Reminiscing Old Times - part 2

I used to be quite a brat during my early/mid-school years. And I used to get angry a lot. I remember once, I got angry on mom for some petty issue and in the fit of my anger, I banged the door of our TV stand. The stand was quite high and the force of the bang was such that the TV got dislocated from its position and since I was still standing near the TV stand, the TV fell and hit me right on the head. I started wailing like crazy and mom rushed me to the doctor who said I just had a mild concussion. (Now when I look back, I think it served me right! I had no business to get angry like that.)

This was the last time that I was so cute. :-))

During the summer vacations after my 8th standard, mom, dad, granny, sister, brother and I, all of us went on a temple tour to Karnataka. I remember on one trip from Dharmastala to Udipi, we just about managed to get the last bus at 10:30 at night and all seats were occupied. Somehow (a few extra bucks always helps) we managed to convince the driver to take us. So, my mom, brother and sister were seated in the main seating area, while me, my dad and granny sat on the engine cover next to the driver and cleaner. Next morning, our faces were covered with engine soot. :-)))

The 9th standard was the most memorable for me because I participated in a lot of extra-curricular events and won a couple of prizes. I also fractured my leg and was in a cast for 3 weeks. The most difficult part of being in a cast is that when you are in it, your muscles become stiff because of lack of movement and when the cast is removed, your muscles ache a lot since they havent been active for quite a while. Anyways, one of the awards I won was when I participated in a science exhibition and our school won the 2nd prize overall. We were given a shield for our achievement and it was a real proud moment for me.

The Three Young Stooges (Sis, Bro and me) - During a trip to Elephanta Caves

When I finished my 10th standard, I went on a month long trip along with granny visiting all the famous temples in Tamil Nadu. The temple at Rameshwaram, is one of the hugest temple I've visited. The temple complex contains 42 sacred wells and its customary to move from one well to another taking quick shower from the well water. I was enthusiastic and excited about the whole thing and so I ran ahead and somewhere midway I came to know that granny had fallen down and had hurt her knee. She had slipped her footing on the wet stone near one of the wells. So I ran back immediately to support her and me and another uncle "transported" her to the bus where we wrapped her leg in bandage.

My granny used to have rheumatoid arthritis - a disease (if I may call that) that affects the ball-socket joints wherein the sockets somehow expand and the ball does not fit snugly into the socket. So there's always a wobble and sometimes the pain from the wobble is excruciating especially when it stresses the ligaments. After the trip, the orthopedic surgeon said that the fall resulted in a minor bone crack and poor granny leg was kept in a cast.

The next couple of years were quite an eye-opener for me and I was no longer the cute boy from school. We got cable TV, I was in college, new friends, new atmosphere and a "liberated" feeling. Through friends, I got to listen to rock music. I remember watching Guns-N-Roses' November Rain video, Nirvana's Smells like teen spirit, Meatloaf's I'd do anything for love, etc. Through friends I got to know of porn. Amongst all the so called "dont-dos", somehow, I managed to keep myself away from smoking and drinking.

Most of the 2 years that I spent in junior college, granny stayed at my elder uncle's house in Chembur. It was also during that time when there was a huge turmoil in the family and people never used to talk to my family and we were also told not to talk to any cousins or other uncles. I dont want to elaborate on the issue here mainly because its a very very personal thing.

Engineering went off like a breeze. Family problems, concentrating on studies, 4 hours travelling between goregaon and vashi, weekends spent at coaching classes, all this left me with very little time at home. There were more new friends, more freedom, yet somehow I always managed to keep my feet on the ground. I got such amazing friends in engineering and I'm in touch with each and everyone from my group of 10/11 friends even today. Its been nearly 12 years now and we are still such a close knit, die hard buddies.

Most of my buddies used to indulge in beer and alcohol. We used to have regular "daru-parties" DPs wherein I used to participate but never drink. My friends never ever forced me to drink and although they made fun of me (all in friendly humor of course), they always respected my decision. Somehow, I refrained from it till the final year when I had some whiskey during the send-off party.

Immediately after finishing engineering, I tried my hand at a few computer courses and after much studying, I got through in CDAC and then my first job. My first salary was around 7500 rupees and I bought ice-cream for everyone at home to celebrate it.

Family problems persisted and finally after a big gap of 6-7 years, the whole family got together for my cousin sister's (the eldest of my generation) wedding in 2001. Granny was pretty excited. She was to get her first grand-son-in-law. My granny only had sons, no daughters. Apparently, the story goes that somebody from my great-great-grand-father's family, had insulted the wife of a saint and the saint had cursed that there will not be a single girl child for 3 generations. Curse or not, it is true. My great grand father was the only child and his cousins were all male. My grand father was also the only child and my father has 3 brothers. So when my elder cousin sister was born, she was the first girl child in our family tree for 3 generations. And now, amongst us 10 cousins, 7 are girls and the rest are boys (me included).

