Tea - her first love.

One spoon of memory, stirred well with two spoons of imagination and three spoons of  nostalgia..........

A cup of tea has always been her weakness.

Anyone can win her heart with a cup.

She loves to take the first few sips quick and hot, then the cup becomes her companion as she takes it along from room to room doing her daily chores. Few more sips. She places it on the corner table and completely forgets about it for a while.After some time she suddenly misses her cup, looks around and her face beams as she locates it. Last few sips. (yeah, cold and tasteless).

She hates to throw away a single drop of that liquid she loves!

This love has its roots in the saying, "Forbidden fruit is sweetest".

Ma did not allow her tea when she was young. Asking for it, crying for it, begging for it--nothing helped.

Ma was very strict about it. "Choto chele meyera cha khaye na (small children do not drink tea)". Full stop.

She did not lose hope. She started planning her mission, carefully looking for the loose ends in the daily home routine. There has to be a gap, somewhere...

She found one.

Ma woke up very early, went to the kitchen, made the tea , left it to brew and went to brush her teeth. She came out, sieved it, served it hot and steaming to Baba. This was really the daily routine. EVERYDAY, the same. "Mission Impossible" started. Careful monitoring of Mas routine, keeping track of the EXACT time that she spent in brushing, planning each single move of her next steps..it was not so easy but it was four whole minutes!

She woke up when Ma's alarm went off but stayed still and pretended to be asleep. As soon as the toilet door closed behind Ma, she jumped from her bed, ran to the kitchen , took a small bowl, poured out some tea, drank it steaming hot (sieving the leaves with her teeth), washed the bowl, placed it back on the utensils rack, ran back to the bed and just pretended to be asleep again. Yes, in four minutes. First few days were tense, will Ma recognize "some" thing funny?[Mothers have some super skills, as we all know ]

Gradually the confidence level went up, time management became almost perfect. She could even manage to stir in some sugar in her tea....

She did this for YEARS.....was never caught!

[Thankfully, My Ma is not a computer person and hence my blog is safe for such confessions]

The other opportunity came later. Actually, it was always there but she never recognized it as an opportunity. Back home , evening guests were quite common. Friends stopped by for a cup of tea , some snacks and some "adda (chatting)" anytime. We did not have agendas or fancy mobiles or microsoft outlooks to make appointments for simple things like a "cup of tea".

When they left, it was a custom to see them out not only till the door but till the gate (most houses had a front garden with a gate). Somehow (thankfully), even at the gate there were still some last minute topics to discuss. There were a few minutes at the gate before the final bye was said.

She grabbed this opportunity. She rushed to the living room, looked at the "almost" empty tea cups left by the guests, poured the tea from each of them into one cup and gulped it down.

I know, you all think "Uggggggghhhhh"...but she is  not ashamed at all....these memories make life worth living......
[this story is a from a  fellow tea lover]

This article is written for this month's edition of  "Of Chalks and Chopsticks" started by Aqua., this time hosted  at "http://www.bongcookbook.com/2011/06/have-ha-tea-weekend.html".

Ambitions..........

Arno wants to be a window cleaner when he grows up.

WHAT? SAY IT AGAIN!!! 

Boy, what a shock! Where did WE, as parents go wrong? How on earth did we not manage to fill his young mind with golden ambitions? Did I not read him the correct bed time stories? Did we not buy him the LEGO where you make a dentists office or a police station? Did I not graduate him from a 100 piece to a 200 piece jigsaw in time?Did I not try to explain the meaning of a volcano "from the Encyclopedia" when the Iceland volcano erupted?

I know, times have changed. I understand the dignity of labour. I appreciate all people who work for a living. I know that no work is big or small. I know, I know, I know.
But still................
Why am I shocked when my 6-yr old says this?

Thankfully, his 10-yr old and 11-yr old cousins (A & C) were also quite shocked with this ambition. They, at this age have graduated into the "want-to-be-scientist" mode.[One of them DID want to sit at the supermarket cash, but thats some years back!!!!]  

Anyway, they generously offered me a deal. Arno was planning to spend some vacation days with them. During that time they promised to do a bit of brainwashing and put several "good" ambitions on his plate.

"A" asked me "which profession do YOU want him to choose?"

After some negotiations we decided on a "race car driver".  

[It needed to be "cool" , you see?]

So Arno goes on vacation to his cousins place. We go to pick him up after a few days. "A" comes to me and whispers, "Mamoli, tumi jeta bolle sheta hoyni kintu ekta bhalo hoyeche (The thing you decided on did not happen but we have landed on good grounds)".

I gather all my curiousity and the question is asked.

"So Arno, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

" I want to work at the Police station"

WOW..I was already feeling proud...father smiled, mother smiled, family peace returned.

I smiled proudly at Arno first and then at A & C, silently thanking them for their "successful" brainwashing.

