Just seven or eight years back, in late 1990's, I used to send a lot of New Year Greeting Cards to all our relatives every year. It was a ritual Vijaya and I never missed.
We were in Hyderabad then, and as the month of December dawns, we would go to Abids to our regular shop - AA Husain & Co, the Stationers. The shop was at least 75 years old and its original owner had passed away making his sons / grandsons to look after the shop. As we enter, the shop owner, a royal Musalman, would get up from his seat, welcome us so heartily that you would feel as though you have come to his daughter's marriage. So civil, so courteous. True Nawabi culture.
We would then browse all the NY Greeting cards displayd there, admire and appreciate them, and finally choose either CRY cards or HELPAGE cards or both. Nearly twenty-five or thirty Cards we would buy every year. The gentleman would so carefully pack these cards and hand them over.
Back in the house, I would address each card, then affix the required postage stamps and keep ready for posting. Next morning, as I walk to my office, I would halt at the Kanchanbagh PO, post these there. There used to be three boxes, specially and distinctly colored, one for Local, second box for within AP, and the third for outside AP.
This was our end-of-the-year ritual, every single year; but lately, the habit of sending NY cards has faded, unfortunately.
Will those happy days ever come back?
Rajappa
6-45PM on 2 Jan 2008
Only yesterday Vijaya and I were indulging in reminiscence about this wonderful habit; and today we received a New Year Card by post from Sundaresan which led to this blog-post. Thank you Sundaresan.
We were in Hyderabad then, and as the month of December dawns, we would go to Abids to our regular shop - AA Husain & Co, the Stationers. The shop was at least 75 years old and its original owner had passed away making his sons / grandsons to look after the shop. As we enter, the shop owner, a royal Musalman, would get up from his seat, welcome us so heartily that you would feel as though you have come to his daughter's marriage. So civil, so courteous. True Nawabi culture.
We would then browse all the NY Greeting cards displayd there, admire and appreciate them, and finally choose either CRY cards or HELPAGE cards or both. Nearly twenty-five or thirty Cards we would buy every year. The gentleman would so carefully pack these cards and hand them over.
Back in the house, I would address each card, then affix the required postage stamps and keep ready for posting. Next morning, as I walk to my office, I would halt at the Kanchanbagh PO, post these there. There used to be three boxes, specially and distinctly colored, one for Local, second box for within AP, and the third for outside AP.
This was our end-of-the-year ritual, every single year; but lately, the habit of sending NY cards has faded, unfortunately.
Will those happy days ever come back?
Rajappa
6-45PM on 2 Jan 2008
Only yesterday Vijaya and I were indulging in reminiscence about this wonderful habit; and today we received a New Year Card by post from Sundaresan which led to this blog-post. Thank you Sundaresan.
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