Homesick ???

Hi guys, I am back after 5 days at my cousin’s home(where I grew up ,till I was 15). Now, there are lots of problems in between all grown-ups( pls don’t ask me if I am not a grown-up yet…when compared with 55yr olds, I still am a kid)…and I try to remain as “dumb” as possible, in such situations…sometimes lots of unwanted problems are suppressed with this “dumb” act of mine…

 

I found a lost aunt of mine, in my cousin’s house (our long lost neighbor cum relative!). She and her family is in UAE for past, may be 25 yrs! And when she saw me, she started asking abt Ireland and stuff…and I was just smiling and trying to prove my existence with some “hmm”’s and “yeahh”s…I didn’t have to do much, cos she did all the questions and answers for me. I just had to wear that “dumb” smile and say “yea…” for all her question-statements…

 

Everything was ok, until she asked me one thing …”when you first came back from Ireland to Kerala, didn’t u feel how dirty, un-developed and filthy, our place is? Arrghhh!! I hated this place, when I came back!! ”---and I was like “ohhh…she has hit me, right on my head!!”…cos I have NEVER felt or even thot so… we were not alone, her husband and my uncle, aunt and cousin were also in our company. And I suddenly dropped my “hmmm”s and “yeahh”s..and told her very sharply..”NO, I never felt that…infact even at Ireland, I always wanted to feel the sand in my place”...(it was a very true feeling…nothing related with deep patriotism, but I sure missed touching the sand in Kerala! ).

And she cudnt take it…she asked me “NO…??? how come, u didn’t feel that???”. I told, “I don’t know, but I didn’t feel that. Aunty, I lived here for past 27 yrs, how can I forget that in just 1 yr???” and she said “Still, u didn’t feel, how FILTHY this place is ?? in UAE…”.And then began the UAE saga……

Actually she was trying to make me feel as though she and myself are similar, (NRI’s) and that we MUST be feeling so bad about our own country and state???

I felt very bad, cos if she was born and brought up in UAE to NRI parents, I would have understood her thought. But she was born and brought up here in Kerala, in a very ordinary family for 29 yrs and then became an NRI!!! Will that change our attitude..I cant say cos, I am NOT an experienced NRI like her. I am so much new in Ireland, that I identify myself more with Kerala than Ireland.

I live in Ireland, cos it gives me bread, it gives me money…it gives me a better standard of living in India.  In simple words, its like missing my husband and my mom. With my husband (in Ireland) I miss my mom (in India) and with my mom, I miss my husband …I identify these ppl in my life, with their respective countries…

How will it be, if I was asked to choose one???

 

How will it be, if I was asked to say that as I am married, I feel my mom is NOT fashionable??? OR NOT presentable???

Isn’t it ridiculous????

 

Anyway she continued and stuck on to her theory of “un-civilized”, “filthy”, “un-cultured” keralites…(WOW! What a tribute!). GREAT!! For all those keralites(or Indians), who are going to be like my aunt…”hats off” for thinking like her!

In Malayalam we have a saying:

"Veedu maranaalum, moodu marakkaruthu!"---translating,

“Even if u forget ur home, Never forget ur roots”.

Wish I could have told this to her face…

 

But as usual, I didn’t tell her cos, she is nearly 55 yrs old, and I was FORCED to put on my “dumb” act and chew on my fingers till it hurt!! GOSH ! sometimes, its very difficult to be POLITE!!!

 

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