Jamadu is Antus favorite stuffed toy. He is a monkey. (Orangutan, I think.) In spite of me forcing Ashu to have a favorite toy when she was a baby, it did nt happen. Shes just not materialistic enough. But thankfully Antu is just like me and loves stuffed animals. But not everything, mind you. She has specific taste. When she was about a year old, we went to a department store and "Jamadu" is the stores mascot for the children's section. There were stuffed Jamadu toys and Antu picked one. I let her keep it for while and when we went near the check out, she would nt give it back. Hd and I thought it was so cute and bought her the monkey. She started hugging him to sleep and he became her best friend. I think "Jamaadhoo" was one of her first words! When Antu went to India with her dad in October, I packed Jamadu along with her things. When they got back after a week, I noticed Jamadu did nt come back! I was horrified! Hd, needless to say, was clueless. "Are you sure you packed Jamadu", he asked! I was furious. I was thinking it will be with my mom but forgot to ask her. A week later, while I was talking to my mom I mentioned Jamadu. And she was like "OH NO"! "What mom? what did you do to the damn monkey?", I panicked. "I thought the airlines gave it to Antu. He looked so ugly and did nt think you would want it. Just yesterday I gave it to my cousins grandchild." And she went on to blame me. "What were you doing all these days? Why did nt you tell me earlier?" Yes, Its all my fault. By the way, ugly? Did she say UGLY? My mom was devastated that she has done this to her grand daughters favorite toy and told me that she ll go and ask my aunt to give the toy back. I absolutely forbade her from doing that. "Its OK, Mom. I ll buy another one if Antu misses him. Don't take it back from the poor child", I told her. But then who listens to me these days? When my mom came here in November, what do you think was the first thing she took out of her suitcase? Jamadu was back! (And my nephew in India is going to be scarred for life. Poor boy!)
Antu and Jamadu were reunited and all was well with the world. He traveled with her everywhere. This Tuesday, Antu and I went grocery shopping and I made the mistake of showing her a smaller version of the Jamadu in the store. She shrieked and held him close and would nt let him go. This one was small and had magnets in his palms and looked so cute too! I did nt want to to buy him though. So tried to distract her with other things but she would nt budge. I wanted to test a theory and showed her every toy in the store and asked her if she wanted it. She would say yes and take it in her hands but when I asked to give Jamadu back, she would nt but give the other toy back. She did this for a stuffed elephant, giraffe, teddy bear, hello kitty,... "Kutti Jamadu", she even named him. Oh ho! This is trouble, I told myself. Hd called up that same moment and I consulted with him. He being the doting father asked me to buy it for her. I gave in and bought him. We came home and she ran to get her Jamadu and introduced Kutti Jamadu to him. It was like the last scene of "Yaadon ki Baaraat"!!
Fate had different plans though. On Wednesday, Antu insisted on taking Jamadu with her when we went to the gym. I reluctantly agreed. Left her at the kids care and went to the gym. An hour later, I go to pick her up and the bright orange guy is missing! I searched everywhere but could nt find him. The caretakers there did nt know either. And they did nt understand when I said "monkey" and brought me a barbie and after all this time here, I did nt know what the German word for monkey was! (Its Affe, btw.) Antu just kept repeating Jamadu, jamadu but had no idea where she left him. I was so sad. Came home and Antu ran to get Kutti Jamadu and showed me and told "Here he is!" The spoilt brat! Called Hd, my sister, my mom and shared this major Earth shattering event. Ashu came from school and she was hugely disappointed with Antu at her irresponsible behaviour. Even went on to tell me, "You should nt have let her take him to the gym, Amma.This is why I don't take any toys to my school"! Who needs a Mil when you have a daughter like this? I was hoping that some child took it home by mistake and give it back the next day. Antu went to sleep with Kutti Jamadu that night.
The monkey motivated me to go the gym the next day. As soon as we entered the kids care, the lady there came running to us, took Jamadu from the shelf and gave it to Antu! I think I was more happy than Antu! :) The lady said that he was in the ball pit. Deep down. Phew. I wisely kept him in my bag, said bye to Antu and left to the gym. Yaadon Ki Baaraat- Part 2 (or "Naalai Namadhe" if you prefer! but seriously?) happened when we came home. Phone calls were made to share the happy news. Ashu was back to being proud of us. Hd came home in the evening and we all burst out the happy news to him. "He was in the ball pit? Did you wash him?", was his immediate response. (Avan avanakukku, avan avan prachnai*! Pasupathis dialogues are immortal, I tell ya!) So thats the tail end of the story!
