A very happy new year to you all
Apologies for the long hiatus -
I am in India and will be back soon .
Hopefully will catch up soon with all of your blogs as well
Right now I am in Purulia with my parents.
Its a very interesting place and they lead a very full and interesting life.
Its hard to describe India and so I am going to just going to describe some things .
While the title of this post is strange ( it is the title of one of my favorite books by Gerald Durell ) this is true of the life of my parents
Their only pets are goldfish and a snail
But my parents are terribly kind people and they are mentoring all sorts of creatures
These creatures have their timetable for stopping by
I will see my mother wringing her hands in the morning
"The cow has come -- I already gave him some lettuce .. but he is not going ..." she will sigh
My father will suggest " what about some bread?"
My nephew runs out to fed the cow scraps - he is fascinated by the giant purple tongue.
My mother warns of dire consequences ( in India no one worries about traumatizing children- the children are very untrumatized though and are camly oblivious to all the potential perils that adults lay out for them ) Be careful the cow has large teeth and may eat chew up your arm.. how will you eat Kurkure ( cheetos)then !!!
They also have a stray dog who dances with joy every time they see my father
Save this milk - Kalua( this is his name because of his black color as Kala means black in Bengali ) loves Bournvita - my mother will say of the milk with bournvita that my niece has refused to drink
Then there are the pigoens , the crows and the goats.. you get the picture
People stop by constantly .
The neighbor with a bad husband, the MIL with a fussy DIL etc etc.
The daughters of their maid who seem perpetually pregnant with all their problems
Monks and mendicants and beggars come to ask for foood and money and my parents are happy to supply all
A homeless schizophrenic person - comes and says all sorts of things
My father goes to the gate and says "what do you want ?"
Dad comes back and explains " you must say something to him .. it makes him happy .. otherwise he will never go away "
In Purulia - Everybody know everybody and you always show your social reference first - so to make an appointment at the beauty saloon you start with " I am the niece of ...and the cousin of " till they figure out who you are and then and only then di you state the purpose of your call.
It would be strnge and abrupt to just say what you want
How is R in all of this?
My fears of him being treated as strange are unfounded
He is the pet and the darling of all - nobody knows much about Autism - but they are kind and sweet to R.
Makes you wonder whether the kind of Autism awareness we are trying to spread on the west is really the only way to go or not
my sister's children also visit Purulia and are VERY good to R.
Though my nephew is VERY jealous ( my niece is very doting )
Why does everyone like R more ? he asks me
My nephew is very adorable and very rambunctous ( I have taken to paying him to be quiet - my sister and I are desperate for some time with each other and she does not object to me appealing to his mercenary side )
I was hoping to do some peer play with him and R - This is to no avail as R runs away always and I am left to complete the game with my nephew alone
My nephew is enthralled and addicted by Floortime
Perhaps no adult has played with so much attention before
And so he adores me
He wants to sit with me - get me to put him to bed.etc etc
He has proposed a few times as well - though I have explained the vast difference in our ages ( my 35 to his 6 ) and the fact that we are related - means this can never be. LOL
R is very annoyed by his brother - he is not too foond of his peers and dislikes anyone who competes for my attention and very glad when he leaves ( yesterday )
he loves his grandparents who fawn over him .
My father and R have a very special connection and I really love seeing them together
R is enjoying the fuss, the lack of demands, the incessant sunshine - for its 70 every day - his grans and the moonlit rickshaw ( a sort of an open carriage ) rides
More about my trip later ...Delhi and Dehradun are completely and 100% different and require their own descriptions
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14 comments:
So glad to hear from you. Your description of your home is so perfect. I feel like I'm there with you. What a great holiday you have given me while I'm in my cold haven. Thank you. Be safe and Happy New Year. R is so blessed to have you and you him.
Happy New Year K.
So good to hear from you and about you experiences in your parents home land.
I have been wondering what had happened to you, even said a prayer for yours and your families safety and continued well being.
As always I enjoyed your post, your continued willingness to look at things around you with a newness of understanding, always enlightens my own world.
I got a new book for Christmas.
The Road Less Traveled: by M.Scott Peck, M.D.
It amazes me how you so effortlessly flow into the awareness of self analysis and truthful spiritual growth, for yourself and R, that he writes about...
wishing you happy and safe traveling..
God Bless you and yours
So good to hear from you. I know you mentioned that you were going to India, but I didn't know when and it's been so long I've been hoping that all is well! It is so interesting to read what you have to say about how things are there. I am glad that R is doing well, too! Take care, friend!!
Happy New Year!
Sounds heavenly! Getting away from it all -- back to your family -- and that 70 degree weather and sunshine. ... just what the doctor would order :-) Have fun and safe travels.
ditto what Territory Mom said - I feel like I'm right there with you. And I wonder about the western perspective, although it is my lens, so it's hard for me to analyze my own lens. Which is part of the point, I think - in the west we tend to be linear, analytical.
So good to hear from you! I hope your trip is going well--it sounds like it is. Take care and give R a kiss from me and his classmate/bus companion.
It sounds like a wonderful trip. Can't wait until you are back and share more with us.
Until then, know that you and your family are wished every happiness in this new year, new decade. Peace.
It's great to hear from you, you have been missed! Sounds like ya'll are having a wonderful trip and visit with family and friends, how cute that your nephew proposed :).
Enjoy the rest of your visit and have a safe trip home. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
What beautiful memories you are building.
So happy to hear how well received R has been; your family seems wonderful.
Safe travels home; I hope you'll write more on your experiences in India soon.
glad to hear that all is well, enjoy the rest of your time there and come back with lots of great stories!
Life is always yummy through the eyes of K! <3 Take your time and hurry back. (((hugs)))
I've so missed you, K! I love the descriptions of Purulia and your family. Can't wait to hear more!!! Enjoy the rest of your trip!
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
I was just thinking about how much I miss you! Glad to hear everyone is giving R tons of love like he deserves. <3.
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