Thursday, August 09, 2007

Tagged!!

Whatsinamane has tagged me and wants me to give a list if things I am fetish about. As of now I feel that I am not really obsessed about anything if that’s what fetish means. Let me find out.

1) As a child I would collect holy pictures. Mainly Baby Jesus and Holy Mother. I had collected a good number of them when a friend- not really a friend more an acquaintance - came home and on seeing my collection and asked for a few of them. Not knowing how to say no, I gave away the whole bunch and stopped collecting them. Why I gave away all of them is something I did not understand then and do not understand now. However, I remember feeling bad about it for days together.

2) There was a time when I was crazy about story books and while in middle school I’d read any book I could lay my hands on. I remember borrowing books from a lending library at the rate of an anna per day which was rather expensive for a school girl whose weekly pocket money was only 4 annas. My father later made me a member of a nearby library and I read a good many Hindi books depicting the lives of various groups like Dogras and Brajvasis in the form of Lok Kathas. My entry into boarding school changed all that and life became organized. We were not allowed to read story books during study hours and lights were put out at 10 pm. So my reading habit had to be curtailed. I am rather selective these days and do not read everything available. I read more by recommendation.

3) I was very particular about regularity in submission of practical work till about 5 years ago and my students were well aware of this. They’d approach me a day or two before the actual date of submission and ask for permission to submit it at a later date if they had valid reasons. I don’t remember an instance when I had to ask to be excused as a student. I am a little relaxed now mainly because I realize that a B. Sc. Degree alone cannot help them land a job and many are attending coaching classes, computer classes and preparing for competitive exams. My old students would be surprised at my change of heart. Sorry children, I’ve given you a tough time but it was for your good.

4) I am particular about family members rinsing their plates with water after a meal. I feel this not only makes it easier for he servant who washes them but also looks neat. This rule applies to my husband as well who washes his plate when I am around and leaves it unwashed when I am not. Bad of him I must say.

5) I love dhobi washed clothes, well starched and ironed. I even get my synthetic stuff lightly starched and ironed. I feel I am wearing a new sari/suit when they are laundered by the dhobi.

6) I have a fetish for clearing my wardrobe every now and then. I give away clothes when they are in a reasonably good condition so that the person I give it to can use them for a decent period of time. I give away other items too that may be put to good use by others and are simply occupying space in my cupboard. I cannot however part with worn out cotton stuff. I need them for hot summer afternoons and dusting purposes.

I see that I too have a number of obsessions that I was hardly aware of. There may be more and I may actually end up doing a sequel. let me tag artnavy,sunitha and itching to write if they haven't done it already.

16 comments:

The Visitor said...

G'ma - Have you read Harry Potter? If you haven't you should. And then I want a blow by blow account of your experience. TC

Just Like That said...

heh heh et tu, HGMom? WIN did it to me too.
But why did you give away your entire collection? And how mean of the other person to take it all!

Your 'fetish' on submission of practical work made me remember some of my professors, esp in Phys. I and my partner were never able to get the measurements correct/tallying.
Sigh! We had such palpitations and such pleasures! :-D

Usha said...

Starch synthetics- now that is a good tip.
Rinsing their plates - why does it seem such a chore to some people. Have one in the house too - not husband but son!
When are you cleaning your wardrobe next?:)

Jaya said...

HG, It's tough to give away your collection. I remember as a girl , I had gone on a vacation and had collected some stones/shells. But I forgot to get them back with me. I realised when I boarded the train to get back home. I felt miserable for days.
Have you read any book by Alexander McCall Smith? Please do check them out. Another one is "Match made in heaven" by Bob Mitchell.

Unknown said...

hehe...rinsing plates..I do not understand why that would be so difficult for people in the house to understand that dirty plates crusted with remnants of last night's dinner is NOT a pleasant sight for anyone!!!!
And yes I second "The visitor" please read HP 7, you are a book lover you cannot miss out on that..

Hip Grandma said...

the visitor:yeah,I'll try it out and let you know.

just like that:If I was stupid enough to give away my entire collection why wouldn't she take it?Not her fault really.So you were at the receiving end,eh?I was too tho' not for late submission.Our teachers delighted in retuning record work without signing for simple mistakes.But those days were different.

usha:my son is no better.Now that he is in New York he has to do his dishes himself.Must be realizing something now.want to come and help clearing the wardrobe?

joy:so sweet.Children attach value to simple pleasures.Why do we ever grow up?I'll try reading the books.thanks.

random vignettes:I am made out to be a tyrant for insisting although that is about the only thing I insist.I think I must get hold of HP.seem to have missed something

WhatsInAName said...

I wish that your fetish of cleaning cupboards rubs off on me too!
Now that you mentioned it, I suddenly feel that its been ages since I did that!

Neat list and I must applaud at all 3 of you! You finished the homework bang on time!

Serendipity said...

# 1 :HHG , being an ardent fan of your blog that's one thing
I've discovered about you.You need to read a book titled "How to say NO"
#4 : Let me guide you to another kindred soul named Altoid.You atleast insist
on rinsing plates.She forces us to wash them.

Vishesh said...

gmom
try reading paulo coelho...

i never like to ask fro more time......the only time i had to do it was this yr...because a guy stole my observation,just to make me suffer....

and rinsing the plate rule is also there in my house...

