How to Live the Desi Life like a BOSS!
02:50:00
Growing up in a ‘desi’ household can be the most stressful yet entertaining part of one’s life. From multiple societal constraints (western clothes=instant downgrading of your character) to being in a constant (unrealistic) competition with far off relatives that you may have never even seen in your life (your GCE grades being compared to your phupo’s nand’s dewar’s wife’s cousin’s daughter’s MBBS grades…. what?!?). Every family will have their own sets of rules but there are multiple idiosyncrasies that are common to all; the following happen to be my favourite:
1. Collecting the Condiment Sachets
Be it ketchup, salt,
sugar or butter, we are all guilty of saving them for a rainy day. Some land in
our laps (from the home deliveries) while others are sneaked into the purses at
restaurants or even on flights (‘kaam aa
jata hai’) and they are often accompanied by toothpicks, disposable cutlery,
spices, jam, wet tissues, tea bags and the list goes on.
Oh let’s not forget the toiletry samples.
Specially the hotel ones.
2. Plastic-Wrap the Planet
Who else spent their
childhood believing that the TV remote would probably not function without a
plastic wrap because we had never seen one without it? Then there were the car
seats, the kitchen appliances, the stereo system, the dining table chairs, all
types of table tops and of course the TV and cellphone sticky screen
protectors!
3. The Magical Toiletries
Shampoos and toothpaste
become magical as soon as they are unsealed in a ‘desi’ household: you can
continue to use them for centuries, we kid you not. Just keep adding water and
they’re as good as new (you can try this at home with shampoos, liquid soaps,
dishwashing soap and conditioners). Or squeeze the living daylights out of the
toothpaste tube (in case of facewashes also).
4. Freeze the Haleem!
You can expect to have
Haleem for a good three to six months after Bakra Eid,; that, too, not only at your own place but wherever you go visiting! This delicacy is not restricted to just
Eid, ANY day that your mother or grandmother decide to make Haleem, they will do so
in a LARGE pot so they can freeze it for an eternity.
5. Zubaida Apa ke Totkay
Cough? Gargles with warm
salt water. Pimples? Lemon and Cinnamon powder. Dark Circles? Chilled used
green tea bags. Allergic reaction? Talcum Powder. Tonsillitis? Steam. Tanned
skin? Zubaida Aapa Whitening Soap (Ab Gora Ho Ga Pakistan… all condescending
pun intended). Desi parents have a remedy for everything, just name it. (I am super guilty of testing out various home made remedies myself :O especially hair masks)
6. Saving Gift Bags-- Gift Wrap-- Gifts (!)
Who doesn’t love
collecting cute gift bags? (No? I thought it was normal.....) Anyhow, desi families are bound to inculcate in you not
only the love of collecting gift bags but also wrapping paper, bubble wrap and
ribbons. Oh and I certainly don't mean the store-bought, new kind! I am talking about the
exquisite kind that we can salvage from the presents we receive on different occasions. Remember the time your
mother got really really upset because you tore the wrapper off a gift? How insensitive of you to not know that she
could have used the same to wrap something in the future and of course buying a new wrapping paper would be too main stream. #DesiParentsLogic
And not only that… remember the
time you really liked the perfume your aunt got from America? Well.. I am sure you also remember how it was put away to gift to your father’s cousin’s
daughter for her graduation.. because, well.. who cares if you actually liked it and wanted to use it? Pass them down-up-sideways gifts are desi parents' preferred gifting techniques.
Desi families can be
crazy and a handful but these quirks make them adorable to say the least! #ProudToBeSuperDesi
*Minor changes were made to this post which was originally written for The Blush Works and was published here.*
2 comments
Hahahahaha love it!!
ReplyDeleteHaha so true ..bin there ..done all of this .. spot on desi lifestyle
ReplyDelete