What's on my mind!!!!!

I am moving..

2008-09-16T13:41:00.004+05:30

..to word press ...here is the new URL.

http://myamusingmind.wordpress.com/

Why ...the reason is the same ...I wanted to write certain things for my ownself ...and so I want to keep them password protected and blogger doesnot allow that ..hence ..

Aryan blog remains where it was.

I hope and I wish to see all of you there ..soon :)

Awarded for Brillance

2008-09-11T16:16:00.007+05:30

Yes ! Some of my blog friends think that my blog is brilliant.
Mama-Mia said that I speak my heart and mind with equal ease and puja said that my posts have the "feel good" factor.

Thank you ladies , I am on cloud 9.

Here are the details about the award.

"The Brilliant Weblog Award- a prize given to sites and blogs that are smart and brilliant both in their content and their design. The purpose of the prize is topromote as many blogs as possible in the blogosphere. Here are the rules to follow:

When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, togetherwith the name of who has given it to you, and link back to them.
Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in content or design. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing them that they have been awarded with the ‘Brilliant Weblog’ award.
Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional) to."

So now I go on passing this award to 7 brilliant blogs :

Gauri : Her blog is my guide to motherhood. She writes about two super smart kids and how she manages to raise them the way they are !
Manasi : She is the woman of today , creative and innovative.
Indian Home Maker : Her blog is my food for thought :)
Soliatre : Her blog is like a breeze of fresh air to brighten my day.
PG : She , her thoughts , her kid and her kitchen stories , I totally adore all of them :)
Vidooshak : I look upto his blog for all thats happening around the world :)
Trishna : I love her blog for the honesty with which she writes and for the antics of Aadya :)

Please explain..

2008-08-28T16:16:00.000+05:30

Why am I expected to waive off any money less than Rs 10 , to auto drivers , street vendors and service providers ? Is it wrong on my part to wait or ask for my money ? Does that mean I am money minded ? Does that mean I am a miser ? Does that mean I am not BIG at heart ? Is it the only and the right way to show my generousity ? Why am looked with a strange hatred when I do so ? Please explain..

To all the Blog Buddies ...

2008-08-22T10:36:00.001+05:30

For my 200th post ...

..Thanks for being there !

Happy Independence Day To All!

2008-08-14T17:11:00.000+05:30

Treasure!

2008-08-13T14:35:00.005+05:30

Treasure is where you look for it !

Inspired by ~NM and the photo contest on "Freedom" in office , this my entry for this months topic of 'Treasure' at the monthly contest at Point & Shoot.

Just to say Hii!!

2008-08-12T10:40:00.001+05:30

Ladies and gentlemen , Thanks for checking on me , yes I am still in this space. Life has been super duper busy at work. Plus with in laws at home , I am not able to give time to the internet even at home.

But its been good so far. Inspite of being busy , I am enjoying , both at work and at home. Aryan is so so so happy these days. Good that I listened to all your advice and allowed him to have a blast for a month. But his happiness will not last for long now.

My in laws are going back tomorrow and I get shivers thinking about the fact that I will have to leave hom to day care from Thursday. Its worse than when I left him to day care for the first time. That time he was small and did not understand much. But this time after a month of fun , with different set of grand parents , I am not sure how he will react to day care. He has been missing my parents since they left inspite of being with Anupam's parents and enjoying with them. Now he will miss all of them like hell :(

Anyways , Lets take life as it comes ! As of now I am happy to see a smiling and excited baby all the time !

I hope to blog a little more often in the near future , and I hope to read all of you more often as well and I hope I will not leave your page before commenting , as I do these days , but no promises till work gets better !

Innovative Film City - Bangalore

2008-08-06T14:47:00.002+05:30

Visited Innovative Film city (a new fun park) last sunday with inlaws and a cousin , after first hand reviews from Mama-Mia. And absolutely enjoyed!! Due to lack of time , this time I would just let the pictures do the talking. If you wish to read a great review , here is the place.

The Gate

The Gate from distance

Wall of Fame :)

Aqua Kingdom

Lovely Statues

Metal Circle

Louis Tussad Wax Museum - You guess who is who !

Louis Tussad Wax Museum - You guess who is who !

Louis Tussad Wax Museum - You guess who is who !

Louis Tussad Wax Museum - You guess who is who !

Louis Tussad Wax Museum - You know them!

Louis Tussad Wax Museum - You guess who is who !

Rippleys -Believe it or not!

Rippleys - From Shark's Tummy!

Rippleys - South America's Original Shrunken Head ! Innovative way to pay tribute!

Rippleys - Six Legs Cow!

Rippleys - Double headed calf!

Cartoon City!

Dinosaur World!

Running At My Best

2008-08-01T14:56:00.002+05:30

P.S Lot of work at office , I may not be seen around for a few days !

Don't Test Our Patience !

2008-07-28T10:59:00.002+05:30

Friday afternoon Bangalore was struck with serial blasts. We were asked to head for home at around 4.00 and transport was arranged. Evening was spent in front of TV , watching the details on TV , anticipating who it could be , thanking God on not much damage , thanking God for the fact that we were not the victims , thanking God for no near and dear ones were the victims , calling and answering calls by near and dear ones.

But what after that ? Saturday life resumed to its normal. We went out for our weekly grocery shopping. Took around my parents who are visiting us these days. Called over some relatives for dinner.Sunday was also similiar.

Ofcourse life did change for the victims(thankfully not too many in Bangalore) and their families , for some of them that change would be BIG. But no change is bigger than life. We miss loved ones when they go , but life moves on.

So YOU who wants to create panic , forget it. YOU who wants to bring our lives to still , forget it. With each of these incidents YOU make us stronger emotionally , mentally and may be physically also , to fight against YOU. Do not forget that India has lost no battles and it will not loose this in house war too.

P.S : Read an interesting analysis , of why Bangalore and Ahemdabad were the chosen ones here.

My Heart Breaks :(

2008-07-22T10:50:00.002+05:30

Today we left Aryan to his day care after a 3 days holiday. He cried out and clinged to me so badly. I still feel like crying for him. He wanted to spend time with his Nana Nani , whom he was missing for a LONG time. But then we thought of sending him to day care alternate days , in order to maintain his habit. Or may be ask my dad to pick him up by afternoon.

Just to tell you the back ground Aryan is very attached to his maternal grand father and paternal grand mother.My parents are here for 10 days and then with Anupam's parents for another 15 days.

After today's incident , I am in a fix. I am asking too much from my little boy :(( May be I can just have him a blast for a month and see what happens when we start the day care again after they are all gone. I know he will be totally disappointed then , but then that will last for a week or so , while he will cry everyday if we go by what we planned.

P.S. : The Birthday Bash post is up , here.

Happy Birthday Son!

2008-07-21T14:34:00.002+05:30

Today is second Birthday of my little boy , I am so short of words , just like last time. I would just like to say what I said once before, your unconditional love has made our lives beautiful. We love you baby , May God bless you with all the happiness in life !

Keep Walking !

2008-07-18T15:54:00.002+05:30

Quite Interesting forwarded email ..........

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just Check this out ...

The Organs of your body have their sensory touches at the bottom of your foot, if you massage these points you will find relief from aches and pains as you can see the heart is on the left foot.

Typically they are shown as points and arrows to show which organ it connects to.

It is indeed correct since the nerves connected to these organs terminate here.

This is covered in great details in Acupressure studies or textbooks.

God created our body so well that he thought of even this. He made us walk so that we will always be pressing these pressure points and thus keeping these organs activated at all times.

So, keep walking...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Head to Heart - A Dialogue

2008-07-15T17:26:00.005+05:30

Head:
"Life is full of competition , we need to work hard to stay in competition , upgrade your skills , work hard"
Heart:
"But where is the time , I need to spend time with Aryan and Anupam. I need time to relax
Head:
"You need to find time somehow , don’t give excuses"
Heart:
"But my family is my responsibility. I got married and have a baby and seeing him happy is a priority"
Head:
"Yeah , and that’s why I say work hard to give him a good life , then only he can be happy"
Heart:
"You mean he is not happy now"
Head:
"No I mean , you can make him happier by giving him a better life. And for that you need to work hard and keep your other interests to side."
Heart:
"Okay , you mean my time with myself , the little time and with husband."
Head:
"You need to strike a balance and you decide how you do it. Work hard , otherwise you will lag behind your peers"
Heart:
"Balance , I thought I was doing so :( Happiness is a state of mind is what everyone says , I think I am happy."
Head:
"But will you stay happy forever , as of now you are successful but you will not always be called successful if you stay here."
Heart:
"True , I need to move on and evolve , But I do not know how. I cannot cut my time with family." Head:
"Then cut your time with yourself , your sleep , your fun"
Heart:
"Fun , what fun ? I don't go out except with family , I don't watch TV , No music , only alive hobby is my blog. Sleep , I think I need that, to feel fresh."
Head:
"If you don't want to change I cannot do much for you , don't complain that I never warned you. Look at your friends , they have been working harder"
Heart:
"I don't really know at what cost but... Well , I understand all what you just said , but you know me , I cannot change so easily , please be my side."

P.S : Why does it happen with me always. My parents are coming on friday and office will get busier from tomorrow , busier means BUSIER ..and I will have daily calls as well :( I may not be able to pick them up from station. I may not be able to take 1/2 day for Aryan's Birthday also :(
Why do I always struggle so much for small pleasures , tiny-winy kinds ???? Please let me know , if you know :(

And We Met ...AGAIN!

2008-07-14T11:58:00.014+05:30

The planning for the party started more than a month ago and Poppin's Mom volunteered to host it. The date was decided when Tharini announced her visit with dates. People raised hands to join the party and we were more than 15 bloggers in the list ,

Aargee , our host of the last time , Abha a.k.a Mamma Mia , aka.Monica , COS , Noodlehead . 6. Choxbox, Compulsive Dreamer, D, Orchid: a.k.a Orchie, Bangalore Mom , JLT , Tharini , Usha and Sue.

Pretty tempting isn't it , to meet so many new people and catch up with the ones I met last time.

It was different this time for , it was on a weekend, kids were invited as well and plus it was open for husbands too :) But I was never sure I would make to it because

It was quite far and I have never been to that part of city. Reaching there in auto / taxi with Aryan was quite a task for me.

Not many husbands were joining and so I ws not sure of taking Anupam along and making him feel out of place.

Aryan developed severe cough and cold from last sunday and it was going worse day by day.

I feel guilty to go out for fun leaving Aryan behind on a weekend(if I decide so). Plus Aryan wants to be with me and considering the distance , I would be almost 4-5 hours. And who wants to come back to an irritated husband and toddler after such an nice evening.

So I was never sure I will go. But then I never said NO to PM because

I did not want to loose a chance to meet everyone , esp the people who came from out station and who did not make it last time , like Tharini , Sue , Usha , Shruthi etc.

I wanted Aryan to socialize and have fun.

And BECAUSE I WANTED TO GO. PERIOD.

Abha came to my resort by saying that atleast her hubby would join for sure. And so Anupam would atleast have some company in PM's and Abha's Hubby. Aryan's cough was still a problem. On thursday I almost decided to call up PM and say NO , because I did not want to go with a sick baby. Anupam asked me to wait till saturday morning and see if he improves.

But PM called me on friday evening to ask me if I am picking up something for the party and I shamelessly said, "NO". I did not even ask her , if I should for the fact that I was not sure about my own plan. She did ask me if I was coming and I shared my problem with her and just toold her that I would let her know tomorrow if I am not coming. Now that was bad on my part..Sorry PM..please you do not mind.

OKAY ..I know I am supposed to talk about blog meet ..but you need to know the background as well :)

So Saturday , we headed towards the venue, a party hall on terrace at PM's place. On the way I got a sms from Abha , to ask me if I am coming and that I should come fast. I replied that I need a helicopter to avoid the traffic :) Anyways , we reached at 4.15 PM , lesser than expected time.

In the lift I met CubbyR and his dad and believe me CubbyR is so so so cute :) So we landed up in a room full of ladies and kids. All of them playing around. Nice tasty food was served , including Samosas , Puffs , Chips , Cutlets , Cold drinks and a Yummicious Choclate cake. The cake was the yummiest cake I ever had. (Whoever got the cake , please let me know from which bakery was it ..please) And Pasta for the kids , which Aryan loved!

I made self introduction to the people whom I never met and when Sue told me her real name , I asked her to please tell me her blog name for me to connect :P

Time just passed chatting , eating and playing with kids. PM got bubble makers for the kids and since Aryan saw that for the first time he was fascinated. In attempt to make bubbles on his own , he resulted in a head bath :) COS was sweet enough to make bubbles for the kids. And KT took Aryan by hand to play with her.

Aryan made friends with CubbyR and BonBon also and they played along. Aryan's favourite aunties were Abha , Noodlehead and COS.

Outside , on the terrace were some swings and it was a treat for the kids. All of them played along and a blast. Breeze was nice and so we enjoyed chit chatting as the kids played.

About the people , well you know all of them well and some of them ofcourse I wrote about last time as well, but still I would like to mention the little details that formed memories for me.

Tharini , she is a simple, quiet and smiling person. Frankly I never imagined her to be an introvert person. But when she talks to you, she is a great listener. Winkie is an energetic kid. He ran around the entire place. Made friends with the men. And he told me, "Let us play. What shall me play" :-)

Sue was beautiful, tall and slim and full of energy. She was looking stunning in the sari and she made me feel envious. Her son was quiet but naughty and cute :)

Aka Monica's son was the youngest baby and he least wanted his mom. He was happy playing with all the aunties.

