There are a certain bunch of people who tick me off majorly. Yes I'm going to list them out now and no I'm not in the best of moods. Yes you're gonna be put through it but no you won't if you choose to skip this entry and go to the next one.
I, in any case intend going the whole nine yards to vent my frustration.
1) People who give unsolicited advice: Nothing irritates me more than people who try to impose their views (however well meaning) on me. Beginning from which course I should take up to what to apply on my zits. From what kind of healthy food I should be eating to how tidy I should be keeping my room. Really, is it any of anybody's business save mine?!
I don't care if I become the world's only biggest loser with pimples at the age of 35 and who's a also fat slob! Enough with the solutions. Peace out, humanity!!
2) People who patronize me: Really now. Who's given them the authority to sit on some high horse and pass judgments?! Isn't that the easiest thing to do? Everyone's entitled to an opinion. But keeping it to themselves should be made mandatory!
3) People who go overboard with jokes. I appreciate a good sense of humour. In fact, I really respect folks who can laugh at themselves. It shows character... But what also shows character, in bad light, are the kind of jokes they crack and at someone else's expense. Being the butt of jokes is all very well, but only to an extent... After that, it's mockery and no fun anymore. One needs to learn where to draw the line and if they don't, they're signing up for a lot of trouble.
4) Perfectionists: I'm a Virgo myself but I'm not a perfectionist. I'll admit it's good to be particular about things but when one becomes finicky and nit picky, it annoys the hell outta everyone around. Perfectionists should be kept in a cocoon all to themselves, cause hardly anything or anyone is ever good enough for their beautiful little Utopian world. Spare me!
5) Moody and unreasonable people: One moment they're fine. The next they snap, then they're alright but soon they're cranky... What on earth?! I've also noticed, most moody people tend to believe they're blue blooded somehow, and therefore think nothing of riding a rough shod over everyone.
There are few things more satisfying than putting them in their place.
6) Nosy parkers: "Who? With whom? Where was it? What happened? Why? When was this? How did it happen?".... Unless they're part of the CIA, FBI or any other secret service, I think they ought to do a reality check and get a life. Not everything is everyone's business! Off with these meddlers, pooh!
Anyway, in conclusion to my rant entry, I'll just say this. How people behave is totally upto them. But what reactions they're met with, are not. It's important to remain grounded, humble, not be a prick or a pain in the neck. Otherwise, one risks being on people's hate list, or worse still, hit list...:)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Girls!!
I've studied in a convent all through. That's to say I've been in an all girls environment practically all my life. Of course in saying that, I'm obviously obliterating the minimal interaction that I'd had with the opposite gender while I was in nursery or something, but besides that, except for a few odd acquaintances made here and there, I can't brag of a huge mixed friends circle.
The upside of knowing only girls is that it's given me plenty of insight to every kind/variety of the female gender that ever existed. I know just how convoluted their thinking can get, what makes them so complicated, why they get angry at the seemingly unimportant things, and yet what makes them irresistibly cute to guys.
Having said all of that, no, this blog entry isn't going to unravel the mysteries of girls, cause being one myself and having closely studied them for so long, this topic is as boring and redundant as can be.
What I intend doing here, is classifying them under broad categories so it might be of some help to anyone with zilch or very little experience to go about figuring them out. May good luck and the Goddesses (up there and down here) smile upon you.
Disclaimer: Girls, like ogres are like onions. However detailed their description, each one is unique, special and enigmatic in her own way.
1) The Cotton Candy variety: They're the extremely pretty kind who at first blush seem shallow and full of themselves. Well, to do justice to the image, I'll admit that they can be a little narcissistic but will also have to credit them with a lot more. They may pretend to be thick skinned buffaloes when in comes to lesser mortals with their snide comments, but deep down they're really sensitive. A misconception about these good lookers is that they tend to be dim witted. Trust me, they're not.
2) The Betty Cooper variety: They're sweet, nice and average looking. They can be best described as the girl next door. Not usually the risk takers, but they're a lot of fun to hang around with. Extremely, extremely sensitive yet balanced human beings. You can count on this lot not to be the moody variety without having valid reasons.
3) The Punks: They may give off the wrong impression of being tom boyish and sharp tongued. Hell, they are a bit of both (!) but essentially they're just introverts who hate being called that. Hence the image of 'Stay outta my way before I beat you up'. If one ever manages to scratch the surface with these kind of girls, you'll see that they're normal, sweet chicks who want nothing more than to be accepted and liked just the way they are.
4) The 'Attitude' throwing variety: Initially, you'd think they tend to classify everyone as coarser incidents of life that the providence should've long ago removed form circulation. In actuality they're not so evil minded. Having met a lot of these girls myself, I've learnt one thing about them. They're usually the ones with a chip on the shoulder. Either a superiority or (in most cases) an inferiority complex makes them behave that way. Therefore, they use "attitude" as a defense mechanism. Nice kids beneath all of that!
5) The 'Just a friend' variety: They're probably not the 'lookers' but make excellent buddies. They give brilliant advice, have a good sense of humour, and are great human beings on the whole. In my experience, they've always been non-controversial and the coolest variety among the various categories of girls.
So there you are. Half the planet segregated into 5 simple groups. Of course, going about trying to figure them out individually is another story altogether and I won't for the life of me delve into how to go about doing it. I've put in my two cents worth and don't think you need to be more equipped about "knowing what they're like" after this.
