A 'tense' situation!!!

I find myself tensed...Prats and rayshma had tagged me LOOOOOOOOOng back on the past present and the future...and as usual, i errr...ummm...have been a ....bit busy.

its been so long since they've tagged me, that the past has been shifted further back, the present has shifted into the past and the future has become the present....confused?!!! *mission accomplished :)

~ The tag copy ~Two questions in each category answer them and then tag your friends from the blog-o-sphere. (Simple enough right) Leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been tagged and you are all set.

Yesterday - Your oldest memory - What were you doing 10 years ago?

Today -Your first thought today morning - If you built a time capsule today what would it contain?

Tomorrow - This year ….What do you see yourself doing 14 years from now?

~ End Tag details ~

just wondering why 10 yrs back and 14 yrs ahead?!!! not that it makes any difference but....

Yesterday

Your oldest memory: My oldest memory would be a faint one of me singing some song about a cockroach in nursery school!!!

and whaddya know, i found it on youtube...!!!!! and we sang it in English...

And another one where the teacher tied her hanky over my mouth, because I was such a chatter box…(the fact that both my boys have completely taken after me in this respect, was revealed at the recent parent-teachers meeting)

What were you doing 10 years ago?: 10 years ago, I was in Kolkata, with a very busy husband and a dedicated 14 mth old who had trained me well…Life was less complicated then, a new job, a new city, a new role as parents…


Today

Your first thought today morning: Thinking about my 11 yr-old who has gone for his first overnight 5 day camp.

If you built a time capsule today what would it contain?: Is there some way I can pick up all the weeds in the society and zap them back…so that there really will be a future worth waiting for?

Tomorrow

This year ….: It’s been a year in slow motion…sort of makes up for last year which was full of change and just zipped by.

What do you see yourself doing 14 years from now?: blogging…and ...er more blogging
Wait a minute! 14 yrs from now, did you say….? does some quick calculations…adjusts her retina to peer into the future……..THUD!!!! *faints on not recognizing the images of two strapping 25 yr-old and 20 yr-old hunks towering above her.

and now to exercise the perks of tagging...

gazal, joy, preethi (incessant musings) and pink dogwood...your memories please

My book marks....

Ever since i read that Joy believes in a smack to get things working, i've been in a rush to finish this tag...lest she sends those virtual smacks my way :P

This, Joy, is one affair i would love to remember...:)

1. Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?

My dad! He would take us to libraries and gift us books…and enid blyton for the simple and fun world she took us to…

2. What are some books you read as a child?

as a young girl, this funny fellow used to be a great favorite.

Aesop’s fables, most books by Enid blyton, most classics – mark twain, charles dickens, jane austen, Emily bronte, daphne du maurier…most comics – mandrake, tintin, asterix, mad, amarchitra katha

3. What is your favorite genre?

Sometimes humor, sometimes satire, sometimes mystery, recently inspirational…haven’t been able to veer towards the science-oriented ones

4. Do you have a favorite novel?

No. Favorites have ranged from Oliver twist to Scarlett Pimpernel to Emma to anne frank to Kite runner…

5. Where do you usually read?

Anytime, anyplace…just give me some peace and quiet…

6. Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time?

Oh Yes! One for every mood!

7. Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction?
No

8. Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library?

Have done all…it doesn’t matter as long as I get the book… i would prefer to own the books i really liked

9. Do you keep most of the books you buy? If not, what do you do with them?

Yes.

10. If you have children, what are some of the favorite books you have shared with them? Were they some of the same ones you read as a child?

I read somewhere that good children's literature is one which appeals not only to the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child. In my son's case, he’s graduated from Enid blyton to Sherlock holmes, Feluda, oliver twist, roald Dahl…Some were new finds – harry potter, eragon, the septimus heap trilogy, the Narnia chronicles – which we enjoyed together… I’m now waiting for the younger one to join us…

12. What are you reading now?
Does trying to read my boys minds count?!!!

No? Fine then!!! Chowringee, the Blind assassin by margaret Atwood and daughter by asha bandele

13. Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list?

A mental list, thanks to all the reviews, and book tags that I read.

14. What books would you like to reread?
Calvin and Hobbes… an instant mood uplifter :)

15. Who are your favorite authors?

Keeps changing. There was a time when Agatha Christie and RK Narayan ruled supreme. It’s been an interesting journey since then.

a little bit of tradition!

It is that time of the year again! The time of the year when I yearn most for home. It starts with Ganesh Chaturthi and lingers on till after Diwali. This is the time that the memories flood me, and i see a flashback of events generally forgotten in the hustle bustle of what we call life.

