Anecdotal Evidence

Long autobiographical blurb ahead. Blame mutruppuLLi's nice post for spurring this confessional. There is an RK Narayan story aboout a man who spends his fortieth birthday in a park (not going to work !) thinking of how nothing has actually changed in his life as he grew older. He had the same tendencies, weaknesses, joys and fears but just cloaked differently. Magician that he is, somehow RKN made it sound like a happy realization ! I am hunting for that story. June '00 Q: Why economics after PCM ? A: I hate physics. I refuse to submit to it. Three years of being looked at with eyes of pity by uncles who were considering the calamity had befallen my parents Jun '03 Q:What now ? A: Masters in Economics I guess Q: Why ? You like it so much ? A: Hmm... actually I learnt squat these three years so I am trying to justify my past.... Q: ....!?! A: You'll atleast have to grant me the freshness in that argument Jun '05 Q: What now ? A: I like this reading and writing stuf...

It is ruthless how people expect everyone to have an opinion on the economics slowdown. I don't mind humouring cabdrivers and supplying their solid common sense with some jargon armoury. But someone starts a serious conversation I so wish he talked about whether. "You did economics right, so what do you think went wrong ? People say it's going to be say it's going to be dim the next three fiscals.." That's my cue word. From there I know I am in a conversation I should be out of real quick. I try the old but sure trick "look there is Ramalinga Raju" and gently slip out. Why do they do this ? Do you see me starting polite conversations with electrical engineers on the lines of "suppose you have a solenoid of length n ". Is it too much to ask to be extended the same courtesy. But, you may point to a flaw in my argument that electrical engineers will probably smack their lips and relish such conversation. But you see, that is one of the reasons...