Dear Appa,

I know you are coming here tomorrow. Though Amma is keeping it as a surprise for me, I know. Just because I don't ask for you or talk to you on the phone does nt mean that I have forgotten you. I miss you loads and as Amma is telling everyone who has ears, I am not very good at long distance relationships. I am just waiting for you to come here so that we can continue from where we left off. I am having lots of fun here with Pema and Pepa and loads of other people. I am too young to realize that this is temporary. I live in the present. Which is good if you ask me. I don't get all sad like Amma or Pema that times flying and there are only 10 more days remaining in this trip.

Amma says that you wont recognize me at all as I have turned from an adorable angel to a total brat. I think I have grown taller too as I can reach those fridge magnets on the top now. I cant wait to show you all the cool stuff I am doing here. So come soon. It would be nice to have one more man listening to my every whim, so looking forward to it.

Luv,
Ashu.

ps.
I wrote you this letter because as you suspect, theres no scheme going on here to brainwash me in forgetting you. Do you think I ll let these people do such a thing to me? They cant even make me eat, for Gods sake!

Ashus antics at her Aunt's!

I think its high time I write a post when even Hd mails me and asks why there has been no update in my blog for a long time! The reason is that I don't find any time. How you working moms, moms with two kids and other busy SAHMs take time to blog is beyond my understanding! Do you girls ever sleep? At least I am having so much fun here that theres no time to even think about a post. And also I cant complain about my sister in this space as she reads it too! ;) Oh yeah and her house has a pool.

Here's some tit bits about Ashu and how shes spending her time for the past two weeks at my sisters place:

I don't recognize her anymore. I think she knows shes 2 years old and is trying to act her age.

Before as soon as I say "time to change your diaper", she used to run to her room, take a fresh diaper, changing mat and wet wipes and be ready to get her ass wiped. Now she runs to the farthest corner of the house and the chase begins. It takes 10 minutes to catch her, hold her on the mat and change her. She wriggles and wiggles and kicks and screams. This is on a good day.

She has twisted my sis and Bil around her little finger. So much so that right now they would do anything for her.

My Bil's sister had come here last week with her infant and Ashu would nt let my sis or Bil hold the baby. She wanted to be carried too when either of them carried the child and threw a tantrum when they did nt. I was absolutely ashamed of this behaviour though I could nt do anything about it. She was very gentle with the child and missed him when he was nt around and got very close to the baby's mom, Aunt V in just one day. She called her "Athai, athai" dozen times an hour and one time when she went out for shopping, Ashu started crying because Aunt V left her. But hear this! She was OK if I carried the baby though. Go figure!

Ashu has already attended two birthday parties including her own surprise party and theres one more next weekend. I'm eating all the good food I can and Ashu is getting all the balloons and party favors she wants. Its a win win situation since Sis pays for the gifts and drives us around. Now you understand why I have decided not to complain about her, don't you? And all those trips to the parks, of course!

She calls my sister "Pema" and my Bil "Pepa", for Periamma and Periappa which means Big Mom and Big Pop respectively in Tamil. Its always Pema this and Pepa that. She even calls me Pema first before changing it to amma. That's how many times she calls her Pema every day.

Ashu and I are having so much fun and so much social life here that I am wondering whats there in Zurich for me to go back to. Its not like I have a job there or anything, right? Just kidding, Hd!

One day Ashu had fun at a friends place with her two kids and it was a pleasure to watch her with another toddler. Jumping on the bed, playing ball, reading a book, having a make do picnic, kicking her and getting kicked back and playing big sis to the infant by bullying her. I have never seen so many sides of Ashu before. It was a total revelation. This ones no sissy as I thought she was.

Yesterday Ashu had her first of many more to come "falling down from the big bed" accident. During the night she shifted from the middle of the bed, crossed a wide bridge which is me and fell down with a big BANG. Shes going around and saying "Amma pushed me from the bed" to everyone now. Yes, I deserve it!

