Casglwyd a golygwyd yr hanes llafar hwn gan Ganolfan Adrodd Storïau George Ewart Evans fel rhan o brosiect Straeon Bawso.
 

Mae prosiect Storiau Bawso yn brosiect partneriaeth arloesol rhwng Canolfan Adrodd Storïau George Ewart Evans (Prifysgol De Cymru), sefydliad cymorth arbenigol Bawso ac Amgueddfa Cymru. Ariannwyd y prosiect hwn gan Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol.

Mae caniatâd wedi'i roi i'r stori hon gael ei rhannu

a. Yn archifau a chasgliadau Amgueddfa Cymru
b. Ar wefannau, e.e. Casgliad y Werin Cymru, Bawso, Prifysgol De Cymru, Amgueddfa Cymru, etc.
c. Ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol, e.e. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, ac ati.
d. Mewn cyhoeddiadau ysgrifenedig, e.e. adroddiadau prosiect, erthyglau cyfnodolion, ac ati.
e. Mewn unrhyw ddefnydd arall yn unol â nodau ac amcanion y prosiect

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Cyfweliad ag Uma (Straeon Bawso) Hyd: 01:02:09

Nodiadau: P = Cyfranogwr ; T = Cyfieithydd

[Trawsgrifiad ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig]

 

P        So when I'm five years old, I will start a school, Primary School. Okay, so two to class two, when you're in class two, I'm going to school sometime I'm not go, and my father is carpenter. My father was someone makes someone is how chair, table this one the wooden one carpenter means wooden carpenter okay. My mom is housewife that time and my father for Indian money every day 20 rupees per day and my three, three sister one brother so the one is baby and the middle one and my brother go to school with me then when you're on class two then I'm seven years old, yeah.  And my one day my father doing the work, and my father fell there and my father broken legs, hand, back everything and hospital India everyone no hospital pay for everything. Nothing to free India, to school only primary school class five is free. Otherwise you pay for everything medicine, doctor is school, college, everything is paid.  So when my father fell and then someone came to my house and they say to my mom, your husband fell and he is really tender position and my mom and every children go run and there then I you know, rickshaw?

Yes.

P          Rickshaw, so I take my father in the rickshaw that three-wheeler rickshaw there and take to the hospital and nobody had met my father. They say you have money to register and everything.  Everything bad and everything I said. My mom said don't have money and I'm just stunned like they can, and I see all the pain and then say “okay I can't do admit this person without money” and then that time is Indian four o'clock and then again come back home and you know the houses not like this. Small, small house like [speaks in Hindi]. I don't know what is English I don't know.

