Sunday evenings

 A very different Sunday evening now. The earliest memories of Sunday evenings are watching a movie at 4 pm. Driving back from Madihally. Those were my primary school Sunday evenings. The next phase I have a clear memory of is from my engineering hostel days. The kitchen was closed after lunch on Sundays to let the cook have a rest. On Sundays that I was not visting Mangalore/parents or my paati/Uncle's house, my friends and I used to pick a restaurant near the hostel to explore. Birthday parties- used to be postponed till Sunday evening. We'd all dress up (whatever that meant back then!) and if there was no crowd, my roomate and I used to go to a specific restaurant and talk endlessly as we did.

In Chennai, the Sunday evenings were mostly at Besant nagar beach with my bestie. Though instead of talking endlessly, I spent most of that time looking longingly at the sea- that seemed to somehow know - that the dreams I held deeply in my heart then were never going to see the light of day and would remain grey just like the ocean after sun has set.

These activities filled my soul in those phases of my life.

I can't remember Sunday evening rituals in NZ or since 2006...as Khushi and us grew up, it changed from dancing to songs on youtube, spending time in crowded playgrounds, my long runs while training for marathons phase and more recently watching TV with good food and discussing or arguing about things as a family - getting lost in the business of doing life.

In the last few weeks, I have found it necessary to spend time with and on myself. To feed my soul again, so to say. So that led me to practicing music and additionally contemplating on concepts from Yoga class. Music classes over the last year have helped me find that place of joy possible only the right note+rhythm+emotion comes through one's voice. Yoga classes started as a desire that I have nursed for a while to reach a higher level of strength and flexibility in the body and mind. Learning these art forms has pushed me out of my comfort zone. It has humbled me and provided me satisfaction when I do make progress. It is relaxing yet falls in my "productive and progress" bucket.