Thursday 5 November 2009

newspaper travails

This is a post which is an exclusively personal experience. Any similarities to the experience in this post is purely coincidental and perhaps can happen.

In my house: Reading the newspaper = Being free.

Whenever I sit with the newspaper to devour the juicy bits and pieces of information that is fed, my mother invariably calls out to me to do some chores. This happens quite frequently. My sister will be doing something and I will be reading the newspaper when the door bell rings. The immediate response is: "Ask her to open the door, she is only reading the newspaper." The news item which I started off with a nice frame of mind, a good position in the chair gets altered and there I rush to open the door.

A few minutes later: Please check the milk. Pack the tiffin boxes too.  Why me? You are just reading the newspaper only.

Now reading the newspaper requires a  particular spirit. The letters and words beckon to you only during a specific time. Other times it is just a  piece of long paper which does not even interest me remotely.  Now this cannot be understood by the others (here, my mother and sister). 

The timing at which my  presence is summoned is quite interesting. It is always when I am in the mid way of an article where I just about to know whether the criminal was punished or let go with a warning; whether the Ambani brothers made it to the court or not; the verdict by Shri. Sibal on the IIT issue. Its just at the climax of the news piece that I am called. If I want to complete the news item, the milk will spill or the restless person who chose to make an appearance at the door will ring the bell again or the presswala will leave thinking that there are no clothes. 

I wonder why the world won't allow a person to read the newspaper in peace. Now I know why my grandfather used to take the newspaper with him to the loo!

12 comments:

  1. aah! The newspaper! No matter who says what, I always prefer it over the internet news. The smell of a fresh newspaper is as exciting as the smell of freshly brewed tea. Nothing like getting to be the first reader of the newspaper!

    In our household, paper readers are not supposed to be disturbed. But then, with very little help at hand, we are also forced to abandon the reading activity and respond to the SOS.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Vinay: very true. nothing like getting to be the first reader of the newspaper. in fact we get two newspapers in our place and we make a kind of agreement to read which first. sometimes it so happens that both my sister and i want to read the same paper. Sigh!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I usually sit with the newspaper in afternoon or at say 11 am, or say early in morning at 6 am, the paper guy drops it at that wee hour. And if I have to see to the boiling milk, I carry the paper along with me, stand or sit and read there......

    but the loo is my fav place to read anything, so much so that I feel I shd have a book rack or a shelf built in to keep my books n papers from getting wet. the serenity is mindblowing

    Usually, when MJ is in the kitchen, I'm there too, perching on the kitchen mantle talking to her to the dozen...

    And, I think whoever is near to the door or phone, opens it or picks it, I don't think there is any need for instructions or calling out...

    Good Day Sus
    Ashes

    its our home, everybody job, I say...

    Ashes

    ReplyDelete
  4. And as to the number of papers n magazines, in the house, my dad n mom subcribes to a whole lot of them...
    so if not one, the other will be left untouched -- to enjoy the freshness and scent of the print. I think we have 5 papers coming in daily...
    more perspectives the better...
    yes or no!!

    :))))

    ReplyDelete
  5. LOL!! This was fun to read..

    Everybody finds my newspaper habits kinda silly, I read the paper at around 6 P.M. everyday..

    But thats precisely coz mornings are such a busy chaotic time..

    :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh yes! Different houses have different affiliations to the morning newspaper.

    Ashes: Five!!! thats a nice number. If we would subscribe to five, my whole day will go for a toss 'cuz one paper takes about an hour or so.

    Bluey: 6 p.m. But by that time the news is old nevertheless we have the newspaper for ourselves. thats the best part.

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  7. very funny, susan!!! reminds me of so many things - but true it is! and what about those that read it aloud to anyone else in the room? oh, the list goes on! thanks for a wonderful post!!!

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  8. In my house, the most number of chores to do are in the morning when my mother cooks for everyone. Usually she calls out when I am reading the newspaper, but that happens only when there is something that she cannot do herself, for e.g, scraping a coconut. We have an ancient coconut scraper and some physical effort is needed to scrape the coconut with it. Then sometimes there are things which are kept very high above her reach (she is short) and my expert assistance is needed. At other times, I avoid going near the kitchen as she assigns some or the other odd job when she sees me idling.
    A nice post, by the way.

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  9. Yeah, that´s my favourite spot to read too ;)

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  10. Jeanan: Yeah. My sister does that too. She reads the news aloud.

    Pappu: Your house resembles mine. Is this a Chennai streak?

    Bonequinhoda bic: What does the name mean? I guess many read the paper in the loo for undisturbed reading.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You said we need to treat the sidebar with respect
    and I am glad I came because it is a very good subject
    to take to the 'thinking pot' and sit and reflect
    Need I say that your grandfather's idea is just perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dear Govind:

    Glad that you liked the post and also added another post's idea. Now this is what I call 'dialogue.'

    Thanks for being a thoughtful friend in Blogland.

    Joy always.

    ReplyDelete

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