Methinks & Musings

Amusing Linguistics

2010-06-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

I just found this interesting blog post listing a few winning entries from the results of the contest where you “take a well-known expression in a foreign language, change a single letter, and provide a definition for the new expression.”

Here they are…
------------
PARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS?
Do you speak French?

HARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS
Can you drive a French motorcycle?
------------
EX POST FACTO
Having retrospective effect - affecting things past (Latin)

EX POST FUCTO
Lost in the mail
------------
VENI, VIDI, VICI
I came, I saw, I conquered. (Latin)

VENI, VIPI, VICI
I came, I'm a very important person, I conquered
------------
RIGOR MORTIS
One of the recognizable signs of death caused by a chemical change in the muscles after death, causing the limbs of the corpse to become stiff (Latin)

RIGOR MORRIS
The cat is dead
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RESPONDEZ S'IL VOUS PLAIT
Please reply (RSVP) - French

RESPONDEZ S'IL VOUS PLAID
Honk if you're Scottish
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LE ROI EST MORT, VIVE LE ROI!
"The King is Dead, Long Live the King!" (French)

LE ROI EST MORT. JIVE LE ROI
The king is dead. No kidding.
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PRO BONO PUBLICO
For the public good (Latin)

PRO BOZO PUBLICO
Support your local clown
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FELIZ NAVIDAD
Merry Christmas (Spanish)

FELIX NAVIDAD
Our cat has a boat
------------
E PLURIBUS UNUM
"Out of many, one", or loosely translated as one from many (Latin)

E PLURIBUS ANUM
Out of any group, there's always one asshole
------------

These are from a blog in which author David Crystal (yet to read his books or know him as a non-blogger) muses on amusing bits of language.
http://david-crystal.blogspot.com/
I just read a couple of his other posts and thought I’d share them.

There is one post on why people use these and many more commonplace remarks stating the obvious such as..
- It's as long as it's long.
- It takes what it takes.
- A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.
- I'll be ready when I'm ready [and not before!]

And another one was on using a singular form when used as adjectives of multiple entities which was really interesting..
“A price list” where the list might include a number of prices
“A shoe box” wouldn’t be just for one shoe
“An armchair” - even though the chair has two arms
“A three-year-old child” would be a child of three years

Check ‘em out when you get a chance - amusing and informative!

Soccer Fun

2010-05-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, when we were looking at the summer schedule of the city offered classes for toddlers, my husband was very excited to see soccer listed. He has been waiting for the past four years to watch the world cup with his son. And this class presented a great opportunity to get our little one through the basics so he wouldn't be bored watching the finals of his dad's favorite sport.

Since it was essentially the beginners parent-and-me class, there were a couple of coaches to direct the parents on when to get their kids pass the ball, dribble etc., and dads (or moms) were supposed to engage their kids and make them practice the basic lessons. And in the final session of the 6 week course, a game would be played with the kids divided into two teams.

I wasn't sure if I could get good pictures of my baby on the day of the game. So, as a precaution I wanted to get some decent ones in the practice session. Since I had missed his first two sessions, it was high time for me (as any mom) to get the pictures of my little sports star on the field. Armed with my camera, I accompanied them on the sunny Saturday morning the past week to the city's sports club and was all set to click away every minute of his half-hour class.

It was such a cute sight with a bunch of 3-4 year olds with their colorful jerseys running around learning to kick the ball and not to forget their dads following them trying hard to get their kids to listen J

Since my husband was doing the running after, my job was just to click and watch the antics of all the kids around. And I had such fun doing just that. Each little one had his/her own style. A couple of them were pretty good following the orders by doing the perfect kicks and passes. One of them ran in the opposite direction right into another team's practice and the poor dad followed his kid apologizing to the other interrupted parents. And there was one who held the ball to his chest going in circles laughing all the while. Imagine the dad behind! There was a little girl got tired just 10 minutes into the class and ran to her mom was watching. For the next 20 minutes, both the parents were busy trying to persuade their daughter to step on the field.

And our peanut was awesome for the first 15 minutes really listening to his dad and kicking and passing the ball perfectly. But then, for some reason he had enough of seriousness and started having fun by being our little drama-king.
He would purposefully fall every other minute trying to kick the ball and immediately checking for any bruises on his elbows/knees and of course there would be none. Else he would kick the ball and plonk himself on the ground sighing. My husband later commented that he was probably trying to mimic the theatrics of the Brazil team :-)
Well, guess it is okay as long as he is enjoying and hopefully learns something out of his 6 week-session.
As for me, it was great watching all these itty-bitty tots having fun with their very own sense of style and the dads well, just being dads J

No Social Fear

2010-04-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I came across an article about a genetic disorder called the Williams Syndrome.
It seems that people affected with this disorder along with other symptoms like developmental delays have absolutely no social fear - as the article said, "They are literally pathologically trusting..."
The probable cause of this very strange symptom is problem with their limbic system, the part of the brain that regulates emotion.

They are always happy, will go up to anyone and start a conversation. They are never suspicious. My first thought was, 'Wouldn't it be nice to be happy all the time and not have any fear?"
But as I read through the article, I realized how scary it is and how difficult it is to raise a kid who has no fear of strangers. Though we all wish it was, our world is definitely not a hundred percent safe place and unfortunately being gullible is not a great attribute to have.

We all teach our children not to talk to strangers and being careful in new surroundings and to watch out for themselves when we are not around. At the same time we also tell them to be polite. Essentially we are trying to inculcate a healthy balance of trust and distrust. As the mother of a girl who has Williams says in the article, "They don't have that early warning system" - which is so important to have in dealing with dangers. An initial reaction of a little anxiety is probably necessary to better assess the situations we come across everyday.

This got me to wondering - How do parents of the kids with all kinds of disorders deal with everyday? They must be incredibly courageous people with amazing mental strength dealing with their child's special circumstances as well as trying to prepare them for an independent adulthood that so many of us take for granted.

Ready?

2010-04-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

So, it has been now almost a week that thousands of travelers are stranded in the European airports because of the volcanic ash erupting from under that unpronounceable name of a glacier (Eyjafjallajokull). Here is even a link to the blog-post on how to say that Icelandic tongue-twister - http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/04/iceland_volcano_eyjafjallajoku.html
And they find it hard to say our Indian names! :-)

My first thought after sympathizing with the grounded travelers of course, was the definite concern - what would I need to get through if I along with a toddler was stuck in an airport or any other place for that matter without much supplies. Do we need some rethinking on how we pack our carryon’, or are we one of those super-cool parents who know exactly what to pack taking into account the emergency situations as well. Sorry to say, but guess I belong to the first category and am still trying to come up with that final list of absolute essentials that can be crammed into a tiny carryon.

So people - especially the ones with kids and you single people as well - Be Prepared!

I want to be..

2010-01-19T16:49:00.000-08:00

Ever remember those days when we were asked "What do you want to be (when you grow up)?"

Here we are, all grown-up and now it amuses me when the little kids come up with their own cute and confident answers to this very grown-up question.

Until a few weeks ago, my 3-year old wanted to be a cowboy just like Woody when he grew up. It was Woody costume for Halloween, Woody jammies for Pajama day (both the times!) at school, and even now his belt is often a lasso or a holster :-)
But these days, the Woody-mania is slowly being replaced by 'super hero'. Currently, just about anyone with a prefix 'super' works but of course has to have some powers. I'm sure very soon, he'll pick one of the supers who is going to be his next 'I want to be..'

I remember the time when baby sister was about 4 or 5; she either wanted to be a truck driver or a lift-man. She was fascinated by concept having to push the elevator buttons all day :-) 20 years later, she is beginning on the path to carving her own career in a very different field, and yet in something she cares about.

