There were 3 girls in that middle class family in a small town TN.It perfectly fit into all those illustrations of a small town,fewer schools,an ugly bus stand and a teeny railway station with handful passenger trains arriving and leaving within a minute thus leaving space for public to have some amusement,and one maariamman temple with its fabulous car festival.
Since the entertainment gateways are countable,summer is fun with the car festival.These three girls will wait for that, mainly bcoz, it brings in these stuff, few giant wheels,a fun train,some slower rides,biking in well,morphed mermaid,delhi appalam,molagai bajji(chilli bajji) etc,etc.,
Right from january the days would be passed on saving money and dreaming about car festival and its accompaniments.Their joy is unbound as the festival reaches,in fact a week or ten days before car festival,the rides drop in,with increasing number daily.These girls would sort money again and again,count and recount,do a field trip,inquire prices,come back home while mentally sorting money to match with those rides on the way,again count and sort out those rides affordable.Elder one known for her paranoia,will have some money left for little ones as she never takes anything other than fun train and slower ones,to put it precisely she loved to visit funny mirror,enjoy appalam and nbajji than anything else.
Financial planning goes on daily,with a request to appa,amma and aunty for a ride on their cost and also counting on the money what they would get on the day of festival.
Everyday they would wish to enjoy all rides but they would limit themselves based on their status of savings.Sometimes the prices have doubled from the earlier year,which has turned us down,still getting onto one or two would be real fun.And all the more discussing it with friends as who has done what makes it more and more interesting,sheer fun and enjoyment of unadulterated childhood.(My words don’t do justice to it at all).A fun train ride with a Delhi appalam or molagai bajji without any worry of e-coli is definitely fun.One year when you could do all,its like you have won oscar,you are the hero/heroine among your gang.
Elder one was the first to hit the Big city and the family slowly shifted.Few times it was fun going to MGM,VGP and kishkintha’s,but sooner it was boring.
Nothing could match the fun what they had in once a year rides,may be the rides are not exhaustive,aesthetic still that was cherished,and memories are more tangible than these amusement parks.
Oh boy,how i wish to go back to those days of real real happy moments.
P.S: Last weekend we had been to an indoor amusement which had even a roller coaster and that is the trigger for this post.Though we got her on few rides,i really felt she may not enjoy things as we did,if we frequent to that place.May be once she grows,i would probably tell her,she can go there only with her savings.(Not sure if this is right,but still i feel to do this)
July 20, 2010 at 4:57 pm
indeed fun… I could completely relate this to the chithirai festival I attended at my native place with all relatives.. how could we forget that rattinam and balloons… it was total fun
July 20, 2010 at 4:57 pm
hey me first me first 🙂
July 21, 2010 at 9:34 am
What fun we had,that too with cousins,it was golden days.
Yes you are.
July 20, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Totally understand – similar experience in my childhood. Of course boys wee partial to the bike in the well rather than the mermaid, but still …..Each generation has its memories. Ambuli would, I suppose, write a post 20 years from now nostalgically remembering the amusement parks of Bahrain !
July 21, 2010 at 9:35 am
Definitely she would,may be technology would have advanced by then.
July 20, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Very true. Some things are enjoyed in moderation. When small i used to enjoy having ice creams in the summer, becoz that was the only time we used to have it either home made or thru the gaadi wala, but nowadays with ice creams round the year, the thrill is missing.
July 21, 2010 at 9:36 am
Definitely,you are so right.
July 20, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Waiting for the Ther – almost as good as watching it slowly and gracefully undulating through the Veedhi
Amusement parks, Roller coasters – no way that these can match up
July 21, 2010 at 9:40 am
Finding a tallest building and settling yourself in a comfy position,wait for a long time under hot sun,still it was bliss.
Amusement parks have become stereotypical,which makes one lose interest in due course.
July 20, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Loved this post..brought me lovely memories of my childhood too..
July 21, 2010 at 9:40 am
Thanka and am glad.
July 21, 2010 at 9:21 am
Ohh wow…those ride must be the fun for you..I liked the idea of enjoying certain things from ur own saving money..whic hreally teaches kids a good lesson and developes some understanding towards money 🙂
July 21, 2010 at 9:41 am
Yes it was,saving money and spending made one take self pride.
July 21, 2010 at 11:41 am
Took me down the memory lane. Thanks for sharing this. I remembered the Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in a temple near my house. The entire street would be lined by colourful shops selling little knickknacks. It made life difficult for us little tykes then 🙂
July 21, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Am glad you liked this.These festivals are real tough for us.
July 22, 2010 at 6:13 am
I totally agree to this post….Me and sister used to save money..in the same way. What a cherished memories…
Hey Ambuli is looking so so cute and innocent in her bathtub!!! Hugs to her..
July 22, 2010 at 11:33 am
Thanks a lot!
July 27, 2010 at 2:50 pm
[…] : Ambulisamma What : Fun that was Tangy : A post with a message and what we think of savings while in our childhood. A post that will […]
July 27, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Thank you Blogadda,for choosing mine.
July 27, 2010 at 4:06 pm
Oh!! The childhood days are really splendid. More than the city folks the village children had much more to enjoy in their childhood. Simple and innocent joy. Eventhough modernaization has come many miles away still the pure enjoyment in the villages are still there.
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July 27, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Definitely it is.