A manager was interviewing an ex-entrepreneur who wanted to re-enter the workforce, as his business had failed. Trying to be sensitive, the manager asked, ‘So you were running your own business? What was not going right?’ The candidate replied, ‘Everything seemed to be going right, but I failed to see that the Left were getting stronger.’
A new car ad says: Buy one, get one factory free.
The Finance Minister in a gathering was saying: ‘Help the country’s economy. Eat two packets of noodles a day and increase consumer spending to boost the economy.’
People have changed the traditional greeting of ‘How are you?’ to ‘How’s your job?’ and from ‘Are you okay?’ to ‘How am I?’
The business of the job placement companies, training companies and counsellors is booming. Companies offering VRS and CRS have added free counselling services in the retirement benefits package.
A new company has been established to train MBAs on how to rear children, how to run a home, and this service is being aggressively advertised. The company is also offering to rewrite the resumes.
The boy who delivers newspapers every morning told me that his business volume has doubled. He can now deliver 200 copies instead of only 100 of the past within his normal two hours of duty. The pages of the newspapers have now been reduced to eight from the earlier 16 or 24. The cargo is lighter to carry on his bicycle.
The public bus service companies are thinking about expanding their fleet to cater to the car owners of the past. Similarly, the roadside momo shops have made new investments in acquiring equipment and to expand the space while the Dohori Geet (Duet) restaurant upstairs are offering Solo Geets as they have halved the band size to save costs.
The All Nepal Street Beggars Association has been formed and the 100,000th member of the Association was felicitated amidst a gala ceremony organised at a five star hotel. The President of the Association made a strong speech on the occasion asking the Minister present to stop the tax officers from collecting taxes from the beggars. Meanwhile, the All Nepal Association of Barbers sent a delegation to the Minister demanding a law to make shaving daily compulsory for all the beggars.
People are entertaining their guests with star-light dinner on their balconies and roof tops instead of candlelight or electric light dinners in their drawing rooms or dining halls. The municipality has issued a schedule of taxes for those who use the light from the street lamps for any purpose.
