Funtime

Last 2-3 days have been pretty busy, like a true salesman, (that being one of my inherent attributes) I had meetings lined up back to back to catch up with my targets for the month. With my iCal and google email/sms reminders, it is very difficult to lose focus or track of the scheduler in my head....there is always something processing and eventually hyperlinking its way through my web of thoughts.
But on Thursday, suddenly a pop up hit out of nowhere while I was driving in my borrowed 1497 CC, 4 cylinder, 1.5L I-VTEC chariot through the raving, blazing (not enough words to describe the discomfort....although a little relief thanks to my chariot's air conditioning system with 10% increased air flow capacity and extra vents) afternoon....a thought that had not surfaced for quite some time....summer vacations. I miss them the most. One & the only thing that I always complain about ever since I have bid farewell to academics is that I no longer stand a chance to have a 2 month long summer vacation. hmph...:(

Summer vacations....I think many made it through the year long suffering with the energy they had gathered and reserved in these long breaks and short ones in between. I wasn't one of them but looking forward to the vacations is something I always did....have so many memories to cherish. Even remembering them brings a smile on my face...:-)) (you're right, actually a grin).

Just the thought of मे च्या सुट्ट्या (summer holidays) automatically reactivated all the planning panels...the most powerful energy came from the fact of getting together with P,G,A & D (my first cousins....we got together in may vacations, mostly at my place or at Aaji's).
A typical day would go like this....

- Get up at 9:30 - 10:00 (that was the longest we were allowed to sleep)
- Fight over बिछानें कोण आवरणार (who will make the bed)....A always ended up doing it. He actually helped the most with all chores.
- Drink bournvita for the next 1 hour (G always ended up taking more time than that....she hated milk, still does)
- Another fight over who would bathe first {although whoever did, had to start first with the daily chores list :) }

- In between all this, some constant side activities included reading comics, playing jhata pati at home, bicker over the tinkle, thak thak, archie, betty & veronica...actually bickering was constant, the subjects & objects just kept on changing.

- With no real heavy breakfast, at 12:30 everyone had growling stomachs, ready to relish my mother's cooking {which I think was always better with her nieces & nephews around ;)}

- And for the first time in the day the TV would be switched on for FUNTIME....everybody used to just shut up, eat & peer into the idiot box. The all time favourite was GIANT ROBOT...now i realize where my affinity for Iron Man comes from :D

He Man, Invisible Man, Fairy Tale stories....were some of my other favourites.

- Lunch was followed by a yummy session of आंबा खाणे (eating mangoes)...like I said, the bickering continued {wouldn't have been fun without the bickering too} with the आंबा फोड़ & बाठा (mango seed & slices) being the object and who getting to eat what and how many. D was always asked to change her clothes while eating as she invariably managed to turn everything yellow from face to foot while eating aamba....being the youngest this act of hers was associated with being cute...we all pampered here anyway.

- After this we either went out to see a marathi bal natya (plays) or saw an english movie at home....I remember the first one that I understood & enjoyed was...(was about 7 yrs old)...'Now you see, Now you don't'...it was fun!

- If we decided to rollick out in the afternoon sun for pakda pakdi, hide & seek, khamb-khamb, kho kho or lock & key....it either ended with someone crying about being targetted {unfortunately many a times, poor me :( }, someone falling or getting hurt or with P getting a lashing from Ajoba for some of his ridiculous pranks that woke him out of his tranquil one hour nap. {P being eldest always got most of the lashing & the bashing}

- Evenings were all about play, either in the building compound or in parks....summer would not have been the same without the sweet-salty play sweat :D

- After dinner the cards came out, starting with Saat-Aath (7-8) moving to Paach-Teen-Don (5-3-2) as the players joined in, moving to Badam Saath (7 of hearts), Gulam Chor {Jack, the thief..Really not sure if thats how I am supposed to transalte it ;)}, Jhabbu (sorry, cant translate that...dnt even wanna try), Not At Home, Challenge/Bluff....

- Finally by 12:00, elders started the yelling...आता झोपा, सकाळी १० वाजे पर्यन्त उठत नाही (Its late, go to bed...then you all sleep till 10 in the morning)...and the lights were turned off.

These activites metamorphosed into going out alone, watching movies in theaters, shopping being added to the list {fashion street & linking road}, tinkles and thak-thak's being taken over by nancy drew's & agatha christie and then to sidney sheldon's and robin cook's, to the Dada's of the group no longer wanting to hang out with their boring girl sibblings & cousins, to hanging out with friends, to driving out alone, to summer internships, to NO 2 month LONG SUMMER VACATIONS.

The nostalgic me does keep going back to my chilhood days and come to think of it today, I cannot imagine my life without my iphone, google & my MacAir...back then, without any of this the day still seemed short, without even a tinge of boredom and that I think was some fun time...which I will always cherish.

In retrospect I don't regret the transformation, but I do miss my summer vacation :)