27 December, 2010

Turn of the Decade...

It's far more the 'done thing' to be in the turn of a century but decades arrive faster so here's how the last decade revolved for me..

  • Stayed away from my folks for the 1st time and got to know independence to some extent.
  • Finished my education (the ones which come with certificates that announce the conclusion of something- the actual one continues)
  • Found my best friend+1.
  • Worked and came to realize that education hadn't really prepared me for much. A lot of it was touch and go, touch and feel and just learn on the job types.
  • Finally put down roots- in more ways than one.
  • Had a kid.
  • Found ambition.
  • Let ambition take a back seat.
  • Understood my parents. Just a bit more.
  • Detested some things.
  • Loved some more.
  • Didn't travel much.
  • Reconnected with the ones who mattered at the right time.
  • Realized that some goodbyes are meant to be forever whereas others are transient at best.
  • Learnt to slow down somewhat and smell and lot more than just roses.
  • Let go of my caffeine dependence (YAY!!)
  • Got to know myself a bit more via my child.
  • Realized that some of the 7 deadly sins aren't really that deadly...just to be indulged in moderately.
  • Began to dream again...about life, about me about tomorrow.

12 December, 2010

Babbling Conspiracies


Red went and got his lawn mowed.

The offspring stared at him for quite a while and then gave a tentative smile but smiled nonetheless. All the way back home he kept looking at his father to see if it really was the original big-headed guy :)

Everyone needs a change. Babies need a change from the person hugging them, husbands need a change from the wife's chatter and tune her out via t.v. and well wives changes in many ways.

I find that going shopping for myself and picking up stuff that's ostensibly from Red works for me just dandy!

The kiddo's communication skills have gone up notches. He met a lil compatriot from his Gymboree sessions and after the initial kissy-kissy, patty-patty both of them conspired to go and start rifling through the shelves at M&S. It happened quite suddenly. One moment they were advancing towards each other with arms open and 2 sets of parents all Ahh..Ohh-ing and then they changed course and the deos were under attack..

I wonder what it was they said but there's tremendous coordination amongst the babbling done by tots...ever since I saw Look Who's Talking and now seeing my own kid, I can't help but think they are way ahead of us in their interaction. Just because we don't get them doesn't mean it doesn't sense.

Understanding your kids is just the tip of the iceberg. Getting them to understand you? Well that's where the life time of blood, sweat and tears come in. Or so I've been told by my own parents.

Salut!

P.S: I live with 2 semi-baldies now...the laughter quotient of my life just went up exponentially!

08 December, 2010

The fussy in me..

My folks have always despaired of my impatience and the lack of sticktoittiveness, my father especially. The only thing he's found me doing consistently well is reading. Not the academic material. Perish the thought! Wonly books for pleasure thank you very much!

And Red wonders why my templates change so much. Rather he used to wonder, now he wonders how many nuts are there of my ilk in this world and tries to cater to this nuttiness in his work (you never know who your customers may end up being eh? *nudge nudge*)

So this is an oddity meme-

  • The moment I start blogging I immediately start thinking about which user pic will be best with the current post.
  • The moment I use a new phone (and I do it quite often unfortunately) I start with the customization of ringtones, pictures, labels yada yada and more yada.
  • The wallpaper on the laptop's seldom the same week on week.
  • Ditto for the mobile wallpaper.
  • Double ditto on the mobile ringtone.
  • The moment I get cheesed off at my BFF2 I change the nickname on my cell to something less than flattering (looking askance and sheepishly too).
  • I change the template on my blog to reflect my mood at the moment or the type of blogs that seem to be getting generated AND...
  • I can spend hours thinking about new knives to buy and actually searching for them.
The last one was totally out of the line up but hell! Oddity meme so the theme's gotta be adhered to.

What I've realized over the years is that while it may just be idiosyncratic to most, it's terribly important to me that things be totally personalized. Things that I come into regular contact with ought to be in a manner that looks good ergo makes me feel good or better. There's no logic behind it. It just is.

And why are some of you thinking OCD? Am not neurotic at all! Now I must go wash my hands 10 times before checking all the position of all the switches in the house!

