Sri's life!

Getting back to work after a break of 2 years!!

2012-01-18T16:23:00.002+05:30

Hey there..

After a loooong break of 2 years, i am back to work and IT FEELS GREAT!

Its so difficult to make a decision about working or staying at home! This post was one of my first on this issue! This post was about my decision..

Just before Diwali, i got an offer from my company and i was shocked and elated. I asked for some time to join back as i knew we had to shift close to office and decide on how to manage Oviya. EA went house hunting in T Nagar and came back disappointed on many days. Atlast, we found a house matching our requirements, which was just 5 min away from office for me. The rent is high but we decided that convenience and peace of mind were important now! We vacated our own apartment which we had furnished just recently. I went to Hyderabad for 2 weeks to attend my sister's wedding.

We moved into the new home in December and the first few weeks were tough with me falling sick and Oviya not getting used to daycare at all. She cried and cried everytime i dropped her at the daycare and fell sick. I was distraught and didnt know what to do. Our neighbour suggested that we ask our maid as she is known to them and comes from a good family. Fortunately, she agreed to manage Oviya from 12 noon to 6.30pm and Oviya too got used to her pretty quickly.

We decided to send Oviya to Kidzee as it is the nearest school even though it is pretty expensive..

The New Year dawned and i started working from 2nd January, 2012. Oviya started her school on 4th January, 2012. I have requested my parents to help me out for a month and it has been a smooth ride so far!(TOUCHWOOD!!)

My sis and her hubby came home for Pongal and we had a super time visiting the beach, having dinner at the food court in Ampa Skywalk and watching the night show of "Nanban" at PVR!

Trip to Munnar for Diwali..

2011-11-01T15:14:00.004+05:30

After months of planning, we finally went on a holiday to Munnar as EA had 4 days leave for Diwali. We reached the nearest station Aluva and were fooled by a middleman who loaded our luggage onto an Ambassador instead of the Indica we had asked for. The journey from Aluva to Munnar takes about 3.5 hours and we found out that our resort was 12kms away from Munnar town which led to a lot of grumbling from the driver. After asking for directions , we found a deserted, narrow road that seemed to be going deeper into the forest! We reached a stretch of the road that was almost vertical and EA had to get down and walk ahead to get some help. The Ambassador stopped midway and when the driver tried to reverse it on the slope,i had tears in my eyes and insisted on getting down. Finally, we reached the resort in the owner's Bolero. The resort was beautiful and completely surrounded by nature. There were trees and mountains all around and there was no phone network. The view was breathtaking too! The people in the resort coolly said that elephants and other wild animals are frequent visitors and that they have guns to handle an emergency!!After lunch, we decided to explore the resort. We had some fresh strawberries harvested right in front of us.

The next morning, i got up early(!!) and went for a nice long walk in the nature trail which led to a beautiful tea garden. When we went for breakfast, i suddenly felt some biting sensation on my foot. I was stunned to see a small black leech trying to bite me!!!! I called out to EA in panic and he struggled to get it out of my leg.In the meantime,Oviya managed to climb on to a table and broke a glass. When i looked at EA's feet, i was shocked to see blood oozing out of his toe. This was surprising as the glass had broken far away from his feet. EA then realised that a leech had bitten him!!!! I was too shocked and couldnt eat any breakfast. EA managed to break a flower vase in the confusion! After that, my sole duty throughout the trip was to keep Oviya fully covered and watch out for leeches. I started observing every small black thing and i managed to even kill a lot of them!! We set out for some sight-seeing and when we reached the Eravikulam National Park, there was a huge crowd, so we decided to skip it. We then went to the Tea Museum, Rose Garden, Mattupetty Dam and Reservoir,Echo Point etc. We bought some yummy home made chocolates and i munched on a lot of them forgetting about dieting!! The next morning, we decided to relax and have a lazy breakfast and set out to a nearby waterfall post lunch. We saw some "modern tea gardens" and reached Viriparai falls. The only way to reach these falls is by walking through dense tea bushes and after the leech experience, it was very scary. I managed to fall once on the rocks leading to the falls and thus retained my title of 'Trip'-urasundari!(I had a fall during our honeymoon to Darjeeling and Gangtok too!) The falls were a welcome break and since it was not very well known, there wasnt a huge crowd and we could relax and enjoy in peace.Oviya loved to play in the water and we had to hold on to her real tight to prevent her from being washed away!

The next day, we had a relaxed breakfast and spent some time playing TT and reading some books until we had to return to Aluva station for our return train to Chennai. It started raining heavily and we somehow made it to the station in time.

