My World in My Words

Oh the blues!!

2009-11-29T21:08:00.000-08:00

What do you do when your 3 year old tells you, "Amma, I want to see Blue Cinema."(She hasnt learnt the use of the word Film yet)

Well, I just switched on the TV and let her see it.

But before you call in the authorities, let me clarify, she had seen the promos of the hindi movie "Blue" with the underwater sequences and wanted to watch it coz she heard her dad and me discuss that the same was being shown on television.

To add, its all blue for me too.....I hate mondays!!

Vindicated & Ecstatic

2009-09-18T23:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, I really am!!

Today was Sunshine's first Parents Teachers' Meeting. The notice was short and Don had to travel on work. So I made it to the meeting alone. I was the last parent scheduled for the time slot and I could see the teacher explaining lessons and rhymes and tunes to the parents and telling them what they need to work on.

I was expecting the same dialogues for myself when I sat down at the table.The teacher started with "I don't have anything to tell you" which startled me a little bit. I didn't know where she was going and then she continued, "She is just perfect.She does what she is asked to do, patiently awaits her turn in group activities, is very organised and is very caring towards kids smaller than her. If somebody asked me who the model student in my class is, I would say Sunshine, what do you do to her at home...." She didn't continue after that coz I had averted my face as I didn't want her to see how shamelessly I was crying, of course out of happiness and pride

I have been an avid follower of Mommy Blogs since I was pregnant.And as years passed by I realised kids today do things/achieve milestones at a much lower age than when we were kids. 1.5-2 year old kids could sings rhymes, say alphabets and numbers, put complex jigsaw puzzles in place. Mine couldn't and I would never try and force anything on her if she didn't show any interest.

At 3.5 today, Sunshine still doesn't say all her alphabets right,doesn't know any numbers after 13, doesn't know the words in rhymes properly nor can she make sentences in any language than her native tongue.

But at 3.5 today, she knows that rules are to be followed, hygiene is to be practised,patience is a virtue,songs and stories are to be enjoyed, children smaller and weaker are to be protected... I don't think I need her to achieve anything more than that.

Thanks Sunshine for making me so proud.And thanks so much for making me feel vindicated that I followed what my heart said instead of trying to force things on you just so that I would be a "In" mother. I am so proud of you and so much in love with you!!

And if you think, this was happiness, it turned to Ecstasy with this sms from Don after I had shared the review/report and my tears with him "Congrats.Am proud of u n one day u wl b known as Sunshine's mother. Am proud of myself as I am in lov wid 2 wonderful women at d same time :-))"

Love u Sunshine & love you Don!!

Happy Onam

2009-09-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

Though we cant enjoy the the full traditions of onam - the pookalams,sadhyas, pulli-kallis, thiruvadiras and more importantly loads and loads of people around at home - today at a flat in Chennai...I didnt want my daughter to be deprived of at least whatever I can manage.

So other than the onam kodi(new dress),palada pradhaman and the onam sadhya, we got together to make this Pookalam. Sunshine enjoyed the adventure and cant take her eyes off her creation...for that matter neither can I!!

So I am sharing it with you all and hoping you all have as colourful, beautiful and fragrant year ahead as this Pookalam!!

An Award & A Tag

2009-07-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

Yipeee!! Yes, I did it! What you ask? Well I am now officially a 'recognised' blogger of the blogworld..a tag and an award all at once!!

Itchy has awarded me a Kreative Blogger award for the meagre offerings I have on my Blog. Seriously a case of loving the person more than the Blog , but then who am i to look into a Gift Horse in the mouth? I accept the award with all humbleness and graciousness!! Thanks so much Itchy!!

And now the Tag:To list things about myself in the given various category:

Seven Things I like to do :
1.Hugging people esp Don & Sunshine
2.Reading
3.Listening to Old Hindi Film Songs
4.Cooking
5.Tying my hair high up
6.Travelling
7.Watcing Movies

Seven Things I like to eat/drink:
1.Cold Coffee
2.Dark Chocolate
3.Puttu-Kadala(Mom made)
4.Fish Pickle(Mom made)
5.Pavakka Theeyal(Mom Made)- Typical Mallu dish with Karelas
6.Masala/Parippu Vada
7.Phulkas

Seven things I like to wear:
1.My Smile
2.My Attitude
3.Sindoor
4.Jasmine on my hair
5.Long Flowy Skirts
6.Saris
7.Payal

Seven of my most prized possessions:
1.My Family
2.My Memories
3.My Good Health
4.My Engagement Ring
5.My Wedding Invite
6.My Photos - right from childhood
7.My External Hard Disk

Seven things I most want to do:
1.Bring up Sunshine as a good Human Being
2.Loose Weight
3.Confidently drive a Car through Panagal Park(Chennaites will know)in Peak traffic
4.To learn Classical Dance & French
5.Travel all over India and the world
6.Bake the most heavenly cakes/Cookies/Pies/Tarts and the likes
7.Makes enough friends to tag on the blogworld!!!!

