Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Few things don't need surveys

Posted by Varun | Tuesday, July 7, 2009 | Category: , , , , , |

1. The number of two wheelers on footpaths of Bangalore during peak hours is equal to the number of two wheelers on the roads of Mumbai or for that matter any city at any time.

(Source: Google Image Search)

2. Most of the Kannada conversations in Bangalore start with 'Nimage Kannada Baratta!?' which translates into ‘Do you know Kannada!?’

3. Ninety percent of people, when late for an appointment and are stuck in an elevator show all their frustration on the poor elevator buttons. They hit and punch all those buttons as though it would take them to their destination faster :)

4. Only five percent of the people in this world like their managers. Rest of them...Hmmm... I don't have to tell you about them. :)

5. According to most of the people (Let me generalize it to educated class) in India, easiest way to quick money and fame is a MBA in an Indian Institute of Management and for others it is playing the Indian Premier League or winning Indian Idol.

6. When it comes to jokes on people or communities, Sardar jokes are the one to beat. Blonde jokes comes close second.

7. Two hours in peak Bangalore traffic everyday for a week can cause all sorts of respiratory (pollution) and mental (frustration of driving in jams) disorders.

8. Bangalore has one restaurant almost every street. They are popularly known as 'Darshinis' and usually serve only breakfast, and snacks in the evening. I haven't seen this in any city I have been to so far.
(Source: Google Image Search)

9. It takes at least one hour to find a true British citizen in Wembley, London. It is one of those localities that have been literally captured by the Indians. Another locality that comes close to it is East Ham.

10. There are hardly five, 5-Paise coins left in India today and I have one of them. Where are the other four? :). Is it still in circulation? The last I saw it being traded was when I was in 5th standard.
(Source: Google Image Search)

11. The ratio of official emails to personal emails in any normal person’s mail box is usually at 5:6. If that person in on bench then this ratio drops to 1:4 :)

12. The amount of time we spend waiting for our laptops or computers to respond (waiting for a download to complete, waiting for a file to open, waiting for a web page to load, etc) everyday is a painful ten to thirty minutes depending on the speed of your computer and internet. Any bright ideas on how we could use that time constructively?

13. Kids playing with marbles and kids playing Lagori (Pitthu or Sitoliya) are extinct or is it the other way round?

14. Every year, at least ten kids drown in drains and five kids get stuck inside open bore wells in Bangalore and its surrounding places .

15. And last but not the least; I change my blog template every 6 months :)


PS: This post was more or less limited to cities I have lived in because I am in no position to comment anything on other cities.

PPS: If you know of any such fact please feel free to add that in the comments section. I’ll publish them on my blog with the name of the contributor.

Currently have 57 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

  2. Nice post, as usual. :). Enjoyed reading it.
    Now that we can access blogs from office, I can actually comment on your blog!

    Another universal rule is : a person on a bike, never stops first at traffic signal, and if he must, he never stops before the stop line.
    Now, now.. dont get me started on traffic :)

    P.S. - Thanks for all the comments you left on my blog.

  3. Hi Archana,
    I am glad you commented! :)
    Thanks so much...

    Breaking traffic signals, jumping the line are very small blunders that bike riders commit. Not sure what they achieve from it though.

  4. Bang on for number 5). just that you can include making idiotic reality shows..

    11)... Nopes not mine.. Mine would be like 10:1

    Apart from 'Nimage Kannada Baratta!?', another conversation starter is 'Oota/Tindi Aayta?'

  5. Hi Vee,
    Reality show reminds me of Rakhi's Swayamvar! Aren't you watching it? :)

    11) You are not normal then. You work too much :D

    Oota/Tindi Aayta? comes only once it is confirmed that the other person knows Kannada.

  6. Hi Reema,
    Thank you :)

  7. "nanage kannada swalpa swalpa baratte!" ;)

    And most other things that you wrote is similar in Ahmedabad too! :)

    I too have 5 paise coins :)

  8. Maneesh Shanbhag says:

    pt. 8) Darshinis are also there in other part of Karnataka too, but I couldnt locate one in Mumbai.
    pt. 9) U misseed southhall, where can't locate one brit :)

  9. I ve seen more Sagar 's than darshini's .. but all, as u said serve Breakfast and evening snacks.. the part I love abt these stalls is 4 people can surround a table and eat/drink ..what a saving in space..

  10. Awesome post! Well I agree with the point of Kannada speaking people..I am learning Kannada just make my life easy in B'lore...
    Btw in Kerala every second house has a son or relative in 'Gulf' :P

  11. 1. I hate Blore for the traffic. Havnt noticed this though!

    3. LOL, this is a world wide phenomenon, na?

    4. five percent like their managers??? You must be kidding ! I always thought it was close to negligible.

    7. and in two years, you could die !!

    10. I have one !!! :D

    13. Extinct; just like the dinos !!

    15. LOL, we know. I liked the older one though !

  12. hi

    loved the post

    i so agree with number 13.. i guess thay all have been shifted in front of computers.. the time they spend outside is used in waiting the site to download.. ;)

    btw i have one too-5-paisa coin..

    p.s was just passing by

  13. 5 - Getting into the IIMs is definitely not the easiest way. We're talking a 99 percentile in CAT!

    13 - I think it's the other way round. In Hegdenagar near Bangalore, playing lagori was all the girls ever did. The guys of course stuck to cricket.

    Amusing post!

  14. I miss Bangalore!!! Waaaaaaaaaah!!!

  15. hehehe so so true!!!

