co-incidence or miracle?! :)

There are times in life that just leave you believing in the power up above and your ability to reach it, just a l'il bit more than usual.

This happened a coupla years ago when we were coming back from Chennai, by train, after attending buddy S ki shaadi. M told me to give him the ticket because I might drop it from the purse while removing or putting the stuff back in. I said OK, more than happy to get rid of responsibility of any kind.

We reached our compartment and M generally checked to see if we remembered our seat numbers right and the ticket had disappeared! It could have fallen anywhere, starting from the hotel where the reception happened to anywhere on the station. We had the envelope in which the e-ticket was couriered to us with the PNR number. But knowing how rules most often defy logic, we were wondering what else we can do. M though he will go to a cyber cafe and try and get s print of the confirmation email. easier said than done. Cyber cafe was on the other end of the station and when M reached he realised the speed was so slow that there was no hope of getting the print till after the train left.

Me, I was waiting on the platform, after keeping our samaan under the seats. My cell phone was not on roaming and I didn't know what to do. Suddenly I thought, I might as well go inside and sit down and wait for M to get back. Can you believe our luck? As I reached my seat, I saw two men standing outside by the window, with a ticket in their hand, asking who was sitting on so and so seat?! I just snatched the ticket and realized it was indeed our ticket. I thanked those people profusely and requested the guy sitting next to us to lend me his phone, so that I could call M and inform him that he should get back imm.

I mean what are the chances that someone actually picks up a dropped and ticket and then takes EFFORT to come and return it to the rightful owners?!

I of course shared this experience with my folks and friends because I was so zapped by the whole thing.

Then, my mom called me last night as we were getting ready to go and watch last show of Fashion. She was coming back from Pune yesterday evening after enjoying the Diwali festivities. She kept the ticket in her trouser pocket so that its easily accessible. Somehow and somewhere, either her pocket got picked or she dropped the ticket. She reached the platform and was trying to confirm if it was the same train number, when she realised she had lost the ticket. Now my mom panics really easy and quick. My dad had forgotten his phone, so she couldn't call and check what she should do next?!

She remembered her compartment and seat and thought she could by a general ticket at least and then reason it out with the TC or worse pay the fine. So she started walking towards the counter and was crossing over a bridge, when she realised it will take too long. She remembered OUR Chennai incident and thought it could happen to her also that some good Samaritan will come with hers and she decided to turn back and take her seat.

As she was walking back she saw a sweeper cleaning the bridge and noticed an old looking ticket. She wondered what if and suddenly noticed her hanky in the dirt pile getting collected. She rushed and told the guy to just hold on. Miracle of miracles, it was indeed HER ticket! :D

She thanked the sweeper profusely and went to her train without a worry!

So, my mom called to tell me, that sort of, thanks to me, she found her ticket!

Would you call it just a co-incidence or some angel looking over us making the right things happen?!

So in these times, where religious strife seems to be taking away our ability to look at another human being with trust and without being judgemental, let's think back to good things that have happened to us and others. How many times did you wonder what was the religion of that Good Samaritan? Or did you stop extending your helping handing to someone who needed it because you had to first check the religion and caste?!

Let's try and notice these little miracles in our life to start with and then make them happen often... Let's respect fellow human beings and be giving and kind... Let's try NOT to be judgemental and try and condone acts of violence under the name of faith...

Like my favourite Tantra tee says "God is too big to fit into any one religion"

Cheers to that!

a MUST break from Goa chronicles!

Another month is already over! Cubby turned 15months old on 20th Oct! One year and three months. So time for first quarterly appraisal of second year! :p

I only LOOK sweet and innocent!

This month has been full of new joys and discoveries and you, my darling son, have been on a cuteness overdrive, making your parents break into big proud grins or sending them into peels of laughter in turns.

Leme rruunn and get that phone!

You are becoming quite a little helper! Especially when it comes to our cell phones. As soon as any of our phone rings, you rush to it, take the phone in your l'il hands and rush to give it to us. You know which phone is mommy's and which one belongs to Papa and you always hand it over to the right person. I was so amazed when you did it the first time and your daddu toh refused to believe me! You also give the paper to us when requested! Thank you for being such a sweetie.

So much to do! So many places to go to!