T          Huts

P          So my father put some mattress, not mattress, you know the mat and everything, and my father sleep there. All night my father cry. That time I realised without money nothing to this life, no education, nothing to do. I make money. I don't know how to make money, but I'm realise seven years old children how to feel when your father cry.  And then I'm decided same day night to decide I'm never go anywhere at school nothing and go to work. I need money to treatment my father.  And next day I asked some lot of people I asked have some work, have some work, nobody agree with me. My mom don't know this one.  And then I say okay, and one girl is my neighbour. She worked on the Calcutta town, and I go there.  Luckily, see that time is holiday time. So I call like Auntie, I say “Auntie, I need a work”. “What?” I say “I need a work. I make money to my treatment my father”.  And they said “are you crazy? You’re 7 years old?” I said “I don't mind; I need any work”. And she knows my family situation and my sister, and she says, “I know someone they need some. Someone to look over to baby, only sit with baby and play with baby. You will do this one maybe good for you”. And that you really agree with this one. I say can't say to my mom, okay, can't say to anyone. I'm just pick up my that time I just wear frock and underpants.  So I take two frock and two underpants, and I don't have even slipper, without slipper, and mom asked “where you go” I say “I don't know. I'm coming back mom, don't worry”. And then I said to Aunty, “can you  drop me today?” And she said “not today. You go back home. Maybe I'm going two, three day after then I take you”, and she takes me after four days. She take me in some place and she's a first sell boy. Someone Bengali people and she looked at me like she said “these girls can't work”, I said “I will I look after your children when you children do pee pee, who a wash and everything look at all the child”. Because she has a caesarean before she can’t move, and she can't take a child like this. I say “I have experience, I have a small sister in the house, so I have a trial and maybe”. She said “okay you try two, three days” and she always take me, and I play with the boy, small boy, three-month boy.  And I feed her the milk in a bottle one, yeah I'm start work. Maybe when you seventh day I’m crying, I say “go home” and they really nice person and they say “okay you don't like this work?”. I say “I like work but I'm going home I see my brother and sister and I'm again come back I see my father, then I come back”.  Same day I'm go home, and they give it to me 20 rupees to bus and everything, but I can't take bus, run, run and go home. I give it 20 rupees to my mom, and I have lunch there and evening time I'm come back like 6.30, 6 o'clock and come back and she said “you come back again same day?”, I say “yes”.  And then I explained to everything to my mom I said mom “I'm not stay at home I have a work now”, “oh what work?” and then I say “mom one day I will take you there is nearby home so not too long”.  And then I'm go there again, and I do continue work three months there and I send every month money to home. Every month they give some time 40 rupees, sometimes 30 rupees monthly.  And sometimes they give one rupee to chocolate buy chocolate biscuit and like this. And then one day with me really bad situation.  Only small baby, at that time I'm not understand, now I'm realised.  This one when the man one day, I'm with sit with the boy, and like the mum go out and she said she buys something food and something. You know the man touch like this.  And then I really feel bad and then I'm just crying and crying I'm never say anything to mum. I'm just crying. And I say “I'm going home; I'm going home”. I go home. I'm not sit here and she thinking I'm just see my family and come back and like first time and she said “okay you go home today. Tomorrow come back okay?”. And then I'm go home. I said to my mom.  My mom said “never go back there”.

Okay, that time my father slowly recovered, and it will be better than me start work .

T          On the fields.

P          Yeah. So nobody give proper money like this one less than one sometime five rupees, sometimes two rupees. Also I've helped someone like cut the rice and everything, you know green chili, yeah and the peas, green peas, lot of people have green peas outside.  So I'm picked that one and all day slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, I start making money. And other thing I don't know English and I don't know Hindi, I know only Bengali this one you know the [speaks in Bengali].  

T          Jute.

P          I start the one full water like this, and sit all day in the water and I do the jute one. Slowly, slowly, slowly. Then when my father is life is better, then my father said “you start going to school.  Stop everything”. And then again my father take to me school and registered their class three. Okay? So I have a habit make money. Who goes to school? I'm going school a bit bad, but I put back somewhere and do something work, like something sometimes, I bring some spinning and thing like this.  I'm never go to school and when you four o'clock, every children come back, then I'm coming back home and my father and mom thinking every day goes to school.  And one day teachers send a letter to complain, letter and my brother take the letter home and then my father, mom also not educated they can’t read nothing and then my brother read and say “you know mom, did not go to school”.  My mom asked me, “you not go to school?”. I say “no, I don't like school. I like to make money, and I like to go work”. [Speaks in Bengali].  Then my mom say to my father “she doesn’t have to go to so leave it”. My dad said, “No. You must go to school”. I say, “no I’m never going to school”.  Then I'm run one day to house, immediately Calcutta town, I take train to village side direct train to Sealdah. I go there. I don't know anybody, but I have somebody's telephone number before have a landline number, so I have somebody's telephone number. And then I'm going to some STD booth, and I call her and she's my cousin actually and she's, I say, “I'm in train station”. So how to come to her house, she said “are you crazy? Without asking me, this one is not my house is somebody's house you're not allowed to come here”. I say, “I'm come because I'm already Sealdah train station”.  She said, “this girl” and she said “okay well you will stay there because its town is too busy, I don't know where you want to go”. And then she came to Sheldah station, and she pick up me and she go there. That time I am nearly 11 years old. And then we start to one family cleaner job. Yes.

T          Housekeeper.

