random ramblings (lack of creativity!)

I have decided am gonna give title to this post when I am done writing it because I have no clue what I want to talk about!

Here are some things I have learnt recently,

You can have a freaking expensive haircut and come out looking just the same. So similar that even you are trying to notice the change. Yet, it hurts when no one else seems to notice it either! I almost hit my head against the ceiling jumping with joy, when a colleague asked me tentatively if I had got myself a haircut! :p

You think you can fool kids. (There goes the evil laughter) Since Cubby loves eating khaana from our plates, I thought I will keep a katori of his khichdi in my plate and feed him as if he is eating from my thaali. The man refused even the second spoon and caught on that he was being cheated on with alarming speed!

I have officially become a Horny Devil! But it's not my fault. It's all the pedestrians who think they are glow worms (you remember them, the series and toys?) which can be seen as they dart across at the last minute on roads with no streetlights and speeding vehicles. Add to that, the highbeam hooligans are blinding me from opposite side. I am in mortal fear of hitting a human being these days. So, I use the horn and honk till my hands hurt or I can actually see things ahead!

Occasional lunch date with hubby on a working day is fun! I had quite a good time and look forward to doing it every now and then.

Shopping for books for others isn't as much fun, if you are not shopping for yourselves. Yet, going to book shop is always a super experience. Especially if they are having a sale too!

Even though Cubby has enough clothes, the temptation to buy something cute that catches our eye is always there. And it's strong. Seeing l'il girl's clothes makes me drool and I am using my pal coming over with her daughter next month as an excuse to buy cute pink stuff!

Moserbaer way is the only way to kill piracy. Thanks to them, even T series and Shemaroo has started selling DVDs cheap! We got original DVDs of most new movies for as low as 45bucks per DVD! I mean renting a DVD costs 50bucks in my area. Now if only Hollywood would listen, we will never have to make trips to National Market for the pirated stuff.

Kid of two awesome actors needn't necessarily be that good. Watching Sikander Kher is Woodstock Villa was quite disappointing. He is not bad, but then even the movie is more Emraan Hashmi genre! Perhaps, it didn't work for him.

Having AND finding a stock of simple n small gifts and carefully saved under the gadda wrapping paper are huge help when you have forgotten to shop for either and can actually bring smiles of relief. Seeing Cubby throw the remaining small piece of paper, up in the air and then watching it floating down with absolute wonderment on his face, is the pleasant side-effect of the last minute running around.

After finding an ancient but not yet expired stock of Avon goodies stashed away, if hubby gives baleful looks for paisa being wasted, giving him a foot soak and then a foot rub with a gooey stuff made with sea salts and lemon, gives you brownie points right away. Plus you can pout for next two days and keep saying "But I gave you a pedicure!"

Some kids cry when they see a huge crowd, making noise and vying for their attention. Others don't. Cubby is among the latter. As of now.

Kids when they are learning to walk, keep falling and hurting themselves. Cubby has already tasted blood by cutting his lip thrice in the past week. Applying ice is the only medication and thankfully babies get distracted easily! Touchwood!

The work week has just started and I am already rooting for Friday, actually Saturday!

Why, you ask?

When you gotta go, you gotta GOA!!! Yay! Yay! Yay! Am excited at the thought of sandy beaches and salty waves and dying to see Cubby's reaction to it all. I really hope he has fun and doesn't get scared of water!

Bigger plus than that, I get to stay with my best friend with whom I haven't spent much time since shaadi. Add to that her son is just about 9months older to Cubby and I am hoping to see them have lotsa fun as buddy and me catch up with our lives!

That's that then. There are some other big changes in the offing, but we are still praying for them to not change too much. If they do happen, you will get to know them here! :)

Here's to a great week with a national holiday thrown in for good measure! :)

TAG along to the AWARDS ceremony! :D

Like I promised you MysticMargarita that I would do the tag afta I do Cubby's 14month update, here it is! And while I was waiting Smita tagged me too.

The rules for the tag are:

RULE #1 People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs and replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

RULE #2 Tag 6 people to do this quiz and those who are tagged cannot refuse. These people must state who they were tagged by and cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by continue this game by sending it to other people.

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
Oh well! I would shed a few tears over a few months and then move on.

2. If you can have a dream come true, what would it be?
A peaceful death without too many health problems preceding it.

3. Whose butt would you like to kick?
All those who insist on spreading disharmony using God and insist on making religion a dirty word.

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?
Buy houses and become a land lady and then make and run a very nice old age home with rest of the money, while my regular rental income settled down. This is an effect of staying in rented houses in Bengaluru! :p

5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?
Yes! I did and married him too! It's really very cool I tell ya!

6. Which is more blessed: loving someone or being loved by someone?
There is no one-way traffic in loove! But what goes around does come around! If not from the same person, perhaps someone else! :)

7. How long do you intend to wait for someone you love?
I gave M six months to get over his 6 year long commitment phobia. So make it 6 and 1/2 years!

8. If the person you secretly like is attached, what will you do?
Wait and watch if luck smiles or then move on.

9. If you could root for one social cause, what would it be?
for HIV +ve people to NOT be ostracised by the society and be cared for like every other person who is unwell.

