Me thinks....

Of Maps and Faces

2010-01-08T23:33:00.002+05:30

Like any true-blue little girl, Bonbon is a huge fan of Dora the Explorer. She participates in all the activities (with some translation help from me, she doesn't speak English as yet!) and thoroughly enjoys that half hour. Dora has a sidekick monkey, Boots, and an animated backpack and map, that help her in her adventures.

One morning, I was sifting through the mail and weeding out the junk when I saw this invite to a saree store. My mom's addicted to buying sarees so I passed it on to her to open. the invite, as usual, had a bunch of gorgeous woman wearing lovely sarees with the usual hoopla about how it their sarees will transform you from raggedy ann to princess and yadda yadda. Ont he back was a lovely map of the area. I was more interested in the map and thought it was really useful especially since I discovered some new stores specializing in kids clothing.

Me: Mom, look. Your invite has a map on the back. Cool!

BB: (who was busy coloring, breezes in) Where's The Map? Where's The Map?

Me: points it out to her and hoists her on my lap so she can get a good look at it.

BB: examines it from all angles and looks towards me thoughtfully.

Me: What is it, baby?

BB: Mama, this isn't The Map. It doesn't have a face and it doesn't sing. (gives me a look that indicates that I'm a sap with nothing between the ears and walks away)

Apparently, the only "map" she knows is the Map from Dora, which does the "I'm the map. I'm the map" jig.

On a tangent, I just finished The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters by Lorraine Lopez. Wonderful book. The characters are so real and lovable. Lopez is alternately sad and hilarious and sets a good pace on the book. I would definitely recommend this to everyone.

A New Post for a New Year

2010-01-01T16:16:00.002+05:30

Yep, it's me. I'm back, for now :) Since we moved back to India, I've been too un-Swiss myself and Bonbon...err, ok just myself then, and really didn't have the time or inclination to blog. So why now, huh?

N: So, another year's done. Watcha wanna do for NYE?

Me: I'm going to be 30 in 2 months :(

N: I know, baby nut you still rock. Watcha wanna do for NYE?

Me: I miss Swz and I wanna go back!!!!

N: No can do now. I turned them down LIKE YOU TOLD ME TO. Watcha wanna do for NYE?

Me: WILL YOU QUIT WITH NYE? I'M GONNA SLEEP ON NYE, THAT'S WHAT I WANNA DO.OK?

A very stunned N: You should find an outlet for all that angst you have inside. Why don't you blog or something?

Of course. It's as simple as that. This space is where I whine, vent, announce, crow and do everything else. This blog keeps me sane thanks to all you wonderful people who come by and support, console, praise and just be there for me. Thanks you guys, hope you all a soooper New Year :)

Now for some gupshup :) What have we been upto in the last 6 months. Oooooh, a lot, actually! BB's going to playschool now. Yeah, my baby's becoming a big gurrl! She's been going to school for 2 months now. She started off with an hour a day during which she'd cry so loudly that I could hear her all the way on the road. I swear that was the WORST time of my life. It was like someone took my heart and chopped it into tiny bits and then went at it with a meat masher and poured hot oil for good measure....well, you get the idea. To make matters worse, N was back in Swz for a small project and I had to deal with it by myself. After 2 weeks of this, I decided to pull her out and had visions of an illierate child. But then BB figured that she might actually have some fun in the place and stopped howling. Now she skips, in and out of the place and I'm so relieved :) Of course, she got bullied and beaten just before Xmas but it's been a one-off thing.

Bonbon also got admission into the big school of our choice, Yaaayyy! I've been worried about this since before she was born. No, seriously, I was. I've read and heard enough horror stories but thankfully we got lucky. The school is 2 km from our home and my cousin's wife is a teacher there. So, i'm breathing easy now.

Around this time, I decided that I miss working. A lot. So I toyed with getting back to work. Unfortunately though, I had some child care issues. I'd have to leave BB with my parents but they have plans of visiting my brother later this year. Since I'm not very keen on daycare (BB's screams from playschool are still fresh in my mind!) I decided to SAHM for the near future. I'm looking for part-time options but nothing's worked out as yet. Having to give up on that was tough. I appreciate all the time I get with BB but, of late, I feel like my individuality just boils down to being a mom. Not that it's a bad thing but I want to do more. I want to get back to my work and try and have a life beyond mommyhood. The way I see it, BB will get a whole new life of her own and in about 3 years time she won't need me at all. So, where will I be then? Sigh.

We're finally moving into the new apartment that we bought when BB was born. I'm all excited about doing up our place :)

In the middle of all this, my grandpa passed away. With him gone, I officially have no grandparents now :( He was so thrilled when BB was born, his first great-grandchild. I'm only sad that BB didn't have enough time to know him. That's been the worst thing in the last 6 months :(

We're having a bloggers meet this Sunday and I'm really excited. I have been missing on blogsphere for a while and haven't caught up on anyone's blog yet. It will be fun to meet a bunch of them again and make new friends!

It's a sad way for me to end the year but the best part of a new year is the hope that it promises. Here's wishing you all a great New Year ahead! May you be blessed with joy, peace and prosperity.

Just because.

2009-07-12T19:27:00.003+05:30

kissing her "puppy"

posing for the birdie

A borrowed tag :)

2009-06-09T16:45:00.003+05:30

Yeah, I decided this would be good blog fodder because I can't think of anything much to put up here right now. So I whacked this from Loca. See it's not that I can't think of anything at all, it's just that when I'm ready to put thought into words, they just evaporate. I can clearly remember that there were a ton of things about Bonbon that I wanted to post about but can't, for the life of me, remember :( Maybe I should make a list of that too..I thrive on lists. I'm the quintessential makes-lists-for-lists person *grin*. Here goes:

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? Dear God, I'm so FAT!
2. How much cash do you have in your wallet right now? about 100 CHF
3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR? Umm...four.
4. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? The spouse
5. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone? I don't do ringtones...it's on vibra right now. But if it weren't it would be a basic "ring, ring' (go ahead and say it - BOOOORINNGG, I know you want to)
6. What are you wearing right now? red shorts and white tee
7. Do you label yourself? Yep. All the time.
8. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently own? Reebok, Nike, Adidas and Bata :D
9.Bright or Dark Room? Bright
10. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you? Smart, Witty, A great frend, a Wonderful lady.
11. What does your watch look like? Blue and Neon Orange sports watch (what?!! I like bright colors)
12. What were you doing at midnight last night? Arguing with N about who should get BB's nightly fix of milk.
13. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? Some gibberish in Italian. I'm assuming it was about some slimming center.
14. What’s a word that you say a lot? NO....as in No, Bonbon!
15. Who told you he/she loved you last? The spouse.
16. Last furry thing you touched? One of BB's stuffed toys, a furry bear with glasses...very cuddly!
17. Favourite age you have been so far? The early and mid-20's rocked.
18. What was the last thing you said to someone? "Shall we have a bath now?"
19.The last song you listened to? I'm so tempted to lie but I won't....Old Mcdonald had a farm.
20. Where did you live in 1987? Bangalore
21. Are you jealous of anyone? Everyone with a high metabolisms.
22. Is anyone jealous of you? No clue but I hope not!
23. Name three things that you have on you at all times? A hair clip, all three ear piercings and my wedding band.
24. What’s your favourite town/city? Bangalore, Zurich, Rome.
25. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it? When I was in school to my BFF who moved to Mysore.
26. Can you change the oil on a car? No but it's something I want to learn.
27. Your first love/big crush: what is the last thing you heard about him/her? This guy in high school...no clue what happened to him after I left school though.
28. Does anything hurt on your body right now? My back.
29.What is your current desktop picture? Nothing. Just the lame blue background for XP.
30. Have you been burnt by love? Nope.

The Pact and a video too!

2009-05-06T17:12:00.004+05:30

N and I have a mixed marriage. Not the way you're thinking though. N's a herbivore and I'm a carnivore. Yes, I mean that kind of mixing. I think there ought to a be a law about people stamping themselves as to whether they belong to the former clan or the latter. All ye trolls and miscellaneous nasty elements, I don't give a rat's derriere what you say, I think it should be so because it would save a lot of people a lot of heartache. What heartache..well that's what's going to be in this post, hon! So read on :D

Anyhoo, being from different clans was mildly irritating to both of us. Nothing that good old love couldn't conquer. Or a healthy dose of batting eyelashes and promises of more! So I was allowed to be my carnivore self and on my part I avoided being carnivorous, as much as I possibly could, around N. We had three very happy years during which we got to a point where it didn't even register with either of us. And then we had a baby.

N was adamant that she be raised herbivore and I was equally adamant she be a carnivore. He had his usual it's-murder argument and I had my it'll-give-her-better-survival-chances-should-she-land-in-China one. So we argued, bribed, threatened, scowled, cold-shouldered our way into an agreement, also know as The Pact. The baby would get to eat fish.....ONLY. (Eggs are alright because the spouse says they're not fertilized so technically it's not alive and yadda, when in reality the man loves them and couldn't give them up for anything in the world.) If the baby chose to become vegetarian when she was older then I wouldn't interfere (this bit was forcibly added by N - hope everlasting!). I'm ok with this though. Fish is a great protein source, it's easy to chew with her sole set of molars and there are tons of yummy things to be made from it so she won't lack variety. So we were back to harmony again. When BB saw me eating a perfectly delicious piece of grilled chicken.

I guess I'm to blame for this part but I still maintain that people ought to announce their nutrition clan. Humph. Getting back to the point, she wanted a bite of it just like she has a bite of everything I'm eating. It's something I've always done, give her everything and anything I eat (except booze and caffeine) so she'd learn to eat pretty much everything right from the beginning. Anyhoo, when I refused (I do take The Pact seriously, I'm a rule follower - unfortunately) she dug her heels in and in true toddler fashion wanted to taste it no matter what. Since then she's been going on about eating chicken. She pretend plays it and is often found asking her grandparents for chicken on the phone.

If you're wondering if the heartache part will ever put in an appearance, rest assured it will. Right about here. N has given up and says we should just feed her some chicken and be done with it. His argument, a very sensible and loigcal one at that, is that if she's eating fish already chicken is just a natural progression. I'm more resilient though. I want to give it some time. No, I haven't undergone a change of heart. I just feel that it's not fair to N that this whole pact is swinging in my favor. This is something he feels very strongly about so I really want some of this to go in his favor. A small part of me actually hopes that BB will grow up and become a certified herbivore like her Dadda. Why? Beacause it would make N glow with happiness. Sigh.

So I sneak around and eat chicken or avoid it all together. Heartache, I tell you - pure, unadulerated heartache :(

Btw, here's a video of the Gruyeres from our trip last weekend. This one's taken on the way to the castle. The place is gob-smacking beautiful!

Bonbon Rechristened

2009-04-28T18:12:00.003+05:30

It all began this way. With our post-breakfast dose of jumping and bouncing on the bed. I think it's time we bought the child a trampoline so we'll still have a bed standing at the end of the day. I don't want to be sleeping on the floor in my old age. But, I digress. So we're on the bed bouncing, actually BB is and I'm just sitting by the side and keeping an eye so she doesn't hurt herself. And as I tend to so often these days, I lapsed into a reverie, which is indicated by glassy-eyed stare.

BB: *sharply* Mama!
Me: *starts guiltily* Yes, baby?
BB: Mama, look at BB. (her way of saying "pay attention, there are important things happening here!")
Me: *meekly* Ok. Sorry.
BB: Ok. Mama and BB will sing Lambert the Sheepish lion.
So BB and Mama proceed to lustily sing the song (Check out the video, it really is a cute Disney toon!)
Once done, Mama takes a breather and BB runs in circles on the bed and collapses when she's dizzy. She's up in a minute and orders :

BB: Mama sing Hakuna Natata [she never, ever says Matata despite being told a kazillion times. Really bothers my old OCD soul :(] and BB will dance like Pumba and Timon.

Mama proceeds to sing and BB does her jig. I want to add here that the child has two left feet inherited from her father. Such a pity. She suddenly stops and gives me a quick inspection to check that I haven't gone off into my reverie again. Satisfied that I'm still in Bonbon-land she pipes up :

BB: Mama, BB's name is not BB anymore.

Me: Oh really? So what is your name?

BB: It's Pumba *grins proudly to have done better than her parents*

Mama: *seriously* OK, BB.

BB: No Mama, not BB. Pumba-BB.

Me: Ok, Pumba-BB.

So we horse around for a bit more and she announces that "Pumba-BB" is hungry. We proceed to lunch and all is forgotten about the rechristening until N lands home in the evening and she's watching her dose of evening Youtube. As we all, rechristenings aren't official till both parents have heard the announcement so Pumba-BB proceeds to have the entire conversation with her father who isn't very good at hiding his amusement. This leads to a minor tantrum that is doused with some grapes that are promptly squished onto clothes, hair and sofa. All is now well in Bonbon-land.

The proud mommy leaves you with Pumba-BB's first every drawing (which will sell for a few crores in the coming years). For those of you with poor eyesight, it's a herd of elephants ;) Actually it started off as one but the artist decided that one would be lonely and added some company.

A trip, some doubts and introspection

2009-04-24T12:21:00.005+05:30

I just replied to akamonica who was wondering why I was MIA. I'm losing my inclination to blog but I'm going to hang in here for a while longer and see if I can recapture the old spark ;)

So. Over the long Easter weekend, we went to Paris. Since it coincided with BB's 2nd birthday, we decided to take her to Disneyland on the big day. She had fun watching her fav characters (Mickey, Donald, Pumba, Pooh but we just missed Dumbo!). We were hoping she could meet her fav character and do some birthday cake cutting there but they didn't have any such thing. All they offered was a birthday cake for 20 euros, which we thought wasn't worth it if she wouldn't get to meet her fav character. So we just hung around the place and saw a wonderful "Wish upon a Dream" parade featuring Disney's popular characters. The witch form snow white had such a blast scaring Bonbon :D N and I were thoroughly entertained too. It made the child in me come out and I just went berserk. All in all, a very nice way to have spent BB's birthday.

During the week we spent in Paris we popped over to N's friend's house, which was a stone's throw from our hotel. He has a 18 month old son who made a good playmate for BB. The evening before we were to leave, they offered to take us to a supermarket to buy some baby food for our long journey the next day. On our way back from the supermarket, BB was sleepy and promptly put her thumb in her mouth. N's friend's wife, L, took one look and pointedly asked me "Oh, does she have a thumbsucking habit?" I gave her a droll look and said yes when what i really wanted to say was "No, she has cannibalistic tendencies and is actually chewing her thumb off, but not to worry it will regenerate by tomorrow".

That put a small shadow on our otherwise nice trip and a little black mark against an otherwise nice woman. She might have just mentioned it as some people have a habit of mentioning the obvious but it hit a raw spot. I'm touchy about BB's thumbsucking habit. Since coming to Switzerland I'm a little better with it because it's no big deal here. Lots of kids suck their thumbs and most of them are about 7-8 years old. Nobody give her a second glance when she's doing it. In India, however, I had numerous occasions where people would ask me or point it out to me. All for what? I have no idea. Myabe that she's insecure, doesn't get enough love, and whatever other psycho crap that is associated with it. I'd just give them all a scathing retort in my head while politely saying yes with my mouth but deep down it makes me wonder if this is indeed true.

Maybe I'm not giving her enough attention. Maybe she feels unloved, although God knows we're doing our best. But is it enough? Maybe I should do more. Maybe if I hadn't gone bck to work when she was months this might not have happened. She started the thumbsucking at 3 months but maybe I was doing something wrong even earlier. Maybe I suck. Maybe I'm the worst mother out there. I don't know but it's eating into me everyday. I'm doing the best I can but I should probably be doing more. Sigh. I can go on this track and end up in tears so I'm going to stop here.

Here' a pic of BB at the Louvre. It's my fav pic from our trip. She stood there admiring the lions for a full 5 minutes!!

The pregnancy tag!

2009-03-12T19:29:00.003+05:30

Just as I was contemplating shutting shop on this blog because I simply don't have anything to post on most days, Mama Mia tagged me with the pregnancy tag. I've seen this one doing the rounds and it's a super fun tag to do. So here goes....

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?
Nope. We have contraceptive malfunction to thank for this :D On really bad days, I swear I wanna go sue them butts off!

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
Oh, yeah! And thinking that we were not ready to have a baby yet. But whaddyaknow!

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
Me: Oh, f**k!! F**k. F**k. F**k.
N: OH, F**K! F**K. F**K. F**K.
Thankfully, we had 9 months to get accustomed to this ;)

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU?
Nope. We weren't that scared either!

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
26.

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
My period was late and that NEVER happens. I had a strong feeling I was "with child" and finally N and I got a home test kit. I almost fainted when I saw that second line appearing.

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
N, of course. Then my parents.

8. DUE DATE?
2nd May 2007.

9. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
More like afternoon sickness. I barely ate lunch in the first trimester and the sight of the cafeteria would make me want to throw up...and don't even get me started on the water at work. Oh god, I still cringe to think of that phase!!!

10. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
Food, food and more food!! fruit salad, masala dosa, idli, biryani, bread, chicken. I spent a whole week having masala dosa thrice a day :D Ahhh, the good times!

11. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
The fact that I had to change my whole lifestyle. ( I don't take kindly to change in my life, I really am a creature of habit.) No more riding bikes, autos, yadda. Since I can't drive, I had to ferryed around...that was a blow! Getting hit on was another nightmare.

12. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD’S SEX?
A girl!!

13. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
Nope. If I had to have a baby, I figured I'd fare a female child had more chance of surviving my motherly minstrations than a male :D

14. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
13kgs. (I'm also a metric person!)

15. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
Yep. One that my mom and MIL arranged for me. I felt so awful. There I was - a beached whale and there was a ton of people gushing at me.

16. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
I knew.

17. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
Apart from the cord around BB's neck in the last trimester, none at all. BB apparently was saving all the grief for her terrible twos!

18. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Bangalore.

19. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
12, but just the last 2-3 hours were excruciating!

20. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL/BIRTH CENTER?
N, the husband!!

21. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Lemme see now. There were 2 nurses, my gynaec, two junior doctors, two peds. That's the lot! N was too squeamish to be there.H claims he came in during the actually birthing and saw so much blood that he thought it would be better all around if he stayed away!

22. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
Natural.

23. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
Nope. It really wasn't all that bad, except for the last 2-3 hours where I wanted to rip N apart for even touching me!

24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
2.4 kgs. She was 3 week premature!

25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ?
10th April 2007.

26. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN THE DOCTOR ANNOUNCED THE SEX OF THE BABY?
Thank god, the darn labour is over. Now I wish someone would gimme something to knock me out for a coupla hours. Oh yeah, I wanna see what my baby looks like!!!

27. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST REACTION ON SEEING THE BABY?
Acutally it was a while before I saw her. My eyesight was all blurred for half an hour after the delivery. I thought I had gone blind and was too freaked to hold her, lest I drop her! But when I did see her I thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world, and also the most tiny :)

28. DID YOU CRY?
Nope. I was in awe of the whole thing. This little mite must of had a rough time coming out too and there she was curiously looking up at me. I wondered if she knew who I was.

29. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Bonbon :)

30. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY
She's 1 year, 11 months and 2 days old :)

Like Mama mia, I wanted to post some pics here but they're all in my home PC in India :( FWIW, my facebook profile photo is of me a couple of weeks pregnant, I just dindn't know it then. Fb also has a pic of me 8 months pregnant. Those of you who know me there, pls to go and check them out.

Thanks so much Mama mia, I had such fun doing this. Like you, these were the best 9 months of my life!!

A trip to Bangalore!

2009-03-03T17:49:00.003+05:30

We just got back from a whirlwind trip to the motherland. It was fun to get away from all the snow, rain and Swiss-German!! We were gone for two weeks but I wish it could have been longer :(

Bonbon had a blast! She found two new slaves (my parents) and re-discovered old toys. With the 24-hour cartoon channels, she found heaven. She'd wake up each morning and command one of us to switch on the tv. After a half-hour of teletubbies, she'd have breakfast. Since there's no high-chair there it was like feeding a monkey. I have actually climbed on tables and gone under chairs to get food in her mouth - I kid you not! Once hat was done, she'd play with my father or the maid and then I'd take her out for a walk. She absolutely LOVED the sun and walking on the pavement-less roads. After the noon noursihment and bath, she'd go hyper - running and squealing all around the house. Post a late-noon nap, she'd go to the park and be back for a little more tv, dinner and bed. This routine was interspersed with visits from friends and family. Here's a pic of her at the hosp where we were visiting my friend who had just had a baby.

What was unsettling and embarassing to me, was BB's reaction to guests. She'd scream blue murder and go hide in the bedroom for 15 mins and then slowly come out and check the guests. She's never done that before. She was also very clingy the whole two weeks. She's periodically check to ensure I was around. I put her behaviour down to exposure to new people and surroundings. I just hope I'm right!

Cut to Schweiz - we got back on a Friday afternoon and she had fun with her dad over the weekend. Come Monday and all hell has broken loose. The continuous rain has ensured that we are house-bound and BB's having MAJOR tantrums. She's so bored, she's going berserk and driving me crazy too. For once I rue my lack of creativity- I can barely think of ways to entertain her. Both of us eagerly await N's return from work. It's going to be a long 6 months here.

This trip has been an eye-opener fo me. I now know that I do NOT want to settle anywhere abroad. Of course, I love the uniterrupted water and power supply, the eczema and asthma free existence and the overall convenience of life here but there's still something missing. I'm counting the days till we go back and then we've decided that long trips like this are out of question.

Love is...

2009-02-11T19:52:00.004+05:30

...waking up to the noise of clanking dishes at 11.45 pm to find your spouse elbow-deep in suds just because it's your birthday in 15 mins and you shouldn't be doing something as "mundane as dishes" first thing on that day.

P.S. Don't forget the Pink Chaddi Campaign y'all!

Li'l Miss Manners

2009-02-07T18:53:00.003+05:30

BB and I are taking a bus to rendezvous with N last evening. It being a Friday, we iusually hang around the town, drool over the expensive stuff that we can't afford, grab a bite and get back home. A little background here - the buses here have one seat reserved for either a stroller or a wheelechair. This space is equipped with a convenient bar on the side to keep your balance in case you're lucky to get a driver who thinks he's Schumi (trust me, there are tons of them here...they'll put the Blore bus drivers to shame. Most often N and I are doing a jig just to retain our balance!). So, baby Bonbon likes to pretend she's all grown up and hold on to the bar. As is the norm, there are always a bunch of people who will flout rules and insist on sitting in the stroller/wheelchair space despite pleading looks from the mother and turn a blind eye to all the juggling done by mom to adjust the pram into a position that will be least bothersome to others.

So getting back to the point, We got aboard the bus and found a middle-aged-lady-trying-to-pass-off-as-a-younger-woman sitting in the spot. I looked at her to see if she would move over and make space for us but obviously I should have known better. So I tried as best as I could to squeeze the stroller into a corner so as not to block the entrance and took my position behind the pram and started the jig to maintain balance. All this time, BB fixed the lady with a beady stare. Seeing no signs of being able to occupy her seat to hold on to the bar:

BB: Aunty, get up!!
Me: *Shocked witless at this aggressive display* BB, we do not say things like that. Aunty will get up when her stop arrives and then you can sit there. Don't say such things, Aunty will be sad!!*sends a thank you prayer to the Lord that BB doesn't know English or German and talks only mother tongue*
BB: No, mama *fixes a beadier stare on the lady and also thinks for a bit* Didi *stresses on the word*, get up!! *and looks up to me for approval*
Me: *very amused* No BB, you can't ask her to get up. She came before us and we have to wait for her to get up. OK?

Apart from the humor in the situation, I was shocked to see this territorial mentality from my baby. She's always been easy-going and shares pretty much everything with everyone so I don't know where this came from. It has me a little worried. Sigh.

A Bonbon post

2009-01-20T18:44:00.005+05:30

Yep, I'm done with the 5 no-mention-of-being-a-mom posts, so I'm grabbing my chance and doing a BB post :) Looks like I should take nm's suggestion and have another blog where I can do miscellaneous posting...looks like this one's dominated by BB. Sigh. Some BBisms that have happened in the past few weeks -

Me: *Giving BB her hourly sip of water (just so she doesn't constipate, something I'm s%$t scared of)* Have a sip, baby!

BB: *obediently sips, grimaces* Mama, water's spicy *makes the necessary facial contortions to indicate spiciness and walks off*

Me: *Doubled over with laughter for a LONG time*

Me: *focusing real hard to make the polygonal roti into a circle*

BB: *pointing to her pink socks* Mama, BB's wearing red sockies

Me: *distractedly* No, baby, they're not red.

BB: *Frowns at her socks and then smiles as the light dawns on her* Ohhh, these are purple sockies!! *prances out the room without waiting for a confirmation*

BB: *stuffing her toy penguin into her toy stroller* Sit inside and be a good penguin

I'm watching from my perch on the sofa

BB: Ok, now BB will fasten your belt and then put on your blankie....hands inside blankie, it's cold outside...Brrrrr.

BB: *proceeds to fiddle with the belt and covers the penguin with her fav blanket* Now we'll go to Migros and buy a jam biscuit.....we ask didi to give us boooberry (blueberry) jam biscuit.

Me: Awwwwwwwww

This is EXACTLY what I tell her when I'm taking her out.

We're in the middle of BB's bath. She stops her splashing:

BB: *very earnestly* Mama, BB wants a tiger.

Me: ?!!! Whatever for?

BB: I'm going to hold him tight

Me: and....

BB: I'm going to kiss him and give him some banana oats and baguette to eat.

Me: Ok, sweetie *makes a mental note to add a tiger to her menagerie of stuffed toys*

and many more instances which, I have forgotten. Maybe that idea of a second blog is not so bad after all! Leaving you with a pic of her

P.S. These are the same pink socks that she said were purple. They change color everytime she wants them to!

Hmmm..

2009-01-16T04:38:00.003+05:30

Don't let the title indicate what you might find in this post. I only put it there for two reasons - a) I'm OCD about filling in the title BEFORE the post (and yes, if you're one of the oh-so-few regulars here you'll know this already) b) I can't think of anything suitable to put up there for the content of this post.

So, my bad day is kind of getting better. S%$# is still happening but I'm focusing on the good things and trying to move on. It doesn't help that I don't have friends and family here. Oh well, enough about that already!!

N has a colleague A, who's the typical Indian-but-trying-desperately-to-be-firang (I'm sure there's a better term for that but you'll have to excuse me, it's 12 am and I'm not thinking very clearly. Yes, you're right - if I'm blogging at 12am I NEED to get a life.) Here's a blog-worthy gem he dropped on us.
A telling his 17-month daughter who picked up some food she had dropped on the road - Kha lo beta, koi baat nahi. Yeh Switzerland hai!! (Go ahead and eat it, baby. This is Switzerland!)

The first bit of news I got in the New Year was about a 13 year old who had had a baby. No one knows the identity of the father including the mother (feels funny to say that of someone who's but a child herself). I'm as broad-minded as the next person (or so I think!) but isn't 13 a little too young to be having children? When I was 13, I was busy choosing between purple and orange nailpaint and wondering if that cute guy 3 houses away would come out and give me a darshan. Sigh, my heart bleeds for childhood (and innocence) lost. I know the West is more sexually aware and open but THIRTEEN AND not knowing the father's identity....she's most likely just covering it up. Or so I hope. Go ahead and call me a prude or whatever is the in thing now.

We got a bunch of flyers in our mailbox urging people to stop hiring "outsiders" just to get cheap labour. I guess the person distributing them thought it was fitting to dump the entire building's quota in our mailbox. My retort to that is that I've got one over you mister, I don't know a word of Swiss-German. So there! (for your curious people, N speaks tha language and translated.)

Leaving you with the Gummi Bear song. Very catchy!!

The mother of all bad days...

2009-01-08T01:53:00.002+05:30

.....is here for me. Everything that can go wrong is going wrong. I feel so helpless, frustrated and cranky. I've been snapping at everyone and everything. Sigh. I don't want to elaborate because it's so easy for me to start my pity party on this space. I'm trying really hard to think of all the good things and ensure that the New Year begins well.

The weather's been awful too. Bleak, gray days with sub-zero temperatures. Can't remember the last time I got out of the house. Oh, what I'd give to be back in good old Bangalore right now!

Hope your week's going better :)

Happy New Year!!

2008-12-31T03:49:00.013+05:30

These are pics of the award-winning lighting on Weite Gasse, the M G road of Baden. They were taken on Christmas eve and hence not many people on the road :) Sorry for the poor quality of the first pic! Here's hoping yall have a great year ahead.

On a sweet note, here's a pic of some wonderfully creative gastronomic delights from a bakery (Himmel Baden -They make the BEST bakery concoctions ever, my rapidly increasing girth is testimony to this!) on the same street. We were bold enough to photograph it because the place was closed and there weren't too many people on the road (else N lives in perennial fear that his (photo) trigger-happy wife will get him an earful from someone!) Not sure if you can see them at this size, I've chosen the largest there is! Just in case....they're marzipan piggies and mushrooms :)

5 things you probably dunno about me...

2008-12-19T20:22:00.004+05:30

I've set myself the daunting task of doing five posts with no mention of being a mom so let me just rush into it headlong and to showcase my lack of creativity, I'm doing this quick-fix everyone's-backup-while-suffering-from-blogger's-block post. Anyhoo...here are five things about me ya dint know....err, so I hope!

1) I'm a Chemical engineer and was employed as a technical writer. I hope to get back to doing just this again.

2) I do not drink tea or coffee. My tipple (s) of choice is hot chocolate, badam milk, Milo. I've discovered Ovomaltine since I landed in Switzerland (My pack of Milo got over so I had to find a backup fast).

3) I do not smoke or drink alcohol. Asthma ensures that I can't smoke and I truly don't like the taste of alcohol unless it's a couple of spoons added to dessert or other food.

4) I have one sibling, an elder brother.

5) I currently have no fingerprints. Yes, you read tht right. I have an allergy (one among the many that plague me) to some cooking ingredient, no sure which one though. So everytime I cook my skin peels off and I have no fingerprints (have i grossed you out yet?!). When I stay with mom and don't lift a finger other than to stir or assemble salads, my hands are in pristine condition and the prints are back. This prompted and erstwhile colleague to suggest that I can take up burglary as a profession if I'm ever out of work ;)

Random stuff and a challenge!

2008-12-08T19:53:00.006+05:30

There's a bunch of stuff I want to put down here but I'm too lazy to do separate posts so I'm just going to cram it all here.

****

Saw a couple with two kids at Toys R Us last weekend. They looked like any ordinary couple except that the father was pulling down every toy in the store and giving it out to the kids. Nothing wrong with that but the children were taking it out of the packaging, looking at it and tossing it wherever before moving on to the next goodie that the father was handing out. All this while the mother was fondly looking over them. A poor hapless store assistant was following them around meekly trying to restore some order. I'd really like to see these kids in 10 years time!

****

Picture this. It's snowing, the temperature's -2 deg C. A man's walking his dog wearing all the warm clothing he can handle and them . The dog on the other hand just has it's skin for protection and I can see the poor critter shivering from a distance of 20 feet. Where's the PETA when you really need them?

****

A young woman going to office wearing a black overcoat, black leggings, black muffler, black gloves, black boots with black hair, carrying a black purse and black umbrella. A weird kind of color blindness?

****

A double - colored car. I kid you not. Purple and blue. One of a kind in Wettingen, CH. Passes by at lunch time every Friday.

****

Indian couple at the bus stop. As soon as they get within ear shot of us the lady starts talking in English although the husband and young son are speaking Hindi. Ummm, I don't really get that.

****

I just realized that I've become too much of a mommy blogger (not that there's anything wrong with that!) but I'd like to see if I have a life beyond it and want to do 5 posts without mentioning BB or mommyhood. A daunting task because BB gives me so much blog fodder! Oh well, best of luck to me :)

Baby Steps!

2008-12-04T20:04:00.004+05:30

Some of you may know and some of you may not that BB was born without any hair...at all. I'm talking no eye lashes, no eye brows...nothing. Zilch. One look at her and I let go of all those dreams of baby hair accessories and hours of fun putting them on her. So I prayed. Hard. And the good Lord decided to take pity on me and the poor little mite and made her sprout some hair when she was 5 months old. Her hair's still very thin and scanty but at least she has it at all! She's even got eyelashes and eyebrows now, bushy ones too (as always she takes after her father...N prefers to think I prayed a little too hard)! Now she has enough hair to put TWO ponytails. Of course, she's bald on the sides when I do this but at least it's a start. There is still hope for the accessories :D

Happy 19th!

2008-11-10T19:13:00.007+05:30

For someone who was an accident, you turned out pretty good, baby! When I look at you my heart just bursts with joy, love and pride but then there are those few instances where I wonder what it was that made me want to have a baby and then I remember, you were an accident ;)

You're 19 months today sweetheart and since I missed out on the milestone 18 months, I simply had to do this post ON TIME! As with everything else in my life, I'm making a list of all the little (and big) things you do to make my life far-from-boring!

- You're very independent and simply have to do everything on your own. From eating, brushing, evening cleaning up the table after you're done! Just wait a while baby, don't grow up so soon on me!

- You exclaim how dirty an object is and then proceed to ask me for a tissue. You scrub and and once you're satisfied, look at me and declare how clean it is then drop the tissue wherever and walk on to do the next thing.

-You love your toys. But the cartons they came in are more fun to play with. That's why mama needs a while before she can take pics in the house....she needs to find a spot where the floor's visible.

-You play "cook, cook" when mama's in the kitchen doing the same. You take out a bowl and ladle and "mix, mix" some "oninin"(onion) and then feed your "blue teddy" and also ensure that he drinks his water from a glass. You also issue him a warning to drink slowly or he'll choke.

-You put away the groceries in "your" drawer and then come to mama and say "thankyou".

-You simply adore the municipal cleaners here. They come in orange vans and when you see them or even hear them, the whole world stops and you have eyes and ears only for them. You watch them from the windows, perched on mama's hip and tell mama that "unca clean, clean, sweep, sweep". We've got to a point where any orange car/truck/van/bus will make you jump and squeal.

-You love music and singing songs. You ask for the radio to be put on and then proceed to do some head-banging, much to your dadda's amusement. He's so happy there's someone to share his van halen music. You also shake your booty and do a jig if the song's musical. Western classical music intrigues you and you eye the radio thoughtfully. You ask mama to sing you rhymes and sometimes join me to sing bits of it yourself. You also have a taste for Hollywood children's songs, your favs being "lakdi ki kaati" and "nanha munna munna" (nanha munna rahi hoon)

-You like socializing with the clerks in the supermarket. Thankfully, the feeling's mutual. You say "wee deth" (wie geht's) and "thao thao" (ciao ciao) to them all. Your favorite is the elderly lady who sits there on weekends and you call her the "migros aunty". (migros is the name of the supermarket)

-You pull out your "cleeepie" (hair clip) a million times a day and come to me and ask me to fasten it again. I usually issue you my standard warning of the-hair'll-get-in-your-eyes-and-hurt-them but if I overlook it you helpfully remind me by poking your eye an saying "boo boo".

-You open all the kitchen drawers and point out to the pots and pans and tell me what I cook in each. You also identify glasses for water, mugs for tea and dessert spoons, forks etc. You love to point out to your crockery and identify it as yours. You stack it up neatly in "your" drawer, which made a lovely game of treasure hunt for mama during your meal times but now I'm wise to it.

-You LOVE taking out the outer peels from onions. You use your baby fingers and shell it like there's no tomorrow. When you're done with one, you exclaim "oninin ball" and then promptly toss it in the air, unmindful of where it will land. Do you remember when it landed in a pot of simmering carrot halwa? The claening took care of the rest of dadda's evening, who guffawed thro it all. Of course, we're more careful now.

