10 January, 2007

People-Watching

I reckon I've got a lot of hobbies-
1) Drawing/Painting
2) Reading
3) Listening to Music
4) Meeting my buddies
5) Not doing anything/anyone (that was a joke for the humorously-challenged)
6) Cooking
7) Gardening (nevermind that half the stuff I plant ends up oh...DEAD.)
...and the list goes on and on

However, what I didn't realise is that the one hobby that I indulged in most often is 'people-watching'.
People-watching involves observing various people for small amounts of time. It is free of prejudice or any bias. It is, in some strange way, incredibly fulfilling. While I'm waiting for a coffee, or sitting on the bus or even shopping, there's always a couple of people that fascinate me.

In fact, so strong is this urge to people-watch that my friends have observed that I tend to immediately get spaced out when I'm in a place that had loads of people milling around. I used to think it's probably because I have a fear of crowds, but I realised its more like a sensory overload.

I love watching the coffee lady make my mocha. It's almost as good as drinking the mocha itself. How she ambles around like a mother hen and how deftly she adds more chocolate. I wonder if she has any children. I wonder if she has a man (or woman) who loves her for the sweetheart that she is.

I love how the scrawny dude in the bus puts his arm protectively/alpha male-ly over the shoulder of his much taller, hotter girlfriend. And how she slides down to lay her head on his shoulder. I wonder who asked who out. I wonder how long they've been going out for.

I chuckle when I watch the girl in lecture cast sly glances to the hottie at her left. I wonder if she'll make a move on him before the semester ends. I hope he makes a move back.

I inwardly smile when I'm in the lift with two students from mainland China. Their rapid fire conversation sounds like fun. I wonder if they're talking about the hot chick they met. Or if they're gonna try some of that crazy Indian food for lunch. I wonder what their idea of fun is, and what they do in their free time here in Singapore.

I can only stare in wonder at some guy's incredibly blue eyes. Sounds cliched as hell but Jesus.. You could spontaneously combust if you looked into those eyes for a second longer. I know I couldn't look any longer because he would probably read my mind without even trying. They don't call eyes 'the windows of the soul' for nuthin' yknow. And hell, forget windows..my eyes are like huge gaping holes in wall. Forget holes in the wall, they're the complete absence of a wall. I wonder what his first kiss was like. I wonder if he's ever as socially inept as I feel when I'm in his vicinity.

I wonder what the loner in the corner is all about. Is he just quiet coz he doesn't friend? He could be a laugh-a-minute...or he could just be a loner. I wonder what sort of a friend he would be to me. I wonder what his bedroom would be like.

I marvel at how amazingly interesting some peoples faces are.. At how incredibly sharp someones nose is..At how beautifully sculpted a persons cheekbone can be. At how brown an eye can get...At how delicate a ear can look..I wonder if I'll ever get to draw these people in my lifetime. I can only hope.



But what unnerves me if I ever find out that someone's been watching me. And wondering about my life.
If you have, do tell me..I'd be very interested in hearing your thoughts.

Observing someone under a microscope can be intriguing, but whats even more intriguing is what the specimen observed of you.

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25 Comments:

Blogger Dan did the happy dance and finally said..

People watching is great. Every example you described contains body language that can be deciphered, making it even more enjoyable. I had two posts on body language while you were "away". :) I'm reading a wonderful book on body language (which I mention in those posts) and highly recommend it to you if you enjoy watching people.

1:02 AM  
Blogger twip did the happy dance and finally said..

Is the loner in the corner cute?

Most loners in the corner are cute, you know.

4:29 AM  
Blogger Sig did the happy dance and finally said..

Hehe....freaky I wrote a post a while back http://siggysparkle.blogspot.com/2006/10/passions.html#links about my paaiosns and they are so similar to yours!!

People watching is fun - but I go by the assumption that nobody looks at me so it's all ok :D It's a HUGE assumption and it's not including the group of FOBS that openly stare as you sit there.

6:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous did the happy dance and finally said..

Yeah man, what's with FOBs and staring?? Its so darn unnerving, and makes me just want to go up to them, jerk my head a la Chinese Ah Beng, and go "what?!"

Mahi, you can stare at me anytime you want, darling!!!

Nal

10:15 AM  
Blogger chitgo did the happy dance and finally said..

mahi,
what i liked the most about your people watching was the positivity and beauty (albeit naughty at times :) that you perceive. wether it be the nuances of their features, the look in their eyes or the movement of their attractive qualities; both within and to another...

awesome....

11:47 AM  
Blogger APOO did the happy dance and finally said..

Is staring at peoples certain body parts also classified as people watching?

1:53 PM  
Blogger Madame Mahima did the happy dance and finally said..

dan - yea! i read those posts..they sorta made me think about my own body language and that of others..you inspired me man!

megha- not these loners :(

silvara - i read your post and OMG...the eye doodles you were talking about?!!?!? i DO THOSE ALL THE TIME!!! and the thing abt the correlation - the amt of eye doodles is proportionate to the level of boredom- SAME!
people watching is def fun..lets hope people dont think us stalkers!

nal - i think indians just LOVE staring at indians..such is the love our brethren have for each other..NOT. hehe
OH NAL *blushes* you naughty naughty woman!

chitgo - :) thanks dhruv..i think a lot people sometimes tend to look at a person as whole, and in doing so they fail to appreciate the qualities of individual features...i try to pay attention to those indivdual features(i HAD to look for them when i did art in college so i guess its become a good habit of mine :) ) and OH YEA see you soon *wink*

apoo - sigh. for a neanderthal like you, i guess its a good start.

