Cup of joy!

Several months ago, I read this article on Citizen Matters -

http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/switching-to-sustainable-menstruation

I had heard about menstrual cups about twice by then, but had no idea how they worked - I just assumed they were another thing like Tampons.

After I read this article, I was struck very much by the fact that it is ZERO menstrual waste to landfills. I was determined to at least give it a shot, although I was always weary of even using tampons and never switched to them.

I knew if I thought too much, I would just keep postponing it, so I just went ahead and bought a Diva cup without thinking further, almost with a fierce determination.

I was a little nervous. I wanted to give it a trial once before the real deal. It was not a great experience. People did say everywhere that it would be a steep learning curve but I was more than sufficiently shaken.

Yet when the time came, I braved it, and I am so happy I did!

There is of course the ZERO guilt about generating menstrual waste month after month. And that is not even the best part! It is so amazingly convenient and comfortable, you can just forget that you are going through it! After a long long time, I've stopped cursing god/nature/whoever it is that is responsible for making women go through this pain month after month, and that is saying a lot!

Of course, when I went running there would still be some mishaps, but after 4-5 months of experience, finally the last time, even with running, it was amazing!

Ladies, if not all of you, at lease those of you who are married and definitely those with kids, please, do not make any more excuses, switch, and figure out the happiness! And of course, help in a big way with the environment :)

This and that

Son turned 6 months already!! Last time the single biggest mommy-hood disappointment for me was not being able to nurse the son exclusively for the entire 6 months. This time, we did it! I was counting down to 6 months very nervously, but in the end - all is well :)

Father in law is back from the US! It's been only 3 months, but it seems so long. Dad brought home jalebis to celebrate the occasion and it was sweetness all around :)

Already 10 months over this year! Sigh, time is just running.

I feel I am hardly doing any work around the house anymore, thanks to parents and father in law being around. Sometimes I feel terribly guilty - but the older son has taken to everyone in the most decided fashion. Where he used to insist on me doing everything, he eats, takes a shower, brushes his teeth etc, with my mom and dad and father in law - whomever his fancy picks at that moment, and suddenly I find myself utterly jobless!! With the second one, I seem to be doing just 1/10th of the work I was doing with the older one.

All in all, life is good. Everyone is around, and its generally a happy time :)

Happy Eighth!!

Today we finish seven years of married life. It's been a great journey - life has been content and happy. Nothing major to worry or fret over - it has been a nice and pleasant ride since we came together :) A lot of things to reminisce about. This week is special, not just because we got married but because coincidentally, in the preceding years, we made great forays into the process of getting married ;) So, the first week of Feb always makes me very very nostalgic :)

My parents and aunt came over today - it is nice to have family around - both of us also stayed back home. Son was happy to see everyone and was eager to hear from me that we are staying home and not going to school. My very close friend called in the morning to wish and it was so great to hear her voice, all excited for me :)

My parents have always let me live my life on my own terms. They seemed to have confidence in whatever I did and never objected to any decision I made. I am glad they respected and trusted my decision on this matter too. For them it was a tough day, bidding farewell to a very loved and cherished daughter. But they did it and I am always thankful to them for it.

Reminded of my mother in law today somehow. Especially one incident which happened during the wedding. The wedding was scheduled for 11.34 AM and I was very paranoid about not eating anything till lunch (yeah I am like that, food and me are inseparable!) - I mentioned this to my in laws a bunch of times in passing/jest before the D-day. So on the day of the wedding, my mother in law actually smuggled in a nice breakfast plate into my room under her saree pallu and told me to finish it before others could come and see. I was so glad at this gesture. Totally floored and feeling nice and thankful. So it happened that Subhash married on an empty stomach (yeah, she did not smuggle food for him;) ) as is the tradition but I really did not ;) So for all her monthly ceremonies, I always had breakfast and never did the rituals on an empty stomach - I figured she might like that better :)

He'd said once that if I married him, he would only be giving me two loving sets of parents instead of one. How true that has ringed all of these years. Regardless of who or what or where, my in laws have always stood by me, cherished my accomplishments just the same as if they were their own kids' (if not more), and enriched our lives in more ways than one. This has definitely made life very easy and trouble-free. I hope to do the same for my son's wife some day :)

So it has been seven years of happy times. Fifteen years of knowing each other, nine years of courting, three years of parenting, and many more such significant milestones. Here is to many more such!

