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Old 25-11-2011, 08:50
chaz rich
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This is a great one please read it thru !!!

Written by internationally acclaimed film director Shekhar Kapoor.

A Blackberry addict discovers grassroots enterprise in India.
A greater ‘hole in the wall’ you cannot imagine. A small fading sign on the top saying “Cellphoon reapars” was barely visible through the street vendors crowding the Juhu Market in Mumbai. My Blackberry is not working. On my way to buy a new Blackberry, my innate sense of adventure (foolishness) makes me stop my car and investigate. A shop not more than 6 feet by 6 feet. Grimy and uncleaned.

"Can you fix a Blackberry?”
"How old are you?”
"Sixteen."
Bullshit. He is no more than 10. I am not handing my precious blackberry to a 10 year old in unwashed and torn T shirt and pyjamas! At least if I buy a new one, they would extract the data for me from the old one. Something I have been meaning to do for a year now.
The boy asks, "What is wrong with it?”
"Well, the roller track ball does not respond. It is kind of stuck and I cannot operate it.”

He grabs it from my hand and looks at it. "You should wash your hands. Many customers have same problem. Roller ball get greasy and dirty, then stuck, no working."

Look who is telling me to wash my hands. He probably has not bathed for 10 days. I put my hand out to snatch my useless blackberry back. But he steps back.

"I fix it. You come back in one hour."

I am not leaving all my precious data in this unwashed kid’s hands for an hour. No way.

"Who will fix it?"
"Big brother."
"How big is big brother?"
"Big …. Umm ...thirty."

Then suddenly big brother walks in. 30? He is no more than 19.

"What problem?" He says grabbing the phone from kid brother into his greasier hand. Obviously not trained in etiquette by an up market retail store manager.

He goes on, "Ah, normal blackberry problem. I replace with original part now. You must wash your hand before you use this". What is this about me washing my hands suddenly?

19 year old big brother rummages through a dubious drawer full of junk and fishes out a spare roller ball packed in cheap cellophane wrapper. Original part? I doubt it.

But by now I am in the lap of the real India and there is no escape as he fishes out a couple of screwdrivers and sets about opening my Blackberry.

"How long will this take?"
"Six minutes."

This I have to see. After spending the whole morning trying to find a Blackberry service centre and getting vague answers about sending the phone to the workshop for an assessment that might take a week, I settle down next to his grubby cramped work space. At least I am going to be able to watch all my stored data vanish into virtual space. People crowd around to see what is happening. I am not breathing easy. I tell myself this is an adventure and literally have to stop myself grabbing my precious Blackberry back and making a quick escape.

But in exactly six minutes this kid hands my Blackberry back. He has changed the part and cleaned and serviced the whole phone. Taken it apart, and put it together. As I turn the phone on there was a horrific 2 minutes where the phone would not come on. I look at him with such hostility that he steps back.

He asks, "you have more than thousand phone numbers?"
"yes."
Backed up?"
"No."
"Must back up. I do it for you. Never open phone before backing up."
"You tell me that now?"

But then the phone comes on and my data was still there. Everyone watching laughs and claps. This is becoming a show. A six minute show.

I ask him how much.

"500 rupees," he ventures uncertainly. People around watch in glee expecting a negotiation. That is $10 dollars as against the Rs 30,000 ($ 600) that I was about to spend on a new Blackberry. I look suitably shocked at his ‘high price ‘ but calmly pay him. Much to the disappointment of the expectant crowd.

He asks, "Do you have an I-Phone? Even the new ‘4′ one?"
"No, why?"
"I break the code for you and load any ‘app’ or film you want. I give you 10 film on your memory stick on this one, and change every week for small fee."

I go home having discovered the true entrepreneurship that lies at what we call the ‘bottom of the pyramid’. Some may call it piracy, which of course it is. But what can you say about two uneducated and untrained brothers aged 10 and 19, who set up a ‘hole in the wall’ shop and can fix any technology that the greatest technologists in the world can throw at them?
I smile at the future of our country. If only we could learn to harness this potential.

‘Please wash your hands before use,’ are his last words to me. Now I am feeling seriously unclean.

