Thursday, September 10, 2009

Beautiful Bangalore

I'm a 4th generation Bangalorean. My great grand parents came from their hometowns and settled in Bangalore. Our roots end in Bangalore. I have never been to my ancestral hometown(s). In fact I think my parents themselves haven't been to those parts although my grandmother sometimes wistfully spoke about her parents' village. Now, we haven't decided if we want to settle in the US or r2I but one of the things that saddens me a lot about settling outside India is the possibility (or certainty) of my kids and grandkids not knowing _my_ beautiful Bangalore.

What would you miss (apart from family) if you were to settle outside your country?
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 11, 2009 at 6:41 AM

    Found your blog while bloghopping - as a fellow Bangalorean, I feel your pain, though I am only a 2nd gen B'lorean! My kids have learnt to love Bangalore, home to one set of G'parents, for its weather, for their grandparents' house, and for all the stuff mama buys them when they visit - next step - to introduce them to some of my hangouts - sadly, many of those no longer exist!

    M

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  2. AverageJaneSeptember 11, 2009 at 11:34 AM

    Hi M, Glad to know your kids love BLR. Of course I'm an outdated Bangalorean too now. :(

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  3. The Print LoverSeptember 11, 2009 at 4:21 PM

    The kids would not know the city I grew up in, but they would have a lot of nice experiences in their homeland too.

    For eg, my mom would talk about her baths in rivers, playing in mango orchards and never having to do homework. As a city bred girl, I never experienced all that. But I learnt to drive a car, had pajama parties and moved to a new country all by myself. So dont worry abt what Scott is missing. He will make his own memories :)

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  4. AnonymousSeptember 14, 2009 at 11:33 AM

    I think I would just miss my kids having the same experiences I had...even if I raised them in my hometown!

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  5. sraikhSeptember 14, 2009 at 8:18 PM

    I grew up in Singapore. I celebrated Mooncake festival, Hari Raya(Eid) and Chinese New Year. I knew about Chinese red packets and the significance of the 2 oranges or that mooncakes were used to smuggle letters. I speak Mandarin and read/write Malay. I am so sad my kids would never experience this.

    However, I never saw snow till I was an adult and my kids have gone sking and sledding.

    We do alot of outdoor things which is just not possible in tiny Singapore.

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  6. Average JaneSeptember 14, 2009 at 9:15 PM

    TPL / Sraikh: You make excellent points. We obviously think there are some good things that the kids can get out of being wherever they are. No doubt about that.
    cluelessness: Most definitely. :(

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  7. ChoxboxSeptember 15, 2009 at 10:36 AM

    agree with TPL and sraikh.

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