Chalo Dilli

Was in Delhi yesterday on work. And passed by the Consulates, Rail museum, India Gate, Akshar Dhaam, the JN stadium all on the way to and from the airport.

Ate  a Rajasthani meal at a restaurant called Suruchi. Not bad.

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Nowadays Aditi follows when I say I am going to XYZ on tour and says" Aditi XYZ" as though she would like to join me as well.

She had her vaccine today and did not cry at all!

A quick trip

Did a whirlwind trip with my maternal aunt from Delhi to Chintamani.

The drive in the rain was amazing. Everyone had a ball in any case at home.

Was wondering again why Snickers can't set up a plant there given the awesome quality of peanuts you get.

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I had a haircut and am mighty pleased with the results. On the way to short hair again.

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Aditi has measles- must be why she has been out of sorts since we returned from Tirupathi.

New learning- vaccines are not a complete guarantee.

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I have been given a new account recently at work- one that will take me to Delhi at least once in couple of months. Beginning August. Shopping, M and MM here I come.

Chennai Girls

Apart from a good review meeting at Chennai, I also managed a rather brief blogger meet with some old friends. (I realised they are more friends than just fellow bloggers now. )

Lavs, Mnamma, Uma, Apu thanks for making it. P- maybe next time.

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Revisited Toysdayout. It has tranformed into a large play place and is done up pretty well. Their collection of toys/ books has also increased. A good place indeed.

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Hope all the people I know in Mumbai are safe. So far no bad news.

A decade ago

Just ten years back I joined the company I work with.

The highs have outnumbered the lows
This off site - work from home arrangement seems to be working okay for the most part. Touch wood.
I wonder if I could work for any other company other than this one. I feel almost wedded.
But I saw an unanticipated boss change this year and managed to get through that. So who knows!

Till then, I hope I enjoy this place and this place enjoys me.

Ayo Bowan

We bloggers know so many of our kind in so many different countries but I do not know a single one in Sri Lanka.

That is where I am right now. On Work though. For the third time.

As always I find Colombo a lot like a Singaporean Goa/ Kerala.

Kids are okay back home so far. More later....

Fond farewell and a welcome

Yesterday we bid adieu to a colleague and to my boss. It was touching and fun and most of all I relived what I suppose has been one third of my work life ( 10 yrs now here) in a few minutes.

The colleague/friend is one of the most creative and enthu people I know. A mutual friend recalled how he had checked me out and noticed my metti (I had been a new bride then) when they first saw me, a decade ago! Sometimes the strangest memories linger....

The Boss man is also a friend and will be missed terribly. He is the reason I stayed this long and happily so, in this job.

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It was also yesterday that ITW of Ojas- Tejas fame rejoined my workplace. Again nostalgia filled moments, foremost being that we began blogging together when we had our babies a few years back and were colleagues in this office.

Here is to togetherness!

To Mumbai and back

Was on a whirlwind trip ( well I seem to do not other kind) to Mumbai.

It was a farewell for a colleague and friend who is moving continents.

I was moved by the poverty I saw,
I was nostalgic about the places I went to,
I was excited by the pulsating life and pau bhaji ( yes!!),
I was shocked out of my tiredness at Blue Frog( it was Metal night) ,
I was indulged by my friends at midnight ( took the sea link finally)

Again it felt odd to stay in a hotel when this was/is home!! I have loved every town and city I have lived in, but Mumbai will always be special.

Giving up holidays!

Yeah , t'row I need to do office work though it is a holiday for us.

I have done it only a couple of times in the past and invariably for foreign visitors.
Since it has been far and in between I have never resented it.

But I sure like to advertise that I stepped in and helped out when others had been reluctant!

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On a sad note, two very elderly but awesome ladies with a zest for life, passed away the same night in different parts of the city. Both had been inspiring mothers and will be missed!

Super troopers

To think we own two flats in the city and I am homeless here- the first time I am staying at a hotel in Chennai! Oh, the irony of it.

Last night was not bad. I hear that the kids slept well. So did I. Though only for a few hours it was sound undisturbed sleep. It has been over two years since I had that.