D's husband?

A while back, Subhash had pinged me while at work. He asked if I knew this one person from his workplace, I said I did not. Apprently she had come up to him when he had gone to heat his lunch and asked him "Are you D's husband?" and he was quite pleasantly surprised. She follows my blog (so I know you are reading this :) ) and guessed that he was my husband ;) Time and again, I am surprised when people recognize me (outside of people who already know, of course) from the blog!! And I feel very flattered too! ;)

A day of indulgence!

The salon at Leela has moved to UB City because the facility here is undergoing some much-needed maintenance. I was debating if I should go back to my old hair-dresser who is now in Koramangala or to just go to UB City. Finally figured, since we never visited UB City, might as well go there.

The mall is great. We loved the atrium area. Need to go back once again to check it out at leisure. Yesterday we were too much in a hurry to do anything peacefully. My monthly routine plus son's haircut plus mom's routine etc. Subhash was the ultimate in chivalry and indulged us all very patiently. My mom's pedicure was very well done and totally worth the time spent there. I loved the way her feet looked. I have always seen them with cracks and this was very neat, very nice.

The son's haircut sessions become more and more haircute! He looks so sweet perched on top of that salon chair with pillows etc with the cape around him and patiently getting his hair cut. It overwhelms me like little else. Yesterday his session took 45 minutes since his hair-dresser had to hop between appointments as he started late with him. Yet, the son sat in his chair and waited and got it done all very nicely. Proud!

And in all that crowd at the M&W UB City, I was happy, I mean genuinely happy and delighted when I saw my usual faces - the Leela staff. Now, I've been going there for three years and it is a far cry from where I started with this post. Now they are more friends, recognize when I call for an appointment and in general make you feel welcome. Maybe I have turned Page3 now? ;)
 

Spring joy

These days, the days are longer, we need the fan again, we can open the windows a wee bit and sleep, the cold slowly melts away and in short, summer is in preview :) And suddenly my heart feels joyous for a few moments every day at some time or the other because it reminds me of Indian summers and my childhood, of mangoes, of hot days, of sleeping with the air cooler on, just on the bare floor, of morning schools, of summer vacation, all day laziness and what else not. Summer always brings me joy, unconditional and pure. Every day, I am snatching some moments of pure happiness from life, thanks to the sun. Very apt, we named our son after the sun ;)

Fantabulous!

We got back today after a 4 day trip to Chikmaglur. It was simply divine. Today we finish 6 years of being wedded and we went out to take off for the occasion.

This trip being the first vacation with the kid, since the kid was born, we were of course nervous about food, sickness etc. And I would say that the biggest highlight of the trip was that he not only ate ok at all meals, but we also came back without any major incidents of sickness or anything else to spoil the trip :)

The Resort

We stayed at the Serai and it was a great place. Sufficiently luxurious, great food and very accommodating staff. We had the room with the pool (other choice being jacuzzi) and I think the son thoroughly enjoyed "swimming" - his definition being, sitting on the edge of the pool and splashing water on us. When Subhash asked him if he wanted to take a walk in the pool, he actually said "No Naanna, I want only swimming". He enjoyed his bubble baths too! All that water that probably went into his mouth during both these activities, I was paranoid about him catching some sickness. I guess either he is too grown up now, or the water at Serai was maintained well, which of these, I am not very sure ;) Food was a good mix of Indian, Chinese, Thai and Italian and I love love loved it. The pastry chef is excellent and the souffles and cakes were awesome! We used to eat there, pick what the son was most likely to eat, have it packed, take it back to the room and feed him in the usual style with his DVD/CD on. So each meal was 1.5 to 2 hours long, for all of us together, but we were not sight-seeing at all, so it was OK. Not bad at all for a first vacation for the son!

The Drive

Both ways was without incident. Very impressed by NHAI again! (After the Hyd Bangalore Highway NH7). We were able to do 100-120 on most stretches, the rest where we were able to do 80, they were in the process of making it a 4 lane. We took two breaks on the way there, and it took us ~6 hours. But on the way back, without stops, we were back home in 4.5 hours flat! Amazing roads, I must say, very impressed. Much better than most US highways I have been on. And even better, because the roads are empty.

