Archive for the 'Life as it happens' Category

The lunch that wasnt

Published
by
Rinchen
on November 20, 2008
in Life as it happens
. 2 Comments

A friend called me for lunch yesterday. It was some holiday so it was also a wednesday off from work. I had no plans and was looking forward to a day of pleasant nothingness. Lunching at her place meant a two hour travel but I thought, what the heck - she’s called me early in the morning (at 7:30 am to be precise) and kept asking me to get there as early as possible AND that she’d make lunch. I’m game for free lunches as much as the next person so sure, I was in.

Reached her place by 12 noon and started chatting. Drank two cups of tea (in huge mugs) and was thinking - its nice to catch up after ages. Thats when two of her cousins arrived and she walked off to talk with them.

Leaving me alone, sitting and waiting for a long time AND feeling slightly neglected. Also start feeing hungry around the same time.

“What do you want to have for lunch? Noodles or roti?” asks my friend emerging from nowhere.

I am hoping either of them are already cooked since the last time I looked at the clock, it was already 1 pm.

“Noodles will be fine.” said I. “Its meat noodles, isnt it?”

“Oh you wanted meat, huh? Okay, I’ll tell the cook to chop up some”.

Again, the last time I checked, I was and still am a pure non vegetarian.

So while the cook gets busy, I start wondering whether my friend really mentioned about her making lunch previously or not. This is one of the reasons I do not like sleepy conversations.

The cook finishes his leisurely chopping but the actual cooking seems to have left his agenda way back.

After half an hour of sitting alone while my friend chats on with the cousin in the next room, I am finally fed up and tell her I’m leaving.

“What!! Why??? The cook has already chopped the meat and is about to cook lunch!”

“I dont know… its going to take a lot of time to finish cooking and all…”

“Well, its not as if you tell him to cook and he’ll produce an instant meal in 5 minutes. These things take time!”

***

Well, yeah. Lunch takes time. I know that. I’ve known it all along when I’ve had friends visiting and spent long hours of the morning cooking and cleaning and delivering magnificient five-course meals for them.

But when you travel quite a distance to meet a friend who DID SAY that she’d have lunch ready, you expect her to spend time with you rather than what just happened.

I then made a hurried excuse about visiting my sick aunt in a bid to leave the place without hurting any feelings. (Quick rewrite: Since we’re being honest here, I might as well admit that by this time, I’d made up my mind to catch Quantum of Solace, matinee show)

Its not about the stupid lunch.

Its just that I didnt feel wanted. Maybe she had a lot of things going on which had distracted her already. Maybe she wasnt in a mood to entertain people. Whatever be the case, I didnt write about it to blame her. Plus, I dont want my other friends reading this and me risking the chance of never being invited to any lunch cause I crib about the bad parts in my blog later.

Its just that if you dont want to talk to people, dont call them. If you do, then better treat them as though the Pope were visiting, only with more alcohol offered. Or else, it isnt really worth it in the end.

P.S. If that friend of mine’s reading this (which’s a long shot but you never know), please do remember that I love you and I care a lot for you to be thinking of skinning me alive the next time I visit with - yes, the same cook’s knife!

People can think what they want

Published
by
Rinchen
on October 13, 2008
in Life as it happens and No good
. 12 Comments

I was at the bank sometime back and had nothing to do other than listen in on a most personal conversation between two women, well… due to lack of having anything else to do. They had just finished hugging and greeting each other in such a manner that it was safe to assume they hadn’t seen either in years. In the mean time, a kid kept tugging at one of the woman’s dupatta, wailing about something or the other.

The other, apparently older friend then proceeds to generally fawn over the little dumpling and after getting over with the mandatory cootchiecooing, she turned her attention back to the mother.

“So how many kids do you have? How old is this little tyke?”

“Oh, he’s five. And also an only child”

“Hmm… so you have ONLY one kid?? I guess thats okay too. But I hope you guys are planning to have at least one more kid, you know. After all, you’ve been married for what? Ten years now?”

