Sunday, November 14, 2004
The festival of lights
happy2fight
The past week was one of feasts and siestas, morning walks and small talks. I didn't have to go to office, nor did I want to. My recently-wed daughter,M and son-in-law,K, celebrated their first festival of lights according to the custom. We invited them over for lunch and they reciprocated. Them in India means the couple, the parents and the first of kin of the parents. So the party at our place had over thirty people. At theirs, it must have been slightly less. We exchanged gifts. I received an intricately carved silver box, small enough to hold in the palm. Very exquisite indeed.
It was a big occasion for my wife, her mother and sister and they happily planned for it days in advance. The high point always is the menu of the feast. This time they included a lot of items from the South instead of the traditional ones and combined them with a few North Indian delicacies.
The women in India do not think in terms of tradition Vs modernity. They work with tradition AND modernity. That helps them get on with their job in a more imaginative way. Tradition demands you cook every thing at home. Modernity offers you a wide choice of ready-to-eat items. Modernity offers you immense choices from India and abroad. These Ladies get on with the only job they know, that is, to celebrate life in togetherness. They are simply great!
The past week was one of feasts and siestas, morning walks and small talks. I didn't have to go to office, nor did I want to. My recently-wed daughter,M and son-in-law,K, celebrated their first festival of lights according to the custom. We invited them over for lunch and they reciprocated. Them in India means the couple, the parents and the first of kin of the parents. So the party at our place had over thirty people. At theirs, it must have been slightly less. We exchanged gifts. I received an intricately carved silver box, small enough to hold in the palm. Very exquisite indeed.
It was a big occasion for my wife, her mother and sister and they happily planned for it days in advance. The high point always is the menu of the feast. This time they included a lot of items from the South instead of the traditional ones and combined them with a few North Indian delicacies.
The women in India do not think in terms of tradition Vs modernity. They work with tradition AND modernity. That helps them get on with their job in a more imaginative way. Tradition demands you cook every thing at home. Modernity offers you a wide choice of ready-to-eat items. Modernity offers you immense choices from India and abroad. These Ladies get on with the only job they know, that is, to celebrate life in togetherness. They are simply great!
# posted by Bhupatkar @ 3:40 AM 
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that sounds like a wonderful occasion.
I particularly like the sentiment of the "didnt have to go to the office, nor did I want to", something I wish I could do more often!!!!
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I particularly like the sentiment of the "didnt have to go to the office, nor did I want to", something I wish I could do more often!!!!
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