I am writing this post on my notebook. Until a few years ago, I used to call it my laptop.
A Notebook that was once a Laptop:
My notebook had to go through this painful experience of having its name changed, because for me the term laptop conjures up images of a saucy woman-colleague who had procured this sobriquet through her many liaisons, one of which had been witnessed by another curious and rather garrulous young lady. She had followed the former, seen her enter the cabin of a higher official, and was righteously shocked when she saw her perched upon that official’s lap.
The righteously indignant lady then mentioned this to everyone in our group, and insinuated that becoming a laptop may have been instrumental in the said saucy lady getting those three promotions in two years, while the rest of us were warming the same seats for the last three years.
But this story about my la…., well, my mobile computer getting a new name is incidental. This post isn’t about my notebook. It’s about the Blogging101 course, which is slated to end some time this week, and it’s also about Mom…
My Disenchanted Mom:
…who thinks that I am wasting my time in blogging-shlogging. She believes that I’ve sunk to this level and gotten all arty and bloggy, all because of wifey. Mom is of the firm opinion that she had handed over a bright young upwardly mobile engineer to wifey, who changed him into this pathetic programmer, who spends his time sitting in front of a monitor, doing nothing that she can boast about to her friends.
That was the bit about Mom.
Now, about…
Blogging101:
It wasn’t easy (and I am talking about that half of the course that I managed to finish, the other half must’ve been more difficult,) and yet, it was fun. It was akin to a party that you organize at your own place – you work hard, then you party hard, and then you work harder. I made a lot of new friends from all parts of the world. I read their opinions, their prose, their poetry, and learned about their lives. Most of the times we smiled and laughed together. I also remember an instance when I hurt someone with a word used carelessly. All in all, it was like a second life, lived in a parallel universe. And I loved it!
- I’ve still not followed all those blogs I want to follow.
- I’ve still not created my blogroll.
- I’ve still not visited all the blogs that I wanted to visit.
- I’ve still not written all the posts I had wanted to write.
I know I will. Whenever I can escape mom’s eagle eye, whenever I can steal a few moments from my bread-on-the-table projects, whenever I can smuggle my la…, notebook out on the terrace – I will try to catchup.
I’ll be there for the writing 101 course – and I hope to see you there.
Anand.
Translation for those who couldn’t experience the spice of the following terms:
Blogging-shlogging: A Hindi-Punjabi way of denigrating an activity and making it sound useless. You too can learn to use it. Repeat the term that you want to denounce, with a “sh” added at the beginning.
So, Dance becomes Dance-Shance, Art becomes Art-Shart…and so on.
Note that the denouncer “sh” works in other languages too. So Gana (Singing, in Hindi) becomes Gana-Shana.
With that little capsule of Indian popular culture, signing off, again,
Anand.
didn’t you say you were married?
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I still say that I am married – what made you think I wasn’t?
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all the talk about your mom
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She’s visiting us for a month. Indian Moms don’t let go of their sons after marriage. Should they?
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ah, have read somewhat about that – what do you think? but obviously now you’re not living with her so she must have let you go that much
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Try telling that to her. She’ll make sure that you and I never talk again. And she’d do it because she loves me. Finding a job in a new city is often the way young men escape…
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Jaha tu vaha main… Siblinguu.. Thanks for letting me know writing101 , registered it
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Ek se do bhale, Siblinguu…looking forward to the course.
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Haaa..chalo saat chale naaaya schoool..👫
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😀
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“it was fun. It was akin to a party that you organize at your own place – you work hard, then you party hard, and then you work harder. ”
Brilliant.
How often do you create caricatures Anand? And how long does it take? Do you keep polishing them or once they’re done they’re done?
I like that you provide reference for colloquialisms in the end. Very nice style.
Thanks,
Anand
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Glad you enjoyed it. About your questions: I don’t go back to my caricatures – in fact, once a drawing is done, I seldom revisit it. Can’t say how long – some take longer than others…it’s more about getting the likeness right. These days I create them only for commissions.
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Oh that makes sense–art does flow in your veins 😛 😀
Cheers 🙂
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Feels like I’m always learning some new vocabulary every time you post, and I’m not just talking about Indian pop culture..
Had lots of fun reading your post as always :P.
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Ok…I get it. I think I got a little carried away with this post. Grammar and Vocabulary both should be hygiene factors; the shouldn’t make their presence felt.
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It’s not a bad thing :P.
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regardless, she’s done it nonetheless; she didn’t move to the new city with or after you, did she? so, again, what do you think? obviously, you must have
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No she didn’t. That doesn’t happen. It’s complex. Think of remote-control…stay with my blog. In time, you’ll have it all figured out.
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nevertheless, she can only do so much if she’s not there
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Your post just cracked me up….! and i also learned some punjabi words….woaahhh double whammy! 😀
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That sounds great. So which words did you pick up?
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I learned to add the ‘sh’ to all words, making it sound like punjabi! Just followed your advice 😉
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You are off to a great start. You can also start adding ‘ji’ to certain words. For instance, Hain ji 😀
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Will do! 🙂
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Welcome to Punjabiness!
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Punjabiness…..I like! 😀
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One of the many colors of India 😀
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I didn’t know you even had this blog. I like what little I have seen.
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Thanks Sarah. I know…I don’t brag about it…but I am glad you found it.
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It will be a favorite of mine.
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Thanks Sarah. I’d love to have you visit.
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I saved it on the computer.
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Thanks Sarah. I’ve followed your blog too.
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