The 4 days passed by beautifully. Oviya was as fussy as ever and survived on milk/horlicks/pediasure/chocolates and cream biscuits only!

Oviya turns 2!

2011-10-09T14:53:00.010+05:30

Oviya turned 2 years old yesterday and my daughter is no longer a baby! She has a mind of her own, will decide whether she wants to wear matching clips or not, will admire herself in the mirror every now and then!

We went to the nearby temple in the morning and then had a small party in the evening. Oviya wore a beautiful blue frock and loved the attention she was getting. Her birthday cake was from Ginger bread (Nougat). She was very excited to see the cake and blew the candle twice even before we started singing "Happy Birthday!" She enjoyed sitting on her new tricycle and i cant wait for her to start cycling! It was nice to catch up with neighbours and friends. She seems to love the "Kitchen Set" she received from one of the neighbours. She kept playing with it until she slept and again in the morning.

Review of "Friends with Benefits"

2011-09-28T12:43:00.002+05:30

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/masand-friends-with-benefits-a-gooey-datemovie/182775-47-84.html

I won a CD of " Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" as the prize. Before i could even take a picture of it, Oviya managed to rip apart the cover..atleast she didnt break the CD!!!

Here is my review:

I wanted a nice way to ring in my 27th birthday and thought “Friends with Benefits” would be a romantic comedy that I could enjoy with my hubby but ended up disappointed.

I agree with Mr Masand’s views that the movie was very predictable! The movie begins with Jamie (Mila Kunis), a recruiter convincing Dylan (Justin Timberlake) from LA to take up a job as an art director in GQ magazine, New York. He gets convinced after she takes him around New York and he sees a flash mob performing a seemingly coordinated dance performance (which ultimately forms an important part of the climax)

The lead pair get along well and during one of their discussions over a sappy movie, decide that if there were no emotional entanglements after sex, they would atleast remain friends forever. They continue this arrangement until they decide they need to date other people. Dylan manages to talk to a beautiful girl at a park only to find out she is married. Jamie manages to catch the attention of an oncologist and is very happy with him. They go out on 5 dates and after having sex, the doc suddenly decides to leave her. Dylan invites the heartbroken Jamie to his home to spend the 4th of July weekend where Dylan’s father and sister notice their chemistry. The scene where Jamie and Dylan climb on to the “Hollywood sign” is one of the few comic scenes in the movie. The next day, Jamie overhears Dylan telling his sister (who sees him sneaking out of Jamie’s room after sex) that she is not the type of person he would date and leaves for New York and tries to cut out Dylan from her life. After some Bollywood type advice from friends and relatives on how good Jamie was for him, Dylan manages to make Jamie come to Grand Central station(like in one of the movies they saw together) and arranges for a flash mob in the backdrop of which they get together.

The lead pair looks nice on screen but there is nothing more to it. The chemistry we saw between say Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in their romantic movies was clearly absent. Mila Kunis’ voice was quite squeaky and somehow reminded me of Rani Mukherjee!! Jamie’s mom’s character who doesn’t even remember who Jamie’s dad was is not very palatable for Indian audiences. Also, Dylan’s dad’s character was unnecessary in the movie.

Oviya's Singham

2011-09-28T12:09:00.003+05:30

The first time Oviya was playing in a tub, EA happened to be singing the title song of the Tamil movie "Singham."

After a few days, when Oviya saw the tub, she called it "Singham!"

Even though i have tried telling her it is a tub, she still says "Singham!!"

Oviya is able to identify almost all South Indian heroes courtesy watching music channels the whole day!

I wanted to start teaching her the alphabet and got her a CD which was meant for pre-schoolers. I couldnt believe my eyes when it said A for Aeroplane, B for Butterfly, H for Helicopter and so on. Whatever happened to Apple, Bat, Hat etc. It also had a part about shapes and there was Hexagon, Pentagon, Sphere, Hemisphere etc...Uff, seems like our education system needs a massive overhaul!

I finally gathered the courage to atleast trim Oviya's hair. My orthodox MIL had warned not to cut her hair but i went ahead considering hygiene and convenience. Ovi had unmanageable hair before. She hated it if i oiled it, combed it or put a pony. She hates headbath and has even puked twice out of fear of the shampoo. I am so happy with her hair now! The funniest part was when she screamed at the Green Trends salon while her hair was being cut. She kept saying " Kadavule Kadavule"(God, God!!)

Turning 27!