Anonymous said...

hip-hop grandmom, i think ur right on the $. i think you should rinse plates in the sink as well. makes them easier to wash in the long run & if you leave them overnight, they're not stinky. also, recycling your possessions is great, i'm a relatively young woman (34) who's been raised in an upper-middle class fam, educated (college, english degree, but i still learn daily. if you don't, you die. so my father told me...i think my thirst for truth has served me best), and now, a broke-ass waitress who's embarking on a whole new education, (culinary school, woo! passion) after helping raise a sister 16 yrs younger than i am, giving where i have nothing, and loving it, making it happen (my heart, my soul, THE FUTURE, make sure it's irie!). i give away things, appliances, clothes, anything i don't use for more than 6 mo.; i buy the best- not the most expensive, and take care of my things-just 'cause i'm poor doesn't mean i have to be slovenly. waste not, want not. as for that scummy person taking ur whole collection: as a woman, society in this day & age breeds women to b "pleasers", negating our natural abilities for multitasking, pain threshhold (let's watch a man give birth-or even have cramps), and compassion-this poor excuse for a human is petty & dissatisfied within themselves to be so greedy (and karma comes), poo on them. but make sure ur backbone works now, girl. people can only rob u if u let them. research a woman's role in life 2 thousand years ago...i'm not a man hater, but as women, we rock! we're yin & yang. the sexes complement each other. we are not lesser, but equal parts of a whole. as for "practical work"...the human body was made for manual labor, how many people have carpal tunnel syndrome from typing all day long? or problems w/ eyesight from staring into the computer all day? showing ur work in math relates to that-there are reasons for outcomes. a basic tenant of psychology-repeating behavior & expecting a different end result is the defintion of madness. not saying i don't appreciate change, but let's not bang our heads against the brass tacks of reality. and seriously girl, if u can't give away ur cotton-that's telling u something-fuck synthetics-wool, silk, cotton. natural fiber, no dry cleaning, low maintenance. synthetics are not for wearing. not accepting homework after the due date w/out a REALLY good reason? boo-friggin-hoo. let's mollycoddle children some more & reinforce them growing up too fast. adults need to reclaim themselves. we feed them, shelter them, nuture them & protect them as best we can. we've been there. they will not die if they're told NO. in fact, they will eventually appreciate u more for not letting them steamroll u. nina, the sister i alluded to, knows she is a CHILD, even at almost 18. i have never laid a hand on her, also, i have never lied to her. not even about my own shortcomings & failures. i have shown her that you can learn from ur mistakes & respect urself & continue to grow. that is the meaning of life. self expression is not sacrificed. kids need disipline, not beatings, but boundaries. i'm an iconoclast saying this: no is no is no, for a valid reason & it's always no. not bcause i want 2 ruin ur life, but because i've been there & i love u & no good can come of this. if your kids want to get down on the floor & kick & yell at the store,LET THEM, it's what they do! when no noe's paying attention, you'll b surprised how fast they get over themselves. PAVLOV-the bell rings, drool. bad behavoir, get ignored. postive reinforcement, DUH. paying attention to those actions tells them "hey, this gets results. i can "work" this." tell them when they're done, you'll be buying things that are needed-don't be embarrassed. every other grownup there feels u. give examples. conversely, yes must always be yes. only ok things that foment positivity, and no need to be victorian. constancy is a MUST w/ children. they will never respect you if you flim-flam. simple self respect, which u seem 2 possess in spades, though u don't seem to realize it, is a noble attribute; the ONLY one worth having & it's FREE. don't let anyone tell you ur wrong. unless u start counting steps, checking ur alarm 50x, or assiduously avoiding the cracks in sidewalks like it's ur job, you are living with dignity, self reliance & concern for the future. no o.c.d. or high maintenance. i say-you go grrrrl! by the way, i also recommend harry potter. highly. been reading them w/ "the bean" since they came out.....
PLEASE PEOPLE! LET'S LIVE WITH SELF RESPECT! DON'T FOLLOW THE HERD OR TURN AWAY FROM THE GREAT TRUTH. WE ARE SENTIENT. USE YOUR BRAIN. IT IS A HUMANS GREATEST TOOL. YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART WHAT IS TRUE & PURE. live in beauty grandma, i think you already do.....

Hip Grandma said...

whatsinaname:my pleasure.You're welcome to give me more homework.I've been giving it to others all my life.

serindipity:ha!ha!Is altoid older than you.if so I can understand.My sister now a grandma herself still remembers our boarding school days when I played 'big sis' and doled out toilet items like hair oil and cream like a ration shop owner.don't have it against her.we,older siblings tend to become second mothers.

vishesh:thanks for the reco.I will.as for the guy stealing your observations,we get complains all the time-of stolen records and forging of signatures.that is part of life.

anon:That was a nice comment and quite a detailed one too.You are right on many issues the chief being to respect one's self.thanks

Tys on Ice said...

:) ...almost detect a lil OCD here..btw, if u r interested in Hindi literature , pls visit www.kalayan.com , its a site totally dedicated to hindi literature and they also do hindi plays...

Hip Grandma said...

tys on ice:OCD?? No way.I am not really obsessed with anything.But wait a sec. May be I am with the washing of plates after a meal.I'll check the site and thanks for the reference.

Tys on Ice said...

yeah, iam totally fanatic abt having a clean kitchen before going to bed ... cant stand waking up to a dirty kitchen..

I will tell my wife to get on it :)

Dee said...

I share your fetish for point 6. I love clearing my wardrobe eeryweekend and my husband thinks I am just plain crazy :)

Vishesh said...

hi gmom

check out my poem on india here