Time and tide......!

Time management is what I’ve been thinking for a long time now and is one thing that I think I’m really bad at. How much ever I try I end up hurrying at the 11th hour and making a fool out of myself many times (Not(e) that I’m not one otherwise…) anyhow!

What is prompting me to write this now (When I’m actually packed with a lot of tasks, being in office after a long weekend and my application is one that requires a lot of extra stuff on the start of the week- too many weekly reports and jobs to be run), is that I missed my bus for the nth time today in the last three months. However to keep my resolution to not miss my bus I hired an auto, chased the bus and got it 1.5 KMs off my bus stop ( also didn’t want to go back home and make my husband feel sorry for having married me - PJ intended ) Hope it clarifies how I make a fool of my self!.

This time around, I’m going to make a serious analysis of how I managed time to be late .

Yesterday was a holiday and I got ample time to set everything for a good start to a week. I was done with the cooking for dinner before 10 pm. And there was time till 10:30 before we had it. I could have chopped 1-2 onions for the kadla curry I made in the morning with Puttu…Not that I forgot , but brushed aside the idea thinking that I could chop it fresh and my curry would be tastier with the freshly chopped onions..(At least not a bad thought …)…My inclination to perfection to be blamed.

The alarm was prompt when it ran at 5 .But my hand pressed and snooze button without my consent. Maybe J was right when he asked me to set the alarm for 6. But then, I had so many things to do in the morning including the 30 minutes practice session for the ‘Spirit of Wipro run’ that I had planned. But when the alarm rang at 5 I felt that even if I get up by 5:30 I can squeeze in time for all that I planned. Over expectation and unrealistic plans to be blamed. (The practice session for SoW run started a month back and since then till date I’m only planning to practice – My Time Management to be blamed)

Alas! Sleep was sound henceforth and I did not know till 6:30 when I hurriedly got up and rushed to the kitchen. Baked Puttu and cooked kadla curry (half) before I woke J for making tea and mixing the cooked kadla and fried onions and masala.

Had a quick bath, dressed up, packed breakfast (though managed to have tea together) and rushed to the bus stop to find my white bus slowly fading away from sight…!!
Time and bus waits for no woman!

Outside the US Consulate Chennai

Being asked to report at the Consulate half an hour ahead of the appointment time , I reached there at sharp one o’clock. There was a big Queue outside the consulate and had to stand in the scorching Madras heat for about half an hour before I could find myself in front of the huge gate. I was asked by the guard in front of the gate if I carried any electronic devices . I remembered the Mobile phone which had slipped into my handbag. He asked me to deposit it somewhere outside before I was allowed in. I enquired if there was any place where I could deposit it. He pointed to a policeman standing outside. I rushed to him worried if I will have to stand at the end of the queue. Though slightly hesitant he agreed to keep the phone and said that he would be there in front of the consulate till 8 at night .I thanked him wholeheartedly and rushed to the Gate.
After the procedures and formalities in the consulate it was almost 4’o clock by the time I could find my way out. On reaching outside the gate I searched for the policeman to whom I had given my phone. I located him standing some hundred meters away. I went near him to ask for the mobile phone. He took it out from a cover and said that I had to pay him hundred rupees for having kept it safe. Though the sense of justice inside me revolted against paying him , having received a favor I had to pay him .
Back in the office, I came to know from my friends that this has been happening with many and is not an isolated incident .

[ From my archives: The incident happened in Nov,2007 ]