It's Mhy Life!

A Visitor

2012-01-25T00:27:00.004+08:00

I haven't been blogging in such a long while and it actually feels odd to have logged in today. Even had a couple of comments to be moderated which made me feel real good that somebody out there was even bothering to check in to say hello. A resounding 'thank you' going out from me to you!

Well, 2011 was a busy year. I had my second little one-a girl. And this year promises to be busier still, but I do hope to be active on my home here on the net.

And so it was on a busy morning, as I hung the laundry out to dry there was a cheep-cheep right behind me. It was a little birdie sitting on the railing of my balcony barely two feet away. She stared at me. I tried to shoo her away because I was really worried about the mama bird if any swooping down on me. But she wouldn't budge. I dashed in for the camera and this is what I have to show.

That's her taking a little snooze I suppose.

She then opened her eyes when she heard me click the picture.

I did manage to break her revery so she'd look up and strike a pose.

And, oh...she does have two feet. It was a windy day and she'd probably tucked it up in her feathers to keep warm.

She's visited me a couple of times more. Now, no more to be seen I wonder where she's gone.

Have you had any interesting visitors lately?

Has this ever happened to you?

2010-07-26T18:32:00.002+08:00

That you slip & fall, and instead of thinking about possible injuries you are thankful that nobody was around to see the inelegant heap you fell in? Yep, that’s me.

It had been raining all morning today & the lift floor was wet, which ofcourse I did not notice as I was rushing to make that 20 minute walk to Y's school. The lift doors opened, I stepped in & the next thing I knew was that I was sprawled across the floor. And just as if a slap-stick comic act were playing right in front of my eyes, I kept slipping further with each attempt to get up. Well, I did manage to get up with my dignity intact.

I’ve been chuckling all day to myself.

Of bands & smileys

2010-07-16T17:26:00.002+08:00

Rainbows are magical, aren’t they? Especially, if they came in twos…

…and also if they came in the form of giant smileys!

Singapore is turning out to be quite the ‘Rainbow Land’. I’ve never had so many sightings before & it looks like a lot of it has to do with the humidity around here.

And, just to add in some info here I’d like to mention that rainbows come in different variations. The one right at the top is called the Alexander’s band. I’d like to know if the smiley has a fancy name too…but I just don’t have the heart to wade through any more information on the net because it brings to mind those hateful Physics lessons from my school days.

Three already !!

2010-07-13T02:36:00.000+08:00

As corny as it sounds, I’m sure most mothers will agree that with kids the days are long and the years fly by much too quickly. Y turned three over the weekend and what a wonderful journey it has been. Being a mother has given me such a rich and varied experience like nothing ever has before. There were times I found myself stuck in a rut & other times when everything was smooth sailing. I’m sure the journey will be filled with many more interesting twists and turns in the years to come as we grow together.

Most parents talk of developmental milestones their children have met. I think it also makes sense to look at the many ways in which we have grown since becoming a parent. I still struggle a lot with the ‘ME’ bit. It’s not easy to suddenly put oneself much lower in the list of priorities, is it? And modeling good behaviour 24/7 is really, really tough especially when your little one follows you around the whole day taking everything in like a sponge.

A work-in-progress, I’m not there yet and having Y in my life is very definitely helping to smooth out those rough edges. Thank you my dearest for enriching my life!

Taking a walk

2009-11-10T15:44:00.004+08:00

It was high time I got out of these four walls and got a feel of my surroundings is what I thought before Y and I stepped out for a walk. Map held firmly in one hand and holding onto Y’s hand with the other we made our way out into the heat. Being a typical Bangalore girl, I can barely stand the heat. And if it was just the heat it would’ve been manageable. But the humidity just gets on my nerves like nothing else does. The land of never ending summer is how this country was referred to in a brochure I read somewhere. And that might sound like heaven to someone from say Alaska or Siberia or Greenland or Iceland. But not to me!

And I can see why God probably sent me here. So, I’d learn to be more tolerant and accepting of my circumstances. Anyway, we made our way huffing and puffing along to find to my delight some very pretty sights.

There was Fort Canning Park; looking splendid with all the trees and wonderful landscaping. Today I chose to walk by; but I know I’m going later to explore the place some more. I’ll have some pictures to share after the next visit. I was much too busy just taking in the sights and sounds.

Further along, we came across a Hindu Temple. Isn’t it weird how I refer to it as the “Hindu” Temple. Back home, all temples are Hindu. Besides, I never even noticed them. But now anything Indian will definitely not escape my eyes. I think I’m still in the ‘ I’m-homesick’phase.

And ofcourse, the ubiquitous bougainvillea. One cannot visit this country and not notice the beauty of the different hues to be found everywhere.

The little punk refused to walk about 5 minutes into our stroll and I was left with no other choice but to labour on carrying him in my arms. My destination was not as close as I’d thought it to be.

This is where I was headed to.

The Church of Sacred Heart.

After the brief time spent in prayer, we headed back home. Back to our perch on the 24th floor to see the Singapore River meandering along aglitter in the noonday sun.