My Dearest Granny 1929 - 2007

Anyways, the wedding was pretty good fun but once it got over, everyone went back to their old ways, until this year when there was a reunion again for my sister's wedding and then finally for conducting granny's last rites. Honestly, I dont think any further family reunion's gonna happen coz the only thread connecting the 4 nuclear families happened to be my dear granny and with her demise, the thread is gone. She tried her best to bring us together but alas, the differences were so great and the chasms so deep that they could not be bridged.

Reminiscing Old Times - part 1

There are so many fond memories of my granny, I dont even know where to begin.

Ever since I was about a year and a half old, I have been staying with my dear granny. My mom and dad both used to work and the only person who used to be at home was....not my granny but my great-grand-mother. :-) Yes, I've seen my great grand mother! My great grand mother, used to stay with us. Apparently, my dad had promised my grand-pa on his (grand-pa's) death-bed that he (dad) will take care of his (grand-pa's) mother forever. A wow which he diligently fulfilled! My great-grand-mother expired at the grand old age of 92 in 1986.

Thats me learning to ride my gift on my first birthday

When I was around a year and a half and my mom decided that she had to resume office, the concern was under whose care to leave me? My great-grand-mother was too old to take care of me. So my parents decided to leave me with granny. Each work-day morning, my mom used to finish cooking, take me along with her and drop me off to Matunga at my granny's place and then go to office at Bandra.

I used to laze around all day at my granny's place. I used to accompany my granny to the ration shop and wait along with her in the line to get rice, sugar, etc. It was such great fun. And then in the evening, dad used to come to Matunga on his way back home and pick me up. I also remember once my dad carrying me, had to jump from the train because it had broken down just before my station i.e. Goregaon.

Later on granny came and stayed with us. When I started to go to school, I remember granny used to accompany me to the bus-stop and wait until the school bus came and then pick me up again from the bus-stop. In school we used to get copy-writing books. Those books were used to practice running handwriting. My granny used to catch my hand and make me write those books. Most of the time, I used to fall asleep half-way through while completing the copy writing homework and then granny used to complete that for me.

During vacations, granny used to read me stories from chandamama, amar chitra katha. Granny knew very good English. She was convent educated and used to sign in English. For a lady born in the 1920s to be educated in a convent was pretty amazing, especially considering the fact that many girls in rural India even today are forced to skip their education and made to do household work.

I remember this one time when my granny and great-grand-mother were staying with us together at goregaon and my dad - always enthusiastic about going out, decided to go to Juhu beach. We ordered a cab and me, dad, mom, my sister, great-grand-mother and granny all of us went to Juhu beach in the evening. Each and every person on the beach was looking strangely at my dad. WHY?? Mostly people come along with their partners but here was this man who had come to the beach with an old lady barely able to walk - tugging at his shirt and clutching his arm.

Thats what I call a great grand reunion (great-granny, my young sis and me)

My 6th standard was the toughest for me. I got terribly sick during the second half of the school semester. I first had the chicken-pox. The way chicken-pox is treated is by caressing the pox by neem twigs. There's no medication and everybody just waits for it to go away. Its supposed to be associated with a lady god and apparently no medication should be taken. Then when I recovered from that, I got jaundice. For this I tried all types of treatment. Apparently there is no defined cure for jaundice in modern medicine, the doc just gives some liver tonic and thats it. So I got some ayurvedic treatment and some needle in water kind of treatment. All through both illnesses, my granny was the one who used to feed me. :-) Somehow then I managed to recover and give my exams and pass.

After great-grand-mother's death, granny used to shuttle between our house at Goregaon and elder uncle's house at Chembur. I used to yearn to meet granny and we used to go to Chembur nearly every weekend. I always used to pester her to come and stay with us in Goregaon. The first short trip I made with my granny was when I went with her to visit the temple at Pandharpur. It was, if I remember correctly, a short weekend trip. A river called Chandrabagha flows through Pandharpur. So, before visiting the temple, we all went to the river to bathe in it. Granny was bathing near the bank, but I being the adventurous, ever excited little boy, went to a little bit deeper part of the river. I didnt know to swim then (not that I know now) :-)).

