Saturday, May 13, 2006

Time and talk

"Dude, you'd better not anger me. I just need to make one wish and it will start raining!"

I often use this to threaten a friend of mine.

Works like a charm every time.


He plays cricket, you see. His matches are on sundays, and so every saturday night, he looks at the sky and does an anti-rain-dance in his head. In Singapore, the number of matches that get washed out outnumber those that are actually played.

In Singapore, everybody follows the rules. Including the rains. Firstly, I believe that Singapore is the only country where it faithfully rains every weekend. And it rains whenever I wear my white three-quarters or my favourite pair of jeans (it has an awesome butterfly embroidered in muted gold on the left thigh). I am seriously considering carrying a hair-dryer in my purse wherever I go. I remember this particular day when slant-rain caught me on my way to work on a Friday morning. My jeans were completely soaked in water by the time I reached office. Ever had the unpleasant experience of your wet clothes drying on your body? I felt so cold that I could not take it anymore. I had to stand under the hand-dryer in the toilet, bend my knees and lift one leg at a time under the stream of hot air.

Yes, I was vaguely aware that I looked like a peeing dog.


So today was a double-whammy. It is a saturday and I was wearing the same butterfly jeans. I walked into it myself, didn't I? I was getting late for a lunch meeting with a fellow blogger (she was gonna take me to this yummy aloo paratha place, which in all my 8 years here, I had not discovered) but the rain just wouldn't give up. It was the slanting kind of rain again, the kind that renders umbrellas absolutely useless.

As I hung around in the lobby of my block, waiting for the rain to tone down a bit, enough for me to get to the train station, I got really bored. So I started rolling up my jeans and making three-quarters out of them.

The cleaner of my block was standing there too. I recognised her because she's the only other person who's awake at the ungodly hour at which I leave for work. Once in a while, I'd also see her sitting on the steps, just staring into space.

I smiled at her. She smiled back.

"You live on level 6 ah?" She asked.

"Yeah." I said.

"With husband ah?"

"Uhhh.. no. With friends."

"Okay okay... you going out now?"

"Yeah... but the rain is too heavy."

"Yes yes this kind of rain... must wait."

"You waiting to go home?" I asked.

"No. I work here 8 years." She smiled.

I was a bit stumped at this sudden sharing of information. It took me a while to respond.

"8 years? That's a long time."

"Yes, very long time. For 8 years, I mop block 6 and block 14. I have to stay here until 4 o clock. Saturday and public holiday is half day. Sunday I don't work." She said.

I digested the information slowly.

"Hmmm... okay."

The rain was getting lighter, and I realised this was my chance. So I said bye to her, opened up my umbrella and started walking.

And as I always say, walking in the rain makes you think.

I was still wondering why she told me all that. Why would a complete stranger be interested in her work schedule and stuff?

And that's when I realised how bored she must be all these 8 years. She could only go home at 4, so after she had finished her work and before the clock struck 4, she had a lot to say, but no one to say it to.


Isn't it strange?

Some people have you, but they have no time to talk to you.

Others have time to talk to you, but they don't have you.




41 comments:

Nirwa Mehta said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Nirwa Mehta said...

So true!!! Very well written post.. and Hey, I get gold! :D

Do I hide from The Girl Who Sold The World?

The Girl Who Sold The World said...

Okay, Nirwa...run for your life! X-(


*evil grin*

Anonymous said...

*bronze*
quite an achievement me say!!!

very true,i nod my head in complete agreement.

~dharmu~

The Girl Who Sold The World said...

Ever had the unpleasant experience of your wet clothes drying on your body?
Yeah, we used to do it in school...get wet in the rain and under the pretext of "not feeling well due to cold clothes", we used to slip out. :P

Yes, I was vaguely aware that I looked like a peeing dog.
Hahahaha...I can't even imagine how somebody would look like while doing that. :P

Some people have you, but they have no time to talk to you.
Yeah, like my parents. They're always like, "Stop your chatter. Do you even know how much you TALK?". UGH. Why's talking such a bad thing? :/

And nice post...it's weird how people survive in such jobs. I think I might die if I had to live like this...and stay silent? AAARGH.

R said...

Ever had the unpleasant experience of your wet clothes drying on your body?
Same to same with The Girl. :D

Yes, I was vaguely aware that I looked like a peeing dog.
Noone clicked you? Ugh. Kodak-Moment missed. :P


*scratches his head* What are butterfly jeans?! :O


Others have time to talk to you, but they don't have you.
Ugh, You had to think of this while walking? You couldn't think of getting new footwear? Or about food? Or about the tap in your bathroom? Ugh. You know what all this reminds me of? :/

dearbharat said...

