Have you ever got lost ?

Have you ever lost your way when going somewhere ?

It can be a frustrating experience – especially if you are running late or meeting someone important – especially if you don’t know the person very well or to be more specific – well enough .

I seem to be specializing in getting lost and that too at the opportune moment .

Now let me put things in the correct perspective -  I am no dim wit. I am energetic , enthusiastic and pretty clued in too .  

I drive a great car with an amazing navigation system  , I travel distances over 150 km quite often and I move quite fast . This is the UAE after all and the roads and signs are the very best in the world

I also use Google maps and have tried WAZE ( on my smartphone )  and manage okay with both or so I think .

However I still manage to get lost on quite a few occasions  . This results in arguments , allegations , counter allegations and blame . Others in the car often gang up against me but I soldier on manfully !

Here are some of the scenarios .

1.       I have to go to a particular location . I feed it into both ;  the phone and car navigation system  just to be sure that all is well . Now ,  under normal circumstances both should take you to your destination without a fuss -  but no , that does not happen – at least not with me . So Waze tells me to turn left after 150 meters and the car navigation  tells me to go right after 200 . Now that’s quite a quandary to be put  in when you are on the highway , travelling at 100 kmph or more and looking for the exit while listening to the blues !  Having a back seat driver who does not drive and who has probably never been in the area does not help either  . Finally after going around in circles and squares  for some time I reached my destination- LATE . By then Waze and my car has decided to make up so to say and both informed me that I had “reached my destination”  . THANK YOU .

2.       I have to go to a particular location and I have a good idea where it is,  so I set off without using the navigation system and there my friends is where the trouble begins . The UAE being the UAE , sees roads  literally being built  overnight . You go on Thursday , you take the usual exit and then you turn right – Presto there is the place you had to go to . Childs play for a driver like me .  Come Friday morning and that exit has vanished without a by your leave  – there is now a diversion complete with a proper  road , signage etc and  of course the mandatory , “SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE” sign as well . Arrows point you in the direction of travel . However this is confusion confounded and before I know it ,  I am speeding along on the  highway to Oman  . Many detours, exits and phone calls later, I reach my destination ( if I am lucky ) and yes I am late.

3.       About 10 years or so ago I had to take my daughter for private tuition . It was a 10 minute journey , so you can say it was in the vicinity and just a few kilometers away from our house . I had seen the building umpteen times and had a good idea as to the direction of travel . So we set off on the first day . After a few kilometers , I saw the large grey building on the right and was thrilled . This was a no brainer or so I thought . So I took the right loop ( read EXIT ) . No sooner had I done that when I went through an underpass . When we resurfaced , there was no sign of the building . So I took another loop and returned the same way . Building on right – so far so good . This time I  took the left exit but frustratingly when I looked for the building , it was on the opposite side of the road and there was no way I could get to it . In a few seconds the road took me in the opposite direction to the building ! Needless to add I traversed the road twice  more and finally found the correct exit & the  building . No don’t laugh as I was almost crying . We were late as well .

4.       Once we decided to have an evening out at the Dragon mart which is a good 30 kilometers away . As I was not taking my car but   that of a relative , I was a trifle apprehensive as the lady who professed to be an expert on roads and who decided to be the navigator,   is actually more confused than I am . We set off  happily  and yes , before we knew it we had travelled about 45 km and there was no sign of the Building . Now I was on the highway to a place called Hatta . This time I can swear I was following someone else’s directions and that gave me a little consolation so I was relaxed and smiling  . We must have gone up and down the same highway  a couple of times , taken various exits, loops , bridges , fly overs and underpasses – no sign of the wretched Dragon mart .  I did the next best thing – decided to return home  . So  at the next exit , I turned without knowing where we were  going and then lo and behold ,  a few kilometers ahead was the mall. By then I was too fed up so it was a drive in vain .

5.       I have had similar occurrences when travelling to other emirates as well . In the UAE,  if you miss an exit or take the wrong flyover you could travel anything from 5 – 15 kilometers extra just to get back in the right direction .

