The Twist of the Lazy Sunday

Its amazing how a tiny little life can change the entire atmosphere of the house. The sense of anticipation following the birth of a new one, with the endeavour to care for it defines the way nature works. What makes it better is if there is a surprise element associated with it!

We have had an aquarium at home for over ten years now. Through the course of this journey, fish have come and unfortunately left us. A new fish from the aquarium market would always bring in excitement and add a new sense of dynamism at home. But the worst part of the entire aquarium-owning experience is removing a fish from the aquarium, and instead of hopping and jumping in the net, it remains still, with its fin drooped ever so softly on its body. A symbol of perfect serenity, but one that brings with it a tinge of pain. The death of a fish creates another change in the aquarium vibrancy, and with it moves on the cycle of the aquarium in the house.

This was what constituted the cycle of our aquarium. Till today that is.

This morning, amidst a lazy Sunday here in Singapore, I was having my favourite "Uncle Chips", and indulging in yet another rather hilarious episode of "Comedy Circus", when I get a call from Indonesia. And the message conveyed got my lazy Sunday lifting its head up from the drowsiness. The aquarium at home had been the birthplace of tens of fish - the two Angel Fish now had at least another 25 little lives with them in the fish tank!

Wow! Where from did this event enter the pre-existing cycle of the aquarium that we had been through thus far? The palpable excitement inherent in the tone of my family members there, brings with it a desire to take the next flight into Indonesia, and be a part of the new vibrancy. The entire home environment has taken an upswing, and my best friend Google must be rather surprised at being bugged with random phrases to the like of "newly born fish in aquarium", "how to care for new born fish", "new born angel fish". That too on a day that was, prior to this, looking as happening as a turtle race.

So now as I spur my brain engine to life from its Lazy Sunday mode, and along with my best friend ponder on the most pertinent question of the hour, of how to prevent the new school of fish from from the dark suction forces of the tank pump, I shall leave you with a photo which was the first thing I asked my sister for upon hearing the news!

The tiny black things are the little ones!

Excitement

For me, new equals excitement. Nothing seems to increase the excitement levels as much as a new beginning, a new venture, a new place, a new...well, you know what I mean.

So, given that logic, a new internship would suggest that the excitement levels are very high. On the back of a 24-week internship, this one brings with it new opportunity, and a renewed zest and enthusiasm. On the eve of this new internship, I remember the same evening the day before the previous internship that has just ended. The anticipation of the unknown; the anxiety of the uncertain - its the same mixture of feelings that seem to play kabaddi in the mind.

These new beginnings bring with them new expectations. Expectations from self, from others, and from the internship. What these expectations also bring is, perhaps the most important of all, the will to go on, use the opportunity, such that when I look back 10 weeks from now, reflecting back on the weeks would bring a content smile on the face.

Life's tantrums...

Often there are times in our lives, when the over cliched 'going gets tough' phrase doesnt seem just a phrase any more. These times may seem never ending and too long for our liking, but by the end of it, help us become stronger for the experience of having overcome them. Fortunately, I have had many opportunities at becoming strong in this way.

Being a closely knit family, spending time together was something we gave utmost importance to, and it was a joy for us. My mother says, 'families which share a meal together remain together'. Yet, a time did come when we had a decision to take, and that was the year 2002. Life had thrown its first tantrum at us...

The school in Kerinci-Sumatra where Papa was posted, was an International school, but only till Grade 7 due to the relatively weak student strength. Although happy at going up the classes, I did have bouts of anxiety as I was nearing grade 7. What next? Will I too have to leave my parents at a tender age of 12? Up until that point, all the expatriate employees had either shifted their families to their home countries, or sent their children away to boarding school upon completion of their 7th grade. Either way, the child was going to be separated from one if not both of his parents. Having grown up in a protected way by them, staying away from my parents was an idea complely alien to me.

It was then that I glimpsed the obvious brilliance of my parents for the first time, and on retrospection, the collective decision made seems such a master-stroke.

Jakarta, although the capital of Indonesia, was strangely, an unexplored avenue in such cases. People went back to India, yet no one before us had tried shifting their families to the capital. The differences between the two places had their own pros and cons; India was home with relatives aplenty, but Jakarta was the same country comprising more forseeable meeting opportunities with Papa. The risk taker within us took the step forward, and a new journey had begun, where we set out to conquer the unexplored land of Jakarta...

(to be continued)