One summer day, many years ago

Circa 1984. Summer vacations. Joyous siblings and cousins filled the house with noise and laughter. Angel mother suggested a day out sight-seeing. for all children, saying , "it's a historic city. go see the historic monuments." And thus, we set out and decided to take a boat ride across the harbour to see the oldest European church in India. And the 400 year old synagogue.

It was a lovely ride. We had lovely companions. Two lovely, really lovely, Aussie men. Large and friendly and carrying umbrellas. We looked a question at the umbrellas and they answered by rolling their eyes at a distant cloud. The third group on the upper deck was a family of four from the neighbouring state. Everyone smiled at everyone else and once off the boat, stuck together in a loosely defined large group.

Of course, it started to rain. And the Aussies, being the usual friendly Aussie types, offered to share their umbrellas with the family. The little girl was fine, she just smiled a big smile and looked up adoringly at her Aussie everytime he spoke to her. The mother - oh dear, was a totally different story. Everytime her Aussie addressed her in his very pronounced drawl, she got a hunted look and about three questions into the rain-walk, started to remind me forcibly of a doe about to flee. The conversation went somewhat like this:

Aussie Q : Dreadful rain, eh?

Scared Doe: Huh? (Looks around fearfully)

Aussie Q: Where are you from?

Scared Doe : HUH? (hitches up saree in readiness to flee)

Aussie Q :(Realising that he had to ask her something that would interest her) So, of all the places you've been to, which is your favourite?

Scared Doe: ( latching on to "favourite" and heaving a sigh of relief that he had finally asked her something she understood) Masala Dosa!

All children : (collapse by road-side laughing)

Aussie Q proceeds to petrify the doe by asking her detailed questions about the location, climate and so on about what he feels must be a truly interesting place.