Har Har...i'm beating my own drums...

This is embarassing! no really.
I was asking around , after being tagged by MinM to do a tag on why i am awesome.

So i asked my folks why they thought i was awesome, and received...
- blank looks
- vague statements of " because of the person you are" type..
- questions like "Awesome, you?" kinds..
I am scarred for life!

Gave up and decided to do the tag on my own.here is why i think i am awesome.

1. I am awesome because i think there is nothing like too much love....knows a million people- loves them all. Never held a grudge in my life. Couldn't find a reason to. Know me in real life?Then you'll also know there will be a place for you- at our home and in our hearts, any time. Not met in 15 years? no problem- we'll just start where we left off then. Once a friend, on for life.

2.I am awesome because my middle name is Persistence. I'm not a fighter, but someone who just does not give up. You can ignore me, but you can never shake me off- till i get what i want from you. Every year in my appraisals these words stare back- and i smile to myself. "Persistent, Assertive, not aggressive. "

3. I am awesome because i am fiercely independent- i can run my life. I will share responsibilities only because it is socially expected to. If not, i'd do it all by myself. With all due love to the man i married- he knows it better.

4. I am awesome because i strive to stay above my standards. There is a common standard that is expected of someone, then there are expectations above it . I put my standards even above that- so i never fall short of anyone's expectations, except mine.

5. I am awesome because i have the most awesome family, and i value them : Loved one's i grew up with, the men i love ,and the family that i acquired. Much before we got married, after we had presented our case to the families and i had met his parents, TB's dad called him up to say " i hope you are dead serious about this . We met her, we love her. So if you have any second thought's about this , do not come back home. She can stay with us" Need i say more?

6. I am awesome because i have been brave. Not the "will watch 12 AM horror movie alone" type brave. Life hasn't exactly been a bed of roses.There are times when we may have walked away from this life, thrown the towel- called it quits. But no-we held on, fought back and stayed on. Experience tells me I am at my best when life is at its worst. I have been stronger than i ever thought i could be , brave to take risks in life that thankfully paid off.

7. I am awesome because i am a realist. I cannot step out beyond practical thinking. Everything i do is based on practicality. There are no impulse decisions, there are no fantasies in life. Maybe overtly practical at time, but it keeps me grounded, and very close to reality.

Phew! I give up!

And thank you all for reading all that crap above.

Un-maid

I read her in the morning , and said- i have to write today.


We have a lady who lives with us to take care of V. She's family..not tied through blood, but by heart. She's from our village and i have seen her come to work in the fields from when i was a kid. We call her valiamma, which means mother's elder sister. Every one in our building calls her the same. When we moved in, several of our neighbours wanted to know who she was and how she was related to us. I told them she was a distant relative,and someone we have known for a long time.


I was asked this question several times over in the last two years. I wondered why. Slowly i realized it--
-my answer decides her place in this society.


--If i had said she is not related to us and she used to work for our family back home- that would put her in the category of a 'maid'. Then the social setup she will be interacting with will be very different- the cooks, the bai's, the day nanny's, the full time maids and assortment of people that comprise of half the population.

-- If i said she is a relative, she is treated as an equal by the numerous mothers who bring down their kids to play with V, and the people who she meets on a daily basis


I know she will not be there with us for long..but she keeps coming back every year. The reason- she has a place in here. She is not a nobody. And she cannot live without V.

There have been occassions where she was given a second class citizen treatment- but we have always pulled her up, and made sure they know she is family. Today, everyone we know calls her 'valiamma', and treats her with that respect.


I am just glad i said the right thing.

Fat obsessed

Son: Weighs himself everyday, under supervision on mother , hoping for a few additional grams added on from the day before.

Mother: Weighs herself in hiding everyday(once, twice, thrice too-Bleddy water retention!). Hastily averts eyes from the flashing numbers and hoping some grams of fat have mysteriously dissappeared from the day before.

Father: Trying everyday to master the art of "how to disguise belly with clever dressing"Has never got onto the weighing scale.

That people, is our family!

Till then....

In true blue mallu fashion, my brain is on bandh.

Demands include immediate rain in this part of the country and extension of some crazy deadlines at work.

See you all after demands are adequately met.

The beginnings

Preparation
Reconfirming every three hours for the last two days if i'd be actually going into the classroom with him- and looking mighty pleased when i answer in affirmative.

