Character

We are planning another holiday. Two actually. One that we hope to take in June and another that we plan to take right away in March.
We have gotten into this travel bug since the last five six years. Before that Jispa was quite small to really take her anywhere and before that I guess I didn’t really earn enough. I also had skipped quite a few jobs, so no one job could really have me settled enough to get leave.
So of late we have been travelling, enough to plan one vacation as soon as another is ending. That is good fun, but the stress on planning one is quite tiresome.
I like to be sure of where I am going, what am I likely to be doing / visiting etc. The trick is in being fluid as well as having a list of places that one can visit. So we would typically be armed with print outs from various web searches and of course the favourite – the lonely planet.
I first started using the lonely planet for trips abroad and loved the detailing and honest reporting. That made me look at the same for India as well. Wonder why it eluded me till now. Now we don’t go anywhere with out. Our standard procedure is to read the book, mark out, discuss and then surf for the same on tripadvisor.com. We only stay at the place if you we get a thumbs up from both the sources. The book being the proposer and the site being the seconder. So we look for reviews that say ‘charming’, ‘clean’, ‘welcoming’, ‘friendly’. Those key words gets our attention and then go through the photos online and voila – decision taken.
Yesterday while researching Goa (upcoming trip) we realised that now we have been spoilt. We saw quite a few clean places and nice ones but I somehow couldn’t care enough to stay in them. I was telling Jasmine – I want hotel with a character. A clean box with a fan and a fridge is not enough. Some old villa perhaps, some interesting owner, close to action perhaps, or just a lovely view. But it has to have something. I guess this thanks to a few years of roaming around with the lonely planet and being enchanted with their hotel descriptions.
So now with Jispa and Jasmine – we try and get mobile – walk around, see the places and eat at the lovely cafes. The foreigners have got their travel right. I cant understand the concept of organised tours at all. One of jispa’s friend’s dad was once asking me ‘ how do you guys travel?’. I was like – just research and travel. “what about Jispa?” he asked, “what about her?” I replied. He then explained “we always go with an organised tour. This way there is always company with us and hence our kid doesn’t get bored as well”. Huh. I mumbled something about… yaa… right.. correct… something something… I always hate travelling with other families. I am pretty picky about whom I go out with. Really known and amiable friends only. Not some random known acquaintances or a vacation group.
Some other parents wonder what the kid will do at a fort. What she does? Jispa listens to the guide along with us, trying to understand. We try and translate what we can to her. Simple.
People take servants to their vacations. To take care of the kids. Great. Someone in office told me – when we go on a vacation my husband sits at the pool with his beer and chills; I then roam on my own and I plan for activities for the kid. Cheers to you too.
I don’t see their point. I love vacation time. It’s a chance to spend time with Jispa and Jasmine. Its time to play with my daughter, understand stuff, translate stuff for her, have coffee together etc etc. its also a reason that jasmine and me never understood the need for a five star. We are never in the hotel. What’s the point? A nice clean place with ‘character’ will do. Home stays are awesome as well.
I guess as kids grow up they get pretty independent but as of now, I guess I am pretty ok company. One recent deadly example.
On the morning of Holi we are waking up Jispa to get her to go to a friends place for Holi. She suddenly does an about turn and does not want to go. ‘I don’t feel like playing holi’. Her friends are frantic and try talking some sense to her on the phone. It more like selling to her, but she remained adamant. Her obstinate reason: She wanted to stay at home and play with nanu. Whose nanu? ME. Its the game I had invented for her to hold my hand. I play the role of the small boy who needs to be taken care of. If you leave his hand then he will run around like crazy. It works awesome in malls when we are bored while jasmine is shopping; I suddenly keep running around with her trying to catch me, while shouting “NANU, NANU, come here. Naughty boy”. Full timepass. It sure beats helping Jasmine choose footwear. This game has caught on with her friends as well as they play with their papas. Its one fun thing. No matter how pissed she could get with me, one Nanu face will get it all sorted.
This has been played almost 24X7 since more than a year now. I am the nanu (small), she is motu (big) and jasmine is bau motu (very big) baybu (child).