D got her elder daughter along and she found a company in winkie. Both of them had a nice time.

COS , I must say was the only mom (of older kids) who spent most of her time with the kids. KT was such darling that any words are less for her. She gave me a hug and a kiss :) COS got goody bags for the kids as well.

I never met NoodleHead before , not do I read her much(confession) but she was easy to gel with.(I would read now :)) Her daughter was looking like a princess on earth. I managed to click 3 pics of her :)

Abha and M form a sweet and jolly couple and little CubbyR is a darling. CubbyR and Aryan had a race on their fours :)

Poppin was a quiet , sophisticated , ever smiling kid. She was on her own all the time and never messed up with any of the kids. I managed to shake hands with her and I came to know that she is fond of jewellary. PM , please put a kala tikka for her , I loved her chubby cheeks :)

PM and her hubby were great hosts. They had a perfect place for the party of its kind.We had so much that we skipped dinner and they packed for us as well. Thank you so much.

We missed a lot of people like BM, JLT, Usha, CD, Shruthi, Choxbox and Orchie. You were missed badly ladies :(

Special thanks to my dear husband , who gifted me such a nice evening. It would not have been possible without his support.

When I think of friends...

2008-07-11T12:01:00.004+05:30

When I think of friends,
And of the oldest
Can't think beyond two, the best.

The ones who have seen me grow,
And have stood by me in the highs and lows,

The ones who have spent those sleep less nights,
To see smile all the while,

The ones whom I have let down a thousand times,
But who say I am wonderful and nice.

The ones whom I told my deepest fears,
And the ones whom I will think of when death is near,

Do I have to say , who are they ?
I think you know and so do they.

Thanks Mummy and Papa.

P.S : I saw oldest friend on Sunday scribblings. I thought of all my friends who have been with me for long. I thought my husband , who has been by my side for 3 years. But then when you say oldest , by age or by time ..no one else qualifies :-)

Thanks for bearing with my horribe poetry ;-)

Another Year of Aryan, But The Same Old Me

2008-07-08T16:28:00.004+05:30

I am excited and mad about Aryan's Birthday all over again. Just like last time , this time as well I am not able to digest the fact that he will be another year old. In just about 14 days , he will be TWO. TWO can you believe this ??

Just like last time I do not know how do I plan to celebrate his special day. What would be the best way ? What will that he will enjoy ? He doesnot like too many unknown faces and so I have almost ruled out a party . His dear Nanu-Nani will arrive on 18th and I am sure that he will have a blast. But me being me , I am not contented. I want to do something special for him. Something nice. And me being me , I don't know what :-P

I have few things in mind , like taking a cake to his day care (though he doesnot like cake AT ALL) and some gifts for the kids, going out for a day out , not on the day , but previous or following weekend , inviting our only relative in town for dinner , getting him a gift (don't know what though) and thats about it. But with just all this , will he know that there is something special about this day ??? Will that be enough to make him feel like a king , considering the fact that he has all our attention on all other days as well. Cake doesnot make a difference to him (though he enjoyed balloons and candle on cake at the 18th month silly celebrations ), gifts he gets otherwise as well. We did have a small get together last time as well, but then I do not know if he actually knew that its for him.

So whats that will make it special ? Any ideas welcome.

Am I a materialistic person ?

2008-07-03T10:18:00.003+05:30

Today I donated Aryan's old clothes to an organization called Goonj. So while I was going to do that , I was feeling sad and happy , all at the same time. Happy , ofcourse you know , for being able to do little for the society but why sad ?

I was feeling sad looking at those old clothes. I did not want to part with them. Each of his T-shirt reminded me of days when he wore them for the first time. How he looked cutie in them. I felt like parting away with those memories. I felt like hugging those clothes.

Am I a materialistic person ?

What an Idea Sir Ji

2008-07-01T12:45:00.003+05:30

I am sure all of you in India ould have noticed Idea Cellular advertisements, featuring Abhishek Bachhan. I must say they are among the most innovative advertisements of the recent times.

The one, where a Panch of the village orders people to be identified with their mobile numbers rather than castes.Addresses a big problem of leaders winning elections due to their caste.

The one, where a deaf and dumb communicates through sms. Tells you that being differently abled doesnot stop you from enjoying the life.

And the recent one ,sees Abhishek as the head of an educational institution. When challenged by the traditional, physically bound classroom methodology that prevents spread of education, he uses mobile telephony to overcome the barrier.

Advertising is all about innovation. And if advertising comes with a social message , nothing like that.Whoever is the brain behind these campaigns , I would like to say to him , "What an Idea Sir ji"

Could not find the image/video of the latest campaign. Read about it here.

Stars, Moon And Ball :-)

2008-06-29T17:00:00.002+05:30

Thought of posting it on Healthy and Tasty , but then I am not sure if it qualify as a recipe. Potato cutlets in various shapes for the prince of the house.

Aryan first look was of surprise. Second he tried pasting them to sky. Third he took a few bites :-) Worth the effort..what do you say ?

Of Memories & Surprises

2008-06-26T15:16:00.003+05:30

Yesterday one of my friend asked me for ideas to celebrate her first anniversary and gifts for her husband. I was clueless. Then she said , to share the ways I have celebrated my anniversaries.

So I told her that I do silly things and I don't really know what to gift him when. I always believed in greeting cards and buy the most apt ones for all occasions. And she requested me to share those silly things. And here I go. Though I don't really remember , what I did for anniversary ,what for his birthday and what for valentines day , I will share all.

Once , I remember that I was expecting and was adviced bed rest. It was his birthday and I tried hard for a week to order a cake , but could order just a bouque. So I ordered the bouque a day in advance and hid it in balcony. Got up before midnight , prepared his favourite halwa and decorated a heart on it with cashews. Decorated a table , with halwa , flowers and candles and woke him up at 12.00.

Once I ordered dinner and served it on terrace , candle light ofcourse.

Once I got a plane cake and did the icing at home and surprised him :)

Once I sent him perfumes and shirt on office address, on the D day.

Once I gifted him a personalized calender with pics of Aryan.

AND LAST but NOT THE LEAST :

Once, I got up at midnight, took a RED polythene bag and cut out hearts from it , wrote love quotes and pasted it all over the house (mirror,fridge,bathroom ad where ever he would notice). This was accompanied by some heart shaped ballons as well. He was thrilled to see all that next morning.

So thats about it. Its all for you J. And for you Mama-Mia , since you asked me to share my surprise stories :)

Thank you for helping me record these memories :)

Editted to add : Just thought of making this a tag , and I tag ~nm,WIAN,Life Begins,Poppins and DDMom. Share you surprise stories :)

Time Flies

2008-06-24T12:27:00.003+05:30

21st June, 2008 , 9.00 AM

Scene : A mother, a father and a kid at home. The kid just woke up and having milk.Father is lost in news paper , while mother is busy looking at the child.

Mother : "Today is 21st, Aryan is 11 months today. It will be his birthday next month."
Father : "Ohh yaa, Next month will be his birthday. Lets buy him a new toy today , to celebrate monthesary."
Mother : "Okay"

Pause

Mother : "Ohh No..Its not 11 months , it will be his 2nd Birthday next month, he is 23 months old today."
Father : "hahhaha"
Mother : "2 years , time really flies"

P.S. : I am weak in maths , but believe me it was not about maths.

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

2008-06-18T16:12:00.001+05:30

I read this article in Times Magzine today. Let me write the key points :

1. Studies show that people who sleep between 6.5 hr. and 7.5 hr. a night, as they report, live the longest.

2. People who sleep 8 hr. or more, or less than 6.5 hr., they don't live quite as long.

3. Morbidity [or sickness] is also "U-shaped" in the sense that both very short sleep and very long sleep are associated with many illnesses with depression, with obesity—and therefore with heart disease and so forth.

4. We can prevent a lot of insomnia and distress just by telling people that short sleep is O.K.

5. Spending less time in bed actually makes sleep better.

Conclusion
I am going to live less than normal...for any amount of sleep doesnot satisfy me :)

Do read the full article ..its interesting :)

I am more quirky or Aryan ?

2008-06-17T14:31:00.001+05:30

Thanks to K3 and Emaan's mom, I was tagged twice to write Aryan's quirks but then I thought let me write Aryan's and mine. Now you can decide whether I am more quirky or Aryan.
These are the rules:
1.Link the person(s) who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog (here they are!)
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours...
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Mine

1. I keep checking my mailbox for new comments every 15 minutes.
2. I cannot leave a mail unread, whatever it may be.
3. When I eat . I clean my plate till the last grain.
4. I drink water after having hot milk,after sweets and after fruits but never after ice creams.
5. I cannot buy a foot wear easily. It has to be super duper comfortable.
6. I can sleep any time and anywhere.

Aryan's

1. He cannot see Mummy or papa barefoot. He runs to get slippers for us. Yesterday he woke up at midnight due to cough. So while he was awake, he started crying because I was standing barefoot :-P .
2. He feels that the cook needs all the vessels in the house for cooking and keep giving him one after the other.
3. He thinks that only Nanu(My father) calls me on my phone , so if its my phone , he needs to talk to Nanu.
4. He loves his shoes and so if you wish to remove his pants , do it without removing the shoes.
5. If Mumma opens the window in the car , papa should follow and vice versa. And why can the AC be not on , with glasses down.
6. He calls me papa at times.

And I tag Prisha and her mom, Kuttan and his mom and Rishab and his mom. Do it as you like it , as 2 tags or as 1.
P.S : Aryan's quirks will be replicated on his blog as well for record, but not as a tag.

Just to Inform - I am still alive

2008-06-16T16:58:00.001+05:30

Life is busy at office these days , so hardly getting time to read and write :-( The home PC was also unwell , resumed to life yesterday evening. Didnot even replied to so many comments and mails. Sorry ladies and Gentlemen :-(

Whats the post about ..just some updates and rants :)

Weekend was just the usual , with a trip to a mall , buying of veggies , slight back ace , a few fights , cooking favourite dishes, one dine out and playing with Aryan.

Aryan is suffering from cough and cold. I just cannot see him coughing. Blame the weather :(

These days I get head ache too often, need to discover the reason. Plus my weight is increasing exponentially and trust me I try a lot to control my taste buds. I should try and figure out if all is right with the system. Also , should plan some workout. I am too reluctant for this one except for a 15 mins walk everyday , I don't really do anything :-(

I need to study as well. Thats one of my oraganizational goal to complete a certification. This is a reminder to myself :-)

My dilemma for day care / preschool / school and house continues. The current house doesnot suit me. I hate the distance from office and plus the stairs indoors. We should shift. But then we do not know where . Aryan's day care doesnot have a preschool. So we need a preschool , but our concious doesnot allow us for letting Aryan travel from preschool to day care, he is too small. But at the same time we lack guts to shift his day care. Somehow we trust that place plus Aryan is settled. So these questions are at the back of mind 24/7.

Thats it for the day. Will write more when I have lesser work and more time :)

I in ME

2008-06-11T14:30:00.002+05:30

Usha tagged me on this one and here I go :

I am: just another woman.
I think: I am lucky to have the life I have.
I know: too little.
I want: Aryan to grow up into a good human being.
I have: the love and support of my family.
I wish: I was little more patient.
I hate: liars.
I miss: my childhood.
I fear: of lonliness.
I feel: Life is beautiful
I hear: Aryan laughing
I smell: roses
I crave: for ice creams 24/7.
I search: for the things I kept safely somewhere :P
I wonder: if you want to know all this about me??
I regret: not being able to become a doctor
I love: nature.
I ache: when I see street children.
I care: for all.
I am not:THE BEST.
I believe: in God
I dance: too bad
I sing: when I am in a good mood.
I cry : often.
I don’t always : know what I want :-P
I fight : for what I think is right
I write: for myself.
I win: friends.
I lose: when I fight with Aryan.
I never: quit before trying.
I always: try to be puntual.
I confuse: between similiar blogger names :P
I listen: to my heart
I can usually be found: running behind Aryan.
I am scared: to loose love.
I need: a vacation.
I am happy about:All I have.

I am not tagging anyone , so feel free to take this up :)

You know your son is a GROWN UP boy when...

2008-06-06T09:52:00.002+05:30

... He orders you to keep quiet (by crying or shouting) , as you are humming a song / lullababy to him(NOW , you know how bad I sing).
...He refuses to give / accept a kiss.

Parenting Woes

2008-06-04T15:41:00.002+05:30

1. How to make him WALK, when we go out? Whenever we go out , he wants to be carried. Carried and that too , only by Mumma. I figured out that he gets scared on road by vehicles , but then he refuses to walk in Malls and supermarkets as well. If you want him to walk , it has to be a open and peaceful place , like a park :( Outings have become a pain for me due to this reason. I wish to go out and take him out over the weekends and end up with a frown and bad back ache.

2. How to form his potty habit ? The doctor , the MIL and the husband insist on making him do potty after morning milk. But he refuses to sit.

3. How to avoid the language confusion ? I did post on this long ago and the problem persists.

4. How to save my skin. Aryan bites and hits me at the smallest disagreement.

5. How to make him a bit less sensitive and a bit more social.He cries at the drop of a hat and takes a hell lot of time to mingle with people.

10 things...

