I went to my first Tweetup last night.
It was a Mumbai Twitter's meet. From what I understand, a Tweetup is when folks who Tweet meet up, talk in real life, eat and drink, largely Dutch. No agenda. Hopefully.
The hash tag was #5s. It was at 5 Spice, Bandra. As close to home as it gets for a chronically lazy socialiser. Problem was that I was done in by Mumbai's freezing winter (apparently hit the sub 20s. Centigrades). I doubted that I could croak out even 140 characters. So I stayed home and ordered Green Thai Curry from Thai Baan. The only folks in Mumbai apart from Thai Pavilion to make a half decent Thai curry.
I sat at home chatting with K and a friend. My heart was at 5 Spice as I kept scanning the tweets on the tweetup. Then this flashed from @TalkorTweets @finelychopped hey there is a popular request for u to be at this tweetup guys want to meet even if you are feeling sick.
I had to go. I donned a jacket though I couldn't find my muffler or monkey cap. I headed to 5 Spice suitably anti-biotiqued. And for all those 'celebrity' jibes, well I did make an entrance four hours late and was greeted by an entourage at the gate... in my defence I wasn't wearing shades at midnight.
I went up and met the 'Mumbai Twitter Originals'. It went something like this. "This is @finelychopped" "I am at @B50". "@Suddentwilight" "Hi @Netra good to see you again". Sort of like being at M's Christmas bash. "Hi, am double o seven". "Moi double o three". You get the drift. Didn't get to meet the great @Anaggh though. He remains an urban legend I guess. The Ghost who Tweets.
I then headed to Janta Bar at Pali Naka to catch up with the young guns who had tweeted for me. I'd never been to Janta Bar before as Gokul at Colaba used to be our watering hole in our tight wallet days. Had no idea that there was a mezzanine floor and a first floor too. I got a stool, reserved for the elderly, to sit and chat on as I caught up with @Cute_Divya @r113 @krunalhm @TalkorTweet @mohitnanda.
How was the food? Well I need to go back for that someday. And, well they serve booze in quarter bottles, if you are not on antibiotics. The Bombil Fry on the next table looked quite dishy. As did the fish.
From someone who couldn't figure out what was happening in the beginning, I must say that I am quite hooked on to twitter now. Facebook doesn't work for me any more. I have rather quaint views on what constitutes 'friends'. If I don't know you, and you send me a friend request without a word of introduction, then all I can say is I don't wear tees which say 'free hugs' in real life. If I have met you at work but wouldn't share a Saturday evening drink with you then could we 'connect' on Linkeidn please? If you want to tell me how well read you are and how many links you read from the world of business...again not the sort of stuff I chat with friends about. If you want to send me sheep or cows then could you slow roast them first and add some baked jacket potatoes on the side please? And I don't really care what Paul The Octopus says about you. He is dead Paul's sake. If we haven't interacted on Facebook then are you a friend or a lurker. Surely you dn't want to show me off in our list of friends. I am sure real celebs like Sheila and Munni have Facebook pages for Mark's sake. And don't add me as a friend then spam me about your business, your job or your self. If I care I will seek you out. If I have removed you from the 'friend' list isn't it rather lame for you to send a friend request again? And if you find my updates on food boring, well I rarely do that on my Facebook page any more. I have a Finely Chopped Facebook page for that.
Yes I am a bit constipated when it comes to my views on facebook and friendships but then as someone said at the Tweetup yesterday 'Facebook is the new Orkut'. I like the sense of space that Twitter gives one. Follow someone if you like. Write what you want without bothering about 'likes' or what your 'friends' will think. Not the clingy or faux social niceties that Facebook involves. After all if people follow you then they do so on their own accord. And hope that you don't end up the Shashi Tharoor way if your employers follow you.
So if I had to sum it it up in 140 characters then here's my take,
@finelychopped : So Twitter is more fun than Facebook. Tweetups than Blogger meets #5S
These are the Twitter Handles of some of the folks on my timeline (if you don't know what it means then this post won't make sense to you in any case) who were there yesterday:
@Madmanweb vgdravid and the man who hiccuped somewhere away from 5Spice @anaggh
It was a Mumbai Twitter's meet. From what I understand, a Tweetup is when folks who Tweet meet up, talk in real life, eat and drink, largely Dutch. No agenda. Hopefully.