4:07 PM  
Blogger Abhinav Sharma did the happy dance and finally said..

hey, i did try to watch u, but there was always this stupid sea between us which kept bothering my view!

i do watch the mannerisms of cute girls (even hot would do).. but i cant do that for long.. somehow girls know they are being watched and they stare back so wildly, i better run away from the scene

i also love watching cute girls with their boy friends and i often wonder what are these nincompoops doing with these heavenly ladies and why am i not there? and then i realize that had i been in their place, someone else like me would have thought the same about me!

5:14 PM  
Blogger ± did the happy dance and finally said..

wow... mahi goes humanist. and insightful too :)
but have you realised that in all your observations of people, you try to relate to their joys and empathise with their pains?
so it is not just a clinical observation... its emotional too.

what happened mahi? going soft in your tender ages?

5:46 PM  
Blogger Alternate Vision did the happy dance and finally said..

if i only saw as much beauty in people around me as you do, I would do much so better at drawing positive vibes from the masses...

have i told you I love your writing style?

10:21 PM  
Blogger Ashish Shakya did the happy dance and finally said..

It's been a while since I stopped over at The United States of Mahima. This post was a very good one to come back to.

4:34 AM  
Blogger 4wD did the happy dance and finally said..

Hey i'm quite a people watcher too. Tho my thoughts usually are, ''hmm big.'' ``hmm small.'''' hmm perky.'' ``hmm will do.'' ``hmm what the...''

but seriously. I'm so pissed off at this post. I just wrote a completely similar post. But yours is better. grr.

8:45 PM  
Blogger 4wD did the happy dance and finally said..

and i wrote mine before looking at yours!!!

8:45 PM  
Blogger Madame Mahima did the happy dance and finally said..

tetra - i do watch the mannerisms of cute girls (even hot would do).. but i cant do that for long.. somehow girls know they are being watched and they stare back so wildly..
no shit, sherlock!
hahah dude, even 3 seconds is pushing it!
hey i watch hot men with 'interesting' looking women (coz no one is ever 'ugly'..:P)and in my head im like 'WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY'
sigh. :(

harjee - *grunt* im a hardass. stop making me sound like someone made of mush!
clinical and emotional observations..those are luxuries u have when its just you and no one else :) so i guess you're right

surya - :) u give me too much credit..i'm a jerk too. i just don't blog about it :P
have i told you I love your writing style?
why, no!
:D
btw..i think i may have missed your birthday :S. BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY SURYAAAAAA!

ashish - thanks dude :) welcome back!

ninja - lol! MEN.
-throws hands in the air-
awww there, there...i'm sure your post is as good as mine *pat pat*
ok i just checked yours.
mines better.
:D
i joke i joke!
i kid i kid!
you still love me right?

9:35 PM  
Blogger Alternate Vision did the happy dance and finally said..

its on Monday..so you can wish me again :P

thanks yo

9:55 PM  
Blogger Steven did the happy dance and finally said..

People watching is fantastic! Especially if it involves a pair of binoculars and a window with a woman undressing. ;)

Steve~

1:56 AM  
Blogger Di did the happy dance and finally said..

nice to know ive company!! its the most fun thing really..and sometimes even makes me smile..just realizing that everyone else must be so much like me too!

5:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous did the happy dance and finally said..

people watching is fun... totally!!!

u can learn so many things from them..... for a total novice like me when it comes to romance, i get so many tips from watching couples.... am not really sure if i'll ever get to use those tips... but no harm learning right ;)

i was surprised more than once when i noticed other people watching me! it was a pleasant surprise when it was a chic i was watching earlier!! not that i really made a move... thats a totally different story :d

howz the "tag" coming along??

8:21 PM  
Blogger Strider did the happy dance and finally said..

I am more into watching something unfold... like say some construction going on, or some ants working their asses off in an anthill,waves ramming into rocks ...

But yeah, people watching can be fun too! ;-)

11:11 PM  
Blogger Raindrop did the happy dance and finally said..

I hate how (usually desi) men stare at you on long flights without even realizing it. The morons!

Ninja Turtle, that sounds suspiciously like something Homer Simpson might say. (He's my hero too.) :)

I failed at posting this the first time, for some reason. Delete this if shows up twice!:)

12:15 AM  
Blogger Scritch did the happy dance and finally said..

I always assume no one is ever watching me and the tragedy is that in my case its actually true.

5:12 AM  
Blogger Miz BoheMia did the happy dance and finally said..

Ha, ha, haaaa! Spoken like a true people watcher! As soon as you mentioned that, and because I myself am an unabashed people watcher (and listener!), I immediately, and before getting to your punchline, thought "Oh the joys of people watching but dios mio P-LEASE do NOT turn your gaze upon ME!"

;-P

Ah, you are indeed a kindred spirit!

7:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous did the happy dance and finally said..

I especially like watching people in the changing rooms at my gym. In fact, I make a point of it.

And oh, in toilets too. But discreetly, of course.

4:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous did the happy dance and finally said..

Miss Mahima Rao, kindly update ya BLoggggggggggggggggggggg once u return kkkkk...dying to read new posts!!!!!!!
hehe
miss ya
=)

11:07 AM  
Blogger Madame Mahima did the happy dance and finally said..

hey all, im so sorry i didn't comment i was in india..thank you so much for commenting..i love all of you!
oh and JAAAAY *mahi jumps on jay and showers him with non-sexual hugs and kisses*

12:25 PM  

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