My brother in law, who is a diabetologist in the small town to beat all small towns, not only has a roaring practice, but also gets amazing freebies. Gone are the days when pens were the standard gifts from pharma companies. The budget has shot up by a factor of 10. Sometimes I can see why people go to extreme lengths to get their kids into medical college. Here’s a list of the incentives/tokens of appreciation, etc. that he’s received in the last two years:
An Eee PC
A plasma TV
Rice!
Countless chauffeur-driven cars to ferry him around when he travels to other cities
All-expenses-paid trips to Thailand, Egypt, Kodaikanal and Hyderabad.
And now a choice of holidays: Las Vegas or Paris or Capetown.
Sigh! I never knew my sister was such a smartie.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
One office, two worlds
In my office, Upstairs and Downstairs function as two independent kingdoms. Or rather queendoms, since it is two women who rule the office furniture with an iron hand (velvet glove optional).
Downstairs, you have to laugh uproariously at the Queen’s jokes, or you’re in danger of being told that you’re getting too stressed and will be burned out soon.
Upstairs, you have to read the books the Queen recommends, or….there is no choice here; the Queen likes the book, therefore you have to like it too.
Downstairs, here be males!! Ye Gods, seven of them, when everyone is present and functioning.
Upstairs, here be the gents loo and an almost complete lack of testosterone.
Downstairs, every afternoon, all the ladies have to spring up and do exercise, in the manner of the drill we used to do on Sports Day at school (alas, dumbbells and hoops aren’t included; maybe the Queen doesn’t know about them?).
Upstairs, we walk. To the loo. Since we are constantly encouraged by the Queen to drink more water.
In the ladies loo Downstairs, cute notices with smiley faces ask you to turn off the lights and replace the mug on the tap, etc.
In the ladies loo Upstairs, you may find a stray pair of panties (I kid you not) and random invitations to readings of obscure books from the Madras Book Club.
Downstairs makes the big money and so they get invited to all the office parties and launches.
Upstairs doesn’t make that much dough, so we only get invited to about 1 in 10 of the parties; with the invitation being extended a couple of hours before the party.
Downstairs is a world rife with politics, back-biting, snide remarks and rank bitchiness.
Upstairs is… oh! Some things are the same!
Downstairs, you have to laugh uproariously at the Queen’s jokes, or you’re in danger of being told that you’re getting too stressed and will be burned out soon.
Upstairs, you have to read the books the Queen recommends, or….there is no choice here; the Queen likes the book, therefore you have to like it too.
Downstairs, here be males!! Ye Gods, seven of them, when everyone is present and functioning.
Upstairs, here be the gents loo and an almost complete lack of testosterone.
Downstairs, every afternoon, all the ladies have to spring up and do exercise, in the manner of the drill we used to do on Sports Day at school (alas, dumbbells and hoops aren’t included; maybe the Queen doesn’t know about them?).
Upstairs, we walk. To the loo. Since we are constantly encouraged by the Queen to drink more water.
In the ladies loo Downstairs, cute notices with smiley faces ask you to turn off the lights and replace the mug on the tap, etc.
In the ladies loo Upstairs, you may find a stray pair of panties (I kid you not) and random invitations to readings of obscure books from the Madras Book Club.
Downstairs makes the big money and so they get invited to all the office parties and launches.
Upstairs doesn’t make that much dough, so we only get invited to about 1 in 10 of the parties; with the invitation being extended a couple of hours before the party.
Downstairs is a world rife with politics, back-biting, snide remarks and rank bitchiness.
Upstairs is… oh! Some things are the same!
Virtual lifeline
These are the people who get me through the working day, from afar. Who always make time for me and from whom I get nothing but love, love and more love:
Fatty
Man United Preux Chevalier
Dot com CEO
A big Cuba Gooding Junior-style I love you to all of you!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Today
1 bar of zingy, fresh-smelling verbena soap
1 rock crystal of violet amethyst
1 song downloaded in office time and on office internet
2 hugs
4 shops visited
20 mins time spent discussing my photos
30 mins jogging
50+ pages of error-spotting
Not a bad day!
1 rock crystal of violet amethyst
1 song downloaded in office time and on office internet
2 hugs
4 shops visited
20 mins time spent discussing my photos
30 mins jogging
50+ pages of error-spotting
Not a bad day!
Stars behind the till
Read this very interesting report in the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jul/06/book-festival-stars-oxfam-shops
Wonder how this would work here. Would we get Trisha and Prabhu Deva doling out advice on what to read? That might be rather hilarious.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jul/06/book-festival-stars-oxfam-shops
Wonder how this would work here. Would we get Trisha and Prabhu Deva doling out advice on what to read? That might be rather hilarious.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Bella Italia!
