Fascinated....

My dad has been the greatest educator in my life than my life itself.

In one of our discussions in my adolescent years, i blatantly blamed Gandhiji for the great divide to take place between India and Pakistan, how could he have allowed the division of countries, was he favoring the partition which was more or less based on religious values, if he had really wanted, he could have stopped, was my childish arguement.

He looked at me with those eyes that meant i was growing up and am entitled to my opinions. Yet, in few words he said "That wasnt true, it wasnt in his hands to decide, i cant allow you to think about a great man in ways that are not true". He suggested when i'm old enough, i'll UNDERSTAND the history. I took it that reading about it wasnt enough, i had to grow some more and i pondered was there more to it than what i know....The more i acquaint myself with his legacy, the more i'm fascinated by him, i feel there must be more to all this than what we read.

When i was in india last, my chacha, took a broom and started to clear the blockage of leaves in the narrow path of dry sewage next to our house that was clogging water. I quickly saw and went to rescue him and say "kyon chacha, app karr rahe ho, when the maids will come they'll do it". Yet, my chahcha said, "You know linku, bapuji said, if everyone does thier job without associating shame or embarrassment to it, the world would be a much better place to live".

There i was holding a sleepy baby Taran in my hands, next to my chacha, and he was blessing me with his deep sense of individuality.

All these feelings have been ruffled today as I came across this website, The Satyagraha House, the very house that housed Gandhiji and his architect friend Herman, his priniciples, his unrest, his simplicity and where the Satyagraha movement started its roots. Its recently been restored by a French company "Voyageurs du monde" and is now open to public. It gives a unique opportunity to stay in the guest house or just visit it as a museum. Kudos to the team of historian, curators, interior designers - who made this possible, who brought us little closer to the history of the life of a man we need to reacquaint ourselves with.

Thank you....merci beaucoup.

Me Judge not :)

Ek yaad kagaz ki khawab ki

Ek awaaz patton ki saans ki

Ek khat phulon ki raaz thi

Ek qwaish baki hai

.....ab milon ke raaste ki

Buss inn chaar batoin mein

Ek kashish guzara karta hai

Kabhi pyar se gale laga liya tho

Kabhi berukhi se anjanaa kar diya!

My poetic bone is unusually active oflate. When there is so much to say....

atteri kya baath hai....mein ithni romanchak hoon kya baath hai...

Great wolf lodge

Dec last year....something along this lines happened. 

I'm a sucker for short trips, long ones, vacations, skipping my reality is always a invitation to experience life more than what we are doing to it. 

Last week, drove little over 100 miles to reach Great Wolf Lodge. What can i say, the place was nothing short of magical.

Playing in water park at 84 degrees, you feel for a sec the disconnect between the outside temp and the one inside, margaritas, junk food, freshening up, heading to story time which was the highlight for me, T absolutely loved it....everyone in swim wear, flipflops, people of all ages were enjoying the splashes of water waves in the pool. 

When the native american puppet finishes telling a story about being brave in the forest, just then, there is a snow fall, the kids just ran to catch the snow and chase it. All the folks hair was covered in snow, and going to arcade, catching ice cream flavored after b'day cake. yumm yumm yumm....

The no fuss part is what i like the most, when u check in to this place they put a wrist band on you, which has your credit card details, so no matter where u go inside the hotel, u dont have to carry your wallet, just scan your wrist band and bang on, u r on a roll. If you are ever in the hood with your friends or family, this is a place that must be experienced. 

From around

http://www.ifoundyourcamera.net

1. Via my sunday ritual of PostSecret i came across this wonderful site which is a great resource to help people find thier lost cameras, pictures.....i think what they give back is more than just pictures, they give back treasures of lost moments. Something about that guys eyes is so captivating.

http://nyctaughtme.blogspot.com

2. If you are ever in the want to know "how to get kissed on top of empire state building". this is it ;)

3. This time of the year, Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia looks beautiful.







4. This vid from Madewell is super awesome, you need go by gut instinct and answer in five seconds. When i finished, i was surprised how accurate it was.

5. Beautiful Wedding in a barn, perfect style. Check it out here.

6. How wonderful is this loft, i want to escape there for few days all by myself and just zone out.

7. To end the list with this song i've heard on radio first thing this morning, and i felt this thing take over me. Beautiful lyrics, "yaad teri kabhi dastak kabhi sarghoshi se"....love love love it....

The Dirt

Few weeks ago, at a friends place, i had the opportunity to watch "The Dirty Picture". The movie is loosely based on a south indian film actress, Silk Smitha. I'm not giving away the story, so there is no spoiler warning.

As we started to watch, S asked me how could she do what she did, however she eventually changed her opinion. But what i answered to her surprised myself, i was without any prejudice, she had her body as her skill to sell, she wasnt educated, she was being abused by her own family, she had very little to go by, so she did what she felt was right for her. I was given a "look" which i chose to ignore.

But really the dirt of this movie is not in her selling her oozing voluptuousness on the screen, nor is of the people who want to see it, it is of the people who exploited her, who viewed her solely as on object of sex. Yet portray exploitation as a platform. These are the same insecure men who'd do anything to keep their self inflated egos full by crushing other people or actresses naivety to their pleasures. She could be no saint, but the crime was hers not alone, and yet she crucified herself.

