Shernaza Rasul
11 December 2009
Ho Ho Ho! It’s my favourite time of the year! Yes, Christmas is here! Like many others around the world, it is undoubtedly the festival I wait for most throughout the year. From Santa’s presents to Christmas carols, from mom’s home baked desserts to Christmas parties it is a celebration of sorts.
Although most would be surprised to know how some Indians like myself celebrate Christmas year after year, I know it will live on forever. Back at home it is not a week of celebrations but a whole month! You read right…a whole month!
The few Indians I am referring to are the state of Assam tea planters’ lot - a jolly bunch who obviously love their tea, club gatherings, sports and a lavish lifestyle in general. I’ll try my best to explain how ‘we’ do Christmas in a few words so read on!
The concept is simple. Around 20-25 tea estates gather for their fun at a planters’ club, which was built by the British back in the day. Although each club has its own set of clubs dos, members of neighbouring tea estates and clubs are welcome to attend and participate. As a result, a month long of club-hopping takes place since each club carefully plans and makes sure that the celebration dates do not clash.
While the women distribute cooking responsibilities the men decorate the club and stock up the perennial bars! Young kids get busy convincing their parents to order tailor-made costumes for the fancy dress competition and the tea estate bachelors get busy planning an eventful day of fun and games for children and adults alike.
Each year a ‘new Santa’ is chosen and arrangements are made for him to arrive with great pomp! Since we do not have reindeer in India, we make do with horses! So, as the jockeys ride on their horses before Santa’s sleigh (in this case, a red jeep) everyone gathers in the front of the club singing carols as Santa waves at the crowd saying ‘Ho Ho Ho!’
Before Santa arrives, the much awaited fancy dress competition is held after which the children and elders are made to play various planned games. Then a children’s tea party is held while the elders munch on foods made specifically for them as they sip on their drinks, and the maids are fed a lavish brunch too! After Santa arrives and distributes the gifts carefully handpicked by the parents, the games’ prizes are given out and the children and their maids are dropped off to their respective houses, usually with friends visiting from far off clubs/estates.
When the clock strikes eight and the adults are back, the club booms with music as a live band performs and finger foods and drinks are served. Originally planned for 10.30pm, dinner finally gets laid by 11.30pm and consumed much later (most of the time). The party goes on till about 3 or 4am and everyone returns home happy.
Yes, that is how we spend our pre Christmas celebrations! It would be nice to see what Melbourne has in store for me! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2010!
8 October 2009
Hooray! Today dad comes back home from a work visit in Japan. I can’t wait to see what he got for me! I remember telling him to pick up a few goodies like a good cocktail dress and matching shoes, a few funky hand bags, and and….! I even remember drawing an outline of my feet so that dad picks up a pair that would fit me perfectly!
It was confirmed then that I was daddy’s little girl because he got me all of the above, and better still he had the best surprise ever…a pet dog! Yep, a little black pug sitting shyly on a basket with a thin pink ribbon tied loosely around her neck! She was the sweetest thing I had ever seen! I decided instantly to name her PIXIE!
As the days went by, surely enough Pixie was my world! She was my new best friend, my happiness, my little bundle of joy! She loved chewing on my toes and nibbled on anything lying in front of her! Mum had strict instructions that I wipe all the little puddles she sprinkled around the house, and that I keep her far far away from her shoe-rack!
Winters at home can be really cold, especially if you live in a hill station! Pixie and I were ready to soak up in the morning sun, which lasted for a short while! She would be chasing a butterfly in the garden while stumbling across mum’s pretty flower beds (!!), and I would be sipping on my fresh orange juice while watching Pixie go about her business with glee.
Bath times were the best! Pixie loved the tub and getting blow-dried after! I would prepare a bubble bath, while Pixie wags her tail and barks excitedly waiting to be thrown in! She loves a treat after a bath, so I always make sure I give her one! Then, as I sit on the sofa, before the TV, to watch a film; Pixie jumps onto my lap and takes a comfortable position because it’s time for her nap! Occasionally changing positions as the blower’s heat gets too much on one side, she conveniently positions herself in such a way that the heat distributes to the other!
As night arrives, I get tucked into bed only to be accompanied by my best friend, Pixie, who sleeps next to my feet under the quilt! A warm winter night gone by, I wake up to find a glass of milk sitting on my bedside table (yes, one glass of milk a day is a compulsion in my house when mum’s around!!). I wake Pixie up, because she always wakes up after me, and she gladly helps me with the milk!
Today Pixie’s no more, but she is still very much a part of the family, and will always be present with me in spirit, through good times and bad. To Pixie and other pets as special as her, pet lovers say, ‘Woof Woof’ (Love You!).
24 September 2009
A day in the life of a typical University student
Trrring! There goes the alarm. ‘Let’s sleep for another ten’, I tell myself. The next thing I know I’ve got just enough time to brush my teeth, have a quick shower, down a bowl of cheerios (usually half consumed), and make a dash to Uni!
As I near the tram stop, having left my house ten minutes behind, I realise I’ve forgotten my wallet! Since I certainly cannot do without it, I run back as fast as I can, panting and puffing my way home! By this time I am definitely going to miss the first ten-fifteen minutes of my lecture…psssst. I would hate to say this out loud but it is in fact the tenth time (if not more)!
After a four-hour long lecture, which was super fun because ‘The Dark Knight’ was screened, I head to the famous Eagle Bar to quench my thirst (!!) and munch on some pretty decent lasagna. Three mates and a lecturer are good company. Conversations go on, from travel talks to the latest Hollywood buzz.
And it is time for me to head to my other four-hour class! Phew! Now that another long day at Uni is done, it’s time to relax. So far I’m thinking home and a bowl of noodle soup sounds good, but the phone rings and it’s a good friend reminding me about another good friend’s house-warming party all the way into the city! A hot bath and a few glasses of wine later, my mates arrive and we head out for a night of mayhem!
Having consumed one too many drinks and danced for hours on end, it is time to head home and lay my pretty pink stilettos to rest! The weekend has arrived and I need to be in top gear! Ggggood night!
The above is my regular university day (a Thursday well spent, really). I wouldn’t doubt many of you who are reading this can second me on that! Cheers!
2 September 2009
It is never easy to pen down the wonders of university life. For someone who has an endless list of fun times living the uni life to the fullest, it must be mentioned that ‘this’ was quite a challenge!
To begin, La Trobe University was a part of me long before I was officially a part of it! Like most other international students it meant that I would be in a far away land, minus my family and friends. I would have to do away without the luxuries I was so used to and start life afresh with new challenges. Hence, to better prepare for the life awaiting me, I started toughening up by doing things I’d otherwise leave to be done by another and served to me on a silver platter!
I am still unsure whether I got lucky or whether it was meant to be, but I made some amazing friends from all over the world who are super fun! As if that wasn’t enough, my lecturers turned out to be an extended circle of friends, and life in a ‘far away land’ didn’t seem as tough.
There is so much you learn while at uni. Each experience is unique in its own way and each is more fun than the previous. From enjoying a great range of facilities to developing skills in your chosen field, from experiencing another culture to being a part of and contributing to that culture, uni life at La Trobe has been a grand one indeed and I am sure you feel the same way I do.
Like my mum would always say, enjoy your heydays while they last! I sure am. You should too!
