Long time no see!

Yes, it's really been quite a long time! However hard I attempt to stick to my pursuit of updating my blog regularly, I, one way or another, fail to stick to this commitment! More than you, I should be seeking my own mercy which doesn't sound that cool!

Things have been stirring at a melodramatically faster pace. Although, we let go of the plan to shift home for the time being, there are oodles of other tasks that were nippy enough to brawl for the top slots on the to-do list. For those who are not aware, we have planned (or rather still planning) a function in Goa to mark the Thread Ceremony of our son. We hope to keep it quite a homely and private event as he isn't too comfortable amongst too many unaccustomed faces. And because it’s HIS day, we have made it obvious to respect HIS feelings. It’s in May, and I am already dreading about how hot and humid Goa will be by then considering I've already had an extreme spat with it just this weekend. With all that holy fire around, the people and the weather…God help me in dealing with my little man! Trust me; he’s one hell of a monster when it comes to crowd, heat and rush!

Planning, as I said, is still underway. Just finalized the venue decorator this weekend and I must say man...it does cost a bomb! However, many things are still in the To-Do list. Hubby is no good when it comes to assisting in all these matters. I am glad he lent a hand while dealing with the most important task…the saree shopping! I guess, he feels that it’s the only agenda that takes such a function to its own sweet end. And Hubby, if you are reading this…No, it doesn't…there are million other stuffs that I am single-handedly dealing with and you have absolutely no idea about…..(Well, I can say, I prefer to keep it that way....remember the old saying? Too many cooks spoil the dish??? Yes, exactly.... :-)

Kids are back in school with a brand new academic year…a sleek new classroom, new friends and most prominently new teachers. Daughter is pretty excited and happy with her new teacher…well, Son takes time to adjust to anything that’s new and a new teacher is just another human…wish she had a remote control with her to tickle his ‘interest’ bones!

One advantage about not moving the home is you get to keep your old, obedient and honest staff. I was so anxious about the cycle of finding-trying-liking-changing-maids and I am so happy that I will not have to go through it all over again! But yes, kids will spend a little more time in travelling to school which was the foremost motive behind the decision to move. I guess for every little pleasure, one has to pay the price. For right now, I am gratified with wherever I am and I hope that any move, if there is at all, will be for the better!

Yyyyaaaaaaayyyyy! Its kids’ birthday this weekend. Can’t believe they’ll be seven! Seven exquisite years spent with them with most beautiful memories to cherish! They’ll grow bigger and brighter with each passing year but for me and Hubby, they’ll always be little bundles of joy that were handed over to us on 12^th April, 2007! No one can ever take away that moment from us! Something that’s too priceless to even share! We have nothing special planned for them this year but we do want to do whatever they wish on their special day –even if that means swimming in the beach at 2 o’clock in the afternoon under sweltering sun! God bless the chipmunks and their weird wishes!

See you soon! Have a great week and then the weekend and then the week again and then the weekend again……! Well, you know what I mean..:-P

A busy trimester!

With kids’ final exams, come other associated undertakings like projects, assignments and loads of other stuffs. I am surely not grouchy about them as I really enjoy myself being a part of these activities. When I was a kid myself, I remember spending a lot of time and efforts in researching, collecting pictures, etc. to complete these projects. Today, life’s become laid-back with Google at our service.  At a click, you get the information, pictures and everything that you need.  Jai Google Baba ki!!

Kids finals are scheduled during the first week of March and if you are thinking that it would bring some respite to me…hold that thought right there! There are loads of other activities in planning stage… shifting into a new place is the first one. And just while we would be settling down there, approaches their birthday which I have been ‘informed’ would be quite an affair with all their friends from school. Bingo! After the birthday, it’s time for son’s ‘Thread Ceremony’ which is planned in Goa in the month of May.  So, I’ll be spending a considerate amount of time in Goa before the function tackling plentiful preparatory activities.  And as Hubby plans to join in just a day prior to the function, it’ll be a solo show.

After the ceremony, we plan to head straight to the Himalayas to unwind ourselves after all that hustle bustle. Yes, we’re heading to The Himalayan Village at Sonapani. Yet again! Kids just love that place and it was their appeal to spend some time there which we decided to honour. We have been told by the owners that June is the best time to visit as their orchards will be thriving with fruits like peaches, apples, oranges and so many others that kids can enjoy! So, we are highly looking forward towards this trip. I am, particularly, looking forward to the peaceful atmosphere, the clear blue sky, the enthralling Himalayas that I can park myself and watch for hours and the home-cooked and absolutely tasty meals and deserts. Now that I know the surroundings pretty well, an idea of a lone and peaceful walk cannot be ruled out, too.

