Wednesday, May 4, 2005
Obnoxious people
A regular Hawaiian Coconut Pineapple Surprise please, I asked, standing at the smoothie counter in the mall. Now I don’t know about you, but I lovvve smoothies. I also prefer them with some peace and quiet, but I digress. So there I was, lost in my dream of dancing on a beach in Hawaii, counting coconuts, eating pineapples and .. surprise! A sugary-sweet Indian female voice wafted in ..
She: Heh heh. What would you recommend I try?
Me: Hm? Oh! A smoothie? Um .. they’re all good, I guess.
She: Heh heh. Are you from India?
Me: *hmm, sudden topic change!* Yes, I am ..
She: Heh heh. Where from?
Me: Hyderabad.
She: Heh heh. I used to live there too.
Me: *trying to get back to Hawaii* Ah, that’s nice.
She: Heh. Where in Hyderabad?
Me: *mental sigh* Begumpet ..
She: Heh heh. Where in Begumpet?
Me: *realizing that desperate times called for desperate measures*
Me: 42-432-64/56A/B-43, Opposite Azizia Cafe, Behind Regal Cinema, S P Road.
She: *confused* Huh?
Me: *flashing a big smile and thinking — Hah! I turned the Heh to a Huh!*
She: *realizing I was being a smartass* Oh! Heh heh!
Me: *wondering what’s taking my smoothie so long*
She: My husband .. *pointing in the generic direction of a strategically positioned desi* .. runs an Internet Commerce business.
Me: *my worst fears are confirmed*
Me: I see, that’s nice. *chanting smoothie! smoothie! in my mind*
She: Do you work?
Me: *all this just ‘cos I wouldn’t tell her my favorite smoothie flavor?*
Me: Yes ..
She: Heh heh! It is nice to meet Indians who are energetic and willing to take risks.
Me: *eeks! she got all that about me just because I work?*
As if the simpering ‘heh heh’s hadn’t left me drained, (Harry Potter fans must be thinking of Dolores Umbridge by now) the conversation continued ad infinitum and the exciting questions poured ad nauseam — my favorite plumber, my car, where I live, real-estate costs, my doormat, the rising gas prices, the weather, the stock market, Ganguly’s batting, Aishwarya Rai’s acting (we were on a ‘things that don’t exist‘ sub-theme for a while), item numbers, Kaal, the new desi-dhaba on Massachusetts Avenue and other such enchanting stuff. All of this was of course, generously sprinkled with comments like ‘we desis need to network better to become a force to reckon with’ or ‘we Indians should have clearer goals in life, only then we will get somewhere‘ and other such mumbo-jumbo. Now, I am as friendly as your neighborhood Spiderman, and I don’t say that chatting up strangers at smoothie stands is a crime. But if this yakkity-yak has jogged painful memories for you, then you will surely empathize. Yesh, this was none other than the attack of the Amway parasite. Or Quixtar as it is now known.
Ironically, at first glance, the Amway keeda comes across as someone you’d actually want to be friends with. A cheerful smile, a sense of familiarity and bonhomie that your childhood friends can only dream of, and a level of concern for your health and well being, that is on par with your parents’. As a result, when one attempts to be genuinely friendly towards a fellow desi, it backfires. One can see them scurrying away from you at warp speed with hushed whispers of ‘Amway .. Amway ..‘ echoing in the background.
If on reading this you ask — ‘What is Amway?‘, then either that rock you live under has served its purpose well, else there is some divine intervention involved. Not to worry, step into a local grocery store, train station or mall, and you shall soon have your own sad Amway story to tell. Or if you already have one, share it now. We could band together and form an Amway Anonymous support group, perhaps?
Moving onto other distasteful things, here’s a mini-rant about one. This is for the world in general, but especially directed at certain individuals whose excruciating love and admiration towards me, compels them to leave anonymous comments about the person I am.
- This blog has, for the most part, been a cheerful and positive place and I keep it that way, by choice. I would appreciate it if you did not post nasty messages to try and change that. (I am so polite, I impress myself sometimes!)
- Nobody is compelling you to read my blog. If you don’t like what I write, go away.
- Save the free speech lecture for the next human rights convention you plan to attend. This is MY blog. If you post crappy comments, I will delete that crap whenever I feel like it, so don’t whine.
- You can keep posting comments. I can keep deleting them. We could continue this li’l song-and-dance routine to find out who tires of it first, but frankly, it is already boring. As Dilbert teaches you — Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, and then beat you with experience.
- On that Dilbert quote trip, here’s a couple more relevant ones for you to ruminate on —
- I don’t have an attitude problem, you have a perception problem.
- I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow is not looking too good either.
On a more cheerful and unrelated note — visions of Hawaii and the promise of pineapples, has inspired me to do a bit of travelling. As a result, starting this Friday, I’m taking a blogging break for about a month. Yes, I am still around for the rest of the week, so don’t start the celebrations just yet. Now, I could claim this to be a more serious ‘I need to take stock of my life, re-evaluate my priorities‘ type thing, but sadly, it is not. And don’t think I didn’t notice that collective sigh of relief from you all. *scowl* It will surely come back to haunt you. Anyways, so until mid-June, the mindless nonsense shall cease. Unless of course, something terribly earth-shattering happens before that. Like a new PJ. Heh heh.
Hope you all have a wonderful month of May!
Yaay! megha’s back!
damn n ur talkin of a break already! :(( Grrrr….what dya call the last one?!!
take ur time gurl…n *i don’t mind teh occasional PJ*
really!
;o)
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 2:07 AM
It is so nice to be here before the rest of the Party animals get here :) the chance to look around Meghalaya with that misty look in one’s eyes, to savour the moment and…Oops! sorry phor the detour!
Break? Whaaa??? why? SmugBug has already taken care of that anonymous pest but then one month without PJs wouldn’t hurt i guess :)
Have a rocking vacation and get back here phaaaaasssst!
:-D
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 2:13 AM
*Heh heh* so are you interested in joinin my Amway pyramid *heh heh*
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 2:26 AM
will miss ur PJ’s. do come back sooonnnnnn. have a nice break. chill out
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 3:15 AM
Life isn’t fair. At all. I venture back into the clouds, daring to take a peek at the comments section … only to realise that you are going to be leaving us.
I must say though, if this is a ploy to get another 100 comments on a single post, I have a feeling it just might work ;)
And paavum you on being attacked by that Amway crowd… nuke em all !