P          Clean the house and toilet, bathroom, everything, okay? Dishes, everything.  And that time I don't know how to iron cloths, so they teach me slowly, slowly. When one month finish and come back home and I give it to money. That time I have a salary, 500 per month rupees.  Everyone happy because I have a now nice job. Even my mom, dad, everyone happy, have good money every month that nobody say anything go to school, college nothing. I'm just try, try and slowly, slowly, I do work slowly, slowly. I'm go up, up today 700, tomorrow 1000 like this. And one day my father said he select some boy to marry. That time I'm 13 years old. You know village side they married early. I don't know the boy. I never seen nothing. The boy is not Bengali. He's people like, the area is this district, district nearby Delhi maybe, nearby Delhi.  I don't know the boy nothing. Even I don't have any idea what they do with me, and then I’m go there.  My father do marry, and everything, finished married and they take me separately and then, one day when they say something I said “why you talk like these people with me, like badly”, they behaved badly. And then I asked to, I'm not some person I don't know that time Hindi language, so slowly, slowly I'm learning because I'm thinking like every Bengali people married and go husband house, maybe same with me.  But there is something is different because there's three brother and they have a system that three brother one wife.

T          Oh!

P          And then nearly one year I'm finished and then I sent some letters to my father, that time no phone call nothing, I send some letter to my father because I know Bengali language little bit not really well but slowly, slowly.  I am write one letter to my father. I know my address and everything. I post the letter, and I say, “immediately you come here”, and my father go there, and my father said, “I take my daughter home”, and my religion is not allowed to one wife and three brother. And then they say, “no you can't take your daughter back”, my father said “why?”. Because my father don't know, I don't know they pay for, when they married me they pay bigger money to you know, the middle person, who brings me who bring the boy to Calcutta. The middle person, like you bring me here, so middle is someone. The person pay for, my first husband paid for nearly Indian rupees 14,000 for me. So I said, “I'm not bread and suet, someone sell to me, how someone sell to me? How to sell to me? I'm not gold not anything. I'm some person, so how do they sell me?” And my husband said they have a proof, they have proof. And then my father can't allow to take me because some someone buy me, so how to take back?  And then I'm crying. I said, my father I call always Baba, I say, “Baba I'm not sit here. I'm not here. I don't like the person they behave like this, and I'm not sit here, you take me”. And my father said, “you sit here, I’m go home and decide maybe I talk to all the people and someone you know, Chairman member, and they will decide what to do”. When my father go home and my father does discuss with everyone, nobody helped my father, nobody. Slowly, slowly, my life, 12 years I spend like this. Really hard work, five o'clock I get up and do everything, house, finish the housework and everything, no electric, no gas, nothing there. And then go outside work with my husband and husband, his other brother, my father-in-law, everyone go together, take lunch. And I do really hard work. I don't know I'm pregnant, actually Then I'm decide this life, maybe I'm do suicide, okay? This life, I can't make this life because it's too hard life.

Sorry I'm not saying anything wrong, okay? I have a lot of things with me, but I'm never not say anything, okay.  And then I'm decide maybe I'm do suicide. My father can't call, not come back to bring me, nobody contact with me. Then I'm decide how to go Calcutta again. One day I'm decide, maybe I'm do suicide. Then I'm go alone, nobody go with me, why I'm do suicide? No, I'm never do suicide. I'm do other thing, I'm go Calcutta, again start work and I make money to myself this time. And then I'm going to head to Calcutta. How to go you know, this one is interesting actually.  I don't have money to go back to Calcutta buy train ticket, and nothing.  So I’m Bareilly to Lucknow, I’m go by truck. You know in the highway, bigger, bigger truck. And I’m on the highway side, nobody know I go today, okay?  I don’t have anything, only one sari I wear, that’s it and the slipper.  And they think not to outside. And then I go highway, and I do like this and some there and I go by truck. And then they ask “how much you have money?”. They see my situation and they buy for me lunch and they said nothing, free, it’s okay sister.  They really nice person, maybe I don't know they have alive done. I always give blessings to them and like now I’m go, and there is platform, is a lot of Police and everyone. And then I say “I go Calcutta, but I don't have money.” So how much money you have  - maybe 10 rupees 15 rupees like this? And the police man they write some letter and I explain everything is my situation and they write some letter and they give it to me and they say “you go”, you know military?

T          Military, yeah.