I guess the Navy girls ( me included) are tougher than I thought!!

Of False and Falls and Highs

Saw Swami Nithyananda at the airport and was amazed at the security measures that were in place

Aditi had her first fall-off the low diwan madam rolled!
More alarmed than hurt. Thank God.
Reminded me that I cannot even for a brief while use big baby to baby sit small baby.

And yipee we got a book we do not have from Tulika for just being a part of the blogathon-Black board- a bilingual (Hindi)

Am back to my marketing role partially and found that my ppts are still well appreciated!

Happy Tamil New year!

My office IS support is so expert that a fairly working connectivity has been rendered utterly useless on my office laptop.Will figure out myself now.

Luckily my personal PC is working ...

Happy Vishu!! We had our first bloom in Blore today- guess our plants are settling in and probably look more cheerful in this weather.

I was in Chennai yesterday. I spend more time on airport to home transfers than the flights themselves! Managed to get poppadam at my usual Chennai shop.

Need to locate a good Kerala- Tamil Nadu sort of veggie vendor here. Missing Pazhamadir style shops here-keerais and banana flower / stem and the like.

Updates

My visit to office went off well with a warm welcome from those who matter.

Aditi and my mother managed well and my regular maid pitched in as well.

Today I will go for a longer duration and Anush may also miss me. But I feel everything will regularise in a week or so. Let us see....

Do check out my review at Saffron Tree of a book we love and the new episode of Mister Muthu( refer the right side- bar)

Trial run

I have not left Aditi for longer than an hour since her birth, usually when she is asleep. We do not have a nanny. So I handle her myself almost all the time. My mother chips in when necessary, when Anush and Aditi are being difficult/ ill at the same time or when i have been dead tired.

The last two weeks, I have been emboldened by my attempts to stay away from Aditi for longer intervals....yesterday I took Anushka to the beach and had a great time... She is back to enjoying the waves and the water and took all the rides possible two times!! What we missed were the much awaited Tree of Life sand sculptures.... we bumped into a few others who were also disappointed/ disgusted by the festival guys not informing a cancellation or whatever it was...I digress....

I need to return to work shortly. I am, however, not sure how Aditi and I will cope for an entire day. I plan to ease into the routine slowly.

Aditi's food seems managable though challenging- especially extracting at office. Aditi seems ok with being spoon fed extracted milk. This is critical since I did not use a bottle for Anush and do not wish to use one this time either.

And my still clingy Anushka, though she shows signs of "weaning" has got used to having me around 24 *7.

While I wish to appoint a nanny, when I am at work, my mother is not in favour. Her comfort is important to me when I am away...she says she will extend the top help maids timing if required....

I am sure we all will rise to the ocassion. Anyway I am clear that if things do not work out I will again extend my leave. After all I need to do full justice at office when i get back. Can't be torn and do well anywhere.

Random Ramblings

It has been raining heavily the last few days- north east monsoon winds set in. My mother could not take Anush for the Nalandaway events due to this.

But we have had bonus holidays from school- Friday and Today have been declared off.

Unlike with Anush (I was forced to go on a 2 hour outing without her only at 3 months) went without Aditi to the restaurant Sampoorna in Velachery.Better opt for home delivery or take away if you go at peak time. The food was good and really fresh and wide in terms of variety.

Anush has taken a liking to The Magic Bus series of books which I thought were too advanced for her - we have done rocks and solar system so far

She has also begun on origami with Navy, who is very patient and adept at it unlike me. Pics will follow shortly.

Aditi had her review and a couple ofvaccines and was a really brave kid. But the pain surfaced later at home when I had guests from office to see her. She is good now.

I have just embarked on Two States by Chetan Bhagat.

Anushisms
Anush at breakfast "Mr. Superman is coming here"
Navy came in. "See Mr. Superman amma"
I confirmed with Navy and found that he had NOT coached her to say that. Anushka is slowly beginning to worship Navy in terms of his physical ability and thinks he can trapeze like the artists she saw.