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 3:49 AM
hey Megha,
being a first time visitor to ur blog, must say I njoyed reading ur ‘rants’ immensely, u do have a way with words.
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 4:54 AM
[Megha] Awwwwwwww… You are off for a month? Good for you.. Have fun. But u are making much more of a positive effect on ppl that you give yourself credit for.
And ya, I’d be watching this section for your next PJ! And mebbe leave you like a comment a day, counting down towards June! How does that sound? ;)
Come back soon!
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 9:53 AM
*whoa whoa* already 7 comments..!!
megha i think in my case it’s the rock which is serving me well. But you people go ahead and make ,whatever Anonymous group you want. You have my outside moral support
(*typical desi support, eh ? heh heh*)
enjoy yr vacation too ! will miss yr PJs.
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 11:00 AM
Could there be a better description of those Amway/Quixtar agents? :)
Btw, have fun during the break! You will be missed!
JD
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 11:04 AM
Obnoxious..yes they are !! Try to be friendly with them and ur in trouble, we just have to be friendly enough to say a quick bye with a smile and then kato wahan se !!
Talking about my experience with such people … well some what similar to u (guess its the mall everywhere) and yea I was whining too … if you wanna know, read it here
so finally ur off to desh ? :) …a small pj to haunt u during the break :p
act in the movies, get some awards and ur a star in reel life
act in the mall, get some rewards and ur a quixstar in real life :p
*bam* *bam* *dishum* *thud* …ok ..don’t give me those looks :d.
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 11:54 AM
enjoy ur hols ! hoping to see you back with posts on ur experiences.
if I got the amway thing right, I will share my exp with *friendly agents* sometime later.
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 1:11 PM
[Megha] Begumpet jaa rahi ho? Tum Bathaaich nahi.. :O Par Humreko Biriyani lekheich aavoge naa? Par Hum Chicken nahi kaathe!
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 1:12 PM
[shub] Last one? When did I take a break before this? And I feel much better now, since you’ve clarified that you don’t mind my PJs ;)
[Kumari] Awww :) She is so sweet to me and then throws the ‘a month without PJs wouldn’t hurt I guess’ astra! I need to do some non-silly writing to remedy the reputation I have, I think :) But thank you!
[Rohit] Sure, I will be happy to have a variant of the above conversation with you! *dirty look* :)
[KJ] Thank you! I’ll try to think of a bunch of them while I’m gone :)
[Vignesh] Leaving? Who said I was leaving? Just traveling, counting coconuts and other such good stuff. If anything it’ll give me material to come back and write more nonsense, I’ll say :) And ayyo, this wasn’t any ploy to get comments. Here I am booking tickets, and you are accusing me of such chillar stuff! Glad to see you around once again!
[Swathi] Thank you! Glad you dropped in and hope to see you around more often! :)
[aNTi] *shocked* You actually said something sweet to me!? A positive effect on people? *sniffles and wipes away tears of joy* Thank you :) And I can think of certain readers of my blog who might have issues with the ‘one comment a day’, but I for one will be thrilled if you wrote! :) I might not respond to comments as regularly, but I’ll surely read them from time to time, blog-junkie that I am :)
[Suhail] You have never been Amway-ed? Aisa kaise ho gaya? Not to fikar, one day it will happen to you, and that day you will think of me and my pineapple smoothie, I assure you. I will be checking in from time to time, so I’m not completely disappearing, so do write in! Just might not respond as frequently, that’s all.
[JD] Aw thank you! I’ll try to be back with a whole new stock of inanities :)
[pingoo] Chah! That was so arrrrrrgggghhh! Glad you beat yourself up for it :) And I shall remember it and use it on the next Amway agent I meet so some good might come of it, after all *evil grin* :)
And you write a blog and you never told me about it till now! :o Itni badi baat chupaayi humse! Nahiiiiiiin! I shall head over there pronto and read about your Amway story and commiserate.
And no, not desh. Traveling around the country, that’s all :)
[RK] Oh yes, do share your experiences! That might be the only good Amway agents can do. Give us a chance to write some fun stories! :) And yes, I hope to be back armed with material for a whole bunch of posts. Thank you for coming by! :)
[aNTi] Kya bataan karte miyaan? Chicken khaateich nahin bolke biryani banaane waale ka dil tod diye na tum! Koi nahin, hum aapke liye veggie biryani leke aayenge. Vaise chicken to hum bhi nahin khaate, to veggie biryani vendor se dosti to karni padegi! (Tell me if you need translation ;) ) One minor detail though - not going to Begumpet :)
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 2:07 PM
Same pinch ;)) I faced the similar obnoxious bunch during neways-boring grocery shopping..but added a bit of spice in my shopping…
trust me! my uncle came all the way from Atlanta carrying DVDs ,gizmos,samples and what not! in the first week i stepped in to US :)My brutally honest and cynical hubby dear couldnt do much but just give a cold stare ;)))))) it was fun though! u ritely pointed out that u are really taken to their sphere thinkng it is so genuine! :)) hey come back soon Megha!!! can’t wait for those wonderful PJs.
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 2:24 PM
Hilarious stuff, specially the conversation with the lady. I had simlilar experiences with the same person 3 times in 2 years and at the same desi store, apparently I remembered him but he didn’t. The first time I got annoyed the next 2 times I laughed my ass off, as he was using the same intro he had used before “oh you went to that school, I know a guy there”….and everytime I gave my old apt phone number.
That was not it, I had more expi with 2 other amway guys. I can write a blog about it, but will stop here.
Loved the Dilbert comment. I don’t understand why someone has to write nasty stuff when all your blogs are funny and not insinuating anyone.
Have a nice break….have lots of fun with coconuts and pineapples whether you count/drink/eat/dance with them.
>>Me: 42-432-64/56A/B-43, Opposite Azizia Cafe, Behind Regal Cinema, S P Road.
Oh me gawd….you are my neigbor…. I own the Azizia cafe.
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 4:49 PM
[IBH] Uh oh! Your uncle! Although I’ve never had to do that, I’m sure you have to be a lot nicer in saying no when it is a family member. Your hubby probably gives you grief about it even today :) And yes, i’ll be back soon, armed with lots of ammo to unleash on all you unsuspecting souls ;) Glad to see you comment today :)
[gvenum] You should definitely write a blog about your experiences. As I was saying to [RK] earlier, it might be the only good these Amway agents can do — give us a chance to write some entertaining tales about them!
