Got up at 9:30am! No time for breakfast… rushed to the bathroom for a quick shower. Ran to Amol’s room after that and woke him up. Got his car keys. But not before running to Monu’s room, waking him up and asking him if Amol can borrow his car in the afternoon for a short while since I am borrowing Amol’s car. Lol, this might make a good story line (comon, its much more interesting than that Bold and the Beautiful crap which is still running even today!)
Dressed up in suit and everyone I passed by wished me a merry Christmas and complimented that I look really good (boy, talk about being humble).
Finally left hostel by 10:45! And the mizo church starts at 11:30. Hope I can make it in time. And here is the best part. The church service is taking place at this Theological College near Cantonment Railway Station… and I have never been there before! Leave driving over there, why, I haven’t even been to those parts in an auto. I have no clue how to get there. And my fren Hminga (the only mizo I know) so coolly told me to ask the autos how to get there. Like hell, it was the most stressful, terrible day of my life! And the fact that today is Christmas is sheer irony. Hah.
My knowledge about the Bangalore roads is limited only to Jayanagar side, Koramangala area, Airport route and Brigade/MG road. After that, I’m just another fish lost in this huge ocean of traffic jam, dirt and pollution.
So there I was, completely blind the moment I took a turn into Commercial street. After that I could vaguely remember following the instruction of taking the first left. Then everything else is all hazy after that... I remember asking atleast 30 different auto drivers how to get to Cantonment. I remember blocking traffic in the middle of a green signal at a junction because I didn’t know which road to take: right or straight? I remember asking a traffic cop if I was in the right lane leading to Cantonment. I also remember him giving me that suspicious looks. And then I remember remembering the fact that the car I’m driving does not have all the proper papers. Hence I remember suddenly driving away from him after he started showing deep interest in me :-) Man, I also remember driving thru the Bangalore Central bus-stand. I had to drive at minus 20km/hr (that slow). All along the way, the traffic was full, and the only sound coming out of the car was not my music playing, but rather my distressed voice shouting “Cantonment!” “Cantonment!” to any structure that bears the remotest resemblance to a human being.
Finally after sweating out nearly 2 litres of stress, I reached Cantonment. Phew! Parked next to the Call taxis and called up my fren. Ooops! Its 12 already! Just as I feared, he did not answer. The Church service must be going on. And I got no place to go… So I just sat there inside my car, watching the traffic pass by. And every 15 minutes or so, there was this huge exodus of people coming out of the railway station. And then there was a brief lull for 5 minutes or so when the railway station was quiet and peaceful, only to be all packed up once again. I just wondered, why the hell would anyone wanna travel on Christmas day? And this is not from a religious aspect. Even on Diwali or Eid, I would never dream of traveling. I think being brought up in a multi-culture, multi-ethnic, multi-religion background, one comes to respect each occasion with utmost sincerity.
Finally, at 12:30 my fren calls up. I told him I have reached Cantonment and dunno how to proceed from there. And guess what he told me? He said “Good. Now remember that right turn to Cantonment? Don’t take that turn. Come straight, passing Cantonment on your right!” #$%#$%$# WTF! I told him I already took that turn, and now Cantonment is on MY left, and it’s a one way so I cannot go retrace my steps….
And so, within 10 minutes he came in his car and I followed him. We took a big round and finally reached UTC (United Theological College). Mizos everywhere… as usual sitting together in groups of 5-6 scattered all over the green UTC campus. And then I realized, I am the only guy dressed in suit in my age group. Every body else were wearing normal formals. (Another reason why I should kill Hminga, coz he told me to wear suit, and then he himself wasn’t wearing one!). Went and met Hminga’s parents, and all the other elders, and a couple of other mizos that Hminga knows. Some of the girls were really hot, but blasted Hminga said he doesn’t know them well enough to introduce me. And they were all talking in a group, so I felt a bit awkward going over there and introducing myself to the girls. But some of the guys I met like Paul, Avi, Dennis etc were really cool. And everywhere I was asked the same question “How come you have never come for any mizo function before? Studying real hard huh?” Lol. Studying hard? Ha ha ha…..
