Just A Weird Thought!

Scene opens celebration in the air, a well dressed couple, Betty and Tim  come into focus.

Priest: Do u agree to change your facebook status from single to married?
Guy: yes!
Girl: yes! Priest: you are now husband and wife.

You may now poke the bride.. ;)

scene blacks out

scene opens

6 months later...

fades away.... 

evening sun is visible through the window, with the silhouette of Betty in a casual sleeveless and shorts sitting in front of the computer, facebooking is seen. Wwith a bowl of something to eat (again as a silhouette) in hand, Tim walks in, casually peeps into the screen and some argument starts... with noise in the background still continuing, camera turns to the screen and focus on the notification that reads

"163 people poked u!"

scene and sound fades out

scene fades in 

3 days later... 

all their freinds recieve  updates

Betty and Tim have joined Mafia Wars

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music starts

scene fades out

music continues on

credits...

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 Special thanks to 

    Sooraj Suresh

               &
some contribution from 

Shriram Neelakandan

Is the juice worth the squeeze?

The feelings of a seclude, with a very few friends that can be counted using the fingers of just one hand, desperately trying to socialize and mingle with people just to make friends expecting no gains materialistically or otherwise except for some nice bright smiles on those few known faces, is very complex to explain and even harder to understand and worst to undergo.

wiki says

Verb

to seclude (third-person singular simple present secludes, present participle secluding, simple past and past participle secluded)

1. (transitive) To shut off or keep apart, as from company, society, etc.; withdraw from society or into solitude: as, to seclude oneself from the world.
2. (transitive) To shut or keep out; exclude; preclude.

The depth of thought of a seclude is way too deep and doesnt spread wide enough or just shallow enough for the person to understand the social way of fun and poking fun at each other and ends up feeling hurt and miserable wrenching all the way deep down, yet trying to pretend happy outside just to keep the spirit of the group up. A simple example being  intolerance of mockery directed towards the person and getting tagged as a useless joker and spread of this preconceived notion to all around while just trying to respond and gel within a group, leading to loss of faith upon self and upon socializing, causing deep sorrow and pain. and worser is the case when such a notion spreads to others not known or connected to this person.

Having their own way of doing things and are scared of failure. They tend to do things better when alone and try to be perfect as character wise they fear failure and derive deep satisfaction and happiness on accomplishing things well and never get bored or scared of being alone and tend to get more creative, taking up one stuff or the other at hand to research upon and learn. They hate to see known faces struggling and try helping them to see that smile on that face and tend to get happy upon the fact they accomplished their job. Life that was a nutshell where any trial to get out breaking the shell tends to collapse the being inside, while trying to help others, as it brings in the socializing aspect automatically ending up as a disaster to the that person, one who was once happier and satisfied of being to oneself with silence being their best mate.

Charlie chaplin. The best example of a seclude. though he brought tears of laughter to millions, he was a real sad person within!

Is socializing possible for such a person?

Is trying to be correct from one's side wrong?

Does this mean once a seclude always a seclude?

Is it really worth losing peace and feel the pain while just trying to do something that isnt their cup of tea?

Is it wrong to see someone smile at the cost of no one?

Is the juice worth the squeeze?

- Time only can answer

Nothing is for free in this world!!!

It was a pleasant autumn afternoon while I was for a change, DEEPLY engrossed in some studies that i got I got a call from a lady working for Country vacation saying that I am one of the people who got gifts in a lucky draw that took place in one multiplex on the outer limits of the city. This lady said that i needed to get a couple to attend their seminar and need not get any money or sign up any forms or contracts. She mentioned "just to avoid misuse of the gifts, they needed a couple to attend this 90 min seminar in their office! I was literally wondering as to what this stuff would be. My instincts said oh come on buddy; nothing's free in this world!!! 
I did call up a couple of friends to know their views on this. They seemed as perplexed as me.

This lady again called me and asked for a confirmation! I replied saying that I was ready to come, but getting a couple was the more difficult fact. Then she said something that cleared off any confusion that I had! She said that for the no. of years that I have been living in Chennai (don’t know how she concluded that fact); I should be familiar with many couples around in my locality and friends circle, who will be ready to listen to me!

