It's All just CRAP By The Way.
This one is another one of my corporate Rants.
I hate it when people or companies take loads of money for something and give you substandard Products or service. It boils my blood and you should feel the same too.....
This is my review of Not just jazz by the bay.
Restaurant: Not Just Jazz By the Bay.
Location: E-Square.
I wanted to go to this restaurant for a while since a few of my friends recommended it.
The did however tell to try the Buffet.
I went there once with my sister and friend.
We ordered a-la-carte. And here is my review.
DRINKS: My sis had something called Peach Fizz. I had a Tropical Bloom and my friend have a sweet and salty fresh lime soda. The tropical Bloom tasted like my Medicine that goes by the name of 'Ventolin'. The peach fizz was too fizzy and distasteful. And the fresh lime soda was...tolerable. The mocktails cost around Rs.120 and the fresh lime Rs. 50. So bad and sooooo not worth it.
STARTERS:
We ordered stuffed mushrooms, Potato Roesti and one more thing which escapes me now.
They were all ....okay. Not great. Not something i would recommend.
The quantity was attrocious. My 7 month old niece craps more than the amount they give you in each plate.
Each starter was in th Rs. 95 to Rs. 105 range.
YUCK!!!!
MAIN COURSE:Now if you are a non-vegetarian then you have quite a bit of choice, but if not..then you have 5 pastas to choose from, one Ravioli, a Veg Wrap, and 2 more veg dishes which I cant remember.
I wanted the ravioli but it was not there. So I had the Crap Wrap. Now I really hate wasting food or water...but this was sooo bad that i left half of it. The Pasta Arabiata was okay.
Again the portoins were so less that even a starving somalian would turn it away. (I really pray to god for people who get no food daily. And people Please don't waste GOOD food. )
AMBIENCE:The whole place has black everywhere. Black tables, black chairs, black rexine sofas giving it a very S&M feel. The floor tiling is nice though. A nice Drum kit sitd on the stage.
THE WAITERS:I could sense a slight bit of arrogance... and I really hate arrogance.
All in all this place is a COMPLETE RIP OFF. I am so disgusted with the place that i will bever ever go back to even try the buffet. Please Do not go there.
Not a satisfying lunch and paid an arm and a leg.
YOU have been warned.
Mars restaurants... STOP LOOTING the general public.
Quota Qualms- My ideas.
Huge protest and disgust are making me make this post. The reservation quota for sc/st/bc/obc etc. stir is causing quite a commotion in the country. I had a put a small piece on it over here.
Now I shall propose what I think should be the way to handle it.
Firstly I would like to declare that I am anti discrimination, anti quota, and completely belive in equality.
1. The the quota system should be abolished. This will give equal footing to everyone and then the competition will be based on proper merit. The way it should be. Even the ladies quota should be completely removed. Equality should be there among castes and even sexes. I can't believe a country which gained independence due to the hard work by Mahatma Gandhi, has people who want reservations based on caste, which is one way of promoting discrimination, making the "unopressed" "the opressed" (I am refering to the people in the open category. You are pretty much doomed if you are boy in the open category and have only 85% marks. You still lose out to an caste reservation person with 50%!!!!!!).
The caste system, and the different treatment of people based on their castes exited a 100 years ago. Let by gones be by gones. Such rubbish should not exist today in the 21st century. Coming back to my proposal.
2. The number of seats totally for every course, in every school, college, University should be increased to accomodate a larger number of students. This will solve the problem minutely... but every little helps.
3. I do propose there be a 10%-15% reservation for the management quota.
(Management quota is usually for the rich people who may or may not come from foreign countries(NRI's or foreigners) who can afford to pay the fees which is usually between 10x to 20x the regular fees.)
You say: "Huh? Why are YOU saying there should be a management quota when YOU believe in no reservations, explicitly saying EQUALITY should prevail?"
Let me explain.
As far as I am concerned, money makes the world go round. You can't provide anyone with anything unless there is backing of financial power. The government should provide FREE education, as it is done in foreign countries, to all children from the lowest level upto 12th standard compulsorily.
