Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Do you look like yourself?

So I was at the bus terminal after my class, talking to a friend, when a girl walked up to me and said, "Excuse me, are you Sayesha?"

Shock. Horror. Jaw drops to floor. Sayesha fumbles around. Proceeds to completely lose her voice for a few seconds.

"Errr...."

"Sayesha... blog?" She tried.

I finally picked up my jaw from the floor, fitted it back and found my voice.

"OhmyGod
OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod..." I proceed to repeat this thirteen times over in my head.

"All right, stop it! Say something sensible now!" says the voice in my head.

"Yes! Yes I am Sayesha. How... how... how did you recognise me?"

"Duh! Hopscotch!" Said the voice in my head.

"Duh! Hopscotch!" Said the girl.

(Actually, she was polite enough to omit the 'duh' part. But I'm sure the voice in her head had included it.)


"So you recognised me from my photos on Hopscotch?" I was still gaping at her.

"Yeah! The Cambodia pictures."

We had an ultra-mini conversation. Did not get a chance to talk to her properly because she was headed for the train station, but I still could not get over it, long after she'd gone.

I felt like Aamir Khan in RDB, who just could not get over a Hindi-spouting Sue.

She recognised me from my photos on Hopscotch?? How??????????

Now don't get me wrong. Or think that I am a crazy weirdo. (Actually I am, but that's another story.)

I just happen to believe in the theory that we don't look like our photos.

Don't believe me?


1. Dig out your passport.
2. Flip to the page with your photo.
3. Stand in front of a mirror.
4. Hold the passport such that the page with the photo is right next to your face.
5. Observe.

Notice any similarities?? I don't! I never thought that it was possible to recognise someone from their photo. If you've met someone and then you see their photo, you can tell, but to see the photo first and then the person, and be able to link the two? It's probably a gift. That I don't have.

Last year, when my Dad's friend was here on a business trip, I was supposed to receive him at the airport. Dad emailed me his photo so I could identify him at the airport.

I must have gone to at least three very surprised people at the airport and asked, "Hi, are you Mr. Banerji?"

Mr. Banerji had my photo too, but even he could not spot me. (See see??) Finally, I waited for all passengers of that flight to disperse, and it was only when I saw this
utterly lost-looking guy that I guessed (guessed!) that he must be Mr. Banerji!

When I shortlist a candidate for my team, almost every single time, I am in for a surprise when I actually interview him or her. The photo on the application form just does not match the person!

It just reinforces my belief that 2D is very different from 3D.


But the girl at the bus terminal had recognised me from my photos! Freaky.

So I really look like myself, huh?



23 comments:

Pujya said...

people say they can identify me from my childhood pics... i wonder how..though i m sure i have grown up from 2 month kid to 20yr old girl..but still..looks like something is wrong somewhere

Rays Of Sun said...

Whoops..wow!!
NAhi its like Ritesh Deshmukh scene:)))))

Rays Of Sun said...

hehehe..in fact i like myself more in photos:O

Rays Of Sun said...

It aint that difficult to recognize someone from their pics..Pics are but, just an extension of yourself..

shub said...

hehe...I once saw someone near the lib canteen who looked a lot like u...just didn't wanna be taken for a weirdo if it hadn't been you :)

Anonymous said...

er.. sayesha, don't ever commit a crime, ok? they just might be able to recognize u frm ur photos ;)

but yeah i do look diff in photos (at least i like to think so) .. kinda like that friends episode with chandler.. i think it has something to do with being conscious of the camera..

Princessse said...

You know sayesha...you are just toooooooo cute!! This is *such* an adorable post - and for it, you deserve a mighty hug!! :) *HUGS*

Anonymous said...

People are recognizing you on the street now?! I better get your autograph before you really hit the big time :O

Speaking of photos, you look pretty-dang-hawt(!) in the manila pictures on the other blog. So you had better start hoping damn hard that you look like yourself! :P

Cheers
Kais

Kaala Kavva said...

shit yaar!!! tu to famous hai re!
waise no1 would recog me from me pix!

thats for soor!

so I dont look like myself :(

nahiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Anonymous said...

