My 2 Cents & I am ....

hello.........waitress...pls spare them...very paavam...

unna ellam ..... :)

No wonder dentists are among the richest in the US. Its all in the ice, baby.

" Although this was not a classic case of racial discrimination, it qualifies as vintage act of selective indifferent action against people of particular nation." - What happened was profiling, which is nothing wrong. The way waiteress looked at it was since you are an indian, there was greater probability of you drinking water without ice than with ice. She tried to serve you better offering you the water without ice than with ice, of course you were in the minority. So she had to get you the iced water. Basically what happened was a classic example of targeted or selective marketing. So instead of accusing the waiteress, you must appreciate her for her thoughtfulness in providing you better service.

Naattamayin Theerpu (Quote BKRaj in Thavani kanavugal): "Roja chediyil mullu irrukunu, ninaikirathai vida. Mullu chediyila roja irrukunu ninaichupaaru, appa than vazhkai nalla irrukum."

nattamai, are you trying to be serious or just kidding :)

Anon
Thanks for the comment

TLB
Valid point but I still prefer it with ice as I am still not sure why they need to typecast desis as each one is different from another

Nattamai Sir,
Marketing is giving what the customer wants and not giving what you think the customer might want...

So,
"Arvam irukkalam, ana adhiga prasanguthanam irukkakoodathu. Arivu irrukalam, ana annavaum irukkakoodathu"

Sudarshan,

Let me quote your words "Arvam irukkalam, ana adhiga prasanguthanam irukkakoodathu. Arivu irrukalam, ana annavaum irukkakoodathu"

You had the Arvam and Arivu to know what i had said, but had the adhiga prasanguthanam to jump to conclusions and annavaum to stick to your point.

First of all, Marketing is not giving what the customer want, but to make the customer buy what you have got to sell.

Second i mentioned targeted or selective marketing, which basically means tailor your products and market it to the customers depending on their tastes preferences. Or in other words know your potential customer and deliver the product according to his taste.

Let me give you an simple example - Toyota car company markets their cars under the name of Toyota and Lexus. Lexus cars are pricy and has more features and is targeted at more affluent buyers.Toyota corolla is targeted at low end budget concious buyers and Toyota Camry occupies the middle spectrum. In a blue collared town, they will agressive market corollas where as in a rich town, they will push their Lexus agressively.

McDonalds does not sell Beef burgers in India, so in your words "it qualifies as vintage act of selective indifferent action against people of particular nation." :)

Dont look at everything through "RACE" glasses, feel proud that your are indian then you will stop thinking you are discriminated. Also stop looking at "the American dude coochicooching with his blonde girlfriend." It is bad manners.

Finally i dont understand your cheap thrill part, "Whenever this happens, I always signal out the waitress and ask her to bring me a new glass of water with ice... So much for a cheap thrill....". You asked for water with Ice because you prefer it that way, so what is the cheap thrill about it, there is no cheap thrill in getting what you want.

Next time around do the waiters a favor by asking for "water with ice" at the begining, it makes life lot easier for you and the waiter. Why I am telling you this, bcoz I have waited at tables in Pizza corner in madras and I know it is not a easy thing. People in US are waiting tables to pay for college or to meet their daily expenses. Last thing some one needs there is to show attitude.

Naattamayin Theerpu(1): " Enna sollaranga than mukkiyum, yaaru sollaranganu illai. Nallathai yaaruvena, engevena sollalam."

Naattamayin Theerpu(2): "Adakkam amararul oyikum, andangamai aruirul oyithuvidum"

im a fan of the natamai dude

Nattamai

I don't think getting "water without ice" without asking the customer is the best example of selective or targeted marketing. Toyota selling three range of cars according to the market is once again rated as "making a car that the customer wants and selling it to them and not selling them what you have made"

McD's doesn't sell beef burgers in India because the majority in India aren't beef eaters and this comes back to "selling what the customer wants and not selling them whatever you have made". If they followed your rule "First of all, Marketing is not giving what the customer want, but to make the customer buy what you have got to sell.", then they should be selling those beef burgers in India and convincing people to buy it

In all cases, these companies take sides with the majority, which in the case of the "water with ice" issue is that most of the people walking into most restaurants in america prefer to have water with ice. So unless the person mentions that he needs water without any ice, it qualifies as adhigaprasangithanam .

