Sunday 21 March 2010

And all that jazz . . .


After ruefully mourning the anxieties of being a research scholar, last evening I attended the Indiblogger’s meet. Now for those who do not know, Indiblogger is an Indian blog directory and an active community for bloggers in India. The second meet for bloggers in Chennai was organized on 20th March. Now this is the first time I forced myself to attend a blogger’s meet but I should say that I was not disappointed. 



Walking in alone, I was a bit apprehensive about the whole evening. I was hoping to bump into someone in whose blog I have commented and vice-versa. Striking a conversation with another equally apprehensive-looking person made me relax. Of late I have been visiting the blog of Anju Sabu, a lovely blogger who infuses sketches and posts together. While sitting and taking in the whole atmosphere, Anju passed by me and said: Susan! Whoa. I was thrilled.  

It was quite funny in that meet as when I asked somebody their name, they responded by giving me their url: Fix-it.blogspot. Then I had to give them an ‘Ahhh’ glance and ask them: Please tell me your name. Hmmm. So much so for bloggers! 

We were given placards and we had to go around the room asking people to write their comments and url (now this was like writing comments on people’s blog!!). It was hilarious as many were wearing their placards on their rears and we had to write on the rears . . .

Now another fun part: There was a huge screen which displayed the tweets of people who were present there in real-time. Many of them were feverishly tweeting while the meet was in progress. Obsessive compulsive tweeting, as I would like to call.

Now as I was going out, a quiet blogger who walked in late also walked out with me. I liked talking to this quiet kid who was quite unassuming and felt lost. We exchanged our blog addresses and parted ways. Our parting words were: We are leaving just as we came – ALONE. That’s the truth of life as well: We come alone and leave alone.

Ah! Did I mention that all of us got free T-Shirts with the logo of Indiblogger. Proud to be a blogger!

31 comments:

  1. Best wishes!
    daniel D. Peaceman, writer and editor

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  2. Susan,

    Nothing about me?? ;) and all MCCians we sitting in a row? :p

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  3. Daniel:

    Welcome and thanks for the wishes. I have some serious issues about multiculturalism which I would like to discuss with you in the coming days :)

    Joy always.

    Dear Sophie:

    Thanks for coming again. Sophie, I wanted to add everything but then I just stopped myself. Even if I have not added that, meeting you was definitely lovely and memorable. Also the MCCians in a row!

    You good good care :)

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  4. Very profound "we came alone and we go alone"
    but the people who never knew us when we were born
    form a bond and feel sad when we depart to mourn
    we would have taken a part of them when we are gone.

    Susan nice to know you had a great time. How I wish I was there!

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  5. Govind!

    I can't believe this. I just wrote about you in Ashes' blog. And you make a comment here. Maybe we were writing at the same time about each other. Now that is called 'wavelength.' I wrote in her blog that it would have been nice if I had met Govind yesterday!

    Ah! another verse comment. Semma comment saar!!!

    Joy always.

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  6. Felt good to know that you had a nice time. Now i'm feeling jealous of you for that t-shirt ;)
    So true about the line "we come alone and we go alone." I just love such philosophy. :)
    Many times I myself thought deeply about it. We come and we go; nothing changes except 2 things...
    1) We hardly receive a big welcome the moment we come in but it depends on the person whether how many will give us the send off.
    2) Nobody knows about us before our arrival but a lot of people will remember about us in their memories when we actually leave.

    On a lighter note, I was about to ask you whether on which date you are going to submit. :P (*Susan is going to get mad on me now. So it’s better to leave this place quietly*)
    Anyways, good luck for all your future endeavours.

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  7. Asif:

    Kya kasam hai kya mujko sathane ka (Should I translate now). I answered your question in the last post. Please do refer.

    Yes, had a nice time meeting unknown people in real time but known in virtual space.

