the Thinker

People think I am a highly cynical person in most of the matters in life. They are wrong! I am not only cynical but also pessimistic about certain things. Judging people is one area where I often go wrong. Therefore it often makes me sceptical when I find that people do not turn out the way I had expected them to.

I know many of you shall not agree with me but there have been experiences in my life which have forced me to modify my opinion about the people around me. I would definitely not deny that good people are there. Infact there are people I know, who are genuine and good to a degree, that you can never imagine in today's world. In my previous post I spoke about one my my dearest friends, Varshu. She is a gem of a person. If she makes friends with someone, its forever.

But I also know of people in my past, who call themselves friends just for the sake of it. I might sound very sentimental but then to me friendship is a very important relationship and something which you can cannot take for granted.

I shall narrate one incident in my life which probably shall explain my perception of friendship better. My father shifted to Kolkata when I was 12 years of age. I had just completed my studies till sixth standard in Gujarat and papa decided to quit his job in Gujarat and move to Kolkata, where he had taken up a new job.

Among certain things, that worry most of our parents, when they shift to a new region, is the kind of accomodation they can find and the kind of jobs they will have. But perhaps the most important concern for a person is to get his/her children admitted to a good school in whichever city one is shifting to(this is only if you have a family and a schoolgoing child).

In my case, my parents were no less worried. However, their prayers were answered (along with mine) and I got admitted to one of the 'good' schools in the city. My first day in school was an experience that is worth remembering. I wore this pink frock (like kids, but thats how my mother dressed me up) as my uniform was not ready yet. When I entered my class, the entire first bench people jumped out of their seats and asked in chorus, "What is your name?" I was slightly amazed at the way they managed to produce that orchestral effect by asking one single question all together. After a brief pause, I answered "Amrita, Amrita Sarkar." Thank god it was an all girls school, had there been boys who would have jumped out of their seats I could not have answered their question.

The teacher had not arrived yet. I walked in confused as the other students buzzed among themselves about my brief introduction with them. Suddenly I heard a voice from somewhere at the back of the class. "You there." A girl with blunt cut hair was calling me and waving me to come towards her.

I went and noticed another girl sitting by her side. The girl had brown curly hair, a very fair complexion and thick glasses on her face. She looked at me and smiled. The girl with blunt cut hair introduced herself as Sushmita and introduced the other girl with curly hair as Sweta.

Sushmita behaved in a very friendly manner with me from day one and declared me her best friend on the very first day she met me. She told me that Sweta was from Korea and therefore she had a strange superiority complex and stuff. I did not speak to Sweta much in the beginning. But I could not believe that she is a snob. She was quiet and did not speak to me much.

Sushmita started to change over a period of time and soon I began to realize that what she said was not what she meant. We had to participate in this programme called 'Spectrum' which our school organised after every four years. Unfortunately, the year when I joined was the year when 'Spectrum' was to be held and we all had to participate in the programme compulsorily.

This meant going out every day, in scorching heat in the fields and for hours do the stupid steps your trainers ask you to do. Sweta was in the row parallel to mine, so we often used to chat. For the first time in my life I realised that how wrong we can be in judging people.

Sweta was actually a chatterbox, a very cute chatterbox. She kept my spirits up throughout the entire drudging regime of 'Spectrum' practice. Whereas Sushmita started to drift apart from me. She remembered me when she needed to take notes. Sweta was different. Slowly Sushmita and I saw less of each other and finally we drifted apart.

On the other hand Sweta and I became closer to each other. She knew all the stupid kind of jokes and I laughed on all of them. One day Sushmita and I had a fight, I don't remember regarding what, but we had a fight which terminated our friendship.

The day when our 'Spectrum' got over, I and Sweta were returning together in our school bus. The bus was packed students who were screaming with joy at the end of their daily tasking schedule. We were discussing about our families. Suddenly, she asked me whether I had a best friend. I said no(Sushmita was the not the kind whom you can call a 'best friend'). Then I asked her the same question.

She said "yes." I asked her,"Whats her name?" Sweta smiled at me and said "Its you." We both laughed and were really happy to have each other as friends.Its been eight years now since I know Sweta. She is still my best friend.

Its a relief that, I have friends like Varshu and Sweta. Having friends like them gives me a feel that good people are rare to find but when you find them they stay with you forever.

I would end on an optimistic note, which is quite a refreshing change to my pessimistic image. I generally make very few friends. But all of them are the best people in my life, people I am blessed with.

