Minnesota reminds me of Kumbhakarna. Its only now that the trees, herbs and shrubs are coming back to life. I love to see the transgression from brown to green. Its like chemelion changing color by the blink of an eye :)
Trees are still naked, stretching their arms to the sun - trying to seep in the warmth and rays. Little shoots are making an effort to break open the bark and come out to see the world. What a beautiful sight!!! I dont think I have seen anything so wonderful in comparison. No, not even my own childrens birth. Thank God, the trees don't get fat when the "give birth" ;)
Monday, April 14, 2014
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Aditi-isms
Collection of few hilarious quips from my daughter:
Aditi asked, "Amma, how many days are in a week?"
Amma - 1 week has 7 days
Aditi - How many days for "Next Week"?
---***---
Aditi: Amma, what is a dock?
Amma: Dock is a place where ships rest, just like we come home to rest. Now, tell me where does a bus rest?
Aditi: On its wheels
---***---
Amma: Aditi, please tell 1 to 10
Aditi: (promptly) "1 to 10"
---***---
Aditi: (singing the song from the movie Frozen) - "Let the storm range on"
Anna: Addu, it is not RANGE, it is RAGE, RAGE
Aditi (adamantly): Let the song RANGE ON... (starts singing the song right from the beginning, high enthu and high decibles..
Anna moves his palms to cover his ears and runs out of the room
---***---
I had made puliogarai the other day. My little daughter had forgotten its name. I was shocked when she asked me to server her some, "Pulgaybath" :)
---***---
Guilt
A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shops, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop. She was engrossed in her book but happened to see, that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be. . . grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene. So she munched the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.” With each cookie she took, he took one too, when only one was left; she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half. He offered her half, as he ate the other; she snatched it from him and thought… oooh, brother. This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude, why he didn’t even show any gratitude! She had never known when she had been so galled and sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate. She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat, and then she sought her book, which was almost complete. As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes. If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others were his, and he tried to share. Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.
New Beginning?
Spring is keeping its baby steps in Minnesota. Each day begins with a lovely golden hue from the sun. As I drive to work, it amazes me to see the barren trees and leaves raising their arms to seep into the sun's warmth and welcoming his heat.
I feel they are raising their arms praising the sun God for the gift of life he brings to them each year - waking them from their deep slumber and pouring life into their dried-up, grey existence during the freezing months of snow.
As I drive through, I cannot help but feel the loneliness that fills my being. a lone tear drops from my eyes - almost every day. What emptiness eggs me? Sigh...I should be really happy that i have a husband, 2 beautiful children - but yet - why does my life feel so empty and purposeless?
I feel they are raising their arms praising the sun God for the gift of life he brings to them each year - waking them from their deep slumber and pouring life into their dried-up, grey existence during the freezing months of snow.
As I drive through, I cannot help but feel the loneliness that fills my being. a lone tear drops from my eyes - almost every day. What emptiness eggs me? Sigh...I should be really happy that i have a husband, 2 beautiful children - but yet - why does my life feel so empty and purposeless?
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
A Refreshing Evening
My routine has altered a bit. I now pick up my daughter from her day care on my way home.
Yesterday, as usual, I parked my car and went in to fetch her. As usual, she was involved in her art work (I seem to pick her up always amidst her favorite activity!!!).
This time, I decided to wait and let her complete her work. I was looking at the other kids and what they were doing. Alex looked at me and smiled. I smiled back. She asked for my birthday. I most hesitatingly told her, "its in february". she persisted "Feburary ?" I said "14th". Ms. Claire (my daughter's teacher) said "oh wow... my son was born the same day too".
Alex asked me "can you guess how old I am?". I most kiddingly said "90?" - she did not seem to get it. She persisted again. I said "8 ?" considering kids love to have everyone believe they are older.
She went on to give me a bio about herself - she will be going to Zachary Lane for 1st grade, her parents wont allow her to use the school bus because it does not work for "us", she has a pet bird - his name is "captain" but she does not know what kind of bird he is.
Suddenly, most of the kids stopped by me to talk to me, introducing themselves and talking about their pets, giving me their birthdates... wow - that was fun.
Then came this little boy who said he was 4 and he asked me "Can you guess my dad's name?"
I said, "um... I dont know"
He said "His name is Josh"
Then he added "His other name is Honey; My mother's name is Honey too"
I had to put lot of effort to stop myself from laughing out loud. This, perhaps, was the most cutest thing I had heard for the day.
I picked up my daughter's stuff, held her hand and walked out of her school laughing out loud. Thank you little one for making me laugh and making my day with your sweet innocence. I am tempted to add this incident: Every day post their nap time, the kids get to do art work. Usually it will be drawing or gluing paper figures to a paper. As the teachers hand out the papers to the kids, they write the name of the child on top of the paper. Every day when I go to pick my daughter, I stand near the work table and see how the kids are doing their new art work. It is very interesting to observe kids at work. Couple of days, I have read their names from the paper and addressed them as "Alex, are you done with your work? Did you like doing that?" Or "Gracie, wow, that is beautiful". After observing me do that consecutively, one of the kid asked "How do you know all our names?" I almost told them that their teacher has put their names on top of the paper she has handed out. But instead, I said "It is magic. I know each of your names" and winked. The child looked stunned at this revelation that I knew all their names magically ;)
Yesterday, as usual, I parked my car and went in to fetch her. As usual, she was involved in her art work (I seem to pick her up always amidst her favorite activity!!!).
