tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68697222024-03-14T20:03:02.781+05:30EnigmaSunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.comBlogger253125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-32326034242764853212012-11-20T11:38:00.000+05:302012-11-20T11:38:17.131+05:30A few Favourite Books (ages 3-7)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In continuation to the book theme we are on currently, I have been meaning to compile a list of books that I am done reading a zillion times and my kids still don't tire. I have slowly got the peapod to read her own books though she still loves being read to. Just around the time I transitioned her, my boy started insisting I read out to him. He loves books and yanks them out at any given opportunity searching for his favourite blue elephant book and gets me to read . Every time I try to fool him by skipping a page or a line, I have a daughter just old enough to know the difference and keeps pointing it out. And sometimes the boy figures it out for himself I skipped a page and would go back to it after I have finished the book and make me read the book again from where I skipped. There is justice in his small world but is there any in mine??<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4zdQ6ElwLaGa_BNCPyXdUFj7kr47lxYcblg0PHO2I4v7PaH-qBqeGDSCAbSgCPEEaKBtwv2PA8kHIYAzlGtnkuUVHW6sFP9PpHBD8QM5iW_yTsEYGI-jl1qKft6GXwDLhiof/s1600/giglequack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4zdQ6ElwLaGa_BNCPyXdUFj7kr47lxYcblg0PHO2I4v7PaH-qBqeGDSCAbSgCPEEaKBtwv2PA8kHIYAzlGtnkuUVHW6sFP9PpHBD8QM5iW_yTsEYGI-jl1qKft6GXwDLhiof/s1600/giglequack.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.flipkart.com/giggle-quack-0743490096/p/itmczz82a7mckphh?pid=9780743490092&ref=ed4741e7-ad86-48e9-b41a-ca051b7ca40f&srno=m_1_1&otracker=from-search" target="_blank">Giggle giggle quack quack</a> - This is a funny story about how the animals on a barn pull a fast one on the farmer. Farmer Brown has a barn full of farm animals, cows, pigs, hens and ducks. Farmer goes on a vacation and lets his brother look after his barn. Farmer Brown leaves his brother with a note of things to be done each day. He also warns his brother of the DUCK. What he doesn't know yet is that the DUCK has replaced each note and what transpires thereafter as a result is that the farmer's brother orders pizza in the barn for the animals, the pigs get a bath in the farmer's bathtub and are dried with his finnest towels and they also manage a movie night. Both my kids love it and it always makes them laugh.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNvAYI0sAonZ8Kb8szoCEY3bL5i25SPzbCd8pCRM29yXRLJyBsBOH9HF1Qyy-OdkY5PrWQHRl1T2wSJodMbGueEkDQvbXPj0v-Y8oh1dQO5eCC0Q0yk3WGSg2la1TV3oZs3_B/s1600/shanmugam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNvAYI0sAonZ8Kb8szoCEY3bL5i25SPzbCd8pCRM29yXRLJyBsBOH9HF1Qyy-OdkY5PrWQHRl1T2wSJodMbGueEkDQvbXPj0v-Y8oh1dQO5eCC0Q0yk3WGSg2la1TV3oZs3_B/s1600/shanmugam.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flipkart.com/snoring-shanmugam-8181461908/p/itmdyuz77anagrpk?pid=9788181461902&ref=04b53f68-2db1-42ae-9c78-e89742fe2c35&srno=s_1&otracker=from-search" target="_blank">Snoring Shanmughan</a> - An another funny story about a lion named Shanmughan. That name cracks me up everytime. Shanmughan is always sleeping and snores real loud. The animals were tired of the snore and required to remedy the situation. Soon they realize the lion doesn't snore so loudly when he sleeps on his side and the elephant helps moving shanmughan to his side when the snoring gets unbearable. Meanwhile, an another lion walks into the jungle and assumes the jungle doesn't have a lion and is all set to presume the role of the king of the jungle. The animals try to wake the sleeping lion in vain. Finally its the elephant who moves the lion to sleep on his back, the position in which he snores the loudest. The snore scares the new lion and he leaves the jungle. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IrQ7GYiVvaY0ZvIAs98lHyt0Q8TNNTyzUHvGx-7kXa0fXJ_zH3y4c1qZ0ngzxlIGfGt7bVCuwb_HKPsFjMPUqe8tqVNBTAf2GrTXjNgGPI8KVs8tahDCOSqdWuy-qYTaTlnM/s1600/Snow+King's+Dotter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IrQ7GYiVvaY0ZvIAs98lHyt0Q8TNNTyzUHvGx-7kXa0fXJ_zH3y4c1qZ0ngzxlIGfGt7bVCuwb_HKPsFjMPUqe8tqVNBTAf2GrTXjNgGPI8KVs8tahDCOSqdWuy-qYTaTlnM/s1600/Snow+King's+Dotter.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flipkart.com/snow-kings-daughter-8181466802/p/itmdyuz8nhgmp6ez?pid=9788181466808&ref=a87e2025-cd6a-4d2d-ae42-20b5d89bbbf9&srno=s_1&otracker=from-search" target="_blank">The snow king's daughter</a> - This is the story of a little boy, Keshav, he has his summer vacations and his favourite past time is looking at the atlas and pretend travelling to various places and make up a language for each place. This book very subtly talks about Tibet, immigration and independence. It hasn't been easy explaining why the kids came to India but their parents stayed back. It is a disturbing concept for the peapod and I don't think she still has made her peace with it. Every time we read the book she has a question, why did they let the babies go? When would they meet their parents? Who actually looked after them? and so on. We had also bought an Atlas for her around the same time. She too loved going through the index, looking them up on the map and then she would make me read up about the place. It is very often pulled out for reading.The illustrations are simple and fun. 9 out of 10 times the atlas is the next book to ponder over after this. Its been a pleasure meeting the author, Sowmya at the twistntales bookreading session.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6my8cbBdxyxKDDkoEKB_xYYIDBDOFgtS1rqsUxqABHebkrshYSmgkZ-RiuujXNBgDDPedl0ehshvJmBCKDWhgDm5x0RYkF2_RUFo9A8OtHDbTHc9CZs1bOWPGCPor1JMr4vlE/s1600/dina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6my8cbBdxyxKDDkoEKB_xYYIDBDOFgtS1rqsUxqABHebkrshYSmgkZ-RiuujXNBgDDPedl0ehshvJmBCKDWhgDm5x0RYkF2_RUFo9A8OtHDbTHc9CZs1bOWPGCPor1JMr4vlE/s1600/dina.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flipkart.com/do-dinosaurs-say-good-night-0007802889/p/itmczymc3tazxrwp?pid=9780007802883&ref=0d911f99-b036-443e-9ffd-46b615e18cb1&srno=m_1_1&otracker=from-search" target="_blank">How do dinosaurs say good night</a>? - This is my 2.5 year olds favourite bed time book. The illustrations are pretty funny with a line of verse on each page. The author wonders in this book what a dinosaur would do when asked to go to bed. My son loves to watch me enact the dinosaur. The book is aimed at frowning at bad behaviour and to inculcate good bed time rituals but my son is mesmerized with the angry dinosaur in the book and he looks at them very fondly. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFup5RRcxx0yEGNlmeb8Wc2NxKtCiW-y04TusPlWYW8uRqNTKd_l0ZgnOw71aJ2dHWJuyUOyyvcsegrGz_dnIk5oSKPk9cq5AleD-WrhM_scf96w7hnWtc99lLrniYQglMT8S/s1600/tinysau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFup5RRcxx0yEGNlmeb8Wc2NxKtCiW-y04TusPlWYW8uRqNTKd_l0ZgnOw71aJ2dHWJuyUOyyvcsegrGz_dnIk5oSKPk9cq5AleD-WrhM_scf96w7hnWtc99lLrniYQglMT8S/s1600/tinysau.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flipkart.com/tinysaurus-1849390290/p/itmdyhy4nuvwhv9e?pid=9781849390293&ref=41b37c58-fe55-43a8-8d12-4481743e078e&srno=s_1&otracker=from-search" target="_blank">Tinysaurus</a> - This is an another cute dinosaur story about a tinysaurus who lives with Daddysaurus, Mommysaurus and Bigsissysaurus. He complains about how he cannot do the things Bigsissysaurus is allowed to do and describes his failed attempts at trying to grow big. One day, while tinysaurus guards his mother's eggs, Nastysaurus comes to snatch the eggs. How tinysaurus rises to the occasion and saves the eggs is quite entertaining. He then realizes being tiny has its own advantages as well. My son has since been renamed as tinysaurus by his sissysaurus. <br />
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<img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRSt_udtlwHtpOznY4FNBgMmXDbFkv3XXsleiOEb_qo6ilTMgc4CBzlu-dsDQigmffjBL_ntGwkGUj7EyZzlTnGnV3G0Cj9Jtvrj1D9DAfxJqMqjW4La8K8zMfGK8ctXPdkOp/s320/DSCN1344.JPG" width="320" /><br />
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<strong>Why do animals have strange bodies</strong> ?? - My little boy totally totally loves this book and this is the one book I try skipping lines and pages and both my kids wouldn't let me and would ensure I re-read it. It wonders about why a camel has a hump on its back and why the elephant's nose is so long and why the rabbit's ears are so long and why the kangaroo has a pouch and it then talks about facts. Thanks to the book, my kids can now differentiate between a tortoise and a turtle, they know there are one and two hump camels, they know about porcupines and some more. Its an interesting book. I tried searching this book on the net but haven't been able to locate it so no pics or links. But if you find it in a bookstore, do flip it over. I am sure you will love it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30cgYOtyM6gQSGGphWLznxiUIWE7QBCTrFFkNzIcepR47HVrIiDk4-uzJsygqPYYdLT0OYf6n-pcwT2IugFp4xjxrInVJWcBQXWeSAypdDIl5avl7ExfBylUt9ZFxc7UFr5YS/s1600/paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30cgYOtyM6gQSGGphWLznxiUIWE7QBCTrFFkNzIcepR47HVrIiDk4-uzJsygqPYYdLT0OYf6n-pcwT2IugFp4xjxrInVJWcBQXWeSAypdDIl5avl7ExfBylUt9ZFxc7UFr5YS/s1600/paint.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flipkart.com/magic-paintbrush-0333964438/p/itmczz2ncephdejp?pid=9780333964439&ref=76da262d-4d6d-460a-b71d-bff95810a517&srno=m_1_1&otracker=from-search" target="_blank">The magic paintbrush</a> - This is a recent purchase. The story is based in China and the inference is drawn only by the pictures and nothing in the text. Its a simple engaging story that is told in verses. It has a Chinese folk tale feel to it. The story is about a girl Shen, who receives a magic paintbrush and is asked to use it only for the poor never for the wealthy. The magic paintbrush makes real, all things that are painted with it. The trouble starts when the emperor comes to Shen and instructs her to draw a tree full of money. To know how she keeps her promise and escapes the emperor, you should read the story. The peapod loves the story and the rhyme. OK, it isn't as big with the peapod as it is with me (looks sheepish :) ). I loved the book and keep asking the peapod to pick it up for a read and when she doesn't I do. Here is a sample for you anyway,<br />
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Go and catch some shrimps, Shen<br />
Go and catch some fish.<br />
Go and gather oysters<br />
To fill the empty dish.<br />
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She sits there on the seashore.<br />
A stick is in her hand.<br />
She sits there drawing pictures,<br />
Pictures in the sand.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBTJ-FaSRWZ8TAKSP9ykRaM8q__d_bg8cG0u9jymOY1Wvd-6Lu1HsPhYmbzo5DOFp8m7KeqEkazpMnSb_XsUR2wnv2RClJ2OiMJZfi-SBxMrDCUHsvNc-0MVQQnxhTil-D7z0/s1600/dancing-on-walls-275x275-imad8qthganytzc3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBTJ-FaSRWZ8TAKSP9ykRaM8q__d_bg8cG0u9jymOY1Wvd-6Lu1HsPhYmbzo5DOFp8m7KeqEkazpMnSb_XsUR2wnv2RClJ2OiMJZfi-SBxMrDCUHsvNc-0MVQQnxhTil-D7z0/s1600/dancing-on-walls-275x275-imad8qthganytzc3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flipkart.com/dancing-walls-8181463587/p/itmdyuz7nxdu2ekc?pid=9788181463586&ref=052df2ae-e7cf-418d-994e-612e5666bb44&srno=m_1_1&otracker=from-search" target="_blank">Dancing on Walls</a> - This book introduces kids to warli art very beautifully. The story is about a girl, Sharvari who stays back while her parents go to the market. She plans to clean up the house and complete a few chores to surprise her parents. Standing in her yard she sees silver figurines slip down the moonbeam. Suddenly she hears a plea for help. One of the moon people falls into water and moon people do not know to swim since there is no water on the moon. Sharvari saves the little moon man and as gratitude the moon people help her finish all her chores in no time. How did that translate to warli art? Read it. Its a very good gift for kids for the age group 4-7. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRSt_udtlwHtpOznY4FNBgMmXDbFkv3XXsleiOEb_qo6ilTMgc4CBzlu-dsDQigmffjBL_ntGwkGUj7EyZzlTnGnV3G0Cj9Jtvrj1D9DAfxJqMqjW4La8K8zMfGK8ctXPdkOp/s1600/DSCN1344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
The peapod enjoys picking books at a bookstore and has kind of made her peace with me shortlisting them at the counter. Sometimes I wonder if buying books for peapod is just an excuse :). </div>
Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-46960555810859856362012-11-05T20:25:00.000+05:302012-11-05T20:25:22.738+05:30Book reading - Have you seen this?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After months of seeing book reading events happening in every other city but Pune, had me yearning for some fun here in our very own city. Finally here is our chance<br />
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I will be reading out loud <a href="http://abouttimenow.blogspot.in/" target="_blank">Arthi Anand's</a> wacky book <strong><span style="color: red;">Have you seen this?</span></strong> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7iKIAOjvHterlTIh09QVJBeUc1eZ3WgqUluBpi0DT3YiyrLkoOhcIkdF8-fJC3E6_oDtZD0yDIWuuikC_7x8U3HY22d3XL9ZijNReodDzYy-g2bNGIISJZApzikxGT8vzTKJK/s1600/294_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7iKIAOjvHterlTIh09QVJBeUc1eZ3WgqUluBpi0DT3YiyrLkoOhcIkdF8-fJC3E6_oDtZD0yDIWuuikC_7x8U3HY22d3XL9ZijNReodDzYy-g2bNGIISJZApzikxGT8vzTKJK/s1600/294_cover.jpg" /></a>
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Venue: <a href="http://twistntales.blogspot.in/" target="_blank">Twist 'n' Tales</a>, Aundh <br />
Date: 11 Nov 2012<br />
Time: 11 am.<br />
Age group: 3 -7<br />
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<a href="http://mediumboss.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Sowmya Rajendran</a>, the author of children's books like Aana and Chena, Powercut, The snow king's daughter will also be at the event reading from her book "School is cool".<br />
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To say I am nervous would be an understatement but I have been looking forward to this event for months now, so fingures crossed. Please do come if you can.<br />
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Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-76594371098835331872012-11-01T21:11:00.000+05:302012-11-05T16:31:39.425+05:30Violence Against Women Awareness - Patriachy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://vawawareness.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" qea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKiuUT6BDCWUHEKqeDXVjr4CHTfu9UXCL9nHU4KvvQKJZqcsytVS2jU6tllSK9SSt9AnXDcNr3KvFioQH4qjDs9pF24yy9kDJCARcHRltz0ty0ad5GedR_28H2xRsIH6lMIUa/s1600/Violence+Against+Women+Awareness+Month+Oct+2012.jpg" /></a><br />
I am hopelessly late to this but I just want to still show my support to this cause and its a cause I support.<br />
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If there is one thing that has survived well past its time and needs to be 10 feet under already is the idea of the patriarchy society. The survival of the mindset is the single most reason we see the many crimes against women in our country.<br />
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What is a patriarchal Society?<br />