Mustafa Magic

2009-11-07T01:00:00.002+08:00

One of the places I’d rather never visit in Bangalore is Big Bazaar. With the crowds and the constant shoving and pushing it seemed like the worst place to be in even on a weekday. And that is exactly what I thought about Mustafa when I first came here as a tourist in August. I wasn’t impressed at all. Much too crowded for my liking. The salespeople were indifferent. The goods on offer were nothing spectacular that I couldn’t find back home in Bangalore anyway. Obviously, I gave the vegetables & grocery section a miss.

And just yesterday, we went to Mustafa again. This time, it was to the groceries and vegetables section that I paid a visit. And it worked like a charm. The blues have blown over. The sights and smells that assailed me left me speechless. Never ever would I have thought in the wildest of my dreams that endless rows of packaged dals, pickles and spices would give me such a high. Asafoetida smelt like heaven. It brought to my mind memories of Amma’s sambar - my favourite dish. Feels like I’ve been away from home for ages. Coming to think of it, not even a week has passed and I’m homesick already. I picked up whatever was needed for my cooking needs that can be done in the minimal kitchenette of the serviced apartment we now occupy. It’ll be a while before we settle into a proper place.

We loaded ourselves into a taxi on our way back. I came away happy. Mustafa is no more the same. It is for me now much more than just a crowded place. It is a place that definitely reminds me of home. I’ll need more of that Mustafa Magic every once in a while.

I wish I’d married a paediatrician...

2009-11-05T00:51:00.002+08:00

It’s not like I have a problem with Hubby’s profession, but I’ve just begun to think that marrying a paediatrician would’ve been oh so convenient.

So, the big move has finally happened. Barely 4 days since we landed here and Y is down with fever already. It was during Diwali that he last came down with a cold, cough & fever. The doctor was quick to point out that it was probably the pollution and smoke from the fireworks that was making him sick.

It’s causing us a lot of worry as we watch him fall ill every month without fail. And each time the doctor said it was viral fever. We’ve had his blood & urine tested to rule out other possiblities. The results were normal with nothing to worry about. And yet he’s sick again. Being new to this place is definitely adding to our difficulties. Hubby’s way too busy at work to take a day off. We are yet to find a good hospital/doctor. Furthermore, I don’t know my way about yet to venture out on my own. Marrying a paediatrician sure would’ve solved all my concerns regarding Y’s health. Sigh!

As if things weren’t bad enough...we haven’t had a decent homemade meal since we’ve shipped our stuff. Ofcourse, there are plenty of Indian restaurants here...all of them serving super oily food that’s usually bright red in colour. I wish they wouldn’t do that...the red colour and all that oil. I never knew anyone in my family or friend circle who cooks that way. Then why do restaurants dish out such stuff in the name of Indian food.

Grumble, grumble, grumble. There's nothing else I can think of doing right now but grumble.

Catch me if you can...

2009-10-02T04:44:00.003+08:00

It always seems to me as if butterflies were saying just that to me. Why else would they keep flitting about without letting me take a closer look. Or a good picture. I had one on my balcony about a week ago and I did manage to dash back in, grab the camera and click a few pictures as Y watched on in bewilderment.

Last month too, my efforts at taking some good shots at the butterfly park proved to be in vain. I came back with just two pictures when I should’ve done better considering there were so many all over the place.

All for a cuddle

2009-10-01T02:01:00.003+08:00

It's so nice to have a cuddle with a person that you love
Feels so good to have a snuggle with a person that you love
When I'm happy or in trouble I run fast right on the double
Just to sit and have a cuddle with a person that I love

How true is that!!!

I’ve been hearing this song on a children’s programme that Y watches on tv and totally love it. It’s ironic how most of the songs that get stuck in my head are the ones that I hate. And I hate them even more because they remain stuck and I find myself humming them away without even my realising it. Thankfully, this time it’s a nice song.

Time to move on

2009-09-11T02:13:00.006+08:00

I'm really the kind of person who loves to see new places, new countries and explore different cuisines. Learning and reading about different cultures is a passion. And what better way to accomplish this than with travel. But ofcourse, what I love best is to put down roots in my own native country. And that has never been a concern since I do live in India. There's quite nothing like having parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins & the whole extended family living not too far away. And then, there are the friends. From school, college, those I know from my first job and those from the last, and some others that I met elsewhere. All these people form the wonderful mosaic that my life is.

And now, we have a situation where Hubby Dear has been offered a new role in another country. It was something we were looking forward to. Though, when it did come along I can't say we were very excited. It's funny, isn't it? It's what I like to call the 'great paradox'. Life throws at you exactly what you "think" you want, and then one is left all confused wondering if that is really what one wanted all along. For now, the dice are on the roll. We will be relocating shortly. It's time to move on.

As we prepare to shift base, there's plenty to be done. We need to sort all our belongings into those that will go into storage, some to be shipped & plenty to be sold or given away. It's the last category that is really making me homesick already. I know I need to be prudent. I can't possibly ship all the stuff that I am attached too. Keeping it in storage will mean that it will probably spoil and be rendered totally useless. Which leaves me with only one option; giving away or selling as the case might be. My beloved plants will have to go too. I started out with just a pot of tulsi (basil) about a year ago. The little green patch I strove to cultivate on my balcony has now grown to about a dozen pots.