So, between the super hero and a grown-up career, a long way to go for these little ones in figuring out their talents, their likes/dislikes, the trade-offs and striking a balance among them. And the hope is that they have the passion for their dream and will always give it their best...

New Year

2010-01-03T22:21:00.000-08:00

Welcoming the next decade..

The first decade in the new century has seen a lot of changes.

The sum of changes that India has gone through from 70s to 90s does not even begin to compare to the slew of transitions that happened in the first decade of the 21st century.
India until the late 90s was a relatively slow paced (which I still miss!) until the explosion of
almost everything - internet, consumerism, outsourcing, traffic, cell phones; Seemed like country suddenly switched from 1st gear to 4th :-)

With its increasing exposure in the world stage, the shift in the perspective from snake-charmers' to 'job-snatchers' or rather from being regarded as a third-world to a developing
country is quite impressive.

Ofcourse, people in India probably know much better about the changes happening round them than my general overview :-)

As for me, the past decade has been pretty eventful as well. Graduation, job, love, marriage,
kid, house - all packed up in the past nine years.
Looking forward to another decade of positive changes and hopefully the next ten are going to be
as much fun..

A very happy and hopeful New Year to one and all.

Time-Off

2009-12-29T18:24:00.000-08:00

Parents esp. of smaller kids go through their days trying to adjust everyday to their new demanding lifestyle and at times yearning for the days of carefree pre-kid lifestyle.
We are no different - going through our day jobs and coming back to the busy kid-filled evenings ending in a sigh before sleep and then with a couple of deep breaths the next morning, the madness starting all over again!

Looking for a little break from our overloaded lives, a few days ago - we decided to take a day off from work. Sending our little one to the daycare, we ended up at a theater for a movie.
We did try this dinner/movie date a couple of times earlier this year, when my parents could baby-sit our son, but did end up talking about him all through the dinner :-) Even through the movie, my thoughts were going back to my baby - whether he had eaten or if he was throwing a fit. So, we came back feeling no different than if we had been home with him - not a very successful time-off for us.
I guess it is to be expected since our whole lives revolve around the kids these days and we find it hard to let-go even for a few hours.

Anyway, coming back to the present - for the first time in 3 and half years, we actually enjoyed the movie and our conversations were not about our little one. It was great, relaxed - almost like our pre-kid days :-) It was also a little surreal with a twinge of guilt but apart from that we had a wonderful time.

As we were driving back, we somehow got into an argument which ofcourse related to our little one. The irony of it was how comfortable I felt with just our mundane daily chatter - too prosaic for everyone else but I was almost happy to be back and remember thinking "I know this - its my world!" :-)

Raindrops on Roses

2009-12-20T12:38:00.001-08:00

It is amazing what idle 'googling' might just return - in my case was a short story published in Sulekha 7 years ago, my first one! Reading it again felt a little strange - almost like it was written in a different world. I guess it was - fresh out of school, looking for a job and of course single & starry-eyed :-) Here it is..

http://shalini-siddhanti.sulekha.com/blog/post/2002/11/raindrops-on-roses.htm

Raindrops on Roses

Settling on her favorite chair on the porch with a cup of coffee, Deeksha gazed at the heavy dark skies. It looked as if it would pour anytime now. She loved the rain. It gave her a sense of almost celestial excitement. She felt as if the heavens were trying to reach her by melting the clouds in the skies.

Vishwas never did like the rains and preferred sunny weather. They had once debated about the relative merits of the weather. It was one of the numerous differences they had. She smiled at the thought of him. He was one of those unflappable human species with complete confidence in his ideas and abilities.

They could never agree on a single viewpoint. Their inaugural argument was on the day they first met at a friend's wedding. After the party, he offered to drop her home and walking towards the parking lot there was this cute little girl selling glorious long stemmed red roses. Deeksha could never resist red roses. They seemed to convey a special meaning of love and passion. She had stopped by and bought a couple of them. Vishwas had started off with “Flowers are supposed to be on trees.” She retorted, “These roses are grown specially to be sold.” They had argued about it all the way back home.

That was almost eight months ago and since then they would squabble at every opportunity. They talked about everything – from philosophy to sex, from politics to sports. And fought on most of the occasions. They were a world of contrasts. Deeksha was very fair with above average looks and a petite figure compared to his tall, dark and geeky frame. He liked to refer to himself as tall, dark and handsome -- of which 'handsome' was debatable. She was what he called an eternal optimist. Despite the odds she believed something wonderful awaited her around the corner. He was a cynical and hardheaded realist. Deeksha was a sensitive and intense person -- getting excited and as easily upset for small issues. He had a cool and utterly logical attitude that sometimes frustrated her. How can anybody not be spontaneous. Their frequent interaction (it was more likely their consistent bickering) drew them closer and she was getting used to his presence. He knew all her moods -- when she was happy, when she was feeling lonely, when she was disturbed and what pissed her off. She told him everything she did from the time she got up till she went to bed. It felt natural. And Deeksha demanded to know how he spent his day. In the beginning he used to get irritated by the story telling of the day. But after sometime, he actually started liking it. They talked about their dreams, ambitions, family and almost everything. There were times when she had actually dozed off while talking to him.

The last time they met had been a couple of days before his India trip. They had gone for a late night movie after having dinner at a Burmese restaurant. When he was dropping her home, she remembered that he had asked for books to read on the plane. While she had gone to get the books, he had by chance picked up her diary lying in the living room:

Sometimes I wonder how
within such a short while
We became so comfortable
close and easy to be with…

I will forever treasure our
moments together
And cherish our friendship
with all its experiences

So, no matter what the future
may hold for us
-our distinct paths may lead us
-our different destinies may drive us

Hoping to be somewhere in your thoughts!

Just as he finished reading, she had snatched the book from his hands declaring it as private. He apologized and said he didn't know she wrote poems. She blushed, “Nah…I just pen my thoughts sometimes.” He murmured something about it being nice and the next thing she knew was they were arguing about the contents of her writings -- whether something predetermined really existed. Deeksha believed in destiny and that God had created each individual for a purpose. On the other hand, Vishwas had firm convictions that it was up to an individual as to how he carved his future. And by the time they realized it was almost 6.00 am. They had been talking all night. Since it was summer, it was already dawn. They had looked out of the window at the bright light of the world and had laughed so much. It was one of the experiences she cherished the most.

Pulling her thoughts to the present, Deeksha looked around while trying to sort out her feelings. It was raining heavily now. She could see the campus from her apartment. It was deserted except for a couple of kids across the street getting drenched and laughing. Vishwas had come back from India this morning. She wanted to call him up but had been busy with the assignments and classes all day. And besides he would be tired. She would give it a try that night.

All these months, they had shared a wonderful friendship. Her emotions towards him had taken a different turn since he left. She started realizing what he meant to her when he wasn't around. And after a few days she literally started counting the days as to when he would return. She missed hearing his voice, telling him about those small and irrelevant incidents. He had mailed her twice from India, once informing her that he had reached safely and the other asking if she wanted something from there. She hadn't realized how much she had become dependent on him, always counting on his mature advice and caring support whenever she needed it.

How would she ever let Vishwas know about her feelings now? She didn't have a clue whether he thought about her in the same way. What if he always considered her as his best friend? She didn't mind conveying her thoughts. But if he didn't feel the same way, wouldn't it ruin a perfectly wonderful friendship they had shared? And even if he loved her, there was this huge issue about her family. How in the world would he be able to handle it? She hoped the difference in her feelings wouldn't show when they met.

