Family Bonding
My weekend began this Thursday. Yesterday was the desi New Year. I haven’t really counted the number of times one celebrates new years in India. I’ll probably do that after posting this blog. There are several traditions to herald the New Year. One of my favorites is the eating of jaggery with neem leaves. According to the myth, the after taste that this combo leaves in your mouth determines the course of your year. So if you end up with a bitter taste too bad. If you end up with a sweet taste good for you. I always cheat. I put both in my mouth but chew the leaf first and then the jaggery. After all we make our own futures. I just stubbornly choose to have a good one.
I spent most of Thursday feeling like Po from Kung Fu panda. I don’t want to make noodles for the rest of my life. Noodle making is an option. I know that. I know that really well. But Law is my Kung Fu. I want to do Kung Fu! I cannot imagine compromising with my ambitions now.
I was expecting this to be my worst ever weekend. Fortunately my aunt decided to visit us for 5 days. I had to pick her up today. As I was in the city my grand uncle asked me to stop over at his place. His house is on the way so I agreed. This Grand uncle of mine is eccentric. He likes to talk a lot and is not a good listener. I have been dealing with not-so-good listeners in college. Hence I have enough exercise in giving answers that are limited to a word or a sentence. G.Uncle was pretty pleased with me for letting him do all the talking. He does make interesting conversation though. He is well traveled and well read so I like listening to him. Once people get old there is not much else for them to do. I don’t grudge them their need to repeat the same anecdote every time I meet them. It’s probably a faint sign of patience. After a lengthy conversation which ranged form how I should get back on the family circuit and start socializing with the family, Morse codes, ships to law to radio communications and god I was finally excused.
I couldn’t take the anti social comment in my stride. It is a fact though. This fact is backed by reasons. According to me being anti social is not a bad thing. Sometimes people are driven away from people. This is usually because the parties are not on the same wavelength. There was one incident that made me decide never to be a part of anymore family gatherings. I have managed to wiggle out of every invite on every occasion since. My parents understood why I distanced myself they probably found it rather amusing and let me be. Then came Fenny. Since then I have kept every human at bay.
Coming back to family bonding yesterday was the first time in a long time that all 5 of us were home to celebrate. I don’t know when the 5 of us will be together again what with my brother going to Hyderabad for a year and me shortly moving to heaven knows where. My parents will still have Fenny in their nest :)
I spent most of Thursday feeling like Po from Kung Fu panda. I don’t want to make noodles for the rest of my life. Noodle making is an option. I know that. I know that really well. But Law is my Kung Fu. I want to do Kung Fu! I cannot imagine compromising with my ambitions now.
I was expecting this to be my worst ever weekend. Fortunately my aunt decided to visit us for 5 days. I had to pick her up today. As I was in the city my grand uncle asked me to stop over at his place. His house is on the way so I agreed. This Grand uncle of mine is eccentric. He likes to talk a lot and is not a good listener. I have been dealing with not-so-good listeners in college. Hence I have enough exercise in giving answers that are limited to a word or a sentence. G.Uncle was pretty pleased with me for letting him do all the talking. He does make interesting conversation though. He is well traveled and well read so I like listening to him. Once people get old there is not much else for them to do. I don’t grudge them their need to repeat the same anecdote every time I meet them. It’s probably a faint sign of patience. After a lengthy conversation which ranged form how I should get back on the family circuit and start socializing with the family, Morse codes, ships to law to radio communications and god I was finally excused.
I couldn’t take the anti social comment in my stride. It is a fact though. This fact is backed by reasons. According to me being anti social is not a bad thing. Sometimes people are driven away from people. This is usually because the parties are not on the same wavelength. There was one incident that made me decide never to be a part of anymore family gatherings. I have managed to wiggle out of every invite on every occasion since. My parents understood why I distanced myself they probably found it rather amusing and let me be. Then came Fenny. Since then I have kept every human at bay.
Coming back to family bonding yesterday was the first time in a long time that all 5 of us were home to celebrate. I don’t know when the 5 of us will be together again what with my brother going to Hyderabad for a year and me shortly moving to heaven knows where. My parents will still have Fenny in their nest :)
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