Ah, Yes, please wash your hands before using ur BB.
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Old 25-11-2011, 09:21
fletchem
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Wonderful
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Old 25-11-2011, 18:37
Thine Wonk
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Too much to read on a forum.
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Old 25-11-2011, 21:58
finbaar
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Too much to read on a forum.
is this OK, u r thk
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Old 25-11-2011, 22:07
Thine Wonk
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is this OK, u r thk
People don't come to read massive long stuff like that, the lack of any decent replies shows that, it's a discussion forum, not a book club.
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Old 25-11-2011, 22:20
gomezz
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Yes, there should be a word count limit.
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Old 25-11-2011, 23:29
neo_wales
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"I go home having discovered the true entrepreneurship that lies at what we call the ‘bottom of the pyramid’. Some may call it piracy, which of course it is. But what can you say about two uneducated and untrained brothers aged 10 and 19, who set up a ‘hole in the wall’ shop and can fix any technology that the greatest technologists in the world can throw at them?
I smile at the future of our country. If only we could learn to harness this potential.

‘Please wash your hands before use,’ are his last words to me. Now I am feeling seriously unclean.

Ah, Yes, please wash your hands before using your BB."



Great stuff.

I enjoyed the post very much and it shows ingenuity and some skills amongst people with perhaps no paper qualifications.

Reading it reminds me of a wonderful holiday we had about ten years ago. My wife and I had managed to get four weeks off work (unusual in Nursing) and decided to take our two children off on a tour of Europe.

Our plan was to drive down through France and Switzerland, spend some time in the sun and wonderful scenery of mainland Greece.

It was a wonderful journey, the weather was kind to us all the way down and we enjoyed some great stop off's and fantastic food on the way.

About three weeks into the journey and almost on the point of returning home I had a major problem with the exhaust on my car. I found a local garage tucked away in a small village and asked if the chap there could could send off for a new exhaust. He replied that he could but it would take several days to get to him. I really didn't have time for this but he said "No problem, I make one for you; go eat some food and drink coffee and come back" This we did (and the lunch was fab) and the chap had indeed made a new exhaust for the car and the charge was ridiculously low compared to British prices. I tipped him well and we set off.

That exhaust was still on the car when I sold it about two years later.

Basic skills like these are almost gone in the UK these days, nobody seems to be able to make things from scratch anymore; very sad.
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Old 25-11-2011, 23:50
call100
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People don't come to read massive long stuff like that, the lack of any decent replies shows that, it's a discussion forum, not a book club.
Speak for yourself. It's not obligatory for you to actually read it to realise it's to long for you.
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Old 25-11-2011, 23:52
blackmagic
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People don't come to read massive long stuff like that, the lack of any decent replies shows that, it's a discussion forum, not a book club.
Well, I actually enjoyed that read.
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Old 26-11-2011, 00:04
FlyinBrick
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People don't come to read massive long stuff like that, the lack of any decent replies shows that, it's a discussion forum, not a book club.
Try not to judge others by your own standards.

Was a good story btw
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Old 26-11-2011, 09:10
chaz rich
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People don't come to read massive long stuff like that, the lack of any decent replies shows that, it's a discussion forum, not a book club.
As you can see I am not a prolific poster on DS for the amount of time I have been here, but on reading that story & knowing there was a Mobile Phone section on here I thought some people may well enjoy it, I can perfectly understand if you thought the content to long & taxing for you to read all the way through, I am just surprised you felt the need to express that in a needless posting, I do hope for others on here that your other 4000 + posts have had a somewhat more positive angle.
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Old 26-11-2011, 10:28
hils0912
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I really enjoyed the read, so thank you. Just makes you wonder, how much profit some places make though!!
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Old 26-11-2011, 11:24
len112
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Too much to read on a forum.
Yeah it looks long until you actually take the time to read it . Fascinating BTW
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Old 26-11-2011, 11:28
Hooloovoo
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Too much to read on a forum.
Moron.

Great story
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Old 26-11-2011, 19:22
Knighton
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Even though it was originally written by an Indian, I'm surprised no-one has accused you of being a "RACIST!!!!" yet.
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Old 26-11-2011, 19:48
chaz rich
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Even though it was originally written by an Indian, I'm surprised no-one has accused you of being a "RACIST!!!!" yet.

I'm not surprised, no-one is that ridiculous surely
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Old 26-11-2011, 20:49
alanwarwic
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A bit like Kwik Fit then!

Just cheaper.
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Old 26-11-2011, 21:03
dsnik
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A bit like Kwik Fit then!

Just cheaper.
.....and quicker
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Old 26-11-2011, 23:06
Moradin
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ignore them, a forum is for communication.

all types.


great story.
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