My Most Embarrassing Moments

How many times have you thought "I wish I could just vanish into thin air".
Those mortifying moments when you want to bury your head deep underground like an ostrich.

Embarrassing moments stand out in our memories, don't they? I have been through sticky moments many a time. But there are few of them which stands out etched deep

This happened when I was in school in class 5. The event was Annual School day and I participated in a dance show. Being a dance show, I was all decked up with Lehenga, jewelery and pancakes on my face. Soon after the cultural programs was the prize distribution ceremony. I was to pick up 2 prizes. The names were called out, as my name was announced, I ran near the stage and climbed on the stairs to get near the gentleman who was giving away the prizes. There were around 5-6 important people all seated on the stage. As I walked, I stepped on my Lehenga and tripped and fell flat on the stage. Next what I heard were roars of laughter, cat calls. I got up, did not dare to see anyone, flicked my prize and ran away.
I did not go up to collect my second prize when my name was called.

One more incident also incidentally involves Lehenga. I started working pretty early, when I was around 17 years. Worked as a teaching staff at a computer training institute. Being a private institute, the students were from all ages - 15 to 50. I worked part-time and one evening, my mom insisted that I wear a particular outfit. Her justification was that I was ignoring the dress for quite sometime and I must wear it that day. Any explanation that I was going for my work and that I was a teaching staff worked out. As it was, I was the youngest staff and the students found it absurd to be learning from someone as young as me. I faced lots of ridicule and rejections as their ego did not let them take instructions from a girl who looked like a 5th grader. My mom would not listen, she was stubborn. And guess what? The outfit was the Pattu pavadai and blouse. As it was silk, the cloth was elaborate with golden border and patterns and the colours rich. The picture below is what a Pattu pavadai is.


I wore it to work and I dared not get out of the staff room. Entire staff was glaring at me as if I were a little girl and they even wondered for a moment if they had by mistake hired an under-age! Few students who could get a sneak peek were amused as well. It was so humiliating.

One more incident that left me red-faced was during my college days. We went back to college once the college re-opened for the fifth semester. That was third year of engineering. I and my friend were sitting during a break; outside the class room where the next lecture was going to be held. A young, tall, handsome guy passed by us. We checked him out, commented loud so that he can hear us, laughed away and forgot about it. We thought he might be a 1st year freshmen. After the break, we got into our classroom for the next lecture - File Systems. Here walks in the young, tall, handsome guy. He looked at both of us and we just wanted to sneak under the chairs and vanish! I must add that he was really a good lecturer and was soon liked by all the students.

There are few events which happen most days in your life. I get sort of panicky when I get into malls and the restrooms there have designer taps. They turn all sides but don't release water. I am not sure if there's something wrong with me that I cant understand the elite and complicated design. Turning them all sides, no water. Think the thing does not work and move onto next wash sink and the same happens there. Someone else watching me struggle comes to my rescue. The first thing I did when I checked into a hotel in CA was to check the taps. I panicked that there were no water supply and called the maintenance. I was like "Oh my! They say things in USA is so perfect and the first thing I encounter is a room with no water facility!". The guy came over and checked that everything was fine. I dread to imagine what he would have thought about me. Maybe what a country idiot!

Another classic awkward moment for me was when I used to go shopping with my mom. Ladies are known to bargain. But the way my mom does, and the war of words exchanged with the salesmen, I don't want to be part of the embarrassment anymore and later I chose to stand far away from her so that I would be the first to run out just in case.....

Another disconcerted moment happened recently. We friends from the swimming class decided to lunch together. I and my friend realized that we did not have enough cash with us. I told her not to worry as I carried my debit and credit card and that we can find a ATM and withdraw some money. Unfortunately my debit card was faulting and the card was not being recognized by any ATMs. I thought it was fine as I could use my credit card to withdraw some money. But alas!, I have never used my credit cards to withdraw money anytime earlier and so did not bother to know the PIN number. I somehow consoled my friend saying that we can use the card to pay the bill. At the end of the lunch, each one paid their amount and my friend and me were like....eeeks...it was so abashed. I caught myself and informed that I would pay for me and my friend with the card and so we pass the money and the card for the payment. Remaining amount to be debited from my card. But another friend passed on her card and she paid ours too and later I transferred the money to her account. I should learn to have some hard cash with me henceforth.

There are lots more, but I need to get into damage control mode. Enough of self-humiliation. So what was the most embarrassing moment for you folks?