Friday, June 13, 2014

Maid of Honour

The Maid - A lot of them in India come from Rural areas and do not know how and what it is to live life in the big city. For some it's a dream come true and for the people they serve - It's just the beginning of a nightmare. 
I wouldn't blame the former entirely - It is up to the educated lot to teach them how it really is to live in the big city. But some of the so called "educated lot" have filled their head with SHIT that even they don't know how to behave in a big city. They behave like childish monkeys let loose in the jungle when they were in captive for oh so long.
A common sight is a Full Time Maid in many houses in Bangalore. Of course they are helping around the house but that's what we are paying them for. Just like how our job pays for our bread and butter - It's their job and that's how they earn for their bread and butter - Which reminds me,They have a lot of benefits which not many of us employees in MNC's get -
1. The Owner of the house shelters them against the storm and the dark skies. Cause most of the times, in cases of senior citizens it's just them (The Owner) and the Maid. 
2. The Owner of the house has a room assigned for them cause they refuse to sleep anywhere except in a room which houses a single bed and all their stuff - Oh yes, they do get a Single room for themselves.
3. And while the Owners children (In the case, of a senior citizen) are out slogging it out in the traffic and the pollution and the what not and of course the work place - The Maid gets to stay at home, looks after NOTHING, gets to sit on expensive pieces of furniture with their legs up in front of the Idiot Box sobbing and sniffing and laughing out loud to lousy soap operas with unlimited access to goodies which come from Foreign shores. Oh, they conveniently forgot that the goodies were for the people in the house. 
4. And if their mood seems to be on the good side - They would get their lousy asses of those expensive pieces of furniture to cook something for lunch/ dinner and serve the person they look after and themselves food. Oh yes, They actually have a job - It is to look after either a senior citizen or be a nanny to an infant and help with the cooking.
5. They monopolize themselves in the house - They shoo out the maid who comes to do the house work by making false accusations against them and take extra money from the owners in the bid that she would do the house work too.
6. So just a reminder here - The Maid now is to look after a person in the house + Cook + Do the House Work and for this they get to charge exorbitantly, more than we could sometimes earn in a month.
7. Oh, the false accusations is not only against the maid who comes to do the house work, it is also against each and every member of the family. And when family members come down - they get added benefits - Perks like extra money is obtained, extra goodies apart from the ones which was brought for the owner of the house and you get even more if you indulge in a lively session of gossip.
There is the divide and rule policy when different part of the Owner's family comes over - Here, Children. 
8. And as if that wasn't enough they levy Entertainment Tax too - When they have the dire need of going out and doing something fun - The owners even have to look after that. 
9. Oh and if they run out of clothes it's up to the owners to look after that aspect too.
10. If money is found around the house, it just implies it belongs to them.
11. Perfumes, Powders and all the other things which is the owners belongs to her at the end and her stuff is what the Owners have to make do with.
12. Over and above everything, the ruling queen of the house is the Maid and that's why that oh so popular title is conferred on her with disgust.
Such is the life of Maid's today and we know how it is for all us working professionals. I can feel my back ache and groan with pain after the maddening traffic I just got out of but the maid - I don't think I need to say a word further. And if weren't earning enough it just would never be able to satisfy the needs of the maid leave alone our needs.
Well, The term lady-in-waiting describes a woman who attends a female member of the Royal Family other than the queen regnant or queen consort. An attendant upon one of the latter is a lady of the bedchamber or woman of the bedchamber, and the senior lady-in-waiting is the mistress of the robes. The women of the bedchamber are in regular attendance, but the mistress of the robes and the ladies of the bedchamber are normally only required for ceremonial occasions.
And then comes the Maids of honour - It is a term for the junior attendants of a queen in royal households, especially those of England and later of the United Kingdom. The position was and is junior to the Lady-in-waiting.
Also, The term maid of honour is the origin of the American English term maid of honor, usually the best friend of a bride who leads her bridal party.
Nowadays, we could easily add the "Maid" into one of the above category - They are a boon as much as they are a bane! Again, Exceptions do exist! I am in no way referring to each and every maid we have in India, There maybe exceptions to every case but in my case this is the case.

The Woes and Wows of being a Rider in Bangalore

I am one of the regulars in Bangalore who vroooms to office on a two wheeler! I have a Scooter and I consider it a Super Bike. But to any normal rider in Bangalore I guess we would all share the same woes of being a rider in Bangalore and also share the same Wows of why being a rider in Bangalore is actually awesome.

So this is how it all starts -

We hit the roads a little later than the normal Public Transport users and the owners of cars because WE - The Elite Few are always assured of reaching office just in the nick of time! - WOW

We have this uncanny capability of sliding into the narrowest of narrowest spaces within a road filled with Trucks, Buses, Cars, Auto's - How can we ever forget them and of course Cyclists! - WOW

We are well versed with the potholes on the road we take and carefully try to avoid them, well before time! - WOW

We know that in order to cross a road - The best vehicle you could have next to you is an Autorickshaw - cause everyone else is scared of them! - WOW

We get to see the amazing cloud formation, the amazing Sunset up ahead, feel the breeze hit our faces - Ah what bliss. - WOW

And then start's the WOES -

The worst vehicle who can be in front of you is a Bus cause you just would never be able to judge what's up ahead. - WOE

The worst vehicle who can be behind you is an Auto, a Car, a Bus, a Truck - basically any vehicle. - WOE
Auto - because we just would never win an argument with them and plus they aren't the nicest of people always!
Car - because they always think that we are the reckless ones on the road and that we would never know how it is to own a car cause we are still riding a Two Wheeler.
Bus - Cause they aren't bothered.
Truck - 'Cause Hello? I own the road!

All vehicle owners consider themselves the King of the road - WOE

All vehicle owners think it's their right to bully the one's on Two Wheeler's either by honking too loudly when they are beside us or by the dance of the headlights - WOE

And when it rain's or the weather becomes a horrible disaster even hell hath no fury as compared to the vehicles pounding on the roads to get home. As if the weather weren't scary enough for us, We have to deal with the traffic too. - WOE

But I still consider the Two Wheeled Machine to be the winner because at the end of it all on the not so bad days - WE ROCK!