Mero Pariwaar

I have been so fortunate to have had such a wonderful family taking care of me this past week. Perhaps as a lingering consequence of dehydration, I have decided the best way to summarize my family is within the context of being stranded on a deserted island.

Ba / Buwaa (my host dad): you want him there for two reasons. First, he plays serious badminton every morning so he will be good at waving down rescue helicopters. Secondly, he is facebook friends with everyone so when he doesn’t post anything for a few days all of Lalitpur will be out looking for you.

Aama (my host mom): she is a great cook, and while everyone else will probably feel severely rationed, deserted island size portions would probably be perfect for me. Besides being a wonderful chef, Aama is very in-tune with how to handle gossip and petty politics so she wouldn’t allow the group to become divided or chaotic.

Rashmee (my older sister): she studied pharmacology and can tell you the scientific name of anything. She is your key to wilderness survival and healthcare.

Rakshya (my 19 year old younger sister): she just started college and is majoring in social work, which is perfect because she is very patient and caring in nature. I predict that she would emerge as the island peacemaker, ensuring that everyone contributed to building a shelter, gathering firewood, etc.

Raman (my 17 year old younger brother): he just got new glasses, which will come in handy for magnifying the sunlight to make a signal fire. Additionally, he loves scary movies and could probably retell them as entertainment around the aforementioned fire.

L to R: Rakshya, my 8 year old cousin, Rashmee, another cousin, and Raman.

(I PROMISE that I will post a photo of the whole family as soon as I have one! The occasion for a family pic simply hasn’t arisen yet, and everybody puts on house clothes – basically pajamas – when they come home from work/school so a spontaneous evening pic is not on anyone’s agenda.)