The Backpacker

Have you, as a media person, been "interviewed?" Of course, I dont mean for the prestigious awards or such things, but on a simple, one-on-one terms by the very person you have been assigned to interview? Ah, that is the trick. The interviewee is always curious, despite being in the public front for long, he/she still wants to know! Knowledge, of course is everyone's right, but shouldnt the poor over worked, underpaid scribes be spared the barrage of useless questions they are sometimes asked? Naturally one can make allowances for the fact that the "interviewee" is not in possession of the scribes quick wit and intelligence and their subtlety, but as upright, educated and respected members of the society, shouldnt they at least posses a grain of knowledge as to what to ask the scribe?

It always begins like this. I present my card.

 "Oh so you are Anj...?"

(No, I am in the habit of carrying another persons' business card)  

"Where are you from?"

(Next time I will make sure I get that bit of info on the card too)

 "From Kerala?" (If the person happens to be from Kerala. If not, they stick to good old India)

(You see it is a sin to have a Thomas to your name. It is a dead give away. Never mind that Thomas Hardy or Jefferson were from USA)

 "Where do you live?" 

"You are a reporter? Okay, so what do you do? You write everything?" 

(No. I dont write for Al Queda or the KKK, but yes, I am a reporter, so whats okay about it?"

"You want to interview me?"

(Oops, no. I just wanted to ask your opinion of my hair)

"You are really from India? You dont look like that"?

(This could be in reference to my get-up. Its not my fault really if I look like am about to go on a holiday to the mountians, right? And what do Indians look like?)

"You studied this writing? Journalism? What a cool job. I like writing also"  

(Cool job? What does that mean? Do they know that the temperatures at work place can rise to a 100 degree centigrade if an article is not submitted in time?)

Then if a woman, they observe you rather closely and get straight the heart of the matter.

"Wow, you can dress casually? Jeans? Always? You meet many (wink wink) people, right? Lucky. You know, I dont like dressing up either, but you know how it is.  

"You dont look like a journalist really. It is so easy to talk to you"

(Notice that I have not begun my interview yet. Grudgingly one is forced to draw their attention to the matter at hand. After some deft manouvering, we are finally facing each other. Then suddenly in the middle of a serious issue, a question."

"You will write all this? (and even more suddenly), "I like your jacket. You are a lawyer you say? Then how do you write?

(Oh, I rather forgot to tell you I have been blessed with special powers that convert the laws in the book into an dratted interview, so simple really) 

"You are different you know, rather pretty." (That is not an answer to my question)

But one high ranking official took the cake.

"I am glad you are a writer. You are nice."

Why?

"Because you are not a lawyer"