Just before the tradition of Christmas lunch (luchi-aloor dum-chicken-payas) started. The one day that we celebrate with the two daughters making luchi – one does the bela (rolling with rolling pins) part and the other does the bhaja (frying) part!

The two dogs – after morally supporting and egging the girls on for a full hour, mostly by walking between their legs in great anticipation – were mighty disappointed to realize that they could not partake in the aforementioned luchi-aloor dum-chicken-payas.

“Did I just do that?”

Sharmila could not stand to see what I had done to her car even when I was taking a picture!

The car, unfortunately, has to be written off! Went and got the license plate as a souvenir.

If you are Bengali-ly-challenged, all you need to know when somebody says “Durga Pujo” is something like the Brazilian Carnival, the German Oktoberfest, the Spanish Tomatina, the American Mardi Gras… all rolled into one. While it has some religious roots, people from all religion get together for 4 days of showing off in their finest dresses to do some “dhunuchi” dances (you will literally be holding fire and smoke in your hands), get high on “bhang”, eat a lot of goat meat and … loud music (“dhaak” – that percussion instrument that can swing even the oldest oak tree from side to side ) and of course, formless (“who the heck cares”) and formful (“we are from Santiniketan”) dancing.

EVERY. STREET. CORNER.

If you have not experienced Durga Pujo in Bengal, you do not know what energy is all about. Einstein and his MCsquared be darned!

Sharmila has not seen that energy ever since we moved to this country. 31 years back.
And neither have I.

Part of the challenge was that the kids never got time off in USA during Durga Pujo. Mostly because teachers asked “What is Durga Pujo?”

I was able to convince Sharmila to visit her mother during Durga Pujo this year. A bit surprisingly. Not the least because every other year she would say – you cannot take care of the kids when I am gone. Well, we are empty nesters now.

Hearing that she is coming – apparently the whole India sibling brigade got into a high gear. I understand now my brother and his family showing up in the small town – Durgapur – we all grew up in. And my sister and her family is following suit. Not to be left behind her own brother and his family are making a beeline to Durgapur too!

That ought to be a get together of a lifetime for the Roy/Ghose Family!!

How I wish I were there too!!

But as the eldest of the group, my role is to co-ordinate the whole thing and make sure it happens. Remind me to tell you next time how the three families were going to land up for a dinner get together on three different days if not for yours truly from USA reminding them they that they were totally messed up on their count of Saptami/Oshtomi/Nobomi and their Friday/Saturday/Sundays.

Now next to the vinyl record player, I have an old style radio. Or as we called in India – “transistor”!! Sharmila and I have already looked up the timings of our favorite radio programs.

For example, after Saturday morning Farmers Market shopping for vegetables, next up in the Roy residence? “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!”

A bit on the cooler side with the wind. But sitting in the sun felt great. The color co-ordination was accidental.