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Of travel rants and toddlers!

Someone once asked me if I liked travelling... And after a lot of deliberation I said.."Well, I like being at all kinds of different places but if I have to take a 36 hour train or a sweaty 8 hour bus drive, I'm not sure I'd like that bit." I'm sure the person thought he was having the most inane conversation with the most spoilt brat around!

Being a dancer predisposes you to all kinds of travel- luxurious ones, budget ones, in-between-luxury and budget-ones. You also get to live like that- budget hotels, luxury hotels, 1 star to 5 star (OK very rarely 5 star unless I book myself into one!). I once lived in a 'guest house' in Raipur where there was no running water in the bathroom, food was served in sticky plates and the table was cleaned with a cloth that could send a rat running to the ENT.

A week back, re-visiting the holy temples of Shiva in the Tanjore belt, I realised how things had changed, yet some things don't ever change do they! The last time I was there about 3 years ago, I had a 2 year old niece for company- all fun, no responsibility. We went temple-hopping, performing every evening -5 programmes in 4 days across 5 towns! And along the way, Filter coffee, masala dosai and vadai, afternoon meals and more filter coffee.

Fast forward to last week- 2 year old daughter in tow. Two large suitcases, One with dance clothes,make-up et al, the other occupied 70% with diapers, little girly clothes, rash cream, peadiatric medicines for any ailment that I have encountered in the last 2 years, other medication -just in case, baby books, scribble pads, pencils, crayons, colour pencils, my mother's iPad (I refuse to let her play with mine!) AND an extra back pack of more of the just-in-case things- clothes, diapers, creams, medicines, wipes...

First stop Thiruvarur.. "Let me find out if the hotel begins dinner service at 7..I'll give her her dinner before we leave for the programme." Programme is delayed by 40 minutes. "O no, when will she eat. when will she sleep?"

Day 2 at Chidambaram; Programme scheduled for midnight. "Ok here's the plan. Dad, if she sleeps, you stay with her in the hotel ok. You can watch our programme on TV. If she doesn't sleep, please take her for a drive while I perform- just 26 minutes.. As soon as I'm out, I'll take her back to the hotel and put her in bed!...What, you want to watch our programme...Uhm..ok...but...."

Day 3 at Tanjore. A little more accustomed by now- my daughter, not me! Programme at 8. Good, but Kumbakonam is going to be difficult- at 10 the same night? Kumbeshwara- pardon me one time! It won't be fair on my daughter!

Day 4 on the road to Chennai- the accustomed traveller (again- my daughter, not me!) is excited since her favorite people will be there aka grandparents, aunts, uncles... Two more performances and the train back home.

In all the frantic madness, I wasn't sure if I should feel guilty that I made her travel with me or feel fortunate that I am being invited to perform prime-time (Yes, even dancers have prime-time, non prime-time. It's not just a TV thing). I was torn between making sure she'd had a meal and rehearsing our formations for stage. I was not sure if I should be happy at her enjoying coffee (But in Kumbakonam if you don't enjoy the coffee, you either don't like coffee in general or you are out of your mind) or if I should count my blessings at all the people who were willing to babysit at midnight (any mother knows that the crankiness quotient increases exponentially with every minute past bedtime) and of course the blessing of performing at midnight for Shivarathri...

Tanjore temples done. A temple-hopping holiday near Cochin a week later....and I'm still fretting over making her eat a banana instead of enjoying the visual treat of 25 elephants bathing- What a sight! "Did she eat the banana? No? Guruvayoorappa, please make my daughter eat her food. Aleppey? Boating? Uhm...it's ok. We'll do that next time. Let her rest today." (Daddy J was definitely not excited at my sheer lack of interest in anything exciting!)

Back home for a day and the first question in the morning (Question-answer session begins as soon as one eye opens and until both are shut asleep at night)... "Amma, where are we going today?"

In all these years, my love for travel has somewhat remained unchanged although destiny has proven to me that some journeys, no matter how long or how tiring are completely worth it! But look who's taken to travelling now?!

Comments

  1. Saisudha Hejmadi-AcharyaMarch 13, 2014 at 10:18 PM

    Hello hello :)
    Sounds like a great trip you are on. Sounds like Sahasra likes life on the road :)

    ReplyDelete

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