Simple joys of life.

Sitting on the bed with a laptop, typing away, a cup of adhrak waali chaai to help keep the yawns at bay, I can hear my 3 and a half year old son chirping all around the house, one thing after the other catching his attention.

 

Just a moment ago, he was on the verge of throwing a tantrum, accusing me of turning off the TV too soon. "But we had a deal" I tried to tell him, "that it would be just 10 minutes of watching Chota Bheem. You already crossed the limit, and its half an hour since you started watching it, and its OVER now. The show timing is up, and they are putting subtitles now, so there's nothing I can do about it."

 

Nothing I said seemed to convince him, and he was all set to yell out loudly. (Before you start having your doubts, let me tell you, his tantrums, I am told, are nothing compared to other kids. He is a very understanding child - touch wood zillion times - and this was the rarest of occasions) So being the case, I seemed to be the lucky (and spoilt?) mom who really didn't know how to deal with these rare outbursts. I tried reasoning, ignoring, placating, and striking another deal - which was - deciding to end any other sessions of Chota Bheem if he continuing whining and wailing. Bad luck. Nothing seemed to work today.

 

Just as I thought I am in for it, Naani popped in a magic sentence - "I have a pedha for you in your snack bowl, would you like to try it?" Poof. The mood turned exactly the other way round and off went he happily, had a nice little pedha and went on to arrange his little train engine set, with little word blocks on the goods carrier. He came back into my room to announce "Amma I am carrying Goods train la full of dabba jalebi". (We are Tam Brams, which explains his liking for food, especially sweets). Ready to burst into a laugh, I tried to look serious and asked to see the train. He proudly led me to show the neatly arranged goods train. 

 

Such darlings, kids. No preconceived notions, no inhibitions, no carrying over emotions, NOTHING. Just pure feelings for the moment. It is heartening to watch them and oh, how they succeed in bringing a smile into our otherwise serious lives!

 

Well, right now he is talking to his little cousin, who is all of 4 years, warning her to be wary of scorpions when she travels to Australia for her summer vacation. Can you beat that! :) Love you little fellow.

The Dunmore House

Situated in a little lane at Nallurahalli (off Siddhapura, near the Shell petrol bunk towards Whitefield), the Dunmore House is a beautiful little place. It is a wonderful bungalow, with the best part of it being a lot of natural light coming in. The ceilings are high which makes the place cool at any time of the day. They have a small garden area and a pond within the house, surrounded by pillars and a platform that people can sit on. There is a wooden swing and a trampoline on the platform. The Trampoline is the kids' favorite. They just love to climb onto it and jump! This area surrounding the little garden is where the kids have their snack, on little tables and chairs. The garden has a narrow beam on which the kids learn to balance without hurting themselves, a little tunnel made of four animals with their mouths wide open, that the kids can crawl through. This is undoubtedly the most attractive of all the areas in the house.

There is another quaint little place in the house which allows a lot of sunshine to come in. It is like a small room, with a slanting glass roof. There are small beanbags placed here for kids to sit on and do any activity that they like. A small aquarium with around 9 colorful fishes swimming around is another attraction for the kids. There are two hall like areas which have a variety play things for children. They have little scooters, a roller coaster, a soft ball tub, a little house through which the child can crawl in and out. Some of the self-learning stuff include:

1. Wooden boards which have animals, modes of transport, sea-creatures etc. which fit back into the shapes of the board. 

2. Socks that are hung about with each sock holding an alphabet. 

3. Lots of building blocks, colorful rings which fit back into their pillar.

4. Varieties of trucks, and even a little washing machine!!

There is a huge garden (yes, apart from the little one within the house), which has a lot of play things designed especially for kids. And of course, the main attraction here is - a lot of white sand which has been thrown  in for kids to play. Trucks and trowels, spades, and buckets are provided for the kids to dig and play around with the mud.  

