This was a friend’s status message. I had no idea what it meant. Turns out that she was eating red velvet cupcakes in a friend’s car, listening to a song called a horse with no name in Maryland, on vacation, and that it was “awesome”.
I am jealous. I turn 25 on Tuesday. I don’t have a plan. But I want to stuff my face with red velvet cupcakes in a car with prettiness outside.
I am also jealous that my mother, who turns sixty in JAN, already has a guest list ready! Me, I am just pathetic.
Three weeks ago, I met a chap at a friend’s birthday. He was a turbaned sardar who spoke the ‘Queen’s English’, had perfect Hindi diction and his Punjabi jokes made me laugh. His mannerisms, I have to say, were remarkably in sync with the language he chose to adopt. Rounded vowels when he spoke English, more relaxed with Hindi and positively back slap when jabbering in Punju. Having the positive first impression you do when you met a cultured sardar, I was happy to get an email from him recently. Essentially, he said hi, saw your story in the paper, what’s happening, and then -- what birthday plans.
He asked, so I ranted: Oh, it’s such a bore. I don’t want to invite people over. Nothing worse than pretending you care if someone has another drink. I would much rather they leave the cake for my kind perusal over the next couple of days. Why do I have to call my friends over? I don’t even LIKE all my friends. But some at least will call to say happy birthday. What are Facebook reminders for? They will ask what plans for the evening. I, being spineless, will say oh, nothing much, some people are coming over, why don’t you come too; here’s my address, see you at night. And so they will – come over. And by the evening of September 1st, another birthday will have gone down. And I would have ‘done something.’
I said all this in the mail. He replied, and without calling me a cynical loser in so many words, said he’s sorry I feel this way because ideally, birthdays should be week-long affairs with food and drink, your closest buds, and lots of silliness.
...
The sardar is, of course, right.
Red velvet cupcakes are little far in the distance. I have three days to hatch a plan and make the best of my 25th with a crate of Kingfisher and the eight people I know who will show up if I ask.
I am jealous. I turn 25 on Tuesday. I don’t have a plan. But I want to stuff my face with red velvet cupcakes in a car with prettiness outside.
I am also jealous that my mother, who turns sixty in JAN, already has a guest list ready! Me, I am just pathetic.
Three weeks ago, I met a chap at a friend’s birthday. He was a turbaned sardar who spoke the ‘Queen’s English’, had perfect Hindi diction and his Punjabi jokes made me laugh. His mannerisms, I have to say, were remarkably in sync with the language he chose to adopt. Rounded vowels when he spoke English, more relaxed with Hindi and positively back slap when jabbering in Punju. Having the positive first impression you do when you met a cultured sardar, I was happy to get an email from him recently. Essentially, he said hi, saw your story in the paper, what’s happening, and then -- what birthday plans.
He asked, so I ranted: Oh, it’s such a bore. I don’t want to invite people over. Nothing worse than pretending you care if someone has another drink. I would much rather they leave the cake for my kind perusal over the next couple of days. Why do I have to call my friends over? I don’t even LIKE all my friends. But some at least will call to say happy birthday. What are Facebook reminders for? They will ask what plans for the evening. I, being spineless, will say oh, nothing much, some people are coming over, why don’t you come too; here’s my address, see you at night. And so they will – come over. And by the evening of September 1st, another birthday will have gone down. And I would have ‘done something.’
I said all this in the mail. He replied, and without calling me a cynical loser in so many words, said he’s sorry I feel this way because ideally, birthdays should be week-long affairs with food and drink, your closest buds, and lots of silliness.
...
The sardar is, of course, right.
Red velvet cupcakes are little far in the distance. I have three days to hatch a plan and make the best of my 25th with a crate of Kingfisher and the eight people I know who will show up if I ask.
5 comments:
Maybe could try sending a batch of red velvet cupcakes? Any messenger services you know of?
"The sardar is, of course, right", u say. The appellation you use for this person bothers me. Is the person's religious faith such a large and unavoidable part of his personality that it overshadows everything else about him? Would u refer to a hindu guy u may have met as "The Hindu"? or a muslim as "The Muslim"? i doubt it.
Blue: No red velvet cup cakes but ordered pumpkin pies from a woman here who bakes them from home. Inspiration for you, I thought. They tasted very good too.
Anon: It didn't overshadow anything about him. I'm not concerned about who he prays to. My fault if anything other that came across but I am reasonably certain 'the sardar' would take it in the right spirit, and just as non offensively as it was intended. I am a sardarni. And I can joke at my own expense just as easily as I can tolerate friends making silly cracks about me at noon. Maybe if I had the patience though, I would be more biased.
Ah dear........
first of all a very....oops....just a happy birthday (i hope u dont mind getting so many wishes :-) )
I was still wondering that before writing this article were you really in this hullaballoed Delhi or some sort of a fairy tale place....i mean where did u get too see a sardar(no offences meant....ALL keep in mind) who was such etiquetted, spoke a good english as easily as clear hindi.....and who was so jabberish yet being cultured?! and really who doesnt reply you being a cynical loser but instead feels sorry??!! I am just uncontrollably amazed.....interesting findings indeed :-)
Neways "try to" enjoy today :-) juz kiddin'
~|-=Z=-|~
PS:in which daily do you write?
pumpkin pies sound yummy and you did have a wonderful birthday didnt you :)
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