Little boxes, little boxes...

Ever realize how easy it is to fall back on your identities? The boxes other people put you into. Right now, the ones I choose to fall into are bio-geek, non-jock, tamil. Never mind the fact that I just met a couple of 1st year students discussing families of fungi to pass time, I took up running and making a conscious effort to get into shape. And that it’s been over 5 years since I wrote a full sentence in tamil.

Why do I choose to fall into these boxes? It’s simple. Bio-geek means I don’t have to be particularly bothered about my physics grades, or anything my physicist batchmates say in general. Non-jock means I don’t have to try to play football and look stupid. And tamil means I don’t have to pretend to enjoy, well.. anything “northie”. I know, it makes me sound like a wuss of the first order. But that’s what you do in the face of change. Go with the tide. Go against the tide strong enough that you look eccentric, but people follow you anyway. Or box yourself in, hiding, hoping it all goes away. Hey, I’m cancerian. That’s what I have my shell for. To hide in.

AV, you wanted to know about the “back to Pune blues”? Here they are.

In other news, a new batch of students have joined my institute. It’s a little scary that so many of them look like they’re straight out of the classic nerd mould. You know, thick-rimmed glasses, awkward build drooping shoulders. The works. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe as a percentage of the batch they’re not very much more. Damn, I hope I’m wrong.