6.       I cannot end without mentioning a rather funny incident that took place a few years ago . I was scheduled to visit a school Prize day function and it was almost dark . I set out with my GPS on but from an entirely different location and I guess that threw me . As I began , I saw a small white car pull out after me . Whenever I looked in the rear view mirror that same white car was on my tail – at a respectful distance but there it was .    All was going well and I was confident there was no way I could get lost . However mid-way through the journey,  Murphy’s law decided to make its presence felt and yes – I missed the exit . Mysteriously , the little white car did as well and I began to really feel uneasy .  On one hand I was lost and would be late  and on the other hand there was this car .

All sorts of strange and weird thought began going through my head . Was it the police?  Had I committed a traffic offence ? Was there any reason for them to follow me ? Were my lights OK . Had someone banged my car and I had not noticed it? Maybe they were not traffic police after all  but plain clothes cops  , who would soon pull me over and arrest me for something I had not done .  Was it a case of mistaken identity and they were following the wrong man ? When I sped up, the car kept pace . When I slowed down , it refused to overtake me . To top it all , the white car had its headlights off . Surely this was trouble waiting to happen

 To get to my destination I must have travelled an additional 25 km and you guessed it right , the little white car did the same . Finally,  I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the school ahead . I turned  into the gate and so did the white car . By now I was worried and confused but I rushed into the  Principal’s office  and soon put it out of my mind as I met other guests  .

At the dinner after the function I related the story to a group of staff . It was then that a young teacher informed me  rather sheepishly that she and her friend were in  the white car . They   said that they spotted me as they had  set   out and  as they were not very  sure of the way themselves ,  they decided to follow my car so as not to get lost  . So obviously when I got lost , so did they !

 All’s well that ends well – but I have to admit, say what you may and snigger all you want -  I AM A PRETTY GOOD DRIVER

Have you ever got lost ?

Have you ever lost your way when going somewhere ?

It can be a frustrating experience – especially if you are running late or meeting someone important – especially if you don’t know the person very well or to be more specific – well enough .

I seem to be specializing in getting lost and that too at the opportune moment .

Now let me put things in the correct perspective -  I am no dim wit. I am energetic , enthusiastic and pretty clued in too .  

I drive a great car with an amazing navigation system  , I travel distances over 150 km quite often and I move quite fast . This is the UAE after all and the roads and signs are the very best in the world

I also use Google maps and have tried WAZE ( on my smartphone )  and manage okay with both or so I think .

However I still manage to get lost on quite a few occasions  . This results in arguments , allegations , counter allegations and blame . Others in the car often gang up against me but I soldier on manfully !

Here are some of the scenarios .

1.       I have to go to a particular location . I feed it into both ;  the phone and car navigation system  just to be sure that all is well . Now ,  under normal circumstances both should take you to your destination without a fuss -  but no , that does not happen – at least not with me . So Waze tells me to turn left after 150 meters and the car navigation  tells me to go right after 200 . Now that’s quite a quandary to be put  in when you are on the highway , travelling at 100 kmph or more and looking for the exit while listening to the blues !  Having a back seat driver who does not drive and who has probably never been in the area does not help either  . Finally after going around in circles and squares  for some time I reached my destination- LATE . By then Waze and my car has decided to make up so to say and both informed me that I had “reached my destination”  . THANK YOU .

2.       I have to go to a particular location and I have a good idea where it is,  so I set off without using the navigation system and there my friends is where the trouble begins . The UAE being the UAE , sees roads  literally being built  overnight . You go on Thursday , you take the usual exit and then you turn right – Presto there is the place you had to go to . Childs play for a driver like me .  Come Friday morning and that exit has vanished without a by your leave  – there is now a diversion complete with a proper  road , signage etc and  of course the mandatory , “SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE” sign as well . Arrows point you in the direction of travel . However this is confusion confounded and before I know it ,  I am speeding along on the  highway to Oman  . Many detours, exits and phone calls later, I reach my destination ( if I am lucky ) and yes I am late.