    Asif, of course we receive a welcome when we come in. Right from the doctors, parents, relatives, their friends -- all of them welcome when we come but the only thing is that we don't remember all that. we come alone abut are welcomed.

    The second point is quite true. But memories fade with time except if you were a national leader, your birth/death day would be commemorated every year.

    Life goes on . . .

    Joy always.

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  8. Hehehe…Falak numah Gussa ??? :D (Well I assume you know Urdu as well :))
    Anyways I have gone through your reply about July long back and hence purposefully asked about the date this time. :P…Do notice it.
    Well sorry for deriving a bit of sadistic pleasure in that :D.

    Coming to the point of getting welcome, well normally speaking we do get welcome from mother and a couple of doctors or nurses(still I doubt it that they welcome us with real happiness except mother). Celebrating the birth afterwards along with relatives is a different thing. I was speaking about the instance of coming(birth) and instance of leaving this world(cremation/burial).
    And I want to add a bit about memories here. Of course memories do fade may be in the case of national leaders only. But if a person dies who does at least some good to a fellow being then definitely the fellow being will remember this good man through out his life.
    A national leader, if he is not a good person, he will be remembered only in books where as a good human being will be remembered in the hearts. Mother Teresa was not a national leader. :)

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  9. Susan, that event sounds like it was a blast! I'm sure it was a fun time to meet and chat with fellow bloggers, even if you don't necessarily follow one another's blogs. Still, there is that common thread, the common interest. It seems like when events like this happen, there are always new connections made. I would love to attend an event like that. You are so lucky to have had this opportunity. And it sounds like you feel just so. Still, we are alone in life. Even when we are with others, or with that "someone", we are alone. I think the human race is programmed like that. We are social animals, but even within that "societal establishment" we are our own individual entities.

    Nevine

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  10. Yes, my friend
    alone we are... I 've never been to one of those meetings... This poetry blog of mine is followed by people who are not from my island... only a few from my country. But I feel this as a second family . I don't see their faces... but feel their souls... sometimes that interaction is so much richer and intense...

    Hey--- I am back from a mini vacation weekened... HELLO!
    And thanks for wondering... LOL
    Hugs!
    xoxox

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  11. Nevine:

    It was a blast for sure. I was so excited and sometimes found myself a bit too excited. For the first time I ventured out to meet the people whom I don't know. There was press coverage and lovely food to add to the fun!

    And yet . . . I felt alone during brief moments. Your last line is so true: we are our own individual entities.

    And glad, very glad to know that you are a teacher too. Which subject -- English??

    So many common threads Nevine. If the universe permits, I should meet you sometime.

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  12. Dulce:

    Second family -- true. I do feel that with many who visit my place. We miss them when they are not there and it has also happened that sometimes when I feel like talking to someone, I think of all of you. I imagine conversations and silly banter. It would be lovely to go out for coffee with you, Nevine, Jenean and Steve.

    Ah! Dulce, hope you had a great mini-vacation.

    Joy always.

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  13. Asif:

    You are true about Mother Teresa. But we also remember Hitler!

    I forgot to add about family memories when I wrote the comment. Even though we leave, we are remembered through many small and insignificant things.

    Its amazing that in spite of all that we come and go alone.

    This has also made me to think something else: Public deaths like catastrophes, accidents -- this unites many people in death though most of them are unknown and unrelated to each other.

    Funny how we can meander on so many thoughts and issues.

    Hope I have not bored you!!!

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  14. I am glad it was you and not me...sounds horrible - kidding - not.
    Did you learn any great tips you will be sharing? We might as well benefit from your discomfort.:)
    I am proud of you for going, good job.

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  15. Thanks dear GQ. No great tips than what you already know and are following.

    Good Night.

    Joy always.

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  16. I would so love to meet you, Susan! One day, the universe will allow for this meeting. And I am a Reading teacher... Reading for Gifted and Talented students. Though I'm not so sure I'm fond of that G/Tlabel. He he he... ;-)

    Nevine

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  17. Hahaha bored??? No way! :)
    Actually I like the way you think and present some of the things and hence I bothered to make you un comfortable with my comments :D. BTW thanks for being so patient !!!
    I would so love to discuss many things with you someday.