My high-school classmate’s dad used to own Azizia Cafe. You’ve bought it over from them now, it seems? :) This is perfect! Now you can supply [aNTi] with all the biryani he ever wants! ;)
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 4:53 PM
[Megha] Na re.. Translation ka kuch zaroorat nahi padegi. Humko Hindi koobh aathiech hai. Aur humre dosth log bahut saare Hyderabadi hain. Do teen log Old City se hain. Is liye, jab bhi kisi se baath hothi hai, Hindi mein, Hyderabadi lingo andhar gus jaatha hai. Mumbaiyya bi gus jaatha hai, not that I can make out the difference!
And the talk about Begumpet came about, cos you said u were from Begumpet and someone commented that you were gonna go to India! I just put 2 and 2 together. But I might have come up with 5 rather than 4. Hum mathematics mein weak hain!
Shocked? Whoa whoa.. Is that the image that I have cultivated online with the limited contact I have had with you? I always leave nice comments here! Gaali thodi diya!
Did Gabby tell you something? I’ll get her! On second thoughts no, cos I need to build my image with Gabby and Alpha. You never know who they know!
But you don’t know how many ppl have heard the “beta-testing” PJ from me and have been pointed to your blog :p
And not all of them are blog junkies like you, so you might not exactly get comments from them.
As for the ppl who will be bothered by my “one comment a day”, whats wrong with them? And I might get hits to my blog too in the bargain. Wait a min, why don’t I get comments from you on my blog??????? :O
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 5:37 PM
The only way out is to BE RUDE. The first time, I couldn’t bring myself to tell them to shut up. Now, right after the first “Heh, heh”, I’m like “This better not be about Quixtar”…they “Heh heh” themselves to the next bakara.
Off for a month? Have fun!
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 6:41 PM
Hey know what? Another Bostonian will be Hyd-bound after a month…It’s becoming clear why Boston is so cool :)
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 6:45 PM
Btw, I’ve come across quite a few blog-posts about the Amway keedas but yours was easily the best-written one! had me grinning like an idiot and nodding furiously till my neck hurt. :)
Anti - You will have to boost that image-building attempt…I’m getting nothing..
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 7:00 PM
[aNTi] Boy this turned out to be a loooong comment response to your loooong comment :)
Well .. umm .. it’s not like you give gaalis and all, but you usually take digs at me, so hearing that I have a ‘positive effect on people’ made me all mushy and sentimental ;) No problemo about Begumpet assumptions. I didn’t want to get your hopes up about biryani, that’s all :) And did you notice that [gvenum] owns Azizia Cafe? I have put in a good word with him about you, so you’re all set.
And you’ve been circulating my ‘beta-testing’ PJ? So shweet! Thankoo thankoo! Please say thank you to your friends for visiting, even if they are not the commenting kind. For this alone I shall be nice to you for a whole day. Please see an example of my being nice to you in my response to [Gabby].
Absolutely nothing wrong with commenting once a day. I am all for thrice-a-day commenting in fact. Spread the joy, I say. And please to not ask what is wrong with certain people who have problems with certain things, my getting lots of comments being one of them. If I started explaining to you what I think is wrong with them, this blog’s rating might go from PG-13 to R to .. well you get the drift :)
And I *do* comment on your blog. I remember giving some major philosophical fundas about questioning one’s beliefs and what not. I thought that was such heavy stuff that I should go easy on you for a bit, so I didn’t write ever since that ;) Nah, on a more serious note — I am guilty of not commenting on your blog for a while now, but I do read regularly. And commenting shall commence soon :)
And hey, you want to build your image with Gabby and Alpha but not with me? Whyyy? You think I can’t know cool people that I can introduce you to, or what? Oh wait. Maybe all these nice compliments you were paying me was your way of building your image with me! Damn, I fell for it too! I need to have a talk with Gabby so I can see through your ways better in the future!
[GratisGab] Thankoo thankoo! Glad you liked my Amway woes. It’s true, I need to be ruder in the future, but I eventually chicken out. I have that faint glimmer of hope that maybe, just mayyyybe, they are actually being friendly for friendliness sake. I’m such an eternal optimist. Bah!
Hey! I had no idea we had the Hyd commonality as well (besides B-town I mean). I’m not Hyd bound though, even though the comments on this post might lead you to believe that. This boy [aNTi] and the confusion he causes sometimes. Tsk tsk. But yes, us Hyderabadi Bawstonians are wicked cool, that’s for sure :)
ps .. [aNTi] makes such an awesome scapegoat for everything na? And he’s such a good sport about it all :) See, he was nice to me today, so i’m trying to build his image up in your eyes, so you can introduce him to your smart friends ;) Pay it forward, as they say :)
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 7:32 PM
[Megha] Gal, Chill maadi! To hell with the world is what I say, if it dont like what I do!
Digs at you? :O I need to go back and search thro your posts :( I can’t ever remember being impolite!
But hey, I DEFINITELY did not start the Hyd thingy. I just did my brand of guessing and connecting! Guessing sometimes work, but sometimes it just does not!
Scapegoat? ya ya ya.. One more addition to the list of words used to describe me! But scapegoat, huh? Hmmm…..
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 8:40 PM
Megha I hv not been Amway-ed, but I hv been ICICIed and Citibank-ed many times in Blore *heh heh*..so I can somewhat relate to the experience. But this desi-desi friendliness-friendlineess thing of Amway is diff. The bank guys just try to convince you that you must be thebiggest fool on this planet if you don’t take their nth free credit card (which comes with oh so many privileges!). In retaliation you are supposed to convince them that your next 3 generations to come are going to be broke ;) Once I actually persuaded one such guy, taking his own line of reasoning, why he should think about having a second wife ;-) It was funny and we had a very civil discussion for 10 mins. He too laughed at the joke. Though later I felt bad abt it in a funny sorta way.
btw..whoever goes to Hydbad…don’t miss the hydbadi chickken biryani frm Paradise. Its the bestestest biryani I hv ever had when I once visited hydbad to meet my prof & friend..and coincidentally he too stays in Begumpeth..(somewhere near that Shopper’s Stop). You know who is the owner right ? Well I don’t like to brag..so I’ll just leave it at that…
aNTi, kya tumheiN hyNdbadi aur Bbaiyya mein diffce nahin karteiN kya ? ajee woh kya haiN kee, hybad tauN bahot hot city hona.. summer meiN kabheech nako jaanaa..lekin bus ekdam badhiya quality ke…3-3 classes ke public transport…3-3 lane wale hyway pe running karte…isich liye gratisgab bhi 3-3 baar-baar idhar ko mudh-mudh ke comment karna…ajee kya bhaagte bus…poochhoch nako..aur city bhautich cheap bhi honeka..
lekin Bbay bole tau kya…saal ke 13 mahine thanda rehta, kya ? bbay mein koi tension leta nahin…har koi tension deta hai…kabhi kabhi baraf bhi girti..ghapaa-ghap. samjha ke nai bidu ? Bbay mein biryani ki chicken pieces ko istyle mein kya bolte maaloom kya ? khilona. maa qasam !