P          “Military compartment, there, you safe.” Because that time I'm really young, 22 years old, right and then I'm going military compartment and I'm going to Sealdah station again and then I'm go home. I don't know I'm pregnant. And then when three months finish and me start vomiting and everything and then my mom said to me is a hospital and then I know I’m pregnant. And then what to do? Then, my father say, “you go back there” because Bengali culture they're not allowed to take without husband you're not allowed to make children.  So I say, “no I'm never go back I do work, I look after my child, but I'm never go back there”.  Then I'm again Calcutta every day, local train every day, I'm go part time, I'm go work and evening time I'm come back, go work, evening time I'm come back. Nearly when you I have nine and a half month, then I stop work, and they give really good money and everything. Then my first son. And they know I have a son then they start to call Police and case and everything they need a child back. What I fight three years continue, I say “No. This son is mine”. Nobody helped me, even my mom, dad they try to send it back to me. I'm never go back. I'm never give my son. Then finally I win the case. Someone helped me, I win the case.

And my middle sister married in nearby home. And my middle sister, her husband has four brothers, they have four brothers.  You know the younger one, I don’t know they like me before, I don’t know this one and then slowly, slowly they say, you married with me? I say, “no I'm already married, I have one child.” And the boy said “no, I like you, I accept you with children, with your son.” Then I say, “not now.” Slowly, slowly, so 2009, then I decide I do married now with this boy that my sister’s brother-in-law. Real sister’s real brother-in-law. Because he do a lot of help me, a lot of things, not only, and he look after my son every day because I asked my mom, then I'm decide I'm married again.  Then 2009, 21st of February I do again married, so this year maybe 15 years finish next, this this 21st is 15 years, I do this second marriage. And my husband and my children, everyone is at home, I just make money and give it to family. I just make money. I can't take one rupees. Give everything to family.

And 2014 I lost my father. That time I'm working Mumbai, then I'm go Calcutta. I do whatever possible, I do a lot of things. And then I'm realise I don't have a father; my mom can't do anything alone. Then I’m thinking I put my son to boarding school because I don't know how people treat my son. Because that time I don't have father, and mom alone can't do anything and my brother can’t support. He have a family, married, children, and he can’t support me. Starting to that time, he can’t support me. And then I send my oldest son to boarding school. And then I decide because people every day ask, I need one child, I need one child, and I decide I will stop little bit, and 15 I stop work and then this second one.  That time already when I work in the Mumbai, I'm already pregnant actually, 6 months. So I'm realise now little bit break, so my life only four-month break. Full life. Four month, the second son time. First one, I do the work with pregnancy, but second one I take four months off. And when I have my son again one and half month, I give it to my husband and mom and again I'm come back to work. And now this life. So everyone know. So this is the, my

T          Life.

P          Life. So, when someone ask me, “when you happy? You can't do all the way, when you am happy?” You realise this one, I'm happy, one day, I don't have relaxing, one day. So when you, I'm happy? … So how to I’m explain, everyone asks, when someone talk, “you remember when you are really excited, really happy?” I can't remember this one, sorry. And now, I'm just always thinking, oh maybe today, maybe some work come. And now I'm waiting for work only. I'm happy. I'm not upset. I'm really happy. But when you, I’m exactly happy when you, I have proper work. I'm just waiting for this one now. Yeah.

Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. You just told us so much. So thank you. Do you need to have a little break for five minutes?

P          No, no, it’s okay.

You’re okay?

P          Yeah, I’m okay. I fight all life. All life I fight.

We'll move on to talking about the museum soon.

P          Yeah.

Before that I wondered if you could tell us a bit about your experience of coming to Wales and how you feel about Wales now.

P          I like a lot of things here. I have one friend and a little bit work there I have 10 hours so lot of colleague there. Maybe I have proper work here I'm never move full life, so yeah.  Yes, this time I use the safe house, but I can't move because I don't have money to go on housing. I can't afford this one, is too expensive. Maybe nearly £1000 to rent and everything, so yeah, I use safe house. Maybe one day I have my good work and good salary then I move and go my own house, yeah.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell us before we talk about the objects and some memories with the museum so anything else you'd like to share about your story?

[Conversation in Hindi.]

T          She says she’s not interested in jewellery, food, clothes, nothing, but she needs to have a job so that her kids can benefit, and they have a brighter future, that’s all she desires, not for herself.

[Conversation in Hindi.]

