Scene: Grandma is celebrating her 12 yr old grandson’s birthday at our house. Other grandson rings her on her mobile.
GRANDMA: (on phone) Oooh hello! What a nice surprise!
ME: Awwww. Is he ringing to say Happy Birthday to his little cousin?
GRANDMA: (To me) No…. He wants my recipe for Gooseberry Flan.
MY DAUGHTER: Hey – It’s proper cultural exchange, being in this family … Like – I’m always after my aunty’s chicken-tandoori-yoghurt- thingy recipe.
ME: (Ignoring her). Well, I’m paying my taxes for your cousin to be at medical school and there he is… making Gooseberry Flans…
GRANDMA: (Down the phone) Yes love. Rinse them. So then, you just add a bit of water. Yes… About a wine glass full…
MY DAUGHTER: Grandma! He’s Muslim!! He won’t have a wine glass!
SON: Why not? He’ll drink his J2O in them. Don’t believe the stupid Fake News about Muslims.
ME: Actually, we’re not always that great on cultural understanding and exchange in this family. I remember when Auntie Enid once made an extra strong sherry trifle and my poor brother had to spit it out all over her special tablecloth. This was the early 90s. It was awful.
MY DAUGHTER: Well, our generation are far kinder and more considerate. . . We think ahead and don’t expect others to have do exactly as WE do … We don’t ridicule them for their beliefs. Even weird people who like gooseberries.
SON: You have to be careful when you claim to care about others. Cause, you get called ‘Snowflakes’ by people … when you say kind things like that. . !