As if its not enough that Ashu is hooked onto Noddy and Dora, now she has started watching Diego too. Which I learnt is a boys version of Dora. She has switched her loyalties from Dora to "Digogo" now. Typical girl, huh? ;) We don't get Diego in Zurich and my sis is thinking about buying a DVD for Ashu so that she does nt forget him. Remember fingers? Twist? See what I mean? And she was so serious when she said that as if that animated boy is some dear relative. Get a life, Sis!

Yesterday, a fellow blogger and his family who also know my sister were kind enough to drop by. So for the first time, I have met a virtual friend. Hurray! Thanks Sundar and San for the cute dress for Ashu and shes still asking for Akka! Ashu is so good with kids a little older than her and I can also let the kids be without supervising them every minute that I so want a Big sis/bro for Ashu. Can I have the Junior, Sundar?

Its also confirmed that my child does nt believe in Long Distance Relationships. Just like she would nt talk to her grand parents over the phone after we moved to Zurich from India and run as soon as she hears my dads voice on the phone and would only say Bye to him at the end, shes doing the same now to her dad. Till now, she has never asked about her father or spoken one sentence to him on the phone. Except this one time, when she saw the climax of the movie Finding Nemo on TV and asked me "No Appa?" I hope she realizes soon that I'm Marlin in this house who would fight the entire ocean to come and see her. Her dads just the side kick Dory with an even more short term memory disorder, if that's possible, mainly existing to annoy Marlin!

There are so many other interesting(!) things which Ashu is saying and doing but let me stop here. More later if you are nt already bored to death.

ps.
Hd, you asked for it!

Ticket to ride.

Sunday was another fun filled day with a day trip to a big park with a dear dear friend and her kids. Then to my cousins place for lunch where while Ashu took a nap we played the board game Ticket to Ride. My sis has the US board and my cousin has the Europe board and she and her husband has painstakingly made an Indian Board by themselves too! So we were trying to make train routes from one city to another city and having pure fun! Every time my sis and I meet, she introduces us to a new game and the poor old games are totally forgotten. Ticket to Ride is so addictive that the old games which we used to play like crazy past midnight did nt even come out of their boxes. Every night after Ashu goes to sleep, we take the board out. Got to see what she does if we play with her around. There are so many coins and cards of different colors, I'm sure she ll invent a game of her own and snatch our board away. This reminds me of those days two decades back when my family used to play card games and exclude us kids. I used to create hell and cry my lungs out. Especially after my sister was included in the game and I was still the Uppuku Sappaani. (the third wheel or the spare tyre comes close to this Tamil expression meaning "She does nt make a difference to this game!") I'm happy we are able to do some adult stuff too in spite of having a toddler at home. Probably Hd and I should start playing some board games after Ashu goes to sleep in the nights. Otherwise its just one laptop each and doing our own thing as we have lost interest in watching even TV these days. And to think that I left the previously loved Settlers of Catan board game back in India as I was sure we would nt have any time to play. May be I should buy my own board of Ticket to Ride and take it to Zurich. And what do you know? Our wedding anniversary is just around the corner! Are you hearing Sis? ;)

Hola this is Dora!

If I ever have another child, it will only be because I would want Ashu to be a sister and if shes half as good as a sister like my sister is, then well the second one will be half lucky as I am right now! OK if that was nt a confusing statement to start a post! I cant begin to explain the fun I am having here with my sister but let me give it a try.

So on Saturday my sister was supposed to throw a surprise baby shower for a friend who's expecting her second baby. My sister and I are those kind whose lives are so inter mingled that all her friends are my friends too and all my friends are... well... lets just say she knows them too!! So I was expecting to see all our friends and their new babies and 2 of my cousins and their families too. My sister was busy making the food and I was wondering why she had nt made it a potluck. Since it was Ashus star birthday, we went to the temple in the morning and then got ready for the party, cooking and cleaning and dressing up. At 4 pm, guests started arriving and everyone gave gifts to Ashu and wished her a happy birthday and I was like "Oh! How sweet of them to bring gifts to Ashu since they are seeing her for the first time!" My sister had decorated the party area with Dora theme and Ashu was going gaga over all the Dora tissue, cup, cap, tattoo, stickers, etc... When my sister suggested I dress up Ashu in a pink party frock, I said no! I think you guys figured out by now where this is going. But I ll continue anyway since I am very gullible and not very smart in the smarts department! Anyhow, my sis brought out the cake after all the guests arrived and what do I see? Theres this beautiful Dora cake with "Happy 2nd Birthday Ashu!" on it. Well, what do you say for that? Have nt I got the best sister or what? Ashu was mighty pleased when everyone sang "Happy birthday to you" and could nt get enough of Dora! I rushed her to the bedroom and changed her into the party frock just before the cake cutting! (Listen to your sister people! Shes always right!) We cut the cake, played, caught up with friends, opened gifts and went crazy with all the books and toys. It was a blast! Thanks sis! You are the best! Ashu would probably be the youngest to get a surprise party like this one. And I certainly would be the oldest to fall for such a silly trick!

