Million Miles

My ventilator. Read, comment and judge me not.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Bakra Eid.

Assalamualykum everyone!

Eid Mubarak to all those who're celebrating their Eids tomorrow, i.e 11 th January '06. I'm fond of Eids but not in a very apparent way. I don't go leaping around on the sofas with joy. Yes, I used to do that when I was young but now I'd rather sit near the heater and think about the transition the world went through in general, since the last Eid-ul-Adha. I think this is going to be the coldest Bakra Eid because Lahore's temperature has been unusually chilly this year. A few days ago it dropped to a frozen minus 2 and I was in a state of bliss. Its very strange, the way weather's been acting lately. Last year's summers touched a boiling 49 degree C. I remember that during summers I said I wouldn't mind freezing to death, but now realising its true horror...its so darn scary!

But anyway, winters are infinately better than summers. There's absolutely no question about it, atleast in our part of the world. There's only one disadvantage of winters and that is, extreme cold. But its generally easier to get stuff done in Winters. For example, wearing niqab comes as a blessing in winters. If nothing it keeps the cold away from your face. Whereas in summers with a roasted sun staring at you till 7, its so hard to make it seem desireable. The only thing that gets me going is the realisation that Hell fire would be infinately hotter than this heat. Although, this type of argument might not make sense to someone who's against the whole idea of niqab in principle.

Coming back to Eid, we're housing our entire paternal family for Eid's main meal tomorrow. We're thirty three and thats alot! But considering that we haven't done this ONCE before...its justified, I guess. I'm making Russian salad and serving pepsi/seven up. It took my entire day just to make the 'cutlery arrangements' for such a huge get together. Its enjoyable but its very tiring. I think we, as Pakistanis should completely revolutionalise the whole 'Dinner' system in our society. Each family should bring one edible dish, this way they'll be no burden on the lady of the house (not to forget her poor daughters as well). The One Dish system is practised some times but for the most part, its rejected because that way 'everyone' has to make a little contribution... which is precisely what people hate doing. Ever since I turned 14, all Eids have been the same, more or less. I don't know why though because when I was younger, each Eid was distinct in its own way and much more festive. Just because I'm older doesn't mean Eids should get boring! I can so accurately imagine tomorrow's Eid day. Everyone would be sitting around the lounge, eating dry fruit and cracking equally dry jokes then laughing over them as if they're the best one-liners the world has ever heard. Eid means the entire family forced together under roof, which they may/or may not willingly do otherwise, talking about random things that range from the next wedding to washing kids nappies. Discussions take a complete 180 flip and nobody even notices! Someone could be talking about Musharraf when a certain someone would mention the latest medicine for back ache and everybody would start contributing their own two penn 'orth complete with a tilted head and knitted eyebrows. Its so funny how older people always want to appear as the all-knowing. Just being older in years doesn't mean that they know everything that is to know. I think this is a huge difference between the young and the old. If a young person doesn't know about something, he/she would accept it and will be willing to learn, whereas an older person would prefer to pretend and give baseless information than to accept their inadequacy. I've often caught them in this situation so I'm talking from experience. They clasp their hands together, stare in the abyss with a distantly philosophical look in the eyes and then slowly part their lips to let an ocean of wisdom flow from within...Its just so funny when instead of wisdom comes out some gurgling noises that finally form words and then sentences that are well...lets just say not very sensical or not quite relevant in the context of the discussion. These people have a way of bringing down everything to their old childhood and how they excelled at this government school and used to walk millions of miles and cross tens of canals before they reached the school. And how hard they've worked all their lives and how deserving they are in everything and how much experienced they've gain and how younger people don't listen to them and how if these younger people don't listen they'd end up living on streets and how life is like one long dream and how we should all live are lives like them and how everything should be just about them...and oh Allah, the list goes on and on and on!

I'm sorry but I just needed to write about this common trait found among most older people. Its funny and I often laugh watching them but I so hope that I don't end up the way they have...Insha'Allah and Ameen.

posted by Niqabi at 9:09 AM

4 Comments:

Reza said...

Ah nice tales. Nice to know your wearing the Niqab. Keep it up :D.

On the older people telling tales of going long distances is true actually. My dad says he learnt english in 6th lol and today he speaks if flawlessly. My mom used to walk long distances too and she became a good doc :P. Lets give them credit where its due. I think they earned it mashAllah :).

I remmeber when my 65 odd relatives came over to my granddad and it was the most hectic and rushed thing i ever saw :D.

11:26 PM

mayya said...

haha thats exactly what I used to think, niqab's protect the nose from the cold! :D yayyy!

G`luck with the lunch :D have fun and hope the salad turns out great, inshAllah :)

and I soooo agree with the one dish idea, we're having one on the third day of eid and the hosts only provide, salads, drinks, naan and the eating arrangements cutlery etc. and everyone else brings a dish. Probably inshAllah when you're married you can insist on the one dish tradition on family gatherings from the start! :)
and since everyone just has to concentrate on one dish, they put a lot more effort into it and the entire dastarkhwaan is filled with yummmmyyyy foood!

Eid Mubarak :) *hug*

4:19 AM

Anonymous said...

u write so nicely!!
eid mubarik, i know its belated

9:26 AM

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7:42 PM