Oye, tu to famous ho gayi! Teri privacy bhi gayi tel lene. Ab to interview-shinterview diya karegi .. kya baat hai bhidu! :p

Just when I was beginning to think That I'll die an anonymous man you gave me hope. Now I will be remembered as the guy who used to comment on Sayesha's blog .. Sahi hai sahi hai! Aaj ke baad tere blog pe hamesha first comment thok diya karunga... thoda fame hum bhi kama lenge bhai! :p

Tinku

Anonymous said...

Hahaaa....Nice :-). Kya baat hai Sash...being recognized like that :-). But I can understand the freaky part :-). I think I will easily recognize you Sash. You have a lovely, unique look. Some people's faces can blend in with others...but some faces do stand out? I feel so. And things like hairstyle makes a difference too...if it's a different one when you meet, one might be thrown off..:). I think it helps to have several pics of the person than just one pic too.

Yaar I don't like my passport pics, or even my drivers licence pic... :-))..not very natural.

Yeah....very likely that the lost looking person is the person we are looking for :-)). That could be more reliable than the pic :-)).

Hmm....do I look like myself...good question...I should ask around :-).

Suds said...

Hey Sayesha that person who recognized u from photo was really great. U know I cannot recognize a person even after look at him her previously forget abt looking at a photo..:):):)

For me 3D is also not same as 3D..:):) But u are right 2D is totally different.

Enjoy...

virdi said...

uff Sayesha you silly silly girl... dont think you are famous... its just that the population of Singapore is very less... everytime you bump into someone the probability of saying "oh you again" is around 10000 times more than that in India...

Right people??? Right Virdi!!! Thanks...

Saala... How jealous can I be??? No one has ever said that to me even in my office... Hey you are Virdi na?? The one who works in XYL India Pvt Ltd. :-( I am jealous... :-( I want paani poori...

oh B.T.W i had paani poori yesterday and you didnt have... :-P

V...

Thanu said...

That wud really freak me out if someone came and asked me on the street if I was Thanu.

u r famous...wud u autograph on my calf;)

Anonymous said...

@ Sayesha - Haha..Actually I do have a knack of recognizing people from photos. Incidently, my grand dad happened to say it was a gift as well. Hehe..wierd I say.

@ Vikram - She didn't jump up and down and say "Oh my God" ..but she did look blur for a while;) Haha..

Kathy said...

See how famous you are now??You look very cute in pics. esp.that one you're wearing pink in hotel room in Manila( even my hubby said that..Is she sayesha?Oh my..she's damn beautiful)and i gave him on the spot tiger look haha..just kiddin'^_^.He loves Indian beauties..that's why he courted me oh ho ho,because he thought that i'm an Indian when we first met ^_~ He's wrong but at least i'm Indian at heart..i said, ohh!

hugs,
-kathy-

Raj said...

Wow!! you really are famous!!

how come I've never seen a pic of you?

I dont look like myself at all in my pictures.

I look very good in reality ;)
But i happen to be the most unphotogenic person in the world.

My pics make me look really bad.

But i've accepted it now and dont complain anymore abt bad pics.

Dreamcatcher said...

Wooow. you're famous. now you can do a little twirl and celebrate with panipuri :P
Sayesha the celebrity blogger :D.
P.S. I actually agree with you - ppl look far worse in passport sized pics somehow.

Anil said...

I was going to write something but I had four glasses of wine, so I can't remember what I wanted to say... lekin kintu parantu... whatever...

Anonymous said...

its not easy to recognise people from their standard passport sized... thas a forced photo. but then vacation pics are more relaxed and u look ur natural self.....

Jai Hind.

Anonymous said...

u sure u didnt hav a sign board on urself saying "pehchan kaun"!!

btw, on another note... i can never understand why most ppl r happy when told that they r very photogenic.. doesnt it really mean u look shit in real life..ur photos r much better???

hope u r 0% photogenic!!:-)

Kusum Rohra said...

Ok warning ... long comment ahead..

