Baksheesh (aka The Tip)

I have never been able to understand why you compulsorily need to tip waiters in a restaurant in America. Tipping is somewhat like 'baksheesh'. It is what you leave behind as a mark of appreciating good service. So if the service isn't good, then it makes complete sense to not tip the waiter.

This New Yorker article on tipping is explains that the waiters are paid much less than minimum wages for their job. Hence they have to make up for their time through tips. This is the most absurd thing I have ever heard and a really stupid system! There are obviously all sorts of diners and some of them will definitely NOT tip well. And the waiter cannot get a guarantee from the customer upfront that he/she is going to get a generous tip. So why should the waiter take good care of the customer? The New Yorker puts it succinctly.

People tip even though they don’t have to. Since they tip after they’ve been served, they’re not buying good treatment in advance. Nor are they just buttering up their regular waitresses—studies show that people tip about as well at out-of-town restaurants as they do at their local Bennigan’s. Americans are paying money that they do not have to pay, then, while receiving no obvious benefit as a result.

And being disgruntled, he can take it out on the other customers and lose out on some tips. This will bring a bad name to the restaurant even if it serves good food!

Another recent article in the New York Times has created a lot of angst among the readers (see the comments section). This author asks the right question regarding what happens if tipping proliferates into other professions.

Imagine if everyone did that. As you file out of the airplane, there’s the pilot, standing with his palm outstretched like a doorman who just let you into the hotel: “Hope you enjoyed your flight. Ahem, bit of a rough landing there, ahem. Not too easy to pull off, you know. Oh, why thank you, sir. You shouldn’t have.”

The system 'recommends' a 15% tip for plain service and 20% if it is excellent! Are they kidding?!? In fact, some restaurants help 'Math-challenged' customers by calculating and suggesting the 15% and 20%, not to mention the compulsory 18-20% service fee if you are group of over 6! Now is it my fault that the restaurant owner does not care to pay the waiters the minimum wage, or the government taxes the waiters based on some set income rather than their actual income (which supposedly forces them to ask for tips)?

Suddenly we have waiters writing blogs and books on 'tipping etiquette', giving interviews on television, radio and in newspapers and magazines as to what is an acceptable tip and what is blasphemous (some of them do not accept the concept of a 0% tip for bad service!). Also, the proliferation of 'tipping jars' at coffee shops, buffet places, food pick-up counters is ridiculous! Tipping for an excellent service received is understandable, but just because the system has brainwashed us into doing so is just plain stupid.

Chaai.. chaai...

Tea (or Chai as it is known in India) is probably the most popular drink in the world. I always remember tea as a beverage that was meant to be drunk only during the evening hours (tea time as it is known at home). Somehow, tea was never prepared during other times, unless a guest preferred tea to coffee. Its preparation however was something weird (as I understood it later).

The process of making tea at home involved making 'tea decoction' - as if it was something like coffee! Boil water, then add tea powder (never used tea leaves at home, only tea dust), boil for some more time. Then filter it and add milk, sugar and serve. This is the way it has always prepared at home.

I always loved the tea-shop teas, which were thick by constant boiling of tea with milk. The thick tea with the masalas (cardamom and ginger) gave the liquid a whole new dimension making it more exotic and preferred.

However, it turns out that there is a lot of debate regarding the issue of making tea. This has been beautifully chronicled by George Orwell in the Evening Standard titled 'A Nice Cup of Tea' as early as 1946. In this, Orwell lists the method of making a perfect cup of tea, with specific do's and don'ts. The British, who popularised the custom of drinking tea in the West made it fashionable and an exercise of the upper class. Moreover, the subtleties of making tea, the drinking and the serving made it all the more exclusive during the Raj. Some of this has started again in India with increasing affluences and people seeking for something new to do. Tea sipping, tea tasting expeditions and tea-tourism are on the rise. There seems to be a market for Darjeeling teas that fetch $500/lb at auctions and a new breed of tea-tasters and experts similar to wine tasters.

However, there is nothing to beat the experiences of having a hot cup of chai with pakodas sitting on the veranda and reading the newspaper on a lazy Sunday; or standing under the tin sheet of a tea shop, drinking piping hot tea and eating buns.