-You have started counting things in your own baby way! You point to an object in a group and say "another X" and kep going this way till you've pointed them all out. Then you exclaim "no more X" and clap your hands.

-You wake up each morning and take an inventory of all your bedtime toys. Once satisfied you ensure your two hands and two legs are in place. Then you hunt out mama and ensure all my appendages are in place too.

-You consider eating a complete waste of time and refuse to open your mouth. Mama's still trying to get around this one. Score one for BB!

-You have the loudest cry in all of Swizerland and it is your most powerful weapon. Mama and dadda cower in fear when you unleash it, lest the neighbours call the cops. So we give in to everything.

-You're STILL having a midnight feed. Mama and dadda ake turns and groggily make a bottle for you. Sweet child that you are, you let us sleep in peace the rest of the night. Do you remember that one night when mama thought enough was enough and decided to not give you a feed at night. You brought the roof down with your crying and worse still mama could hear your tummy rumbling from hunger. Rest assured mama and dadda have become wiser. We'll find another way to get rid of that habit.

-You're done with the bottle during the day. You're quite happy to drink from your glass and are willing to show anyone who's interested. You aldo do an admirable job of feeding your with a fork, but you still some practice with a spoon.

If it weren't for you, I'd have wilted in the Swiss winter, baby. Thanks for keeping your grumpy mama company and being so sweet about it too! Have a happy 19th! Even the sun's come out today to celebrate with us. Mama's made your favorite chocolate cake so let's PARTTYYY :) Muuahhh!

My bete noire

2008-11-05T18:25:00.006+05:30

Bonbon's meal time, that's what is my bete noire and hers too, I guess. BB's always been rather fussy to eat but nothing that a book or a rhyme or general distraction wouldn't fix. In fact, after we came to Switzerland she'd eat gulp down her food and had finally managed to cross the 10kg mark, in terms if body weight.

In the last week or two she seems to have developed a pathological dislike to eating lunch and dinner. She eats breakfast and her snack (no junk here - I'm talking idli, oats etc.) decently but when it comes to lunch and dinner it's a completely different story. The minute she sees her plate she starts howling and refuses to open her mouth. Sometimes she'll want to eat on her own and I let her do it but she manages to get in a spoon or two and then she plays around with the food. If I stop her from playing with her food, I'll have a mother of all tantrums on my hand. I've tried changing her plate, the place where she eats, dancing, singing, jumping, everything (short of hiring an orchestra) to entertain her but her mouth remains firmly shut.

I make a variety of veggies and dal everyday. However, I invariably give her rice with all this. She still doesn't have any molars and can't chew rotis. In a desperate bid, I did try to give her a roti (slightly pureed in a blender) but after a few spoons she choked and refused to eat anymore of it :(

I've just finished another marathon battle with her, and as always I've given up. Today was unusually bad. I did something I've never done before, gave a spanking. I can't belive I hit my little baby, all for a plate of food. In retrospect, it doesn't even seem worth it. I don't really know who's more upset over this. As I see her napping now, holding her teddy, with her thumb firmly fixed in her mouth, I wonder if I've done any emotional damage to her.

I got an award...

2008-11-04T19:47:00.004+05:30

.....does a jig, stops midway, realizes there are people watching. Ahem! The title says it all folks. Loca gave me the Blog BFF award

Thanks a bunch, girl! I'm passing it on to Mona and Mamma Mia.

My first snow

2008-11-03T19:16:00.002+05:30

A bunch of firsts

2008-10-25T02:10:00.003+05:30

Today's been an eventful day...we had a whole bunch of firsts. Little ones but nonetheless I'm so proud/excited about all of these.

- First one on the list, for sure. Bonbon had her daily quota of milk from a glass AND she drank it holding the glass in her own two little hands. Actually,she's been wanting to do this for a while but for some strange reason I didn't want to let her. Maybe I'm trying to hold on to my little baby a little longer. Now, if only I can get her to stop her 2am bottle of milk. Sigh. That's a whole different ball game. She's also started feeding herself with a fork and refuses to eat if she's fed. Interestingly, she can't eat with a spoon but she's so good with a fork.

- I baked my first ever oven dish. I love baking. It's the only kind of cooking I enjoy (the rest is just a chore!) and I've been baking since I started working, which is for about 6 years now. But it's all been in a microwave :D Now that I have a kitchen equipped with a nice electric oven I've been going crazy thinking of what I wanna bake!! So I decided to do something realtively easy and baked a nice quiche. It turned out rather well (really, it did!). I say that because BB ate her dinner without a peep. Next in line, is a chocolate cake (what else!!).

- I had my first experience of doing laundry firang-ishtyle. I had 3 weeks of clothes (we live in a 15 storey building and each apartment gets a turn once in 3 weeks.) We took the key to the laundry room last evening and I've been ferrying piles of clothes up and down the building ever since. Initially it was good fun for BB and me but after the 3 load we both got bored and cranky. Beats me how people can survive without washing stuff for 3 weeks. I think I'm going to hand wash a bunch of stuff every couple of days. Now that will be an interesting experience :D

- My first bus ride alone with BB. I was a little jittery to begin and forgot to punch my card for the ticket. I remembered after about 2 stops and promptly punched it. Luckily, no one was checking! Phew.

- My first experience of a single-digit temperature. It was about 8 deg C outside this evening and I think I'm real close to my first snow :) Took me 45 mins to get BB and myself dressed. We each were wearing 3 layers and jackets on top. Not a fun experience at all. To reitereate, I hate the cold. I wish I were in Goa.

And that's that :) Have a good weekend y'all!

All set for another rainy weekend :(

2008-10-16T18:06:00.004+05:30

It's been raining since this morning and BB and I have been going nuts sitting at home and watching the leaves fall :( Here's what it looks like outside.

Interestingly the weather prediction for tomorrow is bright and sunny followed by rain over the weekend. Sigh. Unfortunately, the weather predictions are absolutely accurate so here's to a weekend of watching the rain. Dang, I won't even get any hot pakodas here.

We'd been to Baldegg last weekend and here are a few pics of the place. It's absolutely gorgeous, the perfect place to go camping. There's a little farm which helps weary strangers with nourishment for a fee.

Sometimes I can't belive how beautiful Switzerland is.....how can any one place be so gorgeous??? It was fun but we had to get back soon because it was getting rather cold. We usually figure that it's time to head home when BB's nose turns red :D My very own Rudolph and it's not even Christmas yet!

Here's an interesting pic. These are trails left by low flying planes :)

On a more serious note, BB had her first bad fall complete with swollen lip and all :( N had taen her out for a walk in the evening and the silly child got all excited and ran. N chose precisely that moment to gawk at a pair of Gucci's on display. The powers that be decided to punish them both and made BB fall on her face. When they got home BB wasn't crying but she was trying to chew her bruised lip, possibly to soothe it. What follows is something like this:

N: *clears throat* something happened today

Me: *alarms going off, warning bells clanging* Hmmm?

N: BB had a fall.

Me: *Examining BB who's trying to chew her lip* How? What? Where?

N: *In a really small voice* At the EWW fountain...I just took my eyes off her for a second and bam!

Me: *Still examining BB and simmering* Hmmm

N: I swear it was just for a second!!

I gave N an earful for taking eyes off the baby and yadda and turned to BB who was calmly wataching the whole scene unfold. She gives me her best whatver-it-is-i-didnt-do-it look and promptly plants a kiss on my cheeks to appease me lest she gets and earful. This just broke my heart and I gave N another earful and promptly burst into tears. BB gave N a so-you're-in-the-line-of-fire look and tried to remedy the situation by doing a jig which usually has us in splits. So that's how BB's first fall was handled.

What amazes me is this tiny little child was such a trooper despite the bad fall she had and was trying to save the situation between mama and dadda (which she mamaged to do, btw). The swelling came down by the next morning but her lower lip is badly bruised, it's all purple today. Things could have been worse I guess, at least she didn't split her lip or break a tooth. Sigh. This mother thing is just too tough....I cried like it was my lip that hurt and not BB's. I'm scared to think of how I'll react when my baby starts schooling and comes home with a daily dose of cuts and bruises :(

News from us all

2008-10-07T18:39:00.004+05:30

Hello World!! Rather..Hello Switzerland. Yes, I finally got myself here on the 7th of Sept and have spent the last month settling in (or so I like to think when all I've been doing is eating chocolate and bread). We didn't get a direct flight from Blore so we had to go to Mumbai and catch one. Needless to say, I was palpitating at the thought of being in 3 flights instead of 2 that I had prepared myself for. Completely uncalled for - everything went smoothly and lil Bonbon was exceptionally kind to me and slept through all three flights. She woke up and hour before we landed and spent her time playing with the child on the next seat. Thank you, God...if I ever doubt your existence I shall recall this journey!

We live in a single bedroom apartment in a lil town called Wettingen. When N told me "little town" I expected little town but whaddya know...I can Guccis, Pradas and Porsches all around! That's Swz for you, rich and expensive. People here are rather nice, they all stop and talk to BB (essentially because she's calling out to them...loudly). the order here felt rather weird after the chaos that I'm used to in India but now I'm getting accustomed to it. I simply love it that I can put BB in a stroller and take her EVERYWHERE!! This gives me more opportunities to explore the town.

As for BB she missed my parents lot the first week but now their memory is fading. She stares really hard at their pictures and takes a while to identify them. However, she still remembers the most inane things about them - like how my dad shoos the mosquitoes, how mom did her pooja etc. She's started talking a lot since we got here and she's finally figured out how to speak on the telephone. All in all, she's settling down nicely. Her sleep routine was a lil wonky the firstweek but it's settled now as well. What she (and I) does miss a lot are playmate. There's no one around here who she can spend some time with and she's too young to send to any of the play groups. I try my best to entertain her but she still feels the lack of peers. Sigh. Here she is posing for the camera :)

My Dadda Bestest

2008-08-02T13:11:00.006+05:30

Situ - Watching Dhoom 2 on TV and there's a close-up of Hrithik Roshan.

Me: *Wiping away drool from my face* Baby, who's that on TV?
Bonbon: *Looks up from wrenching off the head of a hapless doll and gives him a long look* Dadda!!
Me: Who's that *stressing the word* uncle on the TV?
Bonbon: No Unca, Daddaa!
Me: *My jaw on the floor* I wish, baby!!

Cut to the next morning. BB and I are going through her cloth book.

Me: *Pointing to a pic of a house* What's that, sweetie pie?
BB: Houch! Houch!
Me: *Pointing to the next page which has a pic of a purple elephant* What's this?
BB: Mama!
Me: *Quite positive that it's all a mistake* What's this purple animal here, baby?
BB: *looks me in the eye* Mama! Mama! Maaaammmaaaaa! *and walks off to babble to a crow*
Me: *Scraping my self-esteem from the floor* Sigh.

QED.

Stuff

2008-07-28T10:49:00.007+05:30

A bunch of stuff has been happening. At the top is the first blogger meet that I attended!!! Read accounts written by COS, Mamma Mia, Akamonica, and Swati. For reasons you'll read below I can't type very much today, so pop over to these places and read what fun we had! Bonbon and I had a complete blast. She was in a super good mood for two days after and couldn't stop babbling about all the "babies" she's met :) I'd never met any of them before and had only read Poppins' and Mamma Mia's blog but it didn't seem to make difference at all! It felt like I had know these people all my life. That's a first for me because I take my time getting comfortable with anyone. I shudder to think that I almost didn't make it - Poppins' Mom had told me about the party happening but I didn't get the first set of e-mails confirming it and assumed that it was cancelled. But, praise the Lord, I got the final e-mail with directions just a day before the meet was to happen. And the rest is history ;) Oh yeah, a huge thanks to Mamma Mia and her hubby M for giving Bonbon and me a ride back home. Thanks, you guys!

Second on the list is something rather unpleasant. I have been struck down by the worst case of eczema. Trust me, I've had the frigging thing (WARNING - the swearing starts here and will continue through this section.) for 28 years, which is all my life and nothing but NOTHING has ever been worse. I'm sure we all remember our basic physics - every action has a reaction. The action for this reaction - homeopathy. I've decided to give alternative medicine a shot because someone told me it had a cure (a BIG sneer, here) for eczema. Sneer, again. I've chucked out my steroid cream and started taking the sweet pills since Friday and today my face and most of my body is covered in a pink rash and all swollen. My fingers are rashy too and so I can't type much (and since I had to spew about this frigging disease here I didn't want to write about the bloggers meet). You might have heard of the bogeyman, huh? Just come on over to my place and you'll see the female version of it. Bring your kids too, if you want to put the fear of God into them :D I've been cranky and cranky and taking it all out on everyone around me, mostly Bonbon. Yeah, grade A b***h, that's me! So I decided to do the noble thing and vent and spew on my blog. Like everyone else you might wonder why I'm still sticking with the sweet pills, why don't I just chuck them and get some relief from my tube of corticosteroid. I got one word for you - hope. I've always known that eczema is not curable, it can merely be suppressed but I still grab and clutch at all straws. So, I'm going to do my time with this one and if it doesnt take me anywhere then I'm back to allopathy. Sigh, all I need is a vicious asthma attack to make my circle of misery complete.

Bonbon's trying to sing the No Entry song. She goes No, no, no, no, no. She likes it so much that sometimes if I'm humming something else she'll say no, no, no, no and ask me to sing this song :) Sorry I'm so crabby, baby. Mommy loves you.

The blasts in Bangalore have really shaken me up. I was at the homeo doc when all this happened. The blasts have suddenly brought the terror closer home, way too close for my comfort. The blasts in Ahmedabad haven't helped either. Why do people think that violence is the answer to everything? Why can't we all live and let live! My prayers for the lady who died, Sudha. Her family is fighting for the compensation money. I hope you're in a better place, a place where you will be valued more.

To the old lady in the park - Yes, my daughter sucks her thumb. In fact, she's been doing this since she was 3 months old. What gives you the right to judge my parenting? She's a happy, healthy child and she'll give up her habit when she's good and ready. If you want to think that I'm a bad mother or that my child is emotionally troubled, go ahead. But let me warn you, the next time you give me that smug, condescending look; I will wipe it off your face.
To the young gorilla in the fancy car - Dude, I'm walking an inch away from the ditch with a baby in the stroller. If you still think I'm taking too much space and insist on honking then I suggest you go to the BBMP and ask them to increase the width of the road or pay for a personal road. Till then, be a good boy and learn to share.

Our Swiss visas still haven't come. The estimated two months are up and from now on we're at the mercy of the Swiss government. Sigh. At this rate, I'll only see my husband at Christmas. I do miss him terribly. We'll be together again soon, honey. Let's just hang in here for a bit.

Celebrations

2008-07-10T15:15:00.003+05:30

This is my 100th post. Finally!!

Happy 15th Bonbon! These monthly posts are getting more and more difficult to compose. There's just so much of Bonbon to write about I'm not sure how to articulate it!! Her new thing is to imitate mama. She simply has to do everything that I do, to the extent of calling my mother "Amma" :) She can understand her mother tongue completely and so the rest of talk in English when we don’t' want her to know anything and promptly get suspicious looks from her. She's saying new words everyday but won't repeat a word till she's confident of pronouncing it correctly. Her favorite place in the world is the park and she's made two little friends there. Her best friend though is the "baby in the mirror" and everything new has to be shown to the mirror baby. She loves to twirl around till she's giddy and laughs loudly! She's very picky about her food and demands a new dish for every meal. The banana is still her all-time fav food and if all else fails she eats bananas for every meal. She's losing some of her shyness but she's still wary of strangers. The cons are that she's learning to hit. I have no idea where she's picked that up from since we don't spank her and she barely watches any TV. We think she might have picked it up from some children in the park. Sigh.

It's my 4th wedding anniversary today! Happy Anniversary, N. We've spent every alternate anniversary apart from each other :) Going by that, I'm sure we'll be together next year. You're the sun in my world and I can't wait for you to light up my life again!

About BonBon and Noodlehead...

2008-07-02T22:13:00.004+05:30

Ok, so the title and the post don't connect but I can't think of anything better and I'm OCD enough to fill out the title before I do the post. Go figure.

N's project in Switzerland got extended by a year so what was a vacation has turned out to be more. Much more.

I've gone and quit my job. Last Friday was my last day and I'm still feeling awful about it. I think I'd managed to find that oh-so-elusive perfect job, which managed to keep me busy without neglecting the family while also giving monetary satisfaction. So it was that much harder for me to decide to leave. But then it was a toss between continuing to have a long distance marriage (N's been onsite since last Oct) and depriving BB and N of each other's company or giving up something I love doing. Sigh. Morally, ethically and in pretty much every other way, this is a no-brainer but I'm rather irrational when it comes to my job and I almost chose the former *shifts guiltily*. However, good sense (read parents, N, the world, and it's brother) prevailed and I have entered the realms of SAHMhood. I have no idea if I'll be able to start off from where I stopped. Hell, I don't even know if I'll change my mind and decide that this SAHM thing really is great, although right now there seems a very slim chance of that happening! But now that I have made my bed, I better lie in it. Comfortably, or at least without becoming a martyr. So far, it's been good. BB's rather surprised that mama doesn't disappear for long hours and gives me a puzzled look when I tell her that mama doesn't have to go to office anymore. I am enjoying all the time I spend with her but a part of me misses the deadlines, meetings, and insanity of working. My manager's told me that I am eligible for rehire and I have my fingers crossed. Let's hope they will be recruiting when I come back next year!

I'm off to Switzerland for a year. Excitement! No, wait. Cold feet. First trip abroad. To a place where English isn't the first language. Managing home and baby single-handedly after a long period of being pampered and aided by my parents. This is how far I get before I hyperventilate. I don't even want to contemplate the winding up and shopping that needs to be done before I leave, which is sometime at the end of the month or early Aug. Suddenly my vacation has turned into a nightmare. My main worry is about entertaining BB for 10 hours a day while also cooking, cleaning and whatever else. It doesn't help that BB thinks my sole purpose on earth is to play with and entertain her. But I don't really blame her. I'm at my mom's place and consequently I don't have much to do and end up playing with her most of the time. Again, I think I should do a separate post on this.

