I Am Beginning To Learn A Bit More About The Doray's Clan

The past two days, I have been sleeping and wasn't very sure how I should react in the presence of the swarm of Doray's kith and kin.

Of course I had been saying "hello" and smiling and so on but nothing very much or deep. Today, I told myself I had to do something about it and get to know the clan.

My interest was piqued yesterday when Doray's brother-in-law told me the ashes would be strewn somewhere in the sea off Changi today. Only the boys get to do this while the womenfolk stay home.

It does strike one that the Indians seem to be a "male-dominated" society. I mean I have seen this when Leela (but perhaps because she is a housemaid?) cooks for Doray and warms up the heater for Doray to return home from work to bath. And their family heirs are almost all males. That means Uncle Bapa has predominantly grandsons.

I got to know who is who today and learnt a few "secrets" along the way. Not everyone gets along and this is only to be expected in a big multi-generational family like this.

The strewing of the ashes forms part of the Hindu funeral ritual and I was thinking this sounds a lot like what they do in India at the Ganges River.

I chatted with Veera, Doray's widowed sister-in-law (whose husband is Doray's elder brother). She works for the civil service and we hit it off quite well, I must say.

The "jamboree" would go on for another 16 days and it will be one year later before the "jamboree" starts again.

Uncle Bapa must be really happy to see his whole clan united as one BIG FAMILY like this!