Being in the navy involved
frequent transfers and travelling to different places. This resulted in meeting
diverse people and exposing ourselves to many cultures, languages and
experiences. Looking back, this somewhat gypsy life made our family more
cosmopolitan and open minded. It was
indeed a very positive development.
Amidst all this, there
was always a burning desire to return to our own roots – this simply meant
going for annual holidays to namma Bengaluru. Why was this ‘Salmon Journey’
important? Bengaluru meant familiarity
to us. The visit gave us an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, family, food,
culture and much more. Our holidays were extremely therapeutic.
Our children along
with their cousins from India and America indulged themselves in varied
activities. Some of the activities helped us to relate our own childhood experiences
to the next generation. This sub conscious transfer of our lifestyle helped in
bonding. Somehow it gave a sense of continuity in life.
The children enacted ‘Tennali
Rama’, performed Bhangra dance, indulged in ‘Beladingalu Oota’ (Moonlight dinner
on the terrace), Kai Tothu oota (aunts feeding the children one at a time),
fancy dress with Indian themes and many more. Sighting monkey and crows on the
tree was a regular feature. Watching Madamma milk the cow at the gate was an
exhilarating experience, so was taking a bumpy ride in a Bengaluru auto.
As parents, when we
take a decision to settle abroad for good – we leave behind a bag full of
experiences. Every parent tries to recapture and reconnect with this lost
treasure. More importantly they also work overtime to pass on these lovely memories
to their children.
Two little girls from
India, Bengaluru grew up to be mamas and decided to bring together a series of
books, games and stories to help discover
the magic of India for the little ones.
Go ahead, make
playtime and bedtime a whole lot more fun and a bit more Indian!
True, our children somehow won't experience the kids d of childhood we have spent. And somewhere we are responsible for that.
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