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 10:21 PM
For a while(two weeks actually), I thought you’d gone off the blog. No matter. The waits well worth it. Enjoy the vacation.
And hey, so youre not an Amway member yet? Thats nice. Give me your phone hunber and we’ll fix that problems. You really must learn to Network21 more ;)
Wednesday, May 4, 2005 @ 11:40 PM
[aNTi] Abba, you don’t have to go back and check on your old posts. I’m just picking on you. You are nothing but an epitome of politeness and goodness. There I said it. So nice and good that I even put in a good word for you to Gabby. We are just nice, that way, what to do :) And yesh, scapegoat! I would have thought that the conversations that Gabby, you and I have already gave you a good indication of that? ;)
[Suhail] I’ve never been ICICI-ed or Citibank-ed so I have no idea what that’s like, but if it involves teaching people tips to marital harmony, I’m guessing it can be quite the party :) Who is the owner? Of Paradise? Or of Shopper’s Stop? Nopes I have no idea of either? Who? And where is Paradise? I hope fellow Hyderabadis don’t lynch me, but I seriously get confused with the names of restaurants, so just asking to make sure.
I liked the 3-3 funda! :) Kuchh bhi bolo, that is one awesome amazing city!
[SmartOxymoron] Yikes! Gone off the blog? Have you not been seeing the flurry of comment responses that I have been trying to keep up with? You think they were appearing out of thin air or what? Some people na.. tsk tsk. And you want to initiate me into the Amway world? How sweet! Call 1-800-NICE-TRY and ask for me. Grrrr :)
Thursday, May 5, 2005 @ 2:23 PM
Megha: I was talking about going back at looking at YOUR posts and my comments to them :p Anyways, thanx :)
Thursday, May 5, 2005 @ 2:25 PM
[aNTi] Argh, that’s what I meant as well. I mistyped! *sigh*
Thursday, May 5, 2005 @ 2:31 PM
Ah, Amway :) Me not been bitten by that bug much, thankfully. I guess I I did meet some chap in a Barnes and Noble, once, who was trying to interest me in something.
But then I have an uncle who dabbled in this Amway nonsense once too. So I’ve seen the super-fantastic-toothpaste and the extra-strong-cleaning-solution that can clean that paint off your walls. :)
And I agree with Suhail. In India it’s more common to get accosted by ICICI and Citibank agents. For the first few months, it’d be -
(This mostly on exiting an ATM or walking out of the office campus)
Agent: Sir, can I take a moment of you time?
Me: Hmm?
Agent: Sir, I’d like to interest you in this free credit card from ICICI. You have to pay nothing sir. And this card is accepted in 2593 stores, restaurants and theatres across chennai. Plus you get discounts and special offers every few months. So would you like to apply for a card now, sir?
Me: No.
Agent: It’ll only take two minutes sir. I have the form ready right here. So what’s your name sir? (pen poised over the form, to complete the application most efficiently)
Me: I don’t need another credit card.
Agent: It’s free sir. So what is your name sir?
Me: I don’t care if it’s free. I already have a credit card.
Agent: Everyone has multiple credit cards nowadays, sir! This is a Gold card. And it’s free. Your name, sir?
Me: I don’t care what other people do, I don’t need another card.
Agent: We are giving you a Visa card sir. And ICICI has the most ATMs all over India. You can even withdraw cash using the credit card. (He tells me this after watching me walk out of an ICICI ATM).
Me: I already have an ICICI Debit card!
Agent: This is a Credit Card, sir.
Me: I already have a credit card, I don’t need another one! And I don’t have the time to argue about this anymore. I’m leaving.
Agent: It’s very good, sir. It’ll only take two minutes. Please sir!
and so on.
Now, when I’m back in India -
Agent: Sir, I’d like to interest you in this free credit card from ICICI. You have to pay nothing sir. And this card -
Me: Thanks, but I already have an ICICI Gold credit card that is accepted all over the country in 3428 locations all over Chennai, and another 12864 locations in Bombay, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
Agent: Is it a Visa card, sir?
Me: Yes.
Agent: You can get one more, sir. MasterCard this time. And you can have your photograph on it.
*sigh*
Atleast these Amway/Quixtar chaps aren’t whiny…
Thursday, May 5, 2005 @ 5:09 PM
Which is why I completely skirt around the food court at ANY mall in the US. One of my mamaji’s is into Amway. Consequently I had to throw away 15 tubes of the vilest tasting toothpaste ever manufactured. In fact I kept wishing that Logan Customs would try n put some duty on the damned things, just so that I could surrender them.
Aaaaaanyways, if your vacation ideas are as “energetic and risky” as pyramid schemers perceive your personality to be :P, do bring back some pics for the blog :)
Have an awesome holiday. But since you’re missing my silver jubilee on this planet, no cake for u :D
Thursday, May 5, 2005 @ 5:10 PM
first of all - that was one smooth conversation :)
secondly - i liked reading your blog and don’t leave nasty comments (at least not with my name on it :) ) - so can i come back for more???
Thursday, May 5, 2005 @ 5:28 PM
[Rajesh] *ROTFL* Now that was one awesome conversation! From everything [Suhail] and you have said so far, I can’t wait to be accosted by an ICICI/Citibank agent. *rubbing hands in glee* And this comment totally deserves to be a post on your own blog! Isn’t it about time that you wrote a post anyway? :)
[Devdutt] How will I get my precious smoothies if I keep avoiding food courts? Do you know of a smoothie place in the Boston area that is NOT in a mall? If you do, please tell and as a mark of my gratitude, I shall tell them to name a smoothie after you.
Grandpa’s turning 25?! Happy Birthday in advance! Hope you have a wonderful day and year ahead, and hope you are getting to spend it with your special someone. And don’t try to cheat me out of cake just cos i’m busy hogging pineapples. I will expect some saved for me when I return, thank you very much :)
Have a great one!
