Please Decrease the AC
Essays in Indian English - #1
Dear Reader,
I went to a conference today.
Let me tell you, it’s a very good practice to attend as many talks and workshops as you can, because you always come out of them having learnt something new.
Today’s conference was held in a large auditorium. The speakers were great, and the discussions were excellent. But I have one question.
Tell me one thing. Just tell me one thing. Why do they always make the auditorium rooms so sakkat cold?
See, you are comfortable and normal when you are outside, but as soon as you settle in the auditorium, your hands and feet turn into ice-cream. It always makes me wonder, who is that one person who thought this temperature was a good idea? Are they a Polar bear?
This phenomenon is even worse in the summer time.
Now you are asking me: Ey, what do you mean? Doesn’t it feel so good to escape from the hot summer sun and step into an AC room?
Let me tell you.
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Imagine that it is winter time. What will you be wearing? Probably a sweater or jacket, right? And you may be wearing socks and a cap too. So, if you go into an AC room, you are appropriately attired to deal with the cold setting.
Now imagine that it is summer time. What are you wearing? Probably a thin, light-colour shirt or kurta. Maybe you are also wearing a skirt or half-pants. And you are definitely not wearing socks. So, if you go into an AC room, you may feel cool and relaxed for a few minutes, but after a few minutes of relaxing, you will surely start rubbing your palms and looking for the AC remote.
You only tell, correct or no?
For example, the aunty sitting in front of me today was wearing a sleeveless summer top. And let me tell you, she was shivering like anything.
I have a friend who is a genius. One day we had planned to attend a movie, and she turned up wearing a heavy dark shawl that is not in her usual style.
So I asked her, ‘Ey, it’s the middle of June. Why are you wearing a Kambali?’. She replied, ‘Just you wait until we get into the movie theatre’. Dear readers, she was absolutely right. We were huddled under her shawl for the whole movie.
Another time, my friend and I had planned to attend a theatre performance. She was running late, which was fine, because the performance was also running late. I was already sitting inside and holding a seat for her.
Then, she texted to ask me if the program had already started. I wanted to reply, but my fingers were shaking so much from the cold that I couldn’t even enter my phone password. I managed to send a ‘n t ye t’. Anyway, she arrived in time, and I could steal her coat.
So this is the situation.
I think next time I will pack thermal wear, a scarf, a hat, boots and also a fleece jacket.
The technical staff know what’s up. Every auditorium that I go to, I see a tech uncle sitting at the back of the room, or in the control booth, and he is invariably wearing a full jacket with a beanie.
I really feel that, when people organize events in auditoriums, along with the venue, date and time, they should include the AC temperature so that attendees can prepare accordingly.
If any event organizers are reading this, it is my humble request for you to kindly take note.
