Encounter with a Stranger!

One cold evening, my professor decided to let us go early. I wanted to go back home soon and sleep and started walking towards the door to the bus stop from my school. As I walked out I realized I had at least 5-10 mins left for the bus. It was around 30 degrees outside and I did not feel like being in the cold for long. I walked back inside. I was not sure when exactly the bus would come and was certainly sure I did not want to miss it. As I walked around contemplating in my head what I should do and was wondering where I could get the bus schedule from without actually walking out of my school (we could get one from the library). As the thoughts traveled in my mind, I let myself take a tour around my school. Just then an old man, with white hair and white beard, a bag on his shoulder, a scarf around his neck, a thick jacket covering his torso and an umbrella in his hand was walking past me. He looked at me nodded and gave me a smile. I smiled back and suddenly realized he takes the same bus as me. I have seen him a couple of times waiting for the 4.29 bus, in the stop opposite my school every evening. I turned back and said, “Hey…” and smiled and waited fro some sort of a reply from him. He looked puzzled, forced a smile back through his beard and looked me. I asked him, ”Are you taking the bus now? The bus number 530?” He smiled and said, “Yes I am…” I enquired the bus timing and he said it should be there in 3-4 minutes and said it is better to go early than wait another hour for the next us and it made sense to me. We walked together to the bus stop and started talking. He initiated the conversation and asked me what I study at Syracuse University; I explained to him that I am a grad student, major in Advertising. So we started talking about the advancements in advertising and how it can make/break a Brand. He explained he was a web developer and I started probing further on his field of work. I was specifically curious about the types of codes he uses and how the graphic designers play an important role in web development. Many criteria including browser compatibility, fonts, graphics as such, choosing the right code, using cascading style sheets against the old school of web designing are some of the concerns for a web developer. He explained that he has been in this field for really long and has grown along with the advancements in technology, but also added that he quite often sticks to the old school of development. As we drifted topics slowly tot the weather, the snow, how bad the winter would be and slowly moved towards talking about the place – Syracuse. Having been here for 30years, and having grown up and attended school and college in New York City, he has seen two extreme cities (If Syracuse can be called a city!). He said that having lived in NYC, he believes he can never be intimidated by any other city, yet says that he has got so much accustomed to Syracuse that he prefer this type of a quiet environment. We spoke about India, the food and compared the spice levels of Thai and Indian food and moved on to how colorful and fun the Indian weddings are and how much of culture and tradition affects the various types of weddings. I remember him mentioning about a road in NYC where Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi restaurants were all located nearby. I smiled to myself to think that in Asia all three countries cannot be said together, but in an alien country, we are all Desi’s! As we drifted to a closure of a conversation with my stop coming closer, he said, “You will be getting off here right?” I nodded and got ready to face the winter wind. He put forth his hand and said, “I am Jeff” and gave me a warm smile. I shook his hand and introduced myself teaching him how to pronounce my name. He made my day and said, “Pooja, It was really nice chatting with you. Considering that we would be seeing each other a lot since we take the same bus.” I smiled at him and returned the compliment.
People are how you perceive them to be. Till a second before 3.20 p.m this evening he was a total stranger whom I would not have even smiled at. In hardly 20mins of waiting for the bus and reaching my house, we grew to discuss an array of topics even without exchanging each other’s names. Without realizing I even invited him to India and ensured him I would call him for my wedding in the future where he would witness true Madras Tam Bram wedding (Not that he understood much, but still).
I was pretty happy to have chatted with someone…felt like home suddenly where you just start talking to random people and feel nice because of the conversation. He would probably be older than my father and I may not even chat with him this much the next time. Yet, this conversation made my day.
Strange it is, how strangers turn to be known in no time! An event to remember, my encounter with a stranger!

After all the procrastination....I wake up!

Well, I started blogging early this summer because I HAD to in order to get an A in my class. I was introduced to blogs long long ago "when the world was young" (my HOD used to love this phrase!). Yet I shunned the idea of blogging. "Its like a diary where you write what you feel" my friends used to insist. Yet I smiled and said I prefer writing in my diary than posting it up here for the world to see. Slowly time passed and I decided to pursue my higher studies and entered the United States of America to make myself a part of the niche area of academics - Advertising. So first class in summer I am introduced to blogs - How blogs form a part of not only your personal life but also in the business world. Social Networking Sites and Blogs, an integral part of Web 2.0, where we all "network" and share our "interests" are not personal sites anymore. They are platforms to connect Globally with people and business. So I learnt the concept and the importance of blogs, yet decided to stick to it only with my academics and did not really pay any attention to it. Soon I started working with a professor of mine on some teaching guides and the first topic I had to research on was - Importance of Blogs in Advertising! So i do a research come up with a fine report and a colorful presentation and he is all praises for me. Yet, I did not try my hand at blogging. When I wanted to apply for some jobs on campus and for internships, I contacted a senior who said, "Hey, just throw out your site you know...your blog or something so they could find out more about you...It would be great if you had your works (designs, photographs, may be some research and insights?) up there! It would be perfect!" I stammered to say - Great Idea! And the heights of it all, that also did not probe me to start blogging! I wonder myself, what made me blog today..what pushed me to type blogger.com on my window and sign up, not for academics but just for myself...I really do not have an answer, but all i can say is that i enjoy writing and I have procrastinated enough to start a blog...So here goes..Words, Thoughts and Opinions from the Madras Girl!
P.S. Now I can throw out my Blog...I joined the league ;) Finally!