Bush's farewell party

Exciting things to do while u'r expecting

Well this is a beat-the-bump-blues series! Pregnancy to me is more than countless loo visits, anxious waiting hours at the clinic, and innumerable (40x7) 280 days of gestation! Here are fun ways to enjoy this truly lovely phase...

1.) Attend an open -air music concert...while its pouring...Sivamani rocked the other day!
2.) Wear a well-cut roomy gown to a gathering while people expect u to turn up like one ball of meat...whoever said the ubiquitous salwar kurtas and nighties were the only options.
3.) Dance in the rain... ensure u'r wearing anti-skid slippers or no footwear at all (thats my style) ... hold ur partner's hand....it helps...not just in bonding..to prevent a fall
4.) Book a slot at ur fav Spa...nothing works better than a pregnancy massage... I kept hallucinating of massages until C booked one for me...See..it works!
5.) Make pregnancy buddies... better if ur best buddies are expecting themselves... Indulge in lotssa gossip...satisfy the cravings... and yes help plan each others' baby showers
6.) Model for maternity brands... any extra moolah helps now...:-)
7.) Make prenatal visits fun..especially those long hours of wait to meet the doc... call in ur buddies...have lotssa fun....while other moms to be smirk, twitch and go green with envy...

I've got four more months to go..am sure i can fill up this section with lots more by then...:-)

WiseTalk

Dr. Marc Faber's commentary in his monthly bulletin (June 2008) -

"The federal government is sending each of us a $600 rebate. If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, the money goes to China. If we spend it on gasolineit goes to the Arabs. If we buy a computer it will go to India. If we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala.If we purchase a good car it will go to Germany. If we purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan and none of it will help the American economy. The only way to keep that money here at home is to spend it on prostitutes and beer, since these are the only products still produced in US . I've been doing my part."

I Want Maths Test !

Scene 1 - 11 PM on the eve of R's Maths test. R running temperature close to 100 Deg.
He is given calpol. Fever doesnt seem to be getting under control. Disturbed sleep all night.

Scene 2 - 6 AM next day. I try telling R not to get to school. He says he is fine and wants to go. I am wary of him missing the test too. So I decide to take him to school, wait for him to do the test and bring him back home.

Cut to Scene 3
The Co-ordinator at School doesnt permit the child being taken back home while classes are still in progress for security reasons. (Makes me feel R is indeed in a really wierd kind of secure place!:P). His Maths teacher understands my anxiety and asks me to take R back home even without the test, she tries reassuring him that he will get his grade though and can skip the test.

Now for the Climax

Look of Disbelief on R's face, as he cries aloud No -cher! (thats how children refer to teachers in his school.. and that calls for an altogether different blog!)
Tears trickle down on his rosy cheeks as he keeps telling his Cher - "I want maths test!"
Until Cher decides to give in and say, " Okay baba. Pls. write the test!"
I am thrown off gear completely witnessing this scene. And as I quietly exit the scene with Cher's assurance that she'll watch over him, I am sure...that 'I want Math test' aren't passed on from my set of genes!

I have an illustrious history of faking a variety of illnesses on the eve of almost every math test! I guess...that's what they call... theory of natural selection.
Only the best gets inherited and passed on as part of evolution. Am I glad or what :-)

One Love

It's kinda funny
How life can change
Can flip 180 in a matter of days

Sometimes love works in
Mysterious ways
One day you wake up
Gone without a trace

I refuse to give up
I refuse to give in
You're my everything
I don't wanna give up
I don't wanna give in
So everybody sing

One love for the mothers pride
One love for the times we cried
One love gotta stay alive... I will survive

One love for the city streets
One love for the hip hop beats
Oh I do believe
One love is all we need

Late at night I'm still wide awake
Feelin this is one more than I can take

I thought my heart could
Never break
Now I know that's one big mistake

I refuse to give up
I refuse to give in
You're my everything
I don't wanna give up
I don't wanna give in
Everybody sing

One love for the mothers pride
One love for the times we cried
One love gotta stay alive.... Oh I will survive

One love for the city streets
One love for the hip hop beats
One love oh I do believe
One love in all we need

