The Bristol Park

 

The Bristol Park

By Rajbir Deswal

Redmond near Seattle in the US, being the headquarters of Micorsoft has a sizable population of Indians, largely engineers and other management professionals. These boys and girls match up in matrimony on an equal eye-level basis seeking to pursue their respective careers. Obviously then that, if they stay as what they call DINK—Double income no kids, it’s OK, but having decided to ‘let’s be a family now’ entails in the offing newborns and toddlers, being taken care of largely by importing parents from back-home in India . The young and the old are then parked gleefully in the near proximity of the house. And it’s a world of a different kind—in the Bristol Park and such like.

The grandparents from India like to be with their grand children being fondly in affection with them as against the western dubbing of it as an activity called baby-sitting—which can be hired too. At the park school bus stop, they come to send off and receive back their grand children. They wave them with bye-byes, love yous with flying kisses—something they had never done at home. Hugs are universal though.

When the School Bus leaves, many of them stay for a little while more. To share things that they miss. To reflect the times they spent back home. To discuss the cultural differences. To empathise if need be. To promise to stay in touch after returning to India. And so on. All this is very much like the ‘Sunset Club’ conceived and penned by Khushwant Singh. Ritualistic and ceremonial occasions too are celebrated here. A unique bonhomie is seen sprawling here, taking into its fold all the diversities that exist between us back home in Inida. Everything seems to melt down to a commonness of sorts. Indian men here generally play cricket too. They are formed into different clubs that they think would introduce this ‘religion’ of India to the Americans who love Soccer, Baseball and Rugby more.

I witnessed the Ganesha devout Hindus congregating at the park on the start date of Ganesh Chaturthi. The Deity was mounted on a truck and recorded hymns and aarti were being played. Some women wearing traditional sarees were there to sing along. Two Brahman priests too were performing rituals while some amongst the men-folk did their shop-talk. I paid my obeisance when a women walked up to me to offer Prasad which I carried home in a use-and-throw plate. There was a polyethylene bad appropriately placed to put the trash in. While walking away from the Bristol Park, I thought how close India is parked in this alien land.