Earlier I was watching an Youtube video from back home. In that video I happened to hear the cukoo cukoo of Koyal or the Cuckoo Bird. This was too teasing, bringing back the older memories from back home.
I realized that among the things I miss the most from home is mainly
1. The Sounds of home.
Continuing on the cukcoo, I can recall days where I used to mimic it and call it out every time I felt happiness from within or like sharing things.
Another common sounds are the crowds when one goes to a market. The word fish market is almost applicable to even a small size market run by vendors.
Something very similar is a hand-cart vendor calls out while going by his/her route on the road.
Another sound was when one goes to a movie theater, all the hooters, whistling, clapping is another feel which one can't get any where else.
Sometimes even the Cacophonic sounds of a wedding or Ganesh immersion procession is something which I miss.
2. The Smells of Home
Let's keep the bad smell arising from the open Nalla's and the Autowala's throwing semi-burned kerosene fumes from their half broken silencer exhaust trying to create a terrestrial acrobatic smoke display.
But a simple smell of some one doing their morning pooja at their home with Agarbathi (incense) lit, or be it aromatic smells from the kitchens all over. Even while walking down the street, the smell of special Elaichi Chai (Cardamon flavoured Tea) entices me a lot. Walk by the bakery for smell of freshly baked bread, or temple where smells of burnt camphor welcome the devotees in adobe. Fresh smell of soil when first showers of rain spray their droplets on the ever virgin land. Exquisite are the smells which we are so used to.
3. The Sights of Home
The very presence of multitude of colours which the rich Indian culture is second to none in the entire world. Even with all the giant LCDs and Neon Sign radiating heat and calling in the consumers and tourists alike in cities like New York or Tokyo are no where comparable to days when we see houses decorated with flowers, mango and neem leaves on a festival or an inviting rangoli decoration in the entrance of the house. Nothing equals the diya's on Diwali or the thousands of kites filling our skies on a sankranti. The colours of our Indian women adore are a visual treat in itself which is quite contradictory to white and blacks or earthly tones of the west. We can't get a place filled with colours as on a day of holi which incidentally resembles the rainbows.If one thinks am not going over board the flora and fauna in India no matter how rare they are becoming are quite unique and are a special treat in themselves.
4. The Tastes of Home
Nothing is parallel to what mom cooks. Yes she burns my biryani in the bottom of dish, I eat the bottom one the most. Yes my mom uses a lot of oil and salt, but I still like it and grew eating it. Yes I am choosy and hate my greens which mom makes, but heck I don't eat them, any of them outside. I miss my favourite Dil Khush (Tutty Fruity Pastry Puff), I miss my favourite Paneer Butter masala, the special hyderbadi biryani with mirchi ka salan, or a double ka meeta. I don't even want to recall the milk mysorepaak or Potharekulu from Godavari district or fruit biscuits from Karachi bakery. So many yummy yummy things. Enough of the stupid pizzaa's, and burgers with french fries or onion rings; Nothing tastes and smells better than home made Indian food; only thing which comes second is the one which we get in those famous stall and restaurants making mouth watering foods. Yum yum yum...
5. The Feel of Home
What tops it all is the warmth one gets back home. It is simply unequal. The warmth, the love, the affections is a treasure house in itself which can't be filled anywhere. The parents, the relatives, the kids its so much so happening. We are cared for, we are loved for, wanted for (in a good sense), seeked for, reached out to, and even sometimes an occasional curse after some praise. The joy with which people run around the apartment complex, the way festivals and get togethers are celebrated, the way elders are revered and relationships given importance makes me so so wanting to experience that all over. There is always that energy generating back home which makes a place to be called home lack of it makes it a house. Even in general places one could always stop by and ask help or directions if you are lost; in here one might not be surprised if the other person draws a concealed weapon or pepper spraying you thinking of some danger. Trust is something which exists in general walk of life back home, which to some extent is lesser in the western world.