Just one last pearl of wisdom: Deep down, every girl is sensitive, loving and nice. Yes, a wee bit complicated, crazy, mad, sweet, sour, proud, arrogant, funny, irritating and nuts too, at times... but mostly just sensitive, loving and nice... :)
The upside of knowing only girls is that it's given me plenty of insight to every kind/variety of the female gender that ever existed. I know just how convoluted their thinking can get, what makes them so complicated, why they get angry at the seemingly unimportant things, and yet what makes them irresistibly cute to guys.
Having said all of that, no, this blog entry isn't going to unravel the mysteries of girls, cause being one myself and having closely studied them for so long, this topic is as boring and redundant as can be.
What I intend doing here, is classifying them under broad categories so it might be of some help to anyone with zilch or very little experience to go about figuring them out. May good luck and the Goddesses (up there and down here) smile upon you.
Disclaimer: Girls, like ogres are like onions. However detailed their description, each one is unique, special and enigmatic in her own way.
1) The Cotton Candy variety: They're the extremely pretty kind who at first blush seem shallow and full of themselves. Well, to do justice to the image, I'll admit that they can be a little narcissistic but will also have to credit them with a lot more. They may pretend to be thick skinned buffaloes when in comes to lesser mortals with their snide comments, but deep down they're really sensitive. A misconception about these good lookers is that they tend to be dim witted. Trust me, they're not.
2) The Betty Cooper variety: They're sweet, nice and average looking. They can be best described as the girl next door. Not usually the risk takers, but they're a lot of fun to hang around with. Extremely, extremely sensitive yet balanced human beings. You can count on this lot not to be the moody variety without having valid reasons.
3) The Punks: They may give off the wrong impression of being tom boyish and sharp tongued. Hell, they are a bit of both (!) but essentially they're just introverts who hate being called that. Hence the image of 'Stay outta my way before I beat you up'. If one ever manages to scratch the surface with these kind of girls, you'll see that they're normal, sweet chicks who want nothing more than to be accepted and liked just the way they are.
4) The 'Attitude' throwing variety: Initially, you'd think they tend to classify everyone as coarser incidents of life that the providence should've long ago removed form circulation. In actuality they're not so evil minded. Having met a lot of these girls myself, I've learnt one thing about them. They're usually the ones with a chip on the shoulder. Either a superiority or (in most cases) an inferiority complex makes them behave that way. Therefore, they use "attitude" as a defense mechanism. Nice kids beneath all of that!
5) The 'Just a friend' variety: They're probably not the 'lookers' but make excellent buddies. They give brilliant advice, have a good sense of humour, and are great human beings on the whole. In my experience, they've always been non-controversial and the coolest variety among the various categories of girls.
So there you are. Half the planet segregated into 5 simple groups. Of course, going about trying to figure them out individually is another story altogether and I won't for the life of me delve into how to go about doing it. I've put in my two cents worth and don't think you need to be more equipped about "knowing what they're like" after this.
Just one last pearl of wisdom: Deep down, every girl is sensitive, loving and nice. Yes, a wee bit complicated, crazy, mad, sweet, sour, proud, arrogant, funny, irritating and nuts too, at times... but mostly just sensitive, loving and nice... :)
Monday, June 28, 2010
Do Not Try This at Home.
Author's note: The following sequence of events did take place but I'm not proud of what led to it. In my defense, I claim to be have been of unstable mind (foolish, idiotic and stupid to go with it) when I undertook what I did. I highly discourage anyone who'd like to do the same, cause it'll lead you to one thing for sure, whatever else the outcome. Soup.
It was a Saturday evening and I'd received devastating news of not making it to the University I'd been vying for. I had been working towards cracking the entrance for quite a while so was thoroughly let down when I didn't make it. Imagine going to the extent of having to learn Math (a subject I've loathed from the deepest realms of my soul) and even changing my writing style (one that I'd previously been proud of) to suit the criteria of the exam.
It's at times such as these that the brain, or atleast the part that makes sense, completely stops functioning. Not that I can honestly brag of it being well oiled at other times, it's just a valid excuse for doing what I did later that day.
From my earlier blogs, I may have made it evident that I'm thick pals with a few friends. All of them were very supportive and sympathetic of what had happened and one even came home with a pizza to "celebrate" the University's loss of not having me as a student. That night, another bestie invited me for dinner outside, followed by a sleepover.
What should've been an innocent night out with a close friend turned out to be nightmarish, yet funny in parts. I hold only myself responsible for it and before I plunge into the details, I'll give you a brief overview of my pal's background. It's of great importance in the story I'm about to tell.
She hails from a very conservative, large joint family. Partying and staying out late is frowned upon, wearing clothes that might be a wee bit revealing is scowled upon so presently, I'm scared to think what going for a drive in the dead of the night and being followed by a bunch of lecherous men would be!!... I'm saying that because (I'm sure you've guessed by now) that is just what happened.