I personally loved the movie, but somewhere it failed me, i agree with few floating reviews out there, which say when the camera was on Vidya Balan, she captivated the screen, the other popular actors couldnt justify thier roles to the way she was, the dialogues were written so true to the character and the movie. They showed a feisty girl, who does unconventional things never heard of on screen. But the movie ran in thin waters for me when they didnt show a strong reason for her to take matters in her hands towards the end of the movie.

But the real kudos go to the actress who portrayed the character so grit fully true. By the end of the movie, i sorely wished Silk Smitha was alive to tell her story. Vidya Balan showed how beautiful a body can look and as she ages in the movie, the same body that she flaunts looks old and saggy and somehow not attractive as it was portrayed before. Her body language, her style of sitting, her way of clothing, how she taps her personal experiences to bring on screen performances were more than worthy a note. She was brilliant. Simply superbly brilliant.....You rock!

My Art

Everyday when i pack lunch for t, i try to make smiley faces or something that would remind him of me, the other day he gives me his "Ginger" and asked me to make it on the banana. What you think, was i close?

In check

“ People will forget what you said, 
people will forget what you did, 
but people will never forget how you made them feel.  



--- Maya Angelou 

I couldn't  agree more, Miss A.

In numbers

101 drafts of blog posts,
more than 101 thoughts
lost count of days of not blogging, i felt a pull almost everyday to write but i....
this is the worst and the best season i love to blog about....

I'll randomly start with the day i was writing T's b'day card late night on the kitchen table, your handwriting, your affectionate words and the cards you have given me over the years, which i have saved it like precious jewels, were spread out in my heart like a cool shadow under a tree on  hot day.

Instead of saying this and that, i kept it simple and wrote the card like you do, with love, with my affection and the words best describe it. Everyone says time heals the worst of wounds, it's been 3 years, and i'm not a day away from that fateful day.

This morning, i read on bbc that Dev anand is no more, and i cried in silence on hearing you calling me from living room while watching "chitrahaar", "Linku, dev anand ka gana aa raha hai, jaldi aao" i cant fathom why i use to love dev anand....Madhu gave me the "guide" dvd few years ago and i for some reason understood the complexity of thier emotions much better than the first time i saw it.

I love you abba jaan, my darling baba! 

B. Face

Does this ever happen to you, my dolls! Happened quite a few times with me. 

I cant remember the source of this picture, drop a note if anyone else does.

Sometimes how we feel inside is not how we look outside and the balance is so lost in translation that it's futile to explain to ourselves, let alone the strangers who think we are curdling their background of a lovely day. Get over it, and remember if you see us girls like that, just remember, this is just how my face looks too, on a good day. 

Judge yourself

“ You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. J. Miles


Next time, when you are in a situation like that, think of which way you leaned. 


I'm a big fan of quotes, thanks to my dad. He use to love quotes, we use to have books and books just on quotes. When my childhood classmate best friend Madhavi was leaving town, i was wondering what to give her and on my dad's suggestion, i gave her a book of quotes. We are still friends and in touch. So my affinity to quotes leads me to post some of my fave ones here, do you have any fave quotes to share.

My backyard

Just after Hurricane Irene visited us, one quite evening i had the pleasure to see this wonderful art of god in my backyard last week of August!

Reminds me of Gone with the Wind cover picture of Rhett butler holding  Scarlett  O'Hara.

Aien..wyein

Iss tarah aapko yaad kiya karthein hain

Ke ghairon ko aapke naam se pukara karthin hain....

Sent from my iPhone


On a sleepless early morning, at 4.30am, in my cloud of thoughts, i composed this....
with the fear that i'll forget by the time i'll actually get up, i emailed myself these lines.
Sometimes i surprise myself for the extents i go to not forget something, stupid me!
I want to build on this...hopefully something else will come to me on another sleepless morning. Until then my lovelies kick off your morning with this oldie song, that guys groovy dance moves is quite adorable!

Tale of a road trip

West Chester -> Washington, DC -> Cary, NC and in reverse.

Mom, taran, I, a rented car and the mapquest App on my phone as roadies for 4 days.

After starting late on Friday, reached Union station, DC in peace by 1.30ish. After a sumptuous lunch of pizza's, Taran chased some birds at the freedom bell, as mom clicked away pics. At 3pm took the duck tour around town, i had such a blast with mom and taran.

412 miles, over 7 hrs :)

After early supper in Union station at 6.15ish we started the trip to NC driving for 40 miles an hour for quite sometime, made a quick pit stop for gas, its interesting how rest areas in south don't have gas stations and food courts like in NE. They have separate exits for that. Between my car and the SUV we were overtaking each other at 85 mph on 85S. Somewhere inbetween, T woke up and said, "mamma, you should let somebody else win, you cant win all the time".

After getting lost as we got closer to my destination, we reached Dinnu's home at 11.45ish pm, she opened doors with whiffs of warm food on the dining table. It's adorable how family and friends always wait for you no matter how late it is, to eat with you :) Squished between a 3 and a half and a 5 and a half, i alertly slept next to sleeping kids, it reminded me last thanksgiving in nj, between T and D.

