1. Have an Interesting Snippet to Share : Click Here
    Dismiss Notice

The Omniscient Gentleman!

Discussion in 'Cheeniya's Senile Ramblings' started by Cheeniya, Feb 28, 2007.

  1. arshi1611

    arshi1611 New IL'ite

    Messages:
    52
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    8
    Gender:
    Female
    hello sir,
    Interesting post and definitely something that all of us have gone through.
    I remember when i got married and went to chennai,I was new to the city and hungry for some company as i came from a big family :) my husband went off to work at 7 in the morning and returned in the night. T.V becomes useless when u can't watch it with someone so i used to lookout for neighbours all the time.Since most of them were working i hardly saw anyone during the day time.One day i heard a child outside and i ran to open my door to find that the apartment next to mine was open and a child was running around and being fond of children i smiled and started talking to the lil girl.I didn't know tamil so i spoke in english which i'm sure the lil one couldn't get but i think affection has no language and can get translated into anything.Anyways i must have spoken to her for only 2-3 min when her mom came rushing and by the time i could turn n give her a smile she had snatched the poor girl inside and shut the door on my face!For a few minutes i kept staring at shut door,smile frozen,thinking what i may have done for such a response... i certainly didn't look scary nor was i remotely trying to enter her house! It upset me immensely. I've spent 15 years in the gulf where we lived with people from different countries and they were so warm and cooperating.If someone fell ill in the apartment everyone used to take turn to help them to get on with cooking or any other requirement.After that when i see that my own people are so aloof it then really gets to me.
     
  2. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Aarshi
    Being a man who loves intense bonhomie among neighbours, an incident such as you have quoted would have certainly disconcerted me too! What a slap in the face for no justifiable reason! If people like these come into our life constantly and regularly, we are certain to grow into the greatest grouches of all times! When people live abroad particularly in a country where the local culture runs counter to our own avowed faith, it is natural for people to huddle together to overcome the feeling of alienation. I have also noticed that if the same people come back home on vacation and if they happen to meet in our familiar local ambiance, they may not feel the same degree of cordiality.

    The joy of life lies in being a total extrovert. And being an extrovert is as much reaching out to people as making them reach out to us. It is a pity that we live in such exclusion that when a courier asks our neighbours about us, they plead ignorance. At this rate, there will be no need to call a person from another planet an alien. We'll all be aliens to each other!
    Sri
     
    1 person likes this.
  3. radhavenkatesh

    radhavenkatesh Silver IL'ite

    Messages:
    456
    Likes Received:
    26
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear cheeniya
    congrats !!! for three things
    1. you found a new friend in your own apartments who can share the world with you all you need to do is ask him wots news??

    2. you can leave your computer for a while and stroll around to his place and chat with him on and off so your daily excersise regime would be rescheduled :)) wish i could also get a friend who could drag me to his place for learned discussions ....

    3.great discovery isnt it ...
     
  4. Padmini

    Padmini IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    6,795
    Likes Received:
    1,177
    Trophy Points:
    345
    Gender:
    Female
    dear cheeniya sir,
    awestruck by your narration.i am very happy to note in reading newspaper you belong to my category. but there are some people who do not word to miss even a single word( including ads)but i get fascinated by the news regarding Kamal hasan. now coming to the the pther man not knowing about you, i cannot digest this. mistake is on your part also. (kidding) this reminds me of one N.S. krishnan movie. in that the man will talk ill of all others. at that timeN.S would some question about his personal belongings, for which the man would keep silent. but it happens in this busy world. thia happened to my son in law. when he was alone inUS sharing aflat with aman hailing from chennai. one day when they were having some conversation, they were neighbours when they were chennai. so we cannot find fault with anybody.
    with love
    pad.
     
  5. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Radha
    I want to add a sub para to your first item. That's the saving on newspaper. Since he is a walking newspaper, why would anyone want to buy a newspaper if he gets a chance to talk to him daily?

    I agree on that rescheduling of the exercise regimen. Again a sub para here. It will be exercise for the body going to his house and for the mind talking to him.

    This is indeed the greatest discovery since Columbus'! :)
    Sri
     
  6. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Padmini
    The city life is partly to blame. It makes us so mechanical that we just don't get interested in anything other than our routine. Things are not as bad in smaller towns and villages. In villages every one knows more about his neighbour than about himself! When we live abroad, there is a subconscious feeling of alienation that binds us all together. One doesn't have to be even from the same city. You feel so relieved even to meet some one from any part of the country!

