I ran out of disk space, so I purchased a 500G external harddisk. This disk was big enough for a file server, so I purchased a second hand PC from my room mate (Laptop cant be kept permanently on). I needed a monitor for my PC(and of course I hate CRTs).. so I purchased a 22'' HD LCD monitor.. but all my room had was a futon so I got a table to keep the LCD on. This is where my story begins:
My roomate took me to a thrift store to get me a cheap second hand table(of course I was gonna pay.. he had the truck to lug the table).. the cheapest one was for $100. Across the street was an Office Max. I got a decent table for around $50, which along with a stupid 3 year warranty(on a stupid friggin table) and service tax cost me around $75.. thats not it. Apparently you have to assemble the table yourself in USA!! I got a bunch of weird looking plywoods, different types of screws and a manual to put it all together. The salesman (with shining teeth and a thumbs up) retorted that it should be a child play for a computer whiz like me(yes.. if you are an Indian with specs in Silicon Valley.. people assume that you have something to do with computers).
5 hours, one broken screw driver, a swollen arm and a million curse words later, the table was finally assembled.
Fours years ago when I needed a table in Bangalore, I just went to the market and picked up a Rs 75 table(completely assembled) and paid the auto rickhaw Rs 30 to deliver it to my place. Is it just me or have people really misunderstood the meaning of a developed and developing nation.
My roomate took me to a thrift store to get me a cheap second hand table(of course I was gonna pay.. he had the truck to lug the table).. the cheapest one was for $100. Across the street was an Office Max. I got a decent table for around $50, which along with a stupid 3 year warranty(on a stupid friggin table) and service tax cost me around $75.. thats not it. Apparently you have to assemble the table yourself in USA!! I got a bunch of weird looking plywoods, different types of screws and a manual to put it all together. The salesman (with shining teeth and a thumbs up) retorted that it should be a child play for a computer whiz like me(yes.. if you are an Indian with specs in Silicon Valley.. people assume that you have something to do with computers).
5 hours, one broken screw driver, a swollen arm and a million curse words later, the table was finally assembled.
Fours years ago when I needed a table in Bangalore, I just went to the market and picked up a Rs 75 table(completely assembled) and paid the auto rickhaw Rs 30 to deliver it to my place. Is it just me or have people really misunderstood the meaning of a developed and developing nation.
I went thru this right after I stepped into this great developed nation...even I had a (great) time assembling it and same thoughts came to my mind.
ReplyDeleteBut I guess the difference you r looking for again lies there. We have made a sudden plunge, so it might be different/difficult for us...but probably being "developed" also means self-dependent!
And there's this another big difference...population! When one day we join the league of "developed" nation, we'll have people to do all such jobs, at any hour of the day...I would say that would be the real way of utilizing our resources :P