Sweet old society

    Hello streets of the society I once payed tag on and rode my bike on. Hola to the street I fell and scraped my knees and elbows on while running to catch the rikshaw for school in 1st grade. Namaste to what I call home, and the place I dreamt of returning to during the rest of my childhood abroad. Finally, I came face to face with my neighborhood from childhood. The place my family lived so contently in. We lived a very basic and simple lifestyle in that 1 bedroom home, and it was worth more happiness, peace, and tranquility than anything else imaginable to us. Like most families, the whole family sleeps in my one room-as we did back then. The neighbors were like family. They still are just as warm and welcoming. I chit chatted with some of them today when I went to meet them. I promised I would go back in November and stay there-the house that is now someone else's, but that other family, who invited me so sweetly to stay with them. How can I not feel like I am in my own home. The walls are painted differently, the rooms are renovated, and now there are two more stories than before! yet is is still the same ground I lived on in my childhood.

    Another coincidence, their kid goes to the same school I once used to go to! Someday, if I have time, I just might tag along to go visit my old school I missed so much. Sardar Vallabhai Vidyalay- one of the strictest yet very good schools.. the education is very advanced and the rules-just as tight! I remember, I used to be a risk taker, and would climb over the iron gate in front of the school courtyard! My friends and I would climb over and have climbing contests while waiting for rikshaws in our navy blue and while uniforms and two braids rolled up with red ribbons in the 90 degree weather! It is very rare that we did not have school. Once-just once-when the pond behind the school building over flowed during monsoon, school was cancelled! haha-oh chomasu (monsoon). dancing in the puddles! Besides that, chickenpox-have to go school, injury-go to school, basically, go to school! May be that is why I was so anal about my attendance and had to have every perfect attendance award all through out grade school in USA. Thanks to Sardar Vallabhai Vidyalay. :)

    On another note, I went to a smaller garba yesterday. It was much more private and personal-which I liked. Unlike the tornado like United Way garba, this place in the neighborhood attracted my attention much more. It was fun, and I really enjoyed it. Lets see if I can post one of the videos I took..

 

Tonight, just as I was craving and missing pani puri, destiny somehow led my cousin to taking us for pani puri at a lahri (the same Rajastani pani puri I had before!)!! On top of that, we had soda-it was so good, yet very strong! Talk about riding a motorcycle after all of that.. but as usual, this is India! welcome to land of try new things and explore your boundaries! Until next time-Ta Ta

"It has to be written in the stars to be back in the land I dreamed and prayed to live in for so many years"