T          It is quite emotional isn’t it, to translate as well. She says that, you know, she has been living with people, you know, hand me down things and clothes and whatever, she said it doesn’t matter anymore, it’s only before I die I want to make sure my kids have a better future and they have achieved and that’s all she aims for and would like to work for, them, the kids.

[Conversation in Hindi.]

T          She says, he’s 17, he’s in a boarding school and he would like to go to Uni, but she said it’s all private, how can he go to Uni, and she’s the only one who is the bread winner.

P          Last year my two sister helped me little bit money. They give nearly someone 100 pounds somewhere like this, Indian rupees is 10,000, 20,000 like this and then I paid for my son’s boarding school, because they is paid together, not little bit every day.  And my mom has cancer, then I sold all my jewellery, I have here like chain and earrings and like this, then my support worker go with me, and I sold everything. And then I send money.

T          For your mum. 

P          Yeah for treatment. I handle actually slowly, slowly, I don’t know how to, but I try to. Yeah…

It’s a lot of responsibility.

P          Yeah … I don’t know what going to happen with me, I don’t know. I don’t have any idea.

Um. Thank you again for sharing your, about your life and your childhood.

P          Thank you so much.

Yeah.

P          Thanks.

Shall we talk a bit about the things you saw?

P          Yeah, in the museum.

Yeah, maybe a little less stressful.

T          [Speaks Hindi]

P          I like this trip because I'm go first time. I really enjoyed this trip when I come back, and I share with my children and my husband.  I send all the picture. I’m really enjoy that one.  I said before, I needed some you know relaxing thing, nothing food or lunch and I'm not worried about this one. You know, when you go museum I take with me food, lunch with me. Always when I go somewhere I take my coffee, and I take little bit food because I'm never ask anyone to this one. But I'm just go there, I'm really excited because a lot of thing basically the, you know, Durga Maa.

T          Oh right.

Really excited. And the blanket, the pink one, before my mom make and sell yeah.  And the stone house, you know. There’s a lot of things like this.

T          And the farmhouse?

P          Farmhouse yeah, you know the cow, the cow inside and inside the farmhouse, like same before India, everyone have like this, this side cow, goat, and this side people.

T          And also the weighing scales.

P          The scale is.

T          Weighing scales.

P          Weighing scale okay, so that one use every people, in India, everyone have a personal this one actually.  When is someone ask something, rice and potato like, they weigh it like this and then they give it to the other.

T          In the shops.

P          Not only shop, every house, every house in India, every house they have this one. 

T          Weighing scales.

P          Weighing scale, yeah.

Can you tell us a bit more about how you used it and how it was in the home to have the weighing scales?

P          Yeah basically, at my house, I have this one.

[Conversation in Hindi]

P          My mom and dad made vegetable outside, and someone need some aubergine, 8 kilo, half kilo, I say.

[Conversation in Hindi]

T          Bitter gourd

P          Gourd.

Bitter Gourd is like a root vegetable isn’t it?

P          Yeah. So cauliflower, a lot of vegetable growing even house sometimes, it's a bigger house and they grow a little bit of papaya, banana, and I have a little coconut tree in the house. So someone need, and then even rice, also you grow rice outside, and someone don't have rice and they came and they asked can I give it to me, and sometimes my mom need money and then she gave little bit to sell something.  But even my father evening time, go to, you know, the pick up the fish outside and sometime my father have a big portion fish and then sell little bit to someone, and they see, and they excited, “Oh, today's really nice fish” and every fish is fresh one. So someone asked to sell then my mom give like half kilogram and one kilogram like this. That's why always my mom have that one the, again I forget name,

T          Weighing scale.

P          Weighing scale, yeah. And a lot of things like this milk when someone has cow, in side everything they have, when you have a milk and then someone say “you sell milk?”, sometime I'm thinking today I have a two-kilo milk okay, so I keep half kilo and one and half kilo I sell someone when money came then go shopping buy some other ingredient.  So mom give like this yeah, so everything are always I have my house have this one. Now have a bigger one because my three brother-in-law they have a nursery business so now have bigger, bigger one like 50kg, 100 kg one so that one is wooden one, bigger, bigger, like this. So before I have this one yeah small one.