The Train Ride

We wanted to take the son on the toy train ride in MG park, went all the way there beating odds and times only to find it was closed on Tuesday and doesn't start until after 2.30 today. Since we had to leave by 10 ish, Subhash suggested we just take him on Namma Metro closer home (a brilliant idea). We came home, had a meal and then left to take the Metro from Indiranagar. Again, very impressed. Awesome work. I can see why BMRCL needs so much time to finish each phase. I am sure just the land acquisition would be a pain! We went from Indiranagar to Byappanahalli and then back to Indiranagar, and the son was thrilled. He just did not want to get off the train! I hope the rest of the project goes through fine and we will have all zones (North, South and West) running. Then I guess commuting to my aunt's place on the other side of town will be much less painful! Ditto for my cousin's. Stations seemed clean and well maintained - after a few months of operation - I would say not bad at all. Sad part was - no phase planned towards work-place :( No option but driving for me :(

US

6 years. Only? :)

As always, thankful for everything in life right now. I hope and pray for everything to stay just this way :)

RIP, Ma

WARNING: This is a long post. Please feel free to skip. This is more to document my thoughts so I can read them many days hence.

Subhash's mom passed away on Thursday, November 24th. She has left a void which I am sure we have not half assessed or felt yet. It will hit us gradually and slowly. Here is an open letter to her from me, I am sure she can never read it but I am hoping that she can read my mind wherever she is. RIP, Ma, you will be terribly missed.

Dear Ma,

I think of many things about you. It is a collage of thoughts, I cannot straighten them out.

I think of the time I wrote you that first email addressing you as aunty and uncle, wondering how you would take it.

I think of the time when you asked me what colour saree I wanted for the engagement and I said brinjal colour and you actually got me one.

I think of the time you got me that plate of food at our wedding without anyone seeing it so I could eat, since I was very nervous about going hungry till noon. This you did for me alone, while Subhash married on an empty stomach.

I think of the time when you were nervous about coming to the US, getting a visa etc, we used to talk everyday, several times a day.

I remember the joy I felt when I got you to the US. I was showing you our world, and I was quite happy I was able to come to India and take you back, I felt proud that I did the same for you like I did it for my own parents.

I remember you called us as soon as you reached Boston and were happy like a girl because you were able to see and meet Anna.

I remember your child like delight when we went to Disney. I see the pictures and I think, wow!

I remember how much you walked in Vegas. It seems so distant. We covered the entire strip many times in those few days.

I remember how you offered to help S with her wedding rituals when we went to LA.

A remembers you Ma. She says she remembers how you were the only one who offered to help her out with prasadam, when they had their housewarming ceremony.

I remember that yellow wool you got with you from India before leaving for the US so you could knit a sweater for me. You were not very happy with the finish (it was loose) but I always wore it (even to work) just because you'd always be so happy when I did. I am wearing it today (it is cold here, do you know) and wondering are you happy now too?

I remember those UNO games we all used to play and your child-like happiness when you'd win :)

I remember how you insisted I get a chain too when we went shopping for you for your birthday in 2007, exactly 4 years ago, to the date today.

I remember how happy you were that we were moving back. I am awfully glad that we moved back when we did, while you were still able to go around and travel.

I remember how you never let me do anything while we were in your domain in Hyd. Although you were not well, you'd never let me cook or do anything else. If you wouldn't be able to do it, you would arrange for someone to do it, but never let me.

I remember how happy you were when we bought this house and moved into it. I was so happy when we finally got you here and showed you all the renovations we did and when you said it was all so awesome. You were so proud of us! I don't know if I am happy or sad that we had to give you a farewell and send you on your last journey from this same house.

I remember how happy you were when you heard we were expecting. You told me it would be a boy. And I used to tell everyone confidently that it would be a boy. And when they asked me, I'd say, Subhash's mom told me so. Needless to say, they'd be puzzled. Well, we did have a boy!

I remember how you climbed three flights of stairs in spite of it being totally out of your physical power just so you could see Rohan quicker and not wait for the power to be back.