2011-09-12T14:21:00.002+05:30

So yesterday was my 27th birthday and i feel quite old..also,since i am a mother of an almost 2 year old..i am quite the "Aunty" as the kids in my apartment call me..Thank god, i lost weight..atleast i dont look much like an "Aunty!!"

Saturday evening, we had to take Ovi to the Doc as she was having a bad tummy. Then we managed to catch the night show of "Friends with Benefits" at PVR.(We were 15 min late though!) The movie was ok. There was a lot of hype so i expected more. EA didnt like it at all and kept thinking Mankatha would have been better! Ovi slept peacefully during Ko and HP, but was wide awake throughout this movie and even clapped. She got restless only during the last 5 minutes! We had some yummy brownie at 12 to celebrate!

Sunday morning, i woke up early, washed my hair,went to the Ayyappa temple at Anna Nagar and brought breakfast from Saravana Bhavan. EA had managed to make Ovi drink a glass of milk but as soon as i entered home, she puked out the whole stuff!

The UID or Aadhaar card enrolment was going on in our apartment and we decided it was better to get it done on a Sunday when we could take turns managing Ovi and that too since it was within our apartment premises. The process took ages and we wasted all morning and only by 2 pm we could got to the nearest Domino's and take away lunch of pasta,pizza and the butterscotch mousse cake. All three of us were really tired and had a nice looong nap till 6.30 pm and then we went to Connexions for some random shopping(Naidu Hall was too crowded as it was the last day of the sale there) Then had an ice-cream and got a slice of blueberry cheesecake and came home..

Had lots of wishes from family and friends!!

A nice way to ring in my birthday..EA gifted me a pair of jeans and a T shirt..

Oviya @ 23 months

2011-09-08T15:32:00.013+05:30

Ovi is going to be 2 years old next month and I am still thinking she is an infant when she is actually a hyperactive toddler!

These are the words she now speaks:

1. Water-Thadi

2. Chocolate-Shoko

3. Soup, Soap,CD, AC, bottle, button,Cap, Cup, TV, Cash, Brush, Paste,Shoe, Car, Auto, bike, cycle,papaya, open,dabba,papa,battery(we search everyday for the remote batteries!!)

4. Carry me-Thuku

5. Sit down-Oka

6. Shushu and Kakki(NO EXPLANATION NEEDED!)(After almost 3 months of getting a potty and trying desperately to train her, she now does susu in it sometimes. The bad habit of hers nowadays is that she does susu in any box/vessel and hands it over to me saying Susu!)

7. Photo-Shoto

8. Phone-Shone(She comes running and tells me when my phone is ringing)

9. Popcorn-Kokkorn(When she sees the small cooker in which I make popcorn, she says “pat pat” imitating the sound of the popping kernels)

10. Biscuit-Bikish(I like to dip a biscuit in my tea/coffee and so Ovi insists on a biscuit and she dunks it in completely and i hate to eat the soggy biscuits)

11. Chithi-Sheethi

12. Pen-Men(!!)

13. Bubble-Bappam

14. Balloon-Manam(She likes balloons but likes to hold them by the thread only. She gets terrified when we throw the balloon at her. Recently, when we went to the Anna Nagar Tower park, she was adamant on getting a balloon and almost rolled on the road when we refused!)

15. Apple-Appy

16. Flowers-Poo(She only likes to rip them into pieces and doesnt let it stay in her hair for even 5 seconds. When the flower seller comes, i have to hold her to prevent her from snatching all the flowers that he has!)

17. Light-Ta

18. Clip-Kip

19. Thank You-Tatoo

20. Fried gram-Oche(One day she put one in her nose and came to the kitchen with tears in her eyes. I was busy cooking and I was really shocked and didn’t know what to do. I slowly pulled it out but it was terrifying! Another day, she put a bit of an alphabet puzzle into her nose and came to me. I was at my wits end not able to understand what to do. Again, I tried my best to slowly pull it out and it came out.I am terrified of her acts and I try to keep checking in on her as much as possible while she plays)

21. Kapi and Tea

22. Dog-Juju

23. Bird-Bobo

24. Cow-Madu

25. Tummy-Thope

26. Egg-Mutte

27. Remote-mote

28. Food-Bua

29. Lassi-Achi

30. Bum(!!)

31. Sugar-Shakke (She comes into the kitchen, points to her mouth and

asks for sugar!)

