Tuesday, March 24, 2009

A THANK YOU POST

Now that this blog has completed a century of posts, I feel I must express a debt of gratitude. To N, my brother’s wife. She is the one who pushed me to start a blog. We had recently taken an Internet connection in March last year and I was dipping my foot into the fascinating and bewildering virtual world. N gave me the step-by-step how-to-open-a-blog-for-dummies guide. She made me see one of her friend’s blog to get an idea of what it was all about. And then I took one post-midnight plunge into the untested waters of Blogger.com and started to scribble.

N cheered and supported me all through the century. Despite having a hectic high-paying high-flying job, which she has recently given up. Why, you may ask? To spend more time with her two young separated-by-two-monsoons daughters (my two nieces who I dote upon). From being a MBA/corporate-exec to a stay-at-home mother needs a drastic self-shake-up, but N is managing pretty well. I had hugely admired her before (from my low-paying/leisurely teaching-job vantage point) and I think she has made a very brave move.

I am also completely in awe of the fact that she has managed to adjust to our extended Bengali family (I know, I know, she lives in Bangalore, but still, there are dozens of my relations over there, too). Being a Kannadiga brought up mainly in Pune, it must be difficult to hear yourself addressed frequently as NILAKKHI (sounding like a person clearing a hoarse throat), instead of Neelakshi (which should sound like a sneeze supressed in a silk handkerchief, and which is what her parents named her). I wince in embarrassment, but she remains graciously unflappable.

I enjoy her company hugely and really look forward to our twice-yearly visits (Mumbai to Bangalore and back; and vice-versa). We bond bigtime over the chore-sharing and the baby-managing and the story-swapping sessions (no in-law-infighting here).

Thank you, N, you are a great sis-in-law (hope she says the same about me)!

Who pushed you to write your blog?

22 comments:

Pinku said...

congrats on having such a gr8 sis-in-law....and the century too.

in this age of in-law bashing ur post brought a big smile and huge relief. :)

pradipwritenow said...

I really envy you for having such a perenial source of inspiration.
I came to blogging accidentally, the blogger username was identically yours by sheer coincidence and was refused. Inquisitively i came to your bloggsite and later on found out you are also from Barraackpore. In a way I was inspired by your writing.

Deepanjan Ghosh said...

What a great story. I was pushed into blogging by my girlfriend, who, now that I have started blogging regularly, has reduced her own output!

Inder said...

congratulations on the century!!

Mystic Margarita said...

We should also thank N for getting you into blogging, for our very own selfish pleasure of reading you :)

On a serious note, I'm so glad you have such a wonderful sister-in-law. And congrats on the century - here's to many more to come!

Sharmistha Guha said...

How wonderfully refreshing to have such bonding with a sis-in-law!!
And yes intercultural & inter-state marriages need a lot of working upon. I've seen and am still seeing my Maharashtrian Mami bonding so well with her hard-core Bong Nonods (my ma-mashis) and all of us.
I opened a blogsite almost three yrs back but never wrote a line. Then it was my husband who started blogging & egged me on to blog too...now he's stopped and I'm on in full swing since last sept!! ;))

Indyeah said...

Congratulations on completing a century and for having such a great sis-in-law:)

Stitchwhiz said...

Good question! I was inspired by Susan "Lucky" Shie the great fiber artist from Wooster Ohio. Long before blogger, she kept online diaries of her life and her art on her website: http://turtlemoon.com/

Vivek S Patwardhan said...

Congratulations for writing 100 posts and more so writing all 100 so beautiful posts!

I liked the description 'sneeze supressed in a silk handkerchief'!

Write more often, expectations are high........

Vivek

Sucharita Sarkar said...

Hi Pinku, Indyeah, Inder, SGD, Double-D,Stichwiz,

Thanks and thanks again for sharing your blog inspiration.

Hi Pradip,

I'm really flattered and the barrackpore connection is something I've told all my relations about.

Hi Mystic and Vivek,

Thanks for the encouragement and hope to continue the work, good or whatever.

Alexi Frest said...

She must have noticed your hidden talents! I'm glad that you started writing your blog.
Besides, lovely that you get on that well. Relatives are important.
I don't have any in-laws, but I have amazing cousins and friends (our meetings, unfortunately, are rare like in your case - but those rare occasions we enjoy ourselves).

Sucharita Sarkar said...

Hi Mina,

U R right, a support group is a survival essential.

Ugich Konitari said...

Sucharita,

You are richer not only in blogs, but in relationships. One has to be lucky to be able to bond so well, and I wish you hundreds and more of many new and wonderful blogs.....Congratulations to you and to N.

lopa said...

A big thank you goes to wonderful Neelakshi, she seems to be a great girl, credit goes to your brother to find a gem of a wife.Congrats on your century of bogs & many more to come.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the century... I've nearly read all your posts... well done!! You write very well!!

§ωατι §ετhι said...

Congratulations madame on ur 100th post!!

nsiyer said...

A century! That's fantastic. You should like Sachin look up and remove your cap. Good that you removed your cap for your SIL, and gave her a public acknowledgment. I thank her for your beautiful posts. Your usage of words like Patwardhan Saab says ' sneeze supressed in silken handkerchief'. Great, keep writing for the blog fraternity to raise another toast at 200.

Lazyani said...

Congrats to you and a big thank you to your sis-in-law.

Great to hear of a 'rare' sis-in-law bonding so unlike the ageold stereotype:)

By the way, it was Oreen who pushed me int blogging and it is mentioned in my first post.

Koel said...

Thats great....the online community ows a lot to N, for allowing us the opportunity to read your wonderful posts....

Sucharita Sarkar said...

Hi Suranga, Lopa, Patricia, NSIyer, Lazyani, Koel, Swati,

Thanks for the encouragement. N is a gem (embarassd ruby-red at the moment because of this post, but a gem no doubt), and a really sweet sis-in-law.

AMIT said...

Congrats to you on completing century.

Lingerie Alley

Jaquanda Rae said...

happy 100th blog!

i started blogging because my best friend encouraged me to try it out.

i'm not fully back just yet. But "look for me".