The concept that the teachers who run this play follow is - they let the child be his natural self. He / she is allowed to roam around and choose any area or toy that he likes or wants to do at a particular moment. He is not forced into doing anything, which is a major plus for the child. Till the child gets adjusted, one teacher is assigned to the child, who sits with the child through out his two hours everyday, and helps him get adjusted to the place. So the transition for the children becomes a cake-walk. The parents can spend a week or two with the child at the school to make sure he settles in. This gives the parent also an insight into the school and how they deal with children. 

There will of-course be a lot of challenges, what with more children joining in, and different batches being decided on, but The Dunmore House, and Vandana and Shahista, are doing a great job at present! I wish them success in this wonderful new venture. Way to go guys.

Hats off to perims

It was wonderful to read the article about our dear Shyamala periamma. :) It is nice to see that her talent was recognized and written about so well. The Mambalam house has always been a constant hubbub of activity, with one or the other guest coming in from every part of the world, staying over, chatting away and relaxing on the famous "balcony" of the house. As a family, we used to keep teasing her that come what may, she will never fore-go her music classes, and even if hell broke loose, she would be teaching her students sincerely in the "vaasal-room" of their Mambalam house. And her patience and smile is a taken-for-granted fact!

Hats off to Shyam perims. We love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Journey so far ....

It's been a week now that we are in the US of A. Quite a few experiences to speak for during the travel ... interesting learnings.

The Bangalore airport checkin, immigration, security and waiting was all the usual stuff. In Lufthansa, the staff on board were pleasant, and we got a bassinet for the little one almost immediately upon take off. A comfortable journey and the food was just about right, as I was able to even choose a few things in the menu to feed the little one (I wasn't carrying anything other than biscuits for him).

The mid-way stop was at Frankfurt, and the airport, with its various duty free shops, and a lot of "eccalators" for my kid to walk to and fro on, made it a happy experience. Exhausting though, as my son wanted to keep me busy by making me walk/run behind him, where ever he went for the four and a half hours of wait... He even woke up two ladies sleeping on the lunge chairs! He made amazing conversation with them with his limited (tanglish) vocabulary, and they understood and enjoyed every bit of it!

Then, we got on board UA, to cover the next journey which was going to be 9 hours long. No bassinet this time. Food - hmm - nothing much to speak of, especially for the kid. The staff on board, nothing much to speak of either... or probably, we could speak about how there was no trace of "being pleasant" in them, to the extent of being unpleasant. My husband still says he found nothing wrong in that, and that's the normal caustic humor(!!?) displayed by people around here. I haven't still been able to agree with him on that front, as other people that I spoke to around were always ready with a "hi how are you" and with a smile on their faces. Hmm.. so there, 9 hours of bad food, bad humor, bad back later, we landed at ORD, and waited with fingers crossed for the immi officer to call us. After a few tense moments, which made us a lot wiser, we cleared and got the  stamping (phew).

Out we came, only to be held back by the baggage clearance guys, who informed us that we have been held back for a "Special Survey" (oh please give me a break!!). But thank our stars, they did nothing much but scan the baggage, and we were let go (yippee ... scott free finally .. was the feeling!). We boarded our go air (airport cab) and headed to MKE.

Sonny gave an initial resistance to sitting in the car seat with an "amma madeela okkachikanum" plea... but well, what could we do? Coaxed him into "indha oorlai no amma madi". Thankfully for us he is a pretty coaxable kid :) .. and so finally reached room sweet room... all set to explore the new place!

Nostalgia

Was back at Pune for a week. Just relaxed and chilled out for a change. And the best part of the trip was, met a lot of my friends this time.

Most of us having settled either out of Pune, and / or married and having kids, meeting up seems a remote possibility every time I go to Pune. To top it all, I work from home during my visits there. So workload and the little one take priority and I can never make myself go out to meet people.

This time was different though. J's wedding, Adu's birthday, Uncle's 70th birthday - all the three events were fun. The little one also got to meet a whole gang of people.

