Encounters of the strange kind
There is something peachy, bright and encouraging about weekday mornings. EXACTLY why you shouldnt have to the make meaningless conversation with another human at that hour!
It is my morning ritual. I step out for work, lock my door and walk to the bus stop planning which album to play on my iPod. I add songs on a regular nightly basis, and the test run happens the next morning. Oh, how I wait to reach the bus stop, plug in my earphones and have my quiet time with my music! I treat it as a small consolation for having to wake up and go to work, morning after terrible morning. However, the growing frequency with which I bump into people I know, either on the bus ride to the train station, or on the train, is becoming mildly irritating. Here's the thing: once you meet someone on the bus, who happens to be headed in the same direction as your office, at what point can you cut off the conversation and start listening to your iPod again? Can you just exchange pleasantries for few minutes, and then stand at the same station, get on the same train and not pretend to know each other? Can you actually tell this person who is just an acquaintance, that you are dying to listen to Oral Fixation 2? Apparently that is not very polite. Gosh. Damn politeness!
Yesterday morning: I get down from the bus and walk up the stairs to the train station. Random stranger waves in my direction. Since I dont know him, I assume he is waving to someone else. I continue humming 'La Tortura' and keep walking. Random stranger taps me on the shoulder. Uh oh. *remove earphones*
Stranger: Hi, how are you?
Me: Not too bad. But I'm sorry, I cant place you.... *hopes stranger is put off enough to vanish into thin air*
Stranger: Oh, I am NerdBoy (actual identity has been presevered for... for... for no particular reason :p )
Me: Ohh... right. How are you? Where are you working?
NerdBoy: I am working for -kickass IT firm-. Are you still working for -modest leetal bank-?
Me: *gosh, how does he remember where I work when I dont even remember his face!* Oh.. ya.. I am still working there. Glad you remember. *stupid smile*
Truth is, once I heard his name, I remembered who he is. He was a topper in university who everyone talked about. I had heard his name from a gazillion friends. But I really dont remember ever ever ever meeting him! I have no idea how he knows me, or remembers where I work, because I have no recollection of that face. And I aint bad with faces, I'd have ya know. I was quite a nobody in university, and he was Somebody. And now I almost feel guilty for not remembering him, or being interested in making conversation with him. Bad me. Anyways, after exchanging all the information, and knowing that he was headed in the same direction as me, I switched off the music and made 20 minutes of useless conversation, just because he remembered me.
See, I can be nice sometimes. Almost.
posted by Casablanca at
11:37 AM
13 Comments:
yay, phirrssst one to message.
Polite, annonying, social conversations piss the friggin shit out of me.
My strategy usually is, do the pleaseantries and put back the earphones and when they speak, pretend not to hear.
it works and how :-)
The blessings of being unpopular... these things hardly ever happen :D
Acquaintances are such irritating things..
Don't make eye contact. And even if you aint listening to your ipod, just plug in them earphones and have this far-away vacant, glazed look in your eyes. If that doesn't work, then just be nice and talk to them. :)
Well, you can carry a split pair of earphones and offer them.
And you can also make a conversation meaningful. Pry and ply for info. Trust me. Info is power. :-)
Anyway, men tend to remember the females better than vice versa.
I don't think it's impolite to just exchange pleasantries for few minutes, and then carry on as if you don't know them much. But then again, what do I know about politeness.. or meeting acquaintances on public transport?
wats up on sat hon? wat desi party?? err... desi party ya daaru party?? :P
Okay okay will shut up :D :D
TGIF!! YAY!!
Once Again,
See, I am so much more polite than you. Which is why I wont die alone and fat, with a burnt nose :D :D
Anshul,
Yeah yeah... I so knew you'd say that :p
DC,
Especially in the mornings. Sigh.
WT,
He tapped me on my shoulder. What was I supposed to do?!
Jingu,
Oh c'mon, dont make a gender issue of this. We remember very well. Infact I am good with faces. I am, I am :p
Cowlick,
I remember once in your post you wrote about meeting this old indian guy on a tram in melbourne. Am I right?
Aparna,
Bhangra Night at Le Baroque this saturday. And now you owe me dinner :p
That was damn polite. Bravo!
you can be nice.. :)
SS,
Thank you, Wise One :)
San,
You said it!
yeah yeah.. but I didn't know him. He was a stranger. So I didn't have to talk to him in any case.
ps: have you been taking memory capsules?
Cowlick,
LOL. Does one need memory capsules for remembering people's faces and blog posts? :)
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