10. What takes you down the fastest?
Incessant Cynicism.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
I might as well live it up everyday. Ten years is too far head to even think about it!

12. What’s your fear?
That my fears will keep increasing.

13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
MM is a genuine person with razor sharp thought process and Smita is a book lover who is high on life!

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married and poor?
Married. We will leave the rich or poor out! It's just so filmy! :p

15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Will Cubby eat his breakfast and what to make for ours!

16. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously who will you pick?
Can you actually do that?! Geez!

17. Would you give all in a relationship?
Yes! And i would take some too! Let's be real here!

18. Would you forgive and forget someone no matter how horrible a thing he has done?
forgive I always can, forget most of the times. though sometimes both might fail. but thats not happened as yet.

19. Do you prefer being single or in a relationship?
I enjoy being in this relationship and I don't seem to think of a better way of living my life!

20. tag 6 people.

WIAN, AArgee, Dee, Alok, Anu and Cuckoo. Pls to do it ladies and the gent! :D

With that done, Monika and Ansh and Dee also thought I was Brilliante!

Monika said "Abha, I know you have been awarded many time before & you so deserve another one. Whenever I read about any trip that you have been with Cubby & your family, I get transported & can relive the entire experience. You write so well & the pictures you share makes everything so real."

Dee Said "She has such a hilarious view of life and off course her love for cubby is soo visible and beautiful... Makes me wanna have a baby.." (awwww! thanks Dee and sorry for the delay in acknowledging it!)

I pass this one on to,

Avionic Spanker - What's in a name goes true for this one. Head over for some seriously hilarious stuff!

Rohini - for her honest and fun writing. Though I am a fairly new entrant, i am loving it!

Art - for her very cool blog which gives you a lowdown on not just whats been happening in her life, but what is interesting in cultural scape of her city and others too! And Anush is an absolute delight as are the corners of her new home.

Shruthi - I have no idea why she calls her blog Hallucinations because her writing is as real as it gets. Her writings about her daughter Puttachi are sure to make you laugh!

D - I love her thought provoking and heartfelt posts!


Then K3 gave me the precious Blogging Friends Forever card!

She said "Here is a girl whose Smile can brighten anyone’s day, and with her little Cubby really makes our days in blog-o-sphere wonderful, plus she is from Bombay – need I say more … You see, Bombaykiers always tend to gravitate towards each other even if we are no longer in Bombay"

Thanks woman and fellow Bombay ki Mulgi! :)

This goes to Suma, Munchkin's Mom, Cuckoo, Mommy's diary , Smita, i Love lucy and Monika. Thanks for being around is all i can say!

And the grand finale Dearest Swati giving the Million Dollar Friend Award! Whoo! Hoo!


She simply says "Blog or no blog , you are a million dollar friend." Same here Swati, same here! I have always told you how much this friendship means to me! So thank you so much! :)

This one is for Swati, ~nm, Dee, Angie, K3, Mampi, Snippets and Scribbles and Mamma Mia!

Both these awards are actually for everyone who reads my blog and whose blogs I read! I am so tired linking just these many! So forgive my laziness and accept it from me even if your name ain't there! :) Just seeing so many different personalities and points of view has been a totally enlightening ride!! So, Thank ye all for that! :)

Am already looking forward to weekend! No plans yet, but a weekend is a weekend is a weekend! So Yaaaayyyy! :p


I leave you with some of Cubby's cutest pictures on his first birthday which was the first time he actually played in mud and touched green grass and had a complete ball! Literally and otherwise!

fulltoo fun @ fOuRtEeN!!

So on 20th of this month Cubby has turned 14months old or one year and 2 months if you please! :)

Piyaa - aka Daadi

And what a month this has been. Your daadi was here and though you were unwell for quite a few days, you have stolen her heart completely. Just like you do, always. Of course we still don't know why you call her "Piya" and then have a naughty smile on your face when she reacts to being called that. We thought it would be a passing phase and you would forget when she leaves. But yesterday we were looking at the photos and you screamed PIYA when you saw daadi on the screen! Mysterious, truly! :)

Youngest Grand Master!

You LOVE walking now. You are still doing the Zombie like walk with your hands in front and legs splayed apart, but you are getting better each day. You are almost trying to run now and it's so much fun seeing you go from one corner to the other. You still crawl too, especially when you are in a rush to reach some place or you are trying to catch an older kid! But if we tell you "no crawling and stand up walk", you actually do that!

nanga eating Ganna - thats an anagram!

The more mobile you get, tougher it is getting to dress you up! I know we are Digambar Jains who used to walk around naked apparently, but it's just our surname sweety. You don't have to take it all that seriously and keep trying to be a professional streaker! You already know how to take off your socks and I am dreading the day you know more!

probably the coolest AND Cutest!

Talking about socks, thats your latest love! Leave you in a room full of socks, you would be one happy kid. You take them off and then come to us, I think, asking us to put them on and then take it off again! Sometimes I see you trying to eat them too and I pull them out telling you its Chee! Chee! to see you at it again a little while later. Sigh!

if only Khichdi got fed as easily as popcorn!

