My day at the bank

I am not sure about the other Indians in US, but most of the students here do not carry much cash in the wallets. There are very few places where you would need cash like laundry, cab drivers, road side shops(very few though). I cannot think of any other place where they wont accept credit or debit cards. I was planning to shift my house over the weekend so I had to rent a cab for shifting my stuffs. So I wanted some cash for paying the cab driver.

On Friday afternoon at around 3 pm I went to an ATM and picked up a $20 bill. Normally cab drivers do give the exact change back but there have been instances where they run out of change(at least that's what they tell us). So I wanted to make sure that I get change from the bank for the $20 bill.

Banks here in the US is not as crowded as we used to see in India so I entered one of the nearest banks and it was almost deserted. It was a bank pretty close to the university and I normally frequent that bank. There was a girl at the teller counter who was damn beautiful and I always wanted to talk to her for quite a long time. As no one was there at her counter I went and stood there in the line waiting for her to call me.

When she called me in after 10 secs my heart was pounding and I really don't know that reason. I have never felt like that before. :-)

She welcomed me and asked how she can help me out.

I was in such a state that I blurted out, "I need some change for 20 ducks". I mixed 20 bucks and 20 dollars and blurted it as 20 ducks.

She was laughing like hell and told me that we do not give changes here for ducks. Then I came back to reality and showed her my $20 bill and told that I wanted change for this. She gave me the change and asked me whether I was a student here in the university.

Then she was talking to me about general stuffs like my school, which I am from, etc. etc. The conversation lasted for almost 10 mins as she had too many questions about India. I was happily answering all the questions and she was very happy that I was talking to her. She even inquired me if the foreigners are exploited so badly as it is shown in the movie Slumdog Millionaire.

At last I don't feel bad for the mistake I made initially, though I feel embarrassed now. May be you will also agree to that.

It was my day at the bank

This one is for my Mom

I was talking to my parents yesterday on my phone. The usual Saturday evening talk, which happens to be the only time we talk for the week. I was telling my father that I am vacating from the current place and I will be moving to a new one. This is how the conversation went.

FYI: My parents always put their mobile on speaker phone when they talk to me.

Me: Appa, I am shifting my house to a better place this weekend.

Appa: How come it is a better place?

Me: It is a bigger house and the rent is also pretty less

Appa: How can that happen? Are you moving away from the University?

Me: Hmmmm, yes I am moving away. But not very much. Just an extra 5 mins walk.

Appa: Why do you need to do that? Are you moving with the same set of people with whom you are staying now?

Me: No, I am going to stay with a new person. All the other people are going to stay in the same apartment

Appa: Oh, Ok.

I was able to hear my Amma tell something in the background (probably she was little far away from the phone)

Amma: Ask him whether he is going to stay with a guy or a girl????????????

Appa: Ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha

Me: @#!$%^%#@%&**%^$##%#$#^&*&^


I didnt expect this from my Mom though. May be she got suspicious with my replies. It took me 5 mins to clarify that I am going to stay only with a guy.