weighty matters - part 1

October 11


2 days back I was cleaning out my cupboard. The amt of stuff which accumulates inside never fails 2 surprise me, every time. Other than clothes, I pulled out crepe paper, empty plastic covers, packets of confiscated chocolates & candies, useless shiny items which caused disagreements between the kids, and a photo album. Whenever I clean the cupboard I most certainly come across atleast 1 photo album & its tradition……to leave the mess all around me & go thru through the album first. As always I never fail to be surprised at how “fat”(ummm…mayb not so fat fat but definitely overweight) I looked a year ago.

All my life (ie. The 1st 25 yrs of my life), people commented how awfully thin I was, I cd stuff myself with anything without putting on even an ounce. My mom found it like a slur against her tht I was so skinny. As the matrimonial talks were going on, the need 2 put on weight was more serious. I was only 42kgs. Well 2 cut it short, nothing worked. Then got married, left Bangalore for Dubai………..a totally different world & lifestyle.

Life in Dubai was like a shock to my system. Only a female fellow bangalorean who shifted to the Middle East will be able to sympathize with my plight. A free spirit who cruised thru the bylanes of Bangalore was shut inside an apartment in the middle of a desert. I don’t think I ever saw direct sunlight (oh yes I forgot I saw it for abt 10 mins whenever I went 2 hang out clothes on the terrace twice a week) Even if I wanted to go out on my own it was not possible coz it was so humid & hot (remember it’s a desert) & I was constantly reminded tht v r in an arab country with values vastly different fr wht v have in our own. To be fair, I have 2 admit tht I was taken out on Thursdays & Fridays nights(weekends) to malls, corniches(sea side), or to a relatives house sometimes.

I had an arranged marriage. So my husband was an unknown entity. But it was clear fr the beginning tht he is a man of few words. He simply doesn’t c the need for idle chat or arguments. Tht much time can b utilized to watch TV, u knw. He loves TV. Ask him to choose btn TV & me & after considerable thought he may choose me but tht doesn’t alter the truth. I knw it & am not bitter abt it. It’s easier to move on in life once u accept the fact.

I don’t think till today my husband really knows wht I went thru shut inside the four walls. He wd leave to office at 7am & b back by 6-7pm. He never stopped me from looking for a job but made it clear tht he did not like the idea of me working. He made his feelings clear prior marriage, so I didn’t press the issue. When I look back now…..tht was my biggest mistake. If I found a job then, he may not have been very pleased but he wd have gotten used 2 it. But tht time I didn’t want to upset a budding relationship at the onset. I sort of idolized him & didn’t want to hurt him in any way. The 1st 6 months were horrible. I missed my family & friends so much……so much. There were times I used hold my hands stretched upwards & cry. Why? Why here? Why me?

Mayb he(i mean my husband, not God......hmmm maybe...) had an inkling of how I felt, he got me a computer with an internet connection. I was now atleast in touch with my family & friends for sometime. It made a big difference & for a while I forgot everything else.

Now the only 1 thing tht I loved abt Dubai was the food. Sumptuous, mouth-watering JUNK FOOD…..so accessible. At home, pizzas were a treat, whereas here it was just a phonecall away. KFC outlets are found within 15 minutes walking distance anywhere in dubai. In Bangalore, arnd the same time(ie 8yrs back) KFC had just started an outlet in Brigade rd(I thk) & I remember there was some major hoopla surrounding the whole issue with farmers staging dharnas & trashing the place or some such thing. And I hated milk all my life coz I never cd tolerate tht “smell” whereas here I instantly took to the cold chocolate milk. And the chocolates……..dont get me started………shelves & shelves of it just stretching endlessly in the hypermarkets. In India, chocolates were somethings guests’ brot when they came home or u got them on ur b’days. Here u just buy & stack it in the fridge. The long & short of it………..i ate a lot of food……..junk food…….and……..gained weight.

I’ll stop here & part 2 will be added after a few days. Its eid hols fr 2morow. So sat & sun shd b off. Monday & Tuesday will b busy with office wrk……so catch u next Thursday(well, wednesdays i do yoga).

