Let’s Talk About… People
I am starting a new label. It is called, “Let’s talk about…“. The reason for such a title is that I usually find that I have some topic or the other to talk about and I need to know what you have to say or even if you don’t say, I need to just let my thoughts flow out.
Anyway, the very first topic is People.
I love people and I love to know them, talk to them, notice them, think about them, see the way they work, how they react in different situations and best of all how they behave when they know that no one is watching them. The best place to observe people is at a public place. You know, shopping malls, airports, railway stations, hospitals and so on. My favorite place is watching people at the airport. It usually happens that I travel alone and when you have an hour or more to while away, what better way than to watch everyone around you. I can spend hours doing that and not get bored. Over the years I have found that I like classifying them into categories too. The list goes something like this:
1) The ‘Oh-my-god-he/she-thinks-he/she-is-so-cool’ kind. They are the ones that really make me wonder what the world is coming too. I am thinking of carrying a camera in my handbag all the time just so that I can take pictures of them and post them here. Trust me, they’ll make great entertainment material!
2) The Newly married couple/lady. Usually, the couples are holding hands or well… there are those who are all over each other. And if travelling from India, I find a lot of newly married ladies. They are hard to miss with their two dozen bangles, henna covered hands and dangling gold jewellery. Oh yes, the (almost a) wedding dress too!
3) Non-resident family with brats. There are those without the ‘brats’ too but usually the ones with the brats catch my attention. How can anyone miss them? They are so LOUD.
4) Writer/Journalist/Reporter/News Guy. Almost always they are working on their laptops and yes, their jackets and their baggage… so hard to NOT tell their profession.
5) Business people with peculiar habits. Notice the shoes… notice the shoes!
6) ‘My life depends on Chewing Gum’ variety. Yep, they chew gum and they chew it in such a way that they can put a cow to shame!!
7) First time flyers. Nervous, most of them. Some are lost and some try and stick to you or have families who stick them to you. ‘Stick’ in the sense, they actually stick to you!
8) Grandma/Grandpa. If bound for Jeddah then they are either going on pilgrimage or they are on a visit Visa. I like these kind. They are so kind and so much more interesting to talk to. A word of caution though: If you are not married and want to stay that way, stay away from them. They’ll take your parents’ number and start the match-making.
The list goes on and on. I can go-on on the topic but, it’ll eventually get too long and boring so… let’s keep it short.
Hmm… tell me more…
By Sira Anamwong
How come you missed other people-watchers and anthropologists? It’s really funny when you are noticing others and then realize that you too are being watched by someone else!<BR/><BR/>I specially like to notice little toddlers. No, not the loud brats, but the ones who are not yet able to create noise. Watching them trying to figure something out (like entangled shoe laces), or just trotting
Actually, I never noticed the people- watchers! Strange na? <BR/><BR/>The kids… Yep I notice them too. In fact I notice kids and toddlers all the time every where I go!:)