Friday, April 17, 2009

My funny friends

La tops the list, easily. When computers started becoming popular in our Northeast region, she took to it with gusto. Later, when i got my own machine, La would e-mail me frequently. But, believe it or not, that also increased the frequency of phone calls! “Check your mail, i just sent you one,” she’d say over the phone. And then in a long conversation, narrate all that she wrote.

La’s response to most suggestions is ‘Why not?’ “Come, let’s go swimming,” she invited me one day. “No, you’ll float like a fairy and i’ll sink like a stone,” i replied. “Why not?” she quipped.

And when her husband bought a new car, she kept the older car. “Next time you come to Shillong, i’ll take you out in the car. I’ve learned to drive,” she promised. But added, “i can drive only forward, i haven’t learnt to go backward yet.” She daily drives to work moving only forward.

Pooja is another one. She gave us direction to the new office in Dahisar when we were shifting from Andheri. She drew on a paper as she explained. “Get down at Dahisar station, come out on the west, cross to the east through the subway, walk towards the left and at the forking take the right,” she told us. “And keep going, keep going (jaate raho, jaate raho). When you see a restaurant on the right, ask for Patel Apartment. They’ll show you the direction. Aur jaate raho, jaate raho…”

By this time we were quite put off. We had been told the office was close to the station and this endless jaate raho was becoming discouraging. “It sounds very far!” some of us exclaimed. “Not far, only five minutes,” she assured us. And then continued, “After some time, you will see a bank. Ask around there, and they’ll say ‘aur aage jaao.’ Go on, jaate raho, jaate raho….”

When would we ever reach? The walk felt like at least half an hour from her description. But it’s actually about eight minutes at a normal stride.

Of late, the office computers have been having problems. Pooja thinks she can coax her machine to behave by sweet-talking it. She would press the start button, do a namaste to the monitor calling it sweet names like “mere bhaya, mere lal.” It works sometimes!

Manik, another colleague, is a shy, quiet guy. But i’ve learnt about his secret passion: living creatures, especially those that home in water. The other day he showed me pictures of his new beautiful acquisition—a dragon fish from china. What i find funny about this friend is, he always refers to each fish as ‘he’, never ‘it’. Can’t blame him, though, the creatures are so close to his heart.

I too confided to him that i christened my computers. Now, some people think that funny! The moral: When you think others funny, remember that others may think you funny too!

10 comments:

Calliopia said...

Haha you've spun out your friends' idiosyncracies so wittily well. Love the part about La driving to work moving only forward. What happens when she has to reverse a bit? I bet she hops off and collars a passerby to do it for her hehe. And yeah, what doesn't seem that strange to us in us may totally weird out others.

Gauri Gharpure said...

Why not? :D beautiful post.. reminded me of friends back home and their quirks..

Sekibuhchhuak said...

Haha.ngaihnawm reuh lutuk. Email in thawn chungchang khi ka nuih aza tawp.Ka email hman tir te pawh minti hrechhuak :-)

Malsawmi Jacob said...

Calliopia, you know, La's a quite incredible person, full of life, utterly inspiring. You demur to a suggestion of hers and she's ever ready with 'why not?' I really don't know how she manages when having to reverse, but you can be sure she'd find a way - may be collar someone as you say.

Gauri, you too got friends like this? Who knows, may be you're one like this yourself! [lol]

Seki, he ka thiannu hi chuan min ti nui nasa thei reng asin. Amah lahin nuih a heh bawk.

feddabonn said...

i swear machines understand when you talk to them. KD (the yezdi) is even partial to deepthi. when *she asks, he'll start.

Malsawmi Jacob said...

Feddabonn, gues you're right. But my Ladybird still hasn't learnt to recognise my voice.

Hriatpuia Pa said...

Haha! email inthawn chu!! ka nui nasa lutuk....

jaate raho!!! :)

Malsawmi Jacob said...

Zaia, kan ti mak hlom bok ani.

Gauri Gharpure said...

:D yes, maybe I provide them enough material to laugh about

Malsawmi Jacob said...

Gauri, i'm often the laughing stock of my family too. Trouble is, they don't laugh when you try to be funny, and they laugh when you're being quite serious.