Thursday, July 26, 2012

Of chivalry and other things

I've been meaning to post this for some days yet, but, you know, this thing called laziness keeps getting the better of me. I've finally managed to beat it for a few minutes, but it's sure to rise like a phoenix and have me back in its clutches. So, a quick one for the time being...

On Friday evening, a group of us went out for dinner. It was raining, and there were eight of us, with Boy joining us at the restaurant. We started at 6:15, and by 6:30, we were still starting. It was around 6:45 before we could finally sort out the logistics involved, and actually set out.

Now, I was in two minds as usual - my initial plan had been to stay back, but SM had brought her bike that day, and as she has to cross my house on the way to hers, I thought of going back with her. In the end, I decided that I would decide after the dinner was over. And so, I went around carrying my bag with a laptop, the books I was going to read during the weekend, water to drink on the way...

We were four girls, but as SM was taking her bike, SP said the rest of us could come with him in his car. And so, we got in and reached the restaurant. M&SS slipped out of the other door, and I'd put my bag down next to me, trying to decide whether to get down with my bag, or get down first and then take it. And, voila, the door's suddenly being held open. I looked up, and SP was there holding the door for me.

It was a good dinner, and quite a long one too. Starting with the tomato soup, which SP kindly shared with me( as SM&M shared another vegetarian soup), and ending with the belgian chocolate ice-cream, which no-one other than me wanted to order, but everyone including me had a taste of, it was a good evening out.

(On SM's insistence, I pored over the menu card for quite some time. She declared that she'd never eat out with me, as I was 'unadventurous'. As if that is news to me... I told her that in that case, she should meet PM, who likes trying out new stuff.)

As it was close to 9 by the time we finished our dinner, and what with the heavy downpour, I decided to go back to my hostel. SM's mother called her and asked her to stay back as well, so I invited her to spend the night in my room.

We returned to campus the way we came, but as Boy had brought his car, he dropped a couple of people back. SS, M&I got into SP's car, and SS and M got down at the hostel. I came back to the lab, and it was again SP who held the door open for me.

Now, I'm not usually the demure damsel kind, and I really remember thinking, "Wow, an act of chivalry!" I was just telling SM about this, and she agreed that it was 'gentlemanly behaviour'. I'm not normally a fan of the so-called chivalrous acts, and I find that nowadays, I seem to be the one holding doors open for people, and waiting to see them off safely :)

Speaking of holding doors open, why, even MV did it for me yesterday. He sometimes does do what is commonly known as an 'act of chivalry', but well, this, coming on top of SP's was almost too much.

Anyway, looks like my 'free' time is up, only this time, it's not laziness but fatigue and sleep that are beckoning to me.

Goodnight, folks...

Friday, July 20, 2012

Just wondering

So, just wondering...

Is there something called a 'Middle Class'? If so, then what are 'Upper' and 'Lower' Middle Classes? Does 'Middle Class' actually refer to the 'Middle Middle Class'?


Sometimes, I do ponder upon such random stuff...

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Yet another random post

I though of doing just a little post, but, you know, the words just gushed out, and before I knew, the post had grown beyond the couple of lines I initially had in mind. It ended up being yet another of the random-update-posts I seem to be doing a lot of... So, here goes :

***

My friend V is back from a workshop, and he was telling me about it as we exchanged notes on how the place was, when I was there with RS & JP a couple of years ago, and how it is, now.

As I was leaving the room, I suddenly remembered a conversation we'd started some days ago, but which we never got to complete.I asked him about it, and a while later, I was enjoying the breeze, reading with music playing in my ears, and he came there. He told me what had happened.

And then, I realized I had absolutely no recollection of what he was talking about. I can vaguely remember going to the canteen with SM, seeing the group there, and then talking to her about the bus which would be leaving soon. But V tells me I'd definitely heard what ,hmmm, let's call him MG (for now), said. And that it'd made me mad, following which I just made small talk for a couple of minutes before leaving the place. V kept stressing the point that my reaction, and how I looked on hearing that still remains in his memory.

Alas, I don't even remember it. I asked SM if she remembered it, but she said she'd never ever paid much attention to what those people were saying, to have done so on the date in question. Sigh! So much for relying on someone else's memory...

And the song stuck in my head is 'Remember when'... Ironical, no?

***

And if MG had such an opinion, then why bother calling me to say he's leaving? Why even bother about a farewell if it's so much trouble?

