Veera is a published Author (‘Endured’ and ‘#LoveBitesLifeHacks’) and Columnist; a passionate Educator and Counsellor; Poet and Philosopher… but most of all, a lover of all things literary.
Us Parsis are remarkably unique, undoubtedly quirky, comparably idiocentric, with a race, religion and ethos all our own. You may be born in Mumbai, may have moved to Montreal, studied in Jamshedpur, interned in Japan, worked in Oman, and immigrated to Ontario… but immaterial of where life takes you and no matter where on earth you’re placed, you know you are a Parsi when:
It’s Just Not Sunday Without Dhansak!
A true Parsi loves, relishes and lives for his Sunday staple. The holy grail of all Parsi living, etched in stone, passed down from generation to generation, dictates it! Sunday without Dhansak is a sacrilege, a trespass on any level! Polishing off those platefuls of Sunday Dhansak is sacrosanct – a reverent ritual and a righteous routine as ancient and justified as the Sabbath to the Jews.
We Live In An Eternal State Of ‘Eggs’tacy!
It’s true – eggs are the first true love of us Parsis! A veritable Parsi knows at least twenty-five different ways to cook and relish our ‘eeda’! We consume eggs by the dozens and in ways, creative and unimaginable! To prepare, enhance and relish any dish… in addition to the usual scrambled, fried, poached, whipped or beaten egg preparations, we jolly well make those eggs sing and dance for us! Our ‘Parsi Poro’ and ‘Akuri’ have an almost cult following, even in parts of the world where the existence of Parsis is unknown! We add eggs to every conceivable vegetable and meat dish! Us Parsis take the wholesomeness of eggs to a new level! Believe me when I say, the Easter bunny has nothing on us when it comes to our ‘eeda’!!
A Car Crazy Clan!
To a true Parsi, there is nothing more dearly beloved than his automobile. His love for his car seconds none. He would sooner bid a merrier adieu to his children leaving home for foreign shores, than his car being taken to the garage for its annual check! ‘Parsi-owned cars’ is a thing in its own right, coz they always have that just-driven-out-of-the-showroom feel, even years of purchase! Ever a second-hand car bought by a Parsi will, in a couple days, be polished, waxed and tuned better than its showroom model! Parsis driving around with silly boastful grins, peering at its polished surfaces with queer reflections looking back so delighted and dazzled could make Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos feel modest about their jaunts into space!
It’s Not Really A Lagan Without The ‘Lagan-nu-Patru’ And ‘Lagan-nu-Custard’!
Nearly as sacred as the vows we take in holy matrimony, is our five course Lagan-nu-Patru comprising Lagan-nu-Custard. You could contemplate options on your Sari colour, fearlessly choosing a blush pink over the traditional white, or recklessly break the norm with the decor and arrangements to usher in a change. But, the Lagan-nu-Patru holds its steadfast place of prominence!
Every Parsi Secretly Aspires To Be A Recognised Musical Virtuoso!
For every child born into a Parsi family, a musical instrument is sold in the world! Every parent of a Parsi child, whether musically inclined, disinclined, talented or challenged, tone-deaf or stone-deaf, has secret aspirations to see them play that violin, cello, harp or piano! “Work on that guitar or even those set of drums,” they say, hoping the next entrant to that philharmonic orchestra bears their family name!
Informed And Armed About Community Matters!!
We like to keep ourselves informed in and armed about all community endeavours. We’re always interested and piqued by community news and the intriguing workings and dealings of the BPP, than any National or International News, Governance or Party! We avidly look forward to the weekly news! Sometimes, the drama unfolding within those pages is more jaw dropping than any soap, holding our attention, right from the first sip of our morning ‘choi’, to the last bite of those freshly buttered, ‘brun-pavs’ – a regular accompaniment to our morning-paper.
We’re All Part Of The ‘AA’ (Alcohol and Autonomy) Club!
The term Parsi Peg was not termed lightly. Oh yes! You may have the ‘Patiala Peg’ and the ‘Hungarian Double’ or the ‘Scottish Large’, but these don’t compare to our Parsi Peg!!! We love our drinks in ways others couldn’t begin to imagine! A Parsi will know as much as the next distiller on the joys of his blended scotch and the smoothness of his single malt. The aging process, the cask, the cork, the keg and all the finer points noted, making it a study in the mastery and history of drinks, and all before he ever savours his first sip! Drinking is an art form for us, and way more to do with remembering the good times, than forgetting the bad! We also cherish our Autonomy – our independence and free spirit – literally and otherwise! We cling to both for our sanity and sustainability. It’s a mad, mad, mad world even for a Parsi!
Us Parsis are undeniably unique and cherished for it! As another year rolls in, let us celebrate all that makes us so wonderfully different as this exclusive, tiny community – rich in its legacy and heritage. Let us laud the old and look forward to the new! Let the light of this New Year shine bright! May our plates be ever filled with Dhansak and our glasses with a Parsi Peg! May our homes be filled with raucous laughter, drama and fun, the kind only us Parsis can constitute!
- Writers And All That Jazz - 19 October2024
- When The Mask Comes Off! - 14 September2024
- The Spirit Of New Year - 10 August2024
