Boss! ….
Me: Hmm…
Did you see the SMS on your GSM?
Me: No… Anything special?
Sreekumar Kochunarayanan says he misses you. He is now in Riyadh.
Me: Doing what in Riyadh?
Says he is attending the OPEC meet.
Me: Okay. Sree is the Editor for Gulf Oil & Gas magazine from Bahrain. He has gone to cover the event for his magazine. You understand magazine, no?
Of course, Boss! I live with one does such a silly job since my birth! By the way, what is OPEC?
Me: It is a cartel… Okay, okay, it is a group of oil-rich countries that control production and pricing. Does it make any sense to you, Zack?
Sort of. Does not matter. …
(Knock on the door)
Me: Come in.
(A room service attendant brings in hot cuppa with a sheaf of daily newspapers.)
Me: Thanks. … Close the door behind, please!
(A few minutes and a cuppa later)
Boss, Bahrain Tribune has a story that reads: Saudi opposes Dollar fears in OPEC declaration.
Me: Yeah. I read this in GDN.
Can you brief me, Boss! I am curious ever since Sree sent that SMS.
Me: Okay. OPEC ministers met in Riyadh. Iran and Venezuela – two non-Arab members of the group, wanted the declaration that will be issued at the end of this Riyadh conclave to speak about the depreciating US Dollar against other world currencies. And Saudi Arabia is opposed to it. That’s the story.
I know. .. I know, you wrote a story for your Muscat Economic Review?
Me: Dammit. It is not Muscat Economic Review, but Oman Economic Review- OER!
Boss, my apologies. But most of the time OER writes about Muscat happenings only. Am I wrong?
Me: Don’t you know we did a cover story on Duqm a few months ago. Duqm, let your pea-brain understand, is 350 km away from Muscat, the capital of Oman. We keep talking about Sohar – 250 km away – at regular intervals. If nothing happens in the far away places, how can you blame us?
Boss, you’re hurt. That’s not my intention. Anyways, sorry.
Me: You’ve to understand that the Gulf country is not your – and my – India.
Yes, Boss. … Tell me, why Iran and Venezuela want the Dollar declaration?
Me: Ho, ho. Not Dollar declaration. …
Whatever…
Me: Do you know both Iran and Venezuela hate the United States? Obviously, political reasons. They are seeking brownie points.
What about this story in GDN, “Qatar purchasing power hit by tumbling Dollar”?
Me: Oh, this one. Yeah, the Deputy Prime Minister Abdulla bin Hamad Al Attiyah said in Dubai yesterday (17 November) that “We feel concerned because of the very large decline in the value of the Dollar… Qatar’s purchasing power has fallen considerably.”
Boss, what is the fall like?
Me: You mean in percentage terms….
Yes, Boss.
Me: 9 per cent since January.
How authentic is this estimate?
Me: Dumbo, I am not saying it. But US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. He said yesterday (17 November) in Cape Town, South Africa?
You mean the same Cape Town, where our Indian cricket team goes to play chakhas!
Me:What chakhas? You mean sixers in cricket?
Yeah.
Me: Yeah, the same country.
What’s whatever-the-name ‘son’ doing in South Africa?
Me: Paulson is in South Africa to attend a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of 20 (G-20) economies. Poor guy, there again, he is bombarded with questions on Dollar.
Hmmm
Me: Yeah. Some ministers have expressed concerns over the falling value of dollar and told him bluntly that it is affecting their export.
What do they want?
Me: They want a strong Dollar.
Is it possible? Why?
Me: Paulson promised that US wants a strong dollar. “That is in our nation’s interest,” is how he put it. He hastened to add that it may take some time.
Did he say, how long?
Me: You seem to be worried more than the G-20 and the Qatari Deputy Prime Minister!
Yes, Boss. Doubly whammy – depreciating currency and inflation…
Me: My foot! You are too much!
What do you expect from me, Boss? My entire house – I mean, our – is strewn with books on economics, dailies, magazines and news clippings even in toilet. No bloody – pardon my language, Boss – doggy magazine.
Me: What about the latest Vogue with Deepika Padugone on the cover? What about the Esquire with Charlize Theron on the cover? Incidentally, she talks about her dog, your distant uncle/aunt/cousin! What about the Playboy?
Boss, give me time. I am poring over the Esquire story. Maybe we can talk sensibly on fashion and film stars next time. … Before I forget, Boss, even the Indian government has told the foreign tourists visiting Taj Mahal in Agra and other national heritage sites that they must pay in Indian Rupees. Dollars are no more acceptable.
Me: Ohmigod!