2008-06-02T16:34:00.003+05:30

...I miss right now

1. UP/Delhi's Chaat

2. Dada Dadi's Home and My Dada Dadi also (They are no long)

3. Spending girlie time with my cousins and catching up with their life

4. Those weekends with Anupam when we had too much of time and too little to do.(2 years back ...sigh!)

5. Chatting with friends for LOOOONG over the phone.

6. The year I spent in hostel and the friends there.

7. Delhi ,South ex , Sarojini Nagar and Dilli Haat and DTC Buses :-P

8. My jeans and some other favourite dresses.

9. My College Friends , haven't met them from ages.Couldn't attend their weddings as well :(

10. All the attention I got in pregnancy :-P

...I wish to achieve in next decade
1. Wear those favourite dresses that I mentioned in point No. 8 above.

2. Own a house.

3. Drive a car.

4. Experience motherhood all over again.

5. Visit South East Asia.6. Stay in a house boat.

7. Learn to dance , atleast a little.

8. PLUS ALL THE ONES HERE.

This one was for you Mama Mia.
And I tag PG, Neera, Bickering Kitten & Nirmal.

The Generations Are Coming Closer

2008-05-30T12:18:00.007+05:30

I have 3 cousins (SA, S and A) and all of them have been 6-8 years younger to me. I some how always thought of them as kids, only to realize recenty that they are already in their late teens and early twenties. It wondered that this is almost the same feeling that I would have when Aryan will be 18 and I kind of had when Aryan celebrated his first birthday.

These little girls , may have never thought that I consider them almost like my kids , when we stayed tegther and discussed everything under the sun. I would help them with their studies and projects. They would come to me with their adoloscent doubts and I would tell them what I thought was good enough for them to know at that age. They used to talk to me about the boys (and girls ) in their class and when I laughed along with them , I also used to get surprised by how I already feel a generation gap between them and myself. I thought I knew too little of this and that when I was that young. I secretly worried about their well being and always tried to find out where they are heading.

I would somethings get too protective and sometimes too authorative unintentionally and would scold them like elders would do. I know that perhaps at those times they would have wondered why am I being so different. But they never argued and always obeyed.

I do not know why I am writing this today. Perhaps I just had a glimpse of how parents would feel when kids grow up to achieve something. Perhaps I realized today that I am getting old. Perhaps the generations are coming closer. Here is the blog of A , started recently. And I loved her work. And that is what initiated this flash back !

By the way , Do let me know , how is the new look of this page !

Editted to add :

Women at Work : The Never Ending Struggle

2008-05-28T14:07:00.003+05:30

Why do women work ? Why did I chose to work ? It was not easy ? It's still not easy ? Why do I say so ? No , not because it's difficult to manage all.

Because our society has still not accepted a working women. People think that the primary task of women is not to work but to take care of the house and kids. I don't question and I don't deny. But I don't agree as well. Who is anyone to decide what's my primary task ? If I decide with my better half , its okay ? But why should anyone else ? And why can you not acknowledge that I can take care of my primary and secondary tasks equally well , with due credit to my better half for being on my side.

I started working when I was single in a mid-size well known company. I was different from others. Because I never stayed in office overnight. I used to work only during office hours. And they said that I am different because I am a woman. So you mean , finishing your work in time , not staying late , not taking breaks for smoking and ususally seen on your desk is a woman's characteritic. Well I always took that as a compliment , in case you don't know that. Yes I am different because I am a woman and I don't feel proud in staying back late in office even if I have nothing much to do after the office and I am staying in a hostel. You may though attribute it to my physical and social incapability.But then you don't have any right to say that unless you prove that I am working less than you do , in TRUE SENSE.

And then I got married. And I moved to a Internationally well known , so called BIG AND FAMOUS company. Did this change anything for me ? Yes it did ! Since I was married now , I was looked down upon with sympathy and sometimes with some artificial respect. Yes , I call it artificial , since I know that you don't really appreciate the effort I make , when I choose to work , but you still try to acknowledge that, with your artificially sweet smile. I want to tell you LOUD AND CLEAR that I don't want that. I want no extra respect and NO SYMPATHY AT ALL , just because I am a working woman. Thats my decision and I will cope up with that , as I would want to. When I am in the office, I leave back all the rest at home. I may have got up at 6.00 and struggled to make breakfast , I may have brushed my hair in the car , I may have to cook when I get back home , but this does not affect my productivity. But you will not know this. 'You' ,the bachelors , 'you' the married males , who do not have a working woman in your life and who feel its okay to leave your shoes and towel for your wife and to think that you have all the rights to sit and just watch TV after you get back home , and claim that you are tired after the day's work. AND ALSO 'you' the SINGLE FEMALES , who know that you will sooner or later end up into my shoes and will have to make choices , but then you wish to leverage what you have today by sympathizing with me.

And then I had kid. And people thought that its the end of my career. Why ? Unless I decide so , who are you to decide ? I know I have a challenge ahead , a bigger responsibility, but when I think that I can manage , why do you worry ? My kid is important, rather most important for me. I think of him day and night. About his well being , his growth , his successes , his failures , yes my life centers around him to a great extent. But why do you think I cannot think beyond him. Why do you sympathize with my physical capabilities of taking care of my kid, home and work. Why do you think I cannot talk beyond my kid and food? And I know nothing else about the world ? Why do you think my individuality no longer exist ? Why do you think that I cannot take up any challenging tasks ? Why do you give excuse of my kid , for not giving me an opportunity , when I never deny for taking up anything ? My kid , my home , my husband and my family is my strength. They motivate me to work. They, in no way hamper my productivity and efficiency. Yes , I still don't want to work late and on weekends , but you cannot question me unless I have slipped any deadlines.

The day I would feel that I cannot manage all , I would quit. So bear with me till then.Don't get sugary sweet with me , for I know the difference between real and fake. If you respect me at all , just DON'T THINK I AM AN ALIEN.

Editted to Add this quote , somehow speaks a part of what I wanted to say :
I'm just a person trapped inside a woman's body.
-Elayne Boosler

The love-link tag

2008-05-27T14:30:00.002+05:30

~nm tagged me on this spread-the-love-tag.

Here's the info about the tag:The love-link tag. The Love-link Tag is another of those Linky Love game where you only have to tag 10 person in one post but still there is no actual limit (you can tag more if you want!). Once tagged, you have to copy paste the link in this post, and make them grow! Do not delete any of the links and be honest to yourself! Copy paste the link in this post, and make them grow!

BennyLiew, RamblingMoo, Mum & Kids In Wonderland, Judelittle, Our mini blogsphere, Rooms in My Heart, http://janiceng.blogspot.com/, ChinNee, Jo-N, LadyJava’s Lounge, Strange but True, Mariuca’s Perfume Gallery, Meet Uncle J-Uncle J, Farah, aNgRiAniWoRLd, How’s Life Bout, The Three Heroes, Ceedy, Veena, Vandita, Cuckoo,~nm,swati,

And I tag all the lovely bloggers I met during the Bangalore Blogger meet
Aargee
Poppin's Mom
Kiran
JLT
Mama Mia
COS
Compulsive Dreamer
Bangalore Mom

and to those I would love to meet the next time !

Pixie
Shruthi
Usha

Here's again to the Bangalore Bloggers !

I am an Advocating Realist

2008-05-23T10:53:00.002+05:30

They said I am an Advocating Realist. NOW , Whats that ???

Here is where they tell that in detail.

Preserved this just for my own reference :-)

Compliment From Him!

2008-05-22T14:08:00.002+05:30

What is the biggest compliment you have ever got about your blog ?

When I started blogging , my husband once read a few of my posts and told me that , I have good writing skills and he loves the flow in posts.

I thought it was BIG COMPLIMENT. Mind it I had ZERO readership then. His compliment was a BIG MOTIVATION for me then. And I continued writing. The husband would read some of my posts once in a week , from home , when he would have nothing much to do. I never prodded him to read more often as I knew that there are few husbands who actually read their wife's blog.

And then recently I noticed that he is reading that quite often. As in once in 2 days and sometimes even daily. And he discusses my posts and give special comments. So day before yesterday when he was looking at the map on the blog , I told him that I have a new reader right at home. And he asked "who ?" :-P I told him "you".

Guess what he said ?? He said "Yes , its really interesting." Period. I need no more compliments :-)

And yesterday evening he told me that he read my blog from office , when he was free for 30 minutes. And this is when he is REALLY busy these days and working late as well. So that was another compliment :-)

(NOW , thats a different story that he doesnot really read any blogs and so he does not really know the meaning of INTERESTING BLOGS ...good for me **wicked smile**)

2008-05-21T11:57:00.006+05:30

Found this poem here, and its suits this day JUST PERFECTLY !

All my life you've been there

Any time and any where

When I was young

And even now that I am older.

I have always known

You've done the best you could

Circumstances change, lives change

But family ties are strong.

I want you to know how much

I respect what you have done

For me, for others,

And even for yourself.

When problems knock you down

You just slowly, steadily,adjust your shoulders

And then move on.

Many others would give up,

On love and on life, but you haven't.

You've continued,

Stronger, calmer, and with determination.

That's what you are,

strong, loving, caring, and dependable.

And yet still more

You are my mom.

And I love you.

Happy Birthday Mummy!!!!

And since I forgot to write about Papa's Birthday on 2nd, this one is for him :-)

Chiyya Tutu

2008-05-21T11:00:00.004+05:30

I always try to ask Aryan about his day at the day care. Thats a different story that he had not been able to tell me much really,except for some nods to my questions.

Last week though ,I initiated the topic , when he was lying between both of us , just before the sleep. He told me a full story with full animation and eye movements. All I could get was "Chiyya","TuTu" and that he got hurt under his chin.

The next day I asked his Paati (Care Taker in day care) that did he break any toy yesterday. And I was amused to hear what she told me. She told me that Aryan and another kid were pulling a bird toy from both sides and the toy broke into two pieces and Aryan got hurt under his chin , due to the jerk. And that she made them say sorry to each other and do a hand shake.

So that was indeed our first communication where he gave me some feed back about his day at the day care. A milestone , I don't know if it is , but sure a big success and relief for me.

Now another aspect of the story that he has not been able to forget the incident. And everytime I talk to him about the day care , he ends up telling , "Chiyya Tutu" , meaning "Bird Broke". I am yet to figure out why is he not being able to forget the same.

Parenting is not easy , I tell you.

(This post has been written here as well , just the conversation part. The parenting blues come as part of "Whats on My Mind".)

Girlie Wisdom

2008-05-20T11:36:00.002+05:30

*** My Favourites are in BOLD***

Women over 50 don't have babies because they would put them down and forget where they left them.

One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.

My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoes.

The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.

Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today.

Amazing! You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks 2 sizes!

Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.

Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!' .....Now I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!

The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing and then they marry him.

I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That's my idea of a perfect day!

And We Met !

2008-05-19T12:21:00.003+05:30

Yes, we met !!

Obsessive about puntuality and overwhelmed with excitement , I was the first one to reach. As I pressed the door bell , I was greeted by a lovely lady, with a beautiful warm smile. And then came the little one jumping around. Yes , Aargee's little bundle of joy. The house was neat and beautifully decorated. The lady had made proper arrangement for the entire gathering. As we sat and sipped our cold drinks. After about 15 minutes the door bell rang again and again. Soon there was a room full of energetic ladies , laughing and chatting in excitement.

As they entered , I figured out that how bad I was with my imaginations. Except for Abha , Kiran and Poppin's Mom (Since I had seen their pics) , I could not make out who is who.Poppin's Mom still does not look like a MTB , even in her 7th month , unless you know the fact and focus on her tummy. Kiran should not be believed when she talks about her double chin and her tummy. JLT looks like directly from school and you need to be shocked when she tells you that she has a four year son. She was as bubbly as she sounds on phone with a magical voice. Mama Mia is sweet, friendly and full of life. Aryan loved the book she got for him and also the cap. COS was calm and simple. And she resembles KT , okay vice versa :-D. Glad that she came exceot for all the problems with health. CD , who was new to the gang , made her self comfortable. She has a lovely smile and a familiar face. So familiar that each of us felt like she is a long lost sister :-) Bangalore Mom was so friendly and jolly that you would feel that you know her from ages.

We did not know that it was already past 2 hours before the lunch arrived. The lunch was yummy and we realized that we can still chat for an hour before we go. And so we did. So in all we chatted and chatted for 4 hours , about kids, schools, in laws, husbands, weight , maid, Bangalore and everthing under the sun. And it was the time when our husbands started calling , thinking that we might decide for a ladies night out , if they don't call us :D.

Hope to see you all again soon :)

What will happen when the virtual world will turn real ?

2008-05-16T10:36:00.006+05:30

What will happen when the virtual world will turn real ? I always imagined how my blog friends look like. I always wondered that there might be one of those working in the same office or same office campus. There will be one of them staying in my own apartment or the next one.

Now I know their real names. Also where they work and stay. Within some time I will know them by faces. Will I be able to guess who is who. Ofcourse I saw one glimpse of Poppin's mom ( a pic) long back. I have heard JLT's voice 2-3 times. I have chatted with Bangalore Mom and Mama Mia. I have seen Kiran on TV. So I know they are real and not virtual. But the very idea of meeting them in reality , makes me excited. And its not just them , I will be meeting COS , Aargee and Compulsive Dreamer too.

Today I will have so many new friends in this city , where I have always missed having real life friends and family. Ohh..I cannot hold the excitement. Thank you all for inviting me. Will be there in some time :-)

Multiple Choice Questions

2008-05-15T13:53:00.003+05:30

1. Whats worse ?
a. Not being aware of the health problems you are prone to ?
b. Being aware and not doing anything ?

2. Whats more stupid ?
a. Asking a silly question ?
b. Not asking any question, thinking that it might be silly ?
c. Hoping that someone will ask your question ?