The only bright spot I see in this situation is that I'll get more time to update my blog :). I hope. Wish me luck, people; I'm going to need it!

Bonbon Sayeth….

2008-06-10T11:55:00.002+05:30

Me: BB, where does mama go?
BB: Oppich (Office)
Me: How does mama go to office?
BB: (Kickstarts her walker to imitate mama starting bike) Brrrrrrrrrr
Me: What does mama do in office?
BB: Mouse Mouse
Me: What does mama bring from office?
BB: (In mother tongue) Money
Me: What will mama do with the money?
BB: (In mother tongue) Food Food
Me: Who is the food for?
BB: (Pointing to herself) Baby

Happy 14th sweetheart!

Tips for flying with a baby?

2008-05-29T13:50:00.004+05:30

I'm all excited about going to Switzerland with Bonbon! However, this is my first trip with her on a plane. I was wondering if anyone could pass on some gyan to deal with this. What kind of food should I take for her and what can expect the airline staff to provide? She's currently on Cerelac, fruit purees, and one helping of rice, dal and veggies. How do I keep her entertained? It's an 8 hour flight with a stopover in Dubai.

I'll appreciate any tips you all can give :) Thanks a bunch, ladies!

Walking the Walk

2008-05-19T13:07:00.002+05:30

It's finally happened....errr, sort of atleast and I'm grinning ear to ear. Bonbon walked yesterday....YIPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! She just got up and started walking all over the house, just like that.

BUT, and there's always one, she was so exhausted and feel asleep soon after. When she woke up it was like the walking never happened. She's still crawling all over the place and will not budge unless someone gives her a hand or something else for support.

Is this normal behavior? Sigh!

Coursing Through my Brain

2008-05-13T10:27:00.003+05:30

Everytime I buy the Stage 3 mixed fruit cerelac the price goes up by 3 bucks. It started at 110, then 113, then 115, and now 118. And I buy two boxes of it every one and a half months. Surprisingly, the mixed vegetable version has remained steady at 113 Rs. Odd.

They’re building an underpass near our home and so the full force of traffic has descended on us. Given the BBMP’s past record, this torture will go on for at least another year. Sigh!

Bonbon woke up this morning and poked me in the stomach. I fastened one drowsy eye on her to find her poking her stomach and saying “baby hungry”. Nice way to begin the day :)

The woodwork in our apartment is nearing completion. This time tomorrow, it will all be over. Done. Finito. Hallelujah!

I’m going to Switzerland in July. Grin.

Bonbon’s still not walking without support. Now she’s wizened up to her conniving mother and refuses to budge an inch unless there’s something to hold on to. It’s rather funny how she’ll stretch her little body to reach support but won’t put a foot forward. If I wasn’t so frustrated I would probably even laugh. Sigh.

Since N isn’t in town, I have a ton of miscellaneous things to take care of and it’s driving me nuts to do it all by myself. I appreciate him so much more now. I really do!

I miss N. A lot. :(

I’m going to Switzerland in July. Whee!

Lingua franca

2008-04-24T15:54:00.003+05:30

A couple of days back I was talking to a miffed colleague who was having some trouble registering an FIR for her stolen LPG cylinder. The gas company demanded a copy of an FIR to give her a new cylinder but the police refused to register her complaint. At the end of her tether, she lashed out that the cops were giving her grief because she didn’t know the local language, Kannada.

This set me thinking. Why do people coming to Bangalore have such a problem with learning the local language. Just because it’s a cosmopolitan city everyone assumes that English, Hindi, Tamil or nearly any other Indian language will do. I agree that we have diversity, which I love, but why this abhorrence to learn Kannada? What sense does it make to not even try to learn and then crib that the system is against every new person?

I don’t understand why someone can’t learn a new language when all it will do is make life so much easier. I have personally experienced this - I’ve lived in Bangalore all my life. I studied in a Central Board school where Kannada was my third language, and therefore to be ignored. It didn’t help that I had a bunch of North Indians and Tamilians in my class who barely knew the language. Despite this, when I finished school, I could read (painfully slowly) and write Kannada (I owe this to the fact that I hated flunking!!) but only spoke it when things were desperate. Over the years though, I learnt to speak the language (practicing on the maid, the veggie vendors, the postman) although I’m still not fluent. However, my Kannada is decent (but I have this weird accent) and it’s quite astounding how much nicer people are when you speak their language (*scratches head* isn’t that the tag line of some ad – we speak your language?) Since I started speaking decent Kannada I get better advice, fresher vegetables, more discounts, warmer smiles, and even (hold your breath) chivalry!

N came here knowing 8 languages, except Kannada. However, he picked up a good bit in a year. Now, his Kannada is shaky but he manages to get the message across. I’ve personally know people to appreciate his efforts and then switch to Hindi or English. One such instance was at a police station itself (no, he didn’t get arrested ;-) we’d been there to register a complaint when someone smashed our car’s rear windshield).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fanatical Kannada activist who wants blood. I’m not saying either that everyone who comes to Bangalore MUST learn the language. case in point, my mum who can’t read or write Kannada. My grandpa was in the telephones so they were constantly moving around and it wasn’t feasible to learn all those languages given that they were in each place for but a year at the most. So, yes, I really do know how it is. But I’m just wondering if it isn’t worth people’s while to learn, especially when you’re in Bangalore to stay! It makes infinite sense to me to be a Roman when in Rome :)

Birthday baby

2008-04-16T14:04:00.002+05:30

Happy Birthday Bonbon!

2008-04-10T09:58:00.002+05:30

How time flies! I don't even know how or where the last year went!

My baby is growing up. She now says words and lets us know when she wants her food, milk and exactly which person in the house she wants to go to. She ADORES animals of all shapes and sizes but her favorite is the stray dog. She always calls out to him – “bowbow” and uses her hand to ask him to come to her. We might need to her a dog soon! Her other favorite is the teddy and the tiger. The latter comprises the entire cat family, except the common cat. She loves children and I’m wondering if we should have another baby.

There’s so much more I want to write about her but I’m in no shape to do so. I have food poisoning coupled with a bad wheezing attack. In the middle of it all, my internet’s dead so I’m travelling 16 kms to work everyday (I didn’t need to quit – the company told me take a leave of absence!) and I have a deadline today. But I don’t want to hog Bonbon’s birthday post and make it my crib fest so I’m going to stop here.

Thanks to all of you who stopped by to check on me J It feels so good to know that people who I barely know care so much. A big hug and a huge thank you to all you lovely ladies…you rock! I haven’t had much time to post because it eats into the time that I spend with BB. Given that I’m still working, she doesn’t see me as much as I wish she would so I’m cutting down on anything that isn’t life threatening. This isn’t goodbye, it’s just a note that I won’t be here as often as I would like to be. You can always drop me a line (see the reach me section on the right!) or catch me on gtalk. Sigh….I wish there was more of me so I could do everything I wanted to :D

I’ll post some pictures of her soon!

Update and some rants

2008-02-11T22:54:00.000+05:30

Thanks for all your tips and support. I'm managing ok and BB seems to have figured out that I'm all she's got so she better not give me a hard time or she'll be left high and dry! Having said that she still has her bad days and that's when I lament they hadn't invented the i-pill earlier! Mercifully, my folks will be back in 3 weeks and I'm just taking each day as it comes!

I have managed to lose quite a bit of weight and most of my old clothes fit me. So this situation has had some good come out of it!! Unfortunately, I don't have the time to go back to that store and buy that corduroy jacket. It has also made one of my friends conclude that to lose weight women should have babies.....hmmm.

It's my birthday today, the first one I've spent alone. BB doesn't count, she can't say happy birthday or gimme a hug and a kiss (although I have been trying to teach her to kiss - she just pulls my cheek instead!! and she didn't even do that today) I turned 28 and I feel so old....sigghhh! I think this has been the crappiest birthday ever :(

Last but not the least, I read this bit of drivel in the newspaper and it has impacted me to the extent that I am giving up precious hours of sleep (it's 11.30 now) to blog about it. It's exam time and this article in the newspaper tells kids how to "take the stress out of exams". This is the usual article except this one bit that made me do a double-take - "Avoid slacking off! When the examinations are ahead, say `No’ to: watching TV, washing your hair, cleaning the drawers, walking the dog, talking to your friends, leisurely eating and all other irrelevant activities. This helps you stay focused." What is she going to say next - don't take a deep breath and waste your time or don't go to the washroom? Hell, it's just an exam, lady!!! Is it any wonder that kids are killing themselves during exam times??? I sure hope I don't turn into a parent like that...poor BB!

This and That

2008-01-13T13:02:00.000+05:30

Happy New Year everybody! Hope the new year brings you all tons of joy and success :)

My New Year's had a very shaky start. My in-laws had to leave suddenly because the MIL's bad back got worse and she might need hospitalization :( With N in Switzerland, that leaves I, me and myself to care for Bonbon (This explains the dry patch in the posting) . Firstly, a big standing ovation to all you SAHM's who take care kids on your own....a big shout out to you all!

Secondly, I'm not doing so great given that I have to keep BB under supervision 24/7. I have to even think twice before I take a leak! If you are a mom and aren't grossed out enough and have actually continued beyond this point, I'd like to ask you tips on how to care for a 9 month old, who doesn't sit still for an instant and gets bored in seconds. Oh, this 9 month old also wants mama to have eyes only for her ALL the time. I will appreciate and tips, tricks, bribes, anything at all that you might have to share!

Getting outside help with the baby is not practical now since I'm all alone in an independent house (I'm house-sitting for my parents who are in the US). I'm apprehensive to let in a stranger who will have the run of the entire house and who will also know that it's just me and baby staying here for a while. An open invitation in my opinion, given the mounting crime rates in Bangalore.

While on this subject, I've also quit my job :( It was simply too much to have to do that and take care of baby. I miss my work a lot. After changing 5 jobs in 3 years, I finally found something that I enjoyed and wanted to pursue seriously. To top it all I was getting a nice big break at work. Sighhhhhh....maybe in another life :)

Oh yeah, HELLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPP!

I've Come Back to the Dark Ages

2007-12-24T18:53:00.000+05:30

MIL: Men don't take care of kids, it's not their job.
Me: ??!!!!

Am I in the correct century???

P.S. This is how she justified my FIL not taking care of N and his brother when they were young. However, my FIL adores Bonbon and babysits her when I'm working :)

Sacrifice...

2007-12-18T10:26:00.000+05:30

...they name is woman, rather - thy name is forced to be woman! How many times have we all given up something we love just to maintain some peace? Why? Why are we the ones who compromise every time just so we can end the status quo, even at the cost of giving up something we cherish?

Why is it always a given that the woman will give up her "thing" so that the rest of the world can happily go about its business? If, by chance, you don't do as the world says...Sacrilege! The heathen, how could she???

Who made these rules that we are forced to abide by? No fair! (Yeah, I know - life's not fair and blah, blah, but how come the men get away scot free?)

P.S. My maid's being forced to give up something she loves doing.....attending night school :(

I'm losing it

2007-12-18T10:04:00.000+05:30

Before -

Me: *for the nth time in 1 hour* Do you have this in my size?

Salesperson: *exasperatedly* Sorry madam, you should try the kids section.

After –

Me: *admiring a lovely corduroy jacket and debating if I should buy it*

Salesperson: *being very helpful* That’s not your size madam *picks out a LARGE size*…but I suggest you try it on in case you need a bigger size.

Me: *wanting the earth to open and swallow me* thankyou.

On the heels of my tryst with Mr. Potato Head, I am also having to deal with trauma during my waking hours. Either my clothes have shrunk or I'm growing at an unbelievably fast pace, and since there's a snowball's chance in hell of the former happening, I'm forced to believe that it is the latter that is true. I spend 10 mins every morning putting on my jeans and then I don’t breathe till I take them off. I squeeze into my t-shirts only to see hideous bulges mocking me from underneath and i scoot to get it off and try another one. I'm so tempted to go back into my maternity clothes and I think that elastic waistbands ARE a boon to women. Sighhhh, it’s official….I AM losing the battle of the bulge :(

I ask myself everyday how this can be possible? How have I gone from lean, mean, sexy thing to beached-whale-wearing-human-clothes? The scales say that I have just 6 kilos to lose (technically this is not an earth-shattering number, very achieveable!!) and this would have been a piece of cake for me earlier - jogging for an hour a week and watching my carb intake and voila, there I’d be; minus 6 kilos. But now, 6 kilos seem like a ton and I'm despairing about ever losing this weight. It’s like I’m putting on weight even as I breathe….I’ve put on 1 kilo in one week, which is a scary statistic…..at this rate, I’ll be 54 kilos heavier at the same time next year *eye twitching, hyperventilating*.

I walk for an hour a day, EVERYDAY. But my body seems to think that this exercise is for the benefit of my heart, brain, lungs and so it's happily going about its business, producing adipose like its preparing for a year long stay in Somalia. Ok, maybe I have indulged in sweets....but it was Diwali, ya'll!!

So I’ve pulled up my socks *while I still can reach down to them* and set myself a goal, I want to lose this weight and get back to my pre-pregnancy shape (or close to it anyway!) by the time N gets back from Switzerland….and I want to go back into that very store and buy the smallest size of corduroy jacket that they have and wipe that smirk off the saleperson’s face!

Here's hoping I can stay on the get-thin wagon!!

Pics Courtesy: www.istockphoto.com

Haunted by Mr. Potatohead

2007-12-12T15:07:00.000+05:30

Yeah, you read that right. My nightmares feature Mr. Potato Head. I’m stretched out on a torture rack and Mr. Potato Head is holding a spoon of steaming, mashed potatoes near my mouth and saying “Shall we eat some potato, my pretty?” (all in a very whiny, oily, villainous voice).

And what has driven me to experience such horrors? Potatoes. Yes, these harmless tubers, much-loved by most people (until very recently I was in this category). But first, you’re going to need a background. My folks have headed for the US of A to attend my cousin’s wedding (darned work…I’m stuck here with a deadline!) and since they’re there they figured they’d stay for a while. Now, I’m not one to cook unless I have a choice and as I see it, I have a choice here. So, I get a dabba delivered home everyday for breakfast and lunch. I fend for myself for dinner, which includes leftover from beakrfast and/or lunch.

The caterer’s food is pretty decent. It’s not very oil and definitely not too much masala. Here’s how a typical meal is:
Breakfast – alu parathas / masala dosa / puri and alu sabji /paratha and alu sabji
Lunch – Alu gobi / Alu cabbage / Alu bhindi / Alu karela / Alu mattar / Alu lauki / Alu parwal

Shall we see how good you are at math? What is the common factor in the above sentences? Yeah, Alu/potato. I’ve been eating miscellaneous forms of potato, three times a day, for the last two weeks and I’m getting to a point where I don’t even want to hear about the darned thing! Why don’t I throw it out, you may ask? I don’t believe in the concept of wasting or throwing out food….I’ll finish food even if I hate it and even if I’m about to burst into a million tiny bits. It’s another point that I’ll be clutching my stomach, moaning and cursing my waste-not-want-not nature for a good two hours afterwards.

The caterer’s justification for the copious use of potatoes was – popular demand. Oh yeah, from who – the potato aphid?? I have a strong suspicion, he uses potatoes only because he gets them very cheap. You might be wondering about the second vegetable in all these potato concoctions…there’s as much second vegetable in them as there is salt. One piece of vegetable for every 20 pieces of potato, that’s more or less the ratio he sticks to.

All this potato coming on the heels of my recently launched weight loss program, doesn’t bode well for me. When I cribbed to my mother (yeah, I’m a spoilt brat!) she gave me the standard –eat-it-or-cook-for-yourself response. That’s a no-brainer, right?

See you tonight, Mr. Potato Head!

P.S. Fuzzy, thanks for teaching me how to put these pics in correctly :)

8 months of Bonbon

2007-12-11T13:23:00.000+05:30

Hey everyone...my mom's too busy to post so I decided to do this one myself (as you can see it's already a day late and if I leave it to her this post will never see the face of this blog!)

I turned 8 months yesterday and here are a few things about me:

1) What's my favorite activity?
Ohh, there are so many..I'm glad this one came up! I love to stand up holding things and blow raspberries (especially when mom asks me stupid questions!). Unfolding folded clothes comes a close second. Oh yeah, I also like to chew on chappals and look at the countdown on the microwave.

2) What is my motto?
If it can be reached, it shall be chewed! (or banged, or dropped, or whatever else takes my fancy at that moment. I'm versatile.)

3) How many people does it take to feed me?
Four. One to entertain me, one to firmly pin me down so I don't whack my bowl of food when I get excited from being entertained, one to hold the aforesaid bowl away from my reach, and one to feed me.

4) How many people does it take to change my diaper?
Five. One to distract me, one to pin down my hands and legs so I don't crawl away, one to hold the diaper in place, one to powder me while I'm sufficiently distracted, and one to fasten the diaper.

5) What is my idea of fun?
Ummm. I like roaring and babbling to plants and potholes. I think they're good listeners (especially plants). Mom's rubber plant has never had it better....I bet the poor thing was extremely lonely before I came along. Now, if only mom would let me chew one of the leaves...they look interesting!

I've given everyone around me a coupla extra gray hair, very distinguished look, don't you agree? My mom can't seem to think beyond the fact that I'm a little skinny and still very bald. She doesn't even consider that I'm happy and active. Seriously, what is it with adults?? Don't even get me started, I have enough fodder for a whole new post on that!!

Until next month, c ya!

Edited to add:Here's a picture of me making short work of mom's newly delivered magazine.

Re-edited to add: Took of the pictures because the trolls came a-calling!

Already daddy's girl

2007-12-05T12:27:00.000+05:30

Me: Bonbon is mama's sweetie pie!
Bonbon: *blows a raspberry* bbbrrrrrrrrr
Me: Bonbon is mama's snookie pookums!
Bonbon: *blows a raspberry* bbbrrrrrrrrr
Me: Bonbon is dadda's sweetheart?
Bonbon: mmmm *smiles her gummy smile*
Me: *surprised* Bonbon is dadda's angel?
Bonbon: *irritatedly* mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I don't stand a chance, do I?