A familiar figure walking towards the apartment apparently drenched interrupted her thoughts. Vish! Her heart skipped several beats. Instinctively -- she ran towards him and stopped a few feet away. Her heart was beating so loudly that she was afraid he would hear it. Looking into her eyes he said simply, “I've missed you.” Startled she replied breathlessly, “I missed you too.” Vishwas removed his hand from behind his back, which held a dozen red roses. She took the bouquet, staring at the raindrops on the lovely red roses as if it were an omen of something beautiful that was about to happen. Then looking up, Deeksha searched his face for an explanation. “Isha, I have not been able to get you out of my mind. Being away from you and your poem made me think about us beyond friendship. I still don't believe in destiny but I want our paths together leading to the same destination. Will you be my present and my future?” He was the only one outside her family who called her Isha. Sensing her concern he continued, “I can understand the resistance from our families. It's going to take time to convince them but eventually we'll win.” Cupping her face with his hands and looking into her eyes he said, “Trust me, Isha. We will work it out. Give us a chance.” Instantly her fears vanished -- with sparkling eyes and a smile that lit his heart, she hugged him fiercely.

Frowning he then said, “Now that my chivalrous romantic proposal has been accepted, can we go in for better surroundings? The bloody rain is soaking my insides.” She started to argue, suddenly laughed seeing his mischievous eyes, “You go ahead, and I'll join you in a minute.” She looked up at the skies and closed her eyes as the rain danced on her face, holding the bunch of roses near her heart -- thanked the heavens for blessing her with this moment.

Hope

2009-11-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

It has been a couple of months since I started working at the ‘Zam Zam’ café. The high ceilings and big windows of the small café allowed for some air circulation and a little extra light in otherwise a small and dingy place. The people who dropped in were usually day laborers were not really bothered by the cracked walls, musty interiors and the wobbly tables. The place was relatively clean and food was inexpensive. The menu was written on a black board near the entrance and the list included different kinds of tea, coffee and snacks along with few lunch/dinner items. My job was to clear and clean the tables, wash the dishes, and to sweep and mop the kitchen and café floor twice a day. The pay wouldn’t be enough if not for the free lunch and dinner. I had no complaints.

It definitely was better than my earlier stint of helping Munna Bhai sell pirated CDs. Being out in the sun all day along with being on constant alert for police roundups for measly few bucks was just not worth it. And because Munna’s cracking voice sounded like a squeal whenever he talked, he made me do the shout-out advertising to attract the passersby. Though he was older to me by a couple of years, he would boss me around as if he owned me. That smart-ass thought he was better than the rest just because he knew how to read. I am certain that I can recognize all the letters of the alphabet and almost write my name too. In a few more years, I bet I can do better than that idiot.

Working late today didn’t bother me as the café would be closed tomorrow on account the wedding in the owner’s family. I was finishing up with the dishes and the cook barked his usual orders for cleaning up while setting aside the leftovers for my dinner. I barely heard him as my thoughts were already making plans for tomorrow’s day off. I would visit my old neighborhood where there is a used book sale on the sidewalk every weekend. I had saved enough to maybe to even buy a book. I knew the seller and he probably would help me pick one. My walk home felt shorter and my steps seemed bouncier in anticipation.

As I was nearing the bridge, I heard angry voices coming from behind the concrete pillar. I stopped and tried to think if I would be looking for trouble by approaching. My heart was thudding as I inched a little closer and the swearing and threatening from the other side grew louder. I tried to get a peak of what was going on and noticed a younger man pointing a black shiny revolver threatening to shoot an older gentleman. I was near enough to hear the muffled shot being fired. And the guy with the gun swung around to look in the direction of that involuntary yelp. As I stood rooted there in shock, the last thing I remember hearing was the sound of my own scream.

I tried to open my eyes, but they are shut tight by something sticky. My mouth feels dry. I try to wet my lips but it my throat is parched. The pain shoots through my stomach and my head starts throbbing. I try to lift my arm to touch my face but nothing moves. With much effort I half-open my eyes and everything is dark. I cry for help but a whimper escapes my lips. And it hurts all over again.

I yearn for the warmth that I never experienced. I try to picture a kind face to comfort me, but none comes to mind.
Hope kept me alive, helped me survive through the years of relentless days and hungry nights. But as the years passed by, the hope began to fade away and turned to nothingness until tonight.

As the noise of the traffic above me on the bridge slowly morph into a rhythmic hum, my favorite sound of the ringing school bell and the faint chatter of kids take over my senses. And among those tired happy young faces full of life is me! No more tattered clothes, blistered bare feet or tousled hair. And in my arms close to my chest are my dreams – my books! I look down at them and actually can read and understand the written word. I am ready as I’ve always been to begin a new journey to discover a world where I am not at mercy of others. My heart will ache no more looking at the carefree faces of the kids my age for I will be one of them.

As a gentle breeze cools my wounds, I open my eyes to see a scrap of the newspaper gliding and rested a little away from me. With difficulty, I stretch my arm and reach for it. I clench the paper in my hand and gather it close to me. I can feel the world that has escaped me all these years.
As I get ready to step into a wonderful world of my dreams, my fingers clutch onto the scrap of paper tighter. And suddenly a volcano erupts inside me shaking me all over and I can feel the hot lava in my eyes blinding me - and just like that, it is black again!

-End-

Memory Piece

2009-11-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

I remember the day I first met him.

As I hung up the phone after giving him directions to my apartment, his very familiar number disappearing off the screen. Though I could recognize his number anywhere, I had not saved it. It sounds weird now, after months of conversations and actually meeting in less than half hour. But well, he is not going to go through my cell!

I look around the room once more and find a small crumpled paper in the corner under the table. After tossing it in the wastebasket, on second thought, I hide the basket in the closet.

I’m forgetting something. I frown trying to focus. Yes, the incense! I quickly clean the stand off the ashes from the old burn and light up a fresh one with sandalwood scent. The thin streak of smoke disseminates and the fragrance quickly fills the room. I open up the windows just in case the scent is overpowering for him, and, as usual, the neighbors’ blank white wall stares back from 10 feet away. I stick my neck out the window to see if it is still overcast, but the sky is barely visible. This stupid awning prevents any kind of upward view. According to the forecast, it is supposed to be cloudy with the temperature in the low 60s today. So much for the almost-summer June weather!

The reflection of a slender petite girl with glasses doesn’t do much to assure me. I look at my jeans and black sweater in the mirror and sigh. I wanted to wear the new breezy yellow dress that I had bought from Macy’s last week. But it looks like the weather has something else in mind.

It is my dad’s 58th birthday today. I already called and wished him a happy birthday first thing this morning. Of course, there was no mention of this guy I’m meeting today. I feel a tinge of guilt and quickly brush it off. I am in no mood to either answer or dodge his lengthy interview starting with “Who is this boy?!”

Involuntarily, I glance at the clock and 20 minutes have already passed. He could be here any minute now! It feels very quiet, with just faint noise from the occasional cars outside. At the sound of a car coming to a stop, my mouth feels dry. My heart seems to be almost thudding against the chest wall, threatening to fall out. I slowly make my way to the window facing the driveway and peek through drawn blinds. It is him – parallel parking his car. Here I am, trying discretely to get my first look at him, and out of nowhere, the sun peeks through the clouds, and shines directly on the driver’s window. Squinting for a clearer view doesn’t help - the sun’s reflection is too bright. The door opens and he steps out and my breathing just stops. Glancing away from the main entrance, through the window blinds, he looks right at me, and smiles.

Short Story assignment

2009-10-31T10:54:00.000-07:00

This was one of my assignments for the creative writing course. The idea was to write a 50-word*5-para short story….

FIRSTS
--------

My interview is in 20 minutes for a C++ programmer position. It is my first technical interview and the preparation of the past few hours wasn’t helping the empty feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. To calm my nerves, I made myself a cup of coffee and as soon as I took my first sip, I realized it was too hot. Damn, burnt my tongue!

---

I step into the rental car with my list of ads and the printout of directions from Philadelphia to New York City. My lungs fill with lingering mustiness laced with cigarette smoke. I roll down the windows for fresh air. There is no time to exchange the car. I have only this weekend, today and tomorrow, to find an accommodation before starting my new job on Monday.

