Saturday, January 9, 2010

Coming back...

A trip to India for NRIs is never quite satisfying. A month long sojourn seems like an appetiser to a full course meal. Yes, The NRI in me reached India, travelled to Mumbai, to Pune, to Calcutta, to Muzzafarpur(North Bihar) and then back via the same route to Muscat.

It was hectic, it was fun. There were set backs at time, road blocks at others. The street food was mouth watering, the cold was heart warming, lazy mornings, heavy breakfasts, things which we don't usually do when we stay away from the generation that has always sought to feed us, to take care of us, were all done lavishly. A month long sojourn where everyone wants to see how you have changed/grown over the last year - horizontally(for us), vertically(for the kids) finally came to an end.

Everytime I go to India, I try to cut down on my list of people to visit and add a few places to visit, every time I fail. However this time, I did take the kids to the Elephanta caves, to the sonet lumiere at The Victoria Memorial in Calcutta. I wanted to take them to see a theatre or a play as it is called, but an elderly relative took sick suddenly and a visit to the hospital took precedence.. well, there's always a next time!

I am back now to my routine, to my work, to my early morning coffee and restless reading of books. PTAs will start soon enough, and so will my walks to lose the fat that I accumulated over bengali sweets and mutton curries. I am suddenly back to being an adult again. Going to a place where everybody is from your previous generation makes you a time traveller in a sense. You are called by innumerable nick names, you are pampered and scolded, your views are not taken, your hair colour is looked at with indulgence mixed with agony. You are served water before you ask for it, you are put to bed early and you have to eat fruits!!!

So lets just say that on one level I am glad to be back, to belong where I truly do. I am glad to be back to all my blogger friends, I have missed you all a lot. I am sure all of you had a great New Year's eve and I wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2010. Looking forward to sharing the details of a sometime mundane, somethime active, sometime poignant and sometime hilarious life with you once again.

42 comments:

Aparna said...

Welcome back. It was nice to see your horizontal growth. We can all do with some weight, may be then the older generation will start taking us seriously and treat us with more respect.
Next time I will take the kids to the Victoria Memorial too. And let me tell you right now that Swatididi and I have been planning our next holiday already to a beach resort.This time only the cousins ( no children or the husbands) How does that sound?

Nona said...

Welcome back! Happy New Year to you!

The Holy Lama said...

Welcome back to blogsphere. Long time, no see. Missed you. And there's always the next time.

SJ said...

Welcome back! I am SO looking forward to hoing home and eating REAL masala dosas!

Imagination said...

Hi Sujata happy New year..! I am sure you had nice time in India...!

sujata sengupta said...

Hi Aparna it was great being with you and everybody else as it is each time..hmm the horizontal growth is quite pronounced actually!! I am into the next holiday, just make the thing happen and you will have me there.

Hi Nona it feels great to be back, A Happy New year to you as well.

@The Holy lama thanks for the wishes, missed all of you a lot too, but a montyh without internet is good, really the addiction goes away.

@SJ Happy New Year dear. Am sure you are looking forward to masala dosas rather than the crepes that they have been dishing out to you. Have a swell time home and get back more spiced up!!

@MarvinR Sottile am sorry I could not get even a word of what you wrote, but thnk you for visiting

@imagination thanks for the wishes i wish you a great year ahead too.

Gymnast said...

Happy new year Sujata and welcome back!

ZB said...

hi welcome back.

I know how it feels. We make a long agenda and squeeze in time for family, shopping, pilgrimage, ayurveda etc. It feels great when people treat you like a VIP.

I am myself waiting for my next month trip for a month. TC wish you a great Year ahead.

ekta khetan said...

Cool...Welcome back and Happy New Year!

In fact just a day back I was going thru my blog roll and wondering ur long absence. This explains a lot..see ya!

Sakshi said...

Glad to hear that you are back....I enjoyed your Kolkata a lot. The Victoria Memorial was dazzling and loved the by lanes of older part of the city. We had some unforgettable moments and some episodes which I would rather forget...

Lolz at horizontal growth. I think finally I managed to gain the much needed horizontal growth after I gulped down half of Kolkata's sweets :)

Hope to read more of your travel tales soon

Anonymous said...

Welcome Back! Looks like you had fun! Happy New Year dear....

Eagerly awaiting your future posts on the small adventures back home...

NR said...

Oh it must have been a lovely experience...i too miss my home!!!
Lucky u r u went to cal

kochuthresiamma p .j said...

a beautiful post. the return of the native phenomenon captured very evocatively. keep writing.
may you have a great 2010

Kavi said...

Welcome back to the blog world ! I am glad you were here and had swell fun !!!


Elephanta caves are indeed awesome !

Sumandebray said...

Welcome Back... Lucky you! to be able to travel through the breadth of the country. My last few (actually more than few) visits has been only for a week!
Hope you had a big bash for the new year. Here is our best wishes for the new year for you and your loved ones

BK Chowla, said...

