oh guru nalon ishq mitaa….

Have no idea what that means or even if I said it right, but well that is my knowledge of Punjabi revealed in entirety. Staying away from home puts me in a specific frame of mind – yearning for a familiar set up. No matter how far I am or how long I have been in a particular place, no place like home….by that, I refer to that inner-mosssssssssst longing hidden somewhere in the corner of my heart (apparently I have one) …that says “look for tkts”….

Yep! It is that time of the year..oh boy! am digressing !....#&#$(#@) …bk on track – plonk! – the Punjabi connection…”where is it” u ask (u better)…”PG” I say…yes ladies n gentlemen….urs truly is experimenting yet again in an alien oops asian country (?) , opting to be a PG in a Punjabi family*

It is that time of the year when you avoid looking at signs that remotely resemble little lamps/crackers lest you start walking towards the nearest travel agent;…..you call up home to hear words like “payasam/kesari/sundal/puttu…” , claim the signal is rather weak & hang up feeling really weak……as for me, I start to wonder if my hosts would consider adopting Hindu festivals or adopting me during theirs’….(did I just say that? :O)

The other day I tried explaining “pongal” to the khudi(yeah!) and all that I achieved was elicit spontaneous giggles from her. Obviously annoyed and deeply hurt over the insult (sigh! that too in the auspicious month of purataasi!), I got her to taste some & she made a face….(Outrage!)…..”oh u lesser mortal! What do u know of co-cooking moong dhal and rice” - the horns were out again…I smiled at the khudi however, who gave an expert opinion on how moong should be made with salt, jeera, tomato……(BIGGER sigh!....) I gave up…..

* Gaancase doesn’t rate herself highly on her hindi-speaking abilities leave alone spell p-u-n-j-a-b-i

Host statistics- English: No LAH!; Hindi: 2 canno 1 can (shudh hindi aka urdu); Punjabi: CAN CAN/ bhalle bhalle!