Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Hum ko Man ki Shakti Dena

One suitcase ready and a couple more to go before mom’s long-awaited trip to the homeland.

“Why are you taking so much stuff?” frowns dad, eyeing the lone suitcase that’s been packed so far.

Clearly, he has no idea what a woman needs.

The suitcases are bursting with clothes, but mom is still undecided on what to wear for the rendezvous with Lakshmi and Shoefie.

Butterflies are flitting through her stomach and she’s almost tempted to call it off before the women discover that her online persona is at least six degrees separated from her real self. Add in the question of logistics in an unfamiliar city, and suddenly watching Jodhaa-Akbar for the second time seems less daunting.

“Who are you meeting?” her father will want to know, followed by a game of 20 questions on “when; where; how; why; family name; gothram?” etc.

Consider yourself warned, fair ladies. If nothing else, at least make sure you catch the pearls that purportedly fall whenever mom opens her mouth.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Terri, mom is not alone. Let us just say, someone in Chennai, went shopping (an activity she HATES with all her heart) to buy clothes for the event. One would think she is on a teenage date with her first heartthrob. She is even thinking of keeping the autograph book handy.

Terri, also tell mom that we have two computers at home, hooked on to the internet, so we can always chat from adjacent rooms, if the silence gets too loud.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and for grandpop, I am willing to wear an Iyengar style madisaar podavai, if it would help.

Terri the terrific said...

Lakshmi, not since meeting dad for the first time in a coffee shop has mom felt this nervous. And you're probably already redeemed in grandparents' eyes because of your "I-80" background.

Anonymous said...

what, no bangalore on the agenda? :(

ano

Anonymous said...

Is there a live telecast being planned of this faaamous meeting?

I must say the suitcase has all NRI qualities (soft and bulging)...

Terri the terrific said...

ano, next time, pucca.

vijay, maybe you and I can have a faaamous meeting if and when I'm in B'lore. Although "meeting-with-a-guy-I-met-online" might not bode so well with the family.

The ramblings of a shoe fiend said...

why am i suddenly nervous? when's mom arriving terri?

rads said...

Ok, blogger doesnt allow green font, but am going very very green with all this talk :(

Anonymous said...

“Who are you meeting?” her father will want to know, followed by a game of 20 questions on “when; where; how; why; family name; gothram?” etc.

mom should've gone (at least to dad): 'whatever happens in chennai stays in madras'

- s.b.

Anonymous said...

Are you guys to run-off and get married later on?
Excitement seems similar. May be a proper mood should be created, somebody should play "tujhe dekha to.." ...


-Sachita

Anonymous said...

sachita:

"Are you guys to run-off and get married later on?"

in this screening of "patni, patni, aur vah," which of the three will be the "vah"? i wonder ...

- s.b.

Terri the terrific said...

shoefie, am counting on you to be the kind who can charm even a dim lamppost.

rads, bus tumhari kami hai.

Terri the terrific said...

sachita, s.b., the heart palpitations are due to the fact that based on what Lakshmi says, it appears that we both possess the personalities of moru saadam. And the more appropriate song on this occasion would be, “Parde mein rehne do …”

dipali said...

Went through this on my first blind date with a blogger in Kolkata, when I was a mere reader and commenter!
She blogged about it here
http://lalitalarking.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html
Of carnations and chrysanthemums, Dec 18th, 2006

Have a blast, people. Oh to be in Chennai when Terri's mom is there.
Moru saadam indeed. Ha!

Anonymous said...

Dont worry.. I am sure there are enough fellow bloggers who will join the meeting....I already see a few on this comment thread who are Bengalooru based

Terri the terrific said...

dipali, I have now added Kolkata to my map. That's the best part of blogging - like a sailor, I aim to have a girlfriend in every port.

Vijay, safety in numbers, I hear ya.

dipali said...

Really and truly? When when when???

Anonymous said...

terri's mom/lakshmi/shoefie:

all your wardrobe issues resolved, thanks to terri.

'And the more appropriate song on this occasion would be, “Parde mein rehne do …”'

one opaque parda per person, no more wardrobe malfunction. (sounds like a good ad *ing janet jackson, eh?)

- s.b.

Anonymous said...

we both possess the personalities of moru saadam.

Don't forget the vadu maanga.

Anonymous said...

moru sadam with vadu maanga is heaven!

S.B,
Should open up the mind a little more, no?

Anonymous said...

That was me earlier. Now will stop spamming your comment box.
-Sachita

Terri the terrific said...

dipali, sometime in the future. Save some sandesh for me.

s.b., pardah in Madras heat?!! Not even if the wearer is naked underneath.

Lakshmi, sachita, I prefer maaghali or mango thokku with some vadaams on the side. Even better, sitting in a semi-circle around my grandmother with my cousins and cupping my palm to receive a ball of rice while listening to a story which will continue the next day at the next meal.

Anonymous said...

Terri, mor saadam placed at the center of the palm, you make a kuzhi in it with your fore finger, paati places one thunda maanga, and a drop of vatha kozambu.

Anonymous said...

gotra? really?

Munimma said...

along with rads, I am 'chameleoning' to green.

I so miss paati giving us more saatham pidis with kuzhis for kozhambu. And I hear mavadu/mambazham season is around the corner, waiting for you.

rads said...

Muni: We can go deep dark green turning to brown just about now. Terri has landed and Lakshmi won't talk anymore coz she's barely able to type.
*sigh

I was suggesting a live webcast of their meeting. Hope it works.

Anonymous said...

Have a great trip Mom...

Terri your blog is fantastic.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Don't mean to spam.. but..

http://lakshmi.vox.com/library/post/todays-lessons.html

Anonymous said...

lakshmi:

you're leaving a poor example of spam. here, let me show you how it should be done correctly (in true thomson and thompson fashion)!

mumstheword, to be precise, thewordsmum! mumstheword, to be precise, thewordsmum! mumstheword, to be precise, thewordsmum! mumstheword, to be precise, thewordsmum! mumstheword, to be precise, thewordsmum! mumstheword, to be precise, thewordsmum! mumstheword, to be precise, thewordsmum!

- s.b.

p.s.: i hope this passes through the blog's filters!!

Anonymous said...

terri:

why the blog name/title change?

- s.b.

Terri the terrific said...

s.b., you no like?

Anonymous said...

Well said.