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Travel Travail

A lifelong resident of Gandhinagar, the apologetic capital of Gujarat, my sojourns beyond my home city have been limited ensuring a life as yet innocent to the perils of the world. My project being in Baroda I commute every weekend to Gandhinagar which is a three hours journey over the expressway. 

My work in the company, apart from writing blogs, is largely dependent on a fast processor and loads of primary memory. My CPU used to leading a luxurious life of uploading blogs, watching movies and checking mails was thus put through a horrendous experience of working on SQL server and Visual studion 2005. The poor thing was in such bad shape that once and for all I decided to put it at rest and bought a new one. And so I had to bring it back all the way to Gandhinagar.

I decided to go by a state transport bus and nonchalantly placed my CPU cabinet in the space just behind the driver's seat. Soon the driver got into the bus, looked at the passengers like a king addressing his court and then noticing the CPU as the only discrepancy in his glory he addressed the audience in coarse gujarati ' Who brought this? No electronic items allowed aboard. Off my bus NOWW.

I learnt that there is an octroi applicable on all electronic goods in spite of a VAT that we pay. And the process for the same takes up so much time that you feel it would be simpler to buy another one. I wondered how they will charge octroi on a laptop or a cell phone and why should I pay for a piece of obsolete electronic junk half a decade old.  

Anyways, 30 bucks later he drove on and my dear CPU acquired a place of honor behind his butt. I informed my fellow passengers how much I paid thus ensuring they wont be cheated if faced with a similar situation and cursing the roads and braving the shock absorbers of ST buses I slept all the way back home.

After a restful weekend Dad arranged for my conveyance back to Baroda. On the way back in a Govt. Of Gujarat vehicle, I bought no tickets, paid no toll tax on the expressway, and of course didn't have to sneak any money under the table as my CPU was home delivered.

I thank god for letting me work in the IT field which offers a life free from such malpractices. Yet at times it seems that in our dear India clean living is a non option.

Posted in Blogs.

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Surfaces

I have been wanting to write another blog since some time. This blog is going to be all about the intricacies of the human being. I plan to write a long story soon enough and hope this helps in the characterization part. Am leaving for home tonight for the weekend and the next blog will be all about my train travail.

Posted in Writing.

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