***

On a different note, I told Mr.Mercury last evening that I was not his friend. To which he replied that I was his 'dearest friend'. And AS was kind enough to add that that meant I was the dearest friend to a Bong Boy.

***

Last morning, I had tea with my SLR (though I think that now he's become just the LR, what with SM reading my posts too!), and we had a long conversation - much of which was either about books or related to them (which was why I could participate in it!). As we were taking leave of each other, I saw SU coming there. As I wanted to talk to her, I waited by my cycle, and then thought maybe I could go near the shop and see her when she came out. I was just looking around for a moment or two, and suddenly what do I see but SU cycling away :) I didn't even realize when she'd come out!!!

***

Poor JP, I bored him to death last evening - I located him in the canteen, when we started talking, and then we took a long walk till his room. Nearly 20 minutes went in a conversation covering Korean movies and novelettes :D It was only when I remembered that I had a bus to catch that I realized we'd been talking for nearly an hour and a half!

***

Looks like Boy is again missing out on sleep - I was telling him last week that he was looking sleepy (I should know - I am sleepy so much of the time), yesterday he was looking fresh and bright... And now, he's gone back to looking sleepy.

And oh, he looks grown-up nowadays :D

But then, I'm a kinda-fan of stubbles. (Sheesh!!!, as NV would say ;) - but I still feel like a blushing schoolgirl when I say things like this!)

***

And finally...

It was M's b'day yesterday. And NV's tomorrow. So here's sending my wishes to two of the loveliest people in my life.
And two of the few people who take my craziness and try to knock some sense into me every now and then. (Not all the time - they know overdoses can kill)

***

That's it for the time being. Adios, folks!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Revelation

My friends (SM & Mr.Mercury) finally made it clear that I'm no Sherlock Holmes...

Turns out the 'Bong Boy from Physics', is neither Bong nor from the Physics department. He's from the Life Sciences.

I'm now off to rue my shattered illusions...

On the bright side, none of my friends disputed his being a boy. So, that's some consolation that I can at least identify a boy when I see one...

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

A brief note to AS

Thanks for the memories *

- of the trips to Inorbit, Charminar, Necklace road and the Zoo

- of the boat we rode at Durgam Cheruvu

- of the "mouth-ke-beech" walk

- of the Cakes and more muffins & Subway coffees

- of the time you tried to teach me to say , "Ekdum rock chick", with proper style and intonation

- of the trips to the night canteens

- of the time you 'rescued' me at Gops (from my 11 P.M. friend, to refresh your memory)

- of the times you told me how good 'new friend' was, and how perfect he was for me

- of the time you went to Kolkata and returned, but sans a Bong Boy

- of the times spent philosophizing on the terrace

- of the spells and voodoo we used on the Chief Warden

- of the times we spent on campus and beyond it

And thanks also for the name ( Sam, the Real Reader :) )

So much has happened in the past two years since you came here. We were friends and we drifted apart. Maybe that's how it was meant to be, and now we're happy where we are.

All the best for your presentation!

(*- Sometimes, the corniest of books contain the neatest turns of phrases... )

Proclamation to the world

Just for the record, I'm not the Srinivas-garu everyone seems to be looking for. I think I'd know it if I were him, but no, I'm not him.

I'm not the guy who skipped paying his bills. I'm not the one who owes the RTO a lot. I'm not the one who took out a policy with your firm.

I'm just a poor soul who got this phone number as the one I was meant to get had problems with the activation.

And I don't want to spend my life answering innumerable calls and telling people I'm not the one they're looking for. 

And please, whoever-this-number-once-belonged-to, please inform people that your number has changed. And please also be kind enough to settle your bills. Thank you!

Monday, July 9, 2012

Rambling updates

So, on Friday, I dragged N along to meet MS, who was leaving the next day. It's not for nothing that my sense of direction is legendary within my family. But N being very courageous, set out with me. We finally managed to reach the Adyar Anandha Bhavan at T.Nagar (which we would have reached much earlier and without much cost difference if we'd taken an auto the whole way, but then, how can I take an auto, that too, in Chennai?)

While we were on our way, MS called me every now and then, and I kept telling her, "See, we've started", and updates like, "we're waiting for the bus. Just 10 minutes". In between the calls, I regaled N with accounts of MS & her 'escapades', and how once MS was waiting at the beach, and R (our friend) & I were on our way to meet her. We'd been delayed a bit by unforeseen circumstances (like having coffee&snacks in the canteen and meeting our old classmates), MS was there much earlier. As we stood in the bus, R called MS to tell her that we were almost there, we were nearing Santhome. But in reality, where were we? Not even at Adyar :) Needless to say, it was a while before we managed to get MS to calm down...

