Dear All
On the heels of the matchmaking contest by Chidambaram Sir, I have one more interesting suggestion supported by one or two more people.
As some people say reality is stranger than fiction, I would like to know from fellow Irmans to share any curious sequence of events that resemble the one that am recounting below so that we can compile our list of Unlucky or curious happenings (a kind of believe it or not version!!)
Kindly ignore this mail if you are short of time!!!
Nov 11, 2008- Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh
After the Guwahati Bomb Blasts, Myself and Addnl Collector, Ranchi decided to go to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh and bought the tickets to the helicopter service from pawan hans only to realise after reaching there that there are no return journeys for next 15 min. Collector sb returns immediately while I undertake a 25 hour ordeal to return back after 2 days and again get duped on my way to the airport at 3 PM at night.
March 11, 2009 – Brussels South Railways Station
I am waiting for my train to come and 5 min before the scheduled arrival, a man asks me a question about the train. Sneezing and coughing with fever in 5 degree temperature, I move towards him only to find him running away laughing. I look back and find my Laptop gone. (also gone are other belonging like Ipod, Modem, Memory sticks etc.). I try 4 police stations to find all of them closed..
March 12, 2009 – Police Station, Brussels
“How many such incidences occur like this? At least 5-6 per day here.. I ring up my cousin in france and ask him.. Has anything like this happened to you?? Not yet in last two years I am here. You should have been more careful.
March 14 – 2009 – Holidays Inn, Brussels
Fon bills from hotel charged at 11 Euros per minute i.e almost 750/min. When I tell her the reason she says Ooops not again. Yesterday a german lost all his money, credit cards, laptop in a similar incident.
March 14- Paris Railway Station
I reach Paris to meet my cousin. He is expected to be there but is not seen anywhere. Comes after 15 min. Why man why r u late?? I ask??
My bag ( that I wanted you to take to India) got stolen outside my hotel!!!
March 15 – We stumble into a bulgarian lady and barely manage to escape the “gold finger ring fraud” Offering gold finger ring which she found on the road as she could not speak english. Only a threat to report her to the police deterred her from duping us.
March 18 – Delhi
I reach delhi and the workshop am attending ends unceremoniously as the funder starts bleeding from the year and collapses on the road. I got to my sister’s place.
March 19 – Delhi
Additional collector calls and I tell him my predicament… Vivek you should have asked me before going. I also lost 300 Euros in the train in paris during my last visit!!
While talking to a friend and also charging the fon, my mobile fon’s operating system crashes.
April 7 – I buy my new cell, Express Music.
July 17 – I am called downstairs at reception to shift room at 9.30 pm. I get a call from home at 9.45 and I move out of the hotel to listen clearly. After 15 min two youth come on a motorcycle and snatch the fon from my hands!!! I run after them and a person gives me lift to catch them. We end up loosing their track in 2 minutes.
Morale of the story—Such things though have nothing in common could have been prevented if a person knows what is to be expected a various places. Almost everybody to whom I tell these things tell me similar experiences of dishonesty that have been inflicted on them or people they know!!
It is important that we don’t keep mum as a society and tell our coming generations for the kind of world that awaits them when they travel or deal with unknown cultures.
By the way My suggestions also stems from suggestions for generating royalty out of such writings so would welcome entries for the Unlucky streak kaun test
Regards
Vivek Vyas
PRM - 23
No comments:
Post a Comment