I wish my nose never worked. Did you ever feel that way? At least once in your life? If there is a part in my body that never stops working, it would be my nose. My olfactory nerves had been manufactured with extra smelling power. You wonder how? Blame it on the genes.
Once upon a time, lived my grandma who carried on those powerful smelly/sensory glands. She would and could smell everything and anything. I don't know how it was inherited to me, but it did without fail.
When I was in my 8th grade, the so-called Babbage invented big black boxes were introduced in our school and you know how it was. They were put in a special room with closed windows with more fans, as our school didn't have A.C. We had to remove our shoes and enter the classroom. My existing aversion towards those boxes aggravated with the scent emerging from 28 pairs of socks. Luckily for me, I learnt that socks needs to be washed every two days from my best friend Sid and I would never be the cause of embarrassment.
One day I happened to travel in an A.C compartment in a train with my uncle. As soon as we got seated he said, if your granny is here, she will call the entire staff to change these curtains and head rests..I couldn't help laughing out loud.
When I was in college, a cousin was having lunch at our place one day. Out of habit or accidentally I happened to smell the glass of water that I was drinking. Immediately he said, didi you must have been a dog in your previous birth. Who will smell water? Well, I do!!
It did not stop with college. It hunted and haunted me even after I got married and started working in the U.S. Luckily for me, S is a very smell free man..No odor of any kind from him. I felt (still feel) bliss and blessed. Don't think I am the most aromatic person on this earth. I spent $$$ on my dentist and still keep spending a fortune on perfumes to remain odor free.
I had to work closely with this old man who was extremely nice but would drink a big bucket of black coffee every day morning. The stink of it mixed with his natural flavors added to the aroma and my nostrils were shut for the entire day. Wondering how I lived without breathing? Even I don't know. :( One fine day, I told my boss, whose cigar stink I deeply fell in love with by then; I am going to put a huge Listerine dispenser and paper cups outside my cube..I know I am rude..can't help it dude!! So, after thinking and brain cracking for weeks and months I came up with an idea. I got Cardamom and started chewing it and passed it on to the black coffee bucket too. What I noticed was, I was the one who would borrow it often from him as he would never open it :(
Traveling in the trains, I come across all kinds of people. So, my weapon to fight the flavors would be spray on my wrist and stuck my nose into it.
The gene didn't end there. It got carried to the fourth generation now. When I called mom to speak with my daughter, mom said the little one smelled something and went downstairs. She came back later saying the watchman's family has bought chicken biryani and she had her dinner there.
Those are the smells any ordinary human can't bear. But the specimen writing this post (yours truly) detests other smells like the smell of a ripe Cantaloupe, fruit flavored air fresheners, except for citrus. Apples and peaches are meant to eat..not to spray in the air!! This specimen also loves the scent of Petrol, New Books, Newspapers, Flowers, Men's musky after shave lotions, the scent of earth after rain and ohhh... The list is endless...
Y'll want to know what triggered this non-smellical post? The scent that started in my 8th grade...from a guy walking ahead of me at work. I want to paste a post-it on his back: "Please wash your socks!!"
Once upon a time, lived my grandma who carried on those powerful smelly/sensory glands. She would and could smell everything and anything. I don't know how it was inherited to me, but it did without fail.
When I was in my 8th grade, the so-called Babbage invented big black boxes were introduced in our school and you know how it was. They were put in a special room with closed windows with more fans, as our school didn't have A.C. We had to remove our shoes and enter the classroom. My existing aversion towards those boxes aggravated with the scent emerging from 28 pairs of socks. Luckily for me, I learnt that socks needs to be washed every two days from my best friend Sid and I would never be the cause of embarrassment.
One day I happened to travel in an A.C compartment in a train with my uncle. As soon as we got seated he said, if your granny is here, she will call the entire staff to change these curtains and head rests..I couldn't help laughing out loud.
When I was in college, a cousin was having lunch at our place one day. Out of habit or accidentally I happened to smell the glass of water that I was drinking. Immediately he said, didi you must have been a dog in your previous birth. Who will smell water? Well, I do!!
It did not stop with college. It hunted and haunted me even after I got married and started working in the U.S. Luckily for me, S is a very smell free man..No odor of any kind from him. I felt (still feel) bliss and blessed. Don't think I am the most aromatic person on this earth. I spent $$$ on my dentist and still keep spending a fortune on perfumes to remain odor free.
I had to work closely with this old man who was extremely nice but would drink a big bucket of black coffee every day morning. The stink of it mixed with his natural flavors added to the aroma and my nostrils were shut for the entire day. Wondering how I lived without breathing? Even I don't know. :( One fine day, I told my boss, whose cigar stink I deeply fell in love with by then; I am going to put a huge Listerine dispenser and paper cups outside my cube..I know I am rude..can't help it dude!! So, after thinking and brain cracking for weeks and months I came up with an idea. I got Cardamom and started chewing it and passed it on to the black coffee bucket too. What I noticed was, I was the one who would borrow it often from him as he would never open it :(
Traveling in the trains, I come across all kinds of people. So, my weapon to fight the flavors would be spray on my wrist and stuck my nose into it.
The gene didn't end there. It got carried to the fourth generation now. When I called mom to speak with my daughter, mom said the little one smelled something and went downstairs. She came back later saying the watchman's family has bought chicken biryani and she had her dinner there.
Those are the smells any ordinary human can't bear. But the specimen writing this post (yours truly) detests other smells like the smell of a ripe Cantaloupe, fruit flavored air fresheners, except for citrus. Apples and peaches are meant to eat..not to spray in the air!! This specimen also loves the scent of Petrol, New Books, Newspapers, Flowers, Men's musky after shave lotions, the scent of earth after rain and ohhh... The list is endless...
