So the flu is upon us. My mum calls this morning asking, “What’s the shame in wearing a mask.”
“But what will my office people think?”
“Why are you worried about what they’ll think? When you wear those strange clothes, and those terrible pants where the crotch is at your feet (she makes ali baba pants sound like pervert pants), do you worry about what they think?”
How does she do it? How does a conversation that starts at swine flu end at my appalling taste in clothes?
Anyway, my mum just got her own cell phone. I now have to call on the landline and instruct her how to pick up the mobile. And then call her back on the cell. Hopefully, in another week her dread of the cell should go. Or else like her last phone this one too will disappear into her underwear drawer.
The only bright spot in the newspaper has been the whole Tata initiative of letting women who’ve taken a break from work, rejoin the workforce.
I read an article about it this morning and spotted the ad a week back. It’s brilliant, just the sort of thing you’d expect from the Tata’s. So it got me thinking. Why can’t someone do something similar for the retired?
Take my dad. He’s about 64. He plays a sport every single day. He’s full of beans (touch wood), drives 30 kms to work (touch wood), looks like a movie star (hey, not just because he’s my dad because he just does okay!). He loves his drink, loves to work…and used to be a kick-ass fighter pilot, who had to retire because he turned 58.
Isn’t that just crappy? Here we are saying 40 is the new 30. 50 is the new ‘let’s get up and dance.’ 60 is when you’re just beginning to let go of your hang ups and enjoy life – and then we’re just retiring a whole lot of people because they hit 58.
Why? How old is the guy who runs the country dude? How come they don’t have to retire? So why this babu rule for the rest of us? An outdated rule and an outdated retirement age.
And before I go, a quick update on the dance class. Someone there thought I was 22. Tra la la. Okay fine, he’s not a particularly bright guy. But who cares, he still thought I was 22. Tra la la.
those are my senior citizens. when i see them, I always think of the neil diamond song 'forever in blue jeans'. probably because it always played around the house when I was a kid. or probably because " I'd like to say, We'll do okay, Forever in blue jeans" kind of captures what my parents are about. happy go lucky, crazy kids at 64! *Touch wood*
Dude, these are my parents, of course I'm superstitious!
21 comments:
woao, you dad looks like John Travolta, with a bad makeup job. :)))
@arunika: my dad looks like john travolta. period. say the bad make up job once more, and in the words of achmed the dead terrorist, "i keel you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uwOL4rB-go
I like the way you write! hmmm.Keep writting!
Apologies. I didnt mean it in a bad way. I thought you had a SOH.My SOH sucks. Big time i say.
you take care girl.:D
AGG... Posh lineage... I can see that your mother is a hard act to live up to... no wonder she has things to say about your taste in clothes...
..and the father looks like he can stretch Federer to a five set match... and win...
Like I said... hard acts to live up to... I hope you are trying... though I doubt you can succeed :-)
Your Dad indeed looks like John Travolta. Good going.
@rupa: Thanks : )
@arunika: apologies accepted. always lose my SOH as you call it when it comes to anyone saying anything about my dad. i do turn into achmed the dead terrorist. apologies for jumping the gun : ))))
@bloggore: dude, you are taking my mom's side on my clothes. judgemental!
@shobhaa: wow. wait till i tell my dad that. my mom is going to have a fit! : )
You are a riot. Liked the blog so much that it has earned a spot in my blogroll.
If being in it is somehow troubling you or sending you into a spirallling depression feel free to email me and it will be gone in seconds.
And your dad reminds me of Ronald Reagan! :)
I'll go with Steve McQueen. Yup. **Thumbs up**
hey, AGG! your mum looks like a movie star too you know...
Hey very nice models. Hope they loved aapro Amex.
My mom normally harangues me for the amount I eat.
I am quite sure that if I become a parent I'll be after my kids to cut their hair, no body piercing and to not look like most of the kids on the road
PS Ali Baba pants are sames as Harem Pants?
those guys look super cool!! and your mom scares me by her sophistication...Can understand how difficult it must be for u to match up ;)
keep trying though...
ah btw alibaba pants arent all that bad....if teamed with a a tube top..and ofcourse the figure for both.
Good post, written with your usual sense of humour. About the retirement age. I think, maybe they can make it optional for those who want to continue working but given the fact that the mortality age for Indan male is aound 50 something, the retirement age is pretty ok. Where I live it is 67 and it is ok for professionals like me( media ) but people who work in the health sector uusally don't work til they are 67, given the dact that their job involves a lot og heavy work.
So I feel it should be optional for some professions.
My father retired from the services at 58 and had 12 good years before he passed away. He was also robust and active except for the last year. But he used to say that he had done his part after serving the Govt for 40 years.
Anyway, that is just my opinion:)
@eveline: thanks for the blogroll
: )
tho i'd prefer a calcutta mutton roll. : ))) just came back from a huge lunch at oh calcutta!
@slash: ha ha. my dad can't stop grinning. he wants my blog id. i've told him no way, there are things they should never know about me.
@mentalie: awww...you are sweet. my mom will finally be appeased!
@the knife: they loved Amex. tho candies has totally rocked their socks. mutton chops. i have to send them all the way to delhi.
and ya, ali baba, harem - all the same.
@pinku: oh, i gave up trying ages back. my mum still tries tho. she's hoping with age i'll sort of improve.
@panorama: thank you. and oh yes, i agree it should be optional. i'm sure some folks would love to retire. but then are some who don't want to.
my dad says when he's forced to retire, he'll take tiffin from home everyday and sit in the park till it's evening. its funny. and sad. for years and years you look forward to doing something, and then one day, the clock strikes and you are too old.
Candies Mutton chops are divine. My mom's a big fan too... did you go to the eelish festival
Your parents look fab ! And they look fab together :) Ya, Touch Wood !!!
About the blue jeans and all.. whosoever says what.. The jeans has not substitute.. it's juts perfect for me as well !! Anytime any day !
We all have a set of comfy clothes which we bank on for all occasions... :)
haha, nice blog.
Beautiful true blue spirit..Love your folks..and forever in blue jeans just sums it all up. Good to be back Agent.
@the knife: strange. was totally out of action yesterday. had lunch at the eelish festival. stuffed myself so much, had to have gelusil after. felt like a good bong!
@nu. thanks. have been conveying all the nice things to my folks. they're thrilled!
@shekhar: thank you : )
@this is that: thanks for the hysterical laughter!
john travolta?? thats how ur dad looks :)
And Ali baba pants :)))
good one
Your dad's a dude :D
Oh dear.. what an ODD way to describe harem pants! And moms just have the inane ability to get around to doing that about something or the other! Wayy annoying :P
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