Salman Khan

October 20

I think I was doing my 1st PU when I happened to see the movie “Baaghi” starring Salman Khan & Nagma. The film itself was nothing special but the hero walked straight into my mind & heart. I then hunted out “Maine Pyar Kiya” & watched it to confirm the feeling. He looked scrawnier here but never u mind. Small details like that never mattered to me. The sensitivity in his eyes, the intensity in his expressions, the ordinary looking face, the unashamed way of crying, all dragged me deeper into his snare.

But…….I never was one among those crazy fans. U knw…. the types who was mooning about him every waking moment, or doodling his name inside red hearts, and walking around proclaiming eternal love for him. I never was so crazy tht I would spend time & money watching a flop movie of his. Of course I did follow most of his antics onscreen, like the avid fan that I was.

Years passed. I graduated from college. I worked. I got married. Have two kids now. Life continues. But he seems to be stuck in some time-warp. He is still doing fluffy movies(barring 1 or 2). Still unmarried. Still getting in2 trouble……with the law this time.
From the surface he’s got it all: Acting skills, good looks, a kind heart (from wht we can gather), money & a very loving, supportive family. Then what is driving him to………to deliberately create mayhem in his life……….to be the centre of controversy every now & then.

Over the years, I may not be so involved with whts happening in his life anymore[or atleast I give a good imitation]. But he still holds a place in the corner of my heart........like a favourite but ragged teddy bear which has seen better days. Even now I unconsciously pause whatever I'm doing when he appears on TV and husband tells me tht I have this most idiotic look on my face(which I'm sure he's exaggerating). But when I read tht he has been sentenced to imprisonment it makes me pause for a moment & wonder what drives him. Maybe he deserves it(the law thinks so) but I hurt for him. All these issues are so…..so needless. He could have avoided them if only he exercised a bit of caution.

Like a typical woman I think…………he needs a family. A wife who has a steadying influence on him. Children who will calm his restless spirit. Somebody to come home to.

Years back, my friends & I were on our way back to Bangalore from Ooty when we heard tht Salman khan was shooting nearby for a scene in “Hum Aapke hain koun”(if I’m not mistaken). So naturally my friends asked me whether I wanted to go see the shooting & if I were lucky I could even meet him. I thought for a moment & shook my head. I really don’t know why I refused and later in the day I was kicking myself for missing out on the opportunity;-/.

All said and done, he's my hero............always want him to remain that way.

A winning Statement of Purpose!

October 17

A winning Statement of Purpose!
- Rituparna Roy Chowdhury

You often wonder what is it that wins students seats at reputed universities abroad.Here is one such essay that could help you understand application strategies better.This is the essay of Sheela Kulkarni*, who was accepted at Wharton Business School. They show how she outgrew her circumstances and how she was motivated towards improving the lot of others through her innovation and leadership skills.

Is your academic performance to date an accurate predictor of your potential for success at WBS? Why or why not? (50 words)

Although my academic parameters indicate brilliance, it is only one of the benchmarks of measuring my deemed success at WBS. What defines me is my motivation towards accomplishment, which has enabled me to dramatically outgrow my stiff hurdles and reach the pinnacle of professional excellence from a modest rural background.

Describe an impact you have had on an individual, group or an organisation. What did you do? How has this experience been valuable to you or others? (500 words)

The spirit of growth has been the cornerstone of my success, which has enabled me to dramatically outgrow my stiff hurdles and reach the pinnacle of professional excellence from a modest rural background.

Quintessentially, I had to weather through the bondage of paternalistic rural India mindset, where women are not encouraged for higher education, or for that matter even school education. Even today, the birth of a girl child is treated with contempt. The girl to boy ratio in the federal state of Punjab is as low as 774:1000. The nearest school was 6 km away from my village. Education especially that of a girl was never encouraged.

I had in my childhood itself decided to break free from this traditional mould. I studied hard and secured admission in a good engineering college. I then braved the emotional blackmail of my family, who never wanted me to stay in a hostel. I became an engineer and started earning. My intermittent visits to my village when I was doing extremely well on the career front, inspired many girls and opened up before the village community the virtues of education.