32. Honey-Ani

33. Sweet-Shwit

34. Socks-Shock

35. Rain-Male male

36. Dosa-Doshe

37. Chapati-Chapti

38. Chutney-Shanni

39. Pillow-Negi,Piyo

40. Aeroplane-plane

41. Pony tail-Juttu

42. Chain –Shain

43. Earrings-Kammal

44. Bindi-Botti

45. Juice-Jush

46. Give-Ku

47. Huggies-Agish

48. Puja-puje

49. God-Pisha

50. Toy-Bomme

51. Speak-Peshu

- She loves to play with powder and cream and can empty a box in 5minutes if I don’t scream and hide it somewhere.

- She turns the AC on/off. Ours is a window AC and is within her reach.

- She operates the Tata sky set top box!

- She even switched off the stove one day. Luckily, I was standing beside her.

- She pushes chairs and the bean bag to climb on the dining table and reach up and try to open the puja shelf etc. I have to be alert at all times! All the chairs are hidden in the other bedroom and the door is closed at all times.

- She has broken quite a few of her toys, has ripped her chains with beads, broke one of my favourite chains, spilled milk all over the kitchen, thrown puffed rice all over the house, bit a foam ball into pieces!

- She loves playing in the water. One day, I was busy on the phone and when I suddenly went in search of her, she was in the kitchen balcony drenched from head to toe! Everyday, when the maid mops the floor, she plays in the water meant for mopping and doesn’t care when I repeatedly ask her to stop. While brushing, she opens the tap and plays. I used to shut down the tap from below, now she has figured out that too! Today, while bathing, she threw her soap in the “you know where!”

- She swims in mud! When I take her downstairs, I try to avoid the play area and walk in the parking lot. She just runs away and starts rolling in the sand! I once tried to bribe her by saying i will give her a chocolate if she will stop playing in the mud and come home. She agreed and as soon as i shut the door, she stretches her hand and says “Shoko!!”

- She watches the nursery rhymes CD with interest on most days. She says Baa Baa for Baa baa black sheep, she says ‘Yes, yes, yes” as the ending of Chubby Cheeks, “No papa” and “Hahaha” for Johhny Johhny yes papa. She says “ Quack quack quack” as the ending of Two Little ducks.

- When i speak on the phone, she insists on pulling it from me and talking for a long time until i snatch it from her. She has the bad habit of switching off my phone when I’m talking!

- Feeding her is the worst punishment that I’m going through for all the bad karma I accumulated in my past life! She takes ages to swallow her food and can keep food in her mouth and do all her activities normally. Every meal takes about 2 hours and milk/water/soup/lassi take some more time!

- EA has a routine every night. He talks to her and asks her the same question daily-Do u like chapati or dosa? And Ovi says “Chutney!!” EA was sitting in a particular position when he first started asking her these questions. She wants him to be in the exact same position every single night while he is talking to her!

- As soon as EA enters the house after grocery shopping, he exclaims “Appa” as he is tired of carrying the bags. Nowadays, Oviya has started saying “ Appa” in the same tone as soon as she enters the house too!!!!!!

- She loves going out and gives me a kiss as soon we step out! She takes out my footwear and hands it to me too!

- She loves to play with bangles, earrings, chains etc. Her all time favourite is my bindis. She holds a bag, wears my shoes and tells Byee!

- She gives me unexpected kisses sometimes. She just runs to me, says Mummyyyyyy in a cute tone and kisses me! One day she suddenly just kissed my feet and i felt so guilty for shouting and hitting her for being extremely naughty. When she does something wrong and knows that I’m going to reprimand her, she coolly gives me a kiss to pacify me! Once when i hurt my toe, EA applied cotton with Savlon.Now when she sees cotton, she presses it on the same toe and waits for my reaction! She helps me while drying clothes by getting me the clothes one by one!

- She seems to be a fultu movie fan. She can identify many stars on TV or in the paper. When she sees Katrina, she says Shiela, Salman-Chika Chika, Jiiva- Enamo, Kamal Hassan-Neelavanam, Vikram-Papapa, Vidarth-Myna Myna, Simbu-Pitha Pitha, Omane.

Her Favourite songs-

1. Evan Di Unna Pethan(Vaanam)-Pitha Pitha

2. Kadhal Vandale(Singam)

3. Nenjukkul Peidhudum Mamazhai(Vaaranam Ayiram)-The Shanti

shanti song according to her!

4. Papapapa song(Deiva Thirumagal)

5. Aval Appadi Ondrum Azhagillai(Angadi Theru)

6. Paint it red(ZNMD)

7. Myna Myna(Mynaa)-She says “Myna myna” as soon as the song starts!

8. Neelavanam-Manmadan Ambu

9. Paiyya songs

10. The new Malabar gold ad of Illayaraja-She says Nananana

11. Haule Haule and Dance Pe Chance-Rab Ne banadi Jodi

12. Sun direct ad-She says Kokkorn as popcorn is shown in it and also says Tantanatan in the end.

Three years of being married!!