A good bit of saturday was spent swapping stories, listening to kids, thinking about our other cousins and aunts and enjoying every bit of my niece calling me "Linku khalajaan", we headed to Lake Crab tree just before closing time at sunset, evening stroll in the mall, shopped for kids and went back home to some more reminiscing. I assumed the role of my munni khala when we were kids, and fed these little cousins, telling them tall stories of spider man, the moon and about recycling !!

Sunday was spent Museum hopping from NC Museum of Art to  Museum of Life+Science. Since the kids were being such handful at museum of art and we were being subjected to heavy eye rolling by the guards inside the museum, i decided to let them play at the fountain.

By 10am on Monday, we bid adieus with hugs, tears and wails from the kiddos, packed lunches, we headed on our way back. We took such frequent long breaks for lunch at McD's, coffee breaks, T had his first Starbucks, drove in rain and reached home by 5.30ish.

I had such adorable pleasant time with my darlings, all i want now is something like this pic below to fall asleep while reading.....instead i did 3 loads of laundry, vacuum cleaned the home, fixed my camera.

Ammi and Taran are getting closer by each day, i can tell, she is the bamboo when Taran is a panda, and Taran is a dog looking for a biscuit that my mom wants to eat : ) the plastic hangers are the shooting guns while they play hide nad seek and I change linens....lol! I thought of all my loved ones, and missed few a lot during my trip.

Courtesy Indian Summer. All i want is this now!

Quick pals

At Snip-its in Exton, T befriended someone much older than him, the wait time was ezy breezy! Apparently the well spoken language is the world of car racing games. I love it, how he approaches people, he has no inhibitions, he just flat out tells them how he feels about stuff they are doing, and the strangers always answer back in such sweet way that its endearing to watch this social dialogue in such dramatic tones.

In emergency

how do you prep?

I stepped up with prepping for irene hurricane as i was the only taking it serious, v was off to play his league cricket right in the middle of storm on Sat. On P's advice, packed some stuff, on ammi's advice, cooked extra meals, based on my common sense, charged phones, kept T's buzz lightyear flash light handy, extra water, removed the paintings of the wall close to the windows, my potted plants i brought them indoors, stacked the chairs and left them in the garage. If i had extra time, maybe i had filled up tank in my truck. With all the commotion, Taran thought i was baking a cake to celebrate, he even wondered if his birthday was here. ha ha ha....he made the most of us being busy and atched his fave movie and had lots of tv time.

With quite an interesting Sat, I slept like a baby with mom, as we weathered heavy rains, gusty winds and all, it got quite calmer around late noon Sunday. Just then Marcus & daisy texts to see if we could have the kids play together. ha ha....i almost cracked up laughing, but then i invited them home. It's very humbling when you open your doors and your life open to people, wonderful experiences, unknown stories, and good food happens. They brought this rich choclate cake, i made elaichi wali chai and next thing i know more kids from neighborhood were in my basement playing and plotting to explore t's bedroom upstairs to ramble it up : ) fortunately they all instead decided to head to the play area in front of my home.

Later as i was unpacking my suitcase - i made a mental note of how little "stuff" i really needed, apart from pair of clothes, i packed my dad's eye glasses, his books, my kindle and waterproofed passports. I thank god that nothing severe happened. But in retrospective, i had an aha zen moment, now everything else looks like stuff, if these are things i could survive without, then why do i even waste my energy and efforts keeping up with them. Food for thought....

My homies, how did you prep for this hurricane?? 

Have a happy.....day

Celebrate each moment the way you'd feel if there was a surprise at your window!

Courtesy: Joie de vivre

With hurricane Irene around the corner, and few earthquake tremors last week, there was quite some commotion around this part of the world. Natural calamities are all the more reason to count your blessings, rejoice the good people and things in our lives. 

Which way would you lean

hEART vs Head

Rocky aya ghar!

Guess who got towed from home! My bubba is troubling me so much these days, when i start it makes this sound you cant forget, it then feels like its coughing before it starts. Few days ago, one am, it refused to even cough, i called my fave mechanic home, he scraped his head while taking a lookie and decided we needed to get it towed to his garage. The only good thing that happened was my neighbor showed off, her young boys the whole towing process, and the kids got a kick as if they were at a fair!

Thankfully, it's only a fried battery, so i dont have to change my car, and i dont want to change, i have too many memories settled in this car. 

Tear the walls!

Do you ever imagine people walking with walls?

Courtesy: Joie de vivre

 I, do! Infact, there are times when i'm talking to someone i feel the walls, i sense them, i try to penetrate through them. These are the ones you cant touch, they are just there. But the million dollar question is who do you care enough to knock the walls down.

Kabbadi

in the living room with cars

T and i were getting ready to play kabbadi in the living room and we used his cars as a divider between his side and mine. 

Kabbadi kabbadi kabbadi! it's so much fun that i always win!

Haath jaltha hai tho jalne do!

When you have four burners going on the stove, it's better to clean the stove after the cooking is done, but ithni akal kahan, saaf karne ki bohuth bhooth jo sawaar tha. 