Not the most original of titles I know but I couldn’t think of a truer one. Such a gorgeous, mouth-wateringly beautiful, perpetually sunny (in outlook even if not in actual weather), incurably romantic, warm, friendly country. The only bad thing I can think of to say about it is that for some inexplicable reason they have installed Indian style toilets in some of their railway stations. Like I said, inexplicable.
It would take too much time, not to mention effort, to write about every single thing my Dad and I saw and did there, so here’s a smallish, in-a-nutshell type write-up of our experiences.
Milan
Milan is the most obviously modern of the cities we visited. Touristy? Not a chance! The Lombards don’t seem to have been very interested in preserving all those red-tiled, sloping roofed, yellow and terracotta painted houses that are standard in so many other cities and villages in Italy. Or maybe they never existed in this area. But they still have enough history and art to keep one well-occupied. The highlights of our stay there were of course The Last Supper (L’Ultimo Cena); the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, which is actually the jewel-like house of a rich collector, filled with amazing pieces of art and furniture; the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II, easily one of the most beautiful shopping areas in the world; two Indian restaurants (this one is strictly for my Dad); and the very friendly people – the super helpful staff of the small student-heavy café in the Brera Art School, who sang us out of the café, and an adorable minder/security person in Poldi Pezzoli, who tried to explain to me that the locket-like rings on display used to contain poison to finish off people.
Lake Como
It’s so beautiful, even with the tourist hordes milling around, you suddenly realize why its so fabulous to be wealthy – you could afford endless holidays here. The lake is Y shaped with mountains all around and small villages like Como, Bellagio, Menaggio dotted along the shore. We took the ferry from Como and had lunch in Bellagio. I kept a sharp eye out for George Clooney – among the sailboats, the sunbathers, the restaurants, shops, but the man was elusive (he was filming in the US; what a loser). So clearly I need to go back there again.
Florence
Its all just too much – too beautiful, too romantic, too many churches, too much art and history. These guys are just too blessed. I especially loved the daily walk past Santa Croce, the surprisingly fast-flowing Arno river and the picturesqueness of peeling plaster and gently fading curtains. Florence also has heaps of fascinating shops selling gloves, hats, tapestry, rugs, bags, silks, stationery, carved wooden dolls. A lovely lovely walking city.
Pisa
In the Field of Miracles, the first thing you see is the Baptistry, which is round and solid. Then you notice the graceful cathedral. Only then do you see the friendly tower, leaning out to say hello to you. It is more cute than impressive. There’s a path beside selling all manner of tourist knickknacks, which is rather fun (since most of the glasses, bottles, chinaware, figurines etc. lean).
Siena
Florentines seem to love this place I could see why. Its beautiful, friendly, decent sized and most important of all not that big on the tourist map, so it feels more like a normal city where people have normal jobs, rather than a city which lives only because of tourism (which unfortunately Florence does feel like from time to time). Wonderful shell-shaped square on which the Palio is run, stunning views from the bell tower, gorgeous wall paintings in the Civic Museum, black-and-white churches with beyond belief floor art and absolutely delicious gelato (to be fair, this is true of all of Italy), I loved to visit Siena again any time.
Venice
Everyone knows what Venice is like. Its sometimes hard to believe such a place even exists. It’s a fairytale. Like Bruges. By the end of our visit, even a non-swimmer like me thought that maybe the water wasn’t something to be feared. How much art and history is crammed into this tiny group of islands! Its endlessly inspiring; even aqua alta is somehow magical and fun (as opposed to worrisome and hideously expensive when the same thing happens in one’s basement). Churches, galleries, bridges, gondolas, glass, lace, masks……there’s so much to see and do. And even when you’re wandering around (lost), there’s always something round the corner the makes all the walking completely worthwhile. Sigh.
Padua
What a nice cheerful little university town this is, with students whizzing by on their bikes. Makes one almost want to be a student here. My Dad was especially thrilled because we got to see the Anatomy Theatre, which is this beautiful gothic hall filled with concentric gallery-type seats, even though we’d arrived too late for the last tour. So we sweet-talked to girl in charge into letting us take a quick peek. Well worth it. What was even more worth the trip was the Scrovegni Chapel, whose walls and ceiling Giotto had painted. Made me almost want to be a Christian
Vicenza
I love love love the name. So musical and romantic. The town has so much laid-back charm. Its all those Palladian buildings and villas. Somehow you don’t want to rush to do anything. The Teatro Olympico was spectacular. If I saw a play there I think I’d die happy.
Verona
OK there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Verona. Its got broad streets, lots of public spaces, handsome buildings and a Roman arena to boot. Its also got Juliet’s house (apparently). I’m enough of a cynic to not think much of that. But my Dad enjoyed it – the silly messages on the walls, the endless tat sold in shops, all the heart-shaped this and true love-related that. Made me want to reach for the Madonna and Child!