[Sagnik] Thankoo! And as long as you haven’t left any nasty comments *with* your name on them, you are most welcome to return. Idiot :)
Thursday, May 5, 2005 @ 5:50 PM
[Megha] I am *shocked*. You are from Hydbad(aren’t you?) and you don’t know “Paradise”. It’s like, “aap PSPO nahin jaantey?”. The entire area around P. restaurant is named after it(or is it other way round?). Like P. busstand, P.Icecreams ..etc.etc. That was the 1st place my friend took me to. I think it’s something like Bglore’s Majestic area. All-in-one. Samjhees ? And forget the owner joke. You didn’t catch it. And though I didn’t wanted to brag this..but yr question forces me to say (in the interest of full disclosure of yr loyal punKaar readers) that yrs truly is the owner of S.Stop. Go and shop all you want. Just tell my name at the bill counter (…and then run..run..run as hard as u can) ;-))
[Rajesh] Spot on! But you forgot this last line of defense which all of em come up with:
Agent: But it’s FREE sir!! WHY don’t you want it sir?
Me: Free **my foot** ?
Agent: If it’s FREE then you SHOULD take it no sir?
Me: Here I go on my long gentelmanly bhaashan abt how he got dowry in his marriage, so that by logic he shd marry once again The funny part was the poor chap confessed to all that dowry thing like a child who is confessing to his father abt stealing chocs. But as I said, later I felt bad. Coz after all they get peanuts as commission for selling that so they are v.desperate. Usually you’ll find young college turks or something like that doing it. So mostly I just politely turn them down. Somehow that day I was in a cranky mood and poor guy took it from me. So Megha pliss not to rub yr hands in glee..tho it’s also an experience which you shd have.
btw, I’ve heard abt this Amway a lot even in Bbay(tho never approached by one) and my distant cousin too in Bbay does some similar chain-mktg kinda thing with some medico firm. Does anyone here have any real experience with these products. Kinda brief reviews ? Is there some substance in all that, or is it all a lot of hot gas ? I ask this coz many MLMs have come and gone..but somehoo Amway keeps on giving full-pg ads every now and then and apparently their profits are growing too ! I just want to unravel some of the mystery here.
[aNTi] amaa tumheiN kya meri lang lessons palle nahin pade? u dint reply any with yr phool or patthar ? need any more lessons :)
Thursday, May 5, 2005 @ 10:07 PM
[Suhail] I am still lagging behind in my homework. I still haven’t learnt my lessons. I need some more time to understand what you said, sir :D
[Megha] Still nothing from you!
Thursday, May 5, 2005 @ 10:20 PM
Isme chupane wali ya batani wali baat hai hi nahi :p. This comment is gonna be huge .. don’t mind :)
Even I would have been ICICI-ed u know, I escaped ….cuz I was armed with the amway xperience !
During diwali vacation, I happened to visit this huge store ..hyd main…they call it “Giant Hypermart”..oh yea gone are the supearmarket days…anyways ..me and my cuz were coming out of it and there were icici agents waiting to pounce on us the moment you we came out
ICICI - Saaar, did you use credit card to pay ?
I - *figured out that if I said NO, then this guy will stick the icici stamp in my wallet* yes sir I did ..with a half smile.
ICICI - Oh ! *that was unexpected but I have other tricks up my sleeve, with renewed spirit* which credit card do you use, saaar ?
I - *hold my cuz’s hand stiffly to signal that u better shut up, I know what I am going to talk* ICICI credit card..with a full smile. *cousin thinking that anna didn’t pay using ICICI card but she shut up anyway*
….after that …luckily he spared me with no more torture
Now back to quixtar…take two…
when - One thursday evening
where- Barnes & Nobles,
who - me and my friend (same friend who always gets stuck with amway !)
Scene - me looking at a book, friend is talking to me
now enters the dragon - some one taps on my friend’s shoulder…he turns back
friend and the guy (lets call him q- for quixtar) both have the expression :o (literally)
friend - *oh shit ! why did I come to this store *
q - *amma donga, ikkada unnava* (Translation - tho chor yahan chupa hai !)
friend - oh ! neengala, eppidi irukingo ? (hey long time, how are you ?)
q - umm….nalla daan iruken, enga aale kaanum ? (I am fine only, where are u these days ??)
friend - work le konjam busy :d ( just busy with work :d )
q - *not happy with the response* I don’t see you at all these days
friend - give me ur phone number, I’ll call you sometime
q - inda taata paati kadhe ellan vendam !!! on phone number kudu naan call panren, en phone number kudutha nee call pannamaate
(no more grandma tales….you give me ur phone number, I will call u …If I give my number you won’t call !!!)
friend - *somehow tried to change topic but didn’t quite manage to, so gives the phone number* There is this chinese quixtar who is always sending emails when its christmas, calling me when its hanukkah, chinese New Year or even if some one discovered a new skeleton in Machu Picchu !
q - hmm…what’s his name ?
friend - I think its Jackie
q - Oh that guy ! tell him that you know me, he won’t bother you anymore
friend - Oh ! *:o avalo scene iruka ungaluku* (*antha scene unda neeku*) ok cool, next time I’ll mention that
They bid adieu to each other and then I ask my friend, how do u know him ?
friend - Abeee woh kaun hai malum ?? ….yahan jitne bhi Quixtaran hai na, sab Quixtaron ka baap hai woh !! … jo chinku desi dukaan main mila ..woh sab chillar logaan hai
me - achaaa ? :O
friend - mere ghar ke paas hi rehta tha pehle, main uske ghar dosa khane ke liye jaata tha, mast banati thi aunty ! yeh tho tabhi se quixtar quixtar kar ke mera sar khata tha…..
A final word on quixtar - I think one main thing that people take advantage of is …quixtar is a business so claiming that you are a part of it, you can theoritically claim to use a part of your house and the utilities for business and claim tax benefits or something like that…any thoughts on that one ? any one ?
Friday, May 6, 2005 @ 1:05 AM
[Megha] Thanks. It was inspired by an awesome post :)
And I took your advice and did post it on my blog. Trackbacking now :)
[Suhail] True about the low commission, I guess. But it still doesn’t make them any less annoying. Oh, well.