AHHHHH!!! That’s it! Stop right there. You have no business to take up that matter. You want a couple, getting one is my problem. Don’t act rude to me I can be worse!...  was my prompt reply

Being in the commercial sector myself, I have had a taste of what professionalism would be. No professional takes up that tone of a speech if they really are bothered about their consumers/customers 

 It was the old way, MY BROTHER'S way!!... I pinged http://74.125.45.100.  Confused?? In simpler terms, ".For certain things, there exists no explanation! For the rest there is GOOGLE". One search and I got the following as the result in one of the page! It was wonderfully hilarious to go through all the posts!

The following was the link (read for some timepass!):http://www.complaints.com/2007/april/1/RCI_affiliation__Country_Club_Country_vacation_s_i_90440.htm

   This was one of the entries! And a MILLION thanks to who-so-ever did this! God bless them!

1. Free One Week Stay at one their club (Trivandrum, Goa, Thailand-Bali, Srilanka -Kandy) for four people
2. Free usage of Bangalore Country Club facilities for a day for Four people.
3. Kitchen Set.


"I been to the great place and here is the after story,
1. It is not FREE STAY. We need to pay Rs.3000- They are claiming, they are giving us the gift worth of Rs.25000 for that Rs.3000 is the nominal administration charge. Here is my comment about this,
I came to know from my friends circle that the properties (Trivandrum, Goa, Thailand-Bali, Sri lanka -Kandy) are not even worth enough to pay Rs.150 per night. They are very old properties, not maintained and not cleaned.
Better pay little higher than Rs.3000 and take a reputed resort and keep away from these cheaters
also the stay is only for one couple not for four people

2. Free usage of Bangalore Country Club facilities- ONLY THE SWIMMING POOL CAN BE UTALIZED.NOTHING ELSE. TO GET THIS YOU NEED TO REACH THE OUT SKIRT OF BANGALORE; also this is only for one couple


3. Kitchen Set- I have to say the true, very attractive, nice color worth between Rs150-200 if you are purchasing from a shop. BUT NEVER KEEP FOOD IN THAT. THE METERIAL THAT MADE UP OF THAT IS VERY LOW QUALITY. You can keep that in show case.
TO GET THIS WOTHLESS GIFTS YOU NEED TO PAY FOR YOUR VALUABLE TIME TO LISTEN HOW THEY ARE CHEATING PUBLIC BY CELLING THE COUNTRY VACATION AND COUNTRY CLUB PRIVILAGE CARD.
They will give 100s of promises as they did for gifts to purchase their membership card. I came across with few people those are behind of this company (but not even registered under tourism act) to get their hard earned money back.
Please pass this information to your friends circle so that we can start save people, who may fall in their loop. Let's start a new India without any cheaters"


This gentleman was kind enough to put up his experience at least to aid others who are yet to be drawn into the plot! The fact that made me think was that i had actually been to this multiplex during my college days, for some time pass and i did fill up some draw coupons, just for the sake of doing it!

Clever implication

This was a conversation that took place over the dinner table between a gentle man and me while i was on board.

Me: Good evening sir!!

Him:good evening young man!!

All meals were the buffet system there and we take what each of us want and come back and take our seats on the dinner table. and start eating. In a couple of minutes.......

Him: Shri, you are a gaas-poos (a word that means a vegetarian) arent you?

Me: Yes sir!! very much one!!

Him: then why dont you eat beef?

Me: !!!! because i am a veggie?!?!?

Him: see... cow eats grass, and you eat cow, it means u are indirectly eating grass only!!! so u still are a vegetarian!

Me:!!!! errrrrrrr.....

Him: So shall i get you some beef then?

Me: No thanks sir, but i have one point to make!!

Him: yes sure!!! Go ahead!!

Me: pig eats Sh*t and you eat pork!!! So does that mean........ ???????????

Him:" "

Me: may i get u some pork sir???

Background: the whole mess room was in a bout of hysterical laughter

I was happy that the joke by a junior was taken in a good sense and not in a bad one!!!

This was one hilarious incident that i could not forget, hilarious because the people involved took the whole incident in a light tone!!!

Message Delivered

With the advent of technology, being in touch is never a problem these days, that too when you have a facility of carrying an instrument called the cellular phone that lets you stay in touch. This techonology gave birth to the short messaging service or the SMS. This sms is a boon at times but at times can get you in such a situation where you are confused whether to laugh or to get angry, that too when you recieve calls and messages from the service provider, or as advertisements at theperfect time when you don't want to get them.

I have have had one such experience. I was sitting in a class, and then i got the following message:

A famous brand name of condoms,

then their slogan line: Once you try it you would never do without it. Heightens pleasure and prolongs it.

