YAY I am leaving - top 10 pointlessness at the work place:

Dear all,

After a long time I writing a blog again, I thought it was about time. Actually I have to celebrate something hence this blog. And what may it be that I am celebrating, well dear readers I LEFT SRI LANKA there I said it.

Ok I have worked in many countries but never ever did I work in a environment that was so pointless. Now now I hear you thinking how can I say this well I just did and it is mine point of view that this is a pointless place. Well here are mine top 10 pointlessness at the work place: 

1. People always have to prove a point.
2. Say things like "Do you know who I am" or "I do know your boss"
3. A guest calls one of the company directors who is abroad at that time, to say there is only one person to help him in the bar while my staff where outside to assist other guests.
4. Never take any accountability, just look at some one else and say it was you right.
5. People love writing emails with pictures and send it to god know every body just to create a issue while there is non. HELLO people just open your freaking mouth and speak with each other to solve the problem, no need for emails. 
6. Just shooting at lower ranking staff to make them self more important 
7. O yes a good one: let's staff bring up the laptop bag from the car to the office and vs. as you are to important to do it your self and than complaining when you have to wait for your laptop to arrive. 
8. Pretending that you know some one by dropping names while you only saw them in a elevator for lest than 1 minute.
9. Thinking that your country is the middle of the universe.
10. Adult men who are complaining to your boss if they do not get what they want, this is the norm here as you can get some free bees aka discount.

But than again I have met some amazing people here as well and people with a passion and kind hearts and just love their job. Also I have made some very good friends that I will treasure for the rest of mine life and whom made my time here in Sri Lanka memorable in a good way.

Food and more Food

WOW a post that I never published I wrote this post in 2011 and actually made me hungry and got really nice memories when I read it again so worth to post it definitely.... and yes if the place is bad now it was not in 2011

Regards

Memo


I had a great discussion recently about one of my favorite topic and that is food, food is one of the topics that everybody has a opinion about and most of the time lots of great stories related to food...

So the topic was where can you have great food here in Male and now that is very subjective what I think is great food could be not true for others but after some discussions with various friends I came to a small but tested list of restaurants and hotas that I would recommend in a heartbeat.

O yes a small note before I mention any names I am not paid in any from (monetary or in kind) from those outlets.

So here it is Memo's recommend:

For locale good comfort food

1. Memorial Hota near IGMH - Food is good service is very good and they have a very good fish curry, Garudiya and Roshi and Rihakuru and disk. O yes when you are there for breakfast take the freshly baked sweets yum. The best thing is the service is fast and polite not like at other places here the waiters are actually good and all for a very good price.
2. Kavab Hota on the back of customs - and yes they are famous for the Kavab they are so so good and aswell as there food but u come here for the Kavab.
3. The fish market Hota on the first floor come here after midnight and avoid the ac area the non ac area is more fun good for midnight snacking

Then for some Restaurants and cafes

1. Sala Thai - They only place to eat Thai food yes it is pricy but the food and service is good and constantly good. No surprises just great Thai food and great service worth it.
2. Blue Bay - a new favorite nice location beside the artificial beach

some things I do not get and never will

"Dear readers before I go any further I want to make one point clear this is not a pro or anti political post it is about that people do not look further then the next bloody coconut tree"

Just some things that I do not get my head around:

• Why on earth are u telling resorts to close down their spa's and mention u are thinking to ban alcohol and pork items, just during the busiest period of the tourist season, simply because you want to prove a point to others. Well u don't have to be a very clever person to know that this will be in the International media in no time and than one week later to retract this and say o spa's in resorts are allowed again???? I doubt if those intelligent people are truly realizing what negative effect this stunt are . Well I can say this do not play your largest single source off income because if this income stop we will be all in big shit, it as simple as this.

• Demonstrations, why o why are people demonstrating after business hours or during the weekend, now this does not make sense at all. Is the purpose off a demonstration not to disrupt a certain business or ministry, etc. Example in France when the civil servants go on strike they do this during the week so people can not go to work, shops have to be closed actually business comes to a stand still. the effect is that sooner or later people have to listen simply because off the hugh loss for the economy. Ok I am not a big supporter for demonstration because they are enjoying and disrupting ordinaries peoples life. But if u demonstrate please do it at a time that it has effect and not in the middle off the night and distributing peoples lives.