Lunch was served at around 3. Beef boiled in the typical mizo style! It was soooo delicious. I ate a lot. After that we had the recreation. It was kick started by a dance number, performed by the 3-4 years old mizo kids dressed as Santa’s little helpers. Aweee… they were chooooo chweeeet. Everybody gave them a standing ovation after they finished. Then there was a game for married couples, where they had to walk on a piece of paper which grew smaller every level. It was hilarious. The couples tightly hugging each other, and some of the guys even carried their wives! :-) And for the youth, there was a game where random guys and girls were called out. A balloon was tied to the girl’s leg and the guy has to protect that while at the same time trying to burst other girl’s balloons. We laughed our asses off. You know, this is what I really like about my community. You go anywhere, you meet anyone, there is always that invisible force field you’ll activate around you. Its difficult to trust anybody just like that. But with the mizo community, well, I don’t know how to explain this, but everyone is completely at ease with each other. Any mizo is welcomed with open arms anywhere. But the downside is, any alien force trying to enter their group is met with fierce resentment. They become extremely defensive and protective when dealing with someone outside the community. But once that outsider is accepted by any member of the group, then he is automatically accepted by the entire group. A very strange an interesting phenomena which people should do a research on.
And then the event everyone’s been waiting for. The Gift Exchange! My number was 40 and Hming’s was 51. People having the same number are called up to the stage and we have to exchange our gifts. It’s a strictly guy-girl thing. We’re suppose to wish each other a merry Christmas, exchange gifts, and hug each other. What happens after that is purely up to the two individuals, but it sure serves as a good ice-breaker. When my number was called out, my partner was this cute but extremely shy girl. After exchanging our gifts, I bent over to hug her. She forgot to hug and already turned, and then she realized she didn’t hug and turned back to hug me, but by then I had already leaned back.. lol… everybody laughed as the girl went running back to her seat blushing like a budding red rose. I was totally cool and walked back smiling. Hminga was laughing at me the whole time! And I just kept quiet. Until his turn came. His gift-exchange partner was a married aunty! LOL…. I nearly fell off my chair laughing when I saw the look of disappointment on his face… ha ha ha… guess who had the last laugh huh? :-)))
After that, there was a prayer meeting, so Hminga and I went to Tushy’s place at Airport road to wish them all a merry Christmas. Hanged out there till 7:30, and then went back to UTC. We were just in time for the mizo dinner. I’ve been looking forward to the pork that was going to be served. Ahhh… pork… cooked in the perfect mizo way. There is no food I’d substitute for this. The very thought of it can still make my mouth water…
There was this really sweet mizo girl called Felia. I find her extremely attractive. Even during the gift-exchange thing, I was wishing she would be my partner! :-) When Hming and I walked into the dining hall after filling our plate with pork and more pork, as luck would have it, the girls were sitting at a table alone. So we joined them. Got into a conversation with her, and I believe we hit off quite well (Atleast from my part, I hit off very well with her). She’s doing her I.A.S coaching, and stays in a hostel in Jayanagar although her parents are also here in Bangalore.Even after dinner, we continued talking outside. Soon it was time for her to go home with her parents. Said goodbye. I thought of asking her for her number, but felt a bit shy doing it infront of the other mizo girls and parents. So I asked Hming if he has her number. He said yes. Bastard! Later we found out he doesn’t have her number!!!!!!! So, Felia, if, by the remotest chance, you happen to read this blog, just wanna let u know that I’d love to get to know you better…
:-)
Hming and I went back to Tushy’s place where there was another party. I stayed there for sometime, but later got bored coz everyone’s drinking and I dared not drink bcoz of the b’lore cops stopping every car and making the driver undergo a breathalyzer test! Its not my car, so I don’t wanna take any risk. Went back to hostel around 12:30 in the night. Man, I was completely exhausted.
