You have 10 new friend request(s)!

“I have 2000 friends.”

Had anyone said this dialogue 10 years back, people would have certified that person insane to be saying that… unless of course he was some famous personality.

But today, you can expect to receive an- “Oh! I have 2100” as an answer.

It’s funny how people claim to be “in touch” or “updated” about what’s happening in the lives of their friends, friends of friends, friends of friends of friends… But rarely care about the person who has been waiting right in front of them for their attention while they are busy texting or commenting on a picture of a friend. I honestly believe that social networking sites have made my strong relationships weak. I can reap hundreds or even thousands of acquaintances online. But acquaintances are what they will remain.   

I can state more than one incident where I got a friendship request from the person I never thought of as a friend. A classmate I never even talked to or someone catching the same bus as me. They want to be just my cyber friends, but friends nonetheless.

In the year 1992 Robin Dunbar, a sociologist posited that 150 is the upper limit of “stable” relationships a single human can have. Then what’s with those hundreds of friend in our friend lists??

I think it’s time to take an about-turn and make the conversations more than just a chat. Compliments more than “likes” and “comments”. And actually smile and laugh instead of typing J or LOL!!

Its weird how to strangers become friends-but even weirder how two friends become strangers.- Unknown

Love thy teacher!;-)

5th September. It never used to be another one of the 365 days a few years back. However with us growing up, this day has lost its charm and furor.  Remembering all my teachers with nostalgia, heres a tongue in cheek take on all my school teachers, tutors and lecturers.

Of all the teachers who have ever taught me, the largest part were good,  some were really admirable and there was some other few, the ones who seem unforgettable.  Itemized below are a few traits of these notable teachers. Some may match up to one of these kinds unadultrated while others may be a hybrid variety of two or  more of them..

Beginning with the nastiest of all,
1.) The distracted teacher

These teachers are forever occupied. They have so many things to be concerned about after all. Your hairstyle, your shoes and socks, your folded cuffs… they’ll worry about everything imaginable to human kind except for the subject they have to teach.

2.) The storyteller

These are the extra talkative ones. “Talkative” is a word allied with students as a rule. But there are some teachers who can outshine their students in gossiping. And here gossip denotes not just the one restricted to the four walls of the staff-room. These teachers will share the happenings of their personal lives with not just their colleagues but every last one. The whole class knows what he/she had in breakfast. And the entire school knows where he/she went for the honeymoon.

3.) The voluntary nanny

They want to know why your uniform is not ironed and who was the girl you were roaming with last evening. However this class is generally obsessed with the personal lives of only their few “pet” students and not the whole class.

4.) The extra focused

I’m fond of teachers falling in this category all in all. They don’t stress about anything other than teaching. They get in, teach and leave. They don’t care about the response, willingness or even the presence of students as a matter of fact.

5.) The time-bomb

No, not the ones who explode. They are the ones who keep reminding you about the days left for your test or exam. They have a biologically fixed to-do list in their head, and a countdown timer as well.

6.) The pushover

These are the easy victims. All you have to do to get a ‘yes’ from them is adulation. You put them on a pedestal and they will happily give the license to even get your boyfriend get in your class. (I know I exaggerated it a bit... but who cares?)

7.) The fashion-monger
They cherry-picked their profession although what they are best at is raving about their last shopping spree and how everyone else lacks fashion-sense. Nine times out of ten, femininity rules this group.
Distinguishing feature- well coordinated dress, footwear, accessories...
Motto- Vanity is fair!

These are all I can think about right now. You can add some of yours. Picking holes in their teachers is every student’s birthright after all!

"My education was dismal. I went to a series of schools for mentally disturbed teachers."
— Woody Allen

My fur/feather buddies

I’ve been begging (literally) earnestly to my family for a pet since donkey’s years and they’ve been turning a blind eye to it. I’d got so accustomed to hearing their knock-back that even though I haven’t changed my demand, I rarely wait for them to respond after my bid for a dog. Usually whenever I have a demand that is vetoed, I go straight off to my sister and we in unison madden everyone by asking them over and over again till the time it’s granted. But in this argument, I was told the very first day that no co-operation should be expected from her side since pets at home were one thing she could just not stand.

But today after I stated my demand for a dog, I got an (certainly) unanticipated and overwhelming reply from Mom, “Okay! But it should be black in color.”

Gosh! Did my ears deceive me? Am I daydreaming? Did she just say yes for me to bring a D-O-G?? It was unbelievable!! Let me confirm it once...

“Black dog, umm... Yeah! That would be ok.” I said just to check if she (and I) has heard it right.

“Yes! Today I’d gone to a place where a priest was saying that a black dog prevents the house from evil eye.” She replied letting the cat out of the bag.

“Oh! That’s what I was thinking, how come this sudden U-turn. Didn’t he say anything about the dog’s breed or the colour of his leash?” I said giggling.

“You want it or not?”

“Of course I do… okay I’m sorry.”

“And get it after this construction work at home is over”

“As you say Your highness. Love you!”

 Saying this I left for my room guffawing about these irrational superstitions. But who cares? I got the permission because of it so I thanked that “learned” priest in my mind and started making air castles linked to the dog. And while planning all that I was reminded of all my previous pets.

The first pet that I can boast of was not exactly mine but still I loved him a lot. It was a white Pomeranian. His name was ROXY. His was at my maternal Granma’s place. We went there every year to spend our summer vacations. I don’t remember very much about him since I was about 7 year old when he was stolen. But yes, I do remember that he was really bland and full of fun. He was a saint and I used to treat him really brutally. I used to ride on his back and move around all over the house. I remember he scratched me once on my forehead, but it was totally my mistake.

After that I remember finding a baby bird in our lawn. A storm had hit our town that night and early morning I went out to see dry leaves speckled all over the place and trees bent sloppily. I notice the baby bird thrown down from the eucalyptus tree and beside it was the strewn nest in which it was very securely dwelling a day back. I called out my sister and we both picked it up in a plastic dish that was meant to be a casserole in our toy kitchen set. We took it inside and mom suggested us to leave it to its own devices for it won’t be surviving for very long. But we decided to pull all the stops to save it. We made a cushioned bed for it and dropped milk with the help of cotton inside its petite beak. We christened it BULBUL. It passed away after 5 days, all the children of our colony shed tears when we buried it in our backyard under the guava tree.

After this I set in motion the idea of getting a dog for me. I requested mom and dad for it and after they refused, one day I asked my maternal uncle to get one for me. I was a spoilt kid by the way and therefore I was in possession of a white two weeks old Pomeranian bitch. I was 11 when she came to our place.  She was really cute and loved by all. After much discussion and arguments, we all settled at the name GENIE for her. But it was evident that the promises I had made to take care of her all by myself had died out. And moreover mom and grandma still hated this idea of having a dog at home. She stayed with us for two years until Mom gave her away to a lady when I was gone with Paa and Didi for my cousin’s wedding. I somehow managed to find that lady’s house and went to visit her regularly. She was very kind and allowed us to play with her and take her for a walk. She gave birth to four puppies a few years later.

After that I’ve never had any pet. Although my sister gifted me a fish pot last year on my birthday but anyone who owns one knows how boring fish are as a pet. So very soon I’ll be having a dog. I’m so excited. Grandma is still squeezing her face at the idea but I know now that the priest has advised, she’ll accept it by all means. I’ll update you guys with the fine points of “my dog” once it’s here. And will be happy to hear from you about your pet stories.

"All of the animals except for man know that the principle business of life is to enjoy it." ~ Samuel Butler