The eating still hasn't improved. Eating without crying that is. Of course when Amma feeds you, we don't even get to hear a whimper, but you take it all out on your poor parents. Marbles help for close to 8 spoons, if you are in a mood to indulge us that is. Papa and me, give each other smiles of relief and that is the time you choose to start that vigorous shaking of head and flailing of arms that sends food flying all over the place. It's only because we are lazy we don't give you full fledged bath post khaana session.

While eating khichdi and such boring stuff is tough, your biscuit eating skills have improved tremendously. We find very little on the floor and you seem to nibble happily on Monaco and Parle G that we offer you every morning when we have our chai. The side effect of this is also that you have been noticing your ghaati mom dunking the biscuit in her coffee and now want to do the same leaving a soggy pile of biscuit at the bottom of my cup. Other stuff like teekhi subzi and dal from our plates is welcome. Try giving the SAME stuff separately and you fight back ferociously.

DabbaDabbaDabbaDabba!

You have finally said Mamma!! YYiipppee! More often than not you try to call me Abha, but I refuse to acknowledge till you say Mamma. You started off damn cute going Mmmmmmm... Maammmaa! Sheer melody, I tell ya. Other favourite words are Gadda said as GGggg addaa! And Dabba which you insisted on called Badda to start with and now go chanting DabbaDabbaDabbaDabba till something else catches your fancy.

Bhoo, Baby aur Cubby!

You have found one animal sound worthy of registering in your brains. Bhoo for dog! Cat says Miaow and Cow goes Mooo and all that is simply not interesting enough. Add to that Bhoos are easy to find and we like to go and say Heylo Bhoo (through Mommy) to every dog who crosses our path. You also played with a fairly large and black bhoo at our friends' place and scared him completely. You and their 9month old Eka, terrorised him totally.

This also reminds me that I should tell you that your behaviour with smaller Eka was completely unacceptable. You were behaving like a baby! Snatching whatever toy he took and fighting over a teeny weeny rattle for chrissakes. I was completely appalled and am gonna make sure you share stuff little more happily. Ok?!

Tapli Ted - Tap his head and he sings!

You can put a cling film to shame these days. When you cling, you really CLING. It's impossible to even move out of your sight when you are in one of those moods. You have also understood about mommy-papa going to work and waaiilll when we leave. But this too shall pass.

High on FUN!

You can give Energizer Bunny a serious complex with your hyper activity. We sometimes get tired seeing you walk and talk incessantly. And if it is a kiddy party we have gone for, god save us. You go crazy playing or trying to play with kids your age, smaller or bigger. You scream and you cheer. You are simply a DELIGHT to look at during such times. Then we think you are so tired, you will sleep before you know, but Hah! is all you say. These days we just sleep off and let you wind down and sleep off on your own after such parties.

sometimes i try to relax too!

On other days, I love the way you come and find the exact comfortable spot next to me or with your head on my arm, you curl up against me and go to sleep with my singing or just patting. It always leaves a warm glow and an intense desire to crush you in a tiigghhhtt hug! :)

and you thought MY curly mop was wild!

You love making friends with strangers. Wherever we go, you move towards someone with cutest of the smiles and a hand outstretched which somehow never turns into a 'shake hand" eventually. Go to a restaurant and you try and make friends with all the diners and waiters, one of whom will pick you up depending on how busy they are. We never ask them to, they just want to and we are cool with it as long as you are not being bothersome.

Movie watching is NOT so easy anymore, though your mamma has become an expert at watching movies sitting on the steps from where she can bolt towards exit if you start crying. You try to make conversation with person sitting next to us and thankfully till date they have been indulgent. Of course you are still not a nuisance and I refuse to sit in the theatre and let you wail ruining other people's experience in any case. I just wish they sell cheaper tickets for parents who sit in the aisle and watch movies. But it's fun to see you walk around before the movie and errr... during it too. And the way you insist on dancing to songs. Its all fun and we are sure to continue doing as much as possible.

soon, it will be other way round?! Already?!

All in all, you are growing a little more everyday and your Papa has been saying "Don't grow up so fast!" with a sad face these days. Me, I get thrilled and strangely emotional in turns seeing you become a l'il guy! :)

Here's to an equally eventful month ahead and take person on your parents and start eating like a really goood boy! Deal?!

(why do I hear evil laughter?!)

Sigh!

Love you anyway. Big hugs and kisses to NOT so l'il CubbyR!

HIT me baby ONE more time!

I used to watch movies earlier, but not as a religion. Movies were meant to be occasional entertainment that covered everything from enjoying A/C for 3 hours to getting to have khaana pre/post movie along with popcorn during the movie. When I went to college, it meant masti time with my friends. The movie didn't matter! The worse it was, more you could laught and make fun. No wonder my brother went to see Himesh "Nasal" Reshamaiyas" debut film with his friends, all of whom didnt shave for the previous week and wore caps! They hooted and cheered so much that one girl actually asked them if they were fans! Trust my brother to do such things. He carries his jetty ticket from Alibag in his wallet all the time. Why, you ask?! So that if someone asks him "Alibag se aaya hai kya" he can say Yes and even show them the ticket to boot! :p But then i digress.