Toodles!

03 December, 2010

The ahem ahem of the Lock..

Believe you me! Pope really didn't see this one coming :)

The offspring had a proper haircut yesterday.
When I say proper, it was proper in our eyes but it was HIGHLY improper for the cherub since his locks were shorn with utmost haste and he wasn't even consulted! High dudgeon people!


Initially he was quite the happy little man with his special kiddy chair and all the mirrors around. And then the guy cutting his hair made the cardinal sin of putting the apron on him. Now my son yanks off his bibs within nanoseconds of them being put around his neck. And here was a LONG apron which hid his hands from him to boot!

After searching all over for his hands he finally realized that Mammoosh (tis I) was up to no good at all! And then the symphony of the haircutting began in full steam..

The crescendo of the scream clashed with the buzz of the razor and the rapidly falling locks scattered all over looking like black snowflakes!

Once the indignities were done with the little gentleman ran his hands over his head and over his sniffles did this.. "hee hee"

The touch of the brush-like hair that remained on his head made him laugh. So much so that he kept doing that for the next hour and laughing to himself.
Once he came home his grandfather, later his father, his best friend (already notified by email along with photographic evidence of the deed) were in turns hugely supportive of him, happy for him and rueful...but the person in question remained blissfully unaware.

The light headedness was evident for all! And once his favorite t.v. ads came on he damn near forgot all about all of us
!

P.S: the boy who cut his hair deserves a mention. He's due to go to Sabarimala shortly. Am SURE he'll pray for a change in profession post the cut!

23 November, 2010

From the OTHER side?

Early this morning my phone buzzed. Although I wouldn't have registered the buzzing since I sleep like the dead (remember the word dead here, it's key). IF some little boy hadn't kicked me at the exact same time I wouldn't have had a shock at 3 in the morning.

Of course it's a shock that would've hit irrespective of the time so I guess 3 am is as good as 3 pm. Except that at 3 am the believability of the thing that happened was more in my mind..yes yes, I'll stop beating about the bush..

A friend of mine died a while back. Very tragic and all that. Now, some jackass hacked into his account and started sending me IMs.
Now imagine me, groggy and not all that alert to begin with, and suddenly up pops the name of this dearly departed individual asking me if I'm busy or not!! Yikes!

I turned to Red and asked him in hushed voices. Now Red is a born pragmatist. Rather he knows what flies and what doesn't. So in his sleep-filled voice he told me the account must have been hacked and I ought to go back to sleep.

Well DUH! But imagine the jolt!
And now the brainiac hacker's been sending me pings all day long asking me to "get it on", "view his webcam" and even "give him some company since he's lonely" .
I can only imagine what  my reaction would've been had that last message been sent to me early this morning.

All those years of  watching paranormals would've borne fruit and I'd have gone WHOA baby! Get me a Ouija board or something..but seriously? The one thing jerk-off's managed to do is make me think of my friend in a fond way. A first since he passed away.

So for now the hacker's forgiven. But if he asks me to go cyber with him I'll...do something..

Lemme go think of bad things to do to people virtually..Freakshow!

19 November, 2010

T.I.M.E

Time is indeed fleet-footed, to use an archaism.

A little scrawny bundle grows from being immobile and with loose skin to a roundish little being who fairly rolls around like a ball.

A would be apartment grows from bamboo sticks jutting out to a room where memories are made and unmade.

A house grows into a home and back into a house again.

What was spacy yesterday is now cramped and what seemed like a few toys now are a mini store in one's home.

What seemed eons ago is now the present and the past is going further away. Though hovering close by if need be for recollection.

Those who seemed distant and surly have been revealed as shy and unable to break self-imposed barriers and many who were friendly have been found to have layer after layer of veneers and facades.

Time has revealed vulnerabilities, arrogance. Has pronounced people as falliable and also reliable beyond belief.
Time has shown the way, has misled as well.
It has taught and enlightenend and also cast into some darkness.

But there's never been a dull moment.
Time wins I guess..


"Time is gone
The song is over
Thought I'd have something more to say.
.."

05 November, 2010

Pune...