And Seven friends I would like to pass this award to:
I dont have 7 friends in the Blogworld to fwd the tag to...so I tag Patti

Hey this is fun!!

Nothing like......

2009-07-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

beverages like frappe, Cool Blue, Apple soda; food like samosas, sandwiches, puffs and old friends...Itchy & Chechi to feel 10 years younger and 20kgs lighter...

Cheers girls, may we always be so young!!

Unstained

2009-05-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

is my finger since I could not cast my vote yesterday. Its the first time since I turned adult that I was prepared to vote. I was in the Country and had stayed in the same address long enough to have all kinds of proofs to apply for my voter's id, which I did but unfortunately mine or Don's name did not feature in the electoral list.

I went to 3 pooling booths in the 40 degree C afternoon sun of Chennai to find out and totally confirm that our names aren't included. Though I know its the thought that counts I felt I had let down the country a bit by not being able to cast my vote. I really do feel a prick in the heart when i see the stained fingers of those around me.

A thought that crossed my mind while I was running around the polling booths was that how little we no I (let me speak only for me) do or get to do for our country. If only we all did a little more!!

I really do hope next time I get to vote.

The Price of Children....

2009-05-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

Literally...i dont know how true it is and also in the Indian context but I liked the thought somebody out into it.........I received it as a forward from a very pretty woman who is the mother of 4 daughters and is a single parent...I am sure you all will like it as I did...

The Price of Children

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Something
absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the
breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the
first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's
nice.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a
child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a
middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't
even touch college tuition.

But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It
translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week..
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't
have children if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just
the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140.00?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm
cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the
boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.
* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under
refrigerator magnets and collect! spray painted noodle
wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's
Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your
buck. You get to be a hero just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a
baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice
cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* first step,
* first word,
* first bra,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your
family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in
your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren.
You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal
justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college
can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God.
You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the
monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a
slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without
limits, so one day they will, like you, love without
counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren &
great-grandchildren !!!!!!! It's the best investment you'll
make!

Andy: Dont you feel very Rich!!

My husband doesnt take much interest in .....

2009-04-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

what i try on/ pick up/ buy/ wear or not wear and if I were complaining about it I have now stopped as of yesterday afternoon.In fact,especially after yesterday's incident i love my husband more for his ignorance/disinterest whatever.

I was at Lifestyle trying to buy something to utilize a gift voucher I had with the expiry date of 31.3.09. Footwear being something I could always have another pair of, I found myself checking out the Footwear dept.

Saw a guy decently attired in obviously branded semi formal clothes,browsing through the various models. I was happy to see him take so much interest in his wife's- similarly attired in jeans & kurtti, hair cut short in a beautiful cut and branded eyewear perched on top of the head- shopping till i realised it wasn't interest, it was instruction.

He picked up a shoe and handed it to her saying, this is what you want. Without waiting for her response he tells the sales guy to bring out the same in her size. The lady in many subtle ways try to hint him that she didn't like it....in words like "yeh mere us dress ke saath nahi jayega" or picking up another pair and saying "yeh wala acha hai" or even ignoring when the sales person came back with the said pair in her size. But the husband seemed adamant.

I was tempted to go to her and say "don't buy it if u don't like it" but then i know better than that. So just walked away from there before I could see how the drama ended.

I would rather go back with my husband, show him a few shoes, listening to him say sometimes with interest and sometimes disinterestedly "ya that's good", "nice", "ya will go with ur dress..." or whatever it is that I would expect him to say but finally buying only what I like or want.

And yes, I did remember to send a prayer up thanking God for my disinterested husband!!

It came by post....

2009-03-17T01:27:00.000-07:00

The reminder that Sunshine is afterall only the centre of my Universe and not that of the world and most certainly of a certain school(lets call it XYZZ).

