I hate bumping into people I recognise but have absolutely no desire in having a conversation with. They fall into my category of timewasters. I would much rather ignore them and continue listening to my ipod. My music entertains me more than these people. You know the kind - the people you went to high school with but never exchanged glances; the people you've been introduced to by mutual friends, but the only conversation you had was the, 'Hi, nice to meet you'. Those kind of people.
Most of the time, there is a mutual understanding between yourself and timewaster, because they don't want to exchange any words with you either. And life goes on, happily for both parties. That's the way it works. You see them, they see you, you both ignore each other, and life merrily goes on.
It's when they go out of their way to talk to you when it gets interesting.
I was waiting for my train last night when I saw one such person. I knew exactly who she was: some girl I used to study with. Rather, I used to study with a mutual acquaintance (I say acquaintance, because she was not a friend). I recognised her instantly, turned away, took out my phone, and proceeded to call a few friends for a conversation. As everyone knows, it's very impolite to interrupt a stranger/acquaintance when they're on the phone. Poblem solved. Or so I thought. But, I ran into a problem. My train was going through the city loop, which will cut out my friends, so I had to love them and leave them.
By this stage, I had totally forgotten this girl. I got on the train, sat down, and someone bumped into me. I looked up to see who had bumped me, and it was her. Looking right down at me. I looked away, pretending I didn't see her. She kept looking at me, and I made the mistake of glancing at something, when I noticed she was still looking at me *sigh*
Most of the time, there is a mutual understanding between yourself and timewaster, because they don't want to exchange any words with you either. And life goes on, happily for both parties. That's the way it works. You see them, they see you, you both ignore each other, and life merrily goes on.
It's when they go out of their way to talk to you when it gets interesting.
I was waiting for my train last night when I saw one such person. I knew exactly who she was: some girl I used to study with. Rather, I used to study with a mutual acquaintance (I say acquaintance, because she was not a friend). I recognised her instantly, turned away, took out my phone, and proceeded to call a few friends for a conversation. As everyone knows, it's very impolite to interrupt a stranger/acquaintance when they're on the phone. Poblem solved. Or so I thought. But, I ran into a problem. My train was going through the city loop, which will cut out my friends, so I had to love them and leave them.
By this stage, I had totally forgotten this girl. I got on the train, sat down, and someone bumped into me. I looked up to see who had bumped me, and it was her. Looking right down at me. I looked away, pretending I didn't see her. She kept looking at me, and I made the mistake of glancing at something, when I noticed she was still looking at me *sigh*
We made eye contact *sigh*
Girl: Thuy?
Me: Umm… Uhh.. Hi…
*I couldn't remember her name, for the life of me, and was about to say, 'I'm sorry, I've forgotten your name' when she quickly goes on to say:*
Girl: Wow! It's so good to see you! I haven't seen you in years!
*me sighing silently, knowing my chance had slipped away to ask her name..*
Me: Yea.. It has been a while..
Girl: How long has it been? Eight years?!
*And you still want to talk after eight years?!*
Girl: Thuy?
Me: Umm… Uhh.. Hi…
*I couldn't remember her name, for the life of me, and was about to say, 'I'm sorry, I've forgotten your name' when she quickly goes on to say:*
Girl: Wow! It's so good to see you! I haven't seen you in years!
Me: Yea.. It has been a while..
Girl: How long has it been? Eight years?!
Me: Yea.. That sounds about right..
Girl: What have you been up to?
Me: Yea, just working.. Yourself?
Girl: Oh, the same.. What are you doing these days??
Me: Just working.. Yourself?
Girl: Oh, working here and there. So what kind of work do you do?
Me: Just help desk..
Girl: Oh, I didn't know you studied IT..
Girl: What have you been up to?
Me: Yea, just working.. Yourself?
Girl: Oh, the same.. What are you doing these days??
Me: Just working.. Yourself?
Girl: Oh, working here and there. So what kind of work do you do?
Me: Just help desk..
Girl: Oh, I didn't know you studied IT..
*there's a lot you don't know about me, lady*
Me: Yea.. I did. I was in some classes with *insert mutual acquaintance here*
Girl: Oh.. Which university did you study at?!
Me: Melbourne…
Girl: I did too! I did IT, but I never saw you in my classes..
Me: Well, I started my IT part a year later, because I concentrated on my Arts component first year..
Girl: Oh *still confused* You did Information Technology?
*I had forgotten I was speaking to a Melbourne uni girl (uni people love to differentiate!), so I had to change my language*
Me: Actually.. I did computer science..
Girl: Ahhh.. That’s why! I did IT, you see..
Me: Ahh.. I see..
Girl: I didn't know you did computer science.. I never saw you at uni..
Me: Yea, I didn't see you either..
Girl: Yea.. How odd..
*me nodding in agreement, getting slightly embarrassed because a few looks were being thrown our way on the carriage*
Girl: Hey, let me introduce you to my friend, Helen. Helen, this is Thuy - we used to study together for Chemistry back in high school!
Helen: Hi, nice to meet you *slightly uninterested*
Me: Hi Helen.. So… What were you two doing this evening?
Girl: Just catching up for coffee. So, what do you do now?
Me: I work in help desk. What do you do?
Girl: Just working here and there..