Given that MS was pressed for time, (and that we'd made her wait a bit ;) ), we got to spend just about 15 minutes together, ten of which were spent in going through her wedding&reception albums while reminiscing a bit and talking about our friends. But, true to form, I didn't let my stomach down, and managed to make time for a rasogolla :)

As my mother later pointed out, we could have happily spoken on the phone for much longer, MS & I. But still, she got a darshan of me. Which should hopefully help her sail through till we meet again...

When we left MS, N&I called my brother, and he said he'd take a while to start from work. We decided to surprise him, and so we went to his office. When he finally came down, we called him on the phone. He asked us where we were, and we said, "Look up, right in front of you", like in the movies. Poor guy...

We went to this restaurant, and I ordered idlis (my usual safe choice), when the waiter asked me if I wanted Kanchipuram idlis. Thinking that those were the huge fluffy ones, I said yes. When our orders arrived, my brother & N both started staring at me to see how I was going to eat. You see, these idlis had a layer of carrot on top. Plus, my brother reminded me that they used curd in the batter. Carrot & curd. Two of the items on this big list of things I don't like.

I somehow managed to finish it, and then realized that my brother had known all along what the food would be like! But, having been satiated, I forgave him.

Saturday took us to Pondicherry, from there to Mahabalipuram via the ECR, then to my aunt's place and finally back home.

Now, if you've been travelling since 7 in the morning, shouldn't you just sit back and relax in the evening? But, no, they just didn't do that. My cousin started playing the video. The Video - the one I'd mentioned in my previous post, taken at my aunt's wedding. That was when the evening's entertainment began.

First, the entry. Spiderman style. Come running from the side, enter the frame, climb on to the stage by hopping on one foot. There. That entry could have been my gymnastic routine...

But thankfully, I was not alone in the entertaining - there was a shot of my brother slapping his head, then dragging me and another cousin somewhere.

Alas, his role was a mere cameo compared to me. Yes, I was back in focus - the priest was handing out the rice with which to bless the couple, and so I'm going around holding my hand in front of me, as if I were begging and saying that noone gave me the rice to bless them with... Fast forward a bit, and there I am, yet again - running and hitting my brother from behind to remind him to continue the fight he was having. And again, on the swing, where I got myself place to sit by (slowly) pushing out the others who were already there.

"Fortune, fame, mirror vain, gone insane but the memory remains "


Anyway, the rest of Saturday and half of Sunday just passed. And I got onto the train. Though how I managed to do it would require a post in itself. Anyway, here I am, trying to convince myself that I'm still awake...

(P.S. I finally called a friend I was supposed to call when I was there - in fact, she'd called me, but I went in for dinner just then and completely forgot all about the call. And when I called her today, she told me that she'd called before having her dinner, as she wanted to shout at me! The girl who once had her head bitten off by calling me when I was hungry seems to be out for revenge! I need protection!!!)

(P.P.S. : I made SM and her friends feel awkward by sitting like a silent sceptre while they were having a long conversation... But then, I usually am like that, even with people I know, so small wonder I lost my tongue with people I didn't really know)

(An update: I forgot to mention the lovely coffee my brother woke us up with on Sunday morning...)

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Of new victims and old sightings

I seem to have found a couple of new victims.

Yesterday, A brought me a book (which I started reading almost immediately, naturally). (SM had just lent me a book a couple of days ago, and I've managed to stick to my resolution of saving it for a soon-to-come train journey.) And then, we somehow got started with PGW, and I promised to lend him some books.

I went home, and it took me quite some work and effort to find the books. I was so happy to find them, that I called A to share the good news with him. (Poor guy, I felt I had to share it with him, and so called him almost thrice, by which time methinks he had no choice but to answer :) ) I called PM &SM too, but was unable to share the good news with them too.

Anyway, fast forward to this evening, when I met SS with her friends. We just started talking of guitars and music, and I left to go back to my lab. They were still around when I returned a while later, and after dinner, we started walking towards the hostels.

SS' roomie had already called her twice, but, by then, we'd started talking books. Ask anyone who knows me how it is when you start talking books to me. Ask M, AP, AM, PM - I have a long (read loooooooooooooong) list of books that I want to read, and a longer(you can imagine how long) list of the ones I've read. Plus it's one of the few topics it's tough to get me to stopped on, once I get going.

