Infinite Ink

Shutter Happy

It's important that we start this story off on the right foot. That's why I am going to bypass the bad parts (we'll leave that for later if you really want to know) and start with every desi's dream: getting out at an American airport, being garlanded with flowers by adoring relatives, then escorted speedily to a mansion of my own. Kidding. Kidding! Except for the getting off at the airport part. There are no flowers, but sweeter than flowers is the sight of Baba waiting to welcome me. I am escorted easily to the two-bedroom apartment. It has a great view from the window.

Now that I've mentioned the view, let me mention the phenomenon of picture taking. My father in particular is very shutter happy. I don't mind when he gives us time to pose for the photo. However, if he aims the mobile phone camera at us when we're eating, or lounging around randomly, I warn him not to do that.

Anyway, one of the first things I did after seeing the awesome view was to photograph it. (But of course.) The next thing I did was to upload it to Instagram, selecting the option to simultaneously post it to Facebook almost automatically. I suppose that makes me "Upload Happy" as well as shutter happy?

Settling in is easy. The apartment is well lit and airy. The kitchen is not ideally stocked, but Mama tackles this issue heroically, cooking dishes in saucepans in double the time it would take to make the same thing in a pressure cooker. (Sometimes even in triple the time. Mothers are superwomen!)

I am in the delicate position of shifting from an ordinary woman to super-dish-making superwoman, myself. It's not easy. Everyone assumes their mother was born a superwoman, but in reality the process takes time, blood, sweat, tears and other bodily fluids I will not mention. I am at the very start of this process, with my foot on the bottom-most rung of the ladder, craning my neck to see all the way up. What I mean is, while my mother chops up onions like chefs on TV, I slice them up slowly and painstakingly. She stirs, slices and dices like nobody's business. I blunder my way through with a truckload of excuses and ducking out in the middle of cooking sessions, leaving the rest of the work to my mother. She's very kind about it, but I need to shape up, really.

I have three months of summer off. Time is the building block of life, and I have to construct a good foundation for my practical life this summer. So far I have made a good Soundcloud playlist, subscribed to some choice and select YouTube channels, and streamlined my Whatsapp communication by making a few groups in order to address many people at once.

OK, I am not completely hopeless. I have some online spiritual boosters lined up for the holy month of Ramadan, too. I just have to act on them.

To sum it up: I have time off, but have to keep my mind on.

How many of you struggle to keep yourself productive during summer holidays? In the next chapter, I'll tackle something productive!