After Don stood in the queue for 7 hours (4.00am -11.00am) just to get the application and then spending an equal time to return the filled up application, we got a letter from them saying 'we regret...........'and for what reason, none other than the fact that her name was not picked up in the lottery system that is used for selecting kids.

My first reaction was "how can they do this to my child?????????", then reasons started flowing in from all and sundry. One explanation was that since I was not of the same faith as my husband, which incidently is also the same as that of the school,we were rejected. I was fuming till Don(whose desire is was to see Sunshine in this school)vehemently said, if thats the reason then I wouldnt send my daughter to that place even if they beg me to.

Anyways I had Plan B in place and we are all fine but it really hurts to see the rejection of Sunshine even if its for a school admission and with no other reason but not being picked up in a lottery and to top it all something she is not even aware of...

Oh what agonies await me as she grows up and faces sometimes rejection, sometimes failure and sometimes heartbreak...when she herself finds out that she is not the centre of the Universe afterall.

Good Lord, be with her always!!

How would you react

2009-02-17T01:45:00.000-08:00

if you found out that you had a hobby that you weren't even aware of? Me, I reacted by first trying to psycho-analyse myself and then doing the easier thing of taking snaps and blogging about it.

Well it all started when a holiday planned went awry and I was left with a lot of time in hand. The time that forced me to hear the calling, requests, orders name it as you please that it has been ages since the cupboards have been aired, that there lurking behind that chaos might be clothes that haven't seen sunlight for sometime,that air/humidity/rodents could have destroyed what are in those cupboards.

With no more excuses to give I set out to do the task.There were clothes I didn't know I had, materials that hadn't been stitched, sarees not worn,books I hadnt read, music I hadn't heard, recipe book which I had another copy coz I didn't remember that I already had one, unused gift coupons past expiry,some currency in purses not used, bday cards not sent,gifts of Sunshine waiting for her to attain the age mentioned on them, lovely frocks waiting to be fit for her and the usual. The usual of course it is for the cupboards that Andy rules. But for one thing.

I found diaries and note book of various colours, sizes, shapes and I realised for reasons too coz I did manage to remember why some of them were bought. Wanna have a look at some of them...common...

This one I had picked to create a gift for a friend of mine. Luckily I gave her a adhoc gift(if it can be called that) else today 6 months after her bday I would still have not given her a gift. Note the pics of a cool , classy lady on the cover..well that's why I picked it up.

A couple of months after I had picked the Lady Notebook, I picked this one up and for the same reason. Coz I thot this one was more fun...pink, polka dots...what more could a girl want?

I have no idea why I picked this one up...5 Subject note...hmmmm hmmmm hmmm...no no I don't remember.

This blue note was bought for a class I wanted to join. I went to the institute, paid the fees, bought the stationery everything but they finally cancelled out the batch that I preferred coz of the timings. So this book is left untouched.

I fell in love with this Coffee Book the moment i saw it. It was so me. Coffee, brown earthy textures, recipes.....I don't know how to explain it but if somebody asks me what notebook would represent me(Why would somebody ask such a stupid question, beats me?)it would be this. I use it sometimes to jot down what I am feeling..but like my blogs they are few and far between.

Thoughts was meant for exactly that. when my pregnancy report first came positive, I went and bought this book to write down for my child what my thoughts were. However, things didn't go as planned and the book was shelved till after Sunshine was born.However it was not thoughts that I put into it..it was more facts, about her and her birth. The thoughts still needs to be put in.

This one I like to call Jatar Mantar. I picked it up at a bookstore when I felt I could be jotting down things to hand over to my daughter and from her to her daughter...you know something like a tradition...This notebook had that 'I am traditional/heritage' feel. Guess I should start using it before it becomes history.

Anyways, these are a few samples of what I found not to mention a host of calender diaries, notepads etc.

The psychoanalyst in me diagnosed that there are a lot of bottled up things in me that I want to bring out..maybe write out..so the gesture of buying these books to pour myself out on them. Very scientific na?

So whats your diagnosis doc?

A not so subtle hint!!

2008-10-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

For about 2 years now I have been asking my husband to get me a desginer branded watch, a yearning I have had since I attended an interview for a job to sell ultra luxury products. My hints were very very subtle, " I want a branded designer watch." " When are you getting me that watch?", "Which store do you think we will have a wide range of choice?" ...... however Don, from Mars or whereever else his race is from, never got the hint. Last valentine's we came very close when we went searching for a store and unfortunatley they were closed by the time we reached.

