India Trip Report.

Four weeks in India was hectic as usual. Apart from the usual Madras and Kumbakonam trips, managed to go to Hyderabad for a weekend to see Utbt and family after three loooong years. The highlight of the trip was Ro, Utbt and me walking around Charminar in the middle of the night thanks to the Ramzan night market. What an awesome experience! A stomach bug which caused havoc to my system a day back could nt stop me from eating pani puri at Kailash Parbat and the yummy biscuits from Karachi Bakery! Ashu and Antu had a blast with Utbt's girls and it was so heart warming to see the foursome together having fun! In less than two days, they managed a pajama party, movie night, camping (in the hall!), swimming, building legos, reading, visiting park, shopping and million other little things. Talk about time management! Thanks Ro for taking time to meet us and it was lovely to see Ayaan and Tarana too. (Happy? I mentioned you first! :) When in Madras, Ashu did nothing except taking over a room and setting camp there with her Kobo. (See pic.) She would come out only during meal times!

Did nothing new in Madras this time except visiting the Vandaloor Zoo and Dakshin Chitra. And a fabulous puppet display near Kanchipuram organized by the Kanchi trust. And the Phoenix Mall, if you insist! And visiting friends and family too! Stayed a night in Pondicherry at a resort before proceeding to Kumbakonam and I enjoyed my first trip to Pondi. Visited the ashram, Auroville, a few temples, the beach, etc... While Hd and the in laws left from Kmu the next day and Hd to Zurich the day after, the kids and I stayed on in Kmu for one more week before doing the same. It was a week of doing nothing for me and it was pure bliss, as usual. I dont know what I will do if I don't get to recharge my batteries like that once a year or so. Long live Mothers!

The kids did nt want to leave the house and were busy with a cat and two kittens outside our house and all their friends and cousins from the colony who come after school to play with them. My parents were so thrilled about the Kallanai dam opening its gates and water flowing into Kaveri and Kollidam that we went all the way there to see it on Aug 5th. The kids hated road trips there and had to be dragged out! "I dont know why Thatha is so excited that theres water in Kaveri! Are nt rivers supposed to have water?!!", asked Ashu! Poor girl! Thatha and Paati, of course, were over the moon and were photographing like crazy! The girls found a bouncy castle and a few rides on the other side of the dam and were quite happy! I just wanted to get back so that we can buy the Ashoka Halwa at Thiruvaiyaru before the shop (Aandavar Halwa Shop) runs out of it! It was devamirtham, if you must know! :) The next day, Antu said that she had a dream that Kaveri came and asked her to come and see her and when she went, there were crocodiles in the river! Im still analyzing that one! :)

A trip to Swamimalai Temple and an Aandaal Kalayanam at my Aunts house rounded off the trip nicely. Not to mention Ashu falling down and majorly scraping both her knees! The scar will remind her of this trip for a long, long time! I had long chats about many, many things with my grandma cuddling to her in bed and wished I were a kid! She is 98 now and according to Antu she is going to die soon because shes almost 100! I know teaching this kid math was bound to come back and bite my behind! When it was time to leave Kmu, Antu started bawling that she wanted my mom to come too! Ashu blinked many times and declared that she hated me! I guess everyone has their own coping mechanisms! I had the halwa handy! My dad accompanied us to Madras. Antu bored me to death by telling awful slug jokes from Panruti to Vikravandi and the horrible, horrible roads paled in comparison!

Loaded with boxes from Krishna Sweets, more kurtas than I need, a million children's books, home made pickles and bakshanams and a vague memory of watching Mariyaan at Thyagaraja theatre, we came back to Zurich with a heavy heart last Wednesday. I have been walking around with a lump in my throat ever since! Where the hell did I keep that dabba of halwa? *blinks back tears*

Notes from a Small Town.

The one good thing about my parents living in a small town is that Im totally relaxed. I am taking laziness to an all new level. Like in Madras, no mad shopping to do hunting for that perfect short kurta, no restaurant hopping looking for that elusive Schezwan fried rice, no beaches, no visits to the dentist,... Im not even moving my behind to go to any of the temples for which this town is famous for. Only one quick visit was done to Govindapuram the day before the Kumbabhishekam.

I signed up Ashu for a 10 day swimming camp in a hotel pool nearby. Never in a million years would I have thought that my daughter will learn swimming in Kumbakonam of all places!! Unfortunately I took my dad along for the first class and seeing her splutter and pant, he took the coach aside (Im not sure if he bribed him! Hes capable of it!) and told him to teach her swimming with her head above the water! sigh. The even more sad part is that the coach agreed and now after the last lesson, Ashu is swimming exactly like how our Labrador (God bless her soul!) used to when she fell on the Kodaikanal lake!

