Sometimes I Wonder...

Sometimes I wonder...

Why restaurant waiters are so eager to snatch the menu card away from your hands.

Why so many men like to tuck in a t-shirt with jeans especially when they are wearing a Levi's. Or a similar brand.

Why most psychos like to call themselves short tempered.

How so many people take pride in singing most English songs fluently but otherwise have very poor grammar and communication skills.

How so many people with otherwise great English also say things like "one of my friend..."

Why some people tell you that they are "flying" to some place within the country instead of simply saying they are going there.

Why recruiters call you and say they have gone through your CV, and ask you where you currently work.

Why telemarketers tell you that you have a pre-approved credit card offer and then ask you to submit your income proof.

How everyone is so quick to pass on a remark when you have put extra or less salt in a dish, but no one specifically appreciates it when the amount of salt is just perfect.

How every woman whose name is "Sulabha" would be feeling when she sees a public toilet in India.

How public transport fares surge as soon as there is a rise in diesel/CNG prices, but the fares don't immediately go down if the fuel prices drop.

How people can "like" their own pictures and status messages on Facebook.

Why rude people like to believe they are just being "straightforward".

Why it is necessary for the daughter of a lady who uses Santoor to "come first in the class"...

Why so many people secretly love Himesh Reshamiya's music, but like to admit otherwise.

Why annoying women like to say "sh" instead of "s" (shlap for slap) and expect people to find it cute.

Why many people like to say they do not understand Marathi, until the time a cop asks them a question.

Why people like to say they "tried" some alcoholic drink instead of saying they just drank it.

Why whenever there is a police raid at some brothel, the newspapers say that the customers were "arrested" but the prostitutes were “rescued”.

Why Veg Kolhapuri and Veg Jaipuri are listed under Punjabi Dishes in the restaurant menu cards.

Why people prefer to say "I'm being positive" over "I'm just being an idiot"

And sometimes I wonder why I wonder so much, and sometimes I wonder—

Why and how people read Chetan Bhagat’s books…

Some Nights @ the Call Centre

"Sameer, from what I've heard, I can definitely say that the call centres are meant only for sex!", said one of my childhood friends. And I felt like raped right there.

It was rather an irresponsible yet bold statement, which I couldn't just ignore, though I was perfectly aware of his typical small-town mentality. Still I did not find it important to indulge into an intellectual debate on a rather controversial topic. Afterall he was not the only one who thought that way.

Be that only for six months, but I do have a BPO work experience, and I really pity people who easily make foul comments about call centre employees, without having a slightest idea about this industry.

My friend's statement inspired me to write something about the life at the call centres, and focus on some truths and myths about this industry.

I am going to be as unbiased as possible while writing this, not making it sound favourable for anybody.

Normally there are 2 to 3 rounds of interview in the BPO selection procedure. An accent test, a personal interview, and an HR round. They are not difficult to crack for candidates with good English and a reasonably neutral accent.

The salaries for the freshers are not that great, but they do consider non BPO experience as well, eventually getting some business to the fake letterhead experts. . .

The educational criteria is graduation, or 12th pass, if the candidate has some previous work experience. Though I know people who quit education after 10th but are doing very well in the call centres. Getting a degree certificate done is not all that difficult, is it?

Initially there is voice and accent plus process training, and everybody has to go through it. You get to spend first one and a half months in the classroom. The trainers try their best to make the training enjoyable with intresting games and stuff like that.

A lot of the trainees abscond from the company after getting their first salary. This is the harsh reality of this industry, and nothing much can be done about it. The attrition rate is always a 'all time high'.

There are some nominal assessment at the end of both the trainings, and everyone clears it unless the person's perfomance is extremely unsatisfying.

But the things take a 180 degree turn once the agents hit the floor. They have to face irate, unhappy, angry and every other type of customers from the day one. God save those who have not taken calls before !

Working in a call centre can be extremely difficult and depressing for many. Continuously dealing with the frustrated customers is not a piece of cake, especially when the call flow is high.

