23 July 2014

The smallest thing in life …

… Often reflect on one of the biggest thing of the past

It was a long work day. Finally came home and did something that the inlaws love doing whenever I am home. We sit by the pool, light up the citronella candles, pour some wine and start talking. Sharmila was busy with the kids – so it was just the three of us.

I learnt why my father in law is called what he is called. What I did not know is that in those days of high childbirth mortalities, his mom lost her first four kids. Out of tremendous pressure from society and family – those were not easy days for women in India to begin with, far less for women who could not bear a living child – she cried and prayed like crazy to God to let her next born live. Moment the child was born, she named him “Rakhahari” – meaning “Please keep (this one), God”!!! And He did!!

Who knew?

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Category: My Family | 7 Comments on The smallest thing in life …
15 July 2014

Cosmic Connection

So, there is this lovely lady called Bidisha Rudra. In 2007, when we moved from Dallas to Atlanta, we found out thru a common friend that she was looking for a nanny for her very young twins. Nikita’s nanny was out of a job (since we moved) and we made the connection. I think the nanny worked with Bidisha’s kids. After moving to Atlanta, one of the very few people I became reasonably close with – Amitesh – turned out to have known Bidisha and her family very well. Apparently, they lived in Atlanta before they moved to Dallas!!

After that, all I know is Bidisha and her family moved to Asia (multiple times?) for work. I never got to meet them but Sharmila and the kids have met them in their visits to Dallas later. I knew enough about her and her family that by this time we were Facebook friends too.

Now cut to many years later to this evening. As you see in the picture, the in-laws, Sharmila and myself were relaxing by the poolside late in the evening. One thing led to the other and finally, at the end of a really excited set of questions and answers, I was able to put the following together:

My wife’s dad’s sister’s husband’s brother’s son’s daughter is the same lovely lady Bidisha!!

Don’t ask me why I get so excited about these really long connections (remember my bench mate from fourth grade Subir Hore who I found out was a relative many times removed many years later? ). Probably the odds against a total population of 1.2 billion. As Bidisha herself put it “cosmic connection” 🙂

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8 July 2014

FIL-MIL Mehfil: A curious practice of my father in law

While vacationing in Hilton Head, I noticed that my father in law always put his cap on his shoes. That reminded me that every time I would go out with him in my car with the roof retracted, he would fish out his cap from the shoe closet in the garage.

Finally, I asked him “Uporey tupi, nichey juto, maajhey manushta-i habeesh. Ki byapar bolun to?” (It’s like the cap is there on the top and the shoes are there on the bottom but the man is missing from the middle. What gives?)

I am glad I asked. Because he had an impeccable reason. Apparently, he was getting so frustrated of losing his cap because he would simply forget to pick it back up, he started the practice of putting it next to the shoe. Regardless of wherever he went, he figured he was going to put his shoes back on, anyways, before stepping out. That way, he would remember to put his cap back on too.

Pretty cool. I should try that some time. Maybe keep my ID, wallet, cash, cards, phone and phone charger inside my shoe!!!

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5 July 2014

FIL-MIL Mehfil: There was something missing!! (Bengali alert)

After the whole day on the beach, took my mother in law back to the beach at 9PM. There were a large number of fireworks going on. There were people with splendid fireworks every 200 yards or so on the beach.

My mother in law was suitably impressed with the amount of fireworks, the brilliance of the fireworks (she has seen nothing like this before) and above all the enthusiasm of American citizens in celebrating the Independence Day.

After forty five minutes, she started her slow walk on the sand back to the hotel. She stopped in between, look up to the hotel – which was less than thirty yards away – and said disapprovingly of the Marriott Vacation hotel “era thik korlo na. chhade tuni-bulb laagatey paarto”

🙂

Category: Vacations | 2 Comments on FIL-MIL Mehfil: There was something missing!! (Bengali alert)
5 July 2014

FIL-MIL Mehfil: Snapchat

Looking back, maybe, it was not such a great idea introducing my mother-in-law to Snapchat. I was trying to show her a Snapchat from Tasha. But, by the time she was done adjusting her glasses and orienting the phone in the bright sunlight, the photo had destroyed itself since the time period was over.

First, she refused to believe me that the photo was gone. She kept turning the phone around and cleaning her glasses to see if I was just pulling her leg. When she demanded to know why would anybody want to send pictures that would vanish after a few seconds, I was truly stumped on how to explain it in a way she would believe me. I could have cited Anthony Weiner but thought the better of it 🙂

Eventually, Sharmila told her that I was telling the truth. She is now totally confused.

My friend Nandita posted a nice picture from New York of fireworks there on Facebook. I showed it on my iPad to my mother in law. Her first question? “eta kotokkhon thakbey?” (“How long will this pic remain?”) 🙂

Now I am afraid every time I show her a picture on my camera, she will ask me to take a quick printout 🙂

Category: Vacations | 2 Comments on FIL-MIL Mehfil: Snapchat