Anjali V Menon
Moving to a new city is hard. The fancy life in a big city like Bangalore comes with a price for all of us mallus and everybody has their own survival games going on. Here are a few tactics I found out to keep my Malayalee roots alive. Hope it helps!
1. Haven’t you heard the phrase, "Shared sorrow is half sorrow"?
First thing you got to do is, find the immediate Malayalee crowd around you. Crack those lame ass jokes quoting Malayalam film dialogues with zero hesitation. Whine about how you miss home! Trust me, that’s a relief.
2. Are you counting the days to get back home and have that yummy 'aviyal' your mom used to make?
Are you regretting those moments when you blamed your mom for making 'puttu' seven days a week? Bro, its high time you step out and find those amazing Mallu restaurants around you NOW! A malayalee's love for homely food is inevitable and we're very well aware of it.
3. What’s life without, Lalettan and Mammukka, right?
Alright, if you're a Fahad or DQ fan, so be it.
Find the theatres running Malayalam movies around you and hit the theatre once in a while. Whats more refreshing than a good 2 hours long Malayalam movie?
4. We all have that one best friend who we call up the moment we feel low
Keep your ties strong with your gang back home. This helps you deal with the loads of stress and anxiety you go through every single day.
Coping with life in this brand new world feels less difficult after a nice long with your closed one back home.
5. Finally, the one thing I religiously do every single month.
Take out your college calendars, browse through it to find all the holidays. Look for that one weekend or a few days off in a row to book your tickets and head back home. Booking your tickets in the last moment is a risk you don't want a take.
Head back home and chill for a while. Nothing recharges your batteries more!
Someone wise has said, Never forget where it all began, never forget your roots."
I can't remember who! But that's not the point. The point is, once you are a malayalee and you're always going to be one! Embrace the 'malayalee-ness' in you (Yes, that's a thing).
I swear on my mom's saambar and pappadam, you're going to make it.
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