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October 28, 2006

I am an actual person! Hurray!

I tried to publish a new post in my Tamil blog and I had to go through word verification before publishing. But even after the word verification, the publishing failed. I tried a couple of more times and it was really annoying. There was word verification even to save it as a draft. I tried a few hours later and I got a message from blogger. My blog has characteristics of a spam blog it seems!

Blogger's spam-prevention robots have detected that your blog has characteristics of a spam blog. (What's a spam blog?) Since you're an actual person reading this, your blog is probably not a spam blog. Automated spam detection is inherently fuzzy, and we sincerely apologize for this false positive.

Before we can turn off mandatory word verification on your posts we'll need to have a human review your blog and verify that it is not a spam blog. Please fill out the form below to get a review.

Find out more about how Blogger is fighting spam blogs.

Remove word verification from posts Word Verification: Type the characters you see in the picture below.
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We'll contact you after we review your blog.

How insulting! :(

ps. Prabhu, the post was about Tamil Rhymes for your kind info! I know I would have someone to blame this on! (Prabhu asked me for a post on Tamil Rhymes.)
ps1. By some hair pulling and searching for my lost post, I found it here. But it cannot be viewed in my home page or in its permalink. Go figure!

update: The posts are appearing now but I am not able to publish a new post in my Tamil blog. Even this post appeared only after 12 hours. Whatever!

October 27, 2006

1.5 & a tag.


I found this cute little meme at flipflopmamma and tagged Ashu. Could nt resist! ;) By the way, Ashu is 18 months today and call this my gift to her.





3 Things That Scare Me
Pressure cooker whistle
Beach
Walking on the wet bathroom floor

3 People That Make Me Laugh
Grandma
Grandpa
Amma

3 Things I Love

Noddy show on TV
Noddy book
Noddy stuffed toy

3 Things I Hate
Sweets including chocolates. Mom says I ll change and start hogging them soon. But I dont think so. Bring on the pickles!
Washing my hair. How am I supposed to breathe when water is running down my face? And Im not supposed to swallow the water too. When will mom get it?
When grandma tries to put flowers on my head with a hairpin. It can wait, woman! I have hardly any hair and you are doing seriuos damage to the scalp.

3 Things I Don't Understand
Why do I have to begin counting with one? Why cant I start from two? And finish with three?
Why do I have to go in the potty? What are diapers for then?
Why cant I drink Milk for breakfast, lunch and dinner? And for snack time?

3 Things On My Floor.
The entire contents of the toy basket. About 108 things.
Me.
Winnie the pooh rocker.

3 Things I'm Doing Right Now
Playing hide and seek with the two boys from next door.
When they call out my name, I come out of my hiding place!
When the boys go and hide, I run to mommy!

3 Things I Can Do
I can give a dimpled smile and make grandpa eat out of my hand!
I can understand most of the stuff Mom asks me to do. But I do only a few stuff. Why give her the satisfaction?
I can open the main door, climb the stairs and go to the terrace on my own and give mom a heart attack.

3 Ways to Describe My Personality
Happy
Needy
Lovable

3 Things I Cant do
I cant be alone in a room even for one waking minute.
I cant pronounce Water. I say Taater. But you know what I mean, so why bother?
I cant go to sleep on my own.

3 Things I Think You Should Listen To
Grandpa. He is always right. He is my man!
The song "Suttum vizhi sudare". Rocking!
Kids below five talking. Sounds like heaven to me. I am not far behind myself!

3 Things I Think You Should Never Listen To
My mom singing me lullabies. Although it makes me go to sleep, it ll be very embarassing if theres an audience.
Ferber.
Some of the things my mom writes in her blog about me.

3 Absolute Favorite Foods
Bananas
Yogurt
Toast

3 Things I'd Like to Learn
Operate the TV remote and switch channels between Pogo and Cartoon network.
Take the milk from the fridge and pour it in my bottle. I dont have to depend on my prison warden then!
Climb down the stairs without my butt on the air.

3 Beverages I Drink Regularly
Milk
Apple juice
Water

3 Shows I Watched as a Kid
Make way for Noddy
Oswald
Sesame street

3 Fellow Babies That I am Tagging
All the babies whose parents read my mommy's blog.


October 18, 2006

The Old.

Right now my grand mother (Dads mother) lives with my parents. She’s 90 years old. Next door lives my Uncle (Dads younger brother) with my 96 year old Grand uncle and 94 years old Grand aunt. This is a story about the old.

