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May 23, 2006

One proud Momma!

HD is gonna kill me for this! Take a look. :)

May 20, 2006

Made in Switzerland.

For Whomsoever it may concern:

This is to certify that Ashu is an Indian citizen and NOT a Swiss citizen. So stop asking me "Swissarland citizen aa?" As far as I know, only in the US a baby becomes an US citizen by birth. It's no so in Europe. And after I say NO, don't give me the, "Then why the heck did you have her in Swiss" look. I did because I lived there then and I felt that the medical facilities were better there than in India. And loads of other reasons which are nt that important now. But I am glad I did. I got the best of both. I had an Indian citizen and I had better service. What more can I need?

To that particular person who goes about telling everyone he sees, "This is my grand daughter, made in Switzerland":

Even though you are technically correct, cut it out Dad!

May 15, 2006

Feeling hot, hot, hot!


I am in Kumbakonam. Translate that as I am burning alive. Hot is not the word Im looking for. It’s like sitting inside an oven. I ll sympathize with the potatoes every time I put them in the microwave hereafter. Poor, poor potatoes! Last time when I came to KMU in Jan and saw the fan in the bathroom, I thought it was too much and told my dad so. But this time Im asking him why could nt he have got an AC for the bathroom. Sitting in the loo and reading a book looks like a luxury now!

I made the stupidest mistake by deciding to come to my parents place in the middle of May. Friends are going to Ooty and Kodai and I come to Kmu. I am in India for summer after 5 years. In Kmu for summer after 15 years. So u figure! But ( there’s always a but thank God) I am in my "PARENTS" place and (there’s always an and too, thank you again God!) Ashu is having the time of her life. True to the word, she’s running around as a jatti kutti, playing with my mom, dad, cousin, grandma, uncles, aunts, niece and occasionally coming to me. So in that sense, I’m having a great time too!! We miss her father occasionally! :)

After 5 years, I’m eating Mangoes. My favorite fruit of course! They taste even better now. So far I ve had Imam Pasandh, Bangana Palli, Kaadhar, Ottu, Paadhiri, Malgova, Sendhura, Baadhaami, Alphonsa and Kaalapaadi. I’m waiting for the love of my life, Rumaani(Ever eaten them?) which is available only at the end of the mango season. They are round with the smallest kottai(seed) and tastes like heaven! I’m drooling while I am typing!! :)

Will be here for 2 more weeks before going to Madras for a wedding! Kaancheepuram Silk Saree - Madras - a wriggly baby in Pattu Paavadai - I think I ll get an idea how hot it’s going to be in hell!! I just hope I get my favorite mango there too or is it asking for too much?

May 08, 2006

Was it wrong?


This happened yesterday. I was organizing the photos in my computer. There were so many that I did nt where to start, what to do. It got really frustrating. Should I put together all of Ashus photos into a folder? Should I put them month-wise? Should I make a list of photos to be printed? Should I write the all the photos in a DVD? Or only the ones I have nt made copies of? What if its more than 5 GB? Should I delete all the blurred photos? Should I rotate the photos and keep the copy of the original?

If you have had a Digi Cam for the past 4 years, you ll know that I'm talking about. Especially since we have lived in 3 countries in these 4 years. We go, take photos, burn them in CDs, make another copy just in case, make another copy for my parents, make another one by mistake,... and now I don't know what to do. Should I start from scratch and make DVDs now? Anyway, the confusion apart, I started organizing the photos we had taken in the past 6 months to be written in a DVD. And then I find that Ashus first 6 months photos taken in Swiss are missing. I remember seeing them a couple of weeks back though! I got a shock. But I knew we had a DVD made just before leaving Swiss and thats how we got the photos in this PC in the first place. So started looking for that DVD. It was nowhere to be found. Searching for a Disc in my house is like, for the lack of a better phrase, looking for a needle in the hay stack! There are discs in every cup board, every draw. I started panicking when I did nt find it where it was supposed to be.

One look at HD and started wondering if it ll be worth dragging him in to this. Because it ll take at least 15 mins to tell him the entire back ground and then another 15 mins of blame game and then I ll be the one to find it anyway because hes a person who cant even find an elephant let alone a needle in a haystack. But like the mistake I always seem to make hoping that one day he had to know where something is, I ask him if he had seen the DVD. 15 mins of "Which DVD? What is in it? Does it have a label? Do you know what else is in it other than Ashus photos? Did you see it in the CD folder we have? Was it in a CD case? I copied it as soon as we came to India. You ll find it in the computer. Search for it. Thallu, let me search. Ok, its not there." This time I was prepared and did nt eve bother to shout. I did nt have the strength. Then he starts looking for it in the exact same places I have looked. As if by miracle he ll find it. He does nt understand that its not a miracle that I find things for him in the exact same place he says he looked for. I have eyes! He does nt! So like expected, he does nt find it. I am really beat by now. I am about to cry. Then it hits me. "Check if its still in the DVD writer? You might have forgotten to eject it." Now he goes and looks for the external DVD writer we bought when we were in Swiss and now of no use as we got a new PC with a DVD writer. He finds it thankfully. The power chord is attached and I hit the eject button. There! The DVD if sitting smugly! I give one dirty look at HD and take the DVD.

