Another day!

Recently a colleague of mine came back from a vacation, it was only for couple of days. But the feelings and the rejuvenation he was expressing sound just too good to be true. But he confirmed it was. He said he didn't want to get back from those hills. He was trying to explain me how that place looked and I was imagining and visualizing on how it might look. Of course there has never been a time when I was correct in guessing a place on its looks. But I kind of liked the idea of getting away from this maddening crowd and being alone, that is if I can ever get away.

Have you ever felt the need to be alone? Growing up, I had loads of such times. Parents never intruded into what I was doing. I used to spend painting, or listening to KK songs, or even just gazing! I love gazing at the stars and the moon. How does the Moon look to you or rather looks at you?

To me since the time I can remember the chanda mama always had a face on it, ever smiling! I even felt it wore a sad look when I was sad, giving me company! And it was my company on many such alone times. If there was one entity that was always been with me through thick and thin, its chanda mama.

See how random the thoughts fly! Coming back to the original thinking, I wish I take few minutes to ponder on what I am doing. For ever its a big list that I need to complete. So much so that I was feeling awful hearing what Konda told me couple of days back. She asked me to forget my work and continue sleeping with them. I was surprised on her statement. She expressed further saying, "now you get back to your computer once we sleep right, why don't you just forget that and continue your sleep" I said "I have work nana." She said "that's what you do the whole day right?" Now how do I reply to that? As luck would have it she went off to sleep before I could respond, but I am still left with the question burning!

From when did this pastime, hobby turn into an obsession! Well whatever it is, I am enjoying it! I am still learning..every second of it..

A trip down the memory lane ~ revisited!

It was a tough question that finally got dissolved on its own. It was either Kodai or Pondy that has been running on our minds the last couple of weeks. Finally Athamma saying that she can't venture out for a trip with her still healing hand, got it fixed for us. We decided the short weekend trip to Pondy, its going to be. We normally don't like traveling by train and subjecting ourselves to the trials, tribunals and daredevils of our kids. Imagine running the long passages behind a toddler!

So the defined constrains of a four wheeler is what we can think of. Since it was about 3 hours drive down, I thought I will pack the breakfast and also lunch as kids don't eat otherwise. Made Idlis with Tomato chutney and Peanut chutney, which are my favorite picnic food too. The boys after getting into the car, asked Athamma to join in too. Konda knew she wasn't coming. We told the boys that its going to be just us. They happily waved her bye and settled down. Konda was remembering our first trip we went, just the three of us. She was recollecting on how I had got her a drawing book with crayons and tried to keep her engaged on the long drive. Imagine me doing that again with 3 kids!

The boys were jumping from the middle seat to the back one, its a eight seater car with enough space for the kids to sleep. So they took the maximum use of the whole thing. Within minutes, the boys started asking for chocolates and biscuits. We pulled it along till we reached a picnic spot. It was a neat spot with wood chairs for enjoying. But enjoy they didn't. They were running around the place while we ate our breakfast. Both of them refused to eat anything. The entire stretch was beautiful only lacking the water streams that I remembered. It was all dry and empty.

I remembered the salt manufacturing and wanted to click few pictures. We finally reached in Hotel Ashoka and warmly welcomed with their traditional garlands made with shells. We had booked a room facing the beach. I tried feeding the boys with Pooris that I had made for lunch, with the hope that they would atleast eat pooris. I need not have gone to such pains! None of them touched it. Within moments on reaching the room, the boys settled down playing with the toys they got, the hotel staff were watering the lawns. The boys ensured they got drenched fully in it.

After lunch we tripped down to the beach and spent the next few hours playing in the water. The kids refused to come out. On our previous trip I had got a big set of beach toys for Konda and few were still left behind. We played with those trying to build castles with them. It was very nostalgic, thinking back on the time when we had only Konda. That time we were not only trying to enjoy our idyllic small family statue but wanting to make Konda enjoy. Now its more of a big family and again trying to occupy the kids with some activates.

