Tuesday, December 12, 2006

With love from Milan



English is common only in India.

Brown means familiarity. Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and some Desis have all asked me if I come from their own country. A flicker of almost hope that I soon extinguish.

I-N-D-I-A.

Pictures that form in some minds are colorful. Oh so colorful!

Tigers? Yes, in zoos.

Snake charmers? I don’t believe this. I thought we had helped erase such pictures! But yes… I haven’t seen many. Maybe one.

Rajahs? The ‘h’ in the word exists am sure. Dead or no longer living as one.

The first act of kindness was being given a potted Poinsettia by the woman at the cafeteria. And then there were none.

I opened a jar of mom’s pickles. Brushing aside few tears that didn’t seem to understand they were uninvited, I called her. Long distance.

She was of course asleep. I wake her up to talk about how cold it is here. People, place and thing... like a nice Pronoun. Abiding by rules of Colderdom.

She knows everything. So she knows that I have more.

We wait in silence. Then all of a sudden words rush. They have a long way to go…maybe that’s why.

I opened your pickle. I miss you so much… they taste wonderful mom. As always Mom…

She is silent when she shouldn’t have been.

I bought them.

For sale: Mom’s Recipe Mango pickle.

25 Comments:

Blogger Dev Nair said...

Nostalgia is remembering future.

3:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

awesome, now in Italy.
What kind of job do you do?
And are there openings in your company now?

The climax was funny.

9:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You are already in Italy?
hmmm.....

The last part made me laugh out loud!

7:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good as always....I guess your job is somehow connected to writing-publishing-photography or something as such...

Also are these pics on ur blog ur own creations?

11:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

u in milan or what? orrey ooru suttifying? haven't spoken to mom or neelima in ages now :(

its Mother's Recipe, btw :)

12:18 AM  
Blogger Mrs. Dalloway said...

Dev: Wow! That was good!

Raka: Ha ha! Am a business analyst. :)

Poornima: Long since.

Liberated soul: I am not doing anything half as interesting as that! :)

And no, I havent taken these pics.

Balu: Yes Milan! :)

And Mom's recipie is different! I know what am saying honey!

1:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Please dont call and disturb mom. After loafing and 'No' -ing the whole day, you get to eat pickle and call home huh!
Say no to pickle!

2:12 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Please dont call and disturb mom. After loafing and 'No' -ing the whole day, you get to eat pickle and call home huh!
Say no to pickle!

3:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MILAN??????

who is this sucker of a guy who has employed a full time blogger and then sends her all over the world on top of it?

*jealous*

4:18 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

oh, so it was mom's recipe. i thot it was one of ur super dud type jokes :) *grin*
saari meydum !

4:19 AM  
Blogger Mrs. Dalloway said...

Conjuror: Why on earth should I call your mom?! *Shudder*

Balu: The frequency of my posting should give you an idea. And the whole idea of my blog is called faction. You know my mail id, why dont you mail whatever you want?

4:34 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I havent cried in a long time. Its good to know u do.

3:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

:-)

7:13 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

harharharhar!!!
must be from a bengali or sri-lankan shop...heard Milan's got boatloads of 'em over years :D
good reading ur blog after ages...welcome :)

1:08 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey..merry christmas..and wishing lots of fun and reasons to smile for next year!!

And am going italia for X mas and new year as well.. :-)

5:07 AM  
Blogger Sudarshan. A. G. said...

Awww.. Poor thing... Don't put it up for sale though. An Indian pickle is an Indian pickle is an Indian pickle... Else, hindsight will give a swift kick!

12:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What about SJ?

9:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The "looong distance" call spolied it all... effort wasted- removing all those stickers on the jar. Moms are brainy!

1:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

mail konjam boring da.

wishing u, mom and neelima a happy new year.

1:36 AM  
Blogger Mrs. Dalloway said...

Vinod: Its good to cry sometimes.

Shub: :)

Sharat: Time!!!!

Mathew: I know I am oh-so-late! Where in Italia?

Clash: Mine is.

Balu: You too da!

10:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

yeah..i loved the places..rome..pompeii..florence..pisa..venice..i envy that you are staying there!!!

2:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My mom remarks........."You pick the phone and keep laughing instead of talking".
"Yeah, its the joy of hearing you."
The laugh transmits my state. Clear communication.I refuse to call her the day I feel low.

Amidst all confilcts one has with her, mom is still a phenomena.

12:47 PM  
Blogger 99% Bachelor said...

hahahha

Pickle...

Very good market...

99% Bachelor

8:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I chanced to fall upon this blog today. Well I know one Poornima from Pondicherry who has a sister named Neelima and who i think is in Paris now. She used to visit her aunt's house in Kollam during her school vacations. If you are the same person, reply to this comment and guess who i'm. If not, i'm sorry, but i liked your writing.

11:07 PM  
Blogger Siva Sankar Panduri said...

Good one ..

10:32 PM  

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