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Wikipedia defines it thus- Patriarchy is a social system in which the male acts as the primary authority figure central to social organization, and where fathers hold authority over women, children, and property. It implies the institutions of male rule and privilege, and entails both male and female subordination to the designated male patriarch with a specific domain or grouping.<br />
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In a patriarchy, roles are gender based and not on an individuals interests or capability. The women minds the home and hearth, is responsible for child care, caring for the elderly in the household, submissive to her husband, submissive to all the elderly in the household, to all and sundry and basically staying in the background. Patriarchy is based on a system of power relations which are hierarchical and unequal where men control women’s production, reproduction and sexuality. The patriarchs view women as second-class citizens and as their property, to do as they wish with them. Hence Domestic violence is prevalent in patriarch societies and hence nobody even blinks when they hear or watch women being abused. It is not seen as a gross violation of human rights in general.<br />
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Patriarch not only suppresses women but also younger boys/men in the household. In India, we have sons struggle under their father's reign. Younger siblings struggle under the 'bade bhaiya'. All in the name of 'respect'. Young men find it difficult to voice a different opinion and tend to follow whatever the dictate of the father or the head of the family is. In that way you can compare them to women, but then women are saddled with a whole lot of responsibilities with no acknowledgement or appreciation and with no monetary value attached to it. So much so that women do not even know themselves the amount of work they get accomplished. Most women tend to downplay what they do or tend to blame themselves for the criticism they receive rather than look at it objectively. Even today.<br />
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Women's liberation movement did not just liberate the women but also young men to walk away from the oppression/submissiveness forced on them at home. Sadly, liberated young men instead of being thankful to the liberation movement soon start the same cycle where they throne themselves as the head of their family. It would do a world of good to have atleast the younger men move away from this mindset.<br />
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Thanks to many feminists movements and various human rights organization who championed causes like right to education, equal employment opportunity, equal pay rights, right to my own body and sexuality, right to my kids, right to live with dignity, today we live in a time where atleast the law recognizes it and grants them. But we do still have people, men, women both at really powerful positions, who can make a difference and influence a whole lot of people considering the positions they hold, but advocate regressive and uneducated views. A judge in Karnataka still believes women should adjust and sites examples of women who have been abused but still live with their husbands as shining examples. A family life is of equal importance to both and should survive only because both of them want it and not because one person is ready to adjust. The one person adjusting bit is very regressive and demeans the institution of marriage. A women chief minister who has reached the heights she has because of these same feminists values fails to re-inforce them and instead blames western values corroding our culture. Blaming rape on women getting out their houses or wearing jeans or skirts or even suggesting it was because they mingle way too freely with men is sadly all on the wrong track. The basic difference is consensual and forced touch. The moment an individual (girl or boy) is forced to do something against their wishes, that is when the law should kick in and identify the abuser and the victim. Who violated who's space? Not immediately turn the guns on the lady/girl and start asking her about her mother, husband, lifestyle choices, clothes and such kinds. It DOES NOT MATTER. And it is not a complicated theory. Infact its simple. Moral policing makes it complicated. Instead of taking the abuser to task, the victim gets branded as shameless and too forward and available. This endorsement sadly puts the our case a few decades backward. Its even more bizarre, when powerful women make such statements. <br />
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Partnership is the cool thing to have in a marriage. Its almost never 50-50. And the power equation is never the same in all homes. You contribute as per your strengths and then some order some take homes. </div>
Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-40733289536329077372012-09-14T18:37:00.003+05:302012-09-14T18:37:58.759+05:30Science Express arrives in Pune<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNCAP0OQWVBJv3kTU3-Ps_EZ18lsXTlg9gmFtJoGCNsPCaukWfbAS7RLf5VBmyEkjYZZkdCVOj84ukFCrr-aLFeISD0twgimMh0LWT2ISdZDEVSZJ1_oisfxALZ7dpk853DCs/s1600/scienceexpress.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNCAP0OQWVBJv3kTU3-Ps_EZ18lsXTlg9gmFtJoGCNsPCaukWfbAS7RLf5VBmyEkjYZZkdCVOj84ukFCrr-aLFeISD0twgimMh0LWT2ISdZDEVSZJ1_oisfxALZ7dpk853DCs/s640/scienceexpress.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sciencexpress.in/" target="_blank">‘Science Express - Biodiversity Special’ (SEBS)</a> is an innovative mobile exhibition mounted on a specially designed 16 coach AC train, traveling across India from 5 June to 22 December 2012. SEBS is the fifth phase of the iconic and path-breaking Science Express. The SEBS is a unique collaborative initiative of Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Government of India.<br />
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This is pretty close to where I live and hence defintely on my must-do list for the weekend. More details after I have a peek tomorrow.<br />
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Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-85693248278382823842012-08-28T11:53:00.000+05:302012-08-28T11:53:14.727+05:30Have you seen this? - by Arthi Navneet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello friends, This is peapod here. Its been a while since I last popped here. Been busy - ha ha - dont ask me what that means - that is what my mom keeps saying. But I have come to tell you about a great book I have been reading. <br />
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Have you seen "Arthi aunty's" new book - the very wacky and funny "Have you seen this?" yet? I am sure you already have - if you haven't you really need to. You can buy it <a href="http://www.flipkart.com/have-you-seen-this-idhu-ningal-kanditundo-9350461927/p/itmdbgg2yntget2t?pid=9789350461921&ref=ae512430-c822-4c5b-8159-bc70a86d6bee" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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Did you just ask me - what is it about? It's about all these things that do funny things. <br />
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What do you mean funny things? Have you seen a door that runs? ha ha ha. Now wouldn't that be fun running behind a door that runs specially just when chattambi needs to go shu shu - ha ha ha. (Mom tells me it isn't nice to make fun of him, but now it wouldn't be fun if I were running - would it?) <br />
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The book also talks about a crow that cooks - How interesting would that be? Wearing saree like Ammachy does and tie her hair high - haha. It gives me all sorts of weird ideas. The tree that flies - how comical would it be if the tree flew when the animals play hide and seek - crazy right? How about a pencil that writes? I have been asking mummy to order me a writing pencil and that way, I need not worry about Dapte Mam urging me to write fast. <br />
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The best thing about the book is I can read it without help and it is very funny. The chattambi keeps looking at the pictures and asking mom his standard questions that all begin with either "What" or "Why". I know mom pretends not to hear him at times so that she doesn't have to answer him. And I love the girl and the boy in the book with big wide eyes and a long chotti. <br />
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Here is a book reading invite for Mumbai on the 1st of Sept. My dear friends from Mumbai,, you are very very lucky. Go for it. Waiting for the Pune book reading invite now with my fingures crossed.<br />
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Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-46537894108338114582012-07-16T16:46:00.000+05:302012-07-16T21:35:23.290+05:30The Horror of the Abuse<div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The last 2 days of TV viewing has been really really depressing. It brings back the horror of the Bangalore incident, where the ram sena humiliated girls by hurling them around since they were seen in a pub.The Guwahati incident was even more horrifying considering this was just a child, a 16yr old class IX student. She was coming back from a pub with a couple of friends and got into a spat with a couple of boys on the street. Her friends escaped the mad mob and the poor girl was trapped. She was molested by 30 men and then stripped. Cowards each one of them, taking advantage of a child. I hope there is enough noise made about this incident to book each of those young boys and men who were happily smiling into the camera while doing so. Its a shame. Watching that clip on TV sent a shiver down my spine. We live here, we call this our homeland and are kids and our women are all under constant threat. <br />
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My heart goes out to the child who probably will live this nightmare for so many more days and nights. I pray she and her family find the strength to stay afloat. The one reason other than absolute failure of our law and order these things happen is because men still believe under some cosmic scheme they are suppose to control or discipline women and they can. If this is what they do to girls they don't know, what would they do to their own women folks behind closed doors. That smile, that glee while tormenting a child in public, humiliating her, pulling her hair is so disturbing, I so want to scream out loud. It is absolutely disturbing. Being a bystander to such atrocity is equally horrendous. <br />
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This just shows prejudices inbuilt in our country at so many levels over and above the very obvious. <br />
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1. What makes boys/men think they can grope and strip a girl in public and look very unaffected by it - Did they think they had every right to teach a girl with whom they had a spat, a lesson. How is this any different than men stoning a women to death in Pakistan or Afghanistan. <br />
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2. When a group of boys are at it, why can not an another group step in, stop it. What part of our being lets us watch on as a poor child screams for help. - Are we above all that happens on the street. A mob can get away with anything in India. <br />
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To such perverts I ask, who died and made you the custodians of culture, Izzat and women in general. Take a hike guys and just stay there please. Women in India, have all been through men staring at them, men edging an elbow at their breast like they didn't realize, pushing themselves on you in a bus or in a crowd like they couldn't help it. Men baring their stun guns, staring at your breasts, groping in a quiet dark alley if the chance presented is just something we have learnt to expect and look out for. And then, every now and then sexual harassment reaches a new level like this one. The Mumbai new year incident, the Bangalore pub incident and so many more shakes you up. This could have been you. That just makes me think how should I ensure my son isnt one these. A Boy with the right values and who would never join a mob like this. Men who can stand up and do the right thing. <br />
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We all know, sexual harassment such as these are not about the dress you wear, or the time of day or night, or the place you were in, or the company you are in, or your mode of transport. No. It is not. It is just because some rabid men decided they were going to have a field day and then found support in a few more who joined them or decided to stay in the background and watch and thus their pack grows. <br />
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We as a country need to make enough noise and ensure that none of them are let off. They deserve very severe punishment. Even if they are young boys and have a life ahead of them, if they are let off this time, they and many others like them are only going to be more confident about it the next time. Only 4 of the 30 have been put behind bars so far. I am sure the rest are in hiding thinking, it will ease off in a few days and then they can unleash their ugly monstrous selves back on the street. <br />
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This country really fails its girls, young ladies and women. Totally. Its a sad sad state of affairs</div></div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-10027249019061400812012-07-09T09:43:00.000+05:302012-07-09T09:43:25.349+05:30Next door by Jahnavi Barua and some more....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLoql2xWavprlzsxjsmN_jJF5wXlMwmYBxXUK5i14On335mko-XuE7dueJuniiS_cSa53T5Qx-cWePsJJ8bVt7VDlQFpgBdErA3-9SHgkbOLqFQsyfMVu7MT0UNP1BIt4oZ8ZC/s1600/9780143064527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLoql2xWavprlzsxjsmN_jJF5wXlMwmYBxXUK5i14On335mko-XuE7dueJuniiS_cSa53T5Qx-cWePsJJ8bVt7VDlQFpgBdErA3-9SHgkbOLqFQsyfMVu7MT0UNP1BIt4oZ8ZC/s1600/9780143064527.jpg" /></a></strong><br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.flipkart.com/next-door-stories-0143064525/p/itmczyrpygsfek4m?pid=9780143064527&ref=558f5732-ead5-4a55-8a44-695e8fccb540" target="_blank">Next door - Jahnavi Barua </a></strong><br />
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Totally totally loved this book. The backdrop of this book is Assam. It is a collection of 10 short stories. I confess I really do not know much about Assam and I have not known any Assamese all these years. I generally need a good story to enjoy a book. Good humour, I love and a nice romantic story/angle has me totally hooked. A good book to me is generally the one I can not put down. But this one does not meet many of my loud criteria. There isn't a complicated plot in there, its about the emotions of everyday people. Humour is scarce and very subtle. And you actually need to put the book down after every good story or 2. What I have loved about this book and stories is that it gave me a glimpse of that land I have not known. Of the mountains and the river that are so much an integral part of the people of this land, of people from all walks of life. I think I know more of Scotland, Ireland and Paris than I know of this place called Assam. The river Brahmaputra has figured in every story and is a towering presence in the book. Here are a few excerpts from her book. The writing is beautiful. And I am generally not the one to gush over beautiful prose since I am single mindedly after the progress of the story. But this one has striked me really hard. I am sure I will re-read it.<br />
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<em><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