Aaah! I hope that by the time we are back to Aamchi Mumbai, we all are super charged up to resume our daily lives!

Will post more updates as soon as I am ready!

See ya!

Motherhood:Part II

Few days back I had a post on my Facebook page. It read as below:

“Many a times, I feel totally irritated sitting with kids and helping them in their studies. My patience is at its peak when any of them takes a longer time to understand any concept. I get upset while I am at it but when I tuck them in bed at night, I feel terribly guilty...feel like a monster mom for not handling the things properly. Gosh...it's like an emotional turbulence within me. As Moms, are you girls facing the same or it's just me???”

Yes, I meant every word of it. I am feeling that I am losing out on something. I am feeling that my patience levels are suddenly dropping. I have a feeling that I am turning into an insane and oblivious human being….a Monster Mom!

Kids are growing up and so are my duties and accountabilities as their Mother. They are no longer nappy-happy broods. Their interests are mounting beyond my judgements. Their hobbies are altering with each fleeting moment. Their vocabulary is sky scorching every minute. Their reactions, retorts, jargon, lingo and ever fluctuating moods…their inquisitiveness, their exasperation and their outlook makes me brood over whether I am sinking in my futile efforts in coping up with their intensifying sensibilities.

All this strongly makes me believe that I am entering a second phase of this journey called Motherhood. Kids want to be treated as one of us…more specifically as Adults. They demand that their opinions be considered while taking any decisions involving them. Their privacy be respected, their choices be honoured and most importantly they be treated with lots and lots of esteem. 

Things are really changing…or should I say they're already changed beyond one’s imagination. Until I was well past my schooling, I just don’t recall a single thing bought for me entirely by my choice…well, my mom always had a final say in what I would wear, which colour would suit my personality the best, what hairstyle will look good for my face cut or even whether I should participate in events at school or not. Well, today, I am being ‘informed’ that a ‘certain’ kind of dress is on the next ‘to-shop’ list, a crave for a McD meal over weekend or even where to go for the vacations. Whoa! All the innovation in the technology, the remarkable progress man has made over these years and the exposure these kids have today is finally taking a toll on Mothers…that’s the final word!

So, here’s to all those brilliant Moms out there who are screaming their guts out to ensure a childhood their kids will always be proud of….you rock, Babe! Nothing and no one can beat what you do! 

Sharing here some wonderful quotes I found on Google..... :-)

Christmas 2013!

Well...this post should have come before the 2013 ended but true to my legacy, I am late with this one...so, please excuse...

Sharing here some snaps of our Christmas celebrations. Some of you must have already seen these through Facebook.

Standing in the queue for the fun to begin....

Whoa...I am all for it.. :-)

And the fun begins...

Am I not total Christmassy??

Our favourite!

Some snacks after the games

Thank God for the Frooti!

Such discipline I tell you :-P

What is it that I am missing on?

Our favourite pose :-)

We decorated this.....!

We love this...

Such pleasure..

Isn't it cute?

Singing carols...

I am at my favourite activity....modelling for Mom!

Is this a good pose?

Oh! C'on..I am just tired!

Ornaments at our home..

Merry Christmas

Cute Little Fairy!

So nice...

Isn't it cute?

There are loads of other pictures too but I shall resist my temptation of publishing them all here....But I warn you that you'll see a lot more of my pictures in 2014 as I seriously intent to click and publish some of the best shots....!

On this note....see ya soon!

Happy 2014!

2014….yet another new beginning….yet another fresh expedition…

I would like to start this New Year with a small appeal…

God grant me the serenity to

Accept the things I cannot change.

The courage to change the things I can.

And the wisdom to know the difference.

                                     -Reinhold Niebuhr

I am not somebody who stalwartly believes in making the resolutions at the commencement of each year. It’s not that I never practiced so…Of course, I did! However, I soon recognized that most resolutions meet a disastrous finale….some gets just overlooked over the period while some just gets out of the memory lane and the lingering ones are just given a clean miss over other urgencies… In all conscience, I have experienced all of the above and hence I do not make any resolutions and take life the way it’s thrown upon me.

We had a fabulous Christmas vacation with my Mom joining in from Goa. Kids were exhilarated to be with their Aaji and so did she. Those 10 days were truly remarkable as both of them could spend some quality time together. Well, as far as I am concerned, I have outdone the age of being ecstatic at my Mom’s arrival. It’s not that I don’t like her being around…I certainly do. However, I like to find pleasure in doing things which at times she doesn’t favour. And the real awkwardness is born when she finds it tough to express it. My relations with her now are more like soul mates than mother-daughter. We discuss the entire world under this moon may it be from her job to my maids to what-she-should-be-wearing-for-a-function….And I love it that way.  Well, I love her and I wish her a very healthy and happy life.

