10/02/2013

Situational Muse

This dude is a stubborn-knotty bundle of cluttered to-do's. And is always bang in the middle of doing many, together. So yesterday she was doing her arrears account - from the scratch - with a 2b pencil, off the crayons box of one of her daughters, when suddenly she remembered she must draft an application to the principal concerning detention during puja vacation - which she begun, and asked for language help from one across the next seat - and then in the middle of helping me with 'to whom it may concern, or to who it may concern?', a union student brought in someone whose documents 'must' be attested, and so she starts that, mind you she verifies well, and casually asks what the documents are required for. To which the student mumbles, 'es-tie-pen' SM: 'Ki?' Student: 'estiepen' SM - Leaves everything -ALL- at hand in a superflash, turns to the student and starts teaching, "bolo staai-pend, 'es' nei" and literally makes the poor boy repeat after her 'stipend, stipend'. She is a fantastic teacher. Later, I casually remark, 'SM, you need counseling man' (at her attendance page where her otherwise fabulous handwriting was playing trapeze) Three hours later, in the train, she suddenly says, in the middle of some other story and teaching me about my dichotomy of propriety, 'yes, must visit the counselor, provided, unknown.' Yes, yes, you better! Else, counselor will end up being mutilated and counseled by this very favourite mother india :) She was my situational muse for yesterday, I chilled with her over photocopying in the nearby store, munching a new chips and discussing stickers and new-age cartoon characters, names like Doremon, Pokemon and Bal-Veer. Long way from the very same Citizen Kane and vodka-sharing buddy! Much loved all the same.

Cheap Thrills

Irrespective of the gruelling and gut-wrenching angst I feel about the condition of the wage-earners, now, more than ever, I cannot but be ...