Tell me once more

I have heard those stories so many times.
Of how I learnt to walk or the things I hated to eat.
The tales of my childhood that no camera can repeat.
I recreate them in my head as you narrate the memories in words.
But go ahead Aai, tell me once more.

Tell me of the time I was less than one.
Of my unsure steps and my wobbly gait
that paused after a fall, just as the fun had begun.
Of how instead of latching on to any available support,
I held out my index finger for some adult to hold.

Tell me of the time when I was only two.
The poems that you helped me learn
and the book that had pictures too.
Of how I made people believe that I could already read
When I was really reciting from memory and using the pictures as cue.

Tell me again of the time I lied to you
It was sunday afternoon and the time for my TV show
you let me watch when I told you the homework was done
A blank notebook earned me my first ever slap
Harsh as it was, I learnt my lesson

Tell me of how I was a chatterbox, a contrast to your first born.
Of the clips and bows and ribbons and bands, I insited you put on me
Of how I'd choose a dress myself but never ever wear it again.
And the pre-exam wake up calls with coffee and breakfast at three.

Tell me also of the times when I behaved badly with you
Of the countless arguments and fights and the midnight curfew
Tell me you forgive me for the times I slammed the door
Of how I would have still had buck teeth were it not for you.

Go ahead, tell me once more Aai,
Tell me so I realize that you've shaped what I've come to be.
So each time I look at the mirror, I find a bit of you in me.
Tell me once more, so I can see myself from the lens that you saw me through.
So i know that no matter what my age, I'm nothing but a part of you.

(Aai means Mother in Marathi and this is also, how I address my mother)

Hay- Man (Hey Ram!)

One lazy afternoon, M made an unusually dumb suggestion.
To which, in my characteristic Dalhi finesse, I replied" Dimaag mein bhoosa bhara hai kya?"
M being M did not let ignorance come in the way and answered back first " Poore shareer mein bhoosa bhara hai" and since that made me giggle uncontrollably, he realized that he didn't quite know what he had said.
The giggles went on and so did the persistent pestering on what "bhoosa" was. But that just brought on more giggles. Since persistence is his middle name, he thinks reframing the question might do the trick.
So, he starts singing!
 "Yeh bhoosa bhoosa kya hai, yeh bhoosa bhoosa?" 
(Remember Saudagar?-  badly made up Archana Pooran Singh and company crooning "yeh ILU ILU kya hai") Now imagine M singing that, with the front and back head nod.
The bad Hindi movie reference was endearing and won him not just the answer, but also a nickname.
He is now known as Bhoosa Ram.

Just like that (or what I have been upto)

Though I started blogging almost 5 years back (yes-the number of posts belies the age), it still surprises me to get questions or any remarks about my blog. You mean you actually spend time reading what I have to say? And it's not humility or anything nor is it ignorance a reason (note the tracker at the bottom?). I think it's more to do with the comments coming from folks who I didn't think visit this space or even if they do, care much about it. 

Anyway, it is mildly inspiring and encouraging enough to pick up the lost thread and weave a pattern or two.

Since I've spent about 3 months away from the blog, it might be good to record what's kept me away:

- Running: Though by no means a good runner- I am starting to stretch myself (not literally, duh!). I recently finished my longest run ever- 30km- finishing it in 3h46m also renewed my confidence in being able to complete the 42km in half-decent time. I have only 7 more weeks to go, so there will be a lot more training to do in the coming days.

- Work: A change of assignment has meant learning new things and working with new people. The novelty factor hasn't worn off yet, though minor teething troubles surface every now and then. As does the perennial existential question of what I need to be doing ultimately and in the 'long run'. 

- Short breaks: Thanks to work and sundry, got to spend weekends in Melbourne and Manila and am glad to report I spent them well-on reunions with friends and fashion respectively. Also, managed a very relaxing and agenda-free trip to Bali with M (if ever you need names of good veg restaurants, mail- discovered quite a few in Ubud). We stayed in the middle of a rice field and it was a glorious change to have no internet or TV in the room- lush green fields and the sound of a rooster crowing. I'm sure I'd get tired of it after a while, but for 2 days, it seemed perfect. 

- Reading: Thanks to Bali, I managed to finish a book in 3 days (Code of the Wooster, PG Wodehouse). Rediscovering PG was such a joy- such wit and so many laugh-out-aloud moments. I did get M to consider PG but he continues to absorb his daily dose of humor very easily from Dilbert. Sigh. Among other books that I read- Man & Boy (Tony Parsons)- a touching yet funny and well-written tale of a hot-shot TV exec who has it all. loses most of it and gains more in the process- very nice description of a father-son-father relationship; Jia (J. Kim)- novel based in N. Korea- this is an easy read and frankly, I devoured the book out of curiosity that the country generates. Reminded me a bit of Oshin, the Japanese TV series that aired on DD, almost 15-20 yrs back (gosh, I'm such a dinosaur!!)

- Travel Planning: November and December promise to be travel filled months and being an independent traveller means spending hours and hours on research and itineraries. More on those after the trips are done. 

- Salsa and Pilates: Joined classes for both about a month back. What's more, even M's joined salsa with me. Good fun :) And Pilates is helping me strengthen my core, which will, I hope, have a positive impact on running as well.

- Cooking experiments: Made Risotto, Thai Green curry and Mapo-Tofu from scratch, and beamed after the results turned out so well. Did want to give baking a shot, but decided against it. Gaining weight before a marathon doesn't seem like good strategy.

Next few months promise to be fun- with one good friend (& awesome shopping partner) shifting to Singapore, MIL's visit, Diwali with family, niece's wedding (now I sound even older than a dino), some work trips, the marathon and then finally the December vacation.

Life's good and about to get better :)

Need real time Spell & EQ check

This is not a post. It's many rants rolled into one.

I understand that time and space are real constraints in this twitter & FB dominated world. But must we abandon all that we learnt before we turned 10? It's WHEN, not wen. It's THAT, not dat. It's not kool to say just that.

I'm fine with abbreviations but deliberate misspelling and omission of 1 measly letter- how is that going to earn you any more time or a whole lot more space? Last I checked, expression didn't get inhibited by adding an extra letter! Fine, text messages or twitter are very character dependent and you want to economize. But surely you can do that by framing your sentence properly? Or does that take too much time too? What really gets my goat, is when people start operating in this mode on mails, posts and even official mail. *shudder*

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While I'm on the topic of rants, let me also make it clear to all and sundry, that I'm in no hurry to reproduce. Just because I have a 1 month old niece (who I love talking about) does not imply that I need one of my own. I wonder what's a good response to "now's your turn"...... My mind usually goes to "Sure, could you show me your bedroom...M and I won't waste another minute" or " This is not a GAME for me to do my turn" but usually those signals meant for my vocal cords get intercepted and waylaid to my frowning muscles. 

Even though I usually ignore them, I think these persistent suggestions have started to affect me. I'm starting to hold back on playing with a kid  or exclaiming who cute she is , because I know there's bound to be someone watching and then pronouncing that I'm ready. Of course, the only thing holding me back was that certification. Can hold a baby for 2 mins without dropping him. Yes, that shows readiness for a lifetime of responsibility along with proclivity to procreate.

Yes, I do eventually want to experience motherhood but I'm not about to discuss something so private with a bunch of people who fall in the "smile and dismiss" category. We'll have a baby as per our plans and it's usually not something that stays hidden for long. I apologize for the lack of broadcast of those plans. My super genius unborn baby will save the planet but not just yet. Please do be patient.

There. That felt good :) 

In that frame of mind....

when I feel like playing this song over and over again....

What's your song today?