I hardly come online or talk on the phone. My mom and dad take care of the girls. If Im really tired watching TV or looking at the ceiling (during the power cut), I play judge to the Pallankuzhi match between my 96 year old grandma and 6 year old daughter. My happiness cant be measured when Ashu makes her move after she counts the Sozhis discreetly so that she can pothufy Kaasi or take a muthu. I can proudly say that she has become the member of the Secret Society of Pallankuzhi! Antu is having her own fun upturning the heavy wooden board and scattering the Sozhis everywhere. Some (read Sis!) might say that Antu is following my footsteps but for the record, I did it only when I lost a game, mind it!

If you think at 96, my grandma is the oldest in the family, you are wrong. My grand uncle turned 100 (One Hundred!) recently and he lives with my uncle and aunt next door. Ashu and Antu visited him as usual and he remembered their visit 6 months back and said, "The little one will come to me. Shes not shy like the older one!" Gotta give it to the old man! Sharp as a cookie even though hes very weak physically. The irony is that every time we visit home, my mom or my grandma will insist that we go visit him as soon as possible because "God knows when what will happen? Seekram poi paathutu vandhudu". This has been going on for the past 10 years and its really hilarious that this dialogue is coming from my 96-not-out grandma. Poor thing used to wipe her tears and say, "May be I wont be here the next time you visit. Take care of the kids"! But even she thought enough is enough and during my last trip declared, "May be Im not going anywhere until I see Ashu getting married! So see you next time!" Hope to God I have the same sense of humor when Im old. (Not that old, please God!)

I dont know why but I sense that my parents are very proud that we live in Switzerland and I cant explain why but Im most reluctant to tell near strangers where I live. Ashu being the girl she is hardly ever strikes a conversation with strangers and even if she does, she ll only answer to Yes or No questions. Antu being small, people hardly direct their questions at her and even when she says "I live in Zurich", people assume she said Zoo and give me a weird look! So that only leaves my mother! While on the train, I went to the loo for like 30 seconds and my mom had introduced her grand daughters to half the compartment and maamas and maamis are asking me how I manage in the snow! One gentleman is asking ashu what her name is in German(!) and another lady is asking me if I get Murungaikaai there! Some people dont even know where Swiss is (Adhu enna? Newzealand pakkathula irukko?) and I have to tell them that it is near London! (My apologies to the Swiss!)

I dont know how my parents did it when we were kids but watching TV with Ashu is like Chinese torture. It does nt help that she has nt watched a full length Hindi or Tamil movie. Or a non-kiddy English film for that matter. It feels like a different Ashu is unleashed when I watch a Tamil movie and she catches a few scenes. "Why is that baby crying? Why is the mom leaving the baby and going to fight a war? Why is she crying now? So what if she came to know she is adopted? She has a mom and dad, right? Why does she care about her real mom who left her?" All this for a two minutes scene from Kannathil Muthamittaal. As if this is nt enough, there was a scene where Maddy and Iduppazhagi are hugging and the Akka character stops them. "Why cant they hug? Why is she stopping them? So what if they are nt married? So why dont they get married? Why should they ask the dads permission? Why dont they just get married and surprise him?" This from a girl who still informs me that shes going to the bathroom before she does! God save me! And here we were my sis and I as kids suffering through rape scenes, kissing scenes, hugging scenes, near rape before the hero saves his sister scene, rape after which the girl marries the rapist and lives happily ever after scenes, rape followed by suicide scenes, rape followed by murder scenes, MGR duet songs, Moods advertisement, etc... etc... etc... without batting an eyelid and without a peep! And in those days, parents could nt even change channels like we can today because there was only one channel to watch and most importantly there was no remote. And even if one was lucky to get the Srilankan channel Rupavahini , changing the channel meant that someone has to go to the terrace and change the direction of the TV Antenna to a certain angle and for people below to scream, "Yes, yes. STOP! No, no. Go back! Yes. A bit more. No No. Too much." Im sure its hilarious to hear now but it was one of the most frustrating thing, let me assure you. Coming back to the point, what am I doing wrong?