Thus I emerged as a role model in the village, and numerous others started following my footsteps who would have otherwise remained uneducated, carrying on the family chores in their post-marital lives. Today my village boasts of a number of medical, law and engineering girl students. The whole village has started taking the education more seriously and looks forwards to me for advice.

While I would not like to take complete credit for the same since the wheels of change had already started in Modern India, someone in the female community needed to take the plunge…I took that plunge and then assisted others around me in doing so.I got married to the guy of my own choice and without any dowry, something unheard of in our remote village. I built up a group of young married couples who have taken the initiative of educating people on female infanticide. Our efforts have certainly resulted in lesser number of infanticides.

I took advantage of the fact that now I was the highest educated person in the village and people wanted my company. I have become a natural leader of these people. I started motivating the village panchayat (the rural democratic government at the grass root level in India)to get at least a primary school opened within the village and that exists now. I educated the village farmers on water harvesting and its benefits. I also introduced the concept of contract farming to the farmers and now they earn more than they used to and get timely payments. Now we intend to create our village as a model village by introducing the solar energy.

I keep on growing the seeds of new ideas in the minds of village youth who keep on nurturing them by their sheer hard work and faith in me. What has helped me is the simplicity of my villagers and the like-minded new generation youth.

what can i write after reading this. the above essay says it all. Women like Sheela Kulkarni r the ones who renew our faith in ourselves. God bless u Sheela Kulkarni.

Windfall or what........

October 03

I was rummaging thru some stuff Binu(my brother in law, he went to study movie-making in the States) left behind when he took off last month. Lots of DVDs (which r of no use to me cause his taste in movies differs fr mine), a fax cum scanner cum printer cum copier (not connected yet coz its got a complicated set up), a Harman House music system(cant afford 2 rig it up with the kids arnd), AND taaa…daaaa………..this huge plastic bag full of toiletries…….all types of lotions, scrubs, shampoos, styling gels, etc(this is like an unexpected windfall).

See, Binu is very conscious abt his looks & takes pains to maintain them. His bathroom & dressing table used 2 overflow with good stuff fr all over the world(he worked as cabin crew with Emirates). Since he could carry only 50kgs, I guess he cdnt fit all of this in his luggage. So he dumped it here………..well, i for 1 am not complaining.

Since I would never consider spending money on these things, I thought it was like a dream come true. The only problem is that some of the products just had 2 or 3 words written in French or German(I’m guessing, b’coz it definitely was not english) I really couldn't make out what they did(again I’m guessing tht b’cause these products are so well-known, the makers don’t feel the need toexplain what it is for). So then I used my kidneys to figure out what was what......... I’d squeeze some liquid out of a tube & apply it on my arm. If absorbed into the skin, I assumed it was lotion & if it didn’t, then it was soap.......oops, i mean cleansing lotion.

Then there are some 2 dozen tubes & tubs of hair care products (u see, he had a problem with hairfall). For a person like me who applied coconut oil & then washed it off with any shampoo on the bathroom shelf, this is like……… total revelation. A whole new world out there. But again most of the shampoos were for colored hair(and i have never colored my hair in my life) & to wash out chlorine(again, never went swimming in my life). Then, there are some hair styling gels……..now, I already have oily hair & have to wash it every 2 days otherwise it goes limp and with use of styling gel I’ll have 2 wash it everyday & most importantly I wear my hair the same way ALL the time…….tied together at the back. So wht use was the styling gel…….. got my point???

Hmmmm……………..

Long back I got to ride in a very expensive car AND I was carsick(the leather seats triggerred off the nausea). My better half had then wryly commented tht I had no “yogam” for the better things in life. I came to the same conclusion when I sat back & contemplated this bag of goodies. Finally I took out St Ivy’s Apricot Scrub and a body lotion & packed the rest of it back in the bag.

Hmmmmmm……………doesnt take a genius to figure out that I have no yearnings to rise above my mediocrity.