This time, I decided to wait and let her complete her work. I was looking at the other kids and what they were doing. Alex looked at me and smiled. I smiled back. She asked for my birthday. I most hesitatingly told her, "its in february". she persisted "Feburary ?" I said "14th". Ms. Claire (my daughter's teacher) said "oh wow... my son was born the same day too".
Alex asked me "can you guess how old I am?". I most kiddingly said "90?" - she did not seem to get it. She persisted again. I said "8 ?" considering kids love to have everyone believe they are older.
She went on to give me a bio about herself - she will be going to Zachary Lane for 1st grade, her parents wont allow her to use the school bus because it does not work for "us", she has a pet bird - his name is "captain" but she does not know what kind of bird he is.
Suddenly, most of the kids stopped by me to talk to me, introducing themselves and talking about their pets, giving me their birthdates... wow - that was fun.
Then came this little boy who said he was 4 and he asked me "Can you guess my dad's name?"
I said, "um... I dont know"
He said "His name is Josh"
Then he added "His other name is Honey; My mother's name is Honey too"
I had to put lot of effort to stop myself from laughing out loud. This, perhaps, was the most cutest thing I had heard for the day.
I picked up my daughter's stuff, held her hand and walked out of her school laughing out loud. Thank you little one for making me laugh and making my day with your sweet innocence. I am tempted to add this incident: Every day post their nap time, the kids get to do art work. Usually it will be drawing or gluing paper figures to a paper. As the teachers hand out the papers to the kids, they write the name of the child on top of the paper. Every day when I go to pick my daughter, I stand near the work table and see how the kids are doing their new art work. It is very interesting to observe kids at work. Couple of days, I have read their names from the paper and addressed them as "Alex, are you done with your work? Did you like doing that?" Or "Gracie, wow, that is beautiful". After observing me do that consecutively, one of the kid asked "How do you know all our names?" I almost told them that their teacher has put their names on top of the paper she has handed out. But instead, I said "It is magic. I know each of your names" and winked. The child looked stunned at this revelation that I knew all their names magically ;)
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Time Warp
For the last couple of years, I have been constantly on the look out for peace of mind. I just wanted to get away from everyone - family, friends, foes - everyone. And to me, this international assignment came as a blessing in disguise - or so I thought.
Little did I know I would be staring at a time warp just in a year's time? Looking back the past 13 months - nothing has changed - the same problems, issues, headaches, fights, and over same topic.
However, one thing has definitely changed - i have become a little more vocal about my thoughts and opinion and to a vast degree developing a "i care the heck" attitude (May be good for me!!)
For 13 years, I have kept quite - knowing what was going around me, fully aware of consequences - both long and short. And after this long span, I decided to speak up - make my point very clear that I do not like what is going on - I feel cheated and had for. I don't know if speaking up was the right thing - nor do I know if this was the wrong thing. It is more like the christian wedding vow "If anyone has an objection to this marriage, you may speak up now or for ever hold up your peace".
Speaking did not bring me any solace either - but it did make one thing clear that I am not understood - perhaps never going to be too. Only thing I heard was "you are misunderstanding the issue; you are taking decisions based on your insecurities and I cannot tolerate your insecurities and your behavior"
My response was "My insecurities and behaviors are mine. If you cannot tolerate it - learn to live with it. After 13 long years, I have found my voice and I am not going to keep quite. Every married woman has insecurities and it is her absolute right to have those"
The only response I got for this was complete silence - this time, it feels like this silence is permanent. There is no break through I am seeing or should I even see?
Little did I know I would be staring at a time warp just in a year's time? Looking back the past 13 months - nothing has changed - the same problems, issues, headaches, fights, and over same topic.
However, one thing has definitely changed - i have become a little more vocal about my thoughts and opinion and to a vast degree developing a "i care the heck" attitude (May be good for me!!)
For 13 years, I have kept quite - knowing what was going around me, fully aware of consequences - both long and short. And after this long span, I decided to speak up - make my point very clear that I do not like what is going on - I feel cheated and had for. I don't know if speaking up was the right thing - nor do I know if this was the wrong thing. It is more like the christian wedding vow "If anyone has an objection to this marriage, you may speak up now or for ever hold up your peace".
Speaking did not bring me any solace either - but it did make one thing clear that I am not understood - perhaps never going to be too. Only thing I heard was "you are misunderstanding the issue; you are taking decisions based on your insecurities and I cannot tolerate your insecurities and your behavior"
My response was "My insecurities and behaviors are mine. If you cannot tolerate it - learn to live with it. After 13 long years, I have found my voice and I am not going to keep quite. Every married woman has insecurities and it is her absolute right to have those"
The only response I got for this was complete silence - this time, it feels like this silence is permanent. There is no break through I am seeing or should I even see?
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