Monday, September 05, 2005

Remember me?

That's it -- I can't take it anymore.

I found out that I will only get my Internet at home set up end of the week. Don't laugh at me but I don't think I can survive such a long no-post drought.

So here's to my friend Banana for her suggestion that I could blog from work after office hours! Simple, eh? Well, not so fast, as I found out! Formatting blog posts using a Mac sucks. And since I am very particular (to the point of being neurotic) about the fonts in my posts, I'll format this later. But for now, I have too much going on up here to hold back blogging :)

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Every year on the 5th of September, I call the principal of my old school and wish him 'Happy Teacher's Day'. The reason why I only call this particular school and not the other five (or was it six?) is that this is the only one where my principal is still there (although most of the other teachers have left). In all the other schools, everyone has moved on.

For the last seven years, my principal had been picking up the phone himself when I called. So today, I was quite surprised when I heard an unfamiliar voice pick up my call. It was probably a clerk or his PA.

I gave him my name and asked for the principal.

"Sir! _______ ka phone hai aapke liye! Singapore se!" I heard him yell.
("Sir, _______'s call for you. From Singapore!")

My jaw literally dropped when I heard that. This chap had just said out my full name! Complete with surname! And I had only given him my first name! (Not to even mention I had no clue who he was.)

Wow. Double wow. It totally totally made my day.

Sometimes, that's all we need to make our day, isn't it?

The fact that someone somewhere still remembers us.



27 comments:

Sahil said...

Hey you're gonna still blog!

That totally made MY day! :)

Neel Arurkar said...

Cool indeed!

Siddhu said...

Old teachers never forget, yaar! Today, I met the vice principal of my college - I told him the uni I was going to, and he immediately said, 'there's this guy who passed out in '98 whose doing his PhD there. Let me get his number for u!!'

Wow! Couldn't believe it... this guy's been around for more than 40 years teachign..:)

Nywy, since u are (were) a teacher, happy teacher's day, ma'am. ;)

Anil said...

Why is your name blanked out? Is Sayesha a piseudonym?

Anonymous said...

wow...that wasnt a longish break ...keep blogging.. :)

PuNeEt said...

Hey that’s so sweet… good to find a post on Teacher’s day… I was searching for one :-)>

So many posts updated on your blog, gosh I missed your quiz also :-(
So disappointing…had a hectic week…had no idea about ur quiz else would have surely chipped in…

So how’s your new place…

Take care… enjoy

Bhavesh said...

mmm.. it does mean a lot to know dat people remember u and that implies dat u do make a difference in peoples lives..!!

virdi said...

arre i know sayesha's full name. sayesha ramalingam manikanthan singh arora. hehehehe...
and happy teacher's day to you too sayesha.. i learnt that reading the post before posting it is a good habit.. so see, you have taught me something and now you are my teacher.. :-)
miss can i go to toilet???
V..

virdi said...

oh and welcome back!!! you wont even give my darling any rest... :-(
V..

Sayesha said...

Sahil,
//That totally made MY day! :)
And that statement made mine :)
Hey, we're going into recursive loop now! :P
(Is that the correct term eh? All you programming nerds out there?)

Neel,
Yeah, it was so cool! I couldn't stop smiling after that :P

Siddhu,
Thanks man :)
Yeah, some teachers remember every single student they taught! :O

Weird Hair Anil,
See Virdi's comment for my full name. (Damn you Virdi!)

Spam,
Yeah man, my next blog post was only supposed to be up next Saturday. But I can't help it yaar! I actually stayed back at work to post this one! Blogging is addictive I suppose! :P

Hey Puneet,
Yeah I was wondering about your absence on the quiz! :P
Koi baat nahin... sometimes we just get so busy... lately I haven't been able to read other blogs too... will catch up in the weekend :)
ps: And oh, am thinking of doing a Part 2 of the pop quiz.


Justme,
You know I'm still so amazed... I mean we all affect each other's lives in certain ways, but some things just stay on in the memories, and resurface one fine day to make our day! :)

Aye Kay,
I know what you mean yaar... ideally I would like to call each of my seven (or damnit was it six?) schools, but there's no one there now who would know me :(

Virdi ke bache,
Tu mere saare secrets out karega... pehle the long hair photo and now my full name! Thanks a lot man. Aage se I won't tell you anything! Hmmph!

And no, you don't get to go to the toilet, that's your punishment! And don't you dare mark your territory on my blog!! :O

ps: Your darlings need exercise to stay in shape man... nothing like a good workout on the keyboard! ;) You should be happy yaar! :)

Bhavesh said...

@ sayesha..
a recursive function is one that calls itself but out here u and sahil are praising each other in a loop..!!
its not a deadlock either.. i just forgot wat terminlogy it is.. need to go back to the basics.. thank god for u i ve realised that i need to brush up my basics before i join my company..

tumne mera holiday spoil kiya.. :(

Sayesha said...