Thats the truth about majority of people who work silently doing their work diligently. I have many such experiences with people who look at whoever talks to them as messiah who will do something. This truth was explored in Munna Bhai MBBS with that "Jaadu Ki Jhappi" concept. If not Jhappi atleast talking helps.

Abhishek Upadhyay said...

Ever had the unpleasant experience of your wet clothes drying on your body?

When I was working mumbai...had the experience daily.But I enjoyed it, never felt cold

Macho Girl said...

The cleaner of my block also talks to me. I don't think any other clustermate of mine ever had the time to talk to her. But whenever I went to the bathroom to comb my hair in the mornings, she used to be there. We had a few casuals conversations including the usual "hi! how are you? how was ur weekend". During exam time she asked me how preps were going on and when I was finishing and leaving and other stuff. Often, i wasn't in the bathroom when she came to clean, but my room was close to it, and i could hear her talking to herself. The minute i heard any voice along my corridor in the mornings, i knew who had come. I guess she got really bored of her job... pretty mechanical routine... so she used to talk to herself, laugh at her own jokes and shout at some imaginary person if the sink clogged up (i used to be careful and avoid the bathroom then... I'd get blamed for no reason!). she was actually a very sweet lady.. its a pity people have such boring and monotonous jobs.. I know i'd go nuts if i had a job like that!

Unknown said...

I like gappe marofying with such people, it gives you a window into a completely different world..
chalo Sayesha, nice post- my soul got it's much needed Vitamin C. :D
and oh GOLDEN BUTTERFLY JEANS? my mental picture ain't pretty. ;) but some things you gotta to see to believe, eh? And again, some people can pull off some things nobody else can...
cheers!

Sayesha said...

#Nirwa,
Arre why did you remove the first comment?? World Girl se itna darti hai kya? :D

#World Girl,
Baap re! Back in full force to dhamkao my junta?? :/

#Dharmu,
Thanks :)

#World Girl,
Thanks :)

//Why's talking such a bad thing?

Talking per se is not a bad thing, bacha. YOU talking is a bad thing. :D

#Rohit,
//Same to same with The Girl. :D

Baap re! Sounds like you guys did a 'Tip tip barsa pani' number! ;)

//Noone clicked you?

Haan haan... mere office mein yehi toh hota hai... pple walk around with cameras in the toilets! :/

//Ugh. You know what all this reminds me of? :/

Arre yaar... :(

#Bhaarat,
Oh man! I was reminded of the Munnabhai scene too! :)

//If not Jhappi atleast talking helps.

Ummm... yeah. Jhappi will get me into trouble I'm sure! :O

#Abhishek,
Brrrrrrrrrr....... :O

#Restless,
Thanks :)
ps: Edited post to clarify the butterfly-jeans part. :)

#Macho Girl,
//so she used to talk to herself, laugh at her own jokes and shout at some imaginary person if the sink clogged up

Oh nooo... that's sad :( But it's true, seclusion can do weird things to one's head.

#Ipanema Girl,
Thanks :)

//and oh GOLDEN BUTTERFLY JEANS? my mental picture ain't pretty. ;)

Sheesh! It's not golden butterfly jeans! It's just a normal pair of blue-grey jeans with a butterfly embroidered in MUTED gold! Trust me, the actual picture is pretty! ;)

Unknown said...

hehe MUTED, is the key word there. lol.
pic post karo!

Sayesha said...

#Ipanema Girl,
Yeh lo pic! :)

#Restless,
Hahahah! Aree their jeans have no butteflies man! And instead of 'skip intro' the site says 'skip into'! Hahahaha! :D

Unknown said...

ahhha. indeed cute. and the gold, quite mute!
{{erases dhinchaak flashy picture from mind}}

The Girl Who Sold The World said...

Talking per se is not a bad thing, bacha. YOU talking is a bad thing.
*Gasps*
HMPH! *puts on a great show of being insulted and all and sulks around in a corner* :/

R said...

SORRY BOLO. You remind one of your regular readers of something which isn't amusing. Something he doesn't want to be reminded about, at all.

And, agar mere jaise log hon office mein, to camera kahin bhi ja sakta hai! :P Who knows, ek 'In the Loo' bolke series international award category bhi shuru ho jaye. :D
See, see, main kitna creative hun. :P
Bus aap jaise log hi discourage karte hain. :|

R said...

And you still haven't told me what are butterfly jeans! Grrr

The Girl Who Sold The World said...

"SORRY BOLO"? Hahaha...reminds me of that sweet ad of Surf Excel ad..."bol, sorry bol, sorry bolta hai ki nahin?!" :D Hehehe.

The Girl Who Sold The World said...