I remember how you arranged for most things for his pujas and naming ceremony. All we had to do was fly to Hyd!

I remember how you'd want to make so many things for him to eat when he went to regular school. I feel sad, you could never finish this dream. I am sure just like Anna and Thammu, Rohan would also have enjoyed your elaborate meal preparations for school's dabba.

I remember how concerned you were about my stressful job and how I had to manage the house, the baby and the job. I know the guilt always stabbed at you horribly. And I was helpless to fix that :(

I remember how you took it on you to do a lot of things which you didn't have to do, for people purely related to me and not concerned with you whatsoever.

I remember how you enjoyed being there for Rohan's major milestones, the naming ceremony, the annaprasana, the first birthday, the second birthday, the aksharabhyasam. We thought, the next and only thing left is the odugu, I wonder if you knew during that conversation that you wouldn't be there to witness that :(

I remember how you bought Rohan his first bicycle. And were happy that he loved it.

I remember how you always let me know whatever little compliments other people paid me. You never missed telling me.

I remember how you said, "You have done so much for me, I can never repay you". After this, you didn't say much else the rest of the days you were at home. You simply were not able to :(

There have been some really awesome times ma and some amazing memories too. You have done so much for me, I cannot simply wrap my arms around it to measure. There were some moments of friction towards the end in the last year or two, but I am glad they were not so big as to glare in the radar. My fault at most times, I admit. I should have adjusted more. I am sorry I did not. The other day, during our last conversation, I forgot one most important thing. To say sorry for all the times I might have hurt you. But now it is too late for it. I hope you can receive my apologies now wherever you are.

Everyone was around you when you finally left. Except me. And Rohan. You didn't want me to see you going. Or maybe you figured that I didn't want to see you going and being the understanding person that you always were, didn't let me go through that pain. I came and saw you, peaceful, detached, finally away in some happy place, far away from all the troubles that beset you here. I hope you will come down once in a while to watch over us. And give us advice in your own way on how to do things or what is best.

RIP Ma, we will all miss you terribly.

A good conversation

Today, I went to the hospital to see my mother in law. The docs have been saying we should remove life support and let it end. I let my father in law and my mother in law's sister go down and when I was alone with her,  I held her one eye open, pressed my face close to hers and told her not to worry I will take care of Naanna (Subhash's Dad), I will keep him with me and look after him, you go happily, don't worry and she actually nodded and there were tears in her eyes!

I was surprised and that is putting it very mildly. Then I told her since you are not opening your eyes, everyone is assuming you cannot hear, but you are able to see, able to hear and able to understand right, and she nodded her head once again. The tears continued to stream.

Then I called Subhash and told him to come up since she was responding to what we were saying. Everyone asssumed she was lost and can't hear what we are saying. He immediately came up and talked to her too. We asked, do you see who this is? Thammu (they call Subhash that amongst them)  has come, and she nodded again. And he was surprised.

Then we told Subhash's brother and when he went back and talked to her, she responded to him too, apparently!

I told her a lot of things, and asked her a lot of stuff, just like I would ask the son. When she cried, I said, "No, amma is a good girl and she must not cry, right", and she actually nodded again. And with this conversation, I suddenly found my peace. I got through to her. She could hear out what I had to say. She was not really lost already after all, and we could still give her some comfort, some parting thoughts, something at all.

I asked her "Shall I go now, I need to go and cook for Naanna" and she was not nodding her head, she wanted to talk, she started moving her lips, at one point a slight voice escaped her throat. I asked her, "What do you want to tell me", but she kept moving her lips and we couldn't make out anything she said. Whenever I said I'd go and come back the next day, she'd start moving her lips, as if asking me not to go. She never nodded her approval for me to go.

I told her many times not to worry about his Dad. We'd be there for him and look after him. I somehow felt she was worrying about him. I felt happy I had my conversation with her and that she actually could hear, see and understand what I was saying. Hopefully this will make her happy and peaceful too, just as it made me. I came back very happy today, I have not felt it in the past few days. And I am happy I was able to enable that for both the brothers as well.

Yay!!

First off, thanks to everyone who wished me well. After a freak 103F night and a listless Saturday following, Sunday was cool. Subhash bathed the baby by himself both days of the weekend since I was too weak to do it and thought the little guy was wondering what his Dad was up to doing all this stuff for him ;)

Today I am back on track(s).

