Words-Lost in Translation – Thoughts – yet they remained still.

Year- almost close to millennium. Story started back from a big crowded “Joyous” city in India .The young,tall,dark ,handsome( copy paste irreproachable Mills and Boon hero) just got back from US to get married to this crazy,young , vibrant Bong full of life and humor.

And then the dream journey began , crossing the oceans , over the continents , into the land on the opposite side of tbe globe.The newly wedded damsel with lots of dreams landed in the United States of America.

With that started the Missus’s tale of all things new and fun to learn in this land of “ Dum Maro Dum” 🎸 🎸 apart from everything else. 😀 😎😀.

What started thereafter if needed to be summarized was a “comedy of errors”.The FOB ( Ha Ha – FOB- Fresh Off The Boat) excited Missus went to meet her cousin and family in Boston Downtown on a cold April Sunday wearing a beautiful new chiffon saree ignoring all the warnings from the Mister. Of course inspite of wearing a Parka she stood there shivering like a stripped off chicken but happily flaunting the ziplock full of “Patishapta” a Bong sweet specially prepared for the homesick girl by her cousin’s MIL. ♥️And happy and forever grateful was she.

With such a jump start, the American dream started for the couple.By this time they had relocated to a different state and one fine morning after the Mister had left for work,this Missus faced an unique situation like never before.

Going to the bathroom( which by then she had learnt to call as restroom) realized there was no water. So she picked up the phone,dialed the maintenance and started in confident English,“Hello, yes this is…. . I am calling from Apt 302 . I wanted to let you know that there is no water in the TAP in the restroom.”

A couple of seconds pause. The maintenance manager didn’t hang up, his breath in and out was still audible. Finally, he regained his composure and muttered over the phone in a thick rolled accent-“Ms – Excuse me? You said no water? OK. But -where?”

The tone of utter confusion was ABSOLUTELY EVIDENT. His confusion now increased ths confusion in the Missus’ mind multifolds. She thought dee(eep) & started yet again -with fresh vigor-“You know that long, elongated thing made of steel/iron in the bath tub ? From where water comes out???” [what exactly was wrong with the Firangis – the lady thought angrily in her mind].Her vanity had taken a blow; her adept fluency in the Queen’s language (thanks to her convent schooling) had been truly hurt.

“ Oh Mam!!!! ( loud voice from the other side) interrupted her thoughts. You mean the FAUCET!!! Aah we should send someone out soon.”” Uhh ok. Thank you.” She kept tbe phone down,called up the husband and narrated. And the poor guy burst into laughter .”Well of course , the maintenance guy wouldn’t follow – TAP is found in BREWERY! It’s where the beer flows out from!!!!”Oh NOO!!!! 🙄😂😳

Immersed in the kitchen with bubbles flowing out of the dishwasher due to pouring of the regular soap instead of dishwashing soap – to land up in an awkward moment in the conversation due to the beningn use of the word “ rubber“ to mean Eraser( in the US that was strictly restricted as a word meaning a contraceptive method 🙄) the young lady learnt a lot!!!!!

Once she vociferously tried to look for the ingredient – Okra / Ladiesfingers in the veggie section to try out Tiramisu at home only to know later that Ladyfingers was also an italian cookie used as an ingredient in the Desert delicacy 🤗

And thus the list grew endlessly and the young lady found herself on a steep yet interesting learning path. A path which taught her the bridging gap between the two continents was in the basic human intrinsic qualities which were deep rooted inside every human.

Days changed to months; Months to years; years to decade…The lady had by this time made this foreign country her home, imbibed and integrated many features of the foreign land’s culture within her own ( some consciously and rest without even realizing).

Thus differences aside,with numerous words, phrases lost in translation, cultures traversing through countries blended at one point – and that was Humanity.

And that’s what this Missus learnt and loved to live with her Mister and their kids in the foreign land – their Home….