---

As soon as I come out of Holland Tunnel, I hear the first honk directed at me. At least, I think it was. Immediately I know I will hate driving in this city just like millions of others do. I look around and everybody seems to be honking. The noise pollution combined with the smell of the car triggers a migraine.

---

Walking down the 42nd street from the office towards Port Authority bus terminal, I am in no hurry to get home. It is only 5 pm and the Times Square is already lit with neon. I look up towards the darkened sky. I stretch my hand to catch snowflakes but they melt at my touch, leaving tiny droplets.

---

My first free weekend, went to Queens with a couple of friends to see the New York City skyline. The view was breathtaking. I didn’t know that looking at a series of concrete buildings so soothing. Downtown was transformed into a million of glitter bugs by evening.

---

Mar-kid-ting

2009-09-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

The other day we 'had to' go to the Disney store because we needed to buy something right next door. Shopping with a toddler is tough task in itself but with the kiddie wonderland so close - is easier said than done. So, the genius idea was to distract and hurry him past the Disney store and finish our work before stepping into 'forever land'.

But of course, there was no escaping the big familiar red sign.. And so, the next 15 minutes were intense, trying to grasp our little runner and deciding together on the selection. Once done, and even before the item was paid for – daddy and the lil’ donut were already next door.

Once inside the Disney store, we knew it would be a while. So, I made myself comfortable browsing and looking around; it was amusing to watch the tired expressions of the parents wanting to get out and excited faces of the kids wanting to stay in forever. Yes, I knew we would have the same look as soon as this amusement wore off.

The next challenge was to make it out of the store with minimum damage (of course, to our wallets!!). And the "mar-kid-ting" began; just like every other parent in the store, we started trying to market the least expensive item to our finicky child whereas he invariably picked up the most attractive (expensive) toy.

All in all, we got out of the store with the minimum loss and of course had the “We did it!” looks on our faces :-D and our little peanut was just as happy with his “Buzz-Woody” t-shirt. Though this is just the tiny one of those many many more “mar-kid-ting” moments to come, it doesn’t feel any less satisfying! :-)

Raising happy kids..

2009-07-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago, came across the caption "What We're Missing By Raising Happy Kids" on
NPR.org - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106307536

The title, ofcourse caught my attention as we try to learn parenting from the online world and pick the best approaches to raising our kids into perfect adults :-)
The author's point in this article is interesting. He compares the old world bringing-up to new-age parenting. I'm not sure if I agree to everything written but do think that the basic premise of singled-out parental attachment towards their kids and the changing attitudes stemmed by it, is probably true.

We all know that our children are going through very different social dynamics compared to what we've experienced - in both positive and negetive aspects.
I think for us, the process of learning came not just from our parents and teachers - but also from the other members of the family and friends of a close-knit community and also making the phrase 'It takes the whole village to raise a child' more true to life.
The world has since become much smaller - thanks to technology, and yet children are missing out on those important family connections outside of parents. And that leaves parents to be deeply involved in every single aspect of their upbringing which I think is absolutely essential, but the pressure of being the only ones in their lives and the urge to protect them from the slightest of disappointment is probably the downside to it.

All said and done, I guess today's parents are trying as hard as any previous generation - if not more to give their kids the best within the means at their disposal.
Go, parenting!

When I was a baby..

2009-06-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

My li'l one turned three last month and his favorite phrase these days seems to be "When I was a baby.."When he is not allowed to or even when he doesn't want to do something, he immediately with an all-knowing nod goes "When I was a baby, I used to / (didn't) do that!!" Doesn't matter if he even remembers or not what he did the day before but it is pretty cute when he says it with all his wisdom of 3 years.
And is also interesting when you think about how that phrase gets caught on this early and we don't let go of it all through our lives. On the contrary, it gets stronger over the years as we've all heard our parents, grandparents begin most of their lectures with "when we were kids(young)...." looking through our rolling eyes into their distant past and sighing longingly at their great times!
And you know what is great now?!School is out, graduations parties all around and summer is here! Guess that's our fun present.I love this time of the year, probably more so because the second half of the year has more long weeknds. Even if we srew-up one long wknd, there is always another one right around the corner :-) And the best of all is that the sun is still out & bright when I'm picking up my little one from the daycare.
Happy Summer. And who knows, you might just get yet another chance in future to say "The summers, when I was young... :-)

Social Networking

2009-04-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, who is on atleast one if not on all of those SNS's? Wrong question, these days huh?!As you can guess, I'm one of the late entrants into this online social world.

Although last year my sister did try to "introduce me to 21st century" (her words!) by trying to sign me up, the lazy me never bothered to venture and see what the fuss was all about! What happened to the good ol' emails? But the final straw came couple of months ago, when my 9 yr-old niece suggested I open a Facebook account along with how sign up - felt like a fossil for a second there :-)

Don't blame it all on me though.. You cannot access these restricted sites at work and by the time us parents reach home to the kid-madness which doesn't end until the lil' peanut is asleep, one is more than ready to hit the sack hoping for a dreamless night :-)

But when I eventually did sign up onto couple of the popular sites and saw most of the people I know are on one or the other, definitely didn't take long for me to warm up to it.I'm sure everybody must have their own reasons for logging onto these sites but for me the most fun has been getting in touch with friends with whom I had lost contact for almost a decade. And I guess it is much easier logging in once/twice a week and and know what is going on with all friends/family rather than an occasional email to each one of them.

So, here is to yet another way to a smaller world.

Missing sock mystery

2009-04-07T10:58:00.001-07:00

What is it about socks? Why and how in the world does one go missing and the other is right in front of you all the time?! I'm sure everybody must've experienced one time or another the exasperation of rummaging the drawers trying to find matching socks delaying the 'weekday' morning...

It does happen to me once in a while but lately it seems all the time with my little one. I do buy a few pairs every couple of months. The new sock pairs look so cute and almost like they are made for each other until their first wash. And after that hop into the dryer, one sock mysteriously disappears and seems like the other couldn't care less. I think the dryer loves try out assortment of socks by gobbling up one of the pair each time they come to it. And sure enough we never hear from the missing sock again. But even after six months, I'm not sure why I hang on to the hope that I might find it one day. The fact that my peanut would outgrow them long before there is any chance of finding them does little to dash my optimism..

About a month ago, one of the fun friday themes at my baby's daycare was a mismatch day. You can imagine my excitement at having gotten a chance to atleast a couple of single socks to use. I think I took more time than ususal trying to make a great looking pair of mismatched socks that day. Oh well.. what can I say - Though I'm game to an occasional mismatch day, the mystery of missing socks will haunt me forever :-)

2009-04-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

How is the April Fool's day coming along? Anything interesting??
This time, it was prank-time at work. Among 9 women in our team - 2 of them are pregnant and due this summer. So, the boss is already pretty busy scampering to get additional resources to manage the workload of the missing ladies and ofcourse he was the target of this year's Fool's day :-)
Of the remaining 7 non-pregnant women, 3 of us in a very well coordinated plan told the boss-man that we were expecting.. Missed actually seeing his reaction :-O since he works off-site! But heard he totally fell for it and is still probably reeling thinking about the effort and extra resources needed to fill-in for all the ladies in maternity leave.. Can't help smiling while I'm writing this :-)
And meanwhile hope he won't find out about the prank before the day is over.
Have a fun Fool's Day!!

Cuppa coffee?