What exactly is Indian Cinema?

Recently, I happened to attend a Japanese movie screening by the Asian Film Studies (Dept of Foreign Languages and Literature) called Dare mo shiranai (Nobody Knows). The movie was fantastic, with a very sensitive portrayal of children and how they fend for themselves when their single parent flees with her boyfriend. This movie will make Taare Zameen Par look like an amateur effort both in the acting categories and predictable story lines. This post is not about that movie but what happened after the screening.

The Professor in charge of the series was interested in screening an Indian movie every month. The themes are Romance, Musical and Comedy for February, March and April respectively. The problem is that all Indian movies think that they are musicals and romances rolled into one! Also, the subtitling and captioning is so terrible that they seem to be an afterthought rather than having been thought out carefully by the scriptwriter. Also, the nuances in dialogues and expressions, customs and traditions are invariable lost in translation.

Also, do the Shah Rukh - Aamir Khan films such as Rab Ne, Om Shanti Om, KKHH, and Dil Chahta Hai portray the real India? Or is it then starkly realistic films such as Ray's trilogy? Or Deepa Mehta's movies which we Indians consider a blemish on our culture?

I am not saying that there exist no such movies but I will leave you to think about movies adhering to these themes that you would like shown to an international audience without making fools of ourselves. I dread to think what can be shown for a war movie? Border? Gadar? Lakshya? Huh... Is that all we can manage after continuous fighting for 60 years?

(P.S: After a lot of brainstorming, my roommate and I chose Dor, Parineeta and Munnabhai MBBS for the 3 slots. Dor for its richness in portrayal of India and the nice storyline, Parineeta for the portrayal of Indian customs and color associated in the film, and Munnabhai for its comedy, though I have a feeling that the subtitles will not send anyone to fits of laughter. What movies would you have chosen?)

To HGW XX/7, with gratitude

Only seldom do we see a movie where we 'ooh' and 'aah' at the end and walk out of the movie hall pleased. And only once in a blue moon come those movies which leaves you mesmerized; no words can express the feeling you experience - exhilaration? happiness? bliss? I don't know!

The last time a movie's climactic scene left me in such a state was probably 'The Prestige' and the last such book was 'Vamshavrikhsa'. Yesterday, it was the outstanding movie 'The Lives of Others' (German:Das Leben der Anderen, starring Ulrich Mühe and Martina Gedeck) that left me failing for words.

The setting is in the Cold War days of totalitarian East Germany (GDR). The scene begins in 1984 (I thought this was a fantastic tribute to George Orwell's novel 1984!). Without revealing too much about the nitty gritty details, the plot revolves around the surveillence in GDR, how no one, not even the elite and trusted were spared. The Stasi (secret police) captain in charge of the covert surveillence of the pro-party writer Georg Dreyman (codenamed Lazlo) is Gerd Wiesler(played by the brilliant Ulrich Mühe). A pivotal role is played by Dreyman's girlfriend Crista-Maria Sieland (codenamed CMS played by Martina Gedeck of 'Mostly Martha' fame).

The loyal Stasi officer, in the course of the surveilance, experiences a complete change in his belief in the state. He understands that there is a devious motive behind the spying rather than 'state security' as announced. He becomes disillusioned in his nature of work, the The change in his character is one of the best parts of the movie.

I thought the movie was ending with the death of a principal character. No. It continues. Then I thought it was going to end at the Fall of the Berlin Wall. An ending here would have made it a great movie. But it is what continues after this that elevates this movie to a new level. The last few minutes of the movie are fascinating and truly marvelous! This is what is a truly rewarding movie watching experience according to me.


There are innumerable other small things that make this movie what it is. The surveillance equipment is all genuine - from collectors who have preserved it as it was. Ulrich Mühe himself was a subject of spying in the GDR. He recounts that he found out only later about his friends and colleagues who were spying on him. In fact, my belief that great movies can still win the Oscar has been revived since this movie won it in 2006 in the Foreign Film category. We can stop sending entries from India if they have to compete at this level!


Oh...and the title of this post is one of the most beautiful things about this movie. To understand its significance, watch the movie. I just can't praise it enough.