I printed lots of posts from ur blog, and read them on my way back home in the train, NOW??? U r my zabardasti ka best blogging friend *chuckles*

I couldn't help grinning foolishly while I read your posts. I will now take time to comment on all of them seperately which means now... u will get comments on posts which probably even u have forgotten. Will read as much as of ur archives as I can :)

The Bulla shah song was hilarious ... Khaki Underpants!!! Shaana!!!! ROTFL

I may come accross as the pushy aunties who pull your cheeks and coo "how cute she is naa" while you are wondering who on earth is this or rather on jupiter is she... but can't help it.... really liked ur blog :)

Sayesha said...

#VT,
Hahaha! Congrats on the gold! ;)
Wow, I can never identify anyone from even their adulthood photos! :O

#Aethyr,
Perhaps you still look like the 2-month old? :P Ok don't bash me up now! :D

#ROS,
What RD scene??? Tell me! :O

//Pics are but, just an extension of yourself..

But they're far far away from the real you :)

#Shub,
You saw me in NTU?? It was probably me! Next time, do say Hi, okie? :)

#Rene,
Hahahahaha! That Chandler's photo episode was so funny! Saving grace in the later crappy seasons. :)

#Princesse,
Errr.. thanks? :) Hugs to you too :)

#Kais,
//Speaking of photos, you look pretty-dang-hawt(!) in the manila pictures on the other blog.

Whoala! Noone's ever said that to me before! One big hug to you for making my day! :D

//So you had better start hoping damn hard that you look like yourself!

Oooh! Ok ok I look like my photos I look like my photos! :P

#Ze Chapaat,
Arre when I first saw your photo, I could not believe it! Very difficult to relate the serious guy in the photo to the crazy you! :D

#Tinku,
Sheesh! Find a better way to get fame, bacha! Where's that blog of yours? I'm sure it will be a very entertaining read. Likh na yaar! :)

#Harshi,
Jab milogi tab batana whether I look like my pics :)

#Suds,
//U know I cannot recognize a person even after look at him her previously

Hahahaha! I can SO identify with that! :D

#Virdi,
Arre tu phir se green ho gaya?? Green and bitter. Karela kahin ka! :D

//No one has ever said that to me even in my office... Hey you are Virdi na??

Hahahaha! Why on earth would anyone say that, you dumbass??? :D

//oh B.T.W i had paani poori yesterday and you didnt have... :-P

Damn you Virdi!!! So now we're even? :)

I want pani puri too!!! :(

#Vikram,
Hahahah! No I did not jump up and down! :D

//imagine saying "I walked the entire country today".. hehehehe...

Hahahaha! Actually the island is only like 45 km wide! :D

#Thanu,
Hahahahahahaha! :D

#Vikram
Hahahaha! Samjhe re isko... satthiya gaya hai! :D

#Liz,
Aha! You're here! I was wondering if you still read this blog! :) Welcome welcome! :)

#Kathy,
Hahaha! Arre yaar, don't give the poor guy the tiger look! Just wear a sari and he'll fall flat for you all over again! :D

#Raj,
What? You've never seen a pic of me? Hopscotch par dekh na!

//I look very good in reality ;)

All claims must be supported by photographs. Send one over to sayeshaz@gmail.com and we will see! ;)

#Dreamcatcher,
No pani puri here yaar :(

//pl look far worse in passport sized pics somehow.

Actually, I dunno if they look better or worse, but I believe they definitely look like completely different people! :)

#Anil,
Piyakkad insaan! :D

#Anat,
Hmmm... yeah, you're probably right :)

#Well wisher,
Arre yaar! In this day and age, actual meetings have become very rare. A lot of interaction is virtual, and you often see photos of people before you actually get to meet them. And everyone wants to look good when they're first 'seen'. That's why we're so pleased when someone says, "You're photogenic." :)

//hope u r 0% photogenic!!:-)

Haha! Aapko kya lagta hai? :D

#Kusum,
You printed my posts?? Ok, I'm extremely extremely flattered! :P

Thanks! :)