Red Letter Day

September 25

Everytime I pick up clothes for the kids or for myself, I notice that most of it has varying shades of red. When the kids ask suggestions to color a picture, red again dominates the scene. The curries I make, all lean towards red otherwise I’m not satisfied. And I love tomato juice.

My favourite color………..hmmmmmmm…….thts a tough question coz I have 2 choose between burgundy, crimson, fire engine red, Persian red, terra cotta, vermillion & Venetian red. All the shades r so……energising, sharp, sense awakening......sooo warm, rich.

So wht comes to my mind when i think red...........traffic signal, eveready battery, a forest blaze, a violent scene in an action movie, molten lava........when I read this sentence back I realised that most of what I mentioned had undertones of negativity & violence.

So then I rack my brains again for some positive shades of red.......this took some time but i did it.....picture this....

Vermillion smeared on a married Indian woman's forehead
A red rosy apple
Advertisement for coke
Red oxide on the floor in our middle class indian homes
Heinz ketchup
Amitabh bachchan & rekha in tht field of red tulips for a song
Tse shiny red baubles on the Christmas tree
Red roses on valentines day......pretty good huh.

Following tht train of thought...........
I’m celebrating RED LETTER DAY today.

starting with.....

Meaning associated with the Color Red

Red has more personal associations than any other color. Recognized as a stimulant red is inherently exciting and the amount of red is directly related to the level of energy perceived. Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element.

How the color red effects us mentally and physically
* Increases enthusiasm
* Stimulates energy
* Encourages action and confidence
* A sense of protection from fears and anxiety


so a lil limerick(????) which i picked up on my way to kindergarten, dedicated to RLD.....

Red and white
Ready to fight

Red and yell-ow(or was tht green & yellow, anyway it rhymes perfectly)
Dirty fell-ow


A small poem I borrowed from the net on RED(I swear I didnt lift ideas for my "red" from this poem. I wrote mine first & then went searching for this poem. Now I dont whether to feel good that the poet echoed the thoughts in my mind or whether to feel mediocre that wht i think, is also thought of by millions around the world)


What is Red?
Red is the sound of tulips blossoming in the spring.
Red is the color of the ketchup you squeeze when the ump says play ball.
Red is the towel that lies in the sand.
Red is the color of the leaves that fall all down in the fall.
Red is the center of a sunset, while the seagulls soar into the horizon.
Red is the color of the stripe that soars in the sky on the flag.
Red is the color of tomato sauce that oozes all over yummy noodles.
Red is the color of the kite that zooms all over the afternoon sky.
Red is the marker that gives the grade that leads to your fate.
Red is the color of valentines that are given to those who you love.
Red is the teddy bears new red bow.
Red is the color of Santa's suit thatyou feel as you give him a hug.
Red is the color of an apples shiney new skin as you sink your teeth into it.
Red is the color of the BLOOD that flows gently threw your body.
Red is the Red Bell Pepper that is hard sweet and crisp.
Red is the color of the stoplight as people groan in their cars.
Red is the stop sign that is big red and bright.
Red is the ant that bites and stings.
Red is the rainbow that appears after the rain its always the first color you see.
When you are Red you are emotional and quite the dramatic sort.
Red is land, air, and sea.
Red is everywhere you look.

Lizzie


A quote on RED

Artists can color the sky red because they know it's blue. Those of us who aren't artists must color things the way they really are or people might think we're stupid. - Jules Feiffer


An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight. . . The truly wise person is color-blind. - Albert Schweitzer


Epilogue:

When in doubt, wear red. - Bill Blass

switched offf..............

September 20

been staring at the blank screen for sometime now. mind keeps wandering off....offfff. thts it i guess....feeling very offfff today. lots happened this wk but dont really feel like pouring it out....atleast not yet. its weekend so mayb 2morrow will restore order in my mind & i'm hoping 2 b back with renewed...........ummmm........whtever...........cant even get tht exact word. lemme get off while i still can.......c ya around.

missed the bus.........