People who are serious about making a career in this field have to work real hard. Those who do not succeed get frustrated with the extremely monotonous work.

Ambitions get narrowed down. Many spend years dreaming to become just a team leader or a quality coach.

There are a hell lot of perceptions, or may I say misperceptions, both positive and negative, about call centres in many people's minds. Let me try to answer some of them :

Anyone can easily get a job in a call centre : (This comment is mostly made by those who have pathetic spoken English).
Wrong. You need to have above average communication skills in English, which are not that commonly found in Indians.


People working in the call centres have extreme command over English, they speak like the British or the Americans do.
Wrong again. MOST of them have just above average skills in English, and they pick up the accent with the time they spend in the job. Some of them really suck with their basic grammar. So don't be surprised when you hear a call centre agent saying 'I did not went there', 'He said me he wants to do that', 'One of my colleague from that department' etc.

Call centre people are very rude and have a lot of attitude.
You cannot generalise this. Rude people are everywhere. So are polite people. Same applies for the attitude. But some of them are just too confident, and people take it otherwise.

They want only young blood in the call centres. You find only college crowd there.
Not exactly. Anybody below the age of 45 can apply for these jobs.

These jobs are very easy and you don't need much of skills for them.
Wrong. Call centre jobs are not at all easy. They require a great command over the process, and some of the processes are really vast and complicated. It takes at least a year to know such a process thoroughly. Continuously talking on the phone and working on the pc simultaneously can be very tiring, maybe more tiring than a physical task.

Call centre employees have all the freedom in the world.
Not at all. They work under high pressure and hardly have any freedom on the job. Most of the companies don't allow them to carry even their cell phones on the floor.

People join call centres only to have fun.
Only those who come to work for a month and then abscond. Coz call centre jobs are no fun. Normally it is a 9 hr shift, with exactly 8 hrs of login. The remaining 1 hr is divided into two fifteen minutes breaks and one thirty minutes break. You strictly have to adhere to these scheduled breaks. You cannot even attend the nature's call when you have to.

Once I exceeded my first break by 15 seconds and I was asked not to take my lunch break.

You get huge salaries in the call centres.
Call centre agents never get what they are worth. The salaries are still less, compared to other industries, and there is hardly something called 'appraisal' for the agents.

People get spoilt after joining BPOs. They get into many bad habits.
Totally depends upon the person's character. If the person is not firm with his values and morals, then he may get into bad habits even after watching a movie or reading a novel.

They booze and smoke.
Tell me an indusrty where they don't ! And this does not apply to everyone. There are people who have worked in the BPOs and haven't ever touched these things.

Call centre girls are prostitutes. They run flesh business in the call centres.
Yes, it is true. But only if you accept that your school was a brothel and your teachers were hookers.



I hope I've been unbiased while writing all this. Because I personally do not support any bad habits.

But we have to accept that though it is a 'call centre' job, it is something that provides employment in large number. Not everyone joins a call centre to have fun or chill out. Many join it to learn something different, to support their families, or to support their education. Everyone is not fortunate to receive a huge pocketmoney from his parents, and if he joins a BPO to support his own expenses, I don't think there is anything objectionable in it.

We have to stop looking at call centre people with a prejudiced mindset and we should be a bit liberal when it comes to discuss their job profile. Everybody needs respect and an equal treatment.


The intention behind writing all this is only to present a true picture of the BPOs, based on my experiences of some nights that I spent @ a call centre.

I do accept that there are many dark sides to this industry, but this not at all means that call centres are meant for sex in any way. Otherwise we would not have all these escort agencies and massage parlours flourishing everywhere in the city...

Tiranga

What does "Tiranga" represent? India's national flag ? Well... there is somthing else attached to Tiranga as well. It's a great gastronomical experience for all the gourmets who enjoy some adventurous food.

Tiranga is a Pune based chain of 6 pure non-veg restaurants. The best in its class.