3.       About 10 years or so ago I had to take my daughter for private tuition . It was a 10 minute journey , so you can say it was in the vicinity and just a few kilometers away from our house . I had seen the building umpteen times and had a good idea as to the direction of travel . So we set off on the first day . After a few kilometers , I saw the large grey building on the right and was thrilled . This was a no brainer or so I thought . So I took the right loop ( read EXIT ) . No sooner had I done that when I went through an underpass . When we resurfaced , there was no sign of the building . So I took another loop and returned the same way . Building on right – so far so good . This time I  took the left exit but frustratingly when I looked for the building , it was on the opposite side of the road and there was no way I could get to it . In a few seconds the road took me in the opposite direction to the building ! Needless to add I traversed the road twice  more and finally found the correct exit & the  building . No don’t laugh as I was almost crying . We were late as well .

4.       Once we decided to have an evening out at the Dragon mart which is a good 30 kilometers away . As I was not taking my car but   that of a relative , I was a trifle apprehensive as the lady who professed to be an expert on roads and who decided to be the navigator,   is actually more confused than I am . We set off  happily  and yes , before we knew it we had travelled about 45 km and there was no sign of the Building . Now I was on the highway to a place called Hatta . This time I can swear I was following someone else’s directions and that gave me a little consolation so I was relaxed and smiling  . We must have gone up and down the same highway  a couple of times , taken various exits, loops , bridges , fly overs and underpasses – no sign of the wretched Dragon mart .  I did the next best thing – decided to return home  . So  at the next exit , I turned without knowing where we were  going and then lo and behold ,  a few kilometers ahead was the mall. By then I was too fed up so it was a drive in vain .

5.       I have had similar occurrences when travelling to other emirates as well . In the UAE,  if you miss an exit or take the wrong flyover you could travel anything from 5 – 15 kilometers extra just to get back in the right direction .

6.       I cannot end without mentioning a rather funny incident that took place a few years ago . I was scheduled to visit a school Prize day function and it was almost dark . I set out with my GPS on but from an entirely different location and I guess that threw me . As I began , I saw a small white car pull out after me . Whenever I looked in the rear view mirror that same white car was on my tail – at a respectful distance but there it was .    All was going well and I was confident there was no way I could get lost . However mid-way through the journey,  Murphy’s law decided to make its presence felt and yes – I missed the exit . Mysteriously , the little white car did as well and I began to really feel uneasy .  On one hand I was lost and would be late  and on the other hand there was this car .

All sorts of strange and weird thought began going through my head . Was it the police?  Had I committed a traffic offence ? Was there any reason for them to follow me ? Were my lights OK . Had someone banged my car and I had not noticed it? Maybe they were not traffic police after all  but plain clothes cops  , who would soon pull me over and arrest me for something I had not done .  Was it a case of mistaken identity and they were following the wrong man ? When I sped up, the car kept pace . When I slowed down , it refused to overtake me . To top it all , the white car had its headlights off . Surely this was trouble waiting to happen

 To get to my destination I must have travelled an additional 25 km and you guessed it right , the little white car did the same . Finally,  I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the school ahead . I turned  into the gate and so did the white car . By now I was worried and confused but I rushed into the  Principal’s office  and soon put it out of my mind as I met other guests  .

At the dinner after the function I related the story to a group of staff . It was then that a young teacher informed me  rather sheepishly that she and her friend were in  the white car . They   said that they spotted me as they had  set   out and  as they were not very  sure of the way themselves ,  they decided to follow my car so as not to get lost  . So obviously when I got lost , so did they !

 All’s well that ends well – but I have to admit, say what you may and snigger all you want -  I AM A PRETTY GOOD DRIVER

Morning musings

Morning musings.....
Ever so often,  despite our new year's resolutions and best intentions,  we tend to busy ourselves with mundane tasks and inconsequential matters while unintentionally ignoring the most important person in our lives- ourselves.
The quicker realization dawns,  the better.
Time is not passing by- we are.
So start giving yourself the happiness you deserve .
This is not a  selfish rant . It is in fact reality.
We live in busy times with work and family pressures, colleagues, friends, deadlines , hopes, fears and aspirations. 
We are always in a hurry while contemplating the next milestone. We are so anxious about reaching the next station that the fun of the journey is lost.
It's not exactly about slowing down to smell the roses.  It's about pacing ourselves .
Life is not a race and definitely not a sprint and one does not have to compete with everyone on that mythical starting line .
I guess we need to actually start living in the true sense of the word .
Inspiring and motivating ourselves to do better and fulfill our purpose in life should be our goal.
We all do have a purpose- figuring out what it is and ways to achieve it must be our goal.

