South Indian Mamas And Mamis-past And Present

Hi there!

Take a bow! I'm with you all the way. I wish to add more cast to your mamas of the present- there's a breed ,sorry for the usage- that sports sweat shirts of famous US varsities and bermuda shorts and does the morning rounds along the beach in Besant Nagar, Chennai. They discuss Trump and Obama and won't be caught dead mentioning Modi or Manmohan, take Tylenol and not humble Crocin, break their fast on Kellogs cornflakes...sometimes more americanised than americans themselves...but whose NRI children get their root canal surgery done with a dentist on Vannanthurai road er...7th Avenue or MG road ..and get their eyes checked for specs at Rajan Eyecare -all during the 10 day trip to India ! Such a delectable sort!

 

You would be surprised to know lot of mamis in Delhi's Tamil diaspora are still mid 20th century. I have attended concerts here in which i was often stuck next to mamis who either yap about saris and jewels or compare notes on DILs or even worse sing along with the singer on stage.

 

Dear Smt. Jayasala:

It is a delightful read how things have changes over a period of time. Necessity is the mother of inventions and mamis have changed as their children settle overseas. They have to navigate their trips overseas, take medicines they need, understand how to move from one concourse to another in the airport, speak multiple languages, discuss what all they had seen in their recent overseas trip, etc. They are becoming increasingly capable and hence appear to be dominant. Education and experience makes one become stronger.

When I was a student, I used to be stunned by my Periamma giving instrcutions to the physicians what are the medicines to be prescribed to her husband. The physician visiting home used to handover the stethoscope to my Periamma and ask "Why don't you listen to his heart?"

Shiva-Vishnu Temple, Two gates leading to West Mambalam from T.Nagar, Ranganathan Street, Mambalam Railway Station, Panagal Park, Vegetable vendors near Panagal Park, Nalli Chinnasamy Chetti Silk House, RamaKrishna Mutt, Vani Mahal, Rajakumari Theater, T.Nagar Bus Stop, etc. are fresh in my memories when I was living in T.Nagar and studied up to 4th grade. Paramacharya used to visit West Mambalam every year and without having any knowledge of the spiritual powers of this Guru, the children like me used to hang around him to get Pana Kalkandu, fruits, etc.

Viswa

 

Congrtulations for being nominate Jayakka. Very interesting to read about mamas and mamis. My mother's mother was also expert in cooking, in making kai murukku etc. She used to go alone to Secunderabad from Hyderabad without knowing to speak Telugu orHindi. When I used to go with her in riksha , the rikshawalla used tosay sheis talking so no need for you to talk. She used tobuy vegetables talking intamil.Also for my sister's wedding all the steel vessels except a few she bought from the woman who brought steel vessels at home in exchange of clothes. She was very good in bargaining. I missed learning from her cooking as that time was not interested in cooking

The other day we had gone for comedy show by R. Sekharan and Pulavar Ramalingam who made us forget everything from 6.15 to 8.15 pm There he was saying howin a theatre one mami was asking her husband whether the gas is closed, the balcony grill is closed etc. etc. and finally came to knowthat she was talking to another man and nother husband.