Monday 12 November 2007

Childhood Memories

A few days ago, a colleague was sitting next to me and he suddenly said, “You remind me of Parle G today.” I just gave him a confused look.

Some days later, he walked past me and remarked, “Chewing gum, today.”

Just two days back another one said, “Hmmm…. Something in the air just reminded me of vanilla icecream.”

And that’s when I burst out laughing. My new body lotion is vanilla scented and every time someone gets a whiff of it, it reminds them of some childhood ‘food memory’ or the other.

The story behind buying it is also very interesting. I was looking to buy a body lotion for myself and as I sniffed through a whole range of them, this particular one leapt out at me and the smell of it was very comforting. I never read the label saying ‘Vanilla scented’. But I was drawn to the smell and I instinctively brought it.

Its interesting how certain smells can transport us back to time.

In fact every time I pass through Lutyen’s Delhi, a tree which has pungent smelling leaves always reminds me of Elaichi Cream biscuits I used to eat as a child. Do any of you remember the biscuit in green and white wrapper? I used to wonder how anyone can have a biscuit making factory in this elite area of Delhi until it hit me that it was the tree doing the tricks on my senses.

On another note, yesterday I managed to get my hand on some cigarettes while my mother looked on lovingly as I bought not one, not two but five packets. And told the shopkeeper, very sheepishly that they were not for me but for my niece and nephew. It was time to induct them into the family tradition.

Before you get scandalized, I’ll let you know I am talking about sweet cigarettes. Every summer I would visit my grandmother in the dusty Hindi speaking heartland of India. And one novelty (which is produced in Delhi but never sold here!) were those white peppermint sticks in a red and white packet.

And since I was there for a day, I decided to indulge myself.

On this note, the evil me is going to start a tag. Which is your favourite childhood smell and favourite childhood sweet and why.

I tag-

Curious
Pras
Rp
Sanj
Sumit

Go on and tag five more people.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi NG,

Well well well ... Elaichi cream biscuits and Sweet cigarettes... your post certainly smells and delicious. I preferred the orange cream ones, but sweet cigarettes were a huge hit with me and all my friends. I wish i could get hold of them even now :P

Since you have tagged me, I will surely list down my fav's.

Cheers !! n thanks for this post.

Sumit

Anonymous said...

LOL....i still remember the sweet ciggs!!!! man my science physco teacher hit the shit outta me nd my friends whn we did a imitation of the real ones in 6th std!!!

hhhmmmmmm mayb thtz y i smoke the real ones now :P :DDDDDDDDDD

n.aka.zephyr said...

Hi Sumit,

I loooved the cholocate filled ones... but they were only a special treat... :)

And I had no idea that sweet cigs were such a hit with all kids... In delhi not many kids knew abt them....

n.aka.zephyr said...

Hey Pras

You too a lover of sweet ciggs?? wow!!!

Funnily my parents never thought it was wrong for me to buy them and pretend they were the real thing... :D

And i never got arnd to smoking real ones... cant stand cigg smoke!!!!!! :P

And i was reading abt this whole debate that sweet ciggs shud be banned coz kids end up smoking the real ones later on in life...
Maybe its true for some :D

Anonymous said...

LOL...my parents dint mind it at tht age :P :DDDD but my teachers thought differently!! LOL..LOL!!!!

hhhmmm yea i dont think i started off thinkin abt the sweet ciggs!!! I jus wanted to do it! my whole family was doing the ciggs...err i mean all my cousins nd stuff...nd i used to hang arround with them a lot....so it basically caught on!!! and after i smoked in front of my school guys....well instant hero...nd jus couldnt let it go :P :DDDDD

Anonymous said...

oops! sorry for the 'My smokin History' lesson!

Unknown said...

That's a cute tag zephy...Will do it soon!

@ Pras: That's too much da... I remember getting flogged for buying one of those...

Unknown said...

tag game here too!

I too have signed up at blogspot, and post some of my new stuff.

Pramod said...

Interesting post!!! I have gone back in time with certain scents too!!!!

Those ciggie sticks were awesome:P just that they melted top to bottom :D:D:D:D

Thanks for tagging me :)

n.aka.zephyr said...

Hey Pras
It was interesting to know your smoking history :D Infact I have been asking smokers how they got hooked on and largely the pattern has been same… friends/cousins were smoking and introducing them to it… and it was ‘cool’ to do it… And its difficult to quit :P

n.aka.zephyr said...

Hey Curious
Will definitely check it out :)

n.aka.zephyr said...

Hi Lp
Yup… tag game here too :D
Will drop by your new place often!

n.aka.zephyr said...

Hey Rp
Aa-ha we have another cigg fan! I am amazed coz I never thought they were so popular…..

Anonymous said...

damm! i tried gettin this last nite but dint get!!! will go near my school today nd c if i can get a pack there :DDD

n.aka.zephyr said...

LOL Pras
There is a big grin on my face :)
You so have to do a tag post on it!!!!

Anonymous said...

Hey...I see that most of your clientele is from o3...as I said....it is quite difficult to generate readership in a place that has writers from all across the world....!!!

Vanilla scented body lotion? Never heard of that !!!

Anonymous said...

Hi NG,

Mission Accomplished !!

Check out my response to your tag.

Cheers !!
Sumit

Neha said...

Sanj,
‘clientele’? :D :D wat a word to describe blog readers :P But ofcourse the regulars will comment and drop… it doesn’t matter if I am on O3 or blogger…. By the virtue of being here… I am not suddenly going to grow a new ‘clientele’ :P :P

Sanj if u were a girl or ventured into the creams/body lotion/shampoo section of a store u wud have heard of vanilla/grapefruit/chocolate/orange/cocoa scented stuff :P :P

Neha said...

Sumit,
I checked it out and commented… It was super!!
Reminded me of so many things :)

Thisisme said...

hey zephie
m back to bloggin aftera long time..n that too on blogspot now :P..n gud to c u all here too.. :)
and those ciggies..wow..i dint know so many ppl liked them.. i had a strong fascination for them..n of course woh school ki Rs1 wali chooran..its smell itself was soo chatpata..yummy :))))

n.aka.zephyr said...

Hi TiM,
Et tu brutus? The mass exodus from o3 continues! Though its good to see you back :)
Will drop by your new blog!!

And maybe we shud start a sweet cigg fan club :D :D

thinking abt the churans is making me water my mouth right now!!

p.s: remember hajmola and anardana... aahh wat lovely days we had!!