Call it a brainwave, streak of rebellion or just a bad idea. At around 2 am when my pal suggested we snack on something, I told her of a 'brilliant' game plan that I'd devised: Of driving out of home, picking up another friend along the way, going for a spin in the car and then coming back. Initially, she shot the idea down with "We'd be made minced meat of" and "I'll be skninned" statements. But none of her pleas that her dad would turn a taxidermist, seemed to affect me. I just wanted out and I didn't care what I was risking. (Bad idea #1)
So I got in touch with the fellow nocturnal we'd planned on inviting and she was quite surprised too. But it wasn't so difficult to convince her and soon my bestie and me were preparing for our adventure. Rasmalai for the journey, some good music for the drive, and good footwear in case we had to run from her folks. Car and house keys in hand, we set off.
It gave us an adrenaline rush to be sneaking out of home at 2.30 am doing the cartoon character walk on our toes while keeping our eyes and ears alert for any movement or noise. The coast was clear, we left home.
Driving to our common friend's house and picking her up wasn't eventful and I religiously stuck to the speed limit while we were still in the housing colony. Once out, we raised the window glasses, brought out the dessert, switched on good music and I broke all barriers and drove like lightning on the empty and smooth roads.
Nothing gives one a kick like doing all of the above. Yet, one has to be prepared for a kick on the rear for behaving so irresponsibly too. I've learnt this now, that with mountain peaks come the valleys. Always. We just should've been prepared for it.
After a nice long drive and exhausting our 'sweet' supply, we decided to call it a day and head home. We dropped the common friend at her place and I was about to put the car in reverse gear, when my bestie insisted on another drive.'Best friend' time she said. I didn't need too much convincing and off we went again. (Bad idea #2)
The drive was excellent and we were on our way back when I noticed something amiss. There had been a car I could see in the rear view mirror that had been tailing us for a while. I didn't want to hit the panic button so I tried feinting. I switched on the indicator to take a left turn and they did too. Just as they were about to make the turn, I threw the car in third gear and went forward leaving them in a mid-turn. But looking in the mirror again, my heart sank. They'd backed out from the turn and were following us. My bestie who'd been the silent nervous spectator all this while suddenly took on the role of a self apponited GPS. In between giving me directions she tried in vain reciting the Hanuman chalisa and various other mantras.
Suddenly, that car gained speed and drew level with us on the passenger side. The driver rolled down his window and waved. He then overtook our car and switched on his indicator. So he was finally done coming after us, we thought. My bestie and me heaved a momentary sigh of relief.
He took a right turn but on realising we weren't following him I think, (we weren't up for playing his silly game of tag at 3 in the morning!) he reversed with the speed befitting a James Bond car and was at us again. The horror!
My bestie began hyperventilating at this point and it didn't help that she saw the car had 4-5 menacing guys in it. I was scared too, but maybe cause I hadn't seen them first hand I didn't get hysterical. I kept my eyes fixed on the road while trying to follow her incoherent directions. Since we were within the contours of her housing colony, we snaked our way between the lanes and managed to squeeze our car between some others. We switched off all the lights and sat in stunned silence.
During the chase, their car had lost us in between the gullies. We sat huddled together praying, and cursing 'our' stupidity (although I was solely to blame). Few minutes passed and we hoped that they'd lost interest. After waiting some more time to give them a headway at finding something else to engage their fancy, we decided it was safe to move.
Just then I saw those dreaded headlights appear in the mirror again. To say it was intensely distressing would be putting it mildly. We did the only thing that occurred to us. We ducked out of view.
In retrospect, I think it would've been more sensible on my part to have removed the seat belt before doing it, cause not only was it highly uncomfortable but more because viewing a seat belt hanging in mid air is not common place. They passed our car and reached a dead end. Reversed, and slowly glided back.
We had every saints name (living or dead) on our lips. Just then, my phone beeped to life with a text message and the interior of our car lit up. My bestie nearly fainted with tension.
Luckily for us, the guys must've figured that we didn't like their game (that had gone form Tag to 'Peek a boo' in the last 20 minutes)... They left us alone but not before honking repeatedly and making us jump outta our skin.
In any case, after waiting some more time and ensuring that they'd gone for good, we made our way home quietly. It was only after reaching the safety of her room that the gamut of emotions came loose.
I know it's something we're all taught by our elders. Don't stay out late; Keep someone informed of your whereabouts always; and most importantly, don't do anything on an impulse. I've most certainly learnt my lesson.
I don't care if I'll never know that a flyover looks like a freeway at night, or that you can introspect best on an empty road. At this point, the only way I understand those things is: That they spell TROUBLE.
My advice to anyone who wants to take it. Stay home and stay safe. Better sad than sorry!
It was a Saturday evening and I'd received devastating news of not making it to the University I'd been vying for. I had been working towards cracking the entrance for quite a while so was thoroughly let down when I didn't make it. Imagine going to the extent of having to learn Math (a subject I've loathed from the deepest realms of my soul) and even changing my writing style (one that I'd previously been proud of) to suit the criteria of the exam.
It's at times such as these that the brain, or atleast the part that makes sense, completely stops functioning. Not that I can honestly brag of it being well oiled at other times, it's just a valid excuse for doing what I did later that day.
From my earlier blogs, I may have made it evident that I'm thick pals with a few friends. All of them were very supportive and sympathetic of what had happened and one even came home with a pizza to "celebrate" the University's loss of not having me as a student. That night, another bestie invited me for dinner outside, followed by a sleepover.
