“Welcome back! How was your trip to Mumbai?”
“It was really hectic. The organisers kept us busy from morning till evening.”
“Did you stay with your uncle the five days you were there?”
“No, all participants stayed in the same hotel. I didn’t have the time to visit anyone.”
“That’s too bad. I’m sure your uncle was very disappointed. You said that everyone stayed in the same hotel. Shouldn’t it be everyone stayed at the same hotel?”
“Both are possible. One can stay in a hotel or at a hotel. For example, the children loved their stay at the Taj because of the swimming pool.”
“The next time I go to Goa, I plan to stay in a hotel near the beach.”
“Staying in a hotel near the beach is expensive, but it’s worth it. By the way, congratulations! I hear that your brother has decided to tie the knot.”
“Tie the knot? What are you talking about?”
“When you tell someone that you are going to be tying the knot, what you are saying is that you’re getting married. The expression is mostly used in informal contexts.”
“I see. Two of my cousins tied the knot a couple of months ago.”
“That’s a good example. I don’t plan to tie the knot anytime soon. How about you?”
“You’re joking right! How can I get married when I don’t even have a job?”
“You have a point there. Anyway, has a date been fixed for your brother’s wedding?”
“No, not yet! It’s unlikely to be anytime soon.”
“Why is that? Is he busy with some project at the moment?”
“I’m not really sure about that. You see till now, his interactions with the girl have been online. The girl feels that she’ll be able to decide about things only after a face-to-face meeting with my brother.”
“Good for her. Makes a lot of sense, actually. Seeing a person online is one thing. Sitting a couple of feet away from him and talking….”
“And talking to him is a completely different experience. I agree. My parents were really happy that she insisted on a face-to-face meeting.”
“So, when is the meeting in meatspace taking place?”
“Meatspace? What are you talking about? You know we’re vegetarians, right?”
“Yes, I know you’re a vegetarian. The term ‘meatspace’ is used to refer to the physical world — the actual world we live in.”
“In other words, ‘meatspace’ is the opposite of ‘cyberspace’. It’s not the online world.”
“Very good. It is everything offline. All face-to-face meetings are done in meatspace.”
“Let’s meet next week in meatspace at our favourite coffee shop. How does that sound?”
“That’s a very good example. Many of our office meeting take place online, but a few do take place in meatspace.”
“I’m sure most people prefer the meetings that take place in meatspace.”
“Of course, they do. For very obvious reasons. When we get together in meatspace, we’re always given something to eat and drink.”
“Like a samosa and a cup of tea?”
“That’s right. By the way, ‘meatspace’ is not a new word. It’s been a part of the English language since the early 1990s.”
“Marriage is an attempt to solve problems together you didn’t even have when you were on your own.”
-Eddie Cantor
upendrankye@gmail.com
Published - April 11, 2022 10:30 am IST