Did you like to watch what's your mom and dad use it?

P          Yeah, my mom and dad always used this one. Maybe two, three years ago my mom give, you know, someone came and they take the bottle and everything they buy, you know somebody.

[Conversation in Hindi.]

T          Hang on. It’s not recycling one, like a second-hand shops yeah.

P          Yeah, so my mom sell that one because it's broken. And now the metal is pewter one so is expensive. So my mom's sell and she buy you know people call …

[Conversation in Hindi]

T          Pots, big pots.

P          Yeah, she buy that one. She sell and she put a little bit of money, and she buy that one.

Are you okay to carry on with another story.

P          Yeah.

Are you sure?

P          Yeah.

Yeah, so in the other room, you told us a great story about the stone house.

P          Yes.

And the fuel and how people didn't pay.

P          Yeah.

And you had to go, could you tell us that again for the recording.

P          Yeah.

It would be really good.

P          So.

[Conversation in Hindi]

P          Cow’s dung.

[Conversation in Hindi]

T          Could she just say cow’s poo poo?

Yeah, sure.

T          Cows poo, poo, that will do it.

Cow dung or cow, it’s fine.

[Conversation in Hindi]

T          You know they make some of the huts, made using cow dung, just say, little huts made with cow dung would be fine.

[Conversation in Hindi]

P          You know village side, they make food, before nobody have gas and electric one, so they make with fire. So you know, cow dung, they make something, small, small, portion like you know, like chapati, not chapati, but they look like chapati, and they put it outside and they take time to dry, like seven days, six days and when they’re dry, fully dry, then they put like this and little bit time, then is fully dry, then they make like stone house, they make some house like this and they store it like one year, two years.  So, my mom do lots of things, like, not only one thing, not only she's a housewife, she's a lot of thing. So she do this one also. And when she have a store and then she sell to someone and someone they have a man called…

[Conversation in Hindi]

T          Like slow, slow cooking.

P          Yeah, so there is someone have business, like small business, they needed a one and they came to buy for my mom and sometimes they pay immediately and sometimes they no, and my mom asked money, and they say, “okay give tomorrow, tomorrow I come again and give it to you.” And no tomorrow, after tomorrow they never come back. And then sometime mom go there, and she ask money and they shout with mom “Oh, you don't have patience” and like this. “I say I gave back but you don't have any patience” and like this. Then mom come back home upset - what happened? She said they're not give me money because, I am going to work and come back, then everyone needs food.  So mom don't have money, so how to buy food, everything and make food? And she said, “they now never pay. I said “why?” They said, “tomorrow I will pay” and after tomorrow every day I'm go there, and they never pay”.  I say, “okay let's go”. One day I'm go there, and I asked money, and they start to shouting with me. I said “don't shouting with me. Otherwise I tell every neighbour and they going to know you really bad person. You know my situation, you know my position I don't have anything on the house. So why you do not pay money?”  And then they say, “you say everyone, then say”. I say “okay, then wait”. And then I'm going with two three friend and say to everyone, “you know, the man is cheater, cheater and they never pay anyone can't give anyone to anything to this man.” And you know, my place is a member. I'm going to the member! And I say uncle, “they never pay my mommy's money” say to the person and they have done it. Again, they ask talk to everyone, and they say “okay.” So maybe one day they have a meeting with everyone where I say, “so what, you never pay that's why every day coming to your house you will not give money.” So I'm say to everyone then there is meeting finish and of the meeting they pay there because the member says okay.

How old were you?

P          That time maybe 8, 8 ½, sorry.

That’s fantastic. 

P          No I'm really, I don't like to people I said before, I don't like people to cheat with me because I'm never cheat so, why you cheat with me? I don't like people cheat with me.  Even my mum all the time she have a problem because she can't say anything, she just asked money and they're not, they shout with mom. They don't have any right to shout with my mom because my mom give thing, and they pay for that one, so why you shout with my mom?  I don't like this one. Lot of things like this, not only one thing villageside, you don't know because nobody know, only I know.

