the Thinker

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....'

Waiting to see the rest of the series..:)  

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Thanks Varshu, you know I love you. I won't implicate too many people, we had code names for them remember? And Anu, wait for some time, till I finish writing I hope you enjoy reading it.  

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Interesting post. I am glad I read it in chronological order (which I usually don't). Glad that you have such great friends.
I like the way you describe the same thing quite differently:
"big popping eyes (which appeared even more big from behind her glasses)" about someone you clearly don't prefer and:
"Varshu has big wide smiling pair of eyes." about someone you love. :-)

"Anyways, good news is ... I hope I don't sound arrogant. ... chose to be myself and not someone else."

Not arrogant at all. If you have made it (to whatever point you refer to), you have made it. Pretty simple. Glad you didn't join the crowd.

"...is that you got to be good at chatting, buttering, flattering and lots of other things like that."
Not only true about journalism. I think this exists in nearly every stream of occupation. Speak to people from different walks of life and you'll know. And there is nothing weird about it. People have an ego; those who fan it are preferred over those who don't or those who impede its growth.

BTW, one thing you really need to have for being successful in journalism is to bring people to love you or hate you without being explicit. If you are direct then people will feel "She is opinionated. Forget her. Too senti to give me the true picture I want." The trick of getting people aligned, can be learnt by watching the sheperd.

Does "Sarkar" make you Bengali?  

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dear Eroteme,
I visited your blog and have left my comments there. By the way, thanks a lot for your analysis of my article.I agree with you,when you say that flattery and buttery exist in each and every field.  

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