Holiday Spirits­
­A Manipur diary
Dec 26 2009 - Jan 10 2010
N
ew Delhi, Jan 20 2010: More than
two years is a long time to be away
from home. Yet sometimes, the
circumstances compel you to take decisions
willy-nilly in life. My life is no exception; I
had travelled far from those days, and has
been making my living in a distant land –
far away from those surroundings where
I had spent most of my life. It is often
irksome by the lack of job prospects in our
hometown. And another moment, there is
a feeling I'd get rust in the slow-pace living
if I spend my life there throughout. The
solution could be staying over the two places
– where there is my means of support and
where truly my heart is. How do I strike the
balance here depends on how I'm climbing
on my career ladder. For better I earn, the
more affordable it could be for me to go
places, literally. Eventually, staying faraway
is not a pleasure, but rather my obligation.
So I was visibly pleased; I was excited
that I was going home. The last time I
went back was in summer 2007, that was
when I was still a student. How time
flies I don't know. I start earning and I'm
now financially independent. But it took
me six months in advance to plan for the
intoxicating vacation. But now, I'd say it
was worth the
months and
seasons that I
waited just for
the occasion.
From a couple
of months prior
to the holiday,
I only dreamt
about home, my
folks out there and things I'd be doing when
I reach there.
The D-day came after I celebrated
Christmas at one of my cousins' place. On
26 Dec 2009, I left Delhi and I was happy.
My morning flight was delayed by around
two hours but I didn't mind... sooner or
later, I was to be home. Just as the plane
took off, I saw the bright, orange light of
those twilight hours, flooding the dark sky
from the Himalayan walls. The illumination
Holiday spirits.indd 1
almost sets my heart ablaze. When the
feverishness was about to ebb, I saw the
green mountains. And I saw the Imphal
valley... And I realised it's true – home is
really where the heart is.
Home décor
During the vacation, I have
the prerogative to think for
my mother, brother, sister
and other kins from a close
distance. I'm so detached
from my family, maybe
owing to my stubbornness
and individualistic
character. I don't have regular contacts with
them but I like putting the things they do
in the pictures all along. Even after a long
time, there was a natural closeness in spite
of talking so less and the paucity of sharing
amongst us. I have one more feather to my
cap as I could help them financially, with
only mutual understanding playing a part
in our relationship. I felt the triumph but I
hate to admit that there was an emotional
deficiency.
Simply watching the kids playing
cricket in our courtyard reminds me of
my childhood days. In fact, this trip made
me aware of and gave me new meanings
to things that would have passed off as
mundane, if not for the long time I had
missed them.
At the end of the day, I'm satisfied with
the way I have been gradually becoming
of age. Now I can fund my brother for his
1/20/10 9:55:10 PM
 higher studies, buy him a moped or booked
a ticket for my sis, whenever she wants to go
home. I was also happy I could buy gifts for
all the kids back home. At times though, it
deters me to think that I have
lived twenty-six good years
and done nothing effectual.
John Keats was hardly 22
or 23 when he composed
his eternal odes; and Jimi
Hendrix and Kurt Cobain
had travelled half the world,
entertaining humanity with
their music at my age. And me... I had
almost hit rock bottom in my addiction to
substances and people used to ignore me as
another tramp on the street. I got recovered
and am trying to get the kick from the idea
that it's also kind of great achievement I
have reached here where I'm right now.
Identity crisis
Suddenly I got down to the familiar
surroundings where I could express myself
uninhibited. But I was surprised when some
of my friends could not recognise me. I'd say
identities, in a region like ours, are under a
period of rapid evolution
in matters of rights,
articulations and solidarity
movements. But it was a
different ball game when
the folks could not identify
me by sight. They saw in
me a different person with
my beard, moustaches and
recently-changed plump
body. It was funny. For
the next few days, I seek
for shelters to save myself
from the rants against my
beard and moustaches.
Ultimately, I succeeded in
convincing them that I'm a real.
Is it really necessary that we always obey
the elders? I'm in doubt for majority of the
people, who criticise my Osama-bin-Laden-
type bearded face, were those who are well
past their prime. Tell me to say no to drugs,
I would accept; but I can't help if I look like
Holiday spirits.indd 2
a fakir. Pabungcha advised me to be careful,
in case there is any Hindu-Muslim riot,
while Teingam teased I could be mistaken
for a UFO activist if he saw me on the road.
There's also a story here: I came back
to Delhi after my first vacation on Aug 14,
2007 and since then I had shaved just once
on Aug 20. On that fateful day, I resolved
to have a goatee until I go home next time.
