Wednesday, January 26, 2011

My Feature on Curation Nation Blog - Talkin' Tuesday!

I am so tickled to be featured on the Curation Nation blog this week. Curation Nation is a team of some very talented artisans and sellers on Etsy. The team is 83 members strong now and makes beautiful treasuries on Etsy. I am also a proud member.

Talkin' Tuesday features 9 Fierce Facts and one line that is completely fictional. Get involved by guessing which one of the 10 items listed is the impostor. It is open to everybody, so what are you waiting for?

Head to the Curation nation blog and put in your guess!

BIG SALE

I am very happy to announce that I have launched a 28% sale on my Gemstones store and a 20% sales on my Jewelry store.

Please visit:
GEMSTONES: http://www.etsy.com/shop/somsstudiosupplies
Please Use Coupon Code: 28OFFJAN at checkout for 28% discount!


BRIDAL JEWELRY: http://www.etsy.com/shop/somsstudio
Please Use Coupon Code: 20OFFJAN at checkout for 20% discount!


Car that runs on water

"Honey, we are building a new concept car at the University"
- "yeah?"
"Yeah....a car that runs on WATER!!"
- "Wow, isn't that great?"
"Yes, the idea is that the car will use water since that is so abundant".
- "Well, I will give you a car that runs on water. It is called a 'STEAM ENGINE'."
"Huh?"
- "Why do you guys want to reinvent the wheel??"
.
[Pause]
.
"Well, do you know how a steam engine runs?"
- "On steam"
"And how do you make the steam?"
(My DH is on professor-mode now)
"Do you know what the first law of thermodynamics says? It says....blah...blah...."
- zzzz.....zzzzz.....zzzzzz
"Oh Boy!!"
- zzzz.....zzzzz.....zzzzzz

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Don't you have a HUSBAND?

I am on the balcony getting my towel. The neighbor and her kid, about 10 years old, is waiting down for the school bus to arrive.

"Hi Som Auntie!"
- "Hello darling! How are you?"
"Okay. Where is your baby?"
- "My baby? Hmmm....Oh! That is the Auntie from upstairs! She's had a new baby".
"Why don't YOU have a baby? Don't you have a HUSBAND???"
- {Speechless}

.

Tour of my Home - Free for ALL!!

This is when I just moved to India after staying in USA for years. My DH was off to his new job and I was alone at our newly-moved-in apartment. It was a pleasant morning. I was lounging on the sofa in my living room, with a cup of my favorite brew of tea watching CSI Miami on my new flat screen TV. I left the front door open to let in the beautiful soothing breeze from the East. What a blissful morning. Ah....

All of a sudden, three middle-aged ladies, reasonably well-dressed, appeared with a smile at my door and just sauntered in. I froze shock-still on my sofa, tea mug in my hand, my feet still up, mouth agape, wondering what the heck did just happen? The smiling ladies saw me, ignored me completely, and kept walking inside, towards my bedrooms, unfazed.

I jumped up and ran after them, yelling "Excuse me,...um...Auntie, do I know you?". They did not respond or stop; just kept walking through the dining room towards my Master bedroom. I was panicking by the second, completely bewildered. They 'seemed' harmless, but I did not take this complete invasion of my privacy lightly. So this time I yelled louder "Hey, where do you think you are going??" and stood my ground right in front of them. The three ladies stopped. They seemed to be noticing me for the first time. Then they just turned back, and went back the way they came in, and out of the front door, their smiles still in place.

I did not see the three ladies again. I don't know till date what they wanted, why they did not speak.....the entire episode weirded me out to be honest. And yes, you guessed it right, that was the end of my keeping the front door open to let in the beautiful soothing breeze from the East.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Pikola Net Connect

Tring....tring....
"Hello? Is this Pikola Net Connect?"
- "Yes, Madam, How may I assist you?"
"Your login/ logout page has disappeared, so I cannot access the internet any more"
- " We don't have a login/ logout page, Madam."
"Eh? I have been using the login/ logout page for the last 6 months to connect to the internet. That is the page where I put in my User name and password..."
- "We don't have any such page Madam".
"Maybe you call it something else? I logged in just this morning and now it is gone."
- " No Madam, Pikola Net Connect has no such page".
"How do people access the internet then? How did I get to the internet for the last 6 months?"
- " I don't know Madam, I am not saying that you are lying".
"What?? I sure hope not! Is there anyone else you can help me?"
- " I don't think so Madam".
"Please connect me to your Manager, maybe he can help me".
- "My Manager is not around Madam".
"Huh? Can he call me back?"
- "I will see what I can do."
"Look it is clear that you are not helping me here. I am paying my good money to access the internet and now I can't. Surely there is a tech assist team or someone who can help me?"
- "We can't help you Madam"
"Wow!! You can't help me, and you are not connecting me with someone who can? When will your manager call me back?"
- In 5 mins Madam.
"In 5 mins huh? Are you sure? I think no one will ever call me to resolve my matter".
- "Is there anything else I can assist you with?"
"You got to be kidding me!"
- "Have a great day, Madam"

Needless, to say I never got a call back from Pikola Net Connect, from the manager or anyone else. Its been 6 months. The login/ logout page mysteriously re-appeared after a couple of hours. They do call me every time my bill is due without fail, sometimes call me every hour with a reminder. Way to go Pikola!!

"Pikola Net Connect" does not exist, my sad internet connection company does, and so does their pathetic customer service.

Got Milk?

Some random guy at my door. "Yeah? What do you want?" ...."Milk".
:-|

New Series - My Crazy Life.

I have decided to come up with a New series called "My Crazy Life". I will write about things that I have experienced in India or USA or anywhere else. They may be interesting, funny, poignant or sad, but they will be all 100% true. Watch this space for more to come!

XOXO,
Som

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Suppliers are being discriminated against on Etsy

January's Jewel Garnet was featured in today's Etsy Finds. So good to see that even Vintage got a section.

Surprise, surprise, not a single spot for Supplies?!


Received 2741 results for Garnet under Supplies. Not a single 'pretty enough' to be featured??

What about Rubies?
http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/etsy-finds-red-hot-rubies-4447/
Emeralds?
http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/etsy-finds-emerald-city-8265/
More garnets from last year?
http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/etsy-finds-garnet-depths-6713/
0 supplies featured.
Notice a trend??

Suppliers are the top sellers on Etsy and surely Etsy gets a major part of its income from the strong contribution of Suppliers. This is from Craftcount as of 5th Jan 2011.

Etsy sends out the Etsy finds e-mails everyday. Isn't it justified for Supply Sellers to be featured once in a while? Somewhere? Anywhere??

Why are Suppliers never featured?? What about featuring an actual gemstone when Etsy writes about a gemstone?? When I pointed this out to Etsy Admin Christine in July 2010, I got no response. Till date.

There has been so much of discussion on the fora, but nothing is ever done to feature, support or acknowledge Suppliers.

Etsy: PLEASE stop this discrimination. Or stop suppliers from selling altogether on the site.