Tag Time!

2007-12-04T11:18:00.000+05:30

Tagged by Parul to do the seven weird things tag.

The rules are:
1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Thanks Parul...I was going through a dry patch :) Here goes:

1. I'm asthamtic and have been so since I was a year old.
2. I'm obsessed with having an empty inbox. I must, should have it empty and so I sort and categorize mails and put them in folders.
3. I always wear my right earring before the left one. Btw, I have three piercings on my ear (wonder if I should make this number 4!)
4. I'm obssessed with following recipes to the t. I simply must do as has been written or else I'll hyperventilate.
5. I always wear my trousers/jeans before my shirt.
6. I completely, totally suck at artithmetic. I'm notorious for this and my family doesn't trust me to add 2+2 correctly.
7. I'm paranoid about checking to see if things have been switched off (lights, fans etc.) I strongly suspect I have OCD!

Now, to tag others.....I really can't think of anyone I know who hasn't done this as yet so I'm just going to stop her. Sorry, Parul!

Over the weekend...

2007-11-26T15:31:00.000+05:30

...I finally managed to read HP 7. It was quite a damp squib....JKR could have done better.

..we went out to a pooja hosted by a neighbour and (horrors!) Bonbon was extremely social!! She smiled at everyone who approached her, was a model child while we ate lunch, and almost everyone to carry her around. She even (double horrors!!) babbled a little to the hosts...of course, my parents needed an hour to revive me after this! Background - Bonbon never but never acknowledges strangers. She invariably gives them a once over and then proceeds to look through them. If they try to speak to her, she gives them a frostier-than-a-popsicle look and if they persist, promptly wails in their face and scares them away. Sigghhhhh....I can already hear the name-calling on the playground - Ice Queen :( I wonder what I didn't do right when I was pregnant...maybe I should have cut back on work and socialized instead.

....decided to go to Switzerland in April, right after Bonbon's first birthday. Haven't had a vacation in a LONG time.

...cut my hair off! It's shoulder length now (it was waist length to begin with) in a simple U (my hair's too curly to do anything else and I refuse to straighten it...I like my curls). Am mourning it's loss - may hair takes forever to grow. Am planning on streaking it but am worried about the general health of my hair. Post-delivery hair-fall still hasn't stopped and my hair is a quarter of what it used to be.

Leaving you with a pic of bonbon chewing on a french fry this afternoon! She's quite a eater (to be polite!) and wants to have a bite of everything we eat.

Edited to add: Took off the picture because the trolls came a-calling.

You know you’re a new mom...

2007-11-21T11:42:00.000+05:30

...when

you’re looking for the first available opportunity to sleep
it’s impossible to get more than an hour’s sleep at a stretch
you look like something the cat dragged in, no matter what time of the day it is
you have baby-care advice coming out of your ears, eyes, nose and pretty much everywhere else
you’ve forgotten the concept of “me time”
your baby’s diaper bag doubles as your purse or vice versa
you’re worried if your baby does something and worried if s/he doesn't
everyone enquires about your baby and you - in that order
24 hours in a day just aren’t enough…no, really!
you can’t remember the last time you had a life (social or otherwise)

I simply had to post this....

2007-11-16T16:07:00.001+05:30

Edited to add: Took off picture coz the trolls came a-calling.

She just crawled there and sat this way for the longest time......I wonder what she was thinking :) Ther puja room is becoming her favorite place in the evenings and can instantly calm her down. The place always, always makes her smile and sometimes she even babbles to pictures. When asked where "god" is, she promptly looks at the pictures and smiles.

She's cute despite bring bald and all but when, when, when will she get some hair? :(

I need a day off…

2007-11-12T12:36:00.000+05:30

….from being a mom. So I can crawl into a hole and nurse my fever-induced stupor. And not have to hear Bonbon wailing for me to hold her. Sucks to be a sick mom :(

On a happier note, Bonbon did quite well on her first Diwali. We were desperately trying to protect her from all the noise, even contemplating a trip to another place, but we needn’t have worried. She was completely unperturbed and extremely curious every time a cracker went off. The only time she did get a little scared was when some nutter burst one of those 10,000 (or more!) thingummies while she was sleeping. Poor child, shivered in her sleep! She loved the diyas, the flowerpots and the rockets and couldn’t stop squealing!!

She wore her new frock…and went around with us to distribute sweets. She was more interested in eating the sweets rather than distributing them…everyone simply had to open their boxes and give her a bite of the sweets. I think my baby has a sweet tooth. Surprising, since neither N nor me like sweets very much. But both sets of her granparents LOVE sweets.

Sorely missed N, who’s away in Switzerland for 6 months (or more!). I really wish he could have been here for her first Diwali. But then, I guess he missed us more than we missed him!

Little Confucius

2007-11-05T13:29:00.000+05:30

For the background – We’d been to Shoppers’ Stop over the weekend, a merry group of four – mom, pappy (my dad), me and bonbon. After having carried bonbon for hours my mom and I could barely feel our upper bodies so we decided to hand her over to dad and be on our way. Dad found himself a nice couch in an obscure corner and proceeded to rock bonbon to sleep. Just as bonbon was about to drift away, enter a Little Girl (LG) of about 3.

LG: *kisses BB all over face* Is it a boy or a girl?
Pappy: She’s a girl.
LG: *excitedly* I’m also a girl!!!
LG: *looks at pappy seriously* What are you?
Pappy: *trying hard not to smile* I’m a boy.
LG: *excitedly* My papa is also a boy!
LG:*points to a child sleeping on the next couch and asks pappy* What is it?
Pappy: I don’t know.
Child’s mom jumps in and answers that it’s a girl and LG is happy.

By now BB was hungry and sleepy, which as most of you moms know, is not a great combo! So she unleashed the full power or her vocal cords. Everyone in the vicinity was sufficiently mollified but not LG...no sirree!

LG: Why is she crying? *proceeds to kiss the furiously wailing BB some more on her hands*
Pappy: She’s sleepy and hungry, she wants milk.
LG: *holding her palms 2 inches apart* When I was small, I also used to drink milk *importantly* but now I eat food.
Pappy: What food do you eat?
LG: *holding up 2 fingers* 2 food!
At this juncture, pappy is trying his best to control a wailing baby and his laughter.

And this is how I found them - BB wailing like someone's thrashed her, my dad almost laughing and trying to soothe BB, and LG holding on to BB's hands very tightly. The lil girl beat a hasty retreat when she saw me(I have no clue why, maybe she didn't like me very much!!) I took BB to the car to feed her and pander to her whims and apparently, the little girl came back and chatted some more with my dad. On the whole my dad was thoroughly entertained and he can’t wait for Bonbon to get to that age :-) Needless to say he loves Shoppers' Stop!!

Culinary skills

2007-11-01T15:22:00.000+05:30

I was leafing through a woman’s magazine this morning and chanced upon an article on how women are blessed with the onus of cooking in a family. This article proceeded to give examples of women who were grateful that they had learnt to cook and consequently could serve their husbands and in-laws better. Young girls were being enticed to learn cooking so that they could get a good husband. As a bonus, they would be able to serve their poor fathers who came home all tired and hungry, or be honored with the task of preparing a midnight snack for him (if he so desired) while the mother was asleep. Mothers were told to encourage young girls to watch cookery programs on television so they would be hooked to cooking. Also, there were handy hints on how to initiate your daughter into cooking from an early age.

WTF? I do agree that cooking is a useful thing to know but I draw the line at it being made a woman’s prerogative. In today’s world, when young women AND men are moving out of home for education or a career, it becomes equally important for a man to know how to cook. If a man has a choice then why not a woman? Why does the daughter always have to assist the mother in the kitchen? When women are moving into male-dominated spheres, why can’t men move into the kitchen and make a cup of tea or a sandwich for themselves and their equally hardworking spouse?

This sexist mentality really got my goat. I’ve been raised in a family where cooking was something that no one was forced to learn. My brother and I would do the occasional stirring and omelets but that was it. My folks figured that we’d learn when our time came and we did. My brother went to the US 5 years back and within a few months he was a fully qualified cook. I learnt cooking only after I got married and it’s not my favorite thing so we end up eating out a lot. In fact, I think my brother cooks more regularly than I do!!

Whatever happened to freedom of choice???

Scene from this morning….

2007-10-30T14:50:00.000+05:30

An old lady walking bang in the middle of the road while a chap drives his motorbike on the pavement.

Courtesy – Bangalore rush hour traffic!

We’ve flown the coop….

2007-10-25T13:57:00.000+05:30

…and are in the process of shifting to our new apartment. ARRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!! That felt better :)

I have been sneezing non-stop this week because my husband doesn’t believe in dusting (yes, I’m STILL at my mother’s place and I don't think I'm moving back till bonbon's a year :-D). Consequently, I’m walking around looking like “bozo” - complete with red nose and teary eyes. Not to mention the sleepless nights spent thinking of some packer shattering my favourite crystal (and my heart along with it) into a kazillion pieces! Oh, woe is me! When I asked for moving tips and advice, the most prominent one was – give up all attachment to worldly possessions. Oh, joy!

I’m trying to be an optimist, so maybe I can use make the most of this situation after all and buy that dinner set I have my eyes on…muuuuahahahahaha! (btw, that's my evil laugh)

D-day’s tomorrow and I have my fingers crossed!

Edited to add: The move went relatively smoothly......we haven't unpacked yet so I don't know if my crystal has survived (honestly though, I'm too scared to look!!) and oh, I'm going to get that dinner set anyway :-D

“Bonbon”logue

2007-10-22T13:29:00.000+05:30

Well, bonbon’s 6 months now and I thought I’d do a post on how far we both have come!

1) She’s figured out that she can move. Surprisingly though, she only crawls on the bed and never on the floor. When put on the floor, she lifts her hands and legs in the air and starts bawling…we assume she feels cold. She had her first fall (bad, bad noodlehead!). She went off the edge of the bed and landed on her noggin. Fortunately, her pillow was on the floor and cushioned (literally!) the fall. So she ended up more startled than hurt. She needs constant supervision now because the carpenter’s still making her crib.

2) She’s teething and makes mince of anything she can lay her gums on. Her grubby hands put everything into her mouth and she promptly chews it to a pulp, or tries to! N even asked me if we had rats and I educated him on his daughter’s chewing prowess!

3) She calls me “mama”. Everytime she’s hungry or wants to get my attention, she shouts out “maaaammaaaaa” and waits for my response. If there’s no response, she tries again and then howls her lungs out till I’m around. I’m told that she does this only when I’m in the house!!

4) She’s still bald :( She has a little tuft on the top and that’s it….you just have to look at the tintin picture below! My mother faithfully massages her head everyday before a bath with oil hoping some more hair will sprout soon!

5) She’s starting to look like me (doing a war-dance), especially when she gives her gummy smile!

6) I have stopped breastfeeding her during the day. This is not something I’m very happy about but it’s a necessary evil. My workload has increased and I’m required to stay back late sometimes and I didn’t want her to suffer so I consciously stopped feeding her during the day. It’s been a week now and she’s settled in nicely. She doesn’t need her 5pm draught of breastmilk anymore.

I’ve learnt from bonbon that life is now and if I look closely everything will be wondrous. I have learnt to stop and smell the roses. I have learnt to be less selfish and more giving. I have learnt to be content with what I have and not crave for more, better things. Corny as it sounds, she really makes me a better person.

Tintin in India!

2007-10-18T12:16:00.001+05:30

Edited to add: Took off picture coz the trolls came a-calling!

Bonbon at 5 months

2007-09-11T14:08:00.000+05:30

Edited to add: Took off picture coz the trolls came a-calling!

Bonbon with dadda

For A Few Dollars More

2007-08-30T16:48:00.000+05:30

We just heard yesterday that N’s counterpart, who is onsite (abroad at the client site), suffered a heart attack. He’s only 35.

My cousins, DINKs, are both into software. They see each other on Sundays and their usual mode of communication are their PDAs or cell phones. The last vacation they took together was 5 years back. They spend weekends catching up on office work, each glued to their laptops. They both hardly ever attend functions together, it’s always just one person who turns up – the other is busy working or taking care of miscellaneous household chores.

A while back I did a post on how Bangalore has changed (this was published in the Bangalore Mirror!!). This is merely another facet of large-scale outsourcing. Sedentary lifestyles, constant pressure to meet deadlines, and a serious lack of exercise have made cholesterol, high BP and other such “old-age” illnesses visible among the not-so-old. Not to mention, the junk food that techies consume while glued to the computer, simply because they don’t have the time to have a decent lunch.

Also, I have noticed that companies push their employees too hard. They bid to complete projects in less than the required time with less than the required people, thereby increasing profits and earning a good reputation. All this at the cost of pushing people to put in more hours. I have seen this with my own brother. As the deadline approached, he’d pack a suitcase and stay at work for weeks together. And he’d come back home all gaunt and haggard. He finally got sick of it and decided to study further.

The bubble’s gotta burst…question is when??

Can't believe....

2007-08-17T21:50:00.000+05:30

No, this isn't another narcissistic post :) but this is what i hear often and this is how i react to it!

Dad: *tenderly smiling at me* I can't believe my baby girl is a mommy
Me: *Reaching out to give him a hug* I know, dad, I know!

Mom: *frowning* I can't believe you're a mom!! You need to eat well to keep that milk bar going!
Me: *pretending to listen* yeah, mom!

TraumaQueen: *with her usual exuberance* I can't believe you're a mom!!!
Me: That makes two of us, girlio!!

An ex-colleague-who-turned-friend who came to see bonbon: You don't look like a mom, can't belive you're one!
Me: *grin sheepishly*

College friend: I've know you for 12 years!! I can't believe you're a mom!
Me: *suddenly feeling very old* has it been that long???

N: *via sms* you know, I can't believe you're a mom!! never expected you to be so good at it! you don't even flinch when you have to clean poop!*he presumes that cleaning poop is the greatest parenting challenge, poor thing. i don't have the heart to enlighten him*
Me: *replying via sms* you're a good dad too and don't worry you will get your turn to clean poop!!!

Clothes maketh a man!

2007-08-13T00:21:00.000+05:30

Me: Hey, how about this kurta? You want to try it on?
N: Hmmm, it’s not bad…I don’t think it’s cotton though.
Me: This one looks nice too and it’s cotton.
N: It would have been nicer in blue. I think I’ll pass.
Me: Ohhhh, this one is AMAZING!!
N: No, it’s too tight near the sleeve. I’m not comfortable.
Me: *tiredly* there’s one over there…no, the one below it. Yeah! that’s it…that ok?
N: It’s pretty nice, but it’s too long.
Me: Sweetie, why don’t you ask that nice salesman to show you something else, we’ve gone through everything that’s here.
N: *jubiliantly* This is amazing, I'm going to try it on!
Me: Oki doki *dear god, please, let it be alright for him!*
N: *comes out of trial room wearing kurta* Whaddya think?
Me: *too dull, makes him look skinnier, very uncle-kind* Perfect!
N: I'll take this one!
Me: Hallelujah!

…and they say women take forever to shop!

N, in case you're reading this....I understand how you feel when I go footwear shopping :)

The cross I bear…

2007-08-10T23:43:00.000+05:30

It’s finally here. The time has come for me to go back to work. I’m starting in two weeks. I have this whole bunch of mixed emotions within me. I’m excited to go back and continue where I left off but at the same time I worry about bonbon.

Bonbon rolled over a few weeks back and I was right next to her when she did it. I got to witness this first hand and was so excited, I was jumping all over the house (I’m sure all your first time moms will understand how I felt!). After the excitement had abated, it suddenly hit me that I would miss out on these special moments when I went back to work.

My mother went back to work when I was two months old. Consequently, I was closer to my grandmother than my mother. While my brother would howl his lungs when she left in the morning, I would cheerfully wave her goodbye and go in seatch of my granma. I see bonbon doing the same thing. She's closest to my mother. Granma was the first person, bonbon recognized. She still saves her best smiles for granma. History is repeating itself!!

Looking at the bright side, at least I won't have to see bonbon crying when I leave for work! Although it'll break my heart, it will be nice to see a cheerful baby waving me goodbye rather than a teary eyed moppet throwing a tantrum!

On cloud no. 9!!!

2007-07-31T23:11:00.000+05:30

I was at the hospital last week for bonbon’s immunization shot. As usual, mom was with me because she wanted to “help” me out with the baby (which in her lingo implies that she doesn’t trust me to come back with bonbon in one piece). She promptly held bonbon and I was tagging behind busy messaging N (I hardly see him these days!)

The pediatrician was a little late and we were waiting for her. Meanwhile, the nurses got chatty with my mother and that’s when it happened!

Nurse1: How old is the baby?
My mom: 3 and a half months
Nurse2: Cho chweet! Boy or girl?
Mom: Girl.
Nurse2: Is she sick?
Mom: No, she’s just here for her immunization shot.
Nurse1: Where is the mother?
Me: That would be me.
Nurse 1 and 2: That’s your baby??? We thought you were still studying.
Me: *beaming*

I haven’t landed on earth yet….I’m still floating.

BoNbOn at 3 months 20 days

2007-07-31T14:43:00.000+05:30

Edited to add: Took off picture coz the trolls came a-calling.

what's that you're waving in my face????

Tragedy at mall

2007-07-03T07:47:00.000+05:30

On Sunday, a 6-year-old boy plunged to his death from the 4th floor of a mall. This incident chilled me to the bone, more so because I was at the mall the previous day and had spotted a child peering down from in between the railings of the 4th floor. I remember thinking that it was so unsafe since the child could easily topple over and that the building authorities should child-proof the place a bit.

