What's on my mind?...

Hi to all my pals in the zodiac world (click on the link to find what animal you are!!!! )

It’s been a long time since I last made an appearance in this little letter .. I’m piggy, the reason for certain pig headed behavior in TA. It has been a pretty tame month in the TA household. I'm back now and looks like at the right time too. Look at the last few posts, no mirch, no spice... everything's hunky-dory and nice.

There has hardly been any occasion for me to raise my head. Bah! Blame it on this month…February is always like this in the TA household. Her birthday starts the month and HIS ends it. In between a certain Cupid and Mr. Valentine helped the card companies mint money, and the heart worked overtime. So all in all a very mushy month indeed! That's why I've been away, training other piglets not get carried away by the matters of the heart!

Coming back to TA, she’s cooking fantastic meals, burning very few, baking cakes, cards are being exchanged, he’s treating them to dinners and taking them to beaches…tsk..tsk…!

Adding to the situation is this current prompt in Sunday Scribblings..., PASSION! Hmm at this rate *l’il ox will soon have a second chance at being a big brother.(okay, that was naughty piggy pulling your legs...!)

I’m here twiddling my thumbs and not liking the current state of affairs one bit...Everynow and then, she goes into the Superwoman mode and my, does she get taken for a ride then! The *goat hmmph...is not as gentle as he seems. I know the goat well…very well indeed!Besides other things, he is an expert at emotional warfare, as well…

Little does he know what’s in store for him.

The month is ending and the stubborn ox’s exams would be starting soon. The lil horse is learning 4 letter words and giving TA a fright. The exams, PMS and visitors all arrive in the same week….I will soon be back in business. Wait for fireworks, and Loads OF THEM!!! Be sure to see more of me then!!!

Till then, if everyone’s at it, might as well have fun... err….I see the gentle goat is free…ta da!


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*lil ox - 10 yrold son
*horse - 5-yrold son
*Goat - G, the hubby
*pig - sob...me

All a matter of perspective!

It's been one of those days where I’ve locked myself into the room after having performed a series of exemplary acts...I’ve rescued my towels from the dustbin (courtesy an absentminded son) saved my lights from being broken by a ball and myself from seeing stars by being socked by it, screamed my lungs out, managed to finish my editing work dead on the line, got dinner on the table and still been alive at the end of it all...

Grrrr...its no fun being a gal in all guy household...I've been brought up with two other gals(my sisters)and life was cool...And then I marry a guy who ironically has only brothers(and three of them!!!)So far so good...minor skirmishes...all forgiven in the bliss of wedded life...

Many years and two boys later...life is a medley...and I’m still finding my way. I am a woman literally in a man’s world. I think I’ve learnt to look at my roles from a different perspective. I wear many mantles and every day is a rollercoaster of emotions. A bird’s eye view …

• They go the kitchen and holler out for me as if the sky is falling down…I rush there only be asked where the sugar tin/cookies are? Huh??????? So am i the organization expert? This where perspective comes into the picture. i just perceive things faster...

• It’s no easy task to decide nutrtious meals for the day, trying to suit three hungry stomachs for there will always be one unhappy soul not liking the preparation. I’m nowhere in the picture of course! I’ll be delighted if the food does vanish without threats, bribes or tantrums. So does that make me a food management expert? a nutritionist or a cook? sigh..don't tell me, it's perspective...

• I trip over Lego pieces and supermen and the ghastly faces they call masks, only to be greeted with war cries of murder. So I have to pacify two angry boys with concocted stories of why I was rushing to the toilet, as if my life depended on it. That strikes too close to home and I’ve convinced them it was worth trampling upon their toys. Lo! Behold! I’m a crisis management expert.

• Cricket and football are the bane of my life and one day I may just sue the creator of the games. On second thoughts, I may be lynched by the cricket crazy fans before i even think of doing that, so it is time for subtle tactics. I’ve also noticed it’s a brilliant time to ask for something which you’ve wanted because the hubby is so engrossed he‘s going to nod whatever you say or do, even if you were to say you’re umm..test driving his precious car!!! So trust me to recognize an opportunity and turn it to my advantage!

• It needs great skills to involve every member of the house into tasks they don’t enjoy, without them realizing that they are doing it. It requires the right blend of firmness, nonchalance and voice power. Of course when nothing goes, an incentive works fine, just fine. That makes me a human resource management expert or a plain nag. see, again a matter of perception!