I'd rather get burnt and see the scars than see sticky and oil splutters around the stove. Even while it's cooking i have to constantly keep my surfaces clean, so an accident happened that's going to last few months before i forget it.

So, my dear bubba, please pay attention if you are ever at it. I'm sure you'll try to impress your girlfriend by cooking, but beware of these accidents....ok, doll.

Mo

A dear friend of dad's Mohan prasad uncle is no more, a severe loss for the literary world. A well known, highly acknowledged poet. I remember visiting uncles home on my way back from my drawing class in summer holidays when dad was stationed there. Uncle always in white, with cigarette in his hand and their open home next to a rocky mountain in vijayawada. He use to say "paininchi okka rai kuda padindante, mana kuteeram sangatulu inka anthay"..... he'd have a small garden in that patch where the possibility of any rock falling was eminent. I'd look up and wonder...

His daughter, mamta akka went on to win debates at national level and was sent to Germany. Sujata anuty is quite a simpleton. I'll always remember you fondly uncle, i promise to visit aunty the next time i'm there.

Few small and big moments

with T... 

When my neighbor and i were talking in the driveway, he sat so close to her little puppy, letting it lick him, on top of it, he moved around so that the dog could lick him on both his hands :) then he curiously asks me "Why do dogs have eyes, mamma?" with his casual shrug. i felt like squeezing him hard. 

Same day, over pink milk our conv went something like this...

I missed you today my bubba.

T: why mamma, was I lost? (t's face was so full of wonderful cute worry )

Why would you be lost, mera baccha?

T: When something is missing, it's lost mamma!

ha ha...Meri jaan, you are right!

Wouldn't be so cute to say "I lost you, today?". He speaks like such a wise person with transparent thoughts sometimes, it amazes me. 

Me hearties, hope you all "lose" someone close to your heart and yet far in distance. 

Lost time

Courtesy: Joie de Vivre

Is this why we seem to quite frequently say, time flies?? and yet when we meet people we haven't  met  in ages, it feels like  just yesterday that we spoke to them. This graffiti reminds me of Salvador Dali's Melting clock. 

Mind the Gap

....not like the one in the tube in London. But the gap in thoughts between epochs of life even though the settings are the same.

Since my mom's here, i notice few things that she says in conversation that make me ponder, make me think deep, makes me wonder, how as people we have changed so drastically over the decades. I imagine her in my shoes, how she'd have led her life, how she would have managed a situation that i find it so difficult to overcome.

I'll never forget when she got worried about my chronic cough that has returned with vengeance this year. While making fruit salad, she lovingly asked me does your cough trouble V?. I was like why would it, i've had it for over 10 years now, if anything everyone got used to it, even my friends and T got used to it. She innocently replies,  "aadat kaise hoga beta, phir aapki takleef?"

Hmm....interesting, takleef! hmm....i had quietly accepted the pain and didn't pay attention to it....how could i have expected empathy for my implicit pain when i myself didnt heed to it. I dont mean to reproach V or anyone, it's just how life is, how we get lost in the mechanics of it. I didnt explain her all this, i just got lost in my thoughts.

As people of this age, we need answers, we need them now, we need things to be in order, our minds are adapted to see things only in a way that condition well. We go to docs, we expect them to resolve our probs asap, our visit to them is a way of our taking care of the issue. But now i wonder, is that enough, is one act of resolute act suffice. Is TLC as needed as it claims? Are kind words more balm-ing/ healing than a docs prescription???? I cease to think i'd need it.

We deal with those pressures or circumstances, but the art of dealing with it in a breathable way that allows for a good exchange of emotions is largely absent. I wonder, how would T process his thoughts, his emotions, how would he deal with pressure cooker moments of times. Most importantly, how can i teach him to take care of his precious thoughts, how to let him preserve the sanctity of his well being and of those he treasures.

Before and After

I was reading an article somewhere that prompted me to write this. It kinda struck a chord and i thought i'll list the things that i did differently, BT and AT!


== I pick clothes that need minimum to no ironing, as a result learnt to expertly layer clothes.


== Makeup-  I never did much but BT whatever little I use to do it @ home, but now i've realized i do it a better job, at the traffic light stop, or yield signs. At one stop i start with eye liner and mascara, while driving i put my powder on, while still driving my lipstick and gloss is in order by the time i reach my destination i have perfume handy.


== My high heel / Silhouette shoes: BT i use to wear them all the time, but now, not for long, i crave for that flat comfort zone. So, i have learnt to leave my extra pair on the passenger seat next to me while i drive with flats. While i'm spraying myself with the perfume, i reach over to scout for my high heeled shoes, wear them. 


== Dressing for Parties: Fursat mein i use to try on few clothes, try on N no of shoes, make heaps of tried on clothes on bed, but now, i briefly scan the closet, see what would work out, and wear which ever shoes work with them.


== Earrings: I use to let my lazy behaviour take over and leave my earrings on all night, but now IF i even get to wear any, i religiously remove them at night.


== Clean house: It may look clean to you, but i cant fool myself can i? I pick all toys and stuff that i cnat find home for and either leave them in my closet or in the garage. Quick mop, plenty lysol wipes, febreeze and bingo, clean and fresh smelling home. 


