This is a lifestyle blog too, now. Don't look at me like that! Okay. Now, first things, first. I really wish this picture was better and that I was posing better! Have you seen the kids pose these days?! So once in a while, I will be posting stories and snippets of how life was growing up, as an army brat!
I remember, I loved this (beret) cap! I liked the Peak cap even more, but that's another story! I still do. I mean, ANYONE would look good wearing one! I'm NOT talking about me, you guys! tsk tsk.. So apparently, I'd take it from papa and refuse to get it off. So this is the story of how I get called (even to this day) a Tambi Baby.
My father's regiment mostly had Tamilians as other ranks and more South Indians overall. Now like we love to in India, we nickname people from various states. So Telugus are Gultees, Malyalees are Mallus, Punjabis become Punjus Tamilians are Tambis the same way.
All our bhaiyas we Tamilians and growing up in a house with Tambi bhaiyas ensured that Tamil and English were the only languages I knew. The fact that my dad made rare appearances (thanks to the fact that he was the Staff Officer to Field Marshall Cariappa) and my mum was (is) very fond of learning new languages dint help much. Because she enjoyed learning Tamil too. She was quite good at it thanks to the previous postings!
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| Ramakrishna bhaiya. Mom says this picture was taken before we were leaving for Mhow and she adds that I cried for the bhaiyas for over a week. |
Like any other Fauji brat (girl) I am a baby. (The boys are baba, btw). which is how I got nicknamed Tambi baby, after Tamil was long forgotten.
PS: It's funny how India takes it's languages so seriously! I did fine knowing just Hindi/ English for most of the time!
Where are you from? Any other fauji brat here?!
ikyaaaaaaaaaaaa.... you ve managed to touch my heart yet again with your post :)) awwww i remeber my bachpan :) like you from Madras Regt (am guessing), am from the gurkhas and all our bhaiyas were well yes Nepalis, so we used to call them DAI i.e. bhaiya in Nepali... believe it or not my mom says the first word i ever said was not ma but DAI!!! LOL :)
ReplyDeletebtw its good to see you back babe :)
Haha thankkk you Sumaaa! :* my father is from Madras Sappers and my first word was BA! Haha
DeleteYa! I am a Fauji brat too!!
ReplyDeleteAmazing your writings are! :)
Thank you!
DeleteSalutations to a fellow brat! :)
ReplyDeleteGood to know this blog isn't all about makeup!
You have a real flair for writing, great job! :)
Thank you! That's kind of you to say.
DeleteWowo.... this is like amazingly nostalgic.... i so miss all the time spent with the bhaiyas.//// sadly for me dam being in the Medical Corps, we hardly had any fixed one like the infantry... so i have had encounters with Gurka's (who in a way polished my nepali to the core... @ suma: yep Dai was the word..., Tamilians- who taught me how to eat off a banana leaf and not leave a single droplet of sambhar or rice on it.. Haryanvi Jaat Bhaiyas, to Bengal sappers...!!! damn !!! awesome write up!! CHeers and keep it up!!
ReplyDeletehaha that's nice to know. We never really had fixed bhaiyas either. But the best part is they are always around! :)
DeleteAwwww....nice to c fauji brats arnd :P
ReplyDeleteMy hubby is frm the AMC ......I can relate to evry incident mentioned by u...Tnx for making this ur blog post swty :)
Wow! This is nice meeting a fauji biwi here!:)
DeleteI wish my dad was in the army - my grandfather was, he fought the 1971 war against Pakistan. Unfortunately he was well retired when I was born - I have no Army stories to tell because he didn't tell me anything and now its too late ask him :(
ReplyDeleteAnd look at that pout! WOOT WOOT!
Aww you dint tell me this earlier!! I wish I was a decent poser! :P
DeleteOMG i dint knw u wer bac..ur blog impressed me alot bt wen i startd follow'n, u disappeared frm d scene which was saddening
ReplyDeletebt m so happy u r bac, kip rocking..
p.s m a tamilian & felt happy to read tis post
xx
I'm sorry for letting u down! thanks for still being around. But now eneka Tamil teriyaad. Is that right? :)
Deletehaha u say teriaydu bt u still sound good at it...=)
DeleteWelcome Back !!!!!!!!
Oops. Thanks Sunaa!!:D
DeleteGuess we all did learn a thing or 2 form our bhaiyas, like me pretending to smoke bidi's, and doing this stance with one knee up and one knee down. And yes my first words as my mum claims were "aaiiyyaa" (close to bhaiya i guess).
ReplyDeleteHaha you told me this! Just focus on the cute baby Sax!
Deletecomplete army brat here and love it to bits!!
ReplyDeletethe bhaiya concept makes me awfully nostalgic...these bhaiyas were such a part of the family..i remember how happy they would be too when i used to well in exams or in any other such thing :)
I know right?! Welcome here!
DeleteThis is such a cute post :) and I love ur pic.
ReplyDeleteThank youu! :)
DeleteExcellant Blog. Keep up good work Ikya ...........
ReplyDeleteKumars
Thank you uncle and Sudha aunty!! I'm glad you like it ! :)
DeleteI looooovvveee ur post!!! it reminds me of my childhood.
ReplyDeleteTechnically I am not an Army brat, but I am an Air force brat. but whatever you have written holds true there also!!
Thank you for visiting my blog and for the follow. :)
Best,
Priyanka (The Purplenista)
Ooh you a fauji brat too? Same difference man. My dad was attached with the Air Force in 2 postings and I loved them both! :D
Deletehey nice to read this even my hubby as a kid was attached to his bhaiyas... he is officer now and i am fauji biwi enjoying life.. nice to read ur articles :)
ReplyDeleteOoh that's so nice to know! Glad you're enjoying yourself here Smita! Welcome here! :)
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