So we made it, not entirely helter-skelter and definitely not anguished and aggressive like holiday travellers, but fairly smoothly to Pune.
No it's not exotic but it's an oasis pour moi. 

The place is fairly lush green (when compared to the ever-dwindling) greenery around my home) and is quite cozy I must admit. Hell, after the 2x2 flying box that we spent an hour in with a struggling munchkins, anyplace that he can have space to turn around in is palatial.
Be as that may, it's definitely nice to be up in the morning, yup it's me talking, and see pigeons cooing. My sis' neighbors have placed a plate with water outside their terrace for the chirpy cheep cheeps to come have their fill in and a fair number have been descending there since morn.
There are shrubs, bushes, trees and just GREEN stuff all around as far as I can see and this seems like a very nice place for a child to grow up.

Our place, though spacious, lacks a park and with constuction growing full-tilt the birds, creepy crawlies and even street dogs have taken off for quieter or better pastures. Imagine the effect on a little boy who loves dogs SO much that he'll even look out the window of a plane while it's pitch black outside just because his Mommy said there's a kukka (Telugu for dog).
Space- that's another thing looming it's nearly ugly head. My place isn't out of Good Homes and Gardening definitely but boy! tis got enough room for a barrel of monkeys to be rolling this way and that!
And since I've given birth to a monkey who aspires for his own barrel, you can imagine his small-child claustrophobia when cramped into a plane or any other place which is not like his house.
Oh he'll grow out of it eventually. Once in playschool when he's bumping shoulders with cute lil girls he won't mind the 'cramped quarters' and as he grows am sure he'll like as much closeness to the opposite sex as possible. 
Speaking of which, the little man's a letch. BIIIG time. He LOIKES stewardesses. He keeps calling them, ogling them in their little skirts and will leap into their arms and play with their...ahem...will pins and scarves and what not.
So in flight entertainment aside, he's not averse to anything else. The ear-popping hasn't bugged him till date of which am profoundly thankful. He always finds a person in the front row to practise his percussion skills on and there is always another kid, juice packet, some colorful person on board so he's FIINE.
Now if only the plane could accomodate his scooter, his blocks, his high chair, his couches then- he'd have nirmal anand. Oh! I'd have to find a dog too of course but by the time I find such a plane am sure the dogs will be frequent flyers along with us so...

Here's to idylls in Pune and hopefully a non-traumatised little man during Diwali.
Mudda! 

18 October, 2010

My Bong Adventures

Am asking the mommy-person to blog on my behalf since whenever I get close to a mobile it ends up in my mouth or I like to see how many times I have to throw it before that little thing comes out from the back. My mommy told me it's the battery and I must never think it's a biscuit.Anyhow, I've been brought to my mom's dad's place for the Puja. I think it's my first since I have to accept whatever am told. I do think I did something similar last year but I can't be sure you see. Being on a rocker addles your brains somewhat...all that rocking..Oye ve!
Like I was saying, my mommy's people are very loud, their drums are louder and they all have the same name- Ei. I think it's kinda funny and dumb but my mommy told me I have to be respectful towards all cultures even if they are all about rice, fish, politics and Sourav Ganguly.

Yes, where was I? Hmm..they are all into eating quite a bit and have nice tummies which I can lean back against. Even the aunties. And the other boys here (hardly any girls) are ok. They keep dancing and playing with their mobiles. I see my mommy do that a lot so I knew what they were upto :)Baba keeps me away from most of the noise but he can't keep me away from the mostitoes. They always know where I am and like to come and make me think it's vaccine day :(I miss my bed. My toys. There isn't much to throw here and my mommy's not all that chilled out here since it's hot and sweaty.
She gets bothered and keeps mumbling about a chilled glass of beevo. I don't know what that is but for God's sake give it to her because she's off in the deep end already and counting days till we reach home again.
But I liked this place. It's no Gymboree and there aren't any animals around but it's a zoo anyways (that's what my mommy said) so I guess there MUST be animals around somewhere.
Ok. I had my apple mush and bathed. I have to take my nap now so I can be rested up for the performance in front of guests-I have to show them where the fan is, how it goes round and round and how I can clap.Everyday it's the same thing. These people don't know basic stuff!
So D-UH!

