Combined families gave way to nuclear families once the financial insecurities creeped in. Now they are giving in to single familes, for nowadays, only one "biological parent" probably brings up the children. Well! not to forget the daycare centers(I worked in one), where they get to see more of their teachers than their parents.
Mine was not a combined family, yet it was. 3 aunts and 3 uncles still live near-by.
My, My! what about those days when my maternal grandparents were alive!
Just count it!
4 aunts and 2 uncles, add their husbands and wives, makes it 6 uncles and 6 aunts.
1st aunt has 3 kids.(2 male, one female)
2nd aunt has 3 kids.(2 females, one male)
3rd aunt has 2 kids.(1 male, 1 female)
4th aunt has 2 kids.(2 males)
My mother has 2(Me and my brother)
1st uncle has 2 kids(1 male, ,1 female)
2nd uncle has 3 kids(1 male, 2 females)
I could easily have said they are some far-off relatives, but except the last three off my 2nd uncle( who were born 10 years after me), everyone either wiped my ass and consoled the incessantly crying and stubbornly naked black kid that was Srikara or played with me as a kid.
Imagine a scene with we kids all sitting in a circle and my maternal grandma chastisizing everyone alike and making us eat from her hand! (Jeez! she insisted on cooking for everyone and she would hear none of the embarassed adolescent excuses; if you are below 18 you gotta have a seat in that circle, Gawd! how we toddlers used to smirk at our grownup cousins)
Nothing short of glorious were those days!
Name a festival, oh yeah! we Indians, particularly Hindus, have lots of those, and we all are there to celebrate, no defaulters for none could stand the wrath of those two parental figures-my maternal grandparents. Be it the Sankranti, or the Sivapooja(which is still a tradition in our families), or the dusshera.
Everybody were as near to me as my parents and my own brother.
And ofcourse, as always so called "life went on"( I made a promise, the next one who says that life goes on to me, will be kicked in the arse) and pur grandparents died. Everybody were immersed in their life and Hyderabad became my summer stronghold, for most of them live in Hyderabad.
Now people, I know...take a break and be nostalgic for a few minutes! Afterall we are Indians! our relatives deserve those few moments......and carry on!
How I wish we all stayed as kids! Unfortunately, god doesn't always grant srikara's wishes( or most of my teachers and present advisor would have been blasted to smithreens and I would have had as many as 7 girls), so everyone grew-up and had their own kids.
Count again,
1st aunts 3 kids have 2 kids each of their own.( 3 females, 3 males)
2nd aunts 2 females have 2 kids(2 males).
3rd aunts 1 female got married.
1st uncles daughter just got married( and cursed me for being in America at that time)
(NOTE: did you notice that all the females got married and males left single. God, if you are readind this , you are a male(I know), where's the equality?)
Count it, now I have total of 6 uncles, 6 aunts.
2 male cousins and 2 corresponding sisters-in law.
5 female cousins and 5 corresponding brothers-in-law.
4 male cousins, single.
and
6 male kids, 5 female kids.
Add to them , my parents and jolly god! my brother and would be sister-in-law.
I haven't mentioned the family friends, and all those families I get in touch on my father's side. And my friend wants an AC MILAN jersey, and a branded cigarette lighter.
How the heck am I supposed to buy all of them presents with a meagre 520 dollars in my account? And I haven't paid my rent yet!
Here are some thoughts!
1) Maybe I can make a documentary on "saving the planet", and roam around USA trying to persuade people to compel their government to sign the Kyoto Protocol...( collecting funds as I travel)
2) I can start a Children's cancer awareness program and sell cookies, with a little commission involved for me!
3) Or I could find all those needy homeless people, raise my voice for them, though I really have no clue as to how it feels to be homeless or hungry, and start a movement to bring the corrupt government down..
4) Or I could form a patriotic club to raise money( clubs are different from organizations, please note) discuss and discuss and discuss on what is good for the country that remained frozen in my memory, on how to eradicate the political corruption, comment on the entertainment-focussed newspapers, and mass-appeal media, not realizing that I am a part of the society that necessiated, created and festering it.