All good things must come to an end and so did the mango season. Just when I was finishing a whole Rumaani Mango and scraping the seed with my teeth for that last bit of pulp stuck there, my mom announced that that was going to be my last mango for this trip. For a moment, I thought of swallowing that seed whole but the childhood conditioning of how a tree will sprout from my head if I ever swallowed a seed would nt let me do it. Well, theres always the next season I suppose. I can wait.

Summer Vacation.

As usual, our India trip is going strong. After a wonderful week in Madras where we went to the beach everyday, the kids, my mom and I Ieft for Bangalore while poor Hd had to go back to Zurich. Antu being the appa gondu is missing him quite a bit! The Bangalore trip was to strictly meet my maternal family and friends and we did just that. We stayed in four different places in five days, met dozens of relatives and friends and spent more time in the car than any house! The girls had a wonderful time everywhere. S who left Zurich in April and had nt even settled in Bangalore fully yet dared to invite us to spend a night in her place and Ashu packed her bag even before I said yes! The girls had a sweet reunion and my heart swelled. Antu too seemed to have missed the little boy. So much so that she did nt bully him at all! As far as I know, that is! :) Thanks, S! Whats life without a blog meet? Lovely Art opened her house yet again for a blog meet and it was nice to put a face to many people! My cousin A with her two kids played host one day and I got so nostalgic thinking about all my summer holidays as a kid spent in Bangalore with A playing Amma-Appa games! Where did time go? My two college going nieces were absolutely adorable and the kids stuck to them. I was so tempted to kidnap one of the girls back to Zurich. Perfect baby sitters! :) They also took me with them to watch Dehi Belly! God! What a movie! I cant remember having laughed so much in a theatre in the recent past! A must-see! That reminds me, Hd and I caught Aaranya Kaandam and it was bloody BRILLIANT! I plan to watch both movies again.

Ashu and Antu met so many of their cousins and other friends kids that they were truly overwhelmed and Ashu was giving me the "What the hell are we doing in Zurich?" look all the time! Sigh! After the hectic trip, took a train back home. My parents place, I mean. Phew. The true vacation begins here with nothing to do all day long! Just what I need to recharge my batteries before I board the flight back to Zurich and get into the routine life! Ashu is busy playing Pallankuzhi with her great grandma, hide and seek with her friends, magic tricks with her grandpa, fighting with her sister, arguing with me, going for swim classes and skipping her Tamil tutions with my mom and playing Uno with her instead! I don't see Antu in one place for more than two minutes unless and until shes sleeping. Me? I am sincerely doing the one thing I came here to do braving the summer. Mangoes, ripe mangoes, red mangoes, sweet mangoes!

Long Live Grandpas!

I read MM's recent post and could nt stop grinning. Grandpas surely rock and its the same in this household where the girls think their Thatha is the best thing that happened to them after gummy bears! The girls don't even acknowledge my existence when Thatha is around. The only lap both of them fight for is their Thatha's. Ashu who is so restrained when it comes to showing her affection screamed a high pitch shriek and ran to my dad when she heard his voice at the door in Madras. She hugged him and held on to him like a lizard on the wall for five whole minutes! He is the one who tells them stories of his trademark "Singaaram Bingaaram". For hours. On the phone! No wonder Ashu says that he loves her Thatha the most in the whole wide world!

I know I'm being a total copycat but Im sure MM wont mind if I post the below photos. I have to because of the striking similarity. I swear they were nt photo shopped! :)

Zurich to Chennai to Kumbakonam to Coimbatore to Kumarakom.

And we still have two more weeks to go. Wonderful time is being had, needless to say. Though we had no plans for an India trip this December, it so happened that an official trip came up for Hd and we decided to tag along at the last minute. Convinced myself its only Kindergarten and made Ashu skip school from 1st of December. Though she was most reluctant to miss the school xmas party, the winter concert and Sami Claus visit, everything flew out of the window once she landed here and now she says she wants to go to school here and never wants to go back to Zurich! *gulp*

We were off to Kerala with my parents for 5 days. The resort in Kumarakom was wonderful and staying a day and night in the house boat was the highlight of the trip though keeping Antu alive in that most child-unfriendly house boat was another issue! Ashu saw uniform clad kids using the boat to go to school and was super thrilled. We visited the Guruvayoor temple on the last day on our way back to Coimbatore. It was quite an experience too what with standing in line for 2 1/2 hours to see Lord Krishna for 2 seconds! We saw a short Kathakali performance in Cochin and Ashu loved it. She was enthralled by the whole experience.