"She hoiseted herself on to the wooden railing that skirted the veranda and leaned back against a wooden post. From her perch she could see the river as it took a wide sweeping turn and disappeared palely, and across , beyond the ribbon of silver was a range of low hills, dark and brooding, Bhutan." </blockquote>
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<em><span style="color: #444444;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Indeed, the pale pebbles and stones lining the banks seemed to glow, reflecting this radiance, and the tree massed along its edge rustled in the morning breeze and leaned towards the water, whispering, seeking, a cue, an excuse to follow its lead."</blockquote>
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I would totally recommend every blogger to pick this one up for a simple reason, everyone who writes, knows the difficulty of describing a scene. I haven't read any other books of hers but I will look up now definitely. <br />
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Long long back, atleast a decade and a half back, when I read "God of small things", I thought nobody other than a Keralite would understand half the references made in the book. A few Malayalam phrases here and there and a lot of nuances that are so much a part of Kerala. I thought it impossible for anybody without a clue of the place to read and understand it. I stand corrected today. Not about understanding every Assamese nuance but the fact that I enjoyed the book very much with its subtle Assamese phrases and letting my imagination take me to a beautiful place of mountains and rivers. I think that is the magic of lingual phrases. I think you will love it.<br />
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And a few more books I have read in the recent past<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97EM8C_RW2Pu4tY3uGvBZDbZ257dVc6UAFUDfKvn4VDle4iwXvas5g17fxVYk7-aEaplePE4KeW5XA95DxTuJOlE1-O83rm8EIhvSp0MVkL1AJkzAzFHDdC41Gr3iTwSpiub_/s1600/9781409120919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97EM8C_RW2Pu4tY3uGvBZDbZ257dVc6UAFUDfKvn4VDle4iwXvas5g17fxVYk7-aEaplePE4KeW5XA95DxTuJOlE1-O83rm8EIhvSp0MVkL1AJkzAzFHDdC41Gr3iTwSpiub_/s1600/9781409120919.jpg" /></a><br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.flipkart.com/never-look-away-1409120910/p/itmczz4kepzzxdya?pid=9781409120919&ref=81c9b3f7-9789-4cc0-8f0f-6fef539a67b8" target="_blank">Never look away - Linwood Barclay </a></strong><br />
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This one is a compelling suspense/mystery atleast untill midway. After having read umpteen suspense/thriller books and seeing similar movies, you can start guessing after a while but it was still very interesting. I totally enjoyed it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoq0Du2Fhb27XKpjpkxwR41pvW3dqHKCZ5dF0VCJGOH956L0pcJ6SlYfj6px4oApKvTmhK9Ju0QuDWRRndrXBFJSzzfISSg8UGcTf1W2OATrF3L8lpTdVlMrViI6NG8-P_GTv/s1600/9788189884819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoq0Du2Fhb27XKpjpkxwR41pvW3dqHKCZ5dF0VCJGOH956L0pcJ6SlYfj6px4oApKvTmhK9Ju0QuDWRRndrXBFJSzzfISSg8UGcTf1W2OATrF3L8lpTdVlMrViI6NG8-P_GTv/s1600/9788189884819.jpg" /></a><br />
<strong><a href="http://www.flipkart.com/bad-boys-guide-good-indian-girl-8189884816/p/itmdyv5rkhwgzjwz?pid=9788189884819&ref=d1221c5d-4e74-43fa-8971-e4462e085c0e" target="_blank">The Bad boys guide to the Good Indian Girl - Annie Zaidi, Smriti Ravindran </a></strong><br />
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I don't know how to describe this book. It is a collection of stories about school going girls, teens, and adults. Many of these stories are much so about me or people I surely know. It kind of challenges many stereotypical behaviour towards, and of ,women specially in India. Today we are fighting so many things that are not right with the world and specifically prejudices based in India. But beneath all the bigger problems are problems with the way we think which are fed by and moulded by thoughts and opinions we see around us. It is a light read but quite interesting and funny. The title was a sure pick me up. <br />
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<strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNMjpQUXlZ6x9bpnJWIkj9nCBZqAhET2C_KGzdskAAsy6lEcHU1bbfB05VrEDnKgNvBVi-JcUpEtmHRzY2ICcmv5AhpXaBxWxErC_8EBz6-2P07iPLDzuOlU3PXx26bT-pWN2/s1600/9780515114690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNMjpQUXlZ6x9bpnJWIkj9nCBZqAhET2C_KGzdskAAsy6lEcHU1bbfB05VrEDnKgNvBVi-JcUpEtmHRzY2ICcmv5AhpXaBxWxErC_8EBz6-2P07iPLDzuOlU3PXx26bT-pWN2/s1600/9780515114690.jpg" /></a></strong><br />
<strong><a href="http://www.flipkart.com/born-fire-0515114693/p/itmczzb5wpgmkdgn?pid=9780515114690&ref=b5c2699f-7e6c-4dfb-89fe-8f2db54572e8" target="_blank">Born In Fire - Nora Roberts </a></strong><br />
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This is a book I will most probably read again and again on a nice rainy day, or a quiet Saturday afternoon or on a lonely night. It is a keeper on my book shelf. I have read the other 2 in the trilogy of this book and didn't care much for either.This story is staged in a lovely village in Ireland and is about a stubborn, spirited and fiery glass artist named Maggie and an art gallery owner, Rogney Sweeney, who is ofcourse stinking rich, well-mannered and a total gentleman. She is straight forward, speaks her mind and doesn't give a damn about what people think. Why is it that I love her way more than the gentleman Sweeney? Because I am a sucker for stubborn, spirited people. Faced to face with one I have to almost get on my knees to keep the peace and reign in my logic and shut down the practicality department but nevertheless I love them. They are damn impossible. But they are so passionate about whatever it is they are going on about that you just cannot help loving them for it anyway. <br />
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Currently on my hands is -<br />
<strong>How to be a women - Caitlin Moran</strong> - <a href="http://themadmomma.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/for-your-reading-pleasure/" target="_blank">MM</a> and <a href="http://romancingbooks.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/how-to-be-a-woman-book-review/" target="_blank">Chandni</a> recommend it much and the couple of pages I read, I liked.<br />
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<strong>Diary of a wimpy kid </strong>- This one is just plain funny. This is the first book I have read and its hilarious. I can imagine the peapod and chattambi writing diaries like these.</div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-9091490800749756222012-07-03T07:45:00.000+05:302012-08-08T22:30:32.348+05:30All about Chattambi<div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The boy started playschool this June. The first 2 days was really easy since he was busy playing and I was hanging around. The day since they asked us to stay out of the gate, he has been crying. I ferried him to and fro for a week and P did that for a week. Last week we started him on bus and since my sis's son goes to the same school, same bus we thought he might be ok. He hated letting go but were told he settles in. Every morning as soon as he wakes up he starts about how he does not want to go to school. We try to talk around it in terms of not mention the monster word "school" but just say go to Uma aunty and going in a bus(which he likes) but he would latter get tired of all of our lame attempts at trying to fool him and would say I don't want to go in a bus to uma aunty in school. I want to go to Ammachy's house. It was funny how he was seeing through it all. What do we take a 2.5 years old to be .... stupid? So yes we get repaid in like :).<br />
He is so cute at this stage and so very very naughty. He is busy whacking the ants and all kinds of worms with no fear whatsoever. I am sure that comes from my mom. No jumping, no squirming, no screeching - in short no nonsense, Just squash it. He does just that, get a broom, a chappal and squash.<br />
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He calls cockroaches, cocodile and so it might seem to people we have cocodiles in our house.Yeah we haven't bothered to correct him because its just so cute to hear him yelling mumma cocodile. Its fun to see him carry a broom to squash a cocodile. <br />
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He didn't seem to me like he would enjoy playing with teeny-tiny cars since he more of a bat and a ball person. Who was I kidding? He is hoarding all sizes of cars now. I still have to see him play but he is busy just moving them from one container to another totally engrossed. He doesn't wheel them off yet.<br />
He does clean up quite well after a bath or a play. Most times he does it without even me asking him to. Absolutely adorable. The peapod isn't so easy.<br />
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The one thing about him is he favours me. I mean I haven't known this feeling since the peapod is a total daddy's girl. To watch the little fellow go hammer and tongs behind his sis or father if they mess with me is so so so adorable. He wants to sleep with me, he wants me to pick him up, he comes looking for me as soon as he gets up and that makes my heart go totally fuzzy. Yes I so needed this son of mine. Only God knew what I was missing. I am so so head over heels in love with him. He is full of amazing naughtiness but he is so so mine. Now only if he could grow to be a man I could be proud of. Sometimes it scares me shit when I see the kind of men and their pathetic attitudes that I will be bringing forth one of the kind. But then when I was discussing this with a few of my friends, the Bf said "A man bought up by a Queen, treats women like a Princess" and that I know to be true in many instances. So yes there is hope. A feminist mother is nothing short of a Queen right? She does not treat herself nor does she allow anybody to treat her as a second class citizen. She believes in equal rights, in co-exisitng peacefully without the burden of Indian traditions. She believes in the power of "Saying No". She believes not only in women being treated respectfully but also men. And then she also believes in prayers and miracles :).<br />
</div></div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-70042426757292985432012-07-02T12:20:00.003+05:302012-07-03T07:33:10.139+05:30A visit to the zoo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The kids have been talking about going to the zoo for a couple of weeks now and we just haven't managed to get the mood or th logistics togather. Last Saturday morning, when my sis's son started singing about the zoo, my sis asked around who were all up for a visit to the zoo and all hands went up. We spent the afternoon at the Rajiv Gandhi zoological park and what we hadn't expected was the amount of walking. If I do it again, I will do it as an evening activity. Maybe reach there around 3-4pm and spend the evening strolling around. </div>
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I do not remember enjoying a zoo as a child. Infact I dont even remember a couple of our zoo visits entirely right now except it being mentioned by mom in terms of timelines like when your cousin was born and granny had come or when we went to Baroda for so-and-so uncle's son's wedding and such like. But I love seeing my kids doing the rounds. Its sometimes like seeing it through their eyes and it seems to be filled with wonder and awe, specially the chattambi. </div>
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So here is a peak of a saturday well spent.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VZHUo-yWaM-78KtaXicUv9RXNEGadJVmJniY-BqfsdFnYie52LNaM_YPm1Nhn8u6DHqQyYpGPKQZW74whU2_p5tQ2A4_kEk9HsTlnqrwWsEMrZOJim349Z_TBNagmfj27Fsd/s1600/DSCN1030-pol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VZHUo-yWaM-78KtaXicUv9RXNEGadJVmJniY-BqfsdFnYie52LNaM_YPm1Nhn8u6DHqQyYpGPKQZW74whU2_p5tQ2A4_kEk9HsTlnqrwWsEMrZOJim349Z_TBNagmfj27Fsd/s640/DSCN1030-pol.jpg" vca="true" width="534" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chattambi, Peapod and my sister's son.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turtle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crocodile</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping leopards</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The White Tiger</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nilgai</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to swing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted deers</td></tr>
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Can you tell I bought a new Camera, The Nikon L810. No right?? I knew that. I am too modest to tell :)</div>
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</div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-73358758729112452482012-06-24T16:36:00.000+05:302012-06-24T16:37:23.341+05:30The Tea Sanctuary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I already told you about our Kerala trip this May.But as you can say that post was more about pics than anything else. So this is the post about everything else especially about the place we stayed at in Munnar. This was a trip that was being planned for a year. Kerala in May is HOT ...super HOT. The kids love it running around the house, the well, looking at cows and hens and all that makes a little quaint village.<br />
2 days after the wedding we left for Munnar. It was a 7-hour journey to Munnar. After a couple of breaks and after an hour of winding roads we were really giddy and tired by the time we reached the place we had booked. When we stepped out of our Travera at about 3 pm we were ready to just dump ourselves on the bed and be done with for the day. But what greeted us was magnificent awesomeness. Seriously. Instead of getting inside to check our rooms we just walked around the lawn and immediately felt very very refreshed. The weather was fantastic. Cloudy but not rainy. Cold but not very. And the view was breathtaking. <br />
When we finally got to the room, it was even better. We were 3 families and a driver and that was exactly how many rooms they had. So we had booked the whole bungalow. In addition to the rooms, we also had a recreation room, a TV room, a Tea room and a Dinning room. Plus they also had a kitchen where the caretaker could cook for us. All the 4 days we stayed there, we had dinner at the bungalow. The room came with free breakfast, which wasn't bad. Puris and Idlis, nothing there not to like.<br />
We did a couple of points at an easy pace each day. The high point for the kids was the elephant ride. My boy totally loved it. We are still talking about it when we lie down at night.<br />
This place we stayed at was called <a href="http://theteasanctuary.com/" target="_blank">the Tea Sanctuary</a>. I would totally recommend it to family with kids. Specially families who just want to lie back and take it all in rather than people who need one to only rest their heads.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQNDdO4bTUYna6clndf_WlhRYHPURsVCcpqR4sMSdM6aayGrSzgWeOLCv_vSrXNiHwVF-Gr64bKOT2DFenddsO3YBCej9QW8jUdKVkAcL8nKs9aKNmjyWT_vgtL6OAzmUOxMK/s1600/2012-05-16+16.45.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQNDdO4bTUYna6clndf_WlhRYHPURsVCcpqR4sMSdM6aayGrSzgWeOLCv_vSrXNiHwVF-Gr64bKOT2DFenddsO3YBCej9QW8jUdKVkAcL8nKs9aKNmjyWT_vgtL6OAzmUOxMK/s640/2012-05-16+16.45.55.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One lies down, the other tries to fly, an another tries to steal off a pair of croc while the boy looks on - how can I help?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing hop-scotch </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They just couldn't have enough of running around on the lawns</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVsumKU9qJy-rDvbRTS0CJgpLJpQYupTCXK0B7Bbxamq9bjZ7n_qMQ7qjTIZQcrvnIUmnCauTcXCZQCG9x2loyrgFG4G1Gvhl9BvVBvLrCyAWC3sBCC6INQN-YvXLTPj7MGlj/s1600/2012-05-16+17.20.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVsumKU9qJy-rDvbRTS0CJgpLJpQYupTCXK0B7Bbxamq9bjZ7n_qMQ7qjTIZQcrvnIUmnCauTcXCZQCG9x2loyrgFG4G1Gvhl9BvVBvLrCyAWC3sBCC6INQN-YvXLTPj7MGlj/s640/2012-05-16+17.20.28.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the beautiful entrance with these lovely creepers with the trailing flowers. <br />