DisclaimerThis writing contains idiomatic expressions. If any notions arise about any animals being in the family then let me clarify it at at the onset that no such creatures exist. Apart from being descended from apes, any other animals in the family are fictitious and their tails, horns and hooves (if they exist) are entirely invisible!

18 August, 2010

Dida

My mother informed me that today's her mom's death anniversary. Or death-day (as popularized by Nearly Headless Nick :p) and I brought in some amount of irreverence right at the onset because I'm not sad at all. I don't remember when and exactly how she died although I was in my 20s then, but I remember exactly how she lived and how she made having a grandparent such a delight!

She was a funky woman but very traditional. Home and hearth and husband above all else.

She was short (more than me which makes me love her more) and fat and very very squishy!
She had horrible eyesight and was reduced to making her way about the house almost through her knowledge of having lived there for over four decades.
She and her soda bottle glasses. Because of her tunnel vision she couldn't see me make faces at her while she was talking to other people.

She used to tie her hair with thin black ribbons and make a plait every night before going to bed. And whenever she'd laugh, which was often, her nose would go all flat and eyes would go into slits and she'd look quite the archetypal Oriental person from the comics.
She let me put a face pack on her once and got freaked out when I started to pull the dried stuff off her face...her 1st facial at 70+
She'd use a lotion we'd got for her when we'd gone abroad so sparingly that the damn thing reached it's expiry date. When I asked her why she didn't use it properly she said it was a gift from me and it was for special occasions...Go figure!

She used to be up at ungodly hours only because dawn arrives in Calcutta at an ungodly hour. And she'd nag me out of bed every day of the summer holidays that I'd spend there; making me drink the chocolate milk and eat at least one sandesh that my grandfather had got for us.

She's partly the reason I can write in Bangla (however erroneously) and why I like Inland letters so much. She used to insist on letters written in my mother tongue and each time we changed cities she'd inquire about all my friends and I think tried to be subtle about the number of Bongs that there never seemed to be enough of.

She of the beautiful old furniture- the four-poster bed that my cousin and I'd hide under, and the lovely mahogany (I think or maybe even rosewood) cupboard that seemed to house all the treasures that were hers.

She'd keep a diary of important dates and events and there was an old floor-model sewing machine that I managed to mess up, that a lot of my infant clothes had been made on.

Why am I not even wistful? Well because my son, in his gazillion gestures and nose-wrinkling smile, seems to be a pretty good copy of her. Sometimes I can almost see the imprint of her face on his.
Genetics being what they are, am still surprised how this kid could end up resembling a lady from two generations ago.

I wish she'd been able to see him. She'd have gone gaga over him because she used to dote on me and yet wonder how to get me to not be such a yakkety!

She really was a doll and a perfect embodiment of everything grandmoms are supposed to be because now her daughter and my mother has become the best grandmother a child could have. And i just need to see my son's smiles and joy to know that. Over and over again.

15 August, 2010

poTAYto poTAto

It all comes down to a matter of perspective you see...the pun is heavily intended here because it truly comes to a question of how we "see" things. Whether it's seeing-see or hearing-see or feeling-see. Doesn't make sense? Doesn't have to. My blog and my neologisms!

So let's start off!

I see hovering. You see protectiveness.
I see micromanaging. You see nurturing and care.
I see passivity. You see bidding the time.
I see fence sitting. You see decisiveness. Of a sort.

Now the I says-

I say grow up! You say reactiveness is your right.
I say emote and express. You say cool and calm's the way to be.
I say listen to me for God's sake! You say am listening and continue to work away by yourself.
I say it's important to me. You say over-involvement is not the way to do it.

The I feels-

I feel suffocated. You feel I condemn to hastily.
I feel regretful. You feel slighted.
I feel detachment. You feel cold shouldered.
I feel like a change. You feel abandoned.

Amounts to the same doesn't it? Same page but us reading different lines...

There's a metaphor in there somewhere but for the life of me it's elusive :o)