The Show Story. Continued.
The strangest thing, the most pleasing thing, and the most glorious thing about the show are the same thing. I went alone. Yea, you heard right, I went alone. All the fun I had, I had alone. It is a different fact that right next to me happened to be my brother’s three closest friends, but I was still alone.
What pleases me the most? I had an awesome time.
** ~ **
After the show, I just bumped into tons and tons and tons of people I know. People from Hyderabad, Kerala, Chennai, Bangalore, Goa, even Assam! I will not deny it – it felt good to be meeting so many people at a concert. After all, what is the likelihood of meeting so many people you know, while being squashed in a crowd of twenty thousand?
Knopfler Night: Significant Bumps
~ One of my best dancing partners ever. Hot, tall guy, who moves like a dream, and whisks me around like I weigh twenty grams.
~ Famous, sleazy reporter who I had briefly worked with in theatre productions earlier. Accompanied by ugly wife.
~ Ex-boss lady who I loved and who loved me back while we worked together. Was largely responsible for my rapid professional ascent, and who seems intent on spending many, many thousands of rupees to get herself to look uglier and more horrendous each day. She currently sports orange and red striped hair – she resembles a blushing Garfield!
~ Ex-Super-Boss. Famous Man, with not even half the attitude problems that even I have. Awesome guy who always calls me before a concert, with free passes of highest denomination. Don’t I really luck out?
~ Brother’s best friend of yester-years, who continues to believe I am three years old, in shorts and a tee, and two fat pigtails down my back, and who seemed shocked to see me in my short-haired glory, almost his height and nearly thrice his girth.
~ Brother’s close friend, who asked me to stand with him and his friends during the show, and who accused me of ruining his chances of finding his true love at the concert, seeing as I took him up on his offer and stood by him all evening.
~ Very swanky Chennai hotel owner, who I have met a couple of times here, but who seemed to be over the moon to see me that evening.
~ Two friends from Chennai who I was supposed to go the show with, but who never called me and who were unreachable because their phones don’t have roaming, and therefore who I didn’t go with to the show.
Knopfler Night: Most Significant Bump
Fish Guy (His story later). Let it suffice to say I know why I acted the way I did around him. I have a feeling that with a little time and a little effort, he can have me turning somersaults again, each time he snaps his fingers. And pardon my ego, but there was a reaction – a positive reaction – on the other end of the line too.
A brief conversation, a we-mean-to-be-quick-but-we-can-hold-on-just-that-few-seconds-extra hug and a sneaked-in whiff of his glorious neck later, we were both on our respective ways once more. And yes, I smiled inside for the next day.
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He kicked off my partymania
No matter how busy the two of us were, or how late we finished work, He and I would meet up at least twice a week. If for nothing else, then for coffee and a cigarette, or even just plain ol’ conversation. We were never eloquent with each other over the phone, but seat us with each other, and you wouldn’t be able to slip a word in edge-wise.
We weren’t too alike (as I have realized is the case with most of my close friends). In fact, we were about as alike as chalk and cheese, except for our fondness for innuendo and filthy jokes. But he had a better intuition about most things, than most women do. He’s warned me months in advance about things (and people) that hurt me months later, and the reasons they would happen too. I’m slightly ashamed to say he was mostly right, and I’m more than slightly amazed that I wasn’t able to see that angle (in things) and that side (of people) earlier.
Anyway, so shortly after I shifted towns, he shifted towns as well, and swollen living expenses, and our history of a nearly phone-less relationship, prevented sufficient contact.
But this weekend, he was back where he belonged, and so was I. And of course things hadn’t changed. Yay! He still picked me up, and although we did go out with friends the first day we were in town, we managed to get some alone time the next night. At one am. (grin. Some things will never change)
And we hugged and talked our hearts out, and all was well and happy with the world once more. His sagely advice to me this trip?
“Just purse your lips and spit. Hard.”
You see why we’re so close?
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Play on...
I can never, ever get over the thrill of being in a huge crowd in the first row, screaming my lungs out, and going crazy at every twitch of everything. No, I have not mellowed down, and no, I hope I don’t ever. Because it is such a fantabulous high.
