Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Summer roundup

Back home after a long summer vacation - surprising, how just a couple of weeks in the daily routine can make almost 2 months seem like a dream! Was I really gone that long? Actually, this is the longest that I have been away from home for the last 15 years or so - leaving Ajey and Sunny to fend for themselves! And to be honest, I don't think I could do this again - don't get me wrong, being in Pune is always great, but no matter what, home is always home!

My MIL had her long overdue knee replacement surgery this summer - I was on hand to help her get settled and ensure the smooth running of her household while she was incapacitated. So, not a vacation in the truest sense! It is never easy to let someone have a free hand in your house, especially your kitchen - so I'm sure it was quite hard for her to relinquish the reins to me, albeit for a short time! Recuperation after the surgery is slow and painful - it will be at least a couple more months before she's completely back to normal again. However, she was back on her feet by the time I was ready to leave - and I'm glad that I was able to assist in what little way I could!

So no surprise that the summer passed in a blur! Manasi enjoyed herself to the hilt - I had some halfhearted plans to sign her up for dance/vocal/art/swimming lessons - but she absolutely refused to go, and I didn't really push her! Thinking back to the indolent summers I spent as a child - long, languorous days, the white heat of May, the lingering fragrance of mangoes, the long line of mattresses in the living room, bedtime stories, the endless card games, the whir of the fans - and then the first showers, the rich scent of the earth, the monsoon clouds heralding the beginning of a new school year - school bags and shoes brought out for inspection, crisp new stationary, the brown paper covers, excitement mingling with anxiety as the first day of school approached! That absolute sense of nothingness, the complete break from routine, the freedom to be just a child - surely every child deserves a summer like that!

Well, school started last week - and I'm already a little overwhelmed by the number of permission slips and information sheets that Manasi has brought home! Some of our dearest friends left this summer, and I'm finding it especially hard to deal with the absence of familiar friendly faces around the neighborhood. I know this is part and parcel of our transient lifestyle, but knowing doesn't make it any easier! I guess I just have to find new ways to keep myself busy this year - have to think up some new and exciting adventures for our second year in China!

Signing off, for now!








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