Rain Rain Come Again Another Day

Rain rain go away
Come again another day
Little Johnny wants to play
Rain rain go away...

Can't help but remember this poem from school, which we would say everytime it rained. Only unlike little Johnny, I love the rains...The weather has been lovely since the past couple of days and I HAD to go on a drive...so I did. Here are some pics for you to see...And Agnes Georgia looks lovely, and you inspired me to get clicking on my iphone today :)

This is the Jumeirah Beach Road where we stopped for a Chocolate fondant with ice cream...yummm...

In the car...

Yes you guessed it right...that's my friend with her freshly done pedicure...:)

View from my chair

Funny Times

Have you ever tried to make fun of someone and in the process start doing that very thing you joked about? It happens to me all the time.

After watching Javed Jaffery flaunting his English by adding a "the" in front of every word and pluralising them too - I soon picked up the lingo. So much so, that my sis and I would only talk in that way. Soon we found out that there are many more fans of this dialect and before I knew, I was interacting with all my cousins and relatives in that dialect! (I prefer to call it a dialect, cos it is a grammatically incorrect variation of the language, spoken by few people in a region - my cousins and close family in this case ;) )

Me: The Bhens! (well bhen - sister - has another story...read on and you will know)

The Bhen: The bhens. How are yous? Where is the Rs? (R-hubby)

Me: He is the sleepings.

...an so on it went

...till R put a stop to it taht is. He hated me speak wrong english (he still does, and I guess thanks to him I have kept many more such variations out of my language!). And well the habit was cathcing on. I found it difficult to not speak that way. Many a times in important meetings, I had to really stop myself from blurting in "the" language!

As for the bhens story, it started long years back. Back in India, the girls going to a hindi medium school would call their friends and other girls 'behen' (sister). Now there's nothing wrong with it, but when we were younger, we found it hilarious the way they referred to their friends. Guess it was the tone and style of talking that we tried to imitate...and no prizes for guessing, I call my sis Bhen and she calls me the same!

Then there is an acquaintance who pronounces a fish as a fis. There is no sound of "sh". I found it hilarious and even laughed on his face. I thought he was joking with me and we shared the same thoughts! Little did I know that he actually calls it "fis"!! And this same man, in the same conversation called "chop" as "chaap". You can imagine what I went through...From then on, I would call fish a "fis" and chop and "chaap"...till hubby put a stop to this too.

Then again there was a neighbour's house help, who would come and knock at her door in the evening. He had the most feeble voice and hand strength I have ever known. He would continue knocking and calling his boss to open the door for atleast an hour everyday. She did not have a doorbell for some time, and well this much time was enough for us to once again catch on the knocking-calling-scene and enact it everyday. Sadly hubby was nowhere in the scene at this time, so this habit of copying him went on for a looong time...

During my wedding time, we (my sis, cousins and I) were aghast to see one of hubby's relative dancing in the weirdest possible manner. It was our function and hubby and I had to be nice and clap for her, but instead I put my back to her and laughed my heart out. I am still laughing as I remember that incident. Once again, as soon as we reached home, there was a "practice" session for all of us. That dance became so popluar during our wedding time, that we even line danced on it for a special audience for another cousin's wedding. This time hubby joked along with us and he loved the performance...

As I write this post, I can't help but wonder - is it just me or you all do similar stuff as well?

Green Veggies Anyone?

I went to a supermarket today. To a supermarket which I had never stepped into till last month. I have lived here for almost 8 years now and was probably one of the rare variety of species who never visited this Indian supermarket! And must I say, I was so proud of not stepping into that boring, messy,cheap place?!(Yes I was a judgemental). Till someone told me how nice the place is, how good the vegetables are and that how she drives 30km. just to come to this store which is at a disctance of 3 kms from my house! So you see the power of "word of mouth"? (Well more about it in the next post!).

As I stepped into the store, I saw green vegetables. Every possible Indian vegetable - neatly arranged for you to pick and choose. Long green bhindis (okra), peas, borcolli, spinach, methi (fenugreek), dill, coriander...everything! I got so excited! I know I might be sounding stupid here but I have to admit I get a high when do grocery shopping now!!

As an unmarried girl, I would get so impatient with my mom when she would stop the car if she found a vegetable guy selling good gobhis(or any other veg for that matter)!! She would stop and move from one hawker to the other, chosing and haggling all the way. To top it all, the driver would be as excited as her and guide her on the way - whenever she missed a hawker!

*"Auntyji papita 10 rupaiy kilo mil raha hai yahan par"

"Nahin woh ghar par thele wala 8 rupaiy me de gaya hai aaj"

After a short distance...

"Auntyji aam acchey rakhen hain yahan. Dekengi?"

(It was as if he was getting a cut from those sellers and he would'nt stop enticing her till she stopped!!)

(Another reason why I wouldn't drive her around. If I drove my condition was clear - the car would not stop anywhere mid-way! She agreed most of the times, but well she still made me stop everytime!! That's what moms are made of you see:))

This would go on till my mom would finally decide that something is actually cheap and good. Then the haggling would start and I would lose my patience. I would want to go home at the earliest so that I can do something better like watch TV, listen to music or talk to a friend on phone...

Life has changed in so many ways. Not that I regret it or anything - in fact I enjoy it much more than I ever did. But sometimes you remember old times and small things in life which bring a smile to your face. Today is one of those days. I mean literally - I was smiling and shopping. Guess the guys over there thought I am one lunatic woman! Or maybe they didn't...they were too busy working to notice me smiling away to glory...

Now I truly understand the thrill my mom would get from grocery shopping :)

*Aunty (that's how he referred my mom) papaya is for Rs.10 over here"

"No the hawker at home gave it for Rs.8" (In india most people buy from hawkers who come home to sell the veggies))

After a short distance...
"Aunty the mangoes are good here. Do you want to see?"

Pic Credit