V had asked me to bring our stamp collection from home and I must admit that possessiveness took hold of me for a moment when I was going through them. Being older than V, it was I who started the collection and I guess it was all because of Gajumaava who was in Indonesia then and used to write to us regularly. But there were many around me who had the same hobby and that created the competitive collection. There was my neighbour Poornakka who had a smaller collection but she had Jordan with her which I coveted badly. But my closest rival was my closest friend S and we literally did 'beg-borrow-steal' to outdo the other. Our primary sources were mostly Muslim boys and girls who invariably had some or the other relative in middle-east. Of course being a Christian, S also had relatives elsewhere and I was glad to have Indonesian and occasionally Malaysian stamps to offset that advantage. I think when we were small, we traded stamps for some other commodities but as we grew up, our classmates started parting with them willingly. But S and I used to be the monitors generally and the poor things would be in a dilemma as to not upset the other by giving a stamp to one of us. It would all be under-the-table transaction and the one who thought she alone got it would give proud meaningful smiles to the other. Irshad, Yasmeen, Rasheeda, Kenute....so many of them I should be thankful to for the collection we have made today.
I met one of my batchmates while at my place when I took his auto to return home from BCR. His face vaguely looked familiar but so do many in a small place like mine. But when I gave him money, he addressed me by name and asked me if I remembered him and I felt pathetic but I told him the truth. Actually most of the childhood faces have faded from my memory so forget the juniors and seniors, even my classmates I won't be able to recognise. Many used to be autodrivers but they've all vanished for the past 3-4 years. Many of my girlfriends were Muslims and now unless they hail me from inside their burkhas, there is no way I can find them. But after this incident, I got all confused and when I went to BCR the next day, gave a big smile to a guy standing next to me thinking he was my classmate sometime but he didn't seem to think so and returned only a half-smile. I think I will get into a controversy soon...
My daughter's horoscope is finally out. It seems she is going to be arrogant and irreligious among other things and we're trying hard to find some early signs. As of now, she seems to be only a cry-baby and quite attached to the photos and songs of God. One thing is for sure, she is going to be one tall girl.
I met one of my batchmates while at my place when I took his auto to return home from BCR. His face vaguely looked familiar but so do many in a small place like mine. But when I gave him money, he addressed me by name and asked me if I remembered him and I felt pathetic but I told him the truth. Actually most of the childhood faces have faded from my memory so forget the juniors and seniors, even my classmates I won't be able to recognise. Many used to be autodrivers but they've all vanished for the past 3-4 years. Many of my girlfriends were Muslims and now unless they hail me from inside their burkhas, there is no way I can find them. But after this incident, I got all confused and when I went to BCR the next day, gave a big smile to a guy standing next to me thinking he was my classmate sometime but he didn't seem to think so and returned only a half-smile. I think I will get into a controversy soon...
My daughter's horoscope is finally out. It seems she is going to be arrogant and irreligious among other things and we're trying hard to find some early signs. As of now, she seems to be only a cry-baby and quite attached to the photos and songs of God. One thing is for sure, she is going to be one tall girl.
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