But that is not what I am Yaying about, surely. What I am yaying about is all the visitors I am having!!

My Dad's maternal uncle and wife, the oldest couple on my side of the family paid us a visit yesterday. When Rohan was born, my grand-uncle couldn't make it since he was traveling. My grand-aunt had come alone to Cradle (He is a retd IAS officer and still takes active part in state polity) and so she called on Saturday and asked if it was OK if they came along on Sunday. I was super thrilled.

They came and saw the baby, chatted for a while and left. I am always in awe of the couple. So well-informed, so well-traveled and so independent even at this age. Their grand-daughters studied engineering living with them :)

Then another surprise call. My professor from Engineering. He was the Head of Department of Electronics and Communication Engg at JNTUCE when we were around. His son lives very close to our place here and so when I spoke to him last he promised to pay  us a visit when he was here. He called last evening saying he was in Bangalore and asked if I would be at home this evening. I said of course. And gave them directions.

Again, super thrilled!

Then my cousin called just now. She migrated to the UK just a little before we moved back to India and now is back for good. At least for now. So her visit was due and she called saying she'd drop by tomorrow most likely. When I was growing up, this was my favourite cousin.She used to take us on all these joy rides on her Luna and all. You get the picture. A lot older and so very pampering.

So again, super thrilled.

Then there is T visiting this Friday.

Wow.

I am so happy. I almost feel guilty that I am having the pleasure of so many people visiting when I have probably not paid any visits to anyone in the last three months. Well, there will be a time to make up for it :) For now, I am enjoying playing hostess!!

Bagels in Bangalore!!

As a follow-up to this post, here is an update.

We were a little skeptical about Leela's bagel spread, we were not sure if we would get gourmet cream cheeses, that is what used to make our Bagel experience so nice. For Subhash and me it was all about the cream cheeses. Normally breakfast in a hotel means plain cream cheese.

So we did what we thought was the next best thing to do. Hit SPAR :)

And boy, we were not disappointed.

We got Bagels (from Bagels n Bakes, which in my earlier post I said was too far to go and visit), and Lemnon Cream cheese (PDF Leaflet). There was of course the plain old Philadelphia Cream cheese (Strawberry) but I prefer gourmet to mass produced :)

So tomorrow to a nice breakfast. Bagel and Jalapeno cream cheese, Muesli (with Papaya and Apple) and Orange juice :) Muuuaaaaaaaaaah!!

My new phone is here!!!!!!!!

AND I AM TRYING TO FIGURE HOW NOT TO POST IN CAPS FROM IT;

















(Continued on Laptop from here)

I gave up at the point where I figured I can't find out where the ")" key is ;) I will wait for Subhash to come home.

This is the new Nokia 5800 Express Music "touch" phone. Public-release is today, January 3rd ;)

But I got it last night itself. How? You ask?

Subhash apparently pre-booked it, and this is only the fourth phone in Bangalore to be booked :D :D. I didn't have any idea that he did because he kept saying he'd buy it for me and I kept saying its quite useless to buy it for me since I am like a retard when it comes to using the high-end phones that he toys around with (he is a very very hi-end phone gadget guy).

Normally, I love surprises and he hates them. So we don't surprise each other at all. But this phone was a huge one, surprise that is. I saw him walk out of the car with a Nokia bag and I asked him why he was late and what this bag was and Lo! this tiny nice little thing was in there. Now, isn't that cute?! :) :) I totally loved it. This is my first hi-tech phone and I am already scared of carrying it around for fear of 1) dropping it to the ground (my last Sony Ericsson should know how bad THAT can get ;) ) and 2) forgetting it and losing it somewhere.

But I am on a real high now with my phone, I never believed I would post a blog from a phone (hello! a phone is for talking) including uploading images and all, but here I am! Going the hi-tech way;)

Coming home...to California!!