Meeting up with the college and school gang brought back memories, and also insights into each one of our lives, which are totally different from what it was before!!! Surprising how we are all so totally different from what we were 4 or 5 years ago.

Also, Pune roads are now much better than what they were those days. After the completion of all the fly overs, the city looks nice and clean too (atleast the areas that I visited). The window shopping at Store One and dinner at Mainland china with L and kids was great too! Totally left me feeling "I wish I could have stayed longer"... Pune, mom dad, family and friends - miss you guys!

Squirrel celebrating Tamizh Varsha pirappu

Happy new year little squirrel - he seems to enjoy the mango rice on Tamizh new year.

Whitefield in Spring 2009!!

Squirrel Antics for you :)

Check out this link for some more details :) -
http://oooligans.blogspot.com/

Home sweet home!

Back at home and having a good time :) .. doing what though? Nothing but idling away my time!! :) Doing all the things that I used to consciously avoid all these days. Little things, but of great importance, I am sure you would agree - :)

Getting up, but not before 8 am!, reading a book as soon as I get up from the bed, not bothering to clean up the table - knowing well it needs some good amount of re-arranging and dusting ... aaaah.. heaven!!! How good it feels to just laze around, and not having to worry about it!!

:) Enjoy it while it lasts, is what I tell myself... Though it does feel nice to be doing (or, not doing?) such things, with the sudden burst of energy I get after lazing around, I can't seem to stand all the mess which I knowingly tolerated all this while!!! :D. So lazing once in a while is a good thing after all I suppose...

Awesome win at T20!!!!

What a match that was last night!!! Awesome, thrilling, fantabulous and what ever words you can think of! The Indian's for once, did not lose focus and proved their might. :) And am I happy or what! The entire country was cheering for the 10 players on the field, and the Indian team, I should say FOR ONCE again, did not let us down.

Watching the match on the terrace canteen (terabyte as we call it endearingly) of our office, all the folks were almost competing against each other as to who could cheer the loudest and most! Every run scored, and every wicket taken was followed by the loudest cheer and the highest jumps one could ever witness. And what a high we were all on - unbelievable. When this was the case with about 100 people watching the match, imagine what the entire nation cheering put together would have sounded like!

A thought crossed through my mind as to what if the players were able to hear the entire country's cheers for them. Whew! Way to go India. And keep up the attitude and spirit in all your matches. Play to enjoy the game, and dont get bogged down by the pressure of all the Indian's on your back. Though, I must admit, we do get over the top most of the times, but its because we love you and the game. And we will always do - whether you win or otherwise.

Quick peek

In the midst of all the madness these days at home ... :) ... I must mention a pleasant and enjoyable madness though ... Popped in for a quick peek into my favourite place :) on a special day ... Here's wishing all the visitors a HAPPY VALENTINES DAY.
It will be a while before I blog again. Signing off on a happy note.. See you all soon.

Happy New Year (Or what?!)

Dec 29th 2006 - 2 days behind the New Year. The countdown has begun... Lots of mails flowing across - with wishes for the new year, lots of offers across all the malls, lights, decoration at the workplace, and what not.

I am at work now ... The work place is close to empty. Everyone has either have left for the day, or are on leave since the past week. And those who are here, am sure (I hope, atleast, cos that's the frame of mind I am in :D) are in no mood to work. I am looking at the clock tick away, ever so slowly, and am waiting for it to strike 6, so that I can bang shut my laptop (quite literally), turn off my desktop server monitor (Not shut down - because a test is running on it you see), and rush through the peak hour traffic and reach home. Reach home, yes, and what next? [Well, the next thing that I think of is some hot snack with a steaming cup of tea] currently, the thought of food is the only source of excitement for me.