3. Whats better when you travel in auto ?
a. Hiring with a fix amount , when you know that it is double the meter amount.
b. Hiring with meter + x extra , when you don't know how fast the meter might be.

Aryan, Identity and the Confusion

2008-05-13T17:21:00.004+05:30

Prologue : My Parents have become internet savy recently. All they do is check their mails for Aryan's photographs and read Aryan Times.Yesterday evening I got a call from my parents.This is how the conversation went through."

Mom : "Tu bahut nalayak hai" (you are useless)

Me : "Kyo"

Mom : "Tune Aryan ke liye cycle khareed li , hume bataya bhi nahi" (you bought a cycle for Aryan and did not even tell us)***They wanted to buy him a cycle and I have been postponing that***

Me(confused) : "Maine , Nahi, Kab" (Me,No,When)

Mom : "Haan"

Me : "Nahi , aapko kisne bola" (No,who told you)

Mom : "Tune Aryan ki site par likha hai"(You wrote on Aryan's site)

Me(More confused, has someone hacked my blog, who wrote, when ) : "Nahi"

Mom : "Haan ,tetra cycle"

Me(Relaxed now) : "Nahi woh doosra Aryan hai" (No thats another Aryan)

Mom : "Nahi , woh Aryan ki site par aa raha tha"

Me : Sigh !!!

It took me a long time to explain them that they would have reached the other Aryan's blog by clicking at some of her's comment or her blog link on my blog.

Five kinds of blogs :-)

2008-05-13T10:57:00.005+05:30

I have five kinds of blogs in my reader :

1. I jump to read them as soon I see a new post on my reader, (reasons are many, would say some other day).

2. I don't read them spontaneously , but I love reading them and I catch up with them as soon as I get time.

3. Though they are nice, I read them, when I have nothing else to read (many reasons here as well).

4. I read once in months , though I would love to read them often but I don't find time :)

5. Need based reading on travel and food blogs.

Now keep guessing , which one of them are you ;-)

BhoothNath is okay for kids ????

2008-05-12T13:55:00.003+05:30

Do you think movies like Bhooth Nath are meant for kids and should be shown to kids ???
My answer is NO
Reasons :
1. We do not know ghost exists or not. How can we burden small minds with questions which even great scientists have not been able to answer to satisfaction.
2. Even if they do (if you say so) , I don't think its wise to tell the kids that people who die would still be around in the form of ghosts.
3. I do not think we should tell our kids to find friends or help from supernatural powers.

Okay , so what there are so many movies made on super natural powers.

1. Yeah , And we need to find the content before we allow our kids to see them.
2. In most of those movies we can tell them that the super natural power is fictional , while here the Grand father comes back as ghost.

2008-05-12T09:52:00.004+05:30

Sorry about the previous post ..taken it off...thanks for checking Pixie...I am better

2008-05-11T14:37:00.005+05:30

I am feeling horrible..I want to rant and cry. I want to shout. Dont ask me why. I cannot tell you . Since this blog is not anon.And I do not believe in talking about certain issues of my life to everyone. But still I want to rant. I am feeling incapable for anything and everything. Do not comment on this post , do not sympathize or ask why.

On second thoughts , perhaps i am good for nothing or perhaps i dont know what is my problem , what i want from life and people around or perhaps i am insane and i need a physco...i dont know.

Suicides And Kids

2008-05-09T17:36:00.001+05:30

Last sunday my maid (V) was on leave for some puja at her place. Actually she promised that she would come in the evening after the pooja , but she did not turn up. The next day when she came, I was angry , not because she took leave but because she did not inform me about that. So when I was talking to her about that she just said , "Sorry Amma". And when I said a word further she said that please don't say anything to me Amma. So I kept shut , thinking that she might be too tired or upset about something and anyways me shouting now would do no good.
But wednesday morning again she tells my husband that she will not come on thursday. My husband tried a lot , convincing her to come , telling her that it gets tough for her when she takes leaves and that this will be her 3rd leave in this month. But all in vain , she just kept saying that she has some work and she will not take leaves that often again. So he left it at that.

Some time later I politely asked her , what was that she is upset about or is she not well. The reason she told after much prodding , left me without words.She said that her brother's daughter has commited suicide by jumbing into the well 3 days back. The reason was that she failed in her 10th exam. She said that she wants to visit them and has not been able to go for 3 days.
I was too shocked. Why do the kids take such extreme steps. Till now we have been hearing this in urban areas , but now even in rural areas. Good part is that the kids getting aware of the need to be educated. But worse is the fact that these sucides are not because they are worried of their future , but becasue they are worried of the social pressures. What will my parents say ? What will everyone think ?

My maid said that the girl left the world , but she did not thing what will the family go through and how will we feel. I agree with her. People who comit sucide , run away from their pressures but they leave their loved ones to answer so many questions by the society. Parents , who have loved us all their lives , how can we ditch them like that. How can we just escape , leave our parents in all their sorrow to be looked down upon by the entire world.

I felt horrible the entire day. This lady V lost her 17 year old son last year. His death has been a mistery as he was found dead in a well after he was missing for 2 days. People suspected a suicide or an accident. Her only kid now is her 13 years old daugther D, who studies in the same village (stays with her grandmom there ) and will be doing her 10th next year.V wants her daughter to get educated, unlike her and this is what she told me when this girl passed 9th. But V doesnot want to leave D in the village now. Worse is that D has been there since childhood and doesnot want to come back. So V has no choice.

I could feel the pain and the scare in her words. Fear of loosing her only daughter , whom she loves like anything. Why can the kids not understand that their parents love them irrespective of their failure or success. Why do they not understand that running away from a problem is not a solution. Rather it brings immense sorrow and so many problems for our loved ones.

What's in my Bag

2008-05-09T13:32:00.003+05:30

~NM tagged me for this one and here I go :

2-3 Lipsticks

1 Bindi strip

1 Comb

1 polythene bag

1-2 SN

My Id Card

My Office keys

My Home Keys

A Diary

A pack of face tissues

Mobile Hands Free

Mobile Charger (sometimes)

Umbrella (Usually, since it rains right at 6 P.M in Bangalore)

Some safety pins

Money ofcourse which includes lots of 10's and coins for Auto Wallas

A small card holder for credit /debit cards

A hair clip

So you know , my bag is "Bhanumati ka Pitara" in true sense , but then thats are ladies handbags for :P Good part is all the things are sorted in different pockets for ease of use.

I tag Mama Mia and JLT for this.

What Parenthood Do to People...

2008-05-08T10:27:00.000+05:30

All the mothers and fathers to be , read along and you will know what parenthood do to man and woman:

On the way to Aryan's day care , there is an old locality , where you can see lot of stray animals , as in dogs and cows. So yesterday while we were driving back from office through that locality ,to pick up Aryan , we saw a man taking a pair of cows with pointed big horns. I was thinking , if we would have picked up Aryan already , he would have been thrilled to see the cows , especially with those big horns. Right then , Anupam said ,"Ohho, we are late , else would have shown the cows to Aryan." And I broke into laughter, saying that it was exactly what was on my mind. And Anupam replied , "Kya kare ab bache ko cow dekhna pasand hai na.." and laughed along.

Pug says ..Very Cute Video

2008-05-08T10:01:00.004+05:30

My Amusing Mind.. As It Wanders

2008-05-06T12:14:00.001+05:30

Today morning , while I was travelling in auto , the stopped at a red light. Next to the auto was a big red AC volvo bus.The auto driver touched the bus and looked at it with some sort of admiration. That action of his initiated a series of thoughts in my amusing mind , as follows.

Why did he do so ? May be he dreams to drive the bus some day , a big AC bus. Or may be he wants to sit in the bus and enjoy the AC. A dust free peaceful ride. Will his dream ever come true. He might have never experienced AC. He might never will. I will pray he will. Actually I will pray that every man and woman should experience all they aspire atleast for day. That there should be at least one day in everyone's life when they feel that I want no more and this is the best I ever wanted. That day may not be same for everyone , but just one day.

And then that led to a different set of thoughts all together , like, what will happen if my prayer will come true. Will it create more problems ? Will be people be more unhappy after that day ? Can there be such a day actually , when humans can say , I am happiest on earth today , there can be nothing more I can wish for myself.

I could have continued with the thought process forever, but then the destination arrived and I payed the amount due and walked into my office.

Editted to Add : After reading the comments I would like to say that the post was just a spontaneous thought flow triggered by the auto driver's action. I agree that happiness is just a perception , I also agree that being content hampers growth sometimes , but all I wished for was EVERYONE getting a day (just a day),when one feels like a king , for example if I ever wished to be the CEO of my company and thought that is the best that could happen to me in this life , let me be the CEO for one day and live my life to full.
As its said :
"Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length." - Robert Frost

A BAD Day Out

2008-05-05T14:48:00.003+05:30

Since the time we went for a day out with Aryan in February and Aryan just loved it , we were looking for another day out. Since we had nothing much for this saturday , I went hunting for a near by resort early in the morning over the web. I found one , a well known group of south India and quite near by. I called them up and asked for the details.

And so I packed Parantha and sandwitches for Aryan and some fruits and cold drinks for us , to nibble. Made a quick mango shake and garlic bread for breakfast , before Aryan woke up. As soon as he woke up , we all got ready and started off. The plan was to meet a friend on the way to see their newly born princess and then head towards the resort for lunch. Stay back for High tea and then return back.

All went well, till we reach the resort. The newly born little princess was too cute ( as babies always are) and Aryan was amused to see such small baby.We reached the resort , right at lunch time. But it was way too hot for a day out.

When we reached there, and told them that we have come out for their day out package and that we spoke to a lady in the morning. I was asked , as to how much were the charges told to me. The dumb me told them all the details and we were asked to have food first. The food was not as rich and good as expected. Soon after the food we were charged the full amount for the day out.

Then we headed to explore the resort. To our surprise the swimming pool was too dirty for humans. There were no shady green areas to sit and play. The sun was bad and I was cursing myself to choose a wrong day and a wrong place. We again headed to the reception to complain about the pool. Now there was a lady and when we asked for the charges of day out package we were told 150 RS less per person than what we were actually charged :O

I got quite furious at the whole thing and demaned them to show me a written tarrif plan. Which was not there obviously!

So soon they called their boss , who apologized (though he did not tell why we were charged extra!!) for the pool to be dirty. He told that it was due to the rains and storm last night (well , I wanted to tell him that rains were 3 days back!) and that he was not aware of the pool being dirty (Thats your administration :P). We told him that we would like our money back except for the lunch. They returned us the rest of the money. Though I still wanted to tell him , to show me the written document for the amount they charged for lunch buffet and that the buffet was just half the price, I just left it there.

We headed towards home , and the AC in the car seemed so heavenly with Aryan sleeping in my lap.

P.S : Can anyone suggest me tried and tested day out destinations in Bangalore please?

Healthy and Tasty

2008-05-02T09:58:00.005+05:30

Quite recently I started another blog , "Healthy and Tasty". This one is a food blog for kids. The idea is to have an encyclopedia of healthy , tasty and quick recipes for kids of all ages. Adults may use them too :D

I invite everyone else to join the party too. Come share your recipes and try everyone else's. Leave your tips too. Together we will make food tastier :-D for our kids ;-) *And for us too :-D *

ThunderStorm and Aryan

2008-04-30T12:30:00.003+05:30

Yesterday night Aryan experienced his first Thunderstorm. When I say experienced , that does not mean that we were out under the sky. Thankfully we got in just 5 minutes before it started. Soon after , we could hear the noise of wind and falling leaves. Then of unbolted doors and tin sheets from the neighbourhood.

Initially Aryan did not pay any attention. Soon the sound of rain made the whole sound effect more horrifying.Aryan was having a confused look and was little distracted at times but then when I told him , all is well, he got little relieved.

It was not long when power went off. Now Aryan got too clingy to Mumma. The emergency light was switched on , but since this was the first power sutdown for the year , he was not able to understand the logic. He insisted on switching on the fan. When we told him that its not possible he insisted on for the TV to watch his rhymes.

I did not expect the cook and so was worried about cooking the dinner too, but Aryan decided not to go to his papa too. So Anupam made Maggi for instant relief and we decided that we would think about dinner later. When the storm settled we got out and inquired with the security , only to know that there will not be any power whole night. A tree has fallen and taken a poll along. Anupam decided to walkdown to a near by restaurant to fetch some dinner.

Aryan remained clingy to my shoulder /lap till the time he slept. Thankfully he slept peacefully in the mosquito net for the rest of the night.

Electricity did come later in night , only 1 phase though. Today morning also Aryan was not comfortable with the darkness and I finished the work somehow.We read the paper to know that a lot of trees fell down and took so many electricity polls along. One tree fell on some's Honda Civic and the car got crushed. I was wondering what would have the owner went through. I mean a new car and that too Honda Civic :(

I hope we will have electricity by the evening.

Note : Photo from Times of India

Awarded : I am NICE

2008-04-29T17:45:00.002+05:30

MummyJaan bestowed me with this lovely award. She also digged down to the reason for the award and the creator of the award said so :

"This award will be awarded to those that are just nice people , good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!"

I am flattered. I never thought someone thought that I have a positive influence in out blogging world :-P or for that matter, any influence all together.

Thank you MummyJaan for calling me a good blogging friend and a nice person too, I wish everyone around me think the same :-)

I am also obliged with the privelege to acknowledge some of the other blogger , who I feel are NICE ...ohh there are so many ..