I saw those hammocks and wanted to enjoy a moment of loneliness, just to enjoy myself for a moment. But gone are those days. I always felt perfectly fine with my own company. Never felt bored when I found 5 minutes for myself. But even that is a scare thing to happen. After couple of hours on the beach, we got back to play in the kids zone. We bribed the kids with lot of other activities and got back to play in the garden. All I could do was pushing the hammock on which the twins got on and was longingly looking at dropping myself. Hubby dear consoled that I could get back after the boys went to sleep. On the promise, the hours flew.

Since it was the Election counting day, hubby dear was glued to the TV all excited to know the result. I was angry at the resort management for even having a TV in the room in the first place. If there is something that I dislike, its the TV!$%&*%. The boys had the entire garden to themselves and run around for no end. I couldn't convince them to eat the dinner too. They got back to eating the chocolates and juices. We finally managed to get the kids into the room and locked ourselves. We even had our dinner room serviced.

When the kids finally conked off, I was drained and couldn't budge. So that swing on the hammock has to wait for another trip! Peddu didn't sleep much because of the new place. And only in the wee hours did we go to the other land! And body clock was right on spot by waking me up at 6.30 am! As everybody were still asleep, I was reading the newspaper and still looked longingly at those swaying hammocks.

The breakfast was another fiasco of trying to get the boys eat but to no avail. They were keen to go to the beach. God knows from where they got the energy. Chinnu got over his fear of the water and finally settled down on the beach. We almost spent 3 hrs on the beach and waves after waves hitting us, made us feel we could just settle down. Of course that's a feeling one would get over after 3 hrs!

We had left our footwear back in the room as it was such a cumbersome task walking with wet feet carrying the kids. But wish we had better sense, it was literally like walking over hot coal! We just ran down about half a kilometer, trying to escape the hot sand! I was sure we were going to get blisters! Playing in beach is lovely but washing the kids and the cloths afterwards, is a pain in the wrong place! More you do, more sand comes out from everywhere.

We decided to start back home after lunch. We ventured out to the restaurant daringly hoping the boys will sit and eat something. In the end, Chinnu ate the roasted peanuts and Peddu had few servings of Onion Raitha.

The trip back was calm as the boys slept exhausted. Hubby dear stopped to buy some palm fruit or Nungu. We simply love this fruit and always looked forward to eating them in the summer. Its been a while since we had and we got some back home. Parents and Athamma loved it and we wished we got more!

The boys broke the fasting once back home and ended up crying, asking to get back to the beach! Guess they will have to wait for another year till they promise to eat better!

Artist Weekend!

We had an Artist Weekend at office, where the employees were asked to exhibit their skills with hand. We were surprised at the skills and talents each of them had. Some of the most voted pictures are below.







This one of jerry was done by me seeing this picture of mine. I was happy that I was able to replicate it to T after nearly 10 years!


Happy Weekend!

You have a crazy life ~ Start loving it!

If you're like the most people, you suffer from a chronic illusion. Atleast I do, I always think and keep telling myself that everything will soon be under control. But the fact is, life isn't going to change, you got too! Its like the phrase, let this project get over, I can start exercise, let my daughter's exams get over, I will plan for something else. Let the boys grow little older, before I plan for something else. But what happens when all these things happen? I would've most probably get older that I may not be able to do them!

You can't think you can do all the 101 things that demand your attention and think you have a perfect life! If you must know, my house has so many toys and other unwanted things that need to be disposed. I just keep thinking let the boys grow out of them, before I do it. But by then they would accumulate so much dust and garbage, that I don't need them. You can't read a book on time management and decide you can run your life like that right. It never happens as you think, least is you can only do what you can.

If you have a big list of to do things, they better be there. Guess life has other important things to give us. Lets start living each day than planning more for what to come!

Life is a party and each one plays to the tunes. And it makes things better if we think life as our dancing partner. Sometimes it leads us, sometime, we move forward. But each time ensuring we make a perfect step forward!

A Slice from our mornings!

I woke up hearing the sound of the water droplets hitting against the wall. For a moment I thought it was raining, only to realize its the water droplets in the AC. The sound coming from the AC was enough to filter out any sound coming from outside world. When we changed to the new AC, we ensured it has the white noise to filter out the outside world. I slowly looked around to see where the kids were. Each one in their wonderful positions. Peddu was having his head against mine. I moved and tried to see where Chinnu was. He had moved to Konda's place and was snuggling against her. Come morning, he is either pushed against me or next to his sister.