Now that the schools have resumed, I am back to the grind….and so are the kids.  I am hoping that 2014 will motivate me harder to keep up to writing and updating my blog in addition to my other assignments.

Have a wonderful 2014!  

एक हितगुज..माझं माझ्याशीच!

खूप दिवसांपासून एक खतरनाक विचार माझ्या सुपिक डोक्यात घर करून होता...आपण काहीतरी, एकदा तरी मराठीत लिहावं असं खूप खूप मनापासून वाटत होते. पण तसं करायची हिम्मत एकजूट होतंच नव्हती. पण आज म्हटलं काही तरी खरंच लिहून पाहावं...निदान प्रयत्न तरी करावा...नाही जमलं तर द्यावं सोडून..त्याच्यात काय? पण निदान प्रयत्न केल्याचं समाधान आणि सुख तरी अनुभवता येईल. 

मराठी हा माझा तसा फार काही आवडीचा विषय वैगरे नाही पण शाळेत दहावी पर्यंत ह्या विषयात सर्वात जास्त मार्क मी कधी सोडले नाहीत. त्यामुळे ह्या भाषेशी एक वेगळंच नातं निर्माण झालं होतं. पुढे एका मराठी कुटुंबात लग्न होऊन मुंबईला आल्यापासून तर ह्या भाषेचाच आसरा होता. पूर्वी नवीन लग्न झाल्यावर बऱ्याच जणांनी विचारलं की मला एव्हडं मराठी कसं बोलता येतं! पण बऱ्याच जणांना अजूनही माहित नाही की गोव्याला मराठी हा एक विषय असतो आणि बहुतेच कोंकणी बोलणारे सगळेच मराठी पण फार सफाईदार पणे बोलू शकतात.

माझी मराठी काही एकदम कुशल पातळीवरची वैगरे नाही पण तरीही चेतन एव्हडी वर्ष माझ्याशी यशस्वीपणे संवाद साधतोय म्हणजे जरा तरी चांगल्या पातळीवरची असली पाहिजे...नाही का? अजूनही बऱ्याच ठिकाणी बोलताना कोंकणीचा अंश जाणवतो... अजूनही माश्या आल्या म्हणायच्या ऐवजी मूस आले हे अगदी सहजपणे तोंडातून बाहेर पडतं. अजूनही घरातल्या कामवालीला मुग भिजत घाल म्हणताना कुठेतरी फुगत घाल म्हणायचा मोह आवरायला बरेच कष्ट घ्यावे लागतात. आणि मग स्वतःवरच चीड येते कि एव्हडी वर्षं झाली तरीही एका भाषेवर आपण प्रभुत्व मिळवू नाही शकलो....पण असो...सगळ्यांनाच सगळंच कुठे जमते, म्हणून तर हे जग चालते....

पण आता जेव्हा मुलांना वेगवेगळ्या भाषा खूपच सहज आणि सफाईदार पणे बोलताना पाहते तेव्हा मात्र खूप समाधान वाटते. इंग्रजी भाषा हि आज-काल काळाची एक गरज झाली आहे त्यामुळे मुलं ही भाषा पटकन शिकतात. त्या व्यतिरिक्त त्यांची शाळा इंग्रजी माध्यमाची असल्यामुळे अजून भर पडते. पण घरी जेव्हा ही पलटण माझ्याशी एकदम शुद्ध कोंकणीत आणि बाकीच्यांशी शुद्ध मराठीत बोलते तेव्हा मात्र खूप गर्व वाटतो ह्या मुलांचा. बंगळूरू मधून जर मुंबईला आलो नसतो तर कदाचित दोघे कन्नड पण सराईत पणे बोलले असते. असं म्हणतात कि माणसाला जेव्ह्ड्या जास्त भाषा येतात तेव्हडा तो माणूस विद्वान. त्यामुळे जेव्ह्ड्या भाषा शिकता येतील तेव्ह्ड्या जरूर शिकाव्यात.

शेवटी मनातली एक इच्छा पूर्ण झाली ह्याचा आनंद आणि अभिमान, दोन्हीही आहे...काहीही झालं तरी मी मरेपर्यंत स्वतःला गोयंकारच म्हणेन पण  हा अभिप्राय मराठीतून लिहिताना एक वेगळीच मजा आहे!!! आणि ती मजा मला खूप दिवसांपासून अनुभवायची होती!!