But I would pass this on to Tharini, Usha, Gauri and ~nm. Reasons , well I think everyone who reads me know the reason. They are NICE THOUGHTFUL PEOPLE !!!!!!

Confused Identites

2008-04-28T12:19:00.003+05:30

I knew it for long that people have been confusing me with two different bloggers , but today I realized that this confusion has been huge. It all started when I went into hibernation due to some personal reasons and while I was away , there cam two different active bloggers namely "Aryan's Mom" (who writes on her son Aryan's behalf) and "Swati". Phew..what more to ask for.

Both the Aryan's are of same age too. When the other Swati commented on my blog , people thought I have been commenting on my post :-P I considered changing my name from Swati to something else , but then that would have led to further confusions.

So recently when the Doula Gang (as in few mommy bloggers around) arranged for a online baby shower for the MTB's(Mothers to be) and when Sue got confused with me being "Aryan's Mom" , I realized that its not only she , but a lot of them from Tharini to Gauri.

So all the (CONFUSED) ladies out there , here I solve another riddle for you.
And yes , here is the blog (Times of Aryan) for my son Aryan.

Latest IPL Humour

2008-04-25T15:44:00.003+05:30

You would love this one !

2008-04-23T14:26:00.000+05:30

Women will never be as successful as men because they have no wives to advise them.
-- Dick Van Dyke

Now ..Lets Count 5

2008-04-23T11:13:00.002+05:30

~nm tagged me of 5 things I do when I get back home. I am sure my list would be different from every one else's. Here it goes.

1. Open the door and dump the belongings inside.

2. Stand in the common area of the apartment at a fixed point decided by Aryan (Anupam does the same and we have fixed stations) and see him running around the hall and smile at him when he sees you.

3. Run inside to fetch a glass of water , when Aryan is too busy running.

4. Convince Aryan to get inside the house, after 5 minutes or so.

5. Give him milk and then hunt something to munch.

Now I tag , JLT ,Rayshama & anyone and everyone who would love to take it up!

I am NOT Impatient

2008-04-21T15:46:00.001+05:30

I get impatient when :

-> I am too sleepy to be awake.

-> I have to read too long posts from my favourite bloggers (I don't want to skip and I don't want to read :P)

-> Someone lies on the face. I cannot tolerate that.

-> Auto rickshaw meters are faster than their speed.

-> Aryan gets unreasonable.

-> When one person (G) in office , opens his mouth. He is too irritating to tolerate.

-> When people show off.

-> When TV is too loud.

-> When I read/hear about injustice and find myself incapable.

-> When I am talking and Anupam does not reply.

See, its just 10 and I thought I am impatient. I am sure you can count a lot more than I can ...right ?

More About Me

2008-04-21T11:04:00.005+05:30

Maggie (aka Moppets Mom) & WIAN tagged me on this general questionnaire tag.

Last Movie You Saw In A Theater:
Rang de Basanti (Before Aryan was born)

What Book Are You Reading:
None

Favorite Board Game:
Snakes & Ladder

Favorite Magazine:
None

Favorite Smells:
Smell of fresh flowers.

Favorite Sound:
Aryan’s laugh

Worst Feeling In The World:
Being alone

What Is The First Thing You Think Of When You Wake?
Ohh..what a good /bad night it was OR What to make for breakfast

Favorite Fast Food Place:
Chat Bajaar in Meerut

Future Child's Name:
Ananya may be ..if that’s a girl ..for boy ..I don’t know

Finish This Statement. "If I Had A Lot Of Money I'd...”
Buy a house!

Do You Drive Fast?
Yes don’t ask what …Bicycle ..hehheh

Do You Sleep With A Stuffed Animal?
Nopes

Storms-Cool Or Scary?
None

What Was Your First Car?
Hyundai Gez

Favorite Drink:
Jal Jeera

Finish This Statement, "If I Had The Time I Would .....”
..Sleep
..go for a dayout/vacation with Aryan and Anupam , close to the nature

Do You Eat The Stems On Broccoli?
No , coz I don’t eat Broccoli

If You Could Dye Your Hair Any Color, What Would Be Your Choice?
Black /Dark Brown

Name All The Different Cities/Towns You Have Lived In.
Meerut, Bulandshahr, Delhi, Bangalore, Noida

Favorite Sports To Watch:
Cricket

One Nice Thing About The Person(s) Who Sent This To You:
Maggie has a great sense of humour.
WIAN is very straight forward and simple.

What's Under Your Bed?
A Drawer :P

Would You Like To Be Born As Yourself Again?
No

Morning Person Or Night Owl?
Neither :P

Over Easy Or Sunny Side Up?
Sunny side up!

Favorite Place To Relax:
My Bed

Favorite Pie:
Anything is good

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
Butterscotch

You pass this tag to -
Bird's Eye View , Pixie, Nanhi Pari

Of All The People You Tagged This To, Who's Most Likely To Respond First?
Pixie ofCourse

Lets Count 8

2008-04-18T14:28:00.002+05:30

Pixie asked me to count till 8 long back..late homework ..sorry about that.

8 Things I am passionate about

-> My family
-> My Friends
-> My Blogs
-> Keychains
-> Flowers
-> Bangles
-> My Grand Parent's House
-> Dilli Haat

8 Things I want to do before I die

-> Travel around the world
-> Donate my eyes
-> See Aryan grown up as a responsible person
-> Do something for orphans (not decided what and how)
-> Decorate my own house
-> Look slim
-> Learn to dance ..atleast a little
-> Learn to swim

8 Things I say often
-> Right
-> Aryan
-> Anupam
-> Acha
-> Kyo
-> Khane mein kya khana hai ?
-> Mujhe neend aayi hai.
-> Very Good

8 Books I've read and I remember
-> Many Lives Many Masters
-> The Alchemist
-> Some Robin Cook books like Coma and Mutation
-> Five Point Someone
-> One Night at call center
-> Choker Bali
-> Ignited Minds
-> Some Agatha Christie books like And Then There Were None

8 songs I could listen to over and over
-> Woh Kagaj ki Kashti - Jagjit Singh
-> Kahin door jab din dhal jaye - Movie Anand
-> Hume Tumse Pyar kitna - Kishor Kumar
-> Chura Liya hai - Asha Bhosle
-> Pal Pal dil ke paas
-> Meri Bindia - Movie Abhimaan
-> Dil hai ke manta nahi

8 Things that attract me to my best friends
-> Smile
-> Honesty
-> Simplicity
-> Truthfulness
-> Straightforwardness
-> Ease of talking/chatting
-> Their dressing sense
-> Eyes

I am sure I cannot tag 8 people ..since this is a pretty old tag ...so I tag first 8 commenters (if there are) who have not done this :)

BORED !

2008-04-17T10:25:00.005+05:30

I was BORED yesterday. Told this to a friend and she thought I am Vella , as in without any work. But NO , I had work.Search for the word "Bored" on google and you will get 76,000,000 links, from bored.com to i-am-bored.com.And they tell you fun things to do when you are bored for lack of work.

But what when you have work to do, people to chat, blogs to read and recipes to make and yet you feel bored ??? I was BORED of the other type ...yeah the other type ..when you have so much to do but yet you don't want to do anything. You feel as if the switch is OFF. You get what I mean. People usually don't. They tell me interesting things to do. But all I can do at that stage is to SLEEP OR EAT. Yeah , I eat when I am bored ...now you know the secret of my good health ..hehehehehe.

Funny is that I am never bored without work , coz then I can do so many things , make my long pending calls to old friends , sleep , eat(again), find and try new recipes for us or Aryan (food ..:-P) , blog , find new blogging friends, watch some stupid movie on TV , Listen to music...so much and so how can I be bored without work.

But worst is that my switch gets off when I have so much to catch on. And why does the switch gets off is what I am still to figure out. I know a few reasons , like a fight with husband or cancellation of my weekend plan or cancellation of any long awaited moment or office politics , but sometimes its none of these. Sometimes I am off the mood JUST LIKE THAT , even on weekends. Is this NORMAL :-P or I need to see a Physco ..Solitaire please help!!!!

Editted to Add : THIS BLOG IS MORE THAN AN YEAR OLD ...AND I FORGOT TO WISH IT A HAPPY BIRTHDAY :-P

Piece of Advice

2008-04-16T16:14:00.002+05:30

My advice to all the WANT-TO-BE-PARENTS , esp WANT-TO-BE-MOM :

Do a crash course in "Time Management" ,"Anger Management" and "How to be more Patient."

Puzzle : Kya Aap Nursery Pass Hai ?

2008-04-14T15:38:00.002+05:30

Which way is the bus below travelling?

To the left or to the right?

Okay ..since you are not being a sport or you are not able to make up your mind..lets unfold the the solution.

Primary school children were shown this picture and asked the same question.

90% of them gave this answer: 'The bus is travelling to the right.'

When asked, 'Why do you think the bus is travelling to the right?'

They answered:

'Because you can't see the door to get on the bus.' !!!

How do you feel now???

:-)

Experimenting with Comfort Zone

2008-04-10T12:29:00.001+05:30

Disclaimer : This is again a long(=boring) introspectory post. You can read it at your own discretion. Your views and advice are always welcome.

In 5 years of my career , I have worked in 2 well known and reputed companies.

I never wanted to switch from my previous company inspite of the fact that the culture in the company was not too great and there was too much of politics.I was not even paid too well. The reason I would give to myself was I was a respected employee , who was considered to be bright and was given quality work. I did switch since I had to shift to another city after marriage.

I have been in this company for past 3 years. This again is a BIG Brand. I have no issues with my manager. Life is cool and work is not too hectic. But then , there is hardly any growth. And yes, there is politics , which I understand well , but not good when it comes to applying it to use. But I still do not want to switch.

You may say there is no reason , but I feel that a stagnant career is enough reason for so many people. I know people , who shift jobs every once in an year. I don't believe in shifting jobs too often , but yes you should shift when you think there is a need. And yes, just to clarify , money is not a prime motivator for me for any of my decisions.

Then why I do not want to switch. Because though I like change , I am not always ready to come out of my comfort zone easily. I may readily accept a new challenging task in the same company , under the same manager but when it comes to a job shift , I feel uncomfortable to take the risk.

And this is not only with job. It goes with so many other things.Like my pair of sandals. I have more than half a dozen of footwear. But most of them are as new as they were at the showroom. Why , coz I am very comfortable with my simple flat sandals. I can walk easily with them , run if needed. So all the seven days of week , I wear them when I go out. Even on weekends , when I go in car , coz I fear that I will not be able to walk in my new slippers from parking to the shop or on the stairs :-P (Don't laugh ..I am not sick !!!) So till the sandals decide to abandon me I will stick to them. And this was the case with my previous pair of favourite footwear too.

And my handbag , which decided to abandon me last friday. I was using it for over an year now. For it was quite comfortable. Nice , easy yet safe pockets. When I need to travel in a local bus ,I need a backpocket to keep the change. Now I have not travelled in bus after I came to Bangalore with 1-2 exceptions , but you see I should always be ready for exceptions :-) So now the bag's zip stopped working and the handle is broken , I have no choice but to find another comfortable choice from my collection or from the market. Remember I told you once that I have a bag full of hand bags and I love them.

I dislike changing my shampoo and my mosturiser and even my comb. And I am quite loyal to the brands I use.

Comfort zone , as per Wikepedia, "denotes that limited set of behaviors that a person will engage without becoming anxious." So now that you know that I am quite an old fashioned, boring female, let me tell you that its not that I have never stepped out of my comfort zones. I do and I did when I felt that there is a desperate need.

But why this post today , coz I think its time for change , for a makeover. In so many things, from personal to professional. From footwear to job. From mobile to umbrealla. From IE to Firefox :-P I should change unless it becomes too monotonous. And no , this post is not even 1% inspired by husband or anyone else. Its truly an introspection. I think I should learn to experiment and come out of my comfort zone more often. I should do it for me and myself. As whenever I come out of my shell and do something different , I find myself evolving into a more confident person. I should also do it for Aryan , coz if I am not open to a change , I may mess up Aryan's life. Like Usha said , that we like change when its not too close to home. Aryan is a different generation and I need to open my mind and heart to accept the changes that come with another generation.

What do you have to say ?

Concentration skills

2008-04-04T11:31:00.001+05:30

Concentration skills

Will Aryan develop same concentration levels like his father has. He cannot listen the world falling when he has his news paper with him or when he has his favourite news channel on. I wish and I pray that Aryan develops the same , but not for TV but for books :-P

P.S : If I do not blog for a few days now , blame it to this POST in praise of my DEAR HUSBAND ;-)

What Brings You Here ?

2008-04-03T15:39:00.000+05:30

I analysed my last 100 refered vistors again and here is what I know :

21 people came here searching for day care / preschool in Bangalore
15 people came in search of old TV serials / actors.
2 of them came for Baby Smiles
1 of them came to know "Why woman can't be Einsteen?"
Of course I had a few from my fellow bloggers
Then there were a few wierd ones like "What are moms for" and "Wrist bands"

Do let me know , what brings you here ?

Advertising on Roads Through Handouts

2008-04-03T11:44:00.001+05:30

Advertising on Roads Through Handouts

Have you seen people giving handouts to the pedestrians by road sides? If you walk by the Airport road in Bangalore ,you will find one at evert 10 meters. What do you do when you see some one giving pamphlets ? May be I should do a poll on this. By my experience , I have seen that more than 90% of people take it and crush it and throw it right away , without even reading the information on it. Others read it and then throw it. I don't think that even 0.1 % people read the full thing and preserve it for use later. We do not even bother to preserve it to dispose in the next bin. Ofcourse one reason to which is very few/NO bins by road sides in India.

