Thursday, July 28, 2016

Girl to a Woman . . - 1

Stamped as naughty, social crazy girl, I was brought up in various towns / Districts / cities! And you read it right, perfectly right. My Dad / Daddy / Pappa / Dadda however you read it, it's My Father, who is still working for the Tamilnadu State Government, is a victim of inter - District transfers. So are we, his kids!

I grew up in different environment, different set of people, thanks to my Pappupaati ( my paternal grandmother) who brought us up during our earlier stages of childhood and a few maternal genes that we inherited from Mother Mohan, that we still carry at least a tint of the Bhraman Clan! The language - the typical Iyer slang - got completely deteriorated in the due course of our upbringing, the main causes could be attributed to peer pressure, ragging by senior friends, and all that.

When I attend a typical bhraman in-house function, I get to hear few songs and having a huge - a very hyoogee scope of relatives, who reside at various parts of South India, when you converse with them, you also need to converse in their tone.

If I converse with my aunt who is from down southern part of Tamil Nadu, “Appa chonnarakm,” I will be lashed out . While my father's paternal aunt's son (relation looks dissstaant, but practically we are pretty close!), I should say “Oh aval chollitu illaiyo? Naa kettundenakkam! “ is perfectly fine, coz he is settled in Kerala!

Fine, if at home, this is the situation, I go to college, and to overcome such dialects disturbances, I started talking in English. Then came the name “Peter Priya”. So started learning the local slang of whichever places I resided.

In meantime, my interest inclined towards learning multiple languages, especially during the higher secondary school and then after, coz it was mostly multi Lingual environment.

Fine, now there is an organ called Brain, which functions (am not so sure though!) got too bloody irritated, that it started it's own dialect of speaking ( a mix of all languages that I know - chaltha Hai na?).

Now that am Grown up (and am unsure though!!!) I am getting married to a typical KumbAkonam Iyer aathu Chamathu Payyan! My parents are so pretty proud about that! (And yes, me too, no doubt!)

The language has now become a minor point to improve upon. Aaham / Aathukku, Periya potti (Petti Illa), chonnalonno (chonnale or sonnangale) !

I am not so sure how my future husband to be will be conversing! He is brought up, though not like me completely, in three places though! Pollachi - a land of Kongu tamizh,  Chennai - The land of Senthamizh and America - The English Land!!

If he, as discribed, a Chamathu Iyer Aathu Pullayandaan, Then I guess, I should learn, “Proper “ Bhraman Slang of Tamiz.. And it is just an initiative! “Yendima ketundayonno? Po po, Poi padikra Vazhi paarudima! innu Enna ezhudheendu irukke“

I could hear that from you, so bye for now!!

Be all ears, to listen more from me . . !

Love,
Riya

Friday, July 08, 2016

When the East met the West . . .

India is a land of cultural heritage. Did I say, IS? No, India actually WAS! Fine, the following thread is a vent out for me, and of course, some elderly people as well! Though not a thing is mentioned offensive anywhere, with all due respects, I would take no offense against me from my Non – Hindu / Non – Indian Friends!
All of us, or most of us, would have a Grand Mother, whose eyes would twinkle upon seeing her Husband and obviously, a grandfather, who would be smiling sheepishly, seeing his wife blushing! There was love in the family. A love that was soft, A love that was the pride of the couple and a love that gave happiness even when lust had died out! There might not be enough money, No Cars with Air controllers, No four wheelers with Moon slide and leather seats, No Yamaha FZ bikes with alloy wheels. Still there was happiness. Happiness and bliss prevailed with a bullock cart and / or a TVS excel, a Concrete and Brick home, a kitchen garden and with more than a couple of kids. No Skype, No IMO, No facebook, All Nos. Yet, the emotions were so real!
There was language heritage, be it Tamizh or Sanskrit or Hindi! Chanting OM, going to temple festivals as a BIG Family, Knowing all the relatives of yours, doing household chores ( a form of exercise, you know!), appreciating Yoga, Understanding the richness and righteousness of Indian Indigenous medication forms like Sidha, Ayurvedha and so on, was actually a routine for them. Quite normal ! No conferences, No special classes, No internets, No Jack or Peter to authenticate the righteousness of Yoga was needed, No Harvard University special team of professors needed to validate the “Thoppukaranam” that you regularly put for vinayagar – as the bestest form of exercise, No Huan Tsu / Chan wing to take classes on herbal medicines; yet, the ITK (Indigenous Traditional Knowledge) was powerful, respected, practiced and yes, was also transferred! (Forget about the Indian ITK being stolen, that’s a separate story, you know ! Like that of neem or Turmeric! ). You have also music therapies, Raagas to cure your ailments, as well (Which is not seen in Bass/Pop/jaz/heavy Metals!)
When the western people started invading, researching and realizing that “This is the way of life, as mentioned in Sanadhana dharma, this is how one must live” and all that, Indians – we Indians, have started imitating the western culture, letting go off, our moral and ethical values. We are now modern Indians, who would appreciate the cultural differences across the globe, who would fall hard easily for the western habits ( to show that we appreciate!), who would eventually forget our origins at the Roots of Mother India! The luxurious, sophisticated, Dollar Richness has lured us so much that, we have Dollars with us – Indians becoming America – residing – Indians @ NRIs, everyone in the family are almost independent or self-dependent, emotions have become Emoji’s and Emoticons, Parents getting appointments to talk to their “Kids”, every one needs a privacy(That was named Loneliness, earlier, Though!), no idea of who are your kith and kins, marriages are contracted businesses, education is imparted by concerns and institutions, a cold doctor with lots of knowledge to handle a human body with flesh and skeleton – at the hospitals, online datings, and what NOT ?!.
Though we have begun to witness the giant tree called Mother India, being chopped off and being planted in other continents, she is still surviving because of the few last roots earthed, deeply deeply down here! Let us branch out, but not chop the branches off the tree and make India a snag!
Lots of Luv,
Riya.
PS., Thanks to Ramanan Athimbher for an interesting chat about Vedhas, Hindu/Indian Culture. Thanks to Madan Karky Lyrics / Srinivas Music / Srisha and MSV – The Harmonium Thatha’s song from the Album “Srisha’s Siragadippen”. Thanks to Sivaraman Ramachandran – Siva mama’s ideologies and discussions on hindu Culture and GODly stuffs. These were few of the  main reasons for me to write, as always!