This is to officially record that I have successfully completed the C25K programme. I desperately wanted to complete it by March but the Easter Weekend coincided and ruined my plans. So I completed the last day this week. I think Day 1 was mid Jan. It has taken me 11 1/2 weeks to complete the 9 weeks programme. Which is not so bad considering I have never seen through any of my personal goals before. I have quit bharatha natyam class, hindi class, carnatic music class, computer courses, maths tuition, physics tuition, chemistry tuition, yoga class, swimming class, previous gym memberships, .... Heck, even Ashu and Antu were delivered 3 days and 6 days earlier than the due date!! ;)
Anyway, heres the Oscar speech. Even though I knew whats C25K from Broom, I never thought I had it me to do it so I was nt even tempted. Then one day in Jan, a blog friend (*waves*) wrote and asked if we can do it together and I thought I ll give it a try. She did nt continue (frankly she does nt need it! ;) but surprise, surprise I did! Im not a person who does lots of research before doing anything. I just jump on it and learn on the way. (and quit without a care if I'm bored or lazy!) This time, the encouragement from all my friends and Antu adjusting well in the day care really, really motivated me. So thank you pals! You know who you are. And thanks to all of you who took time to comment in my previous gym diary post and recommended songs! (You thought I ll forget to thank you? :)
Though Im able to run for 30-35 minutes now, Im still not able to run fast enough to complete 5 kms in 30 minutes. I am able to do only 4. So my plan is to continue the programme, slowly increasing my speed and try to do 5 kms. Lets see how many more weeks it takes for me to reach that target. Now that spring is here, Im looking forward to run in the outdoors. Hope the neighborhood does nt protest! ;)
Today at the gym, I left Antu in the kids care and was filling the form there. The one which asks for our names, check in time, phone number, etc... Theres a column where one has to write the date of birth of the child. While I was writing Antus, my eyes went to the last entry and saw that there was a March 2010. I was shocked. I ve seen infants at the kids care there and the moms taking a break from the work out and breast feeding them in the changing room. Yes, its true. And these are non celebrity women, for your kind information! But I was still shocked and saw the date again and tried to calculate how many weeks old the baby was when it struck me. The mom had, by mistake, written today's date in that column! phew! But you never know. Some mom might hit the gym right after the birth straight from the labor ward! These women just exist to make me feel bad about myself, I tell you.
I am the most over weight person in my gym. Except when this other woman comes to the gym. But I don't see her most days. Guess she waiting for a member fatter than her!
Its like a fashion show out there in my gym. I gotta admire these women. If I look anything like them, I ll sitting at home ODing on chocolate instead of sweating in the gym. And I still do it some days - the ODing on chocolate skipping gym, I mean! ;)
The gyms lake facing and its lovely to look at the water and the ducks and the boats while running in the treadmill. I feel so alive. Cant say the same about the ducks though! Poor things have to watch me run and sweat!
Antu is loving the kids care. Runs inside without even a backward glance at me. I cannot believe shes Ashus sister. Ashu who cried, screamed and yelled for WEEKS before settling down in her play school.
I'm on Week 7 of my C25K programme and jogged for 25 mins for the first time yesterday. Almost collapsed at the end. Oh Eesa kept me going the last few mins. Today it was Dhan te nan.
Ashu asks me everyday, "Did you go to the gym today, Amma?" If I say no, she gives a very disapproving look. So I ve appointed her as my personal trainer.
I have nt lost any considerable weight in these 7 weeks. (Do you even have to wonder why after that chocolate confession I just made?) But my clothes are looser and I feel good about myself. Thats a start, I guess.
Even though the programme says 5 kms, I am able to jog only 3 kms in 30 minutes. So I'm planning to repeat the programme by increasing the speed slowly and trying to achieve the 5 km mark.
The monkey motivated me to go the gym the next day. As soon as we entered the kids care, the lady there came running to us, took Jamadu from the shelf and gave it to Antu! I think I was more happy than Antu! :) The lady said that he was in the ball pit. Deep down. Phew. I wisely kept him in my bag, said bye to Antu and left to the gym. Yaadon Ki Baaraat- Part 2 (or "Naalai Namadhe" if you prefer! but seriously?) happened when we came home. Phone calls were made to share the happy news. Ashu was back to being proud of us. Hd came home in the evening and we all burst out the happy news to him. "He was in the ball pit? Did you wash him?", was his immediate response. (Avan avanakukku, avan avan prachnai*! Pasupathis dialogues are immortal, I tell ya!) So thats the tail end of the story!