Embarassed laughter. “I guess we could always try…”

“Yeah, well - you know what people say when you have only one kid…”

What do people say when you have only one kid??? Poor sperm count? That they were apparently lucky that one time and god knows if not for that, they’d be childless and lets not even go to that kind of situation?

This WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK syndrome, which is a common enough topic in India, doesnt just stop at that poor ONE kid. For all we know, its an offense to:

1. Be a spinster/bachelor after 30 perhaps.

2. Have a live in relationship.

3. Be a childless couple.

4. Get separated.

5. Get divorced.

6. Get re-married.

7. What else? Perhaps think for yourself too?

I knew a chronic bachelor who was hounded by matchmakers all over town in the hope that some lucky girl would one day snag him and cut short his freedom. Another friend of mine’s a happy go lucky 38 year old spinster who doesnt mind categorizing marriage at the bottom of her priority list.

P.S. What will people think, eh? Answer in  # 24 of http://ringchen.com/things-about-me

Singtam

Published
by
Rinchen
on September 30, 2008
in Life as it happens and Sikkim
. 18 Comments

You know, you live in a place for about 5 years and it finally and surprisingly grows on you. I know most people assume that I live in Gangtok since I blog from Sikkim. Nope. Gangtok is about an hour further up north from the place I live in, which is called Singtam. When I first joined work and saw, yes with my own two eyes, this… this dump of a place, the only thought I had was - how the hell do people live in a place like this???

The main market was infested with taxis and the temperature was soooo hot that I nearly melted. Gangtok, on the other hand has a divine climate that makes the entire place centrally air conditioned, as my dad used to say. Singtam, on the other hand was filled with vehicles passing through, villagers in their sunday best come out to do their weekly shopping, alleys filled with a peculiar stench that just wouldnt quit, with - ugh - little eating shacks right next to all the dirt. 

Whose number only preceded by uncountable number of booze shops, (to one of which some of us would be loyal customers for life) Maybe the worst piece of news I’d heard about this place was that it was a haven for crimes. Burglary, murder, take your pick. I had made up my mind then and there that I would commute from Gangtok rather than stay in such a place.

Stay, that I did. Made a lot of new friends and neighbours. Visited the police station on a regular basis. Once the institute bus had a major accident with a biker chap and since I was on the bus at that time, I was the witness by default. Another time, a burglary occurred at my new apartment although the theft was recovered the next day itself. So yes, I made a lot of friends at the police station. Psychologically, it made me feel more secure.  

Til date, I dont know a lot of people in town. The ones who know me as Rinchen mam, from XYZ Institute give me warm smiles which probably translates into - please pass my son/daughter/nephew/relative, good lady. I smile back at them and find it amusing that this is such a small place where everyone knows everyone else.

Two people who meet me in the market and dont let me leave are - my former sweeper, safaikarmachari as they’re called these days. Rawat bhaiya goes on and on relegating stories about bhabhi, mine - not his. I always know the next words coming out of his mouth will be - please give her some work in your office. 

The other guy’s the parking ticket collector. Previously I used to dodge such people in the hope of saving 5 bucks but when I found out that he’s my former maid’s brother, I offer him a little cash once in a while. He always wants me to go to his home and meet his sister and her little kid. Oh and he also doesnt give me a parking ticket anymore. Which is nice.

Then there’s my regular shopkeeper who’s always happy to see me. He probably sees dollar signs where I’m standing because he says things like - please come in, madam, come in. Please take anything you want. Its your own shop. His shop’s name is Fruit Shop. So is the next door’s and the remaining shops after that. I’ve never seen a sign board outside declaring the actual name. Strange.

I’ve also gotten used to the temperature by now. It doesnt seem so bad now and I have begun to hate Gangtok’s bitter wintry cold. Somehow Singtam feels more home to me than my actual home of Gangtok. Its not as advanced as the capital city but its a place where everyone knows my name. Thats reason enough for me. I’ve come to love the place I once could not stand. Stranger things have happened.

