An idle mind is a.....

Sitting in a staff meeting. 18 people around the conference table. My first experience of the boardroom – is just like what one sees on television, advertisements etc. As a kid, I imagined taking the boardroom by storm with my ideas and analytical skill. Of course, my imagination then (and even now) is more visual than verbal and is beyond the reach of anything remotely resembling reality. But for the most part, this meeting has been rather boring.

My mind comes up with rather strange thoughts to keep me awake. I recall the line I had heard in the morning ‘George Bush condoms – for men who don’t know when to withdraw’. My thoughts wander to the senior who used to wear only capris so as to show off the tattoo on her ankle.

Ahh!! Temporary salvation – Sridhar arrives with coffee.

Sigh!! I miss the good old B school days when one didn’t need to fight sleep so desperately – after a point, one just gave in. The joys of sleeping in class have to be experienced to be appreciated. To all those who frown upon those who sleep in class, ‘boo’. Your neighbour’s attempts to wake you up, suddenly waking up and nodding your head vigorously to whatever the Prof. is saying, Spunky’s ‘I was wondering…’. Funnily enough, many memories of B school are related to sleeping in class for that is such an integral part of the culture there.

I hate it when the spellcheck in my word document is set to English (US). For me, colour (and a lot of other words) has a u, z is pronounced ‘zed’ and not ‘zee’, cheque is not spelt check and so on. Maybe that is why I do not want to live or work in the US – I just don’t like their language.

My friend is here. She got married last august and has been living in the US since then. It feels weird - to have a married friend living in the US. Actually, it feels weird that some of the people closest and dearest to me are in the US. It’s so far away. Why? Your parents miss you so much – they can’t stop talking about you when I pay them a visit. Your friends are all here – they think how wonderful it would have been if you were also here, at home.

That day I have been dreading for a long time has come and gone. The other day, I was standing right opposite a Baskin Robbins store. And I did not go in. Yesterday, at the store, my uncle asked me which ice cream I wanted. They never ask me if I want one, they always ask me which flavour I want - my family is so sure of me. But yesterday, I said no. Yeah, I know saying no to ice cream is sacrilege – and that day has come. I’m greatly distressed, I don’t know how to deal with this situation – I wonder if I should inflict punishment upon myself and not eat ice cream for a whole week.

What does do without ice cream in one’s life? What does one do without love in one’s life? Of chocolates, books, sleep, Gult movies, the English language, brightly coloured pants, rain, Granny’s pakodas, travel shows, Mom’s dosas, Japanese anime. And why is this list dominated by food?