    I too remember that NSK scene but can't recollect the name of the movie. In driving home his point forcefully, there can be none like NSK. People call Vivek the modern NSK. Vivek can never be a patch on NSK!
    Sri.
     
  7. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    13,370
    Likes Received:
    24,115
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    I am not sure it needs to be either we get to know our neighbors or know the world. Your neighbor probably found the path of knowing the world more interesting than exploring the neighbors. Cheeniya Sir, I am sure you know many of your neighbors as much as you write about number of topics here in IL.

    I remember an interesting conversation that happened when I was traveling in the plane from the US to India. A husband and wife who were sitting in the window and middle seat next to my aisle seat were talking all the time about number of people including their parents, brothers, sisters, friends and strangers they just met in the aircraft. When we got off for a break in Europe, the husband gave an uncomfortable smile at me recognizing I was seated next to him in the plane. We slowly developed conversation and I casually mentioned that since the couple were engaged in conversation, I stayed away from conversing with him. He responded, "Sir, if we don't discuss everyone away from us, we end up quarreling and criticizing each other. Hence, I always make sure that we talk about everyone else other than ourselves." May be your neighbor decided to stay international as Bush or any person of his stature will not come to defend himself.

    By the way, thank you for mentioning that you live in Kasturiba Nagar, Adyar as I am also from Kastruiba Nagar, Adyar. What a small world. When I make a visit next time to India, I will make it a point to visit you, Cheeniya Sir.
     
    2 people like this.
  8. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Viswa
    I'll look forward to our meeting during your next visit to India.
    The strategy followed by your co-passengers in the Flight is indeed very innovative. Makes a lot of sense too. But the only thing that needs to be ensured is that the person that is chosen for discussion must be one that both like or dislike. Otherwise they'll end up quarelling again. Most of the heated arguments between me and my wife are invariably due to opinions expressed by us about Ilayaraja and A.R.Rehman. I am a die hard fan of Ilayaraja and my wife likes the noise made by ARR. We have now agreed that if at all we discuss about music, it will be only about carnatic music. Since then, there is absolute peace at home!
    Sri
     
    3 people like this.
  9. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

    Messages:
    2,474
    Likes Received:
    3,125
    Trophy Points:
    283
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear Sri,

    Theme is very relevant to modern times.We know about the whole world but not immediate neighbours. I guess we are becoming very individualistic society. We say the world is like a global village now with modern communication system. But behind all this at the back of the mind...we are only "I" and no one else.

    There is a Telugu writer Kavanasarma...he wrote a short story long back "Paridhi" which means circumference.
    He writes when he was a child it was a big joint family...grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and it was a communal living.If someone around is in need everyone used to throng to help them. Everyone used to feel that they are a part of the family. Circumference was big.Then later it became only GPs, father , mother and children. Then gradually parents were out of the circumference..only parents and kids. When kids grew they flew out of the house.Finally even with couple....though they live in the same house their individual perspective is more important and it is always "I". I am not able to express as he expressed.....I am not a writer like you.
    We want to know about the people whom we would never meet in life...politicians, film stars and people like them.

    Syamala
     
    1 person likes this.
  10. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,627
    Likes Received:
    16,903
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Syamala
    It is possible that we do not want to get very close to our neighbours due to our fear that they may become a great nuisance. Neighbours are known to take a lot of liberties if you pamper them. From a hand loan which they'll positively repay on the salary day to borrowing our cherished books and CDs which they'll never return. But our knowledge of Montek Singh or Obama is the least risky of all. They'll never need any favours from us.

    Further there is another huge problem about getting close to our neighbours. They may be part of a group that robs banks on weekends or sending supplies to terrorist outfits. This is now happening in Chennai and the Police is issuing regular warnings to be cautious about neighbours. While travelling in trains, the co-passengers may give us biscuits or sweets which we eat and go to sleep and we wake up both our neighbours and our luggage will be missing!

    I am able to understand what Kavanasarma is trying to tell us. Nobody talks about 'we' anymore and it is all only 'I'!
    Sri
     
    1 person likes this.

Share This Page