<p>The first striking embarrassment in service for me was when we were in the National Academy. During the Bharath Darshan tour at Jabalpur, I boldly climbed the bus to upload our luggage. Maybe the idea was to impress the girl probationers waiting down.</p>.<p>Halfway through, my tight pants split into two and most of the parts to be covered in the body got exposed. But my friends were graceful enough not to utter a word or burst into laughter.</p>.<p>Another was when I reached Bijapur for the training. I was expecting a big reception was I was an IAS probationer. To my embarrassment, an old revenue inspector with a battered horse-drawn vehicle was waiting for me in the railway station.</p>.<p>During my training at Bijapur, I visited a treasury where the constable on duty saluted me raising his gun and beating his breast. Not knowing how to respond I also went on beating my breast. After a few minutes, the young tahsildar who escorted me told me to stop. He was laughing so were the spectators seeing the gaffe made by the IAS probationer.</p>.<p>A public embarrassment I experienced was when Devaraj Urs shouted at me at a public function: "What kind of a Deputy Commissioner are you?" when I could not give him a pen when he wanted one. My own pen was picked up from my pocket in the crowd. I did not mind as he loved me and I respected him.</p>.<p>After being posted to Bidar as Deputy Commissioner, I was called for a meeting in Bangalore. Young and unmarried, I decided to visit a nightclub as music and dance were available nowhere except in Hyderabad. I took a friend of mine, the District Medical officer for this adventure, we chose Talk of the Town, a well-known nightclub at Gandhi Nagar. We paid the entrance charge and took a vantage position in the hall, holding glasses of Old Tavern whiskey.</p>.<p>I was trying to be incognito by wearing a black sweater and covering my face with a shawl. At the peak of performance, a man came, bent on our table and asked "Mathai sar allava?" in Kannada. I just shouted "Which Matthai sar?" and ran away leaving the half-finished whiskey.</p>.<p>My first foreign visit was to Seoul, the capital of South Korea. We were located at the mighty Seol Sheraton sprawling over 150 acres of man-made garden and forest. We were called guests by the Hotel. In my luxurious room, I was excited to see the fridge and table stacked with the best of liquor and chocolates. I consumed them to my hearts' content without looking at the price tag and thinking they were all free. The foreign exchange allotted to us as an allowance was meagre. I was in a real trap, but my friends laughed at my plight and paid up when the huge bills were slapped on me.</p>
<p>The first striking embarrassment in service for me was when we were in the National Academy. During the Bharath Darshan tour at Jabalpur, I boldly climbed the bus to upload our luggage. Maybe the idea was to impress the girl probationers waiting down.</p>.<p>Halfway through, my tight pants split into two and most of the parts to be covered in the body got exposed. But my friends were graceful enough not to utter a word or burst into laughter.</p>.<p>Another was when I reached Bijapur for the training. I was expecting a big reception was I was an IAS probationer. To my embarrassment, an old revenue inspector with a battered horse-drawn vehicle was waiting for me in the railway station.</p>.<p>During my training at Bijapur, I visited a treasury where the constable on duty saluted me raising his gun and beating his breast. Not knowing how to respond I also went on beating my breast. After a few minutes, the young tahsildar who escorted me told me to stop. He was laughing so were the spectators seeing the gaffe made by the IAS probationer.</p>.<p>A public embarrassment I experienced was when Devaraj Urs shouted at me at a public function: "What kind of a Deputy Commissioner are you?" when I could not give him a pen when he wanted one. My own pen was picked up from my pocket in the crowd. I did not mind as he loved me and I respected him.</p>.<p>After being posted to Bidar as Deputy Commissioner, I was called for a meeting in Bangalore. Young and unmarried, I decided to visit a nightclub as music and dance were available nowhere except in Hyderabad. I took a friend of mine, the District Medical officer for this adventure, we chose Talk of the Town, a well-known nightclub at Gandhi Nagar. We paid the entrance charge and took a vantage position in the hall, holding glasses of Old Tavern whiskey.</p>.<p>I was trying to be incognito by wearing a black sweater and covering my face with a shawl. At the peak of performance, a man came, bent on our table and asked "Mathai sar allava?" in Kannada. I just shouted "Which Matthai sar?" and ran away leaving the half-finished whiskey.</p>.<p>My first foreign visit was to Seoul, the capital of South Korea. We were located at the mighty Seol Sheraton sprawling over 150 acres of man-made garden and forest. We were called guests by the Hotel. In my luxurious room, I was excited to see the fridge and table stacked with the best of liquor and chocolates. I consumed them to my hearts' content without looking at the price tag and thinking they were all free. The foreign exchange allotted to us as an allowance was meagre. I was in a real trap, but my friends laughed at my plight and paid up when the huge bills were slapped on me.</p>