    Yeah Hitler is also remembered but I don’t know how many give him a place in the heart like we do for Mother Teresa.:)
    I’m looking forward to read all your valuable and lovely posts.
    Take care.

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  18. You met Anju. She makes amazing sketches.

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  19. Nevine:

    Lovely. Reading teacher! Would be nice to sit in your class and read. Even I was wondering about the label. It kind of separates students. What are the other labels, though?

    Asif:

    Thanks for that. I am smiling away now. Sitting in the American Library and tapping away till my journal articles download into my inbox.
    Memory is a funny thing. Plave in the heart or not, we remember certain people and events.

    So when are you going to post anyway?

    Humbug:

    What a name!!! Funny addressing someone like that. And yes I did meet Anju. Her sketches as well as 'she' are amazing. Were you there as well?

    Another thing: Whenever I visit your blog, its very confusing to me. A lot of things to click. I am always clueless. Do help.

    Joy always.

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  20. I have always wondered what it must be like to go to one of those. How does it feel to meet face to face those people who only know in a certain abstract way through writing?
    I think you are very brave to have ventured there alone.;)
    I love your last sentence, I too have been pondering similar thoughts and might describe them in a post soon.;)
    Lovely read as always my dear Susan,
    xoxo
    Zuzana

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  21. Zuzana:

    Lovely to receive comments from you. Hope you had a nice break from everything. Shall look forward to that post.

    Take care and have a smile always on your face,
    Susan

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  22. Hahaha... how flattering! I'll probably get some traffic to my blog now thanks to your publicity :D
    It was great meeting you too.. even if it was for a short while! I would have stayed and chatted if I didn't have to rush.

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  23. Anju:

    Traffic to your blog is assured with or without this mention. After all the Dakuwaqa is there!!!

    Thats okay. I am happy that I met someone from the virtual in real-time.

    Thanks for coming by.

    Joy always.

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  24. Reminds me, Susan, of the 3,000 mile 3-week motorscooter trip last August.
    Purpose was to meet bloggers along the way and go with them to AA meetings, in the different towns.

    I have never NEVER in my 76-years, met Peeps who I knew so well, and they ME, having not previously met face-t-face, or on phone.

    Most wonderful several weeks of my life--by FAR! And you know what? Every single ONE of them were just as I had pictured (not physically maybe) they would be, same temperament, same "Peeps" as they had represented themselves on their blogs. Unbelievable.

    Take care :)

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  25. Dear Steve:

    I met two of them. I was quite thrilled. I never imagined how they would be as they have not visited my blogs often and neither have I. But then the excitement of seeing the 'real' face behind the posts was absolutely lovely.

    You take good care as well dear Steve :)

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  26. that's a profound thought: we left just as we came - "along"...

    'twas great meeting!

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  27. Hey Yuvika:

    Glad meeting you as well. Shall check out your place in the coming days.

    Joy always.

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  28. One: Humbug means hoax. You could also call me "the friction in you jeans" if u prefer.

    Two: I bet she is.And no i wasn't there. Im from a whole another state, WB.

    Three: i have posts on my blog sometime with the "more" tag. You just have to click on the (funny smug link line in brackets) to read the full post.

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  29. Humbug:

    I would prefer to address you by your name!!!

    Joy always

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  30. Hey! Sandhya here, from the bloggers meet. I had your URL so decided to post something in here.

    The walk alone point was poignant, I'd like to add another point to it- the people whom we meet in the course of walking in and out are the ones who chart our existence.

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  31. Hola Sandhya:

    Great that you took time for coming here.

    Well-said. The people whom we meet on the way are the ones who make the experience sweeter. So many that I have lost the precious count . . .

    Joy always :)

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