The Compartment

A family of intellectuals shared the same compartment as I did on my journey from Kottayam to Kollam. A grandmother, a grandfather, a father, a mother and a daughter. I was sitting alone, I couldn't comment on anybody to anyone. They first discussed about me, Nepal, Nepali (that was inevitable). And then there was discussion of books, authors, the grandmother even mentioning 'The Tempest', daughter confirming the name of author as 'Shakespeare'. They didn't forget to comment on Chinese toys either. Maybe they were a bit confused about my ethnicity, they had to comment on every possibility. The father seemed very knowledgeable, saying how the English book his daughter was reading was simple and had 'continuity'.

A compartment of a train holds a lot of memories, memories of every kind. Each station, each journey and each person unintentionally start weaving an unending blanket of these memories, the fabric getting thicker and thicker with every passing second. Some memories are good and some bad, some even have the power to teach a valuable lesson of life. But the best compartments are the ones where a kinship blossoms among the occupants and where when you realise the distance of the journey seem shorter.

Breaking the code-II

Some people don't learn lesson from their first mistake and some forget to.

Just the next day after writing my last blog I happened to be visiting a Flower Show in the town. There were many stalls set up selling food items, seeds, fertilizers, plants, tools and etcetra. In one such stall I made my grand entry because it was in my area of interest, slurp!!! The Rajasthani Pickles!! I asked my friend in the code language again,"taste kori sabo?" Why did the shopkeeper have to ask one of his helper,"hey taste koribo dibi!"? I was like,"oh no, not again!"

But who would have expected a khaki-wearing-autodriver-looking-and malayali-looking-and-rajasthani pickle-selling person to even know that code language?

Breaking the code-I

I was recently in Bangalore,shopping with a friend. I was really confused what to buy, I had nothing of my choice in the shops we visited and I was constantly being bugged by who may say what about the dresses I buy, if I buy that is. By chance my eyes fell on a purse and as if in code language I asked my friend," hey hetu bhaale ase na?". And instead of my friend replying I heard a male voice say,"haan, aru hetu bhi bhaal ase". I was taken aback and a bit embarrassed too. The shopkeeper had replied to me very matter-of-factly. I had to talk to him in that same language till I had paid and left the shop. Of all the things! Next time maybe I'll have to whisper and not talk in some code language.

The shopping lists

We have moved to a new rent house. We need so many things but we have limited budget. This is what happened to our planning:

TODAY'S SHOPPING LIST:

1. Doormats
2. Mirror
3. Spoons/ glasses
4. Stool/stand
5. Bucket
6. Daal, vegetables
7. Kadhai
8. Gas

THE REALITY BILL:

1. Eggs
2. Chilly
3. Palm oil
4. Sambar daal
5. Palak
6. Horlicks foodles
7. Top Ramen noodles
8. Masoor daal
9. Head & Shoulders
10. Garam masala
11. Vegetable masala
12. Jeera
13. Breads
14. Cream
15. Tubelight
16. All out
17. Pepsi
18. Appy
19. Fryums
20. Candle
21. Mats
22. Chick peas