    I hate people who keep jabbing the lift buttons!!!

    Keep a book with you when u r booting the comp or keep the remote ready ;-)

    Nice post :)

  16. You have an award!
    http://chiranjibmazumdar.blogspot.com/2009/07/yey-award.html

  17. LOL on most of d points!
    cheers!!

  18. Nice post...it hit bulls eye with me with your observation on kids not playing outdoor games these days. We cannot think of our childhood without all these games. They are part of our growing up years. Really feel pity for kids today...too much pressure...way too much competition for everything!

  19. Nice post! :)
    I think you can add one more to the list.
    People who comment on your blog have to think more than what you'd have, before writing a post..

  20. @Nikhil: You deserted Blore!
    @Varun: Nice post :) I too have 5 paise coins...passing them on to A when he realises what it means :D

  21. Nice one Varun.

    3) Poor buttons. I strongly agree.

    10) I do have a couple of 5 paise coins with me. They are now antiques!

    13) I pity that too. Don't know what the kids do indoors all the time!

    15) And I belong to this category too ;)

  22. The day you get your vehicle serviced and washed, it rains :D

    And yea, I have a 5-paise coin! That makes you, Sakhi, Vimal, Apar, Committed to life and me ;) So, who's the liar here???

  23. hey nice post mate...
    even i played marble and pitthu in my childhood days...v used to hunt for colourful marbles..!!!!

    u missed southhall..

    before coming to blore i got some glimpse bout the city.:)
    Cheers!!!

  24. One more thing..
    “Every new place is always facinating until it gets old and u find it inhabitable eventually!”

  25. A nice post.I have one paise and two paise coins too !!! What is more I have the old "Kaasu " and the "Annas" - (12 Kaasu was equal to one Anna and 16 Annas were a rupee ). Makes me look like a Rip Van Winkle. All the best . love

  26. you have an award

    http://verbalfiend.wordpress.com/

  27. Hey, I tagged you. Check the link: http://penpaper.blogspot.com/2009/07/tag-here.html

  28. Hi Varun!
    There is something waiting here for you
    http://bukkichowta.blogspot.com/2009/07/twin-tags.html

  29. Hi Nice Post.....This had all the recipe of Vaibava darshini Bandhigowda layout Mandya and GVN Hostel....Mandya da Gandu

  30. Good one!!!!! I've enjoyed it like a lot!

  31. every six months, eh? i like that. :)

  32. Hey Sakhi,
    Great to know that know swalpa Kannada and have 5-paise coins. Preserve them for your kids to see :)

  33. Hi Maneesh,
    Good to see your comment. You are right about Darshinis and Southall. Southall slipped out of my mind.

  34. Hi Ashwin,
    You are spot on about Sagar's. They are as prevalent as Darshinis. Another thing I love about these stalls is the unlimited amounts of chutney and sambar

  35. Hey Valerine,
    Thanks a ton! LOL at relative in Gulf. In Bangalore, every second house has a kid or relative in Infosys or TCS! :)

  36. Hey vimmuu,

    1. Ride a bike and you'll know how comfortable is it to ride on footpaths
    3. :D :D. Yeah!
    4. Haha.. If nobody liked their manager how would people climb up the ladder ;)
    7. LOL
    10. One more to my count :)
    13. Sad!
    15. Oh! Will change again soon...don't worry.. 6 more months :)

  37. Hey commited to life,

    Welcome to my digital diary! Haha.. It is good if they are are at least using their downlod time effectively.

  38. Hi Shivya,
    Thanks :).
    5. I agree that is not easy to get a seat there. But dreaming of an IIM seat is definitely easy.
    13. Good. I have never seen anyone play that in Bangalore. Am glad you did.

  39. Hi Nikhil,
    Plan a visit to Bangalore soon. U'll miss it less.

  40. Hi Smita,
    That's a typical book lover's advice. Thanks. Will try that :)

  41. Hi Chiranjib,

    Thanks buddy!

  42. Hi Archana,
    Thanks :D

  43. Hi P&P,
    Pity is the right word! They probably pity us for not getting to play Halo-3 during our childhood :D

  44. Hi Chiju,
    I am flattered! That was a very sweet comment! Thanks :)

  45. Hi Apar,
    That's the best use of a 5-paise coin anyone could do! :)

  46. Hi Deepa,

    3 - :)

    10 - Preserve them carefully :)

    13 - They pity us I guess for not getting to play X-BOX or PS-3 during our childhood.

    15 - Great! Where do you get your templates from?

  47. Hi Scorpia,
    Haha.. That was just an exaggerated fact! :) No liars here...And that's a good point you made.. It rains and the it gets dirty too...

  48. Hi Richa,

    Oh yes! I missed Southall! I have been to that place only once or twice and hence it slipped out of my mind. There is more to this city that just my post. But it is definintly something you can keep in your mind :)

  49. Hi Akshat,
    Haha... For how long do you intend to keep moving from one place to another then!? :)

  50. Hi Appa,

    I had to google Rip Wan Winkle :).

  51. Hi Val,

    Thanks so much! :)

  52. Hi P&P,
    Thanks, Will pick it up...

  53. Hi Shayari,

    Thanks so much! :)

  54. Hi Anonymous,
    I hope you enjoyed the dish :)

  55. Hi Esther,
    Welcome to my digital diary! Am glad you enjoyed it!

  56. Hi Anjana,
    Every six months it is.. :) Thanks..