I was working at a retail store in the UK as a sales person. My job was to sell computers (sometimes to people who didn’t think a brown woman knew electronics) and make customers happy about giving us the money they did. That is the time I learnt to dissociate myself from the product I was selling. Then on, what I do was never who I was.

After more than a year and a half, I decided to speak directly to my customers today at my current job. This again was solving problems with people’s electronics. Nothing fancy – clear cache, use a different browser, log out and log back in, restart your computer and such like. But I spoke to about 75 students/ parents (that is 5 more than an average call centre employee is expected to do in a day), not a single one of them hung up disgruntled. Speaking to a happy customer is the most delightful thing in a marketeer’s life. It is one of those days I didn’t need Twitter to cheer me up!

And it is also the day when I’ve started getting mails and texts about my disappearance. @rathna_k texted. I was running and I got his text. I was overwhelmed. It is strange how people who you expect to care for you miss out and people least expected find ways to reach out to know. 😀

And then of course, there is the person who thinks I’ve blocked him because he doesn’t see me on his timeline. Sir, that dappaangoothu I’ve been on about? Now playing for you!

<Dear @puneersoda, here is the DEI you asked for> 🙂

Day five

<@eml_a noticed. Whatte wow. I’m right here. Hiding. Watching you. Closely. More closely than I did when I was open about it>

Had a rough day folks. Not liking one bit.

<Thanks @vetti for the conversation and the weird company>

Day six

This is the day I feared. Celebrities looking for me on Twitter means I am conspicuously missing. @namefieldmt starts looking for me and the entire Team-Sornakka is having a conversation about it. Damn, I want to * slowly raise hand and say uLLen akka * But you see, now is probably not the right time. So, logs out sobbing.

To make matters worse, I (thought I) saw singer Devan on CHM Road today, with a thin girl looking for autos to get to somewhere. He was asking for autos dude. And the autodrivers were asking him to move on! Whatte wow, no, it is? I wanted to twitpic. So badly. Well, then again. You see. I mean.

On the TL though, I see so many sly tweets about the banana, the other banana, cheese being charming, someone being raped (I am assuming this is about being trolled and I do not want to start that argument about rape with the person who said this), someone being sweet-candy. Nalla velai. I am one of those paranoid people who thinks all sly tweets are about me. No need to pluck the nail. <logs out and goes back to the book she is reading>

Oh yes. And yesterday gtalk status had become the new Twitter. I contemplated posting some 20 different things as my status. By now of course, I know better than that. Tomorrow will be one week. That’s worthy of some kind of celebration, no?

Day seven

It is one of those lovely days where I had so much I could have Tweeted about. Women’s day and you know my obsession with HR activities. I had to resist so hard the fun Tweeting that came on days like these. Then of course, it was Holi. I got coloured twice, at work, during the working day. Ah! Never mind.

@degree_kaapi sent a wonderful text to let me know that he was missing me and the banter on Twitter. I really did not think someone who comes across as callous as he does will actually say such a sensitive thing! <lou is coming to me>

Then, I was at @psankar’s place for dinner tonight. His wife was among the nicest ladies I’ve met. She made a great dinner and was a lovely host.

@psankar on the other hand speaks more now (after marriage) than he did earlier. Beautiful conversations in Tamil – ah! Hadn’t I longed for speaking in Tamil to someone without being told ‘I don’t know of someone who speaks as much Tamil as you’.  Those conversations also make me realise that I think in English and I do not know what’s Tamil for ‘contemporary literature’.

Sankar, however, was very kind. He spoke such kind words about me and was saying such nice things about me. He gave my life’s sweetest compliment. He said to his wife that ‘if there was anyone whose life he wants to exchange for his, it would be mine’. I’m humbled. Really am.

Brought back a bunch of books and zero expectations about them. It’s going to be good fun reading, I think!

Then, @ramblinggeek (on gtalk) tells me “i was wishing you were not on one” about my Twitter break! Awww! 😀

Day eight

Dravid retired. My timeline went mad with dedications, DP changes and such like. Oh God! That must have been some event on Twitter today.

I had a pretty normal day. Did a lot of work, went for a long training session, did awful amounts of work and came back home. I’m working tomorrow too and I am so going to be tempted to waste time on Twitter. Hmmmm. Must put some plan.

Day Nine

It is officially the day I became a social media case study! This @degree_kaapi plugs my blog to @anjujaison and hell breaks loose. @namefieldmt finds my writing and tada! Overflow of mentions. People telling other people how awesome I am. This is where v0yerism hits its best. I sit back watching people talk about me and am glowing in pride. Now if this @namefieldmt goes off on a break, I will be less of a celebrity, no?

<Slowly the infamous dappangoothu playing in the background. Logs off and goes to sleep> Actually, can’t wait for @atlasdanced’s sly tweet to blow up! Yeay! This is so much fun!

And @purisabzi, http://jdbentley.com/not-and-ought/ was indeed a good read!

Happy birthday, Karthik. Kiddo! * runs *

Day Ten

Sunday again. Fib (I like calling him that but it’s @fibnazi I’m talking about) and I were to go shopping today. After the cleaning, cooking and eating, I picked him up from close by and we hit Commercial Street. Who wudda thunk that there is practically nothing in Commercial Street for men? No, really. So, then, this @fibnazi eats like a glutton. Every half an hour he wants to munch on something.

After all the sightseeing that he did, @degree_kaapi came over. Mother of God, how much that boy walks! He made us walk from Commercial Street to Brigade Road to Cubbon Park (and a walk within the park) and then back to Commercial Street where my bike was parked. Phew! Running for the day is well taken care of, isn’t it?

I have to mention here that this @degree_kaapi is an extremely chivalrous man. He carried my heavy items, picked groceries for me and patiently waited at the billing counter. I’d put up with all his ragging and some more for the nice guy (I think) he is. Yeah. He brought up @iRatzzz (Is that the right number of zs there?) name again. He’s been doing that every time I met him. Ah! #JustSaying

<Two days later, I return to Twitter. That story will follow.>