My father has 6 sisters and 3 brothers. My grand father had two sisters. Both of them did nt have any children of their own. One of the sisters was widowed when she was in her thirties and demanded her brother to give one of her sons in adoption and succeeded. She adopted my dad. Though not legally but with all the required religious poojas. Soon after the adoption, my dads Upanayanam (where he wears the sacred thread) happened. After that, he started doing the required customs to be performed after the death of a parent. For his adopted father. Once a month on the Amaavasai(Tharpanam) and once every year (Srardham). We called his adopted mother Athai Paati. She died when she was 75. She lived alone almost all her life and only the last year of her life, she lived with us. She suffered almost for 5 months before she died. The last 2 months, she lost her memory. It was really bad. My mom bathed her, dressed her, fed her, cleaned her and did everything for her. Soon after her death, we moved to another town.

Six years later, Dad’s parents came and lived with us on and off for around 3 years. My grandpa fell in the bathroom, broke his leg and was bed ridden for 2 months before he passed away. He was 90. Then my Grandma lived with my Uncles and Aunts for a while before coming back to my parents. Whenever my parents were traveling abroad or moving to another town, she ll live with the other sons and daughters. After my parents came back to our home town, she started living here. Now even when my parents travel, she continues to live alone in her down stairs room. A cook brings her food and since my uncle lives close by, he takes care of her. She’s 90 years old now.


My grand father's other sister who did nt have children either asked her brother for a child to adopt. So my dad’s younger brother was given in adoption to her. She died within a year of adopting my Uncle. Her husband, my grand uncle, is the one who is 96 now and living with my Uncle. The grand aunt I told about earlier is his sister. Her story is a tragedy. She got married in her teens. Her husband did nt want to live with her as she was dark and ugly. She came back to her village and lived with her family. After a decade or probably less, her husband died. She shaved her head, adorned the widow's attire and lived alone all her life. Last year, she joined an old age home. But she got too sick and wanted to live with my Uncle along with her brother. So she’s currently with my Uncle now. She is 94 and very sick.

My great grand mother had a sister. Her story is the most tragic. She got married when she was around 10 years old. As was custom then, girls got married young, stayed with their parents until puberty and left for the husband’s house afterwards. But after a year or two, her husband died. She became a widow when she was 12. After her puberty, they shaved her head and made her wear the widow’s attire. (My grandma has told me that she had really long and beautiful hair.) So she did nt even see the inside of her in-laws house, I guess. She lived alone almost all her life. I used to be very scared of her as she was a bitter old woman. (I can imagine why!) She died when she was 95.

I wish I had a magic wand with which I can wave and wash away all the worries and troubles of the old. Life is nt worth living long.

ps. If you have a story to tell about the old, please make an effort to write. Don't forget to send me the link. Or you can email me(boobabytalk at gmail dot com) the story and I can put it in this blog. It can be about anything:
The problems the old face.
The dilemmas our parents face caught between the old and the young. (I am currently writing a post on this topic.)
The customs and beliefs which make life more difficult.

Or anything which comes to your mind when you think about the old.

I would love to know more about this topic from you.

October 16, 2006

My gullible baby!

I am sitting on the bed and watching "America's next top model"(Some old season!) on TV. I have closed the door since the AC is on. Ashu, as she does every 10 or 15 minutes, calls out "Amma! Amma!" and prompted by my dad comes and knocks the door. She is too short to open the door by herself and I am too lazy to get up from the bed and open the door. Also, Tyra is about to criticize the contestants photos. So I shout "Amma is not in here" and Ashu believes me and runs away. My poor darling! Either she thought Amma is always right and if she says so, then she might not be in there(!) or she was just reassured with my voice and went back to play with Grandpa. I could nt help laughing. I heard my dad telling Ashu "Amma is lying, She is in there" and she came back and knocked again. And I shouted again that I was nt in there and she ran away again. But this time I opened the door and said "Gotcha!" She came running to me and gave a hug. One of those sweet nothings! :)

October 15, 2006

Baby's day out!




Sitting on this swing was a little scary but fun!










And it was fun to feed the cow too... until she licked my hand! Yuck!








And this was a big deer. I saw several and a small one too. Amma sang "Maan kuttiye, pulli maan kuttiye"! I dont think she meant me this time!



Being chased by the Geese was no fun, I tell you. And with Amma and Grandpa screaming at Paati to run, I thought I will have to face the geese alone! But the good Paati picked me up and ran. Now THAT was fun! :)

October 12, 2006

Heights tag.

Height of Embarrassment - Ashu refusing to say a word when guests come home. And they ask me, "Does she talk?"

Height of Perfection - Ashu trying to keep her bottle straight on the table after she finishes her milk. She will stand on her toes and keep it straight but not sideways.

Height of Cruelty - She will dangle a piece of biscuit near my mouth and I would say no thanks. But she will persist. When I open my mouth, she will promptly put it in her mouth and run away.

Height of Anger - Ashu screwing up her face and pushing me away if I so much as touch my father. If I hug him, she gets mad and starts screaming.