September 16

Our office timings have changed from 8.30am to 3pm till the 11th of next month.....ramadan u knw. Since our company is owned by a hindu & also there is this small detail tht v have no muslims working in our company, i never imagined v'll b getting these timings(these timings strictly apply only 2 the muslims who fast and companies can insist tht the other employees wrk the usual timings). But Mr. Venu our manager somehow pulled it off. he has my eternal gratitude for the next 1 month. For the ignorant, Ramadan is the time when muslims all over the world fast fr sunrise to sunset. It comes once a year & it is for 30 days(i thk). during the day they dont have any solids or liquids infact i hrd tht they dont even swallow their saliva. But after sunset they can brk their fast & feast till daybreak.

If anybody wants to c how dubai roads looked some 10 yrs back.........please drive out on the roads btn 6.30 & 7.30pm during the next 3 wks. lovely stretches of empty roads with just a few cars whizzing past.........how come???????...............simple........... 85% of the population is inside their houses breaking their fast.

Hey u knw wht.........i got 2 travel in 1 of the new buses which have been introduced in dubai recently. they r better than the luxury coaches available in most parts of the world. each bus is twice as big as the previous buses. one doesnt have 2 lift a leg to knee level 2 climb in2 the bus, the opening step is a gentle slope almost till ground........no longer do parents have 2 heave the kids in2 the bus. the seating arrangement is such tht a family of 4 can sit facing each other.....almost like in a restaurant except ofcourse there is no table in btn. the lights dim when the bus is in motion but come back on when it stops. each seat has a light control(ie if u want 2 read or something, u can switch on the light above ur seat) and a ac regulator(this option was there b4 also). There is a stop button at arms reach, to be pressed if u want 2 get off at the next stop. but in these buses they havent specified "Ladies seats" like in the old buses.
any disadvantages.........hmmmmmmm.........yes, the seats dont incline backwards 2 become a bed if anybody wants 2 sleep........oh well i suppose u cant expect the world for dhs.1 and 50fils. Last hrd tht new double decker buses r going 2 introduced soon.

Talking of buses...........the kids missed the school bus on thursday. Their fathers face looked like thunder & both of them tried hard 2 make themselves look wretched but their eyes gave them away. I had 2 hide a smile on my face as i turned away fr the door......well i havent forgotten how it feels when u get an unexpected reprieve fr attending school.
And today husband dear was back within 3 minutes after he took them 2 the bus stop. He came in, took a look at the clock & walked in without saying anything.........looks like they had 2 make a run for it :-).

Mother...........

September 10

I was brought up in a normal almost boring midle-class family where the father was the sole bread winner. My Mom had a degree in hindi & was eligible to teach in High School but my father believed tht his govt salary was good enough to sustain his family & that his wife should stay at home & bring up the children properly.

During our childhood, my sister & I took it for granted tht breakfast was served when we were ready to go to school. The lunchbox always contained food which was freshly made that morning & dinner was ready & waiting when we finished studying for the day. Clothes were hand washed, segregated, ironed & folded neatly to be used and we always came back to a neat & tidy house.

Many a time I wondered whether my mother ever felt resentful tht she could not put her degree to good use. But I never delved too closely because the selfish side of me was glad that she was always around when I needed her. Everyday after school, college whtever, within half an hr of reaching home, i would be in the kitchen having my tea & snacks while she was cooking something for the night. There, I would get the details of what she did the whole day & I in turn would tell her about my day. Yes, there were times when I hid some minor details of "misdemeanors" but I never hid from her.

I gave her a very bad time during my teens when I wouldn't study & spent all my time reading "story-books"(as she called them) which resulted in my getting poor results. She used to get so angry with me & we used to fight very badly. I think this phase lasted almost 5 yrs. When I think back now I wonder how she tolerated me. I was such a arrogant, mean mouthed & unhelpful being.

Completed my degree & joined work almost immediately.... as a coordinator in a Multimedia training institution. Work started at 7am & finished by 3pm but most of the time I never reached home before 6pm. I still continued my reading habits & she still hated it but this time she couldn't yell at me too much coz I was not neglecting my studies. She'd nag me tht I didnt learn how to cook & never bothered about how much effort it took to clean the house and that tomorrow when I got married she would be blamed for my deficiencies. These outbursts never bothered me too much. We both still fought it out but would make up within a day & get back together until the next fight. I only got worried when she wd give me the "silent treatment". I absolutely hated that.