• GST - It is official GST is introduced in the Maldives, which is good as the tax revenue can be used for the betterment off the people right, like healthcare, schools, etc. But this is what I don not understand why introducing GST of 3.5% in October, the 4th quarter of the financial year and than in January raise the same GST with 2,5% making it in total 6%. From a accounting standpoint it does not make sense to introduce a tax so late in a financial year, it would be much better to start with introducing a the tax in the beginning off the new financial year and why not introducing straight away 6%GST much simpler and less confusing for businesses and people. There are many related problems with the GST like some shops are charging 9,5% and they thought they have to add 6% to 3,5%, some retailers get charged GST when they buy goods at the wholesaler so the customer get charged at the end 12%. In my opinion this is not because people want to rib off other people intentionally, but it is a lack off communication and information before introducing GST. For example when Europe introduced the Euro there was a extensive campaign to inform people at the end u got so fed-up with it but it worked.

• Healthcare - since January there is free healthcare HOORAY honesty that is great. A friend off mine had a serious through infection and he did not go to see the doc for 4 days and it got worse by the day. I got angry and told him to go, he said but when I go I have to wait for hours and he mend it he waited more than 2 hours to see a doctor. I was amazed I know waiting is the norm here but so long. Than he mention u know we have that new free healthcare and some people just go to the hospital sometimes for noting, while when there are really ill people they have to wait for a unbearable time. So I was thinking about this and spoken with some friends who are doctors. Healthcare is a very good thing and it should be free to a certain extend. To a certain extend I mean not everything should be free as otherwise some people will make miss use off it. In addition, people should be well informed about what free healthcare is and what and how it works through TV adds, news paper, etc not just introducing it with little information given.

So these are just something I do not get, in my opinion it is all about using commonsense, communication and understanding what the effect is off your actions and yes please look further than the next coconut tree.

And dear readers that is how I c it

A quote to live by

"Live life fully while you're here.

Experience everything.

Take care of yourself, Family and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird.

Go out and screw up! You're going to do it anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process.

Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it.

Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”

What makes a place a home

Yes finally time to write this blog, about a topic I wanted to write a longtime "Where I live" and over the years it became home...

I must say I like where I live now, I really do I know it is not very conventional to say I like living in Male but I guess I do.

Yub it is; overcrowded, to many cars and bikes, a lack of good restaurants, good shops, entertainment option, when it rains the streets are turned in to rivers, people who make staring to a olympic sport the occasional demonstrations and the some other interesting eyebrow raising events that are happing in this place.

But still I like this place, but why asked a friend of mine, well good question so I was tolling with this in my head "what makes a city or country feel like home" so what is it?

Well a part of the answer was given by a very good friend of mine last December, when he asked me why I was gloomy, well as it was before christmas I kind of missed to spend time with my family and friends back in home. He just answered don't feel like that you have now good friends here who care about you and like to spend time with you and are there for you at any time... This was really nice to hear.

This made me think a bit further and I came to the conclusion it does not matter where u live, how the city looks like, how many museums there are, how cool the entertainment is, or how many good restaurants and shops there are, etc. But it has everything to do with people very simple with people. They are the friends that make any place livable, with them you are creating memories giving faces to normally anonymous streets and buildings, they make you feel that you belong "people give a place a face a character" either positive or negative that is.

What I try to say is I feel at home here because I have wonderful friends, they inspire, teach me, guide me, keep me sane and make this place unique and home. Think about this if you come back from holiday you will not say wow I have missed the STO building so much right, bud you will have missed your best friends right.

See that is the point people make the place not building, cars, restaurants, shops, etc they help to shape the place but it is people who are the key to make a place home.

This it why do I like to live here because I got to know amazing people here and many of them turned out to become very dear friend.

So to all of my friend here thank you for being in my life and making this my home...

A solution to smelly and unfriendly waiters

Please read this blog of a friend of mine who has a perfect solution for the bad service which we all encounter here in Male, enjoy:

http://madlyinlovewithfood.blogspot.com/2011/01/poor-food-service-in-male-is-solved.html

The flip side of service

This blog is long over due but he better late than never... So here it is.

Ok the living here you get adjusted regarding bad service in restaurants and cafe's it is sadly to say, bad service becomes your norm (I guess accepting this is a way of not getting your blood level to high) but there are levels of bad service and when it is bad it is really bad.