Back in hostel, we had an L^2 party. I was so tired that i did not feel like partying at all. I drank my Scotch and tried to sleep even though the music was blasting from the party (right outside my room) and everyone were having so much fun. As I lay there, letting the alcohol slowly take its effect, I thought about today. Was it worth taking all the trouble just to socialize with other mizos who might not even remember me tomorrow? Like hell, yes, it definitely was worth it. Merry Christmas once again everyone…
Dressed up in suit and everyone I passed by wished me a merry Christmas and complimented that I look really good (boy, talk about being humble).
Finally left hostel by 10:45! And the mizo church starts at 11:30. Hope I can make it in time. And here is the best part. The church service is taking place at this Theological College near Cantonment Railway Station… and I have never been there before! Leave driving over there, why, I haven’t even been to those parts in an auto. I have no clue how to get there. And my fren Hminga (the only mizo I know) so coolly told me to ask the autos how to get there. Like hell, it was the most stressful, terrible day of my life! And the fact that today is Christmas is sheer irony. Hah.
My knowledge about the Bangalore roads is limited only to Jayanagar side, Koramangala area, Airport route and Brigade/MG road. After that, I’m just another fish lost in this huge ocean of traffic jam, dirt and pollution.
So there I was, completely blind the moment I took a turn into Commercial street. After that I could vaguely remember following the instruction of taking the first left. Then everything else is all hazy after that... I remember asking atleast 30 different auto drivers how to get to Cantonment. I remember blocking traffic in the middle of a green signal at a junction because I didn’t know which road to take: right or straight? I remember asking a traffic cop if I was in the right lane leading to Cantonment. I also remember him giving me that suspicious looks. And then I remember remembering the fact that the car I’m driving does not have all the proper papers. Hence I remember suddenly driving away from him after he started showing deep interest in me :-) Man, I also remember driving thru the Bangalore Central bus-stand. I had to drive at minus 20km/hr (that slow). All along the way, the traffic was full, and the only sound coming out of the car was not my music playing, but rather my distressed voice shouting “Cantonment!” “Cantonment!” to any structure that bears the remotest resemblance to a human being.
Finally after sweating out nearly 2 litres of stress, I reached Cantonment. Phew! Parked next to the Call taxis and called up my fren. Ooops! Its 12 already! Just as I feared, he did not answer. The Church service must be going on. And I got no place to go… So I just sat there inside my car, watching the traffic pass by. And every 15 minutes or so, there was this huge exodus of people coming out of the railway station. And then there was a brief lull for 5 minutes or so when the railway station was quiet and peaceful, only to be all packed up once again. I just wondered, why the hell would anyone wanna travel on Christmas day? And this is not from a religious aspect. Even on Diwali or Eid, I would never dream of traveling. I think being brought up in a multi-culture, multi-ethnic, multi-religion background, one comes to respect each occasion with utmost sincerity.
Finally, at 12:30 my fren calls up. I told him I have reached Cantonment and dunno how to proceed from there. And guess what he told me? He said “Good. Now remember that right turn to Cantonment? Don’t take that turn. Come straight, passing Cantonment on your right!” #$%#$%$# WTF! I told him I already took that turn, and now Cantonment is on MY left, and it’s a one way so I cannot go retrace my steps….
And so, within 10 minutes he came in his car and I followed him. We took a big round and finally reached UTC (United Theological College). Mizos everywhere… as usual sitting together in groups of 5-6 scattered all over the green UTC campus. And then I realized, I am the only guy dressed in suit in my age group. Every body else were wearing normal formals. (Another reason why I should kill Hminga, coz he told me to wear suit, and then he himself wasn’t wearing one!). Went and met Hminga’s parents, and all the other elders, and a couple of other mizos that Hminga knows. Some of the girls were really hot, but blasted Hminga said he doesn’t know them well enough to introduce me. And they were all talking in a group, so I felt a bit awkward going over there and introducing myself to the girls. But some of the guys I met like Paul, Avi, Dennis etc were really cool. And everywhere I was asked the same question “How come you have never come for any mizo function before? Studying real hard huh?” Lol. Studying hard? Ha ha ha…..
