Funny money

I have to confess I do not understand currency conversion business. I’ve never understood how to profitably exchange currency nor do I intend to do anytime in future.  Well who needs to know all that if you have a personal financial analyst at home for all that purpose. 

Last week, I was assigned the very important task of transferring money back to India for some urgent work. I received a detailed instruction along with the price at which I was supposed to convert and transfer the money.

Until this point everything looked under straightforward, or maybe I was wishing it to be. Just as I got out, I get a call from the husband, “have you transferred money?” he asked. I was not sure if my no was going to get me into trouble, however hesitantly I said “I am just on my way”. “Hold on let me call you back, think the prices have gone up”.

Upon reaching my destination I get another call, this time hubby says forget all the instructions I gave you earlier. Really? Forget all that and head back home I wondered. Ha Ha !! It wasn’t going to be that easy for me. His next instructions were to get rates anything better than 69.50. Very naively I asked “69.55 or 69.60?”. Technically 55 is bigger than 50 isn’t it? “Sangi no 69.45 is better”, “really?” I asked, surely somebody got his numbers wrong.

“45, are you sure?” I re-checked, “yes” was his prompt reply, thinking to myself that I shouldn’t doubt his knowledge and I got into the exchange. I ask the first person what is the best rate I could get and the smiling lady tells 69.50. I asked if I could get better rate than 69.50 and then I was directed to another gentleman. So he first tells me 69.80 and that confused me once again “is that the best you can give?” I asked. So he then decided to put in plain words for me, which definitely didn’t help.

Panicking I quickly call my husband, while I was dialing I explained to him how didn’t understand any of this. Jokingly I told him, if you don’t give me a good rate, my husband would pack me off to India without the money. The two had some conversation and then decided on 69.45. That made some sense for me now. Happily I then gave him the bank details and got the receipt from to handover the cash to the cashier.

And while I was counting the money, he interrupts to ask, “now I am sure he will not send you to India, right?”. To which I replied, “No he won’t be sending me, while he said is going to strave me for 3 days for not getting 69.40”, and everyone on the floor started laughing. With the jokes exchanged on numeric capabilities I headed for the cashier’s desk and handed over the money I said “here you go doctor”. Everyone laughed again.

Feeling embarrassed on my silliness I got out, thanking the god lord for almost teaching me something new.  

Image credit: Corbis.com