Friday, May 22, 2009

Tagged by The Pack

The Pack has tagged me to reveal 10 facts about me. Well I am not sure if there are 10 things to report about me that would interest others. But since the number is fixed one must strive to make ordinary facts interesting to esure readership. So here I go.

1. My readers ought to know by now that I talk a lot. Yes, i do. I take ten minutes to describe an event or information that others would say in perhaps two minutes? My son hushes me up at times and asks me to come to the point. I'll try, I promise, to mke my posts crisp and readable.

2. I am kind of laid back and were it not for my responsibilities as wife and mother and teacher to fulfill I may just not have a priority list to do things.Right now, at my son's place in New York I am enjoying myself by simply not following any order of doing things. It helps that I have no servant to worry about or else I'd have to finish my work to give her work. Jet lag is a pleasure, I sleep like a log in the afternoon, read a book at three in the morning have lunch at four in the evening......... Oh! what bliss.I can do what I want to and blame it on jet lag. It cannot continue for ever and back in India in about 40 days time I have to follow a routine, jet lag or not. But lemme enjoy myself while I can.

3. I am the kind of person who is perhaps quite approachable. In most of my train/plane journeys I find people talk to me easily. When I landed in New York and while waiting for prepaid transport, there was this woman talking English with a German or perhaps Italian accent (not that I know for sure, I only assumed) who told me that she watched a program 'way to India' or something like that and we spoke for 5 minutes and my son was kind of surprised as to what I could have possibly said to a complete stranger. Remember, she talked to me first. There are women, starting from one who fills water by the roadside to another who is utterly religious and has had a bath when I go for my morning walk, there are so many who have a kind word to say to me. I am indeed blessed.

4. I have a soft corner for women in distress. When I first started working and got a flat salary of Rs. 680/- during my probation period, I felt so empowered that I actually allowed a neighbor to take advantage of me with her sob stories. Another time a widow with 4 children and no job became an eligible candidate for my kindness. It is quite another thing that these ladies forgot me when their situations improved and my husband keeps warning me all the time but I am yet to learn my lesson in a big way. I am however more careful these days.

5. I am not the kind to fuss over my children. Oh yes, I am there to support and help them when they need me. But I've seen mothers cook separate items for dinner for each of her fussy children, or worry about the dress her daughter should wear for a particular occasion. I've seen others questioning teachers about each mark scored or not scored in a particular paper. I don't know if the credit goes to me or my children, but they have been uncomplaining and I've been non interfering, unless of course the matter was really serious. None of us have bothered too much about little eyesores. May be it was the situation we were in or my basic nature or the fact that there was really no cause for panic/alarm we've lead a pretty much comfortable life.

6. While I trust my children to manage well on their own, I cannot say that about my husband. I behave like a mother hen and my children call me an enabler. May be this is because I've seen my mother in law behaving like this towards him.

7. I've said this before and I say it again, I do not care too much for shopping. Window shopping?? I cannot shop for the sake of spending time. in Jamshedpur I know where exactly to look for things and it doesn't take me long to find what I want.

8. I cannot sing but I love listening to music. I am not too much of a TV person and I hate it when people keep changing channels.

9. I used to read a lot earlier but I've now become selective. I am currently reading a book on polygamy that existed in the Mormon community some 100 years back. It is surprising how religion could be used to justify the practice. Here again books dealing with the plight of women interests me. I see that cutting across cultures and religion women have always had to stand up for their rights.

10. I cannot defend myself. When I am accused of something I start seeing the other persons perspective and kind of offer to accept blame or at least part of it. In very much the same way I've always tried to find out what my children did before defending them. And even if they were right I prefer to advice them to stay away from trouble mongers.

So that was a long list. I promised to make my post short. Please wish me luck next time. As for now to quote a character in a Stephen King's novel 'Done, bun, cannot be undone'.

To tag others-

I think I'll tag those who've been quiet for sometime now.

I tag Dipali, Hillgrandmom, Lalitha of across the miles, Srijith Unni and Sumana.

Get going all of you.
As for me I have another tag to do before I get busy helping my daughter to relocate.

12 comments:

The Pack said...

:) Thank you ma'm! Loved the post. AND, You don't need to cut down on anything.

Priyanka said...

Nice post, loved reading all the points. The 1st 3 points were exactly what my mom might have written, she is sooo relaxed when she visits me in Singapore. When they are here, if she asks my dad to go for a bath, he responds "Oh NO, don't tell me when to take a bath when we are here. Our maid won't be coming here at 12 PM for washing clothes." :)
Enjoy your time in NY!

DPhatsez said...

Awesome nickname!
R.E.S.P.E.C.T! \m/

Yet another tag victim! Good one!

Sumana said...

Wonderful post hhg as always just fida. Have a great stay in the US and definitely enjoy the jetlag. Sometimes doing things offroutine is very relaxing.

Just Like That said...

Nice post.So with you on 3 and 10. but- I luurrrrrve window shopping.
Your husband must LOVE you for this quality of yours. Me and mine get into the biggest arguments when he literally herds me over to the billing counter, without letting me lurk here and there..
He lets Sonny boy do that, but ot me, much to my ire.

Hip Grandma said...

The Pack;Thank you. Coming from your generation it is an honour.

Priyanka:wow! Let me shake hands with your mom.We are indeed two of a kind.

DPhatsez:welcome here. And looking forward to reading your response.

Sumana:I really wish that off routine becomes a routine.May be I'll look forward to a regular routine then.

JLT:Why don't you take the tag up?I'd love to hear your version

Dr Roshan Radhakrishnan said...

just came by this blog... wanted to say lovely posts, Madam. You write well.

Dotm said...

Glad you didn`t make it a shorter post as I enjoyed reading every word you wrote. A lot of what you wrote reminded me of myself.
Glad you are having such a wonderful time here in New York State with your son.
I live about a 4 to 5 hours drive further north from New york City, but did enjoy visiting New York City years ago.

Hip Grandma said...

Dr Roshan R:welcome here and thank you for your kind words.

Dotm:I see that you've taken time off to read my other posts as well.Thank you.Only a person of your kind would support me.Gen X just shoos me off.(:-((

Mampi said...

It brought you out as such a sweet person that it would be a pleasure to know you in person.
WIsh you a happy summer stay in NY.

Hip Grandma said...

mampi:thank you.that was a nice compliment.I was in NYC just for 4 days. I am currently in LA and will shift to Seatlle in a week.

hillgrandmom said...

Hip Grandma, now that life seems to be settling down, hope to do the tag soon.