The return of the NRIs

They descend on us...
When the weather turns cool in these parts....
In December and January...
Colourful...
Like what I imagine Birds of Paradise would be..
Full of chatter...

In our family..
We call them the NRIs..
Or non-resident Indians...
We have two groups of them....
Living on opposite sides of the globe...
In North America...
And Down Under...

In our home...
Spouse and I
Prepare for Winner's arrival...

Corners and crannies are dusted...
Windows washed...
Favourite recipes and restaurant visits planned....
Cook is sufficiently warned...
Not to do the disappearing act... as Thambi is coming!!!

Next door..
Birth mother goes through the same pangs...
Waiting for Kid brother No: 2 and his brood to arrive!!

They arrive...
Our time becomes theirs...
As we wait on them...for them.. with them!!!
Share their hopes and dreams and fears!!!!
Visit haunts and retreats ..normally out of our beaten track!!
Enjoy ourselves!!!

Winner...
Quickly gets into the swing of things...
Quickly begins to drive on the left...
Shows sundry two-wheeler riders the finger...
Invites them to "Vaa..Vandhu muttiko.." (Come..Come and dash on me..to the Tamizh challeged!!)
It is difficult to take Chennai out of him!!!

Not so...
The kids from Kiwi land...
We are...
A short stopover..
between Bali and Singapore..
On their way back to what they call home!!

Chennai is too crowded..
Too dirty...
They hate this Indian milk with the cream floating on top!!!
The mosquitoes...
The sweat....
And so on and on and on...

They do like Landmark...
The food at MCC..Dynasty...et al...
And our company...I hope!!!

They are away in a flash...
Hugs and handshakes..
Given and taken!!!

I wonder at them..
Until I see this quotation on Favourite nephew No:1's Facebook page:
“If you came back, you wanted to leave again; if you went away, you longed to come back. Wherever you were, you could hear the call of the homeland, like the note of the herdsman's horn far away in the hills. You had one home out there and one over here, and yet you were an alien in both places. Your true abiding place was the vision of something very far off, and your soul was like the waves, always restless, forever in motion.”

The homes here are rather empty..
We wait for their next coming..

While I exult in the knowledge...
That I am where I belong...
I am home...

As a New Year dawns....

I wonder whether..
Life gets better as Time moves on...
Or do we just get better at dealing with what it brings??

What irked us ...
Annoyed us...
Embarrassed us..
In our youth...
Now seem inconsequential....

Do we sharpen our skills...at dealing with Life...
Improve at living as we age??
Or is it that we are...
More prepared to be thrown off-course...
More ready to dust ourselves up..
And move on???

Are we different now..
Do we dance to a different tune???
And is that because..
Many of those who went"tut tut"..
And held us to a certain behavior...
Are now no longer around??

Are we more free???
Why then do I feel more enslaved???

Is Madrasgirl going to turn philosopher in 2011???
Let's just watch this space...
Shall we??

Adios!!!!