Having become a parent myself, this incident really got under my skin. My condolences to the boy's family. I don't even want to think of how the parents feel right now. My friend thinks that this whole thing could have been avoided if the parents had been more careful. To a certain extent this might be true but I don't entirely blame the parents. Every mother will tell you that she's worried to take her eyes off her kids lest something happens to them. Unfortunately, no one but no one can watch their child every second of every day. Also, I can imagine how precocious 6-year-olds are (I have 4 nephews, each worse than the other!) and watching them becomes doubly difficult. I'm sure the parents, especially the mother, (who is supposed to have been very close by when the incident took place) are feeling extremely guilty and are going through the if-only stage.

How does one deal with a loss like this? The demise of a dear one is painful and if the dear one happens to be your child the pain is quite crippling. When I was little, I always wondered why death had to feature in the scheme of life. Why couldn't there be a substitute for it. Why couldn't people be transported to another planet when their time was up? At least you'd know that they're there somewhere in this universe and haven't just faded away. This incident has reinforced this idea into my psyche.

The mall's MD claims that this incident was an accident. I think this was an accident that could have been avoided if there were better safety measures in place.

8 things about BoNbOn :)

2007-06-11T11:19:00.000+05:30

I've been tagged by Kodi's Mom and Poppins to do this...so here goes! btw, Bonbon turned 2 months yesterday and she has survived my care (?!!) just fine (clap, clap- yayyyyyyy- clap, clap) Poppins, i'm never too busy to write/speak about bonbon ;-)

1) She loves the color blue and will only look at anything that's blue. If it's blue - it gets a smile!

2) She talks to inanimate objects and gets very upset when they don't respond. My mom's been trying to teach her that clothes and calendars don't talk.

3) He favorite toy is an empty carton of smilooo mints. the sea-green carton has a gortesque elf like creature with gigantic blue eyes and a red santa hat. everytime she sees smiloo she gives him a smile.

4) She loves being kissed and cuddled. If you kiss her hand twice and then stop, she'll extend her hand so you can kiss her some more!! Again, i use this ploy when she's upset...I give her a kiss on the forehead and she immediately calms down.

5) If you repeat a word 3-4 times to her she'll imitate your tone. She tries desparately to talk but unfortunately she has a long time before she masters this.

6) She is a short-tempered baby and gets upset at the drop of a hat!! She even admonishes us in her baby language. I had a doctor's appointment and had left her with mom. I was held up for a bit coz it was very crowded. In the meantime, she got hungry so mom was trying to feed her some formula with a spoon (we hadn't got her a bottle then coz we thought we wouldn't be needing it so soon!). She was ravenous and was pissed off at the slow pace at which mom was feeding her. She promptly bawled at my mom. Poor mom, was quite traumatized!

7) She doesn't like lullabies, instead she wants people to talk to her when she's sleepy. Her ideal sleeping situation is to be in a room full of people who are talking nineteen to a dozen. So when we do have guests at home, she sleeps very well!

8) She smiles a lot when she's sleepy. That's when we know that we have to rock her and start speaking amongst ourselves. If we do ignore the signs, then she starts howling and it takes forever for her to sleep!!

This is most of bonbon in the 2 months she's been here. I do hope her temper abates but otherwise she's a joy to be be around!!

How it all came to be....

2007-05-25T14:28:00.000+05:30

Before y'all ask, I will be posting bonbon's pictures soon. Looks like I'll have to go home and get the camera cable if I'm ever going to upload her pictures to my blog. *rolling eyes* Mennn!!!!

A lot of you mentioned have been asking about my birth story. Firstly, I'm not sure what that means......I'm assuming it's the story of how bonbon came into this world. At least, that's what follows :) For all ye women with no plans of babies in the near future skip this post. Don't say I didn't warn you....

So, there I was on April 9th, having a blast at work and discussing with my colleagues that I should wind up work coz I was supposed to go on maternity leave the following week. As is the norm in our kooky team, I was told something really hilarious that a colleague had earnestly said. (No, I shan't reporduce it here coz that would mean a lot of explaining and I want to finish this post before bonbon wakes up and realizes that the toy tigger sleeping next to her is not a real person!!) Needless so say, I was trying my best not to rotfl considering I couldn't squish my baby. Since I was working till late, I took the office cab to mom's place and made a mental note to remind N to get my suticase the next morning. (After putting it off for 3 months, I had finally decided to go and stay with my parents. Since I would be leaving from work, the plan was that N would drop off my stuff the next morning.) As all other cab drivers, this one was a speed demon who took particular joy in going through every pothole (and there are tons in blore) on the road.
I arrived at mom's place all bushed and had dinner and promptly fell asleep.

I was inthe middle of a very disturbed sleep and was actually craving a bowl of chocolate ice cream. I told myself that I would have one the next morning. Just then, I felt a gush of fluid and my undies were all wet. I went from groggy to wide-awake in a second. I had just had my gyneac class at the Lamaze session and had read about the water breaking. I wasn't sure though since I was asleep and I might just peed. I had a sneaky suspicion that my water had broken coz, well, for one thing, the fluid came out of the wrong place and couldn't have been pee!!! Anyways, I sat on the pot and decided to pee and get back to sleep quickly (not that i would have slept since I was so frightened!!). The next gush came and I knew for sure that my water had broken....I woke up my parents and husband, who panicked. I had to assure N that the baby would not come for at least a couple of hours and constantly had to remind him to breathe in and out and get down to mom's place as fast as he could without killing himself! The watch showed 1.45 am. I called my doctor and she suggested that I get down to the hospital asap.

At the hospital, they did a test on me to ensure that my water had indeed broken and also to a vaginal swab. The junior doctor on duty told me that my contractions had begun and I was dumbfounded since I felt no pain at all...everyone knows that labor is painful!!! I was asked to keep an eye on baby's movements and was told that my room was being prepared for and I could go there soon (I opted for a birthing suite since I wanted a private delivery) and I should take a shower in the meantime - never could figure that one out. I tried to think of all the stuff they had taught at the Lamaze classes but was so shocked that I was blank. I could hardly believe that it was finally happening. I decided to talk to my dad (a doctor) and pass the time.

Once they wheeled me into my room, they strapped on a thingummy to my belly to measure the contractions and monitor baby's heartbeat. I was asked to sleep on my left ( as all ye mommies and mommies-to-be know). Then the wait began. In the meantime, my contractions had begun making their presence felt. I felt a pain akin to strong period cramps. My mind had sort of come back to normal and I was practising my Lamaze breathing. Everything was hunky dory and my gynaec came and asked me why I was even there since I wasn't due for another 3 weeks!! She told me I was doing awfully well for someone who had such strong contractions. I was already 5 cm dilated in a space of 4 hours and the doc said that baby could be expected by 11 am. I wasn't in much pain and was happily chatting with husband and mom.

The real pain began from 6cm onwards and the dilation also slowed down. The glucose drips didn't help the pain and I was given some medication to help the dilation. The pain was better when I sat but sitting interfered with monitoring baby's heartbeat (since baby's position changed) and consequently I was made to lie down. I was begging for an epidural or a c-sec but the junior doc stoutly refused to let me becuase it was almost time to push and I should have taken one earlier and saved myself a lot of pain! I was determined I wouldn't cry and was trying to be real brave by doing my breathing. One look at mom and N and I was reduced to a whimpering, whining mass of human tissue!! I decided then that enough was enough and told them both to get out and stay out of the room. Instead I spoke to the junior doc and the nurse and that really helped get my mind off the pain. Soon, I was 8 cm dilated and the junior doc was kind enough to tell me that I could push. Wiht the pushing, came relief from pain and I was back to being a happy camper :) Before I knew, my gynaec was called and the room was gotten ready for bonbon to come out. There were 2 junior doctors, a nurse, 2 pediatricians in the room and I was told to push coz they could see my baby's head. There was a junior doctor physically pushing my belly at the same time that I was pushing. I needed and episiotomy and after about 4 pushes, bonbon was here!

I want to take this opportunity to go on record to say that labor pain is very hyped. Out of the 12 hour labor that I had, the painful part was just about 3 hours. Out of 3 hours, I was pushing for an hour or so. Technically, I experienced excuriating, mind-numbing pain just for a little over an hour. All ye to mommies-to-be, worry not. It's really not such a big deal and once you see your baby, you'll forget any pain that you have experienced :)

Here's hoping my next post will be of bonbon's pictures!!!

The month that was....

2007-05-05T12:38:00.000+05:30

Hiya people, I've been absconding from blogsphere for quite some time....just doing a bit of this and that!

Baby BonBon, my baby girl, arrived on April 10th. Pictures will be posted the next time I get time out from prison ;) The last month has been chaos (as all you mommies would agree!). Thankfully, my mom and dad are helping out with her and it's uncanny how she calms down the minute they hold her!

I read your comments to my previous post and forget redecorating our house, we're going to have to move to a new one coz this one ain't got no space for the three of us :) Ok, I have loads and loads more to share with ya all but that will have to wait for another time!! I just popped by to let ya all in on the news......all said and done, I'm enjoying mommyhood and I hope I will say the same thing the next time I post!!

5 things you didn’t know about me!!

2007-04-05T15:26:00.000+05:30

1) I am obsessively particular about things being in their place – at home, work…anywhere! I have a minor heart attack every morning when I come to work since the housekeeping staff invariably move my system around and change the height of my chair while cleaning them. At home, everything has a set place and N HAS, SHOULD and MUST put things back in their place – stapler, nailcutter, medicines…anything. God help him, if so much as a speck is out of place! The party will begin when baby gets here since I KNOW that it nothing will be in it's place again!! It's already giving me sleepless nights :(

2) I'm a cartoon buff but I can’t stand the toonami and pokemon variety of Japanese cartoons, come to think of it - I don't like any of the Japanese toons! I have actually spent days just watching cartoon network or other animation movies.

3) When I’m cooking I need exact proportions for each ingredient in the recipe, even the amount of salt. I follow the recipe to the tee and have measures for teaspoons, tablespoons, cups etc. If I recipe calls for an ingredient I don't have, I won’t substitute it unless the recipe specifically says so. I merely make a different dish :)

4) I’m obsessed with my weight, though I do not have any eating disorders. I exercise like a maniac and will not rest till I’ve lost that last extra gram! Consequently, the initial few months of my pregnancy were agonizing when I had to deal with being passive during all that weight gain. As of now, I’ve put on 13 kilos and I’m in tears just writing about it!! I can’t wait to get back to my exercise routine and (hopefully) burn all that fat!

5) I sing very well but get terribly embarrassed and clam up if I feel someone’s listening. I usually sing in the kitchen or while I’m doing some chores and my neighbor happened to hear it (walls in our apartments are not too thick!) and compliment me. That was probably the last time I sang in the vicinity of the kitchen!

I tag Trauma Queen to do this (I hope you do this girlio!!)

Then or Now?

2007-04-04T13:48:00.000+05:30

On my walk this morning, I heard a very thought provoking statement (yeah, all my blog ideas seem to come from my morning walks *grin*). Two elderly gentlemen were immersed in conversation and as I passed them I heard one of them somberly pronounce – “Software has ruined Bangalore”. Needless to say, I was thinking about this for the rest of my walk and even managed a few extra rounds! I’ve been trying to analyze it ever since.

IT has put Bangalore on the global map. Interest-free loans, company-paid insurance and similar perks have guaranteed an improved quality of life for many without any hassle. Growth opportunities are plenty and one need not think twice about quitting a job. Engineering colleges are mushrooming all over the city and Bangalore holds a promise of being the stepping stone to the American dream. Bangalore has become a melting pot of cultures resulting in greater exposure to new things. Fat paychecks resulting in large disposable incomes have made big brands open an outlet here. The hotel and tourism industries are having a field day thanks to the number of national and international visitors. Owing to the large number of bachelors from all over India, restaurants are booming since they can be assured of a steady business no matter what kind of cuisine they serve.

On the downside though, Bangalore has indeed lost its old world charm. Much to the distress of the old-timers, this laidback city is no longer so laidback and has lost the sobriquet of being a “Pensioner’s Paradise”. Unprepared for such an exponential growth, prices are shooting and infrastructure is crumbling. Space is precious and real estate prices are at an all-time high.The sudden influx of people has ensured that more people are clamoring to share fewer natural resources. Electricity and water are now considered precious, whereas earlier their availability was taken for granted. Ubiquitous traffic jams have now become a trademark and the once-glorious weather has been skewed by rampant pollution. Everyone is out to make a quick buck from the IT professional resulting in higher crime rates. With the availability of more disposable income, youngsters are spending without a thought for saving for their future.

I do miss the laidback and quiet Bangalore of my childhood but I also enjoy some of the changes brought about by IT. I guess I’ll just have to wait and watch how things progress before I can agree or disagree with the gentleman!

Rubbery tale

2007-03-27T19:47:00.000+05:30

On my walk this morning, I found a bunch of kids clustered around and gazing intently at something on the ground. They seemed puzzled by what they were seeing. My curiosity piqued as I approached them and I couldn’t help but take peek at the object of attention.

God almighty!! I wish I hadn’t!!!

Lying on the ground in front of them was a used condom. Yes, you read that right.

Since I was the only person in the vicinity who was remotely close to an adult (I’m usually “didi” and not considered the adult…the “aunties” are the all-knowing adults), they promptly pounced on me.

Boy 1: Hi Didi!
Me: *Didn’t pray hard enough to become invisible and quickly trying to distract them from their motives* Hi!! Don’t you have school today?
Boy 2: *happily grinning and displaying missing teeth* It’s the summer holidays now.
Me: *I hate summer holidays* Oh! Enjoy. I hope you're all having fun!

Just as I was about to beat a hasty retreat, one of them squeaked!!

Boy 3: Didi, Boy 4 says this is a balloon but I’m trying to tell him that it isn’t. It isn’t a balloon, is it?
Me: *Dear god, kill me now!…Please!* Let me see what it is *My brain’s in overdrive trying to think of a plausible explanation!*
Boy 4: *smugly to Boy 3* Of course, it’s a balloon. Didi, it is a balloon, isn't it? *in all his infinite wisdom tells Boy 3* It's one of those balloons that you put the gas into, it's not the usual variety!
Me: *Still squinting at the offending piece of rubber and cursing the shoddy garbage disposal* Hmm, It sure looks like a balloon to me! I think Boy 4 is right, it's the one you put helium into. *As you can see, I don't have the creativity gene*
Boy 4: Seeeeee, I said you…. I said you!!
Me: That should be “I told you” *hey, at least I was giving them correct info on something*
Boy 3: *looking unconvinced* Hey, there’s P’s mom..let’s ask her!

Looking at me whizzing out of there, you wouldn’t have guessed I was 35 weeks pregnant! I thanked the good lord (and P’s mom) for rescuing me and scooted. But I would have given a lot to listen to their conversation with P's mom. I wonder what she told them :)

As an aside, what can a condom be passed off as?!! I figured that if my baby ever asked me this, I'd need to have a better explanation!!!

Loopy issues!

2007-03-22T11:33:00.001+05:30

My scan at 34 weeks shows that the cord is “loosely looped around (baby’s) neck but there is no sign of fetal distress”. I’m worried and psyched!! I just hope baby will be alright and everything will go smoothly…..

For the first time in my pregnancy I'm truly worried for baby! All these days I've been very sure that baby has a wonderful guardian angel and so nothing would harm my baby, no matter what.

Oh well, stressing about this isn't going to be good for baby! I just hope he/she will move around and manage to get the cord off from around the neck!

Maybe the angel's on vacation or something :( Bad, bad angel!

To display or not to display?

2007-03-14T14:08:00.001+05:30

One of my colleagues is a new driver and recounts her experiences to us everyday. During one such discussion, there was a mention of putting up a large “L” on her car, the sign of a new driver. She hasn’t done this because she was advised against it, as she has a permanent driving license and is, technically, not a learner.

I ventured my two cents and told her that I would be more comfortable if a new driver had an L on the car since I would know that this person is still learning and would give them their space on the road. This would mean that I would be cautious while I was around them and would understand if they were to hold up traffic if, in case, they had a spot of trouble due to their inexperience.

Another colleague gave a new perspective to this. She said that it would be best NOT to have an L board. Given the traffic situation in Bangalore, she feels this would give rise to the “bloody learner” mindset and aggravate people leading to unpleasant exchanges and unprintable language. If the poor hapless learner were to be a woman, it would make matters that much worse!

I’ve been wondering what others think about this? How would you react to a new driver displaying an L board?

Is there a way to stop this?

2007-03-02T15:21:00.000+05:30

I’m completely disgusted with my parents’ neighbor. The man is behaving like he doesn’t have half a brain! First off, he’s opened a ladies’ hostel without the appropriate permission. Thanks to all the napkins that the girls flush down the toilet, the sewage line gets blocked and all the dirty water flows out into the ditch surrounding my parents’ house. This has happened at least 4 times in the last four months. But this is not why I’m disgusted with him.

In the last month, this man has got a borewell for his house. I understand his need to extra water but I was outraged when I found the actual reason. On the pretext of using it for himself, the man is selling the ground water to private water suppliers who in turn sell them to consumers! Everyday, 6 tankers are filled. Can you imagine how much ground water is getting depleted? I wonder if he’s ever thought about the consequences on future generations. For someone who’s a practicing doctor, this man is behaving like…like…. scum!! No, wait, even scum is better! There seems to be no limit to this man’s greed!

My parents have complained to the water board but when someone does come to check, he just pays them to keep quiet. I have no idea what more we can do to stop him! In view of all the Cauvery agitation, N suggested that we tell one of the protest groups and they just might come and give him what he deserves! Seriously though, I don’t know what we can do to stop him.

The corruption and greed are making me so sick. Is this the world that my baby will be born in? Is there no honesty and goodness left?

Crib Fest/Pity Party

2007-03-01T16:45:00.000+05:30

Call it either of the above but this is just what this post is about.

1) Our bathroom ceiling has developed a leak and water’s dripping from it all day long. I have repeatedly requested the people in the apartment above to call a plumber and get the problem fixed but all they do is nod and ignore. It’s not a pleasant experience to be sticking to the wall and moving around in the bathroom (the leak in right in the middle!) I was telling N that it would serve them right if their bathroom floor caved in when one of them was in there and he reminded me that this would mean our ceiling caving in as well :( So much for wishful thinking! Well, looks like we’ll have to get the plumber and do the spade work, which probably won’t happen before the weekend. Oh, joy!