• Saying the right things at the right time, without hurting anybody’s feelings gets my diplomacy skills to the fore. How else will you answer the plaintive complaint “You love him more than me. You hate me”? He gets to hear how much more I would have loved him if I hated him, so that he wouldn’t feel hated. Got it, no? Neither did I? But surprisingly it made sense to him. Confuse the issues so that he does not realize whether he had a good thing or he missed one! That’s a diplomat at work.

not to mention the tactics employed to maintain bonding between one belligerent adult, a rebellious preteen and a hyperactive 5 yr-old... well, whom am i kidding!

But the icing on the cake is, after all the screaming, ranting and raving done, I still get the ‘You’re cool/you're beautiful' badge at the end of the day. So every day is my second chance to get it right and get that badge, (assuming of course that i want it everyday).... It is the best incentive I get to carry on for yet another day of an imperfect mother and an almost perfect wife!!!

Ah well, it IS after all, a matter of the right perspective… mine!!

For the record…no feelings were hurt in the posting of this thought, except mine!!

P.s...gals, please feel free to add to the roles above...I'm sure you agree, i've just scraped the iceberg...

P.p.s..It also appears that my boys are the smart ones, having figured out how to manipulate me emotionally!...sigh
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this just fit in very well with the writer's island prompts...

Thought-full

I never thought a day would arrive when i would be asked to delve into my thoughts and pick out some thoughts already spewed out!!! Its like hunting in my wardrobe for that darn dress which of course has to be underneath the huge mountain of clothes(err..not a mountain...it just looks like one..i actually don't have enough clothes!! )...then you pull it out only to find the whole thing a bigger mess than it already was...

I guess you have got the picture...but ...but... this is exactly what the chirpy, young rayshma wants me to do...Sorry, rayshma, for taking my own sweet time to complete this tag...was catching my thoughts back :)


Now for my aalochane, revisited...gosh, it sounds suspiciously like an obituary notice for my blog, guys, i'm not going anywhere!!..:)

These are the rules of the tag:
Post links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given : family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like. Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances so that you get to know them each a little bit better.


Family...
i have yet to write about what a saint of a mother i have (though i was supposedly the reason for all that grey hair on her head, she is the youngest looking grandmom i know), my charming sisters who give me a complex but i would never have them any other way, both are amost perfect, the kinds you should be hating but are such nice people that you can't help loving them to bits. As for G, he is too precious to be blogged about...(though, sometimes I threaten him about it)...:D

When you have children you literally have your heart walking about...Read my unforgettable moment and my cubby tales to read why.
If you really want to read more, my family also feature in my renewal post, just after the death of a very close aunt and in my dreams for the next decade


Friend...

I find a friend everywhere...in my husband, my sisters, my neighbors,in a thoughtful tone, in my blog world, in the owner of a smile, in my thoughts...but this friendly gesture will always be close to my heart...


Yourself

Time to blow my own trumpet... this little letter I wrote would help you know what a pig i can be..a little addictive chat with myself, my first tag ...my ummm...tendency to forget...


Your love

I love visiting writer's island, sunday scribblers and Weekend wordsmith, so i came up with COLOURS OF MY MIND to pen down the thoughts and poems which flew as a reaction to these prompts...another loveis related to books.

Finito,...but not THE END...:)

thank you rayshma...and those who read them through...your patience is commendable and extremely flattering. My self-esteem has ballooned enormously...:P

In the mean time tagging

Prats : would love to read your past restropections..:)
Rambler...you would have loads to offer, i'm sure
Joy, ...will you do this, pls? :)
Guruprasad : i know, i know, you don't do tags...but we sure would love to read more about a daddy who is a veteran at blogging

You do your tags, call me when you are done... while i take my time to deflate back to reality...:)...

A 'natur'al dialogue

"Bye, see u later, alligator" That is how my lil boy bids bye to me these days, every single time he steps out of that door. Today was different. Today I said goodbye to him...in the morning... after a huge list of do's and don'ts to my husband. "Remember to give him his milk...His b'fast is on the table, do see that he eats up everything...His bus comes at 10.50 ..be there..."

Needless to say i was maneouvered out by G and the door shut firmly (lovingly?) on my face.

One would have thought that i was going away for a few days with all the preparations and instructions. But that was just me leaving early to attend an orientation workshop on Tai Chi. My boy leaves for kindergarten at 11:00 in the morning and i was quite sure i would not be able to attend this workshop slotted around the same time. But the darling hubby voulunteered to see him off to his school bus and go to work a little late. (okay, okay, i did thank him...that 'was' sweet of him!!!)