We visited Phoenix for this long weekend (Memorial Day 2007). It was a helluva trip. Met up with one of my best friends, and one of Subhash's too :) Visited the Grand Canyon (there goes another one off my check-list;) ) and also crossed out Utah and Arizona from my states-to-visit list;)

Came home last night. Flight was landing in San Jose airport. Suddenly I thought of the time when I did this first. A little more than a couple years ago (Jan 2005) I was landing here for the first time. I was that not-seen-California-yet-but-HATE-it-already WI person. You hear so much of California, how the people here brag about the good weather they enjoy, the DESI atmosphere (ahem, one hotel/Indian store per street is DESI all the way) etc etc. They were in my eyes, the last ones to wake up and the last ones to sleep (well, how can you help being on PST/PDT, they say), always gave off an air of complacency and pride about being part of California. I hated them, hated them all, vain people.

I still remember how when I landed, I was shocked to see that you actually WALK from the flight to the gate (last night there was an air-bridge). So much pride about being in good weather!!! And the first thing that caught my attention, sheer number of people, so populous it looked, my my!

I have flown into San Jose, about a dozen times since then, but I never thought about that first time. Last night I did. Because for the first time, it felt like coming home:) I was back in the Silicon Valley, which didn't feel like a far-off land anymore. This place has truly been the symbol of good times for me in the US and I was coming home to it :) From other far-off lands!

I feel that attitude I had years ago about California, in others now. Towards me. But I don't worry. Because perfect or otherwise, this is home, for now at least:) I still hate the traffic and hate the cost of living here, but well, its home all the same.

Truly mixed, those feelings...

Ever since we got our second car, which is for the past couple weeks, I couldn't stop wondering about how much life can change for better or for worse.

Last September I went to Madison. Re-visiting campus for recruiting. That was when I actually began this thought process. Not less than three years ago, I was desperate, for a job, for a light at the end of the tunnel, for a break! I remember how we used to stand in line at the career fair booths hoping to get that most needed break. Now here I am, doing exactly the opposite. Handing out jobs!

When I went to Madison this time, I was determined to do everything student-style. I didn't hire a car. I took the Van Galder from O'Hare (Chicago) to Madison. Within the city I used the good old, very lovable, Madison Metro to move around. I took time and went and visited my ex-colleagues @ GE in Madison where I was an intern. It used to be a good 30-45 mins ride by bus (compared to a mere 10 mins by car), but I did it and was happy that I did. It helped re-live memories and places and situations a lot more reality-like than if I would have taken a car.

Those were dark days. Literally and figuratively. Dark @ 4 pm (damn those WI winters, yuck!), an empty home to go back to, bleak life, no life rather, always a hanging worry about the future..gaaaaaaaaa!! Student life was full of worries about funding. My BIG TEN Univ cost a grand 12K a semester, if I didn't find funding, I had no idea where that money would come from. I still remember how I used to stand at the grocery store aisle and pore over everything in there to look for the least-expensive stuff. Spending 20 bucks on groceries was painful. 20 bucks on anything was painful. At the end of three semesters, I did manage a 1-year internship @ GE but then there was the impending graduation and the worry about what-next. It was hopeless. I was looking and looking and not finding anything. I was determined to stick to my area, which made it all the more difficult. I got a break in early 2004, but that was short-lived. I found out that what was offered as a full-time position "informally" had to be taken back. And then the real struggle began. Hunt and hunt and hunt for jobs. At one point it got to a stage where I had almost a nil on all my finances, and was semi-prepared to head back home to India.

Then I got the real break. Somehow my erstwhile manager, managed (its a play on words) to pull me in with a contracting position and I began a fresh lease on this luck. But the 8 months that this lasted, it was a case of "Here today, maybe will be gone tomorrow", everyday worry about if I will have my job or not the next day. At one point, I was ready to abandon everything, my area, my interests, anything, so long as I found a job that I could fall-back on, so I didn't have to worry about money...


It was partly timing, mainly ill-luck maybe. Industry was slow, jobs were few, graduates were many, demand-supply equations were all overturned in imbalance.


Then the H1-B melodrama. I was on my OPT and my H1-B had to be processed. The company that was contracting me was not willing to get it done so I had to seek out someone who was willing to and then let them contract me to this other contracting company and then they would contract to the main employer. Yeah whatever. It was one hell of a time. Hitting an all-time low on self-esteem I managed to chug along those nightmarish 12 months of my life. Finally in true drama-style, my H1-B arrived, just on the eve of my OPT expiration! My god!