2) I have no feet anymore. My feet now resemble my knees. They’re swollen beyond recognition and not one pair of footwear fits me. I’ve been asked to cut back on salty and fried food. I’m not a fan of salty, fried food since I’m too weight conscious but hey, what do I do about the masala dosa craving that I have? I can’t do a lot of things right now and guilt-free eating has been one of the few joys of my pregnancy. To have it taken away from me has made me awfully grouchy. I want to put it on record that I detest this restriction….but I shall adhere to it anyway. Needless to add, I hate water retention.

3) I am dependent on other people to ferry me around. I can’t travel by auto or bike, so it’s either the car or the bus. My protruding abdomen and lack of a four-wheeler driving license ensure that I cannot drive myself around. Therefore, I have four ways of getting anyplace – ask dad, ask husband, take a bus, or walk. Also, I need to remember that I can’t walk the same distances that I did before pregnancy so the last option is as good as not being there. The public transport in Bangalore is one of the worst and the few buses that I do find are so crowded that I fear my baby will get squished. Bottomline – if I want to go anywhere - ask dad, ask husband. Consequently, everyone has to co-ordinate their schedule to mine or vice versa – can’t tell you how much of a pain this is!

Visual Treat!!

2007-02-28T14:50:00.000+05:30

Firstly, thanks to itchy for tagging me on this...I had such a blast doing this!!! I suggest you all go here and take the test - it's a lot of fun!

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

What’s in your name?

2007-02-26T19:21:00.000+05:30

Lots of people (including N!!) have asked me if there was any particular reason for my having chosen “Noodlehead” as a screen name.

There’s really a very simple explanation to it. I have extremely curly hair, which looks like it’s been permed. Don’t even get me started on the woes of managing it (Hmm, that would make for a good post)!! I had a very dear friend in college who called me “noodlehead”. He thought my hair resembled Maggi noodles. When I started my blog, I realized that this would be a great name to use since it would afford me anonymity while also identifying me.

That’s it folks! So, what’s behind your screen name (if you do have one)?

Couchsurfing!!

2007-02-26T12:01:00.000+05:30

The first time I heard about it I thought it was a jibe at the couch potato or some game for couch potatoes, but no. Couchsurfing is the latest in budget traveling. If you’re looking to travel to exotic Egypt but don’t have any family or friends who will open up their house to you, you need to look no further. People all over the world are opening their homes to weary travelers. When couchsurfing, you can either be a surfer or a host. When you surf, you are a guest at someone’s place and when you host, you let someone into your home. For more information, check out Couchsurfing.

Innovative as this sounds, I can’t help but wonder about safety. What if you end up in a psycho axe murderer’s house or conversely, end up inviting one into yours?? They've addressed this issue in the FAQ section but I still have my apprehensions!!

Epiphany

2007-02-23T19:46:00.000+05:30

On my way home last night, I saw this young couple on a bike. In appearance, they looked no different from the millions of couples that you would spot in Bangalore, but there was something about this pair that caught my attention – they had a carefree sparkle in their eyes. No worries, no hassles, no hang-ups!

Not so long ago, N and I were like that. I wonder where those days have gone? Although, I’m only 7 months pregnant, I can’t seem to remember a time when I didn’t have this responsibility of nurturing and protecting my baby. Looking at that couple, suddenly brought back memories of that time. To my dismay, it also made me realize that I missed those days when I could do anything I wanted, go anywhere - at anytime. I didn’t have to worry if I wasn’t eating or sleeping right. I had other important things in life and didn't have to spend all my time taking good care of myself. Best of all, I didn’t have to live in constant fear that one small mistake on my part might seriously jeopardize my baby’s health and future. I didn't have to live in fear of crossing a road, or be dependent on other people to ferry me around.

Ever since I had discovered my pregnancy, I had just gone with the flow but now I wondered if I was ready to be a mother? Would I do justice to this role or would I consider the whole thing a mistake? Twenty years hence, would I remember the little joys of motherhood or would I be left with memories of the upheaval it caused? Would I turn into a bitter person who would dwell on the what-ifs and if-onlys or would I have fond memories of my baby's growing years?

Just as I was deliberating on these thoughts, I felt my baby move inside. Suddenly, I knew that everything would be alright. I didn’t miss the carefree days anymore. I looked at the couple again with new eyes and realized that I was seeing my past – it was a great part of my life. I had enjoyed it and it was time for me to move on to my future, which promised to be equally enjoyable, albeit in a different way.

Weighty woes!

2007-02-16T18:07:00.000+05:30

“Hey, didn’t you star in the movie “Happy feet”?” This is what a “dear friend” asked me recently.

When I found out I was pregnant, I fervently prayed that I would be one of the lucky few who put on weight only on the abdomen but remained skinny everywhere else. As with all wishful thinking, this is not happening!!! I was fine for the first 6 months and everyone was telling me how skinny I was and how I didn’t look pregnant at all! Now I’m mid-way through my 7th month and it’s almost as if my body is taking all the nutrition to nurture itself, rather than the baby. My abdomen is pretty small but the rest of me is growing (I knew I should have prayed harder and more often!).

I look, and walk, like a penguin (hence the reference to Happy Feet). My feet and pretty much most of me, are protesting. Not to mention my once-cellulite free frame now has an ample layering of adipose. I shudder at the thought of the time it will take to lose all this flab! N’s prepared an exercise-chart for me and I can’t help but look at it everyday and wonder when I can start implementing everything in it. I open my closet and look longingly at all the clothes that are crying to be worn but will probably never, ever fit me again!

When I get to this point of hyperventilating, I think of the labor pain……suddenly putting on weight isn’t such a big deal!!

Valentine’s Rant

2007-02-09T13:33:00.000+05:30

Girl 1: So what’re you guys doing on valentine’s?
Girl 2: I dunno, I guess he’ll surprise me….as usual!!!
Girl 1: Sigh!! If only Rohit were half as romantic as that! All he’s ever done on Valentine’s is get me a cuppa tea in bed!
Girl 2: *smugly* Oh, poor you!

This is part of a conversation that I heard this morning and every year at this time of the year I think the same thing - I don’t get it!!! What’s so special about Valentine’s day? Why do most couples go into a tizzy about this seemingly “romantic” day! Why do couples get all starry-eyed and celebrate with hearts and flowers and the whole shebang!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for love and romance as much as the next person BUT why make such a big deal out of it for one day every year? Who says that your man or woman loves you only if they give you flowers, candy, jewellery, and blah on the 14th of February? What of all the little things (like the aforementioned cuppa tea in bed) that people do for the ones they love? Why do they diminish in importance against fancy heart-shaped candies and other jazz? After a point, Valentine’s Day seems more like a façade that has been put up by the corporates who stand to gain from all the splurging that will done as (supposedly) befits the day.

Why should we limit the celebration of love to one day….why not think of all the little celebrations that happen everyday and give them their due respect?

No “Undo” in life….

2007-01-30T16:04:00.000+05:30

He stared at the forward in his inbox “there’s no Undo in the Menu option of Life”. At any other time he would have been amused at the sender’s innovation and without any second thoughts, moved on with his work. But today was different. Today he could not help but mull over the truth in these words. Why didn’t Life give you an Undo option? It merely gave you a Create New (if you were lucky) but you could never, ever Undo something…..no matter how badly you wanted to.

For the millionth time, he wished that he had never, ever said those things. Why, why, why, why hadn’t he thought for a nanosecond before saying them out loud? Why hadn’t he followed the golden rule of not confronting someone when angry? Why had he let himself get carried away in the heat of the moment? True, he had regretted those words the minute he had said them but that did not absolve him of his callousness.

He was sure the pain in that reply would haunt him forever. It was there for just a split second but long enough for to be branded in his memory forever. He would never be able to unburden his conscience of what he had done today, of the pain he had caused, of the hopes he had trampled.

Why doesn’t life let you Undo? Why did God, in all his wisdom, not program this all-important option into our lives? Will we ever know this answer? Will we ever stop wishing for this option?

Parenting Musings…

2007-01-30T14:53:00.000+05:30

I was telling N this morning about last night’s dream where he, baby and I were on a trip to Forum. Predictable, we were puffing and panting lugging around baby, a pram and baby’s other stuff while baby was having a blast cooing away and smiling at all and sundry!

While on the topic of Forum, I mentioned to N that the ladies restroom has a small corner allocated for “baby care” (he’s actually observed this sign!!!). This is just polite speak for nappy-changing area. While it’s good that this provision is available somewhere in the mall, I was wondering why the ladies restroom houses this area??

Why is it assumed that the woman will always change the baby’s diaper? What if N goes to the mall with baby (I seriously doubt the possibility of this happening but let’s humor me and assume this) and needs to change baby’s diaper? Is he expected to do this in the men’s room or should he plonk baby in any corner he finds and get to work or should he just come back home?

This also led me to wondering how I would manage this situation elsewhere outside home. For instance, how would I do it while traveling or at someone else’s house? All you momma’s out there, what do you do? All the not-yet-momma’s out there I’d still like your suggestions :)

A “Goldilocks” situation...

2007-01-22T14:06:00.000+05:30

…….in a way, I guess :) Due to my advancing pregnancy, I have a small pillow at my workstation and use it to support my back. Since the last couple of days, someone’s been sitting on my chair and using my pillow!!

I know this because I always keep the pillow in a corner when I leave for the day. However, it’s promptly back on my chair the next morning – all squished up :( There are a lot of things I don’t like about this:

- I’m extremely icky that someone’s been using my pillow and I’m not sure this person has a basic sense of hygiene (read probably doesn’t have a regular bath!). It’s gross!
- I hate it that someone’s moving my things around.
- I hate squished pillows and take the utmost care to fluff up mine when I leave so it’s ready for use the next day.
- The cheek of it all!!

Well, I strongly suspect one of the housekeeping staff is indulging in this. I’ve seen a couple of them loiter at empty desks and use the phones to make personal calls. Since I don’t get in till about 11 am, I think someone’s been merrily using my workstation to make himself/herself comfortable! Oh well, I’ll have to take the pillow back home and clean it (or the way I feel right now – just discard it once and for all!!). I’m going to lock my pillow henceforth when I leave for the day.

Shopaphobia!

2007-01-17T15:53:00.000+05:30

A Big Bazaar outlet has recently opened up next to my apartment complex. I was down with a cold over the weekend and needed some recreation, which wouldn’t be too strenuous (yeah, right!!). So I decided to go and check out the new outlet. And so began the nightmare!

I stepped into the store amidst a stream of men, women and children all jostling to get in ahead of others and grab the best bargains. Not being accustomed to my expanded girth, I tried to squeeze through a gap (which would have been sufficient till about a month back)……bad, bad idea! I promptly bumped my tummy against an old aunty who seemed a little miffed at being impeded. I quickly smiled and backed off.

Once inside, I felt like all of Bangalore had gathered at this one store and I could feel the lack of oxygen in the air. There were so many people around that N started off on his let’s-go tantrum. For once, I agreed with him. I should have heeded my inner voice and gotten out while the going was good, but then my ego jumped in asked me if I was going to be cowed down by a bunch of middle-aged uncles and bored housewives! That was it, I firmly told him that I wouldn’t budge till I had looked at everything that the store had to offer.

And so, I proceeded through 3 floors of groceries, men’s clothing, women’s clothing while bumping my tummy here and there and apologizing to everyone. In the women’s section, I had to literally place a hand over my tummy to shield it from all the women who seemed to have gone berserk looking at all the goodies around! When I reached the end of the women’s clothing section, N told me that I could heave him out since he would faint from hunger in the next 2 mins. By then, I too had had enough of living in constant fear of having someone/something collide with my stomach and decided to step out without looking at the remaining two floors.

I have to agree that I got some good bargains at their Food Bazaar but somehow these paled in comparison to the trauma that I had to go through. I’m back to my faithful and friendly neighborhood grocer, who was cribbing to me about how his business would be hit thanks to the fancy, big store. My experience has offered him some hope and consolation and now, he gives me good discounts too!!

Thoroughly Disgusted!!

2007-01-11T13:16:00.000+05:30

It’s happening again! I’m getting eve teased every time I walk :( Last evening on my way home, I was the target of some unusually lewd comments from a couple of auto drivers. I’m at my wits end, thoroughly disgusted and don’t know what to do. In all my years, I have never been eve-teased as many times as I have been in the last 3 months! Trauma Queen, looks like I’ve become the creep magnet now :(

I’ve noticed a pattern to these incidents – it always happens when I wear salwars. I don’t get that! Isn’t the salwar supposed to be the epitome of “decent” clothing? My mom has this theory that men are wary of teasing a girl in jeans/western clothing because she is a “modern” woman who can’t be messed with. On the other hand, the salwar portrays a woman who is goody-goody, meek and therefore a good target.

What really bothers me is that I was thoroughly frightened by this incident…..maybe my hormones are to blame. Normally, I’d give it right back to them or probably forget the whole incident. This however, has stayed with me since last evening. I'm worried that in case an altercation (for lack of a better word!) occurs, I won't be able to protect my baby. I definitely don’t expect people around to intervene/help, yes, they might gather around and enjoy the proceedings.

I’ve also noticed that baby is especially affected by these bouts of fear and goes a little quiet for a day or two after such episodes. I worry about the effect this might have on my child’s psyche. They say that a lot of the emotions you go through during pregnancy get imbibed in your baby’s personality.

N suggests we hire a bodyguard for me :) On a more practical note, I’ve decided to change my work timings and take the office cab home in the evenings or alternately, start working from home. I have a nasty feeling that things will only go from bad to worse as my pregnancy gets evident!

That time of the year…..

2007-01-08T15:10:00.000+05:30

The e-mail in my inbox reads “last date for submission of IT investment proof is 10th Jan”. and it’s been sitting in my inbox since December. The procrastinator that I am, I’ve only just begun to look into the process today, 2 days before the aforementioned last day :( Typical of the situation, the application isn’t working and I’ve been trying to log in since this morning without any success. What’s really sad is it’s the same story every year!

I had all the required documents to submit the proofs, all I had to do was take photocopies, put them in an envelope and drop them off at the nearest box! Why, why, why am I a sucker for this last minute rush? Why do I insist on making my life miserable? I’m the kind who plans for things months and weeks in advance, so why do I bring this upon myself year after year??? What is it about submitting IT investment proofs that makes me undergo a personality change??

Well, looks like some questions in my life will never be answered. It’s too bad I don’t believe in New Year resolutions else this would have been a good one to put on the list – Thou shalt not Procastinate!

Baby Update

2007-01-04T14:26:00.000+05:30

I had an anomaly scan last week and all is fine with the baby. The interesting changes that I am noticing are:

Baby’s kicks are stronger.
Baby’s has sort of set up a routine; active during the noon and late night/early morning.
Baby’s become very playful. A series of kicks informs me that baby wants to play and I dutifully oblige by gently poking my tummy and baby kicks right back! This goes on for about 2-3 mins after which baby is bored and goes back to doing whatever babies do inside.
I always thought that it would be easier to see baby now that s/he is bigger but I couldn’t have been more wrong! Contrary to the earlier scan where baby’s every detail was crystal clear, this time I could barely decipher anything at all. Everything looked like a giant blob to me. Even the radiologist’s identification didn't help much....I think I have no imagination :(
The scan showed baby moving his/her mouth and tongue! The radiologist seemed very excited by this because it’s apparently a very rare sight. Just my luck to have missed the whole thing :( Since I was lying down during the scan, the angle was not that great. N however saw it and was grinning from ear to ear, he claims that baby was moving his/her mouth in the way a fish would…up and down, up and down.
The scan showed that baby has a perfectly round face. What I did decipher in the scan was two tiny feet and arms, and a much stronger spinal cord.

This time around the radiologist was a male and for some reason he was extremely uncomfortable doing the scan. He kept his eyes carefully averted and the only time he broke his rule was when he saw baby’s mouth move......he was so excited that he accidentally looked me in the eye!

I can't believe I'm already in my third trimester. It feels like yesterday when my pregnancy was confirmed and N and I were quaking in our shoes. We've both come a really long way since then and we can't wait for baby to be born. Despite all the trials that (I know) are in store, I'm really looking forward to having a new person in the family!

It’s the animal instinct in me….

2006-12-28T12:28:00.000+05:30

I was reading the latest issue of Reader’s Digest (RD) and came across an extremely interesting article where this lady had “tamed” her husband, literally! She used some tips from animal trainers to get rid of her husband’s annoying habits. Ahhhhhhh, this has set me off on a trip where I’m trying to implement the same on my man and it’s kinda working :) For all you hassled women, read the article, it’s worth it!

It’s also gotten me thinking on how close we are to the so-called “animals”. We all exhibit the same behavioral traits and the same techniques work on us. So what makes us think that we are better than them? We might have an edge on them but at the end of the day we’re still all animals!

Season's Greetings!

2006-12-28T12:13:00.000+05:30

A Merry Christmas to All and to All a Happy New Year!!

Domestic woes

2006-12-05T13:25:00.000+05:30

Oh, the joys of running a house!! My cylinder of cooking gas got over on Thursday night. I called the agency on Friday morning, got through on my first try (this should have warned me of what was to come) and promptly booked a refill.

Since we would be out on Saturday, I told the agency to send the refill on Sunday morning. They diligently noted it down and assured me that I would have the refill cylinder on Sunday morning. Well, whaddya know?!! The delivery guy promptly landed on our doorstep on Saturday evening and went back because no one was at home.

The bottom line is I still don’t have my refill cylinder and I’ve been eating out for the last 5 days. I don’t cook much and eat out quite a bit but this is too much even for me. I would give anything to eat the crappy that I make! I’m quite glad that I need a refill only once in 9-10 months (my personal record in the two and a half years I’ve been married has been 1.5 years on one cylinder *grin*).