I would love to do this to our balcony someday</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkvkZPV__BjHb0Df4RarR2Wyn__xv1cTo5yBdsRZKBVTelFiZU2nKb-7h9Gwui5gJhKnmwPmvd_gEF_kEA71jCLwfjL8ZbsZ6gu1suAHHJWNsWdmmAeDSbLff_B9NphaWACzu/s1600/2012-05-16+17.24.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkvkZPV__BjHb0Df4RarR2Wyn__xv1cTo5yBdsRZKBVTelFiZU2nKb-7h9Gwui5gJhKnmwPmvd_gEF_kEA71jCLwfjL8ZbsZ6gu1suAHHJWNsWdmmAeDSbLff_B9NphaWACzu/s640/2012-05-16+17.24.20.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy & son looking on and beyond in opposite directions ofcourse.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's The Tea Sanctuary</td></tr>
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God don't you just love to come back and do reruns of photos and keep telling stories and how you forget all the not so fun part of the holiday, the travelling, about kids throwing up and all other inconveniences. Also I love it when the kids are retelling some part of a holiday totally out of context around you on an unassuming day. Wants me to pack them up again and take them all over some other place again.<br />
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And yes, this is a paid post. ha ha ha ...I am kidding. I wish it was paid. I haven't made even a dus rupaiya from this blog.</div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-45596072731992909362012-05-23T09:25:00.000+05:302012-05-23T09:25:18.647+05:30Kerala - Munnar - A Vacation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We set off to Kerala for a 10 day trip to attend the wedding of my little cousin. It was an occassion of a grand get-togather. We made a 4 day trip to munnar. Here are a few pics and let me warn you - this one is a picture heavy post :). Just can't help myself.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TRWQP4WMRwbj-hbKwCrtkYu-2IuQLTVbvmEC5muDlPViMxRlrH55_c_GAyAwKjExtqqhok7ntghGRi5rcg8fxKV0s7La5kxF-odx6nVpJk9SWLlyHvCvayk12vgHqNXljmIJ/s1600/Copy+of+DSCN0217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TRWQP4WMRwbj-hbKwCrtkYu-2IuQLTVbvmEC5muDlPViMxRlrH55_c_GAyAwKjExtqqhok7ntghGRi5rcg8fxKV0s7La5kxF-odx6nVpJk9SWLlyHvCvayk12vgHqNXljmIJ/s320/Copy+of+DSCN0217.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My girls as the flower girls as the bride enters the church</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6r2cPSVgrWITODWmFmiBMsPhgUajE_ZZz2oYUVKKv5LHICSdDAQgsjotyBBn0ohNRagHE2oOwtjlwvtU9yvhKfKBiHak8AYicVF_dTXuKDHIBFipQbxM3qShNunmNqwX0LvNh/s1600/Copy+of+DSCN0228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6r2cPSVgrWITODWmFmiBMsPhgUajE_ZZz2oYUVKKv5LHICSdDAQgsjotyBBn0ohNRagHE2oOwtjlwvtU9yvhKfKBiHak8AYicVF_dTXuKDHIBFipQbxM3qShNunmNqwX0LvNh/s320/Copy+of+DSCN0228.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My granny who is 92 yrs with my son</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtqNm_rTZDeaEAT9ZkxuP6IAogKUjHhUFPPQRyBuoDs3YIuAjoAJ6BMtCfNd4DqCje9YHqNoO_LeoX1l_yWO3a7y4BuUjh-pflifL21CtBUrdstnQR3-XWGz2H7NdKCp2mupu/s1600/Copy+of+DSCN0255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtqNm_rTZDeaEAT9ZkxuP6IAogKUjHhUFPPQRyBuoDs3YIuAjoAJ6BMtCfNd4DqCje9YHqNoO_LeoX1l_yWO3a7y4BuUjh-pflifL21CtBUrdstnQR3-XWGz2H7NdKCp2mupu/s320/Copy+of+DSCN0255.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thottapally beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Aunts garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVVorcojruntIH2qYVPAd62X7XGtrQXZNv-8kX_lwFu0Bee-mOofWizrm-yp0DAVX2v6TBfJFW3TZAHnos3RyyJUT4uhSJffwXh03ihrhyphenhyphentaOd7BozFjsEp-H2TTSohN6Khew/s1600/DSCN0151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVVorcojruntIH2qYVPAd62X7XGtrQXZNv-8kX_lwFu0Bee-mOofWizrm-yp0DAVX2v6TBfJFW3TZAHnos3RyyJUT4uhSJffwXh03ihrhyphenhyphentaOd7BozFjsEp-H2TTSohN6Khew/s320/DSCN0151.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From my aunts garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHVGB68YKJtDltfgR164grw422OsQ6tzfVgl5qn-RGmY4IW8fB43kPpkX4BCNDZo3RT9e1i4quMIZ7YD_WAr0Pogn8puH8iDp1zz1TUy6qzq7DurQrS-qs2C4PvFvA6-tTAUj/s1600/DSCN0201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHVGB68YKJtDltfgR164grw422OsQ6tzfVgl5qn-RGmY4IW8fB43kPpkX4BCNDZo3RT9e1i4quMIZ7YD_WAr0Pogn8puH8iDp1zz1TUy6qzq7DurQrS-qs2C4PvFvA6-tTAUj/s320/DSCN0201.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance and my aunt sweeping the courtyard at dawn</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thottapally beach - fishermen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orchids again from my aunt's garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Munnar - The green carpet of tea leaves on the mountain terrain. Breathtaking.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flora and fauna of Munnar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have never seen anything like this. So beautiful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And these are people who claimed they were holding each other to prevent a fall. Only the pic shows the contrary, they were hanging on to the dear elephant for their dear life.</td></tr>
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</div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-5677619728908195652012-04-18T16:41:00.000+05:302012-04-18T16:41:49.618+05:30The curly hair girl turned 6 - Yippee!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My little girl with curly hair, a shy smile and with not a wicked bone turned 6 last month. What a roller coaster ride it has been. Infact after the chattambi, we realize what an angel you are or were at his age. Just look at you now, your face, yes it is an angelic face (even if I may say so) but that is not what I was getting at, it feels like the cat went all over you. You have claw marks. I try to keep up with his nails and twisting his ears and a whack now and then but each attempt has a 50% chance of driving the point home since sometimes he looses the plot and starts pinching me thinking we are playing. While we continue to whack him, talk to him, get him to understand, you continue to wrestle him when you know you can not come out of it unscathed. Sometimes I am frustrated with you for not having any kind of a reflex. You really need to go for some class that teach reflexes. Forget all that colouring, singing, dancing classes, if you have to put up with your lil bro you need reflex. You should know to dodge a punch. Its the least. You sit right there in his face when he is busy beating the daylights out of you and then cry and then when we whack the chattambi, you are sympathetic for that monkey and even say "Its ok he is small na".<br />
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The other day in the car when you were angry for something and I could not understand what was it, I yelled and you said I hate you mumma. ha ha, it made me smile. You are just six, and we have the whole single digits and the teens to make through. I hope I will still smile when you say that when you are a teen. When accusations fly high and are more precisely targeted I hope I can still smile at it.<br />
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I hope I can get you out of the "read for me" rant and convert it into a "I Love reading" thing. Yeah the difference is HUGE. We can both read our respective books at peace just before we switch off the lights and then I can move on to read on my Galaxy. While I might move you to reading I still have to read to the little monster who is so full of questions and ask each atleast a dozen times. Who is this? What is he doing? hmm ...what is he doing? ...hmm what is he doing? ...Yawwwnnnnn.<br />
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Secondly, I hope we will all move towards our own beds. I am totally frustrated with both of you making war cries every time the light needs to be switched off and you both are crying for mumma to come to bed and lie in between you two. There are days when all I want is to hug you both and smell you guys but there are also days I want to catch that random program on TV or flip a magazine or maybe just read a little more. I don't want to hit the sack at 9:30pm every single day. I am not the one going to school. What time I go to bed is immaterial. For the sake of my sanity I hope by the next year atleast you'll have your own room with a cupboard, one for each. Clothes are flowing out of the chest of drawers we bought to put both your teeny tiny clothes in when Chattambi was born and stuffing uniforms and party dress and outdoor clothes into one little drawer isn't helping any more.<br />
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You are an absolute delight as a daughter. You make me totally nervous because you seem to look up to me a lot. You are ready to absorb all I have to offer. I am no saint and nor am I yet the person I would like to be. I tend to loose my temper and I am sorry you have seen a lot of it. You have often asked me why did God have to give you curly hair and not silky straight hair and I always tell you, you were marked differently with your curls. As you grow I hope you will learn that is the truth and if you don't then latter we can try straightening as well :). You have kept the whole family on their toes with excitement thinking about your own birthday dawn. Your growing pains again are giving my hands hand aches. You want me to massage in a particular manner, sometimes heavy. sometime light and you wouldn't even doze off after half-an-hour of massaging. You are growing tall my darling. I can already see both of us talking eye-to-eye in the very near future. You love hearing the story of your birth where I narrate about how you went off snoring just when it was time to get out. The doctors would come check the heart beat and feed mumma some ice and then I could feel your bum moving and hands and legs kicking and all the nurses would gather and there you would go off snoring again. You were out in your own sweet time. No hurry and no worries. You are shy by nature and you never go hammer and tongs behind anyone even if they were breaking your stuff and feeding the dogs. You just withdraw. I hope you develop some kind of an assertive trait and don't let people walk all over you without getting offensive. I realize that is my job to nurture you and then I also realize you have your own nature too and your personality will evolve slowly. <br />
</div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-26503475178688532012012-03-22T07:51:00.001+05:302012-03-22T07:51:31.623+05:30Of fractures and fantasies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am glad to see the back of February since Feb began with peapod fracturing her left hand during one of her skating sessions. It was one tiring week. She had, what the medical world calls, a green stick fracture. Since the bone had a slight bend, it had to be straightened physically before they put the plaster on. And so she had to be administered general anesthesia. We spent almost a day in the hospital waiting for her anesthesia to wear off and to confirm the post-plaster x-ray was fine too. The father has been on duty since then dropping and picking her up from school. We removed the plaster on friday and she is holding up well. We are almost into the final week of her school and soon she will be hanging up her cute LKG-UKG uniform. Next year she will be a first grader and will have full day school. I am trying to brace myself for the change. Its not just about her going from kindergarten to primary but more about my kindergarten-like cooking skills. The last 2 years has been a cake walk. She generally has breakfast before she leaves and returns by 12 to mom for lunch. 10am break was just snack time, a fruit, idli or bread would suffice. Considering she will be having lunch in school next year, requires me to get more innovative with my dabba making skills. I have armed myself already with a few books - yeah anything that had easy, quick and dabba in the title was a sure pick-me-up and if it added the bonus word "healthy" - yes - that book was bought. Pretty pics, neat text, a pic of Tarla Dalal in her pretty kitchen, had me fantasizing myself in a cotton saree, neatly set hair (at 6 in the morning ....sure I can do it) in a pretty modern kitchen drawing smilies on breads and chappatis with sauce and mayo with a mint leave for texture and a tomato slice for colour. So come June, I need to find ways to live up to the challenge easily. Easily being the operative word. If its not easy, its never going to be part of the menu. Any recommendations guys?<br />
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This month we have the peapod's birthday and the countdown has already begun. Its fun to see her counting down her days. All she wants is a sandal for her birthday. Her choice is generally some sassy sandal. Multiple choice doesn't work with her as well since all her choices are equally high heeled and bold. Getting the right one is going to be a task. I don't want to get her into heels and she is going to want to buy one with heels. Lets see between mother and daughter what do we finally get our hands on for her. And we are just talking about her 6th birthday, its not like 16. Wonder what we would be disagreeing on at 16.</div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-77863529586314278512012-03-12T08:13:00.000+05:302012-03-12T12:03:24.566+05:30Adira Woman<div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I received an email from <a href="http://www.adirawoman.com/" target="_blank">Adira woman</a> to showcase their product on Enigma and I am happy to, since it is about providing comfort to the women folks during their period. <br />
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Staining and the fear of staining makes those 5-7 days of the month the most anxiety high timeframe for women. Especially heavy bleeders are forever scared of getting up without a cover and are always guarding their moves. Every chance of a mirror or a girlfriend nearby isn't spared. Especially during school days every games period or physical training class there are a bunch of girls who have excused themselves in the name of 'monthly problem'. As a kid I found it very embarrassing to stand out and let the whole class know I have my periods. I rarely check with friends too but I was always scared of staining and not having the comfort of asking others put me under double the stress. Its the constant fear at the back of your mind. A lot has improved since the time I was in school and started with cottons to the latest pads. Pad companies like Whisper and She do promise a stain free period but nevertheless they do stain. <br />
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<a href="http://in.adirawoman.com/index.php/period-panty/boxer-fit.html" target="_blank">Adira women's special period panties</a> promises a stain free period and more than the older women who are tuned into their body, I think it will be a boon to young girls. This product of theirs is an international patent pending product. <br />
<br />
