SAI-ISMS
What is Ladies Day?
On this day, celebrated annually on November 19th,
Swami emphasized the sacred role of women in society.
What are needles and thread (or a sewing kit)?
You go to open a blue tin of Danish Butter Cookies,
but instead of a snack, you find these two items used for
mending clothes.
What is a "Aiyyo"?
As a Canadian Tamil, this is the official word you say
when you realize the municipal snowplow has just buried the
end of your driveway with a 4foot wall of heavy, icy snow
What is the "Head Wiggle"?
This is the universal "head movement" that can mean
"Yes," "No," "Maybe," or "I’m listening," depending on the
speed and the angle.
What is Tim Hortons?
This is the Canadian coffee chain that has become
the unofficial "Office" for Tamil uncles to discuss politics
for three hours over one medium double-double.
What are "I" (Ego) and "Want" (Desire)?
When a very wealthy businessman told Swami : " I Want
Peace," Swami told him to remove two words from the
sentence. What were the two words?
"Do you think we own Toronto Hydro (or
CEB)?"
This is the rhetorical question every mother asks
when you leave the light on in an empty room, implying she
owns the local power company.
What is a "Double-Double"?
This is the official Canadian "First Name" for a coffee
with two creams and two sugars.
What is "Getting out of bed" (or "Just getting in
the shower")?
If a Sri Lankan tells you they are "coming now," it
actually means they are currently doing this (an action that
is not traveling).
What is "The Free Samples"?
When an Auntie says she is going to "The Costco,"
she isn't just buying milk; she is actually going for this
45-minute activity.
What is the “Vibuthi Mystery”
When you go to the grocery store after a bhajan and
people ask if you’ve been doing Drywalling or Painting, what is
this called?
What is "the bag of bags" (usually under the
sink or in the pantry)?
This is the "secret" storage location for all the plastic
grocery bags you've ever received since moving to Canada.
What is a "Toque"?
In Canada, we don't use the word "beanie" or "knit
cap"; we use this 5-letter word that sounds like something a
bird might say.
What is a Curry Leaf (Karuveppilai)?
This is the "Mystery Item" that is added to every
curry for flavor, but is always the first thing you pick out
and put on the side of your plate.
What is Okra (Vendakkai)?
This is the confusion that happens at a Canadian
grocery store when a Tamil lady asks for "Ladies Fingers"
and the clerk looks at her hands in horror.
What is a "Penguin"?
This is the "Sai Center Workout" —the leg cramps you get
after sitting cross- legged for two and a half hours, resulting in
you walking like a this toward the prasadam table.
What is at least 3 to 5 times?
When a guest is leaving, this is the minimum number
of times a Sri Lankan host will say "irunga" (stay) or "saapidu
ponga" (eat and go) before actually letting them out the door.
What is a glove (or mitten)?
This is the "Winter Accessory" that you buy in a pair of
two, but by mid-January, you somehow only possess one of
them.
What is Panattu?
This is the "Hardest Snack in the North" a
crunchy, sun-dried treat made from Palmyra pulp that
requires very strong teeth to eat.
What is 10 or 15 minutes?
This is the "Canadian-Tamil Unit of Measurement"
for distance. We don't say "5 kilometers," we say "It’s
only... [this many] minutes away."
🤲>👄🙏
🤝 Ever 🚫 Never
🕒⌛= 🌱⏳
🔚🎓= 👤✨
Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray.
Help ever Hurt never
Time waste is Life waste
The end of education is character
What is the TV remote (or the sofa)?
This is the specific household item that stays covered
in its original clear plastic wrap for at least 5 years to keep it
"brand new."
What is Snow?
It’s the only thing in Canada that is 100% free,
arrives without being asked for, and takes 6 months to
finally leave your front yard.
What is "The Food Rush"?
This is the "Vanishing Act"—the moment the priest
says "Mangalyam Tanthunanena," and half the hall
disappears toward the Buffet line.
What is "The Sari Lift"
This is the "Winter Sari Struggle"—the specialized
skill of holding your sari pleats up with one hand while
navigating a 4-foot snowbank in heels.