2009-03-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

No one seems to have the time for a leisurely cuppa coffee anymore. Remember the wonderful combination of coffee and a newspaper?!
We all look forward to that little stretch of weekend mornings. Well, if you don't have kids or they are too young for those 'round-the-clock' (well,almost!) activity classes that don't end until sunday evenings. And then there are those bulky US newspapers with ocean of advertisements and not much news, take all the fun out of it.
So, what do we do? Like most normal people we "read news online at work"! Isn't internet at work an awesome thing? A few minutes of surfing every day from reading news to gossip columns and sipping the accustomed tasteless coffee is a daily dose of re-energy especially with no kids tugging your pants asking to see Elmo on Youtube or sifting through the mountain of ads in a daily to find something vaguely interesting.
Here is one of the funniest websites I've come across these days. If you are looking for a break in your otherwise chaotic day with some great humor - this is perfect for you. Enjoy coffee all day with this award winning website: http://www.alldaycoffee.net/

Visiting Hampi

2009-03-04T16:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, its not my trip but my sister's!

My sister lives in Banglore and visited Hampi (about 7 hours drive) over the weekend with her roommate.

And she told me some things she noticed which I thought were very intersting:

1. Hampi is in Karnataka but my sister hasn't heard a single soul in the 3 days she stayed there speak Kannada (regional language). It was always English or Hindi..
2. Hampi being a village is probably the only place in the whole of South India where South Indian food is not available.
3. Since it an important religious center, only vegetarian food is served in all the restaurants and hotels.
4. But get this, they had all kinds of cuisines available - Mexican, Italian, English, French (but no idli, dosa!!!)

And the story..

They went by train and arranged with the autowala who dropped them from the railway station to the hotel to drive them around for the next couple of days. As a bonus, the autowala became a tour-guide as well.
Anyway, the next day autowala/guide dropped them at a site and told them to look around while he finished his lunch. Now, it is to be said that my sister is from Hyderabad and her roomie is from Delhi. Since both of them don't have a commong regional language, for the most part they communicate in English and occasionally in Hindi.
So, while they were touring - a young boy, about 13-14 years approached and asked them if they wanted a guide (in English, ofcourse!). They discussed briefly and decided that their autowala-guide would be enough. My sister then tells the boy in Hindi that they already have one! The boy frowns and shaking his head says "You talk English with her and Hindi to me?! That doesn't make any sense!!" For a few seconds both girls are surprised trying to understand what he said. Then it dawned to them that he was offended because my sister spoke to her roomie in English and to him in an Indian language. Then my sister had to re-tell that they had a guide once again, this time in English :-)
But he still refused to believe and instituted another boy to watch over them incase their autowala-guide didn't return they turned out guideless :-) Unfortunately for our angrez boy-guide, the autowala returned!

This anecdote reminded me of my favorite scene in the movie "Slumdog millionaire" where the boy-hero poses as tourist guide for Taj Mahal in Agra. The scene where the hero is acting as a guide to an American tourist couple but knows nothing about the monument. When the couple enquire about the death of Mumtaz mahal, the hero who does not know anything says she died in a traffic accident. The confused couple then mention that she may have died during childbirth. Then our smart hero quickly modifies the story and ingeniously re-invents history saying that she did die in childbirth - a traffic accident on her way to the hospital!

About Hampi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampi

Happy 31st birthday!

2009-02-13T13:13:00.000-08:00

My 31st b'day is right around the corner.. Glad the milestone birthday has passed! I was upset leaving the 20s behind last year that my 30th birthday looked like the start of a tunnel.. I had refused to accept any card/cake/wishes with the number 30. But this time is much better than the last - probably because I've had a year a full year to adjust. And now I'm almost ready to take on the next decade but do miss the 20s a little :-) I somehow think 30's is the age of the actual growing up. Feels like it is the time to play out all that we've learnt in the past couple of decades. So, here is to the next 9 years..

Happy Holidays

2008-12-26T07:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everyone! Hope the Christmas vacation is coming along nicely..
I've been waiting for these holidays since the past few months. It has been a hectic year for us as I started working after a considerable gap. Adjusting to the routine of the new job, toddler daycare and buying a house.. feels like a long year..
My parents and sister are visiting from India and my youngest sister from Idaho is here for her winter holidays.. And we had all these trips planned but guess what?! My husband and I are down with cold, cough, eye infections. The winter is being a little severe this year. The travel plans look a little shaky for now and I feel slightly disappointed. But hopefully the holidays won't end by the time we get better!!
I still like this time of the year.. it is festive all around, people seem generally nicer - It is probably because we feel relaxed and that reflects in our attitude as well :-) These holidays must be a way of preparing and re-energizing us for the next year.

So, hope all of you have unwinding and a renewing holiday spending time with your friends, family & loved ones.

Yesteryears

2008-10-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

The other day somebody sent me an email forward about a glimpse of our Doordarshan and life of 70s, 80s & 90s in our desi land. The days of Humlog, Buniyaad, Bharat ek khoj, He-man, Space city Sigma with the villainous Zhakhakhu(?!) and ofcourse Dekh Bhai Dekh, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Surabhi..... Remember those days??? Aahhh, nostalgia....

Then there was the all-time hit Mahabharat. I remember translating each episode to my grandma who didn't understand Hindi but was a huge fan of the serial as wall all of India at the time - who really believed Nitesh Bharadwaj had descended from heaven to give darshan and cleanse our poor souls! And her grumbling during the commercials about the immoral, sinful ads being shown in the middle of our great mythological epic. Hmmm... wonderful days :-)

Remember when our parents and grand-parents talked about their old-golden days, we sighed and rolled our eyes?! It is hard to believe that we are ready to reminisce about our childhood and I already can imagine the look (sigh & roll-eyes) on our kids faces when we start about our wonder years! Just to jog the memory of people from the doordarshan era - here are some pictures from our beloved DD. Thinking of those days always make me smile and hopefully will do for you too! Enjoy..

Turning two!

2008-10-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

I always thought too much of noise was made out of kids turning two. Remember how people raise their eyebrows with an all knowing sympathetic nod when you tell them your toddler's age?! Well, the phrase 'terrible twos and threes' does start at two.

When my baby turned two, nothing happened! He still was his usual shy and soft-spoken who would not be more than couple of feet away wherever we went. Shopping was heaven! Days passed and I almost started telling everyone about the myth of terrible twos. And then a month or so later, our sweet, adorable son threw a huge tantrum for no apparent reason. Ofcourse, it wasn't terrible or anything but nonetheless out of routine and a surprise to us. That day we were busy learning the next steps of discipline - being calm and firm at the same time.

My husband and I got to talking about this episode a couple of days later and thoughtfully agreed that we may have gotten a peak at the terrible twos. Parents regard their little one’s first birthday as a favorable milestone but tend to treat their turning two with negativism. But when you look at it from the other side of the fence, it doesn't take long to realize how absolutely amazing these kids in their terrible twos and threes are! It is incredible to see how quickly they pick up things and soak in everything they see like a sponge. And their energy?! We all wonder how and where they manage to gather so much energy from the morsels of food they eat! But then they are two :-) Guess it is this lethal combination of the immense energy and the ability to absorb what they see, makes things a little harder to manage.

Also, us parents have the tendency of attributing the good things our kids do to the family whereas all the misdeeds to their school and friends. I remember how we instantly blamed the school after our son's first major tantrum that he was learning from looking at other kids doing it. And it is probably true to an extent. The challenge is to try and get our kids to be better and better while they still experience the situations and surroundings. And I'm sure this a test we have to take everyday for a long time to come.. So, best of luck parents!

Toddler-talk

2008-09-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

It is one of those precious moments when your little one starts to form words and sentences. I have been waiting for my little one to start talking from even before he was born. It is an amazing experience when you listen to those little ones explain with their wide eyes with all the wonder in the world.

Once they start talking, it is easier for the parents to share the progress of the kids with their near and dear ones. And so begins the fun part of prompting their children to spell out all they know - alphabet, numbers, rhymes etc. etc.. Especially on the phone, imagine the person at the other end waiting patiently for those cute words pop out when our little hero decides to zip his mouth. It is after a while that the persistent parents are willing to give up in the hands of a stubborn toddler. Remember the times when our parents pained us to sing/dance/or whatever for an audience? I still roll my eyes thinking of those moments! But as a parent, I don't really mind being exactly the way our parents were :-) Go figure!