== Gift Shopping: ha ha...pehle tho, i'd atleast maek an attempt to go the store buy gifts, wrap them, write a card etc. But now, AT, we stop at Wawa, buy the gift card there. If i really have to get a gift, i do it on my way to the party, wrap it in the car. As a backup, i carry scotchtape in the car :)

== My weekday hair wash party has moved to thursday am's and on this day my hair decides how it wants to be, and i've learnt to take it in stride. 

What and how have u changed ??

Raise your hand

if you like this one....

Dont need another perfect line...


.....till all my sleeves are stained red.

The first few seconds the high they take you to and the tempo they stage in download worthy....will give all my secrets away....

Living room

Nate Berkus said....everytime we walk in our home, it has to raise up to us, to greet us, to welcome us, to makes us feel like we are where we want to be - well he didnt say the last part but i did and kinda like it. 

I'm one of those people who switches around furniture, move the paintings around, not a big fan of curtains, if I must, then have to change them frequently, i feel like i'm trying outfits for my home all the time. I know my style, i know what i like...that's the problem sometimes. From my head to paper i drafted this, got half way through it, where i moved the couch, yet to get the side tables etc, due to time and travel distances to the stores i'd like to go, i opted to reuse my existing furniture from other rooms. 

My sweet child, when you own or rent a home, i'm sure you'll get some sense of my eccentricity, the rule of thumb is "never ever decorate your home in one shot"...make it a process, make it grow with you, do one room at a time. Dont get tied down with furniture, they are only stuff. Decorate with a personal touch, decorate with a style of functionality, persona and your "like factor" of it. 

Need we say more!

I so feel this one!

Mera jhoota hai japani!

I found these drool worthy....now if only i could find an outfit to go with it, hmm...let me think. How abt a pair of black shorts, a peachy top with a hint of shimmer, boyfriend blazer and an electric blue clutch. In my kuckoo it looks awesome, what say you!

Sweet sweethearts

T @ 13 months and Ammi in Eluru.

Welcome Home darling! Welcome home....

The sight of strength

Few days ago, a freind of mine said, "mera dil halka hua ab tumse baath karkay"....i dutifully accepted the gratitude she felt for unloading her issues.

We are told that we feel lighter when we share what we feel. I beleive so....but how do you spot the sight of strength in a friend who can endure your "stuff".

Am i making sense? Because in my kuckoo, i perfectly am.

The answer to that my baby is, how you feel and how they make you feel when you share. Thier voice, thier touch, thier honesty everything makes you feel so cared for and loved for. The enormity and the lightness of the situation takes a full circle. I hope you can be a friend with such strength and i hope you find friends with the same. 

Whats important for you?

Y'day in the middle of eating his pizza with this friend, T says "but mom l--- is eating with his mouth open". I somehow salvaged the situation there and moved on. 

I had been wanting to blog about this topic of how parents can enforce manners in kids and this is just as good time as another. For me, there are some manners that i swear by and i make sure that T learns them. I dont care what situation we are in, if there is a platform that i see as an opportunity for my son to learn, you bet, i'll seize it. He's learning to say his "No, thank you's", "Yes, please's", eating with mouth closed, cant swing feet while eating, using his table napkins, putting his shoes back where they belong, hang his towel after finishing it up, putting his clothes in the dirty laundry, he sometimes even tells his dad which one is a tea spoon and which one is a table spoon. I know i sound like a military mom but there are things i can tolerate except an unruly one.

However, its tricky when lines get fuzzy esp when we are in a setting where other parents dont acknowledge the same factor as an important stage to let thier kids know of what is acceptable and what isnt. I respect all parents choices irrepective of if i agree or not, I respect thier choices, i honestly do. But how do i explain my kiddo, that people make different choices, people dont tend to see the same picture even from the same stance. 

Instead, i probe T with questions that try to strike the point home that we are responsible just for our own manners and not everybody else's. Even as i'm reading my blog, i feel i come off as a harsh one, but, on my watch, I yearn for him to seek to do the right thing consciously. Do you ever see kids saying thank you without even looking at the person they are thanking for. I dont know why but it irks me!!

What are the ones that you lay the line on?? What are some important ones for you, do you ever think?

Nice watch's!

Few movies worth the watch time...

Ghost world strikes a chord of acceptable behaviors, challenges accepting unacceptable patterns, portrays the highs and lows of a seeking mind. It ends with Jaan pehchaanho, jeena ....of Sir Mohamed Rafi.

American Rhapsody- now that is one movie everyone who moved away from thier homeland would connect with. Parents who try hard, kids who take too easy, the struggle to come to a medium of embracing of who they have to be. But mostly of keeping promises.... 

The Englishman who went up the hill and came down the mountain - All about perseverance and old school meets new ideas. Awesome movie. Hugh Grant and that pub guy just break it all.

Before and After - Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson - A+ acting, excellent script. About a mother and father who are trying to save thier son from the accusations of a murder. But during the whole trial, how they each learn about eachother, the strength of family, Liam Neeson just comes off so awesomely and Meryl does this job of a mother, who lets the child grow in thier own pace and does what is right though it might...oh well...

Bridges of Madison County - I had seen this almost 5-6 years ago, i still remember one scene in the rain, she's in her car, and he's in his car and the struggle she does with herself with all the might she has to stay in her car and not go in his. She can so gracefully potray the character, it's freaking scary. 