Your vocabulary is increasing everyday. You try and repeat words after us and sometimes it is like talking at Echo Point where you hear some of your words back. When we ask you "Kabir kela khaayega?", you will say Keeellaa! It's totally sweet. Other words learnt have been Amma, Akka, Paper, Cow (said as Caauu!), bi bo (which is big ball), Bubbe (bubbles) and Hemme (helmet).

My beloved Hemme

Hemme is the chant these days. You are completely fascinated or should I say obsessed with Helmets of all things. When mommy comes back home on a rainy day, she carries hers home. You refuse to even acknowledge my presence and go chanting Hemme! Hemme! as if it's a long lost friend! Thankfully we have an extra one, and we went crazy seeing you lug around a "hemme" half your weight! You also stop by complete strangers who are holding one and just keep staring leaving them very confused. Usually at this point. mommy apologetically tells them about your Hemme fixation and they sweetly let you touch it, which you do, reverently!

Jahan Hemme, Wahin Cubby!

Yun hi chala chal rahi... Boriya bistar leke!

If its not Hemme you love walking around with one of your chaddars or any big pieace of cloth. Its so cute to see you drag it around, sometimes keeping it on your head and at others, stumbling because you are getting all entangled in it!

Jahaan thak jaaye, wahi chadaar faila ke baith jaana!

Kutte!! AA jao! :p on a Goa footpath!

Bhoo continues to be the flavour of this month too. Finding even stray puppies is equivalent to being in paradise! You just keep following them like a l'il pup yourself! :) Onlookers on the platform at Londha station (on our way back from Goa) were thoroughly amused seeing a l'il guy run after dogs calling out "Bhoo! Bhoo!' , so much so that the dogs just ran away after a point. Plus the fact that you were doing it on an unlit platform with just moonlight shining down, some people were even impressed with the courage bit! :p

Now you don't see me!!

You are much smarter than I give you credit. I was quite impressed that you remember stuff I have shown you quite some time ago. You recognise your toys by name. Be it red engine, motor cycle, Ziggy the Zebra or Lucky Mouse. You could also recognise and pick up Penguin, lemon, strawberry and all such boring stuff mommy insists on teaching you rarely. You also now know what is a curtain, a clock and the decorative stuff in our house. Most impressed, baby!

Now you do! Koooki!

You also have understood Shoes means going out. So if Amma gets you ready in the evening with diaper at all, you say Shu! Shu! and actually go and get them. You also pointed out Winnie the Pooh on your new floaters correctly. Perhaps, I should take l'il more effort to teach you more stuff when you are in this sponge state.

Books aren't our enemies now. Not bad enough to just run every time mommy took a book in her hands. If I call you saying "Come ubbi, let's read!", quite often you run, find a book and come to me. The transformation started with liking a book from Karadi Tales about three fishes - Bucki, Timsi and Moti. You say Bucki and Moti and get the book to me and listen to almost half the story in one shot! Not bad, I say!

This is the kinda face we make around feeding time! Sigh!

Eating is still a major task. I am sorry I lose my patience ever so often, but I just don't now why you are SO stubborn about this khaana business! I get totally stumped at your kicking and screaming fest at every meal time. Distractions work for a total of 7mins21secs if we are lucky, by when you haven't even have had half your goop. If too much force feeding happens, you just throw up. I am at my wits end and trying to see how can I be more understanding and patient. How about you returning the favour too, eh?!

You hate us going to bathroom. It's completely crazy. The moment we go, you start crying. Then sobbing and then waaillliiing as if we would never come back. This is inspite of talking to you from inside and reassuring you we will be out soon enough. When Papa is not traveling it's OK because one of us can manage you. But when he is traveling, I have no option, but let you stand outside and cry.

You now Roar as soon as you hear the word Lion. Since I do really bad imitation, you have picked the same. But then again, a roar is a roar, nahi?! You also love Hissing when we say snake goes Hisssssssssssss! You continue to do it till Papa is wondering about you being a descendant of Harry Potter speaking in Parsel Tongue et al. Cauu goes mooo is also said when in an exceptionally good mood or something like that.

