A week into the new life, new place and Cheese continues feeling like a “pardesi girl”. I am a total ‘pardesi’ in these American surroundings and being a ‘desi’ makes me feel in tune with myself. The Bay area has many Indians and seeing them in the supermarkets, the malls, the restaurants makes me feel quite at home. I don’t miss home yet, but I am missing two important people of my life! My everyday help Kamala bai and dhobi bhaiya. I go on washing dishes, pans, karhai, karchi and keep singing ” Meri Bai nahi aai, aaj Bai nahi aai, bartan pe jum gai kai”. Yes, yes, there is this wonderful machine called dish washer but I have been made to count its disadvantages more than the advantages. As for the dhobi bhaiya replacement I am trying to make Chalk feel like an Iron-man, but clever Chalk doesn’t fall for this word play and the washed clothes are piling up in waiting. Meanwhile the mischievous son is taking polaroid shots of Chalk and Cheese in ‘ghar ke kaam’ wala action mode and displaying them all around the house. There is no deleting of certain truths and moments. Welcome to American life Chalk and Cheese!

The other day, son took us to a ‘Kirane ki dukan’ a few miles from his house. The place is called “Bharat Bazar”. I half expected an Indian flag to be swaying somewhere nearby because the place had such strong Indian vibes. But no, and why should it be so, this is not my country. Americans love flying their national flag. One look into the horizon and surely there will be a flag or two swaying in cool breeze on top of some building, some home. The stars and stripes against the blue sky looks beautiful. But my tiny heart strangely aches for some saffron, white and green. I do not feel these ‘desh-prem’ type feelings in my day-to-day life in India. Is it my romanticism alone or does this happen to most people when they are removed from their places of identity? To cut short my Cheesy moment Chalk announces, “let’s have some phuchka at Bharat Bazar”, my Bangali babu..it is ‘golgappa or panipuri ‘ here, but what’s in a name…it is filled with those desi flavours which makes us say ” ye dil maange more.”

Talking of flavours and taste something happened last Thursday. We woke up to a rainy cloud covered day and the first thought that came to our mind was ‘khichuri or khichri’. These days major part of the planning process goes around food and kitchen. And for a quintessential Bangali rainy day and kichuri are almost synonymous. Chalk and Cheese also identify themselves with ‘ khichri ke chaar yaar. dahi, papar, ghee aur achar ‘. Well, once khichuri / khichri was cooked it was time for the chaar yaar. Dear Chalk doesn’t like his ‘papar’ microwaved or deep fried, he likes to roast it on an open flame. I suppose you have guessed it already my readers…the minute he started roasting the ‘papar’ the house got filled with  smoke and the fire alarm was set off in a shrill loud and scary way. Chalk ‘ne aag laga di’, well, almost literally.  Sonny boy and mama Cheese instantly started jumping around opening doors, windows, switching on the exhaust etc.  All this while Chalk stood perfectly still and totally nonchalant. Endless cups of Darjeeling tea, Rabindra sangeet, IPL matches and that nonchalant attitude, I think Chalk has quite enjoyed his Maiden Over in America.

Playing ‘ghar-ghar’ in their new avatar Chalk and Cheese are bonding in a very different way and feeling strangely young all over again. This lovely energy of doing the unfamiliar things together is creating conversations we have not had in a long time. Back home in India we start taking home and house-work for granted, we enjoy the privilege of so many helping hands to do our daily chores. But living in a foreign country we start taking responsibility for those very chores of our everyday life. When Chalk walks upto the white board and scribbles something, a curious Cheese peeks in, it is a simple to-do list for the day. A bemused Cheese stands silently, melting in the warmth of this simple moment.

In this season of changes for Chalk and Cheese they saw their son’s transition from toy store hot wheels to another stores hot wheels. To celebrate this game changer day of our son we drove upto a Gurudwara, built on top of a hill, looking down into the valley. Amidst the absolute quiet harmony of the surroundings with the chant of “Wahe Guru”, “Wahe Guru” encompassing one and all, our hearts filled up with gratitude and love. May the ultimate master of the wheels of our destiny teach us the balance of life at every given situation. In God’s home there is no foreign land, there are no boundaries of countries, cult or culture. Chalk and Cheese are travelers today and tomorrow they will be homeward bound. In this in-between time let us collect more memorabilia than what can be filled in those suitcases.

Till the next blog, till the new places we see, till the bridges we cross, till the people we meet with their stories, alvida.