Post shaadi, M and me started watching movies as if our life depended on it. Friday the movie would release and the following week we would go and watch it. Urvashi theatre became second home which served awesome sandwiches as dinner. (I went as much for sandwich as the movie). Ok! I love food more than movies and my life indeed depends on it!


From Disclosure copy Aitraaz which changed Akki's stars to a horrible John Abraham movie called Karam, me thinks - we saw it all. It was a single theatre with non-multiplex rates. So watching so many movies and eating Rs.25 khaana didn't put a major dent in our pockets. Add to this, weekend was spent shacked up at buddy N's place with his brilliant collection of cult classics and rajma chawal. He is a bloody good cook. (Yeah! Food again!:p)


The movie watching continued till Cubby was born and continues since he has turned six months old. He has watched close to 8 plus movies in six months which isn't bad at all for an almost 14month old! :p


Movies which are either very good or very bad invoke fierce discussion and then there are some that just leave you unaffected. There are some which leave you all shaken like RDB and more recently TZP, some which leave you with warm glow of hope like the Munnabhai series and some that are meant to be sheer timepass like OSO and Jaane tu or a new age experiment like Dus Kahaniyan.


I am not of a mentality that tries to measure every movie as a classic. Some movies are just meant to entertain and we should just leave it that. Nor do I belive that every "serious" or "art-house" cinema is good. It's just drawing lines and compartmentalising the art of movie making.


This post is about the movies which I think came ahead of time perhaps and should have been hits! A lot like what people say about Andaz Apna Apna today. It didn't do too well that time, but today its recognised is one of the funniest Hindi films and has a cult status among people who follow movies like religion.


Disclaimer: You are please to not try and judge my mental faculties and intellectual capacities by the movies I like. And if you thought 15 Park Avenue was brilliant movie making, you are gonna think I have no taste! There! felt good to get that off my chest! ;)



Tango Charlie - This one is a war movie with difference. No mindless patriotic jargon spewed out in a typical fashion which glorifies war. It takes a fairly realistic view of a soldiers life and how they too have moments of doubt and weakness and they don't necessarily LIKE dying for their country. You can find a brilliant review HERE!



Socha na tha - A simple and old-fashioned love story which gets almost everything right, except perhaps their marketing blitz. Abhay Deol and Ayesha Takia as two youngsters who decide not to get "arrange married" to each other and end up becoming friends who then fall in love. It's no rocket science this movie, but I had a smile on your face by the end of it! You will keep humming Goa teri har ada ke for next few days.



Waisa bhi hota hai - Part II - Lock Stock move aside, desi movies are here to do as good a job. This movie with Arshad Warsi as a copy writer who gets caught in middle of a gang war is very hatke and total fun to watch. Sandhya Mridul as girl friend who is a fiery cop just rocks and mkes you wonder why isn't she doing more movies. If you haven't heard of the movie, you have defi heard Allah ke bande?!

Ek chaalis ki last local - I am quite an Abhay Deol fan now. Socha Na tha, Manorama Six Feet Under, Honeymoon Travels and this one, he has done a great job. He is subtle and understated in his acting. I wonder if he will be "successful" sometime. Ek chaalis also like Waisa bhi manages to weave 4 different story lines that converge with some funny deaths and happy endings. (you have to see the movie to understand funny deaths bit). Am sure you have hummed "kya hua jyo chhuti mere jeevan ki gaadi!"

Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. - Lotsa people panned this one completely. But I liked it's fun and frothy feel with weird characters which at times are very very real. It had six love stories rolled into one timepass flick! You may like some and hate some. But all in all it entertained me thoroughly. Amisha Patel for a change is not whining and wheezing and you have check out Abhay Deol and her dance. Stunning. Kay kay menon is actually not so intense and totally Cute! You have ofcos jigged often to Sajna Ji vaari vaari?!

Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi - This intense movie has already won loads of critical acclaim. The story about three friends who belive they can make a difference to the society and where they end up eventually will make you think forever. Set in the time of emergency we understood a lot more references when we watched it with Papa who KNEW what those years were like. Soul stirring performances by all. I could not believe same guy made Khoya Khoya Chand. (I think KKC was gorgeous to look at but totally lacked soul).

Johny Gaddar - This movie that launched Neil Nitin Mukesh is bloody brilliant. A complete rollercoaster of a thriller. The best part is, you KNOW who the perpetrator of crime is, but you cannot predict what's going to happen next. M sulked for days when Neil didn't win the best debut award. Sriram Raghavan who gave us the taut Ek hasina thi, has directed this one and he has signed up the Bacchan-Rai combo for next movie! Sigh! If you can, watch the original DVD. Watch the movie and then watch it again with commentary on. It's M's favouritest gift he has ever recieved other than Sharaabi DVD! :p Move your body baby has been danced on regularly!


Dansh - Supposed to be a life off of Death and the Maiden (which I haven't seen), this movie becomes a must watch thanks to Sonlai Kulkarni and Kay kay Menon's power-house performances. You can find my humble review HERE.

