Imagine yourself in a place where you are the odd one out. A place where you are the only one with the kind of education and work background. Yes, I understand. Given that most of us are MBAs who have also been Engineers, it will be pretty hard to imagine!! But still, give it your best shot.
So you are in this party, and you have budding singers, bass guitarists, people from the media and advertising industry, a cricket player even, all around you!! It's like a whole new world out there, and you are a new entrant to the scene.
At the tender age of 30 (actually, if your a normal Indian, you would at any age after 20), a whole lot of things start going through your mind.
- THERE IS A WORLD OUT THERE OTHER THAN ENGINEERS AND MBAS!! This is a world I never knew even existed!! There are people out there with lives outside of a laptop, iPad and smartphone!!
- You would start questioning your own life, as it is. "What the hell am I doing? Going for an 8.15 hour job, working on excel sheets and ppts. Look at these guys!! Value creators right in front of me!! What awesome lives they must be living!!"
- Giving business cards and waiting for the other person to comment on it may not be the best way to introduce yourself. You may actually have to say something!!
- People cringe when they hear what you do. "So buddy. What is it that you do?". "Oh. Well, I work in a manufacturing firm creating innovative strategies for large corporates to make immense profits!!". "WOW!! You must be earning enough to buy flats in Colaba man!!". At this point you just nod. It's better if they have that image of you. You'd rather not spoil it by telling them the truth!!
- You wait for sometime to try and understand the language they speak, for you have been too long in the corporate world to understand words like chords, octaves and clefs. The words you would be comfortable with are synergies, syndications, and Eyyafyallayöküll.
- You hear someone talk politics, and jump on it, talking in true MBA style, starting from the history to the mystery of the current elections. This is the one chance you get to open your mouth!! You suddenly realise, however, that the room is quiet and everyones gone to the other room!! You also overhear the media guy say "I said anything is better than politics" and realise you had been listening too little, or were just not able to comprehend the conversation that was going on.
- Hitting on someone is next to impossible for you, for they would assume you're imitating a character and call you a copy cat!!
Me : Heyy.. How you doing?
She : Ugh!! Look at him Joeying me!!
Me : What? No way!! Have you met me?
She : Oh now he is Stinsoning me!!
Me : :|
- Everyone has an interesting story to tell. And I mean, EVERYONE!! The closest to interesting you have ever had was when you went to the amusement park, with your parents. Sigh!!
- They start talking about places you could only think about going, and as though they have been there their whole life!! "Oh yeah New York! The Brooklyn area is just awesome. The media scene is just amazing!! There are some outstanding singers on the scene out there!! The burgers over at 5th avenue, 2 blocks away from the subway, is fab dude! Don't you dare compare New York to New Jersey!! I shuttle between NY and Mumbai". You think in your mind " Ummmmm... Have you ever heard of a place called Surat? No? Durgapur? No? OK.." And continue listening to the rest of the conversation intently, nodding your head as though you understand everything they say.
- People actually know to dance! It's not the usual two hand up in Bhangra dance, or the dhappanguthu (south indian) dance that you would normally get to see in any normal party. No. People dance and dance to the tune of the music.
So, I guess it's good that you be out of place once in a while. Gives you a whole new perspective on yourself, and on the world around you!!
No comments:
Post a Comment