Awesome it is!

Sole this tag is very difficult for me because I am really NOT awesome in any sense of the word.

So let me try and do it as what seven others see as awesome about me. . .
As per Anush- because I am her mother- a lively one, who sings and dances for her , a superb cooker and so on

As per Navy- because i remember to do most of his stuff for him on time, am great at jig saw puzzles, planning and travel directions

As per my grandma- simply because i am her grand child and have given her the pleasure of a great grand kid

As per all our relatives- because I keep a good house

As per my gynaec- because no patient she knows walked out of a hospital to shift over to her clinic, climbing a flight of stairs, the morning after a c section.

As per my Mother - for I managed to sell a one yr old, used sofa and dining furniture for just 2K under the price we bought it for

As per a colleague- because I COMPLETE 8 YRS IN THIS COMPANY today( me who never stuck to any of my first 3 jobs beyond a year. . . )

A tale of two cities

" Amma, Look ! Hyderabad!"

Anush was pointing to a dome ( possibly of a mosque) in a Muslim college in Chennai.

How strong images and associations can be!!

A true milestone

My paati completes 80 years today! She continues to be active and zestful and her hearing is possibly the only aspect that reveals her age.

Anush woke her up this morning with a gusty rendition of " Happy Birthday" and claps. My mother made her Bise bele bath, her favourite food.

As for the celebrations yesterday, it was wonderful. Both of us took off . We had a lovely "Only us time" followed by picking up Anush from school. Then we gorged at Cream Centre instead of Influence which is where we originally set out. Got back home to some good family time and enjoyed Mumbai Bhel ( with the murmura from Mumbai courtesy an uncle) and yummy dinner.

Dropped the idea of movie- New York got bad reviews from friends and anyway did not wish to take Anush for it or for Angels and Demons.

I surprised Navy with a perfume, sunglasses and watch ( he never seems to have enough of them)

He did not surprise me with typical gifts but his taking leave and putting off his cell ( most of the time) was enough to keep me happy.

Here is what Anush gave us:

" One ice cream for you (mango) and the other chocolate ( red chocolate!!) for Appa"

A Perfect Ten

The thing with marriage is that we fall in love with a personality, but must live with a character.

Having quoted that , Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness ( sometimes delayed) blow the rest away

Seems like yesterday when a tall cool dude in red tee and jeans walked in to class. I thought to myself, Ah - a tall Salman Khan. Very easy going and friendly and obviously oozing intelligence,( i am referring to myself silly) we had to get together did we not?

Neither of us really proposed to each other. We simply assumed it was meant to be. And we were damn quick about it.

Almost a child marriage is what we had ( you a new 26 and me a newer 23) at least going by the love marriages in these times. . .

And today the calendar tells us that we have completed 10 years of marriage!! And we still are best friends and a bit more.

Of course there were moments when I doubted that we would get here. But the highs have been too many - 1 gorgeous kid, another on the way, 2 homes, 2 loans paid off, lots of travel, rented homes, job switches and loads of fun. And you made my lows bearable without trivializing them.

Here is a song we thought was our song a long while ago. . . and this one and there have been many more over the years.

Our wedding may have been years ago, but the celebration goes on. And as Richard Bach said
True love stories never have endings. Here is to Dus ka Dum and no endings. . .

My 600th Post

Saw Naadodigal- a rustic tale of friends to the rescue of lovers and how they feel let down. First half is simply superb, the second half in its attempt to give a message is a drag. Also it is inconsistent and difficult to believe that a friend who turned to you for help, will suddenly shun you completely. I also fundamentally disagree with the thought that marriages are meant to be forever at any cost- if they go bad it may be better to call it off. Anyway definitely worth a watch. The cast is fantastic. The music is good.

An Anushism I want to place on record- " Amma this elaneer ( tender coconut) is cut very well. Superb na , the coconut boss is?"
Me- "Did u say Boss Anush?"
Anush-" Yes amma, I don't know his name, I can't call him sir, so I can call him boss na"
.....Something she had noticed her Dad doing . . .

Michael Jackson is dead. I am not very sad but I loved his music back then.
Revisited an old biography of his that my mother had gifted me in school- I noticed that I had highlighted two things that long ago- that he was a vegetarian and that he loved the Carpenters . . . anything to feel linked to MJ those days.

And yes, this is my 600th post!!

Celebration Time

My folks complete 35 years of marriage today!

Anush's unwittingly adult like reaction: "35 years that is really looooong na?"

Then she made a "card" for them

The Camus XO, which is what we gifted them, remains unopened since my appa is in Delhi on work. Happy Anniversary Amma- Appa !!

Ghar ki murgi??

Have you met someone in person who reminds you of yourself a decade ago?
I did. Yesterday. At work.

She is in the same line of work I had started out in- qualitative research
She had the same confident, slightly over animated way of presenting that I did
She was comfy with herself and the questions were handled honestly and well, despite the audience being obviously older

She even had big eyes, short hair, very Fab India clothes, was dark, tall and lean( that was definitely long ago for me)

It also turns out she is from my Alma mater

I did not think anyone else would have felt the same but 2 of my friends at work asked me if she reminded me ( immensely) of the old me!! My boss wanted to recruit her saying she reminded him of the young me he had recruited years ago .

I was flattered ......and strangely hurt.
So which part of me had changed so much from the me of yore??

To me I am MUCH fatter but otherwise the same
I am not sure that is the only change my colleagues see in me....hmmmm.

Maybe I should think a little about this.