Height of Comparison - Whenever she pulls my long ear rings, she will touch her ears to see if by magic she has long ear rings too!

Height of Choosiness - Picking out one book from the book shelf and holding it for months as her favorite. She won’t make another one her favorite until I hide the book or she does permanent damage to it!

Height of Vigilance - As soon as the mobile phone rings, she ll figure out where the phone is, run to it and bring it back to my dad to answer.

Height of Promptness - She always closes anything she opens. Firmly. The cupboards, bottles, boxes, doors, ...

Height of Desperation - Ashu closing the bedroom door and going and lying on the bed waiting for me when I delay to put her to sleep.

Height of Brilliance - As soon as we gave her the numbers book, she started associating. Now she says too, thee, fo, chix, nain,... looking at the phones, calendar or wherever she sees numbers.


Height of Frustration - Ashu trying to turn the back cover of a book thinking that there is another page sticking to it and crying in frustration when she cant!

Height of Manners - She says "Thanks" only to me and only when I give her appalam. (papad)

Height of Sharing - Ashu giving a toy to the kid who comes home so that she can snatch the toy that the kid is holding.

Height of Caring - Whenever I hurt myself and scream with pain, Ashu will come running to me with a concerned look on her face. I ll smile and tell her Im alright and she will smile back sheepishly.

Thanks
ArtNavy for tagging me. Thanks Itching to Write for starting this tag. This one made me think a lot. And thanks all of you who took this tag because it helped me copy!! ;)

October 10, 2006

HD,

I miss you. Can you like come back?

Luv,
Boo.

ps. I am sure Ashu will say the same too if she can talk. Dont let her attachment (read as glued to) towards her Thatha fool you. Hes just a rebound.

October 05, 2006

Bits and pieces.

So many things are happening in my side and each deserves a post of its own. But I will spare you all and just give a glimpse!

On Saturday I am going to my parents place. Will be there for a month and then come back to Bangalore and leave for Zurich by mid Nov, if everything goes as per plan that is!

My moms cleaning the house right now. Which means, we are fighting from morning to night. Dont ask!

Ashu is being extra clingy to my mom and extra stubborn and extra adamant and extra everything. Is this a phase or is it my mom?

HD is in Zurich hunting for a house. It is tougher in Zurich than Basel to get a house I guess. Hope the difference between the two cities ends there. (If by some remote chance, you are reading this from Zurich, can we be friends? If you have a child too, can we be best friends?)

My dads car which we had borrowed all these months went back today loaded with all our luggages. I have no idea why we have so much stuff to take while we travel.

For dinner today I made Kadai paneer WITHOUT turmeric, tomatoes, corn flour(for thickening as it went too watery!) and garam masala because my mom sent all these things in the car. I had to make Kadai Paneer since the paneer I bought a month back was expiring tomorrow!

Just today I remembered that I need to buy at least 2 big packs of diaper as we dont get it in my home town. When I went to the corner pharmacy to buy them, they were out of stock. Another shop where we used to buy also did nt have them. May be Ashu is ready to be potty trained!

When the driver was taking the stuff to the car, Ashu saw him taking the Pooh rocker and leaving the house. She ran behind him shouting "Pooh, Pooh" and started crying. And she has never bothered to sit on it or play with it even for a minute.

I am shocked to see the amount of stuff I have to take for one month. How am I ever going to manage with the measly 20 kgs to Zurich? Daddy, can you send a car there too?

I am hooked on to Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, the celebrity dance show on Sony and Nach Baliye 2 on Star one. But they are so dragging. Especially the one whole hour for eliminating a couple on JDJ. I can as well watch the next day and find out whos missing. Farah Khan on JDJ and Saroj Khan in NB rock as judges. But Shilpa Shetty and Kunal Kohli are total waste. And can Malika Arora Khan please refrain from saying "Yo all were great", "Yo all are cute", "Yo all were brilliant", "Yo all sucked" like a million times. It is so annoying. There are only two shes talking to, right? So why "yo all"?


On the blog front, I have three or more tags on my head. It would be fun to do them. One by one. I also wanted to write a post on a certain issue triggered by another post but dont know where to start. But I will.

October 02, 2006

Moving.

It's that time of my life again. The one word I have started to hate. Relocation! We are going to Switzerland (again!), to the country Ashu was born. Excited, yes! If I blink and will be in Zurich, that will be great. But no such luck. HD left Bangalore last night and is in Zurich already. It will take a month for our visas to come. So mostly by November, we should be there too. My parents and FIL were here to see him off so it did nt hit me hard, his absence. But when I came back home from the airport to find his black flip-flops lying on the floor and his tooth brush along side mine, I felt very sad. Ashu asked "Appa illaiyaa?" (No Appa?) in the middle of the night and that made me miserable. :(
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