Lunch was served at around 3. Beef boiled in the typical mizo style! It was soooo delicious. I ate a lot. After that we had the recreation. It was kick started by a dance number, performed by the 3-4 years old mizo kids dressed as Santa’s little helpers. Aweee… they were chooooo chweeeet. Everybody gave them a standing ovation after they finished. Then there was a game for married couples, where they had to walk on a piece of paper which grew smaller every level. It was hilarious. The couples tightly hugging each other, and some of the guys even carried their wives! :-) And for the youth, there was a game where random guys and girls were called out. A balloon was tied to the girl’s leg and the guy has to protect that while at the same time trying to burst other girl’s balloons. We laughed our asses off. You know, this is what I really like about my community. You go anywhere, you meet anyone, there is always that invisible force field you’ll activate around you. Its difficult to trust anybody just like that. But with the mizo community, well, I don’t know how to explain this, but everyone is completely at ease with each other. Any mizo is welcomed with open arms anywhere. But the downside is, any alien force trying to enter their group is met with fierce resentment. They become extremely defensive and protective when dealing with someone outside the community. But once that outsider is accepted by any member of the group, then he is automatically accepted by the entire group. A very strange an interesting phenomena which people should do a research on.
And then the event everyone’s been waiting for. The Gift Exchange! My number was 40 and Hming’s was 51. People having the same number are called up to the stage and we have to exchange our gifts. It’s a strictly guy-girl thing. We’re suppose to wish each other a merry Christmas, exchange gifts, and hug each other. What happens after that is purely up to the two individuals, but it sure serves as a good ice-breaker. When my number was called out, my partner was this cute but extremely shy girl. After exchanging our gifts, I bent over to hug her. She forgot to hug and already turned, and then she realized she didn’t hug and turned back to hug me, but by then I had already leaned back.. lol… everybody laughed as the girl went running back to her seat blushing like a budding red rose. I was totally cool and walked back smiling. Hminga was laughing at me the whole time! And I just kept quiet. Until his turn came. His gift-exchange partner was a married aunty! LOL…. I nearly fell off my chair laughing when I saw the look of disappointment on his face… ha ha ha… guess who had the last laugh huh? :-)))
After that, there was a prayer meeting, so Hminga and I went to Tushy’s place at Airport road to wish them all a merry Christmas. Hanged out there till 7:30, and then went back to UTC. We were just in time for the mizo dinner. I’ve been looking forward to the pork that was going to be served. Ahhh… pork… cooked in the perfect mizo way. There is no food I’d substitute for this. The very thought of it can still make my mouth water…
There was this really sweet mizo girl called Felia. I find her extremely attractive. Even during the gift-exchange thing, I was wishing she would be my partner! :-) When Hming and I walked into the dining hall after filling our plate with pork and more pork, as luck would have it, the girls were sitting at a table alone. So we joined them. Got into a conversation with her, and I believe we hit off quite well (Atleast from my part, I hit off very well with her). She’s doing her I.A.S coaching, and stays in a hostel in Jayanagar although her parents are also here in Bangalore.Even after dinner, we continued talking outside. Soon it was time for her to go home with her parents. Said goodbye. I thought of asking her for her number, but felt a bit shy doing it infront of the other mizo girls and parents. So I asked Hming if he has her number. He said yes. Bastard! Later we found out he doesn’t have her number!!!!!!! So, Felia, if, by the remotest chance, you happen to read this blog, just wanna let u know that I’d love to get to know you better…
:-)
Hming and I went back to Tushy’s place where there was another party. I stayed there for sometime, but later got bored coz everyone’s drinking and I dared not drink bcoz of the b’lore cops stopping every car and making the driver undergo a breathalyzer test! Its not my car, so I don’t wanna take any risk. Went back to hostel around 12:30 in the night. Man, I was completely exhausted.
Back in hostel, we had an L^2 party. I was so tired that i did not feel like partying at all. I drank my Scotch and tried to sleep even though the music was blasting from the party (right outside my room) and everyone were having so much fun. As I lay there, letting the alcohol slowly take its effect, I thought about today. Was it worth taking all the trouble just to socialize with other mizos who might not even remember me tomorrow? Like hell, yes, it definitely was worth it. Merry Christmas once again everyone…