For past sometime I politely refuse to accept these handouts as I know that I do not need any home loan, car loan, inssurance , broad band or computer education.What about the flyers that come with newspapers. I use them too , for Aryan to do drawing on the reverse side or for wrapping waste products.

Do you think its fair to waste so many resourses on these flyers and then throw them just to make the place unclean ? Give it a thought ?

Quote of the Day

2008-03-31T17:13:00.000+05:30

My iGoogle says :

At the age of eleven or thereabouts women acquire a poise and an ability to handle difficult situations which a man, if he is lucky, manages to achieve somewhere in the later seventies.
- PG Wodehouse

2008-03-29T11:11:00.000+05:30

Happy Birthday to DEAR ANIRUDH !!!

Spicy Talk

2008-03-27T16:36:00.004+05:30

Spice Garden ,Goa was quite an interesting place to see.Though initially we were reluctant to go there , we enjoyed it at the end of the day.

So where do our most common spices come from :

Betel Nuts (Supari) come from the yellow fruit above

Pepper and white pepper are here.The red fruit is dried for black pepper and boiled for white pepper.

Cardamom appears at the bottom of this herb.

Cinnamon(DalChini) and Bay leaves(Tej Patta) come from one tree

Those green buds are cloves(laung)

All your herbal tea from this lemon grass

Nutmeg(jaiphal) and Mace (javitri) come from this fruit.

Some chillis known to be 800 times stronger than usual ones. I forgot the name.

Cashew Tree

Cashew in all its colours

Earth Hour .. March 29. 2008 8 pm to 9 pm

2008-03-27T16:33:00.001+05:30

Dear All
On March 31 2007, for one hour, Sydney made a powerful statement about the greatest contributor to global warming – coal-fired electricity – by turning off its lights. Over 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 2,100 businesses switched off, leading to a 10.2% energy reduction across the city. What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the attention of the world.

In 2008, 24 global cities will participate in Earth Hour at 8pm on March 29. Earth Hour is the highlight of a major campaign to encourage businesses, communities and individuals to take the simple steps needed to cut their emissions on an ongoing basis. It is about simple changes that will collectively make a difference – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.

This mail is to request each and every one to take part in the Earth Hour on March 29. 2008 and switch off lights for one hour from 8 pm to 9 pm and be part of this movement against global warming. You can also spread the word around to your friends , family ,neighbourhood etc and get them to participate too.

P.S : The above information is from an email I got from a friend , who inturn got it from the higher management of his company. So I assume this to be authentic and I am spreading the word.

How would you feel ?

2008-03-27T15:06:00.000+05:30

There is a little thing that pinched me twice during the Goa trip. You may find it funny too, here is what happened.

We ate at a shack and the dish had a typical odour. Anupam told the guy and he replies , "No Sir, it cannot be. We have foriegners coming here , how can we serve them if its bad."

Does that mean that its okay to serve bad to Indians ?

At another place , there was a 10 feet broad pathway and I was standing on one side. The host of the place comes with a foriegner and tells me to give the way.

I was also a guest in that place and I bet, I am not THAT FAT.

How would you feel , if you were me ?

Goa Fun - A Lttle in Detail

2008-03-25T15:36:00.004+05:30

We started off to Goa on 21st afternoon. That day we had little time for the beach. So we decided to go for a sunset cruise. Though there was no sun (it was cloudy) , we thought cruise would still be fun. And it was ! Breeze was nice and so was the view. Aryan enjoyed the music and clapped along. He even went to dance on the floor , though he was feeling a little scared due to too many people on the floor.He was not interested in returning from the ship at all. Aryan slept on way back. (For my personal records , the ship was called Santa Monica). The day was completed with nice food at the guest house.

On 22nd morning, Aryan opened his eyes and started dancing.It was good enough to prove the fun he had previous night.We started off the day , to see the dolphins in Arabian Sea. It was a 45 minutes boat ride. On the way we saw central jail and the prisioners waved to us. And Mallaya's private ship and a diamond merchants house were also among the tourist attraction. Dolphins did appear but only for a short while. I guess they were scared of the boats chasing them. Aryan had good fun watching the birds though , while we clicked the nature.

After the boat ride we went to agoda fort and beach. Aryan ran above the water tank. He was amused to see such a open play ground may be :) Agoda beach was not much of attraction for us.

Then we headed for Bagah Beach and started off with great food at a shack. Soon it started raining. Aryan wanted to run around in rain. He made a friend and walked around with her in rain. Weather got cold and we decided to call off the day , and postponed the beach fun for Sunday.

Sunday , 23rd was whole lot of fun. Morning we went to Anjuna Beach. The water was blue and clean and it was such a peaceful heaven.After spending soemtime in a shack we moved on to Bagah Tod beach. We all enjoyed a bath there. Aryan had a blast and did not plan to come out of water. Later part of the day was spent at Calangute , with good food , lazying around the beach and getting wet time to time. The day was closed by watching Chake De on TV in our room :)

We had our flight on 24th at 4.00 pm and so we decided to checkout after breakfast and spend the rest of the time in South Goa , which was still unexplored. We saw Bom Jesus church , Mangesh Mangal Temple and Shanta Durga Temple. The day was closed at spice garden with a tour to the farm and a buffet.

There could not have been a better vacation :)

Goa Fun

2008-03-25T14:31:00.003+05:30

I took monday off for a long weekend in Goa. Here are a few pics :

In the cruise

Cruise Driver :-)

Aryan is style

From the Boat

Another view

They called it "Queen of Hearts"

Agoda fort -Spot me :)

Aryan Smiles

Happy to be drenched

Lovely water

Splash :)

More Fun

Food time

Sea at its best

I love this pic

I thought of doing a detailed post..but I think pics say all. Look forward for more beach pics on Times of Aryan. And for spice garden and Church pics here.

Happy Holi!

2008-03-20T15:55:00.001+05:30

Wishing everyone a colourful long weekend. Have a good time !! See you on Tuesday.

Why not on Monday…coz ..will tell you on Tuesday ;-)

What Has Changed

2008-03-20T12:40:00.000+05:30

What Has Changed

Life changes when you get married and then when you have kids. And so do people , just a introspectory post on what has changed in me as a person (good or bad) and what still needs a change.

I used to be too puntual for anyone to believe. I used to reach to class ,office , outings , dinners and whatever you can think off , ahead of time.And used to fight with friends , who used to get late by even 1-2 mins for making me wait. Good that all of them are far away now , to see how I am changed.These days time runs faster than me and I have stopped trying to be puntual. A puntual person once is a latecomer now. This sure NEEDS A CHANGE , ATLEAST A LITTLE.

Politics and stock market never interested me. I used to know little about politics , coz I had to while market used to be a alien to me. Thanks to Anupam and his interests in politics and market, I can now speak a little on these issues at the lunch in office.

I used to listen to a lot of music. On TV , all the music channels were my faviourites. Music doesnot interest Anupam much and so catching up with each other , I lost my interest in music. Though its soon to redevelop , thanks to Aryan , who has started showing interest in Music. Now thats a different story that Aryan likes High Pitch ,high beat fast music unlike me.

Chatting with friends on phone for long times was something I enjoyed. They also looked up to me for advice and conselling. Now with time I have started loosing touch with them This ofcourse is BAD.

I was once too short tempered and aggressive in teens. Which did change and continued the same way after marriage. But of recent I have noticed that I am again becoming short tempered and impatient. Which again is a REAL BAD BAD thing especially with the kid.SO I NEED TO CHANGE THIS BACK TO NORMAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Internet has become my friend only after marrige and mainly in pregnancy. Now I resort to this for all my doubts , be it through blogs , forums or general articles.

Well you know this already , but still , for the sake of it, I have grown BIG after wedding and gained a LOT.NEEDLESS TO SAY , I CHANGE IS SEEKED HERE.

I used to be a super slow worker with household and a super fast worker at office works. This did not change too much after wedding too , since we had enough time , we being alone in the city. We could do everything lesiurely. But thanks to Aryan , I HAD changed with house work , or atleast with cooking. Though with cleaning and other things , the bigger the mess the lesser the speed.It doesnot work , I HAVE TO BE FASTER and SMARTER And yes , when something gets added somewhere , something gets substracted too. So I subtracted the 'Super' from office works :P.

I used to be technically updated before marriage , though I would not say I used to be TOO sound , but now technical reading has come to a ZERO. BAD FOR CAREER, NEED A CHANGE.At the same time I switched to reading a lot about parenting and kid related stuff , which is good. I have stopped reading literature and soft skills books , which again is BAD , but I am ok with this ..coz the rest is more important.

Cannot think of more now , though there will be more for sure. Will edit it for that later. Plus will introspect again after a few months

How have you changed ? Looking for an intropective posts from a few of you.

Would you dare...

2008-03-19T12:29:00.003+05:30

..to walk on this.

Got this as an email. Does anyone know where this place is ?

Editted to Add : ~nm told me where this is. Read it here.

Strange Behaviour of Aryan

2008-03-14T13:11:00.000+05:30

We started daycare for Aryan in July last year. He was almost one year then. Mornings , he used to cry when we used to leave him. We thought its okay for him to cry in the mornings for some time. We read in books and were told by friends that its called seperation anxiety.
When we used to pick him up in evening,he used to cry a little as soon as he would see us .But once in our laps he used to smile , at us as well as the ladies in day care.So we waited for him to stop crying in the evening. He did. But he used to show great joy and come running to us , in the fastest way possible. Crying in morning also became less and there were days (off and on) when there was no crying at all. While that’s not a daily trend still.
Now , why am I writing this today ? Because we have noticed a very strange thing from past three days. When we reach in the evening , we see him sitting happily on a rocker or a toy car. But when he sees us , the joy and the smile vanishes. The happy face suddenly changes into a sad face. He does not run to reach us. He comes to us normally. Though once in our laps , he still smiles and laughs at us and to the ladies. In the car on the way back, he is just fine.Happy as always.
But that 30 seconds , when he suddenly shows no joy to see us , is killing. What could be the reason ? Is he complaining ? Or is he disappointed to see us there, that now he would have to leave all fun and go home ? Does he has a problem there ? If so , why does he smiles at the people there and say bye to them.I can see an affection in his eyes for them.

Has some one been in a similar situation ?

A Movie and A Prayer

2008-03-13T16:41:00.004+05:30

Taare Zammen Par , its too late to write a review for the movie. And I am sure, I will not be doing any justice if I attempt also. Last weekend we got a chance to see the movie and both of us were touched somewhere deep inside.

Dyslexia is something which I heard recently but the movie and the TV programs and articles after the movie definitely helped me understand it better. But Dyslexia or No Dyslexia , the point here is that we do not try to understand the real problems with our kids and just keep comparing them with siblings or kids in neighborhood. Why talk of someone else , even I do at times , unconsciously. For example , Ohh , Aryan is speaking only 5 words , the other kid in the building speaks so many. Ohh..Aryan is still not potty trained , XYZ is. WHY ?? When his doctor said its normal , why do I compare ?

Its natural I guess to some extent , else how would you know when it is NOT normal.But I think we need to watch the extent to which we compare and watch what we do after we compare. Do we panic , do we put pressure on our kids , do we crib and curse our kids? The movie tells us what should be done. It tells that our kids too like to be the best in what they do , and if they are not then there is a reason to that.It also tells us that everyone cannot be at the top and we have to accept our kids as they are , with all our love.

Another thing that touched me is the fact that , our little kids trust us and love us more than we think they do. They can bear anything in the world , but not an indifferent behavior of their parents. The song "Tujhe Sab hai Pata ..Hai na Ma" made me shiver and sob at the same time.

I was left in an ocean of thoughts and emotions after the movie. And I could conclude only with a prayer, please God give me the wisdom and strength to fulfill my responsibility as a parent, with complete sincerity and dedication.

Am I still human ?

2008-03-13T12:19:00.003+05:30

Feeling a little sad today. Morning I saw an accident. One girl fell down from a bike due to bad poth holes(created by recent pipe line work).She had a head injury. She was holding her head tight. My husband said , she was unconcious. The guy with her and a few people were trying to help. We were on the other side of road. We halted for a minute and then went ahead.We were running late as always. People were honking on both sides of roads. No one wanted a traffic jam. What if I was in her place?

Is that , in our busy lives we all have left humanity far behind. Good that their were some human beings to help the lady.

Blog Designs

2008-03-10T12:33:00.001+05:30

I got too bored with my previous blog designs and was trying different things from sometime. I think, now I am done with the changes. I would stick to this look on 'Times of Aryan' and the current look on my blog for a few months atleast :-)

Also in this process, I lost my linked list to other blogs...sigh. Have been creating a fresh list , with Baby blogs on 'Times of Aryan' and rest here. That process is still ongoing.I do read everyone from the reader and its a time taking process to add all the links back here..so if you were here before and you are no longer seen here and on 'Times of Aryan' as well , wait , you will be soon be back at one of the two places :-)

Thanks for all your compliments here and looking forward to your latest feedback.

P.S. I cannot close , without thanking Aryan's Tai Ji for her help on the design of Aryan's blog and the background of this blog.

Innovation at its BEST!!

