Learning Log Sanjay Ramautar

                           == Learning log ==

                           by Sanjay Ramautar

              “Don’t talk with those fortune telling people”

                                           -Should be a proverb-

It was a chilly and rainy day this afternoon when I went to the Albert Hein to buy me some:

	Milk 
	Muesli bread 
	Yoghurt and
	Cigarettes 

I was on my way to the supermarket with my house keys and my wallet in my pocket. My wallet contained my library card, fitness card and my 7 euros. I was walking in a rather tempo because I hate this weather. Holding a blue Big Shopper in my left and hand and a cigarette in my right I was on my way when an Indian guy with a beard, mid-50’s with a huge orange turban wrapped around his head and wearing a leather bag approach me and started talking English to me:

“Do u like to know your future?” he asked me.
“No, not really, I have to go to the supermarket.”
“What is your name?” he asked and he started to walk next to me.”
”Stop, come here”. By now he dragged me by the elbow to stand under a fence with him, I guess he hated the weather too.
My mother always told me not to talk with those of fortune telling people but I stopped out of curiosity and he asked me to write down my name on a piece of paper.
“Sanjay Ramautar, here you go sir” as I handed him his pen and paper back “No, not sir! Baba-ji (identifying himself with a plastic business card), I can tell you your future, what is your date of birth Sanjay?”
“26 January 1979”…”Aaahhh…Sanjay is a lucky name……. do you know your konskelation”
My what? I asked
“Your konskelation?” And he started to turn over the leaves of a book he was carrying in the bag.
“You’re an….ehh.. Aquarius”
Oooh my constellation…”Yes I know that I am an Aquarius”… he seemed a little irritated by the fact that I knew that I was an Aquarius.
“And do you know your constellation planet?”
”No that I don’t know.”
”You’re an” ….”a” .. he kept turning pages in his book…”a Saturn” and he started making calculations and told me:
“These 3 past years hasn’t been very bad for you…I can see that…. but starting from June 2005 you will get lucky again”.
I didn’t realize until then that… getting your diploma, getting married, going to Mauritius, starting a new study and feeling overall ok, where such bad things, but fortunately I will get lucky ...starting from June….
“What will happen in June?” I asked
“You will get lucky…what do you mean what will happen in June” Baba-ji asked me.
“No, WHAT will happen”
“I don’t know….it is written in the stars.”
“Yes I understand that but can u be a little more specific?”
“No sir, Baba-ji cannot do that…sorry….unless….”
“Unless what?”
“You give me money”
“Money? No why?”
I was determined NOT to give this man any money…not because I am greedy, I do realize that the man has to make a living to but I need this money to buy the groceries.
“Listen I am on my way to the supermarket and I don’t have enough money on me…I just don’t have it man…”
“Baba-ji knows everyting..look my friend, don’t tell me that you don’t have but tell me that you will not give, there is a fundamental difference”….ooh shit he started to play with my conscience.
By now I also started to realize what my mother meant by not talking to these guys. And I started to think….do we really need yoghurt…maybe I can give this guy a euro…for his effort…
So I reached in my wallet and googled a euro out of it.
“What is this?” Baba-ji asked me offended.
“Money…a euro…money…” It didn’t seem to be a rhetorical question at that time.
“No! Baba-ji wants paper money….”
I thought to myself “PAPERMONEY? Man is you crazy?! But I decided that I needed a more delicate approach
“No men…. like… I told you I am on my way to the supermarket and I need the money..”
“Baba-ji will pray for your soul..”
“Alright give me your business card”, I asked
“My business card?” Baba-ji asked….but why…he had a lot of questions for a guy that could tell the future, and he handed me his business card.
By now I wanted my euro back, I figured that he didn’t appreciated it anyway.
“Now, I will give u 10 euro”….Baba-ji started to smile, “here you keep it with you and he gave me a bead.
“if” I continued, “I will get extremely lucky in June 2005”….Baba-ji stopped to smile…”I will contact you and you can collect your money.”
Although this might seems to be a sucker deal for him, I really meant what I said.
I was willing to really give this man his money if he was right.
I figured that I don’t owe this man for telling me things that might will happen, unless those things will happen…in that case he was right and I will pay the man for his service. I told him not to forget to pray for my soul as our roads separated again.

When I got home with my groceries minus yogurt it got me thinking…. how can someone that bad in his job can make a living out of it? You have to know that I am not a superstitious person but what if there is something incredible will happen to me in June, what if he was right and faith made me met this guy? I guess there are no specific measurements I can take to prepare for this great event…maybe buy a lottery-ticket..?…

Time will tell, I guess..

Might be continued… in July 2005