"Family like branches on a school, we all grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one."
When I was younger, I couldn't wait to grow up. Not because of the typical reasons little kids can't wait to grow up, but because I thought I was going to make a change in "the system." You know, the one where your Mom's brother is called your Mama, your Dad's younger brother is called Kaka, but your Dad's older brother is called Bapuji, unless of course your family uses the term Mota Papa instead...I would get so frustrated having to memorize what I was supposed to call someone, and was extremely jealous when my American friends simply called their Aunts and Uncles by their first names. I distinctly remember meeting my friend's Uncle, Michael, in first grade. Excited that I didn't have to call him anything but Michael, I went home and called my Mama by his first name, but that didn't go so well. He was the younger and cooler one, so he didn't get mad at me, but he told me that I'd understand one day and it didn't make sense for him to explain it at the time. He said that I would just get it, and no one would need to explain it to me. And because he was always my favorite, I was okay with that. So I waited.
And lo and behold, I am now enlightened. I honestly can't remember when I started falling in love with these titles that we have, but I don't know what we'd do without them! I know that there are times when we get frustrated hearing our grandparents ask: "Don't you remember her? She's your Mami's Kaka's son's bhabhi's daughter?" But so much comes with these words: Mama, Kaka, Foi, Masi, Bhabhi, Jethani, Devar, etc. It adds a ton of respect to our relationships, rather than simply calling someone by their name. Besides the fact that others will know exactly how we're related to someone by hearing their name alone, we are showing everyone how much we respect others. I know that in 2012, a wife can easily call her husband by saying his name, but that didn't happen years ago in India. Similarly, a daughter doesn't call her Father by his first name, she has a special way of calling him. In this same way, our culture has given us a way to show our respect and love to everyone that we are related to. Further, it gives us a way to title people that we meet...you've probably heard your parents call strangers Kaka and Bhai and Bhabhi. Right? This bring everyone together, it brings us closer.
I guess all I wanted to say is that I'm really glad that I'm a part of this relationship web...yes it's confusing at first but it makes things so much simpler!
If you were ever confused about any relationships: http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/18030.aspx
I know that my writing is choppy...but for whatever reason, it's a lot more difficult writing now than it was last March. I guess I'm kind of forcing myself to write, and finding topics isn't easy when I don't want to write -_- so Anj, if you ever have a good topic, let me know :)
So long <3
When I was younger, I couldn't wait to grow up. Not because of the typical reasons little kids can't wait to grow up, but because I thought I was going to make a change in "the system." You know, the one where your Mom's brother is called your Mama, your Dad's younger brother is called Kaka, but your Dad's older brother is called Bapuji, unless of course your family uses the term Mota Papa instead...I would get so frustrated having to memorize what I was supposed to call someone, and was extremely jealous when my American friends simply called their Aunts and Uncles by their first names. I distinctly remember meeting my friend's Uncle, Michael, in first grade. Excited that I didn't have to call him anything but Michael, I went home and called my Mama by his first name, but that didn't go so well. He was the younger and cooler one, so he didn't get mad at me, but he told me that I'd understand one day and it didn't make sense for him to explain it at the time. He said that I would just get it, and no one would need to explain it to me. And because he was always my favorite, I was okay with that. So I waited.
And lo and behold, I am now enlightened. I honestly can't remember when I started falling in love with these titles that we have, but I don't know what we'd do without them! I know that there are times when we get frustrated hearing our grandparents ask: "Don't you remember her? She's your Mami's Kaka's son's bhabhi's daughter?" But so much comes with these words: Mama, Kaka, Foi, Masi, Bhabhi, Jethani, Devar, etc. It adds a ton of respect to our relationships, rather than simply calling someone by their name. Besides the fact that others will know exactly how we're related to someone by hearing their name alone, we are showing everyone how much we respect others. I know that in 2012, a wife can easily call her husband by saying his name, but that didn't happen years ago in India. Similarly, a daughter doesn't call her Father by his first name, she has a special way of calling him. In this same way, our culture has given us a way to show our respect and love to everyone that we are related to. Further, it gives us a way to title people that we meet...you've probably heard your parents call strangers Kaka and Bhai and Bhabhi. Right? This bring everyone together, it brings us closer.
I guess all I wanted to say is that I'm really glad that I'm a part of this relationship web...yes it's confusing at first but it makes things so much simpler!
If you were ever confused about any relationships: http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/18030.aspx
I know that my writing is choppy...but for whatever reason, it's a lot more difficult writing now than it was last March. I guess I'm kind of forcing myself to write, and finding topics isn't easy when I don't want to write -_- so Anj, if you ever have a good topic, let me know :)
So long <3
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