Now, its not that yours truly coudnt afford to buy one for herself or accept it as gift from the more sentitive people like a sister or a friend who have been hearing me whine about the watch for loong... I just wanted Don to get it for me. Period.

But finally I decided 2 years is a really long time and if my hubby wants to act dumb about it I may as well hand hold him and make him do what I want. So the next time I was at a lifestyle store, I found just what I was looking for... No, No, dear when I say I want my husband to buy it I only mean he pays for it not to select it.

So with the brand new watch in its designer box and a single red rose in my hand I walk into my husband's office. He is shocked to see me in the middle of the day of a working day and with a rose at that. I give him the rose, kiss him and say, thank you so much for fulfilling my wish.I used the time he took to blink and close his mouth shut to open the box and show him what he has gifted me.

I thanked him again as I turned to leave but stopped to remind him that he needs to write out the cheque on my XYZ credit card and can put it in the dropbox by next week.I can give a not so subtle hint at times too!!

Sometimes it pays to let go.....

2008-09-16T04:44:00.000-07:00

I firmly believe a woman feels guilty about doing anything for herself from the day she discovers that she is pregnant. Once you know you have a life growing inside you, every single thing you do makes you wonder "Is this the right thing to do?" and i think its a feeling that lasts a life time. More of that might make a whole new post (seeing that there is a dearth of posts in this blog, so let me continue with what I started with in the first place.

The current job I am holding doesn't involve too much travelling (lesser reasons for feeling guilty about leaving Sunshine). However, last month we had a Conference at a nearby resort town for 2 days. Reached the venue in the morning. Of the 83 participants only 3 of us were girls. And since we were the senior most in hierarchy of the participants, we took the last row and laughed at the accent, the language and the ideas of the People we work for (I work for a family owned business).

After one full day of boring sessions and team building ppts (borrowed from Hollywood Movies), we were asked to change and assemble for the "Gala dinner & cocktails". Went to the room , changed called Don and said, am leaving the cellphone in the room just coz i don't want to carry it with me. When we reached the lawns, that was to be the venue of the dinner, it started drizzling which turned into heavy rains. Thankfully the out pour lasted just about 10-15 mins and then the party got back into the groove.

The 3 ladies just sat nursing their drinks and saw the guys making fools of themselves. The party didn't seem to be going anywhere, when somebody decided to take charge and announced a competition among the different teams. since we ladies were in much demand (the no. of team was more than the no. of ladies present, we had to oblige more than 1 team.

We decided, what the heck and let go...... I for one neither was very fond of the company nor the other ladies with me. but I let go of myself, just for me. For once after a long long time I let go. I remembered my co-dancers from a previous job, oh the fun times we used to have. I even did a lasso style step which we had christened after our boss. I looked up to the sky and and sent a cheers to the (ex)gang...

Well nothing more to say other than this, "if only i did so much exercise everyday, i could fit into something other than custom made salwar kameez". The guys had their jaws falling open. My boss of 1 month (He had just joined) was very happy that his team member was such a sport (after my colleagues in the other region allegedly ran away after the dinner). My colleague - who only that morning supposedly "complimented" me that "Aap to hamesha housewife ki tarah lagti hai"(who told him housewives were fat and always dressed in Salwar Kameez??? Common ladies u have to react - came up to me and said "#$*%(%%))%%%$$" I am sure that's how he sounded in his shell shocked state. And last but not the least somebody came up with an impromptu award of best dancer and gave me a cash price..........

I was glad, not for the cash, but for having found myself. For having realised that inside the obese,mid aged(considering I will live to be 60), wife, mother, unsatisfied employee,........ there is still a young spirit who can let go of herself and have fun...I had almost forgotten how to!!

Table for 1 Please!! Duuuuuuuuuh

2008-06-26T03:02:00.000-07:00

When I first came to Chennai, i was put up in a hostel that i hated. I had to get in there so that my dad cud leave in peace after having settled me in the "Big Bad City".Not that we were villagers but that's the phrase that parents often let fall when they have to let go their first born and a girl at that to the world of "work, job, employment...u choose the word)

So one of the first decisions I took as I stepped into the hostel was not to eat there. Common if the reception area is so dirty what would be the kitchen like? So that meant no breakfast in the morning, lunch at office with the crowd or if in field only if a colleague was around to give me company - after all how can a girl go into a restaurant alone and order food and more importantly eat alone. Dinner was 1 Egg Puff, 1 Bottle of Water and 1 Chocolate, packed from a nearby bakery - am one of the few South Indians who cant stand idlis, taken to the room where my doc roommate would already have left for her duties, and consumed. the exercise led to a loss of about 6 kg in 1 month - Now folks Disclaimer - This is not the new diet mantra!!

