No comments

I don't mean the comments on this blog.

When you ask someone for their opinion, some people like to say "No comments." Some of these some people actually have nothing to say, positive or negative. Some others of them are being kind by not saying anything bad. I think its worse than saying the bad stuff. Don't say anything. Don't say 'No comments' either. Somehow it seems to carry with it an implicit displeasure. Or am I just imagining things. Because when they say so, I assume they're saying it because of factor 2 : not wanting to say anything bad. Naturally then I must assume something is bad. Then I must wonder what exactly is. You could've told me directly for the same results. But then of course, you've safely exitted the scene by the time the realisation occurs to me. :)

But then again, you might have nothing to say, either. Who's to know!

Peeved.

I'm peeved.

- At love songs that claim that 'tere liye jaan de doonga' or 'I would give up my life for you' for the Hindi-impaired. Thoughts like this are what take the (stupid) people in love to another standard of stupidity. Note, only the already stupid ones. And no, its still not okay.

- At fairness creams and ads that claim that:

• You will become (very) fair within X days. That's a good thing..even if it scares the people around you, because some such people who became fair are known to have begun glowing in the dark.
• Once you become fair, you will:
• win dancing competitions
• ..be spotted at the local talent hunt (on account of the new-found fairness: who can miss the face that emits light. In other words, how can you avoid the face that..)
• ..win the leading role in a movie which will doubtless be successful, and then of course with the fame you get, you can go back to your first love - theatre.
• ..or win the love of your life (who will presumably be willing to give up his life for you, now that you are all fair, of course.)

Beauty. Happiness. Peace.

I saw the most beautiful child today. I was driving, and passed by the slum that lies on my regular route. This child was about five years old, traces of mud on her face. Dry, brown locks of hair, fell carelessly over her face. And through the dirt I saw her eyes. Shining. She walked with an air of owning the world, that was only endearing, to say the least. A little child with so much presence. In retrospect, I shouldn't find it so surprising. She was surrounded by people who laughed with her. Who shared the same confidence. The same air of contentment. Or did they? They teased each other and played around. Whenever I pass by them, there's always some gathering that is laughing about something, so preoccupied with each other's lives they are. Not once have I seen just a family by themselves. They're always together. Little ones sitting together, oiling and combing each other's hair. Women carrying buckets across the road that divided their housing. Men. Engaged in conversation. Laughing, chatting. And festivals, they bring on another different level of merrymaking in their lives.

Atleast thats how it seems from where I see them. What thoughts went behind these faces bronzed by the sun, I wonder. Was it the same everywhere? Is it like we see in the movies, where behind closed doors unfold another story of abuse or grief or the unshared burden of responsibility? Lines of worry covered by this bronzed contentment? I hope not. For faces that seem to glow with an inexplicable satisfaction, I sincerely hope not.

What would they answer if I asked them if they were happy?
What would you?

Anticipation

Noun. [an-tis-uh-pey-shuhn]

:)

An emotion involving pleasure in considering some expected or longed-for good event, or irritation at having to wait.

How does it feel to look forward to something really pleasurable and count the days, hours and minutes as the time approaches?
How does it feel if the event does not happen because circumstances change?
How does it feel at the last minute?
How does it feel when it happens? :)

Remember the school trip that was scheduled just after the test? How the night before, you just had to study and get through the hours till you were done with the paper? Even the summer holidays that began just after the final exams of the year. Ah, the elation at walking out of that exam hall.

Me, I get so excited, I can barely think of much else. Even despite the fact that I believe that there is some value in doing what you must in the hours that you are counting. Some satisfaction at a job well done. Some happiness well-deserved. Some pleasure to enjoy without guilt.

Chug on I will now. Who knows when I'll have something to look forward to. :)

The Art of Conversation

There are an infinite number of ways to start a conversation. Only I don't know any of them. As a certain someone says, there are 'different folks with different strokes'. And sometimes you are just stuck with another person alone. What must one do? How must one proceed?

The little kids are the easiest I guess. There are the standard set of questions that are guaranteed to give you returns whether you like it or not.

Which school do you study in? The answer to this one is, more often than not, UKG.
But that is your class. What school?
UKG.
Oh forget it..so who is your best friend? This seems to be every kid's favourite question. It's easy to answer, doesn't require much thought, because everyone has a best friend. Or think that they do. Maybe more than just one. And thus begins Priya, Divya, Karan, Rahul.. Note that as generations progress, there seem to be more names belonging to the opposite sex in this answer than earlier, and well, stranger sounding names.

Then we get to the in-their-teens-and-almost-resembling-adults category. I feel at my egotistic best with these ones. No one admires and respects a 22 year old more than these darlings. You can exhibit so much knowledge about so many things they don't yet know, and still come across as someone they can identify with. So we don't have to talk about them. Seems, however, that I already did.

Category 3: Peers. Same age group. Maybe older. Ah, all the same! There are people here that talk and talk and talk. And there are people who don't. At all. I'm put slightly at ease by the people who smile. It's easier to venture into communication with such people. But the other set that don't smile..and don't talk either. Why? One teeny smile is all I ask of you. Makes life easier for the two of us, seems to me. I think I must research the art of comfortable silences for them.

Again, when I say conversation, there are the normal must-fill-silence questions that I use on a regular basis (with different people!) : Where do you stay? How do you commute? Oh, the traffic.. this usually branches of into enough conversation about traffic, Bangalore, people, etc. to fill the next five-ten minutes. Unless the other person belongs to must-not-talk-or-smile category.

Again, note the difference between having a conversation and being an information market.
Conversation: exploring each other's thoughts, opinions, learning something interesting, getting to know something.
Information market: One party provides the other party with a lot of information. What kind of information? Well, depending on the listener, either interesting facts, uninteresting facts or irrelevant facts. Either way, it is one-sided, and some amount of discretion must be used when in this mode. :)

Well, there you have it, from kids to teens, information shops to he-who
-must-not-smile... a lot more categories waiting to be listed there, but for the fact that this post has gone on too long for me to go any further.