Then i got married. Went far away from her. I missed her the most.
I also got myself a partner who thought like my father. I learnt how to cook & clean the house. In course of time I got better at it. But even today when I make a particular dish & everybody says its really good, i 'll taste it & find it lacking. It never ever matches upto the original.

And when I find myself tackling the kids, she always comes to mind.... not bcoz she was always right or that I want to handle my kids the way she did. I just realise that she went through so much & I am just a beginner.

No, she is not a perfect mother....she has many faults....prime among them is that she loves my sister more than me. Atleast thats wht i feel. But i never could prove it.......bcoz whenever she divided anything between us sisters I always got the bigger share. I never understood that & have finally arrived at the conclusion that she may be doing it bcoz she feels guilty.

But that doesnt make my love any less for her. I am so blessed she is my mother. I love her. I rarely told her these 3 words before I got married. But now I always end my telephone conversations with these words. Everytime she hears them she is surprised. I knw. I can make it out from her tone. But she is pleased too. She also has started saying the same back to me.

Something wht my sister once said about her comes back to me..... "duniya mein ek hee piece hai". At tht moment when she said it, it was not meant as a compliment:-)).

school time........and kids

September 05

After 2 months of summer hols, school started on sept 2nd. boyyy, am i glad? But it comes with its share of troubles. For one, the kids have be up by 6am.......i.e if we want to reach the bus stop by 7. We can ofcourse wake them by 6.30 but then the next 1/2 hour passes in a blur. And while watching the school bus going out of sight, you realise you havent packed the english grammer notebook or that the waterbottle is still in the kitchen.

The next problem is what to pack in their lunch-boxes. I try most of the time to keep the food healthy & nutritious but nutritious food doesnt agree with their stomach coz they are allergic to good, wholesome, homecooked food. The boxes come back untouched & when you question them, they'll tell you they ate a lil bit. Then you show them the still intact contents & they'll show you the left corner of the food portion where they made a teeny weeny dent.

Nowadays I pack a nutritious lunch but add a tiny brightly colored edible item in the corner stressing tht they may have it "only" after finishing the entire contents of the LB. Now the eldest is smart. she understands more about negotiations & keeps to her mama's instructions. The younger one also is smart but a lil 2 "self-sufficient" for my liking. she eats the "incentive" first & then a lil bit of the food. By the end of the day when the matter is discussed she acts like she's forgotten the whole issue & you dont feel like stressing about something which happened 8 hrs back.

But she generally gets her way. I really cant pinpoint how but she does.....i guess she just does whtever she wants, with minimum fuss.

Now tht i put this on paper, I'm determined to illustrate it with an example......hmmmmmmm.....ok.......here goes.... if the elder one wants to watch Cinderella on cartoon, she'll come to the kitchen & ask me and I'll tell her "Ok finish ur HW by 7 & I'll put it on for u."

Then she'll say "Nooooo, how can I finish so much HW in such a short time".

Then I'll say "Yes u can do it if u start now" & she'll go "but mama..." & it will go on for 1/2 an hr b4 we reach a compromise.

And if in between she makes me lose my temper, then thts it...."No cartoons for the next 3 days".

She'll go 2 a corner to sulk. All ruffled & irritated I'll march into the living-room when my youngest will come & drag me 2 sit on the sofa & say "Mama, mama, come I'll show u something(this sentence is said at least 36 times in a day)......did u know cinderella's carriage was pulled horses who are actually mice". I'll smile at her realisation & innocent enthusiasm & sit with her to see the scene. After 5 whole minutes it will dawn on me how neatly i fell into the trap. All the while my eldest was asking permission & getting refused, the youngest just went ahead with what she wanted to do. Now after watching the cartoon along with her, i just cant get up & put on the stern act again, right. So I go to the eldest who now refuses to look at me. I carry her 2 the living room & sit down to watch the cartoon with both of them.

p.s - Nikita's favourite sentence is "Mama, wait....i'll tell u something". It is said atleast 48 times a day & is used in any context.

a few quotes which i found true to life.....

