Haanv Amchigele Ulloche

Blog XV of Thirty Days – Thirty Blogs series

Coming on the heels of my post about how nationalist emotions manifest in globalisation era, this post is quite coincidentally similar in its theme especially considering I started jotting points for these two posts separately.

Translated from Konkani, the title of this blog post means “I speak Konkani”. As is apparent from my surname for those familiar with Indian naming patterns, I belong to Mangalore, a small but now rising city in south India. Although I was born and brought up in the capital city, New Delhi, because of which my daily interactions involved a fusion of various other languages and cultures, my upbringing was always rooted in Konkani culture. I talked in Konkani with all of my relatives, enjoyed delicious Konkani cuisine at home and attended religious-cum-social events organised by GSB Samaj, a Konkan society.

However as time passes by, admittedly I get fewer and fewer chances to wield my Konkani or get abreast with my culture. So much so that it comes as a pleasant surprise when I am apprised of it. Few months back therefore, when while corresponding with a close friend over email I read the following lines, I was all smiles. The friend in concern is also Konkani although I was not consciously thinking of her as one.

“…you are the only Konkani guy i [have] known all my life apart from my brothers…”