Thursday, October 07, 2010

The parent diaries

:( looks like SSSK took one of Shotgun Sinha's "KHAAAMOSH"es to heart :(

Thanks to this nudge from regular bewda Arun on my last post, I'm back in the bar. Sorry about the long absence, my parents are finally here (remember this drama?) and I have been trying my best to get away from the office often enough to spend some quality time with them. It's been an absolute riot so far, and here are some snippets:

  • Dad's 'To get from Singapore' list actually included 'A coconut from East Coast beach with a sprout so I can take it home and plant it in my garden'. Hey bhagwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! He scoured the beach for a full week before he actually found not one, but three of them! It was hilarious to see Mom's expression when he placed them in his suitcase. I don't know how he is going to take them into India (isn't carrying soil and seeds into India illegal?) but I have asked him to make sure he has enough bail money.
  • The only time I ever talk Indian politics is with my Dad. Mainly because it's very entertaining to just say 'Sonia Gandhi' and watch him shake his fists and explode.
  • We have been shopping like mad in the last few days. Just for fun, I showed Mom some branded purses and asked her to guess the cost. She couldn't and I told her, "Twelve hundred and ninety-five". Her next question - "What?! Dollars or rupees???" LOL!

  • On the subject of branded stuff, Dad's question really threw me off. "Should I get Gucci shoes?" For a second I couldn't tell if he was serious or kidding. I just went :O. (Of course, he didn't in the end.)
  • It was a proud moment for the whole family when baby Aish called and we realised that she has picked up the concept of time difference. "Mausi, it is night here," she said, "Is it morning there?"
  • Sample another conversation involving baby Aish who called one morning. Mom (who always complains that Aish speaks to everyone but her) picked up.

    Aish - Where is Mausi?
    Mom - Mausi has gone to office.
    Aish - Where is Mausa?
    Mom - Mausa has also gone to office.
    Aish - Where is Grandpa?
    Mom - Grandpa has gone to the beach to look for coconuts.
    Aish - Ok bye.
    Mom - ?????????!!!!
  • My Dad is trying to turn vegetarian. With one exception, he says. Singapore chilli crab!
  • Mom and I went for a combo pedicure. It was such a perfect bonding moment -- we even got our toenails painted in the same colour, to the amusement of the pedicurist. (I had deposited Dad at a plant nursery so he wouldn't have to endure a full girly hour with us.)
  • I am still so impressed at Dad's organic garden back home! This year, he harvested a 9.5-kg pumpkin, a gazillion coconuts and more than 100 kg of tomatoes! Apparently, even the neighbours started getting a bit sick of receiving free stuff and he had to give the tomatoes to the maid who set up a stall and started selling them!
  • This is Mom's fourth visit to Singapore and even now, after knowing that the island is teeming with Indians, if she spots an Indian on the road or an Indian bus driver, she turns to me and mouths excitedly, "Indian?"
  • Viv had entered a go-kart race and we decided to go support him. I could not believe my ears when my Dad asked him if he could take a spin with Viv in a double-kart. My dad. In a go-kart. Man! I almost sang 'Yeh dosti' when I saw both of them take off in the double-kart.
  • Mom is getting interested in Sudoku and it is so fabulous to see her progress from the one-star puzzles to the five-star ones (we call those panch-pandav-sudoku!). I actually watched in pride like a doting mother as she completed a PPS all by herself.
  • Now it's Viv's turn to have to endure my childhood stories. Muahahaha! One of my personal favourites, other than the fish market incident is this one. Dad's friend came to visit us. I was about five years old. Dad told me, "Go tell Mom Mr. Blah-Blah is here." I went and repeated it to Mom. She was in a bad mood for some reason and said, "So?? What am I supposed to do??" I went out and Dad asked me if I had told Mom. I said, "Yes, I did and she said -- So?? What am I supposed to do??" Yep, right in Mr. Blah-Blah's face. I doubt he ever visited us again. :/



21 comments:

Geomon said...

Gold!
:)

Sanchit said...

Silver :)

mythalez said...

bronzed!! woohoo

ahem .. this almost sounds like I won a CWG medal :D

Obscure Optimist said...