Baby just love me love love me
Babyu just hold me hold me hold me
Oooh love me love me love me
Oh yeah... One love
Baby just love me love me love me (love me)
Baby just hold me hold me hold me
Oooh love me love me love me

One love for the mothers pride
One love for the times we cried
One love gotta stay alive.... Oh I will survive

One love for the city streets
One love for the hip hop beats
One love oh I do believe
One love in all we need

One love for the mothers pride
One love for the times we cried
One love gotta stay alive.... Oh I will survive

One love for the city streets
One love for the hip hop beats
One love oh I do believe
One love in all we need

Fuel Price Hike

I feel the pinch like never before, I get the fuel filled in most days for the car... :-)
Look at what a indo-japanese collaboration can give us to beat the fuel price hike!



Shall we christen it CowaSAKI ? :-)

Interesting Chinese chart

Interesting tool to determine the sex of the baby. Rows correspond to mother's age at the time of conception and columns relate to the month of conception. And guess what it did work when I counter-checked with regard to the sex of my first baby.

Now don't charge me under PNDT! Have fun...

Happy Mom's day

It was a welcome surprise to recieve a cosy hug from R on the occasion! Here's a toast to Us and the over-whelmingly beautiful experience - Motherhood!

Main Kabhi Batlata Nahin
Par Andhere Se Darta Hoon Main Maa
Yun To Main,Dikhlata Nahin
Teri Parwaah Karta Hoon Main Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata, Hain Na Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata,,Meri Maa

Bheed Mein Yun Na Chodo Mujhe
Ghar Laut Ke Bhi Aa Naa Paoon Maa
Bhej Na Itna Door Mujkko Tu
Yaad Bhi Tujhko Aa Naa Paoon Maa
Kya Itna Bura Hoon Main Maa
Kya Itna Bura Meri Maa

Jab Bhi Kabhi Papa Mujhe
Jo Zor Se Jhoola Jhulate Hain Maa
Meri Nazar Dhoondhe Tujhe
Sochu Yahi Tu Aa Ke Thaamegi Maa
Unse Main Yeh Kehta Nahin
Par Main Seham Jaata Hoon Maa
Chehre Pe Aana Deta Nahin
Dil Hi Dil Mein Ghabraata Hoon Maa
Tujhe Sab Hai Pata Hai Naa Maa
Tujhe Sab Hai Pata Meri Maa

Main Kabhi Batlata Nahin
Par Andhere Se Darta Hoon Main Maa
Yun To Main,Dikhlata Nahin
Teri Parwaah Karta Hoon Main Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata, Hain Na Maa
Tujhe Sab Hain Pata,,Meri Maa

Brands at their Best!

Rajni Ishtile!

• Rajanikanth makes onions cry.


• Rajanikanth can delete the Recycle Bin.


• Ghosts are actually created when Rajanikanth kills people faster than Death can process them.


• Rajanikanth can build a snowman..... out of rain.


• Rajanikanth can strangle you with a cordless phone.


• Rajanikanth can drown a fish.


• When Rajanikanth enters a room, he doesn't turn the lights on, he turns the dark off.


• When Rajanikanth looks in a mirror the mirror shatters, because not even glass is stupid enough to get in between Rajanikanth and Rajanikanth.


• Brett Favre can throw a football over 50 yards. Rajanikanth can throw Brett Favre even further.


• The last digit of pi is Rajanikanth. He is the end of all things.


• Rajanikanth does not know where you live, but he knows where you will die.


• Bullets dodge Rajanikanth.


• A Handicap parking sign does not signify that this spot is for handicapped people. It is actually in fact a warning, that the spot belongs to Rajanikanth and that you will be handicapped if you park there.


• Rajanikanth's calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd, no one fools Rajanikanth.


• If you spell Rajanikanth wrong on Google it doesn't say, "Did you mean Rajanikanth?" It simply replies, "Run while you still have the chance."


• Rajanikanth can do a wheelie on a unicycle.


• Once a cobra bit Rajanikanth' leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.


• When Rajanikanth gives you the finger, he's telling you how many seconds you have left to live.