Falling in love - Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro - My god, in few scenes it just tears your heart apart.  Aonther one of her classics, saw many years ago. One scene when she tells her friend about how she feels about robert de niro, expresses what she's bottled up. About two people, who meet as strangers in a train and become friends and how that later on grows into more and more. Time tests what they hold for eachother and they trust thier guts on that.

Kramer VS Kramer - Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep again. Cant tell how many oscars it won. Its just a beautiful movie.

The Reader ; and The Revolutionary Road - two of Kate Winslet's classics. Ok i gotta stop - i'm so getting carried away. I only started for Ghost world and American Rhapsody.

I;ll keep bringing more of what i like. 

Happy daddy's day!

While Hallmarking, i saw one card that just made me laugh so loud in store - it went something like this...

One month after Mother's day, 

someone said, 

Hi! wait a minute, 

what about the fathers!!

Apparently thats about the origin of fathers day ; ) 

Either way, it's a beautiful way to celebrate the love, the quirkiness, the strength that dads bring in to our lives. Taran and I are going for a fathers day carnival at his school this evening. 

Happy Fathers day, my darling abbu! I'd have taken you to Billy Elliot broad way show. 

Dear sugar bunnies, enjoy your weekend and dont forget to tell your dad all the things about life and in general that you learnt from him, muaah!

How True?

“ A person’s worth is contingent upon who they are, not upon what they do, or how much they have. The worth of a person, or a thing, or an idea, is in being, not in doing, not in having. Alice Mary Hilton


There is stuff in my head that i find hard to convey and i just let go of not explaining or fiercely hope the other person "gets it" on their own. This is one such. 

Wander, ever?

:)

Now my big question is, can you muster the courage to get there? 

Hi, I got to...

"tell you something first"....

no i dont have anything to say but if you were to share any news, who is the first person you'd share the news with. Is it your mom, dad, a sibling, a dear friend, your spouse? Is there any order you follow for the people you want to share the news with, do you care what time are you calling, do you feel the need to just shout out the window?

When does it feel that news has circulated enough to feel that the news is shared to its fullest extent? Who means the most? Who is your safety net?

They did! Would you !

They got married in a park in Brooklyn, rode bicycles to the bar they first met at for reception. How uber cute is this for a couple who did this because they were on budget, but even if not, it's a way to celebrate thier day to day life together doing what they do on a every day basis, aieh! Now only if Indian weddings swing this way, parents can route the wedding fund for their beach house fund. My personal fave are the vintage wedding themes!

From Perfectboundblog.com 

Candies from Pinata :)

The picture of candies fallen on the ground from the pinata reminded me of all the mishri's and acrot that haji saab would shower in the air after the "kabool"'s from the bride and the groom.

Keep it beautiful, darlings.

Beat the heat

The sweltering heat in my neck of woods is driving everyone to stay indoors at a cooler place.

Reminds of those hot summers in rajahmundry. We werent allowed to ride bikes, go out until the sun is set. All we were left to do was do a lot of coloring, read comics, stare outside the window lying down on the divan by the fan, (I still remember the crow that would sit by the tall coconut tree, sometimes i would woner why doesnt it fly around like others).

Since there wasnt much to watch on TV, we were only allowed to ride to the video rental store late morning or late evenings. I'd walk to the corner book store where that guy would rent out magazines. Right next to it was the ice cream parlor, yumm...

By late afternoon you could hear the local farmers or vendors who'd sell the coconut water or munju's, we'd rush to them and those guys would bring the coconuts to the first floor and we all kiddo's would sit on the stairs and drink them. Even if we didnt want to eat, baba would call them anyway because he'd feel sorry that they are working in the hot sun and maybe this way they'll get a break and also make some money. My Sweet  Daddy.

I also remember munni khalajaan would make what she now calls "Linku chutney", and we'd sit propped on the attic space looking out the garden of her home and i'd just eat the chutney.

The thattaya across the street would plop this chair under the tree and watch the kids play, the stores open, the light traffic of evening walkers and young lads driving past thier prospective girl friends homes ;)

Once the sun was set, it was such a different story, quick cold baths, ammi would always dress us in light color frocks, the lemonades, the bicycle rides to anywhere we wanted, doing homework, going to "drawing classes", watering the plants, talking to friends, attending to our aunts and uncles who'd visit us, going out with mom.

When the power would be off, lunoo and I would recite the musical lessons we learnt, and our neighbours would call to us from thier living rooms and ask for more :)

A lot of gushing to me and all the memories across the different times are clashing. Let me enjoy the moment, and this is the song on my play list.

Say Cheese, bubba!

Ever wonder what are the little things you do for your little tots that would be cherished or forgotten. 

From PostSecret

When i saw this many weeks ago, it was so heartwarming and priceless.

I cut T's cheese slices the exact same way and even put it back in the plastic wrap it comes with. It started as a way of teaching shapes, but now, i do it anyway, because....i dont know why but i still do. i even cut his omelette's in triangles. Aaahh....When i saw this on PS, I wondered for a second if T would remember what i do with his cheese, when he's all up and out of the nest. It'll be fine if its not remembered, as long as he knows he's loved to infinity and beyond : ) Love you, bubba!