So I have created a special service indicator:

Excellent service = Non existent

Good Service = Rare

Mediocre Service = The new good

Bad Service = Acceptable

Sub Zero Service = The norm

As the first two levels of service does hardly exist here we are focusing on the last 3.

Mediocre Service:

The waiter speaks and understand either English or Dhivehi or both, does not smell and somehow manages to bring the correct order.

Bad Service:

The waiter does not speak and or understand English or Dhivehi, does not smell, trow the order on the table, give the bill while you are still eating or drinking, if you ask something, it is like you have asked the move to world, o yes brings you the order but one after one.

Sub Zero Service:

The waiter does not speak at all if it does it it sound like grumbling, did not wash, if you ask for something o sorry rephrase better do not ask for something, the order, do not ask it will come when ever he feel like to bring it, give the bill before you even start eating or drinking, does not care, etc, etc

So why are we putting up with this? Good question, because we do, even if you complain they look like you if your are the biggest idiot alive... So you are avoiding the places with Sub Zero Service that means 2/3 of the restaurants/bars here in Male'. So u go the place with bad or Mediocre service...

That remind me of a funny story of typical Sub Zero Service. Me and a friend when to a well know place for a mid night snack ordered a stake sandwich, well after going through all the agonizing of making the order and dealing with a half brain, finally we got the order, well than it became interesting

Me: Can have some mayonnaise?

Waiter: Sorry I can not give u mayonnaise

Me: Asked why?

Waiter: Blank face (it mumbled a bid)

Me: Can I see the Manager (can I remind u they had mayonnaise as it was on the sandwich)

Me: Repeated my self "can I have mayonnaise"

Manager: Sorry we can not serve mayonnaise

Me: Why not

Manager: The Management says so (he was one of the manager)

Me: Got frustrated and said bring me mayonnaise as u have it in the kitchen

Manager: No answer he just walked a way

Me: I was amazed and blazing to say the least

We did not see the manager anymore during the time we where there, WTF is wrong with this picture, needless to say I avoid that place like anything....

Now this is not a one off sadly to say I can go on and on with this topic as BAD SERVICE

here in Male is the norm...

So here is my plight to the owners of restaurants, bars, hotas, etc. Please before you put a waiter in frond of your customers, please teach them this:

1. Please teach them about basic hygiene e.g.. what is water and soap
2. That they bring the bill when the customer ask for it and NOT before or during the meal or coffee
3. That NO is not a option please check if it is possible
4. If you do not understand something get some one who can understand the customer
5. please smile, it is free you know
6. Do not argue with the customer
7. Talk in a language that is understandable if not possible u should not let them serve customer.

Writing these points I have the feeling it is a bit pointless and many of the owners really do not care either so why would their staff care right, but still it is good to keep enlightening you guys.

Enjoy eating and drinking on one of the many restaurants and cafes here in Male, hopefully the service is Mediocre Service at it best :)

The track and the snails

Dear All,

It has been a while since I last updated my blog anyway I have been busy new job, moving to my own apartment o boy that was so good to have my own space a gain and also I was busy training for the Dhiraagu run held every year here in Male it a one round around Male, the distance is 5.2km not much but he considering it was my first race I ever done and only start running last year November I wanted to make at least a good time.

So 2 month before the run 5 did massive amounts of training in he gym and on the track strengthening my legs improve my endurance and technique and lots of track training with a good friend of mine.

Actually the running track in Male is quite a cool place to be well it is except of one thing people who think it is perfectly okay to walk on a running track WTF yes waking on the inside lane. Well I am not a expert of running etiquette on the track but normally the inside lanes are for people who are actually running and not walking and talking and having a stroll. It DRIVE ME NUTS and most of them are woman why and one you still can still go around but for heavens sake they are walking 3 or 4 wide.

Do they move or speed up or simply go to the outside lanes NO why would they, honestly why would they because as they live in ignorant bliss as they apparently own the track.

So all the runners are either going on the grass to pass them or just on the outside lanes, but when you have speed that is not possible.

Now dear readers this evening I had enough 3 of those snails where leisurely strolling asked them move during running did they NO so on my last sprint they did not move so I bummed in to one of them per accident I must say I simply did go to fast to stop. Anyway as my mother always said to us kids if you do not want to listen than we have to opt for other options.

While during the cool down one of those snails told why did I pushed her friend so I told here why are they walking on the inside lane why that is used for people who are actually exercising and they left... fellow track users where quite amused by the scene and got some looks of approval. A friend of mine told me hopefully they learned a lesson, well I do not think so because those snails are living in ignorant bliss.