"stop looking at "the American dude coochicooching with his blonde girlfriend." and it is bad manners." Sorry Nattamai, I wasn't sure whether this sentence in any way meant that I was gaping at them in a way it intruded thier privacy, if it did, then it is indeed bad manners. This dude was in the table next to me and I just wrote about it matter of factly and it was just a quick glance across the room and that too to just call the waitress as the person sitting before was holding me in rapt attention. I guess you are clutching at all straws to take a stab at me.. :-)

Cheap thrill part was about the cheap thrill of me posting such a long post for such a small thing such as "water with ice" and it has nothing to do with the cheap thrill of asking water with ice.

The final paragraph is again a big joke. I went to a U.S university and I have gone through the same episodes of cleaning tables and I have had friends and roomies who have waited tables and hence I understand and realize what a tough job it is. It is sheer stupidity to equate a casual comment to atttude and hence I need to say this "If there is someone who is trying to show the "know it all " attitude, it is YOU."

I accept both the theerpus but I am not sure why it is applicable here. Also, the second theerpu has to be the nameplate of your blog so that it keeps reminding the cardinal principle of life to you...

I have one more question, what has made you like this, is it a overdose of Sarathkumar/Vijayaganth movies or too much travelling behind "A-U-T-O-S" in Madras, ippadi theerpula pichu odhareenga

Indha madhiri theerpu solradha irundha, andha thalaivar photova remove pannidunga please, thalaivara konjam insult panra madhiri irukku.

Bottom Line: "Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups". The waitress assumed that I will drink water with no ice and it was wrong.

I assumed that majority of meat eatersin India aren't beef eaters because most Indians are Hindus and they consider cows to be sacred. Also, MAC-D's will get their ass kicked by the Sangh parivar if they are going to say they are going to slaughter cows and stack em between buns.

Maybe, Nattamai can throw us more light on this as he knows so much about so manyt hings

Kanna,


I am not sure whether you read your own sentences, for if you do you will not be arguing with me. Let me again quote them here,

"Most Indians around the United States prefer the water served in restaurants in a particular fashion and this sample space for decision making is definitely pretty comprehensive but not exhaustive. I belong to this class of Indians who prefer it the other way"

"In all cases, these companies take sides with the majority,"

which in this case is "water without ice" :)

Naattamayin Theerpu: "Thoogara vangala ezhupalam ana thoongara mathiri nadikaravangala ezhupa mudiyathu."

Kanna
America la eppo kanna indians majority annanunga...

I think the theerpu applies to you as welll

since you were an Indian and she offered you what the majority of the indians would have preferred. If you were an american then waiter and me are wrong.

Wait a minute but you yourself said

"I belong to this class of Indians who prefer it the other way"

Inge Indians minority, antha minority group la you belong to small group who drink water with ice (i deduce this from your statement

"this sample space for decision making is definitely pretty comprehensive but not exhaustive."

# Americans >> # Indians who drink water without ice >> # Indians who drink water with ice.

Nee oru minority group oda minority.

Dont expect waiters to know your taste and preferences and ask what you want next time around and stop complaining.

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

I wasn't complaining. I wrote the post in good humor and I guess it touched a wrong nerve with you. So, since you chose to call me some names, I am writing my final verdict( in you case theerpu)

This is my opinion, She should have served me water with ice as it is the norm here or she should have asked whether I prefer it with/without ice as she asked me whether I prefer my food "mild or medium or extremely spicy". I felt she made an error in judegement and that doesn't mean I look down upon all waiters/waitresses in the world. As I had said previously, I have a great regard for these people who wait tables and I know their position as I was also in the position not so long ago.

Nattamai, let us agree to disagree and leave it at that for this argument. I am sure we will have many more....

Brother of different mother,

I didnt call you names, after all you are also Thalaivarin Rasigan. first couple of visitor in your blog also prob felt the same way as i did.

Antha annamalai ashokai ethirtharu, ana ethiriya neenaikala, athu pola than intha Naattamai unnai enn ethiriya ninaikala.

Naattamayin Theerpu: Oruvan Oruvan muthalali ulagil mattravar thozhilali.

ada paavingala.... :-)

Saranyan in theerppu - "Summa iruntha Sanga oothi kedutha kadhaya irukku"