I have hibiscus, the flowers of which are a brilliant yellow-orange-red-peach...oh just take a look and decide for yourself about the colour.

There are the caladiums.

There's the periwinkle.

And my bougainvillea, which is a bonsai with golden yellow flowers. This one was bought for a bomb at an exhibition. I've decided not to have any more bonsais. I clearly don't have the know-how and don't want to be ruining somebody else's hardwork.

Have I ever mentioned that I love bougainvillea? The only consolation is that the country I will be moving to has rows and rows of bougainvillea in every hue and colour growing everywhere.

I searched long and hard before I finally found the name of this plant; Zephyr Lily or White Rain Lily. True to it's name, I've had a good show this monsoon.

Coleus Aromatica. This is the one plant most Keralites have in their garden. It is grown mainly for it's medicinal values. A friend of mine has recently opened my eyes to the use of it's leaves in cooking too.

Some of the other plants that are part of my collection are the Aeschynanthus, Scindapsus, Spider plant and the Aluminium plant. I was all set to start Impatiens from seeds. And cosmos too. A visit to my cousin's farmhouse had me completed bowled over by rows of cosmos swaying in the breeze. I came away with pictures and seeds.

One of my grandest successes was starting Coleus from seed.

Wish I could've said the same of some hybrid varieties of periwinkle that I tried my hand at. Just one little plant survives out of the many seeds sown.

I had many more ideas buzzing around in my head for the combination of colours and textures I wanted to create on my balcony. Flowering creepers were next on my list. For now, all my plans have come to a standstill. It's the classic case of "Man proposes, God disposes".

It's a huge relief to me that my plants will be taken in by my mother who will nurture them as lovingly as I would. And so this weekend, off we'll go with the pots in tow to my parents' home. I know it's going to be hard. The vacant spot on my balcony will surely be a reminder of everything else I leave behind.

And, I know from personal experience that things will never be the same again.

Eye candy

2009-05-13T03:39:00.003+08:00

Nothing quite like the Gulmohur tree in full bloom to cheer me up on a hot day!

Do-eee??!!

2009-05-05T03:45:00.002+08:00

What's in a name? Lots, I should say. I've always felt rather strongly about choosing meaningful names for children and I was definitely out to look for a really nice name when I first found out that I had conceived. So, I scoured the net like most people do these days. It wasn't easy. It had to be meaningful (duh!). It had to be a Biblical name. It definitely couldn't be something as pompous sounding as Bartholomew. Or, as outlandish as Abimelech. Syrian Catholics do not typically keep such names. It had to be something that would blend in with our Mallu sentimentalities. It had to be unique. Our child would have only one name. Hubby and I have had our fair share of problems with getting our marriage certificate because of the confusion caused by the mismatch of our official and baptismal names. So, our baby would have no middle name. We decided to break away from tradition and go with our choice instead of following the age old custom of automatically naming him/her after the paternal grandparent. Further more, I had to look for both male and female names. We had a list of favourite female names ready rather quickly. But strangely enough, Hubby and I couldn't agree on any male names. Y was born and then suddenly out of the blue, like a flash of lightening we knew we had a name that met all our criterion. It meant 'God is gracious'.

So, why am I telling you all of this? Just to let you my dear readers know how much thought went into the 'name-finding' process. And what does sonny boy do? Well, you ask him what his name is and he promptly replies "Do-eee". And where did he get that from? Our guess is as good as yours.

March has been busy

2009-03-25T03:00:00.006+08:00

A week's visit to the land of Horus. Was it just a week I wonder. Sure felt like a month. Oh, how I love to get away from home for a bit! For all the fun one has while away, much worse is the feeling of having to get back to the daily grind. To the dust all over the house. To the dirty laundry. To the cooking and the cleaning and the catching up with all else routine. I usually have a hard time adjusting once back home from a trip. After two weeks of moping around, I finally have a grip on my frazzled nerves. I've pretty much settled in and am making some headway with getting the snaps organised. Of all pictures, this is my personal favourite.

In other updates, I have finally learnt to make Hubby's favourite breakfast dish - Puttu and Kadala curry. And that, believe me takes a big load off my chest. Now which Mallu wife would want to admit that she didn't know to make this quintessential Keralite dish. So I'm done with my one and only resolution for 2009 which was to get this one right; and I can rest in peace for the rest of the year :)

Give me a TWO !

2009-02-25T01:23:00.002+08:00

Pinky Chops

2009-02-18T13:37:00.001+08:00

Pinky chops??? Never heard of it before. I was channel surfing watching nothing in particular and everything in general when I stopped at Zoom just as they were talking about 'Pinky Chops'. Curiosity got the better of me and I stayed put just to find out what that meant. Apparently, that is Priyanka Chopra's nickname. Couldn't help chuckling to myself as I wondered who came up with that one.

