I always thought it a good thing that my parents don’t know what I do. Sure, they know where I work, but since I’m in finance and they’re in Geology and Endocrinology respectively, the last thing they want to know is anything related to finance. In fact, after spending a tiresome amount of time explaining my job to them, I finally gave in and stopped correcting them when they tell people I do something related to the stock exchange. I mean, not like the people who ask know the difference… well, at least most of the time.
Of course it’s just my luck that the only people to know anything about it would be my in-laws.
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A conversation with the Masters in Chemistry FMIL went something like this…
FMIL: So, you work in the securities market?
I sit up a bit straighter because when have you heard someone not in finance throwing the word ‘securities’ around?
Me: No, I’m not directly in that, I’m more into fund management.
FMIL disappointed: Oh, well, so, what do you think about the KSE-100 index dropping more than 200 points today?
Me: I don’t know Aunty, I haven’t checked it out in ages… been busy with work.
FMIL: Oh, okay. You know xyz stock fell this much today? And I wanted to sell….*insert details which I listened to with growing horror because God she can speak the lingo!* ‘So,’ she adds, ‘ I also have some shares of what’s that company again? Pipelines or something, can’t remember the name… what was it?’
Me: ‘Aunty, I don’t really know. I’ve been out of touch with this stuff for a while.’
FMIL: ‘You know when the Stock Exchange closes at ….. oh, what time does it close at?’
Me: ‘2:15?’
FMIL simultaneously ‘3:00?’
Me: getting more and more uncomfortable ‘I’ve really been out of touch with the stock exchange Aunty, I’m not sure.’
FMIL: ‘No problem, beta. How is work going, then?’
There are no prizes for guessing whether the exchange closes at 2:15 or 3:00.
*********
Itinerary for one week before the wedding:
a) Book a facial at the salon: Check
b) Book for crash course with one of the stock market experts at my workplace: Check
What of the bahu (Daughter-in-Law) who has a Masters in Finance and doesn’t even know what time the stock market closes these days. Pfft.
The view from behind my specs... 
lol 😀 goodluck, looks like you are in for some nice financial conversations 😀 😀 and lol dont advice her on which stocks to buy or sell :Pp
I know na, I’m gonna keep mum when they discuss shares and bonds and not going to so much as blink to show any dissent or assent
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lol. She’ll keep you on your toes. Achi baat hai na!
Might help me out in job interviews later!
Adhay lafz samajh nahin aye. But it still made me lulz. 😀
And I could only think of one or two things about ‘that’ post. 😦 I can’t force randomness on myself. ;_; I’m trying. D:
THanks for the e-mail UD91. 😉
And kiya samajh nai aya? Her samajh na anay walee cheez key saath link diya hey! 😛
ouch!
Right! Ouch indeed!
well! i can’t find out yor email address, on yor ‘about’ page.
wot, if yo drop a line via email.
Done.
Lolz. Happens with me too when people show me a prescription of drugs with trade names, and expect me to know all about it… i’m a medical student, i mostly know the chemical names only at this stage.
Now that I think about it this way(know the chemical composition, not the trade name), it makes me feel a bit better.
I think I’ll tell them the truth: I love the theory in Finance but I’m not interested in where the markets are headed!Man, my self-esteem is in for some serious hits. 😦
Haha good luck man, first time i hear a FMIL talking about somethng not related to housework, kitchen or children to the FDIL. 🙂
PS Ur FMIL has a masters in chemistry???? *jaw drops open*
Yeah she has a Masters in Chem… she and my mother were both doing some research together once (read 30ish years ago) THAT is how they initially got introduced!
Scary, huh!
thank god my MIL knows nothing about computer science!
Mine’s got her own laptop and is on facebook (she even posts on people’s walls :-O) so even having a computer science degree wouldn’t have helped me much; she knows something about computers too. Astrophysics, maybe that would’ve helped…
Lucky you! 🙂
lol very hi tech MIL you will have inshAllah :D.
Leena: lets suppose she was into CS, then discussion would have been in complexity of On3 or just Ologn 😛
Oh come on, Saadie! O(n^3) or O(nlogn)? Such a discussion/conversation is always NP-complete. 😛
No dirty language on my blog, please. nLogn yourselves! Jo kehta hey wohee hota hey.
I actually like it when someone talks to me about computers in a well-informed manner, because I am really sick of people asking me if I know how to install Windows after I tell them that my major was computer science.
But since I don’t have any in-laws yet, I can’t be too sure. 😀
Saadat, the in-laws should NEVER know your subject. Then they know how much of your awesome grades were ratta and boteeyan 😉 You don’t want to be in viva-voce mode all the time, do you?
hehehe…my cousins stil ask me what degree m doing..and only months that i wud finish it..but of course..no competition with you…ur situation was classic 😀
You’re in Mass Communication or media, right? Tell them you’re doing ‘sahafat’ and that’s that! 🙂 Of course you can also say you’re doing TV which is the same thing as my mum telling people I’m doing the Stock Exchange
ahhahah thats funny. But you just have to start steering the conversation towards the funds stuff and you’ll be fine. There’s no reason to study or to fake knowledge. Or even show off. But show where your body of knowledge lies and you’er fine. …Or maybe not…ppl ask me about math and system admin questions all the time. As well as finance. And although i did math-comp sci degree and them mba…..those aren’t at all areas i focused on and I’m always like…um….
“There’s no reason to study or to fake knowledge. Or even show off. ‘ They are my IN-LAWS. OF COURSE there is reason to show-off!
You not only had an MBA but also a Math Comp combination before? *jaw drop* Can I pretend to be you for some days? Just to give my self-esteem a boost, y’know.
Specs, You’re one lucky girl. I’d love a MIL of that sort!!
At least you’ll keep a look on KESC now. LOL.
Well, I can see that you’d love a MIL of that sort. 😉
Because KESC is Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation, KSE is Karachi Stock Exchange. Hehehe. 🙂 I’m keeping the trade screen open all the time at work these days!
Hehe, don’t worry I am not related to finance or electric supplies in the remotest way. And pray my MIL wouldn’t be either :P…
But I am still wondering how did that happen…I know the difference between both. hehehe.
lol, you’ll have some interesting conversations no doubt! Much better than sitting there brain dead watching Star Plus with her
Oh well, this certainly is the upside. Beats being brain dead!
Your children (inshAllah if that is what you want) WILL BE GENIUSES!!
Thanks Tasmiya 😉
Er, they might take after me. You know, just saying… hehehe.
ohh goody good good! lolz why cant people just take u as an expert, never really understood the urge to test one’s knowlege in the field of one’s speciality tht sm ppl have, thts just……..umm….. unfair! :p
I know, na! So true!!
What could help is if you bought stocks! It would make you do some research to find out how the stuff works and you would be observing the markets and reading the financial news and it would get you into a position where you could be more than well informed about the markets. 🙂 (Speaking from experience here)
LOL, Rania I have a Masters in Finance. I know how it works. I just have no idea which the best one in the market it. Not that I can’t find out within a day or two but its just that the spur-of-the-moment question totally froze me!
Specs, you have a very cool MIL, mashaAllah!
Masha’Allah and thank you 🙂