My dog is no longer my dog

Published
by
Rinchen
on August 20, 2008
in Life as it happens and Winkie
. 13 Comments

She’s a murderer. Or wait, is that supposed to be murderess?? Either way, I will never forget the turn of events on an otherwise ordinary monday morning…

I woke up late so I couldnt take my lab, Winkie out for her usual walk. So I let her outdoors to go do her dirty business otherwise, the house’s guaranteed to be in a stinking mess when I get back home in the evening.

Winkie took off but after a split second, I see her jumping after a chicken which materialized out of nowhere! Standing on my balcony, I didnt bother much cause the stupid dog’s prone to be overtly affectionate towards cats, goats, strays or anything that moves whenever she’s set loose.

However, this time to my horror, both chicken and dog dive headfirst into the bushes and after what seems like major struggling concealed by the plants, Winkie emerges with what looks like a dead chicken in her mouth.

I called or rather, screamed at the stupid dog (in ultrasonic frequency) to come home and she does, with her prize in the mouth. So thats how a highly idiotic dog and a chicken-that-was-breathing-faintly ended up in my living room while I was struggling to keep myself from screeching in (again) horror.

I called the cook and told her to oh-my-god! please, please-take-the-chicken-out-to-the-balcony but the moment she did, Winkie attacked it and snapped its neck, it seems.

We shut the dog and its hunt in the balcony, thinking wtf, she might as well eat it there but when I checked after 15 minutes, nope she was licking it instead. Guess she didnt know how to eat it, feathers and all.

So the cook got busy dressing the chicken and cutting it up after which I cooked it up with Winkie’s food. After meal time, all that was left behind was a clean plate and a lip smacking dog.

You know, I’m beginning to look at my dog differently now. She’s no longer going to be beaten with the same intensity that I used to before. I’m suddenly afraid of my own dog and I finally understand now why people cross the street when they see Winkie coming.

Connected

Published
by
Rinchen
on July 31, 2008
in Good things and Life as it happens
. 4 Comments

I finally got a broadband connection at home. The lady who installed it at my home was pretty sweet. I know this cause I bugged her for three days non-stop and even then she didnt seem to get pissed at all. I admire people who have that level of patience with anyone.

Ah, my poor blog. Let you be neglected no more.

What was left unsaid

Published
by
Rinchen
on July 27, 2008
in Life as it happens
. 5 Comments

You poor thing, you. You have been nothing but supportive of me no matter which mood I was in. You have lent a patient ear to my tantrums as well as outburts like any faithful partner would. Yet I take you for granted and do not appreciate how much you mean to me.

Before you came into my life, I used to find it difficult to channelize my emotions, let alone categorize them. You have been a constant source of joy and are now completely indispensible to me. Sometimes I wonder how I used to cope with life before this.

I do not question your loyalty yet I do not acknowledge you in public. That is why I want to wish you a happy anniversary, even though I am late in wishing you this. One year and still going strong - may this journey continue till you get tired of me or I have no more posts to write about, my dear blog.

(P S: I hope this means I am off the list for a bad blog owner award)

What I did today

Published
by
Rinchen
on July 24, 2008
in Life as it happens
. 2 Comments

I’ve been having a hard time accessing the internet these days. The folks at my office have finally gotten wiser to the fact that people spend more time surfing the net than doing their work. So there’s this drastic measurement of blocking all fun sites, although some were too much fun (for a few; and heck not me) if you know what I’m talking about.

So that was that. And I finally decided that I should stop relying on office for entertainment purposes and get an internet connection at home. The snag is that there’s only one source providing 2 MBPS superspeed; BSNL is all you need. Rest of the service providers are still in the dark ages of dial up connection. So thats how I finally got a land line connection today. I can tell Preity Zinta, for one would be pleased about this.

Going by what the BSNL office’s told me, it’ll take a couple of days more to get a broadband connection whenever that is. And anyway, I’ve resoved to get an internet connection at home or prepared to die trying. It says so on my twitter badge.