Anyways, the soap was with me and granny needed the soap, so I started to walk back towards her. I'd just taken a couple of steps and I lost footing and I got drowned. I can still remember the sight inside the water. It was muddy and brown all around me. I tried to raise my hand and try to grab something and there was nothing and inside the water I shouted "HELP". Then I dont remember what happened. Of course somebody saved me but I dont remember if I gave the soap back to my granny. :-)) I must have. On the way back the bus stopped at some small place near some sugarcane fields and we all got fresh cut cane and bit our teeth into it. We also got fresh milk. Trust me it was absolutely fresh. A lady close to the field was milking her cow and as soon as she got her milk, she gave it to us to drink it. That was so awesome! I dont drink milk and have never liked it, but that day I drank and I loved it.

To Be Continued . . .

Random Updates...

Its an ordeal in every sense. I've been trying to push myself to the absolute limit whenever I've gone to the Gym. Each time I try to go better on what I did on the previous visit.

I started off with running on the treadmill for 5 minutes, at an incline of 0.5 with a speed of 4.5. The next time, I again did 5 minutes, but at an incline of 1.0 and speed of 4.7. The third time I did 7 minutes and an incline of 1.5 and speed of 4.7. And finally yesterday I did 10 minutes with an incline of 2 and speed of 5.0. I also did cycling for about 20 minutes and a speed of approx 90 rpm.

So, quite happy that I'm able to push myself further. :-) Atta-boy!!

* * * *

I'm stuck in a deep rut. Why you ask? Here's the story. There's a huge group of colleagues from my Indian company here. So couple of weeks earlier, a shrewd, manipulative female colleague (SMFC) (who also happens to be my manager) coaxed me into getting a car for rent on a monthly basis. I asked my roomie and he agreed to it and she asked another common colleague who also agreed to share. Unfortunately, none of the others know to drive. So I registered as the solo driver.

So now, I have to be at the beck-and-call of this SMFC. There was a time last week when I had come back from the gym and was rather tired and just wanted to rest. The same day it was decided that we would go downtown and visit some clubs. So, before going to the gym, I called up SMFC, told her about my gym plan and asked her about the plan for clubbing. She didnt convey clearly whether the plan is on or not. So, I took my own sweet time at the gym and came back rather late. Now SMFC calls me and shouts at me for making her wait and purposely trying to ruin the clubbing plan.

This other time, when I was not feeling well, I somehow managed to force myself to visit a flower garden just because SMFC wanted to go in "her" car. Yesterday while going to office, I was ready bang at 09:00 am and when I called her she said she had just woken up, wasnt feeling well and made me drive to the nearest pharmacy store and get medicines for her and then made me pick her up and go to office. She seemed alright though and I felt she was just play-acting. Today, I was a bit late and she taunted at me saying from tomorrow it wouldnt be good if we go late for work.

Oh my god, I so hate such people! Hopefully, it'll soon be time to return the car and I'll be rid of her overbearing self.

* * * *

Last Sunday was my colleague's birthday. So, we made arrangements for a small party, made the necessary purchases (a cake, some pastries, chips, colas, etc) and bought a bottle of champagne as a gift. So just on the stroke of midnight we gathered at his place for the get-together. He was turning 29. We lit candles, sang the happy birthday song and made him cut the cake. What followed after that was absolute HORROR!!!

Apart from smearing the cake on the poor birthday boy's face, some wise-crack nut-case asshole thought that it would be cool to pour some strawberry flavoured yoghurt, some egg yolk and some beer on the birthday boy's head.

Oh moi gawd!!! How silly is that. How can you ever enjoy smearing stuff on other people. I couldnt help but wonder, what must be going through the birthday boy's mind. Firstly, he's become a year older (and not younger) and secondly, his wise-crack nut-case room-mate is going beserk and smearing all sorts of rubbish.

I must say that my friend (the birthday boy) took it all in a great spirit and at the end of it all went cooly into the shower. Had I been in his place, I would have washed my head in the wise-crack nut-case's best shirts and T shirts. Or better still, I would've forcefully, banged my knee into his groin. That would teach him not to mess with me.

I dont believe in celebrating birthdays by doing such stuff. Call me old, call me spoil-sport or whatever, I just dont like it. One reason why very few of my friends know my birthdate.

* * * *

Have I become a good cook or is there something in the San Diego air. Off late whatever I've been experimenting has turned out to be titanium. (Is that the most expensive metal now-a-days - I guess so) :-))

I made paneer-tikka, makhni daal, dal tadka, pasta in desi sauce, pulav, rasam, ranch salad, kanda poha, etc etc. All this within 2 weeks of relocating to San Diego. And each dish has been extremely well appreciated by each person who has savoured them.

Some say my wife whoever she is will be lucky. Well I retort that by saying only if I ever get married. ( Dunno why everyone's behind my marriage...cant they take solace seeing a happy independent guy who can cook well)