Tiranga's branches are spread all around Pune, but the one that I visit frequently, real frequently, is based at Paud Phata, Kothrud. Why? For two simple reasons. One being I stay at Kothrud. And second, it's the best among the all. I can say it because I have eaten at all of them.

Located at one of the busiest ares, Tiranga is a famous landmark.

Talking about the ambience, this place is 100% Maharashtrian, but quite plush at the same time. It's divided into two sections : general and family. Tables are broad and the chairs are comfortable. The ear soothing instrumentals set the perfect mood.

The managers and the waiters are modest. The place is extremely crowded in the evening, and you may have to wait for almost an hour if you are a bunch of people, especially on a weekend.

No formality of glass plates or finger bowls here. Like at home, you eat in the big steel plates and wash your hands at the basin.

Before moving to the food, lemme make one thing clear : if you are a pure vegeterian, don't even think about going to Tiranga. It's as simple as that.

All the non vegeterians... it's your paradize ! It's the place to satisfy all your tastebuds.

Tiranga is one of those few places in the city which guaranteedly serves lamb { sheep meat } all the time. This place is mainly famous for mouth watering biryanis. But the other dishes are equally delicious.

You can start your meal with a glass of solkadki, it will prove to be a good appetizer. Here you get various options in snacks. My favourite is Chicken Shola Kabab. These are boneless pieces of tender chicken with green marination, roastd in a tandoor { bar-be-que }. It is, like most of the dishes served here, a very spicy preparation.

Other tandoori dishes are tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, chicken malai kabab, chicken banjara kabab etc.

In the main course, you don't have so many options. But the ones that you have are really special.

In mutton, I mean lamb, you have Mutton Masala, Mutton Masala Fry, Mutton Dry, Khima Masala Fry, Mutton Handi Full, Mutton Handi Half, Bheja Fry. And let me stress again, you get only good quality sheep meat here, which is deliciously tender and tastier.

In chicken, you get Chicken Masala, Chicken Masala Fry, Chicken Dry, Butter Chicken Full, Butter Chicken Half, *Gawraan chicken Handi, Chicken Handi, Chicken Handi Boneless.

* Gawraan chicken{ wild fowl}, is a special breed of chicken, with less flesh and a stronger taste.

A variety of sea-food is also available : Prawns (Kolambi) Masala Fry, Prawns Masala, Promfret Fry, Promfret Masala, Tandoori Pomfret, Tawa Promfret, Surmai Masala, Tawa surmai.

Tandoori pomfret is something which you won't get everywhere. This whole pomfret marinated in tandoori spices and then roasted on coal will surely tantalize your appetite.

All the chicken and mutton dishes have different gravies and tastes of their own.

The portions are very big, so be careful while placing a big order.

You can ask for only gravies as well. Like Handi Gravy and Fry Gravy.

In bread, you can choose from chapati, tandoori roti, naan, paratha and bhakari, a Maharashtrian speciality.

And now it's time to discuss my weakness : Tiranga Special Mutton Biryani ! It is something I can die for.

You get good biryani at many places in Pune . . . but what sets apart Tiranga's biryani is the quality of lamb and rice used in it. It's simply unbeatable. The huge quantity is sufficient for two persons, or for one dedicated foodie, like me.

This biryani has three layers. The first layer of tenderly cooked spicy lamb, the next one is of spiced rice, and the top one is of dry rice. And there is a topping of dryfruit. It is served with a spicy gravy.

Though Tiranga serves so many good dishes, I hardly have anything apart from Tiranga Special Mutton Biryani. I am somehow addicted to its taste. And I have a very bad habit of comparing any food with Tiranga's biryani. Though I have good writing skills, I am seriously short of words while describing its taste and the satisfaction that I get after eating it. I just hope I am able to convey my emotions.

I have been always teased for overpraising Tiranga. Some of my friends even say that I get paid for promoting Tiranga.... !

Apart from the amazing Tiranga Special Mutton Biryani, you get Tiranga Special Chicken Biryani,Prawns (Kolambi) Pulav and Eggs Biryani.

