It’s been nearly nine years
since we packed our bags and flew over the Indian Ocean down to the southern
hemisphere to sunny Australia, now our home (away from home!). Over the years,
we’ve created our own little comfort zone around us- a wonderful mix of the
Aussie way of things and our very own Indian values and traditions.
Nevertheless, the home we grew up in always stays very close to our hearts,
like that first love. And there are certain things that always, always make me
feel totally at home, take me back to the familiar warmth and comfort of my
country. I think you would agree and nod knowingly at my pick of ‘Five Things
that Instantly Take Me Home’. All I need to do is close my eyes J
1.
The Quintessential
Pressure Cooker
“Shhhhhhhhhhh!” says the
pressure cooker in my kitchen almost every morning and late evening, almost as
if calming me down, bringing back memories of Amma’s mildly spiced sambar and
soft fluffy rice. And it’s kind of incomplete without the stacking stainless
steel pans which reassure me that they will take care of the dal and the rice
and the vegetables, all at once! One of the many familiar sounds from the
kitchens of India.
2.
Filter Coffee
Growing up in a traditional
Kannada household, my mornings always had a hint of fresh coffee wafting
through the air as I went on with the business of properly waking up J
And even now, after all these years, as the kettle boils and I pour hot water
into the coffee filter over a spoonful (and more) of ground coffee, my mind
instantly goes all the way back home. It’s almost a ritual, as if to say “I
hereby declare that this morning has begun!” With the latest addition of the
traditional ‘davara-tumbler’, the very first sip of strong frothy filter kaapi
keeps our Indian homes snug in our hearts.
3.
Indian Bedsheets
In a land of fitted sheets and
flat sheets and doonas and pillow cases, my beloved ‘bedsheets’ and ‘pillow
covers’ from India haven’t lost their place. Yes, those fitted sheets are a
boon, like really! I mean, who wouldn’t like a sheet that stays put and doesn’t
jiggle and shimmy and find a way towards the middle of the bed? But let’s face
it, as fitted as they may be, they’re a tad too boring and plain for me. Maybe
that’s why the patterns and colors and the little flowers so daintily
embroidered on the bedsheets from India make me smile! Make that freshly
laundered, sweet smelling, Bombay Dyeing bedsheets and I’m like a little girl
running in a meadow, grazing my hands across flowering plants, soft breeze in
my loose hair with the sun lending an angelic glow! Yeah! I go cuckoo for
clean, fresh, crisp sheets!
4.
Nighty, Nightie Night!
I’m a plain Jane when it comes
to bed time. No satin PJs for me, no siree! Don’t judge me now, but you know
what I want to get into after a really, really, long, tiring day? The ever
forgiving and ever comforting Indian nightie! When I slip that soft cotton,
longish, flowy thing on, trust me, I (almost) attain nirvana! No, seriously
ladies, what better to remind us of our mums, and aunties and pretty much all
of our favorite women back home? It’s like they’re literally wrapping their
arms around us and giving us a warm reassuring hug!
5.
Agarbathi
Sometimes, when I want to find
my inner calm (or when the house smells kind of damp), all I need to do is
light an agarbathi and a calming feeling pervades. It takes me back to the
beautiful temples of India, brings back memories of my father doing the
sandhyavandana (evening salutations) and my mother reciting prayers in the
early evening. Such a simple thing, a slender stick wrapped in incense, but it
has the ability to merge my Indian home and my Aussie home ever so subtly!
So, there you have it! Five of
my favorite things that remind me of the home I grew up in.
What are some of
the quaint little things that remind you of your home? Share them here with us
and take us back home with you!
Lots of love,
Divya
Here's more about me:
Typical Bengalooru Girl, with familial roots in Australia! Blogger, Mom and Artist! You may remember me from my guest posts in Aalayam! (www.creadivya.blogspot.com)
Typical Bengalooru Girl, with familial roots in Australia! Blogger, Mom and Artist! You may remember me from my guest posts in Aalayam! (www.creadivya.blogspot.com)
.JPG)