• Rajanikanth can kill two stones with one bird.


• Rajanikanth was once on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and was the first to spin. The next 29 minutes of the show consisted of everyone standing around awkwardly, waiting for the wheel to stop.


• Leading hand sanitizers claim they can kill 99.9 percent of germs. Rajanikanth can kill 100 percent of whatever he wants.


• There is no such thing as global warming. Rajanikanth was cold, so he turned the sun up.


• Rajanikanth can set ants on fire with a magnifying glass. At night.


• Rajanikanth has a deep and abiding respect for human life… unless it gets in his way.


• It takes Rajanikanth 20 minutes to watch 60 Minutes.


• Rajanikanth once shot down a German fighter plane with his finger, by yelling, "Bang!"


• In an average living room there are 1,242 objects Rajanikanth could use to kill you, including the room itself.


• Behind every successful man, there is a woman. Behind every dead man, there is Rajanikanth.


• Rajanikanth destroyed the periodic table, because Rajanikanth only recognizes the element of surprise.


• Rajanikanth got his drivers license at the age of 16 Seconds.


• With the rising cost of gasoline, Rajanikanth is beginning to worry about his drinking habit.


• The square root of Rajanikanth is pain. Do not try to square Rajanikanth, the result is death.


• When you say "no one's perfect", Rajanikanth takes this as a personal insult.

Picking up a copy of R's biography is on my mind. Afterall, I might find instances that elucidate the above axioms.

Credits - A fellow-mal working hard in the deserts of Arabia

Insight into influencing prescription habits

Managed to lay my hands on this, forms for an interesting read. More so for people who understand pharmaceutical selling.

Discovering Serendipity

It isn’t too often that one thinks deeply of the meaning a word is supposed to disperse. One such casual yet very coherent conversation led me into the understanding the usage of the word better.

Serendipity is the case-in-point. A noun, it stands for the act of finding something delightful/valuable when you are not looking for it.

Derived from an old Persian fairy tale titled - The Three Princes of Serendip , the word was coined by Horace Walpole on 28 January 1754 in a letter he wrote to his friend Horace Mann an Englishman then living in Florence. The letter read,

"It was once when I read a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip: as their highnesses travelled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of: for instance, one of them discovered that a mule blind of the right eye had travelled the same road lately, because the grass was eaten only on the left side, where it was worse than on the right—now do you understand serendipity? One of the most remarkable instances of this accidental sagacity (for you must observe that no discovery of a thing you are looking for, comes under this description) was of my Lord Shaftsbury, who happening to dine at Lord Chancellor Clarendon's, found out the marriage of the Duke of York and Mrs. Hyde, by the respect with which her mother treated her at table."

Interesting snippets -

Serendip is the old Persian name for Sri Lanka.

The word 'serendipity' has been voted as one of the ten English words that were hardest to translate in June 2004 by a British translation company. However, due to its sociological use, the word has been imported into many other languages (Portuguese serendipicidade or serendipidade; French sérendipicité or sérendipité but also heureux hasard, "fortunate chance"; Spanish serendipia; Italian serendipità; Dutch serendipiteit; German Serendipität; Swedish, Danish and Norwegian serendipitet; Romanian serendipitate).

The 2001 film Serendipity (Kate Beckinsale, John Cusak) revolves around two people who fall in love in "a series of fortunate accidents"

During the final episode of the 1973 Doctor Who serial "The Green Death", The Doctor hears the dying Professor Cliff Jones utter the word "Serendipity", which leads The Doctor to replicate Cliff's tests and discover that the maggots can be killed by an edible fungus.

Colors of Life...

Grandiose colours
sprayed on you
with faces blue
adorned in hue

your humor
and my smile
makes this day
happier for a while

you run agog
with my chase
escaping each time
in surprise haste

you submit,
in distress
fall in my arms
in shock duress

I smile, on your closed eyes
plead, this moment never dies.

Adoption – The Mind Game

Adopt. You will receive more than you can give.