It may not be as cool as the "race car driver" but it was SO MUCH better than the window cleaner!! 

I should have left it at that.

But you know how mothers are....their is no limit to their expectations and there is no end to their questions.

"So , would you want to be a police inspector or a detective in the police station?"

" Oh, I would clean the windows of the police station."

Tom Tom

Two days back , I was busy in the kitchen when Arno walked in...
Eyes bright , big smile, excited face.
"Mama , I just understood who invented Tom tom!"
Arno is a great Tomtom fan. For him it is like the "in-car entertainment". He cranes his nect from the back seat and tries to follow the tomtom screen throughout any journey. He believes that it is TOMTOM who takes him to places, Mama and Papa have no clue where the destination is (have to admit that at times its true!!). He gets excited when he sees the "knife-fork" restaurant symbols, he gets upset when the "red triangle" traffic jam sign pops up, he intructs his dad to go slow when the "camera" sign blinks and he has his most beautiful smile on when Tomtom proudly announces "You have reached your destination".
However,at times, this "continuous tomtom monitoring " over the shoulder can be quite difficult for the person on the drivers seat!!
Since "Daddys chill " is a myth,  Mama handles such situations. [Because "Mamas are cool" is  a fact!]
anyway...

"So, who invented Tomtom?  "
"Tom and Jerry".           
[Dear reader, you know by now that Tom and Jerry are almost family for us]

"But in that case they would have named it TomJerry, not TomTom, right?"

For a moment I thought, I got the better of him...There was a split second of silence. Eyes narrowed, eyebrows furrowed, smile turned to frown,....and then,

" I dont know Mama, maybe the surname of Tom is TOM"

I LOVE these answers......

Once upon a time...... (2)

Again thanks to Mo, for "preserving" such meaningless banter........
As I read through this, it takes me back to those wonderful hostel days again....
I realize that even though we may not have met for years....I still have the same feeling for all of you..
I know, if we meet...it will be like picking up from EXACTLY where we left...
I thank God for giving me friends like you.....



হে বন্ধু , বিদায় .............


আগে চিনতাম? না ,
চিনেছি অনেক পরে,
চিনেছি এমন ভালোভাবে,
চিনেছি চিরতরে |

DJ নামক হোস্টেল-এ ছিলাম মোরা আটজন,
চরিত্র সব আলাদা, দিছি তার-ই বিবরণ
বেঁটে, মোটা, লম্বা, কালো,
দেখতে শুনতে মন্দ ভালো ,
কারো এলো চুল, চশমা চোখে,
কেউ মাখে রং ঠোঁটে ও নখে
ভাবছ বুঝি বন্ধু কে কার
মেয়ে তো নয় আটটি জোকার !!!!

এক নম্বর রুম ,রান্নার বড়ো ধুম...........

ছোট্ট putku সোমা ,রান্ধে ভালো ডিম,

সারাদিন শুধু শুধু খায় হিমশিম |
ইংরিজি পড়ে সে গট মট কট,
দশটা বাজলেই ঘুমে ছটফট,
নিজেকে ভাবে সে খারাপ বাজে
ভাবে বুঝি লাগে না সে কোনই কাজে |

দামী দামী জামা সব  কেটে ছেঁটে পরে ,

দিন নেই রাত নেই হাপ্পিতেশ করে |

রং ফর্সা ,চশমা চোখে ,
কে ওদিকে যায়,
পেছনে থাকে যদি কুকুরের সারি
পেয়ে যাবে পরিচয় |
এক কাপ চা ,যদি হাতে দাও তার
গোমড়া মুখ তবে পাবে নাকো আর
পড়াশোনায় ভারী ভালো ,
মা বাবার মুখ করবে আলো ,
ভাবছ বুঝি কে এই গুনি -
আমাদের মৌসুমী |

পায়েতে নুপুর বাঁধা,
পিঠে এলো চুল
চোখেতে কাজল লতা
কানে সোনার দুল |
চোখের ওই কাজল জলে বেঁধেছে কেষ্টদাকে,
নয়নের তীর গিয়ে তাই বিঁধেছে
কেষ্টর ই বুকে  |
এ মেয়ের নাচে নেই জুরি
নাম এর কস্তুরি|

স্বর্ণালী গেয়ে ওঠে কত শত গান,
গান এর গলা মিষ্টি ভারী, ভরে ওঠে প্রাণ |
নাকটি বড়ই লম্বা, ঠেকেছে ঠোঁটের কাছে,
সাবধানে তাই কথা বলে, ঠোঁট কামড়ায় পাছে |
আসে পাশে থাকলে ফেলো নিশ্বাস আসতে,
নয়তো হালকা শরীরটি তার চলে যাবে ভাসতে ভাসতে|

