for those of you who are ill-informed, Colombo is a place that is always in the news for bomb blasts and rebellious activities. It is a beautiful place nonetheless but the fear that a bomb could go off anytime can really gnaw on any tourists' mind. I was hoping the Hotel would be close by but to my dismay, the hotel was a good 45 minutes drive from the airport.
The hotel was beautiful. It was by the beach and as you walked into the lobby you could see the beach right there. There were couples everywhere! And I mean everywhere! Anyway, I checked in and the bellboy showed me to my room. It was a big room facing the pool. It had a huge sofa, a huge bathroom and bed. I've been to a lot of hotels but this one was definitely going into my top 5 list.
But it was only after I settled in that I realized that there was no TV in my room. At first it seemed strange and it took me a little while to understand the gravity of the situation. I was in a foreign land (where a bomb could go off anytime), I couldn't take a walk outside, I had no clue where I was and the pool had a huge hairy guy swimming in it. This was not good. So I went straight to the reception desk to investigate what was happening.
Receptionist: "Good afternoon sir. How may I help you blah blah blah... "
Me: "Hi I stay in room number ### and I noticed that I don't have a TV in there."
Receptionist: "Thats strange. Can you give me your room number again so that I may verify what has happened."
I repeat the number. [After a bit of tapping on the keyboard and a couple of swift clicks on the mouse.]
Receptionist: "Sir, it seems you have been given the honeymoon suite (with a big smile)."
Me: "What?! You have to be kidding me."
And at that instant everything made sense. That big sofa, that big bed, all those couples roaming around the place and that pool (with the fat guy) facing the room.
Me: "So are you telling me that honeymoon couples don't need television sets in their rooms?"
Receptionist: " Well sir, I don't think I am at liberty to give you my opinion on that."
[She definitely took the liberty to giggle like mad though!]
Wonderful! So here I am in a honeymoon suite all alone and with no television set. I never missed the 'idiot box' like the way I did on that day. I spent the next 11 hours reading a copy of the National Geographic Magazine which rocked me to sleep in minutes.
I was more than happy when I got the wake up call at midnight. I packed and I left. Next time I go there, I'll make sure I take my own little TV set!
Sheesh!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Who was I?
Of late I have been extremely jobless. Especially at my workplace since my boss is out of town. So I have been doing a lot of reading and thinking (surprisingly) about the concept of Karma - the famous hindu belief about good deeds and your past life. So I have been on a mission to figure out who or what I was in my past life and I think I finally have figured it out. I am pretty sure that I was a Dog in my last life. I have decent evidence to prove the fact. Here are some characteristics that I share with the canine clan:
1) I am friendly. It doesn't take me too long to strike up a witty conversation with new people I meet. Basically I leave a good impression on people just like a friendly dog would do.
2) I tend to get very philosophical and poetic most of the time. This has led me to believe that my master was a hippie - musician and renowned thinker. So I am assuming that I was around somewhere in the 1960s era. Plus I love Bob Dylan and folk music. So this sort of cements my assumption.
3) I have a keen sense of smell. I smell my food before I eat it (i dont know why. It just happens). I have a keen sense of smell for all the wrong things and lets just leave it at that.
4) I love kids! I love spending time with them and looking after them. Guarding them from anything suspicious just like any faithful, doting dog would do. Of course now, since I am human, there is a greater chance of me barking/shouting at them when they pull my ear or poke me in the eye.
5) I am good at finding things that are well hidden. This is a qulaity that has helped me track down my 'College Degree Certificate' and lots of other 'valuable' documents.
6) I am particular of my territory. I know this is not a very common trait of most dogs but some dogs can get very terrirorial. I believe I was one of them. The only difference is, I do not exactly mark territory the way dogs do. I have way more sophisticated methods get that done.
7) For some strange reason, I have this slight inclination to hate anyone from a certain part in South India. Hence leading me to believe that my arch rival was a mutt from that part of South India. I think we were fighting over a bone. Hmmm, I'm not too sure though.
8) I have quick reflexes! That is something I am proud about. Although I make a stupid face each time my body reacts quickly to something, I still manage to pull it off quite well. I must have attained such reflexes after all the dog fights I must have been in.
9) I (used to) bite. As a child that was one thing I was very famous for. And its not a quality that I am proud of. Its irritating when elders come home and then tell you: "You know when you were a baby I used to carry you around and take care of you but you had one helluva bite! Once you almost bit my finger off." Well atleast on the bright side they should be happy that there is a much lesser chance of them catching rabies!
10) Last but not the least, I am loyal and I expect the same. But of course, just like dogs I am also capable of changing sides if someone offered me the human equivalent of a doggie biscuit or a nice bone!
Hence, I believe I am pretty accurate in deducing what I was in my previous life. Now I have another 6 hours in the office which I shall use to figure out which breed I was and to find my ancestors!
P.S. Just in case you were the cat that I bullied around, I just want you to know that I had a ball of a time in doing so!
1) I am friendly. It doesn't take me too long to strike up a witty conversation with new people I meet. Basically I leave a good impression on people just like a friendly dog would do.
2) I tend to get very philosophical and poetic most of the time. This has led me to believe that my master was a hippie - musician and renowned thinker. So I am assuming that I was around somewhere in the 1960s era. Plus I love Bob Dylan and folk music. So this sort of cements my assumption.
3) I have a keen sense of smell. I smell my food before I eat it (i dont know why. It just happens). I have a keen sense of smell for all the wrong things and lets just leave it at that.
4) I love kids! I love spending time with them and looking after them. Guarding them from anything suspicious just like any faithful, doting dog would do. Of course now, since I am human, there is a greater chance of me barking/shouting at them when they pull my ear or poke me in the eye.
5) I am good at finding things that are well hidden. This is a qulaity that has helped me track down my 'College Degree Certificate' and lots of other 'valuable' documents.
6) I am particular of my territory. I know this is not a very common trait of most dogs but some dogs can get very terrirorial. I believe I was one of them. The only difference is, I do not exactly mark territory the way dogs do. I have way more sophisticated methods get that done.
7) For some strange reason, I have this slight inclination to hate anyone from a certain part in South India. Hence leading me to believe that my arch rival was a mutt from that part of South India. I think we were fighting over a bone. Hmmm, I'm not too sure though.
8) I have quick reflexes! That is something I am proud about. Although I make a stupid face each time my body reacts quickly to something, I still manage to pull it off quite well. I must have attained such reflexes after all the dog fights I must have been in.
9) I (used to) bite. As a child that was one thing I was very famous for. And its not a quality that I am proud of. Its irritating when elders come home and then tell you: "You know when you were a baby I used to carry you around and take care of you but you had one helluva bite! Once you almost bit my finger off." Well atleast on the bright side they should be happy that there is a much lesser chance of them catching rabies!
10) Last but not the least, I am loyal and I expect the same. But of course, just like dogs I am also capable of changing sides if someone offered me the human equivalent of a doggie biscuit or a nice bone!
Hence, I believe I am pretty accurate in deducing what I was in my previous life. Now I have another 6 hours in the office which I shall use to figure out which breed I was and to find my ancestors!
P.S. Just in case you were the cat that I bullied around, I just want you to know that I had a ball of a time in doing so!
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