2011-09-06T15:32:00.008+05:30

When i started blogging, i wasnt even engaged and now i have completed 3 years of being married..

Life is tough and married life is no exception..EA and me have no major problems with each other..touchwood! The sad part is that 99% of our fights are due to something said or done by MIL/SIL/MIL's bro/MIL's bro's wife etc etc.

The good part is that we have matured so much in these 3 years..parenting an almost 2 year old is another cementing factor..we understand each others' likes and dislikes and adjust as much as possible. I cant tolerate AC for long hours while EA cant sleep without the AC at a temperature of 16!!! I have to admit that i sleep with a shawl around my head every night!!! I switch off the AC once EA and Ovi are asleep..

The past year has been an emotional roller coaster with FIL's illness and untimely demise..FIL used to sms me to wish me as soon as he woke up at 5.30am..This time i looked at his photo on the wall and missed his sms!:(

So, on our wedding day(which luckily was a Sunday) we had some idlies and pooris from a nearby restaurant for breakfast(i refused to cook except for Oviya!) We then went to Ampa Skywalk, had some chocolates from Cookieman, got a pic clicked at the computerised Van Gogh thing. Then went to Four Seasons and got a lovely non veg platter, a Mutton Biriyani and a dessert called Umm Ali(i forgot all about my diet..the dessert was ok ok..i should have got my fav Qubani Ka Meetha..i wanted to try something new but it wasnt great) for lunch. Came home and had the lovely lunch. Then, we went to visit MIL and came home after getting some Panipuri and Dahipuri for dinner from Rasbhojan on the way home.. EA got me a gold ring as a gift the previous day..i got him a Carolina Herrera perfume.. A nice anniversary celebrated..hoping for many more beautiful anniversaries!:) I made this sweet called 7 cup sweet-its for lazy people like me - U just take 1 cup each of milk,ghee,besan,coconut and 3 cups of sugar and mix it on low flame and then spread it on a greased plate and refrigerate!!

Happy Ganesh Chaturti!

2011-09-01T15:18:00.003+05:30

I managed to make Kozhukattai for the first time and it was fine!! Somehow managed to finish all the work during the auspicious time despite Ovi giving me a tough time..

HAPPY GANESH CHATURTI TO ALL!:)

Vote for Miss India..

2011-08-22T16:21:00.002+05:30

Just found this link on FB.. http://missuniverse.com/members/contestants It seems Vasuki is from Hyderabad and went to the same school as me-St. Ann's, Secunderabad. So i promptly voted for her! Hope she wins..my school will be known for producing another beauty queen after Diana Hayden!:)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2

2011-08-03T15:38:00.005+05:30

We went for this movie the next day after it released. I had submitted my review of this movie on ibnlive.com and waited for the results but didnt find it on the website. So imagine my pleasant surprise when a courier arrived 2 days back with a T Shirt!

I started reading the Harry Potter series in the year 2001 and since then I am almost a HP fanatic!! So, when the last ever movie in the Harry potter franchise released, I was very eager to watch the movie and I took along my 21 month old daughter to the movie with the hope that she would peacefully sleep and she was co-operative too!

Here is my review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part -2 begins with Lord Voldemort taking the Elder wand from Dumbledore’s tomb with the belief that it will help him defeat Harry. Harry buries the faithful Dobby outside Shell Cottage and then decides to retrieve the next Horcrux from Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault at Gringotts with the help of the goblin Griphook who demands the sword of Gryffindor in exchange. Hermione disguises herself as Bellatrix using Polyjuice potion and the next few scenes are really funny with the vicious Bellatrix speaking like Hermione!! They manage to reach the vault but pass through a waterfall that reveals their true identity. While Griphook leaves them, they manage to retrieve the next Horcrux-Helga Hufflepuff’s cup. They narrowly escape by flying on a dragon which was supposed to protect the vault.