(ह्या लेखनात अजूनही चुका असू शकतात..कृपया तुम्हाला आढळल्यास खाली कमेंट्स मध्ये त्यांची नोंद करायला विसरू नका.)

The Lunchbox - My first film review!

Finally watched ‘The Lunchbox’. Since I saw the trailors of the movie, I wanted to catch it anyhow. Besides, the entire cast of the film was just fuelling up my desire further. I love Irrfan Khan. His acting has always charmed me right from the Badrinath/Somnath Twin characters he played in the epic tele-serial ‘Chandrakanta’.  Films like Maqbool, Pan Singh Tomar, The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire, New York and not to forget Life of Pi further substantiated his acting abilities and tagged him as one of the hand-picked actors this industry has to provide.

About the actress Nimrit Kaur, she’s certainly awesome with a very stout existence on screen. It’s not easy to leave a noteworthy mark especially in the presence of two biggies, but she’s done a decent job in mitigating her role as Ila. Considering this is her debut film in a lead role, Nimrit Kaur enticed me with her terrific performance.  

What do I say about Nawazuddin Siddiqui! This man has just wooed me right from the first time I saw him on screen. He has portrayed strong characters in films like New York, Dev D, Firaaq, Black Friday, Gangs of Wasseypur I & II, Kahaani, Peepli Live & Talaash. In The Lunchbox, he plays Irrfan Khan’s assistant in his office doing a delightful job and flawlessly complimenting Irrfan Khan. The duo efficaciously crafts a total mystic on screen carrying the audience in a different domain.

Ila (Nimrit Kaur) is like any other middle-class Mumbai housewife. Her day starts early and involves the daily doings like getting her only daughter ready for school, preparing food for her husband who doesn’t seem to have any interest left in either Ila or their marriage,  laundry, shopping, etc.  She’s intensely alone. Call it a blunder, fluke or sheer fortune, one day the lunchbox is not delivered to her husband but reaches the desk of Saajan Fernandes (Irrfan). This lunchbox brings certain passion in this widower’s lonely life. Saajan tastes the flavours of love after years of depending on the boring mess food. His soul is warmed by this food. Ila realises that the tiffin she so dearly packs for her husband is had by someone else but is happy to see it all clean at the end of the day. On the insistence of her neighbouring ‘Aunty’ (It’s just the voice that’s portrayed and I have a strong feeling it’s of Bharti Achrekar, another noted actress), she decides to write a note to ‘the other man’ and sends it along with the lunchbox the next day. Saajan replies this note and thus begins an exchange of notes on regular basis leading to a vague bond. Ila and Saajan revive themselves with these handwritten notes. They decide to give life another chance.

The film beautifully deals with depression, isolation and unanswered love. The Lunchbox is also an ode to Mumbai. You peep into the jam-packed local trains, the over-crowded buses and the busy roads. It displays how gentle relations and ties are formed amongst the hustle bustle of the city so well-known to us. The film also takes you in your earlier years while taking a glimpse of certain scenes from Doordarshan’s Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi and songs from Saajan.

Full marks to debutant director Ritesh Batra for generating a world so current yet so ancient. It’s a decent variation to see two people involving over love letters than SMS’s and Whatsapp messaging. Ritesh also has a robust grip over the storyline of the film. There are few sections in the film which are a bit stretched but you are so captivated into the film’s expressiveness that you overlook the lengthy parts. Ritesh is aided by a talented star cast who uplifts the film to, all in all, a diverse level. Adjectives nose-dive when it comes to unfolding Irrfan’s enactment. He hardly speaks in the film and just lets his body do the talking. Nimrit Kaur is a discovery. She’s the lash of fresh air that’s so required in our cinema today. She demonstrates all feelings; love, desire, grief and delight with copious ease. Her efforts seem graceful.

All things considered, The Lunchbox is one of the finest films Hindi film industry has created. It lifts us a notch higher. Do yourself an act of kindness and catch this film. And you are cautioned… you might be starving for some good home-cooked food and affection when the end credits roll.

Old Habits Die Hard.....!

When kids are around, it appears that I am constantly in a hurry…. There’s a mysterious earnestness that circles me when I see my chipmunks around and I thrust things to conclusion when it’s really not required.

Yesterday, being Friday, I could have afforded to be in peacetime. To let the day move at its own pace as it was the beginning of a weekend. Yet, I cherry-picked to ensure that things are completed right at their usual pace and time. Kids weren't in a great mood for the completion of homework, and yet I insisted they finish their homework, worksheets, assignments…all at one go… even their dinner. And though I love the way my daughter says…"Raav goh Mamma…falya suti aasa goh..” (Mamma, please relax today…its holiday tomorrow), there’s a sense of urgency that occupies a better part of my brains.