টমাটোর মতন গাল দুটি তার,
MAGGI -র মতন কেশ ,
লম্বা চওড়া গোল গাল মেয়ে
দেখতে লাগে বেশ|
বিখ্যাত তার হাসি ,কাঁপে আমাদের কাশী|
আবার যখন তখন বন্যা ধারা
আসে নেমে দু চোখ বেয়ে |
ভালো মানুষির এক অতল খনি,

মনীষা সবার চোখের মণি |

Carl Lewis কোথায় লাগে,
দৌড়ে করবে পার,
আছে প্রবল শক্তি,
সবাই মানে হার |
কথার স্পীডও নয়কো কম ,
ভুলে যায় বুঝি নিতে হয় দম ,
সুন্দরী বিনু  কার্টুন পনা ভালই জানে,
কেউ Sridevi কেউ Jayaprada মানে |

ঘড়ি ধরে চলে সুচরিতা সোম,
রেগে যদি যায় তবে যেন এটম বোম |
দেখতে শুনতে বেশ সবল,
দায়িত্বজ্ঞান ও আছে প্রবল ,
Defence এর hero কে ঘিরে রঙিন স্বপ্ন তার,
এমন discipline সত্তি মেলা ভার |

পাঁচ পাঁচটা ফুট এর ওপর আট আটটা ইঞ্চি ?
এও কি পাওয়া যায়?
আট জোকার -এর লম্বা জোকার নাম দয়িতা রায় |
সময় কাটে হেঁসে হাসিয়ে ,
ছেলে দেখলে যায় পাশ কাটিয়ে
কারণ তারা বড়ই বেঁটে হায় !

ছিলেম বেশ হাসি খুশি
আট জনেতে মিলে...
বিয়েবাড়ির সানাই দেখি বিদায়ের সুর তোলে |
মৌসুমী দিল গ্রীন সিগনাল
বিয়ের গাড়ি ওই ছেড়ে যায়
বিগত দিনের স্টেশনগুলি,
সরে যায় দেখি গুটি গুটি পায় |

এসো মোরা পণ করি ...
আমরা  আটজন সেই আটজনই রব..
সময় এর দাগ পড়তে না পায়................

Once upon a time....(1)

Thanks Mo for finding this in your "brown"diary...its not about the quality of the work, but just reading this made me travel back in time to 1993!

There was a time in life when hostel was my  home and friends were my family. Everyday was spent with careless fun, pure "masti", continuous giggles, reasonless late nights, simple decisions...and after that if..and only if there was some time left, some studies. 
We were a close group of eight. We were known for being good in studies, very good in singing and dancing, very very good as "seniors", but..hold on...very very bad in romance.
 None of us had a stable boy friend!!!!!
Most of the other girls decked themselves up in the evening and waited for the "call" to come..when their prince took them away from the girls hostel premises to the land of romance (atleast thats  what you think when you are nineteen). 
We , the EIGHT, just watched!

To tell you the truth, (and this is really not a case of "grapes are sour"), we were so  busy with ourselves, we hardly had any time to socialise outside our hostel.We had so much fun during those years, that a thousand boy friends would not have changed the equation. My dear EIGHT, if you are reading this, let me tell you,
I LOVE YOU.


M was the first to tie the knot! And that triggered this ........

তুমি

                                     
বাইশটা বছর পার হয়ে গেল,
এলো তেইশের পালা,
কোথায় তুমি, কোথায় তুমি,
একই বিরহের জালা |

মৌসুমী -র বিয়ে বাড়ি খেয়ে
সবার মাথায় এলো ধেয়ে,
একি চিন্তা সব?
যেদিকে ছুটে যাই,
যে মেয়ের মুখপানে চাই,
শুনি বর বর রব!!

নিজেতো করতে পারিনি যোগার,
যে বিনা  খোঁজাতে হয়ে যাব পার ,
সেই বসতে হবে শাড়িটি পরে,
tray তে আনতে হবে চা,
সেই যাচাই হবে গায়ের রং,
সেই হতে হবে লক্ষীর  পা |

সেই গাইতে হবে "আমার পরান যাহা চায় "
সেই নিতে হবে চরণ ধুলি ,
আরচোখে  তারে দেখে নিতে হবে
বন্ধ মুখের বুলি |

প্রেমের সাধ কার না হয়
তবু প্রেমেতে সবার ভয়,
বুঝিবা লাগলো আঘাত ,
একটাই যে হৃদয় |

যাগগে,
পার হয়ে গেল মিত্রা ঘোষ ,
পার হয়ে গেল ঝুমি,

 বাইশটা বছর পার হয়ে গেল,

তবু এলে না তুমি |

I hate the dentist...

No, I should not write a “funny” article on this. The son will kill me when he grows up.

Plus the pain he went through during those minutes… no , there was definitely NOTHING funny in that!!

