So, where am I?

24 months back, a family of four moved to Singapore. For a two year period. To give the kids some exposure. For a change. To see how different the cheese is. Ofcourse the husband's job required the move. The rest were just excuses to reinforce the decision.

Even though I've moved cities a lot during my childhood and after marriage, setting up a new home away from India was difficult. It was a new country. Besides, I never realised when i had let those roots grow deep enough to keep me connected to Delhi. It was tough to pack things up, and say goodbye!

But move we did and did a pretty good job of it too! We each found our bits of cheese in places we least expected. I found mine in blogging, something i was not aware of before. And just when we were beginning to sit back, it was time to move again. Oh my has it been 2 years already?

In addition to handling the pang I feel at the thought of moving away from the familiar, people seem to excel in telling me what to expect in the new place. When we moved to Calcutta, people painted a very gloomy picture of the place. It happened to be one of the best places i've lived in. Warm, inviting and addictive! So was our move to Bhopal. Contrary to popular perceptions, it is a lovely laid back city with a close knit community.

and now,

"Doooobai" drawled people in horror. and then went on to praise Singapore. "Look at the transport, the safety, the comfort, the weather; Singapore is the best, it is the best! "

Our house owner looked suitably mortified, and he said "you are going to dooobai. your wife will wear a booorkha?" sigh...

I went to see a 'few months' new son of a neighbor and she was a tough nut to crack. Everytime i said something about the baby, she would brush it aside and inform me about some new horror about dubai. By the time she had finished comparing the transport, the order, the comfort and started on the libraries, (and she has never visited dubai till date) I had reached the end of what ever little patience i never knew i had. I resorted to my diversionary tactic and turned to her baby and gushed "Oh my what an active little boy"

A master move, if it wasn't for that little fact that the darling had wisely fallen asleep a while back.

Sometimes i'm too smart for my own good.

Singapore, to us, was a wonderful two year vacation and we loved every day of it. People want to know how we do it. The moving around, i mean. I guess when you move as much as we do, it helps to avoid comparing. I would never be able to let go, if i did that. It is best to go to the new place with an open mind and most times you are pleasantly surprised.

Every move too has one panic stricken moment when i fast forward and rewind my whole life, and all i see are cartons and suitcases and packaging tape.

So here I am in Dubai. Comfortably settled in a serviced residence while we hunt around for a place to live in. There is a lot to get done.

and the mind overwhelmed with trying to get all the coordinates to meet somewhere, i turn on my laptop, quite eager to enter a world which has remained the same: familiar, inviting and a mood uplifter. and it is almost like i've never moved!

keep those comments coming, folks, they keep me sane.

Mujhe kuch kehna hai...

Just when i had mastered the art of spending in Sing dollars (without converting into indian rupees and gasping), it turns out i have to now think in dirhams.

That's why i'm a bit incommunicado these days, not that any of you are tearing your hair out in worry, but still....

:)


see you soon?

So Singapore!

Among the things learnt at the Singapore Discovery Centre

1) Learning to build an entire city on a small island: trying to figure out where the hospital, community centres, playground etc should be. Understanding that since there is less land space, housing apartments are built upwards, but only till a certain height.

2) Appreciating how Singapore has managed to make its disadvantages work. A nation of many races, having four official languages and still doing fine.

The place is a veritable storehouse of information interactively presented. The kids

tried their hand at being a commando, built cities, did a news report and saw themselves on television.

I liked the corridor of quotable quotes from school children on how they view the future:

A nine year old had this to say: Singaporeans will have get flowers as pets and travel in high tech bubbles that go pop when they arrive

Another one

and of course this would tickle a certain 11 yrold's funny bone!

The tag countdown!

Tag: 1.

Sraikh from Asaaan tagged me to list down 7 awesome things about myself. Ps from Just a mother of two gave me a similar tag "5 things i like about myself". Have you tried keeping two vacationing boys occupied? I'm awesomeness personified right now!

over to the facts:

1) I love the fact that i always surprise someone, including myself. My mom was surprised that her l'il girl- turned -married woman could cook and went away, finally at peace with her mothering skills...this was 5 years after my marriage when she had the chance to spend 10 days with me! Friends are surprised that i write well. Someone met me at my son's birthday party and exclaimed "oh my, you look awesome!' Perfect if only she had toned down the surprise and wonder in her voice!

2) I'm awesome because i must be the only woman who has managed for two years without a full length mirror! We moved into this apartment which was owned by a bachelor. He had one full length mirror made of four squares stuck onto the wall, one below the other. Hidden behind the door. Only a bachelor would think of that! Day two of moving in, one square fell off.
Month 1, another fell down. Now all that remains is one solitary square which reflects my feet. So do pardon me when i preen in the lift. It has two mirrored walls.

3) I like the fact that i can manage my time alone. I can never feel bored! I love to people watch, cloud watch, crystal gaze, build futures and unravel stories in my mind.

4) I like the fact that I'm continuously evolving. I'm not the same person i was, 10 years back and I'm not just talking about the plumper, greyer me. I've thrown away much and can make do with less. I'm better. With scope to be the best in my eyes!

5) I think i would be lost without my rather dry sense of humor. Just to show me how it feels, i get a son who is a replica of me, mannerism wise. I now know what you went through, mom! But then how would you have known mothering is not a breeze? right? Right!

6) I'm awesome because i don't own 10 pairs of shoes or handbags or watches or sunglares. Can someone tell G you can't get luckier than this?

7) I'm awesome because i can disguise sprouts, broccoli and soya in cutlets, pizzas and anything edible and have the kiddos stuff themselves thinking its junk food. Don't worry, this awesome treatment is only reserved for family, not for guests.

tag 2!

Abha from mama mia (thanks shruthi, i've added the link now) had tagged me quite a few months, (make that many many months back) on a domestic disaster. This should have been a piece of cake. I have plenty to choose from: I've burnt many bottles, spilt whole vessels of gravy, forgotten house keys, and done worse things.

There was this time when i was in a rush to go somewhere, got my 2 yr old ready, stepped out and pulled the door shut. And then said 'Uh oh"! Why? because the house key was inside. After much jumping around, i managed to get someone to call a locksmith who fleeced me but did the job. Then the nosy neighbor arches her eyebrows and asks me: "How did you manage to lock yourself out?"

No! i didn't bang the door shut just to show her, that would have been foolish.

i looked around at all the faces staring at me and zeroed in on the 2 yr old..."he did it!" Everyone patted him and laughed, saying "kids, what a naughty l'il boy!" and all was well in my world again!

Now, who wants to be tagged?

The first 5 who comment?

Please?

Pleading comes easy, especially when we are into week 3 of THE VACATIONS!