Appooppanthaadi - 49

An hair cut was over due. The long hair started affecting my smart looks. I have been avoiding visiting a saloon because of two reasons. The long hair was covering up the grey ones to some extent. The second reason was the language. Finally I took one Chinese friend with me to the saloon for translation. He explained to the barber how to style my hair. As usual, I preferred a close cut this time too, knowing fully well that all the that I have been covering up so far will be fully revealed. I decided to take that risk. The bluff is about to be called by the locals on my age!

In all hair cutting saloons, the first thing they do is to wash our head with shampoo. There is seperate facility to wash head alone using hot water. Then the hair is dried with a hair drier.

After the wash, they led me to a chair to dry the hair and then cut. As I was about to sit in the chair, I noticed a few 100Yuan notes lying on the floor. I immediately alerted my Chinese friend and also the saloon employees. He took the notes. It was 3 100 Yuan notes. The young woman sitting in the next chair and having a haid do claimed that amount. My friend handed that amount to her. The girl said "tsank you, tsank you" to me. My friend appreaciated my honesty.

300 Yuans is more than 2000 rupees. I am convinced, I did a reasonably honest thing. At the same time, I was wondering, what would have been my response, if I spotted a bigger bundle of notes there? Probably, I would not have been that honest! For me, the proud son of Aarshabharatham, betraying concience is not a big thing. Believe me, it is just like sipping away a cup of tea! 

 I know, almost 98% of my countrymen will nod in agreement with me. If not convinced, just have a look at the fairness cream and hair oil advertisements on television channels. Super stars compete with each other to tell white lies to the public. We have no caste, creed or religious differences when we say a lie or involve in cheating others!! We even help each other to break laws without considering  religion and caste .

In 2005, when I lived in Mumbai, from Andheri railway station to our comapny's guest house at Chandivili, it used to cost me Rs49 by an auto rikshaw. The auto driver returns one rupee when I give him a fifty rupees note. The meter reading was almost consistant  every time I traveled. I only hope, the Mumbai autos are still consistant.

In Chennai it is much better. No worry about meters there! The  auto drivers are like gangs in Chennai. Come out of Chennai Central railway station and approach an autorikshaw - in fact, they appraoch us and even nag us. We need not go to them. The first thing that will pass through the auto driver's brain will be how to take the prospective customer for a ride and fleece the maximum from him/her. 

Where do you want to go? the driver asks. 
Mogappair, we answer. 
A barrage of questions follows. Where in Mogappair?  
4th Coss, Golden Colony. 
Is it near MMM hospital? 
It is near the DAV higher secondary school. 
Do you need to be dropped inside the colony or outside?
 I need to be dropped inside. 

Now, the driver pronounces the price. 300 rupees. That means, 30 rupees per kilometer. A bargain follows and at last he agrees for 250 rupees. A grudgy driver starts his vehicle....No doubt, he will never drop you at the exact spot you want to reach. No ride will be complete without a verbal duel between the passenger and the driver in Chennai. For the past 15 years, I have been experiencing this. The most painful thing is that all thse autos have colourful religious symbols decorating the front part. God is the mute witness to all their atrocities...

 The situation is  not so different in other parts of the country too. Last year, at Nizamuddin Railway station Delhi, a middleman fleeced 100 rupees from me. I was on way to Dwarka from Nizamuddin along with my family. He demanded 400 rupees and we settled for 300. The orignal auto driver was paid 200 and the middleman pocketed 100.

In sharp contrast, we get a different experince with public transport systems in foreign countries. Taxis take the place of three wheelers everywhere. In European countries, there are specific taxi stands. We can get taxis only from these stands or call them to our place. In gulf countries or in China, taxis roam around like autorikshaws. 

Get in to an auto, sorry, a taxi, show your address. Rest assured. The Merc moves. The meter is turned on. The driver takes us to the exact spot. Hands over the bill and takes exact amount from us. While returning from Europe, I had a big collection of Euro coins in my bag, that prompted the Customs people at Chennai Airport to mistake them for gold coins! 

In China, we need not even speak a single word to the taxi driver. The only requirment is that we must have our destination mentioned in Chinese. Meters are always consistant, well, almost. Of course, here too all are not angels. I did come across a few bad taxi drivers in Harbin. But the general experience is very good

Once, in Germany's Manheim railway station, I was waiting for buying cheese burgers from Burger King outlet. (Like in China, food is a major concern in Europe too- especially for vegetarians. But, there is every chance that we come across an Indian restaurant in every city.) I saw a woman pushing a bicycle upto the entrance of the Burger King. She stopped there, locked it and then stepped into the shop. 

In Eurpoean countries, people use bicycles so extensively. They can take it in the trains to different places. There are special spaces in the coaches of the trains to carry bicycles. While, Eurpoeans are using pedal cycles, in China, padal cycles are almost replaced by battery operated bikes. 

Here the point is, why the lady at the Burger King locked her cycle? Is it not because she feared theft? Does this not imply that all are not angels in a rich country like Germany too? I don't think she decided to lock it because she saw me around!!

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12-08-2012 : Here is a shocker from this part of the world. Just three days back, one man has gunned down a woman and shot another two men to rob the woman in front of a bank. This had happened in broad day light in a city in China. The suspected robber is a serial killer. He killed a man to rob him of a huge amount using a gun last year. So far, he killed at least seven people and is at large for the past 8 years. Police could not catch him so far. Click the link to read more : http://english.sina.com/china/2012/0810/495222.html

Frightening indeed. Gun is so dangerous. In US, people use it just like a toy. Though it is very rare in China, it does happen here too

14-08-2-2012 : Police has gunned him down in the morning. I am relieved. This criminal does not deserve to live in our society. Let us hope another one like him never comes up. Violance begets violance. Killers and crimnals don't realise this until the sword that was lifted by them kills them.