Have a "Cheesy" weekend, buddies!

iFashion :)

That smile is to die for....and the name Gul...sweet!...if i'd ever have a girl, Gul would be one of the final name contenders. The outfit, the tan clutch, the watch, the shoes, hair do...perfect. Me Likey very much!

At Car and BIke Awards

Look who's dunnit again! Less is more...The blue is kinda dark for my taste, but for a evening event, i'm sure it's pretty blue. I love when women sport a watch with a very feminine outfit such as a saree. 

I'll bring more of these as i see some good ones around. 

What would you save??

I have a stack of old pictures and albums under my bed. It's very comforting to have them there.....on days that my sleep is evading me and i'm unable to gather my thoughts, one of it that drifts back to me is, what would i do with these pictures, if my house catches on fire! My beat goes faster and my mental notes starts letting go of the stuff i can move on with out.

What pictures and what "things" would i take with me....what is it that is imperatively important from my past and present that i would risk myself in fire to rescue to make them a part of my future, what is it that i'd be incomplete without. It's a thought, that zips and zaps like a familiar stranger, this is a thought where i'm alone.

But this morning, during my Sunday ritual, i came across this website, The burning house. What can i say, my thought smiled and came back to me, all i know is my world of lunacy is not alone. This will inspire me to take action of my "burning" thought and hopefully i'll jot down and take picture of the stuff, i'd take with me.

What would you grab on before taking the exit!

When do moms stop??

As i was wrapping up my AM call with my mom, i told her i have to rush as there was a mothers day luncheon picnic at T's school. She was as excited as i was, wanted me to get there on time and says "Zara achey dhang ke kapde pehno" (translated to ....well i dont have the heart to translate).

My jaw just dropped, I'm not a 5th grader anymore and still i get these tidbits slung at me. I frowned "mamma, why did you say that" (in my head, thousand balloons were popping up wondering "I wear good clothes, dont I")

But then she goes on about how i always wear the plain jane clothes. It was my cousins wedding, all were decked out and i chose to have have a dark brown suit stiched with classy neck and well whatever...she thought something was wrong with me, look at luna, she has nice jhumkas on, her pretty green
and white lehenga.

We were at a family friends daughter wedding, i wore a simple yellow and purple kurta pyjama, the only reason i remember is because she fussed over how i could have worn something more dressier.

Ha ha...by god, i love her to pieces, but she can have me in rambles in no time.

I was thinking about all those incidents and more while I chose to wear my pretty green blouse with Express jeans, a simple bracelet. Rushed to McD's got something for myself and t's teachers. Late by 9 mts, i even managed to put some quick makeup on in less than 3 mts in the car. I hope T knows how he good he has ;) I hope i fit my mom's bill of dhang ke kapde, but i know i'll always be the plain jane who chooses clothes from the bottom of the drawer for her. This song was on fm as i was rushing...

Have a well dressed weekend, my sugar plums.

Would you work it?

Rani On Filmfare: (Un)Covered

Love the lehenga she's sporting on right side, she paired it so beautifully too. To make it wearable, outside of the ramp and photoshoot, I'd do nice jhooti's, change from black to white blouse, high neck, sleeve cut right towards the neck, showing off some skin on the shoulders, with a white dupatta laced with just a hint of gold or maybe red, all those chunky bangles.

If you heading to a friends mehendi, if you are throwing a tandoor party in your backyard even, i'd keep the hair simple, no more of jewellery, no earrings nothing, just a gorgeous lehenga and smile to go with it- totally workable.

Rani is such a charming gal. That's me reporting from Fashion central of my blog. Thank you for tuning in, will bring you more as i spot some simple workable ones. Muaah!

Happy Mamma's day!

It's mothers day tomorrow, my dollies, it's a wonderful way to express to all the special mom's in your life what a wonderful job they are doing. Your mom, your wife, your daughter, your sister, your friends - all of who inspire you, bring smiles to your day, who make days tolerable, who seal the hurts away, do wish them and tell them how much you cherish them.

It totally rocks to be a mom, but more than ever i've realized as my mom's child, that the world is a better place with sweet, tough, sassy mom's with beautiful hearts. Love you all babes!

Was i missed ke nahi (not a breathing breath with that thought, aieh. koi nahi...iss blog rajya ki huzoor ki aisi qwahish ki zurrat nahi ki) (kya baath hai meri jaan) alrighty enough with my trials on the fly and just want to wish the moms of all blogland real and surreal ;) a very happy mothers day. Hope all the dads of young guns treat the mamma's of the tot world like a princess.

Be tough and strong cookies! Miss you mamma, T learnt a mothers day song at school, i made him sing it to my mum, she absolutely loved it. (Rambling again, will stop.) 

Chile to Ireland

I distinctly remember, Irfhan in the train, telling his co-passenger, about the book he's reading (scene from Name Sake). He says, you can go to different places without leaving where you are by reading a book. Maybe he didnt say the exact words but its to that effect.

