America, dui bu qi! In India, we write the date first, and then the month.
So, without trying to take away from the original 9/11, yesterday was quite the 9/11 as well. Two countries, the USA and India, experienced a different kind of 9/11 each.
Donald Trump was elected President of the USA. I felt for the Americans, and I felt for the world at large. What a 9/11!
What were the choices ahead of them?
- Donald Trump
- Hillary Clinton
The first wants to grab all women by their crotch, and now he has widened his choice set to an international arena. The second is a corrupt, sneaky devil and would stab you in the back, with a smile on her face, and expect you to thank her for the privilege.
In India, if we had a choice between the following, most of us, like the Americans, would just say – what the shit? Is this all we have? Of course, we are blessed. We can put any number of politicians in the following two places, and we would still say –what the shit? Is this all we have? Of course, we do have Rahul Gandhi, and he provides us with our daily dose of laughter.
- Mulayam Singh Yadav
- Raj Thakeray
Luckily, we have Narender Modi, and he is a sensible choice.
Yet, he gave us his version of 9/11!
Last night, he abruptly withdrew 500 rupee and 1000 notes from the market. This means that most of the money i have with me in hand is worthless. I calculated my money -usable money – this morning, this morning at a chai stall.
I discovered that I had 3 US dollars! And, the banks and ATM were shut. Damn!
So, what did I do? I drove really, really carefully. If I was caught flouting traffic rules, then I would not have usable cash to pay the bribe, or the fine – whichever is less!
So, I dug into my car and pulled out coins totalling up to 8 rupees, which is about 12 US cents, and bought myself a chai at the local chai-wallah. I had arrived early for a meeting. Jokingly, I asked the chai-wallah if the coins were legal tender, and he grinned with evil intent before grabbing it.
I thought that these chaps would be pissed as hell. But, you see, all the chaps on the street were grinning cheerfully and talking about how all the rich, crooked honchos would have a problem in trading in all the hundreds of thousands of dollars that they had stashed away in their mattresses.
No, I am not in that luck-unlucky set.
But, the property market will crash. Wow.
So, I have to go to the bank… deposit cash (the measly amount that I have) and draw it again slowwwwwly!
You see, we are not allowed to withdraw more than 300 USD per week from the account.
In one day, we cannot withdraw more than 60 US Dollars from the ATM
How the hell will I have my chai? They don’t have card machines!
My chai stalls will wither and die away… A whole generation of chai wallah will disappear. India will never be the same.
What a 9/11!
There is something about that combination of numbers that makes them fateful….
Loved your interpretation of things… very creative. Personally, I feel it is a great development…sethjis and babus and politicians must be having a hard time😀😜
I hope so!
It’s just not the babus and businessmen having hard time, it’s a problem for average person too. Someone who accumulated savings over the years even though not liable to income tax, doesn’t have bank account. So it’s a trouble for a common man as well
It is. But, the ones I spoke to were gleefully talking about the problems – imagined problems – of the crooked businessmen
Okay
So I guess you’re going to have to learn to make chai. But pretend the atmosphere.
Yeah… I will have to learn to make chai!
Rajiv, the US just had a bloodless coup. We had ours last year when we elected a bright eyed, young lad Trudeau.
He isn’t so bad after all.
Leslie
But, you said it – Trudeau ain’t half bad! I wonder how Trump will be. Much though I dislike Clinton, I am surprised she lost
Trump may not be the buffoon that he appeared to be.
The fact that he won is an indication that more people are suffering than benefitting with the move to the NWO.
Leslie
NWO is??? And on Trump… I heard an analyst say that he spoke to the rust belt, which Clinton did not. And, he used social media well
Question is – who is worse?
New World Order…..Clinton has some serious hearsay out there – more serious hearsay than womanizing of Trump. We would had WWIII by next November with her.
The people have spoken. There are more people hurting than not.
Leslie
New World Order! The NWO that i knew was a wrestling group in TNA Wrestling!
Yes, with her WW III would have been a possibility
The illuminati in other words.
