welcoming myself back into blogosphere [applause dies down in manner of rock artiste song on CD]. and whats been happening while me gone? Bush re-elected (anyone actually surprised there?) Arafat died (in what has been now claimed to be the longest death since the death of Janet jackson controversy) uma bharti recorded the costiest temper tantrum ever and movies flooding the woods (holly and bolly) after almost a decade around diwali time.
While i look at my topic collection to pick and harp on,herez a though to munch on. I call home for the diwali talk---an act of utter pointlessness as i repeat the same questions and answers to 5 members of the family individually (actually its 4.but add one owing to disturbed connection and confusion at home with extension phones). after the initial pleasantries of wishing a happy diwali in chaste tamil (a feeble attempt, but diwali is the time i do a check-in with my southie roots). a quick check and compare on gifts/clothes received and the inevitable "what are you doing". answers to this may vary according to family members. Brother would've just woken up, mom would busily hustle around doing the same things she does everyday, except she looks more important today. Dad does the customary "rocket" at 5 AM and then waits for it to be 7 AM so he can start shooting calls. The usual "you called! i was JUST going to" followed by another round of pleasantry exchange. And at precisely 8:30 AM everyone is bored already. the amul chocolate dilemma of "too old for fireworks, too young to go and sleep again" dwells. Mom insists on a puja where everyone quickly runs out of prayers to recite and the time-biding happens till the ding of 10 AM when the TV springs to life with diwali specials (SUN TV no less. the format apparently remains the same -new releases, interview with a jaded star, interview with a new actor/actress (who may or may not know tamil) and the debate that for the life of me, i could never understand).Lunch follows soon enough and then a guilty nap (how can you sleep on diwali, mom complains as she turns over for another snooze)...and so on and so forth. Do i miss it? damn sure i do. Much earlier in my life i insisted mom recite her childhood stories of diwali that included waking at 4 AM to oil baths and unlimited firecrackers (as moms are wont to claim, they were the richest family on their street so had such luxuries). Wistful as i am on such strong diwali traditions, I do miss the ones at home with Sun TV and boxes of dry fruits some fella at dad's office insisted on distributing (stale nuts sometimes, but the fancy boxes were VERY reusable). But in these years away from home, guess what? i made my own little tradition. So what if diwali was when i decided it would be? (pref the saturday so that i can clean the home in the morning and rest the next day from that cleaning). So what if foodstuff made was bought at a "bharat bazaar" in cans and instant food packets? so what if everyone gaped at each other when we are supposed to pray coz nobody knew a prayer? (my guy has the best one, "everyone be happy" in tamil). So what if lighting diyas depended on where smoke-detectors didnt hover? Its my tradition, and my way of doing the diwali.
whooops..did i just get emotional and senti there? hm..looks like i did.pshaw! atleast its my first blog after eons...have already started typing the next blog so hurrah!! diwali brought me back to blogworld. without a bang!
regretting senti-blog immediately after typing it,
sapna
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