And the next line said the most ridiculous thing:Special offer on king size packs. To order in bulk, please contact and a contact no.

This message made me wonder!! I was scratching my head. If a person wants one, then he can go to the nearest chemist or the drugstore and get 1, 2 or 3 or as per need. What was the motive behind this ad on sms? This ad would have helped a general store owner or a drug store personnel, but sending it to some individuals that too as an advertisement left me in a bit of an irritated state, as it seemed quite odd to me.

Half our class had a horselaugh seeing that sms. Was one incident that i cannot forget!!!

The SURNAME confusion

This is a light hearted post... a story that happened to a friend of mine...

Sounth indians in general, have names without surnames. This is one experience of a very good friend of mine. This person too fell in that catregory of south indians without a surname. The first semester of college had started and the entry forms were to be filled with pirticulars of self in it that would go in the college records.

The form had the usual options under the category 'name' that asked for the surname, firstname, lastname. This person like every south indian, wrote (substituting the original name with my name as an example) :

Surname : NIL

Firstname : Shriram

Lastname : Neelakandan

and the result was that the person had the word "nil" entered in the register against surname!!!!!

say for example, Nil Shriram Neelakandan !!!!!

the nil lingered on for one full year and appeared on all the printouts , the attendance registers etc. Was a big time comedy then!!! I used to imagine the face of the lecturer while reading the name on roll call and laugh!!!!....

So every time i see a form, i make sure that i leave that surname section blank or strile it out totally to avoid confision!!!

The bell in the head

Generally the topic in any conversation starts with how we are and what we do. The moment i say that im in the merchant navy, many people ask if it is the navy. Then starts the same old scratched grammaphone disk of a story. I explain that this is the commercial sector dealing with cargo. Some people are humble to accept the fact, some are just awed because they are totally ignorant about this field, some ask for experiences however it would be sin not mention the lot who try to be oversmart and prove superior.

They just drop into the scene out of the wide deep blue sky into the situation and the first question they ask is whether i drink, smoke etc. The worst is when they ask if i have a girlfriend every port. In my opinion, i think this is personal stuff and these people have no business to interfere. But however, i do not show out the frustration and explain that it is not a necessity for all sailors to drink and smoke or have a girl every port and that it is left upto the mindset and the choice of the pirticular individual. it takes a long time for me to explain that i am a teetotaller and sober in all ways which these geeks refuse to accept

The next question is about a LOT of ships sinking and sailors gone missing without a clue. At this, i rather start to pity the person rather than curse him or her within me. I just ask them to name one ship that they know about and there comes the answer in a jiffy, "TITANIC". with a chuckle, i ask is that the LOT that u know about?

The next question is the one from the current issue of piracy! People ask if i have seen pirates!!! Now i really start to enjoy the scene. They really are striving pretty hard to provea well informed geek, what for i dont know. Now piracy in the somalian warters had existed for the past 400 years atleast!!! when i say that, they give me a "WTF is this guy speaking of.... maybe he doesnt know ne thing at all" kind of look.

next question arises....

Hey, by the way, what do you do on board? dont u feel bored looking at the sea all the time for months together? Now there are a lot of technical issues involved in the kind of job that i do.Why do such people fail to understan that we have certain duties and responsiblities to fulfill on board and we are very busy with those and hardly get spare time and that we dont sit and ogle at the horizon as they think.

Moreover the concern about what i eat is the funniest part. They tend to ask what kind of fish have i eaten. one such geek asked if i had eaten an octopus!!! I find it hard again to explain or rather make them accept that im a vegetarian.

The same questions are asked by people who really care and are just curious to know my welfare. But the tone and the wordings are defenitely different and its this difference that rings the bells of frustration inside the head.

These geeks, fail to understand that

>more than lives are during daily chores and accidents on land than that lost in a ship.

>a person can be a drunkyard, chainsmoker, a drug addict,an womaniser and a rapist on land too!!!

>moreover, to do or get the above, even a sailor has to go on land!!!

>And many more such points

Personally, i do not blame these people. What reflects in their speech is what they have heard, though some have the ability to amplify what they have heard, a thousand times and project other people as bloody thirsy desperate devils with horns, running around with red hot tongs in hand aiming at the arse of others!!!

It is also the seafaring community that needs to be blamed. But now the senario is changing slowly. There are better and more sensible people coming in at the present times. But the past of this field does have a lot of marks on the white paper thats going to be visible in the future too. I seriousely hope the senario changes fast letting these dark marks to fadeand making the paper white again!