To become a journalist, its not enough to be good at writing, editing, scripting, reporting etc, but a lot of other stuff as well. Wondering what am I talking about? Well, what I gathered from my own experience after a ten month course in journalism,is that you got to be good at chatting, buttering, flattering and lots of other things like that.

Most of the these qualities are alien to me,so when for the first time I arrived at the one of the best colleges of journalism in India, I was bewildered to find people who were experts at the above mentioned areas.

Added to these aspects was also a very common attribute in most of their characters - weirdness to an excessive degree. Everyone was weird in his/her own distinct manner. Well, if I see it from that angle I was an extraterrestrial creature to most of them.

In my very first post I had mentioned that I am a reserved person by nature. I landed up in journalism accidently.So the unusual quietness that I maintained since day one of the course, made some of them curious.

The kind of expression I saw in their eyes (I presume),when they saw me, was some what like this -
"what a strange and unusually quiet girl, she is not the chill type, she doesn't party, she doesn't 'booze'(I learnt much later that it means to drink), no smoking kinds."

Some of them might have smirked and thought this, "with this kind of attitude, this tiny little girl shall not survive as a journalist." Anyways, good news is I have survived, without partying, smoking, boozing, flaterring and chatting too much. I hope I don't sound arrogant. But what I am trying to say is I just chose to be myself and not someone else.I owe it all to someone sitting above all of us and smiling at me.

I also owe it to the most wonderful kind of friends one can ever have in their lifetime.They are my most prized possession. I remember how I met each one of them. At that point of time I couldn't have ever guessed that one day, when the course would near its end, I would cry at the thought of parting with them.

For your kind information, my friends are also devoid of the qualities that I mentioned at the beginning of the article. They are like me and still unique in their own way.

I remember meeting two of my roommates when for the first time I moved into the apartments which was provided to us by the college, in Chennai. The first one was a girl with a white complexion, big popping eyes (which appeared even more big from behind her glasses)and a sweet saccharine smile(big enough to cause diabetes) on her face.

The second one was whom they referred to as a 'chinky-eyed' in Chennai. Actually, she is a Tibetan, but Chennaites find the entire race of Koreans, Japanese and their kind similar to look at so they call them 'chinkies.'I dare not mention Chinese because of Xing's obvious dislike towards China, being a Tibetan. Xing is the name of my Tibetan roommate.

I met another one of my roommates after a few days when she shifted into the apartments. A "hype," "slick" girl obssessed with her own life. Somehow I could not corelate to her. After some days I realized why. She was the one of the experts in what I have mentioned in the beginning of the post. Not my type as you can understand.

My fourth roommate was yet to arrive. The kind of specimens (the first and the third one) I discovered a week in the form of humans perplexed me and worried to a large extent.

My fourth room mate arrived after a few weeks. On seeing her I remembered of having met her before during the day we had our orientation and Chennai tour. She was the only girl wearing a black formal suit, and looked the most sophisticated out of the entire lot. She is from Indore, the only one along with Xing, who at that point of time appeared sane to me (i.e, matching my perception of sanity). Today she is one of my closest friends.

But, what actually changed my otherwise jerky life is my introduction to one girl, who called herself, "Varsha Sreenivasan." She was in a different flat but after a month exchanged places with the my "slick" roommate and came to our flat. Lots of things took place before she finally transferred to our apartment about which I shall write in my book (yes, please don't get shocked, I am indeed planning to write a book).

Varshu is the sweetest thing to happen to me ever since I joined ACJ. We have fought I do not know how many times over these ten months. But we shared more blissful moments together which are more precious to both of us.

I never had thought that God would gift me a "chechi" ('elder sister' in Malayalam),with sweet plump cheeks, which you love to pull. Varshu has big wide smiling pair of eyes. As I got to know her I grew very fond of her. Now the situation is such that I started crying the other day by thinking that the course has come to an end and I would not be able to see her in Mumbai, where I got a job.

I enjoy the times when we cook together and sit together, talking happily about various things. The best thing that I have learnt from Varshu is that we should not generalise people as bad and call the few good one's as exceptions. Being a pessimist I always have been cynical while determining whether people are good enough.

However, I won't write more about us now, all the rest is reserved for my book. Studying in Chennai, has been a worthwhile experience and opened my eyes and heart to lots of things which were once again 'alien' to me previously.

So wait patiently till I publish my book. I have decided to call it 'To be a journalist....'