- of getting up on festival days and listening to the reassuring clatter of vessels in the kitchen. Of oil baths and visits to temples. Of visits to the grandparents where we would seek the blessings of the elders present. Of the vibrant colors of the rangoli and the heady fragrance of the jasmine flowers...and of course the food. Of smells taking my olfactory senses for an aromatic drive. of stomachs being put to their ultimate test of capacity...of eating my grandma's lunch..(My grandmother would always equate love and food and it showed in every morsel that entered our mouths.)

These are memories of laughter and love, of beliefs and prayers, of events and impressions, of bonding and a sense of belonging.

Of course things have changed a lot now. We do as we please, we wake up when we want, we are masters of our day, we believe in ourselves. The 11 yr old is very astute and does not believe in God as much as he used to when he was 3. I would like to think it's because we've taken care of his emotional needs that he does not feel the need to turn to someone...

Coming back to the festival, yesterday was Dussehra...and i thought i should get in touch with the traditional side of me. So in a bid to indulge the nostalgic homesick child in me, i cooked a traditional meal...which "included" kadubus (we grew up on idlies steamed in those special jack fruit leaf moulds)with yogurt based curry, rasa vada and a payasam...for a family of 4.

The offering to the deity done, the table is set, a pleased dad and a satisfied mom look at the spread proudly...

only to hear two disappointed voices...'you made glass idlies? are we going to eat this? no pasta?!!!" the pitch increasing with every discovery...

and then a resigned 'sigh...can i at least eat it with ketchup!!!"

And every time i try to recreate that bit of magic, I wonder, is it time for me to set aside my memories and continue making theirs?

but no way are you, my dear kiddos, getting pasta on a festival day!!!

and yes, hope you all out there had a great dussehra.

retrospect:: this is just a rough attempt to pen down a state of mind...i agree that the onus is on me to put as much or as little, of tradition in my day...

A day of my choice - tag

One day, Weather girl called me...

Now i like weather girl because she's so fickle minded..she just cannot make up her mind on what weather she wants...One day she decides it’s going to be sunny and bright and just when all those clothes have been aired out to dry, across she sends those angry clouds and watches gleefully as the orchestrated movement starts below...people running helter-skelter, umbrellas being popped open and children being herded indoors... At least that's what happens in Singapore...at the first grumble from the sky, we see maids popping in and out every balcony peering above, and gathering laundry in and out.

Don't you think, the weather is an icebreaker, mood turner and perfect punching bag in addition to being the most overused topic?

And so weather girl said, “today I’m feeling lazy! Can you manage the weather for me today?

"Sure" i said "how do i do that?"

"Take this pencil and draw your weather on this white screen, next point to the globe...it’s that easy...

I looked at the screen and saw a white canvas...begging to be filled...I drew inverted V's for mountains, a semicircle for a cheery sun half hidden behind a cloud, birds in the sky and cottony clouds...I drew light drops of rain…and then I turned the globe and pointed to Singapore…

Okay wake up guys...this was imagination working overtime...let's leave weather girl to her whims and my imagination and get on with the tag, passed on by ~nm...

If i were to be a day, i would go for the one where there is a hint of rain in the clouds, a rainy day where the raindrops fall softly on your cheek and tease you…a day where the kids can splash about without their mothers worrying about them catching cold...

And since I’m greedy, i would also like to be that day in October in Delhi when there is that delicious nip in the air which tells you winter's coming. I really enjoyed my pre-winters in Delhi…(not the bitingly cold one where you wish the toilet seats came pre-warmed and where your words are frozen in your throat).

I miss those women knitting sweaters everywhere you go, people basking in the warm winter sun…the jackets and the shoes, the tip of your nose feeling cold faster than the rest of you, the wonder in your child’s voice when his warm breath creates that little illusion of smoke…the attraction towards heat and warmth in every form…erm...here... i am referring to hot cups of tea ;)

So I’m a sunny day - wanting to be rainy-also wanting it to be nippy - kinda person...(sounds a bit like my moods). now tell me, what season are you?

And since it’s a tag, specifically Sumana, abha, gauri, neera...let's see the seasons in you...

Psst...but guess what, the sky is grumbling, the clouds have gathered...woohoo..so its going to be my kind of day after all...itz chai time here... :D

Exam? what exam?...

It sure is a busy week at my house. I'm super hyper, like i'm on a taut string and a little touch will send me spiralling into the air. Exams always does this to me. The 11 yrold on the other hand is as cool as a frozen ice lolly. As far as he's concerned, its just another thing cooked up to make sure he has a rotten week. He's still reading his storybooks and decorating an arsenal timetable like he's arsenal's manager. For the uninitiated it's not weaponry but soccer...yeah...I've added the much hyped soccer-mum hat to the various other hats i wear...