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Have you read Sidin's wishlist for the next government<a href="http://www.whatay.com/2012/01/13/dont-make-me-put-it-up-on-ebay/#disqus_thread" target="_blank"> here</a> yet? If not, Please do.<br />
<br />
Here is my wishlist for the next candidate in Office for a city I have come to love very dearly. Pune will be my kids home town and it better be a good one.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Improved Infrastructure.</b><br />
<br />
1. Roads - The last 3-4 years the one story any local paper could carry and thrash the<br />
government was about the condition of our roads. Lack of any new news, pressed for<br />
time, any journalist could click a few shots on their way to work and an article can be<br />
ready just like that. Come monsoon and every well laid road (so to speak)<br />
start to wither away like leaves in fall. So the one thing I expect to see in the next term of<br />
the Pune corporation is WIDE ROADS. Build the infrastructure for better connectivity<br />
between places. And I am sure there is a quicker way to build a 1 km stretch of an over<br />
bridge without the construction spanning over your term in office and inconveniencing us<br />
poor commuters everyday of our lives. In the last couple of years the work done on the<br />
bombay-pune stretch in the PCMC area is commendable. That was neat. What once took an hour takes just about 20-25 mins now. How cool is that? The Pune muncipal corporation needs to pull up its socks and get going. A lot of internal roads are in a pathetic condition as well.<br />
<br />
2. Pedestrian path - Roads should not just end where the mortar stops flowing. Build<br />
concrete pathways on either side of the roads for people to walk. We don't want vehicles to spill<br />
over on to the sideways and nor do we like the idea of walking on the roads praying nothing hits us. Give it a little structure, paint it yellow/black - white/balck whatever is the colour code. So that we know for sure who needs to stay where.<br />
<br />
3. Bicycle lane - Add a bicycle lane EVERYWHERE. We have way too many people<br />
riding bicycles on our roads and they are so not safe what with lack of any safety<br />
measures. When you decide to build bicycle lanes, make sure you give them continuity<br />
because the city does have bicycle lanes on some roads and then it simply dissappears on<br />
the next road. Not sure what that was suppose to mean - hop , skip and cycle, is that what<br />
you meant?<br />
<br />
4. Public transport - We live in a rental but we have 2 cars. The only reason people like<br />
us have 2 cars before we buy a house is because that is the only convinient and<br />
economical way to commute in the city. Cannot afford to trust the "once in a while"<br />
buses on the route or the rickshaw wallas who will ask for a full return/double return<br />
without blinking an eyelid. You have talked about the metro for 8+ years now. I first read<br />
about it when I was single and very new to Pune. It gave me a lot to dream about this<br />
city. I moved from single to married to 2 kids and that metro is still a very very distant<br />
dream. It gets dusted and restyled with a new fancy photo everytime anybody uttered the<br />
word mordernization. I really don't care if its the metro or the extension of the railways or<br />
a few hundred new buses on the road. Anything that can ensure safety and are quick and<br />
economical way to reach my destination. I have read that your teams are done visiting<br />
Ahmedabad(BRT) and Delhi(metro) and are now visiting foreign locations to study a<br />
good transport system for the city. I say stop wasting my money. Tour the city to give it a<br />
good transport system.<br />
<br />
5. Parks and Gardens. I am not sure if there is a rule regarding the proportion of gardens/<br />
parks to the population in x km radius. If there is, it is a very skewed one in Pune. The<br />
real-estate business is booming and builders are busy selling tall towers with really no<br />
space for kids to run around. The little space that they sell as the garden is quite<br />
insufficient and is pretty only in print. The PMC & PCMC should ensure a healthy ratio<br />
of general Garden/Parks to Population in a given area. We need something of a garden<br />
city movement in Pune before its too late. I really feel very strongly about this. A Park<br />
should be available at 10-15mins walk from anywhere in the city. Is that too much to<br />
ask? Our kids need to play and where else can they kick a ball high enough so that it isn't<br />
hitting someone's car or bike or not breaking into people's house and also not subjecting<br />
older folks to a lot of yelling and shouting every evening or every holiday.<br />
<br />
6. Rivers - The mula-mutha rivers flow through out the city. Many bridges in the city are<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHYr6oXSt3uX9iLZwXXmKe2aUHxwErDHt6O6Z0Y5mRpAZrJkZZzCQGvhepi3Sr9EvL08zCHlvtIqdyCVwMF5GsMCPRa4a4myOpQVAOP4lskPaFHm-ZKnn3ZE2Mz21ATqqO75c/s1600/mulakgnbrdge86-e1312295166724-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHYr6oXSt3uX9iLZwXXmKe2aUHxwErDHt6O6Z0Y5mRpAZrJkZZzCQGvhepi3Sr9EvL08zCHlvtIqdyCVwMF5GsMCPRa4a4myOpQVAOP4lskPaFHm-ZKnn3ZE2Mz21ATqqO75c/s1600/mulakgnbrdge86-e1312295166724-300x225.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mula-Mutha river</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
built over it. Clean them up. Stop using them as dumping grounds even for the ganesh<br />
festivals. It would be such a wonderful sight to see them all cleaned up with walls built<br />
tall to demarcate the banks. How beautiful would that make this city. A riverview address<br />
wouldn't then necessarily mean foul smell and mosquitoes but indeed the view of the<br />
serenely flowing mula-mutha river. Another tourist attraction maybe. A girl can dream right.<br />
Have seen half-hearted efforts in many pockets in the city but that isn't enough.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
7. Protect our hills and trees of Pune - Pune is very well located admist the ghats. It is<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XzUK-FQ9PSv2FgRkokTTzOYEkql6OShCVA6-BetiBj4WD_vZlMLFIlCq1InbDpUqyoZlidMg6pnhNYAUVjaWqATlzT8Fg2HXo4fnnSVQh4CzzzAZwP4VTGH0Sxj2pMlnWgK1/s1600/dsc_0038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XzUK-FQ9PSv2FgRkokTTzOYEkql6OShCVA6-BetiBj4WD_vZlMLFIlCq1InbDpUqyoZlidMg6pnhNYAUVjaWqATlzT8Fg2HXo4fnnSVQh4CzzzAZwP4VTGH0Sxj2pMlnWgK1/s320/dsc_0038.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Sunbird</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
surrounded by hills and there are many roads that are well shaded by trees that are atleast<br />
a 60-100 years old. We need to preserve our greens and our hills. Do not let the crazy real<br />
estate guys, greedy to make a quick buck, raze down trees and the hills without a good<br />
reason. Pune is home to a variety of birds and also has seen quite a number of migratory<br />
birds fly in and out. Morning on our balcony is quite a treat where we can sip on tea/<br />
coffee and watch birds in all sizes and colours come dance around on the tree in front of<br />
us. I regret not having a decent SLR camera to capture them. We need to keep the<br />
synergy of of the green and concrete alive.<br />
<br />
<b>Efficient Systems</b><br />
<br />
8. Waste management - There is filth running over many roads of Pune. We need a whole<br />
lot more fixed dustbins on the roads and a system and process where they are collected<br />
every single day. Even in prominent areas of the city garabage is found overflowing from<br />
dustbins right at the gate of many huge societies. The term 'Waste management' also<br />
involves the process of whatever happens to the waste that is collected and dumped.<br />
Again I wonder if privatization is an option here. The way it works now, it isn't in the<br />
least bit sufficient or efficient.<br />
<br />
9. Need a grieveance addressal number - A number that I can call to report overcharging<br />
rickshaw-wallas. A number I can call to report a pot hole in the middle of a road. A<br />
number I can call to remind officials to switch off the street lights in the morning and to<br />
report street lights that aren't working. A fallen tree should not take a week to be<br />
dismantled and cleaned up. A system that can track a problem/issue to closure.<br />
<br />
10. Stray animals - The one thing that gets me mad is foreigners asking me about<br />
elephants and camels walking the streets of India making it sound like a scene right out of<br />
Indiana Jones. A lot of this we take for granted when we live in India but ideally these<br />
animals are not supposed to be on the roads. Why the hell is an elephant or a camel<br />
walking city roads?? Is there no law against that? Don't we need one? Why are herds<br />
crossing city roads and shitting all over as they parade? I think the corporation needs to<br />
start addressing them and I hope the solution will not require herds of cows and sheeps<br />
and goats cross city roads at all and specially during peak hours.<br />
<br />
Mula mutha picture courtesy - <a href="http://rummuser.com/?p=6182">http://rummuser.com/?p=6182</a><br />
Purple Sunbird picture courtesy - <a href="http://indianhomemaker.wordpress.com/category/birds/">http://indianhomemaker.wordpress.com/category/birds/</a></div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-69136333134134260402012-01-19T08:41:00.000+05:302012-01-19T17:13:53.778+05:30Of Colour and Foliage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Right after the kids if I love anything as dearly, its got to be my darling garden. Every morning I have to check on it and sometimes when I do not have the time Ijust go take a peek for a couple of seconds. Its like inhaling the colour and beauty of it or like having some revitalizing drink you know. While I am no expert on gardening but I am learning as I go and still have a list of things I want to try out. Birdbath is one the items on my list. We get a lot of birds near where we live. Its quite a nice to just sit on our balcony and watch them on the tree close to our apartment. My only problem with building a birdbath is I am not sure to handle the droppings. Once I figure it all out, I am so building a birdbath. Anyway, here are a few pics without much ado.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmPk2j7sH9X_juE6tXEbXgU7NZbU5QImARhLD6B5GDp9GlFe4Fk1mHOVc1ui0MeWRY5zvHlaEeoKI1K5vc_rVitX3s5jk9Q3KzMfBw6equqBn7SrAi5IBVbkOR3jD8kovT4Ql/s1600/2011-12-30+16.42.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmPk2j7sH9X_juE6tXEbXgU7NZbU5QImARhLD6B5GDp9GlFe4Fk1mHOVc1ui0MeWRY5zvHlaEeoKI1K5vc_rVitX3s5jk9Q3KzMfBw6equqBn7SrAi5IBVbkOR3jD8kovT4Ql/s400/2011-12-30+16.42.14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Love</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wZJ44DtQL7nyL7rDsBTRRLVFNomKYuPiKCyvN3tredLdXVtfnrIxfi1WtFo7sQkJt1nZbSKFYSSonrcACWeIVzEuOTWUnto9ETg7FECUc3HiiI3XTln6wJw7WSVSZ87H70p1/s1600/2011-09-15+09.27.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wZJ44DtQL7nyL7rDsBTRRLVFNomKYuPiKCyvN3tredLdXVtfnrIxfi1WtFo7sQkJt1nZbSKFYSSonrcACWeIVzEuOTWUnto9ETg7FECUc3HiiI3XTln6wJw7WSVSZ87H70p1/s400/2011-09-15+09.27.18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My rose bush</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCE8xN4Alntf5rInvdtZdu37r8HANuZhk73NYJ2iEfdQZFRZl_x1WsszyU3KQx2Ql6bAeerko1B4Lp48ejLsjek56DH75Jx38q21GqUGAUA9aa5PQPwVv8wVeD8fSSlvgoYp8/s1600/2011-09-15+09.27.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCE8xN4Alntf5rInvdtZdu37r8HANuZhk73NYJ2iEfdQZFRZl_x1WsszyU3KQx2Ql6bAeerko1B4Lp48ejLsjek56DH75Jx38q21GqUGAUA9aa5PQPwVv8wVeD8fSSlvgoYp8/s400/2011-09-15+09.27.55.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coelus and the Fern</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1G0mQuavNt0n0AcPuPBL3eswrIaR_dEs_WHI4n4m9BocWzOUMIL43IFfpCJNdOeuhraZHUE9SD0j9In-vzpoUko7gSYATsFSP8VW7OdVfnmP3lZFAJ_VlaadfLycKJjK7mXvE/s1600/DSC00457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1G0mQuavNt0n0AcPuPBL3eswrIaR_dEs_WHI4n4m9BocWzOUMIL43IFfpCJNdOeuhraZHUE9SD0j9In-vzpoUko7gSYATsFSP8VW7OdVfnmP3lZFAJ_VlaadfLycKJjK7mXvE/s400/DSC00457.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early days - 2 years back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-80031196332511569792012-01-16T08:42:00.001+05:302012-01-16T08:42:26.222+05:30To be a child<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What it must be to be a child who wakes up from her sleep, smiling and then to be lost in thought while she goes about her morning business to forget to call Mumma to wash her. On being checked, she smiles again shyly and her eyes are sparkling with endless possibilities. I can tell, the girl is dreaming. I love that look. And then she tells me she wants to go to "Dholakpur", still smiling shyly. I did not first get it, since it was not on the list of 50 places I want to visit before I die. What?? You don't think I have a list like that. Oh sure I do. It has been categorized too ..with the family, just the two of us, with friends/cousins and the last category is where I would like to go alone. Does it matter, if its just in my head. Its only a matter of putting it down in black and white. someday. Anyway, back to Dholakpur. I asked her why Dholakpur...I have never heard of a place like that. She smiled shyly and said its a secret....and she whispered "Bheem called me to Dholakpur". Aah!! ok, now that explains. And then we talked some more about if Dholakpur is real and if she can join the Bheem clan. I did not have the heart to tell her its not real. I am sure she knows its not real at some level. But she is just spinning it in her head and seeing it with her eyes closed and the spark in her eyes tells me...its still there, spinning in her head. The fun of living in a dream and believing in endless possibilities is what makes a child.<br />
<br />
She is getting a lot more verbose these days and her vocab is improving too. It also includes lines like 'kya re' and 'you mad or what'. Y/d evening when P whacked chattambi, she yelled back saying "if you have to hit him then why did you make him". Ahem. Chattambi, generally is reprimanded very often these days for kicking the ball so high that the TV screen, the frames on the wall, the mirror are all in danger of surviving the hour before he goes to sleep. His idea of playing with water is to add a couple of more bowls and utensils and then throw it over his head, messing his clothes, the bedsheets, the carpet and spilling water at unexpected places in the house. I have slipped on these quite a few times and hit my leg and bums at unflattering angles. Throws stuff to such lengths that will latter require something close to an excavation routine to pull things back from under/behind the little furniture we have. He runs off with something from the kitchen to create a mess else where. So these days he is on the receiving end of both our wraths. The peapod more often than not hates to see him cry and she yells at us when we are busying whacking him. Even if we give him a timeout on the bed, she rescues him from there or will play with him there for a few quite mins. They do play togather quite a bit actually but they usually end up at loggerheads. I have to continually remind the peapod to teach the chattambi to play with her as in include him in, tell him what to do and give him a chore. Yeah everything I can not do, I ask her to do. Wise ah :). Right now he is at a stage that he would oblige because he doesn't get the concept of turns and playing togather and he is more than willing to try new things and make her happy. But if she sounds irritated or complains then the toys will be tossed around and the make-do roof will fold up and the floor will suddenly look like a tornado just passed. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8PjET8Rn0-gXfh8dSkrsOebQmssKmlYPthkkPafC-RqZuD65q8c4Zq1auWrs8VNspVVmQzrUwLBKrZ8DaTL7JnYdIYlJF4ynpq5JFpoZ4gqZlGqjQNAc8mQQPsBRA9WDCF56/s1600/DSC01266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8PjET8Rn0-gXfh8dSkrsOebQmssKmlYPthkkPafC-RqZuD65q8c4Zq1auWrs8VNspVVmQzrUwLBKrZ8DaTL7JnYdIYlJF4ynpq5JFpoZ4gqZlGqjQNAc8mQQPsBRA9WDCF56/s320/DSC01266.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Pune University</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0M_bE-Rj6g8iEhwOCVupBuL5qzOxMoN7fqbWw3Oe5T_ez6rEzG-e3mMjXz1_fwXzwOVDjRJhq9K02yvHAy3fbitfec1xLfvX2s-Hvpyv_32mVRxMS0hdX6-4orLjissK0rVk/s1600/DSC01267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0M_bE-Rj6g8iEhwOCVupBuL5qzOxMoN7fqbWw3Oe5T_ez6rEzG-e3mMjXz1_fwXzwOVDjRJhq9K02yvHAy3fbitfec1xLfvX2s-Hvpyv_32mVRxMS0hdX6-4orLjissK0rVk/s320/DSC01267.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
