I work here in Tulsa,Oklahoma as a nurse assistant on weekends double shifts.My coworker is a big gal  but  only 20 yrs old. I like to observe people always and find it very fascinating at the different hues of life everywhere you can see!! This young gal I work with is ‘Goth’ loving and a very good artist.She dyes her front hair every other weekend with different colours and is a great source of amusement for my residents on my floor at this facility.They all address   her as a ‘boy’. She is so used to them calling that name that she takes it with a pinch of salt. After all, they are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and dont know any better.
Back home in Manipur, she would fall in the group of “NUPA SABI”. I have no problem working with her.She  also works as a ‘Drag King” in a gay bar in downtown Tulsa.She sometimes gets pissed off at me because I am not a sit still person as I always keep finding stuffs to do.She says that makes her look lazy. Well,I have been that way always! I cant help it!!
I had a whole lot of different experience when I worked in a nursing home for the first time here in this country.It was a sad environment,I must tell you guys.These unfortunate seniors had no one to take care of them at home so they were dumped there. It was a real heavy work as most of them were big and burly seniors.I am very tiny and could not lift nor budge them an inch at  all anytime.The charge nurse always reassured me that I should seek other helpers when needed. Tell you what, it did not happen.They all just seemed to vanish while I was left doing so much work! I would go look for other workers to help but they were nowhere to be found nor seen. Imagine my shock and surprise one day when I went to get something from the common bathroom….I found two of my coworkers in a tight clinch!!  I broke out in sweat and hastily retreated my steps!! I could not help thinking…….these  normal looking women who have kids and husbands could carry on their lesbo leanings at work place ..of all the unlikeliest places!! Anyway,I have nothing against them.Its just their individual choice of lifestyle and they dont harm me ,so to each their own!! I may disagree with their lifestyle but its their life and choice.But  the next time I could not find them,I did not bother to go look for them.I was just a “MAMULI” worker in that environment.
Dont we too have those “Nupi Sabis” and “Nupa Sabas” in Manipur? If any one says there isnt, then he/she is lying. Its just that it is not talked about loud. Dont we also know them as “HOMO”? Some of them are very good with what they do.Even the Manipur women police do have a lot of them , if I am not wrong. I met  one at the Delhi railway station back in the 90s with a group of mountaineers just back from their camp /adventure course at the NIM in UP. She had her own GF with her in the group and they seemed pretty happy together!!
I came into contact with one such from UP who was the “gal friend ” of one of our  tough “NUPA SABA” who besides had another local Meitei “GF”.It was the first time that I had encountered/met  such lesbian couple in the real sense.Boy! it was something that I could not shake my mind off it!! I guess they are happy in their own world and so be it!!!
Coming back to my story,I hurt my back and shoulders at that nursing home.It began to  make me think “what if I become crippled or something happens to me,what would become of my little son?” I then began looking around for another job and got the above job and since then I have been there working! I love working here because the staff are very understanding and quite enjoyable taking care of my residents who cant wait till the next weekend for me to come to work!! They do that because I bake my own concoction of chocolate and banana cakes which they love it very much!! I sing the tradtional church hyms with and for them or just turn on the radio on country music channel! Lo and behold! they begin to jive and swing..reminiscing their glory and past days of youth!! Sometimes we do have a pot luck lunch and my coworkers favourite food is the Aloo Samosa so there is heavy demand for that!! I dont mind it because I love to cook and share with them.It makes one feel good to be appreciated and loved!! This much for today! More in the next,folks!!!

All posts under this category “eche shanti” is about the life experience of eche(big sister) Shanti and are spoken through her mouth. All “I” here means “eche Shanti”.

I would like to share this incident with you all.Yesterday as I hurried home to wait for my son’s school bus,I stopped at the grocery store to buy a gallon of milk for him.And who do you think I met? An old lady whom I did not even know at all!! She tapped me on my arm and aksed me if I was a Chinese and I said no but from the northeastern part of India called Manipur.I had only 8 or 10 minutes left before my son’s school bus arrives at my apartment complex and this lady started preaching to me about being “saved’ and “going to heaven when I die” !She asked me about my job and that I should tithe 10% to the Almighty !!! I just could not make her stop as it would be rude on my part.I was saying “yes,yes, yes ” to all what she was preaching and trying to put down my throat ,so as to end the session soon! Lordy lord, instead of that ,she began to rattle out some Manipuri names with whom she came into contact here in Tulsa,Oklahoma.Even then I said “yes” for the upteenth time.There was no end to her preaching and I hated that very moment why I came in her path!! I dont need to be preached at that moment about what she was saying!! I dont buy that kind of stuffs which is being pushed down one’s throat.
I had to cut her short and tell her that my son would run amock if I was not there at the bus stop and excused myself soon after that. Sure enough,my boy was not to be seen anywhere around.I became very worried and looked for him here and there.I began to sweat, where would my little boy be now? I had given him strict instructions on not to go anywhere if I was a little late to get there at the bus stop anytime but to stay put at the apartment leasing office! I went round the other apartment buildings knocking on other older school bus riders’ rooms to ask if they had seen my son. Thankfully, one of the kids had taken him to his house and boy! I was very relieved!! At that point, I could not help asking myself, was that lady just come to check my patience or what?
I am not for those who just grab people and start preaching the “word of god”.It does not have the desired effects.
My son said he was sorry to be in his friend’s house but I was very glad to see him after my frantic search.Me being by myself here is not everyone’s cuppa tea.I have to be up and about and cant complain! I have a lot to be thankful for because the positve things in my life far outweighs all the negatives things!!
I dont have any family member to rely on but some very good friends whom I can count on when needed but they are my good church friends. I will be writing more articles for our young friend Kriti on this site!

I met eche Shanti(Thokchom Shanti) for the first time in orkut. Well, I have heard about eche long before in e-pao.net. She stays in USA presently. I met eche for the first time in orkut when I joined the Thokchom comunity. She was the moderator in that community. Since I have already read most of her articles in e-pao.net, I requested her to write some for our Thokchom.com too. Well, I was really happy to hear from eche that she is willing to write articles for us. I will keep a separate category called “eche Shanti” for her article so that those who want to read her articles can find it easy to search. Whenever the topic is related with thokchom, I would also put the post under the thokchom category too. So, I am now looking forward to see the articles of eche Shanti in this blog.