Bollywood Padmashris

We are probably the only country that showers our citizens with awards - for nothing actually. The awards are bestowed for a variety of reasons - based on recommendations, caste reservations, regional and linguistic quotas, etc but only occasionally on merit or service rendered.

In the latest incident, we have decided to honour 2 film actors, and a non-entity businessman while neglecting sportsmen who really made India proud at the Olympics. Now what are the criteria for selecting these candidates? Is it just recommendation by some influential panelist or a "family-friend MP" or the media lobby that fetches you these awards? Whatever it is, these people have desecrated the high honor of the award. By accepting such awards, those who deservedly got it will have their names written on the same roster as these celebrities. As Bannanje Govindacharya who received this award this year said,

"I had not expected the award nor desired it. I got it accidentally.... I will carry on my work as usual".

Unless such people object to these committees saying that they do not want to spoil their stellar reputation by adding their names to the same list, this ridiculous hoopla will not end.

Latin mottos are nice! But why not Sanskrit?

Veritas, motto of a famous University. E pluribus unum, found on the coins of a country. Nulla tenaci invia est via, the motto of a car company. Forget the new world, even schools in Bangalore, India have latin mottos! A famous school in Bangalore has the motto on its coat of arms as Nec Dextrorsum Nec Sinistrorsum. I wonder how many in that institution have understood it!

There is something about Latin mottos. We are simply fascinated by them. Even countries where latin was never a spoken language use latin mottos on their coat of arms. Companies, educational institutions, governments, the list goes on. Can a motto in a common language of the land or the universal language be as interesting or as inspiring?

Several institutions in India have Sanskrit mottos! Most people have either never noticed them or do not care about them. In fact, these mottos as more suitable since they are apt and are taken from a context in our cultural heritage.

To start with my school Vijaya High School's motto, it says 'na hi jnaanena sadrusham pavitram'. Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita (Ch 4, shloka 38), nothing is as pure as knowledge. What an apt motto for a school!

The motto of the Republic of India is 'Satyameva Jayate', which means Truth Alone Triumphs. Whether truth is currently triumphing is altogether a different issue!

The signature lines of the Indian armed forces are also very beautiful.

The Indian Navy's motto is 'shaM no varunah' which means May the Lord of the Oceans be auspicious unto us. Isn't that the prayer that one wants to say if one lives on the water all the time!?! The INS Mysore's line says 'Na Bhibheti Kadaachana' meaning 'Always Fearless'.

The Indian Air Force's motto is Nabha Sparsham Deeptam, (taken from the Gita) which translates as 'Touch the Sky with Glory'.

Different regiments and combat units in the Indian Army have different mottos. Most of them are so beautiful to hear and I have even heard the War Cry of a couple of them. It really does inspire the soldiers at testing times.

Rajputana Rifles - Veer Bhogya Vasundhara (The brave shall reap the earth)
Madras Regiment - Swadharme Nidhanam Shreyah (It is a glory to die doing one’s duty)
More here.

Several Indian Corporate institutions also have tailored their mottos from our Sanskrit heritage.

LIC - 'yogakshemam vahaamyaham', meaning 'I provide what they lack, and I preserve what they already possess'. This is a beautiful line from the Gita (ch 9, Shloka 22). Can you get a more beautiful saying, if you have to write it yourself? Just exactly what the LIC would want to use!

Doordarshan - Satyam Shivam Sundaram

Akashvani - Bahujana Hitaaya, Bahujana Sukhaaya’ (Welfare for All and Happiness for All)

UGC - Jnaana vijnanaanam vimuktaye (knowledge is that which liberates).


In fact, Nepal has one of my most favourite lines from Ramayana as its motto! The official motto of Nepal is 'Janani janmabhoomishcha swargaadapi gareeyasi'. Mother and motherland are greater than heaven. The context of this shloka is also beautiful. When Lord Rama defeated Ravana and installed Vibhishana as the ruler of Lanka, Lakshmana asks Rama to stay back for more time in the beautiful city. Lord Rama replies:

api swarnamayee lankaa na me lakshmana rochate
janaanee janmabhoomishcha swargaadapi gareeyasi

(Lakshmana, even though lanka is filled with gold and so beautiful, it does not entice me. Mother and motherland are greater than heaven.)