*Has anyone noticed repetition here?*
Me: Do you still see anyone from the study group thingy?
Girl: Yea.. I think I saw *insert name here*around the city once..
*I happen to actually keep in contact with this *insert name here*
Me: Yea, I still keep in contact with her. I wouldn’t' be surprised. She works around the city these days..
Girl: Ahhh.. *mumbles something*
Me: I'm sorry?
Girl: Can I have *mumble* number?
Me: I'm sorry? My number or *insert name here*
Girl: Yours, ofcourse!
Me: *hesitates but gives her my number*
Girl: *busily punching into her phone* Great! We should catch up! I'll give you a call soon!
Me: Oh, is this your stop? *slightly relieved*
Girl: *packs away phone and gets ready to leave* Yep!
Then she stops, thinks, and then panics.
Me: What's wrong?!
Girl: I don't think I saved your number!! *gets out her phone and searches through her address book*
*passengers definitely looking on at us now*
Me: *starting to panic because I didn't want to give her my number again, and wondering if I should be asking for her number..*
Girl: Damn… I didn't save your number!! *looks at me very flustered as Helen starts walking away*
Me: *too dumbfounded to know what to say and looks back at her*
*other passengers on the carriage are looking at us because the girl is quite loud*
Girl: I guess I'll see you around..
Me: Yea.. Umm… ok...
Girl: Bye!! *walks off*
*me left dumbfounded and wondering what had just happened there*
Me: Yea.. I did. I was in some classes with *insert mutual acquaintance here*
Girl: Oh.. Which university did you study at?!
Me: Melbourne…
Girl: I did too! I did IT, but I never saw you in my classes..
Me: Well, I started my IT part a year later, because I concentrated on my Arts component first year..
Girl: Oh *still confused* You did Information Technology?
*I had forgotten I was speaking to a Melbourne uni girl (uni people love to differentiate!), so I had to change my language*
Me: Actually.. I did computer science..
Girl: Ahhh.. That’s why! I did IT, you see..
Me: Ahh.. I see..
Girl: I didn't know you did computer science.. I never saw you at uni..
Me: Yea, I didn't see you either..
Girl: Yea.. How odd..
*me nodding in agreement, getting slightly embarrassed because a few looks were being thrown our way on the carriage*
Girl: Hey, let me introduce you to my friend, Helen. Helen, this is Thuy - we used to study together for Chemistry back in high school!
Helen: Hi, nice to meet you *slightly uninterested*
Me: Hi Helen.. So… What were you two doing this evening?
Girl: Just catching up for coffee. So, what do you do now?
Me: I work in help desk. What do you do?
Girl: Just working here and there..
*Has anyone noticed repetition here?*
Me: Do you still see anyone from the study group thingy?
Girl: Yea.. I think I saw *insert name here*
*I happen to actually keep in contact with this *insert name here*
Me: Yea, I still keep in contact with her. I wouldn’t' be surprised. She works around the city these days..
Girl: Ahhh.. *mumbles something*
Me: I'm sorry?
Girl: Can I have *mumble* number?
Me: I'm sorry? My number or *insert name here*
Girl: Yours, ofcourse!
Me: *hesitates but gives her my number*
Girl: *busily punching into her phone* Great! We should catch up! I'll give you a call soon!
Me: Oh, is this your stop? *slightly relieved*
Girl: *packs away phone and gets ready to leave* Yep!
Then she stops, thinks, and then panics.
Me: What's wrong?!
Girl: I don't think I saved your number!! *gets out her phone and searches through her address book*
*passengers definitely looking on at us now*
Me: *starting to panic because I didn't want to give her my number again, and wondering if I should be asking for her number..*
Girl: Damn… I didn't save your number!! *looks at me very flustered as Helen starts walking away*
Me: *too dumbfounded to know what to say and looks back at her*
*other passengers on the carriage are looking at us because the girl is quite loud*
Girl: I guess I'll see you around..
Me: Yea.. Umm… ok...
Girl: Bye!! *walks off*
*me left dumbfounded and wondering what had just happened there*
*passengers keep looking at me as I must have looked slightly bewildered*
It would've been simpler if she had ignored me!
Hmmm... I guess I'm a "timewaster" I tend to talk to everyone, including acquaintances, people i've only ever met once on buses/trains/trams... i didn't realise that it'd be annoying... is this your way of warding off people who are acquaintances and shouldn't talk to you?? Should we go around ignoring people? How then, would we make new friends?? Even if you've known them or know of them for ages, but you hadn't spoken to them all that much, it's not too much trouble to go up and say hi... cos i know i've done it heaps of times, and people tend to appreciate it (i think), i know i do. If there was someone I'd known through someone else and i tried to say hi or smile or give them some sign of acknowledgment and they ignored me or wished that they hadn't spoken to me or thought of me as a "timewaster".... I know i wouldn't like that very much....
ReplyDeleteok ok.. I do admit, I was pretty harsh in this post. I was contemplating on whether to delete the post or not, but I figured, Hell, I've written it.. it stays.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am guilty of being a timewaster as well in other peoples' lives. Most times, I DO leave them in their merry lives, but sometimes I do talk to them. In fact, there is one girl who I bump into all the time, but because we never spoke in high school, the only person we both know and thus talk about is Phuong.. :p