Few weekends ago, i picked two books from our local library, "a jewel of a story" proclaimed New York times,  on the cover of The postman (Il Postrino) by Antonio Skarmeta, translated by K. Silver. It suddenly reminded me of the times when my mom use to translate russian stories in telegu for local publications. It piqued me and i picked it!

Mario Jimenez the postman asks Pablo Neruda the poet, if everything in life is a metaphor for something else.

I found this line profound, if you try to think about it, in your day to day life, dont we live a sleuth of metaphors, dont we?

(reading Return Journey of Maeve Binchy, currently)

One

I heard in French today - Dieu est un comédien jouant devant un public trop peur de rire.... translated to God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh!


Ha ha ha....

Evening Spring

Picked a friend at Exton station and dropped her at home, she was sick, i was sick, her kiddo was sick. But the spring air was anything but, my mind was racing, my heart was racing.

It reminded me of those care free evenings with just a hint of coolness in the air of hyderabad, after a long sweaty day.

Right after the shower, when you step out on the balcony....
Right after dinner, when you sit on the bike for a ride....
Right after finishing that ice-cream and stepping out of that baskins at middle of the night with cousins and uncle.
Right after wearing a crisply ironed kurta and smell like Mysore Sandal and head to that movie with bunch of friends.

I'll never point to motherhood for stripping me of those moments, i'll, however to the rigid discipline i follow for myself and my son, to the harsh winters of north east.

I was in a part of town that i was not too familiar with, but it let me see the world i had left behind, a book i finished reading was coming to me, places i havent been to, and been to were entwining me.

Is it really....

From Post Secret

It's amazing how world around you resonates to what you feel. My thoughts go out to this post card sender, whoever you are. Hope peace and affection find you. i keep thinking of sending some of mine too, but then everyone else does such a great job that, i'm more inspired by thier woa (work of art).

As you turn around the corner of the street, as you go across a familiar place, as you see a dear one's facial feature in a strangers face, do you wonder- who does your thoughts tie back to?

The road ahead seems so fiercely gravelly, can i walk bare foot, can you walk bare foot....ever think.

Pick your battles....

Few weeks ago, after a mother of headache slaughtered me for 2 days straight, i knew who to point my blame on....my teeth. Except for one root canal and few other minor issues, i'm in good shape, was my assumption. 

During a much needed dental visit, my Canadian dental hygienist, who was admiring my purple shoes and how she loves purple, and how after 4 yrs she painted her room purple (ok sista!), and is also venturing on border stencils (wow! bit much)....she asked me the most dreaded question, how often is it that i floss. AAhh...the F word again! I honestly admitted to her how i brush twice, sometimes thrice a day, but i detest flossing. It looks complicated, i'm not sure i'm doing it the right way, not sure if it's doing its job, i attempt it however but only to stop rather quickly.

Waterpik

After hearing me, she google chromed me to show what a waterpik was? hmm....interesting, mental note made to look it up asap at home. There i was after shiny clean teeth paid out of my pocket, and a estimate for the implants to remove my root canal filling that made me roll my eyes, i rushed back to look up what this hoopla about waterpik was. 

Read all about it in 10 mts and thanks to Amazon, few days later, this wonderful product made it to my home. Post charging, i tried it on this am, it kinda feels funny the way the water works around your mouth, but i think this product has potential. The instructions say, i can even fill it with mouthwash. It's a oral irrigator, a fundoo word, but me likey. A worthy alternate to traditional flossing. 

This is in no way promotional for the product, but my sheer amazement that, how we are not aware of some wonderful products there, which make our life so much easier, healthier and cleaner. 

Rocket for a Princess

While growing up, amongst treasure of books as toys, i had oodles of "sketch pens" aka markers in US of A, so no matter what i get for T, i always load up on extra markers for him when i'm at the store for his "out of the blue surprises". He randomly lies on the floor coloring this and that, he's never inside the lines, which is absolutely fine by me.

Castle for Mamma!

One morning, he made a leaning tower of pisa (if you ask me) out of the markers and annouces "oh mamma i made a rocket ship". Like any proud parent would, i expressed my pure sense of joy at his whimsical imagination and continued making his lunch. But then he changed his story by the end of his lunch hour and exclaimed that it was now a castle, "Castle for you mamma!".

I had to give him for that, and gave my undivided Wows and thank yous. Then he pops a belated question - "Mamma are you a princess"....Meri jaan, mera baccha, xoxoxo...i let a cloud of thought float above me which said "Depends who you are asking darling".

The boys brought it home!

Kya match tha, by god, Sri Lanka Vs India, two asian teams first time in world finals. Great job by Sri Lankans, but then when we started it was like watching a team coming to support each other. Loved it, loved it, loved it, my boys. Go Go Go Team Blue, Team India. After 1983, a well deserved cup for a well deserved Captain, Dhoni saheb. XOXO to our team. India Won the World Cup Cricket. Dhoni showed his talent for sportsman and showmanship. Well done sirji, esp, woh aapka last sixer tho by god, mashallah tha! But Gambhir, what Gambhir did was lagaam dheere dheere se kheech kar, he brought us over to the kinara. The grace the team portrayed by saying it was all for Sachin, wah! It's what we do for others that we are remembered for. Love it, ekdam cream of the cake game tha. Cheers....enjoy the victory hearties!