2008-03-07T13:00:00.003+05:30

What can be the most innovative use of a mineral water bottle ?? Any guesses ? Ohh no , don't say that it can be used as a flower pot. Think out of the box ;-)

Yesterday evening , I was in office when I got the call from my husband. He and Aryan got locked outside our house. They came out for a second and the door got locked somehow. We did not know what to do. It was our bad luck that once in my lifetime , even I did not have the duplicate key.To add to this , Aryan is not well these days and had slight fever. Car keys were also inside.

We requested the apartment care taker to get some help. After an hour he got someone , who asked us to arrange for an empty mineral water/ cold drink bottle and a scissors. "Is he nuts ?" is what I thought. But then he was our only hope then and so we did what he said. He told us , he is trying to save our 1500 Rs lock , which he will have to break otherwise. "HUH"..With Aryan not well and cranky and we outside the house for more than one hour , I was even thinking of breaking the door and windows and he was talking of lock.

Anyways, within 5 minutes the door was opened. And the lock was saved. All because of the mineral water bottle and the guy ofcourse. He cut opened the bottle and slid it inside and did something for 2-3 minutes and THATS IT :-)

So now you know the answer :-)

Editted to Add : Hey Everyone , Hang on..my idea was not to scare anyone out there. The lock is pretty safe and even the guy said so. He said , he was able to open the lock , since it got latched on its own , without the key being used. So it was only first level security , a spring latch from inside. He said its impossible to open this one if you loose your key and it can only be broken. It has a computerized key and its not possible to make a duplicate without scanning the original key.

This post was triggered , since I was amused by the innovative use of a waste bottle and by the fact that sometimes simple things help in big troubles.

Experimenting with the looks

2008-03-04T13:30:00.000+05:30

Experimenting with the looks of this page ..please bear with me :)

Do I need a Reason ?

2008-02-27T14:26:00.001+05:30

Pixie asked me reasons to be happy everyday.Do I need any ? Anyways Pixie , since you ask :

- Aryan and whatever he does , except when he is a real brat.
- A cup of tea , when Anupam makes it. He does , sometimes !
- My daily call with my Mom
- Words of love
- When I see Anupam and Aryan , together and happy.
- When I plan my trip home :) Or any other family vacation.
- When my mom dad come
- Flowers , they make me smile , even in pictures
- When I get a Good morning mail from old friends , once in a while.
- When Friends call.
- My daily chat with my co-sister , even if its just HI-BYE.
- When I get to sleep for long :-P

Don't you think its getting long ..I can write more ..lets cut it here :)
And I tag , MySunshine ,Asha ,Moppet and COS.

20 on 20

2008-02-26T15:20:00.002+05:30

Pixie tagged me again..and she pampered me again ..by saying she would choose to read me , if she has to choose just 5 among all.
The 20 questions Tag:
1. Name Three Things you Enjoy?
- Watching the sky and the birds and the stars and the sea and the flowers...basically I enjoy nature
- Soft Music
- Sensible Movies
(This was the replaced question)
2. If you have the chance, what would you probably say to your beloved one?- Love you ALWAYS
3. If you were to be stranded on a deserted island, who are the 3 blog buddies you would take with you?*only 3?* Okay .. you mean 3 in each category :-P
Baby Blogs
~nm for Anirudh's world
- Kodi Meow
- Aryan's Mom
General
- MytakeonEverything (mutual admiration society)
- ki jana main kaun
- Agelessbonding
Creative
-Creative OutBursts
-Pritika Sketches
-Safron Tree
Can I write two more categories ???
4. Where is the place that you want to go the most?
Moon
5. If you can have 1 dream to come true, what would it be?
Have a NICE house ..tailor made to our smallest need
6. Till now, what is the moment that you regret the most?
Ummmm...nothing really...
7. What are you afraid to lose the most?
My family and their love
8. What would you do if you found a briefcase full of money?
Buy my dream house
9. If you meet someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
I have already confessed !!
10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you...
Pixie..my intution says
- She is straightforward
- sensitive
- and intelligent
11. What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
You mean I can ask for MORE?
12. Which type of person do you hate the most?
I give it you Pixie - hypocrites
13. What is your ambition?
Raise Aryan to be a good human being
14. What is the thing that will make you think someone is a bad person?
No respect for others
15. What is the one thing you would change about yourself?
Can say three please ...okay ..I need to be more patient , systematic , cool-minded.
16. Are you a shopaholic or no?
NO!
17. What is your stress buster?
Sleeping it off comes first and then comes blogging
18. What should be done to people who make such long tags..
Will tell you ..once I see them
19. Do you think God actually exists?
Yes for sure.
20. What is your one great weakness?
I am a sleepaholic :-P

Rules: Remove 1 question from the tag and add your personal question. Make it a total of 20 questions, then tag people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them that he/she has been tagged.
I tag: ~nm, Sodium, Usha and MummyJaan

Celebrating This Day!

2008-02-19T10:50:00.003+05:30

Two years back ,on this day, I sensed my little bundle of joy moving inside me.
I am getting nostalgic by reproducing the excerpts from my online journal during pregnancy. This was written in baby language. If interested , read the full thing here

Feb 19, 2006
Mummy papa went for a movie called Rang de basanti.After some 5 - 10 minutes mummy felt some thing pricking in her tummy.She started thinking, was that me...:-D She kept her hand on her tummy sooooooo lovingly.Then she felt pricking again. She told papa that she feels ,nanmun is moving but she is not very sure. Papa was watching movie and did not pay much attention..:( Within few minutes I was quiet. After interval, again she felt me move.Now, she was little more confident that it was me..:D.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feb 20, 2006
Mummy was very excited about the incident during the movie. She discussed with tai ji but taiji was also not sure if it was me. She discussed with all her friends , the mom- to - be’s in May and July. They all said , it was me and my mumma is soooooooo happy now. She is desparately waiting to feel me again but I am playing hide and seek with her ...*giggle*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feb 24, 2006
Mumma woke up at midnight,she felt the same pricking sensation in her tummy.Similiar to what she felt during the movie.She immediately thought of me.Then she slept with her hand on tummy and a smile on her face.Now she believes even more , that its ME...:D

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happy Anniversary to US

2008-02-16T19:39:00.005+05:30

Saturday I completed 3 years of togetherness with Anupam. So what did we do ? Nope ..no flowers , cake and dinner. I think I am done with these. Over the years , on each occasion , we go out for dinner. Plus at this age what Aryan enjoy least is a dine out for he has to sit at one place for so long. So this time we planned a day out in a resort in the outskirts of Bangalore. Aryan had a blast.
It was a different day and perhaps the best anniversary celebrations for us. We reached at noon , played with Aryan. Had some yummy punjabi food , in a spacious , not so formal restaurant. Played again , around the pool and on the swings and were back home by evening. On the way back Aryan had a good nap. And when he woke up , I asked him.."Aaj Aryan ne bahut maza kiya na " and I got a BIG SMILE in reply.
Some pictures and a lot more on Times of Aryan.

Cocconut tree ..A usual thing for south indians , but for me I just love them.

A Cottage at the resort

The Pool - Aryan wanted to jump in this

Some Fruits were all over the place. Don't know what this was , but it fascinated Aryan and he went on collecting them.

The Smile for which I did all this.

Aryan's Pussy cat.

Fire Drill - Why ?

2008-02-15T15:25:00.001+05:30

We have a fire drill/evacuation drill at our office today. Which means , the fire alarm will ring and we need to run down the stairs to an assembly point. I have had been to many fire drills in this and previous company. But everytime its only one thing that comes to my mind.

Why do they have to do a pre-announced fire drill. How can they practice the evacuation , when everyone knows there is no emergency. Incase of actual emergency , whats tough to manage is the panic. When we work in a office , we usually know the way out. But in case of actual emergency , its the sudden panic and the rush to escape first that causes the problem. In these pre announced drills , that is not there. People happily wait for the time of the drill , happily walk down the stairs and wait for the head count. Some of them escape the drill by straying at the ground floor.

I feel , that they should either only a proper training , or should do a surprise fire drill. At the most they can announce that there will be a fire drill this week. No date and time should be announced.Only then can they simulate the actual situation. Only then they can know how people will react , what is missing , how much time people actually take to evacuate, what happens to people in meeting rooms and toilets etc , and plan better. Don't you think so ?

Gone are the Days...Another sweet email

2008-02-14T09:47:00.000+05:30

Gone are the days!!! My Friend...

When

The school reopened in June,

And we settled in our new desks and

benches!

When we queued up in book depot,

And got our new books

and notes!

When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet

managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.

We learnt writing with

slates and pencils, and

Progressed To fountain pens and ball pens and then Micro tips!

When we began drawing with crayons and evolved to

Color pencils and finally sketch pens!

When we started calculating

first with tables and then with

Clarke's tables and advanced to

Calculators and computers!

When we chased one another in the

corridors in Intervals, and returned to the classrooms

Drenched in sweat!

When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,

Playgrounds,

under the trees and even in cycle sheds!

When all the colors in the world,

Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays!

Whena single P.T. period in the week's Time Table,

Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons!

When cricket was played with writing pads as bats,

And Neckties and socks rolled into balls!

When few played

"kabadi" and "Kho-Kho" in scorching sun,

While others simply played

"book cricket" in the

Confines of classroom!

Of fights but no conspiracies,

Of Competitions but seldom jealousy!

When we used to

watch Live Cricket telecast,

In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks!

When few rushed at 3:45 to

"Conquer" window seats in our School bus!

While few others had "Big Fun", "peppermint",

"kulfi", " milk ice !" and "sharbat !" at 4o Clock!

Gone are the days

Of Sports Day,

and the annual School Day ,

And the one-month long

preparations for them.

Gone are the days

Of the stressful Quarterly,

Half Yearly and Annual Exams, And the most

enjoyed holidays after them!

Gone are the days

Of tenth and twelfth standards, when

We Spent almost the whole year writing revision tests!

We learnt,

We enjoyed,

We played,

We won,

We lost,

We laughed,

We cried,

We fought,

We thought.

With so much fun in them, so many friends,

So much experience, all this and more!

Gone are the days

When we used

to talk for hours with our friends!

Now we don't have time to say a `Hi'!

Gone are the days

When we played games on the road!

Now we

Code on the road with laptop!

Gone are the days

When we saw stars

Shining at Night!

Now we see stars when our code doesn't

Work!

Gone are the days

When we sat to chat with Friends on grounds!

Now we chat in chat rooms.....!

Gone are the days

Where we

studied just to pass!

Now we study to save our job!

Gone are the days

Where we had no money in our pockets and still fun filled on our hearts!!

Now we have the atm as well as credit card but with an empty heart!!

Gone are the days

Where we shouted on the road!

Now we don't shout even at home

Gone are the days

Where we got lectures from all!

Now we give lectures to all... like the one I'm doing now....!!

Gone are the days

But not the memories, which will be

Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and

Ever and ever and ever .....

Gone are the Days.... But still there are lot more Days to come in our Life!!

NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE ,

DONT FORGET TO

LIVE THE LIFE THAT STILL

EXISTS......

I am getting crazy

2008-02-12T12:07:00.000+05:30

Doing the flash back post early this morning has sure enhanced my mood , but not enough to let go what has been bothering me. Quite recently I did a post on how Aryan has been a brat these days. Now I must say that brat is a word too small for Aryan.

Yesterday evening he saw butter in fridge and wanted to eat it. Eat it as in just butter. I made him taste a little. But he insisted on more. I offered bread slice with butter , but he wanted just butter. I tried to explain and gave so many different options , but he cried his heart out. He rolled on floor , scratched my face , pulled my hair , bite my legs , all for little butter. This biting thing is whats driving me crazy from long time. You just don't respond to him for a second and he will bite you at the most wierd place possible. So yesterday I lost my temper and he got one on his cheek.

This was not all. About an hour later , at around 10 , we were trying to put him to sleep. But he suddenly started crying. After a long time we could figure out that he wanted to go to living room and so hubby took him there. But NO , he wanted to go to living room with me coz he doesnot want to sleep now. I tried to compromise by playing with him , reading books, singing song , but all in vain. We should do what he says. And so the tantarum repeated. This time Anupam gave him one , for the first time.

Now , though he doesnot get hit so often , but these kinds of tantarams have become a daily affair. He wishes to command us for each and everything. After office , I should spend 100 % time with him. Should repond to his needs within 1 second. Should do only what he wants. All this is driving us nuts.

This weekend , we went shopping for grocery and he wanted to bring all the shelves down. When I resisted , I got a scratch under my eye.

I do not know what should I do to discipline this guy. I don't give in to him , but I do compromise , coz I cannot let him cry forever. But it doesnot work always. Sometimes I loose my temper like anything. Sometimes he doesnot compromise and he leave him crying for long.

Something is not right. God knows what.

Flashback !

2008-02-12T10:04:00.000+05:30

PG and K3 have tagged me on this one ,

"Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given : family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like. Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better."
So here it goes

Family : I did not do detailed posts about my family members , but I did wrote about my relationship with my brother and about his wedding. I did a Thank you post for my parents and I write a seperate blog for my son.

Friends : I did a real nostalgic post about my college friends.

Yourself : I can just go on and on about myself :-P Read them all here.

Love : Ohh yes ..I did write my love story once.

Likings : How about secrets ?

And I tag , JLT , Kiran, Dame, SuigglesMom and Guru AND BangaloreMom and Preethi.

Shalabh's Wedding

2008-02-09T22:49:00.000+05:30

Shalabh's wedding was the most awaited event in our house and every one was so very excited. This includes especially me. I was also apprehensive about Aryan and the cold weather there and his health and behaviour.