Leaving them to their cozy places, I am up after a fresh up. I look up the clock and see its abt 6. 30 am, I wade towards the kitchen. Its time for the coffee machine to brew our traditional filter coffee. We sit out in the portico with a piping hot coffee in one hand and newspaper in other All we have is about 5 mins to glance through. Well not that anything of global importance gets into our head. But we do need to read the paper, that's customary! Coffee sipped in pleasure while the paper gets slidden away by page. The moment the last page is reached, rather the first page in my case, I find myself thinking which pressure cooker is going hisss first.

Of course, this is so typical mundane and its the way thing happen every day! Rice gets soaked first, Then dal finds itself in the pan, next comes the tamarind to be washed and soaked.While these things gets on the way, Konda's breakfast and lunch preparation gets priority. In between all these, the hurried glance at the clock to see if its time to wake her up. 5 mins before 7 o' Clock, gently tip into the room to nudge her.Her customary request for another 5 mins, grudgingly agreed. I give a hasty glance at the twins sleeping, hoping they aren't disturbed.

Then its back at kitchen trying to put whatever is required to go in. On most days, the lunch tends to be either Sambar or dal with vegetable on the side along with Rasam and Rice. Curds of course gets set in the night. Athamma takes care of that. I see its time to wake Konda again. This time, a strong nudge gets it clear that she has to get up. She gingerly gets up, by which time I am back in kitchen. While trying to sauté, I feel two hands hugging me at the hips, I scold her never to do that, while I am cooking. Well this happens everyday. She reluctantly goes to the rest room. She has to do her potty, suddenly we hear a voice saying she is all set. Hubby dear is ready at hand to cheer her up. He says Mummy "Applauds are in order". So I oblige saying, "Konda very good ra". Depending on her mood and my menu, she used to decided who has to give her a bath. These days she does it all herself! While all this happens, Athamma is seen sitting ready to pouch to the bedroom if either of the twin wake up. Off late, it almost happens the same time I am out. So its like, I come out, Athamma goes in. Once Konda comes out all fresh, its packing time. Hubby dear takes great pleasure patting her dry and powdering. He takes out her neatly ironed uniform, and gently puts it over her. A year back he used to get that done the previous night, these days its on the morning as she gets ready. Then comes the chore of asking her to eat herself. Depending on the time and the item, I either have to feed her or make her eat it herself.

Meanwhile, Konda's lunch and snacks are ready. Hubby dear gets the bag and shoes ready. In next 5 mins, Konda is all packed and ready to leave.The time now is 8 am and slowly we find the celebrities coming out of the room! We are ready to receive them. Depending on their mood, its either amma or dada or na amma. Meanwhile, the breakfast is ready and lunch almost reaching its completion. Milk is gulped in and all of them scout out to wait for the Van to come. By 8.10, van comes and Konda is whisked in. Then back home, its time for the twins to get ready! It takes little, no make it lot of cajoling to get Peddu int for a bath Meanwhile, I get their BF ready and their lunch bag in place. Athamma takes the kids to the other room, while we get ready in flat 10 mins. Then there is always the question of clicking for the Lunch box series if its something new that was prepared. We are out by 9.15 am, most days. I have got to be in by 9.30 am, and drive all the way thinking I was given few extra hours a day!

Chennai Sangamam ~ The Open Festival!

The Chennai Sangamam ~ the open Festival is a great occasion the people of my city look forward too! Its the second year this time and the city is all well prepared. The roads have become more crowded, especially at the places where its held.

This time we thought we should take atleast Konda to see the happenings. The place was too crowded and people were all excited with the classic programmes being showed. The food, though very limited to choose were in demand.


I didn't know the artist singing but there was cheering!


Its held in different parts of the city with each place showcasing different cuisines of Tamil Nadu.



Chef busy serving the Chicken Biryani...

After spending some quick time, we rushed back home as Athamma was alone with the boys!

Memories of a Vacation!

