I remember, I remember...

I think its freaky, and not a little pathetic that I remember which movie my friends (now married) first saw together, when they themselves had almost forgotten.(well...he had, she remembered after some head-scratching) But what to do...the brain is mostly fried, except for the repository of useless information. I remember the weirdest things.

I remember purposely trying to fall down and hurt myself in the park while playing. I was 4 years old, and even then I was sneaky enough to know how to angle for sympathy. I tried falling down some 2 or 3 times to no avail. Because I was too scared to fall down hard enough to really hurt myself. But eventually, my clumsiness kicked in. I fell down without trying and scraped my knees pretty badly. I don't remember receiving sympathy, though. I guess the plan backfired.

I remember that the first day I went to kindergarten (St.Joseph's, Vile Parle) I was very excited and happy. Then I saw all the crying kids. And not only did I cry, but I cried to such effect that I was sick for several days, and couldn't go to school for about a week.

I remember taking part in a fancy-dress competition when I was about 4 or 5. I wore a costume called News and Views. The front was a collage of news articles. The back was....well...a view. If I could go back in time and alter this memory with a Hermione Granger type time-turner, I would so do it. The things our parents make us do! To rub salt into my wounds, I distinctly remember NOT winning.

I remember going to the hospital to see my newborn brother wearing a brown color checked paavaadai with a white blouse. I remember staying in the hospital with my mom a couple of nights, and I'm pretty sure I remember wetting the hospital bed. I remember my brother scratched his eyes pretty badly. Early in life the violent tendencies had started to kick in.

I remember that the bus-driver who took us to school in Muscat loved the music of Roja. He played it every single day. In Malayalam. And reminiscing about music, when I was in high school, and it was not cool to listen to Roja anymore, someone used to play Roxette in the bus. I heard "Sleeping in my car" about a million times. Decided I liked it. And made my parents buy me the cassette. They played it in the car while driving back home, and were aghast at the lyrics. That was the only cassette of English pop music I ever owned! Until a friend gave me a copy of Now28. And I heard "Love is all around" until the cassette wore out.

I remember being a "prim and propah" class monitor and school prefect. Boy, was I stupid. I thought rules were important, and to talk between classes was a crime. No wonder I didn't have too many friends! 'Cos I would write peoples' names on the board. And then the teacher would come in and punish them. Such a Miss goody-two-shoes I was. Another one for the time-turner. If I could do it over, I'd be a super cool monitor who made everyone laugh and never reported anyone for minor misdemeanors. Or for that matter, for ANY crimes at all.

I remember the 9 (yes 9!) of us squeezing into a Maruti Zen in the middle of a college day (we cut class of course!) and driving to the nearby theater to watch....Yaadein. What a Godawful movie. And what an unforgettable ride. 9 adults in a tiny little car.

All these memories from a person who forgets her parents anniversary and her dearest cousin's birthday practically every single year. Un-freakin-believable! I hope I didn't make any up. That has been known to happen. Especially since its a full moon tonight.(plus a complete lunar eclipse to boot)

NB: I love all these reminiscing posts I've been dishing out lately. When I get old and senile, my grandkids can just say..here you go Grandma..read this. This was your life. And its all here. For posterity.