Well, the name of this blog is a little tongue-in-cheek. Having moved to this country some 15 years ago.. got married and had kids.. I've been accused of re-creating my childhood for my kids right from teaching them slokas, yoga asanas (what little I know), songs including our famous Surangani.., kolams with arisi maavu (I got kolam and rangoli powder since then to not tempt critters to make their home in ours)..
We didn't miss any festivals early one.. and followed all rituals from both telugu and tamil sides.. tottil, naamakaranam, mottai, star birthdays, poonal.. done with more rigor than I've seen in India. We'd religiously bring ourselves and the kids to India every other year, until recently we are unable since the kids have stuff going on in summer (camp they now want to go to, swim team etc) and taking off during the schoolyear now is very difficult.
I bought them dried Elanthampazham (tasted awful), sugar cane whenever i can find a dried looking sorry bit, coconut water in a coconut from indian stores here (salty, but better than the canned variety with "coconut meat" -name itself is a turnoff), canned palapazham or once in a while, a real one from a korean store - although the taste is not the same..
Well anyway, just the other day, my 12 year old had an early morning swim. I picked him up to drop him off at home on my way to work. When he gets in the car, he asks "Amma, where are you originally from? My coach asked me and I told him I didn't know"..
On seeing my incredulous face, he hastily continued.. "I mean I know India.. but he wanted to know which part of India. I know appa is from Maadras and I told him that.. but you.." he trailed off..
I sigh and tell him that I am also from Madras aka Chennai now (somewhat in a lecture mood by now) I wanted to add "you should know that" but refrained.
He goes "Oh really! I thought you were from Calcutta or something"..
Maybe because my parents also moved here, he had no anchor point from my side in Madras..
so much for the videsi-parenting..!!
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1 comment:
Just think of the fun to come for your future generations. I was born in the US, with parents who were born in another state in India than our ancestors. So I always have to think of what a person means when they say to me, "Where are you from?"
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