The 'SO-first year-engineering' look

Ok fine. In 1999, I ragged a junior guy in uni and made him cry.

I was young and foolish. And on a perpetual high about being the only girl in the group of hockey-stick wielding guys I hung out and ragged juniors with.

Am not very proud of it. So don't ask me for details. Those who know, know.

When I related the incident to one of my friends, he asked me, "How on earth did you get away with ragging your juniors? Didn't the fella just refuse to do what you ask him to do? And what would you do if he did?"

I could not answer him at once. But I thought about it later. Pehaps my gang days' experience played a part. Perhaps it's the fact that I showed the authority on my face. The authority of a senior who knows her way around too well. And the fact that sitting in the canteen, you can instantly identify the freshies, they have that certain "SO-first-year-engineering" look, the way they dress, the way they talk, the way they behave, it's easier to intimidate them because they know you know your way around and you know they don't.

Just like the look you can find on the face of 'the contract programmer who flew in from India this morning' or 'the first year master's nerd', there is a typical 'SO-first-year-engineering' look. I suppose I had that look too when I first came to uni. And that look got me ragged too!

Actually, it was never called 'ragging'. They called it 'orientation'. And yes, I was oriented too. Starting with getting severely reprimanded for calling the senior guys "Bhaiya" (elder brother), to being asked to stand on the steps and play antakshari against myself for an hour while the guy who ragged me said, "Am gonna get a coke. You continue singing." And sing I did. Just because he had the "I've been around" look while I tried desperately to get rid of my 'So-first-year-engineering' one.

I was reminded of all this because of something funny that happened in uni today.

I was almost hit on by two first-years.

Could be the jeans and the T-shirt. (This morning, I blacked out again so went for my blood test. Since I did not go to work, I went to uni in casuals.)

Could be the horrifying demographics I saw -- higher number of Indian guys, barely any Indian girls.

Could be the fact that I was working on my assignment in the library where the undergrads go. (I prefer to work there instead of the postgrad one because it brings back memories of my undergrad days.)

Could be the casual shirt I had on top. To protect me from the freezing cold temperature of my classroom. (When I go to uni from office, I usually take a blazer or a shawl.)

Could be the hair. (I had washed it this morn and hadn't bothered to straighten it so it was in its wildest punk glory.)

Could it be that today I had the 'SO-first-year-engineering' look?????

As I stepped out of the library, I heard some shuffling of feet behind. Two Indian guys, both 'SO first-year-engineering'! One of them said, "Main bulata hoon, tu baat kar!" I don't blast music on the ipod so I could hear them clearly. Besides, Jaggu was crooning a very soft number. I heard some more scuffling of feet, and some pushing and shoving as I walked off. As I walked further away from them, I heard the ring of disappointment in the final statement, "Kya yaar..."

I couldn't stop laughing as I walked away.

What if they'd dared to approach me? 18-year-old kids trying to hit on who they thought was another 18-year-old?

Would have been fun.

I'd have made them cry.