This is how I see it I applaud everybody who exercise I really do as it is healthy and it has the possibility to change you live. but please please if you want to walk use the bloody outside lane because 2rd of the users are very much inconvenience by snails on the inside lanes.

O yes how did I do during the run well ended up 15th place so not bad.

And this is how I C it ban the snails from the 2 inside lanes of the running track.

One thing I simply do not understand... Jealousy

This is it I do not get it, well than again it could be me… But what is it with adults and jealousy, especially where I am living now. Here they are making it in a art form and it drives me NUTS….

Ok granted some times we are all jealous in one form or a other. In my case it would be in a form of admiration or something I want have or achieve, so if I wanted it I will work for it.

I asked some of my closest friends and nobody could give me a satisfying answer why people are so jealous here , to be honest I stopped looking for a proper explanation.

Hence I am mention 3 things that bug me the most about jealousy:

First - What is the problem with all of you Jealous people just be happy for some one, it does not hurt honestly it does not, in matter of fact it would make you a better and even a bigger person.

Secondly - Jealousy might be a ok or even slightly adorable when you are a kid (well younger than 10), but honestly when adults are jealous it is not at all cool, adorable or interesting IT IS JUST VERY VERY SAD period.

Thirdly - If you want to have something that someone else has, fore god sake WORK for it, it is so simple as that it really is.

And dear people that is how I see it….

Have a great day J

Elite

I had breakfast with a dear friend of mine, the other week we did not see each other for quite a long time so lost to talk about, but one part of the conversation stood out and made me think “ he mentioned he wants to be part of the Elite Club here” asked him what he mend with this statement? He refers to Elite as “those who have the money, so free to do what every they want to do”.

So I told with him why you are already in a Elite position, maybe not regarding the money part but, you are a writer and belong to the press, so you have a unique position here in this society, so in the eyes of some people you are a Elite person.

As the Oxford dictionary describes it “a group of people regarded as the best in a particular society or organization” and Wikipedia describes it as “In sociology as in general usage, the elite is a relatively small dominant group within a large society, having a privileged status perceived as being envied by others of a lower line of order”

Thinking about this a bit further regarding the word Elite and it use. I came to discovery that the word Elite is used and many times misused by people as a way to differentiate and even alienate people in a society actually placing people in a particular box so there (little) minds can deal with things.

Let’s put it like this, when I am flying for business or pleasure I fly business class does that make me a Elite, having a good command English and love to read English Literature does that make u a Elite, going to a particular club/gym as there are people you want to mingle with and be around with does this make you a Elite or sending your kids to a school abroad for their education does that make you a Elite or be on twitter does this make you a Elite…… and the list is endless

Honestly is it that easy to give people the Elite Stamp, actually it is that easy. Like what I mention above it is a easy way to differentiate and put people in a particular box and furthermore Elitism is in the eye of the beholder. It is like this I can not have it and/or afford or you can not do it, it is easy to point finger to some one and say you are a Elite. While for that apparently Elite person it is the normal thing to do it is who they are.

It makes people feel better I guess to point fingers and say do not worry they are the Elite (meaning different than us) they can do whatever they want while we people can not…. STOP RIGHT HERE - REALLY just think about it if you live in a nice house /apartment with running water, ac/fan and electricity you are also a Elite, as many people still live in huts with no running water, ac/fan and electricity…

So everybody could be a Elitist it is how you look at it...

Keep well...

Spring Clean...

A close friend of mine mentioned to me the other day the big changes he is undertaking in his life, quitting his job, taking a long break, tacking stock of his life. Than I spoke with my sister the other day, she is moving house and is undiscriminating throwing way things as she said, “they are not part of her life anymore and it is time for new things”. My mother brought a new car as she had enough of her old one. Actually more of my friends and family mentioning to me that they are changing something in their life’s either big or small.

This made me think why now new year is over looking at the calendar and than it struck me “Spring” it is coming and it has all to do with “Spring Cleaning”. Where I am from this is the period set aside for cleaning a house, normally applied when the winter end and the first warm days of the years begins. Needles to say that does not apply when you live in this part of the world.

But funny enough the feeling is still there when moving in to March and April is just around the corner, the feeling is there to Spring Clean not to clean a house but to Spring Clean my personal affairs in order to take stock of where I am in life to throw away extra and useless weight that u carry, o boy lots of useless weight is there… mind boggling if you think about it.