Oye Rohit, take time to read Sayesha's reply to others. :P Upar usne link chhoda hai butterfly jeans ki pic ka. Ja check kar le. :P

InfJunkie said...

"Some people have you, but they have no time to talk to you.
Others have time to talk to you, but they don't have you."
That is so true. I've been trying to talk to this person (get her on the phone or something) and she never seems to have time. On the otherhand,here my mom's like
"Talk to me.." literally...and somehow i won't.
Funny how things work

Siddhu said...

Haha! Cleaning ladies, taxi drivers, and security guards are awesome people to talk to.

They really LOVE to talk to people. Like the taxi driver who told me how his son was a Physics grad frm my uni and (very proudly, he says this) 'He's not drivin' a taxi 'round now, nay!'

Sayesha said...

#Restless,
Haha! My gmail window was open, so I received the comments instantaneously :)

#Ipanema Girl,
Phew! Thanks! No dhinchak stuff pls :P

#World Girl,
Muahaha! :D

#Rohit,
I withdraw the offer of employment! Tu toh bada khatarnaak hai! :O

#World Girl,
Surf Excel ka naya ad??? I wanna see! :(

#Freebird,
Yeah... funny how things work :/

#Siddhu,
Yeah, it's like they're waiting for someone to come their way so that they can talk! :)

The Girl Who Sold The World said...

I found that ad on YouTube! And guess what? I couldn't find it as "Surf Excel ad". So, I tried your method of putting in typos and used "Surf Exel ad". It worked! :D Watch it here. It's a wonderful one! :)

R said...

:(

Dekhlo kisi ki creativity ki koi izzat nahi. Aap bhi ek dum 'phamous' ho jatin agar aap us series ka part hoti. But, your bad luck.

its me said...

wooow. u r posts are too good. its like you are telling a funny incident and in the end the incident also turns out to have a moral.. something to think about...

The Girl Who Sold The World said...

I agree with Its Me. They're like Panchatantra. :P ;)

Prayank said...

butterfly on a jeans .... yuckkkk

the Monk said...

hmmm...you know, I'm not sure they get bored...they probably become numb, and no longet notice the monotony, except once in a while...ah, but all this is just theorising...we really have no right to speak...but I'm bored... ;)

Unknown said...

Nice post Sash :D

I particularly loved the way you ended it...
"Some people have you, but they have no time to talk to you.
Others have time to talk to you, but they don't have you."

Its sooooooooo true, beautifully expressed :)

Take care,
Aarti

Sayesha said...

#World Girl,
Hahaha! Haan yaar, Youtube is full of typos man! :/ Lekin ad bahut nautanki type hai! :D

#Rohit ji,
Thank you very much, lekin koi zaroorat nahin hamein phamous karne ki. :)

#Its you,
Thanks :)

#World Girl,
It's like panchatantra? Hahahaha! :D

#Prayank,
Eeesh it's not a preserved butterfly sewn on my jeans yaar! Why the yuck? :/

#The Monk,
Yeah we're all theorising here :)

#Aarti,
Thanks :)

R said...

Ok. My offer withdrawn too. :|

Anonymous said...

I think we all missed the point here.

Sayesha, where is the aloo parantha place your blogger friend was talking about ?

Sayesha said...

#Rohit,
Baap re! Itna gussa? Was just trying to prevent you from getting arrested! ;)

Sayesha said...

#Anonymous,
Hahahahahaha! Thank God the heat is off the poor butterfly on my jeans!! Thanks for bringing the focus of the post back. The aloo paratha place is at Dover, gotta take a bus from Dover MRT. It's this tiny place tucked away in a tiny hawker centre. But the aloo parathas are SO yummy! :P

Anonymous said...

Some people have you, but they have no time to talk to you.

Others have time to talk to you, but they don't have you.


Very true. Simple funda yet profound when you think about it.

Prayank said...

may be yuck is not the rit word .. m a simple faded blue jeans fan .. so the idea of a butterfly embroidered on jeans in almost heresy ...

R said...

Gussa kahan yaar! Ek to phamous hone ka itne khulla offer. Upar se anyways attention span chhota hota ja raha hai. :|

Preethi said...

Looks like u getting a bit philosophical... I can say that by your last sentence..
But yes buddy.. once in a while, few small things in life lead us to such revelations... Dont they?:)

Sayesha said...

#Naari,
Haan yaar...
Sunday ke sunday
Simple funde! :P

#Prayank,
Don't worry, they don't have such jeans for guys! ;)

#Rohit,
You need a holiday man... chill yaar! :)

#Preethi,
Yupp... righto. Once in a while, we all get philosophical :)

Dev said...

Talk and time... very true! :):):) Ask Dharmu.. she'll tell ya! (sigh)

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed a lot!
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