Good time is being had at porandha veedu right now what with my mother trying to potty train Antu, Ashus friends taking time in spite of half yearly exams to play with her, Hd happily munching on home made murukku and sipping filter coffee while I surf tv channels from 1 to 80 again and again and again not watching one program for more than 5 mins! Hd is not amused when I tell him that I don't want to come back to Zurich ever again either. He can be such a party pooper sometimes. :)

30 Days of Summer.

Since I'm a sucker for punishment and also to retain my "Ulagam sutrum Boo" title, I decided to travel to the US with the kids. The husband wisely talked himself out of the trip sighting work and stayed back in Zurich. Ever since my parents reached my sister's place in May, my sis has been nagging to me to come to her place for the summer. But I said no way. 1. I did nt want to travel ALONE with the kids. 2. I did nt want to travel alone WITH the kids. 3. I did nt want to travel alone with the KIDS. OK. OK. You get my point. But I think my sis talked to Ashu behind my back and coached her or something because Ashu insisted that she wanted to go see everyone and "its not fair Amma, if we don't go". So I gave in. Told myself that since Antu turns two and will get a seat of her own, things might be a bit easier. And whaddayaknow? Things actually were easier. Easier to go the bathroom whenever I wanted to. Easier to eat the food when it was served. Easier to walk with both the kids when I did nt get the stroller in London as promised. Of course things were tougher when the security in London threw away all the baby food because I refused to taste 50% of every yogurt cup/fruit puree.

Ashu: Amma! I want my bag back.
Me: You have to wait, Ashu. They are checking it.
Ashu: But why?
Me: To see if theres anything dangerous in it.
Ashu: But theres nothing dangerous in it, Amma.
Me: I know that. But they don't trust you.
Ashu: *shakes head*

Anyway, we all landed safely without blowing the plane up. No bombs in Antus diaper or knives in Ashus coloring book. Phew. You never know what the kids were up to when you were nt looking, right? ;)

It has been a week but feels like a month. We went to Yosemite for the long weekend and had a blast. Saw a bear just five feet from us crossing the road. And I was standing with Ashu in my hip on the road. She was so thrilled. "Why is there no fence? No cage?", she wanted to know. After that incident, she started saving Honey sachets in her pant pockets so that she can give them to the bears when she sees them again! Antu is still in a daze about the change of place and so many people who cater to her every whim. Thatha and Perippa have replaced Appa and she does nt even give the time of the day to us women folks.

We also watched The Amazing Bubble Lady in the library, went to the beach, watched fireworks on 4th of July (Antu's first and she was gobsmacked) and have loads of plans for the rest of the trip. 3 more weeks to go and I don't know how Im going to deal with the good byes. The NOs and tears and tantrums and all the emotional drama. My parents, Sis are Bil are too much to take when they are a slobbering mess all at the same time. :)

Antus sudden vacation.

You would never guess but Antu is in India. Hd had this official trip coming and he was to leave on Monday. On Sunday morning I ask him, "Why dont you take Antu with you? She does nt need a ticket. And conveniently my mom is in Bangalore visiting her family. So you can leave her there." Much to my surprise, Hd said yes. I spoke to my mom and she was thrilled. I was also feeling not too well and the thought of managing both the kids for one whole week while Im sick did nt seem like a good idea. So after a little hesitation, I asked him to call the airlines.

Ashu went to school on Monday morning protesting. "I want to go to India too amma. I want to see Paati Thatha too. Thatha told me that I can come there whenever I want." I told her we both can have lots of fun here and sent her to school. Dad and daughter left in the afternoon. The flight was ok, Hd said. Only a dozen people asked Hd, "you are traveling alone with the baby?" and helped him carry antu, carry the bags,.. Even a co passenger helped Hd to make Antu sleep, it seems! Not fair, I tell you! People actually shoved me and went when I traveled alone with TWO kids! So not fair!

My dad reached Bangalore the next day and Antu is having fun at my grandmas place. Poor thing is too young to know whats happening. I knew my mom could handle it. I could nt predict how Antu will be since shes a little clingy to me. Ashu had spent loads of time with my folks when she was a baby. Antu - comparitively less. My heart did break that Im sending her away from me. I ve not spent a day or night away from Ashu yet.(except during the hospital stay when Antu was born) She has never gone even to a town away. But now at 15 months, Antu is thousands of miles away from home. Its a strange feeling. I dropped Ashu at school today morning and came back to the silent house. I feel so alone. Not a good feeling. Whatever I did with my life pre kids? What did Ashu and I do before Antu? Sigh!

