I learnt the art of asking, along with driving and I guess I received my licence for both simultaneously. I am probably better at asking than at driving, as the male chauvinists in my life would like to have me believe. Anyway, let me share the story of how I learnt to ask. In 1995, I used to commute from home to Taj Coromandel and back home in auto-rickshaws. Vexed with…
Author: Usha Rangarajan
Whats your black thread?
When Ashwin was a little baby, we spent many an evening at the paediatrician’s clinic, since he was a child who fell sick very often – so often, that the paediatrician eventually because a very good friend. I remember one such evening, where we had entered his room, and were waiting for him to see us. The child before us was about 11 months old, and was sporting ugly and…
Like Pearl to an Oyster……….Uncomfortable!
‘Ouch, that hurts!’ said Ms Oyster, irritated with the tiny grit that had gotten in. To ease the pain, she made some mother-of-pearl and coated it; and continued to nurse the grit, putting a lot of her good resources into coating it with more and more layers of mother-of-pearl. Till one day, some lucky diver found her, put her out of her misery forever, and took the pearl out to…
On Choosing Excellence, Every Time!
Landing in Bangalore, after a long flight in, and an even longer day, I don’t really look forward to the drive that awaits me – two hours many a times, an hour and a half for sure most of the time. So, it is a ritual to visit the rest room to freshen up and then get out. Familiar sight in airport restrooms in India, except maybe T3 in Delhi…
Sorry, I am not my brother’s keeper, nor my sister’s!!!
Little did Janhavi Gadkar think when she went out for her evening drink with her friends two days ago, that she will be cooling her heels in police custody, with nothing to think about but what her evening of fun has done to her life – and the life of two families. But this post is NOT about her, or drunken driving, or the right punishment or any of that.…
I really dont care, Ms Customer!!!
‘You don’t really expect me to sit here, do you?’ said the petite French lady, to the airhostess, who looked puzzled, wondering what the fuss was all about. The fuss was about a completely worn out and lop sided, lumpy and definitely non-serviceable looking seat that the poor lady had the misfortune of getting in the flight we were on. Many of the seats in that entire row of seats,…
Haves and Have nots…………………………
Selvi’s day starts at 4am, rain or shine. Selvi is a tea picker in Anamalai. After getting her family off to work and school, she starts work at 8 am, and goes back to complete household chores till 9 pm, by when she is ready to drop. And her work is in the open tea gardens, a very scenic setting for a holiday, but to work? When the sun is…
Make it count
‘No tiger, sorry. No leopards either L’ said the naturalist. This was the story of my first jeep safari into the famous reserve forest, the tiger sanctuary. And this was after getting up at 430 am, and rushing to the line to get a good seat in the jeep… Not one to give up easily, I went in the same evening. The resort staff was emphatic that evening safari’s are…
If life had a rewind button……………
A few years ago, I was nominated into a leadership training program. Lot of pre-work as usual, where the course organizers fondly believe the participants love to complete. One though, was interesting – it asked a set of deeply introspective questions that one had to respond to. One was ‘If you were given a chance to go back and change your past, what will you change in your life?’ Me…
Learning & Growing – Age no bar!!
My sister-in-law decided at fifty seven that she was sick and tired of autos and cabs, and bought herself a car. Then she decided that she didn’t enjoy being at the mercy of paid drivers, and learnt to drive herself around in the lovely Chennai traffic. At 60 she was gifted her first Smartphone and discovered the magical world of apps and whatsapp, gaana and skype, messaging all and sundry,…