My life, really, really hard life. Like now, iPhone. Everyone have a television, smartphone, TV. Every, they have a dining table. You know, full life, I don't have bed, I'm sleeping on the floor, full life. Last year I make one bed, so everyone's surprised. My sister, everyone surprised. “Oh, need bed now?” “Why you make bed in the Calcutta?”. I say when I come back, then I need a bed because whole life I'm sleeping on the floor, whole life I don't have bed.  I'm thinking, oh maybe I spend money to bed is not good. Okay I'm sleeping on the floor. Maybe next year, maybe next year, next year, next year. Now is 47 I've never made bed.  Everyone have a bed, my mom have a small bed, my sister, everyone have a bed.  My husband and me sleep on the floor. My husband said a lot of time, buy readymade bed. I said, “No, it's a lot of money. Why you waste money? When you old, can't move, then I make bed!  Now I make, last year I make one bed, I spend a little bit of money. You know, one time in the Calcutta, tsunami came then. I lost my one tree, bigger one. The tsunami came, then tree fell, then I make. I used that one, I make bed.

So you made a bed from the tree?

P          Yeah.

How did you do that, can you tell us?

P          You know my husband, the tree cut, the small, small, portion and then go to the machine, you know machine. They cut wooden tree and then come back home, everything bring home and then I call some carpenter because I don't have dad, before I have Dad carpenter, nice carpenter, designer carpenter. But now I call someone, outside one, and they make home. They come my house, and they make a nice bed. I have enough. So yeah.

T          Do you have a picture?

P          Not here. Maybe if you need, I send it to anyone, nice design one they make now, yeah.

Did you think of your bed in the museum when you saw the people were sleeping on wood?  Did it make you think of sleeping on the floor maybe?

P          Yeah, the small, small bed, my mom have now this like. 

[Conversation in Hindi]

P          The Indian people call palank. So yeah, smallest, small one.  And the inside like this, and like this, look really nice isn’t it. So that’s why I have a lot of memory in the museum.  Lot of.

So it was that the first time you’d been to any museum or was it just the first time you’ve been to that museum?

P          First time I’m been to this museum.

In this museum. Had you been to other museums before?

P          No.

First time in any museum? Wow. We’re privileged to share that day with you.

P          Thank you.

Do you want to - we’ll finish up soon, you’ve been here a while you must me very tired. Do you want to tell us about to tell us about the blanket or Durga Maa?

P          Yeah.

Which one? Or both, we can do.

[Conversation in Hindi.]

P          You know blanket. This blanket made every Bengali.

T          Is it a blanket or is it a bedspread?

P          No it’s blanket and its bedspread.  Both is hand made. Both is different, different, Some is a little bit thicker, some if a little bit thinner. Someone make both of the same design, and basically Bengali people use white, white coloured cloth and they have a design they make design handmade. I do this one my mom, I’m three sisters, everyone make this one.  So that one is basically a Bengali people when you have a married girl, and like daughter is married okay, so they give it to with daughter.

T          A wedding present.

P          Yeah, every mom and now nothing, blanket buy outside, expensive company one maybe Jarrah one, maybe other, other, company. That time don't have company, so they make home-made. Sometimes they girl, auntie, and everyone came, and she, she said “oh I know this design”. You know, this is the better design, and they one side they make and one side they make like this, lot of girl. The lady sit together and they make. And that one is Bengali language is Nakshi kantha and this Nakshi kantha have a story also in the book.

T          Because kantha is a story.

P          Yeah, Nakshi kantha is some story actually.  But when you the Nakshi kantha start, the first embroidered someone this, Then they start in the book. And every, you know Nakshi kantha, Bengali is really, really, important the Nakshi kantha, every house has. Someone, maybe they not make the gift someone “can I make?”, “make for me this one”. Everyone has a house, because is actually Bengali traditional thing, this one. Like do Durga, do Durga also Bengali traditional.  Hindu, Hindu, every Hindu every year, every single them they give money to Durga Puja. All year like you know, British people the Christmas, they excited when you Christmas Day Boxing Day. And I'm excited when Durga Puja came.

T          Once a year.

P          Yeah. So once a year. October is Durja Puja. So every mom, children, everyone need a new clothes, new jewellery, everyone.  And then 10 days, maybe 10-11 days, is off everything, factory, office, everything, even trains, sometimes train off. Because this is the really important to Hindu Bengali, Durga Puja. Sometimes people call Dussehra. And after Durga Puja then is Diwali. So, Indian, every Indian Hindu is Diwali, but the Dussehra, Durja Puja, only for Bengali.

