Category Archives: chat

Life online

I have been quite lucky to meet interesting people online, and on some occasions, luckier still as I’ve been able to meet them in real:)

A few months back, this girl Ruth buzzed me on one of my anonymous profiles on yahoo. We became good friends instantly (I’m quite good at that:D). Then she told me about the work she did. She works for a UN agency, based in Geneva. Her work is to manage UN sponsored humanitarian projects across North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia. When we first talked, she was on one such project in Libya. Told me about the situation there, and how the UN projects work. Lots of interesting stuff. We chatted for about a week, and then I didn’t see her again.

Today, I found her online again, after a long time. Lately she’s been on projects in Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Bosnia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Southern Russia (Daguestan, Ingushetia, Ossetia, Chechnya). Phew! She travels a lot!

We discussed a little about Southern Russia, her most recent trip. She told me that these are all independent nations, but apparently mother Russia doesn’t want to le go of them. Even despite my good knowledge of geography, I myself hadn’t heard of Ingushetia and Ossetia, and told her the same. Then she told me that Beslan (site of school massacre by Chechen rebels), is actually a part of Ossetia. If one tries to recall the incident, everywhere media quoted Beslan as a Russian city.

Anyways…we talked more, and she told me about her ex boy friend…who’s from Spetsnaz! For the uninitiated, Spetsnaz is the name given to the well known Russian special forces. Its equivalent to the SAS (Special Air Services) in Britain, the Delta Force in USA, and the NSG (National Security Guard, better known as the Black Cats) in our very own India. I’m a big fan of Forsyth/Ludlum, and the spy thriller genre, and was amazed to find out someone who’s actually known a real person from that world. And then she told me how he’s obsessed with her, and doesn’t let go of her. He always manages to find her. Ofcourse…its his profession to find people in hiding:P. She told me how the same people she tries to save in Southern Russia, are shot down by her boy friend and his friends. Talk of clashing professions!

And then, there was some innocent flirtation;).
I hope the Spetsnaz guy doesnt get to know about it:P…or I’m dead meat!