I sit before the computer and go back to my organizing. A slow trickle of tears flow from my eyes. At the relief. At the "what if..." At the absent minded professor. At technology! Expecting an apology and a bear hug, I turn my head to see my dearest Hubby Darling gone back to his Sudoku! (He is hoping to crack his first one before Ashu starts solving them! He does nt know I ve already started training her when hes in office. So you don't ve much time darling!) I got so angry. What do you do when you cry and want attention but no one notices you are crying? Pathetic, no? Even though it was a silent tears kind of a crying, I managed to bring in a sniffle. A soft sniffle, Then a loud one, This got to get some attention. I mean, the man cant see. But surely he can at least hear! And he does. I get the apology and a bear hug too. But the moment is lost. Because of that damn sniffle! I could nt help myself though. So tell me now, was it wrong?

May 05, 2006

Needle Magic.


We found this cute little shop called Needle Magic. They have clothes especially for little girls. Right from new borns. Its not a place where they have dresses in all sizes. They have a small collection in different sizes. But we can make an order if we like something and they will stitch it any size we want. The stuff they have are pretty good and does nt give you the "off the rack" kind of feeling. I bought a bikini for Ashu(giggle!) and also wanted a frock for her birthday. But they did vt the lace I wanted. Too bad. The one I saw was 2 sizes bigger. Probably I ll buy it anyway for Ashu to wear a year later! It was that cute! Never thought it would come to this. I have always been a readymade wear kind of a person. Now I am actually designing(sort of!) something for my baby! Well, thats motherhood for you. Full of surprises!

You can find Needle Magic at 16, Kings Street, Richmond Road, Bangalore. (just behind Brigade Towers after Vellara junction!)

May 02, 2006

Birthday Party.


Thursday was one of the most unforgettable days in my life. My first Anniversary as a mother and how else can I prove myself than to throw a party?! And I do think it was a big hit and thereby qualifying me as a good mother, don't you think? Ashu was in full form from the morning, refusing to eat and refusing to sleep, etc.. Thankfully she slept for a while in the afternoon and after our apartment neighbor started drilling her ceiling, she got up. Guess I did nt invite that neighbor for the party! Guilty as charged! :(

Anyway, in the afternoon HD and I went to collect the Noddy cake from the other end of Bangalore. Being egg less, my very orthodox family dared to taste it. So that itself made the trip worth it. My In-laws landed in the afternoon and my dad came in the morning. So Ashu did nt know what hit her with both her doting Thathas in tow. Around 5pm, the mayhem started. 6 adults and a baby to get ready for a party! That both the Thathas took only 6 mins flat to get ready did nt make our lives any easier. Feed Ashu, clean Ashu, dress up Ashu, comb her hair, put hair clips, put bracelet, put the hair clips again as she had removed them, look for the bracelet she had removed and thrown, find her shoes, .... Man! it was really bad! And the weather was so hot that we were sweating and panting. Then we got ready and left for the Hotel. There were guests even before us. Huh oh, bad start!

The decorations were really superb. Since it was one of those rarest days with not much traffic jams, the entire office team of HD landed up by 7.15. By 8pm, the crowd got bigger. And we decided to cut the cake and start dinner in spite of my "cake connoisseur" cousin being prominently absent and making HD worry about her! ;) We had a lotus candle and when u light it, it plays a music and opens up and the petals will have a lit candle in each of them. That was really pretty. I did nt know such things existed a month back. Guess I ve a lot to learn! "Happy Birthday to you" followed and we posed for the photograph with cake in hand. The cake then disappeared to be served in the buffet for dessert. Meanwhile, the caricaturist was drawing away to glory. All the guys raided that corner and formed a long line. The caricaturist started sketching doubles. The best thing about it was that he ll just draw a big face and draw a small body with some subtle things about that person. Like my grandma with a knitting needle and a ball of wool. My cousin kicking a football and most of the guys with a bottle/glass in their hands! That was really a touch! I loved it. He signed them with the date and wrote "at Arushis Birthday" and laminated the paper with sticky cling film. That was cool.

There were around 20 kids between 10 and 6 months of age. I was distributing party hats to them and making sure I had return gifts for everyone. Some tattoo paints, books, cute clocks, pencils, toy cars, games, etc.. Around 105 people much to our surprise. I did nt think I knew so many people in Bangalore! The food was excellent though after all the excitement I could nt eat anything. Ashu was happy most of the time. She was amazed at seeing so many kids and practiced walking in her shoes. HD's friends were playing doll with her. But she did nt sit or stand even for a second for the photographer to take a picture. Now I know what they say about toddlers! I just hope I lose at least a little weight running after her. She was wearing a simple pink frock. I cud nt find anything grand. But at least she was comfortable in it. Anyway, just like that she turned ONE and became a toddler from a baby.
ps. Thank you everyone for all your kind wishes. It really means a lot to me. Thanks from HD and Ashu too! :)
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