The “sophisticated” eve teaser

What are pick-up lines? Are they really meant to get someone in? Or is it something to do with challenges posed by friends? Or absolute CHEAP THRILLS? Are they really effective…? I don’t think so. How many successful cases are there? I got no clue.

Well I’ve not had too many experiences with pick up lines, but certainly have some instances to talk about…

One day I was walking to an auto rickshaw stand in Bangalore. I was dressed in the traditional salwar kameez, with the duppata wrapped around my head. Maybe my attire was not a treat to the eyes of a “road side Romeo”. But what the hell, this dude calls out –“Hella Auntie”. Mind you, not a hello instead a hellla—it was the perfect accent of a “sophisticated” eve teaser.

Here is another incident. I was once walking to buy some groceries, when suddenly I see this tiny 2-wheeler (TVS Luna) with two huge men who come by and politely say “Good Morning Madam”. For a moment, my instant reaction would have been to greet them back but then it struck me – this was a curious incident in the life of a “sophisticated” eve teaser.

This one is a classic. I recently heard this from a friend. It is the cheesiest, yuckiest, funnies and sideest pick up line I've heard in a long long time. It goes like – “heyy sweety, which colour panty” ;-). Clearly, this one has offended the “sophisticated” eve teaser.

Also check out some interesting pick up lines, “handpicked’’ from the wild wild west (www)

• Be unique and different, just say yes.
• I've just moved you to the top of my 'to do' list.
• Baby, you're so sweet, you put Hershey's outta business.
• Ever since I met you, you've lived in my heart without paying any rent.
• Do you want to make millions? Millions of babies!
• Sorry, but you owe me a drink. [Why?] Because when I looked at you, I dropped mine.
• Did you fart, cause you blew me away. [This one is my personal favorite]

My take on Ayn Rand’s - The Fountainhead

Many of my friends and some random avid readers I've met strongly recommended me - The Fountainhead. I mostly pick up a book on the basis of reviews and recommendations. This pick was also a result of one such recommendation.

But the timing was wrong. At least I think so. I was 18 when I borrowed this book form a friend. I couldn’t read it beyond ten pages (including the ‘Intoduction’ by Ayn Rand). I hated it, and gave it back to my friend immediately. I wondered why people around the world raved about the book. This was a passing thought. I forget about the book until now.

One day I was going through my limited collection of books and I found that I still have The Fountainhead. It was then, I realized that my friend had gifted it to me the very minute I went to return it. She said read it someday.

Today when I’m 24 years old and I feel the time is “right”, I decided to give Ayn another chance. And yes, I have successfully completed it.

Talking about 700 rich-pages, I don’t consider myself as an expert to comment on anyone’s writing style. But what I have to say about the book is that the characters are eccentric. All of them, starting with Howard Roark, Dominique, Peter Keating, Gail Wynand and Ellsworth Toohey. Most people, who have read this book, say that it is quite philosophical. I disagree. The author certainly is. We know that from the way she writes. But the story of The Fountainhead is not philosophical, not to me. It revolves around many unique characters and how they perceive life, happiness, fame and relationships. Their perception makes them eccentric. All these characters in the book are different purely because of their perception. And this is where many readers mix-up philosophy with perception.

Going back to the point of writing style being philosophical and not really the book, I am going to give you an example to make this clear. There is this line in the book that goes like –“It takes two to make every great career: the man who is great, and the man—almost rarer—who is great enough to see greatness and say so.” This is a beautiful way of saying something like - you alone didn’t make your career great, I played a part too. tadah! You see now the message is not philosophical but the way it's written makes it one. And I confess, at times I was mesmerized by Ayn’s writing style.

‘We believe a mother's milk is best used for her child.' SEAN GREENWOOD, Ben & Jerry's spokesman, after PETA suggested the company use breast milk instead of cow's milk in its ice cream.

-Verbatim, TIME Magazine

Thursday, Oct. 02, 2008 issue

Impressions…

I am not a very satisfied customer of Vodafone. Their network is horrible. Their toll free customer care number doesn’t work most of the times. Very few stores have competent staff and the number of random calls has only increased over the period. But guess what I paid extra bucks to get my old Hutch (now Vodafone) number (luckily it wasn’t taken by anyone else). Most of us just bear with these problems as it is a matter of convenience for us; after all it’s too much work to circulate the new number to everyone on the phonebook.

So come to think about it, in Vodafone‘s records I am a loyal customer – someone who asks for the old number and all you see – but I know it’s sheer laziness & if I was truly happy I would be writing good things about them. But today I came across this incident which makes me defend the same incompetent staff I spoke about earlier. This evening I had been to the Indiranagar Vodafone store to enquire about some new tariff plan. And I was made to wait for roughly 20 minutes. Then I saw this old gentleman who was looking for a handset at the store. The staff was really sweet to him and the same was reciprocated by the ol’ man. He said thank you to 3 different people (including the gatekeeper) before leaving the store. For sure this man truly had a “happy to help” experience.

