Guess who is visiting from India?

My home these days is filled with people. Typical scenes you would instantly notice at home now are hot tea/coffee brewing multiple times during the day, and never ending gossips replacing the usual quite and tv volume. It feels like a mini India. Indian politics and cricket conversations happen to be the main theme of conversations. Any ideas why? You all may have already guessed it, Mom dear is here :). She and her questions keep me smiling all day. I wish I could trap this time and then travel back whenever I want.

I have been busy just absorbing all the gossips, energy that I haven’t really had the time to write. But then its one of those things, you visit your blog to read your blogging world’s friends posts and there you find a comment sitting starring at you. One of your blogging friend pings you to ask how you have been and why not writing? Thanks Neeraja for still wanting to read my posts.

So over the long weekend we drove 900 miles to visit this one place. Place is not important, what’s important is the journey to get there. Mommy was sitting in the front passenger seat and I was driving. Our conversations were hilarious or so I think, would love to know what you all think:

Ma: “Slow slow slow” what is wrong with this people. Areyyy, look how fast that truck wala is driving, are there no rules here?

Me: Ma, shhh they are driving at 60 miles/hr and that’s the speed limit here. Truck wala is driving perfectly fine. Calm down now

Ma: What! you think we don’t drive at 60 kms in India, we do that ok. And if truck wala is driving properly why are you not, look at your speed must be really high, that lights wala police will come and catch you, you see now. And why drive so close to the truck, go to that first lane and drive there, see no cars there.

Me: Ma I cant magically just change lanes no? I need to watch the traffic. And 60 miles/hr is more than 60 kms. Anywho why are you paying attention to the traffic, look at the beautiful scenery around, see the lake, the trees.

Ma: Yeah yeah, that only I am seeing since last 2 hours, when will we get to that place you told us. Same road you are driving since last 2 hours. Have you missed a turn or something and why is that women not talking (by women she meant the gps)

Me: We are on the freeway, the roads would all look the same only Ma. And the women talks when there road is about to change. If we have to keep going straight why should she tell us again and again?

Ma: And why does she have this weird accent. Can she translate, like hindi or something? “Kuch der main aap right le lo, 400th Exit”

Me: Hahhahaha, hindi eh? Ok I will let the Garmin company know hahahah. (We then took exit onto an internal scenic road and Ma saw a deer)

Ma: Look look, deer (totally excited). Stop stop lets take some photos, I need to tell everyone I saw a deer. Arey stop no. Poor deer she has no forest only left maybe so she is coming on the road.

Me: I cannot stop Ma, there is traffic behind, we can’t take pictures like this and you can still tell everyone why do you need photo for that. All this land is protected, its national forest Ma. Deer’s have enough land, in fact they are nuisance sometimes. This deer may simply be crossing the road.

Ma: How did they build this road? When did they build? We are climbing uphill but see how the slope is not at all steep, no? How do they do this? In India, I went to Matheran, full time I was praying in that ghat. I thought this is it, if the driver does one mistake I am making it to heaven today.

Me: It’s engineering Ma. They apply everything they learn here.

Ma: Ok ok, now change this CD, no other songs you have this only you are playing. And while you do that let me read some pothi (holy book)

Me: Yes sir!

And while I changed the CD I smiled, will photos really trap all these memories I thought?