And then started my ride upwards. H1-B arrived today, OPT expired tomorrow, I had an interview lined up day-after. And I have never looked back since then. Even today, it gives me the shudders to think of those days, bleak and dark and hopeless. (And I thank god for sunny California!) And every time I have a tryst with anything that relates to those days, I think, and thank and feel grateful. Above all else, for that one real-good friend, who saw me through all this and stood tall as my tower of strength, never lost faith in me, never let me give-up, and never gave-up on me. The biggest break I ever got in my life is that, he is today, the best half of me:)

So, when I think back (which somehow, I am doing a lot these days), I feel, WOW!

I never want to remember those times, but I hope I never forget those days. They truly taught me to cherish what I have today:) To value what I have and not worry about what I don't/can't. I never want to see those places again, but whenever I do go back, I am happy, happy that its over, at least for now. Happy that I lived through it to survive it.

Mixed feelings....indeed..

Ooh those summers!

I am a die-hard Hyderabad summer fan. Actually no, any Indian summer, except [salty] Chennai summers. Those ones are urggh!!

I have somehow never experienced a summer like the ones back in India in the 6 years I have been here. I miss them! For a long long time (actually maybe even now) I used to be very happy that my birthday was in April because I could eat Totaparis and Rasalus on my birthday;) How silly!

The one thing I loved most about summers, is how carefree you could be. No school, plenty of games, loads of Champaks to read ( I got in the habit of reading Champak @ my aunt's place ), bullying and getting bullied by cousins one and all, drinking Rooh-Afza every couple hours (and that had strict time limitations, you just had to have one every couple hours), that jugful of Rasna concentrate in the fridge, and MANGOES!!!!! All kinds of them. Ahh, how I yearn for them now. Not a decent Mango to be had in the "Land of Dreams" tch..tch..tch...

And then there was the summer nights! Pure bliss. Cool breeze, blanket-free sleep, bliss bliss bliss. During summers, when we used to spend time at another aunt's place, I remember as kids, we used to go up to the terrace, and spray water all over the floor, and run down to dinner. As soon as dinner got over, grab the sleep-time riff-raff and go up to spread out the stuff and enjoy yet another wonderful, cool floor, open-air sleep experience. Ahh the techniques we devised to beat the sun and his heat;) And then we all used to fall asleep slowly one after the other counting the stars!! Wow!

Its difficult to write this blog in an organized way, my! I am writing about something and my mind races to yet another thing. I have to mention my aunt here. When we were young, my mom was working at the time and would leave us at my grandparents. Her youngest sister (my youngest aunt) was attending college then and I was her "chela" in everything. We used to have some zappy times together. I was <10 years old but had opinions about most things already (Now, what can I say about a mature mind;) ) and my aunt would always insist on buying Rasna Orange whenever we went to the street-corner "Kirana" store. She had this very short-temper and so I would always be scared to suggest anything to her;) Once I picked up the courage and said, maybe we should try the Cola flavour and she zapped right back saying, " No orange will do just fine and orange it is". Meek me said ok, and walked away! We still laugh about it after all these years, she still threatens me with Rasna Orange whenever I visit her;)

Then there were the times when we visited my Dad's sister. That was some good times too. My cousin, her son, would never eat a single fruit or vegetable so she would insist on his drinking milk with raw egg mashed right in (yuck! yuck!) every morning. And poor guy would wait for the first opportunity when his mom's back was turned to throw it all into the sink;) And all the while me and my sis would snoop and go tell-all to his mom;) And the times that followed were fun;)!! Then of course the innumerable galli cricket sessions and the Ludo and the Scrabble and the chess sessions. Most summers we would visit Bangalore/Mysore/Tumkur to meet up with my Dad's end of the family. And my uncle would load his trunk with a basketful of mangoes and make my cousin sit in the back seat and this poor guy would be choking on that intense mango smell (Believe me, he HATED it!!) And as usual, me and my sister, would laugh our heads off and that notwithstanding, would eat mangoes ONLY in his presence;)

Lots more memories pouring out, I will probably consider an "Ahh, those summers! - A sequel to Ooh those summers! " soon;)