She began skating about 6 months back. She was pretty slow and that balance thing wasn't easy to her and she hated being last in the class when they skated around and she hated she just couldn't lift her leg and push ahead. We kept at it and she is getting better. Infact 3 months after she joined skates, she had her first fall and the instructor said as much. She is too careful and too defensive. She wouldn't pick up pace because she feared she would fall. She didn't like the idea of being laughed at. I have had to tell her a number of times, it does not matter if she falls and other kids laugh, the important thing is to learn to skate. Every time a kid fell and everyone laughed including her, I had to point out that 'see its ok ..everybody laughed and then moved on'. There is no need to sulk. She is better now. She laughs along when she falls now. She can see the humour in it. Dust your bums and get moving. She doesn't seem to have inherited her father's sport gene but her mom's non-sporty gene. She can't kick a ball half as well as Chattambi and such. But she wanted to skate and she has stuck around for 6 months and I can see the benefits. Its not just about learning to skate, which she is enjoying but also letting go your fears and listening to and watching others to improve. Its a huge thing. Its slow but a steady progress. Last summer I had enrolled her for swimming and while she enjoyed the pool and floating in it and could swim with her tube on she was terrified of the prospect of jumping into the pool and going under water. Towards the end of the class her instructors were forcing her to jump and she came to hate it. This summer I do plan to take her swimming again but she is already telling me she doesn't want to. I want her to get over her fear and learn swimming. Its in my mind an essential skill and I think she will more than just learn swimming when she does. Need to get her to dream about swimming now so that we can get going during summer.<br />
<br />A couple of weeks back I had done a piece(ahem!) for womens web. Pls check it out <a href="http://www.womensweb.in/articles/travel-mom-kids-pune/" target="_blank">here</a>. Puneites can go and add more in the comments sections. There are other bloggers as well who have talked about their own city.</div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-75553390007167585242012-01-03T08:40:00.000+05:302012-01-03T08:40:01.516+05:30To 7 years of Love and companionship and for 7 more<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week we completed 7 years of married life and this is the first anniversary post. Reasons are plenty, I am generally on leave during christmas week and I hardly use the laptop at home. After 7 years and after umpteen ups and downs, I think I can comfortably say we have found our equilibrium. Yeah we both have matured enough not to take a random remark and run away with it into the past alleys. We are not the romantic couple and we don't do romance the material way. As in the gifts and surprises and the works MBs are made of but let me just say we have our ways. The flowers come sometimes on an unsuspecting day for no reason at all though they have never come on a birthday or anniv. He charges my cellphone. Somedays he even puts it in my bag. He even carries my bag if I am having a bad day. He ensures I don't leave the house in my slippers. He reminds me of stuff I have asked him to remind me days ago. He even gives my head a good massage when it aches and so on. Small stuff here and there and it matters.<br />
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We have moved from the "trying to talk to the other and see the other's POV" to talking to self and understanding our own POV, since the "other" doesn't listen anyway. He is the ambitious, focused and a totally idealistic goat and I am the Gemini whose focus is on way too many things/subjects and certainly not an idealist by a long shot. Maybe a very very long shot. Maybe not even then. We often joke, marriages got be made in heaven because how on earth can anybody put two of us togather and scribble "May no man seperate what God put togather" on our invitation cards - yeah right. We have pulled off this gig this far quite ok and I hope we'll be better off in the years to come. 7 years of marriage, 2 wonderful kids, handful of travels and umpteen experiences, as a couple we have come a long long way. <br />
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I love to travel, he prefers TLC to actually sweating it out. I love fiction and he loves encyclopedia. He is a foodie and loves his food nicely and rightly spiced. I have become a better cook trying to conjure up stuff to challenge his taste buds. While he says pretty much nothing, but the kind of silence tells me, how it was. And if he even as much as whimpers something unpleasant about something I toiled an hour for, he would get a earful. I am a sore looser. But everytime I am in the kitchen, I am upto the challenge :). He is punctual and does not like last minute hurry and furry and I kind of pretty much manage "on time" at the last minute. So if we were to go out some place at 10 in the morning, he would be ready dot 9:30 with car keys in one hand and the lock in the other, with the door wide open. And I would still be in my nightie and the breakfast would still be on the stove and there will be atleast a dozen items minimum I need to accomplish before I can make my way out of that door he is holding. More often than not, I rush out of that door in my slippers and then go back for the change in footwear, my cell and that lip gloss and that purse and that spare tiffin. We have had, I am not sure how many arguments about time and timming. These arguments have now moved from heated arguments to routine arguments like one would say "Good morning" or "Thank you". He is an introvert who does leisure very well and likes his space and I am an extrovert and love people and chatter. <br />
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He is the new age father. He is as involved with the kids as I am. He teaches the peapod on some days and I do the rest. He teaches her to colour, paint and count odd/even numbers. He plays football with the kids, while I ferry the peapod around for classes, parties, practise and the kinds. He reads to the chattambi, he bathes them, entertains them, disciplines them. He is the one to fuss over a little cold or cough. He feeds them as well based on how easy it is and if they are in the mood. He overestimates the kids and I underestimate them. As soon as the peapod learnt her numbers he was the one trying to teach her addition and subtraction. And I didn't realize she knew the numbers 50-100 untill she started spelling them out for me. Atleast 15mins is dedicated to the debate of the day every single day. We both love a good argument and a good debate. Since nothing noteworthy is left to be debated on the home front these days, we debate on national issues and debate about people who are debating. The chalk and cheese couple we are, you can bet we always end up against each other and are never on the same side except for cricket and that too when India is playing any other country. Any other game, it needs to be said - we are always cheering opposite teams. And also I am the one shouting and clapping at the fall of a wicket or a boundary, he just has a smile for about half a sec. If he switches off the TV while the match is on, yes that means Tendulkar is out and there is no hope. So he is more of a silent and calm person unlike me who is loud and pompous.<br />
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One of the test of a relationship, I have read, is to know if you look forward to getting back home after a day at work or are you just dilly-dallying at work or outside and try to get in as late as possible. If that is any indicator then we are going pretty strong because even if we are sulking we are back home at the earliest possible. And conversation is plenty. There is no dearth of topics... politics, cricket, religion, church, school, kids, books, places, people and so on. I wouldn't say we contribute 50-50 to this partnership, its mostly 60-40, some days I am the 40 and the other days he is. We just pick off where the other left off and get on. Not always but lets say mostly. <br />
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He hates me putting up his snaps on my blog. So guess what, I am going to showcase some of his paintings today in the order in which he started painting them over the last 2-3 years. I wish he would do more. I have framed a couple of them to adore our walls.<br />
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</div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-82045401611309687732011-12-31T19:44:00.001+05:302011-12-31T19:44:21.022+05:30Happy New Year and Resolutions for 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So the time has come to bid 2011 a grand farewell. It was an ok year over all. But I wish for a much better year 2012. So my resolutions for 2012 are<br />
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1. Loose 5 kgs and maintan it by Dec 2012. While I did manage to loose weight early last year I couldn't maintain it. Wish this was one of those items you could just check off your list and leave it there.<br />
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2. Grill more and extend the home menu. Include a few more stuff that can be made more often and not remain the one time tried and loved recipe. <br />
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3. Want to be more socially active and that does not mean meeting more parents of kids who are as boring or even more boring than me.<br />
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4. Kick some a$$ at work. While the first half of last year was fun, the second half just sucked. Find something challenging.<br />
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5. If we manage to extend the current rental, then I am making a wall full of frames. Whatever arguments the hubby comes up with, I am so going ahead with hammering atleast half a dozen nails on that hallway wall.<br />
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6. Travel North. Pls lord, make this happen this year. <br />
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Anyway,<br />
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Source: Pinterest</div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-2398750760021851942011-12-26T23:14:00.000+05:302011-12-26T23:14:05.438+05:30Happy Birthday Chattambi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My christmas boy turned 2 yesterday. We started the day with the presents under the tree. He ofcourse had no interest in any of those presents but the peapod went all gung-ho and claimed she saw santa come in her dream, drop presents and she woke up and thought it was just a dream after all. Last year we started this tradition of putting gifts under the tree. While we tried selling the santa story to a 4yr old then, it was evident in her surprise early morning that she hadn't bought the story from us like a innocent 4yr old should. But she was pleasantly surprised. I pulled out one of my new winter socks early last week to find some paper in one which read - peapod is a good girl, chattambi is a bad boy. I realized that was her note to santa to influence his lists of naughty and nice. She was totally edgy waiting for the dawn of christmas day. We bought a few gifts and I left it in the car. We woke up at 1 or was it 2, to go to the car and carry the gifts up to the tree. I actually feared she might just get up in the middle of the night and catch us in the act because that is exactly what she was plotting the whole week. She even wanted to sleep on the sofa to keep a watch. But that didn't happen since santa kept her busy in her dreams :). We went for Christmas mass early morning and my little boy slept through most of it. And then we had an elaborate christmas breakfast and Lunch. While we didn't plan for a party for chattambi this time, my cousins and the kids had come down and we pretty much had a blast :). <br />
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Dearest Chattambi,<br />
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You were a surprise package that arrived one nice Christmas morning. And you have brought such love and warmth into this pack with that glint of mischief in your eyes, your sunshine smile, your amazing naughtiness, your laughter, the way you imitate your father and call me chunni and sometimes even your need to cling to me. While I have always thought having a daughter would have been easier since your mom is one, 2 sisters to her credit and we already had your sister, we could have had dolls and doll houses and mini kitchen going parallel to ours and ofcourse both could go to the same school and stuff you know. Boys, ofcourse I didnt know much about. Girls I knew I had to raise them to be strong, good education, loving, generous, be really good friends, watch out for the bad boys, teach them about strangers, develop their antennas about bad touch, to learn to stay safe, fight unnecessary customs, follow their heart, be a feminist, Claim your rights and generally just do well and be happy. Boys were who I was supposed to mentally classify as good and bad and influence my girls to stay away from the bad ones.<br />
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In 2 years I have kind of figured out not much is different there. I want the same things for you that I want for your sister. I want to raise you to be the good guy, mothers like me dont mind seeing their daughter with. So I leave you with a few rules in no specific order.<br />
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1. Build bonds slowly and may that then last a lifetime. <br />
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2. Study. Education is everything. Knowledge is the only thing nobody can take away and you gain new insights everytime you share.<br />
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3. Read. Read. Read. They take you places, you meet different people, different aspects of different societies, sometimes you savour the writing, sometimes the story, sometimes the notes in italics, sometimes a few scenes keep playing back, sometimes the funnies make you laugh long after and sometimes your imagination runs off with a few lines.<br />
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4. Pray. We come from a family that strongly believes in it and celebrates it. I hope to give both of you that gift of believing in the Bible. <br />