No matter where one goes and explores the thing called happiness is no equal to a place called Home. A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it, so true, so really really true. Perhaps that's why even the wild animals return to their native/home roots when they want to breed their offspring. No wonder
I realized that among the things I miss the most from home is mainly
1. The Sounds of home.
Continuing on the cukcoo, I can recall days where I used to mimic it and call it out every time I felt happiness from within or like sharing things.
Another common sounds are the crowds when one goes to a market. The word fish market is almost applicable to even a small size market run by vendors.
Something very similar is a hand-cart vendor calls out while going by his/her route on the road.
Another sound was when one goes to a movie theater, all the hooters, whistling, clapping is another feel which one can't get any where else.
Sometimes even the Cacophonic sounds of a wedding or Ganesh immersion procession is something which I miss.
2. The Smells of Home
Let's keep the bad smell arising from the open Nalla's and the Autowala's throwing semi-burned kerosene fumes from their half broken silencer exhaust trying to create a terrestrial acrobatic smoke display.
But a simple smell of some one doing their morning pooja at their home with Agarbathi (incense) lit, or be it aromatic smells from the kitchens all over. Even while walking down the street, the smell of special Elaichi Chai (Cardamon flavoured Tea) entices me a lot. Walk by the bakery for smell of freshly baked bread, or temple where smells of burnt camphor welcome the devotees in adobe. Fresh smell of soil when first showers of rain spray their droplets on the ever virgin land. Exquisite are the smells which we are so used to.
3. The Sights of Home
The very presence of multitude of colours which the rich Indian culture is second to none in the entire world. Even with all the giant LCDs and Neon Sign radiating heat and calling in the consumers and tourists alike in cities like New York or Tokyo are no where comparable to days when we see houses decorated with flowers, mango and neem leaves on a festival or an inviting rangoli decoration in the entrance of the house. Nothing equals the diya's on Diwali or the thousands of kites filling our skies on a sankranti. The colours of our Indian women adore are a visual treat in itself which is quite contradictory to white and blacks or earthly tones of the west. We can't get a place filled with colours as on a day of holi which incidentally resembles the rainbows.If one thinks am not going over board the flora and fauna in India no matter how rare they are becoming are quite unique and are a special treat in themselves.
4. The Tastes of Home
Nothing is parallel to what mom cooks. Yes she burns my biryani in the bottom of dish, I eat the bottom one the most. Yes my mom uses a lot of oil and salt, but I still like it and grew eating it. Yes I am choosy and hate my greens which mom makes, but heck I don't eat them, any of them outside. I miss my favourite Dil Khush (Tutty Fruity Pastry Puff), I miss my favourite Paneer Butter masala, the special hyderbadi biryani with mirchi ka salan, or a double ka meeta. I don't even want to recall the milk mysorepaak or Potharekulu from Godavari district or fruit biscuits from Karachi bakery. So many yummy yummy things. Enough of the stupid pizzaa's, and burgers with french fries or onion rings; Nothing tastes and smells better than home made Indian food; only thing which comes second is the one which we get in those famous stall and restaurants making mouth watering foods. Yum yum yum...
5. The Feel of Home
What tops it all is the warmth one gets back home. It is simply unequal. The warmth, the love, the affections is a treasure house in itself which can't be filled anywhere. The parents, the relatives, the kids its so much so happening. We are cared for, we are loved for, wanted for (in a good sense), seeked for, reached out to, and even sometimes an occasional curse after some praise. The joy with which people run around the apartment complex, the way festivals and get togethers are celebrated, the way elders are revered and relationships given importance makes me so so wanting to experience that all over. There is always that energy generating back home which makes a place to be called home lack of it makes it a house. Even in general places one could always stop by and ask help or directions if you are lost; in here one might not be surprised if the other person draws a concealed weapon or pepper spraying you thinking of some danger. Trust is something which exists in general walk of life back home, which to some extent is lesser in the western world.
No matter where one goes and explores the thing called happiness is no equal to a place called Home. A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it, so true, so really really true. Perhaps that's why even the wild animals return to their native/home roots when they want to breed their offspring. No wonder
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