In my quest for excellence and flawlessness in everything, I feel I am turning mechanical in a way. I just read a lovely article on Facebook written by a Mom whose entire life revolves around the words ‘Hurry Up’ and shockingly, I could just see myself fitting in the bill like a jigsaw puzzle. Weekends are supposed to be for relaxation and freaking out and yet I seem to hurry up to ensure that all the activities planned are taken to task at stipulated period. What the heck if we reach 30 mins late for grocery shopping? No one is going to sue me for it or there isn’t any time slots dedicated to the shoppers…! And before your brains start working overtime…NO…I am not insane and neither have I allowed my life to be dictated by the tickling of the watch. It’s just that I am a stickler for commitments…commitments made to myself…commitments made to others!

In my house, Fridays are generally dedicated to one’s own impulses. There are no strict sleeping rituals for kids. They are allowed to sleep as and when they want.  They are even allowed to sleep in our bedroom, if they wish..which they always do! So, as usual, yesterday I and kids ended up getting into my bed well past midnight. I was so sleepy that I was struggling with my eyelids. And yet I didn't want to miss out on the small little gossips and chatters that kids were into. Suddenly Akshat got out of the bed and went into the adjoining balcony. I moved the curtains to check what he was up to at 12:30 in the night. To my absolute dismay, he was just sitting out there tranquilly gazing at the broad horizon and the stars above. I was just too inquisitive to know what he was perceiving so meticulously and just casually investigated. He said…'I am looking at my country, Mamma!’… pointing out to several activities going around at that time. The flights taking off and descending at the International Airport that has an unblemished visibility from my balcony, the Metro bridge that’s still under construction, the dancing lights of the highways and the cars fleeting by, the people walking on the roads and not to forget few parents and kids still enjoying the serenity and calmness of the night-time in the children’s’ park below. This 6 yr old chap, after a tough day (of course, in his own little way), at 12:30 at night chose to observe the world around him. Such innocence! Touché… For a moment, I let go of my inhibitions that it was past midnight and we were well into the other day and appreciatively joined him in his endeavour.

As adults, we become so enthralled in ‘doing’ things that we barely care enough to check how we do those things…whether we enjoy doing them…whether the same can be done in a more creative way  and so on! On contrary, kids reflect much more creativity in an out-of-the-box mode that sometimes put us to complete embarrassment. Just like the other day, my daughter asked me in an awfully off-the-cuff tone while driving back home whether there’s a ‘Nail Fairy’, too! While familiarizing them to the ‘Tooth Fairy’, it hadn’t occurred to me once that there could be other Fairies too…Such are the joys of childhood!

And even while I pen this,  my eyes carelessly stroll to check the time on my pc for absolutely no reason….I guess, this is what is called ‘Old habits die hard’…!

Rakshabandhan!

Today kids celebrated Rakshabandhan. This festival is celebrated to mark the strong bond between a brother and his sister. It's a solemn promise that a brother makes to his sister to stand by her, in times required in lieu of a Rakhi that the sister ties on his wrist. My kids are too small to understand the history behind the celebration. All they look forward to is buying colourful Rakhis and enjoying the fun while tying it to each other’s wrists. Typically, a Rakhi is tied by the sister on her brother’s wrist. However, Aashvi insisted that Akshat should tie a Rakhi on her wrist too, in return. 

Sharing some of the snaps here…

So, here's wishing all a very Happy Rakshabandhan and may your bond with your siblings grow strongest and wealthiest with each passing moment! 

The Return...

I am not going to provide any justifications as to why I couldn't blog as much as I wanted to. Well, as I expect you to recognize that there have been whys and wherefores and other primacies that kept me pretty employed, I could not get into the precise disposition to blog about anything. Well, now that my life is a bit more rationalized, here I am.

Kids schooling and all related activities keep me quite on toes. Each evening, as I enthusiastically wait for their appearance from school, I correspondingly fear the projects that would follow, the home works that would keep us awake until late night and the Handbook notes that are, on occasion, hard to read and comprehend. On the other hand, the excitement of spotting the stars and encouraging remarks on their books makes it all worth for. Sometimes, when we slog so hard trying to find the right pictures/information on Google, cutting and pasting in their scrap books, I sense like I am re-living my schooling through them. And when I see a star comment on that assignment, I feel so thrilled and naïvely promise self to do better the next time. Such are the joys of parenting. I’ll post some of our assignments shortly for you to relish our creativity.

For the time-being, sharing a beautiful picture we clicked on our way to Pune. There are these awesome tiny waterfalls along the stretch near Lonavla which we just could not resist.

Enjoy the monsoons and have fun!