But there are times when kids become talkative. My little one is going through one of those phases now. He is fascinated with the telephone - not his toy one, mind you! It is probably not so much the coversation that interests him as much as holding the receiver to his ear and pacing teh room while mumbling 'hmm's and 'yah's. It is very cute when he is telling his grandparents that he wants a 'helicopter car' or a 'baby computer'. But when you have something important to talk or if it is an international call, try telling him a minute of his talk is enough!

Kids, huh?!!

Birthday philosophy

2008-07-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

It was my cousin's birthday the other day. He is at one of those ages: great job, nice car, carefree life and too happy! You guessed right - time to tie the knot!! Sometimes one starts to get a little philosophical when pressure builds up. And here is what he had to say about each birthdays (till 28th).
And with my little further experience, I couldn't help adding a couple more at the end. Hopefully you'll get a sense of deja vu too as I did reading through.. :-)

Birthday events through the eyes/vision of Prashant:

1st - Hey!!! welcome to the world, the world is sooo great, life is beautiful!!!
2nd - Anniversary for the first birthday
3rd - Boy I am glad you passed the terrible twos
4th - When are you starting school?
5th
6th
7th - The middle years
8th
9th
10th - Are you sure you didn't eat paint chips when you were young?
..
..
13th Birthday - Who?
..
..
16th - If gender = female print "Happy Sweet 16" Else print "Tough luck, get a job"
..
18th - Light one up and join the army
..
20th - About time you graduated from college, now you can pay your loans
21st - Drink it up
..
23rd - Get a job
24th - Get a real job
25th - Get a real job that pays you money
..
..
28th - Get a wife????

Additions by Shalini:

29th - When are you having a baby?
30th - Are you planning on buying a house? (Actually it is, when are you going to be buried deep in debt?)
31st - 2nd baby?
........ will let you know how the later birthdays turn out to be!!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's day to all the mothers out there!

The day of celebrating and honoring mothers for all their love and well, for just being mothers!!

You know, there always has been a special bond between mothers and children. Remember the universal mother stuff that we've all have heard from our mothers one time or another?

* Don't make that face or it'll freeze in that position.

* What if everyone jumped off a cliff? Would you do it, too?

* If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

* Don't put that in your mouth; you don't know where it's been!

Fond memories, huh?!!
Now when I think about it, here is an interesting observation..
With younger kids, mothers wouldn't mind a little time off from their babies on mother's day but when their little ones grow older, mothers sure would want to spend the day with them..

Anyway, all the smiles in the world on their day of indulgence.. Here is to all mothers!!

Hyper-parenting

2008-04-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

"You don't want the kids to be seeking approval of the parents all their lives. You want them to know themselves, challenge you and make you grow as parents"

This is a part of the conversation I happened to listen on NPR about Hyper-parenting. It was an interesting topic as I've never heard of it before. We always talk about kids being hyper but parents?! The program was about micro-managing our kids and trying to find the balance between too much and too less of parenting.

It was an interesting perspective. Because as parents, we all want to be involved in all aspects of our children's activities in part to protect them and probably in part to make ourselves as the integral part of their lives. We never think if we ever are going too far. The program mentions that in helping the kids with their stuff all the time, will make them dependable and incapable of making their own decisions in future. I thought that was rather a heavy statement. But maybe it is true. Sometimes, we have to let them figure out things on their own. I remember when I was young, I didn't always like people telling me what and how to do - yeah, at times even my parents too! But as a parent, sometimes I have to make an effort not to help out my son when he is making an effort. It is hard!!

I know that it is instinctive for the parents to help their kids. But all the time and every time is probably not a good idea. The program mentioned of the instances where the employees actually brought their parents for salary negotiations, employee redressal etc.. I thought that was a little extreme! But ever wondered how and when it might have started? Hmmm...

20 years ago kids used to walk to school all the time even here in the US. But these days, parents drop their kids to school even it is a quarter-mile away. I guess, it is easy to roll our eyes and think that it was different in our time. But maybe it also stems from the world itself being not as safe as it used to be. Well, they all are shades of gray! To reflect upon our parenting and whether there is a need to bring about stability is definitely something to think about!

Becoming grandparents

2008-02-23T06:22:00.000-08:00

What is it about becoming grandparents?

They tend to become the exact opposites of when they were just parents. They are so happy being manipulated by their grandchildren. It is interesting to see them cheerfully agreeing to the things that they’ve always said ‘No’ to us, their children! And don’t forget about reproaching the parents for doing exactly the same things to their grandkids that they have done to us. Hmm.. no wonder they become soft in their old age!

I've heard somewhere that it is wonderful being grand parents. They can pamper the grandkids as much as they want and by the end of the tiring day, they can send the kids to their parents!!!!
Yup, looks like all fun and not much responsibility :-) Not bad, huh? Grandparents become the children's champions and the poor parents end up being the bad guys. Guess that is how the system works! Well, I am not complaining too much as we have had our share of pampering from our grandparents, defending us from our parents and there is nothing like it!!!

First experiences

2007-11-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

We all remember our first experiences. They are special. But when it comes to our children, it is our first time as much as it is theirs! Apprehension and excitement come together while experiencing their series of firsts.

About a month ago, we had our first movie trip with our little one. Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly a kid’s movie. He was a happy boy on our way to the theater and we hoped that this nice mood of his continued and he would let us watch at least part of the movie.
We picked our seats right next to the exit incase we had to rush out of there. And we would almost get halfway through the door even before he opened his mouth. The movie started and he started humming along the playback tune. Then he wanted to tell us about the stuff he could recognize “Eevi Manka” (TV, monkey and so much more). He was so cute but since it was a reflective movie for a fundraiser, we did get some glares from other patrons. After shushing him and rushing him out a couple of times, we did manage to be in our seats for more than 30 minutes – which wasn’t bad at all. Interesting!

And then there was his first fall! A couple of days back we experienced our peanut’s first fall. He fell off the picnic bench and got a nasty bump on his forehead. Within a couple of minutes, it changed from black-blue-green to blue! We were pretty anxious and took him to the hospital. But by the time we reached the place, he was back to his normal happy self. To assuage our fears, we still wanted to show him to the doctor. The 40 minutes waiting in the clinic, he almost got his second bump running around! Of course, the doc pronounced that he was okay. “Phew!” All is well that ends well but who can forget those nail biting moments?!

Here is the thing about first experiences: No matter how happy or difficult the incidents may have been, they are cherished and fondly remembered. To many more firsts of our children that we get to experience and treasure the memories!

Hawaii

2007-10-30T06:54:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our first wedding anniversary in Hawaii, a couple of years ago and I absolutely loved the place. I was going through some of my old files and came across this recountal. And I thought I'd share it with you!

Hawaii - born of the sea, born of the fire: that’s what the saying goes when referred to the planet's youngest islands.

The way these islands were formed itself makes a fascinating story. Millions of years ago a hotspot (red hot material rising from the planet's core) was formed in the earth's crust. From beneath the bed of the Pacific Ocean, magma (lava under the earth's surface) started sprouting. But as soon as the magma hit water, it cooled down immediately hardening. Through the hardened lava, again the magma would sprout and cool down. This process would continue for thousands of years forming a mountain under the ocean and still rising. One day the pile of lava would jet out of the water creating an island. So, all the Hawaiian islands were formed by the action and reaction of volcanoes and ocean.

