The practice of tipping a waiter in a restaurant began as a form of appreciation. The idea was to let the customer be satisfied first then decide, if the restaurant or waiter deserves to be paid extra. Tipping was also meant to drive the waiters to serve better to earn that extra money. However, over time, this habit of leaving a tip has become a status symbol ~ even though services are not up to the mark customers are bound to tip a waiter.

Many a time, when one forgets or refuses to tip, the waiters give a strange look. However, a colleague found a unique way to keep the waiters happy and ensure their full attention. It may appear strange, but he pays the tip amount in advance before ordering anything. This assures the waiter and then onward, he gives good service to a generous customer.

Uniform blues

There are pros and cons to wearing a uniform to work. Most say it removes the headache of wondering what to wear for the day. But there are others who love to dress up and get tired of wearing either the same dress or a set of uniform to go with different days of the week.  But then there are a number of work-places, apart from the armed forces, police, paramilitary and security personnel, where uniforms are enforced.

Nurses in hospitals, the hospitality sector, some private banks and shop floors are some examples of this. A colleague overheard a conversation on this issue in the Metro between a group of women, apparently employed in a shop. While one said she could not wait to get home and take off her uniform, the other said she had no chance to wear the clothes hanging in her wardrobe. She recounted how her husband had got her a beautiful blazer. “When do I wear it?” she grumbled. “I can’t cook wearing it nor sleep in it!”

Cultural mix

India is a country full of surprises. The large cultural variety it offers can  leave anyone in amazement. Recently a colleague witnessed one such incident where he was stunned with the rich amalgamation of cultural heritage it presents. Our colleague who had gone for a dinner at Capital’s known South Indian restaurant asked the waiter to bring the menu.

While his friends were discussing their food options, the former got involved in a chat with the waiter asking about his well-being. The waiter could speak fluently in Tamil but when our colleague saw his name on his badge, he was left in wonderment. Asking  the waiter where he was from, the waiter replied that he belonged to Nepal, currently working in Delhi for his livelihood.

Our colleague then asked him how he became so fluent in Tamil to which he replied that his colleagues were regularly seen speaking the language and he learnt it from them. Our colleague, surprised and impressed with his skills perhaps tipped him a little more than usual believing that the cultural mix of this country is inseperable!

Tailpiece

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s jibe in Parliament, a veteran journalist quipped that if such comparisons were to be drawn the entire cast of epic characters can be seen in both Houses.

Contributed by: R V Smith, Rakesh Kumar, Kunal Roy and Asha Ramachandran