Right in the middle, staring up at him, was where I was on Monday night. I “sang” and screamed my lungs hoarse, and watched him create magic with six strings.
I simply loved that:
~ He wore the classic white-shirt/blue-jeans combo. There’s something so hot about that
~ He needed to replenish his energy with “cold tea” every so often. Reminds us of his age, and his ability to charm despite that (I was convinced that his “tea” cup contained secret shots of tequila, but my theory was shot down. (pun wholly intended) ha ha.)
~ Every guitar he brought on stage looked better than the last. Till he brought out one awesome transparent-and-black one. Awesome.
~ He shared amazing chemistry with the rest of his band
~ He brought down a REALLY hot drummer to play with him. Yea baby, I got that ringside view!
So yes… there I was, barely five feet from the God of Guitar, staring up into his face, shrieking at every given opportunity, and listening to him belt out my favourite Dire Straits tracks for some two hours. (Yea, he forgot to play Heavy Fuel, but we’ll blame that on his geriatricity, shall we? ;-) )
Those of you who missed the show, better luck next time. And for those of you who went, Hurrah!
So… who’s next?
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Aaaarrrggh
It is the Attack of the Eyebrows. My Eyebrows have taken over my face!!
I swear Saddam Hussein at the time of arrest had less facial hair than I sport right now.
Please... can someone take me to a parlour? Please? Please?
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No need for catchy titles...
I've not been much into female bonding. And I've not been much into pouring my heart out either - traditionally, I've shouldered my burdens alone (personal choice) and tried to shoulder others' troubles too.
Fiday night was a most natural amalgamation of both, though. She's a relatively new friend, but we're very alike, and from the day we met, both of us got on like a house on fire.
Standing by the sea, the two of us talked, really talked. Me about my past, things that I think made me what I am, things I've done that I'm not too proud of, and things I'd like people to see, but that just haven't been seen so far. And she listened. And vice versa.
Just like the sea we were standing by, she had a wonderful way of drawing into me, drawing out the driftwood, and washing it someplace far away. Burning the wounds I created by talking, with salt, but healing them as she did so.
We lit a cigarette as I talked about some of my most painful past, and with the smoke, I felt myself exhale some of my anxiety out of me. And as we walked back to the car in companionable, newfound closeness, we agreed on one thing: we may not be ideal specimens, but we've turned out ok. More than ok - we're turned out pretty darned fine.
If you ever read this, you know who you are. Thank you.
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Dawning
You're fighting shoving elbows and stomping feet. You're shoving too, to make room for your just-arrived mug of chilled beer. You're waving to people to know, greeting the ones you know better, and thoroughly enjoying the music and your familiar surroundings. You're enjoying the feeling of being back there, as you're fighting time to make the most of it before other people come by to take you elsewhere.
You spot someone you loved once, as you're being rushed out, and the thought crosses your mind :
"I'm glad they're doing well. They look happy."
And you send up a silent prayer for them.
Later, amidst silent conversation with yourself, in a group of noisy friends, in a noisy pub, you smile inside for what you had, and what you know will never be lost. Despite your, and their, best efforts. And you're glad that the past is the past, and the future is promising, and that despite the rockiest sea, your little coracle is still steady. And you wonder at the fact that an instinctive reactive thought can make you realise this better than hours of deep contemplation.
And you proceed having a good, if not better, time for the rest of the night.
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I Love you, Mr. C
As Finance Minister for the country, he has boldly done what no man has done before. He has saved Reveur money. Oh yes, that is good news.
It has taken me three days to get over the good news, stop partying, stop spending all that money I should be saving, and post about his wonderful new budget.
Basically, as a tax payer (as a female tax payer), I’m now going to be saving nearly 10K each year on taxes. My mother apparently thinks that translates into her getting something for herself each year, but we’ll shatter that illusion sometime later, heh heh.
I followed this year’s Budget very closely, and I’m glad I did. Yes, there are some aspects to it that I’m not too happy about personally (cigarettes prices will increase by ten percent!) but overall, I think he’s done a fabulous job of creating a neat, balanced Union Budget for the country.
Awesome. I’m going to have more liquid money. Party, anyone?