So everything set ,the hundred instructions messaged (:D), i reached the Botanical Gradens, just in time for the workshop. Tai Chi was something which had intrigued me for many years now, and i was quite glad to make use of this opportunity to know more about it. Besides the prospect of visiting the Botanical gardens was quite tempting. The Gardens proved to be the perfect backdrop for a class on mental and physical health.


Tai Chi is an ancient martial art and is actually called Taijiquan. It is more well known now for the soft and graceful exercises.

The instructor was an old gentleman who soon dispelled any doubts as to his strength and agility. Graceful, agile and flexible, he was a joy to watch. There are many forms of Tai Chi (Yang, Wu and Chen) and this class was more to highlight its use in reducing stress, and increasing flexibility and stamina though a series of smooth flowing movements. It goes without saying that it requires immense patience and dedication to master the art. It was an informative class and among other things, we did learn

never to stand still with our knees straight, keep them slightly bent...that way the wear and tear on the knee is less..

that it is not as easy as it looks.

about yin and yang

to kick our butts with our feet

the verdict... i still would take good ol' walking anyday...or perhaps yoga as a means of relaxation...this was so not me...but then again, i may take up the challenge of learning something new...

I had 3 more hours to spare before getting back home and i spent it exploring parts of the gardens i had not seen before. Disregarding my protesting muscles, I walked and walked. They have an interesting ginger garden and the famous orchids with flowers named after famous celebrities who had visited the place...This one was named in honor of the late Usha Narayanan

It was a most peacuful walk, serene and undisturbed. Like everything else in Singapore, the place is thoughtfully planned and landscaped. It truly is a walker's delight.Hours spent with my thoughts in the lap of nature...timeless!

I also visited the nearby orchard road, the ultimate shopping paradise for those crazy about the branded stuff. A tasty lunch, sighing at the perfect dresses and catching up on reading on the ride home completed a perfect day (can you believe i happened to be reading "The diary of a mad housewife")?

A fulfilling day indeed! and yes, inspite of those hundred instructions, G did forget to give him his milk, and the school bus had to wait quite a while for them...!!! It was one of those days where it really didn't matter!

Virtual attack!!

Last December, our chief artist, all of 10 years, sketched out a few holiday scenes, with his deputy aiding him in coloring them. He made a few and sent them to a few friends. We received enthusiastic thank you email messages from most of them!

We have a little tradition in the TA household where on every birthday, the birthday baby gets a card (usually hand made)… My birthday was no different. Like every year, the elder boy was galvanized into action by his father and he remained closeted in his room making a card for me. It was cute more so by the very visible efforts to keep it a surprise. The little one, too, came up with his little version.

Not very long ago, when i was young, occasions like these used to be preceded by the arrival of greeting cards by post. I remember waiting for the post in the days leading to my birthday. The cards would arrive in succession, heralding the important moment. Nothing surpasses the pleasure of receiving that special envelope with your name inscribed on it. Diwali and New Years had their own charm with cards from all over the world pouring in. We used to hang them on strings and display them with enormous pride. The stamps stuck in that corner used to be the most sought after, to add to that proud collection.

Sadly everything is so virtual these days…From the numerous cards, it surely has trickled down to a few loyal ones. E-greetings, text messages and phone calls have taken over. The text messages have certainly increased over the years!!

Things have certainly changed!! The postman has been sadly sidelined by his electonic counterpart. Would my children ever know the pleasure of receiving a snail mail? I hope so...
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A postman's lament!!!

Letters no more, the postman sighs
everyone's reading posts
Of a different kind
Sent by virtual lines
These are indeed changed times!
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The prompt at the Writer's island is 'changed'

Straight talk!!

Since I was small, the hair and I have begged to differ. I wanted it straight…it curled and curled in true south Indian fashion. Oil it, said my grand mom…and so mom did, and tried to make it behave by braiding it…tight …ouch!!

I’ve had weird things put in my hair from henna to egg yolks to tea leaves…if not anything, it kept the mosquitoes away! I’ve had it short when I wanted it long and short when mom wanted it long…

I used to envy my sister's straight locks and sigh.The strands are definitely better on someone else's scalp!!The hate affair continued well into my twenties. Try combing through curly hair on a rush day and you will know what I mean.

Then a chance visit to a saloon, some slick talking by the stylist and momentary madness in me, resulted in the discovery of two things. Curly hair CAN be straightened and how!! and it costs a lot of money and time! Hair straightening is a serious business, so is coloring the hair. Highlights are when you give certain strands of hair, a different place in the color spectrum. And the result is pure magic and that was when I fell in love with my smoothened hair. No more bad hair days! It was time to let my hair down...literally.