What should've been an innocent night out with a close friend turned out to be nightmarish, yet funny in parts. I hold only myself responsible for it and before I plunge into the details, I'll give you a brief overview of my pal's background. It's of great importance in the story I'm about to tell.
She hails from a very conservative, large joint family. Partying and staying out late is frowned upon, wearing clothes that might be a wee bit revealing is scowled upon so presently, I'm scared to think what going for a drive in the dead of the night and being followed by a bunch of lecherous men would be!!... I'm saying that because (I'm sure you've guessed by now) that is just what happened.
Call it a brainwave, streak of rebellion or just a bad idea. At around 2 am when my pal suggested we snack on something, I told her of a 'brilliant' game plan that I'd devised: Of driving out of home, picking up another friend along the way, going for a spin in the car and then coming back. Initially, she shot the idea down with "We'd be made minced meat of" and "I'll be skninned" statements. But none of her pleas that her dad would turn a taxidermist, seemed to affect me. I just wanted out and I didn't care what I was risking. (Bad idea #1)
So I got in touch with the fellow nocturnal we'd planned on inviting and she was quite surprised too. But it wasn't so difficult to convince her and soon my bestie and me were preparing for our adventure. Rasmalai for the journey, some good music for the drive, and good footwear in case we had to run from her folks. Car and house keys in hand, we set off.
It gave us an adrenaline rush to be sneaking out of home at 2.30 am doing the cartoon character walk on our toes while keeping our eyes and ears alert for any movement or noise. The coast was clear, we left home.
Driving to our common friend's house and picking her up wasn't eventful and I religiously stuck to the speed limit while we were still in the housing colony. Once out, we raised the window glasses, brought out the dessert, switched on good music and I broke all barriers and drove like lightning on the empty and smooth roads.
Nothing gives one a kick like doing all of the above. Yet, one has to be prepared for a kick on the rear for behaving so irresponsibly too. I've learnt this now, that with mountain peaks come the valleys. Always. We just should've been prepared for it.
After a nice long drive and exhausting our 'sweet' supply, we decided to call it a day and head home. We dropped the common friend at her place and I was about to put the car in reverse gear, when my bestie insisted on another drive.'Best friend' time she said. I didn't need too much convincing and off we went again. (Bad idea #2)
The drive was excellent and we were on our way back when I noticed something amiss. There had been a car I could see in the rear view mirror that had been tailing us for a while. I didn't want to hit the panic button so I tried feinting. I switched on the indicator to take a left turn and they did too. Just as they were about to make the turn, I threw the car in third gear and went forward leaving them in a mid-turn. But looking in the mirror again, my heart sank. They'd backed out from the turn and were following us. My bestie who'd been the silent nervous spectator all this while suddenly took on the role of a self apponited GPS. In between giving me directions she tried in vain reciting the Hanuman chalisa and various other mantras.
Suddenly, that car gained speed and drew level with us on the passenger side. The driver rolled down his window and waved. He then overtook our car and switched on his indicator. So he was finally done coming after us, we thought. My bestie and me heaved a momentary sigh of relief.
He took a right turn but on realising we weren't following him I think, (we weren't up for playing his silly game of tag at 3 in the morning!) he reversed with the speed befitting a James Bond car and was at us again. The horror!
My bestie began hyperventilating at this point and it didn't help that she saw the car had 4-5 menacing guys in it. I was scared too, but maybe cause I hadn't seen them first hand I didn't get hysterical. I kept my eyes fixed on the road while trying to follow her incoherent directions. Since we were within the contours of her housing colony, we snaked our way between the lanes and managed to squeeze our car between some others. We switched off all the lights and sat in stunned silence.
During the chase, their car had lost us in between the gullies. We sat huddled together praying, and cursing 'our' stupidity (although I was solely to blame). Few minutes passed and we hoped that they'd lost interest. After waiting some more time to give them a headway at finding something else to engage their fancy, we decided it was safe to move.
Just then I saw those dreaded headlights appear in the mirror again. To say it was intensely distressing would be putting it mildly. We did the only thing that occurred to us. We ducked out of view.
In retrospect, I think it would've been more sensible on my part to have removed the seat belt before doing it, cause not only was it highly uncomfortable but more because viewing a seat belt hanging in mid air is not common place. They passed our car and reached a dead end. Reversed, and slowly glided back.
We had every saints name (living or dead) on our lips. Just then, my phone beeped to life with a text message and the interior of our car lit up. My bestie nearly fainted with tension.
Luckily for us, the guys must've figured that we didn't like their game (that had gone form Tag to 'Peek a boo' in the last 20 minutes)... They left us alone but not before honking repeatedly and making us jump outta our skin.
In any case, after waiting some more time and ensuring that they'd gone for good, we made our way home quietly. It was only after reaching the safety of her room that the gamut of emotions came loose.
I know it's something we're all taught by our elders. Don't stay out late; Keep someone informed of your whereabouts always; and most importantly, don't do anything on an impulse. I've most certainly learnt my lesson.
I don't care if I'll never know that a flyover looks like a freeway at night, or that you can introspect best on an empty road. At this point, the only way I understand those things is: That they spell TROUBLE.