A baby is an angel whose wings decrease as his legs increase -Author Unknown

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one - Leo J. Burke

You have to love your children unselfishly. That's hard. But it's the only way - Barbara Bush

Childrens' jokes..... or are they?????

Christmas Present
It was the day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco. The pastor of the church was looking over the cradle when he noticed that the baby Jesus was missing from among the figures. Immediately he turned and went outside and saw a little boy with a red wagon, and in the wagon was the figure of the little infant, Jesus.

So he walked up to the boy and said, "Well, where did you get Him, my fine friend?"
The little boy replied, "I got him from the church."
"And why did you take him?"
The boy said, "Well, about a week before Christmas I prayed to the little Lord Jesus and I told him if he would bring me a red wagon for Christmas I would give him a ride around the block in it."

School Daze

It was at the end of the school year, and a kindergarten teacher was receiving gifts from her pupils.
The florist's son handed her a gift. She shook it, held it overhead, and said, "I bet I know what it is. Some flowers." "
That's right" the boy said, "but how did you know?"
"Oh, just a wild guess," she said.
The next pupil was the candy shop owner's daughter.
The teacher held her gift overhead, shook it, and said, "I bet I can guess what it is. A box of sweets."
"That's right, but how did you know?" asked the girl.
"Oh, just a wild guess," said the teacher.
The next gift was from the son of the liquor store owner. The teacher held the package overhead, but it was leaking. She touched a drop of the leakage with her finger and touched it to her tongue.
"Is it wine?" she asked.
"No," the boy replied, with some excitement.
The teacher repeated the process, taking a larger drop of the leakage to her tongue.
"Is it champagne?" she asked.
"No," the boy replied, with more excitement.
The teacher took one more taste before declaring, "I give up, what is it?"
With great glee, the boy replied, "It's a puppy!"

continued...fr WA

September 01

my favourite quotes on marriage.......

Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at
each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle.

It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.

All weddings are similar, but every marriage is different.

My husband and I have never considered divorce... murder sometimes, but never divorce.

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

To keep your marriage brimming,With love in the loving cup,Whenever you're wrong admit it; Whenever you're right shut up.

I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought jewelry.

my favourite joke on marriage.......

The man walked over to the perfume counter and told the clerk he'd like a bottle of Chanel No. 5 for his wife's birthday.

"A little surprise, eh?" smiled the clerk.

"You bet," answered the customer. "She's expecting a cruise."

8th WA

September 01

"Celebrated" our 8th wedding anniversary last week.............. went off 2 work as usual. Reached home by 6pm. My better-half reached by 9.45pm. Both of us were really tired but didnt want to let the day go off without doing anything about it. So we reached the restaurent by 10.30 & got a table immediately ofcourse. The order took a long time to materialise during which time my kids amused themselves by dropping spoons, forks, napkins on the floor and water, salt on the table. When they grew tired of this activity they discussed loudly abt the food served on the neighbouring table & also tried to stand on their chairs to see who is taller. Just kidding. The food when it came was superb. A while later, feeling full & relaxed, we headed home.

8 yrs of married life is not a joke and we have 2 kids to prove the fact. Marriage anniversaries dont really seem 2 have the same importance it used to. There are other priorities in life...............kids birthdays and school openings and even parents b'days begin to assume more importance. Children are growing up so fast tht we struggle to keep up. Pressures of work & other interferences also begin to affect us indirectly. Blame cannot be put on any 1 person bcoz I know tht its just that we are too busy trying to keep our lives in control & we move forward acting like nothing matters "thattt much" in life.

Now dont mistake me... my husband is a very caring & responsible person and I love him dearly...........its just that life tends to comes inbetween.

weekend blues......greys.......whites.....