We know that Hawaii is a chain of islands, the main ones being Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Big Island. All of these islands are spread out in the Northwest-Southeast fashion. The most interesting part was that all these islands were formed by only one hotspot in the earth's crust. How did one hotspot create different islands miles away from each other? It is because the Pacific tectonic place which covers the hotspot is moving about 4 inches northeast every year.
So, Kauai (topmost of the islands) stood over the hotspot millions of years ago and the island was formed. Slowly as the tectonic plate moved upwards, so did the island making the volcanoes dormant. And a new island Oahu took its place and when it moved on. Then Maui happened. And now the hot spot in the Pacific Plate is feeding the active volcano Mt. Kilauea in Big Island. As the lava continues to spill out and the plate moving upwards, thousands of acres of land is being added to the Big Island. We were fortunate enough to actually see the lava streams flowing off the mountain into the sea.
And to witness the creation of what would be the newest addition of real estate to the planet was absolutely awe-inspiring experience!

As the Big Island is slowly moving away, another island is being born. The mountain of cooled lava about 20 miles southeast is yet to rise above the ocean. At present, it is about 3000 ft below the ocean surface and growing. So, after some thousands of years - one of our future generations would witness one more island added to the state of Hawaii and a brand new chunk of property to the earth..

Nightin-tale

2007-09-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what time it is. Although it is dark, the light from the street is pouring through the half-opened blinds on the window. I look to my right and see my parents in deep torpor. There is no clock in the bedroom because the ticking disturbs my mom’s sleep. Not that it matters because I don’t know how to tell the time yet.

Today was unusually chilly for a Californian October. And sometimes the proximity to the beach does not help either. It looks gusty outside with the winds rustling the leaves on the tree. The heater is on tonight and probably feels cozy and nice inside the house had it not been for layers of clothing and blankets around me. But you know parents!! They think babies feel warm and comfortable when being baked in an oven; Of course, I don’t do anything about it because I don't talk yet.

Okay, coming back to the present – I kick my blanket off and it makes me feel better. But it is still too warm and I’m parched. I don’t think the heat in the room is bothering mom and dad because they look as if they are in a drugged coma. But a little sound from me and involuntarily mommy rolls to my side and pats me gently. Her eyes are still closed!

Now I am awake and the sweater over the night dress is making me really uncomfortable. I fuss a little more and make a louder noise. My mom picks me up tries to calm me. Poor thing, she still is in a daze. I am starting to get desperate and I know that something stronger is needed to make her understand.

With tears running down my cheeks, I cry out loud "Want water" and it translates into a coded bawl “Waaaaa waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh". aThe drama wakes my dad up and lights come on. And my parents start talking among themselves as to what is wrong.

After about 20 minutes of discussing the causes of my agitation and ways to calm me; finally the realization dawns onto them that it might be a little too warm. The layers of clothes are off me and that makes me feel a lot better. But there is still a little matter of the dryness in my mouth. Add another 15 minutes of singing lullabies and couple of rounds of coded cries, and ‘yippee’ they get it - My sippy cup!!

Slowly the excitement subsides and I calm down. And everything in the world is back to normal. Just before I space-out and continue on my dreams, I hear the soft sighs of relief in the background. And I know that mom and dad must have already lost their sleep and it is going to take them another hour to finally catch up!

Well, what can I say? I am a cute little kid and it is just another typical night in the baby household!!

Old world charm

2007-09-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

I was watching one of the old Hindi movies a couple of days ago and got to thinking on how movies have always reflected on the pace of life in the society and of course how the good old stuff always brings back the pleasant memories.

While we were growing up, the pace of life was unhurried and everybody seemed to have all the time in the world. And it mirrored in the movies made then. I guess the reason we enjoy them even today because we knew and experienced the lifestyle.

Even though a there was a change from our parent’s generation to ours, it was a slow progression. Maybe that is why we do relate a little with our parent’s reminisces. Our childhood of 2 channel TV shows and our parent’s radio programs weren’t all that different in terms of the feeling and experience.

Since the turn of the century, the world has seen a tremendous change. In the last 7 years we seemed to have zoomed into the future at supersonic speed. Sometimes I feel a generation gap between me and the teens today and I’m still in my 20’s (although only for another 5 months!). So, it is probably going to be much more difficult for our children to relate to our memories.

One day our kids are going to grow up and look back on their childhood and reminisce about their good old days of John Abraham movies, theatres and probably cable TV with only 100 channels J

But what is definitely true is that the old world charm for each generation holds its own magic.
And here is to the ever green and favorite line of parents and grand parents "Hamare zamane mein!”

Mommy syndrome

2007-08-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

Ah, the age old tradition of mommy mania. All of us have experienced that constant urging and cajoling about everything we do or don't from our dear mommies. Of course, when one is on the receiving end, it feels more of a nagging, especially those teenage years, where you hear the loudest. From waking up early on a holiday, watching TV, talking on phone to eating healthy and doing homework, sometimes made us wonder if they were born obsessed about everything.

And now that we are parents, the perspective takes a 180 degree turn. When it comes to us telling our kids, we want what is best for them. And suddenly nagging becomes worrying!! Interestingly, both words (nag and worry) have pretty much the same connotations. It just changes our perception depending on which side of the fence we are on. Our parents were probably right when they said; we would understand when we had our children.

Women seem to develop this syndrome the moment their baby is born. And as much as we are exasperated by our mothers and our children by us, it is something that makes us feel loved and cared for. And of course it amuses us too! We do sometimes make fun of them and would definitely miss it if moms weren’t the way they are supposed to be – all cute and quirky!

Well, mommy dearest know the best, always!!

Here is the link to a very funny video from Youtube, ‘A typical conversation with mom’ which says all about the ‘Mommy syndrome’. Enjoy!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XmecyCCdknk&mode=related&search=

Diapering dramas

2007-08-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

Toddler phase is a high energy period, not just for kids but for parents as well. Especially when it is the time to change their diapers - the toddlers try all they can to test the parent's patience. Parents who have experienced the phase know it is not easy to change the diaper of a toddler even though it takes just a few seconds. They squirm, struggle, roll, run and try to do everything except lying on their backs for those couple of minutes.

Sometimes I think if getting the toddler used to a changing table would make the process any smoother? After asking around, I gathered that some kids tend to be generally more calmer which makes it a little easier while the others are an excited bunch. I am not sure if there is an easy way out except waiting for them to be potty trained.

But here are some tricks I found in the Parenting magazine. Most of the parents naturally adopt these tricks but this is more of a guide.

To minimize the diapering dramas:

1. Taking a stand: Changing while standing! I know it sounds difficult, but after a few incidents you become an expert. Of course this is majorly not for potty episodes.

2. Enlist their help: The magazine talks about taking their help with holding pants/diapers and narrating the process enthusiastically. Talking to them probably works for older toddlers because the with Tarush it only lasts for a couple of seconds and then his attention shifts to something far end of the room!!!

3. Offer a treasured toy - a favorite book or stuffed animal. And rotate the items so he doesn't feel bored. This does help a lot in the beginning. But soon they start to recognize the toys and that doesnt interest them anymore.

4. Try a high-tech tactic: Giving watch, cell phone, calculator or anything little shiny with lots of buttons. This trick is still working for me. But be sure to remember to take it off their hands after the work is done. Otherwise, your expensive gadget will become non-functional in the matter of minutes!

5. Hold on tight: Ah, the last resort!! All else fails, pin them down and change it fast. Toddlers have more strength than they let on especially when they don't want to do something. Sometimes, it takes one to pin them down and another to change the diaper.

Thankfully, the saga of the toddler diaper change is a passing phase. I am still waiting for Tarush to outgrow the phase. Meantime, all tricks in full throttle!!

FYI, Parenting magazine is a pretty good source for advice and helpful tips for all ages and stages of kids. It also has lots of information for parents from health & fitness to recipes etc.