First impressions
Class room right next to indoor play room. V is excited to discover it contains a toy washing machine, and repeats that fact to all who asked him about school. Child knows how integral that machine is to our existence.

On finding a TV and computer in the class- we will watch cartoons and play car race in school??

Starting early
The class teachers introduce themselves to the kids and parents, one by one. One introduces herself and is detailing what she does.
V points to the other teacher and asks- what is her name? I tell him that she has not introduced herself yet, and ask what the hurry is? He smiles conspiringly and says-" she's prettier"!!!!

Getting the details right
I am trying to get V to memorize his class division and bus number and such sundry.
Me: "Kanna m your class is Jr. KG -F division. You have to sit in that class. The bus that takes you home is 3A. So that is the sticker you have to look for"
V: " Amma , you are confused. You are saying KG, then F and then A. Tell me the final alphabet please"

Child's mother is amazed to attend a pre primary first day at school where not even one child looked sulky, leave alone cry!!!

He starts proper school tomorrow- and becomes one in a crowd of uniforms.

The check up and some minor irritants

Tomorrow is the annual medical checkup. We will get to know how long before we kick the bucket...I am dreading that the doctor might never let us get off the treadmill, or advise us to live on air, water and love.

On the other hand, maybe minor signs of alarm are welcome. Anything to get us off our lazy butt and start working on our health and fitness.
For a former powerlifter and size 24" waist, our bodies are awfully maintained. No- make that absolutely abused.

See you all on the other side of the guilt trip... ie; health checkup.

PS:Any of you know people who have been fired for not passing an annual health test? Just checking.

Updated News

TB called the girls father and dutifully informed him about the developments.
In response, he heard a sigh of relief, and a pregnant pause, before "Ok then, move to Bangalore. I can sleep without worrying ".

Both of them proceeded to laugh their guts out and re-live their escapades, ( individual and combined) at length after that.

So there...the deal's sealed. V's romantic life is over!!

In other news..

My 4 year old has announced he would like to get married.

With due consideration for his ageing parents and his (mis)trust in our choice, he has chosen the girl first and then announced the news.

The lucky(!!!) girl is a friends daughter, who the 4 year old has met once- for a whole of 3 hours( during our housewarming in bangalore). She is about the same age, and equally naughty and fiesty. These two were a riot together.
He wants us to keep the girls dad informed.

Considering that the bigger decisions in life have been made, half my job here is done folks.
Now i can concentrate on making sure he gets three letter words and numbers 1-100 right this year.

PS: For mortal fear , the girl's father has not been informed. He and TB go a looong way back- Chaddi days. And their closets are full of skeletons...tee hee..

Roll in the credits

The credits that roll in after the movie ends??..i am a great fan. Esp the one's where they show snippets of the movie being made....


I am usually one among the last to leave the theatre. And at home, the one yelling at TB because he changes the movie half a second after the storyline ends.

----Of course i would like to know who sang the songs?, who is the guy playing the sidekick's brother?, who did the cinematography?, who did the script writing? etc..very important details. Who knows, i might be making a movie in ten years. No- that is not my dream~ Still.


I am determined to start practising immediately...Starting by giving credit to the wonderfully entertaining Cynic, who created the new header design in my favourite colours. Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause , please- of the loud variety.


Thank you cyn.


PS: I have to admit here that i shamelessly latched onto the casual response she made to my comment here, and bugged her to get this done...* insert evil laugh*

The story that never was..

The crowd swarms around the mangled car. "Is there someone you can call?"..asks the doctor. I askthe doctor to dial...the pain comes in waves..

...he picks up the call , and as usual, says " I'm busy, can i call you back, please?".

I should have told him my words were coming true - "One day when i call to tell you i am dying, you'll promise to call back, and i'll die waiting for the call that never comes".

Maybe in another life, i think, as i close my eyes and life ebbs out....slowly.

Where do you go?

Do you guys have an instant remedy to clear your minds?

Do you have one place you go to/site you visit online, which miraculously lifts your spirits and takes your mind off the day. I do!!!

When am worked up, seething with anger and ready to bite the next person who shows up at my cubicle, i take a deep breath , and go here.

Helps always.....Food never ceases to amaze me. I Lub food- in picture or on my plate. Being able to whip up the stuff that you see out there is an art, equalled only by the ability to make to make it look that appealing.

Go ahead- explore the place i frequent so often, and spend hours browsing through...
...and tell me where you head for instant gratification.