Morning musings

Morning musings.....
Ever so often,  despite our new year's resolutions and best intentions,  we tend to busy ourselves with mundane tasks and inconsequential matters while unintentionally ignoring the most important person in our lives- ourselves.
The quicker realization dawns,  the better.
Time is not passing by- we are.
So start giving yourself the happiness you deserve .
This is not a  selfish rant . It is in fact reality.
We live in busy times with work and family pressures, colleagues, friends, deadlines , hopes, fears and aspirations. 
We are always in a hurry while contemplating the next milestone. We are so anxious about reaching the next station that the fun of the journey is lost.
It's not exactly about slowing down to smell the roses.  It's about pacing ourselves .
Life is not a race and definitely not a sprint and one does not have to compete with everyone on that mythical starting line .
I guess we need to actually start living in the true sense of the word .
Inspiring and motivating ourselves to do better and fulfill our purpose in life should be our goal.
We all do have a purpose- figuring out what it is and ways to achieve it must be our goal.

Pay it forward

Why don't we all make an attempt to pay it forward ? We often feel that we have been blessed , suddenly got lucky , suddenly seen that elusive rainbow moment in our lives - and what do we do then ? We sit back and enjoy the fruit of our so called labour ! However, that's not what it is , is it ? So here's a suggestion . Pay it forward . Every time something really good happens in your life , try and make something good happen for someone else . It need not even be someone close to you or someone you know. Just do a random act of kindness and make someone's day special . We can if we really want to . It could become a habit. It could change the world . One good deed at a time ! That's all that's needed .

Pay it forward

Why don't we all make an attempt to pay it forward ? We often feel that we have been blessed , suddenly got lucky , suddenly seen that elusive rainbow moment in our lives - and what do we do then ? We sit back and enjoy the fruit of our so called labour ! However, that's not what it is , is it ? So here's a suggestion . Pay it forward . Every time something really good happens in your life , try and make something good happen for someone else . It need not even be someone close to you or someone you know. Just do a random act of kindness and make someone's day special . We can if we really want to . It could become a habit. It could change the world . One good deed at a time ! That's all that's needed .

Shopping

I am beginning to think that super markets and hypermarkets are secretly scheming organizations to con the poor common person. They are also somehow arm in arm while conspiring with wives.

Now please do not get me wrong – everything under one roof, extremely convenient, very clean, air-conditioned and the like. Rows and rows of well stocked items – prices marked clearly and many of the items ON SALE! You can save money too!

However, let me start at the beginning. Now this is not a one off if not I would not be keying this in – this has become some sort of a routine.

Therefore, the Mrs. and I enter to buy one loaf of bread and possibly some milk. At least, that is what I am told.

Why we just never sent for it from the grocery downstairs never occurred to me – dim wit that I am.

As a matter of habit ,  I pick up a basket  although I could actually manage without one – after all its just two items or maybe one or two more and we will be out in a jiffy (in my dreams).

It’s two loaves finally – brown bread and whole wheat and incidentally I hate both – I am a ‘white bread’ man! A few rolls are also bought for good measure in case the bread runs out or we have guests. Thinking of how dry the bread looks I pick up some butter and spreadable cheese for good measure. At least I will not choke!

Choosing milk has become somewhat a dilemma for many I guess -  there is Whole Milk, Full fat milk, Low fat Milk, Skimmed Milk, Organic Milk, Lactose-Free Milk, Cow milk, camel milk etc.  Then there are different companies and different sizes of bottles. Last but not the least are the manufacturing and expiry dates. By the time we are done with choosing the milk, we could have reared a cow or a camel for that matter

Just beside the milk are the custards for which I have an affinity so a few custards are chosen  and put into the basket as well – need I add there are many varieties but I know what I want so it is a no brainer.  A small ice cream won’t do us any harm although I have sworn to cut down – so a smallish ice cream it is .