Harry has a vision into Lord Voldemort’s mind and finds out that the next Horcrux is at Hogwarts and that it is related to Rowena Ravenclaw. They apparate into Hogsmeade only to encounter the Caterwauling Charm and are saved by Aberforth Dumbledore who provides them with a safe passage into Hogwarts. Harry finds all his friends from Dumbledore’s Army under Neville’s guidance. Lord Voldemort arrives at Hogwarts and the Battle begins. When Professor Mc Gonagall gleefully casts the “Piertotum Locomotor” charm to secure Hogwarts, you know that the epic battle will not let you down. Harry sets forth to search for the next Horcrux and finds that it is the lost diadem of Ravenclaw that is hidden in the Room of Requirement. (This portion is slightly different from the book)

Hermione and Ron manage to get into the Chamber of Secrets to retrieve a Basilisk fang that enables them to destroy the cup. Meanwhile Harry finds Draco and his cronies in the Room of Requirement who prevent him from taking the diadem. One of them casts the “Fiendfyre” charm that eventually engulfs the entire room and kills him too. Harry and his friends escape on broomsticks and also save Malfoy. Thus, this Horcrux too is destroyed leaving behind only Nagini.

Harry and his friends then proceed to see Voldemort killing Snape as he believes that since Snape killed Dumbledore, he must kill Snape to ensure that the Elder Wand obeys him. Before dying, Snape gives Harry some of his memories which reveal that Snape loved Harry’s mother Lily and that he had tried his best to protect Harry all these years, despite hating his father. Harry also learns an unbelievable fact that he was a Horcrux too-an unplanned one that was created when a fragment of Voldemort’s soul entered him when he tried to kill him as a baby. He also learns that he must face Voldemort and die to destroy the Horcrux. Harry uses the Resurrection Stone hidden inside the Snitch and sees his parents, Sirius and Lupin who promise to be by his side. He faces Voldemort who casts the “Avada Kedavra” curse on him.

The next few scenes where Harry meets Dumbledore form the crux of the story which may not be easily understood by someone who has not read the book. The gist is that Voldemort destroyed the Horcrux in Harry leaving behind the mortal Harry who comes back to kill Voldemort. The final battle sequences are jaw dropping and the adrenaline kick is awesome. When Neville gets his best moments in the movie by killing Nagini, one can’t help but clap in sheer joy that the last Horcrux is gone. Finally, when Harry beats Lord Voldemort, the experience is unbelievable! (Since Dumbledore was disarmed by Draco Malfoy and since Harry was using Draco’s wand, he was the true master of the Elder wand)

My only grouse against the movie is that the kissing scenes were awkward and unnecessary. Also, the death of significant characters like Fred Weasley, Lupin and Tonks was not adequately portrayed.

The last sequence which shows the grown up Harry and his friends with their kids after 19 years is simply a must watch!

So there goes the last HP movie and I have just 1 request: “Dear Ms Rowling, even if Daniel Radcliffe doesn’t want an eighth HP book, we all wish for one!!”

PS: I found the link with my name!!

A day of shopping in T Nagar..

2011-07-31T15:38:00.004+05:30

After a long time, we decided to go shopping to T Nagar yesterday for my sister's wedding. It is in November but we wanted to avail some "Aadi Discount!"

As we passed by the place where we used to stay earlier before Oviya came along, i couldnt help but have tears in my eyes. The place was perfect for us at that time.It was close to my office,EA's office bus would come closeby, it was a shopper's paradise etc. The worse part was when i saw that my office had shifted to a place that was a stone's throw away from our home. I somehow composed myself and went to GRT and realised with a rude shock that gold prices had risen so high that a simple chain and pendant cost almost as much as a Honda Activa!! EA and me tried our hand at the "tallest bangle contest" and failed miserably!! We saw Usha Uthup and i wanted to tell her that i had met her earlier nearly 14 years ago when she was a judge on the Bournvita Quiz Contest where i was a participant but i didnt utter a word.Oviya ran all around the place and it was a nightmare for us and the staff to prevent her from snatching whatever she could!

After a quick lunch at Murugan Idly Shop, we went to Nalli, Kumaran, Pothys etc to choose a saree and we went mad trying to choose one in the crowd and Oviya screaming and running all over the shop. The cost of sarees is too high and a decent one costs about 15K. Not wanting to spend so much on a saree considering my laziness to wear one when i can easily slip into a salwar, we went from shop to shop.Finally we chose one at Nalli 100 and it is a combination of two sarees that i already have!:(

After some quick footwear shopping at Metro and some fashion jewellery at Narayana Pearls, we reached home at 8pm.

So that was a big day of shopping and I dont think we are going to venture out in the near future for anymore shopping!! Managing Oviya is very difficult at the moment and we almost lost her at Nalli when she ran after a little boy and we realised that a few seconds late!!!

PS: On the way to GRT, we happened to see a Jaguar.I dont think i have seen a car that hot!! Three years ago i couldnt differentiate between a Maruti and a Santro and now after being married to an automobile engineer for almost 3 years, i can identify and appreciate a Jaguar!;)

Deiva Thirumagal..