Leslie
What chaos the world is in! Your counties woes are huge. And here am I wallowing in despair over Trump’s election. By 2020 the world will have lost 2/3 of its animals. If there is a god we need a biblical flood or something to get rid of most of humanity. Trump is just one symptom of the huge problem. This is a depressing day.
Trump – and Clinton – are symptoms of a huge problem. I would have preferred to see Bernie Sanders as President
Me too.
I am still ok with the Indian 9/11 but the American one has shaken me off bounds!! I love San Francisco but would hate to move back in the wake of being Trumped!! I am so badly shaken that a great and free country would choose such an *%$£%#<!!
But…. do you think Clinton is good? Or, just the lesser of the two evils?
I am indeed surprised he won
Lesser of the two for sure!
Yeah… That was one tough choice!
Very! Like you said, comparable to Mulayam and Rahul Gandhi!
True!
Did you Google Mulayam?
No! I am Indian. He’s famous infamously so but…
Ah!! I thought you were Californian!
I spent nearly four years there but am from Bombay originally
Ah! I am glad you say Bombay, and not Mumbai!
I spent, cumulatively, 14 odd years in Bombay
My older sis is in Redwood Shores
Oh wow!! That’s a beautiful part of California. Nope, grew up saying Bombay and sticking with that. No change for a politico whim!!
Yeah.. It is
Question, if I may… are you still living in the US, or have you returned to ‘Zara hate, zara bachke, yeh hai Bombay Meir jaan’?
Hahaha!! Living in Zara hatke Zara bachke….😊
Ah! I was living there until a few years back! Haven’t visited Amchi Bombay for over a year now..
Ahhh….have lived most of my life in aamchi Mumbai!! Are you originally also from Delhi???
Am I originally from Delhi? It is my home town, yes….. My family is from here. I was born in Ferozepore, and then kept moving all my life.
I, in fact, returned to Delhi in 2013 after being away for 20 years. To some extent, I have not recovered from the reverse culture shock..
Ohh dear! I understand that completely. It’s how I felt when I moved to Bombay from San Francisco!!
I think i l have lived more years in bombay than delhi.
There are many ‘ firsts’ in my life that are associated with bombay.
First school
First job after engineering
First job after mba
First camera
First placed i lived in (india) after i returned from china and singapore!
But…i dont speak marathi!
Oh wow! That means it holds a special place in your life! Well, very few people actually speak only Marathi. Bbay has its own lingo- Bombaiya!!! And immaterial of language anyone is welcome!!
Yeah… I detest Bombaiya, actually!
Bombay, barring the likes of Raj Thackeray, is actually quite welcoming
Hahaha!! Absolutely. Actually, Bombay is as we know it because of the multi cultural people. It’s a mini India on the whole. You’ll find everyone from other parts in India in Bombay…and each one calls it home!
True dat!
😊
Maybe, I should post an old picture of Bombay one day..
Oh I would love to see that. The city has changed so much in recent years!
9/11 2016 has been eventful to say the least!
I’m concerned how my in laws are coming back in the Motherland though! What a shock!
Ho Ho! Yes, they will be shocked
I think so! They only arrived from.here last week!
From where?
The UK!
Hey, what a coincidence 9/11 Yesterday both at America and India. Amazing !!
But I loved what Modi did. I just hope it helps eradicate the black money, these Stars, builders and politicians hoard ! But you know how people are. They find the loopholes and turn the whole thing into something else.
I heard there are people buying those banned notes from people at discounted prices and plan to deposit it in their banks.
Well, traders and petrol pumps here are accepting the notes…
Where have you been hiding?
I think we live in interesting times. That’s all. And we shall live to tell the tales to our children and grandchildren. That said, I hope this thing is really for the greater good. Btw, what are your thoughts on the new Rs.2000 bill? Pretty in Pink! 😛
The new Rs 2000 bill is indeed pretty in pink… But no one wants it!
But the new 500 bill though!! 😀
I have seen it with someone, but have not got my hands on it yet … As of now, I hoard 100 rupee notes, and ask everyone – including the parking chaps – if they accept debit cards or PayTM!
Same here! I have also stashed some crisp Rs.20 notes 😀