Edited to Add - Superstar - M reminded me of this one. One of the movies we have been most impressed with. It's a double trouble story with a difference where both know of each other's existence and are NOT beechde hue judwa bhais. Kunal Khemu is another cool actor and sails through both the roles effortlessly. Love humming Ajnabee khwaab mein.

Then there is Seher where Arshad Warsi is NOT playing the funny guy and is even better. Home Delivery which had Mahima Choudhary in her cameo as "almost" herself saying " Tum mera badan le sakte ho, mera dil nahi" in totally affected manner makes me laugh even now. Only M and me seem to have enjoyed this one in the whole wide world. I am forgetting many here for sure.

Am sure you guys can add to this list and help me make a list of movies that didn't do well commercially, but are must watch! :D

I hope someday these movies will get the appreciation they deserve. Or even if they don't they will always be in my favourites list!

jab likhne ke liye kuch nahi toh tag hi sahi!

I have been in a bit of bad mood today. I am not patience personified in any case, and Cubby's khaana tantrums are just driving me up the wall all of a sudden! Add to that I tried telling trusted Rajamma (which reminds me I need to do a post on her!) to make sure Cubby is not fed anything beyond 6pm so that he is hungry at a respectable hour of 830-9pm. What does she do? She fought and argued with me making me go madder! She argued if she gives him Raagi at 3pm, how will he be hungry at 6pm to have apple and milk? When M asked her "Applying the same logic, how will he be hungry at 9, if you feed him milk so late at 7pm?", she refused to accept the logic! AAAAArrgghhh!! Anyway we shall see. Aage aage dekho hota hai kya!

So, since I really cannot think of anything to say right now, I just realised I have a tag to do given by Monika and Ansh (aren't you supposed to inform me woman?!;). Add to that you basically just need to do a summary of the posts you have done! So get ready for BEST of Abha! :p

Yeah Yeah! We are vain like that only!

The tag: What you have to do is simple: Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given : family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like. Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better.

Family - since you can't choose em I have been lucky to have a really nice one! :D But generally my posts are so much about Cubby, I don't really have a decent post about my family as such. But there's one I did on rakhi for my brother.

Friends - You can choose em, but you may not always get lucky. I have a few who mean the world to me. I did one about two of my closest friends and how we have started on your journey to motherhood almost together. S is visiting us with her l'il daughter M (whom I haven't seen since birth) next month and I am already so so excited!

Yourself - oh well. since we have already agreed about being Vain, I have so many posts for this, but lemme try and pick ONE! Ok! I think THIS should be about what I am.

Your love - It's a pity I haven't done a full fledged post for M. This one says some of what I feel for him. I had a tough time not adding this to family because it covers a lot of our family in detail too! So THIS one is for M.

Anything you like - I just found an old post where I have put up funny comments I got on diaper review on another website. It makes for total fun read. The best part was, that I had lotsa Daddies telling me their stories showing husbands today defi make better fathers! :D So, THIS one is for you cool daddies out there!

Now to pass on the tag. This time let me just leave it open. Anyone who wants to do it, go on and do it. It's good fun to read all these old posts and have a silly smile on your face thinking you have indeed come a long way even in six months! :)

And since its been awards time galore, there's another one! A special one too. The one that says BFF on a gold card. It means Blogging Friends Forever.

I love lucy and Suma gave this to me.

I love lucy said "Abha - Her wonderfully warm and friendly smile says it all! Her passion and zest for life is reflected so well in her writing.I cannot wait to meet her and the little darling Cubby on my next trip to Bangalore!"

(I have a feeling that she just wants to meet Cubby!)

Suma has given it to all her blogger friends! But what she wrote about me while accepting the Brilliante Award made me float on Cloud Number 9! This is what her blog says about me "Mama mia's famous for her radiant 1000 watt smile, and her cubby who takes after her. esp in the beam and cuteness factor. Her optimism is contagious and i love the feel-good factor of her blog"

I would hate to pick and choose blogging friends too. It of course goes right back at two of you and thank you so much for thinking about me! It's also for some of these people I have met and known for some time. WIAN and JLT, please to come out of hibernation and entertain us! Other than that all of ya ladies and gents who take out time to read my blog and comment too, this is for all of you! :D

Khaana and Khilaana Troubles with Weekend Masti!

Firstly let's get "How were the modaks?" question out of the way! I spoke about my plan to make them here and now I am answerable!

If this sounds like they were quite bad, yes!! That's what happened and which is why the tone is grumpy!! :( The filling tasted perfect and the coating seemed OK, but together, they just weren't what they should be. Add to that, having your MILs around to witness the failure... well! Lesser said the better. Hehe!

While the hope was still alive, smiles happened

All I kept saying was i tried. Probably there will be a next time and they MIGHT not turn out to be total disasters! Yes! We live in hope. I am not called an eternal optimist without reason! :)

Thanx for wishes and prayers anyways! :p

The week has otherwise been eventful too, yet again not in good sense. Cubby has been down with a BAD case of cough and cold for almost 15 days now. After 6 days, we finally started off on antibiotic and it's still far from OK. He has lost his appetite and every feeding session is like a war that begins with crying and ends with puking. He is OK rest of the day when not being force-fed. The cough rears up it's ugly head starting evening and gets worse by night. The medicines help him sleep, but am looking forward to getting my sunshine baby back. It's weird to see him whining and grumpy all the time, not to forget, awfully clingy too.