Drudging along through my work load, ever so half heartedly, I can't stop wondering - why all this fuss about entering a New Year? I was one of them too, a few years back - One of them who loved the fan fare around the New year arrival, and who was very much a part of the celebrations and get togethers with friends, to welcome the new year until and beyond mid-night. And, yes, I maybe one of them this year as well. I maybe, for all you know, loving the feel of the new year dawning, and the lights and the colors and the happiness around.

But right now, at this moment, I cannot seem to understand what all the fanfare is about? Why do we all enjoy the arrival of a new year? Somehow, the beginning of this new year brings with it a feeling that time just absolutely flies. I feel as though I just finished celebrating the dawning of the year 2006, and before I could even let that feeling sink in, its time for 2007!! The years seem to be running by, and they, ofcourse, don't give us a second chance.

Talk of brooding, and I somehow manage to do that really well. Well, since the year 2007 is anyway going be here soon, so might as well enjoy the fact and receive it with all the fanfare and the excitement. And since there is a nice weekend before 2007 hits us, let me start, maybe, by making a list of all I would like to do in 2007. :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007!!

Uncertainties

Another one of those days... When I am feeling like a lost puppy in the big bad world.

Life's inconsistencies and my indecisiveness are taking a toll and I need to sit and think about a lot of things and rearrange my thoughts.

But, sadly, my heart will not let me do it. I am too scared to open up my mind and let myself think, lest it makes me take some decision which my heart will not agree upon. Am I scared to face life and its various realities? I don't want to believe that, because I think I am prepared for whatever, WHATEVER damn situation I am going to face.

But then, is that true? Am I really prepared for what I might face? It's easy to console oneself that life has innumerable challenges and that we must and will take it as it comes ... On facing it actually, pop goes my so called determination and there I go, getting weak in my knees and refusing to believe that well, that's that. That's how it is and will be.

By the way, it actually feels better when thoughts come out clear on paper. Feels lighter and well, maybe now I can rearrange my thoughts afterall, and life's uncertainties are not as difficult as they seemed a few seconds back!!

Last few months

It's time - The child has grown up. It's time for him to say good bye to his parents. It's time for him to go away - to be on his own. Away from his parents - the people because of whom he is here today and is what he is today.

The parents go through a plethora of emotions, and so does the child.

Parents - Happy to see their child grown up and able to handle things himself. Happy that they have brought him up well and have helped him reach this level. Happy that their child has achieved a lot and is ready to take on the next phase.
Sad that they will not have him around any more. Sad that they will miss his laughter, his activities around, his enthusiasm to do things... Sad that the child will not be there anymore to be pampered and cared for.

Child - Happy that he is going to face the world all by himself. Happy that he is going to be independent. Happy that he is getting his chance to explore and learn new things and can think of exploring ideas which would otherwise be difficult to do under the care of his wary parents.
Sad that he will not have the same care to help him through difficult times. Sad that he will not have his parents around to listen to his achievements. Sad that he will not experience the love and affection of his parents.

A thoughtful little fella...

I met this little fella yesterday, who must be hardly about 10 years old - And, Oh my God! Wasn't I shaken out of my dream world!! I had a wonderful, thought provoking and a totally enjoyable conversation with him for about an hour.. and here's what he had to say -

LB - Akka, I just hate this city life. The noise and the pollution just irritates me no end. I want to go far far away from this city and live in a world of my own. My dad has some ideas of building a farmhouse. Wouldn't that be great???

I am planning to start a Wild Life Sanctuary, and do some Agriculturing also. We can have 3 dogs - two to protect the sanctuary and 1 for our protection. Also we will have a guest room, so that we can invite weary travellers to take rest there ... ofcourse we will not let them into our house, because its not right to trust anybody.

We will take all near to extinction animals, and take care of them so that they have children and their numbers grow. I am going to plant lots of trees, so that I can get the vegetables and fruits for daily use from them itself.

Me - But kutti, where will you get the money for all this? You know, I have just fallen for your idea, but it isn't that easy to start off on it.

