I am a South Indian but haven't lived much in South India. However, the 6 years I did stay converted me more into a "anna" than I could have imagined.
To the point that, I enjoy the slight twang in my style of talking, I smiled endlessly when I first listened to the ISRO scientists doing a countdown to the Chandrayaan, I cant do without rice, I absolutely cant live without Idly and Dosa and very recently completed my last "South Indian Brahmanical" duty by securing admission towards a 2nd educational degree.
But I realised the symbolic importance of this 2nd degree even before I completed my 1st. I was sitting on my usual spot in the kitchen eating dosas when I asked my mother, "what if I don't want to study anymore. I think I have had it with engineering". Almost immediately I heard, "are you crazy Raghu. Don't talk stupidly. You have to study. You need the 2nd degree". And that when I started to wonder, "why?". I then realised that like all mothers, amma was specially worried about the bride hunt, lest I don't find one myself. As an above middle class South Indian brahmin, that was almost a prerequisite (in many cases)...the 2nd degree.
She even went to the extent to asking the astrologer about my further studies, and guess what he said, "no"... blasphemy!!!
So what if I love meat, not got the sacred thread ceremony done or for the fact that I am an atheist (some say agnostic...who cares!!!). Nothing can be more radical than not getting that PG degree.
Well, it took me 2 jobs and over 3 years of corporate life to realize its importance. Now that I have secured admission into the 2010 MBA batch of Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, I cant stop smiling at the relief I have probably given amma :)
P.S: She still insists its not true :)
To the point that, I enjoy the slight twang in my style of talking, I smiled endlessly when I first listened to the ISRO scientists doing a countdown to the Chandrayaan, I cant do without rice, I absolutely cant live without Idly and Dosa and very recently completed my last "South Indian Brahmanical" duty by securing admission towards a 2nd educational degree.
But I realised the symbolic importance of this 2nd degree even before I completed my 1st. I was sitting on my usual spot in the kitchen eating dosas when I asked my mother, "what if I don't want to study anymore. I think I have had it with engineering". Almost immediately I heard, "are you crazy Raghu. Don't talk stupidly. You have to study. You need the 2nd degree". And that when I started to wonder, "why?". I then realised that like all mothers, amma was specially worried about the bride hunt, lest I don't find one myself. As an above middle class South Indian brahmin, that was almost a prerequisite (in many cases)...the 2nd degree.
She even went to the extent to asking the astrologer about my further studies, and guess what he said, "no"... blasphemy!!!
So what if I love meat, not got the sacred thread ceremony done or for the fact that I am an atheist (some say agnostic...who cares!!!). Nothing can be more radical than not getting that PG degree.
Well, it took me 2 jobs and over 3 years of corporate life to realize its importance. Now that I have secured admission into the 2010 MBA batch of Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, I cant stop smiling at the relief I have probably given amma :)
P.S: She still insists its not true :)
2 comments:
funny post.. this!
aha congratulations again on that degree!! just beware of rammohan rao and satyamites in hyderabad :P
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