Bumped into a friend of mine, with her cute little daughter. She had first seen the angel in Pune, at an orphanage, when she was less than a year old. But the bureaucratic process had made it so difficult for her to adopt, that she could actually get custody of the child only after she turned 2.

She told me how difficult it was for her to pull the little child away from the ayas (caretakers) at the orphanage, and how both, she and the baby had howled (for different reasons of course) when the moment arrived. Obviously, the baby hated being in the arms of this absolute stranger and she hated being the cause of all the pain that was being inflicted on this frail and vulnerable child. Hearing all the stories I was trying to imagine the situation. The reason why I found it so difficult to picture this was that the scenario in front of me was totally different – In only in 3 days, My friend had become the centre of the child’s universe and vise versa. The little girl clung onto her mother, as if to never let go! Does it take so little time to become inseparable? This environment activist friend whose life was work, work and more work, was suddenly surrounded by diapers and toys and most of all her bundle of Joy.

I have been thinking of adoption as a concept for many years with regard to the triggers and mindblocks that surround it.

Unquestionably, the joy of having a child is unparalleled and occupies paramount importance in the minds of most adults (not only married couples but also potential single parents). Only a small percentage of this universe, however, ‘considers’ adoption as a meaningful alternative. Fewer still, end up taking the first step, that of calling an adoption agency, and a miniscule fraction finally end up adopting.

I can at least speak of India; here adopting a child is both a difficult decision and a difficult process. Numerous psychological, social and legal blocks pose as hurdles in the path to adoption. Looking at the insights gained from exploring the psyche of potential parents I realized that the main trigger is the desire to have a child and be a parent. Often the blocks to adopt are whether the child would truly become theirs- in look, behaviour, attitude etc. There is also uncertainty about how the child would turn out to be when he/she grows up. Then, how will other children, friends, relatives react/relate to the child. And lastly how would the child itself, react/relate to foster parents. Little do we realize that parenting per se and the issues around it are not much different in the case of adoption, as in bringing up biological children. The birth process itself is a very very small part of parenting. What makes you a parent is watching a child grow, sharing the good and bad times, playing together, nurturing, and making him/her a whole person.

We know that an adopted child’s character/future is just as uncertain as it is with a biological child. When parents adopt a child they are not doing any social service, they are filling their own lives with all the joys and all the pains of parenting. There really is no difference.

So many abandoned children looking for a loving parent and so many lonely parents seeking joy and fulfillment…can’t they be brought together?

Bengaluru

Finally I've got some respoite from the 43 cartons and hundreds of To-do items !

And I intend to dispense the flavor of namma bengaluru in the blogs that follow!

Miss Mumbai and my he/she- mumbaikars bigtime though :-(

The Tattoo Tale

Have been nursing this ambition since a long time. It wasn’t so much of a To Do or Not To Do…as much as it was about…Where? By Whom? What? When? ...

Yeah…I am referring to indulging in dermal pigmentation made by inserting a pigment into the skin mostly for decorative purposes – Commonly referred to as the Tattoo.

Of the tattoo studios, I had surveyed in the past, I found some of the them pretty dingy; found some of the people getting tattoo done overly boisterous; Could never really strike a right chord with the tattoo artist (I thought most of them were on dope most of time!). To add to these woes were worries on safety of the procedure in itself (Sterile equipments, disposable needles, non-toxic dyes…). That explains why the decision to indulge in the body art kept getting pushed for over a decade…

Finally the Gods decided to relent … Came to know of the ‘SavioR’ - Someone who was an artist at heart and passionate about his work.

For me the tattoo needed to speak volumes about ‘Me’. It was meant to be an extension of my personality. The keywords to my existence include –

- Indian Music
- Queen of Hearts
- Free spirited as a Butterfly
- Advocate of Symmetry
- Believer in Bonding

My tattoo artist worked around with these keywords and came up with a composite design. Now I wear my attitude on my sleeve..literally so!

Pain Points – The right design, the decision to let something permanent stay on you!

Pain of Piercing – Not so much; utterly bearable …Something close to having a pin scratch on the surface of the skin. (I can hear the guys go Eekssss…!)

Love Game!