You are quite a strong l'il guy. Just the way you moved over smoothly from lactogen to cauu milk, you had no trouble when you had buffalo milk in Goa. First day I added a little water and once I didn't see any trouble, you had regular bhains ka doodh quite easily. You also had simple tap water (with Zero-B attached to it) in Goa and didn't need bisleri or boiled water to stay healthy. You had fish and everything else at those shacks. Am glad your immune system is building itself up to get used to everything. Touchwood. Sometimes I am glad that we were careless enough to stop giving you boiled water when you were 4months old! :p

GaddaGadda = Fun times roll!

You love Gaddas! You run the moment we say "Let's put Gaddas" and just enjoy lolling over them and throwing yourself indiscriminately because you know GaddaGadda will cushion your fall. You will come and quickly sit under the chaddar when we are trying to put it on the gaddas and then come out with eyes shining and twinkling. This is followed up with Bhaago Cubby aaya game and we all keep falling over each other and laughing madly.

I want to wear them myself!!!

You are trying to do things on your own. While last month's love for socks continues, you now want to try and wear them on your own too and get quite frustrated when you are not able to. Sometimes you will eat just a l'il bit more if I keep the piece of roti or bread on my hand for you to take on your own, rather than me feeding you. All in good time sweets! :)

Just one of those moments...

I love the way you snuggle up to me to have that last bit of extended sleep in the morning. Of course the rest of the night you keep moving from one end of the gaddas to another and Papa and you are found in completely different positions than where you guys started! Papa complains about you hogging too much space too often! :D

becoming a big boy!! Step 1 - Glass se paani!

You are learning to have atleast few sips of water with a glass now. You love going Slluurrp and we have to accompany in making the sound. I am hoping you will be able to have doodh with glass in another coupla months. That would do away with the sipper bit too. Maybe.

who needs toys when there are spoons!

All in all you are a complete l'il packet of joy(bundle is for small babies, not l'il boys!). A single day doesn't go by when I don't thank God for sending YOU across to me. Your naughty eyes, your brilliant smile, your baby walk dying to break into a run, your little hands trying to hold on to bigger things, you shaking your head with a vigorous no, you walking all over the place wherever we go and winning hearts with your genial nature... it all fills me with happiness and joy I never knew was possible or even existed!

High five for being YOU, l'il guy!!

I am indeed Mama-mia - Proud Mommy of L'il CubbyR. High Five to that! :D

Love you lots and pots! MMuuaaaaaaaaah!

a Tag and another day in Goa!! :D

I promised to do part two pretty quickly after doing part uno of the Goa trip. But I need lot more pictures and all of them are in M's laptop and he is travelling. So I thought while I am sitting vella let me do a tag the incredibly smart and sassy Kiran has set me to do.

(I changed my mind and added some Goa tidbits at the end!)

All I apparently need to do is list out 5 of my addictions. I think if someone reads my blog which sometimes mentions my quirks, other times my fears and now my addiction, that person can easily foool me into believing I have known him/her forever! :p

Taste ki testing

I love trying new tastes at new restaurants and I hate going to same places over and over again when they are so many out there waiting to serve me some good, bad and ugly food! This tasting and testing thing is not restricted to restaurants, but is done at home too. NO! I don't take out Sanjeev Kapoor and Tarla Dalal books since I ain't no kitchen goddess! :( I prowl the supermarket aisles waiting to lay my hands on some new biscuit, a flavour of soup, some ready to cook khaana... anything! At times it's a complete waste of money and another times we eat it till we get sick of it and need a break. I remember buying a Chinese Barbecue Sauce called Woh-Hup Hoisin sauce. We added it to some noodles or something as per recipe on the bottle and it was just horrible. 300bucks flushed down the drain (in every sense of the term!).

SMSing and blogging

I dunno why I prefer smsing than calling. I sms for numbers, address, just to say hey and even make up after a fight. I have no idea why I don't just pick up the phone and call instead. But that's just me. I keep tapping away at my phone and much to everyone's horrors I cannot use T9! so I type every letter and don't let phone do the guessing! :p

Blogging is new, yet an addiction that runs deepest at this time. I just have to get a daily dose of blogs I love to read and rarely can I ever leave without leaving a comment! :) Yeah I am a comments junkie. I love getting them and leaving them on other blogs!

Coffee kick

I LOVE coffee. I don't drink endless cups of it. Sometimes it's just the morning cuppa. But i so need it. A bad cup of coffee gets me upset to no end. That's the reason I rarely make my own. Earlier it was mom who used to make a perfect one and now it's M who gives me my daily dose of caffeine.

