Oh nothing, I'll just stand here and ... watch.

There are tons of blogs and books on netiquette and office etiquette. But one that combined the two, and especially addressed the issue of 'hovering' would be greatly appreciated. At least by one reader... me.

Those who have not encountered the hoverers (and yes I know that's not a real word) cannot understand the extreme irritation they cause. It's not even that they're really doing anything annoying.

Then again, that's just it. They stand there. Doing nothing.

Not really engaging in what you're working on, offering constructive advice, or suggestions on how to make things better.

They just... stand there.

Watching.

Making you nervous.

Distracted.

And in the end, ruining whatever productive streak you had going.

I have a job now where I have to write stuff all the time. Make the content seem witty, articulate, and (dare I say it?) half-way intelligent. None of which I can do when some twit is hovering over my shoulder and watching my every click on the keyboard. I'm suddenly paralysed - forgetting what I'm saying and how I'm going to say it. Every seemingly-brilliant sentence construction I had planned suddenly goes out of the window, leaving me annoyed, irritated, and most importantly, behind on deadlines.

The hovering has got to stop!

Seasonal Whinging

When the monsoons arrive, I run outside and splash around in the puddles.

Yes, don't ask how old I am, I continue to do this every single year without exception. Everything looks green, an average cup of coffee starts to taste better (damn Nescafe ads and the power of suggestion), and even the mud starts to smell divine!

But then I have to travel to work and there's never a rickshaw to be found when it's pouring down. Just before I get into one, a car will speed past and plaster me with water and filth. A couple of years ago it got to a point where I kept a change of clothes at work just so I wouldn't have to spend the day in dirty, wet clothes that would chill me to the bone after encountering the office's Arctic temperatures.

Then the roads will flood and I won't be able to get to work, but will have to make a pretence of it anyway just so I can say I tried, before turning around and crawling back through the immovable traffic.

All of this, and I haven't even started on the state of the trains yet.

So about two weeks into it, I'm ready for the monsoons to be over and done with and wait longingly for the winter (such as it is in India) to come around.

You know, so that I can crib about how cold it is.

But for now, it's *$%#ing hot, people smell a lot, and I'm even more cranky than usual because of the mere 45 minutes I spend commuting from one air-conditioned environment to the other. So even though I'm probably spoiled as hell and going to regret saying this in about a month or so...

I can't wait for the monsoons!