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5. Respect Women, be kind to the old and keep an eye on the little tots(doesn't matter who they belong to). A very close friend once told me, a sign of a gentleman is one who lets old men, women and kids pass/cross even when he is in a hurry. And its never too early to be one.<br />
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6. Keep your promises. Make few and promise only what you plan to keep. <br />
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7. Hug and kiss your grandparents everytime you meet them. Get them flowers, chocolates and a bottle of horlicks(when you get older) even if they say -"oh what will we do with them".<br />
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8. Never ever do drugs or even smoke. I will kick your a$$ if I ever get to know and your father will kick some more.<br />
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9. Play. cricket, football, basketball, hockey whatever it is that takes your fancy. But get yourself dirty on the ground. That is where you should learn your lessons about winning, loosing and teamwork.<br />
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10. Learn to dance. Its a nice way to loosen up and if you learn the moves you can do it looking good.<br />
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Here is wishing you a long, loved, healthy and happy life.<br />
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Love<br />
Your smitten Mumma<br />
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I leave you with a few pics of the year that went by<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sneaking up on us</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Negotiating with baby sis spoils from Ammachy's kitchen</td></tr>
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</div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-24547902743292926982011-12-22T08:03:00.002+05:302011-12-22T08:03:58.173+05:30At home for Christmas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I took off from work around mid last week to be home untill end of the year ........ to be just at home. Its nice wintry cold and mornings are super relaxed with tea and books and music and kids in the little sun that makes it to our balcony. I could live like this ....forever. Schools are closed and no one's in a rush. Have a nice filling breakfast at your pace with hot coffee. Just before the holidays started, I ordered in a few books, so I can read to my heart's content. Christmas time wants me to watch sweet romantic movies. I watched the American President and I love it. And I am doing reruns. Do you have any favourite romantic Christmas movie that you have the craving to watch. Atleast a decade back I had watched You've got mail a dozen times over the christmas holidays when I was in the US. It was there on some channel or the other all the time and every time I saw it ...I just sat through it. And now I wonder should I get a CD/DVD or will I be bored out of my skull to see that movie one more time. Every morning for an hour or two we are blasting christmas songs on our boom box and the peapod who learnt a few of them at her school is just happy to sing & dance along. The little chattambi totally loves grooving to music so its a happy happy place & time. I have been trying to clean in pockets over the days and the feeling of satisfaction when the back breaks and the space looks sparkling clean is just too merry merry kinds. We pulled up our little christmas tree from last year and added a few more ornaments to the tree and decorated a little around the house. So here is love from my home to yours<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first thing we hung was the star lanterns</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then the bells</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hTZqfrYkGeA/TvKSnw5zgCI/AAAAAAAAAyc/IYxxi48pl90/s1600/2011-12-17+20.00.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hTZqfrYkGeA/TvKSnw5zgCI/AAAAAAAAAyc/IYxxi48pl90/s320/2011-12-17+20.00.20.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Christmas Star</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J_g63fpBd0w/TvKTJaO8weI/AAAAAAAAAyk/CRlxKHQKrq8/s1600/2011-12-15+16.43.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J_g63fpBd0w/TvKTJaO8weI/AAAAAAAAAyk/CRlxKHQKrq8/s320/2011-12-15+16.43.11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the peapod after it was all done</td></tr>
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Wish You all a very Merry Merry Christmas.</div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-65880163177083462542011-12-10T12:19:00.001+05:302011-12-12T16:18:15.834+05:30Competition and our kids<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Two weeks back the peapod participated in a few competitions in our church, story telling, singing and colouring. While I was waiting for her to be done with hers, I was in the audience to about ten 10-12yr olds singing, mono acting and doing some other stuff as well. There were 2 of them who clearly outshone the others. The same evening, back home, we were discussing that with a few smart kids, its probably going to be very difficult for the other kids in the class to win a single competition. And this is a class of 8-10. The 2 of them had hijacked every competition. It got into a lot of back and forth accusations between kids who won and who lost. Quite a ego booster to the parents of the kids who won but the rest of the parents got quite angry and it got into a lot of side-alley talks and discussions and tears. At that point I was actually thinking maybe the kids who deserve it should win. Their parents have invested time and effort coaching the kids so yeah if they win every competition, fair enough. Others need to suck it up and work towards the new benchmark.<br />
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I have spent some time the last month preparing peapod for her story telling session. She picked up really well and then slowly we put in little actions and worked on her diction and pronunciation. It didn't happen over night. Its difficult to get her interest for more than 10-15 mins spread over a week. Now, she gets a 2nd and I am pretty happy about it. But here is the deal, one of her best friends got the first and another didn't make it. Its confusing to the peapod to understand the implications of first, second or not being there. There is a zonal competition this weekend. It sounds like fun but this is getting serious, parents and the older kids are getting annoyingly arrogant about winning and others are becoming sore losers. In all its not the kind of spirits that should be around christmas time.<br />
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I am not going to wash myself of the competitive parent spirit. I am as guilty as the next parent since we all get pushed around to feel and do by what is going on around us. I will cut myself some slack by just saying that this is early days for me and hence I am caught fumbling in the dark when the peopod wants to understand the science behind the numbers. As I answer the peapod's questions about the firsts and seconds and why some of her friends didn't win, I am wondering if this explanation is even right. The deal is, now that my child is second, I want her to improve and the obvious target is that coveted first prize so I have to tell her that she needs to do better than her best friend and the other kids to get the first position. This can't be healthy. Infact I am actually pitting her against her friend which cannot be right. When she asks me about why did her other friend not make it I have to explain there are only 2 spots and the best of the lot wins. Again that is not right as well. The one who did not make it isn't any less, she is as smart and sparky as any other. Why am I telling my child that her friend didn't do well. A year or two of this pitting against each other in school and church and I am not sure if they will remain friends.<br />
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Coming to think of it, what good does competitions serve. If you win, you have the pressure of maintaining that. If you loose, you work hard to beat the best. Can a competition remain healthy however noble our intensions? Its necessary to teach new skills and hone them but do we really need competitions to do that? The superiority feeling some kids/adults get by winning becomes obstacles in building friendships and keep a level head about things. Also, many real life problem worth solving cannot be solved alone. It requires people with different skill sets to come togather, work togather and create something. A lot many people today are stars in their own right but you put them into a group to work out a solution and they hardly fit. I have heard many people boast of their accolades but when it comes to work, nobody wants to work with them. Worse is having two people who are trying to outdo each other in a project. Some adults carry their competitive spirit too far by comparing everything with another, the job, the money, the hubby, the kids, the help, the dog, the rat and stay frustrated. I mean its easy to loose your grip with this competitive thing.<br />
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<a href="http://www.alfiekohn.org/parenting/tcac.htm" target="_blank">One of the articles</a> by author Alfie Kohn that I was reading said<br />
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<em>Think for a moment about the goals you have for your children. Chances are you want them to develop healthy self-esteem, to accept themselves as basically good people. You want them to become successful, to achieve the excellence of which they're capable. You want them to have loving and supportive relationships. And you want them to enjoy themselves. These are fine goals. But competition not only isn't necessary for reaching them -- it actually undermines them.</em><br />
<em><br /></em><br />
<em>Competition is to self-esteem as sugar is to teeth. Most people lose in most competitive encounters, and it's obvious why that causes self-doubt. But even winning doesn't build character; it just lets a child gloat temporarily. Studies have shown that feelings of self-worth become dependent on external sources of evaluation as a result of competition: Your value is defined by what you've done. Worse -- you're a good person in proportion to the number of people you've beaten.</em><br />
<em>...</em><br />
<em>Competition leads children to envy winners, to dismiss losers (there's no nastier epithet in our language than "Loser!"), and to be suspicious of just about everyone. Competition makes it difficult to regard others as potential friends or collaborators; even if you're not my rival today, you could be tomorrow. This is not to say that competitors will always detest each other. But trying to outdo someone is not conducive to trust -- indeed, it would be irrational to trust someone who gains from your failure. At best, competition leads one to look at others through narrowed eyes; at worst, it invites outright aggression. Existing relationships are strained to the breaking point, while new friendships are often nipped in the bud.</em><br />
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I think his article is dot on. The whole philosophy of school or our sunday school in this case was to teach kids about many things. The logical way to end a year is to ask them what they learnt the whole year and showcase it to the parents. In case of the sunday school, I believed, since each class was made of 8-10 kids, the kids get a voice, get noticed, get a chance to get on stage, get a chance to showcase better than their school. It doesn't matter if my kid is 1st or 2nd or if she didn't make it to the list but the fact that she could face an audience and ramble away her story with confidence is good enough. Most of the winning and losing is about the parent in us who wants to boast about how smart our child is. I think cconscious effort needs to be made to teach and hone various skills and to keep away from competing in a way that is almost serving no good purpose. We need to teach kids to to be humble winners and gracious loosers and for that we as parents need to loosen up a bit and give the competitive spirit a break. </div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-87852482284498890182011-10-05T17:24:00.001+05:302011-10-05T17:24:24.313+05:30Say NO to Emotional abuse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
During this month as a group of bloggers are helping spread <a href="http://vawawareness.wordpress.com/">awareness about violence against women</a> I want to share a story of a friend's friend. <br />
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She and her husband both work in my organization. He is a very senior manager and very charming and outgoing. They have 2 boys. She is an intelligent lady and I think works in the middle management rungs.<br />
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When my friend told me about her I couldn't believe her. She has been assaulted my her husband and her father-in-law. Her parents did not support her then since her sister was yet to be married and hence they had the typical you-have-to-adjust attitude and still has. Inspite of earning a handsome sum every month, she lives on allowances and has her debit card and internet banking account confiscated. She has no maids and she works to please her ILs at home in return for them looking after her kids. She is screamed at when she gets back any later than 7. Even if she reaches home at 9pm, she has to prepare the dinner for the family which includes separate diet requirements for hubby, kids(as in what the ILs think the kids should eat today) and the diabetic ILs. None of the properties bought by the husband using her income as well has her name on it. While the physical abuse is a one-off, belittling her, shaming her and trying to control her is just a way of life. <br />
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The more I hear about it, I think, in all probability her husband has been bought up in an environment where his father's word was the final word. His mom probably never argued. He has seen his dad assault his mom and his mom taking it all in quietly. So in his own mind he is justified in doing it to his wife. He probably is telling himself his wife is lucky that she isn't getting the doses that his mom got which could have been worse. Those days of helplessness and pain brought the mother and son closer. The son now wants to give his mom all the peace and "aaram". And such goes the cycle.<br />
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Shocking isn't it? It is a myth(if there is one at all) that only SAHMs are victims of domestic violence because of financial dependence. This seems more to do with women who after marriage want the good wife, good bahu certificate and go against their grain to accommodate the whole jing-bang. And as soon as the honeymoon phase is over the miss-goody-two-shoes image that we want to live up to gives us no breathing space and begins to kill us. Most new brides is new to a whole big family and she wants all of them to approve of her and think well of her and give her that certificate of the best wife and DIL. Sadly it very rarely happens. Just like how children need to be reprimanded and shown their limits so do adults. If women let others cross limits with them, women are to blame because they never set the limits in the first place. <br />