Welcome back and good to see you again.
What I like most is the word GROWTH whichever way one may look at it.

Vineeta said...

Happy New Year to you too and welcome back :) You just made me nostaligic.. I just love my previous generation taking full control (scolding, advising but at the same time caring all for you)! I just want them to be there always :) U seriously made me nostalgic :D

HELENA AFONSO said...

Nice text and travel story Sujata, a travel to INDIA for me is just "my way of life...." cause is the best way to live the best experiences of my life, .which I miss when I am at home!
wellcome back!
HELENA

deeps said...

ok ok
so thats the reason why there was some silence from an NRI ...

hectic sure it is to travel in India, but it s also an enriching experince that u cant deny ...
you had chosen the right time as well ...
yeaa welcome back .. :-)

Destiny's child... said...

Welcome back to blogdom :)
Missed your posts...Glad to know that you had a nice time being pampered and fed ;)
Wishing you a very happy new year :)

R. Ramesh said...

hey s, so u 2 were in india..and that 2 in mumbai..shucks..could have caught up and made u order coffee which u have been promising for years..heheh i am a bluff master..:) anywya..good to c ya back..cheers

Urmi said...

Wish you and your family a very happy and prosperous new year.
I appreciate for your wonderful post and I liked your template very much.

sujata sengupta said...

@Gymnast thanks and wish you the same

@ZB I know exactly what you mean. that must have hurt to see your daughter finding you unfamiliar..just go and get them back!!

@numerounity thanks dear, it means a lot

@Sakshi i guess I know what you mean by episodes you would rather forget..and aparna is calling me fat..you got that didnt you!!

@Jyothi thanks and I wish you a very happy new year too!!

@NR Hope you get to go home soon as well. heres wishing you a great new year!

@Kochutherismma thanks a lot and wish you a great year ahead.

@Kavi its good to be back to the blogging world. It was great to be in India. Wish you a great year ahead!

sujata sengupta said...

@SDR Hi without your wife and kid, I am sure you didnt have all that much a great time on new year's eve, however the entire year is right in front of you to make up for that one day!! Hoping you have a great year ahead. It was a treat travelling from calcutta to muzaffarpur on train, the journey was nostalgic and lovely and the chill of the winters in northern bihar were really a super backdrop to my grandma's warmth.

@BKC thanks sir, wish you and your family and great and lovely year ahead. The growth is really quick on the horizontal front after a trip to India..lets say i will try and reverse the growth a little bit..that will be a growth too..right?

@Vineeta thanks for dropping by, I think you are new to this page. Wish you a great year ahead and hope to see you again soon

@Helena thanks, I appreciate it. thanks also for dropping by and leaving the comment, means a lot.

@deeps hahhaha yah the silence has a reason now, it was great to be back home, and to be internet free, felt like good old days without the urgency to chk mails every hour.

@Destiny's child thanks for the wishes dear. Wish you a lovely year ahead as well.

@Ramesh, how was I supposed to know you would be in BBy as well..hmmm so the coffee was missed, and I am sure you wouldnt have let me pay..come on..I am not a feminist..I dont pay restaurant bills when I am with a man..we belong thankfully to the generation that believed in chivalry as a virtue

@Babli thanks dear. hope you had a greeat new year's eve!! Wishing you and sanjoy a lovely year ahead!

Indrani said...

Welcome back and wish you a great, happy and safe 2010! :)

JP said...

Well written. Yes, these visits rejuvenate our energy level.

Wish you very happy and prosperous days ahead in 2010.

Arun Meethale Chirakkal said...

Vow! Great post. In a sense only you people, NRIs, can appreciate it all in the true spirit because you miss them the most. Wish you a very happy New Year, though quite belated.

Razzer said...

Ydont u jus stay n nev go back? Now that's an idea. :-)

Unknown said...

:D well well, hoping this trip was nice, relaxing and rejuvenating for you!!! it was, u have written. and u came to Pune and dint meet me! :( :( ... wud have luved to see you at least. No issue tho, u have been on a tight schedule greetin meeting friends and family. lets see some more blog posts from you now onwards. :)

R. Ramesh said...

Suuuuuu..thnks for yr msg friend..ya missed meeting u in amchi mumbai..dunno how i lov that city so much..maybe becz i was covering Navi Mumbai news for more than a dcade for TOI..anwy..catch up in dubai when u visit and at least keep yr promise for a starbucks coffee..hehe

radha said...

Came over from Kavi's musings. Nice blog you have here. And a lovely post. I know many echo your sentiments.

Santanu Sinha Chaudhuri said...

What you have written is very personal, yet, many like me would be able to share your feelings. I particularly liked this: "You are called by innumerable nick names, you are pampered and scolded, your views are not taken, your hair colour is looked at with indulgence mixed with agony. ... and you have to eat fruits!!!"

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