Anyways, 8 years down the line..i have changed. I live at home and pack lunch for my husband but since i still have the wandering job i don't like to carry lunch. I eat what I feel , when I feel. Now don't be nasty and ask my weight.

Today i am no longer embarrassed to go into a eatery- fast food or fine dining, whatever I so fancy at that moment and order what i wish. Fast Food outlets are OK, when they see the amount of food I order, the person at the counter thinks somebody is waiting for me at the table!! But when i go to a restaurant and ask for table for one...the reaction is Duuuuuhhhhhhhhh

Andy : Hi, I need a table

S/He : How many of you Ma'am?

Andy : It'll just be me!!

S/He : Oh, somebody will join you?

Andy : No, I said its just me , 1 person, that's me , that's all

S/He : (In Thoughts) Oh God, poor thing !! nobody to share her meal( or life...u get the drift?)

(In Words) Duuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh (And all the other words that Moose has in his vocab)

Andy : ( To anybody who cares to listen) Hello, I just felt like having one of your cheesy lasagna and i cant go around finding people to eat with me right here right now just to show u that I am not alone in this world .

Anyways persistence is the key, now a particular cafe in a bookshop is my most favoured haunt. The girls and boys know me pretty well. They know my likes , dislikes and preferences and give me plenty of space and time to check out blogs, chat on net, write my journals or simply read a book

But when I tag a friend along they go Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuh!!

You just cant beat them, Can you?

The Baptism

2008-06-20T04:15:00.000-07:00

Like I said before, I have been lurking around the blog world for quite sometime. And one of the few things I have been thinking about was how to address my kid and my husband in my blogs. I love all the cute names that most of you moms have given the fruit/s of your womb and I wanted to find a nice special one for mine as well.

I found one and it came about this way. One fine day just as the sun was rising, little beam of sunlight tried to creep into our room through the curtains. My then 1 year old baby saw it. She decided it was something very precious, so she tried to catch hold of that and give it to me. Of course, I accepted her gift and said "thank you Sunshine!!" And I thought what a pretty name for my pretty girl.

Of course thoughts are not like blogs, they don't stop with commas and full stops. So my mind ran on to the lyrics of a song heard sometime ago which ran something like "Good morning Sunshine...your my only light". I wasn't sure of the lyrics so I googled and found the lyrics. Well liberally read, I thot song can be dedicated to my Sunshine. So for those who are interested here are a few lines from the song:

Good morning sunshine,you are my only light,
lying with me by my side,you keep me warm all day.
Just stay with me.

Good morning sunshine,be with me all day,
Just don't let the rain pass you by,
when it's cloudy or windy and the snowflakes arrive,
you somehow just make me,make me feel I'm alive.

Hold it right there,let me take a minute of your time,
to explain how I feel through these rhymes.
I do the best I can, and believe me if I could
I'll build you a paradise with these two hands.

The top of your skin, makes my body go numb,

I'm thinking to myself, if my dream come true,

or is it 'cause you never give me a chance to tell you how I feel,
the moments we had were too precious to kill.
When it is cloudy or windy,please turn your face at me

Disclaimer : This is no the entire song, I have just put in lines I loved

Naming the other important part of my life or rather the other half of me was a more challenging assignment. After going through a rigorous process of finding , shortlisting, rejecting and the works I have decided on "Don" - reason being , the first tme I asked him if he had a pet name, he said Don, it seems thats what his mates used to call him.So Don it is!!

So Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting to you the family that resides in this part of the blog sphere :
Don, Andy & Sunshine!
Applause!!

Cheers to New Beginning

2008-06-08T23:52:00.000-07:00

And thus I join the Blog World. Accepted , I have been lurking around the blog world for about 3 years now but today is the day I decided to join the bandwagon. Well it remains to see how long I will be active , active not in the sense of reading blogs but to contributing ...for I am the kind who jumps into new things, follow it with a passion but alas the life span could be very very short. But being the eternal optimist that I am, I will hope for a good, long stint.....so here is to new beginnings, new avenues, renewed acquaintances and new friends..........Cheers!!