My advice to anyone who wants to take it. Stay home and stay safe. Better sad than sorry!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Viva Forever :)
This blog entry is dedicated to all of my besties, who patiently go through my entries (even the ones who don't!) and are nice enough to give me their feedback and sweet comments :)... I'm also dedicating it to them because they've taught me a helluva lot and most importantly to not judge a book by its cover. If I hadn't done that with this precious bunch, I'm convinced I'd be in a loony bin counting the hair on my head or something as insane.
Disclaimer: If I haven't mentioned some of my pals in this entry, it's not cause I love them any less, just that I didn't get off on the wrong foot with 'em like I did with the others. Either way, I love the whole lot!
In the order of when I met them:
1) Anisha Lalchandani (aka Anu): We studied in the same school for 14 years and knew of the other's existence for just as long. Strangely, we were barely acquaintances for the first 12. Maybe because we belonged to diametrically opposite "groups" and were too stupid and shallow to make friends, but we never managed to hit it off as kids. I also remember having the most obnoxious impression of her. I thought she was a clumsy, loud mouthed annoying pain in the neck. Turns out, I was wrong. I was the prissy, hoity toity, stuck up git. (Note to pal: I can't thank God enough for what made us friends in class XI and XII Anu. Dunno what I'd have done without you!)
2) Evita Nathan (aka Ewwi Kiwi): Our story is similar to that of Anu's and mine. But it's a little worse off because Evi and me had been neighbours since time immemorial but only became thick pals 6 years ago. We didn't have anything to do with each other all through school and only got around to being courteous while in junior college. Again, I'd had my preconceived notion of her being a bully and rowdy kid; someone I had to steer clear of. Hence we never talked. But I was wrong here too. She'd actually just been a naughty kid all along while I was touted as being haughty! (Note to pal: You can't blame me for avoiding you back then, Kiwi. You once tied the laces of my shoes together to trip me!)
3) Vineetha Rao (aka Inne, Pinne, Chinne, Skinny): I distinctly remember Vinne and me being batchmates (in school) for a long time, but never classmates. I have one very clear memory of her when we were in class III. She'd laughed at one of my jokes and I'd thought she'd be cool company to hang around with, if only we weren't in different classes. What was worse was that she belonged to a different 'house'. (Our school had 4 houses which were perennially at logger heads) This meant it was all the more difficult to be besties then. The taboo!
Later when we met in college, we didn't become bosom buddies pronto. I got around to knowing her gradually but was glad as hell about the interests we shared in common. (Note to pal: I think the conversations we had after my trip to Pondy is what got us started inne :) )
4) Roshini Shahani (aka Lo): She's another St. Ann's product and it strikes me odd for the fourth time, how we were barely on first name terms with each other. She was the cute quiet kid whose cheeks everyone loved pulling. I'd pull 'em too, but only cause I was expected to. Herd mentality at its best!
Lo and me were extremely different back then. (We still are now, but the dissimilarities are less glaring) She was the cherub who didn't know the spelling of 'fight' and I was like a bull waiting to charge in comparison.
When we met in college for the first time after years (she had quit St. Ann's in middle school) and she didn't recognise me. It didn't go down too well with my big fat ego and I swore not to have anything to do with her. Wrong again. One month later, we were benchies and besties like no one would believe. (Note to pal: But I still can't get over the pencil box you owned in class V which said 'Back to school!' Really!!!)
5) Karuna Jainpalli (aka Kroony): I've my conscience clear about not interacting with her any sooner, simply cause we weren't in the same school (!). But other than that I'd like to kick myself for having a mental picture of what she was really like, even before knowing her.
When I saw her in college, I put Kroony down as a simple yet no-nonsense Telugu speaking girl. She always wore crisp salwar kameezes with the dupatta pinned at the shoulders, and had her long hair neatly tied in place. A little too serious for an 18 year old, I thought. But I was wrong, I was wrong, I was WRONG!
I haven't met anybody (our age) who is as well informed, balanced and easy going at the same time. She even has a terrific sense of humour. There are times I can't thank my stars enough for sending her into all our lives! (Note to pal: Bless you for going with us on the trip we took in the IInd year!)
6) Renu Suresh (aka Mummy): I was always Daddy's lil girl as a kid. Mom was the rules and regulations setting matriarch whom I was a little scared of. I never thought I could be best friends with her till I turned 13. I'd shared my first off colour joke with her and she laughed. It broke the ice between us and we haven't looked back since. (Note to mom: I couldn't think of NOT having you on this list ma, you're the best ever!)
So there you go, the moral of the story! Don't jump to conclusions about people too soon. Don't have a 'mental picture' about them and don't for the life of you be closed to who they might really be. Giving people time is the most important thing... If you do, you might get lucky and find yourself a precious bunch of friends. Just like I did. Hallelujah! :D
****************************************
Since the last time I wrote, I have to make two more entries. But as of now, I'll stick to writing just one.
7) Arpan Kumar Das : Short, puny and very harmless looking. But the illusion lasts only till he starts talking. Chotu, as I fondly call him, is a brother, bestie and my adopted kid all at once. I can't think of any guy I've hit it off as well with, as I have with him.
When we first met, I (as is always the case with me) didn't think much of him. Wrote him off as one of those "smart" Bengali boys one doesn't interact much with. But now again, I stand corrected. In a matter of weeks, I figured that although we didn't have a lot in common, we were VERY similar. In retrospect, I have never in my 23 years of existence thought that one could gel so well with someone, and yet not like them in the romantic sense. But that's precisely what happened.