Ooops! :P
Sorry, Justme! Damn programming languages man... they spoil everyone's holiday!

Anonymous said...

Hey Sayesha,
it might just be tt ur principal was probably expecting your call since u ve been doing so every yr, that he might have told some1 to look out for it, in case he missed ur call or sth...tt shows how much he values ur effort

Siddhu said...

A loop is iterative, but recursion is, well, recursive - something that keeps calling itself (usually passing different arguments, values of which are computed at runtime during the execution of the func itself) :-P

P.S: Virdi, how do u manage to find something real funny to say each time? Sayesha, why don't you allow Virdi the sidebar? it would be awesome to read his witticisms without having to click on the Comments box. :D

Siddhu said...

sayesha ramalingam manikanthan singh arora? Are you kidding or something? Hell why am I even asking that question!! I must be retarded :P

Sayesha said...

My my Angelsera,

You almost killed my joy there.
Well, I did consider the possibility that he had asked someone to look out for my call, but I dismissed it because:
1. The guy who picked up the phone sounded really surprised. (Btw, I think I have figured out who it was -- the guy who handles the school fee counter!)
2. If he had been expecting my call, he had all the more reason to not say my surname when he yelled out.

Siddhu,
Gosh, should have never made the Sahil comment. Now I have unleashed the nerds in my friends!

Damn you Sahil. This "Let's-be-nice-to-each-other-for-a-change" thing doesn't seem to be working out too well man! We were better off insulting each other.

//usually passing different arguments, values of which are computed at runtime during the execution of the func itself

Ok Siddhu, that's got to be the nerdiest statement you have ever made on my blog!

//Sayesha, why don't you allow Virdi the sidebar?

If I have the sidebar, Virdi will get lazy and post one-liners. Surely we deserve to read his comments in their full glory? ;)

//sayesha ramalingam manikanthan singh arora?

Yeah, that's my name. Sexy, huh? ;)

Angelsera said...

oops sorry din mean it tt way..I was jus saying it more in the line of "ur principal must really look fwd to ur call"..din mean it as a killjoy!
u b happy girl :)

Anonymous said...

six schools?
u got kicked out so many times and still managed to find a new one to take u in? ;)

Anonymous said...

hey sayesha,
yeah true.it does feel good wen ppl. remember u after such a long time.
hey am a gr8 fan of ur blogs-seriously
hope u continue writing
P.S: cool sirname by the way!!!!!!

Siddhu said...

//usually passing different arguments, values of which are computed at runtime during the execution of the func itself

Come to think of it, that's the nerdiest comment I've ever made. Period. P.S: Psst, why are you usin a C++ style commenting mechanism here?

Hmm...good point. I'l keep opening the comment windows.

And ur name - oh man! terribly sexy!! Hell! Its a lesson in national integration - what with some 6 regions being represented. :)

Bhavesh said...

sexy name... :) can u go abt explaining how u got such a name yaar..?? i ve always seen people v e first name.. middle name and last name.. but soooo many names for one poorr soul.. u got to explain.. next post uh?

Anil said...

//sayesha ramalingam manikanthan singh arora

Virdi informs me in piraivet that there is more to it:
sayesha ramalingam manikanthan singh arora chaturmukhi dabbewali

virdi said...

ok anil's full name is kandanganth anil kumar... and we used to call him CHAPPA in school.. now why CHAPPA?? don't know.. don't care.. he had a girl on whom he was major major senti and we used to call her HANDI.. earthern pot in english.. why?? don't know.. don't care..
the secret is out!!!
V..
PS: anil, ok come slap me... come come..

Sayesha said...

Angelsera,
No offence taken, girl.
And yup, am happy, as usual :)

Renegadefade,
Yeah man, what to do, they all want me real bad! ;)

Hey Natalie,
Thanks! :)

Siddhu,
//Psst, why are you usin a C++ style commenting mechanism here?
Damn the engineering degree man. The atrocious crap they taught us!!
PS: The '//' is probably the only thing I remember from the C++ classes! :P

Justme,
Well, let's just say I am a mishmash of everything India represents, hence the surname ;)

WH Anil,
Ok how much do I have to pay you to keep your mouth shut and not disclose the remaining three parts of my surname??

Virdi,
Tu pitega.

Angelsera said...

imagine if ur name is used for a movie name

Then after "Ramji Londonwale" we will have

"sayesha ramalingam manikanthan singh arora chaturmukhi dabbewali"

hehehe...

then it will be called
SRMSACD ...even the acroynm is so long..

Anonymous said...

Am slightly late. But is this school by any chance the one where you were before coming to ours? Then I would know the principal too. Of course, he wouldn't know me. Though the principal from your last school does remember me, and you too. But I am too lazy to call him (I don't even remember where he's posted these days)

Sayesha said...

Arnav,
Yeah, it's the same school and the same princi -- Mr. P.