Our government lacks the money(since most of it ends up in pockets at different levels of the hierarchy due to corruption) and the will to improve the situation(since all politicians are more interested in power play, and money making rather than improving the situation and fullfilling their pre-vote promises.)
With the increase in the number of seats and the management quota , a large amount of funds will come in from those sources. Those funds can be used to provide education for the people who are deserving, meritorious and can't afford the fees and books, IRRESPECTIVE of their caste.
The most common argument for reservation is that the people from backward castes can't afford the education. That is where the management quota comes in.
This should be implemented for all levels after 12th standard. If the government provides free education(by some new policy and radical revolutionary idea) then the question of reservation upto 12th standard does not rise, and the admission at graduate level on merit basis is totally possible.
Of course the government will have to monitor the in take of the funds so that swindling does not occur(something people always tend to do...nobody wants to earn things anymore.)
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A few Side notes
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1. The management quota will allow for non-Indian system of education students to get admission and also the RICH DUMB KIDS.
The people who come from other systems (me included) know how tough it is to get into the system due to bureacracy and inflexibilty of the system; and the Indian education system is harder to study(I can say that based personal experience).
2. I appreciate what the Doctors in New Delhi are trying to by striking, but i don't believe it is the right way. I believe it is slightly negligent and am pretty sure it is against some kind of Doctor's code/oath.
Any ideas from YOU?
Two pieces of NEWS
I was watching the news and two stories caught my eye.
1. It has been proposed that reservation(for SC's, BC's, OBC's, LT's, dimwits, morons) be increased in higher education institution and even IIT's and IIM's, by 27% to a total of 50%.
2. Harayana is attracting alot of companies, foreign and domestic, to setup shop there.
Here is why.
1. The news of the reservation quota being increased should not have come out before th UP elections. But for obvious reasons (so that those people I mentioned above (dimwits and all) will vote for the proponents of the law and be in power. Of course the BJP has said it is against election conduct rules).
What this means statistically is the joke that goes "out of every 100 people in your class 10 will be idiots" will now become "out of every 100 people in your class 50 will be idiots".
The reason i call them idiots is because quite frankly ...all people under reservations are.
The reason the reservation system was introduced is because apparently, they were "the oppressed castes" about 100-150 years ago.
And it stays now because they are economically backward. Well of course they are economically backward. They want to ride through life on their caste certificates and don't want to work hard.
If they had the brains maybe they would realise that and make themselves "economically forward"(can you say that?)
The only reservations I will ever agree to is to student's who have excellent grades and can't afford to go to great schools and colleges, irrespective of caste. I dont even mind paying 1.5 times the fees if it helps them out, from the extra that I pay. But just plain old caste reservation.
No wonder we don't progress very much . Of course, I am in the open category and so feel strongly about the whole situation.
In this day and age, am
I not "the oppressed" one now. Hows that for irony "the oppressed" oppressed me, "the unopressed"!?!?!?!
Catch more over
here.
2. Haryana is attracting alot of foreign and domestic companies. This is because they are giving them SEZs (special economic zones). Don't know the exact details...may be the companies get a tax break or something. Reliance petrochemicals is planning to open their biggest refinery in Haryana soon. Even bigger than the one in Jamnagar.
Even DLF is moving to Haryrana(and one more company whose name I forget).
And why not move to Haryana?. If your company's labourers go on strike..just call the Harayana Police and they will beat the workers like dogs and get them back to work.(Read
this to get that last one)
What Can YOU Do? What can we do
okay this one is a slightly serious one....
I watched 'Rang De Basanti' recently. It got me thinking about the dismal situation of India. Quite frankly I think India is not gonna improve much and very soon.You may not like what I said.... I don't like it ...but that is how I feel and how things look to me.
I feel that way because of all the daily things that happen to me, to others. Now I am not saying that other countries are perfect and that everything works...but I feel they do try harder.