Lace

2009-02-12T17:16:00.006+08:00

I've done it!!! Yay! I'm on cloud nine and decided that I had to blog about my grand success right away. Well, for a housewife what could be more pleasing than to have a dish come out the way it's meant to be. Especially, for a person like me who is NOT at all into cooking. Paalappam and Potato Stew is what I made today for breakfast. I set out yesterday with the recipes I took from Shn's blog.
I could tell from the yeast that rose to a dome...

...and the frothy batter...

...that I'd probably fare well today.

But I had to wait before I went into celebration mode. Paalappam is something that baffles most Keralite women. Sometimes, it comes out well and at some other times it can turn out to be quite a disaster. I've noticed how my mother's mood would change the moment the appams didn't have the lace or if it stuck to the pan stubbornly. And the reasons could be as varied as the kind of rice used, or the quality of the yeast and even the weather especially in winter when the batter just won't rise. I'm glad I got myself the non-stick Appa chatti (pan) instead of the one that's traditionally used in Kerala. Atleast, I wouldn't have to deal with scraping it off the pan incase it went wrong. I've had my share of failures before and it feels good to bask in the glory of the beautiful lace I've created. Can anyone blame me then for all the snaps I took from every conceivable angle?

There's the potato stew.

And the appam is all ready to be taken off the pan. It's not a perfect circle, but what the heck...that's just fine with me.

My success feels especially good this time as my in-laws are visiting and I've had compliments come my way as well.

A bucket and a bowl

2009-02-07T01:12:00.004+08:00

That's what it looks like to me.

Y insistently says 'mitchie'. Took me a while to realise that it does indeed look like the 'mitchie'. In Y's baby language, 'mitchie' translates to 'mixie'. He's happy with it and I'm happy too as long as it keeps him occupied.

Sankranthi

2009-01-14T18:40:00.004+08:00

Time to stock up on ellu bella, sugarcane and sakkare pongal. I absolutely love ellu bella; haven't come across anyone else who pigs out on it as much as I do. And even as I eat more and more of the stuff I can't stop feeling a little sad that this festival is symbolic of the end of winter. Over the years, I've noticed how the temperatures rise steadily once Sankranthi has gone by. Winter is my favourite time of the year. I love to wear warm clothes and loll in bed with a nice book and hot coffee. Can't remember when I last did that...sigh. I could go on and on about this and forget that the purpose of my post was to wish all of you out there a very happy Sankranthi/Pongal/Lodhi whatever you call it in your part of the country.

Busy-busy

2009-01-13T03:01:00.006+08:00

Happy New Year!!! Yeah, I know it's a little late to be wishing anybody now but...better late than never. As an ex-colleague would've put it, 'busy-busy' is what I've been. December has just gone by in a flurry of activity...much faster than other months normally do. I was busy every single weekend with lots of errands packed in. Good thing is that I could finally meet up with friends after many months. And look at the goodies they got me! It felt like Santa had come a couple of weeks earlier...

Chocolates (yum) and tea-cups from the North-East. The good thing about getting chocolates is that I can have them all by myself. Hubby doesn't care too much about them and I have not started Y on chocolates yet. Few of my friends think I'm like the bad step-mother who doesn't give my son anything 'nice' to eat. But I'm just trying to teach him good eating habits and for me personally chocolates do not fall in the category of suitable foods for a toddler. Now coming to the tea-cups; I was all set to let it be more of a decorative piece to brighten up a drab corner of my kitchen. However, I had strict orders from my friend to use it for more than just that. So now, we use them for our morning cuppa.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the pretty bag that I received. It's from Puri and has a pretty diamond-shaped pattern in the centre made of cowrie shells. Thank you girls for your thoughtful gifts!

And while December was mostly a fun month, there were some tense moments when Y came down with viral fever. I felt like the worst person ever when each time I had to pin him under me to force medicines down his throat as he wailed and kicked in protest. Until now, this is the one thing I hate most about being a mother. And as I look back at the year gone by, can't help feeling a wee bit misty-eyed to see how my boy has grown.

From crawling at the start of 2008 to climbing onto the dining table has been a big big learning curve for Y and more so for me as a parent.

I'm learning not to get irritated every time Y climbs onto my favourite sofa, biscuit in hand. Now you know how finicky I am, don't you? Have also mastered how to read a book as he keeps jumping in and out of my lap :) It's pretty tough for me though when he balks and cries and throws his little tantrums. But I'm learning to be firm and I'll probably have mastered that by the end of this year. As sonny boy gets more active, I know my posts are going to be few and far between. But I'll try to be fairly regular as much as possible. On that note, I hope all of you have a great year!

Yesterday Evening

2008-12-18T18:17:00.005+08:00

We put up the star yesterday. Lots of excited banter as I pointed it out to Y and sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Pictures were taken from different angles. Out came the Santa cap. Some more fussing around to get a good shot of Y with it on. Seven-thirty in the evening. Time for Sunanda to leave. I stand at the door as she says bye to Y. Sunanda and I continue to talk even as she gets her footwear on which was left outside our door. Another regular weeknight.