Its been a year today. Last year this day, we were at parent's home in Calcutta and this year they have relocated to a different country! It was my second trip to the City of Joy and the journey kindled the joyfully memories of my first visit. I had fallen in love with the city I visited. It wasn't at all what I heard about the place. Everybody said it was dirty and crowded and pathetic. But all I could see was a beautiful place with huge buildings that portrayed history and beauty that went along with it. We had visited all the places of interest during that time. This time since it was with kids we went, we really didn't have that all that energy needed to tag along the whole family for sight seeing. Even then Daddy wouldn't leave us alone. He ensured we atleast took the kids for a trip around the city. We reached the airport by 3 am and had a very eventful trip down to Calcutta. It was my first trip and it was really very foggy. Till the last moment, we weren't sure if the flight will take off or not. After a nerve wrecking two hours of wait, we finally took off.

The kids had made themselves at home in the flight much to the discomfort of everybody. It was really so much fun. The air hostess couldn't understand why my boys can't sit in their seats for more than 2 minutes. Well finally we reached Calcutta. The feeling was simply superb! It felt like homecoming, the last trip was so memorable, I could live it again. That time, Dad had taken us on the Jetty across River Ganges. We had gone under the bridge and it was so exhilarating. We were just four of us then. Now with my own family, I know I couldn't be seen as that bubbly teenager right? Still I couldn't but be that!

The excitement I had was passed on to my kids and they were trilled too. I was seeing Amma after many months. They were living in the 13th flour and it was wonderful going up so high. Amma was waiting with the Arti for the kids. And after a warm hug from her to all of us, I finally had a good look at Amma. She had gone down so much. The house was too big for them but kids had a field day running around the whole house.

It was surprising how well Amma managed with the minimum utensils but she managed a whole big feast with that. Back home, she has a utensil for each size and shape! The one whole week we stayed was an experience we can never forget. That was the first time we had infact ever stayed at home without doing anything, except cooking, feeding the kids and playing with them. I guess the thought that we were with our parents was enough to set all things right.

More than anything, the festive mood the city adorned was infectious. The whole city was celebrating Christmas eve. Everywhere it was brightly lit and people were so happy and enjoying themselves. I came to know that the city enjoys all festivals with equal fervor! How wonderful! It was the first time I was seeing streets full of things for Christmas, with Caps and balloons for Santa Claus. It was like the whole city was rejoicing our arrival. On the Christmas day, we had a Santa Claus visiting us. He got us cake and chocolates for the kids. The kids were overjoyed seeing the Santa and were jumping around. Then once he left, we all flocked together to cut the cake.

Everyday year, we always have this tradition of cutting a plum cake and then Dad and Hubby dear enjoy a piece with a glass of wine. I always remember our christian neighbors sending us cakes on the day. Then after a while, we realized we didn't have anybody sending it across. So one year when Amma was mentioning this, hubby dear and bro decided to get the cake for her. Thus started this tradition of getting a cake and enjoying it over the lunch or dinner!

So it happened that last year too it was spent with parents with a piece of cake and a glass of wine. Hubby dear was missing Dad this year as I was. I was still thinking of last years Christmas carols and the Celebrations the apartments had downstairs. We didn't go down to be part of them, we were content being at home with parents and our little ones. Cuddling them closer was more precious than anything else.

The remaining days passed off in a blur or so I thought. But yes the memories were itched quite strongly in our hearts that they gush in the moment I think of them. The thoughts were so strong that I had to speak to Dad and Mom. Maybe its vibes or something, they said they were also thinking about last Christmas, the time we were all together!.Dad was having two days off as Christmas holidays and they were having in guests for dinner. I thought I will skip the cake ceremony this year.

But God has his ways I suppose. My friend wished me seasonal greetings with a box of plump cake. When I took it home, the kids were elated seeing the box. Peddu infact sang happy birthday song when I was cutting the cake. I was surprised he remembers that one has to sing that song while cutting a cake! Then he said its his birthday too along with Chinnu. Of course not in clear statement but in his own baby language.

Even as I write this, I remember last year. I close down with hopes that next year, we will all spend the vacation together! Maybe that time I will update on this year's happenings!