2011-07-24T17:08:00.004+05:30

So we managed to catch this movie yesterday evening at Escape..we went only for night shows previously with Oviya falling asleep. When EA's colleague had 2 extra tickets and asked if we could come for the evening show, we agreed hoping Ovi would sleep.

The first half, she was peaceful and calmly watched the movie. As the interval approached, she became cranky. After the interval, she was completely restless, threw popcorn all over the aisle and wanted to walk on the steps! Poor EA had to miss the second half of the movie and take her outside. There, she managed to snatch the mobile of a yesteryears actress too!

The movie is good. Vikram's acting is superb. The little girl is very cute too. What i would have liked is for the movie to have not dragged on in some parts. The Anushka song was completely unnecessary.

Now let me come to the best part about the movie- The apartment shown many times(!!) in the movie is our apartment!!!:) I was so excited the first time i saw it on the big screen that i almost cried! The play area, the terrace, Anushka's home are all in our apartment. I eagerly watched the shooting and was dying to see the movie and there were so many scenes!

For the ones who have seen the movie Ko, the scenes in the second half where Jiiva chases a thief were also shot in our apartment.

So, our apartment seems to have become a popular film location..

Thanks EA for buying a flat in this particular apartment(even though most flats in this area are built by the same builder and are alike!)

My weight loss journey-Losing 10kgs in 53 days!

2011-07-22T15:30:00.002+05:30

Lets first have some flashback-I was neither too skinny nor too fat all through school and college..when i moved to Chennai in January 2008, i stayed in a hostel for the first time and that is when i slowly started putting on weight with all the outside food..i got engaged in June 2008 and married in September 2008 and since then the piling on of weight started..what started as eating out or at relatives' place for the wedding treat had started to show and by the time EA convinced me to join the gym, i got pregnant and no one could tell me a thing!!

I gorged on sweets, chocolates and ice-cream and after the delivery and the year after, i was fine with being fat-i just felt like i had achieved something by having a baby and post pregnancy and breast-feeding for a year, all women will look like me!

Slowly, reality started sinking in and though people close to me said nothing about my weight(including EA), i suddenly realised that i was fat!!!! There were some indications though-at the doc's place, the tailor, non-availability of a variety of ready-made clothes in my size etc etc..

Then i decided to do something about it. There is a ladies gym in my apartment but with a toddler who doesnt even let me go to the loo in peace, that seemed out of question. I started walking in the evening but i couldnt walk for a long time carrying Oviya who used to squirm and want to jump down and play in the mud for hours.

EA had mentioned months ago that his colleague's wife lost 23 kilos by visiting a dietician and following a strict diet. I suddenly decided i am going to lose weight and an amused EA took me to the same dietician. She looked at me and said, "Will you be able to follow this strict diet?" I just nodded my head. The first 2 weeks were a breeze. I was excited and although i had to eat green leafy veggies daily(something i hate the most), i religiously followed the diet and lost an astounding 4.5kgs in 2 weeks!! The dietician was very happy and i was over the moon. The next 2 weeks i felt i had been faithful to the diet but had lost only 600gms. I got a nice dose from the dietician and i was in tears. The next few weeks, it got harder and harder. I hated the green leafy veggies, the oats etc. Finally, after 53 days, i lost 10 kgs!!!! It should have taken me 40 days at my age but what the heck, i did it!

The reaction i got from friends and family has been great. Some of the clothes that i had discarded believing that they will never fit me are now perfect for me! EA too is impressed with my effort.

Its more than a month now since i stopped the diet but thankfully i havent put on more weight. I have actually lost another kilo!

Hoping that i can maintain this for as long as possible..atleast till my sister's wedding in November!;)

Oviya's filmi fundas!

2011-07-20T12:11:00.004+05:30

With music channels switched on all day at home with the belief that it will distract Oviya enough to eat her food, the only thing that has happened is that Oviya seems to have learnt a lot of filmi fundas!

-When she hears the opening music of "Shiela Ki Jawani", she comes running into the room saying "Shiela!". When she sees Akshay Kumar or Katrina Kaif on TV, she says" Shiela!!"

-When she sees Simbu, she says" Pitha Pitha" which is her version of "Evan Di Unna Pethan." She gives my cell to me and says she wants the " Pitha Pitha" song!

-When she sees Salman Khan on TV, she says " Chika Chika" which is her version of the " Dhinka Chika" song!

