I watched English Vinglish yesterday... and I have to say that the movie absolutely worth the 350 bucks I paid... what a fantastically simple concept yet so touching... as some of you snooty people may not know its about a woman who does not know how to speak English...
Growing up I had similar experiences with my mom... my mom was brought up in a traditional way by doctor parents who felt the best thing they could do for their daughter was to get her married off.... My mom thus never got the opportunity to study to her hearts content and her life long grouse has been the denied opportunity to study... I was the inadvertent beneficiary of this - I was allowed to study as much as I wanted and what I wanted.... much to the dismay of relatives who dont hestitate to point out their folly in having educated me so much.....
Seeing the movie brought back many instances of embarassment that my mother would have faced in her life on account of her education.... there were other doctor wives who were far more educated than her.. and I can just imagine what it would have been like for her to attend parties with people from various places in India and interact with the guests.... ofcourse the fact that we grew up in the Gulf was helpful since not many people there knew English....the problem would have been only with Indians... who sometimes pride themselves in knowing in English and not knowing their mother tongue.... I do remember my mother's attempts to match steps with other wives in English speaking and having embarassing moments.... I also recollect her abject insecurity if her kids mentioned anything about her not knowing English.... her insecurity was so acute that I remember volunteering to teach her English ..... how presumptuos of me!
Inspite of that I dont ever remember feeling my mother is less educated ... or that my mom is not as cool as other moms.... I just felt she was what she was to me... my mom... craziness and all that included....
Sometimes I think my mother feels vindicated cos of her children having been educated.... and secretly admires us... as if to tell the world - see my children, if I produced them, I cant be that bad.... the pain of having no education and being thrust into the modern world is a pain that one can never fathom unless one has walked that extra mile in that persons shoes...
I sure hope I have made my mom proud....
Growing up I had similar experiences with my mom... my mom was brought up in a traditional way by doctor parents who felt the best thing they could do for their daughter was to get her married off.... My mom thus never got the opportunity to study to her hearts content and her life long grouse has been the denied opportunity to study... I was the inadvertent beneficiary of this - I was allowed to study as much as I wanted and what I wanted.... much to the dismay of relatives who dont hestitate to point out their folly in having educated me so much.....
Seeing the movie brought back many instances of embarassment that my mother would have faced in her life on account of her education.... there were other doctor wives who were far more educated than her.. and I can just imagine what it would have been like for her to attend parties with people from various places in India and interact with the guests.... ofcourse the fact that we grew up in the Gulf was helpful since not many people there knew English....the problem would have been only with Indians... who sometimes pride themselves in knowing in English and not knowing their mother tongue.... I do remember my mother's attempts to match steps with other wives in English speaking and having embarassing moments.... I also recollect her abject insecurity if her kids mentioned anything about her not knowing English.... her insecurity was so acute that I remember volunteering to teach her English ..... how presumptuos of me!
Inspite of that I dont ever remember feeling my mother is less educated ... or that my mom is not as cool as other moms.... I just felt she was what she was to me... my mom... craziness and all that included....
Sometimes I think my mother feels vindicated cos of her children having been educated.... and secretly admires us... as if to tell the world - see my children, if I produced them, I cant be that bad.... the pain of having no education and being thrust into the modern world is a pain that one can never fathom unless one has walked that extra mile in that persons shoes...
I sure hope I have made my mom proud....
1 comment:
Of course you have :)love, s
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