last week someone labelled me an NRI. my sister told me that he was right, i am instantly recognizable as an NRI. yesterday someone called me an auntie(again!). i found out that i cannot climb the hill near my childhood home in one go, like i used to do. today, i found that i dont recognise any of the faces in the local youth group i used to belong to.
today we cut amy's hair. her baby curls are gone. she had a terrible heatrash problem, so we had to cut her hair. not that she had much to speak of.. still, her birthday photos won't have those baby curls.
i'm finding my hometown has become an alien place. i need a guide just to find a new shop, a good tailor, a clothing store. the only people i know are the dentist, the ....well, thats all.
you know what is the definition of an NRI?
a Non Resident Indian is an indian who lives in a place other than india.. someone who wants convenience and is willing to pay any price for it.. they dont know the actual price of anything, so you might as well quote them something higher. like, a blouse costs 120Rs, if it is an NRI, just say 500Rs.. if they like it they will buy it without bargaining!
as time goes on, i am finding that yes, i would rather have convenience than low cost..because i can afford it..i am becoming used to not-bargaining. i am finding that my travel is limited to places that serve trustable-quality food.. so the kids dont get upset stomachs. i am finding that my shopping time is limited to 2hours.. the space of time before the kids get bored/hungry/sleepy.
more to do with having multiple kids than being an NRI, but , well, i had to write. now back to the precious time spent with parents and siblings, seen for only so little time each year..dad's advice, mom's fussing, sister's backtalk.. things i miss the most when i am away.