Next came in, I should rather say barged in this hefty foreigner (firang), who pounced on the staff sitting at the help desk for some unsatisfactory service. Then the firang fumed and held the staff member’s collar. I was taken aback; everyone in the store was taken aback. This is when I almost intervened. But by then the Store Manager had arrived, but he too was timid and scared. I agree they all have been asked to treat the customer as their King. But come on let’s not forget our dignity. When do we learn to respect and treat people right. I was really angry about the firang’s behavior. It is unacceptable irrespective of what the problem was. In a firangi land you could be sued for such behavior but in our country we have taken a lot of things for granted. I wish I had intervened. But I did leave a word with the help desk staff. I hope next time he will have the courage to face similar situation differently.

some uncommon attachments..

I know of people who get detached from things (living, non-living or both) in a matter of no time and there are others who just don't get over things, sometimes for life. I fall into the latter category. Attachment means different things to different people. Here is what it means to me…

Almost 9 years old now, outdated to the core is my bright red color Kinetic scooter. I’m very attached to it. I recently clicked a picture posing alongside my bike. Just in case something bad happens to it in the future. I am sure a lot us are attached to our first bike, our first car and so on. Let me share a few uncommon things I am dearly attached to.

I came to Bangalore 7 yrs ago to do my graduation. It was my dream to get into my college business team & participate in at inter-collegiate level. Being a fresher I was really lucky to be in the team and there I was attending St. Aloysius College Business meet. There I made my first ever PowerPoint presentation. And I’m really attached to it. Those days floppy disks were the in thing, and though now it is ol’ and rusty I hold it close to my heart. So I have that PPT on a floppy disk preserved with me till date. It is one of my most precious belongings.

Next is my family’s first house in Bangalore. A simple 3 BHK flat, overlooking the big playground of the colony. I am so attached to that place that sometimes I intentionally take the longer route because it passes through my old house. It always makes me feel happy.

Another thing that I want to keep forever is my helmet, picked it up for my first road trip ever. The one thing all the bikers had in common is the Indian flag sticker on all our helmets. It was hell of an experience & the helmet is the neeshani (souvenir) of the trip.

Then comes my first dictionary, it’s a small oxford pocket dictionary. It was my English teacher who had first taught me how to use a dictionary in class 6th. It is still there along with many other big fat dictionaries I bought over a period of time.
I still have my first ever song book. It is actually a hymn book. I learnt so many song/hymns from that small hard bound book back in boarding school. The smell of its pages takes me back to those good old school days.

One last thing, it is one of my hand bags, a flimsy, rough & tough, big brown bag. I bought it especially for my first Goa tour. Since then every time I go to Goa I carry that bag with me. It makes me look like a social worker/lakhek babu (a writer look) with my specs and the bag on :)

an unknown good change

where is this all going... I don't think I am lost but I still think of what is happening. It just happens sometimes.. as in the thinking part! Well only sometimes because I am not bothered about this change and it kinda feels fine - atleast for the time being.

so what change am I talking about... it is a new sense of independence, the feeling to do things differently, to travel on a road less travelled, to make the best of the moment, to go places, to break the monotony, to care more about what I really like to do, to dream less and act more, to get detached form the worldly affairs, to meet new folks, to worry less, to plan less.

I am sure when anyone reads this, will think that I am way ahead of myself... I think so too :) but let's face it. So, what comprise of this "new sense of independence" - am I not independent enough? or am I looking for something more? This feeling of doing things differently comes from the fact that:
- I need to perfect the art of motor biking
- learn to play the guitar
- join a theatre group
- go on a trip alone
- get a dog
- come on TV
- make great ads someday
- go for a girl’s night out... it's been long!
- go para gliding
- skinny dipping ;-)
- climb some mountains
- I want to meet new people
- orgainse a reunion with my high school friends
- attend a live FIFA world cup match
- make a difference to this world (I mean it)
- date with Joe or Barney (from F.R.I.E.N.D.S / How I met your mother).. I knw it sounds crazy!

Life can get monotonous, everything seems mundane, but you break it by looking at it differently. For instance, I have fallen in love with Kolkata all of a sudden.. a place I was never too fond of. But what the hell, I have been here for the last 2 years, I will get attached right? Maybe it is about realising the value of something and that shapes up into some form of "change".

What will go wrong if I dont plan? when I stop planning... I m at peace, this is not me, but it is a "change" that doesn't bother me.

The list is not exhaustive.. all I am trying say is that we all encounter change, sometimes good sometimes bad, some big some small. All I know is that it is good to embrace it and move on. I just hope this change is a good one - for me and all those people who matter to me.

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when the road gets narrow
the dream becomes distant
individuality looses its charm
i see myself

i am singing
the song of freedom
a song that belongs to another world

i say no to change
no to the unwanted

i wonder
wonder why NO
i wonder where this is going

i am on a road to find myself
on a narrow road