Power of planning!

The week gone was a spring break for Aditi. As my husband wasn’t going to be in town, I had an uphill task of keeping her happy and engaged on my own and without the help of the idiot box.

Earlier I thought I would simply go downtown to the library and the harbour. And then the weather turned. For the worse. Luckily advanced and accurate weather forecasts helped avoid making bad plans. :)

Instead of going out, decided to call people in. So every day of the week I arranged for a playdate for Aditi. Planned in advance what to serve as snack or dinner. Called all the moms and arranged for suitable times and set the ball rolling. Each day a new playmate and something new to look forward to. Some of them for the very first time. Some Indian, Some American.

What a success it was! Aditi hasn’t touched the TV remote for the entire week although most of the playdates were only in the evenings for 2 -4 hours. She played, ate, played and slept… :)

Each night we would go over the day and how she enjoyed playing with her friend. And plan for the next day. Each day some different game or toy based on specific tastes and likes. She loved every moment of it. Every day she helped me clean up the house for the guest and arrange things. Not a single hard moment.

I am glad I took the effort. It of course took extra effort to invite people from other cultures and keep them entertained. Bear in mind food allergies, dislike for spices or lack of desire among children to try something new. Whew this kept me on my toes! Especially the menu for the American kids. Imaginative and simple was the way to go. Each day was a success and we both hit the bed satisfied on a day well spent.

The spring break is over and now a different kind of planning is required. Early dinner, early bed time and early wakeup time. Healthy snacks and lunch for the whole week and we are set for the next week.

Being a mother teaches us to be such good managers. Manage time, skill and temperament. And when a job is well done you have the greatest reward. A very happy customer. And this one pays with love! The most precious currency!

Mac & Cheese…yummmm!

Found this really easy recipe for making some yum Macaroni & Cheese…Absolutely easy!

Boil Macaroni..( I actually didn’t have macaroni so used whole wheat pasta..worked like a charm and was healthy too)

Once it is boiled drain water.

Switch the stove on but keep on low heat…Add milk about 3/4 cup.

Add shredded mozzarella cheese, butter and 4 tbsp cream. ( The more butter and cream you add the richer the texture).

And Lastly the necessary Salt. Keep stirring until all of the milk thickens and cheese /butter is melted. I added coriander leaves to add a touch of flavour. Voila!

Just tucked into a bowl full of soul!

Spring is here, spring is here...

Finally the cold weather front is moving away, though it still gets chilly at night… Spring is here…In everyone’s steps, in the air. Finally a daffodil blooms, and the sun shines strong.

Foggy today but 17 degrees C. Reminded me of Lonavala, where Bish and I had walked into the fog holding hands and dreams in our hearts.

We took a bus from Malad, Mumbai and although the bus operator said the bus went to Lonavala it was actually a bus to Pune. So when our stop came, the bus instead of entering Khandala via expressway exit dropped us on the expressway.

It was raining. With a suitcase in hand, we went walking down the exit (I know don’t gasp). And to our great delight saw a butta wala (roasted corn seller). The taste of garam butta on that rainy day is etched so deeply into my mind that I can taste it in my mouth right now. Aah the pleasures of simple life!

Mumbai-Pune sector is blessed. It is a very scenic drive. There are hundreds of small hamlets and each breathtaking. People are simple enough to open their doors if your vehicle breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Really had the opportunity to travel this road countless times.

During my internship, I used to travel to Bombay Dyeing manufacturing plant in Patalganga. Patalganga is mid-point between Mumbai and Lonavala. It used to be a 2 hour ride from Bandra but loved every moment of it. It was only while entering back into Mumbai via Chembur-Sion, that the ugliness of metro life would force itself onto my existence. TIll then I was in bliss.

Once I remember I had gone trekking with my brother and his friends to Malshej ghat. I walked through a mini-waterfall, and my friend climbed a straight rock without any climbing gear. At top of the mountain, rain and fog heavy on us.

We reached some small hamlet bus stand at 3 am and were advised by the bus conductor to not go roaming in the hills for the fear of Bhils. We spent the whole night at the bus stand. At 7 am, a food stall owner opened shop. And we were onto the tastiest Usal Pav I have ever had.

Saw a bit of interior Maharashtra while on Ashta Vinayak tour with a friend. Ate at small dhabas or stalls but the food was always fantastic. And never did I have any stomach problem. Saw how people actually lived in our villages. No electricity, no tap water. But mast! Bindaas! It was my desire to travel the konkan sector. I have read about its beauty but that place has so far been elusive.