That is the point of Spring Clean: a new start, a clean slate, etc. The point is that everybody needs a fresh start a new beginning. In my books it is as refreshing as class of cold water with lots of lime and ice….

So spring clean your life, you will not regret it…

Banking Maldivian style

Having lived in quite a view countries and dealt with different banking systems so u can call me kind of bank savvy at least that was what I thought till I had to deal with the main bank here in the Maldives… Now that was a paradigm shift. Honestly I think the Maldives has a unique banking system. I can give it a seal of Uniquely different annoying but definitely different.

So here it is what makes banking here unique:

1. U can only redraw money over the counter at any of the bank branches before 1.30 pm after that forget it. Not that the bank is closed in contrary the bank opens again at 4 pm but they are only accepting money???

2. Between anywhere around 1am you can not use your bank card as they are closing the system for a while, for the night audit I guess.

3. At times all the ATM’s here in Male’ (all 8 of them) are all out of order not that they are broken just they run out of money that sucks if this happens after 1.30 pm see point 1.

4. Did u ever go to a bank and had to take a token, well normal practise in many countries, well the same here but I bed you do not have 50 numbers or more in front of you…

Now there is more:

5. As having a visa debit card, you can use it abroad as often if you want as long if you have money on your account, logic no! Well not really, this bank has restricted the amount of money you can take from your card per day ……. and the limit is US$200.00 a day WTF honestly WTF, can I just run some numbers here:

i. A hotel night aprox US$100 (in Colombo)

ii. A lunch avrg US$30 incl drinks

iii. A Light shopping spree US$50

iv. Taxi and misc US$20

v. Dinner sorry can not because my bank is acting like a bloody Nanny.

6. Talking about US dollars there is a shortage of Dollars here in the Maldives, this is interesting. Do you know if you have a US Dollar account here at the bank and let’s say you have a balance US$10,000.00 and you want to go on Holiday and you need to take some of cash with you (see point 5 for the reason). So u want to take US$5000.00 well easy just go to the bank and get your money as this is your money no…. LOL remember the bank acts here like your Nanny, when there is a bad shortage of Dollars (this is always the case) they give you only half, or nothing or only after a couple of days. If you are very lucky you get your Dollars, but than in small notes. Honestly a friend of mine got US$100.00 in notes of 1, 5 and 10 dollars notes.

Okay, so after the moaning are there some good points yes there are, hummmm let me see:

Check books are made while you are waiting. You get a Check book within 5 minutes now that is a good thing, back home it takes at least a week and the staff are quite friendly at least I never had any bad experience.

Once you know how the locale bank system works it is quite plain sailing, well in theory it is but you always have to be ready for surprises and trust me there are plenty of them here

Have a great day and enjoy banking and yes to my friend and family, honestly banks you have there are quite okay :P

Vday

Ok people who know me well know that I love to talk, I can not keep silent I simply have to express my thoughts can not do this alone in my head, I guess it is my way to make sense of it all… So now my thoughts will be on Memo’s world….

O yes thoughts now I have many of them. As it is to day Valentines day I should mention that in my opinion this is the most useless and pointless day I know and yes invented by a company called Hallmark and some other entrepreneurs to earn some extra bugs, well let me rephrase this a lot of extra bugs and good for them I would say a lot of companies can use some extra revenue with selling overpriced roses, stupid white bears with I love you on them, heart shaped things and yes those cards -sigh. But some companies are taking the biscuit a hotel in the Gulf, The Emirates Palace, which bills itself as a seven-star hotel, has the priciest Valentine offer - a seven-day stay for a cool million bucks ok this includes a private yacht and plane but still give me a break seriously… I do not see the point but than again it could be me.

So what is than the essence of Valentines day, think, think and more thinking well sorry to say there is NONE (except the get money out of our pockets) Okay some of you might say “it is to express your love to your loved one or the lucky person to be your future loved one”. Okay wait you honestly think that one day in the year does the trick well in my opinion not really.

If you love someone then you should love the way you would make every day a special day for them…not just for one day and not to show off you love them so much only on valentines day…

Well these are my thoughts on Valentines day… probably many people disagree with me on this and that is perfectly okay. But please please stop pestering me with happy Valentines notes on Facebook, Twitter, sms, etc as I am not really interested and do not get the point thank you……