ps.
Yes, we missed you Hd. Eating two whole pieces of that delicious cake was tough even for me. ;)

Safe and sound.

I survived. Yippee! Ashu was a doll and behaved fabulously and made me proud when half a dozen people complimented her on how sweet and how nice she was through out the flight. But its never enough is it? Even if you travel with an angelic child, 14 hours in a stupid airplane can tire anyone out!

Pros:
The first row seat.
Personal TV screen.
The most friendliest steward I have ever seen. I strongly vote for Male Stewards. Fire those damn rude air hostesses!
A good natured child. Especially if its your own.

Cons:
OK I don't know how to say this. But this guy who was sitting in our row next to Ashu kept plucking his hair and EATING it. He was at it for 10 hours. He had bald patches in his head. Once I saw him pluck a lump of hair, ball it and eat it like cotton candy. I did nt let Ashu sit next to him. I kept her in my lap all the time except when food was served. I always looked at my right instead of that hair plucker(Translate this word into Tamil if you know the language!) and sprained my neck. I wanted to throw up violently every time I saw him doing it. I wanted some one else to see him doing that and almost told the friendly steward. But held my tongue at the end. This has to be the grossest thing I have ever seen in my entire life. Every time he was about to smile or about to strike a conversation with me or Ashu, I turned the other way and wished he disappeared. It was HORRIBLE. I am scarred for life. I don't know why he of all people had to sit in our row. And to think that nail biting annoys me...

Ashu went to sleep when the flight landed in SFO. I cleared immigration and collected the baggage. Carried sleeping Ashu, folded the stroller and kept it on the trolley. And pushed the heavy trolley with one hand while balancing Ashu with the other. The ten minutes walk to the exit was painful to say the least. I wish there were some airport staff to help passengers traveling alone with kids. What if I had more luggage? What if I had two kids? (How do you moms who travel alone with two or more kids manage? Do tell. ) Anyway, I come out and see what? No Bil! Sis had told me that she was nt coming to the airport. And there was no Bil either! I was bone tired. So just sat on a chair and decided to wait. 35 mins later, I see my Bil coming. I give him a fake smile and ask what happened. My sis comes behind me and gives me a hug. I am relieved to see her because I don't have to fake with her! I shout at her and tell her I don't want to talk to her ever. Ask her to carry Ashu as a punishment which she happily does! Hmmph! Ashu gets up and looks at them in a daze. Goes to my Bil and says Bye to me! That little Brutus!

California here we come!

Ashu and I are flying to SFO tomorrow morning. 12 hours of flying and 2 hours stop over at London. With a toddler. So you can imagine my anxiety so I wont go into a long rant. Just wish me luck. The exciting thing of course is I am going to see my sister! Yippee!! (And BIL you too of course!) The last time I visited them was four years back which was also my first trip to the USA. This time its going to be Ashu's first trip to the US, my sis has a new home, Im going to see loads of new babies as lot of our friends have been busy since the last time I met them and I can do loads and loads and loads of shopping for Ashu. Unlike last time when I was shopping for my friends two young boys and wished my friend had at least one girl looking at all the pretty clothes in the Girls section. And now I have one! :) And the books! I can buy English books without going bankrupt. Double yippee! We are going to be there for 5 weeks. Hd will join us in the last week. Poor guy, hes already missing Ashu and is changing her poopy diaper without me asking him to. Must be really miserable! ;)

Over and out folks! See you all from the land of Desis! ;)