(A friendly warning here to anyone who doesn't know me - don't ever get me started on books, music or my brother. Not unless you want to die of boredom. If you still get me started on any of these, well, it's at your own risk. I've warned you, and it's your lookout now)

And so, poor Ms.SS ended up being subject to my "famous"  reading recommendations and finally, I stopped myself and told her I'd mail her about it, or maybe send her the accession numbers of the library books.

And so, naturally, I'm happy. Who wouldn't be, when there's fresh blood around? ;)

Oh, and on another unrelated note, I finally got a darshan of Bong Boy (not to be confused with SRC) today.

It was like this. KM has been helping me a lot, and she's leaving tomorrow. So, she'd come to my lab today, and after a discussion, she was walking back to her lab. As I felt like having some tea (I'd been about to go for one when she came), I walked with her till the canteen. We continued our discussion over chai (though to be precise, only I had chai), when I perceived Bong Boy at another table.

Now, who's this Bong Boy and why am I making such a big deal out of him, you might ask. Well, Bong Boy is well, a boy. Using almost Holmes-like (the Sherlock one, not the Katie) powers of observation, I've concluded that he's a Bengali guy. Studying Physics. I don't know when or why I concluded that, but I have.

I've been wanting to verify my deductions for a while yet, but there's a slight glitch there. You see, I have no clue as to who he is. I once pointed him out to Mr.Mercury, in the hope that he'd identify a fellow-Bong. But no, our beloved Mr. Mercury turned only after the Bong Boy had left, and then he shouted out to me, "Is this the Bong Boy", or something to that effect.

Short of going up to the fellow himself, I can't think of any way to see if I guessed right. I somehow don't fancy going to a practical stranger and asking, "Are you a Bong Boy from the Physics department?" And the fact that he's never seen alone also puts a spanner in the works :)

Anyway, I'm not desperate to get the verification. I have other things on my mind.

Like the cream biscuits in my bag which are now calling out to me and telling me it's high time I left this place and went to them.

See ya! (as A says :) )

(P.S. A friend told me I seem to be 21, and not as old as I really am. I've decided it's a compliment. :) If you think otherwise, well, you're entitled to your opinions :P )


The Entertainer in me - flashback #1

My brother seems to have had a great weekend, with a splendid Sunday. I seem to have played a major role in making the day so. Or rather, my old self was. You see, the present was busy having lunch with friends, and watching Vidya Balan promote Aliva biscuits for almost fifteen minutes without a break. (It felt like, there would VB be, to the right of the screen, saying "...,andar se healthy", and next moment, she'd come in from the left of the screen holding a packet of Aliva in her hands. And this happened over and over again)

So, what did he do, you may ask, that made the day seem so special? Well, he had been to my aunt's place with his wife. Maybe it was one of our cousins who started it, or maybe it was my aunt, I still don't know. But they ended up watching the video of my aunt's wedding.

To set the record straight, I was seven when this aunt of mine got married. (Like Bertie, I too have quite a few aunts, though probably not of the Agatha-type. Most of them are the Dahlia-types :) ) And through most of my school days, I had very short hair. I'll stop the description here. Like the Bean (or was it a Crumpet) once said, there are certain things that one mustn't speak about when gentlemen are present.

Alas, I digress. Anyway, I had no inkling that this is what they were upto, till my brother called me and told me he was watching Spiderman. I was busy getting ready for lunch, so I just asked him if it was so, and put down the phone.

My brother called me again when I was on the bus, and from what he was describing, I thought he'd been watching Jaws.

And then he told me, "Check your mail. I've just sent you a photo." I told him I could see it only later, and asked him what it was about. He then told me that they had, in fact, been watching the wedding video. It seems I was wearing a red T-shirt and blue jeans (hence the Spiderman). And then, as the video progressed to mealtime, it seems I went and stood in front of the camera, with my mouth full of something. And then, probably out of curiosity, it seems I just looked into the camera and came out. (I'm sorry I couldn't describe it better). (Looks like I had a scientific temper even back then ;) )

At this point, it seems everyone fell to the ground laughing, everyone who was watching the video, that is. My brother then said he'd call me later, as he was still laughing so badly.

And when I finally checked my mail, there was this photo my brother had sent me.

Suffice it to say that my parents got their daily dose of laughter. (And so did I, when you come to think of it).

Wow, when you look at it this way, I seem to have been an entertainer even back then :)

That's it for now. Hope I continue to be an entertainer :)

(P.S. Note to self : Remember not to open the mail with the photo without taking sufficient precautions)