If none of these work, there's always the Vine street and Burnet woods!(yet to be completed)
Monday, June 2, 2008
Friday, July 20, 2007
I, Me and Myself
The United States of America, Cincinnati, Ohio,the third chapter in my essentially non-essential existence . I have got to thank, by default, my parents for bearing with me and shaping me up.They have influenced me in more than one way not realizing it- or so have I realized.
But there is someone else, rather something else that I am deeply indebted to- my lifelong friends and partners- books, fiction and non fiction. I cried reading them, jumped up in euphoria and felt the bitter after effects of the end of a good book. I buried my troubles and tensions in them and they haven't failed me in return. They are the surrogate affectors of what is the conglomerate of "The Selfish Genes" called Srikara Viswanath.
Whatever form of art you prefer, there is an all pervading element inherent that holds the bits and pieces together: completing the picture and imbibing a beauty; imparting the work a wholesome aura, a rich realization, the sense of fullness. The joy and wholeness can be realized only by the artist and the synchronous similitude of audience. Somehow I realized the fullness of the art that is my life through books.
Too many books to read and too little time. In addition I have the bad habit of traling off. I have a big list of books that I need to read, not only fiction but generic.
As long as I remember I have been reading books. The first book I remember reading is, to my fortune, the great storie-Panchatantram. I never got around to reading the "Panchatantram-Labda Nasanam". Enjoyed all the other four-can't remember the names exactly. (SAndhi, Vairam etc I think). HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON should have read them. In case u don't know what they are about here is a glimpse:(correct me if I am wrong, these are my childhood memoirs)
They are all by VISHNU SARMA, a brahmin(in those days everything is according to the chaturvarnas as in BHAVADGITA) employed by a king to teach his sons, 4 in all. The problem was they are stupid and are unable to understand a thing. So, Vishnu sarma, employed animals as the main characters and taught the human nature and wisdom through those characters.
It has 5 distinct parts each with one theme, hence the name Panchatantram.
Also I used to read the Great epics or histories (relativity to rescue) Ramayanam,MAHABHARATAM and BHAGAVATAM. I am looking forward to reading them in Sanskrit(I am not bad in Sanskrit by the way, courtesy VVRS). I remember reading five different publications. I don't think they need any introduction or explanation.
Then there are the regular issues, monthly, of Balamitra, Bommarillu, Chandamama, Bujjai and BalaBharati. There used to be Novellas which had different genres, I still recount the ranconteur part I used to play in leisure periods of my school. I was famous for my horror stories. I think only Chandamama is in circulation now. They had an assortment of stories that incorporated all kinds of morals and values that were once called "INDIAN". They were introduced to me by my parents;Invaluables presenting me with valuables. Also there were many other novellas of Kings, ghost and wars, not unlike The Lord of the Rings, that captured my childhood imagination. "Pilla deyyam-Tella gurram", "Dasi Putra Sarvabhouma" "Guddi raju Gooni mantri" to name a few. There was no market for them, so the publishers stopped publishing, even as I was in my 5th grade. So by 5 th I was without my childhood friends.
more to come............
But there is someone else, rather something else that I am deeply indebted to- my lifelong friends and partners- books, fiction and non fiction. I cried reading them, jumped up in euphoria and felt the bitter after effects of the end of a good book. I buried my troubles and tensions in them and they haven't failed me in return. They are the surrogate affectors of what is the conglomerate of "The Selfish Genes" called Srikara Viswanath.
Whatever form of art you prefer, there is an all pervading element inherent that holds the bits and pieces together: completing the picture and imbibing a beauty; imparting the work a wholesome aura, a rich realization, the sense of fullness. The joy and wholeness can be realized only by the artist and the synchronous similitude of audience. Somehow I realized the fullness of the art that is my life through books.
Too many books to read and too little time. In addition I have the bad habit of traling off. I have a big list of books that I need to read, not only fiction but generic.
