Caution with Conversion

I have heard a lot about Indians (or South Asians) going overseas for a trip, and being really stingy with their money. At some point of time in the past, I'm sure it would have hurt. For some particular things like haircuts, I'm sure it still hurts. In places like the UK, where the Sterling exchange rate is really unfavourable to the Indian Rupee, it should hurt. But what about travelling to South-East Asia?

Right now, I'm in Malaysia on a 7-week long training. I would get a daily stipend that would be very comfortable considering my hotel stay (with the complimentary breakfast) and most lunches are already covered.

If I were a tourist, I admit I would have been tempted to convert everything to INR before taking a purchase decision. I also admit that I did that a bit the first few days I was here.

But now that I get paid my stipend in Malaysian Ringitts and spend my money here (wisely enough, I hope) in Malaysian Ringitts, should I still be in MYR-INR conversion mode?Ok... so some people will want to save the Ringitts and convert it to Rupees when we go back home. But surely statements like " (this) is very expensive here", or "...in India, this would have just cost 100 rupees, here it's 160!", are not very becoming of people especially with Educational qualifications that most Indians can only dream of!

So, would I want to spend my stay here thinking about how much everything costs in Rupees ,and survive on Fish & Chips like some people I know did when they went to London, or do I just want to enjoy?

Time for my clean-up act

Long time since I wrote something. Time is not as issue; lack of time for writing is just an excuse. Actually, lack of time is always an excuse. Something like cleaning up one's apartment needs time, and at the end of the day, I do not have to seem enough of it.

Why is this so?

Maybe it's the little more than 2 hours of travel everyday, or maybe it's just the lack of importance given to such mindless menial tasks. When I can actually do the clean-up act on a Sunday, I'll wake up at 1pm, go out for lunch, maybe watch a movie, meet some good friends, buy things that will make the house look good, and then come back after dinner only to dump all the newly bought stuff in the cupboard!

The fact there is a nest right outside my kitchen window does not help. It stinks! When I shifted in, the egg had just hatched... now till the time the pigeon grows up and learns how to fly, we can't clean that part at least. I just hope these horny pigeons don't lay another egg before this one learns how to fly!

Going to Malaysia for some training. Will be in Mumbai 8 weeks later, and right before Diwali. So, I guess I won't have to do anything for now, but I really want to spruce this place up when I return.

Lots of things to write about, lots of things to say

But the way this blog has gone about

The next post might be in May!