Dus

Tagged by Jaggu The tag is to write about 10 things that I miss the most

1. Childhood: I had one of the best childhoods. I would come back from school and eat and then play and then do my home work and study. Veena and I were allowed to play till it got dark. Then mom would come out and call us. Having an older sister meant I always had someone to play with. I am blessed with the greatest parents who were supportive in everything I did. The most I miss is I can not get back from work and go out and play and come home and all I have to do is study. I miss me not having to worry about things as they were always provided to me. Miss my summer vacations when mom used to take us to Kerala and we would spend two months in visiting friends and families.
   
2. Grandfather: My mom's dad passed away when I was nine. He was one of the best people I have met so far. That was the first death I saw and I always wished that he would come back to life once. Veena and I were his first grand kids and so he always told us that we were very special. The sad thing is, only Veena and I remember him among all our cousins.
3. Dhvani - She was the first real friend I had. She is married and settled in Chennai and is busy and we rarely get to talk. I haven't seen her since 97, but not a days goes by when I don't think of her.
4. Sally I - My first Car
   
5. Short Hair - Life was so easy with short hair, shower and get out of the house, now it more like blow dry, straighten and by that time I'm late. People ask me why do I just chop it off and I just smile.
   
6. Mom cooked food - No food tastes as good as one's mom. I miss the way how everything she makes tastes just perfect and I know I'll never get there.
7. Following Cricket - I used be a huge cricket fan, during the days when Sachin had started and Azar was the captain. I used to always have a tummy ache and stay at home when Indian played. After I moved to US I rarely watched a game (should I call it a match) and now I have lost complete interest in the game.
8. Being Engaged - That is the best period in one person's life. I was engaged for almost half a year, and Shekar used to come visit me once a month (he lived in west coast and me in east coast) and we used to have a great time. Even now I tell Shekar, I like engaged Shekar more than married Shekar.
9. Riding a cycle - I used to love cycling to places, I used to go to school on a cycle everyday and it used to be so much fun. Now when we go visiting new cities, we try to rent cycles and ride them around. This summer we are planning to buy cycles and go ridding over the weekend.
10. India - I miss being India and everything about India.

Thank you so much Jaggu for bring back these beautiful memories

People I tag
ROS - I have too nahi tho she gets upset, Just kidding re I know you will love doing this.
Nina - She is all about memories, and has a great way of putting them in words.

Visit from our folks

My parents visited last weekend and since both of them work, their longest stay at our place would be like 4-5 days. Last weekend it was Easter and my parents came over to celebrate Easter with us.

A week before their arrival

• Plan what to do when they are in town
• Plan out the whole menu for their visit
• Go grocery shopping, so I have all the things needed for the above menu

Day before the arrival

• Cleaning - By cleaning I do not mean the usual when guest comes to house cleaning, but major cleaning as they are parents and are entitled to every room, every closet, every shelf. They are also allowed to make statements like "There is so much dust here."
• Prep for cooking the next day

Day of arrival

• Cook, cook and cook some more
• Final cleaning touch ups

Day 1 of parent's trip

• Parents very impressed about all the food I made
• I told mom that she was on vacation and she needn't do anything around the house
• Mom tries to help me with chores and asks me where every dish is

Day 2 of parent's trip (and every day from then)

• I wake up and go to kitchen, mom offers me coffee
• Then she has already made breakfast and planned out what is for lunch and starts prepping
• She has figured out where all dishes are

Day of departure

• Mom Cooks all day so that I have food when she leaves.
• Parents enquire when Shekar and I are going to visit them again.
• Give them couple of stuff to take it with them like 2 of my sarees that need saree falls stitched
• Talk more and say that your this visit was short make sure next time you come for more than 4 days

Day after their departure

• Me calling them at their place, "Mom I can not find my spatula, do you know where you kept it."
• Me calling again, "There is a cup in the fridge with white stuff what is it". Mom replies "Its Thenga pal (coconut milk), that came extra. Use it when you make apam"

Week after their departure

• Me to Shekar - "I need to start cooking now, alle"

Wake up

I’m one of the selected few who can fall asleep right after I lay down and once I’m asleep nothing wakes me up. This was something ingrained in my system. My mom used to say that I was the perfect baby I always slept and only woke up when I was hungry (life used to be so simple back then).

Back when I was in college, I used to pull a lot of all-nighters and since I used to work during the weekend I was always sleep deprived. Then it happened one Friday evening I got home around 2.00 pm and I went to my room and changed and went to sleep. My family was very understanding and they only woke me up when I have to be woken up. So I’m in this deep sleep and Veena (older sister) comes and wakes me up saying “Jolikku Pogande?” (Don’t u have to go to work). For which I sleepishly reply Samayam Enthu aayi (What time is it?). Veena says 6.30. I jump up from bed, as I have to be at work at 7.00 AM, and my work place was almost 30 minutes away. I grab the phone to call and let people at my work know that I’m running late, then Veena says I’ll call you get dressed. (such a great sister). So I dash to the bathroom and start brushing my teeth and then I get ready to take shower, Veena runs into the bathroom screaming and laughing and she says “Oh my god I can not believe you actually fell for this, it is 6.30 PM on Friday and not 6.30 AM on Saturday”

I got out of the bathroom and chased her around the house and I saw my parents just staring at us, there were probably thinking, wasn’t Thanu sleeping and now how come she is chasing Veena around or Do 21 and 24 year old siblings still chase each other.

Now when Veena visits me or vice versa, or we both go home, I make sure I wake up early and wake her up, but every single time she wakes up before I do, be it my place, her place or our home. But, one day I'm going to get her.