Shopping for cute things at Christmas

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With Christmas around the corner, a variety of displays greet us. A  building made of chocolates even  in this hot place... Cuddly toys of every size and shape peep out from windows waiting to jump right into your arms as if for adoption...

 But the highlight of this season are the cakes. Almost everyone  is giving a treat to everyone else...  So much so that it almost feels like 'Cake-mas' since 'goodwill to all men' is out of fashion anyway. Not that any bad will is prevalent. It's just that 'I, me, my' occupies much of our thoughts.

  

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Comedy with names and faces

Last week as I was crossing a busy road, a lady on a scooter coming in the opposite direction bent double to wish me with a sweet smile. Must be some teacher, I thought though I simply couldn't place her.

In my personal list of  beatitudes,'Blessed are those who can remember names and faces,' comes at the top.
Before my marriage, while people were still at a safe distance away, my younger sister would whisper," Smile at the lady in the yellow sari."  With no time for further explanations, I'd do as told, with no idea at all of who I was smiling at and how I knew that person : whether she was just a  'hi and bye'  acquaintance or a closer friend. Based on the other person's response, I'd have to decide that. And then the doubt of whether I knew about her family and so must I enquire about them or did I just know her from a job point of view...

The more enthusiastic friends frighten me more because I'll be expected to show the same degree of enthusiasm. "How come you've  come this side ?" sometimes leads me into trouble. "Why, I always come here to see   my mom. Have you forgotten or did you mistake me for somebody else? Only last month I told you all about her stone in the bladder and you told me how your own mother recovered from it."
And then I'd thank God that at least I could remember dialogues.

After my marriage  came my husband's initial shock and the usual, 'how can anybody be like that?'
"I remember people better if I visit them at their houses,"I said meekly.
"How can I possibly take you to all the  people's houses just so you can learn their names?" he asked practically.Then onward he started introducing me to his friends and relatives anew every time we met. "My wife must have forgotten you by now." And so, amidst laughter we would enquire about each other. Sometimes I am even able to show off, "Of course, I remember Mr. Pillai. He is from Manakottai and has 3 children."

At school sometimes when Revathi becomes Radhika, the whole class bursts out laughing. Even when Chandra Mohan becomes Mohana Chandran, it's a joke. I tried doing some homework. I translated a quiet girl's name,Ponnmani into English and imagined a holy golden bell at a temple. Foolproof, indeed. But when I called out, 'Thangamani' another word for golden bell, how amused they were!

TV serials and sometimes even stage dramas go above my head when I can't differentiate between brother and brother-in- law or sister and sister-in-law.

Well, what can't be cured must be endured and so I thank whoever stated , "Ignorance is bliss". Maybe he or she went through my experiences.

Anyway even I can count my blessings-

1. My husband doesn't have a twin or even a same looking brother.So thankfully no fear of mistaken identity.
2. I never had to work as a bus conductor - specially crowded buses where I'd never find out who  bought tickets and who didn't. Or in the crime department either.
3. I can always encourage slow learners," See what mistakes I make with names. Yet I've been able to score  high marks in this and that competitive exams."

 I often wonder if  there are  others like me.  Perhaps we should join together and form a club and support one another. Shall we?

Maggie missing

I don't know how to tell my readers that it's happened again. Just after a joyful event something dreadful happens. This blog was meant to cheer its readers. But under the circumstances I  don't know what else to do. Maggie in our thoughts and Maggie in our talk. Forgive me,readers,I can't think of a general topic.

Maggie has been missing for 2 days. We searched all over the place and asked others to search too. She has just disappeared without a trace. Just after she was let loose for her usual rounds, she ate her favourite dish - the cat's rice and left. Luckily the cat was not around. The cat is now a mother and so attacks (used to attack) Maggie ferociously. I don't know how Maggie was with other cats but she was always tolerant of this one. I don't know of any enemy of Maggie apart from this cat.

Nowadays the municipality takes dogs only to sterilize them and send  them back. But Maggie is not there either. Either she has strayed into other dogs' territory and been chased elsewhere by them or more likely still, some human must have kidnapped her.
Friendly dog and beautiful, they must have thought. To them it's just that. To us, she's family. A companion and friend  to my daughter and Terry's right hand. After his mother's death, he started opening up only after Maggie's intervention. She was his pacifier with other dogs. Together they formed a team as leaders of all the dogs of the street.

To us she was different from all other dogs we've seen because she had a strange way of saying, "bo-oo meaning "glad to see you". Shake the dog biscuit bottle and we would get a boo-oo," how nice to eat it". To some it might sound like the  baying of dogs. But actually, this call was unique. We keep running to the door every time we hear an imaginary boo-oo. I keep consoling my daughter, at least she is safe. Whoever took her must have liked her that much, will look after her well.
 Till she gets the chance to run away and surprise us again with a boo-ooo at our doorstep.