Rows and rows of vegetables beckon and the moment we stop there, I know the routine – I trudge all the way back to the entrance – put down the basket, pull out a trolley and transfer the contents to it. I know fully well this is not going to be a sprint so I prepare for a marathon.

Supermarket trolleys often have a life of their own and I invariably pick one that is stubborn and wants to go in some vague direction. Why they do not oil the wheels beats me. So, while I am pushing south the trolley is moving South east and I am cursing – so I go back and change the trolley.

By the time, I get back to the vegetable area I am greeted with an exasperated look on the wife’s face as she stands with both hands full of vegetables, which I then go to have weighed. Am I slowing down or what ?

 Have you ever seen the young women who operate these weighing areas? They are talking to each other, keying in codes, sticking on price labels, putting vegetables into plastic bags and smiling. It is all one fluid motion and they do not miss a beat- pure genius.

Vegetables, are then followed by fruit and the trip to weigh the same is repeated.

“While we are about it, we may as well pick up a few more things rather than have to make another trip ”  is a phrase most husbands are familiar with. The ‘ few more ’ are pulses, oil, condiments , bathing accessories , shampoos , creams , biscuits , savory items ,   cat food , cleaning  liquids  , brushes , mops , disinfectant  ,items to  soften ,   to shine, to remove stains  and polish with – this list can go on .

While trying to adjust the items into the, ‘by now over flowing trolley’, you have to side step the person who goes around in the cleaning vehicle, mopping up the area. Somehow, I have always fancied his job. It is so cool and stress free!

How can one visit a super/ hypermarket and not buy meat, fish or chicken, or all three? That done , we head for the teller.( That reminds me – I must cut down on red meat )

By now, the poor loaves of bread are squashed out of shape by now and so I retrieve them & go and change them for fresh ones! I feel guilty but it is no fun eating squashed bread.

The queues are long- I try, and gauge as to which one is moving the fastest. Murphy’s Law often beats me now and the queue I choose seems to go on forever. I look around – there are three gleaming counters, which say 10 items or less  – no one there – can’t they help? No, they will not.  

 

And then I am number two in the line and just when I imagine myself reading the newspapers at home while sipping hot tea ,  things come to a standstill as the lady before me has an item which she either has not had weighed or which does not scan properly . She seems in no hurry and begins reading the magazine on the stand before her. Now the cashier has to call the supervisor so she waves and calls and at times switches on a red light, which blinks.

That sorted, the woman attempts to pay. It is just luck or is the whole world against me? Her card does not work, or else she has probably forgotten the pin. She rummages around for another card while simultaneously trying to pack her items into plastic bags.

Meanwhile I keep edging my items closer to the cashier to quicken the process. Back to the woman and the plastic bags – most of which seem glued together and refuse to open. She struggles until the friendly cashier assists her while I grind my teeth in exasperation.

I always keep an eye on the person behind me because on more than one occasion I have had the back of my ankles banged with a trolley pushed by either an incorrigible child or a silly adult on his or her phone . It is painful indeed and a casual sorry does not make it any better

The contents of my trolley are now on the counter, I look around, and there is no signs of the wife. I am confused, not knowing whether to push my items forward, keep an eye on the woman billing me, push the trolley forward, be careful of my ankles  or start packing the billed items.  I too hope my card works and that I remember the pin! That can be embarrassing.

Then the Mrs. arrives with some more items, yes you guessed it right – some of which need to be weighed. By now the people behind us are getting fed up and some have changed queues.

Finally, it is all done and dusted. Bill paid - items in the trolley. The receipt is so long that the cashier puts in about five folds while handing it to me. She says, ‘please shop again’ and I cringe .

I have no will to check  the bill  and feel  rather worn out . I then realize that I wanted another newspaper but going back was like a nightmare – I could not risk it, lest my wife decided she needed a few more items.

Planning to purchase bread and milk from a hypermarket anyone?

Think again!

Those are truly nasty items indeed.