Anush- " Aditi and me are only going to be superheros when we grow big"
"What do super heros do?" I asked
Anush- " They lift mountains and fly in the skiy and eat breakfast, sleep and then go back to fly"

Me" Are you getting susu Anush?"
She said "Moochaa- that is susu in malyalam!!"
This led me to teach her to say " I need to use the restroom"

Our global head is in town and I have been requested to join up trow for dinner. I never thought I was that important ... and here is Anush adding her two bit on the subject-
"If you go to office, then who will give dhudhu to Aditi? She will get angry na?"

And finally , introducing Adittys
Coo
Kaa
um-mum-mum- ma

Of and Off Work

I plan to go on leave mid month so that I get a few days with Anush exclusively before the due date. It helps that Anush has vacation at school then.

I am wrapping up gradually at work. My desk/ paperwork/ e-files are usually clean & organised - so no issues there. My emails are taking long since I archive most of them.

Most surprisingly, unlike the relief I felt the last time, for getting a break from work, I am finding it difficult to let go this time.

When I was to deliver Anushka, I was in marketing- though client interaction is wide spread, it is not very intense in that role. The customers are more internal in nature. Also there was a single person who took charge of all my work while i was away. I was also granted more leave- about 5 months!!

This time I am in sales. I front end and often fill in for the marketing inputs since I have that background . But there is no single person assigned to do my work in my absence this time- so it is a huge hassle- for me and for them. I wonder if service levels will suffer but then with my boss taking an active interest I am sure it will not. It also looks like my leave will only be the mandatory 3 months unlike last time.

As a colleague pointed out, my priority is my personal life right now and when I get back to work I guess I can take stock and do the needful.

Shifting jobs- thru the eyes of a 4 year old

Anush's reaction when we told her that Navy was changing jobs" Why Appa? Pl do not change...."

When asked why not, she named his office and a few of his colleagues saying she liked them
We reassured her that they would stay in touch

I also told her that her father was super duper and hence was being offered a new & better job. Like how she had moved a class in school.

Difficult to explain why some changes are welcome, despite a good status quo

Where have I been?

Anush discovered she could create a "moustache " with her hair. She was so pleased with herself! Am sure she will shudder in dismay when she is a teenager, coming to terms with unwanted fuzz on the upper lip and elsewhere.

While on moustaches, on Thursday, we had a demanding client visit us. He was happy enough to make light conversation- he mentioned that a quirky entrepreneur in Kerala asked only one thing of his potential male employees " You remove your moustache and then come trow" If they did, it was considered the height of loyalty and subservience and he would employ that person!!

I was in Bangalore on work on Friday and met up fleetingly with JLT, her smart little one, who spontaneously felt my tummy for the baby's movements and her endearing mother. JLT gifted me a lovely terracotta vase. After a dash to the airport realized the flight was late and also the airport toll fee has been waived so less time required!!

Navy has gone to Chintamani to spend some time with his folks. Anush's explanation to her grandma as to why she did not go with Navy- "Amma will be alone na? So i decided to stay back with her!!"

After the continuous fun we have had over the last couple of months, looks like it is time for the bad cold cough Anush gets every once in a while. Hope it goes off sooner this time. We opted for homeo treatment which worked well last time.

Most of you know that new constructions are prone to cracks after a year or so. But this time I think they are way too many ( as compared to our previous home) and the hassle of having accents on the walls where in I have not really recorded the paint colour codes has come back to nag me.

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.

Perspective

Yesterday my boss prepared us for what he thought was bad news.
He mentioned that the bonus this year would not be as good as the previous despite good performance.

I was really moved by his talk.

In today's work climate, that we have our jobs, at least as of now, suffer no pay cut and are going to get a bonus ( however small) is enough to keep me happy and thankful.

But there were a lot of disappointed faces in the room- I wonder if they are so needy or so removed from reality or just plain self centered.

Cheesy lines

Last night Navy was asking Anush who would drive her to school the next day.
She replied " We will see about that trow"

If you think that sounded funny-
"I will be spending this Valentine's day in Bangalore with a client and my boss"

Now how does that sound?