Monday, November 27, 2006

Neighbourly Introduction

A little conversation in lift between me and my Elderly Newly Neighbourly Aunty (ENNA). Her, after a stroll in the garden and poor me with a handbag, a thick book from library and a laptop.

Me – Hello aunty.
ENNA – Hello beta. Are you coming from your office?

Me (thinking) – No, coming from swimming pool. Grrrr..
Me (speaking with a big smile) – Yes, aunty.

ENNA (Looking at my laptop) – Where do you work?
Me (thinking, patting the laptop) – Just told you, swimming pool. Laptops behave at their best near water.
Me (speaking) – My office is in *******.

ENNA – What do you work as?
Me – I am a computer professional.
ENNA – Oh good, so you can repair our computer ! It isn’t working since last two months. Are you free this Sunday? I’ll ask my husband to be at home.

All in one breath?? No wonder she does those yogic breathing exercises. I must learn this art from her.

Me – No no. I am not a hardware person.

The lift stops at her floor. I remind her. She slowly opens the door but continues without stepping out.

ENNA – What is that, what person?
Me – I mean, I can not repair your PC. You’ll have to call someone from that computer shop.
ENNA – My maid’s son is working in the same shop. He did some computer course for Rs 6000 after his 10th standard. You also did the same?
Me – No.

I remind her again of nagging sound the lift is making. She steps out but holds the door, doesn’t let me close it.

ENNA – But you just said you work on computers.
Me – Yeah, but I don’t repair computers. I am a software professional.

ENNA giving me strange look, looking at me from head to toe. I also look at myself, from head to toe.

Me (Thinking) Did I say something wrong? Like errr.. “softwear” professional?

I look lost as how to make her understand.

ENNA (trying to give another example) – Ok, like my niece? She did something in web, html.
Me - Yes, but no, I mean errr.. actually my job is different. It’s something like errr... your niece is a skin specialist and I am cardiologist.

I look at her curiously. She stares at me questionably.

Me – Well, it is like we can not ask a gyneacologist to do a bypass surgery though both are doctors.

Thanks to someone who shouts for the lift. I get in and close the door.

Me- Ok, bye aunty.
ENNA – Bye.

Sometimes it is very difficult to explain to people what you do exactly.

Current song- Mere Saamne Wali Khidki Mein Ek Chand Ka Tukda Rehta Hai – Kishore

22 comments:

Ketan said...

"your niece is a skin specialist and I am cardiologist" -- nice one there!!

Ketan said...

quite true. Imagine explaining 'grid computing'. I gave up after trying to explain what gc is after i say i do MSc in gc. Now i say, i study computer science, no more "style maro" ;)

Keshi said...

LOL great conversation!

Keshi.

Amey said...

You know what they say? If you can't explain it, you probably aren't clear about it ;)

All Is Whole said...

HAHAHA lolzzzzz
really funny conversation.....
I hope you must be having good time with your neighbour aunt.....

Prax said...

:-)) If you cant convince... confuse!!! ;-)

Sigma said...

He He He. This sounds painfully and amusingly familiar ;-)
I have a difficult time explaining what I do even to my more literate acquaintances - I write EDA s/w :-))
As to the less discerning, I just tell them I work with computers :-D

Ginco said...

What a funny conversation, sometimes we need a lot of patience, depends with whom we're chatting to, LOL!
Your story made me snigger!!

Cuckoo, thanks for visiting my blog, I feel a bit like the slow train to China only showing myself now - but I've had some computer problems (hope it'll be solved this afternoon) Geez! Never a dull moment!! :-))

Shelby said...

hello from Alabama, enjoyed reading your blog this morning.. take care :)

Bendtherulz said...

Dear funny bone ,

Why blame dear aunty...well I think my mom is not very sure of what I do - lol...!! Initially when I joined the industry she use to twist and butcher my so called title in front of visitors...think about it...trying to correct your parent as well as visitor.
Quite wisened up since those days...Gave up ( that was easier)

ps - cukooji...even my laptop need some repairement...address pls...oucch...don't hit me ...lol!!

Maverick said...

i knw how it is like, but u seem to be patient, i just say a yes where i think it might end the conversation.

Keshi said...

I dun agree Fleiger cos sometimes even if ur clear abt it, words r not easy to put together :) Especially in a manner that the other person can understand. For eg: a granma hehehe.


Keshi.

Anonymous said...

Lolllllz
You are funny funny funny. I am amazed as how do you keep balance between your serious thinking and your funny bone.

Nice conversation! So what do you work as ? ;)

Anonymous said...

hahahha..Quite humourous..yeah you're right we can't explain to an half knowledge person..
And you know i couldn't escape as you did with your ENNA..becos..i'm a vlsi designer(me works with both hardware and software)...lolzz
And it's so nice to see u on my blog..
Gud morning and hava great week!

take care

Anonymous said...

dear dear funny cuckoo.. it was humourous as usual. hahhaha
right, sometimes difficult to convince what you do. he he only if you know it ;)

Take care

delhidreams said...

easy for you,
now how do i make people understand that i'm a copywriter in an advertising agency is only i know...i still doubt my mother thinks am doing nothing worthwhile with my life...sometimes she asks me teasingly, just out of the blue, 'tere ad kyon nahi aate tv par'...and i just have to look at some region between the toes and toenails...btw, good one, and thanks for all your compliments, hope hum and tum are doing fine ;)

Cuckoo said...

Hi All,
Sorry again, won't be replying individually. Glad to see you all and your experiences here. Keep them coming. :)))

Oh, let me welcome new member "East of Oregon" to this gang. Hey East of Oregon, glad to know that you enjoyed my blog. Keep doing that. ;)
Thanks for your visit. Keep coming. :)

SiD said...

definitely corelate with that...
One of the toughest things to explain to people specially elders about what you do..
other day when there was a fire at infy.. some one asked me - "suna hai tumhari FACTORY mein aag lag gayi..tum theek ho na?"
I was like - factory.. what factory.... i cant imagine what would happen to narayan murthy if he hears someone calling his world class plush offices, a Factory...

Cuckoo said...

SiD,
LOLLLL that was cute! Yeah, sometimes even the computer literate people are not satisfied with our answers.

jac said...

I have no experience, because I am not a computer professional.

But I can comment:

Hilarious !!!

Cuckoo said...

Jac,
So cute of you !!!
Thanks for coming. This is nothing compared to my more hillarious posts. :))

Anonymous said...

of meme and cliche ;)