BIRTHDAY PARTIES-2

I wrote once before about the kiddie birthday parties I had been attending. Time to talk just a little bit more about the same.
For the past couple of months, all our weekends have been devoted to attending birthday parties of K's school friends, sometimes twice in one evening. The whole class is invited. There is a big bouncy. The venues are big- mostly farmhouse residences, and in many cases the return gifts seem to cost more money than the gifts I have given out.

It is a bit scary.

We do  not believe in such. Kiddie parties should be just that- and not a show of wealth. But I guess that really can't be controlled. The kids are happy with a bouncy- it could be in the middle of a park, and cake and yes, you just can't do without it- popcorn! I admit that now before you make your child say goodbye and thank you, the inevitable question of a return gift does pop up, but that is easily taken care of.
And that leaves me with rich parents wanting to spend the most, do the best, have the biggest parties. I was recently at one where the only drink on offer was champagne :-)
Is it just a question of the school your child is going to- I think not.
And the next one, if this is the scale of  a 5 year old's birthday, what will the scale of their weddings be? Luckily that bridge is quite some distance off, not done away with, just to be tackled later.

It then becomes even more important to teach the little ones, value of friendships and all the things money can't buy; 'even though there's mastercard for them'!!!

How did my parents do it? I can only hope and pray we do even half the great job they did.

Axis Bank or Axe the Clients Bank?

I do realize I am just not happy with the title of this blog.
Just because the manager of the branch I have been banking with for the last decade or more behaved like a complete idiot and showed no respect for the customer, should've kind of made me think of something more appropriate like, 'axis: bank with morons, why don't you?' ....don't know- just not happy.

Well that was an understatement when I was so rudely treated by the supercilious and extremely full of himself bank manager on being presented by the simplest of requests, ' Is it possible to have a one point contact with the bank?' It was as if I had asked him to surrender his salary to me! 'Do you have a priority account?' Hello?? Which age are you living in and which age group do you belong to?
We were given a priority account by an amazing account executive who went out of her way to keep the customer happy.
And to this the dumb idiot replied, 'She did what she shouldn't have, no one does it and will not either!'

My my such strong words- it almost made her sound as she was bestowing unnatural favours rather than retaining clients for the bank she WORKS for and actually doing the job she was being paid to do. He twisted my words out of proportion, making 'transactions' sound like a dirty word and told me in no uncertain terms that 'no one would do it'!
Do what? Make a demand draft by debiting money from my account on a cheque I had signed?
Sending a runner home with some papers which needed signing as I had a four month old baby?
Making sure that the credit card guy or the investment guy actually met me?
Sending a fresh cheque book?

Unfortunately it's idiots like this manager who will cost the bank a huge amount of money. And it's even more unfortunate that they will not even get to know about it as Axis Bank does not have a way of getting feedback from their customers. Perhaps they don't need it.

I will go this weekend to close all my accounts with this place and will smirk at the con of a manger as he smirked when I asked an account executive for an account closure form.

Away in the City!!!

That's what we did yesterday for A's big day!
Pending the iPad2- just don't seem to know anyone traveling to the U.S or alternatively anyone willing to carry the same for me; it was the only sane thing I could think of giving my completely bone tired husband.

 Poor moi!

So I checked us into the Trident in Gurgaon for the day. The idea was to stay away from this depressing house and give A some much needed relaxation, especially on his birthday.
It was pretty much what I had wanted from the day- spent almost entirely in the pool. We had a leisurely breakfast after checking into our luxurious 'pool-view' room. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have been able to find any faults with the freshly brewed coffee or the brilliant omelet or the waffles or the presentation of it all!

It was strange to be in the city and yet to feel away on a holiday. I heartily recommend it to all. Just try it- play hookie from work in the middle of the work week, splurge a little on yourself, spend a day of decadence, force yourself not to think of anything at all and see the difference! It will be good.

Budget Travel

...is not budget anymore.

Yes I know these are inflationary times. I also know that prices are not the same as they used to be a decade and much more ago when A and I actually started traveling. Heck we have actually done an Amritsar-McLeodganj-Yamunanagar trip in 6000/- rupees in all, spending on petrol for our dear old Fiat Uno, stays in clean, decent albeit government hotels  and mind you they were definitely not budget backpacker options, food and a bit of shopping!

But now it seems whatever option you might choose, you have to dish out a minimum of 4000-5000 rupees. And these are not even very fancy. When did it all change? Is this what my parents and other people across ages have been repeating to themselves whenever they are confronted by astronomical price of things they just payed peanuts for?

I don't believe so. 'Traveling' in India has finally caught on, with the masses now actually indulging in all forms of it; from weekend trips to cruises to adventure to heritage. I also believe that all those charging the earth now are cashing in on the consumer psyche which wants them to indulge in a bit of luxury even when they 'believe' they can't afford the true luxe offered by the big hotel chains! Little do these poor (ha ha) susceptible people know that the deals and discounts offered by the latter far exceed in terms of value for money.
True there are those who prefer the warmth of a small home-stay to the sterility of a five star hotel. For these there are home-stays in places like Kerala charging 10,000/- and more per night!!! Shocking? You bet it is. I came across quite a few of these options when preparing for our Kerala trip last September. We poor people chose the sterility of Taj- much cheaper, much more convenient and definitely more equipped to handle random touristy demands! But then maybe I can't truly appreciate quality when I see it.

Trust me I am not trying to bring down the private enterprise. Au contraire, I am all for it. Lovely and warm people opening up their houses, their sanctum sanctorums to the sometimes crude and rude critique of people who have no respect for the fact and who demand satellite television connections in a small village somewhere in Hiamchal Pradesh, amongst other equally banal stuff.
I am all for knowing that the owner of a small place where I am staying won't treat my request for an early meal for my children (trust me NOBODY eats at 1830 in India!) as rubbish and would even offer the use of the kitchen for my idiosyncrasies- making my own dinner. It's not always possible and I understand and accept that. After all one is traveling and is trying to be open to everything.
I am all for the fact that the food in the kitchen will be fresh as there aren't too many things leftover like in big hotel kitchens.

What I just can't understand is the money I am being charged for it. I mean, I don't mind paying 3000-4000 rupees for a kickass small family run hotel, where the sheets don't make me itch for the ones I carry in the car. But someone has to sit up and realise that they are charging way too much than is justified.
I have some very beautiful places to recommend which still do not cost an arm and a leg for a weekend trip: Meghniwas in Jaipur, Carlton's in Mussourie and some more.

But the need of the hour is many more of these.
Maybe I will start the trend.

Two followers!!!

My!!!

My fortunes seem to have changed...have TWO followers...thank you for sparing the time to read me :-)