As for the movie. I hate it when movies make a good point like this movie did ...but never show, how you, an average everyday person, on a daily basis, can do something to make a difference. I don't mean go and make donations to NGO's and help little kids out...although that is a start.
I mean fight the low level everyday things.
FIGHT a government official (anyone at any level) who wants to take a bribe. FORCE him to do his job the right way.
FIGHT a government official (anyone at any level) who is too lazy to do his job. FORCE him to do it.
PISS them off till something is done.
FIGHT the urge to pay bribes even if it means the difficult way out for YOU.
FIGHT the urge to be lazy and not do your work.
FIGHT mediocrity and never settle for substandard work.
FIGHT the urge to not give your best and do substandard work.
FIGHT corrupt Politicians. Shake their world if they misuse YOUR VOTE.
TEACH little kids from the ground up about values, and doing the right thing.
TEACH little kids about following the rules and obeying the rules.
TEACH people to be brave.
TEACH people to be less apathetic.
SLAP people into following the law and rules.
A few things to note here.
1. YOU have to do it ... and the benefits come back to YOU.
2. YOU have to FIGHT. It's way past the time to talk.
When a generation is stirred ... then only will something change for the better.
Now the tough questions. where do I start ? why should I? What difference will I make....
Am i just dreaming...and ranting.....
I want your views on this issue ...
Giving Sound Advice..
Are you a guy? Do you have a younger brother? Or maybe even a nephew ? Is there any guy you know who is younger to you and just about to make a career decision. And I don't mean high end stuff....just a little guy out there who wants to be a Fireman, Doctor, Lawyer, Super Hero... and keeps changing it every month. Or even just an adolescent/teenager trying to choose between Science/Commerce, Doctor/Lawyer/Engineering?
More importantly, does he Love and Respect You?
Do you want him to Love and Respect You for the Rest of your and his Life?
Well if the answer is yes then you need to know one thing. He will usually come to for advice and it is imperative that you give him good, sound advice. Especially if you want him to Love and Respect you forever.
Great advice, which helps people through hard times, or helps people make important decisions, is crucial.
It may not be the "regular" advice or the "Correct" advice...but it needs to be told, and can affect the guy in may ways.
So next time that little GUY comes to you for Career advice, look into his eyes, remember what you are doing,
what you wanted, what you have, and what you know from your experiences in life ...and refrain from saying the regulars like "Doctor/Lawyer/Engineer etc." ...and tell him what you realised you wanted to be half way through you Professional Degree Course and say to him "bikini model photographer" Or "Victoria Secret Photographer" or anything to that effect.
Coz You know you are really pissed off with enginerring/.../..../ and you really wished you were one of the afore mentioned. And trust me when that guy is grown up and happy from your sound advice, there is going to be no one else in the world he is going to Love and respect more than you.
Heck i wished somebody would have told me this.
Wish my borther/Cousin Brother or anu older guy i knew told me this rather than "Engineering".
I mean look at the perks.....yes I mean LOOK at the perks.
The Incompetence that is Airtel
I really hate it when any company or government institution does NOT do their jobs properly, or implement their processes properly and then they irritate the crap out of you. More so when they charge you a fine when it's your mistake, and when it's their mistake it's just a "mistake". They don't have to compensate you or even apologise in the case of government institutions. In fact they might conveniently blame it on "the Computers".
Anyway recently on two occasions Airtel (Bharti Cellular India) peeved me off.
1. On December 31st 2005 my dad went to the Airtel office in Ahmedabad and gave back the sim for my brothers cell phone in Ahmedabad. We even paid off the final bill, and of course before all that, we filled and submitted the form for cancellation of number and service.
What arrives in the mail near the end of January? A bill for the rent and charges in January. How is this possible when we GAVE BACK the sim and even gave the Cancellation Form? Maybe the guys there were in the New Years Eve mood and slipped up.
And then it happened again.