Happy Family..Happy post..
Good to read about baby Aish after such a long time... :)

This post brought me smiles , smiles and more smiles.. Lovely writing :)

n!ved!t@ said...

Aren't childhood stories the best? Looks like Baby Aish too is making sure all you guys have a lot of childhood stories about her. :)

Neha said...

Parents can be so cute sometimes!!

Arun said...

This post is so much fun! made my day!

Unknown said...

:). my mom also complains that my niece wont talk to her on the phone, and talks to everyone else. I wonder why they do that? I think they eat bhaav in front of the person that dotes on them the most.

yr mom mouthing "indian" on the street- :))))

have fun. i miss my mummy daddy now.

Anonymous said...

Hilarious family snippets, as usual!

Pepper said...

All this sounds like so much of fun! It has made me more wishful than I already was.. Now if only I can think of a strategy to make my parents visit me! Care to be my consultant? :P

Sudeep said...

oye hoye apun ki comment hai uss lost wale post pe.. it is like 4 yrs back. Wow! Comment pe nahi re, itne lambe time pe wow.

coming to this post.. fun-filled as always. Mutter-paneer for dad? :)
Btw dekha son-in-law ka kamaal, veggie and go-karting. Dekha dekha.. damaad log hote hi hai hoshiyaar :P

Meenakshy said...

My mother got a few plants with some soil from Singapore to India in her baggage without any problems. Not sure about the coconut though. Good luck. Do let us know about it. :)
My sister on phone reported that there is a Singapore corner in the garden, with those plants and some red ribbons on a few grown up plants. When I got to see, I must say, it indeed looked very Singaporean.

Nat Sriram said...

What a post!! I was in a superbad mood and your post just brought me back to life..Next to Baby Aish, I have started to love your Dad..Pls do post more frequently.

R said...

ahahhahahah...fantastic peak into your life! please write more, bahin!!

Arun said...

It is just as fun on second reading :)

shub said...

The "Mausi, it is night here" reminded me of my niece's "Amma, inniki night-aa?" :D

Four is the new teen. They turn into lil divas who'd rather not talk to ageing aunts. Sigh!

Arun said...

But I saw this fridge sticker - "Children are spoiled because aunts can't be spanked".

Meenakshy said...

still awaiting for your dad's link ;)
BTW, you have been tagged, do check out http://meenu-iyer.blogspot.com/2010/10/tagged-finally.html for details

Meenakshy said...

still awaiting for your dad's link ;)
BTW, you have been tagged, do check out http://meenu-iyer.blogspot.com/2010/10/tagged-finally.html for details

Sayesha said...

#Geomon,
:)

#Sanchit,
:)

#mythalez,
:D

#Yamini,
Thanks. :)

#Nivedita,
Yeah, I plan to disclose my blog URL to Aishu when she turns 13 so she can read her own childhood stories. :)

#Neha,
You said it! :)

#Arun,
Thanks. :)

#The Girl From Ipanema,
:))

#gargimehra,
Thanks. :)

#Pepper,
Use my green strategy and they'll come for sure!
http://sayesha.blogspot.com/2010/07/going-green.html

#Sudeep,
Nahin nahin, comment par bhi wow. :P Yeah, I made matar paneer! :D

//Dekha dekha.. damaad log hote hi hai hoshiyaar :P

Hahahaha! Nice try! :D

#Meenakshy,
Gosh, he got one more really big coconut today! There is NO way they're gonna let them go through with all that! :O

#Nataraj,
Thanks. :)

#Raam Pyari,
Thanks, bahinnn! :)

#shub,
LOL! I remember her "Niiiiiice.." very vividly. Hahahaha! :D

#Arun,
Muahahahaha! :D

#Meenakshy,
Dad's URL is already in my blogroll - The Banker's Graden. :)

Btw, I have done that tag a couple of times already! :))
http://sayesha.blogspot.com/search/label/Playing%20tag

Neha said...

Am so sorry, I am going through ur blog after ages! Have been so buys off lately :( But the post was lovely as usual :)