LB - (thinks a bit and states matter of factly) - But Akka, if we start a wild life sanctuary - The Govt will fund us, will it not? So there goes the problem of funds!! Also, I have 2000 bucks in my piggy bank, and my father has saved money for me as well.

Me - (Wow!!!! What do I say here????).

LB - Akka, I won't even go to school, because all the knowledge is available in books, and I can just read them and improve and learn about the world.

Me - However, if you want to get a job later in life, you would need a degree certificate dear boy, and you would have to go to school and then college for that to happen.

LB - But why do I need a job? I can work as an officer in my own Sanctuary and help in the project to make the animals and greenery stay intact. What do you think of this akka? Can you please talk to amma and make her understand that we must do this and we must help our nation grow in the right direction? Akka, we must also control the population growth and stop breaking down trees and forest areas - we must build lots of trees and make people understand that if the trees are all cut down, we will not be able to live any more and lose all the comforts and the beautiful weather that we enjoy. People just understand all this, do they?

Me - True dear boy and its amazing that you have a great idea like this in your little head - and I would love to think that this will happen in the near future. Keep up this thought and work towards your dream. I am sure it will work out some day.

[Isn't it a wonder that a 10 year old loves the world so much and wants to do so much for it. And we, the common people, know all about the imminent dangers, but still pretend that life is just rosy, and turn a bl

An afternoon well spent ...

There are so many little children in this world, who are not as lucky as all of us to have had a wonderful childhood. Little children who have had to sacrifice their innocent childhood in doing tasks which are not meant for them - working as rag pickers, working in Tea stalls, and whatever not. All this, in an effort to earn a little bit of money, to support their family and to be able to eat atleast one decent meal a day. At their tender ages, these children are burdened with much much more than they can handle. They end up growing too soon and miss out on the wonderful experiences of childhood. Though they might go to school, once they are back home, what are they in for??? Again the same scenes of drunken fathers, fights, smoking, ... things which are absolutely not meant for them.


So, it was a wonderful feeling on the last sunday afternoon to see these same little kids of lesser privileged parents, enjoying themselves at an art class organized by an NGO. The kids were having a good time there - which was the main aim - to let the kids be what they are - KIDS.


They were such a curious and competitive lot. Some were quietly and keenly doing the work given to them, while some were making me do it for them!! Others were busy comparing their work with that of their friends, and making sure that their own was no less. There was a lot of running about, sharing of paint brushes, spilling of the coloured waters, and at once getting a cloth to clean the mess... all these small little things teaching them the basics of life. Ofcourse there were some petty fights, and arguments between the little ones, and it took a lot of efforts on the part of the teacher and the volunteers to try and instill into them the rights and wrongs. But isn't that the challenge? To give them the freedom of their thoughts and expressions and mould them into beautiful human beings who can take care of their lives and be independent.


Well, within no time the class got over. All of them, chattering and playing, formed small groups. Some trooped to catch a train, while some started walking home. Walking along with me, they wanted to know where I stayed and how I would go home. They invited me to their houses, and I had a difficult time convincing them that I would make it some other day. Some wanted a ride in the car when they learnt that my dad was coming to pick me. Some wanted to know whether I stayed in a bungalow, or an apartment. My my... the questions were never ending. :).


It was an afternoon well spent - with children who were so enthusiastic, and so much in awe of everything around them, and who will take on the world, if only given a chance...

Dear Friend ...

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are quite expressive and thoughtful. You see the world in a way that others are blind to. You are not a very grounded person. You prefer dreams to reality. For you, it's all about possibilities. You believe that people see you as larger than life and important. While this is true, they also think you're a bit full of yourself. Your near future is calm, relaxing, and pretty much what you want. And it's something you've been anticipating for a while now. For you, love is all about caring and comfort. You couldn't fall in love with someone you didn't trust.