And last but not the least, Tiranga is a bit high on the wallet. One special biryani costs Rs.150/-. If you are a bunch of good eaters, be ready to spend a grand on a treat. It's worth it.

Whenever I have to eat out, the first place that comes to my mind is only "Tiranga". It's like a second home for me.

So, on the occasion of this Independence day, this article is my tribute to Tiranga in Kothrud.

If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me at : sameerkulkarni87@gmail.com .

Happy eating ... !

PRASAD NASHTA CENTRE

If you are near Bapat Baal school in Sangli and a pleasant aroma of Udupi cuisine hits you, stop looking here and there....head straight to Prasad Nashta Centre.... undoubtedly the best eating joint I have ever come across....

Now, sitting miles away from Sangli, when I think of the same aroma, it takes me back to my school days, and to all the golden moments of my childhood attached to this Nashta Centre located in the busiest part of the Sangli city.

I don't need to mention the directions to this place... if you are in Gaonbhaag, anybody will be glad to tell you where it is.

It's a very small South Indian eatery, which is extremely crowded in the morning time, and you often need to adjust your plates as the crowd keeps increasing.

And this place has no air about itself.....no chair-table system here....no place for sitting down to eat.... you have to stand and eat... maybe that's why girls don't go there... I hope I'm making no bones about how the place looks like...

Still this place attracts hundreads of Sanglikars everyday.... only because of the unique taste it offers.... which you will hardly find in any other Udupi place...

Starting off with Pohe and Uppit.... they are served in small plates with shev on the top of them. The eatery owner, Swami, will be more than happy to add some sambar on Pohe if asked. And people who don't like the dryness of pohe prefer to eat it like this. You can ask for some chutney to eat with uppit, and it depends upon Swami's mood whether there is an extra charge for it for you.

And now my most favourite..... Idli sambaar.... !

Prasad serves different sambars for idli and batata vada.... and both are equally wonderful !
You can find every vegatable possible in the sambar made for idli. It's a very mildly spiced thick preparation,flavoured with jaggery and tamarind, and can be called a speciality of this place. The appropriate method of eating idli sambar is taking two idlis in a plate, pouring the sambaar on them, mixing it with spoons, and eating them with chutney.

Previously they used to serve two types of chutneys, ghatta {thick} chutney, and the normal one. I used to love the ghatta chutney, which they have stopped making now. I hope Swami reads this blog and starts making it again !

Vada sambaar is something Prasad Nashta Centre is actually famous for.

Vada is batata vada, and the sambar for this is extremely spicy, which doesn't have many vegetables in it, and is not half as thick as the sambaar made for idlis. This sambaar is covered with a thick layer of red coloured spicy kat {tadka} which is liked by spicy food lovers like me. The vada is crushed flat in a plate, then sambar and the kat are poured on it. Mixed with the spoons and eaten with chutney and pav, this breakfast is enjoyed more than any misal pav by the Sanglikars.

* I prefer to eat Idlis mixed with both the sambaars, which creates an awesome combination. The taste is heavenly which can never be expressed in words.

You get sheera and puri bhaji as well, but they are not that famous.

Despite the consistent best quality and the taste,surprisingly, the rates at Prasad are cheaper than most of the other breakfast joints.

Shev Pohe - Rs.5/-

Shev Uppit- Rs.5/-

Sheera - Rs.6/-

Idli Sambar - Rs.8/-

Vada Sambar Pav {Single} - 7/-
{Double} - 14/-

Puri bhaaji -Rs. 10/-{not sure}

I've been eating at Prasad since last ten years now.... and the taste is still the same. Rates for Idli and Vada have increased by only Rs.1 . The other rates haven't changed.

I've eaten at numerous South Indian restaurants across Pune and Mumbai.... but not a single one offers the taste like Prasad.

I don't get to go to Sangli that frequently now, but whenever I go there, I don't miss the chance to eat at this great place.

Wanna ask a question? Shoot a mail at : sameerkulkarni87@gmail.com

Happy eating.... !