T          It is a religious thing.

P          Yeah, first and last important religion, Durga Puja, you know.

[Conversation in Hindi]

P          Durga Maa. So every year some carnival came. They make candle.

T          And there is always one in the house as well isn’t it?

P          Yeah. This one is in the house. I just, this one is called Kali Mata. Every house this one, in every house this one.  This one called Kali Mata, and the other one is to Durga Maa, I just.

We saw it in the museum, how did it make you feel when you saw.

P          Oh my god, that. 2 year I’m here, and after the three years I'm not, never been to Durja Puja. Nearly five years I've never been. So my Durja Puja.  So my country, when you have a Durja Puja, every mom call daughter, son.  That a lot of people, America, London, they go back to the Puja. My mom will really upset every Durja Puja, she crying she never go anywhere. Everyone go, my sister, brother, everyone go out and they enjoy Durja Puja, but my mom not go and my husband.  Two people not go out, they were waiting for everyone go together. 

P          Oh yes, I don't know the one is in the museum. But suddenly when you see this one, I'm really, really, I really excited, and I feel happy but emotional also. Because when you I see this one up, basically, Hindu people when you go temple, they pray and they emotional actually. I'm thinking, I don't know. When you have some complaint to anyone, like now my situation, I have a lot of complaint inside, isn’t it? Yeah. And so when you go temple you complaint to everything to, to God. So when you I see that one, oh my god. And thank you very much for this one. Because I see real life, like face to face. Always my husband send video to Durja Puja time, they take picture all the way and my husband sent.  And this time I see the face to face, so I really liked that one. I'm really happy for that.  Yeah.  And every Bengali, Hindu Bengali, they like Durga Puja, they really, really, like Durja Puja. Everyone to spend time with friend, family. They never go work 10 days, 11 days, never go to work, nothing to do. Only make food, nice, nice food every day. And nice clothes and they do, a lot of the girls, makeup,  jewellery. Oh my god, Durga Puja is Durga Puja.

T          It's a festival.

P          Festival, bigger festival.

What’s your favourite part of Durja Puja?

[Conversation in Hindi]

P          Favourite part, I don’t like to make do makeup and go enjoy. I like to, every Durga Puja, I know every children come back home. This is my favourite part. And everyone together celebrate. This one, this is my favourite part. I don't like, you go, you wear jewellery, heavy jewellery everything and you go take selfie and the, this is not my favourite part. My favourite part is every children come back home, sit with mom and dad, and the long time is out of country and they come back.

T          Family get together.

P          Yeah, I like that one, everyone go parents’ house that time Durga Puja. Everyone, and who have don't have parents then, I have only single mother, so my mom sit with me. So I'm celebrate, before we celebrate to everyone get there, my husband, my husband’s sister, everyone came and they make food have the lunch, dinner and they every one go together out.  All day night they see the…

[Conversation in Hindi]

P          Yeah, everywhere is lighting.

It’s called a marquee.

P          Yeah.

Marquee.

P          Marquee and light. Everywhere it’s different, different lighting, and so everyone go out and see everything.

[Conversation in Hindi]

T          They decorate the whole city.

P          Whole city, yeah lighting and everywhere is different, different, design lighting.

[Conversation in Hindi]

T          To decorate the temple.

P          Yeah.

T          They need lots of money.

P          Yeah, they need lot of money, and they start November. No, not November sorry. August September, August, middle of August. They start to decorate the city, and one temple they spend, Bengali people they spend nearly

T          A good few thousand pounds.

P          They spend money, a lot of money, government will help and everything. Yeah, government will. Maybe this time. I have a lot of video, the other movie, maybe I sent it some video then then everyone realised how to. Because something may, even you could light outside the house that they have, they have electric bill. So everything is money, without money nothing, but Bengali people yearly one time do this on, only yearly, once a year.

I'm just wary of the time. Yeah, you're parking. You must be exhausted. Okay, thank you so much, okay.

P          Thank you.

If you want to tell us more stories. If you want to talk more. I’ll come back.

P          No problem.