Even otherwise since he turned one eating has become a major exercise and I am at loss what to do. He creates SUCH a ruckus that at this point of time it's impossible to feed him in company without them thinking we are terrible parents. Earlier, we could go wherever, whenever with Cubby 'coz we knew he will eat on his own time. But, suddenly he likes nothing. The baby who used to eat everything from his and our plate is refusing to get even a morsel down his gullet without putting up a solid fight. I though he might be bored of his own food and wants better taste, but he isn't even having food from our plates these days.

The moment he sees food, he starts crying! :( Experienced mother are please to help. TV does no work for him. His one eye is perennially fixed on where the next spoonful is coming from and he shakes his head just at the last minute sending most food flying away.

Am calming down myself with a hope for even the most hopeless saying "It's just a phase!". Escapism is at times confused with optimism! ;)

Our Saturday was spent family hopping. First Good-byes to M's mausi and mausaji who are going for a Europe Trip gifted by their kids. Then a visit to one of those kids and her son who refused to play with Cubby saying "I am a big person, i don't play with small people!" Okkkkk!

The day got over visiting another mausi and family and having dinner with them and heading home. Cubby was pooped by 10pm but too excitable to sleep. We heaved a sigh of relief when he gave in!

Sunday we didn't have any plan. The weather with drizzle and clouds was really nice for a picnic. We thought of Nandi Hills, but M has never driven in ghats and neither me nor mummy can drive. So, we opted to go Janapada Loka which is around 65kms away on road to Mysore.

getting set for the Hogfest!

Of course the place is more famous for Kamat Lokaruchi which serves the famed North Karnataka Jowar Bhakri meals. Totally yummy. The bharva baingan, some leafy vegetable and mixed pulses along with jowar roti on plantain leaf in an open setting is just perfect!

The service here is really warm and friendly. They serve you the way you would at a family wedding perhaps, asking if you would want ONE more jowar bhakri before going for rice.

Old McKamat had a farm!!

One of the servers totally took to Cubby and once done with his duty even showed and let him touch a duck running around the place. Cubby was visibly tickled by the attention and getting to see a real quack! quack! :)

Cubby was sitting on his chair and being a complete G(r)umpy Gola refusing to smile. His weird expressions TRYING not to smile sent me in mad peels of laughter much to his disdain.

The almost non-Smile

how could i NOT laught at such cute expressions!

Heavy lunch hogged on, we went to Janapada Loka which is supposed to be like an arts and handicraft museum kinda place. The entry to the place as such is free, but there is a fee of 10bucks per person if you want to see the actual museum. The museum itself is quite interesting with old time equipments used for cooking, hunting etc kept along with their use and districts where they have come from. If you want to take photos, another 100bucks to be paid.

the amphitheatre

There is a beautiful amphitheatre where i hope we can catch some performance some day.

Lake-view calm

There is a lake (more like a pond) too. The paddle boat was floating all by itself, so I guess it's not functional anymore. But the place surrounding the lake is calm and serene and it feels nice to just sit there and talk about this and that. (I am incapable of contemplative silence even in completely quiet places much to the horror of some of my philosophical friends!).

two steps behind you...

Cubby had a ball holding our hand and walking here and there. He loved climbing the steps of the amphitheatre and even made friends with an uncle when we reached the top.

the Lucky Uncle

None of us had got a smile that the uncle got. MILs was visibly horrified at us handing over our precious one to a dirty looking stranger. But when he held Cubby, he was just another guy who loved babies and who are we to question Cubby's judgement?!

the giggly after-effect of DDhoom Jump!

What Cubby liked more than climbing the steps was coming in our godi while coming down and laughing every time we jumped down from the step with accompanying DDhooom! sending all of us into giggling fits.

with Daadi saying Bye to Janapada Loka

with us! Check out the cool gate!

Everything seen and photos taken, we went back to Lokaruchi to have a refreshing cup of filter kaapi and started on our way back.

We got home in another hour and a half tired but happy. All in all, a day well spent.

Ofcos, the battle of the food and puking sessions happened to end the day with, but EO (not yours Mamma-mia. Eternal Optimist) says this too shall pass

One for the Road!

This blog post that is! :p

One fine day, my dad showed be a cheque of 20k plus and said we are buying you a two-wheeler!! It just came out of the blue like a blot of lightning. I was super excited and at the same time worried. I mean I could hardly ride a bicycle, how could I zoom on a bike?!

