A typical Tam Brahm Family

Mine is a typical Tam Brahm family. For those who aren't familiar with the lingo, "Tam Brahm" is short for a "Tamil Brahmin". Those who fall into this bracket are either from Thanjavur, or Palakkad, both to the South of India. The slang is used more for those who are settled out of their native land, either in the great city of "Bammbaai" or now, in various parts of the "Ameerikaa" or "YouYesAai". 

Yes, I come from a Tam Brahm family, which settled in "Matunga" the heaven of all Tam Brahm's in Mumbai (Bammbaai). All my life, I considered Matunga to be my "native place". My father was also born and brought up there, my mother was partial to "Santacruz" though (Sandaakruzz). Oh, those annoying bracket words are the way my grandmother would pronunce any word in English.. I get a kick of out it, so I'm going to keep putting them here. 

We (my sister and I) grew up in the "center" of all Tam Brahm activities in the city. My grandparents were very active socially, did all the standard Tam Brahm grandparent stuff. Staying bang opposite Shanmukhananda Hall was a huge plus point for them. Not so much for us kids, who had to tag along for all the concerts and plays (Tamil ones), even though that cut into our prime playtime outside. But then again, Shanmukhananda's bhajjis and bondas were yum! 

The most fond memories are of all of us cousins gathering in summer vacations, taking picnics together, parents packing "thayir chaadam" and "masala poories" for long-distance train journeys and picnics. Thayir chaadam is a must and even now, meals feel incomplete without the same.  Summer was usually spent 100% outdoors, end of the day, we would start getting taunts about treating the house like a hotel and of course, the ultimate one "Girls will get dark by playing outside all day!!!". 

Wonder why we are obsessed with fair skin, when 99% of the Tam Brahm population is dark skinned and should really be happy about it. Anyway, my grandmother was the most obsessed one and as her only "fair skinned" grandchild, I got the brunt of "do not let her play outside" funda. Now, my gran was some woman, believe me, you had to take a trip with her to the Matunga market to see her in action. When she got started , she could sell a chicken to a Buddhist. 

I loved the trips with her, it was always fun and she always got those plastic rings with various Gods pics from outside Asthika Samaj temple. And she had the most quaint collection of jewellery boxes and piggy banks. One of my favorite things to do was to prowl through her "beero" and listen to stories at night. Muniyandi stories were the best. 

Ah... muniyandi..... now, I'd like to think for a while as I have to put a Muniyandi story here.....