Coming back to exams, I remember this history teacher in school. She was BORING!!!! and unfortunately believed that quantity is directly proportional to quality. Which meant that the longer the answers, the more the marks. So once i figured that out, it was pretty easy. The 11 yrold on the other hand is a master at brevity. He can condense a page into 5 lines. His speed-reading skills came to light when he read 5 chapters in 15 minutes. Algebra is scoffed at...the whole idea of x and y being in equations is silly...steps are skipped because 'i know it, she knows it, why the hell should i write it down"?

and yes, we have the conveniently censored expletive, "What The!!!!" going on right now....

I sympathise with him thoroughly when he complains ...Luckily for him, he's intelligent and has been getting good grades solely on what he remembers from the classes...which will not last him long. Maths needs practice and he's not too convinced about it. Besides, what is he going to do with 100%?!!!!(yes, we never fall short on confidence)

We've told him that we really don't mind the grades...what matters is that he works hard and shows some discipline in coming up with a time table and not keeping everything till the last minute....Right now, he's as receptive as the wall except when he tells me to chill!!! Still i live on eternal hope :)

The younger one on the other hand never lets me down, as far as learning goes. He has just learned about the middle finger...and the myriad expressions it brings on....He saw an 8yrold showing it, and other kids going gaga over it ' ... he patiently folds his four fingers and proceeds to show me the middle finger!

sigh...Ahhh! well, when you can't fight them, join them..i showed him how to use those fingers to make a camera....Hopefully he's going to be better occupied in school today...


and now biting my fingers...errr nails... wondering when this tune will hit my house soon?

Ain't that loverly?

You know the times when nostalgia grips you and threatens to throttle you and you end up replaying the "those were the good old days" record? You don't? then you are too young...you must be old enough to get a nostalgia attack...like me...

you do? good...let's get started. So i had an attack of the good old movies syndrome and i reminsced about the good old movies that we used to watch. The days of "Gods must be crazy", shammi kapoor's twists and the musicals, Sound of music and "My fair lady'...


so coming back to the movie, a well meaning friend had presented my boys with this dvd and the not-so-well meaning boy had pushed it way out of sight. The other day when i was digging into their dvd pile, i found Sound of Music buried under the harry potter, jurassic park, King Kong and chocolate factory movies.



So there it was, unopened and ignored. Memories of childhood came surging through...I mean, who has not heard "Do re mi' and sung "these are a few of my fav things' in school. My kids have been taught this in school as well. So I invited the boys to watch it with me...after all this was an experience to be cherished right?

After 5 minutes: the 11 yr-old said.."can i read a book? If you want i'll read it here (BIG favor!!!!) one wicket down...

the soon-to-be 6 yrold decided to give me a chance...

After Song #1 the boy asked me if Mr. superhero makes his apeearance now...

Song #2 passed by with him demanding some magic at least...

A still beaming (and gritting my teeth on the inside) me explained why maria now has to go work for a captain with 7 children...and the third song started...where she is singing on her way to the captain's house...it does have songs...its a musical!!!

2 lines into the song, the little voice puts in his two dollars worth " you know, i think she should stop singing and go , she's going to get late if she's always singing"

a smirk from the hubby completed the experience...

for the record i still watched it, songs and all...and the l'il one gave me comnpay, never mind if he fell asleep 20 minutes into the movie...

bah! What do these kids know about movies, other than special effects and spandex clad superheroes...!!and so much for my instilling some movie sense into them...hmpppf!! they want magic? i plan to unleash Mary Poppins on them ...

i need solidarity here...does anyone else like these movies?

and on a funny note...someone sent this to me...allegedly sung by Julie Andrews on her 69th birthday..i use the word allegedly, 'cos i cannot find any concrete evidence of her singing this..neverthless its funny...

Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.


Cadillacs and cataracts and hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.


When the pipes leak,
When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,

And then I don’t feel so bad.
Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no fear of sinnin’,
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin’,
And we won’t mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.


When the joints ache,
When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I’ve had,
And then I don’t feel so bad.

ta-da!!!Now go sing "The rain in spain"

'BOOK'ed?

I definitely used to read more when i was in school and college...Now of course, i do more of reading text books and my 6yr-old's library books...and err...blogs

-xh tagged me light years ago on this...so here it is...

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you really love (and strikethrough the ones you hate!).(this i don't know how to do...so i'm not..)
4) Reprint this list in your own blog.

so here's the list someone else has so patiently compiled...(half of what i have read is missing from this list :P)

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible -parts of it
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (most of them)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker (saw the movie)
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Currently reading "the japanese wife"

of the lot above, would want to try reading hitchhiker's guide and time traveller's wife..any other recommendations? I have so many that i've not yet read :(

I had covered most of the above, when i was in school...Some i've hidden in between my study books and read... Quite a few, i wish i had waited and read later to fully appreciate the writing....

Is there a proper age and time to read certain books to interpret it in the right way? What do you think?


and..and... i tag joy, gazal,and prats...and anyone else who wants to take this up...