But, like I keep saying, once the pain is over, the story needs to be told in a way which can be remembered not with pain but with an element of humour in it.

One fine morning it was time to visit the dentist. Our dentist had gone bankrupt, hence the need to look for a new one in the neighbourhood. Fresh registration, hence an introduction visit!! All pretty simple.Till here.

However, the moment Arno settled down on the chair ,we were informed that the front tooth needs to be pulled out !!
Now there is a bit of history attached to the two front teeth.

Last year during summer, Arno had a bad fall from his bicycle. Both front teeth were damaged, one had to be pulled out then, the other could wait, the doctor said. I guess, the wait was over. 
Once this news reached his ears, Arno freaked out,”Mama!!, YOU said it is just a ROUTINE check!!”. I know, I said that.

The doctor, a very young guy (looked fresh out of college and a few years older than Arno himself !!) was a bit taken aback by this reaction. He made a face as if he expected the 6-yr old to jump with glee , smile and hug him with a “love you”!! WHY on earth was this kid freaking out?

He thought he should explain to Arno what the problem with his teeth was (I was actually pretty happy about this idea…kids these days are KEEN for the explanation…our dumb days of not-being-explained-anything-because-you-are-small are gone..). But unfortunately (read it as lack of experience dealing with children), he started describing the situation in medical terms (how the bacteria at the root of the tooth can gradually decay tooth structure and the decay can advance to the pulp hence pulling the tooth is often the treatment of choice). I am not kidding…

This is not the language you use to explain to a child why his tooth needs to be pulled out!!

The child was NOT HAPPY, clearly. Whatever comfort was left in him vanished as soon as the doctor took out his needle to give him the anaesthesia. It was a blunt “ I do not want any injection”. Fullstop. When this sentence did not work, he started crying, small sobs at first, big loud howls after the injection. The anasthesia unfortunately did not work. After three such injections Arno was so angry that he started saying “pain” for every movement of the doctor. He howled, protested, shouted, tried wriggling down from the chair….the young doctor was totally zapped by his behavior. Thankfully, there was an experienced nurse by his side ( I have started replacing the word “older” with “experienced” these days..dont ask me why). She was trying her best to comfort the child in a more “philosophical” language. What she said was,

“We know that you are in pain Arno, but we are trying to help you, for your future”

Arno, by this time was beyond all such smooth talking…he was in pain....plus pain enhanced by anger…plus pain enhanced by helplessness on this chair, mouth open! So he replied (to the nurse),

“Do you even know the meaning of HELP? I did not know HELPING means GIVING PAIN”..

The mother although not exactly proud of the way the son said this……could not help smiling…

Kids these days are smart…I was super dumb at six, am sure, could never have constructed such a sentence on my own….

[The last sentence needs to be deleted before Arno starts reading the blog]

;-)

Mother - son bonding time

Not that I want it to happen again. I hate it when Arno is sick....
But since we need to look at the positive side of everything ALWAYS, hence I come up with this post and qualify this as "Mother Son bonding time"
Arno has viral fever for the last three days. I am home with him.There is fever, headache, crankyness, coughing, irritation..etc etc.. Under such circumstances, the "strict" mom needs to transform for a few days. Transform into something different..something to pamper the kid....whatever makes him smile......
So mother transforms and child JUST LOVES THIS NEW MOM!! [imagine the shock he gets when the fever is gone and so is the "new mom"]

Cartoons at 9:30 am: OK [What??]
Chicken nuggets for lunch: OK [Thats ok]
Wii-ing for more than 30 mins: OK [say it again!!]
Cartoon channel on: OK [O God, give me the strength to carry on]
Pizza for dinner: OK
Pizza ON the couch??? ::: ALSO OK [Believe me its not so easy to maintain my new role]


The kid is too surprised to even believe what is happening. I am sure he pinched himself couple of times in my absence to check that he was not dreaming when I said YES to " Mama, can I watch Toy story AGAIN? " . During lunch time, the " new" mama even offered, "Arno would you like to have the chicken nuggets on the couch while watching Toy Story?" Wow...as the words spilled out of my mouth, I could not believe my ears...Little Arno was OVERJOYED! Inspite of the fever, he did manage to give me a wonderful smile..sort of tired, shocked and a surprised smile!! We chatted together on the couch munching on chips and chicken nuggets (I tried my best not to pay attention to the crumbs that fell on the couch and the carpet). Arno was visibly happy. The sick child transformed into a chattering happy child explaining to me the pranks of Buzz light year and Woody..(I have no clue whether this was the paracetamol or the "new mom" that brought about this transformation)...we played a game of chess after that, painted some pictures, watched SOME MORE movies...
We just bonded.

It was dinner time..Finally the "new" mom decided to get the " old mom" back. I cooked a healthy chicken stew.

I realized such transformations are not only necessary but also fun!