Timepass

Today, I may have lost two of the brightest, nicest and most committed colleagues I've worked with.

I'm hoping that my charm will make them change their minds about moving on but it does look like the legendary allure I had is wearing off.

One is a gent who's asking me why I'm still here. The other is a young girl who's wondering how many damsels in distress will I bail out.

And then I recall Piet Bels... (whose image I can't seem to set right by turning it in any clockwise direction!). He was sitting outside Wenger's in Connaught Place last Saturday sketching portraits. A Belgian language teacher who's been visiting India since 1998, Piet lives in Pahargunj and paints to pass away his time and also make a slow buck. that's what I'd like to do someday... only, I don't know how to paint!

And then, on another trip to Bombay, I see this homeless man (whose image is also lopsided!) waking up on the porch of a watch repair shop. The irony of it: he's passing time as well - and his life badly needs repairing.

Makes me wonder whether I'm serving my time in this world in the ideal way.

Update (February 15, 2008):
The charm still works... thank God! At least 50% of it (the right 50%!)... as for the other half, am sorry but I failed. Perhaps he'll change his mind at the nth minute (eternal optimist that I am).

Update 2 (February 22, 2008):
Sunday, February 17th... the nth minute happened! The other half agreed to stay back... the charm - and some other stuff - worked. Phew!