August 23

yippppeeeeeeeeeeee........weekend again. In this part of the world v have them on friday & saturday. the establishments which dont give an off on saturdays generally have a half-day on thursday. On a thursday night, more than 98% of the population is out partying, visiting friends, shopping, generally killing time in shopping malls, having dinner, getting stuck in the horrendous traffic jams. The ones who stay at home are probably sick............naaah, even sick ppl go out to feel better, mayb they r having friends over for dinner..............nope, why bother preparing dinner when u can take them out, or maybe they sat around arguing where to go & couldnt make up their minds.

Fridays start with a late brkfast, even later lunch with all household chores, homeworks, phonecalls to home country and channel surfing all squeezed in btn. Then a siesta which sometimes lasts till 6pm. after a hurried tea v rush out for the traditional, ritualistic, weekly grocery shopping. Only another parent with 2 kids will really understand how a shopping list with 22 items in it mutates in2 a 57 items grocery bill at the chkout counter. The whole process takes 4 hrs. Then its a hurried dinner at the food court(hurried bcoz the frozen items in the shopping bags will start defrosting, u knw) and back home.

WHERE DID THE WEEKEND GO???????????

p.s - my ideal wkend exists on paper....sorry, on the net......c pics alongside

Belated Happy Onam

August 28

We got an off yesterday for Onam. Surprising huh. Shouldn't really be coz our company is owned by a Malayalee. Onam is a festival exclusively celebrated by the Hindu Malayalees. The women wear lovely off-white saris with golden zari & go to the temple to offer prayers. Then they cook up an elaborate vegetarian lunch consisting of 27 varieties of dishes. The lunch is had on banana leaves, sitting on the floor. Their sitouts show off a beautiful flower decoration(pookalam it is called in Malayalam) and their gardens will have a swing made for the kids especially for the occasion.

We Christians may not believe in the ideologies of the festival like them but make an effort to participate. We also wear those "sette saris" & try to match their number of dishes(usually v give up after the 18th or 19th dish). We get the kids to eat on the floor & the adults will have theirs at the dining table. After the yummy payasam, a few of us drift off 2 sleep while the others sit together & watch a latest movie on "Asianet"(there are a few who try to watch 3 movies at the same time). There is lot of talking & laughing interuppted from time to time by people who burrrrp loudly(they blame it on the payasam usually).

See pictures above to get the feel of onam(by now u must have overdosed on onam, coutesy malayalam channels).

yo-yo

August 26

Just feeling a little low. Suddenly everybody seems to be moving away...........for education, retirement life, greener pastures.......sort of feel ...........melancholic..........stagnated.

Not going to write too much coz then i'll start quoting shakespeare & I dont want u all 2 thk i'm on a level above all of u.

rain, rain...................come this way

August 22

Its pouring everywhere else in the world except here. Its still the middle of summer here with no sight of any relief for the next 2 months.....it's a bloody desert after all.

I never particularly was a 'water' person...........you knw, the kind who loved getting drenched in the rain or loved holding the umbrella & wading thru the slush. Lots of people planned holidays to beaches but my holidays always centred on hill stations. Drinking 4-5 glasses of water & for the usual daily stuff was probably the only reason I used water.

Ok...............I've changed my mind.................. I want RAIN, sheets of water lashing the outside of my house, thunder and lightening frightening the wits out of everybody, sharp winds bending the trees down, blowing away umbrellas of the people walking down the street.

Well ok, I havent changed that much also, coz I want to be inside the house, standing near an open window, feeling the wind on my face, hearing the droplets drumming on my roof, watching nature at its rejuvenating best, sipping hot coffee.........

......Aaaaah blissssssss.

Aaaaah...........lunch

August 20
Sometimes I feel like that bird in the picture. Unaware of whats happening behind my back. Forget the back, most of the time I don't realise what is happening in front of me. Just like that bird sometimes I'd get swallowed whole, but luckily for me, & since I don't digest very easily they spit me out in the same speed. And the best part of it is that, after all that drama, I still will not be aware that Iwas almost somebody's lunch.
Ofcourse a nagging feeling will be there that there was something amiss.

People look at me like "Are you for real?" and it does make me feel bad. And I even spend a few seconds analysing where I'm lacking.

In hindsight its better this way. There is no need to put every single incident in ur life under the microscope. I just concentrate on living one day at a time..........