My best Christmas memory

My best Christmas memory….... Years ago when I was in Bangalore I met Br Joshy and Br Jobby from my alma mater St Anthony’s college by chance; we hardly used emails then and FB groups didn’t exist! They were finishing their theology course in Kristu Jyoti.  They invited me one Christmas to accompany them to a nearby village where they used to teach. The occasion was Christmas and the event was a talent show for the kids.  I was to judge a dance competition and I was quite at a loss with  myself since I wasn’t born with any artistic skills whatsoever nor did I cultivate any ever!  I cannot forget the reception I received there. Throngs of children in bright toothy smiles gathering to see me. They wanted to know how to address me and Br Jobby quickly said ‘Sister’. So all around I could hear sounds of Hi Sister, Hello Sister, Welcome Sister. When the actual show began, there was no need to judge. I was fascinated by the children and their simplicity. Their dance simply left me enthralled and I wished big  time to join them. But I was a judge! And a Sister!  I scribbled the score each time a new contestant took the stage! I just could not decide who was the best! But I gave 10 on 10 to a girl of 4 or 5 years who came and stood still and smiled till her teeth ached! Br Jobby or Joshi smiled at me and said ‘But she did nothing?’ I said ‘But I am the judge!’

What Durga puja meant to us as children...

As I try to remember what Puja meant to me when I was a child, so many things come to my mind and I don't know where to start! Puja meant school holidays to start with, Puja meant shoping with parents, it meant what gifts u received and how many sets of dresses we got. Puja meant visiting friends and seeing theirs too and if they had few more than you, hoping that some aunt or some cousin might just gift you another one. Puja meant praying to the rain gods for bright sunny days. On Shoshti, it meant baba taking us to the pandal and buying some gift from the nearby shop. Puja also meant the first time you learnt to apply nail polish or trying to learn to wear heels. Puja meant some pocket money every puja day - 10 from ma and 10 from baba; spending 10 and saving 10. Puja meant the ghoognis and the tetul aachars...oh how it makes me smile now :-) Puja meant some khichuris too but I hated the queue and so bhai use to go and get some home! It meant khichuri in the mission on Saptami. Puja afternoons were spent with parents, pandal hopping and on Navami, it meant chowmein at Eee Cee or wherever! Puja evenings were meant for friends, reserving seats for them and taking turns in having our dinner and spending the rest of the time watching the cultural programms. Navami nights use to be orchestra night and my personal fav was a band called 'Yuva'. We returned in the wee hours of the morning to steal sleep for a few hours and then again to the Pandal with our books and pens on Dashami. Puja also meant some Puja - whether it was rushing to be part of the first Anjali batch and laughing when the main Pandit called out 'Bolun....jayanti....' or watching the evening 'Aarti' competitions. And then the sad part to watch it all end and say ...'till another year', following the crowd as far we could go and sometimes with moist eyes. I think I have been to Polo just once for the immersion. And finally helping ma with the coconut ladoos and waiting for the Aparajitas in the evening. Then say, well it's not the end - Diwali and bhai foota to follow!

Holi 2000

The best things in life come when you haven't planned for it. The pleasure of unexpected happiness stays on with us for  a long time. So, was the Holi of 2000!

We friends lived in a rented accomodation during our post grad days. We really didn't mean to do anything different except for sprinkling colours at each other so as to keep the tradition alive! But the idea struck when we went to the neighbouring shop to buy some more coloured powder. We visited some of our friends to wish them but ended up getting coloured from nose to toe. Soon, we decided to try the same on other friends and soon there was a multi-colored gang on the street.

We walked among the lose sand and the hot sun. The dirt and the heat didn't matter anymore. As we reached for other friends, there was no stopping. We played not only with the traditional colours but also with eggs, indigo and mud! The ultimate icing on the cake was when someone splashed an entire bucket full of water which resulted in a water splashing virus which was never ending. I even hit myself on the head and everything seemed to stop for a split second. But I didn't mind it and assured others that it was nothing and we continued as long as we could.

Come every Holi since then and I am taken to the Holi of 2000.