Friday, May 6, 2005 @ 3:10 AM
is the weekend here or r u really gone?? :p
serious note…tussi jaa rahe ho, tussi na jao!!!
des plans? anyways have fun n take care!
Friday, May 6, 2005 @ 6:57 AM
Hello there once more! I think being the 37th commenter is a little more respectable than the 100 something that made me give up the last time! :)
Funny, you mention about over enthusiastic people with hidden agendas, just as me and a friend were lamenting about people and the hidden motives is making us become weary and cynical,and then I read this! Serendipity I must say!
Oh, do have a good trip to wherever you are headed, do go easy on the Pineapples though! :) Though, given the pineapple hint thrown in generously I am guessing you are headed to Thailand, Costa Rica or Puerto Rico?! :)
Friday, May 6, 2005 @ 12:03 PM
having fun going thru y’all’s blogs.
so decided to become the “new kid on the blog”. we-ell…35+ year old kid, actually
btw, did u catch the new hindi soap opera about bloggers. it is called “Hum (B)log”…
ok. ok. not exactly earth shattering PJs like you wanted.
Friday, May 6, 2005 @ 1:53 PM
[Suhail] Oh THAT Paradise! Paradise circle waala! To aisa bolo na. You made it sound like it was some majorly well kept secret about the best biryani in the city, so naturally I thought this was some obscure li’l Irani cafe tucked in some corner of the city. Tchah! :) Yeah, I got the owner joke, just thoda late. Garv se kaho hum tubelight hain ;)
[aNTi] Today is the last day i’m around and everything that can possibly go wrong in the world is going wrong and tumbling onto my head. So please to forgive that I haven’t come over and commented. I assume that’s what you’re talking about? :) If not, please elaborate.
[pingoo] Arrey! Your profile doesn’t even list your blog, so that counts as chupaana only!
Too cool, now we have another fun Amway story, that too with multinational Amway keedas! :) We should compile them all and release a book of Amway laughs! Maybe they can sell that book using their pyramid scheme even! It will bring in more moolah and they can establish that they have a sense of humor too, what say? :)
[Rajesh] Yayyy! I got a trackback! I got a trackback! :)
[Mustang] Awww, just whewn the cute sardarji kid nearly melted my heart, you made sure I saw through it eh? Hmpfh! I can see that you can barely control the happiness! Koi nahin, the party can start, kal se. And nah, not des, just travelling around the country bigtime! Thankoo! I hope to have fun! :)
[Closet Claustrophobic] Awww, I don’t do bhed-bhaav amongst my commenters, 37th or otherwise, So you shouldn’t let that be an issue :) And so true .. we’ve come to a point where we don’t take anyone at face value any more. There’s a hunt for a hidden motive in everything. We’re both weary as well as wary, I suppose. Such a pity .. and serendipity too! :)
On an unrelated note - there’s a whole series of PJs that are based on the concept of misinformation. Let me give you an example -
Q: What is large, grey and wrinkly?
A: An elephant.
Q: What is large, grey and wrinkly and lives in a refrigerator?
A: An elephant. The refrigerator was just to confuse you.
The pineapple is something like that :) Although Thailand, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico are all places i’ve never been to and would love to see! And hey, why not Hawaii?
[VC] Wah, that was just bad enough to be a good PJ, so kudos! :) Welcome aboard! Glad you decided to join the party and comment. Hope to see the kid around more often! :)
Friday, May 6, 2005 @ 3:49 PM
haha..ok chill ! now u know :), no gussa and all. book is not a bad idea :p. have a nice vacation.
Friday, May 6, 2005 @ 5:02 PM
[pingoo] Gussa-vussa kuchh nahin, just naatak that’s all. Log humein nautanki aise-hi thodi bolte hain! :)
Friday, May 6, 2005 @ 5:53 PM
Chill Megha.. Have fun…
Friday, May 6, 2005 @ 6:29 PM
[Megha] Baah ! Where did I imply well-kept secret? I just said it’s the best. On the contrary you should ‘ve automatically assumed the correct place, seeing the words best-n-Paradise together. But never mind, we all can be tubelight sometimes..Just ensure that the starter/choke is replaced every so often ;-)
[aNTi] Watch Munnabhai!(ofcourse the hindi version).
[Rajesh] Yes, no less annoying. But still I have a soft corner towards those who are struggling in their initial years. I like to give them a chance. Once in a while if the person is interesting, I also engage in light banter with them (like I always do with rickshaw/taxi wallahs). Sometimes the knowledge gained by these encounters is worth it. Maybe a separate post abt it.
Saturday, May 7, 2005 @ 2:51 PM
Hi Megha first time here came thru IBH. Nice Blog !!!
I’ve had couple of exp like this
http://imse.blogspot.com/2005/02/smiling-desis.html
Saturday, May 7, 2005 @ 6:55 PM
I got ambushed in a similar way at the local bookstores. Sad Lives they must be living to be this way..
Other than that I wanted to wish you a pleasant and relaxing break.Come back with some great ideas for us folks :)
Sunday, May 8, 2005 @ 1:39 AM
[Suhail] Ya.. saw it a long time ago and its zillion times better than the Thamizh version. Dunno how the Telugu version went…
[Megha] Wassup…
Sunday, May 8, 2005 @ 10:04 AM
Hello! What’s all this about ONLY Hyderabaadi Bostonians being “cool”?! (makes arial quote-unquote signs with his fingers)
I take umbrage at this blatant display of political incorrectness in a blog thats usually politically oh-so-correct :P - and before you let loose a sidewinder and a couple of AMRAAMs my way, lemme just say - thats not a bad thing :)
Monday, May 9, 2005 @ 11:21 AM
Hello Megha,
How art thou?
Its been a while since I came across your blog, but I was guided here by another blog.
How is Boston in the summer? One of my disciples wrote a short story based in Waltham, did he get the description correct?
Anyhow…I hope you do not mind me dropping by off and on to post a few lines.
Thanks and Regards
Monday, May 9, 2005 @ 1:33 PM
*pops out of her rabbit hole for a quick reply only to disappear once again*
[Suhail] A lot of Hyderabadis will tell you that the best biryani is to be found, not in fancy, well-known, named restaurants, but in obscure mom-n-pop Irani cafes. So naturally when you said ‘best’ and ‘biryani’ in a single sentence, I assumed you were referring to some Irani cafe :) Brilliant logic no? Okie, i’ll stop the explanation now and go find myself some biryani to eat :)
[Me] Thank you and i’m glad you dropped in! And thanks to IBH too :) Read your about your Amway experiences. A conference?! I empathize! Hope to see you around again!