Now don't laugh at what I tell you next. I took lessons to learn a two-wheeler. Like a driving school it was a riding school in Pune. I was a part of a crowd which mainly had middle aged aunties tried to get their groove back. I actually learnt to ride a luna on a huge ground and came out unscathed. With my brilliant sense of direction there were always adventures once they let me loose on the road, but with my "Have tongue, Will ask" attitude, I managed to get back on the ground safe! :p

Then we went to buy the "Scooty". It was among the first targeted to women gearless two-wheelers after Kinetic Honda which was still lot heavier and difficult to manage. I picked a navy blue one and dad rode it back with me a pillion rider. The day arrived for me to take my bike alone till Bandra, a good 10kms plus, for my french classes. My mom was worried and even dad wasn't in town. Going weak in knees took different meaning when I went down the steps that day. AS i kick-started the bike and moved ahead tentatively and before I knew i was ZOOOMMIINNGG along.

I have loved the heady feeling of freedom on my bike since then. I love the way you can conquer the roads, the way you can go from one place to another on your own time, how i don't have to depend on horrid auto guys to get home and the adrenalin rush I get occasionally when I overtake a bus perhaps.

Smita wrote this very cool post about her two-wheelers fundas which covers almost everything i could have said. What I want to write about is "species" of people you come across while on the road. These are the people who make me go raving mad and cursing in the most unladylike fashion as I go to and fro work now on M's beloved Dio which incidentally is waayyy better than my Scooty.

High beam Hooligans - These are the WORST of the lot. In Bombay we used to hardly come across cars that drove with high beam. But in Bangalore, it's like a disease. How can someone who drives him/herself NOT understand that they are BLINDING the opposite person for those few seconds. It's scary how you cannot see ANYTHING when someone is flashing lights in your eyes. I go nuts trying to make sure that I am not hitting any human being who is crossing like a headless chicken while the idiot coming from opposite side thinks HE is getting better visibility with his beloved high beam!

Anarchist Autos - If I ever suffer from high blood pressure in young age this species is to blame. As if it not enough that they drive me up the wall with their refusal to go just about anywhere and tampered meters charging atrocious amounts of money, to suffer their rash driving day in and day out is unbearable. They refuse to maintain a lane and even worse insist on driving in the middle of the road with their 10km/hr speed not letting faster vehicles move past them. Worst is when they are doing this while cruising LOOKING for a fare which they will anyway refuse.

Mobile Monsters - Mobile phones are hardly a status symbol in this day and age. So, WHY do we insist on showing it off and talking on it even while riding / driving. How difficult is it to realise that it's terribly dangerous?! That you cannot be holding phone with one hand and steering / handle with another. I have seen so often people even smsing while driving! WTF! That you are talking with handsfree i can still understand, but most don't even seem to use that. These are the people who don't even realise how randomly they are driving because they are concentrating elsewhere.

Sufferers of SSS - The full form would be Sudden Slowdown Syndrome. These are the people who are cruising comfortably at a regular speed everyone seems to be and then well... they suddenly slow down. No rhyme or reason. The best part is they are completely unaware about the chaos created by them due to this unfathomable action. They are usually at their irritating best when they manage to cross the signal with 10secs to go and people behind are struggling to cross the orange light! Aaarrgghhhh!!

The Ferrari Syndrome - These are the people who think they are participating in a Grand-Prix at Monaco. They honk and keep weaving in and out of the traffic in such a dangerous fashion, that I often tell M and myself, "Jaane do! Isse lagta yeh chaand pe pohonch jaayega aur thoda fast jaayega toh!"

Horny Devils- How does honking LOUDLY and incessantly help? I am guilty of this at times, but it's only when someone is going too slow / overtaking me from the wrong side. How will few seconds of staying silent and keeping that impatient hand away from the horn delay you by hours?! We are not crazy to wait at the signal when it's turned green. When it is a line of vehicles, they will take some time to move!

Spineless Police - Most of these things won't be such a big problem if police had SOME authority in this city. It's ridiculous to see policemen manning a signal and asking people to stop and at least 10 cars whizzing past before he can actually get semblance of order. No wonder most signals are worse off when being "managed" by police. People have absolutely NO fear. The only thing they diligently do is catch riders without helmet and generally keep harassing two wheeler guys without rhyme or reason. Of cos, since helmet is the only reason you get fined for, thankfully 95% people are wearing helmets!! So, good going there!

There are many more peeves which you face when you are pretending to rule the road, but the post is already too long. I can't stop without telling girl with pretty hair and great skin to please tie her hair and a scarf if possible for long term wellness. To the hunk (??) riding without helmet that you will NOT get noticed while zooming past on your bike. Even if they do, it will be just to say "Look at that idiot riding without helmet!" The guy who muffles his silencer to make that horrific sound such bikes do, Grow up, Dude! That noise is just about the UNCOOLEST thing ever. To the uncle who opens the door of his expensive Octavia to spit I can just say EWWWWWW! Money really cannot buy class.

What's your traffic story?!

And the week ends on another happy note! One more person in the ENTIRE blogosphere thinks I am Brilliant. Thank You Snippets & Scribbles. It means a lot to me. The rules are there to read on the previous post. Since I get another chance to pass on this award I am very kicked! And the award goes to;

Puja - she rarely writes long rambling posts, but those few lines pack a punch and make you think.

Gauri - The tiny-tidbits of her life never leave me without a smile or a thought.

Maami - Her words to put it in one word are Magical. Witty and sensitive. I just love reading her blog.

Dee - No use of fancy words. This woman writes with her heart!

