Indian Samurai इंडियन सामुराई

Some time ago I was asked via my blog something rather unusual... It was a French guy who was looking for a part for his bike.

Since my blog led me to live a pretty incredible story a few weeks ago (and because I am super cool ;) ), I decided to pay back destiny and see what I could do about this part. If it was not too hard to find, why not...

This part was called a “hugger” (or matflap, meant to be put on the back wheel and protect from the mud) and it was meant for a KTM Duke 125/200/390.

And "this part cannot be found anywhere but in India. This KTM brand is Austrian but they make their bikes in India, so India is the country where accessories for this brand can be found..." An amazing story about globalisation!

I googled "KTM Mumbai" and found two dealers in Mumbai. I made a colleague call – I couldn’t find the guts to talk over the phone about bikes in Hindi, surprising huh? The part in question would be in stock within 2-3 days only. 4 days later I was about to go directly to the store but I couldn’t find the guts to talk in person about bikes in Hindi either. So before going there I made my colleague call again. And this time she was told that the hugger is actually made of three parts (the matflap, the hugger and the side-guard) and one of them is not in stock and they don’t know when it would come.

But I don’t give up easily... 

(To be continued)

My weight, and my supposed resemblance to Katrina Kaif’s sister, is a big topic among my customers all across India. To their defence I must say that I am probably the only foreigner girl they do business with (and for so long), and that it’s in their blood, gossiping... So I'm well known. In all humility. Not a meeting where I don’t get to hear about my weight. Curious is it not?

I have a fantastic client. A big vet, always wearing a tie decorated with dogs, a voice from beyond the grave, an impressive collection of yucky stuff kept in formalin and gadgets full of dust everywhere in his clinic.

When we met for the second time (one year after the first time), it was morning and I was not yet really awake (like pretty much every morning in fact) and very cranky (it happens, luckily not every morning!). And I was greeted with something like "Oh! You really have put on weight since the last time we met!” Bam bam! Go swallow your pride girl... Even though I know it is kind of a compliment in India, there are days you just can’t take it... So that morning I could not help but tell him, with a smile, that in my culture this kind of comment was highly offending. You moron.

When we met for the third time (four years after the second time), I saw him coming from far (as in literally). I didn’t believe it was possible but... He looked at me from toes to head, paused, and tells me: "Oh! You love Indian food don’t you eh! You have put on so much weight since last time!” He would have added "you fat cow" and I would have had it all! Except that this time I was in a good mood and moreover I was more or less back to the weight I had when we first met so I just smiled...

I will conclude by quoting one of my big clients – which had pushed the limits by even giving an estimate (of 3-4 kgs) to my weight loss in April – who told me, the same week I met that vet: “I am doing very well, how do you find me??" He had put on weight since April and was expecting a compliment...

Ah! Culture...

See also in the same spirit:

http://www.indiandacoit.com/archive/2011/12/15/the-encounter-of-the-day.html

http://www.indiandacoit.com/archive/2012/05/02/how-to-put-an-elephant-in-one-s-pocket.html