packing for the trip

packing for a trip to anywhere- be it a long weekend at Gokarna, a longer trip to my hometown, or even for an international trip- is such a pain in the ass, especially if you are a obsesive compulsive packer like me.

 

i normally end up overpacking big-time every time, with quite a few backups, the usual just-in-case-it-rains-and-(all)-my-jeans-get-wet-at-the-same-time phobia, and some esoteric items that i might need when the sky falls on our heads.

i think i have inherited this trait from my mom, though without the normalizing ability to pack an elephant very neatly into an overnight bag.

to complicate matters i know that i am an obsessive packer, and so after lining up everything i go over a few iterations to find the balance between removing stuff so as to not appear too weird and adding stuff to satiate my compulsion... 

and then usually there is the nagging feeling that have left something out/behind... 

Smoking in public banned in India

The ban on smoking in public is to be implemented all over India starting tomorrow. Personally i welcome this move, as i hope it will help me quit, <fingers-crossed>.

However, on the numerous occasion this topic has come up for discussion: usually at the smoking corners where smokers have lately been starting off the conversation with a request for a light followed by a countdown statement 'XX days to go', there normally is one prevalent train of thought expressed by most people. 

"How will they catch me smoking on the premises of my company company <MNC/XYZ>?"

When we will have the mental shift to accept a law as it is instead of immediately trying to calculate the possibilities of breaking the law without getting caught and also factoring in the ability to get off the hook cheap (at most 50% of legally mandated fine) by bribing the said officer of law when actually caught? To them i always reply

"If I were not a smoker I would call the authorities and complain about you!"

To end, one of the very rare intelligent words from our Union health minister Ramadoss 

"This is a social movement. First there should be an increased awareness of the new law... This will improve voluntary compliance."