Toon Factory - this dude's passion for Cinema is obvious. He walks, talks, sleeps and thinks movies. A veritable encyclopedia of Bollywood! :D

Couch Papaya - I used to think I read enough, till I came across this woman. Read her reviews to know whats readable and what can be just dumped without a second glance.

Suma - I WISH I could be that sensible and level headed. Though I have just started reading her blog, i totally love it.

Sue - This one thinks a lot and deep and then expresses it so well. Honest, thoughful and thoughtprovoking.

Spread the cheer people!! Have a super weekend!

Ganpati Bappa Morya!!

The only God I have often heard being called CUTE is Ganpati or Ganesha if you will. With his round belly, the twisting trunk and the kind and smiling eyes (I hate it when idol makers screw up the eyes and make em angry and all), you cannot help but trust Him with your heart and soul. Add to that the stories of his very cool wit, his penchant for good food and lightening speed of thinking AND writing, Ganpati does come across as a lovable person errr... God! :D

The Arrival

For me Ganeshotsav has always meant a cartload of happy memories. Our family Ganpati used to be at my Dad's uncle's place every year. It was a small house with gray stone flooring and a constant roar of traffic under the windows. A place was designated for the visiting Lord. The previous evening some of us would go and get the statue whose face would be still covered with a silk cloth. There would be decorations made of thermocol. The next day morning all of us would go there again for the "sthapana". A long pooja ensued followed by arati sung in a particular tune with "zhanja" and bell as accompaniments.

After all this, all the women sat in a room to make delicious Modaks (they are like Momos filled with coconut and jaggery mix). All young girls who wanted to try their hand at it were allowed to mess up a few as well. Yours truly kept being a part of messing up gang till she got married and never made Modaks again! ;)



Then garam garam modaks with ghee poured onto them were devoured along with rest of the basic khaana. Talkathon amongst the whole family catching up on what's been happening would reach cacophony levels! All in all total dhamaal.

The fond farewells

The Visarajan - the day we say Good Bye to Lord Ganesha asking him to come again next year, is always tinged with certain sadness. We would all again go to uncle's house and the idol would be taken to Dadar Chowpatty. A last aarti would be sung on the beach among masses of people all doing the same, in their big and small groups.

The Prelude

Even more fun used to be Ganeshotsav in the building. I grew up in a chawl and we have a common Ganpati, more popularly known as Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav. The preparations would start months in advance for the celebrations to go off smoothly.


Someone would be working on the pandal and someone else on collecting the money from entire building. Some of us would be participating in a whole 3 act marathi play and others would be practicing their dance performance. Singing skills used to be brushed up and ideas for new competitions worked out!


The play practice went on every night for almost 2months. The dance practice happened in our terrace every evening. Music players were begged for and so was space to do the play practice. Towards last 15 days everyday one family would volunteer to give snacks and coffee to the team. Day before the ganpati came, we would all be cleaning the chowk with jhaadoos and mild acid that would burn out the dirt. The previous night everyone would be working hard on decoration and all that jazz! The whole atmosphere would be charged with excitement of next few days. Those were really the days!!

And not to forget late night jaunts at 2am to have bhurji paav and cutting chai with the whole gang!! For quite a few years, the guys would get parcel for the girls till i insisted and then begged these guys to take us too! what fun! bhurji never tasted that good before or after!

The Celebrations

And then those days went by in a flurry of activity. Fancy Dress and dance competition for kids where they outdid themselves every year. Anatkshari and dumb charades for adults that lead to major leg-pulling and happy camaraderie. The arati was sung everyday with gusto. Ours was one of the few Ganpatis where the arati was not just put up on recorder. A live dholak played by someone in the building played the beats of arati that went on for at least 45mins with volumes never going low. If some of us didn't know the arati we made up by clapping harder! :p


One room would get transformed into make-up room on the day of play and dances. We would all be white faced with amateur make-up done by fellow residents. But we were proud of it nonetheless because we never paid a single paisa to get some orchestra come and play for us or just show movies on projector. We worked hard for every event and its success and failure was our own to embrace.


Through all this arguments happened and sentiments got hurt too, mostly due silly egos. But at the end of the day it was our pride as a group at stake and we would make up and go ahead and do our best.


Last year I was on Mumbai post delivery and I made 40day old Cubby participate in Fancy Dress competition as a body builder! :p This year I will miss being a part of it, but I know like every year I will get nostalgic and smile at all those very special memories.


I have declared to M that I am gonna try and make Modaks tomorrow. Now M is someone who takes food very seriously and I better at least attempt them. So wish me luck, people!! I will tell you how they turned out!


Till then, Ganpati Bappa Morya!!
Ek, don, teen, chaar, Ganpaticha jayjaykar!
aani Pudchya Varshi Laukar ya in advance!

ps: On an important note, do try and buy small clay idols with natural colours instead of PoP ones commonly available which harm the environment since they don't dissolve completely when submerged. It's the least we can do in our human capacity for this divine occasion.

pps: the order is kinda awry, but Ganpati brings so many memories, it seemed almost impossible to even put them down, forget doing it in an order! So, pls to excuse! :)