Vanity scare

It is a strange situation when people tell you who you remind them of. I mean not just “ hey you looks so much like your father/mother” but when they compare you with some public figure. Apart from appearing downright silly and thoroughly embarrassed I can’t deny that any such comparison does appeal to my vanity as I quickly pass my fingers through my naturally highlighted hair, flutter my lashes and tilt my head that little bit which makes me feel I look very lady like. But of course comparisons rarely have such happy endings, there are lots of figures out there in the public eye who you would rather not look like, which strangely brings me to the last lecture of the course that I was teaching last semester.

As the last lecture of any course nears its end, specially one having a large class, besides feeling a sense of huge relief and complete exhaustion there is this heavy feeling that I get. In response to, perhaps the realization that it is all over, forty-odd hours spread over three and a half months of interacting with each other. It is a funny thing, this togetherness.

Anyhow, walking down the corridor I was flipping through a bundle of little notes which I used as a quick weekly feedback in which students wrote what they understood, what they didn’t and anything else they wished to convey. So this was the last bundle that I had in my hand. Some comments were unbelievably sweet, some were nice and then some very matter of fact. Reaching my office I put the last lecture notes in the drawer and sat down with a loud thump. Reading the second last note which was the sweetest so far, I was all choked up and so very close to getting all weepy, all that was needed a gentle nudge in the right direction. Very expectantly I flipped to the last note. The last line read out: by the way you remind us of Jenice of ‘friends’. I just couldn’t help it and burst out laughing loud. My vocal chords ready to produce the weepy sound earlier got totally confused by this sudden change in emotion and ended producing an absolutely perfect hysterical laugh which Janice would have been very proud of.

Mindlessness and all

The rate at which I distribute a piece of my mind these days, I am worried I will be left with none of my own. I am not alone it seems, after work RRS and I sit and discuss over tea and cake who all got a piece from us but of course I seem to be leading way ahead. The other day this discussion got interrupted by a strange request from a person who is most certainly not our best friend. After a little deliberation it was free for all. United we stood with pieces flying left, right and center. In the end RRS wasn't sure if I had been too generous after all. In any case what was gone was gone. At such times I sit and wonder, why people have to be themselves and why don't they just let us be.

Identity in crisis

Somewhere near madhya kailash this morning:
RRJ: spells out a name: M..... V.E.R.M.A
RRS: hmm.... sounds like a malayali name.
RRJ: yes, she told me she is malayali
RRS: and what did you tell?
RRJ: I am englisher

Portrait of a mother

This is how I appear to my son .......