These folks didn't know I had passed the
test. Anyway, I don't have any reason why I
am keeping my beard and moustaches now –
I have simply stopped shaving them. Or you
could say the heart has reasons that reason
don't understand. Nevertheless, I've got an
impulsive attitude and could cut them off
any other day. Or maybe not.
Matamgi Manipur
Keeping beard and moustaches is no big
deal. In the two weeks that I spent there, I
saw the plodding way of lifestyle. Even if we
wants to go fast, it usually takes us, at least,
one hour any day to draw out money from
the ATM. Life begins so early around 6 in
the morning and ends even earlier before
dusk. There is a fear psychosis among the
folks to travel in the dark or little
farther into the godforsaken
places. It hurts because there are
prospects and plenty of hot spots,
though which are unfortunately
forbidden owing to the quandary
in our land. We are caught in a
time warp, where we can observe
human progression yet are
trapped in a cocoon.
Nobody wants cruising for a
bruising. For a person like me,
who simply prize roaming and
roving, the present situation is a
curse. Anyway, leave alone those
fun, whose community would
tolerate if their children are deprived of their
right to education? Some unruly policemen
had murdered a former militant and a
pregnant woman last July in a fake encounter
and people had been up in arms against the
establishment. We call ourselves modern
when schools and colleges are shut down
1/20/10 9:55:10 PM
 for four months! The stand-off between the
government and civil organisations came to
an end a couple of weeks ago but the bruises
will never heal. Ultimately, the simplicity
of common life in our hometown is mired
by the complexity of its politics. There are
several more problems, which are occurring
chronically out there. But what could we do
other than to dream for a better future?
Fun in the sun
All's not lost in our abode, though. I
have especially planned for the holiday in
the festive season. I hit the jackpot – the
cheerful sun was just fine to let me wander
around Imphal town without any hitch,
and my wallet was thick. From day one, I
went for short drives, to countless lunch
and dinner parties, picnics and what not. I
can speak well of the alfresco meal near the
Singda Dam, where I had pork and chicken
with friends. The centrepiece of that day was
the original Phayeng spirits. I was done with
only three pegs.
However, methinks I had an excessive
amount of sunlight. I got suntan, so
uncommon that people are asking me about
the weather and things I did there. My
complexion do
get lighter in
the Delhi air,
but there is no
way I could
have fun in the
sun here, like I
had enjoyed in
my hometown.
Come rain or
come shine,
I had the
vacation of my
life. I cherish
the memories;
Hero and Som have a baby girl each –
Veronica and Sylvia respectively, Sunand
has Ayush, our Jimson... Naobi is getting
married next month; plus the several hours
that we spent along with Tomba, Black,
Dimetone, Amujao and others at the school
lampak in front of bonfires and giggling,
PS: I have not mentioned about the encounters at the headquarter and the fling with the Big Banana :p
Holiday spirits.indd 3
watching the funny clips on cellphones. I’d
say load-shedding did help us in bonding
with friends. We hardly get power for four-
five hours each day and it offers plenty of
time to kill with friends.
One of the most memorable moments
was also the time
I spent with Che
Sophia. I went to
Manipur University
where she is an
instructor, Khoupum
village and shopping
at Khwairamband Bazar several times with
her. She is a typical lady, who if she teach
you how to cook, she would narrate it from
the moment how you fill petrol to your bike
till you go to market to fetch the vegetables
and start boiling them. She could put flesh
on the bones of the most dull stories on her
friends, family and anything. Sometimes I
yawn in secret, hearing her babbles. No hard
feelings, eh!
The finishing line
I grew up, watching the popular TV series
'The Wonder Years', in which Fred Savage
played an American teenage in the turbulent
late 1960s and early 1970s. I don't remember
the episode, but the words from one of them
always reminds me: 'Memory is a way of
holding onto the things you love, the things
you are, the things you never want to lose'.
What we love, we never forget. I could
discern the actuality as I recollect the things
that I had done there in my hometown
in such a short time. Two weeks seem a
fleeting moment in my life yet it has already
prompted me to plan for my next vacation.
Now I think about increment. Every job,
every day, every chat with colleagues, it all
added up to the final salary, which would
affect how and when I go home and the rest
of my life. All those little bits and pieces
added up to something larger. I dream about
going back home.
✪ KAPIL ARAMBAM
http://kapilarambam.blogspot.com
kupelderanged@gmail.com | +91 9818 605161
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