Stop and Sing

I went to the beach today with mom after a long time.
What's new? Nothing much, except that a lot more people come up and talk to me, and very loud whispers.. "hey its the super singer host.. "
And then a malli-poo girl comes to me and asks me to buy some specified length of flowers and I say no, I don't wear flowers. "Have to do sales illa ma" And then "OH neenga Sahana nalla paadirukkenga, adha solla dhan vandhen" And then she tells me to walk across a few feet to some guy she knows, and give my autograph to him. And nope I didn't do that.
Abhirami Mega Mall is next door to our FM channel office, and our team usually goes there to grab a cuppa. And sometimes there are this school kids / college goers who run after me and say "sing a song for me"
If there is one thing that I don't understand is this. Dancers are not asked to perform in the middle of the road, actors are not asked to act in the middle of the road, but why is that Singers always have to "sing and show" "at least 2 lines"?
I used to oblige in the beginning, but when there is a ruckus happening all around you, a TV is blaring POGO, and you have to sing and prove that you can, in between all this hullabaloo.
Same instance at the beach. We are leaving, and we see all these battery operated hurricane lamps. They look good and then one of the guys says, why don't you sing a song on these lights? All that I could say was "idhu konjam over-a illa?", smile and go.
No matter what I do, where I go, and with whomsoever, I might be breaking my head with mom, trying to decide about the shopping that needs to be done for the next episode, the right clothes and the right what-not, and in between I ll have to sing and show.
Of course I have to grin at the irony of it all. I have no problem when people talk to me, but I really don't understand why I have to sing at the drop of a hat, rather the drop of a sentence, " sing two lines". And most of the times it is an order.
Orkut is the next thing. I sign up to find people who are long lost from my school days, just to relive the nostalgia. Then I exchange scraps with a co-musician about a wedding that I have to attend and that realize it has totally slipped my mind. MOm and I go into a tizzy search for the invite, and see the event is tomorrow, heave a huge sigh of relief. In the meanwhile, X goes looks into my friend's scrapbook and mine, and then asks, "what function tomorrow, you told him something?? I want to know becos he is my friend" I dont know X from Adam, he says Hi, and I like your singing, I say thanks, and then he wants to know where I am going tomorrow.
And others, invite me to their college/school or other work related stuff on the scrapbook. How long does it take to send a message on Orkut itself??
Is this a rant? Probably
Of course its all part of being what I am. Some people who might read this blog will say don't crib about lack of privacy, or rather get off Orkut. WHY should I? "if not, then don't crib".
Also I get scraps like, I saw you performing at this place, and I thought you would be someone with super attitude, I thought you would be a proud peacock.
And all these assumptions with just a performance. See someone from far away, you don't even walk up to that person and talk to them, or better still, haven't seen them anywhere but on TV or the newspaper, but happily make assumptions that they are all nasty things, like you are paid for it.
I am a small fry as long as the industry is concerned. And I am having a fair share of all this and more. I wonder what happens to the stars.
A lot of people tell me that I should not be as reachable as I am now, and shut off, and behave like a celebrity.
Of course, I might get a fair share of comments for this post, but then, well that is the way things are. Thank God for this blog.