Yesterday, I was heading towards my school and mentally gearing up to take the Wireless Networking final semester examination. It was cold and bit windy, but I loved it. My face could feel the cool breeze.
Thoughts usually accompany me when I walk alone. They come one after another. One random thought leading to another and then to another, so on and so forth. In all this I suddenly recalled (thanks to one of my close friends whom I spoke few days back) of how we (Indians) eat curd, with sugar mixed in it before most of the examinations/tests. However, neither I nor my parents ever followed this, not because we don’t believe in this practice but because we had another tradition, the tradition of giving away almond and cardamom to the person who is going for some ‘mission’. The mission could be anything from examination to buying a car to going for your new job.
Anyhow, let’s go back to the ‘curd’ thought. So I couldn’t stop smiling and thinking about this tradition. I giggled while walking and started to look for a departmental store. Soon I found one. (It’s easy to find a store on Seoul Streets).
I asked the store manager for Yogurt. He pointed me the store-section where I could find it. I looked for it, grabbed one cup and rushed to the counter to pay for it.
Sadly, I realized that I was not carrying cash with me because here I usually use the plastic. And as the yogurt cup costed mearge 800 won (less than a dollar) so the counter boy said no to my card and asked for cash !
But they say some are born lucky. I had coins in my bag. A lot of coins. So I paid him in coins (‘chillar’ that what some call it in India).
I tore the cup-seal and started enjoying my yogurt right outside the store. It tasted sweet. It tasted perfect.
And, as I was relishing the yogurt and appreciating that moment, I again thought about this silly, strange but sweet Indian tradition. I felt home at that point of time. I missed being in India.
Nalin Chakoo
(I write my blogs in haste, so dont mind if you find spelling errors)
