Back to work Monday. One of the things I miss in these big offices is the peons and the hot cups of masala/adrak/elaichi chai whenever you ask for it. I hate these insipid tea bags. Now that I think about it working in a small office was so much more fun. The interactions with the people around was that much more … you got to know about their kids and their wives and their trips to the 'native place' and all kinds of shit which helped to kill the time.
The peons were a big source of entertainment by themselves. They were wonderful guys too, who still keep in touch after all these years. It was their English actually that provided most of the laughs. I remember Sridhar (who claimed to have picked up his English from reading newspapers) talking on the phone one day with one of the firang bosses from Copenhagen who wanted to speak to our Director, Mr. D.
Mr. D is not in office today Sir. His health is unwell.
After which firang boss must have asked when Mr. D will be back. And Sridhar goes: He is expecting in two days Sir!
But the funniest of all conversations I can remember is one I had with Zende who hailed from some village in Satara and spoke very little English. He had just returned from some bank work one afternoon when he hurries over to my desk and says to me with some concern:
Sir aap ke paas pussy hai na?
Kya?? Nahin toh!
Sir aap ke paas pussy nahin hain to aaj hi karvake le lo. Nahin toh sau rupya fine lagenga. Abhi-abhi policewalle chowk pe sabko pakad rahe thae. (at which point I decided to have a little fun with our man Zende)
Sabko pakad rahe thae?? … Ladki log ko bhi?
Haan-haan Sir … ladki log ko bhi.
Arrey lekin ladki log ke paas toh rehta hi hai!
Nahin Sir. Maine ladkee log ko bhi fine bharte huae dekha.
… Tu kiss pussy ka baat kar raha hai bhai?
Pussy Sir -- gaadi ka Pollution Certificate!
Ohhhh … P.U.C!!
***
50th anniversary of the Lego brick today. Thank you Lego for all those hours and hours you kept me occupied as a kid.
Blast from the past. Suzanne Vega ... another one which was a favourite with the Radio Bahrain DJ's back in the 80's.
The peons were a big source of entertainment by themselves. They were wonderful guys too, who still keep in touch after all these years. It was their English actually that provided most of the laughs. I remember Sridhar (who claimed to have picked up his English from reading newspapers) talking on the phone one day with one of the firang bosses from Copenhagen who wanted to speak to our Director, Mr. D.
Mr. D is not in office today Sir. His health is unwell.
After which firang boss must have asked when Mr. D will be back. And Sridhar goes: He is expecting in two days Sir!
But the funniest of all conversations I can remember is one I had with Zende who hailed from some village in Satara and spoke very little English. He had just returned from some bank work one afternoon when he hurries over to my desk and says to me with some concern:
Sir aap ke paas pussy hai na?
Kya?? Nahin toh!
Sir aap ke paas pussy nahin hain to aaj hi karvake le lo. Nahin toh sau rupya fine lagenga. Abhi-abhi policewalle chowk pe sabko pakad rahe thae. (at which point I decided to have a little fun with our man Zende)
Sabko pakad rahe thae?? … Ladki log ko bhi?
Haan-haan Sir … ladki log ko bhi.
Arrey lekin ladki log ke paas toh rehta hi hai!
Nahin Sir. Maine ladkee log ko bhi fine bharte huae dekha.
… Tu kiss pussy ka baat kar raha hai bhai?
Pussy Sir -- gaadi ka Pollution Certificate!
Ohhhh … P.U.C!!
***
50th anniversary of the Lego brick today. Thank you Lego for all those hours and hours you kept me occupied as a kid.
Blast from the past. Suzanne Vega ... another one which was a favourite with the Radio Bahrain DJ's back in the 80's.
3 comments:
HAHAHHAHAHAHA!!! you are SO bad!!
I'm reading your stuff after so long...
Absolutely with you on the "small offices" are so much fun bit. I was working in small offices all along when I got my present job with a recognizable company on the NASDAQ and I thought it was great. But that feeling is short-lived. Now I really dread that I will die cocooned in a cubicle.
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