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Serendipity People-watching
yes, I'm people watching They say that people are categorized into two different groups: a) the intelligent ones who belong to the “upper group” who talk about ideas, concepts, theories and other similar brainy blarney; and b) the ones who belong to the “lower group”, the ones who talk about people, people, and people. Well, whoever postulated the above theory must live one hell of an excruciatingly drab, boring life or is now committed to a mental institution. Because I say, those who are usually the most intelligent, are often the ones most likely to go insane. And so, with that justification, I shall proceed with my discussion of man's favorite past time: people-watching (the mere fact that you can read and comprehend this statement only means one thing: you have not been committed to an insane asylum, thus, you belong to the lower group and, therefore, not intelligent – admit it). What is people-watching? For me, it's an age-old art involving the study of people; what they look like; what they are doing; where they come from; where they're going; and possibly, what they're thinking. So, you could probably say that an experienced people-watcher is someone akin to a “social scientist”. And, only holier-than-thou hypocrites will not plead guilty to ever indulging in this past time. Since I'm no hypocrite, I admit that sometimes (OK, most of the time), I succumb to this “non-intelligent” form of entertainment especially when faced with situations or sights too juicy for me to ignore. Take for example last week, the “social scientist” in me was put to a grueling test. The city was teeming with people and events that no self-respecting people-watcher could possibly brush aside and disregard. It was like watching a tank full of fish of different colors and sizes, only the sight I saw was more exciting, amusing, and ludicrous. I was also able to meet different kinds of people who were clearly made for people-watching (meaning, ideal subjects of the age-old art) because of their one-of-a-kind, eccentric, evil, and / or obnoxious personalities. Here are a few of my subjects whom I have categorized and labeled for your viewing, I mean, reading pleasure: The Wannabes . These are obviously people who want to escape the daily rut of their rotten lives by pretending to be someone or getting into something they have secretly longed for even at the expense of looking insipid and stupid. A perfect example of this would be a horrendous sight I saw last week when I watched a fashion show in one of the swanky hotels in town. I almost choked on my lengua when I saw two people walk the ramp without regard for delicadeza or simple aesthetics (yes, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but you've got to draw the line somewhere). Everybody must have been too dumbstruck either by the bird's nest hairdo (the only thing that was lacking were a couple of quail eggs – whoever did her hair should be shot) of one of the wannabes or the fact that nobody knew who she was (the models were supposed to be part of the so-called “Ilonggo society”) that there was an uncomfortable silence (as opposed to the thunderous applause that greeted most of the models) when she awkwardly walked down the ramp. I wondered if she held the organizers at gunpoint just to be in that show. All I can say is, just because you could, does not mean you should, dahling! The Paris Hilton's. They're moneyed, young, spoiled, intellectually challenged, and even with their designer get ups, they still look like sluts. They roam around the city looking for fun and boys (not necessarily in that order) and they love to party. These girls are everywhere. I've seen them in chi-chi gatherings (the few ones I've been to), in restaurants, and especially inside hotel washrooms. They gather in droves, squeal, giggle, and basically act like monkeys in Gucci. Their objective: to land themselves a Paris Latsis. The Plastics. These are people who seem so nice, pleasant, and charming when you're around but “stab” you in the back when you're not. They treat you like their friends but talk about you behind your back especially when you're at your most vulnerable. They're also pretentious, insecure, and terribly unhappy about themselves and their pathetic lives. In short, these people are called “plastic” because they are artificial, superficial, synthetic, and / or fake. That's why as much as possible, I don't make “beso-beso” in public, especially to people who I hardly know and don't consider as my real friends. Who wants to be stabbed anyway? Not me and not today, thank you very much. The Power-trippers . The people who belong to this category are usually the ones who have always been “deprived”. This means that for most of their lives, they've probably never experienced being in control; being important; respected; praised; or have never achieved anything significant that benefited anyone including themselves. These people have mediocre or below average intelligence but pretend to be smart (when it's obvious to everyone how dumb they are) just so they can boss and manipulate people around. The power- trippers are cousins of the ass-kissers, bootlickers, and sycophants. You'll usually see the power-tripper holding a key position in the workplace and take credit for other people's achievement because she's too dimwitted and moronic to accomplish it herself. The Sycophants . These are servile self-seekers who attempt to win favor by flattering influential people. See also The Power-trippers . These two go hand in hand -- the slave and the master. They're actually like parasites, feeding on the scraps of their hosts. I've seen a lot of them in the past weeks, in almost all the social gatherings I've been to as well as in the workplace. They usually hang out with the sosyals , the bosses, the rich, and the powerful. The problem is, they stick out like sore thumbs – hmm… must be the fake LV, white clogs, and stretched hair? The People-Watcher. Now that's me and maybe you. We love to watch people and people love to watch us – need I say more? Well, as what the poem of Noam Weinstein says, “people-watching…it doesn't cost a thing, despite what it's worth -- it's the greatest show on earth.” J |