That's when a small girl comes out of the blue and literally barges in to our home. She might be between 7 and 10 years old. No eye contact...she just walks in and seats herself on the chair. I put on the best 'happy' voice ever and say "Hi". No response and no eye contact. "What's your name?". No response. Hubby and I have never seen her before. She's well dressed and is obviously one of the kids who stay in our apartment complex. Y looks at her fondly and moves closer. He likes children. That's when she almost pushes him away.

Sunanda realises that the girl is from D-Block. She also cautions us that she is not "normal". So, Hubby gets Y out of her way. All of a sudden she makes a dash towards the balcony. Hubby shouts out to me to secure the sliding glass panels. I keep talking all the while hoping to elicit a response. As she stands in the balcony, I try one more time in the same happy voice ..."Look at the star". That's when she looks up and says "Amma". Suddenly, she blurts out something in English...and it's a huge a relief. Atleast we can communicate! All of us were as disoriented as the girl. Soon enough the concerned people were alerted and her mother came along relief writ large on her face. The little girl's name is Spurthi.

This incident shook us out of our senses. How many Spurthis out there who go missing and are never found. I shudder at the very thought of the million what-ifs that go through my mind. We're all thankful none of those what-ifs came true.

Mumbai

2008-11-29T01:36:00.002+08:00

50 hours and the attack is still on. Glued to the television, watching, waiting and praying for the horror to come to an end.

Christmas time is here

2008-11-27T03:01:00.002+08:00

And what better way to start it than with a visit to the bazaars held to ring in the festive season! So here's a list of where to be if you want to stock up on little knick-knacks and homemade goodies...

Overseas Women's Club Annual Christmas Bazaar
Date - 29-Nov-08 (Saturday)
Venue - St. Mark's Cathedral on MG Road.
Timings - 11am - 4pm
Entrance fee - Rs.100 for adults & Rs. 50 for children above 12 years

Community Services of Bangalore
Date - 02-Dec-o8 (Tuesday)
Venue - Lalit Ashok Hotel
Timings - 11am - 7pm
Entrance - is free (yippee!)

The United Charities Bazaar
Date - 06-Dec-08 (Saturday)
Venue - St. Aloysius School Grounds, Cox Town
Timings - 9am - 5pm
Entrance - No info

The proceeds will go to the different charities these groups support. So, go on and have fun!

Tough times

2008-11-22T04:01:00.005+08:00

Emotionally, I am going through some tough times. I'm worried sick about a certain somebody. A part of me says I should make contact and go on just like it was before. Doing that will cause more hurt (to me) I'm sure. The other part of me says, move on. Let people solve their own problems. There's no need to worry about people who don't care about you. Following this will make me feel guilty for not having been there for a loved one. I'm convinced that taking the middle ground will be the best thing to do. But, in human relationships what is the 'middle ground'? Why can't life be just black or white? Why does it have to be grey all the time? I remember a very dear friend and I were discussing the said person and she consoled me quoting from the Bible 'This too shall pass'. I can't even begin to explain how anxiously I wait for this phase to pass.

As if I didn't have enough to deal with, Y's been extremely cranky lately. He wants to lay his hands on everything he sets his eyes on. He screams his head off at the drop of a hat! I've heard of the 'terrible twos'; is this the start of it I wonder.

I'm in no mood to answer calls, return missed calls or even reply to emails. And coming to emails...something weird is happening. When I try to compose emails on my gmail account, some of the keys at random just won't work. I don't understand why that's happening. The keys work fine while in the Yahoo account as well as when I use Notepad. So all in all, it's been an emotional roller coaster ride these past couple of weeks and that's the reason why I haven't had any posts. All I want to do is curl up somewhere and remain there until I feel fine.

Some good things have happened too... I've finally started on my knitting project. All thanks to the frequent power cuts, I've also learnt to make Rasgullas. What else does one do when the milk curdles once too often (I'm bored of making paneer everytime).

After all the venting I've done, I'd like to wrap up with a poem....

The Purple Cow ( by Gelett Burgess)

I never saw a purple cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.

Chautauqua

2008-11-05T03:56:00.004+08:00

Ven evrivun vil hav no trubls...

The European Union announced that an agreement had been reached to adopt English as the language for communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the deal, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phased plan for what will be known as Euro-English (Euro for short).

In the first year 's' will be used instead of the soft 'c'. Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve this news with joy. Also, the hard 'c' will be replaced with 'k'. Not only will this klear up konfusion, but typewriters kan have less letters.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome 'ph' will be replaced by 'f'. This will make words like 'fotograf' 20 per sent shorter. In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the state where more komplikated changes are possible. Government will enkourage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also al wil agre that the horrible mes of silent 'e's in the language is disgrasful, and they would go. By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing 'th' by 'z' and 'w' by 'v'. During ze fifz year, ze unnecessary 'o' kan be dropd from vords kontaining 'ou', and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi to understand ech ozer, Ze drem vil finali kum tru.