The hash tag was #5s. It was at 5 Spice, Bandra. As close to home as it gets for a chronically lazy socialiser. Problem was that I was done in by Mumbai's freezing winter (apparently hit the sub 20s. Centigrades). I doubted that I could croak out even 140 characters. So I stayed home and ordered Green Thai Curry from Thai Baan. The only folks in Mumbai apart from Thai Pavilion to make a half decent Thai curry.
I sat at home chatting with K and a friend. My heart was at 5 Spice as I kept scanning the tweets on the tweetup. Then this flashed from @TalkorTweets @finelychopped hey there is a popular request for u to be at this tweetup guys want to meet even if you are feeling sick.
I had to go. I donned a jacket though I couldn't find my muffler or monkey cap. I headed to 5 Spice suitably anti-biotiqued. And for all those 'celebrity' jibes, well I did make an entrance four hours late and was greeted by an entourage at the gate... in my defence I wasn't wearing shades at midnight.
I went up and met the 'Mumbai Twitter Originals'. It went something like this. "This is @finelychopped" "I am at @B50". "@Suddentwilight" "Hi @Netra good to see you again". Sort of like being at M's Christmas bash. "Hi, am double o seven". "Moi double o three". You get the drift. Didn't get to meet the great @Anaggh though. He remains an urban legend I guess. The Ghost who Tweets.
I then headed to Janta Bar at Pali Naka to catch up with the young guns who had tweeted for me. I'd never been to Janta Bar before as Gokul at Colaba used to be our watering hole in our tight wallet days. Had no idea that there was a mezzanine floor and a first floor too. I got a stool, reserved for the elderly, to sit and chat on as I caught up with @Cute_Divya @r113 @krunalhm @TalkorTweet @mohitnanda.
How was the food? Well I need to go back for that someday. And, well they serve booze in quarter bottles, if you are not on antibiotics. The Bombil Fry on the next table looked quite dishy. As did the fish.
From someone who couldn't figure out what was happening in the beginning, I must say that I am quite hooked on to twitter now. Facebook doesn't work for me any more. I have rather quaint views on what constitutes 'friends'. If I don't know you, and you send me a friend request without a word of introduction, then all I can say is I don't wear tees which say 'free hugs' in real life. If I have met you at work but wouldn't share a Saturday evening drink with you then could we 'connect' on Linkeidn please? If you want to tell me how well read you are and how many links you read from the world of business...again not the sort of stuff I chat with friends about. If you want to send me sheep or cows then could you slow roast them first and add some baked jacket potatoes on the side please? And I don't really care what Paul The Octopus says about you. He is dead Paul's sake. If we haven't interacted on Facebook then are you a friend or a lurker. Surely you dn't want to show me off in our list of friends. I am sure real celebs like Sheila and Munni have Facebook pages for Mark's sake. And don't add me as a friend then spam me about your business, your job or your self. If I care I will seek you out. If I have removed you from the 'friend' list isn't it rather lame for you to send a friend request again? And if you find my updates on food boring, well I rarely do that on my Facebook page any more. I have a Finely Chopped Facebook page for that.
Yes I am a bit constipated when it comes to my views on facebook and friendships but then as someone said at the Tweetup yesterday 'Facebook is the new Orkut'. I like the sense of space that Twitter gives one. Follow someone if you like. Write what you want without bothering about 'likes' or what your 'friends' will think. Not the clingy or faux social niceties that Facebook involves. After all if people follow you then they do so on their own accord. And hope that you don't end up the Shashi Tharoor way if your employers follow you.
So if I had to sum it it up in 140 characters then here's my take,
@finelychopped : So Twitter is more fun than Facebook. Tweetups than Blogger meets #5S
These are the Twitter Handles of some of the folks on my timeline (if you don't know what it means then this post won't make sense to you in any case) who were there yesterday:
@Madmanweb vgdravid and the man who hiccuped somewhere away from 5Spice @anaggh
Comments
@Curry Spice: Twitter grew on me
@Sharmila: Nomoshkar...I guess I have crossed the line and after this will lose more 'friends' on Facebook
Must says its very innovative,spicy and in your face post.Couldn't get better than that.Im still on FB and can't understand the functioning of Twitter.Yeah,Tweets...cool too.
Cheers man
Vishal