So that was the story of how I finally went straight...... I’m talking about my mane here!!! (*sheeesh…). The love affair with the locks continues till date. I've discovered the addictions of coloring and the pleasures of straight hair (not poker straight, though). The minor hiccup being the stage when one portion is straight and the other curly...like now!!!

And if ever it reaches the crisis of hair today, gone tomorrow...in that case I will be happy to be bald and beautiful!!!

Wondering about the rant? ...well,Preethi tagged me with …”Object of my affection”…That was a tough one indeed especially when I am someone who loves everything she has, with extreme possessiveness… This tag had me sniffing in nostalgia and yearning for my books, my miniatures, my decoratives all packed and stored away in Bangalore.

I would have loved to write about an antique reclining chair at my parents place. It used to be my grandfather’s and I love everything about it… But then this IS my current ‘object of affection’, considering that it is my only indulgence, as far as looks are concerned.

NOW...the part i love? Joy, Dame's diary and Aarthi, let's see your objects of affection....

Simply put!!

A few simple pleasures...



Turning 36 and realising it feels just like 35...

Finding out how lucky i am to be turning 36, from my 5 yr old..you are so lucky amma, you have so many candles to blow, not fair!!...

Realising that we have a long 4 day weekend just for my b'day...(actually it was for Chinese new year but that is really beside the point!!!)

Having a surprise lunch date with G, with kids at school...and then splurging on doughnuts to keep the guilt pangs away.

Spending a day out at the beach with kids and G, biking, building castles and of course eating...

Missing a deadline, realising that Singapore is a few hours ahead and salvaging the day! .(*Phew!!)

Seeing my little one practice his lil Cha Cha dance-hops...

Having a birthday hangover!!!

Finishing that book which i started weeks back and reaching out for another

Blogging just because...without wanting to be politically correct, perfect, funny or profound...

Finally changing my template and realising that i am not so dumb after all... i can even tweak around with the code now. (be prepared to suffer more experiments...)

Getting the net to work long enough to post this...

Err...ummm...getting to the point now, how's the new template, anyway? :)

The magic

The prompt at the Writer's island is 'MAGIC'. This is my attempt at a little magic. Here's wishing magic your way.

20 questions!!

i've been dreaming tags, these days. So got along to finishing one of them. Romila from rustic notes tagged me a list of twenty questions. According to the rules I was to change one question but i changed a few more.
Instructions: Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged.


My twenties...

1. Name Three Most Valuable Assets?
My family, my thoughts, my computer (how else would I blog),

2. If you have the chance, what would you probably say to your beloved one?
Please learn cooking!!!

3. If you were to be stranded on a desert island, who are the 3 blog buddies you would take with you?
Hmmm..it's probably a deserted island…, that would be a change indeed! Hmm…I would love…

hey, I want the whole bunch and have one rocking bloggers party out there…

4. Where is the place that you want to go the most?
The whole world…

5. If you can have 1 dream to come true, what would it be?
I have a dream connected to books and children…let’s hope it works out

6. What are you afraid to lose the most?
Myself

7. What would you do if you found a briefcase full of money?
Return it…if that’s not possible, use it to take care of the homeless…

8. Which recently read book moved you?
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodie Picoult, the Kite Runner by khaled hosseini

9. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you...
perspective, caring and compassionate, That's just a bit of you, Romila

10. What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
That he thinks of himself more and makes time for his hobbies

11. What is your ambition?
I never was very ambitious. A little bit of change, a little bit of reinvention goes a long way in making life interesting and fun.

12. What would you hate in someone?
Arrogance, hypocrisy and meanness

13. Revealing one thing about me-
I am spontaneous and hyper…basically a what you see, is what you get kind of a person...

14. What do you fear most?
Saying goodbye forever!

15. If you could do one thing different in life, what would it be?
I have no real regrets. Each phase has been good and brought out new challenges. Maybe I could have concentrated more on my art; I used to sketch a LOT those days...

16. Are you a shopaholic?
No way, I’m a moody shopper!

17. What is your stress buster?
My books, my chai, my swims, those little sponatneous chats with people you care

18. What should be done to people who make such long tags?
Dishum…dishum…Thud!!...not you, Romila :)

19. What are the 2 skills/talents you wish you had or would like to learn?
Driving without fear and yoga

20. Name one favorite song of yours.
I have many favorites but an all time favorite is



'tum itna jo muskhura rahen ho' from Arth

Again breaking the rules and leaving the tag open. Please do let me know if you attempt it. I would surely love to know more about you. preethi, the next one is your tag, I haven't forgotten...