Roughly translated thats what kaadhal Sadugudu implies. A number which still managed to send a chill down my spine. Its the unassuming expression that does the trick. Bullseye!

kaadhal sadugudugudu kaNNae thodu thodu

alaiyae sitRalaiyae karai vandhu vandhu poagum alaiyae
ennaith thoduvaay medhuvaayp padarvaay enRaal nuraiyaay karaiyum alaiyae
tholaivil paarththaal aamaam enginRaay arugil vandhaal illai enRaay
nagila nagila nagilaa oa oa oa vilagidaadhu nagilaa oa oa (2)
pazhagumbozhudhu kumariyaagi ennai velvaay peNNae
padukkai aRaiyil kuzhandhaiyaagi ennaik kolvaay kaNNae

kaadhal sadugudugudu kaNNae thodu thodu

neeraattum naeraththil ennannaiyaaginRaay
vaalaattum naeraththil en piLLaiyaaginRaay
naanaagath thottaaloa muLLaagip poaginRaay
neeyaagath thottaaloa poovaaga aaginRaay
en kaNNeer en thaNNeer ellaamae neeyanbae
en inbam en thunbam ellaamae neeyanbae
en vaazhvum en saavum un kaNNil asaivilae

nagila nagila nagilaa oa oa oa vilagidaadhu nagilaa oa oa (2)
pazhagumbozhudhu kumariyaagi ennai velvaay peNNae
padukkai aRaiyil kuzhandhaiyaagi ennaik kolvaay kaNNae

kaadhal sadugudugudu kaNNae thodu thodu

un uLLam naan kaaNa ennaayuL poadhaadhu
en anbai naan solla un kaalam poadhaadhu
en kaadhal iNaiyenna un nenju kaaNaadhu
aanaalum en muththam sollaamal poagaadhu
kondaalum konRaalum en sondham needhaanae
ninRaalum senRaalum un sondham naandhaanae
un vaetkai pinnaalae en vaazhkkai vaLaiyumae

nagila nagila nagilaa oa oa oa vilagidaadhu nagilaa oa oa (2)
pazhagumbozhudhu kumariyaagi ennai velvaay peNNae
padukkai aRaiyil kuzhandhaiyaagi ennaik kolvaay kaNNae

kaadhal sadugudugudu kaNNae thodu thodu

Dedication Note - Varsha, this one's a toast to us! Remember the Study Hols where we managed to get to the lyrics despite the paper on Business Law awaiting us the next morning! And hey you ... you know this one's for you!

Fleeting Moments !

alaipaayudhae kaNNaa en manam alaipaayudhae
aanandha moagana vaeNu gaanamadhil
alaipaayudhae kaNNaa en manam alaipaayudhae
un aanandha moagana vaeNu gaanamadhil
alaipaayudhae kaNNaa aaaa

nilaipeyaRaadhu silaipoalavae ninRu (2)
naeramaavadhaRiyaamalae miga vinoadhamaana muraLeedharaa en manam
alaipaayudhae kaNNaa aaaa

theLindha nilavu pattappagal poal eriyudhae (2)
dhikkai noakki en puruvam neRiyudhae
kanindha un vaeNugaanam kaatRil varugudhae (2)
kaNgal sorugi oru vidhamaay varugudhae (2)
kadhiththa manaththil oruththi padhaththai enakku aLiththu magizhththavaa (2)
oru thaniththa manaththil aNaiththu enakku uNarchchi koduththu mugizhththavaa
thaniththa manaththil aNaiththu enakku uNarchchi koduththu mugizhththavaa

kaNai kadal alaiyinil kadhiravan oLiyena iNaiyiru kazhalena kaLiththavaa
kadhaRi manamurugi naan azhaikkavoa idhara maadharudan nee kaLikkavo (2)
idhu thagumoa idhu muRaiyoa idhu dharmam thaano (2)
kuzhaloodhidum pozhudhu aadigum kuzhaigaL poalavae manadhu vaedhanai migavodu
alaipaayudhae kaNNaa en manam alaipaayudhae
un aanandha moagana vaeNu gaanamadhil
alaipaayudhae kaNNaa aaaa