Chotu's certainly in my list of buddies whom I thank God for very religiously. And he's also in a list of people I'm very protective and possessive of. All in all, he's my crazy sweet kid brother who reads me like a book and who I know is always there for me. Just a phone call away :)
Disclaimer: If I haven't mentioned some of my pals in this entry, it's not cause I love them any less, just that I didn't get off on the wrong foot with 'em like I did with the others. Either way, I love the whole lot!
In the order of when I met them:
1) Anisha Lalchandani (aka Anu): We studied in the same school for 14 years and knew of the other's existence for just as long. Strangely, we were barely acquaintances for the first 12. Maybe because we belonged to diametrically opposite "groups" and were too stupid and shallow to make friends, but we never managed to hit it off as kids. I also remember having the most obnoxious impression of her. I thought she was a clumsy, loud mouthed annoying pain in the neck. Turns out, I was wrong. I was the prissy, hoity toity, stuck up git. (Note to pal: I can't thank God enough for what made us friends in class XI and XII Anu. Dunno what I'd have done without you!)
2) Evita Nathan (aka Ewwi Kiwi): Our story is similar to that of Anu's and mine. But it's a little worse off because Evi and me had been neighbours since time immemorial but only became thick pals 6 years ago. We didn't have anything to do with each other all through school and only got around to being courteous while in junior college. Again, I'd had my preconceived notion of her being a bully and rowdy kid; someone I had to steer clear of. Hence we never talked. But I was wrong here too. She'd actually just been a naughty kid all along while I was touted as being haughty! (Note to pal: You can't blame me for avoiding you back then, Kiwi. You once tied the laces of my shoes together to trip me!)
3) Vineetha Rao (aka Inne, Pinne, Chinne, Skinny): I distinctly remember Vinne and me being batchmates (in school) for a long time, but never classmates. I have one very clear memory of her when we were in class III. She'd laughed at one of my jokes and I'd thought she'd be cool company to hang around with, if only we weren't in different classes. What was worse was that she belonged to a different 'house'. (Our school had 4 houses which were perennially at logger heads) This meant it was all the more difficult to be besties then. The taboo!
Later when we met in college, we didn't become bosom buddies pronto. I got around to knowing her gradually but was glad as hell about the interests we shared in common. (Note to pal: I think the conversations we had after my trip to Pondy is what got us started inne :) )
4) Roshini Shahani (aka Lo): She's another St. Ann's product and it strikes me odd for the fourth time, how we were barely on first name terms with each other. She was the cute quiet kid whose cheeks everyone loved pulling. I'd pull 'em too, but only cause I was expected to. Herd mentality at its best!
Lo and me were extremely different back then. (We still are now, but the dissimilarities are less glaring) She was the cherub who didn't know the spelling of 'fight' and I was like a bull waiting to charge in comparison.
When we met in college for the first time after years (she had quit St. Ann's in middle school) and she didn't recognise me. It didn't go down too well with my big fat ego and I swore not to have anything to do with her. Wrong again. One month later, we were benchies and besties like no one would believe. (Note to pal: But I still can't get over the pencil box you owned in class V which said 'Back to school!' Really!!!)
5) Karuna Jainpalli (aka Kroony): I've my conscience clear about not interacting with her any sooner, simply cause we weren't in the same school (!). But other than that I'd like to kick myself for having a mental picture of what she was really like, even before knowing her.
When I saw her in college, I put Kroony down as a simple yet no-nonsense Telugu speaking girl. She always wore crisp salwar kameezes with the dupatta pinned at the shoulders, and had her long hair neatly tied in place. A little too serious for an 18 year old, I thought. But I was wrong, I was wrong, I was WRONG!
I haven't met anybody (our age) who is as well informed, balanced and easy going at the same time. She even has a terrific sense of humour. There are times I can't thank my stars enough for sending her into all our lives! (Note to pal: Bless you for going with us on the trip we took in the IInd year!)
6) Renu Suresh (aka Mummy): I was always Daddy's lil girl as a kid. Mom was the rules and regulations setting matriarch whom I was a little scared of. I never thought I could be best friends with her till I turned 13. I'd shared my first off colour joke with her and she laughed. It broke the ice between us and we haven't looked back since. (Note to mom: I couldn't think of NOT having you on this list ma, you're the best ever!)
So there you go, the moral of the story! Don't jump to conclusions about people too soon. Don't have a 'mental picture' about them and don't for the life of you be closed to who they might really be. Giving people time is the most important thing... If you do, you might get lucky and find yourself a precious bunch of friends. Just like I did. Hallelujah! :D
****************************************
Since the last time I wrote, I have to make two more entries. But as of now, I'll stick to writing just one.
7) Arpan Kumar Das : Short, puny and very harmless looking. But the illusion lasts only till he starts talking. Chotu, as I fondly call him, is a brother, bestie and my adopted kid all at once. I can't think of any guy I've hit it off as well with, as I have with him.
When we first met, I (as is always the case with me) didn't think much of him. Wrote him off as one of those "smart" Bengali boys one doesn't interact much with. But now again, I stand corrected. In a matter of weeks, I figured that although we didn't have a lot in common, we were VERY similar. In retrospect, I have never in my 23 years of existence thought that one could gel so well with someone, and yet not like them in the romantic sense. But that's precisely what happened.