As long as I remember I have been reading books. The first book I remember reading is, to my fortune, the great storie-Panchatantram. I never got around to reading the "Panchatantram-Labda Nasanam". Enjoyed all the other four-can't remember the names exactly. (SAndhi, Vairam etc I think). HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON should have read them. In case u don't know what they are about here is a glimpse:(correct me if I am wrong, these are my childhood memoirs)
They are all by VISHNU SARMA, a brahmin(in those days everything is according to the chaturvarnas as in BHAVADGITA) employed by a king to teach his sons, 4 in all. The problem was they are stupid and are unable to understand a thing. So, Vishnu sarma, employed animals as the main characters and taught the human nature and wisdom through those characters.
It has 5 distinct parts each with one theme, hence the name Panchatantram.
Also I used to read the Great epics or histories (relativity to rescue) Ramayanam,MAHABHARATAM and BHAGAVATAM. I am looking forward to reading them in Sanskrit(I am not bad in Sanskrit by the way, courtesy VVRS). I remember reading five different publications. I don't think they need any introduction or explanation.
Then there are the regular issues, monthly, of Balamitra, Bommarillu, Chandamama, Bujjai and BalaBharati. There used to be Novellas which had different genres, I still recount the ranconteur part I used to play in leisure periods of my school. I was famous for my horror stories. I think only Chandamama is in circulation now. They had an assortment of stories that incorporated all kinds of morals and values that were once called "INDIAN". They were introduced to me by my parents;Invaluables presenting me with valuables. Also there were many other novellas of Kings, ghost and wars, not unlike The Lord of the Rings, that captured my childhood imagination. "Pilla deyyam-Tella gurram", "Dasi Putra Sarvabhouma" "Guddi raju Gooni mantri" to name a few. There was no market for them, so the publishers stopped publishing, even as I was in my 5th grade. So by 5 th I was without my childhood friends.
more to come............
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Think
Communities are for common activity.
Having learnt that they are but exactly that, why do I still expect other members in community to post?
Mistakes are being redefined. They are not stepping stones to success, they are the foundations of failure.
Learning from mistakes is great. But how do u tell that you erred? This is not about the classroom mistakes or the mistakes that your friends(or pepole, nowadays what's the difference?) laugh at . I infer those that creep into your thoughts, make you talk before you think, follow the fads and lose your individuality.
It's like being lonely. For a person with no friends, friendship is defined in loneliness. He never knows the difference.
Individuality is, again, mistaken with mulish munificence; it's ubiquitous. It's the feeling that makes you turn a blind eye to everyone and everything. ?Individuality is listening to everyone and following your own version- without any disrespect to those who advice you.
Maybe it's time to enforce punishments for "thought crimes"- as George Orwell explains in 1984, maybe is SANITY IS STATISTICAL , IGNORANCE IS KNOWLEDGE.
There goes one reason for my insatiable love for books, they are eternal- who dare to defy?
Having learnt that they are but exactly that, why do I still expect other members in community to post?
Mistakes are being redefined. They are not stepping stones to success, they are the foundations of failure.
Learning from mistakes is great. But how do u tell that you erred? This is not about the classroom mistakes or the mistakes that your friends(or pepole, nowadays what's the difference?) laugh at . I infer those that creep into your thoughts, make you talk before you think, follow the fads and lose your individuality.
It's like being lonely. For a person with no friends, friendship is defined in loneliness. He never knows the difference.
Individuality is, again, mistaken with mulish munificence; it's ubiquitous. It's the feeling that makes you turn a blind eye to everyone and everything. ?Individuality is listening to everyone and following your own version- without any disrespect to those who advice you.
Maybe it's time to enforce punishments for "thought crimes"- as George Orwell explains in 1984, maybe is SANITY IS STATISTICAL , IGNORANCE IS KNOWLEDGE.
There goes one reason for my insatiable love for books, they are eternal- who dare to defy?
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)