Inside the Room of Your Soul

This one is for all my friends who have supported me through my entire life... For all those friends who have shared all the happenings in my life, be it the most joyous moments of my life... or even the most difficult times in my life.. I have always had them with me through the various ups and downs that I have gone through in my school and college days...

Friends are the most beautiful possessions in one's life.. I have ended up learning the most essential lessons of my life from the time spent with my friends..

And it just doesn't end there .. The same friends (and now even more), even with their busy schedules, with their daily routines of work, marriage, children, ... The same friends still make sure that they are always there to help me, lend a ear to the happenings in my life.. pull me up when I am distressed, buck me up with words of encouragement, to give me a shoulder to weep on... and to let me know that they have tons of faith in my abilities...

Through the various moments of fun, sorrows, separation, reunion, I have gained so many important lessons. Though at those moments of emotions, it had never been obvious of the influence that it would have in my life... but when I look back... I realise that they were what has made me the person I am today...

When I was made fun of by my friends, I used to be hurt. But I realised that they made fun of me so that I would stop being a baby, grow up, and learn to face the world and to stand on my own feet.

The trips that we went out together, they have helped us in getting to know each other so well, and we are all so strongly bonded now.. This has made me value the presence of any and every person/event in my life, however small it might be..

We used to go cycling together, racing against each other and against time... this has embedded within me, the quality of facing life's difficulties with a challenge and with a smile, and also to always remember to lend a helping hand to someone who is left behind...

This blog is for all of you guys and gals... This is to thank all of you for being there always.... Three cheers to all my dear friends... Here's wishing you luck in all the endeavours in your life...

With nothing to do on a weekend

Blog blog blog - Am back - But the bad news is that - I have no special news to blog about. Have finished all the work for today at office. And I am wondering what I should do next. We have TGIF celebrations at our office today. But I am in no mood to attend. I want to go on treks and meet my old college friends and just freak out this weekend .. but got no company Boohoo .. so that's that.. and here I am, cribbing about it. All friends are in the US of A. Except a few who are totally stuck with work. Which is really bad because then they are not available on weekends to freak out with. And what is a weekend for if its not utilised properly? That statement makes me cry ... Am all set to put the city on fire.. but I don't have company. This is not fair.

Random thoughts

Life's like that -

Not always sweet and rosy - sometimes I just don't seem to understand how people think, see and act, or what makes them see things the way they do.. and not the way I want them to ...

I can never seem to get people to see things from my perspective- because I myself don't have clear explanations to my way of seeing things, I just think the way I do without giving a thought as to how (or how not) feasible it might be in the long run..

So there you go.. what can be done in this case? Guess no one's really understood what I am trying to say here..

Traffic Rules

You Are Somewhat Honest

You do tend to tell the truth a lot But you also stretch the truth on occasion You figure a little lie isn't a big deal As long as it doesn't hurt anyone too much!

How Honest Are You?

Traffic rules - I thought they were there for us to obey them! And wow - people just impressed me totally today by breaking them so easily and causing trouble for all the others on the road - who look like fools following the rules...

As the saying goes - Rules are mean to be broken - Poeple are taking this statement very seriously and go about breaking the rules without even a hint of a prick in their conscience!

30 seconds more to go for the green signal, and the traffic is flowing from the opposite side, but Mr Car Driver honks and honks - and the Bike driver in front gets the cue - He moves breaking the signal and the Mr Car driver follows him as if it was the right thing to do - and glares at the others who are still standing, waiting for the green signal... How very nice of him, isnt it...???

AAAAAARGH... these things just totally get on my nerves... Why do the so-called learned and educated people turn Oh-so noncivilised? How will their kids learn if the elders themselves behave so ignorant... ??!?!! What is the hurry? Why doesn't a person start a little earlier than usual, so that he could be on time, just driving normally, instead of causing unnecessary troubles to all the others? One can actually enjoy a drive. Why the tension in the mind of the driver? Why not start early and enjoy the beauty of the morning instead of spoling your mood as well as that of others....?? Will people ever learn?