Can I ever go there? Dont know! Would love to though..I do know some of my friends have been making the dream list of places we want to visit sans family. As girls! I pray this comes true!

That it doesn’t merely remain a desire in the heart. Luckily God has always given me the opportunity to be close to Nature and therefore Him. And I find myself more and more attracted towards The Simple Life. A bungalow in the middle of a self-sufficient farm. Hmmmmm!!!!

The clash of the titans...

India defeats Pakistan today at Mohali. In cricket!!!! For a lot of Indians (rather for all Indians) a matter of big celebration and joy. And it should be…We have a rivalry that goes back to our very origins…Like Australia vs New Zealand, England vs Australia. Cricket is a fever in India and cricketers treated like demi-Gods; provided they win. And Indian cricketers have disappointed often. I stopped watching live cricket after Kapil Dev was accused of match fixing. He is my hero. I refuse to accept he can be corrupt and therefore I stopped watching. Reports of Ajay Jadega, Azhar (all my favourites) accused and convicted of similar charges did the game no favour. I felt like a fool who gave my time and emotions to a game where the players were simply using people’s emotions for their personal benefit and to the detriment of their country. The last match I have seen is the World cup finals against Sri Lanka and my enduring memory is of Vinod Kambli crying at his inability to stop India’s massacre. Since then, I have never watched cricket. It was too heart breaking for me. Like a fool I was unnecessarily deeply invested in it. So no more cricket! Looks like history will repeat itself at least in parts. SriLanka vs India World Cup finals!

March goes marching by...

This month just flew off the shelf….didn’t know when it started and it’s already at its end…Spring is supposed to be here but snow still gave us a visit. Maybe next week I will see some life sprouting back on the trees and some color in the landscape…

Didn’t write anything this month at all…not because I had nothing to talk about but because I had someone to talk to

A relative came over for 3 weeks and it was real fun to talk to a real live person versus tapping thoughts and feelings out on a machine or on a “wall”.

We spent hours talking..sometimes rehashing the same thing but then that’s what women do…slept at 1 am daily and had to get up at 7 am for my daughter Though tired and sleepy, still kept on yakking away..

After ages got to flush my system…

Sometimes a man just doesn’t get what a woman wants or feels! So chuck him out and get a BFF. Best Female Friend! I have 2 or 3 with whom I can talk hours…And there is one with whom I open my deepest thoughts. Without any fear of judgment or fear of getting unnecessary advice.

That is rich! To not have to explain any of your feelings or actions is so refreshing. Its like getting freedom.

Somehow you cant do it with parents, nor with husbands, definitely not with colleagues or neighbours. Some of my friends in India regularly meet up over lunch or coffee and I do envy them. I see that happening here..Women out alone without kids or family having lunch once a month or even a year. Enriching..

I have learnt a lot from other women, simply by listening to their experiences. Helped me avoid mistakes or to correct a deviation. Climb over an incline! Thank you gals! Wouldnt swap my BFFs for anything in the world.

Waiting for the sun to shine…

Waiting…eagerly waiting for the sun to shine…In my life..On the world…Over Egypt…We all need sunshine…

Still struggling with low temperatures, the summer can’t come any sooner for us folks here.. Luckily looks like storm season is over, or we have left the worst of it behind us. Hoping for some warmth.

Egypt is in desperate need for some sunshine (as also many other nations). I salute the brave people of Egypt for having the courage to stand up to a regime that has brandished corruption, torture and mayhem. It takes a lot of effort to standup to authority in any country. But where the authority is downright ruthless, the effort takes epic proportions.

I pray the continued struggle of the common people brings desired results. Though funnily enough the people in the wrong have become so brazen that they refuse to concede power even when confronted by millions. Haven’t we seen it all in India itself?

Happily, I am hooked to Saas Bina Sasural. Apart from the drama, I love the interactions (good direction/acting) of all the characters. So sweet! I would love to have a family like that…Really a dose of happiness before turning in!

Shocked also at how blindly we pick up all things western. Wife Swap has now become Maa Exchange. So heart-rending to see children suffer. But yes it shows how we love shredding others but won’t glance at the mirror. If people take it as lessons to be learnt this couldn’t be a better program. But…

Personally, this lioness is in lazy mode. Apart from sleeping and cooking, not inclined to do much. Have several projects to finish, but can’t be bothered. Is it the weather? or Boredom? or Hormonal Imbalance?

