Erm...why?

Some things will never cease to confuse me.

1. How some people will always, no matter how emphatically or angrily you say it, not understand the word 'no'.

Aunt: You want another helping of rice?
Me: No
Aunt: Alright. (She says this while adding a generous portion of unwanted above mentioned rice to my congested plate)

2. When people write- "Oh, i read so-and-so book, more out of curiosity than any real interest"...I always thought that when you succeed in finishing an entire book, then your curiosity can't possibly remain that, it has to be translated into some sort of "real interest" at some point of time.

3. Why we absolutely must smile while getting photographed.
It's such a big deal, looking good in photos...I'm a big believer in looking good in photographs myself, and if I don't pass muster, I choose to delete them :D But that doesn't mean this entire thing doesn't bother me!

4. This time, during Durga Puja, I was walking towards a 'pandal' with friends and family, and between loud announcements of "Mr.Das, please report to the counter immediately, your annoyed wife is waiting for you!", we heard "Pedestrians are requested to please use the footpath and not prevent the flow of traffic".
Trust me, all of us searched in vain, being good pedestrians with strong civic sense, but never found the footpath!

And pedestrians remind me of Kolkata's public- they are the worst pedestrians on the face of this earth...they cross busy roads as if they own them, just with the power of an outstretched arm! A nightmare for drivers, I tell you!
And god forbid, if you stop your car just centimeters away from a pedestrian, you shall have to hear words which can make your ears singe with embarrassment. Being a woman driver has its advantages that way, the 'you'd-rather-not-hear-word' is on the tip of their tongues, but as soon as they see your pretty face behind the wheel, they'll gawk for a few seconds, moments of uncertainty when they're deciding whether they should finish what they almost started or just glare and continue crossing, or worst case scenario, give you a sloppy half apologetic smile for disrupting your already wrecked drive. I'm sure the crowd in Delhi would not hesitate to do the first!

5. And finally, why Kadi-chawal is not removed from the hostel mess menu. Every Tuesday, oh the torture! Fluorescent yellow in colour, taste bordering on fermentation, and pakodis that hold promises of heartburn during afternoon lectures.
"Khosla ma'am, Kissi ko Kadi pasand nahi hai, itna bekaar hai, please kuch kijiye!"
"Beta, food comm se baat karo."
I can only say, thank god for the Momo-wale bhaiyya outside college :)