Right. So that’s the end of this very long post. So, who wants to plan a trip to Italy sometime? Count me in!
It would take too much time, not to mention effort, to write about every single thing my Dad and I saw and did there, so here’s a smallish, in-a-nutshell type write-up of our experiences.
Milan
Milan is the most obviously modern of the cities we visited. Touristy? Not a chance! The Lombards don’t seem to have been very interested in preserving all those red-tiled, sloping roofed, yellow and terracotta painted houses that are standard in so many other cities and villages in Italy. Or maybe they never existed in this area. But they still have enough history and art to keep one well-occupied. The highlights of our stay there were of course The Last Supper (L’Ultimo Cena); the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, which is actually the jewel-like house of a rich collector, filled with amazing pieces of art and furniture; the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II, easily one of the most beautiful shopping areas in the world; two Indian restaurants (this one is strictly for my Dad); and the very friendly people – the super helpful staff of the small student-heavy café in the Brera Art School, who sang us out of the café, and an adorable minder/security person in Poldi Pezzoli, who tried to explain to me that the locket-like rings on display used to contain poison to finish off people.
Lake Como
It’s so beautiful, even with the tourist hordes milling around, you suddenly realize why its so fabulous to be wealthy – you could afford endless holidays here. The lake is Y shaped with mountains all around and small villages like Como, Bellagio, Menaggio dotted along the shore. We took the ferry from Como and had lunch in Bellagio. I kept a sharp eye out for George Clooney – among the sailboats, the sunbathers, the restaurants, shops, but the man was elusive (he was filming in the US; what a loser). So clearly I need to go back there again.
Florence
Its all just too much – too beautiful, too romantic, too many churches, too much art and history. These guys are just too blessed. I especially loved the daily walk past Santa Croce, the surprisingly fast-flowing Arno river and the picturesqueness of peeling plaster and gently fading curtains. Florence also has heaps of fascinating shops selling gloves, hats, tapestry, rugs, bags, silks, stationery, carved wooden dolls. A lovely lovely walking city.
Pisa
In the Field of Miracles, the first thing you see is the Baptistry, which is round and solid. Then you notice the graceful cathedral. Only then do you see the friendly tower, leaning out to say hello to you. It is more cute than impressive. There’s a path beside selling all manner of tourist knickknacks, which is rather fun (since most of the glasses, bottles, chinaware, figurines etc. lean).
Siena
Florentines seem to love this place I could see why. Its beautiful, friendly, decent sized and most important of all not that big on the tourist map, so it feels more like a normal city where people have normal jobs, rather than a city which lives only because of tourism (which unfortunately Florence does feel like from time to time). Wonderful shell-shaped square on which the Palio is run, stunning views from the bell tower, gorgeous wall paintings in the Civic Museum, black-and-white churches with beyond belief floor art and absolutely delicious gelato (to be fair, this is true of all of Italy), I loved to visit Siena again any time.
Venice
Everyone knows what Venice is like. Its sometimes hard to believe such a place even exists. It’s a fairytale. Like Bruges. By the end of our visit, even a non-swimmer like me thought that maybe the water wasn’t something to be feared. How much art and history is crammed into this tiny group of islands! Its endlessly inspiring; even aqua alta is somehow magical and fun (as opposed to worrisome and hideously expensive when the same thing happens in one’s basement). Churches, galleries, bridges, gondolas, glass, lace, masks……there’s so much to see and do. And even when you’re wandering around (lost), there’s always something round the corner the makes all the walking completely worthwhile. Sigh.
Padua
What a nice cheerful little university town this is, with students whizzing by on their bikes. Makes one almost want to be a student here. My Dad was especially thrilled because we got to see the Anatomy Theatre, which is this beautiful gothic hall filled with concentric gallery-type seats, even though we’d arrived too late for the last tour. So we sweet-talked to girl in charge into letting us take a quick peek. Well worth it. What was even more worth the trip was the Scrovegni Chapel, whose walls and ceiling Giotto had painted. Made me almost want to be a Christian
Vicenza
I love love love the name. So musical and romantic. The town has so much laid-back charm. Its all those Palladian buildings and villas. Somehow you don’t want to rush to do anything. The Teatro Olympico was spectacular. If I saw a play there I think I’d die happy.
Verona
OK there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Verona. Its got broad streets, lots of public spaces, handsome buildings and a Roman arena to boot. Its also got Juliet’s house (apparently). I’m enough of a cynic to not think much of that. But my Dad enjoyed it – the silly messages on the walls, the endless tat sold in shops, all the heart-shaped this and true love-related that. Made me want to reach for the Madonna and Child!
Right. So that’s the end of this very long post. So, who wants to plan a trip to Italy sometime? Count me in!
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