There’s something about US…

Its India’s Republic Day! Right time to reflect on what is and what can be…

Staying abroad always makes me love my country that much more! I miss talking in Hindi. I miss feeling the sense of belonging. No wonder I end up watching everything (well almost) Bollywood has to offer..I have watched yuck movies as Kajol’s Kuch Khatti kuch Mithi to TMK, all in the hopes of connecting to something familiar. A culture that I totally understand and relate to…And love!

And whenever I return back, ooh la la, I face a huge culture shock. Every single time! The first time I traveled in Mumbai local after returning back in 2002, I was shocked and disappointed at the appalling behaviour of aam janta. A college going girl refused to let me get off at Andheri simply because I was sitting till Goregaon. She said you should have gotten up earlier. Go figure!

In Pune, the rickshaw driver started threatening like a goon because he wanted Rs 25 instead of the minimum fare Rs 9 for a 2 min ride. In Chennai, while I was 5 months pregnant, the watchman refused to help me bring a suitcase down from the 3rd floor, simply because I was “North Indian“.

In Kolkatta, when we took a prepaid taxi from the airport to home, a man (driver’s supposed friend) forcibly entered the taxi to take a short ride and only got off because I raised an alarm.

In Bangalore, I stood in a queue 1 mile long for 4 hours to secure admission in a school in nursery class for my child. I still didn’t get it. And I was told to keep a minimum Rs 1 lac ready if I wanted admission to any school (decent or not) at all.

None of these and various other experiences would make me feel a proud Indian today! Sometimes I cringe at the appalling behaviour I see exhibited by my country people in India or abroad. Our love of showing off our wealth has led to killings of young men and women. Our love of ignoring rules led to a recent accident here killing 8 people including a month old baby. Our love of chaati-thok self-righteousness, even if wrong, has made us one of the hated communities abroad.

Not all of it is our fault. Though, somehow we are losing touch with our culture. The very thing that makes us. Made us. Age old wisdom in Yoga, Naturopathy, Daan - dharam, Prathistha, Izzat are buzz words abroad. In India, they are shrugged off. The best line I have ever heard was from a boy who refused to pick up his litter say, “Yeh Mera kaam nahi hai. Main to aisa hi hoon”.

Isn’t that also a Movie song? A reflection of popular culture.

A neighbourhood school was recently closed down here and parents protested against it. Everybody knew it was an underperforming school and was shut to save council money. But they protested as: some would lose jobs, and it would affect the community by lowering house prices. Here the concern was the impact on the community of teachers, helpers and neighbours. Not their children, for parents knew children would be taken care of adequately.

It’s been – 30 degrees Celsius here and have seen 7 storms in 5 weeks. Even after the worst blizzard, a small army of dedicated council workers came out to clean up the streets. The residents clean up the sidewalk surrounding their house for pedestrians. Life was completely normal. Nothing got paralysed. Unlike what one single rainy day can do in Mumbai!

Or take victims like Aarushi, Nitish Katara, or Satyendra Dubey. They are forgotten people. Some of us self righteous people protested, held morchas, lit candles and went back home to sleep. These cases are swept under the carpet by us. Many among our aam junta may not be aware of who these people are. Kya kare bhaiyya, zamana hi kharab hai. Inka dekhu ya zindagi ki gaadi dhakelu? Why do we forget our government is of the people, by the people and for the people. Our netas are elected by us!!!!!!

Are we that thick-skinned, that our hearts don’t break on seeing a child mopping the floor? A poor woman being beaten to death by her in-laws? A man killed for simply doing his job honestly?

What exactly should I be proud of as an Indian? We say India has suffered from brain drain, notably to US. Here in US, the kind of Indians I have met, makes me regret being born as one. Either they are trying to take advantage of each other or are busy making others’ life miserable. Proud at earning in dollars and bad mouthing the very hand that feeds them. Bringing in aged parents to simply baby-sit their kids and do house-keeping while they go about their lives. Sad!

Ofcourse India is not just these people. Happily there are those of us who are trying to keep the Indian flag flying high. Those of us who have tried to remain true to our culture while embracing modern values. A few of us make me feel there’s hope. They know the true value of tehzeeb (manners), laaj (honour), satya vachan (truth). They struggle amongst the crowd but are still flying high. Still the voice of reason, empathy, and patience.

Today on our republic day, I pray that these good men and women get strength to fight the moral corruption in our country and vanquish it. Maybe then we will conquer all else. Amen! Jai Ho!