Hot yoga

2007-08-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

Hot yoga/Bikram yoga is one of the many styles of yoga that have cropped up in the recent times and gained popularity especially outside India. It was started/innovated in Los Angeles by Bikram Chaudhury in the 1970's.
It is a series of 26 poses done in a heated room with a temperature about 110 degrees F. It is a 90 minute session with designated water breaks. It promotes profuse sweating to remove toxins from the body. It is also designed to make the body warm and flexible.

I recently signed up for 20-day introductory session but managed to attend about 8 days. The first day was a total burn-out! I had to rest one out of every 10 minutes in the last half-hour. But the second day was much better. It definitely gives the feeling of an intense workout, partly because of the heat that tires you easily. I liked the postures and but somehow did not really connect with heat part. I felt it was too exhausting and found myself dreading the class even a couple of hours before. I feel more comfortable with my usual strength training at the gym. But it does work for some people like my friend who attended the classes with me. She likes it and knows a couple of people who have actually lost weight with hot yoga. For those who would like to give it a try, here is the link to more information:

http://www.bikramyoga.com/

Fading traditions

2007-07-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

Most of us have spent our childhoods in families with a lot of traditions and rituals associated with them. As we grow up, we seem to become less emotional and more resigned to many aspects of our lives. We try hard to give the same kind of traditional experiences to our children that we have had. But somehow each generation seem to be less involved with rituals and customs. We are not probably as traditional as our parents and our children may be less so. And we are worried about the culture gap that will eventually develop between us and our children. I wonder if that is something to be seen as a disappointment?

Our great-grand parents probably did not have the same exact way of celebrating a festival as we did when we were young. For example, the practice of Ganesh immersion started only in the late 1800's in Maharashtra. Ever wondered how the festival was celebrated before the time and in the rest of the country? It is interesting how the rituals and customs morph over time and each generation create their unique footprints defined by the individual experiences and values passed on by the parents. So, even though the way our children may not exactly celebrate the festivals as we did which again may differ from our parents, I guess the spirit is the same!

Newborn feelings

2007-07-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

Someone said - "Making a decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body"

A couple of days ago, one of my friends had a baby girl. I was looking at the pictures of the newborn and it is amazing how these cute little doodlebugs can make you feel the same wonderful way everytime!
Sometimes, I wonder what might be going on in the tiny head of theirs! Those 9 months in the tummy, it must have been so cozy and comfortable with all the warmth and suddenly they are out in the open! The confusion, curiosity and the awe - watching everything and taking all in with their wide little eyes.

There is something about these newborns - whenever I look at them just out in the world, unconsciously I remember Tarush when he was born, what the day was like, the first sight of him just popped out and those 10 little fingers and 10 little toes curled up tight.. Then ofcourse, I open his first year album, refresh my memories of the past year and reminisce those mini milestones of their series of firsts - first smile, first bath, first word, frist step... And I look at him now grown up doing new things everyday and realize how fast time has flown by.

Napping glory

2007-07-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

Every morning as soon as I finish feeding him breakfast, I wait for Tarush's nap time. As a stay-at-home mommy, there is this anticipation of the baby's nap time even before the day starts!
As the child falls into the daily routine, mommies count on those peaceful and quiet moments to gather thoughts, get a shut-eye, maybe finish off the chores without disruptions, or simply unwind..

Today, as soon as Tarush's eyes closed, I started my daily routine of stuff that I'd rather do without his interruptions. I finished all the work and gave a sigh of relief that he didn't even budge from his sleep position. Then I switched on the TV and fixed myself some lunch and ate at leisure watching one of my favorite programs. Later I did some browsing on the web and found myself getting a little restless. I went in to check on Tarush again and he was in still in such a deep sleep. I managed to read few pages of a long pending book. As time passed by, I started to feel bored. I wasn't much interested in reading anymore, nor watching TV.. or even browsing the net. All I wanted then was for Tarush to wake up and go about his happy running around business and to play with him. . I even gently nudged him couple of times to awaken him.

Ofcourse, he did wake up a happy boy in the next 5 minutes and after a few hours, I again started to wait for his second nap of the day.
Then I thought that we as parents don't give the poor little things a break at all. If they don't sleep, we are troubled and if they sleep too much we are anxious..
Well, guess parents never change and napping glory is just temporary!!

Carseat cum Stroller - Product review

2007-07-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

Carseat is one of the most important things for a baby. We can't even bring the newborn home without one! Despite the costs, we have to buy a rear-facing and front-facing carseats. Here is a product (Sit n Stroll) that can be used as:
1. Rear-facing carseat
2. Forward-facing carseat
3. Stroller
4. Flight seat

We were using this old carseat from our friends that we wanted to dispose off and were looking for a new one but weren't sure what kind to buy. We came across this Carseat cum stroller "Sit n Stroll" in some baby magazine and I decided to check it out. I went through the reviews online and most of them had positive feedback.

So, we bought one a month ago and have been using it as a carseat since. Last weekend we tried it as a stroller/flight seat in our trip to Chicago. I must say, we were pretty happy.

The Sit n Stroll is a 5-point harness and FAA certified flight seat (which the airlines require). It is little on the expensive side though - $220 (online price includes shade but store prices do not).
Even though it can also be used as stroller, I don't recommend it for everyday use. I find it a little inconvenient to unbuckle the carseat everytime we need a stroller. To use as a rear-facing carseat, the only problem I find is that it doesn't have a base. You can't just unhook the top part and carry it as a basket like a traditional infant carseat. But we had already progressed to a front-facing one! So, it was an easy decision for us.

But it is great for travel purpose. If you are going to travel a couple of times a year or more, this is of a great help. Instead of lugging around the huge/heavy carseat in an airport, this sit n stroll is transformed into a stroller just by the push of a lever.

Pros: Very convenient, comfortable for the baby, great for travel.

Cons: Flimsy handle, no storage space, Seat belt over the carseat (optional but recommended) which might make the baby uncomfortable.

We fount Sit n Stroll very helpful in our trip. All we had to do was take the carseat out of the car (with Tarush in it!), push down the lever and to convert it into a stroller..

For more information about this product - http://sitnstroll.com/

-Shalini.

Postpartum weight loss

2007-07-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a million dollar issue - Postpartum weight loss!!! Mommies who have gone through the phase can understand. And I do envy those, who look exactly as they were before the baby without the hard work!!

Pregnancy is such a wonderful experience. And to top that, I had no morning sickness. We have all those food cravings and no one to stop you from eating and with no guilt whatsoever. We don't give a second thought to all that weight gain (shouldn't too, I suppose!) and put on the ideal pregnancy weight (25-35 pounds). After the delivery it strikes us that the baby weighs about 8 pounds and the rest of the weight is still in us!

The first 6 months you are too busy adjusting to the little peanut and the crazy routine. Then the struggle begins. I never realized it would be so hard to lose all that baby weight. I guess it also depends on the body constitution of the individual. Some take more time than others. I do try and workout about 2-3 times a week but diet is as important and definitely the tougher end of the bargain.

My battle for the weight loss is still on, so any suggestions are welcome.

-Shalini.

Perfect or just kids?!

2007-07-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

In today's world, parenting has become more challenging than ever. Sometimes, I think our lives when we were young were so much easier than kids today. Maybe because we grew up in a much simpler world which did not have as many opportunities or the overwhelming information as children do these days. No matter the age, the kids are more aware of what is going on around them than we ever were. Most of the times we are unsure of what information should reach them and the right manner. With that kind of pressure comes a great deal of responsibility especially for parents and we tend to become less tolerant and over protective.

Often, we tend to forget they are kids and put too many restrictions on them. We are scared of them getting hyper with a bowl of dessert, of becoming dirty by jumping in a puddle, of making too much noise..

Sometimes, I wonder if we are missing out on the fact they are kids and are supposed to act like them and involuntarily start to expect this model perfect behaviour.

Shalini.