Dancing Queen (or King)

2006-12-04T12:29:00.000+05:30

I love the song by Abba….it’s what got me hooked to them but that’s besides the point. I’m talking about my growing baby. I’ve been feeling baby’s movement for the last two weeks and it’s a nice feeling albeit a little scary sometimes. I’ve noticed that baby breaks into a jig every time someone plays music (like Beethoven, Evanescence, even Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan!!). N is very musically inclined and I think baby’s gotten this from him (psst – baby also responds to his voice with a nice kick…waaaahhh…..baby definitely likes him more!)

What amazes me is that, at 18 weeks, baby is already an individual with likes and dislikes. Baby doesn’t like me sitting/sleeping in weird pre-pregnancy postures. Baby doesn’t like noisy places (like Coffee Day and theatres). Baby makes it a point to let me know if s/he is uncomfortable or having a blast. Consequently, I did some net research and this is what I came up with:

Source: Fetal Psychology

At 32 weeks of gestation - two months before a baby is considered fully prepared for the world, or "at term" - a fetus is behaving almost exactly as a newborn. And it continues to do so for the next 12 weeks.

As if overturning the common conception of infancy weren't enough, scientists are creating a startling new picture of intelligent life in the womb. Among the revelations:

- By nine weeks, a developing fetus can hiccup and react to loud noises. By the end of the second trimester it can hear.
- Just as adults do, the fetus experiences the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep of dreams.
- The fetus savors its mother's meals, first picking up the food tastes of a culture in the womb.
- Among other mental feats, the fetus can distinguish between the voice of Mom and that of a stranger, and respond to a familiar story read to it.
- Even a premature baby is aware, feels, responds, and adapts to its environment.

Hmmm, somehow I’ve developed a new respect for my baby. Baby has assumed the identity of an individual with likes and dislikes and everything else. Looks to me that raising this baby is going to be one hell of a task!! All you mothers, my respect for you just shot up by a couple of notches :)

The “hypocrite’s” oath?

2006-11-30T14:07:00.000+05:30

I was at the doctor’s for a routine check-up last week and was witness to this incident, which has left me wondering about a lot of things.

A young lady had come in around 10am to show some x-rays to the doctor. As per procedure, the nursing staff is supposed to take her files in to the doctor and then call her when her turn comes. Somehow, this lady was left hanging around till 12.30, by when it was time for the doctor to leave. Apparently, he was a consultant physician who worked between 10 and 12.30 in this particular hospital. Understandably, the young lady was upset at having to wait so long and still miss out on meeting the doctor. In the meantime, the doctor had packed up and was on his way out when the staff approached him and told him about this lady and requested that he see her for a few minutes. Initially, the doctor was adamant that his consulting hours were up and he would in no way entertain any other patients. Finally, after much coaxing, he relented and met with her for exactly 2 minutes.

I am pondering a lot of things in this situation – the doctor’s callousness and lack of flexibility, carelessness of the nursing staff, the young lady’s reactions. What struck me as the worst was the doctor’s attitude. I’m sure it doesn’t take more than 10 mins to check an x-ray and discuss it with a patient. What was so important that he couldn’t spare the time? Is it alright for a doctor to be so stringent and inflexible? Aren’t they supposed to be helping? My dad is a doctor and I’ve never once heard him tell anyone that he can’t be at an operation or he can’t see a patient, no matter what the hour. I clearly remember him going for operations at 1 am and 2am. Isn’t that how doctors should be? Shouldn’t the patient be important? Has commercialization got the better of humanity?

About the carelessness of the nursing staff – it’s amazing how such little things are overlooked in big hospitals. Despite repeated requests from the young lady, she had to wait for so long and had a very unpleasant experience, which was completely uncalled for. The nursing staff was very apologetic to her but that won’t change things for her. I agree that sometimes mistakes like this happen but I fail to understand how she was completely ignored, although she seemed to pop up every 5 minutes and enquire about here turn. Is this how the staff in big hospitals functions? What if the matter were serious, what if the same situation had occurred during an emergency? What of the poor patient?

The young lady was more than patient with them until the very last minute. She seemed almost desperate to meet the doctor, which is understandable. We all would like to know what’s happening when we’re faced with a medical issue. I can only wonder about how well the doctor allayed her fears and what input he gave her in the two minutes that he did spare.

It makes me sad to see that this is the world that we live in; this is the world that my baby will be born into. A little care on the part of the nursing staff, and a little sensitivity and patience on the doctor’s part would have prevented this entire situation.

Zzzzzzz……

2006-11-29T14:45:00.000+05:30

Sorry folks, this is all I seem to have on my mind for the last 3 weeks. What’s new, you might say? It’s not related to my pregnancy nor is it related to my natural ability to sleep long hours. What it is related to is - inconsiderate and downright moronic neighbors!!

For the last three weeks, some dweeb, in the row of houses opposite our apartments, has been playing Radio Mirchi, full-blast, from 6.30 pm to 3 am. No amount of complaining, pleading, or threatening seems to be working. In fact, the volume and duration of this nuisance have increased. Consequently, everybody in our apartment building is walking around looking like zombies. Tempers are frayed and we hear at least one argument everyday between the inhabitants that invariably end in a muttered “no sleep at night and no peace during the day”.

Since I’ve been forced to stay awake at such unearthly hours, I’ve been using my time productively in contemplating this maniac’s reasons (however warped they may be) in persisting with his deeds. Here are a few of my thoughts:

1) Maybe he’s a sadist (yes, they do dwell among us)
2) Maybe he has a crush on the RJs who have shows between those hours
3) Maybe he’s on a marathon “making out” session and has a partner who LOUD!
4) Maybe he’s an insomniac and he’s hoping the crappy music will lull him to sleep
5) Maybe he’s a call centre employee who’s trying to keep awake till his cab comes and picks him up for work
6) Maybe he’s sending in requests to the shows and waiting for them to play his song
7) Maybe he’s breaking in his new radio
8) Maybe his volume control knob is broken (somehow this one seems the least likely)
9) Maybe he’s trying to make his landlord miserable for some past misdeed on the landlord’s part
10) Maybe he’s a drug dealer and doesn’t want any of his conversation to be overheard
11) Maybe he’s killing people in there to perform some secret voodoo spell that will make him immortal

I have lots more of these ideas (hey, I’ve had 3 weeks to think!!) but I shall spare you the agony. Apart from these thoughts I have had other less charitable thoughts – such as novel ways to kill the person who’s responsible (this cannot be good for my baby)! Here are some of the less violent ones:

1) Roast him on a spitfire
2) Deep fry (or shallow fry, if he’s on a diet) him
3) Lock him in a cupboard and pray that he’s claustrophobic
4) Smear him with honey and leave him in a bee farm
5) Hypnotize him into believing that he’s a chicken whose head’s been cut off
6) Put him in a sauna and REALLY turn up the heat
7) Put a hex on him

There, now that it’s out I feel so much better but still as sleepy as ever. There has been one good thing that has come out of this whole thing. I have been feeling my baby move at night when I’m lying awake :) Maybe this is divine intervention….maybe God’s plotting to get me prepared for the crazy timings that I’ll be awake after my baby is born!

Grrrrr….

2006-11-23T13:29:00.000+05:30

I’ve endured my fair share of eve teasing but yesterday’s incident takes the cake and the whole frigging bakery!! The reason I haven’t blogged about this yet is because I didn’t want unprintables on my blog and was waiting to cool off a little !!

Since I can’t take an auto or ride my bike in the near future, I take a bus part way and walk the remaining distance on my way back home. Last week, I was crossing the road very close to home and was about 2 feet away from the footpath. This loony uncle on a bike saw me crossing, deliberately accelerated and screeched to a halt between the footpath and me. I was quite positive his handle bar would bonk my slightly-protruding tummy, but discovered that I was (still) agile enough to jump away. Anyways, coming back to the point, he screeched to a halt and effectively managed to stop me. He then proceeds to look me squarely in the eye, grin so I can see his ugly, yellow teeth, and says in the weirdest south Indian accent “Hi Sweeetieepieee”. Once done, he grins again and zips off.

I was just recovering from the shock of a possible injury to my baby and I didn’t quite realize what had happened till he was a couple of feet away. Unfortunately, I have decided not to swear (don’t want baby to hear it yet!!) so had to bottle up everything. I was fuming all the way back home! Of all the stupid, moronic, idiotic things to do!!! AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!

I understand the usual catcalls, whistles, shouting “hi sexy” while zipping on the bike, but this one really frightened me! It scared me because I was so shocked I wouldn’t have reacted if he had grabbed my hand or done something worse :( It made me feel so vulnerable…right near my home!!!!
Consequently, I’m now walking in public with a scowl on my face, which only gets worse when someone happens to glance in my direction. The good news is - it works, lesser eve teasing!!

Maternity Clothes

2006-11-13T15:34:00.000+05:30

You don’t want to get me started on this one but there’s only so much assault that my poor husband’s ears can take so I have been forced to take this way out.

I want to crib about the lack of decent maternity clothes in Bangalore. I’ve been to 10 different stores – branded and otherwise – but am yet to find anything! Of course, there’s this one branch of Shoppers’ Stop that stores stuff (thanks for the tip, Nish!) but hey, I can’t possibly buy everything that they have! Whatever happened to ‘variety” and “choice”???

It’s sad that women have to go around looking like circus tents especially when their attractiveness quotient is at an all-time low. Why is it that no Indian company (Shoppers’ Stop stores a UK brand) has come out with anything? Is the salwar kameez – savior of all pregnant women - to blame? You might wonder why I don’t wear one of them? Well, the fact is I’m simply not comfortable in a salwar. I did try wearing them for a couple of days but I just couldn’t take it. They keep getting in the way and are too much trouble to maintain (I can only wear cotton ones since I have sensitive skin).

I could ask my brother to Fed-ex some stuff for me from the US but then again my brother has no clue about shopping for pregnant women and there isn’t anyone who can help him. I’m currently lounging in my pre-pregnancy dungarees but I’ll be too big for them in a week or two! As a last resort, I’m going to my tailor this weekend and asking her to make some stuff for me…..I do hope she churns out something nice! All ye women, get some maternity wear for yourselves as you plan your pregnancy or find out that you’re pregnant.

“Cell” phones?

2006-11-13T15:05:00.000+05:30

I was reading a newspaper article on how mobile phones have made life more miserable for a lot of people. This has got me thinking – are cell phones really a pain?

I was stranded in the middle of nowhere at 9.30 pm and I whisked out my cell phone and called dad and asked him to pick me up. Are cell phones a pain?

My husband was caught in the middle of a bomb scare at his work place and the building was evacuated. I was riding at the time. He called me (on my cell phone) from his cell phone and told me that he was alright. I didn’t even get a chance to worry since he told me the problem and also confirmed that he was doing fine. I in turn, conveyed this information to numerous people at work who had family members working at the same place and the ubiquitous cell phone played an important part in assuaging a lot of fears. Are cell phones a pain?

On her way back home, mom was caught in a heavy downpour and waited at the supermarket (where she had gone to pick up some stuff) till the rains subsided. She called up dad from her cell phone and apprised him of the situation. Are cell phones a pain?

There are numerous other examples that I can cite where in the cell phone has been indispensable and saved people a lot of worry. The author of the newspaper article did mention this in some obscure corner of the article but isn’t this enough for us to put up with the minor irritations this device may cause?

Yippppeeee!

2006-11-10T15:13:00.000+05:30

I have a perfectly good reason to be elated today! Firstly, it's a Friday and the weekend is just hours away. Secondly, I FINALLY have some work to do :) No, I haven't lost it (yet!). I've just been jobless for the month and half that I've been in my new job and have played so many online games that I'm playing them even in my dreams! I'm glad my brain has some fodder now and I'm going to let my grey cells chew on it.

So all ye people have a great weekend! The sun is shining brightly and God is in His Heaven!

On a perfectly bad day…

2006-11-07T17:13:00.000+05:30

I’d wake up late, stub my toe on the way to getting my toothbrush, be ditched by the maid, burn breakfast and consequently not eat anything, have an unresolved argument with my spouse, find no transport to work, be late for an important meeting with my manager, not be able to do my work due to application problems, have pathetic food at lunch, start wheezing, be asked to clean up someone else’s mess, screw that up, have a panic attack and waste precious time, be forced to leave early because the application problem cannot be solved for a while, get drenched to the skin and reach home, fret about the pending work, discover that there’s nothing good on TV and that I don’t have a decent book to read, decide to go for a walk but incur the rain god’s wrath, eat leftovers for dinner, flop into bed and stay awake listening to the dogs singing all night, doze off only to realize that it’s another day!!! May this one be better than the last…amen!

Well, now I feel much better……my day could have been a kazillion times worse it was no where close to what I’ve put down here! Life’s not so bad, after all :)

Diwali

2006-10-27T11:52:00.000+05:30

Let’s play a word association game. Diwali = fireworks, diyas, sweets, fun and laughter, holiday season…..would you agree? NO!! Diwali = asthma attacks, air/noise pollution, injured people, cowering animals and hassled babies/senior citizens. Sadly, this is what Diwali brings to my mind.

I’m currently suffering the aftermath of Diwali – I had a really bad allergy attack (thanks to all the cracker smoke) and it has now developed into a horrid cold, fever and asthma. All the dogs in my apartment complex and neighborhood have gone underground or are trembling under cars or cots. One colleague was telling me about a lady who actually gives her dogs half a tablet of Calmpose to make their lives easier during these few days! My neighbor has a new born and she’s really worried the baby will go deaf (I wouldn’t rule that out…have you heard some of the “bombs”?!). Needless to say, that poor child keeps wailing all the time. I overheard a senior citizen complaining that she would stay put in her house during the five days since she feared for her life! (ok, she might have been exaggerating a little but she was a sorry sight!) I’ve noticed that, after a point, bursting crackers becomes a kind of competition – let’s burst more and get ahead of the Joneses!

I don’t mean to be a wet blanket but I’m quite positive that there is a better way to handle this season so that it’s fun for everybody. Why can’t we have earmarked public sites for the fireworks where bursting crackers is supervised or better still done by one person? This way everyone can enjoy the fireworks safely. Why can’t the government ban some of the deafening crackers? It's not a nice feeling to be assaulted by an "atom bom" (one of those little green ball-like monstrosities) from 5 am through 12 midnight! Well, I’m already deciding where to vacation next Diwali – I don’t really want to spend the festival wheezing my lungs out!

The power of three

2006-10-20T12:36:00.000+05:30

Yeah, I whacked that from the show “Charmed”, but I’m on a dry patch here so bear with me, please! Actually, this post is prompted by La Vida Loca's comment to my previous post. I couldn’t think of an appropriate reply comment so I decided to make a post out of it! (Here’s a tip for you, Nish…desperate times call for desperate measures.) Yes, N and I are expecting out first baby. I haven’t yet announced this to the world because I was waiting to complete my first trimester. What I wrote in the previous post was meant as a joke (since I’m not showing yet so it’s not obvious) but La Vida Loca managed to hit the spot :)

When we found out about the baby, we FREAKED (think panic attacks, hyperventilating lungs, stoned looks) but three months into it we’re really looking forward to baby’s arrival :) I’m not showing yet but I will be, soon. I can only imagine how people are going to react then! I can picture it now…. N will get a really dirty one for having gotten me into “trouble”…….or we’ll both get a dirty look for having “sinned” *cackle, cackle*. Watch this space for adventures!

Coming back to the topic of having a baby – it’s been tough. It’s a complete lifestyle change (I've been told to avoid deodorants cause it could hurt baby!) and everyone’s warning me that things will only get worse (think labor pain, poopy diapers, midnight feeds, sleepless nights)! Mom and mom-in-law are very encouraging though (it’s the first grandchild for both). Mom says all the trauma will just fade away once I hold the baby, and I’m sure as hell hoping so.

The positive side is that I’m looking forward to all the shopping, both for baby AND me. :)) Also, strangely, I don’t feel alone anymore. I know that there’s always someone with me - ALL the time. That’s a settling thought since I’m usually alone in the evenings. (N works weird hours and my in-laws live in a different city. I’m working so my days are filled with people.) Also, we've come to think of baby as a person already, it's just that we can't see him/her.

All in all, we can’t wait for baby to be born now. Baby’s expected at the end of April so I have some more time ahead. I’m enjoying the pregnancy glow and all the pampering! Here's hoping for a healthy and happy baby!

Oh, sorry!

2006-10-18T11:56:00.000+05:30

Scene 1
Me: I need some milk coupons.
Grocer: I gave some to your brother. He was here this morning.
Me: *icily* That would be my husband
Grocer: *with a kill-me-now look* Oh, sorry!

Scene 2
Flunkey at club: Madam, you need to pay for all guests over 21 years of age.
Me: That’s my husband!
Flunkey: Oh, sorry!

Scene 3
N walks into the apartment complex and is accosted by the guard.
Security guard: So sir, you have not brought madam today?
N: She’s at home, making dinner.
Guard: Oh, you two are married??!
N: Yes, for two years.
Guard: *grinning sheepishly* Oh sorry, didn’t know that.

These are examples of the weird situations that N and I face. We both look younger than our age and EVERYONE assumes that we’re only “seeing” each other. Consequently, we frequently get odd looks and are in sticky situations. On our honeymoon, the clerk at the hotel was looking at us so suspiciously. Though he didn’t ask us anything I was pretty sure he’d refuse to let us stay there. He surreptitiously made some calls and dispelled all doubt before he handed us our keys. On a recent trip to Goa, one “concerned” senior citizen actually asked me if my parents knew where I was. I told her that they did know since they had married me off two years back. She gave me a knowing grin and went back to making her husband miserable.

Initially, it was cool and even amusing. But it’s not that way anymore. I’m a little tired of having to explain that N is my husband and vice versa. For once I wish we both looked our age or at least married (thought I don’t really know what constitutes the “married” look!). I religiously wear my mangalsutra and a wedding band but it doesn’t seem to matter one whit.

Mom asked me why I even care about these things. She finds the whole situation very “cute” but after a point these things just irritate me. I’m so tempted to wipe the smirk off people’s faces by loudly asking “N, when will you marry me? I’m having your baby!!”. However, I cease and desist because poor N would probably have a heart attack :)