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The few times I have had lunch with this lady, she has cribbed about her husband and her ILs. She seemed to age considerably every time I met her. But what strikes me most was that she had totally accepted her situation with no hope of change. When asked why does she not just walk out, very predictably, her answer was the kids. She fears she might never see her kids again if she tried something like that. She was scared her family might not be there for her and she will loose her kids too. In comparison the current situation seems better to her. Scary situation to be in, truly. My friend keeps talking to her but she justifies all that has been done to her. for e.g she says she does spend too much and its good in a way that her husband controls the expenditure and such.<br />
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An article on <a href="http://helpguide.org/">Helpguide.org</a> says <br />
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<em>"Noticing and acknowledging the warning signs and symptoms of domestic violence and abuse is the first step to ending it. No one should live in fear of the person they love. Emotionally abusive relationships can destroy your self-worth, lead to anxiety and depression, and make you feel helpless and alone. No one should have to endure this kind of pain—and your first step to breaking free is recognizing that your situation is abusive. Once you acknowledge the reality of the abusive situation, then you can get the help you need."</em><br />
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We had a young families fellowship a couple of months back in our church. The speaker asked every couple to state a quality you love in your spouse. A middle aged man, should be about 40-45, father of 2, said he likes that his wife knows to shut up and she said he is a loving man. I wonder what message they are sending to their teenaged son and daughter.<br />
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While women put up with emotional abuse and violence for the sake of the kids, it doesn't do any good to the kids either to witness an abusive marriage. They risk the chance of ingraining that same abusive behaviour or develop serious psychological problems. Kids do not need a battered, emotionally abused mom or dad for that matter. They need emotionally strong and happy parents. They too need to learn as they grow to say no to abuse in any form. Women do not do them any favour by exhibiting endurance as a virtue. Women should seek help and put an end to abuse for their kids rather than accept it as a way of life or their fate. Every solution is not ending your marriage but every solution should definitely move towards no abuse in any form and if it doesn't then yes end it and move on with your life.</div>
Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-52734511783258644622011-09-26T08:29:00.000+05:302011-12-12T16:22:50.994+05:30Peapod and Chattambi antics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong>Peapod-ism </strong><br />
On 9/11, TLC was airing a program about ground zero in the evening. They were running footage of smoke emanating from the twin towers. We had a question/answer round of what, how and why with the peapod. She went back to her regular stuff and then just when we were getting ready for bed, peapod asks me - Why did the plane hit the building, could the pilot not see? <br />
I know. How do you explain that? I just left it at - it was an accident. How do you explain to an innocent 5 year old that mean twisted men killed themselves and thousands of people on purpose. <br />
The other day in one of her usual meltdowns the peapod calls me useless. Yes, to be precise she tells me "you are useless". I was taken back. I asked her where she heard such language. Pat comes the answer, "I heard you say that". You can imagine me cringing. zabaan sambhal ke lady. <br />
A friend's wedding is just around the corner and I was telling the hubby about it. The hubby casually mentioned he might not be able to make it on that date. I don't even think if peapod was in the room. The said friend met us on our way home and said she will come back for a formal invite but told us to block our calendars in advance. The peapod replied that We ALL might not come but I will come. How cheeky is that? <br />
Yesterday, the peapod went down to play with her friend. While her friend did not go down immediately but there was an another 3yr old girl who wanted to play with her. She wasn't interested. I watched the little girl pursue the peapod to play with her and the peapod kept running away. When the peapod was back I asked her why she wouldn't play with the little girl. She tells me "She might catch my cough, so". Such a saint!! <br />
Also my little girl lost her first tooth this weekend. It feels like sand slipping through my fingures. Reminds me of that song from Mamma Mia.... Yeah I know its not time yet but I love drama :)<br />
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<strong>Chattambi </strong><br />
ta itu is tazhe Ittu (threw down) in his baby language. It is his favourite phrase and activity for the last 2-3 months. He usually throws his toys down and then comes and gets me by pulling my hands towards the balcony. Ask him who threw and he will name the peapod. If its in the morning he will name Dada. Once we start picking stuff up, he thinks its a game and throws stuff right back - down that is. Its normal these days to find stuff that we didn't go down for back on the balcony. People are so used to stuff lying just below our balcony that they throw it right back. <br />
We moved to this rental place when the peapod was 2 I guess and she hasn't drawn a line on the wall but the chattambi is another story. He has strewn lines on many walls and he does it while checking if we are looking. Sometimes he is painting in the other room and he would latter ask me 'who did this'. Cheeky aint it? And if we ask him he will very conviniently name the peapod. And if that wasn't enough he will also remind us to whack her. His naughtiness is just amazing. <br />
He loves to dance and he will entertain anybody with a jig everytime anybody asks for it. He loves the latest Airtel add and comes running from wherever he is in the house to do a step or two. <br />
He is quite theatrical. As in he makes very cute comical faces. He is very naughty but gets away because of his cute baby acts. He can pretend cry, pretend hide and pretend to be sad. Such skills so young. <br />
He loves books. He loves them all around. He keeps looking at them at length. Infact I have never seen the peapod sit with books the way he does but then she doesn't tear and destroy either. But he keeps looking at pages with pics of dogs and gorillas thoughtfully and then try to stand on four like them and lie over them and then finally in an attempt to get them as close to him, he tears the pages right off. Something in me tells me he would love a dog for company. But that is just a thought and hope it stays right there and does not get me to bring one on a whim. I have never had a dog and I dont think I have it me to tend to one. It was just a random thought. <br />
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<br /></div>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6869722.post-3698290472759678992011-09-14T15:19:00.012+05:302011-09-19T08:12:53.212+05:30For the love of Home Decor<div>A couple of years ago, I stumbled across home decor blogs accidently and what a learning experience it has been and still is. I am hooked to say the least. Decor I realized is a matter of having confidence in your choices and having the courage to experiment with various stuff like fabrics, flowers, prints, cushions, rugs, frames, pictures, artefacts and lights. <br /><br />One of the first home decor blogs that had me hooked was <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com">Young House Love</a>. Its the blog of a very creative and enthusiastic couple from Richmond, USA. They do such awesome DIY projects that they make you itch to attempt at something, anything. They are a huge inspiration. It is one of the first blogs I read everyday. After they had pretty much perfected their last house with absolutely no scope for improvements, they bought a new house and are at it right now. Its great to watch the new house evolve from bare walls to a house with a personality. They post very regularly since they blog for a living. One of my favourites on that site was the moodboards they would whip up for people. They sadly do not do it anymore but the ones done are all available on their website.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUROxxWxTSBXhs_fnJFm1xZttY-feMPQFw_lKvKPBUCavyfBi0AmljiFcW2IzKNJs5ZQsrrkvmF-DB1-1vD_X7UumS6UF7h-ho7AB839_eFaVpK2b1NteqPNp4-qFeyBWSbiK/s1600/guest-bedroom-from-bathroom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUROxxWxTSBXhs_fnJFm1xZttY-feMPQFw_lKvKPBUCavyfBi0AmljiFcW2IzKNJs5ZQsrrkvmF-DB1-1vD_X7UumS6UF7h-ho7AB839_eFaVpK2b1NteqPNp4-qFeyBWSbiK/s400/guest-bedroom-from-bathroom.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652408070223367522" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVtx5RrvegN1NrR-N5-2sAkQlul6ll0jenNjA95-VEItK6YopLGABORuOJ0vEC2eYLwbQuJ6xqBkwDvYUZjjEfnKXOO0UvtAG8MBYiWeDoFI-n3lW0gEyUnOAf_rU3oz1Wi_L/s1600/table-after.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVtx5RrvegN1NrR-N5-2sAkQlul6ll0jenNjA95-VEItK6YopLGABORuOJ0vEC2eYLwbQuJ6xqBkwDvYUZjjEfnKXOO0UvtAG8MBYiWeDoFI-n3lW0gEyUnOAf_rU3oz1Wi_L/s400/table-after.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652407921466219618" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDjvYgEawqFMyya3svqmv2eL9mKKZ6mW2VjbF7lfVZ3Ly1en-mxc0Qw0UyA6VcS-26q3oyFlvOESPs0OI8tb2NFDjDwTnWcV4qUymk2W3U9jJYX18mtKdS-O-LBWhwjyjW-GY/s1600/FrameWall-Full-Horizontal.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDjvYgEawqFMyya3svqmv2eL9mKKZ6mW2VjbF7lfVZ3Ly1en-mxc0Qw0UyA6VcS-26q3oyFlvOESPs0OI8tb2NFDjDwTnWcV4qUymk2W3U9jJYX18mtKdS-O-LBWhwjyjW-GY/s400/FrameWall-Full-Horizontal.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652407918477240114" /></a><br /><br />The second blog that offers so much gyaan in terms of colours and what works and what does not, is the blog of the Professional Color expert Mariam Killam - <a href="http://colourmehappyblog.blogspot.com">Color me happy</a>. Haven't seen much of her house yet but the pics she puts up are true to the title of her blog - happy pics. I love the little of what I have seen of her house, especially the art pieces she picks. Very vibrant, colorful, huge and happy. Its hard to NOT just stare at them.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91co9P7aPO3hD2yvf5ko1oV9kn8vXwT7DQjYWNuXFeU3shW8YUgmzayMEuz16DoPAeAIaNG3MMIyLUUboxIMbj1jJEYAvuxV4WCAukPR5TSuPJXO-Pc_XAspgDHKxzfvyrGz4/s1600/CHB2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91co9P7aPO3hD2yvf5ko1oV9kn8vXwT7DQjYWNuXFeU3shW8YUgmzayMEuz16DoPAeAIaNG3MMIyLUUboxIMbj1jJEYAvuxV4WCAukPR5TSuPJXO-Pc_XAspgDHKxzfvyrGz4/s400/CHB2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652405670873490930" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgteG3zeOAzZEi6RMRYz9wRR1ONK3-phkWKALwx0WkGtrXFkQP31KoKIefRnmi-rALhDaDfzgIC2Yfoap4gaheuur4peH8xTmSPt3kQCDAdMo3Bk7NKfPGW8u_FVJL5wW5_2W8/s1600/CHB1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgteG3zeOAzZEi6RMRYz9wRR1ONK3-phkWKALwx0WkGtrXFkQP31KoKIefRnmi-rALhDaDfzgIC2Yfoap4gaheuur4peH8xTmSPt3kQCDAdMo3Bk7NKfPGW8u_FVJL5wW5_2W8/s400/CHB1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652405666897880882" /></a><br /><br />Inspite of having followed a number of other home decor blogs from the west, I fell head over heels in love when I discovered some of our Indian home decor bloggers. The first I came across was <a href="http://coloursdekor.blogspot.com/">Colours Dekor</a>. I have starred almost half of her posts in reader. Her home is so beautiful, so very ethnic, you will want to keep going back to the pics long after you have seen them. The blog is regularly updated and we also get to see some great house tours due to the many link parties Patricia hosts. The peacock wall she painted in her previous house is mind blowing. So bold and vibrant.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZTwcsn9eX2jziyysWOp01tDIKqKiQjooT8G33FpKwZYf6JRI3eY95hF4Pxp9-A-nKCdU9p3Qdi-Tgwu5a2u5srp0TmlxbWGD2MMWI_8_gJS2DPbbUeJf-VHsqrIvC9PXfKdP/s1600/CD1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZTwcsn9eX2jziyysWOp01tDIKqKiQjooT8G33FpKwZYf6JRI3eY95hF4Pxp9-A-nKCdU9p3Qdi-Tgwu5a2u5srp0TmlxbWGD2MMWI_8_gJS2DPbbUeJf-VHsqrIvC9PXfKdP/s400/CD1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652409643343359618" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnvgRxKW0ogsXjYX2aSlRSvXRn7b4eCo7ZLRRepF-UGRKNVXa4DautLVF9a-ljNFEU-h-vH1WwvqbdsU1mr8EXzzuu05t9sXrWnaoTdo73Ostd0DBelytdlYLdyV-kocnvurU/s1600/pcwall.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnvgRxKW0ogsXjYX2aSlRSvXRn7b4eCo7ZLRRepF-UGRKNVXa4DautLVF9a-ljNFEU-h-vH1WwvqbdsU1mr8EXzzuu05t9sXrWnaoTdo73Ostd0DBelytdlYLdyV-kocnvurU/s400/pcwall.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652409641898907106" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://saffronandsilk.blogspot.com">Saffron and Silk</a> is an another blog I am totally infatuated with. Kamini is an inspiring lady. I love her style, love the colors and like the way she has styled her home. Many of the pictures of her home on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaminiraghavan/5848093641/in/set-72157626989089298">flickr</a> does strange things to my heart. There is the fluttering, feeling fuzzy and you know the 'Oh my, I love it' feeling. Its difficult to continue to see the pics in the sequence since you get distracted if you happen to see the pic in the next row and you click there and some more and then you jump back and forth. When I think about Saffron and Silk - Its all about orange, lamps & art in my mind. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7NQhj0ahKUj4hhMB2PXNR2dInFFo8Ya47jYOp9NeTs9d5_pv1KtuMGEZbUW1fOTr5UvxmohY6IDrldh0iK3o0zqGRJN-pBv3NeS1MquLPVDZkpynslRv_8HefhUzHHcC4LL-/s1600/SS2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7NQhj0ahKUj4hhMB2PXNR2dInFFo8Ya47jYOp9NeTs9d5_pv1KtuMGEZbUW1fOTr5UvxmohY6IDrldh0iK3o0zqGRJN-pBv3NeS1MquLPVDZkpynslRv_8HefhUzHHcC4LL-/s400/SS2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652416271819223154" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXReujzje84hUoFNqf9zL2lQ5fS7kFFkJ-4IWoRWPXlTzZFn69nZlmyv2EEUYT_CybYuJcm66kENvKJ10yS0dXGsUx-q9NFl9WlWGeGE8OALBYmB2KG_Qu3XPryAg8LQbqOyX/s1600/SS1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXReujzje84hUoFNqf9zL2lQ5fS7kFFkJ-4IWoRWPXlTzZFn69nZlmyv2EEUYT_CybYuJcm66kENvKJ10yS0dXGsUx-q9NFl9WlWGeGE8OALBYmB2KG_Qu3XPryAg8LQbqOyX/s400/SS1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652416264631168690" /></a><br /><br />In all probability you guys know them all because they are not somebody you can ignore in the decor blog world. If you discovered even one new blog here, I tell you, you wont be disappointed. And these are just my top 4 picks because they are pretty regular and give me amazing eye-candies every morning with my cup of hot tea.<br /><br />And here is a pic of a small picture gallery we created at Mom's place. That is Mom with chattambi and my sis's son. They are just a year apart and their names rhyme as well. They are going to have so much fun as they grow up togather as long as we stock up on regular dozes of paracetamols I guess.<br /><br /><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNp0Rxhf6UvPq1CDq_8AGKKqSyHMTtPuxW6MtfTDGMHOUl1nt7j1QK5EBE2HMIioeIiUwfDrxDs4K5NZm17iTYsBAU4yxV0Cgk4jTDZn4L4Z0nTBHWfa0a9uX6hf9pXuyS64UB/' /></div><br /><br /><em>All pics displayed here are from the respective blogs.</em>Sunitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07347370529459467244noreply@blogger.com10