Friday, June 30, 2006

Professional hazard!?!

Last week, I had to visit a doctor to get a check up. I am not at all fond of doctors or hospital so it took a mighty effort from Vivek and a severe knee pain to force the visit. There I was sitting in the lobby cursing my knee and the doctor, who was late. I couldn't postpone the visit because she was then proceeding on a month long vacation "abroad." She arrived full 40 minutes late. Isn't there a rule that at least doctors should be on time? I mean many lives depend on her or his punctuality doesn't it? Thankfully it was a posh looking private hospital with its lobby looking like that of a five-star hotel and not a government hospital so I survived the wait.

Anyways since it was way past Vivek's office timing he left to office leaving me to see the doctor all by myself. So finally when the doctor arrived I literally ran inside and rattled off my problem. She asked me a few questions and asked me to lie down for a check up. Then she asked me what I did for a living. I usually don't answer the question but doctors make me nervous and I blurted 'journalist.' She beamed at me and said "I should've guessed," I was thinking 'oh may be this sort of knee pain is a professional hazard' and said so aloud. The doctor chuckled and said "no no it is not like that. Just that you have air of a journalist" and didn't elaborate. Since I did not want to linger any longer in the hospital I didn’t insist either.

Now the question is, what is "an air of a journalist"? I've come across this kind of statements many a times off late. Nobody has asked me straight off are you a journalist but when I tell them I am one, they usually say 'I should've known.' My mom and my brother tell me it is the way we journalists dress. Is it? My mom constantly complains how my dress sense has gone down the drain since I took to media. And she usually manages to draw a consensus from people around on that.

Now that is a professional hazard. I mean if we journalists have a dress code that everyone can identify, then it is a very dangerous thing isn't it? How on earth will we do an investigative report if we can't manage to be inconspicuous?

2 comments:

Sav said...

That reminds me -- I haven't figured how the hidden camera thing works. I mean, the TV journos are always on camera, forever in your face, and people still don't recognise them?
Anyway, someone also needs to tell me what a married woman is supposed to look like. Today for the Nth time I was told I don't "look" married.

Abhipraya said...

The hidden camera thing is pretty much like how the Bakra works on MTv. Everyone knows Cyrus is what we think but there are many who don't recognise him and fall prey. And about how married women look am only sure that they don't look like me and you.