Y'll want to know what triggered this non-smellical post? The scent that started in my 8th grade...from a guy walking ahead of me at work. I want to paste a post-it on his back: "Please wash your socks!!"
Posts
Even I dont like fruity fragrances, and cant stand all type of smell, if I someone is frying fish I run fast and far away:)
ReplyDeleteHahah...not many like fish fry smell..especially dry fish..it stinks the whole complex. I loved it when I ate meat..now, I don't bother to care..okay, not bad!! I've a company here in not liking fruit fragrances..:)
DeleteThe stink of a dirty sock is unbearable indeed ! But my hunch is that men dont go around washing socks often. Some body ought to be telling them that the habit might cost them many a tempting gazes! By the way your list of feel good scents matches mine :) Good post :)
ReplyDeleteWelcome here, Maliny. Haaa....good to know that someone else also has the same feel good scents like me :) Thank you!!
Deleteha ha...I recently read a book about a father-daughter duo who have extraordinary olfactory senses and hence go on to build a perfume business empire :)
ReplyDeleteHeheh....Jaish, there is a book called Perfume..read it if you get a chance...I read it few pages, but couldn't finish it. It is interesting..
DeleteOh My! You have a great olfactory sense!!
ReplyDeleteLOL@ I know I am rude... can't help it dude!! :D
At our place the husband has a better sense of aromas and fragrances, so when he is cooking, he is constantly taking in the wafting aromas too and when he asks me to do so, and I am not able to give a glowing report card on the dish being cooked based on the aroma, his standard reply is "Your nose is blocked!" :D
Hahahah...your nose is blocked. You know what, Shilpa...even if my nose is blocked I can tell if the food is spoiled..:D
DeleteEven I am very sensitive as far as smells go. Every time I visit a hotel, I would automatically smell the glass which has been kept for water, and then the plate, I can't drink water from some glasses from which some eggy/ fishy smell comes out. I am very fussy.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also love the smell of the earth during the first showers, it is heavenly.
When I go out, I think all the glands automatically stops working. Otherwise, I wouldn't survive :) My aunt is like you..:)
DeleteYou remind me of my son-whenever he lays his hands upon a book or magazine etc,he must smell it first n foremost!!
ReplyDeleteSo now, whenever you see a new book, you will remember me along with your son :)
DeleteTRUE !!!!!!!!!
DeleteIts not my nose. My ears are very sensitive. I have just emerged from my living room after a squabble over television volume.
ReplyDeleteBTW you love the smell of petrol?
Alka, I am also allergic to noise and sound polution..though I my tone sounds like a stone..:D We hardly watch TV..so now, if the TV is ON for a while and then switched off, I feel like the calmness after a cyclone comes and goes..hehe..weird huh?? Ya, I used to love the smell of petrol..Now, I think I am okay..getting little less odder by day ;)
DeleteThat is one reason I do not go to DJ parties in my office canteen. I can choke and die there. :)
ReplyDeleteHahahaa...Amit, you should not choke and die..you should puke on those folks and say, sorry!! Ya and you donno from who it is emitting right? ah well...
DeleteAn aromatic post and was happy to read that you like the smell of petrol, newspapers and books!!I hope you do not need to stick posters of 'Please wash your socks', now:)
ReplyDeleteBut there are people who I want to stick notes on their mouths which read, " I didn't brush my teeth..even though I do, I stink like a dead rat..."
DeleteHi Latha, this is a very interesting, enjoyable and entertaining post. I was tickled reading it.All the more interesting thing is that you have this 'smell' allergy in your genes. Oh yes, the smell of socks is very nauseating. One of my bosses emitted this smell .I gave a packet of Agarbatties to his peon and told him to light it every morning in his room.The poor boss never suspected why those inscense sticks were lit in his office.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ushaji...hehe..good idea..your boss was dumb for sure..and you know what? The people from who it emits, they never know it is from them..that's the sad part..
DeleteUgh stinking socks, body odour don't even get me started. I like the smell of petrol, newspapers and books too. Is there any good way to convey to these people how offensive the odour that they are emanating is.
ReplyDeleteArey, don't me started too re...I have many girl friends who dress up in new new dresses and when I go to their homes and they display their latest India shopping, my god the stink from the silk clothes kills me..I feel so suffocated..I literally close my nose and they ask, are you okay? ughhh...you should tell me if you know of a way..buy them a perfume, but they may not even get it..
DeleteHAHAHA :) I pity you dear cause it creates great discomfort but then you could be a very good perfumista if you put this in to use :D
ReplyDeleteAwesome post laughed all throughout :D
had written something on similar grounds long back
http://ramya-chitrana.blogspot.in/2010/04/i-smell-something.html
Hahaha...thank you Ramya.. I love perfumess...I think I should take up a job :)
DeleteWill check your post too..
I totally agree fruits are to eat not to spread in the air. And Ammu smelling chicken Biryani alla the way from upstairs is hilarious :). She is my kind of gal.
ReplyDeleteHahaha...let me know if you want a third chicken in the basket..I will parcel after enjoying for a month :)
DeleteI too like Jasmine flowers a lott..I miss them here. When I am in India, I don't miss to put them in my hair even a single day.. :)
ReplyDeletesmelly socks are possibly the worst smell in the world! Unfortunately, I don't have a good sense of smell...it's probably the reason why I cannot excel as a cook! But, is your daughter in India? That part confused me!
ReplyDeletehahaha..that has nothing to do with cooking, Roshni :) Yes, my daughter is in India right now. Will be coming here on the 20th :)
Delete