All went pretty well , atleast better than my expectation. Aryan did got fever for a day and red cheeks due to cold. But it was not too bad and he enjoyed the attention and fun. He became clingy on the wedding day , because of too many people and noise. Due to which I was not able to dance in Barat , I would have felt bad , only if I knew dancing. Though every one else felt bad for me not able to dance much in my brother's wedding dur to Aryan , only I know that he was my saviour :-)

This wedding also gave a chance to Anupam to meet my family closely and spend time with them. Since we stay quite far from our relatives , we only get to meet out parents in the little vacatons we get. Meeting other relatives always remain on wish list only.

Its already a week from the wedding and we are still in the same mood. I am still getting dreams from the wedding , still feeling tired and sleep, laundry is still waiting and there is still a unpacked suitcase. All what we did since we are back is downloaded and uploaded pics :-)

Now that the bride and groom are back from their honeymoon too and its a monday today..I think its high time to be back to work. Before I do that..here are some pics for you all :-)

Puja Thali

Mini Groom

Mini Groom

Bride

Dance

At Home

For My Buddies

2008-02-08T12:36:00.000+05:30

I am back from the wedding and I have two pleasant surprises waiting. One from Aryan's Mom and another from ~NM.What's strange is both of them signify affection. I am really touched. What more could I ask for , to be back after a vacation to find the Blogging Buddies award and some flowers for my little one.

So since the flowers were from one Aryan to another ..let me post it on his blog. For the Best Blogging Buddies award ..I pass this on to

Pixie : Coz she sounds like my twin sister at times.

Poppin's Mom : Coz I always feel like reading her post on priority...don't know why.

DD Mom : Coz I somehow have a feeling that she is a lovable person.

And last but not the least ,

Aryan's Mom : I have developed a special bond with her in a very short time ..may be since we have son's with same name and age.

P.S : Keep waiting for Wedding Updates and Pictures. Though NM is already doing the honours.

A to Z

2008-01-28T14:16:00.000+05:30

Tagged by ~nm

A - Available? - Ohh Yes...But you did not ask for what ? *see my innocent face*
B - Best Friend - I have so many good friends but I could never figure out who I consider THE BEST!
C - Cake or pie - cake
D - Drink of choice - Water
E - Essential thing used everyday - Comb
F - Favorite Color - Pink,white,sky blue
G - Gummi bears or worms - Gummi bears ..Who likes worms btw ?
H - Hometown - Meerut
I - Indulgence - ice cream!
J - January or February - Both ..My better half was born in Jan and He became mine in Feb
K - Kids and names - Aryan The Great
L - Life is incomplete without - Loved ones
M - Marriage Date - Feb 16
N - Number of siblings - One
O - Oranges or apples - Apples ..I get acidity from citrus fruits.
P - Phobias or fears - Read them here
Q - Quote - "When you think you can , you can."
R - Reason to smile - A smiling face
S - Season - Spring
T - Tag three people - Aryan's Mom ,K3 and 'Ki Jana Main Kaun'
U - Unknown fact about me - How do I know ...its UNKNOWN right ?
V - Vegetable you don't like - Bottle Gourd and Colocasia(Arbi)
W - Worst habit - Nose Picking
X - X-rays you have had - Knees
Y - Your favorite food - Chole Bhature
Z - Zodiac - Libra

PS : Tomorrow I am off for my brother's wedding ..see you on 7th.

Thats How It Went

2008-01-28T14:01:00.000+05:30

The Birthday was not as much fun , as I wanted it to be ..but here is the story.

I had ordered a midnight surprise cake and flowers for my husband. My husband does not like choclates and so I ordered a pineapple cake. But choco cake was delivered. Other shopping portals are offering the same deal in less. I chose to shop with this portal ,inspite of it being costly , since they offered different flavours and they have built a good will with me earlier. But I was completely dissappointed. Plus they called up at 11.00 , to break the surprise. Good that it was me who picked up the phone , to which he told me that the guy has left for delivery and will call you if need be.I understand that they should call up if the address is difficult to trace. But they should understand that the product is a Midnight Surprise and the surprise should be maintained as far as possible.

Another goof up was , Anupam slept early and I was the one who waited. I did not sleep for the fear of missing the door bell. When the guy came Anupam could not hear the door bell and I missed seeing the surprise on his face. I woke him up after I arranged the cake and the flowers. He was happy but he said he expected that I am upto something , since inspite of being a 'sleepa-holic' , I was awake till late :-P

Any ways we enjoyed cutting the cake and having it at midnight , followed by tea.

But I have two lesson to learn , I should either get more innovative or stop planning surprises. I should stop planning midnight surprises , since me being awake till late , makes it obvious and plus we miss Aryan during the celebration.

Dinner was postponed for Sunday and Anupam did not wish to drive in friday traffic. Though we did not go on Sunday too , due to unexpected guests..but we will go sooner or later ;-)

P.S : There were not many pics that I clicked , but I will update atleast one ..soooooon.

Happy Birthday in 161 ways !!

2008-01-25T11:23:00.000+05:30

Veels geluk met jou verjaarsdag!
Urime ditelindjen!
Gueter geburtsdaa!
Melkam lidet!
Eid milaad saeed!
Taredartzet shnorhavor!
Eida D'moladukh Hawee Brikha!
Ois guade winsch i dia zum Gbuadsdog!
Suma Urupnaya Cchuru Uromankja!
Ad gununuz mubarek! -- for people older than you
Zorionak!
Ungil el cherellem!
Shuvo Jonmodin!
Maogmang Pagkamundag!
Hapi betde! or Yumi selebretem de blong bon blong yu!
Parabéns a você!Parabéns a você, nesta data querida muitas felicidades e muitos anos de vida.
Deiz-ha-bloaz laouen deoc'h!
Chestit Rojden Den!
Som owie nek mein aryouk yrinyu!
Per molts anys! or Bon aniversari! or Moltes Felicitats!
Biba Kumplianos!
Sun Yat Fai Lok!
San Ni Kuai Lo!
Sang Ngit Fai Lok!
qu ni sheng er kuai le
San ruit kua lok!
Se Jit khuai lak!
NA ZHSHS
Sretan Rodendan!
Vsechno nejlepsi k Tvym narozeninam!!
Tillykke med fodselsdagen!
Ne gelukkege verjoardach!
Ne geleukkege verjoardoag!
Fellisiteert!
Gelukkige verjaardag! or Prettige verjaardag!
Fan herte lokwinske!
Proficiat! or Perfisia!
Ne geleukkege verjeurdoag!
Gefeliciteard met oen'n verjoardag!
Hartelijk gefeliciteerd! or Van harte gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag!
Happy Birthday!
Felichan Naskightagon!
Palju onne sunnipaevaks!
Zorionak zure urtebetetze egunean!
Tillukku vid fodingardegnum!
Tavalodet Mobarak!
Hyvaa syntymapaivaa!
Bonne Fete!
Joyeux Anniversaire!
Lokkiche jierdei!
Lá breithe mhaith agat!
Co` latha breith sona dhuibh!
Ledicia no teu cumpreanos!
Gilotcav dabadebis dges!
Allis Guedi zu dim Fescht!
Ois Guade zu Deim Geburdstog!
Allet Jute ooch zum Jeburtstach! or Ick wuensch da allet Jute zum Jeburtstach!
Es Muentschi zum Geburri!
Ewllews Gewtew zewm Gewbewrtstewg. Mew!
Allmecht! Iich wuensch Dir aan guuadn Gebuardsdooch!
Haerzliche Glueckwuensche zum Geburtstag!
Haezzlische Glickwunsch zem Gebordsdach!
Ick wuensch Di allns Gode ton Geburtsdach!
Ich gratelier Dir aach zum Geburtstag!
Allet Gute zum Gebuatstach!
Alles Gudde for dei Gebordsdaach!
Herzlischen Gliggwunsch zum Geburdsdaach!
Aelles Guade zom Gebordzdag!
Ois Guade zum Geburdsdog!
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!
Eytyxismena Genethlia! or Chronia Pola!
Inuuinni pilluarit!
Fielsteerd mit joen verjoardag!
Janma Divas Mubarak!
Saal Mubarak!
Vy-Apave Nde Arambotyre!
Hau`oli la hanau!
Yom Huledet Same'ach!
Masadya gid nga adlaw sa imo pagkatawo!
Janam Din ki badhai! or Janam Din ki shubkamnaayein!
Boldog szuletesnapot! or Isten eltessen!
Til hamingju med afmaelisdaginn!
Selamat Ulang Tahun!
La-breithe mhaith agat! or Co` latha breith sona dhut! Or Breithla Shona Dhuit!
Buon Compleanno!
Bun Cumpleani!
At faz tent avguri ad bon cumplean!
Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu!
Slamet Ulang Taunmoe!
Bouon Anniversaithe!
Huttida Habba Subashayagalu!
Mayap a Kebaitan
Voharvod Mubarak Chuy!
Tughan kuninmen!
Quchjaj qoSlIj!
Saeng il chuk ha ham ni da!
Rojbun a te piroz be!
Tulgan kunum menen!
Fortuna dies natalis!
Daudz laimes dzimsanas diena!
Sveikinu su gimtadieniu! or Geriausi linkejimaigimtadienio progal
Nkwagaliza amazalibwa go amalungi!
Vill Gleck fir daei Geburtsdaag!
Sreken roden den!
Pirannal Aasamsakal! or Janmadinasamsakal!
Selamat Hari Jadi!
Nifrahlek ghal gheluq sninek!
Kia huritau ki a koe!
Wadhdiwasachya Shubhechha!
mo swet u en bonlaniverser!
Leleng ambai pa mbeng ku taipet i!
Torson odriin mend hurgee!
bil hoozho bi'dizhchi-neeji' 'aneilkaah!
Ick gratuleer di scheun!
Janma dhin ko Subha kamana!
Gratulerer med dagen!
Janmadina Abhinandan!
Masha Pabien I hopi aña mas!
Padayish rawaz day unbaraksha!
Tavalodet Mobarak!
Maligayang kaarawan sa iyo!
Wszystkiego Najlepszego! or Wszystkiego najlepszego zokazji urodzin! wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji urodzin
Parabens pelo seu aniversario! or Parabenspara voce! or Parabens e muitas felicidades!
Feliz Aniversario! or Parabens!
Janam din diyan wadhayian!
Janam ghaanth ri badhai, khoob jeeyo!
La Multi Ani!
Feneligiz Cunumplegeanagonos!
S dniom razhdjenia! or Pazdravliayu s dniom razhdjenia!
Lihkos Riegadanbeaivvis!
Manuia lou aso fanau!
Ravihi janmadinam aacharati!
Achent'annos! Achent'annos!
Vill Glück zum Geburri!
Srecan Rodjendan!
Vsetko najlepsie k narodeninam!
Vse najboljse za rojstni dan!
Masego motsatsing la psalo!
Feliz Cumpleaños!
Suba Upan dinayak vewa!
Wilujeng Tepang Taun!
Mi fresteri ju!
Hongera! or Heri ya Siku kuu!
Grattis på födelsedagen
Tahnyotho or brigo!
Maligayang Bati Sa Iyong Kaarawan!
San leaz quiet lo!
Piranda naal vaazhthukkal!
Janmadina subha kankshalu!
Puttina Roju Shubakanksalu!
Suk San Wan Keut!
Droonkher Tashi Delek!
Putudina dina saukhya!
Dogum gunun kutlu olsun!
Mnohiya lita! or Z dnem narodjennia!
Janam Din Mubarak
Saalgirah Mubarak!
Chuc Mung Sinh Nhat!
Malipayong adlaw nga natawhan!
Penblwydd Hapus i Chi!
Imini emandi kuwe!
A Freilekhn Gebortstog!
Eku Ojobi!
Ilanga elimndandi kuwe!

Waiting...

2008-01-24T22:44:00.000+05:30

Tomorrow is Anupam's Birthday ..desperately waiting for the clock to stuck 12 and also for the door bell...ordered a midnight surprise ..hope it arrives on time. Stay tuned for the update :-)

Awesome !

2008-01-23T14:29:00.000+05:30

Make your guess ...what do you think this is ?

Ohh yes..everyone guessed right. Got these pictures in a mail and I found them amazing. Googled on that, some say this are mysterious natural carvings on a tree in Nalgonda , Andhra Pradesh , India while others say its a tree in Animal Kingdom , Disneyland ,Orlando. Whatever , I can just say brilliant piece of art !

Check out the other pics :

Quite a Brat He Is !

2008-01-23T10:41:00.000+05:30

Aryan is being quite a brat these days. His aggression leaves me dumbstuck.

You just don't do what he wants and he will cry out as crazy. That is still okay. What more is , he will hit me, scratch my face and pull my hair.

Shopping for my brother's wedding has been a horrible experience, especially on last two weekends. I understand that he gets bored and I do my best to keep him entertained but he is completely on non-cooperation movement. Last to last week I was shopping for him and I made him try a few dresses. So I gave him a benifit of doubt that he is angry for he has to try so many coats.

But last sunday , he tested my patience and I lost.
We were shopping for Hubby and I did everything to keep him entertained.But he pulled my hair , scratched my face , fought with all the kids in shop.I got so pissed off that I took him to the mother's room and let him cry for sometime , while I sat there. I know that was not the right thing to do but I did not know what to do.

At home also , he gets angry over small things and shows it by pulling my hair and hitting and scratching.

My policy is not to give in to his anger and divert him to something else. It works at times but not always.

Could anyone tell me whats going wrong.