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Action-packed
My event went off stupendously, amazingly well. AR Rahman, and Prof Swaminathan, both gentlemen of great repute whom I greatly admire, were guests of honour at the ceremony. I chatted at length with both of them, and was completely awed by the sheer genius of one, and the immense knowledge of the other. Small and humbled I was, but also thoroughly kicked, because one told me I had “expressive eyes” and the other said I had a “charming smile”. Yay!
I goofed up BIG time, in that I didn't hand my boss his prepared Vote of Thanks speech till five minutes prior to his walking up on stage, and he was FURIOUS. Y'see, he's not much of a reader, but he can deliver a mean impromptu speech. But in any case, he wasn't too bugged later - he only mildly said that I should avoid that kind of confusion in the future. Whatta nice man, no?
I also won praise for the first time ever from my boss, who said he was extremely impressed by the event, was proud of me, and appreciated my attention to detail. Tell me... what more could an employee ask for?
** ~ ** ~ **
My bestest, estest, estest friend came by with her fiancé to see me last weekend, and we had the blastest time in the whole wide world. Y’know, things may or may not be going so well for me, but all I need to do is hear her voice and see her, and suddenly, things just sort themselves out. In my head, at least. They’re not so bad as they used to be.
She is the best friend anyone could have. She’s most non-judgmental, and is a friend in the truest sense of the word. We’re very, very different people, and the way we operate is completely at extreme ends of the spectrum. But she fully understands where I’m coming from with everything I do, and she has always supported everything I do. Everything. I mean, she may not participate in it, but she will support me irrespective of what she thinks. Because it is important to me.
She’s seen me through my bests, and my deepest, darkest worsts. And though we don’t talk or see each other as often as we’d like to, we’re constantly updated about each others’ lives. All it takes is one sentence, and we immediately understand the entire history of the topic. She rules.
So anyway, she brought her fiancé to see me, because we had never met, and much to my delight, we got along like a house on fire. Yes, I do admit feeling a couple of twinges initially, of anxiety, that I might not have the closeness that I was used to, anymore. But meeting him dissipated all my fears, and oh boy, even brought back assurance that something like that would NEVER happen. He rocks too.
And they are WONDERFUL together. I am so utterly thrilled, and completely over the moon, and demonstrated it by jumping up and down in a disco, IN A SARI, with them.
** ~ ** ~ **
She may be my bestest, estest friend, but she is a walking, talking disaster where cell phones are concerned. She has lost two phones of her own, ruined my brother’s, and knelt on her fiancé’s and broken it. This trip, she called her home from mine, dropped it from the balcony of my apartment, and RUINED IT!!! The screen’s gone blank, the ringer’s dead, the keypad doesn’t work, and the damn phone doesn’t unlock. I couldn’t access my phone book, and for a couple of days, I felt really paralysed without a cell phone. I didn’t realize how dependent I was on that li’l thing…
In addition, over the past three days, the damn thing has developed a bloody disco act. There’s a loose connection with the power button, so it keeps turning itself on and off. Stupid maniacal disco phone.
** ~ ** ~ **
And because the damn thing didn’t work, I had to contact a friend in Chennai, through another friend in Delhi. I tell you, thank goodness for email.
** ~ ** ~ **
I’m off traveling on a much-needed break this weekend, and guess what? Another of my closest friends is coming down as well. He moved up north a while ago, and we’ve missed each other so much, because we never had much a relationship over the phone anyway. Irrespective of how late it got, twice a week he’d stop by home, and either pick me up for a cigarette and coffee somewhere, or we’d just stay home in my room yakking nineteen to the dozen. My partying began with him, because he’s the only one my parents would let me stay out late with initially.
He’s promised me one entire day with him, and I’m over the moon. Yes, my tongue is going to lose some weight this weekend. And yea, he’s the ONLY person in the world who’s seen me completely pissed drunk. *grin*
** ~ ** ~ **
And of course, needless to mention, I will be seeing the Sultan of Swing live. Sometimes, when life hands you a plum, all you got to do is relish it.
Mmmm…. Like this. I tell ya, I LOVE my life!!
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