2. Around 8th of February 2006 (give or take 3 days) I submitted, in the Airtel Pune Kalyani nagar Branch, the Cancellation form for my sister's Airtel Number. There I was told that the final bill will come in 2 days time which I will have to pay. This time I kept the sim since he said "Keep it around but dont use it." I didn't follow up on it after that day because I was way too busy with my project work. On th 26 th of Feb Airtel sends a DCA (debt clearing agency) guy home to collect a cheque from me and ask me why we didn't pay.
I told him that we had cancelled the sim and were waiting for the final bill which they NEGLECTED to send, so we didn't know how much to pay, and I was too busy to follow up. So he calls his boss up to tell him that this was the case.
His Boss then has the gall to ask me "Why did i cancel the sim?". I told him why, but really, that pissed me off. I can cancel any service when I want, which I signed up for (except the army ofcourse), without having to answer to them, or even specifying a reason.
The bill came by courier the next day.
I really wonder what goes on in Airtel's offices and Computer Systems. Do they work? Maybe i should design and sell them a working software system (Somehow the Billing system never ever fails....)
I really hate it when Corporates never provide the kind of service that people get from companies in other countries. I must say how ever that multinationals that come to India do almost as good (I was surprised twice with prompt response from Pizza Hut Pune and Luxor Writing Instruments in Delhi. What was more surprising that they replied to an internet feedback form. In Contrast Godrej Sara Lee's website doesn't even work half the time)
Goveenment institutions are decades behind that kind of response....don't believe me...just go to your local BSNL office or passport office and just try to ask them even one Question. Any Question. See how they respond......
Do You have an IDEA?
Following is a typical conversation from my home, in my room, on my IDEA cellular phone.
ring..ring ........ring..ring.
Friend: Hello.
Me: Hey Wassup?
Friend: Hi? How are you?
Me: I am great what you upto?
Friend: Nothing much just watching t.v. What's Happening
Me: Well i wanted to know....[At this point I am talking away and that person is getting a very badly distorted, breaking signal of my voice ] ....if you wanna go watch...
Friend: ....hello ...dude, you are breaking up very badly...hello..hello..
[now I shift my head and torso around where i am sitting, in a very epileptic seizure type motion, trying to get a better signal]...
Me: Now can you hear ....
Friend: ...hello ...you still breaking up very badly......
Me: LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
[by now my signal has marginally improved]
Friend: Okay stop i can hear you now...[so I stop going LALALALA] ....what were you saying?
Me: Do you wanna go watch "Rang De Basanti"?
Friend: What time is the show?
Me: Can you make the 5 'o clock.
Friend: Well i might be a bit late....
[Now whats happened is that i can hear him totally clear, but he can't hear a word of what i am saying...it's just blank...no distortion.]
Me: Why?
Friend: Hello?.....you there?...
Me: Yes.
Friend: Hello?
Me: Yeah i am listening.
Friend: Hello? Hello.....Heelllloooo.....Heeeeeellllllllooooooooo.....
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllloooooooooooooo... Hello Hello Hello Hello
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelloooooooooooooooooo... Hello Hello Hello
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellooooooooooooooooo...Hello Hello
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellooooooooooooooooo. Hello Hello
[Once again miraculously with my Mohammed Ali like movements the signal marginally improves.]
Me: Can you hear me now?
Friends: Yeah now i can hear you.
Me: So why you gonna be a bit late>
Friend: Because i have to......
Me: Okay so what I will do is that...[now he can hear me, but i have a total blank in my ear...]...book the tickets
[i now realise that]...Hello? you there?....[and finally the phone gets cut and I hear two beeps].
That is the end of my conversation of exactly 1:34 minutes.
This happens every day REGULARLY, anywhere in my house.
I have had a few friends come over and go through the same thing...but they dont go LALALALALALA ...they just go Hello? hello ? heeeellllloooooooo.
I really wish they would do something for my area. I have a tower overlap problem. I get upto 6 different, all distant tower signals....Maybe they should just put a tower over my roof....
An IDEA can change your life....or speech impair you....
