Can engineers be 'Touchy feely'?

Chetan Bhagat said these words in an interview. Can engineer's be a touchy Feely. Well i think i don't fall in this category, still posting here for you guys/gals to read.




I remember the incident - I was in a restaurant, and one girl in our group was especially charming. So I, like any other male, tried to put on a wooing act. You know the routine, a nanosecond extra eye contact, a few more nods to whatever she says, and attempts to throw in those one-liners which you know you wouldn't if she weren't there. And it seemed to be working. She leaned forward when she spoke to me, and every now and again, we'd have a small conversation of our own, separate from our group. She laughed at my approach with the fork and knife, and I teased her about her hair band, which had little teddy bears.

Yes, we were flirting. A while later, she asked me the question - what did I study? I said engineering, without any particular meaning attached to it. And then like a cold metal rail, she went stiff. My jokes weren't funny anymore. Her eyes wandered to everyone else.




What was it?


Why? Why? Why?


Two days later, I still couldn't get over my great start that had dissipated listlessly upon mentioning my education. Engineer? What was wrong with that?



My mom had wanted me to become one since I was five! I had to call her. 'So what happened to you that day, hot and cold, missie?' And then she said, trying to be nice, 'Well, it's just that I am skeptical about engineers as friends. I don't know, they can be, you know, very logical and everything. Not very touchy feely'.


Not touchy-feely. Now what the heck did that mean? Well, she obviously did not mean it literally, since girls don't really suggest that sort of stuff, certainly not in the first meeting across the table. I guessed it was something to do with feelings, sort of having an emotional side. The stereotype being, the nerdy guy who sees relationships like laws of physics, to whom love is just a bunch of chemicals going crazy in your brain, and getting to know a person means obtaining their bio-data.


It's time to set the record straight. It's true that a lot of what engineers study (and they end up studying quite a lot), has to do with formulae’s, laws and numbers. No matter how hard we try, some of the vocabulary we read all day gets into our language. So when my mother said, 'Are you getting married next year or not?' I was liable to say, 'Well, at this moment in time, the probability is relatively low,' and felt it was completely normal to say it. And when my sister went sari shopping and couldn't explain the shade she wanted, I told the shopkeeper the percentages of pink, orange and red in the sari.

Yet, ladies, I don't think we're bad at relationships, love and getting to know people. We too, can be touchy-feely, as that is part of our education as well. The reason for this is that most engineering students live in the ultimate educator - boy's hostels.



Now, let me explain how this plays into this 'touchy-feely' thing. Relationships. Imagine eating, sleeping, brushing your teeth, bathing (ok rarely this one) and partying with the same people all the time. So, when you are kicking that bathroom door down for the tenth time, or when you stand in line for 'gulab-jamuns' in the mess, and when you are done with the vodka bottle and sharing all your secrets, you know it is good practice.

Yes, hostels make the man.

So, next time you are in a flirtatious situation with the techno types, go on, flirt a bit more. Of course, I am biased towards my kind, but if you find the conversation turning too geeky, just ask them, 'So, what were your hostel days like?' and chances are, you'll see a heart behind the calculator.




Coming back to my missie, I thought of what would make me win her over. Flowers. too cheesy. Music. don't know her taste (nor trust mine). Teddy bears. don't even go there. Desperate for some good lines, I just turned it right back at her. 'Yes, I know what you are saying about engineers. The thing is, unless people with depth like you start hanging out with us, we won't get any better. Can you meet me some time for some touchy/feely. oops, I mean coffee/tea?'

She giggled. When they giggle, you have won.

Hence proved.

Altruism: A really nice story

Here is the story I liked: Shared by one of my friend.

A reporter once asked a farmer to divulge the secret behind his corn, which won the state fair contest year after year.

The farmer confessed it was all because he shared his seed with his neighbours.

“Why do you share your best seed corn with your neighbors when you’re entering the same contest each year as well?” asked the reporter.

“Why sir, said the farmer, didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grew inferior corn, cross-pollination would steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours do the same”.

This is so true with situations in our lives. Those who want to be successful must help their neighbors, friends, relatives to be successful.