Cubby and talking about him

I cannot have a conversation without bringing up what's latest with Cubby. I just love to sit and watch him grow up a l'il bit every single day. I love his non-smile and how he has learnt to shake his head vigorously to say no. Sometimes it could be just something regular he has done. But to his mother's eyes, he is the first one to do it! :p

Reading... in the loo!

Yeah yeah! Go and say ewwww! Till i got married, I never did it more because I guess, Indian loos don't allow you that luxury. But M got me hooked to this habit and now there is no kicking it. Our loo looks like a mini library at times and I wonder how soon Cubby will pick up this silly habit (see! Told you I keep talking about him!)

I tag Suma, BB's mom, Cuckoo, Swati and Dee. (am not linking you women! too tired to do it! Pls to bear with me!)

And here's a l'il update from Goa in any case! One day we got out without a plan and M said lets go and indulge a bit. So off we went to Park Hyatt for a leisurely lunch and chilling at their private beach which came as an unexpected surprise! I kicked myself for not carrying extra set of clothes or just a pair of shorts or something. This was the only time we were there on a pristine beach with cloudy sky and no way to dunk ourselves! :( Tragic, to say the least! But then we enjoyed just lying down on the comfy beach chairs and attempting to take Cubby in water yet again. This time he bawled a little less! But he isn't a water baby as of now at least. He was happiest between changes of clothes, just being naked! :p

Ofcos in his characteristic manner, he kept walking all over the restaurant and hotel and by end of it garnered a couple of fans, what with snooty, rich people who think kids are a nuisance! We had a yummylicious Pizza at their Italian resto and yours truly, otherwise a teetotaler indulged in a Cosmopolitan for the very first time only after M promised that he would share / finish the drink if i didn't like / enjoy it. Well, I quite enjoyed it and might just have it another time! :p

It's a beautiful property and I hope we can go and stay there sometime in future. I collected some sea shells just for nostalgia sake and have no idea what I would do with them.

Also was impressed with the staff uniform at this place! Crisp linen clothes with chinese collars and really cool ivory cut-offs with blue chinese collar kurtas for some of the staff. I felt terribly under-dressed! :p

Here's some pictures of that day.

I fell in love with how fresh and yummy the veggies looked!

Begging Cubby to just sit with us for sometime!!

Cubby would rather run around... barefoot!!

walking to the beach!!

It was a long walk!! See the position change in carrying Cubby!

See the happiness when naked?!

Trying to dress him up!

when will baby-bag days get over?! :p


a family picture to end it with!

Part One of god knows how many! :p

So, we are back and all that jazz!! :D I really needn't tell you from where, since I have been talking about my Goa vacation forever! There i go again!

But it has to be forgiven this time 'coz the post is indeed about the much talked about and looked forward to trip! We plotted and planned for days together! Plotted to get the leave and planned to get tickets in place. We changed them so many times to best economise our time AND money. After lotsa haggling / discussion back and forth we decided to fly one way and take the train on return. Packing happened previous night 11pm onwards!

Last time we went to Kolhapur, Cubby jumping in and out of our suitcases was FUN! But this time it was sheer nuisance having him pull down all the clothes ironed and ready to be packed and then horror of horrors mop floor with them! Wonder where he got his cleanliness gene from! Plus he would keep trying to pull out already packed stuff and keep coming between our legs. So finally I took him on his favourite GaddaGadda to just play while M packed peacefully.

We had requested Amma to come early because it's impossible to get ready and do frantic last minute packing when Cubby gets into his clingy modes. For once she DID arrive on time albiet after a pleading phone call. She got Cubby ready and fed while we finished our work.

We decided to take the A/C Volvo to the airport since it's the most comfy and cheapest mode of transport to the new airport at just 150 bucks a person. Cubby also has never ridden on a bus, so it made most sense.