Phew! Typing this out has been tough for obvious reasons. I was searching for a certain embroidery book which has gone missing and found instead the above written out rather neatly in my hand on paper which is now yellowing. It's almost as if it happened yesterday...I remember I found this in a book and decided to copy it out as I thought it rather interesting. Besides, the book had to be returned. I don't even know what the heading means. And as I check it out on the net right away, I realise that I could've saved time spent typing by just copying & pasting. You can find just about anything on the net!!! I'm left wondering why I ever even bothered to write it down back then....but it sure did take me down memory lane to the year 2000 when my life was going through some tumultous times. It's funny how in retrospect, it doesn't feel so terrible anymore.

You know you are a typical Indian housewife when...

2008-11-03T21:49:00.005+08:00

...an entire conversation with the lady next-door seems to revolve around TRUANT, lying, gossipy housemaids (Grrr); who (the maid) I genuinely believe deserve to be shot with a double-barrelled gun!!!

PS:
1) I have NOT shot any of my present/past maids (YET!).
2) I do NOT own any firearms.

Word for the day: Hus

2008-10-22T20:21:00.001+08:00

Or should it be huss? Read on and take your pick.

hus
PRONOUNCIATION: (rhymes with fuss).
MEANING:(noun) married man, esp. in relation to his wife. Shortened form of husband'.
USAGE: mostly used by Mallu girls in Kerala.
ETYMOLOGY: I have absolutely no idea about the origin of this word. Haven't found it on the net either. Can't even understand how it came about that 'hus' is used as a shortened version of husband when the rest of the country uses 'hubby'. Therein lies the beauty of my native state :) Nobody comes as close when it comes to the usage of words and their pronounciation (...remember the ungles and the andies?).

As a non-resident Keralite, I was quite amused when I came across the word for the first time. Infact, it took me a while to understand what was being asked when I was encountered with 'So, how is your hus?' or 'Where does your hus work? I've grown quite used to it these days and have even been known to use it in jest.

Kyunki...off air!!!

2008-10-21T01:50:00.005+08:00

I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. I was checking my emails and happened to hear something of the sort on tv (which ofcourse was switched on...hubby says he's watching though he's busy finishing up work he's got home from office). And it's true! Supposedly, the TRPs have gone so low that the serial will be off air soon. High time too! This serial has been going on for far too long. And how old is Baa anyway? She must be two hundred by now? Why doesn't somebody make nice serials that don't last for donkey's years? And, WHY don't we have once-a-week serials like in the old days when Doordarshan was the only channel? Even as I say this, I realise my views might be considered to be somewhat dated. Ah well, that's the outcome of being brought up on a staple diet of DukhiDarshan.

Idli??

2008-10-16T02:35:00.005+08:00

Err...not quite. Y was napping and I thought it would be a good idea to get something ready for Hubby dear to snack on alongwith tea when he returned from office. I checked to see what was available in the kitchen and decided to go ahead with 'Pidi'. When I made this the previous time, it had turned out really well. A typical "Mallu" dish,nothing fancy at all. The procedure requires roasted rice flour to be made into a dough with water. After which, grated coconut is added. A little salt goes in as well. The consistency of the dough should be soft and smooth such that it hold it's shape when held in the hand.A fistful of dough is held with fingers wrapped around so as to leave an imprint. Make many more of such shapes & steam in the steamer. Easy. Shouldn't take me long I thought as I started to prepare the dough. And this for me is the trickiest part of all. I am famous for never getting the dough 'right'. Never. It's either too much water or too little of it. Usually, it is more of the former. I don't fully understand why I can't seem to be able to learn from my watery mistakes to be more careful and patient while adding water. What can I say...I did it again! I had a thick batter in place of the smooth dough. After pondering a little bit, I had an idea. Why not just go ahead to make it in the idli stand like an idli. The taste would be the same as that of Pidi, the method of preparation also would remain same with the steaming bit. The only difference being the shape. The taste of the pudding they say is in the eating; and my Pidi was well received. The idli stand had saved the day!
I used the recipe from Mishmash's blog. For correct proportions and really good pictures go here.

A Mouthful of Sky

2008-10-08T21:11:00.011+08:00

I've been gazing skywards a lot these days;something I realise I haven't done in a long long while.

I'm talented

2008-10-02T02:13:00.009+08:00

I have an innate talent for creating mountains out of molehills. And thanks to me there's a mountain in my house that has been growing at an alarming rate. With a toddler in my care I find myself continuously on my toes both literally and figuratively. His napping time is when I get all the chores done. Any lapse automatically translates into unmade beds, dusty surfaces, heaps of unfolded laundry, messy kitchen and well the list goes on. I'm not sure what got into me last week, but I talked myself into ignoring the unfolded laundry which lay in a big heap on the diwan. Probably, because that's the only one on the list that can be ignored for more than a day! And, with spare time on my hands I just surfed and surfed the net to my heart's content. What a lovely time I had as I went through the blogs that had been brought to my notice by the lady over at Violet Cottage. I was amazed at all the fantastic things those women out there were doing. Some were sewing and embroidering their own linen. The others were busy churning out wonderful dishes. And all the while, I was procrastinating and ofcourse, running up a huge 'internet' bill. I am glad to say that I finally have everything under control. A great big chunk of time was spent folding and I tell myself (yet again) that this is not going to repeat.

