Shove Authority

People in India, if they are in-charge of something, they want to shove their authority on you. I am not talking about VIPs. I am talking about ordinary police constables, peons in offices, security guards, and people like that.. They want to show and shove their authority on you.

 

This incident happened recently.

 

I went to an Indian Temple here in California. I parked my car. There were 60 parking spaces. There was not a single car that was parked. Therefore, I deliberately took 2 parking spaces. I turned off the ignition and got down from the car. An Indian lady (in saree) approached me. Here is our conversation:

 

Lady: Do you know you have parked here illegally? (I did not appreciate the tone in which she was communicating with me)

 

I would have said "sorry" if her modulation was civilized.

 

Me: What did you say?

 

Lady: You have parked here illegally. You have taken 2 spaces (It is not against the law in California if you take 2 spaces in a private parking lot. This parking lot was inside the temple and therefore it is a private parking lot.)

 

Me: What is your problem?

 

Lady: How will other cars can park if you take 2 spaces?

 

Me: I am going to pray the God and will be back in 5 minutes. There are 60 parking spaces here. Are you saying these 60 parking spaces will be filled in the next 5 minutes?

 

Lady: What you are doing is illegal.

 

Me: Are you the Police?

 

Lady: Yes, I am

 

(Now I am really angry)

 

Me: Show me your Police Badge.

 

Lady: I am not a real police. I am temple management,. You come to my office and I will show you my temple badge.

 

Me: I came to pray my God for 5 minutes. I did not come here to see your temple badge. If you want to show me your temple badge, run back to your office and bring your badge within 5 minutes. Now get off my face.

 

I walked away.

 

Yes, I agree by taking 2 spaces I was discourteous. I did not follow the proper etiquette. But did not break any law.

 

(Side Bar: While writing this blog post, I just remembered reading an article in the Wall Street Journal long time ago. They were interviewing an Under Secretary in the Finance Ministry for the Government of India in New Delhi. During the interview, he said:

 

"I live in RK Puram. I go by bus to my office. I don’t have any money during the last 5 days of the month. Me and my family struggle to eat. But, in my office, I can make JRD Tata wait outside my office for 15 minutes. I am proud of that."

 

So much for proud and power.

JFK

If John F. Kennedy was alive he would be 100 years old today.

 

 

He was born on May 29, 1917, in a multi millionaire’s family. The Kennedys were considered America’s “royalty”.

 

He graduated from Harvard University. He was also a member of the University Swimming Team.

 

During World War 2, he volunteered to serve in the United States Navy. As a VVIP’s son (his millionaire dad was US Ambassador to England), he could have had many other opportunities but he chose to serve the country by joining the US Navy during World War 2.

 

He was a commander of a Patrol Torpedo Board in the Pacific Ocean. His boat was destroyed by the Japanese Navy. He and his team were in the middle of the ocean for 2 days and they finally swam many miles to come ashore. He saved all his men and personally carried 2 of the wounded along with him to the shore. Here is a quote:

 

On June 12, 1944, while he was in the hospital recuperating from back surgery, Kennedy received the Navy and Marine Corps medal for courage, endurance and excellent leadership [that] contributed to the saving of several lives and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

 

And then, he was elected as President of the United States in 1961, at the age of 43. He was the youngest to be elected as President at that time. His inaugural speech is still considered one of the best speeches of all time in the world. The sentence I liked most from that speech was:

 

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.

 

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

 

Another of his speech before I finish. His speech about life is unfair.

 

“There is always inequity in life. Some men are killed in a war and some men are wounded, and some men never leave the country, and some men are stationed in the Antarctic and some are stationed in San Francisco. It’s very hard in military or in personal life to assure complete equality. Life is unfair.”

 

He was assassinated and died on November 22, 1963, at the age of 46.

 

Not just USA but the whole world mourned.

 

PS: During the Chinese aggression against India in 1962, India was losing and China was gaining.  At the request of Indian Government, Kennedy sent the America troops to India.  Immediately, China stopped the aggression and withdrew.

 

PPS: There is a movie about his World War 2 Navy heroics.  The name of the movie is PT109.

 

PPPS: I also acknowledge he had many weak points.  But today is his 100th Birthday.

Donald and Melania

Trump and his wife Melania are on their first foreign tour on Air Force One. American press and television media are left wing limousine liberals. They always watch any sign of trouble between the Donald and Melania. Finally they found one. Melania appeared to avoid holding hands with her husband,. Here is the video clip:

 

 

Here are my thoughts:

 

I am not a big supporter of Trump. But I am against these television and news media.

 

Don’t they have any other news in the world to cover?

 

22 innocent people died in Manchester due to a terrorist attack. Don’t you think that should be the headline news?

 

Why don’t they scrutinize Bill and Hillary Clinton relationship?

 

It is not an easy graceful walk down the stairs of a 747 with 6” heels.

 

Looks like high school newspaper gossip column.

 

Then people complain Trump is getting lot of free publicity.

Page From The Past

I was watching an old Hollywood movie, The World of Suzie Wong starring William Holden and Nancy Kwan.

 

My thoughts went back.

 

My wife and I once took a vacation to Hong Kong. We landed in Hong Kong. We booked our hotel in Kowloon. You have to take a ferry to go from Hong Kong to Kowloon. We were enjoying the ferry ride and the beauty of the Hong Kong harbor.

 

At that moment I told my wife:

 

Lalitha, do you know this is the exact place where William Holden met Suzie Wong.

 

She asked me William Holden met who. I then knew she was not familiar with the movie The World of Suzie Wong.

 

It is a story about an American architect turned artist Robert Lomax (William Holden) meeting Suzie Wong (Nancy Kwan) in a ferry ride from Hong Kong to Kowloon. At first Suzie Wong tells him that she is from a very rich family and she does not talk to strangers. Later William Holden finds out she is a poor prostitute with a small child at home. He falls in love with her and the story goes on.

 

This movie is the most different, tender and touching love story. I have given below the first 9 minutes of the movie where they meet for the first time. Please watch.

 

Carry On, But Remember

Menaka Gandhi has initiated a program to file sexual harassment complaint online. I applaud her. But those who investigate such cases must be very careful.

 

I want to share a real life story. The following anecdote is not a fiction.

 

Long time ago, in our company, there was a girl who was a first line manager. Her supervisor was a second line manager. One day, this girl, first line manager, filed a case within the company hierarchy alleging “sexual harassment” against her male second line manager.

 

The company wanted to avoid this case going to a public litigation because it will be bad for the company’s image and PR purpose. So the company decided to settle the case.

 

Mean time, the Second Level manager resigned his job. The first line manager, who complained, got an excellent cash compensation for her “suffering”. She also quit the company immediately.

 

They both got married a week later.