Sunday, May 04, 2008

20 Years Ago!!


My mum and dad scanned this picture for me.
I still remember how thrilled I was to get a ready made saree
with a very easy draw-string! Finally I had the freedom of wearing a saree when I played house in the afternoons without having to wake up aai and ajji from their afternoon seista! Although I guess I did that too because I got bored with the same color every time!
One of my greatest ambitions was to become the "Seeta" in Ramayan. I tried wearing it without the blouse to resemble the Seeta in the forests. Being "mom" was the second best. =)
I liked imitating everything my mom did before she left for work in the exact chronological order after her morning shower. I repeated all of that ( including the way she checked if her saree was all in one level in the mirror) and wore everything on my face that she wore ( not in the right proportions though). Complete with two cute bangles in the right hand and my own little plastic watch ( that showed any time you wanted it to show..ah well, actually all watches are like that!) I "left" for work.
Playing the "teacher" was reserved only when imagination was going slow because of a persistent hunger pang. It was a lot of fun playing school with dad though. He used to turn into the slowest or the naughtiest kid in my class and I punished him all the time!
I loved "going to the market" wearing that saree. I picked up a wire basket from the kitchen and plucked a few leaves off all the trees in the garden. That was my "vegetable shopping".
Then there was the classic. Playing "house"! :)

When I look at myself like that, with my hands midway in the air and a silly little jasmine garland hanging off my head, I wonder what I am doing now! How can someone like THAT turn into someone like THIS?
From the girl who wanted to do everything from owning a dish washing and laundry shop to selling ice cream with my tricycle upside down as an ice cream cart, I am amazed at how I ended up being who I am. Not that I am not proud of what I am doing, but the easy moments of childhood that are filled with hope never come back!
When everything is possible.
When if your mom does not know the answer to your question, you believe that no one knows it as yet!
When you can have just as much sugar as you want and still stay as skinny as ever.
The days of drawing doodles on the wall even though there is a whiteboard in your room!
Where happiness is a function of frequency of zoo visits, helium balloons, pani-puri and tender coconut!

I wish I could go back to it ..I think I already did!!
Thanks Aai-Baba! :D

13 comments:

Ranga said...

I wondered if I was too eccentric to pin-up my childhood photo riding the rocking horse, in the hope of owning a real one some day. We still cherish some desires left unfulfilled. But undeniably, “the easy moments of childhood that are filled with hope never come back!”

Thanks Saee, for a trip down the memory lane.

Saee said...

Hey Sarang!
Glad to have you here. :)
I know..being away from home, I go into reruns of my childhood episodes every now and then!
Thanks for the comment!!

Len said...

When everything is possible.
When if you mom does not know the answer to your question, you believe that no one knows it as yet!
When you can have just as much sugar as you want and still stay as skinny as ever.
The days of drawing doodles on the wall even though there is a whiteboard in your room!
Where happiness is a function of frequency of zoo visits, helium balloons, pani-puri and tender coconut!


*sigh*
Ah, childhood... bittersweet memories! Thanks for making me smile :)

Nemo said...

Very sweet pic and lovely post! :)

Saee said...

@ len and nemo
Thanks. :)
I am glad you guys liked it!

Asmita said...

oh sweety! u luk so cute in that photo of yours :)

Saee said...

@ Asmita..
Thanks
I guess every girl has a "first saree" photo!!
I have really weird ones too that make me go "what were my parents thinking?"

शिरीष said...

Hi Sai! I am little bit let this time as I was out of station for couple of days.

Sai this picture suits better at your blog post.This is the perfect place for this picture.

You have again put me in those nostalgic moments of your childhood where your entire childhood is being viewed as random flashbacks one after other.

Those were the best days of my life.I rememeber every minute details as if every thing happened just few days back.If somebody asks me who is the wealiest man in the world I would say I am as I have kept the most expensive and unique treasure of your childhood memories in my memory vault.No amount of money is worth those memories.
Thanks Sai for this travel down the memory lane

Saee said...

@ baba
Thanks baba..
yeah..I remember both of us doing so many crazy things together. :)
I think I owe a lot of my imagination to the way I spent my childhood. :)
Thanks for making it that way too!!
Love!!

Junius said...

nice post hehe :D

Saee said...

@ Endevourme
Thank you. :)

Unknown said...

ahhh u take me back ages! lovely post and not to miss.. 'ms aussie' rocked 20 yrs ago too *wink*
on d side note, as ur dad says, 'no money in d world is worth those memories' d tis is becos some of us are blessed with a perfect childhood....awww now i miss ma folks!

cheers!

Saee said...

@ Shall..
hehe..thanks doll. :)
Yeah I agree..and as your life goes on, you realize that childhood is the only "perfect" time you have in your life. :)