The Touch

Jpatma · Dec 14, 2009

Sir,
Just a suggestion - somehow get the piece of paper out from Govinda's hand, i don't want you to suffer like Tiger woods. Let the skeleton in the closet remain as it is.

As to lending, i agree it is better considered gone - written off as bad debts, if you recover it is bad debts recovered. This reminds of my friend whose profession is money lending. He/She lends money mostly to people who are employed with Govts or employed in reputed or steady companies.Then they confiscate the teller/bank card and keeps it in their custody.End of the month or beginning of the month (they note the salary date) they will go early morning to the teller machines and will be withdrawing out the interest or prinicple sum. They hold the card till the debt is settled. In fact on the day they withdraw i assume they hire some gangsters for their protection. If the borrower wants to withdraw he will have to take the card from the lender. See ! how the business is done .

While for common man like us, we need to beg to the borrower when they are able to repay. Slowly some of them even start dictating terms to us that we are fortunate to give them the loan.

Any way the day was not that bad for you since your wife didn't see the "that piece of paper".
Jaya

Cheeniya · Dec 14, 2009

My dear Mindi
It's awfully nice of you, or to quote PGW, dashed decent of you, to have revived a favourite thread of mind which I enjoyed writing. It has always been my endeavour to bring a smile on the faces of people who happen to read my blogs. I wonder if I have become a bit more serious these days!
Thanks again
Sri

Jpatma · Dec 14, 2009

Chithra,
I too sleep on the left side of the bed , Now that bed is empty i start from right ,roll over to left at mid night and when i get up ,it is straight from bed head facing the ceiling. So my days are good and bad. I can't blame the side except myself.
Jaya

Chitvish said: ↑

Dear Sri,

You started writing about getting up with an uneasy feeling on the day Govindu came.

Now listen to my experience. I sleep on the left side of our bed & get up on my left side everyday. Just the previous day I read in a magazine that getting up on you right side is lucky for you. Though I was too lazy to roll over to the other edge of the bed, I did do it, eagerly looking forward to a lucky day.

As soon as I entered the bathroom, electricity failed ! I was wondering how I could make coffee without the electric coffee maker & the microwave oven to boil the milk. I planned to ask Vish to "adjust" with tea that morning (not an easy job, though!). The milk had not arrived and just then the milkman came & informed that the there was a breakdown of the milk-van & milk would arrive late ! So, for a change, we started the day "healthy", with the much writtren about , warm water with lime juice and honey ! I could sense Vish's mood was already changing.
Next a little boy came & announced that his mother, my maid would not be coming that day because, " engappa rathiri kudichutu vanthu enga ammavai vilasi thallittaru. Amma ezunthirikkalai". She wanted me to send some money through her son to go to the doctor, failing which, I know how she will take a long leave & avenge me ! I obliged, turning a deaf ear to Vish's comment that my maid knows best how to take me for a ride. So that was the next development.
Without washing machine working & an absent maid, who would wash the clothes? I was wondering if I should bathe at all ! The fan could not be switched on & it was so sultry.
Without the maid to go & buy vegetables & because the mixi cannot be used, I literally pleaded with Vish that we will go & eat out just that day. After a lot of coaxing & cajoling from my part, he nodded his head vertically.
So we locked the flat & set out. Just as were about to come out, the electricity came !
Not only that, because of the cash I had sent through her son, my maid very kindly sent a substitute. The Lord decided that we will not go out, but things getting normal, I could cook at home, as usual & the routine can go on as anyother day !!
So, I decided, my getting up only on my left side is lucky for me.
Sri, I am not writing about the second part of your post, because I am not in charge of the finance portfolio in our house. It cannot be otherwise when I am married to a "Kanakku Pillai", as your friend calls himself !
Love,
Chithra.
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Cheeniya · Dec 14, 2009

Oh My dear Kamal
It is sheer blasphemy! Comparing me to my greatest idol PGW is not exhilarating but embarrassing! There can never be another Wodehouse ever, Kamal, and all his ardent fans know it for sure! Anyway, thanks a lot for your generosity. You'll have a super large BL on me next time we meet!

As I read your prophesy about my letters d` amor going for auction in Sotheby's, my mind is already on a wild jaunt spending all that money and Star TV doing an episode of the Life Style of the Rich and Famous featuring me.

About Durrani, there used to be a joke those days. Every time he hit a Six, someone in the audience was sure to lose a ****!

When I meet you next in your den, it is my desire that we invite a few of your celebrity friends for our binge!
Sri

Cheeniya · Dec 14, 2009

Dear Jaya
Don't you know that love letters written over 5 decades back become as useless as twice used tissue paper? To tell you the truth, my fear was not about my wife getting peeved. I just did not want her to know that I could not write even a proper love poem! It was a question of my reputation being at sake seeing how many mistakes I had made in the ten line song. Further, Govindu is about the only fellow in my life who provides some excitement. Why spoil it by negotiating a deal with him for the retrieval of the 'evidence'?

The method followed by the lenders is indeed scandalous. Makes my blood boil and I really want to do some research and write a book on "A thousand ways to cheat the Lenders"! The other side of the story about the borrowers dictating terms to the lenders is not as bleak except that they develop a capacity to run faster than the lenders!