Baby-proofing continued

2008-10-01T01:32:00.003+08:00

As I went rummaging for the old shoelaces, I found some delicate baby pink satin ribbon sitting in my cupboard. I was elated. Here comes the grand chance I thought to myself, to prove that the ribbon I had refused to discard was going to be put to good use. I set about securing the remaining cabinets. Part of it was done using the shoelace and the other using ribbon.

What transpired after 30 minutes of Y's tugging at it was something I wasn't really prepared for. Ribbon, it seems is totally the wrong choice if ones' intention is to achieve what I had in mind.

At this juncture, I had to cut the ribbon to open the cupboard. And that is not what I want to waste time on while I am whipping up lunch in a hurry. Finally, I just stuck to good old trusty shoelaces to keep Y's fidgety hands out of those cupboards.

Lesson learnt - Never use satin ribbon for any purpose other than what it was meant. It looks best on braids.

Baby-proofing

2008-09-30T01:02:00.005+08:00

Y and I spend the entire day with each other and a considerable amount of time is spent in the kitchen. The kitchen is his favourite place and he absolutely loves to tinker about with the pots and pans. The challenge for me lies in ensuring that he doesn't hurt himself or jam his fingers as he opens and closes the cabinets in gay abandon. It has become a MAJOR concern as I am increasingly unable to stop him from pulling everything out of place. I'm not sure if there are any baby-proofing options available in my city. At first, I emptied out some of the cabinets. When that didn't seem enough I had to settle with something as crude as securing the handles with a cord.

There now, that looks good to me. I'm off to forage for anything that can do the trick. I might have old shoelaces stashed away somewhere...

Moment of madness

2008-09-24T17:55:00.016+08:00

This is what happened in a moment of madness when a certain little boy happened to play with his mother’s dupatta. She decided it was okay as long as he had it draped around him...LOL

And there he is as he goes about fulfilling his heart’s desire…moving furniture…again!

And just as the saree began to unravel, we tucked it up nice and tight so the busy little thing could go about his business without further ado.

Mr. Postman

2008-09-13T15:48:00.006+08:00

Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Postman
Wait, Wait Mister Postman
Please Mister Postman, look and see
Oh yeah
If there’s a letter in your bag for me
Please, Please Mister Postman

In my case, I wait for my favourite magazine which arrives by post every month. Here it comes…

And now that it’s all unwrapped, I can’t wait to get started!

I’ve been reading the Reader's Digest for years and have seen it evolve. It looks different…it's been redesigned says the editor. Honestly, I have not been able to appreciate the way in which this magazine has been redesigned over the years. I still miss ‘Quotable Quotes’ and ‘Points to ponder’ that used to appear until a few years ago. ‘All in a Day’s Work’ will now be called ‘@Work’ to give it a contemporary ring they say. Nah…I don’t like it one bit :(

So, does it mean that I’m going to stop reading it? No way!

Dastakar '08

2008-09-12T12:30:00.009+08:00

We finally made it to Dastkar during the last weekend of August. I was going there after a gap of three years. Somehow it didn't seem as magical as the last time I'd been there. There were no folk singers or dancers. Besides, it was very dark, grey and cloudy and the heavens threatened to open up any moment. Infact, it was raining when we left home and I didn't think there'd be any use going there if it were to rain. With a toddler in tow, there was no way we could risk getting drenched. The last thing I wanted was another bout of cold and cough. Luckily, it stopped raining and we had a good hour's time to check out all the stalls before closing time. I did feel it was a little rushed and that actually worked in my favour 'cause otherwise I'd have made a lot of unnecessary purchases to regret about in the future. I hoped to take some good pictures, but my camere died out on me. I did manage to take a few even though the battery was low.

I thought this lady looked rather pretty. Somehow, she seems spooky now.

I did like this elephant very much.

And that is a 'thoran' I picked up for my home. I can never come away empty-handed from such exhibitions :)

FW:

2008-09-04T02:36:00.001+08:00

Friendship Day went by a month ago. Of all the emails I received that day, I had one with a very pretty picture attached. Take a look.

I’m not really the ‘mingling’ sort and don’t have very many friends to boast about. But I am truly thankful for the ones I do have.

Cotton Candy

2008-09-02T18:29:00.004+08:00

Cirrus? Cumulus? What kind of clouds are these? I don’t remember much from my Geography lessons anymore. Besides that was more than a decade and a half ago! Back then, I was a dreamy teenager and was much too absorbed noticing the beautiful batik printed silk sarees Mrs. Ansari my Geography teacher wore. One could hear her walk down the school corridor from a mile away. Thanks to the kolhapuri chappals crunching under her feet :) I can’t seem to forget my big fat Geography text book which I’m sure might still be found in some dusty, forgotten corner at my parents’ place. So coming back to where I started before I rambled on…I’ll just stick to calling these cotton candy because that’s what it looks like to me.