[Paddy] Thanks much! I’ll try :)
[aNTi] Just had a moment to check in today, but disappearing again for a few days :) How’s you doing?
[Devdutt] First of all, I have a politically correct blog? I didn’t know that! :) Secondly, who said anything about ‘ONLY’ anywhere? It is a universal truth that Hyderabadi Bostonians are ‘cool’, no wait, ‘wicked cool’. But Bostonians of the non-Hyderabadi variety are cool too. So lets recap —
Hyd-badis = cool
Bostonians = cool
Hyderabadis + Bostonians = cool + cool = too cool ;) *ducks for cover*
[GemsOfKnowledge] Hello and thanks for dropping in. Boston’s spring/summer has been quite wonderful so far!
Monday, May 9, 2005 @ 2:40 PM
Funny indeed! I did come across one such character who said he had jsut completed his Masters and had his “own” company and that company it seems was _always_ on the lookout for new people. I asked him what he did and while his exact quote escapes me it was some wierd BS. He gave me his card in which he was mentioned as the business development manager :-)…further the trail led to his “company” being a sports marketing company or so it said in the website.
Really looking forward to an encounter with him again:)
Enjoy your vacation whatever it is you are taking it for!!
Tuesday, May 10, 2005 @ 12:17 AM
Hmm,so Megha is taking a break?? well,do whatever u feel but then comeback soon girl,me going to miss reading ur posts {i read them all,but comment rarely:D) and did u say azizia cafe,but i thought it still is owned by the same ppl who woned it 15yrs back?? when did ur friend buy it;) and
let all the anon comments and the autors go to hell,tired of them all.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005 @ 9:49 AM
[Megha] Me not too bad.. hows u…?
Friday, May 13, 2005 @ 11:18 AM
Oh, don’t remind me of the Amway folks. I have had quite a few experiences of the kind including being accosted at Walmart off all places in the midst of Sunday evening shopping madness!
Friday, May 13, 2005 @ 7:55 PM
u on a break!!!! oh.. was late on reading this post.. anyway, got to read lots of lovely comments cos of this..
have a nice break and be back with those PJs… would love to see someone make me cry for a change.. :P
Monday, May 16, 2005 @ 7:22 AM
Did u ever study at IIT.I’m gettin a vibe here.
Saturday, May 21, 2005 @ 7:22 PM
hi:
i found your blog through hem’s blog, and just wanted to let you know it’s really funny :D
that beta-test pj was, as pjs go, one of the better ones i’ve heard :D
Monday, May 23, 2005 @ 1:57 PM
Had been here before, read your post, thought of commenting, had always been short of words..so didnt !
But…Whoa..this time I had to..
That convo was real smoothie.. as Da Sagnik said !
Lol !
Monday, May 23, 2005 @ 3:18 PM
well that happened to me on my first day here. went to walmart and there it was, this smiley face that appeared out of nowhere, the face that appeared to be a piece of genuine indian brotherhood, soon turned out to be belonging to a different brotherhood altogether, the amway brotherhood.
hehe. neways, just to let u know, am back to blogging :)
Wednesday, May 25, 2005 @ 9:23 PM
Good one. Nice indeed.
Thursday, May 26, 2005 @ 8:03 AM
IT’S JUNE ALREADY! WHERE ARE YOU???
Wednesday, June 1, 2005 @ 10:51 AM
[aNTi] I suggest we do a raindance.
Thursday, June 2, 2005 @ 5:46 PM
[rja] Sure.. but is war paint mandatory?
* hunts for some vibrant colors in his store-room…
Thursday, June 2, 2005 @ 6:26 PM
[aNTi] Of course! And Indian feathers.
Friday, June 3, 2005 @ 2:13 PM
What do I expect on a blog with such a name?? Nice options u gave:
1) lots of cloudy posts?
2) Floating thoughts? Or
3) perhaps something that keeps you on a perpetual high?
A blog cant do the 3rd one.. it has to be booze. 2nd one’s out.. No cloudiness please.. ambiguity is something I hate (yes HATE, my mind is so clear that it sometimes fails to identify with itself). And tohughts dont float; they either freeze or rain.
Anyways, when you talk of a walk in the clouds, what comes to mind is some clean clear poetry… by say somebody like Ghalib.
And if you dont mind criticism, u’ll get it for sure :)
Saturday, June 4, 2005 @ 12:19 PM
wowie!!!talk about a lashing tongue.can u please coach me???pliss, pritty pliss?i NEED to lash out at a coupla ppl meself!!nice blog btw:)
Tuesday, June 7, 2005 @ 4:26 AM
*Knock Knock
Tuesday, June 7, 2005 @ 10:23 AM
[aNTi] Who’s there?
Tuesday, June 7, 2005 @ 2:14 PM
[rja] Tank!
Tuesday, June 7, 2005 @ 11:32 PM
Ok, I’m going to regret this, but here goes -
[aNTi] Tank Who?
:)
Wednesday, June 8, 2005 @ 2:22 AM
[rja] Your welcome!
Wednesday, June 8, 2005 @ 9:49 AM
Its been a month now. Just so you know youre missed.
Wednesday, June 8, 2005 @ 1:48 PM
Ahem ahem! I haven’t seen many blogs that attract more than 50 comments, every time a post is written! But then the fun and pun flowing outta your posts are any worth, yumnyum certainly deserves the accolades that it has been receiving. :)
Megha taking a break was kinda heart breaking and I bet each one of us is eagerly looking forward to see her pop out of her rabit hole soon and never go back to hiding again. :)
Anybuddy listening? :-/
Thursday, June 9, 2005 @ 2:29 AM
[aNTi] :P Btw, which song are we doing that raindance to?
Thursday, June 9, 2005 @ 1:21 PM
[rja] ummmm… I am thinking…I am known to do a mean impersonation of Hrithik, but that would be unsuitable for the occasion. Let’s see..Govinda.. nah….I am thinking….
Thursday, June 9, 2005 @ 2:56 PM
Ah, it’s so nice to read your blog again. :)
Sunday, June 12, 2005 @ 2:28 AM
Dunno how I reached your space but I’m glad I did. Simply loved your blog & of course the spirit!! :-)
Sunday, June 12, 2005 @ 3:50 AM
Cool…
Monday, June 13, 2005 @ 7:58 AM
Apologies for the delayed responses. The pineapples are to blame for it.