More to come .....
Me: Hmm…
Did you see the SMS on your GSM?
Me: No… Anything special?
Sreekumar Kochunarayanan says he misses you. He is now in Riyadh.
Me: Doing what in Riyadh?
Says he is attending the OPEC meet.
Me: Okay. Sree is the Editor for Gulf Oil & Gas magazine from Bahrain. He has gone to cover the event for his magazine. You understand magazine, no?
Of course, Boss! I live with one does such a silly job since my birth! By the way, what is OPEC?
Me: It is a cartel… Okay, okay, it is a group of oil-rich countries that control production and pricing. Does it make any sense to you, Zack?
Sort of. Does not matter. …
(Knock on the door)
Me: Come in.
(A room service attendant brings in hot cuppa with a sheaf of daily newspapers.)
Me: Thanks. … Close the door behind, please!
(A few minutes and a cuppa later)
Boss, Bahrain Tribune has a story that reads: Saudi opposes Dollar fears in OPEC declaration.
Me: Yeah. I read this in GDN.
Can you brief me, Boss! I am curious ever since Sree sent that SMS.
Me: Okay. OPEC ministers met in Riyadh. Iran and Venezuela – two non-Arab members of the group, wanted the declaration that will be issued at the end of this Riyadh conclave to speak about the depreciating US Dollar against other world currencies. And Saudi Arabia is opposed to it. That’s the story.
I know. .. I know, you wrote a story for your Muscat Economic Review?
Me: Dammit. It is not Muscat Economic Review, but Oman Economic Review- OER!
Boss, my apologies. But most of the time OER writes about Muscat happenings only. Am I wrong?
Me: Don’t you know we did a cover story on Duqm a few months ago. Duqm, let your pea-brain understand, is 350 km away from Muscat, the capital of Oman. We keep talking about Sohar – 250 km away – at regular intervals. If nothing happens in the far away places, how can you blame us?
Boss, you’re hurt. That’s not my intention. Anyways, sorry.
Me: You’ve to understand that the Gulf country is not your – and my – India.
Yes, Boss. … Tell me, why Iran and Venezuela want the Dollar declaration?
Me: Ho, ho. Not Dollar declaration. …
Whatever…
Me: Do you know both Iran and Venezuela hate the United States? Obviously, political reasons. They are seeking brownie points.
What about this story in GDN, “Qatar purchasing power hit by tumbling Dollar”?
Me: Oh, this one. Yeah, the Deputy Prime Minister Abdulla bin Hamad Al Attiyah said in Dubai yesterday (17 November) that “We feel concerned because of the very large decline in the value of the Dollar… Qatar’s purchasing power has fallen considerably.”
Boss, what is the fall like?
Me: You mean in percentage terms….
Yes, Boss.
Me: 9 per cent since January.
How authentic is this estimate?
Me: Dumbo, I am not saying it. But US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. He said yesterday (17 November) in Cape Town, South Africa?
You mean the same Cape Town, where our Indian cricket team goes to play chakhas!
Me:What chakhas? You mean sixers in cricket?
Yeah.
Me: Yeah, the same country.
What’s whatever-the-name ‘son’ doing in South Africa?
Me: Paulson is in South Africa to attend a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of 20 (G-20) economies. Poor guy, there again, he is bombarded with questions on Dollar.
Hmmm
Me: Yeah. Some ministers have expressed concerns over the falling value of dollar and told him bluntly that it is affecting their export.
What do they want?
Me: They want a strong Dollar.
Is it possible? Why?
Me: Paulson promised that US wants a strong dollar. “That is in our nation’s interest,” is how he put it. He hastened to add that it may take some time.
Did he say, how long?
Me: You seem to be worried more than the G-20 and the Qatari Deputy Prime Minister!
Yes, Boss. Doubly whammy – depreciating currency and inflation…
Me: My foot! You are too much!
What do you expect from me, Boss? My entire house – I mean, our – is strewn with books on economics, dailies, magazines and news clippings even in toilet. No bloody – pardon my language, Boss – doggy magazine.
Me: What about the latest Vogue with Deepika Padugone on the cover? What about the Esquire with Charlize Theron on the cover? Incidentally, she talks about her dog, your distant uncle/aunt/cousin! What about the Playboy?
Boss, give me time. I am poring over the Esquire story. Maybe we can talk sensibly on fashion and film stars next time. … Before I forget, Boss, even the Indian government has told the foreign tourists visiting Taj Mahal in Agra and other national heritage sites that they must pay in Indian Rupees. Dollars are no more acceptable.
Me: Ohmigod!
More to come .....
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