May 29, 2012
One of the articles that I had written in Daijiworld was titled as above. Since then, many readers and friends whom I met were asking me to write more on the same subject. However, since that article was based on experience, mine or my close ones, it would be quite difficult to create a sequel. With the passage of time, I have managed to remember / experience a few more which are narrated in this article.
Humour in life is very important for each one of us. When we cry no one is with us. When we laugh or smile the world is with us. Humour also gives relaxation to the mind. In today’s stressful life, do add a teaspoon full of humour and you will be happy. If the incidents narrated below are experienced by anyone do consider the same as co-incidence.
Mid-January early this year, I had to catch the late evening train from Mangalore to Bangalore. Since my onward journey was through Bangalore airport, I was also wearing a jacket.
As I was getting down from rickshaw at the station, three ladies came running to me.
"Sir, can we get seat in this train?" I politely told them to check in the counter. They were not pleased and that was a mystery to me!
Since I had luggage I had to take assistance from the station staff to carry the luggage. And I was walking briskly along with him. At least at four places I was stopped by passengers, to ask if they can get ticket in the compartment, it's an emergency etc. And I had to again politely ask them to refer to the railway office. Again I could see the anger from these people. I just couldn't figure out the reason for their anger or what wrong I might have done.
Finally my compartment arrived and I was looking for my sleeper berth. I saw a priest and two nuns travelling from Kerala, in the same place that my seat was allotted. As I was checking for my seat, both the priest and nuns got up and said to me politely, "Sir we are three members, our two seats are in the right side and one in the left side, can we all take the seats at right side?" I was not sure what they were asking since my seat allotted was on left side. I said as politely as I could, "Father, I have a reserved seat on the left side, how can I give you a seat not allotted to me?"
That is when the mystery got solved.
Due to the black jacket that I was wearing, everyone assumed I was the ticket collector. For sure, that day, Mangalore Railways Station got bad name, due to this unresponsive 'TC'.
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Again a Railway Adventure
Our extended family, around 12 of us, had gone to visit Mumbai and we were returning from Thane station. My daddy (father-in-law), a very noble and distinguished person aged around 77 years, was busy with luggage. As we got down from the taxi, immediately he went to the train helper, and asked him to collect our luggage, but in Tulu. I told him, "Dad here they understand only Hindi or Marathi." Dad took my advise in true spirit.
After 15 hours of journey we landed in Mangalore station and obviously we needed assistance from train helpers. To my amazement, dad told them to take all the luggage, but his instructions this time were in Hindi!
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To continue with the family.
My mother is 87 years of age and God has blessed her with good health. Add to that, my only sister takes day and night good care of her. Only concern is with the age, she tends to forget at times. During recent holidays, all of us were together having a sort of family reunion.
On a lighter note and say, to make it lively, my sister asked my mum,
Sister: Mummy tell me who is this man? (pointing at me)
Mother (addressing me): Vivian can you tell me who is this Lady?
Mother's wit was enough for my sister to blush even at the age of 62.
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This was narrated to me by my sister-in-law when I visited her in Sharjah, say ten years ago.
Her son, then aged 3, used to speak in a typical Mangalorean slang. For example:
I do not want No
I must get No
Why you are not giving me NO
Hence his Dad, my brother, took great care in educating him, “Son, you cannot end the sentence with “No”. It is not right.“
Next day when he returned from kids school, there was a note from the teacher - “Your son is giving his name wrong. Please check and correct.”
A worried mother asked: Son what is your name?
His reply: Sam Casteli
Mum: How come? Your name is Sam Castelino.
Son: But mum, dad told me not to use “No”
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I always pride myself as a good cook. If I get a chance I even take credit away from my wife.
One such early morning, I think it was Christmas day, back in Kuwait my daughter, four years of age then, was enjoying 'sanna' ordered from outside and delivered to us the previous night.
She: Dad who made this sanna?
Me: (So that I could take all the credit): Dada did the sannas. Why do you ask?
She: I got one big hair, I wanted to know if it is yours or Mummy's.
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It was summer holidays in Kuwait and both my children, 7 and 3 years of age, had gone to Mangalore. One day in the lift I met this little kid probably 4 yours of age, our next door neighbor. Suhail was his name.
Suhail: Uncle, where are Davina and Danica?
Me: They have gone to India for holidays.
Suhail: That means you are sleeping with only lady?
Poor Suhail, all that he was saying is with two children in India, I am staying only with my wife. Kids' thinking and reasoning cannot be questioned.
Recently our friends in Dubai decided to give to their two-year-old son, Money Chocolate.
Now wherever he finds money (real money) he tries to eat it. The parents find it impossible to stop him.
PS: If readers have such hilarious life experiences, they can share it with me on castelinovivian@hotmail.com and I can make an article for Daijiworld.
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