today we celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of my nanima [maternal grandmom]. to me she was always "batiben". and she could make maggie thatcher look rusted!
i was perhaps more fortunate than her other grandchildren in that i grew up round the corner from her massive house [where my mother and aunts grew up]. so a daily round to check on her and on her kitchen was the norm. her kitchen was of especial importance to a growing lad like me as she would always have something or the other sizzling. her fondness for sprinkling liberal handfuls of red chillies in her food was something that literally and figuratively afire! mondays were important for thats when she made "sabudana vada". she sure knew how to speak to a guy's heart! my nana was sure a lucky guy!
i sadly did not know my dadi [paternal grandmom] too well as she passed on when i was just 10. so batiben was to me the epitome of all things "grandmother" - the love, affection, care, occasional raised voice [she could be heard down the street] and general being around for all the sundry dilemmas that a lad could have. some of my fondest memories are of sitting on her swing and chatting away with her. this was a lady who had a string of stories to tell [i have a photo of her somewhere on a beach in france way back in the 50s- perhaps thats how the french bug hit me?]. she was not given much to drama and emotion - stoicism was built into her. but when i went to france she came home and wept. and i could have just cancelled the whole thing and gone over to her place to check out the kitchen.
ah i could go on and on. but the best memories are always savoured in privacy. she passed away in typical style: no fuss, brave till the end. and i will always regret that i was not with her in her last moments.
batiben, you live on in our hearts. thank you for all the grace and wisdom and fun! thank you also for your progeny - my mother and my aunts [fine women all]. and today is monday so i hope that that sabudana wadas are sizzling up there :) happy birthday!
i was perhaps more fortunate than her other grandchildren in that i grew up round the corner from her massive house [where my mother and aunts grew up]. so a daily round to check on her and on her kitchen was the norm. her kitchen was of especial importance to a growing lad like me as she would always have something or the other sizzling. her fondness for sprinkling liberal handfuls of red chillies in her food was something that literally and figuratively afire! mondays were important for thats when she made "sabudana vada". she sure knew how to speak to a guy's heart! my nana was sure a lucky guy!
i sadly did not know my dadi [paternal grandmom] too well as she passed on when i was just 10. so batiben was to me the epitome of all things "grandmother" - the love, affection, care, occasional raised voice [she could be heard down the street] and general being around for all the sundry dilemmas that a lad could have. some of my fondest memories are of sitting on her swing and chatting away with her. this was a lady who had a string of stories to tell [i have a photo of her somewhere on a beach in france way back in the 50s- perhaps thats how the french bug hit me?]. she was not given much to drama and emotion - stoicism was built into her. but when i went to france she came home and wept. and i could have just cancelled the whole thing and gone over to her place to check out the kitchen.
ah i could go on and on. but the best memories are always savoured in privacy. she passed away in typical style: no fuss, brave till the end. and i will always regret that i was not with her in her last moments.
batiben, you live on in our hearts. thank you for all the grace and wisdom and fun! thank you also for your progeny - my mother and my aunts [fine women all]. and today is monday so i hope that that sabudana wadas are sizzling up there :) happy birthday!
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