Amma with her precious package on her shoulders

Amma came to drop us to the bus-stop and I got stern warning saying "Amma, Kabir accha" at least 10 times in that short distance. Other warnings like "Amma, Kabir Bisleri paani, Goa paani beda!" (Give Kabir only Bisleri water, no Goa water for him) also followed. If you guys thought I didn't have to bear with MILs instructions, here she is! She does love him to bits and was actually sad at not seeing him for so many days rather than enjoying the unexpected chhutti she got! :)

Cubby made friends with the driver and conductor and the uncle sitting at the information booth! I loved the huge bus with its ample space to keep luggage, comfortable seats and sufficient A/C. It's a pity it still has not taken off in a really big way, though lot of regular travelers are now warming up to this mode rather than taking a private taxi every time. The staff is extremely courteous and helpful and the journey (i call it that because it takes over an hour and a half to get there from our place) totally satisfactory.

Cubby slept most of the way with a half eaten bourbon biscuit in his hand and looking utterly peaceful and cute sleeping with his torso on my lap and legs on his daddy's. I remembered how we used to sleep like this on our parents when we were kids and marveled at the fact that some things, thankfully, never change! :)

Mommy trying to hold on to Cub who wants to break free

Ofcourse all that sleep had Cubby totally recharged and he was raring to go like an energizer bunny. With walking efforts getting better by the day, the new found mobility was completely put to use by walking all over the huge airport. He would fall and get up again to some stranger's helping hands and give them his million dollar smile in return. Often, the smile led to being picked up by half the people at the airport! There were people who didn't smile back leading to much confusion, but he will have to learn that it takes all kinds to make this world.

Saala main toh Sahab ban gaya! Or maybe just Whheeeee!!

So while we enjoyed our coffee and sandwich Cubby realised he could go under the rope barricades. He actually bent down a bit as if he was tall enough to hit it if, he didn't. I was totally amused by this gesture because I have no idea where did he pick it up from or is it a natural instinct?! Cubby also found that revolving chairs are fun when a pretty girl ghumaoes it for you while you sit majestically in her chair, in her office! No wonder he cried while saying bye bye to the aunty...errr... didi perhaps! :)

Naughty? Et moi?! Just waiting for my coffee!

Everything done and good byes said to many people, we went on to board the flight. Cubby insisted on holding on to the supports in the bus while in Papa's godi as if he didn't trust him enough. WE got the seats right in the front and were quite thankful for that bit of extra space! Our neighbours were also people with kids (a girl and a boy) and both of them indulged Cubby totally making him listen to music by sharing their headphones and talking to him like a little adult. He kept walking from our end to theirs giving goofy smiles all along. He was even carried away by airhostesses for some time and his father wished he could swap places with the son! :D

He had juice nibbled a bit of yummy food Jet served and had a ball of time. I had a tough time getting him to sit quietly during take-off and landing though. Of course he is still thankfully small enough to be physically restrained, but he didn't create too much of a ruckus either.

When we were getting off a lady sitting behind us, blessed him and said "What a sweet child. He has been smiling throughout the flight!" My son ROCKS people! :D

Thus we reached Goa. Got our star sighting with Suniel Shetty waiting outside the tiny Dabolim airport as we headed to the taxi stand to reach my buddy Gauri's place! :)

Phew! I am tired with this much! So the actual Goa trip and return journey to be continued in next post! Please to bear with me. I actually didn't mean to bore you guys with every detail, but it's more for my memories sake that I am noting it all down out here! I wish I could capture the actual joie de vivre and excitement on Cubby's face in my words, but I had to try nonetheless! :)

P.s. Next post I will let just the photos do the talking! :P

off i GoA!! :D

well! i am leaving for Goa tomorrow!!!

now now! lets not get jealous and just be nice people and wish me happy journey and super times ahead! :p

Will be back here next friday! Hope you guys have a brilliant weekend and a super week ahead!!

Meanwhile i thought i will do my good deed for the day by telling you NOT to spend your hard earned money on Kidnap! Though watching Imran Khan is tempting for women and Minissha Lamba in bikini might pique your interests, the movie is SUCH a DUD!

For more detailed and dhamaal reasoning, you can read M's review here!

Other than that attended a terriblly pointless training on Wednesday! Thurday, managed to go to buddy Faiz's place for some mind-boggling biryani and kebabs and thus celebrated Id! :) Cubby was totally at home and looked utterly cute in kurta, pajama and jacket!!

Photos some time later 'coz i really gotta get home and PACK! Yes! I am like that only!

Take care you all!! :)

cheers!

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!