The day I gave my first job interview was a strange day indeed, people go to such interviews with special preparations, and update their G.K, to a satisfactory extent. It reminds one of an archery contest where you feel like the board with a bullseye drawn on it, and the person on the other side of the desk appears to be the archer waiting with his questions which he would shoot at you like arrows.
But strangely enough in my case, so far, interview has not been a dreadful experience. In fact the night before the interview I did nothing to update my near to nill G.K. My friends were I must say, diligent enough to wake up at 5 in the morning and start studying for the interview.
I woke up lazily at 7, got ready at a similar lethargic pace and went with them to college where the buzz was higher than the usual days. (Obviously, what did I think, its me alone who has come for being hit at the bullseye?) In the lobby, there was a que of students waiting for their names to be called. One advantage is that we have the campus recruitment system so we don't have to wander around like nomads in order to find 'archers'. But that does not mean it makes things easy. Out of 85 nearly 80% que up for an average of 4-5 vacancies.
The employers have suppossedly said that if they need more people they might recruit more people. Being highly 'creative' I started visualising again. A man (a steroetyped boss) hurling diamonds in the air, and an entire lot of students struggling among themselves to lay hands on the gems. I know such a vision might sound madeup. Ok, I confess it was after the interview, that imagined it, but it is an original thought.
I and my friends happened to almost bump into the 'archer'..I mean interviewer before the he got 'quizical.' The fellow appeared quite down to earth and 'docilish.' Surprise, he was as friendly at the interview as well. I gave two interviews and surprise again, no arrows at all. Instead I was asked an age old question - "Where do you see yourself ten years from now?" I gave a very conventional monotonous reply - "I see myself as a successful..blah blah...(yawn)." One of my friends had a bad interview (thats what she thinks but I think, things would definitely get better and she would get the job), another one of my friends', Varshu, is extremely close to me and I want her to get the job somehow. Infact its almost like if she gets the job it would sheer bliss to me. I shall write more about her some other day and dedicate one of my posts to her.
But now lets get on with the interview. So my interview went on normally, though I don't know how I fared. However, there were other interesting observations to make. One of our faculty members, wore a traditional kurta pyjama, which is uncommon as generally he is dressed in formals. When asked why did he choose such a ethnic wear on a day like this, he heartily replied - "On the occassion of all of you getting recruited I have worn this dress." Students broke out into peals of laughter when they heard that.
One of my classmates who was never interested in the interview frankly told the interviewer that,"I was never interested in business..". the entire day turned out to be a long tedious one, we all were hungry and tired. After the first interview in the morning we waited for the second one till the afternoon. One of my friends who is a Tibetan was inside giving her interview, and she took slightly longer than the usual timespan people took while they were being interviewed.We all were waiting outside for our call. The scene was similar to that of a hospital, where some critical operation is going on and people are waiting for the doctor to give his verdict. We all were standing quietly when our sir, clad in his kurta, broke the silence with an amusing question -"What is he asking her for so long, questions on the Tibetan economy?" We all laughed. Sir innocently glanced from one face to another not understanding what was impractical about his question.
Before me a girl (who also happens to be my roommate) swaggered out of the room. She was in high spirits. When I went in I wondered whether the man must have been tired by now. But surprisingly, (yeah, I know I am getting repititive), he asked me questions on the work that I had done in the college. The interview got over before it began. In a way I was happy because my tummy was grumbling all the while.
By the time the interview sessions got over, we all were drained of whatever energy we had, but went back home cherishing the memories of our unusual job interview.

Yes, a complete jam, thats what I have landed into ever since I came to Chennai for a ten month long course in Journalism. God! I had never imagined I would wish that I can return to school again. Life here is just the title of this article indicates, a complete jam. As the course is nearing its end it is heaping us with all kinds of assignments and tests. We already have a software test tomorrow, and I am having a terriblw headache already. Tragedy is there is no escape for me for the silly fact that I happen to be the editor of our college website this week. So sit down and edit all those reports. but wait, there aren't any reports, coz noone has submitted any. They too are busy with preparations for the interview and tomorrow's software test .I am not the only one in the jam. my reporters (collegues) are also suffering. I can't really blame them, since they too share their load of assignments. The biggest blow to all of us is our job recruitment interviews scheduled this weekend. No time to prepare for an interview can drive anyone crazy. So, its a jam for all of us for the time being with no way to escape.

Me and myself
Hi, I am Amrita and am new to this entire concept of blogging. I am by nature a very reserved person and hardly like revealing anything about myself. However, surprisingly being inspired by one of my friends,I decided to create my own blog. Blogging is something like dairy writing to me where you create a record of all your experiences in life. thats something I am terribly scared of as I do not like people to know about my inner feelings. Still I do feel strongly about certain things and certain kinds of issues and people, owing to the fact that I am a highly emotional person.I like to write, therefore I decided to create this blog