Chotu's certainly in my list of buddies whom I thank God for very religiously. And he's also in a list of people I'm very protective and possessive of. All in all, he's my crazy sweet kid brother who reads me like a book and who I know is always there for me. Just a phone call away :)
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Four letter word.
I cannot fully get over the fact that I'm not a kid anymore. A part of me still believes I'm not a day over 8 (that might explain my IQ, or lack thereof) and a part of me refuses to acknowledge the fact that I can be officially referred to as an 'aunt' by tiny tots. Now I'm not saying I'm an old hag or anything, but it's just being typecast or belonging to the same bracket as the a fore mentioned that gives me the creeps.
In the past when I had been mistakenly called an aunt, I was just short of acting homicidal. I remember a 11 yr old boy calling a 16 yr old me that. He only just got away with his life. The God fearing child must've believed that faith can move mountains in preventing me from lunging at him. Too bad I WAS the mountain then! (owing to my build). In anycase, I didn't send the lad to Our Kingdom come that day, but I might as well've done. One less person who called me the dreaded four letter word.
But the first time I was called one in all seriousness, was very mortifying. Always being referred to as "ma'am" in the pre school where I worked, it was quite shocking when it happened in class. Gosh, did I feel like the evil witch from the story I was reading to the kids (in wanting to lock 'em up in some exit less tower). Barely had I gotten over the shock of being called thus, than I figured it was the parents who gladly referred to me with the same! "Say 'hi' to aunty!", "Say 'bye' to aunty!"...
Breathing fire to that would be an understatement. I could've given the volcanoes in Iceland stiff competition in refusing to tide over after so many days.
Anyhow, I'm only just coming to terms with the fact now, and resigning myself to my fate of being called 'aunty' henceforth. It's not so bad really. So long as it's that alone...
Okay, I'll be honest. What made me luke warm to it was not tolerating the idea of looking or behaving like one (hell no!). It was being faced with the horror of "mistakenly" called 'Mummy' at school that made me rejoice at just being called an aunt. I'm glad there's an upside to everything in life. It proves that there is a God up there who makes us count our blessings, and sometimes even moves a couple of mountains into acceptance, whenever necessary :)
In the past when I had been mistakenly called an aunt, I was just short of acting homicidal. I remember a 11 yr old boy calling a 16 yr old me that. He only just got away with his life. The God fearing child must've believed that faith can move mountains in preventing me from lunging at him. Too bad I WAS the mountain then! (owing to my build). In anycase, I didn't send the lad to Our Kingdom come that day, but I might as well've done. One less person who called me the dreaded four letter word.
But the first time I was called one in all seriousness, was very mortifying. Always being referred to as "ma'am" in the pre school where I worked, it was quite shocking when it happened in class. Gosh, did I feel like the evil witch from the story I was reading to the kids (in wanting to lock 'em up in some exit less tower). Barely had I gotten over the shock of being called thus, than I figured it was the parents who gladly referred to me with the same! "Say 'hi' to aunty!", "Say 'bye' to aunty!"...
Breathing fire to that would be an understatement. I could've given the volcanoes in Iceland stiff competition in refusing to tide over after so many days.
Anyhow, I'm only just coming to terms with the fact now, and resigning myself to my fate of being called 'aunty' henceforth. It's not so bad really. So long as it's that alone...
Okay, I'll be honest. What made me luke warm to it was not tolerating the idea of looking or behaving like one (hell no!). It was being faced with the horror of "mistakenly" called 'Mummy' at school that made me rejoice at just being called an aunt. I'm glad there's an upside to everything in life. It proves that there is a God up there who makes us count our blessings, and sometimes even moves a couple of mountains into acceptance, whenever necessary :)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
A few Favourite things with a few Favourite Pals :)
1) Grey clouds, strong winds, loud music and riding on smooth roads!
2) Going for dinners and then having sleepovers. Driving around with the gang till late in the night while singing loudly (and shamelessly off tune) to a favourite song.
3) "Sharing" a large pizza yet getting to eat most of it myself! :P
4) Conference calls and talking all night :)
5) Going on long walks.
6) Laughing till our stomach hurts.
7) Having philosophical conversations.
8) Shopping together!
9) Understanding the pauses and expressions perfectly.
10) Sitting in comfortable silence.
2) Going for dinners and then having sleepovers. Driving around with the gang till late in the night while singing loudly (and shamelessly off tune) to a favourite song.
3) "Sharing" a large pizza yet getting to eat most of it myself! :P
4) Conference calls and talking all night :)
5) Going on long walks.
6) Laughing till our stomach hurts.
7) Having philosophical conversations.
8) Shopping together!
9) Understanding the pauses and expressions perfectly.
10) Sitting in comfortable silence.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
On being Truly Indian.
I must've been 5 or 6 years old when it first happened, but I remember it vividly. I was the only one in a class of 40 or so who stood out from the rest. No, not for being brainy, clever, smart or any of those cool things. Just for giving my mother tongue and 'father tongue' separately.