[Avinash] The key to dealing with these Amway folks is to start enjoying the experience and look forward to it, as you said. It’ll probably confuse them and have them run away in fright. Thanks for the wishes. The vacation was wonderful! :)
[Akruti] I checked with my friend, and as it turns out, they bought Zam Zam cafe, not Azizia ;) So false alarm :) As for the anonymous commenters - amen to that!
[Parth] In small towns and suburban America, Walmart becomes the weekend social destination, due to lack of choice, if nothing else. So what better place than that to accost hapless desis? :)
[Prasad] Now that I am back, you can start getting ready to shed those tears :)
[retroauro] Hmm, interesting! Nah, no IIT in my blood. Wonder what I said that gave you that vibe though? Are you from an IIT?
[Sharon] Thank you! Glad you liked the blog and the PJ as well :) Hope to see you around again!
[Debalina] Glad you decided to leave a comment this time :) Always good to put a name to a reader! And yeah, smooth it surely was. So smooth that I nearly slipped and fell!
[shantanu] Ah, you barely set foot in the US and you’ve already been Amwayed! Bhai wah! You certainly move fast :) Hopefully you’ll know how to spot them from a distance next time!
[Arun] Thanks!
[aNTi + Rajesh] The idea of you both dressed in Indian feathers and warpaint, imitating Hrithik and Govinda (tough to decide which is a more deadly combination with the feathers) - set off SOS signals worldwide. Thus, in the interest of world peace (yeah, total beauty queen I am), I came scurrying back.
[Nikhilesh] A walk in the clouds = poetry by Ghalib? As they say - to each their own :) And are you suggesting that one needs booze to stay on a perpetual high? Love can do that quite nicely, as many a poet will tell you. As for the criticism - bring it on! :)
[liquid sunshine] Oh sure! Will be more than happy to spread the joy of wit and sarcasm :) When do you want to start? And thank you :) Hope to see you around more often!
[SmartOxymoron] It is heartening to know that. Thank you for the sweet words!
[Fun_Da_Mental] The rabbit is out of its hole and back to its usual nonsense :)
[Free Spirit] Thank you! Glad to know that, especially coming from someone who writes as well as you do!
[Atta Girl] I’m glad you did too :) Thank you for dropping by and hope to see you around some more!
[loverBoy] Thankoo :)
Tuesday, June 14, 2005 @ 2:42 PM
[Megha]
Came across in your blog during a bout of insomniacal (if that’s a word) random web browsing during the course of which you end up places which have nothing to do with what you started out searching for!
To present my case in question: 2 hours ago I googled for “simon snoot’s whisker’s”, a poem we had in high school and through a number on jumps through hyper(text)space I ended up here!
Had to had my Rs 0.87 to the Amway epidemic post….
I have been approached a bunch of times by these “businessmen”.. it’s much worse when it is (or should that be was) a friend.
Some of my memorable exchanges with these people from the dark side…
In Fry’s Electronics
Amway Dude : Hello
Me: hey
Amway dude ( in one of the worst wannabe american accents imaginable): You from India (eendeeya) ?
Me : err… yes..
AD: Where in India…
Me: Umm.. Bangalore…
AD: Oh Bangalore! I have a friend there? Do you know Mr XYZ?
Me :(thinking: dude,you really gotta be kidding right? 4 million freaking people! )
err.. no..
then some small talk before the dreaded business cards/phone number exchange…
me being naive actually gave him a valid number and suffered through the torment of a bunch of calls/invitations before investing in Caller ID for my home phone!
**********
It’s much worse if it is a friend ..
Friend A: Hey C, whats up
Me: Hey…
..
..
..
A: my colleague will be coming over ALL the way to your town to give an exciting presentation.. please attend it!
Me: er.. okay (thinking: why me?)
Next day:
A: Hey C, are you okay;feeling alright?
Me: yeah why?
A: You weren’t at the “meeting”.. thought you had fallen sick or something?
Me: (thinking: Game 7 NBA playoffs in a sports bar or Amway presentation; how did I decide!)
[mumbling] sorry I had a meeting with my advisor..
A: Don’t worry you can attend the next one…
Me: yeah (whatever!)
*******
Suffice to say I don’t talk to A anymore….its too uncomfortable…
*********
-C
PS nice blog;both layout and content
Thursday, June 16, 2005 @ 10:12 AM
[Chaitanya] Ah yes, am all too familiar with the insomnia-ridden-Googling (last I checked insomniacal was not a word, but you are happy to make it up, and i’ll help you spread its use, if you’d like :) ) that results in the discovering of blogs you would have otherwise never read. Sorry to hear your Amway woes, but if it makes it any better, there a whole bunch of us here who will commiserate :) Glad you stopped by and commented and hope to see you around again!
Saturday, June 18, 2005 @ 2:03 PM
Wow. You hit the nail in the head.
Except in Irving,Texas where I lived for a while the local Wal-Mart was patrolled by Desis out on a Quixtar rush.
I’m not sure if you have already attended one of those sessions, but I have had the opportunity (out of a misguided sense of politeness to treat individuals with respect) to attend 3 such talks.
They are ALL, without fail structured thus.
Minute 1-3: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? You appear to be a very smart and enterprising and *add appropriate adjective here* individual.
Minute 3-7: Work*Time*Hourlyrate = Income
You can’t control the hourly rate right now, and the work so the only thing you can control is yoru time.
Minutes 7-13: Have you ever heard of franchising? Let me tell you about McDonald. He started one store, then franchised it to his sister, *blah*Blah* Now he earns MILLIONS..
Minutes 13-18:What is Private Franchising? How can you get involved?
Minutes 18-23: Some success stories of Desis who supposedly gave up fruitful careers as doctors and lawyers to go into the ‘business’ full time.
Minutes 23-25: Here’s this cd. Listen to it…
Then the standard follow-up in about 2 days…
Phone rings:
Hi this is xyz. Luckily I have an opening for this conference I’m going to. Why dont you join me? It will be a great opportunity for you. Etc Etc.
[At this point you are so fed up you wished you had courted the company of a witch doctor just so you could practise the ancient art of Voodoo]
I have been so tormented by these pests that I have had to endure thoughts of getting “QUIXTAR: BACK OFF” tattooed on my forehead.
Thursday, June 23, 2005 @ 3:17 PM
Fabulous site!
Tuesday, January 24, 2006 @ 7:29 PM