ROCKIN'...

So there we were, two and half madrasis and a half northie, partaking of that quintessential madrasi rite of evening filter coffee...when some creature pops up and tells us, “Excuse me. But you look like rocking people” Gee, thanks! Really needed your endorsement.

It continued, “My friend over there says you are wearing really cool outfits…owns a shop….blather blather…I’m a musician…..a rocker...blather….going to be a pre Christmas concert here in the market area. Would you like to come?....blather…and then it went back to its table.

A little later, we were joined by a friend, making it one and half northies at the table, when all of a sudden the thing came back and started about the concert again. suddenly it did a doubletake and said, "you're new" to our northie addition. "are you from madras? no? then you must be from pindi". He just refused to listen when he was repeatedly told she was from Delhi. Suddenly he says, "Paul McCartney and John Lennon....you do know who they are?....blather....prudence....love ya”. Phew and finally it went away.

Middle aged men who wear what they think are hip clothes (shorts, tee and unbuttoned shirt!) and spout drivel about music to try and chat up random people are beyond pathetic. And this was a terrible specimen…just his choice of venue in chatting up women….a woodlands type restaurant? What is wrong with this creature?

Thank God for strong filter coffee that sustains one through such ordeals.

Encounter with the parallel me...

I got a missed call from me.

Yup! It showed the caller as me. And when I looked at the number, it was the same as mine except for one digit. So I called the number and was told it was switched off. Then I got someone else to call the fake me, and it showed up on her phone as calling me though my phone didn't ring!

Hence, have decided that a parallel universe me was reaching out. The other explanation floated was GOD, which is an unacceptable theory for an atheist. So, I'll go with a matrix like parallel universe concept....complete with glitches in the matrix that allows for such bizarre occurrences.

Number crunching...

Phew! Had a most exhausting day of doing nothing productive...ran around getting signatures and filling up forms for the trip I took to singara Chennai. Considering I was returning a fair chunk of money, it should have been simple but no...had to get signatures from departments who were not really concerned with my trip. All I can say is...

BUREAUCRAZY!

Skirmishes…

It’s a war zone here…each of us has our own bunker (where we hide our heads like ostriches) – our computer screens with headphones on and music playing. We have become so entrenched in our bunker that we communicate with neighbours through the wonders of GTalk.

All this to avoid being bereted! Had a close call today…managed to escape after a brief skirmish. Snack time is a dangerous one. It’s when our guard is down and we are ready to venture out for forage…and there is the beret waiting to pounce!

The status czar...

Google is addictive, especially GTalk.

The past few days, a few of us have been on GTalk quite a bit, all the while sitting next to each other in office. One of these people has been dubbed the status czar. She loves to keep tab on everyone's google status and quiz them on the story behind it. Perhaps she's polishing up her reporter's inquisitiveness skill?

She's such a czar, that I'm constantly on my guard about having ambiguous status messages! Have to avoid that at all costs! Not that it stops the czar from querying.

Assumptions, assumptions…

We love to assume…sometimes its justifiable but usually its because some neuron gets zapped and we decide that something is just so, in spite of a lack of evidence or even evidence to the contrary.

I overheard a conversation on adoption and genetics. There are actually people who think that you can ascribe bad behaviour and attitude to genes and conveniently forget the bearing upbringing has on a person's pysche. Of course, good behaviour (whatever that may be!) on the other hand is invariably considered to be due to a good upbringing.

Then I had someone assume I smoked...just like that, for no particular reason. Me being a non smoker and a strong anti-smoking soul, got miffed and with clenched teeth retaliated.

Still, it rankles.

All I can say is that some peoples' neurons are zapped beyond repair. Perhaps parochialism and illogical thinking are genetic too.

Lost and Found…Agra

2:00 a.m. “A station has come. Is it Agra? Go and see. Everyone! Get ready”. “Oh, its not Agra”. Imagine this conversation going on endlessly for over 4 hours! This was the nightmare I was in on the train back to Delhi. A gang of Tamilians were all geared up to hop off at Agra but the train being late they had to wait till 7:00 am to actually hop off. In the meantime, they repeatedly disturbed me (and no doubt others) by having this circular conversation, interspersed with side dialogues on the inadvisability of having tea as they might miss Agra!

I’ve never been to Agra and have always wanted to visit…..though right now I don’t think I will cos I’m sick of the place! Why cannot people get off trains without waking the entire world up? This was as bad as the two old men who discussed the relative merits of various idli places in Bangalore and Madras, on the night train between the two cities, till way into the night or rather early morning!