You see, I hail from a mixed background. I'm part Malayali and part Sindhi. Dad's the South Indian while mom's from the North. Yeah, an absolute cocktail if you must. But try explaining that to a kid. You'll see it isn't quite simple to answer questions on which community they belong to, where they're originally from, and so on. Therefore, as a self respecting child, I did the only thing that made sense. I stated the two tongues separately. Of course, little did I know how amusing it was and that I'd been the butt of jokes!
For the longest time, I remember being quite confused about what to call myself. Malayali, Sindhi, or both. I suppose it was only natural to be a a wee bit confused about it. To be called a stingy Sindhi all my life, or a maverick Malayali. Starved for more choice, really! But that however, wasn't so much of a bother. It was fitting in that really mattered. The Sindhis were snobs and the Malayalis were mad. Which was lesser of the two evils?!
And it's not like I was welcomed with open arms either. I'm no star kid. I don't completely look or behave quintessentially like either party. I'm a mixture there too! Blessed with these hybrid genes, one would think I should have the best of both worlds, and be a beautiful intellectual. Perfect combination of the math brain and good artistic skills; with peaches and cream complexion of the Sindhis and the build of those petite Keralites. Perfect lil damsel you'd think.... Hell no!
God must've gotten a little confused there cause he switched 'em...! I've more than just the sun kissed complexion (sun burnt perhaps!) that fishermen from coastal Kerala might, and the build of a wrestler from some akhada in rural Sindh. I can't do math to save my life and the last thing I painted looked like something my dog relieved himself on!
So anyway, with looks such as mine I'd just earn myself weird stares from Sindhis at school. And as for the Mallu (short for Malayali) brethren, my mannerisms and eating habits were too much for them. The poor things didn't know what to make of their aloo paratha gorging and lassi guzzling friend (while they just pecked at their fish curry and rice)
Hanging out with relatives was even worse. On mom's side we had a few big built cousins who conversed in Hindi mostly, and on dad's side we had a whole bunch of reed thin, high strung nasal ones. 'Aunty' was pronounced 'andy' and 'uncle' equaled 'ungel'. Coconut was called 'cock-unud' and like they always believed, 'boys' will remain 'boo-ee-s'.
So as you can see, I come from a family whose origin is everything but suspect. It's well demarcated right down to my qualities. When I'm a miser, it's the Sindhi in me. When I get moppy, it's the Mallu blood kicking into action. See how well we define ourselves?
All in all, it's great being a mixed breed. I really do enjoy the best of both worlds. The food, culture, the people! We're a unique bunch and I wouldn't for the world of me want to swap with someone from a single community after knowing what fun it is to belong from two. But the best part about not being conventional...? I come from two states but belong to one. The biggest, I'm truly Indian :)
You see, I hail from a mixed background. I'm part Malayali and part Sindhi. Dad's the South Indian while mom's from the North. Yeah, an absolute cocktail if you must. But try explaining that to a kid. You'll see it isn't quite simple to answer questions on which community they belong to, where they're originally from, and so on. Therefore, as a self respecting child, I did the only thing that made sense. I stated the two tongues separately. Of course, little did I know how amusing it was and that I'd been the butt of jokes!
For the longest time, I remember being quite confused about what to call myself. Malayali, Sindhi, or both. I suppose it was only natural to be a a wee bit confused about it. To be called a stingy Sindhi all my life, or a maverick Malayali. Starved for more choice, really! But that however, wasn't so much of a bother. It was fitting in that really mattered. The Sindhis were snobs and the Malayalis were mad. Which was lesser of the two evils?!
And it's not like I was welcomed with open arms either. I'm no star kid. I don't completely look or behave quintessentially like either party. I'm a mixture there too! Blessed with these hybrid genes, one would think I should have the best of both worlds, and be a beautiful intellectual. Perfect combination of the math brain and good artistic skills; with peaches and cream complexion of the Sindhis and the build of those petite Keralites. Perfect lil damsel you'd think.... Hell no!
God must've gotten a little confused there cause he switched 'em...! I've more than just the sun kissed complexion (sun burnt perhaps!) that fishermen from coastal Kerala might, and the build of a wrestler from some akhada in rural Sindh. I can't do math to save my life and the last thing I painted looked like something my dog relieved himself on!
So anyway, with looks such as mine I'd just earn myself weird stares from Sindhis at school. And as for the Mallu (short for Malayali) brethren, my mannerisms and eating habits were too much for them. The poor things didn't know what to make of their aloo paratha gorging and lassi guzzling friend (while they just pecked at their fish curry and rice)
Hanging out with relatives was even worse. On mom's side we had a few big built cousins who conversed in Hindi mostly, and on dad's side we had a whole bunch of reed thin, high strung nasal ones. 'Aunty' was pronounced 'andy' and 'uncle' equaled 'ungel'. Coconut was called 'cock-unud' and like they always believed, 'boys' will remain 'boo-ee-s'.
So as you can see, I come from a family whose origin is everything but suspect. It's well demarcated right down to my qualities. When I'm a miser, it's the Sindhi in me. When I get moppy, it's the Mallu blood kicking into action. See how well we define ourselves?
All in all, it's great being a mixed breed. I really do enjoy the best of both worlds. The food, culture, the people! We're a unique bunch and I wouldn't for the world of me want to swap with someone from a single community after knowing what fun it is to belong from two. But the best part about not being conventional...? I come from two states but belong to one. The biggest, I'm truly Indian :)
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