The Brave New World of hiking.

(With due respects to Aldous Huxley).

Some photos of my recent trip to the Grand Canyon. Some figures:
1400 miles of driving.
3 days.
14+ miles of hiking up and down the canyon in a day.

But numbers don't do any justice to the experience.

If you are wondering why there is no writeup, I need some more time to compose my feelings.

(Click on the slideshow to open up larger images in Google Picasaweb.)

Winter's almost over!

Winter is behind us. Spring is in the air. Can summer be far behind? (Due respects to P. B. Shelley). A new year is about to start. Ugadi is on April 7th. Time to leave behind the sorrows and tensions and reflect on more joyous occasions. (In other words, time to remove my pessimistic cap!).

(Photo taken in front of my apartment)

Reading (Non)Fiction

Reading fiction is like eating bananas. But reading non-fiction is like eating a jackfruit. I say this because of I am presently struggling to read a couple of books. I say struggling both in the time-limitation sense and that of difficulty in making progress through the pages without losing the finer points of the narrative.

I have never heard anyone saying that they wanted to go home from a busy workday, curl up by the fireplace and continue reading a nonfiction book such as 'An Essay Concerning Human Understanding' by John Locke or 'Walden' by Thoreau. (I know we could all benefit from reading such tomes instead of the Sidney Sheldons or the latest issues of Filmfare magazine. Walden is a magnificent diary on the experiments on simple living by the author.) So what is it that makes it so tough for people to pick up a nonfiction book when an easy fiction work is lying around, waiting to be read?

The simplest answer is that nonfiction reading requires an effort! You cannot really breeze through it as if you were waltzing through Jeffrey Archer's Kane and Abel. Skipping the meanings of a couple of words here and there will cause problems in later sections. You have to grasp meanings and explanations and apply them as you read to comprehend the insights the author is attempting to convey.

However, the joy of understanding and further contemplating the ideas after reading a serious nonfiction book cannot compare with the shallow thrill experienced after reading a, say, John Grisham courtroom drama. More often than not, after reading a fiction book, I am left with a feeling of emptiness, not what I am really taking away from this book. It is that momentary thrill and that 'aha' moment that we seek.

However, I am not belittling fiction. There can be works of fiction that are helpful in are that discuss social and cultural issues in the forms of stories so that the common man can identify with the scenarios, the problems and the solutions. (The first such works that come to my mind are S. L. Bhyrappa's novels).

But in the end, difficult as it may be to peel the jackfruit, it feels worth the effort after you taste the fruit! (^_^) (Maybe that's why jackfruits are seasonal like the nonfiction books!There is a glut or there is nothing.)


P.S:
The book I am currently reading is called Shri Krishna Pareekshanam by DVG. Many scholars and philosophers have written several volumes and expositions on the meanings and relevances of Krishna's sayings in the Gita and his actions in Mahabharata. However, there have been a lot of controversies in explaining the thievery of Krishna (which is a taboo topic to discuss, since it was God himself taking what belongs to him) or his involvement with the Gopika strees. This book is an examination into many such aspects. However, too many Samskrita verses and old-style Kannada poetry is a deterrent since I don't have a good dictionary at hand or someone to discuss these topics with.

Meet your meat

Meat eaters of the world, arise! Awake! And see where your daily meat comes from.

See this moving video by PETA; narration by Alec Baldwin.

I used to get into the argument of vegetarianism vs non-vegetarianism a long time ago but now completely excuse myself from such a debate. The reason is that you can never convince the other person to change, no matter what the reasoning (same goes with me too; they cannot convince me to change either). Those I know who have converted to vegetarianism have done so voluntarily without anyone's advice and out of their own realizations. One meat-eating arguer I've met gives this really lame excuse for not eating meat during an auspicious month in the Hindu calendar when he wants to be pure to pray to God! Isn't (s)he contradicting oneself by saying that they are impure for the rest of the 11 months by consuming meat?!?

Anyway, it is a lost cause arguing with meat-eaters. Or maybe my arguments are not sound/unbiased enough since I was born into a vegetarian family and have chosen to remain a vegetarian purely by choice.

Ask yourself. Do you still want to eat meat after seeing this?