Those who choose to live well must help others live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

This story exemplifies “Altruism.”

Meaning of Altruism: ‘Action that benefits another person, including comforting, helping, sharing, rescuing and cooperating. Acts of concern for other people without any hope of reward’.

Hope you liked

one of my diary enteries

Date: 2nd November 2008 Place: Vapi(Gujrat)

Hey kittu…

You know what happen today … I am having an interesting stuff to share with you. Well as you know I am in Vapi, at my cousin brother’s place. So we went for a movie “Golmaal Returns”. We mean me, my brother and my bhabi ji. Well, movie was awesome. While coming back from the movie this lovely incident happened. My brother was driving the car and I was on his side. Bhabi ji was sitting at the back. We just came out from the underground car park and were in the queue to go out from the barrier gate. A gal about 5 to 7 feet on my left was on her active vehicle. When I look at girls usually, I don’t look for more than 2 seconds because if she looks at me I feel uncomfortable.
This girl was about 5’3 tall, average body, fair, wearing salwaar kurta and modern but homely but very cute or what to say beautiful. She had a 5% resemblance with my one old friend. So I kept looking at her to figure if I know this girl. You wouldn’t imagine what’s happening right?
Well I was looking to my left and suddenly she turned right and saw me. I felt very embarrassed; I just turned my face straight like a good boy. After 15 seconds again I looked at her. She again saw me again I felt shy and turned straight. This thing happened 3-4 times. My brother and bhabi ji was also watching this comedy and laughing at me. So I told them she is also seeing me so this time I am going to look at her and will not turn straight until she stop seeing me. Again I saw her and she saw me. We were seeing to each other for like 20-30 seconds. OHH MY GAWDDD…. It was so so different. Means I was looking at stranger eyes. I couldn’t take any further I just smiled and turned straight, she too smiled and turned straight. Then the car started to move. I was like I am missing something. We almost went to the barrier gate to leave the theater premises.
I told my brother what a lovely girl she is. I missed her, I told them let me look at her one last time. I turned back and saw her. Well kitty, you wont be believing what she did. She waved her hands from far.
1000 lights in my body. I was so impressed and was flying in the air. I told to my brother, hey bro I want to talk to her just stop the car. Well my bhabi ji said he is flirty guy just don’t stop. And winking at me … I requested bhai please please …. So bro stopped the car, I got down …and I was just standing there doing nothing. She saw me from the far. She also crossed the barrier and came near me and asked what happened. I said just nothing just want to talk to you. She said ok talk. I again felt speech less. Then she laughed and said hey dhiru come on, talk now. I am here. I was shocked how she knows my name. Then I turned back and saw my bhaiya was laughing. She was my old classmate and now she was living near to my bhaiya’s neighborhood. I was so so embarrassed or what to say not able to speak anything. I simply went inside the car and called bhaiya. Come bro lets go home. Bhabi was simply continuously laughing and pinching me hey raja , that girl is cute na , beautiful na. I was feeling so shy I just kept my head on cupboard.
Kitni choti duniya hai na ye …  well she came to home in the evening and we talked about our old days. what we talked i will let you know later.... ;)
--

Mujhe ab Dar Nahi Lagta

मुझे अब डर नहीं लगता

किसी के दूर जाने से
रिश्ते टूट जाने से
किसी के मान जाने से
किसी के रूठ जाने से

मुझे अब डर नहीं लगता

किसी को आजमाने से
किसी के आजमाने से
किसी को याद रखने से
किसी को भूल जाने से

मुझे अब डर नहीं लगता

किसी को छोड़ देने से
किसी को छोड़ जाने से
किसी शमा को जलने से
किसी शमा को बुझाने से

मुझे अब डर नहीं लगता

अकेले मुस्कुराने से
कभी आंसू बहाने से
न इस सारे ज़माने से
हकीक़त से फ़साने से

मुझे अब डर नहीं लगता

किसी की नाराज़गी से
किसी की परेशानी से
किसी की बेवफाई से
किसी दुःख इन्तहाई से

मुझे अब डर नहीं लगता

न तो इस पार रहने से
न तो उस पार रहने से
न तो अपनी जिंदगानी से
न तो मौत आने से