Getting a new Loan or Credit Card!

When getting a credit card/loan, either do find some time to fill up those necessary documents in your own handwriting and take a photocopy of it or fill up whatever you can (especially the indispensable info), take a photocopy of it as well as of the id card of the bearer of the document, in this case, the sales executive. And please do not forget to take a business card also.

This might be of great help should you find yourselves in a tight spot in matters regarding credit card/loan. A friend of mine has a credit card and recently he found a certain amount deducted from his salary account towards credit card payment, though he never opted for the auto-debit option. When enquired, he was told that the documents showed he opted for the same!

The real problem: He had a taken a loan also and the loan repayments were made directly from his salary account. Luckily, he found balance in his salary account statement short of loan repayment amount, much earlier than the due date for the loan repayment amount and saved himself from penalty charges and loan repayment default by depositing the amount that was short.

So be careful when it comes to filling up forms like these...

Interesting...

Anything yours is mine also, and all things mine are mine only!

Are you Gephyrophobic?

Gephyrophobia is the term for fear of bridges or crossing them. It seems I am bit gephyrophobic. ‘Coz whenever I approach a bridge which I have to cross I become little uneasy, restless and anxious. And my state is home to number of rivers and waterways and thus my gephyrophobic spells are frequent, more especially, as I am a frequent traveler.

Recently I spend some introspective time to analyse this peculiar strait in my personality. And I arrived at certain conclusions:

1. Most of Kerala’s bridges were built long time ago and to layman’s eyes like mine not in a “good condition”. Some of them are, surprisingly, in usable condition but I don’t think any expert in bridges would come forward and guarantee their “health”.

2. If you happen to travel by Kerala rivers during summer season, its more likely that you would see the “vulnerable spots” of our bridges, with rusted inlaid iron bars jutting out from the concrete, cracked sidewalls, fully/partially exposed foundation work etc. The undesirable effects of sand-mining which we read in media can be witnessed first-hand if you take out a river journey.

3. Volume of Traffic: The numbers of vehicles plying on our roads have doubled in a decade and the number of vehicles held up in traffic blocks have also increased. Traffic hold-ups in these “bridges from history’ can be pretty scary, like one experienced on Cochin Venduruthy Bridge. You can hear the creaking sound of girders when heavy vehicles drive past you.

Now I surmise, my phobia is not that irrational. The best thing one can do is pray to god each time you cross a bridge and have faith in Him (Some atheists might disagree, but I prefer to ignore them).

Being different could be for good!

Months (or is it years) back, I chanced to read in some quirky mag a quirky info: one of our bollywood beauties, if my memory is aright, Rani Mukherjee, has the habit of keeping few pulls of tissues with whereever she goes. Reason: She fears germs could be in door handles, window panes etc., etc... If you think she does that and she is bit nutty, then wrong, her behaviour is absolutely sensible. She thinks differently and for good!

Not agreeing with me, then read on: A recent survey by a London mag has found that Computer keyboards have many times more germs and bugs than a lavatory has. Many of these germs can cause potential health problems also. Samples from a London office found E-Coli and Coliforms (didn't get, food poisoining bacteria, by the way if you have been Heard Meenachil river in Kerala, then these bacteria names won't be unfamiliar). The delectable germ cocktail includes Staphylococcus aureus (Good for Boils and Pneumonia), Hospital bugs like MRSA and MSSA and enteric bacteria.

Now think of our cute little PCO's or telephone booths: Most of them also should be as good as any other public lavatory, keeping this info in mind. In Kerala, Bangalore, Delhi and elsewhere in India, I have come across many a booths with phone receivers and base units smeared with grime, sweat, paan juice sprinklings and even ketch-up paste. Taking cue from these, ain't I right saying Rani Mukherjee is absolutely right.

By the way, who said beauties don't have brains? Spank him!!!

Way shots - Kerala

Alleppey-Changanassery Road



Houseboat moored at a distance



Houseboat

Confusingly amusing...

An aerial view of Kerala's landscape is indeed a heart-warming one. Tiny little islands of green separated by a sparkling wavy threads of water or by black/reddish stretches of roads.

I don't want to mention those teeming blocks of concrete or tiled roofs that're the unmistakeable testimonials of our 'civilian inhabitation'. These specks (when viewed from above) can sometimes be sore spots to an aesthetic eye. Howmuchever beautiful views (elevation, facade and the like) they present us from the 'terra firma'.

These long winding roads and waterways have a close resemblance with the mental make-up of malayalee brethrens. Any guesses? Well, if you think on a different thought plane, you would find many a Keralite's psychological set-up as intriguing, enigmatic and confusingly amusing (if i may say so) like these twisty, twirly roads and waterways.

Do you agree or agree not?

Pursue your Happyness!

There are some movies that are really inspiring, educative and entertaining. A notable addition to this genre could be "The Pursuit of Happyness".

The movie tells the stsory of Chris Gardner, a self-made millionaire, entrepreneur and philanthropist who through hardwork, perseverence and sheer will surmounted many an acute obstacles to become highly successful in life. The movie based on a best-seller book by the same name, authored by Chris Gardner with Quincy Troupe, is indeed a most inspiring and watchable one. Some scenes are indeed tear-jerkers, like the shot of him making his son sleep at a public lavatory.

Sterling performances by Will Smith as Chris Gardner and Jaden Christopher Syre Smith Gardner's son are the highlights of this movie. One thing I guarantee, the money you spent for this is money most wisely spent, its my word!

Also visit Chris Gardner site:http://www.chrisgardnermedia.com/ and http://imdb.com/title/tt0454921/