The duo will be back on Sunday. 4 more days. I ve all the time to do some shopping peacefully. But do I want to? Nah! Kids! They just screw our lives like nothing else does. Come back already, Antu. We miss you! Even though Ashu says she does nt, shes only jealous. And Hd! What were you thinking? As if you needed more brownie points!

With a heavy heart.

Last day at my parents'. Off to Madras tomorrow and then to Zurich on Tuesday. I don't know if Im relieved or sad. I told Ashu the other day, "Look Ashu, you should nt cry at the airport like last time. This time Appa is not here and Im alone with you and Antu. So you ve to cooperate ok?" My dad interrupted and said, "No,no.Sshes a good girl. She wont cry. Will you, Ashu?" "Yes thatha, I will cry", replied Ashu. Sigh! Was packing like crazy today. Seems as if I ve already developed roots here. The kids toys and books are all over the house. Our clothes are neatly stacked in the cupboard and I dont feel like packing them off and see an empty shelf. I dont know how my folks are going to bear it when they come back here from Madras to an empty house. Especially Antus soft babble and Ashus ear piercing "thaaaathaaaaa".

(Oh by the way, my knight in shining armor (Hd for the uninitiated!) is on his way to Madras fom ZRH right now. He ll reach tomorrow and then accompany us back on Tuesday. A sudden decision he took yesterday. I begged him not to and to please give me the ticket money in cash instead. The man would nt relent. But its such a relief. Suddenly I feel less burdened. As if someone took a load off my chest. Thanks, hon.)

In the evening, I was sitting on the terrace looking at the sky. Every evening, a flock of bight green parrots keep flying from one tree to another. Some 20 of them, either in small flocks or in one big flock. I can hear their loud "kee, kee, kee" a whole minute before spotting them. One cant see their color if we look at them against the blue sky. But when they all turn in unison against the backdrop of the huge neem tree, the gorgeous green color is sure to take ones breath away. It takes mine away every time. I dont think it can ever get boring. I have never been as blissful as I am at that moment. The going and sitting in the terrace waiting for the birds, then to hear their voice, then to see the flock and wait with bated breath just to get the glimpse of the green, the smile it brings to your lips, then just like that, the birds disappear. You dont know if you are happy or sad. But you are hopeful. That there will be a tomorrow. Somehow, all this makes me understand how my parents feel. For their grand kids. Sorry, Ma&Pa.

On that note (a la Tharini ;), wipe your tears and get ready for Ashus latest fad for silly jokes. Heres a sample.
Why did Tigger look into the toilet?

(scroll down)

He was looking for Pooh!

ROTFLOL!

What are we up to?

Antus birthday was a small affair. I bought loads of gifts for her. One of those press-button-make-noise toy from her dad and me, a noddy doll from Ashu, a wooden puzzle from her paternal grand parents, a set of 4 peter rabbit board books from sis and Bil and a silk paavadai from my folks. I bought blocks for Ashu as well for being a good big sister. Ashu said, "but sometimes Im a bad sister, amma. I hurt Antu". I told her its OK while rolling my eyes! Sometimes, indeed! Then the whole jingbang went to the Guindy park. I took Antu in the stroller and sat under a shade while the 2 set of grand parents took Ashu around. Then we went to Savera(Malgudi) for lunch. At the end, they brought a cake for Antu and we sang and clapped and ate the cake. Hd joined us on the phone. I told my mom how everyone was there for Ashus 1st birthday and the big party and how Antus birthday was such a low profile one. But I added, "instead of an Appa, she has an Akka present now. That covers everything, I guess." My mom took 5 whole minutes to understand who the said akka(big sis) is!

Then we left Madras the next day and drove down to my parents place. As always, Im hogging on mangoes, watching TV ("ulaga tholaikaatchicyil mudhal muraiyaaga..."), stepping out of the house only if Im dragged out and seeing Ashu only during meal times. Shes busy with her regular gang here who are at least a decade older than her! Antu is still only crawling and at the end of the day, the pants she wore for the day goes straight to the pile of clothes my mom keeps for mopping the floor! I bought her 2 pair of pants yesterday and both are in the pile now. Poor pants! My dad borrowed a inflatable water tub from a friend and both the girls have a ball in it for an hour everyday. Antu is getting used to going to sleep on my moms shoulder on the Oonjal.(swing) I think shes going to spit in the direction of her crib when we go back to Zurich next month! I dont have to worry about Ashu though. I don't think shes coming back at all.