I haven’t updated this blog in a long time. I posted a couple of times but nothing concrete. There isn’t anything major happening in life to write about. Well almost everything and nothing. I can write loads but wouldn’t wish a few readers of this blog to read it.
Anyway, not to sound too bleak, life has been going on as usual. Autumn’s gone and there’s a chill in the weather. There are a few trees in the neighbourhood that are bright red but they will lose the leaves too. Autumn was long and wonderful. We collected a few leaves of different colours from bright yellow to dark maroon.
The kiddo has settled nicely into his routine. Although I think he spends far more time in school than I had wished for. Lunch in school is a big change and the other day he told me, “I don’t get to see you for a long time for four days in a week. We don’t get to eat lunch together.” There was an open day at school a couple of months ago and we got to see his classroom and some of his work. His classroom is so much fun – there a number of different play areas – book corners, art tables, house corner, charts, and many other things that make it attractive even to the adults. No wonder kids are happy and wish to go to school everyday. No boring brown benches! His teacher is lovely, warm and very open. This is such an opposite from the schools in India, where teachers are dreaded and feared.
Life has settled into a routine once again. I wake up early to make breakfasts and lunch boxes and it is all a blur until I drop him off at school. The school is just at a 10 minute walk from our house. All students are made to stand in a queue outside in the playground before school bell and I am amazed at how good the primary 1 kids are at lining up. They don’t cut lines and are prepared to wait their turn.
Leaving aside all the family drama and heart breaks, I have quite a few firang friends here now. Their approach and perspective is quite refreshing. I recently tried to explain what “ghee” means to a firang friend and calling it “clarified butter” made me wince. Clarified butter – in now conveys the deliciousness, warmth and homeliness as “ghee” does. Explaining jaggery was even more difficult. I finally ended up saying – imagine a slab of thick hard cheese but only sweet! Another friend and I discussed the varieties and brands of coconut milk available here. This friend and his wife have just opened a delicatessen and they were introducing some Eastern food dishes. He couldn’t understand how we made coconut milk at home. All these conversations are so much more interesting than the emotional and heartbreaking family dramas. I love the fact that I can indulge as much or as little as I want and walk away unscathed.
I recently watched a play – The Mousetrap – written by the famous Agatha Christie. I remember my grandma introduced her novels to me when I was in college and thus began my love for reading whodunits and books. I had already read the book so there was no mystery to this whodunit for me. It was nostalgic to watch this play and I feel like I am now part of history. When I read those books during my teenage years, I never imagined I would live places and neighbourhoods similar to those described in her books. Having lived in the UK for 4 years now, I can now better understand and internalize her plots and circumstances and I have a whole new love for her books. The play was warm and cosy and atmospheric and felt like hot chocolate on a Christmas night. I can’t wait to discuss it with my grandma.
There are good days and there are bad days but am trying to overcome the bad with the good. Distraction is the only solution for situations beyond your control. Nothing lasts forever and perhaps it’s true. Writing is difficult but there are days like today when it just flows. The saving grace are my husband and my son who live through it all and continue to support me. So hopefully there will be more blog posts.
Maddie's Musings 