There’s a hint of grey there…we sure can expect some showers by evening.

Mmm...

2008-08-31T17:26:00.003+08:00

3 pm on Sunday afternoon, it's dark and grey outside. There's a lovely cool breeze blowing...it's raining as well. Feels more like 6 o'clock in the evening. All is still as both sonny boy and hubby dear are napping. I finally have some quiet time to myself. Could it get any better than this...mmm...am LOVING it!!!

Backlog

2008-08-29T18:08:00.002+08:00

This word has been following me around for a very long time now. Not to mention the tasks that immediately come to mind. My dining table crying out to be cleared of all the unwanted papers, envelopes, brochures and what have you (there's no place left for us to dine there anymore). The ever growing pile of laundry lying about on the spare bed that needs to be folded and put away. My battle with the dust on my bookshelf never ceases. Did I not do it just last week? The kitchen cabinets need to be cleaned and organised. I have another stack of clothes which require fallen buttons to be stitched back on, tears to be darned and hemlines that have come undone to be taken care of as well. My daily Bible reading routine has taken a backseat too. Oh dear!

A mind of his own

2008-08-28T01:35:00.006+08:00

That is where I’d like Y to sit while I slog away in the kitchen. It’s a safe distance from the stove and I wouldn’t have much to worry about.

But, my little one has other ideas. This is where he’d rather be…

Importing

2008-08-26T14:00:00.003+08:00

I started blogging on Wordpress and on a whim decided to check out Blogspot. And what do I find...well, for starters it is extremely user-friendly. I found it more flexible & easy to navigate my way through. Have I ever told you that I am not so savvy when it comes to such stuff ?? So here I am! I've created a blog with the same name and couldn't really figure out how to import from Wordpress (I swear...I tried to google and researched it a bit and in the mean time Y woke up and I had to quit the effort), so just went ahead and did a manual copying of eash post. That was not so tedious as there are only four posts (so far). Now that it's done I can get back to my chores. Ofcourse, there's a lot more to be done to make my blog look better. But for now, this will do. And what happens to my blog at Wordpress? I sure can't delete it...remember I have a problem with letting go!!!

Need help moving?

2008-08-26T13:54:00.003+08:00

Do you need help moving furniture around? I know this chap who for some strange reason absolutely enjoys doing just that. Just let me know and I’ll send him along. He is a little lad and would be mighty glad to help. He won’t grumble or mumble under his breath instead he’d do it with a smile on his face and a song on his lips. And the best part is…he wouldn’t charge you anything! I promise he does a neat job…take a look.

Tulsi

2008-08-26T13:49:00.002+08:00

My reference is to the tulsi plant and not to the more famous (or so it seems!) Tulsi Virani that now adorns an airy corner of my balcony. Y has been down with the sniffles and after listening to all the well-meant advice from family and friends about the healing properties of the Tulsi plant we finally bought one from the nursery round the corner. Need I say how happy I am! I tend to it as if were my own child and stop to admire the pretty green leaves everytime I go to bring in the the dry laundry. Due to the paucity of space in my apartment, I had never given gardening a serious thought. Lets hope this little plant will inspire me to have our very own little green patch. I know it would please my mother to be able to finally make some “plant conversation” with me. She would be happy to see me take to gardening in the same manner she has. Afterall, which mother does not like to see a little of herself in her children.

Letting go

2008-08-26T13:47:00.001+08:00

I just can’t seem to let go…of anything. I am the “garbage collector” as my father has pointed out on numerous occasions. Trying to re-use old stuff is my hobby and stashing it away to be used later is an obsession. But, as someone rightly said; tomorrow never comes. Everything kept aside to be put to good use in the future never ever sees the light of day. And so it was, that last week Muniamma (the lady who helps out at my home) asked me if I could give any of Y’s old clothes for a neighbour of her’s who’d just had a baby boy. My instant response, I hate to admit was a lie. I told her that I had already promised to give away his clothes to someone else. But the moment she walked out, I felt really really rotten. Here was this lady, poor and for want of a better means of livelihood helping me out with the cleaning of my home, doing the dishes and the laundry asking for help for her poor neighbour. And all I did was lie to her because I didn’t know how to say ‘no’. It was not just about saying ‘no’, was it? It was about turning a blind eye to people of her ilk, who struggle to put food on the table everyday. Living by on ‘hand-me-downs’ is more the norm than an exception. I was finding it difficult to let go, to give away my beloved baby’s clothes. Afterall, he is just a year old and not too long ago was using those oh-so-cute outfits. Better sense prevailed and I did manage to give her many more outfits than I had initially set out to. Letting go is never easy!

Howdy !!

2008-08-26T13:42:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since I've been visiting other blogs on a regular basis and sometime last week it occured to me that I should have one too. For now, I am considering this to be my test run and don't intend telling any of my folks just yet; that is until I am able to post consistently. I've jumped in or rather jumped on to the bloggers bandwagon!! So here I am, watch this space!