Thanks a lot for your nice FB!
Sri

Padmini · Dec 15, 2009

Dear cheeniya sir,
When I read your post about " poor" Govindu"
I recollected my acquittance with the same type of person. I am that type of person who is ready to part with the money if somebody asks for education. A maid used to pster me and I used to shell out the money for her son's education . Though she promised me to give back the money I knew it is " Paraankallil peidha mazhai" This led to a heated argument between me and my better half. He mocked at me " she knows your weekness so she is taking advantage of it. See 5 years have gone till no return". In my anger I retaliated. At that time the maid entered with aboy of 20 years age. In my anger I shouted at her saying," So this time you brought your son also to get more from me? Why you are torturing me like this? ' Like this words came from my mouth. There was a pindrop silence. The next thing that happened was a turning point. She took a cover and handed over to me with a weak voice "Amma, this is the first instalment I am paying. because of you my son finished his studies and got a job. From his first salsry I am paying you this. I became speechless!! Had a look at the boy. He was wearing astiched shirt and old jeans. But the happiness in his face and eyes captivated me!! When big nations and so called " big men" are refusing to pay back the debt, this poor lady took efforts to pay back! I looked at my DH and without second thought handed over the money to her asking her to get nice dress for her son offering her more money.Thanks for giving me an opportunity to share my experience( Along one)
Your statement about paying tips is very correct. we used to bargain when we buy things in Pondybazar platform, but for the same thing we used to pay the bill without uttering a word.
with love
pad

Cheeniya · Dec 16, 2009

Dear Padmini
The story of your maid was indeed quite moving. It is true that we always tend to associate poor people with lack of integrity. But the Holy Text tells us a different story. It says that it is more difficult for the rich to enter the Heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle!

Your maid has proved that integrity is not necessarily associated with the affluent. Of late, we have been hearing the stories of the super rich taking every one for a ride. Most of the super affluent develop a keen interest for hoarding wealth and in the course of time, they never hesitate to follow any means to satiate their hunger for wealth.

The Pondy Bazaar example hits the nail on its head! That is the quintessence of human behaviour!
Sri

Kamalji · Dec 17, 2009

Cheeniya said: ↑

Oh My dear Kamal
It is sheer blasphemy! Comparing me to my greatest idol PGW is not exhilarating but embarrassing! There can never be another Wodehouse ever, Kamal, and all his ardent fans know it for sure! Anyway, thanks a lot for your generosity. You'll have a super large BL on me next time we meet!

As I read your prophesy about my letters d` amor going for auction in Sotheby's, my mind is already on a wild jaunt spending all that money and Star TV doing an episode of the Life Style of the Rich and Famous featuring me.

About Durrani, there used to be a joke those days. Every time he hit a Six, someone in the audience was sure to lose a ****!

When I meet you next in your den, it is my desire that we invite a few of your celebrity friends for our binge!
Sri
Click to expand...

Dear Sri,

For that u will have to meet me in Mumbai, where i can get them to sti and drink with me.

russi Surti was so taken over by me, he said kamal the next time i am in Mumbai ( he stays in Australia and comes to india once a year), i must have u with me all the time, i will make u meet Engineer , and everyone, we meet at the CCI, all are honourary members there, so the next time u and me meet there, we will meet some legends of cricket , and some film stars , all of them are down to earth, the ones i have met at least, and none knows to use the computer that is the sad part.HAHA

Regards

kamal

Tubelight · Jan 22, 2010

"People like Govindu do behave like Heads of States irrespective of the size of the amount exchanging hands. And Govindu’s loans are written off on the day they are granted!" What a character ! You do have the knack of attracting the strangest specimens to you !

And that tipping scene in the starred hotel !:rotfl
The face and expressions of Mr.Bean kept coming to mind as i read it !
( I hope you like Mr.Bean:hide: )

As for me, i think waiters at star hotels should not be tipped at all. (The bill itself usually includes a hefty service charge) And we need to grow a crab's carapace in order not to feel like worms under the withering look of the un-tipped waiter. If anyone needs to be tipped, its the hapless servers in smaller establishments who run around with wheels on their feet, managing four trayloads, remembering one dozen orders, reciting yard long menus and still keeping a smile on.

Cheeniya · Jan 25, 2010

Dear TL
You know what? My mum used to say that I must have the words "The Gullible" tattooed on my forehead. I did not actually do that but later on when I started getting involved in internet activity, I had adopted it as my ID in Rediff Chatroom where I started chatting initially. In fact, my old internet cronies know me only by that ID. Does it explain my knack of attracting the strangest specimens?

That tipping scene in star hotels is not the least bit exaggerated. The closer the day to days of festivity like New Year's Day, the fatter will be the tips. That is after paying to the hotel some mind boggling sum for a frugal dinner! If Mr.Bean's face kept coming to your mind as you were reading it, that is my ultimate reward. And of course, I love Mr.Bean. I quote him as often as possible in my threads to drive away the ennui from them!

Withering look of the un-tipped waiter is dead right! Maybe I'll add 'intimidatingly' to withering look. Tipping inadequately and receiving the withering look in return is a lot better than tipping nothing and being looked upon like the scum of the earth. I would say, 'It is better to have tipped and receiving a withering look than not to have tipped at all!"
Sri