So seems like my daughter has acquired a keen interest in movies so soon!!;)

Oviya @ 21 months

2011-07-15T15:56:00.002+05:30

Oviya is just 3 months away from turning 2 and as usual time has flown by so quickly!

She is a hyperactive toddler and drives me crazy most of the time! I have to keep an eye on her every moment and she doesnt even let me visit the loo or bathe in peace. Whatever she is doing, she wants me to be in the background and if i move out of the room, she follows me.

We were at Hyd for 3 weeks and when i went for my lasik operation, she was in tears and held on to my mom until i returned. I was so scared that she would pull my protective glasses or hurt my eye but she was a good girl during the recovery period of 1 week. At my sister's engagement, i left her with EA while i accompanied my sis to the parlour and she threw such a tantrum that everyone who attended the function would never forget her!!

She speaks a few words now and she is a quick learner. She babbles in her baby language which i sometimes dont understand at all. Her favourite word at present is "Shampoo" and she keeps saying it atleast 10 times a day! When we tell her to say "Appa", she says " Amma" but she faithfully repeats all other words much to EA's irritation!Her other favourite words are "Soap" and "Soup". Even Rasam is Soup for her!

She needs the AC as much as possible exactly like EA whereas i cant stand it for long hours. She hates curd like EA. She is still a very fussy eater and i am at my wits end making her eat. Yesterday, she had Bhel Puri with a spoon at Shree Mithai and i was surprised to see her eat it like an adult. Shopping with her is a nightmare and either me or EA have to manage her while the other shops. As a result, we just pick up something without looking through stuff. She seems to be more religious than me and EA and touches God's idols and then touches her forehead. My Dad taught her to say "Sai" and she says it fervently. Her favourite songs at present are "Evan Di Unna Pethan" and "Bhaag DK Bose"!!

She likes kids and boldly goes upto them, smiles and tries to hug and kiss them irrespective of their age.

Why is it that the good people go to God very soon?

2011-07-14T17:42:00.002+05:30

FIL breathed his last on February 28th, 2011 at 3pm. EA was in the hospital but couldnt be by his side as the visiting hours were only in the morning and evening for patients in the CCU. We visited him the day before and it was heartwrenching to see him wired to so many devices and hooked on to life-support systems.

FIL was due for a second session of chemotherapy but suddenly developed breathing problems and was admitted to the CCU. He was going to be discharged and he even told the doc that he was bored and wanted to go home. Things suddenly worsened and the doc found that the cancer that had spread to his lungs didnt respond to the radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The primary cancer in the thyroid had responded to the treatment and FIL was able to speak again. The next few weeks were a blur with all the rituals and relatives at home. Since FIL’s brother’s son’s wedding was to be held, all the rituals were completed a bit early so that the wedding could go on as planned.

FIL had wanted to stay with us after retirement and help me manage Oviya as he knew i was desperate to get back to work. Also, he wanted to escape from MIL who never let him stay in peace at home and who unbelievably cursed him to "Go and die" every single day. After retiring, he knew things would be unbearable at home. Its unbelievable that he retired on November 30th, was diagnosed with cancer on December 9th and expired on February 28th.

He was my sole well wisher on EA’s side and was my guardian angel. He would always defend me whenever MIL tortured me. He cared for me like a father. All those who came to the funeral had something good to say about him. He had helped so many people in different ways.

A lot of things happened in the past few months that have left me seething with anger and frustration. I am in two minds whether to blog about it. Maybe one day i will.

Till then, the only thing i have to say is:

MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE,DEAR FIL..

YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST PERSONS I HAVE EVER KNOWN AND YOU ARE CERTAINLY THE ONLY PERSON ON EA'S SIDE WHO DESERVES LOVE AND RESPECT. MAYBE GOD TOOK YOU TO ENSURE YOU ESCAPE TORTURE AND RIDICULE ON EARTH..I WISH YOU WERE THERE FOR ME AND OVIYA FOR MANY YEARS...:(

The joys of motherhood-1

2011-02-16T17:41:00.002+05:30

For almost a month now, Oviya has started giving me a little kiss on my cheek before falling asleep at night and the first time she did it, i couldnt believe it and had tears of joy in my eyes!:)

She does it almost every night and it is only me who receives this privilege and not EA! The unbelievable part(according to me) is that i did not specifically train her or ask her to do it. I dont think you can train a 16 month old baby to do it as she doesnt speak yet.

So that's a beautiful gift Oviya gives me every night and i try to think about it when she throws a tantrum while eating and i am close to losing my temper!

Then and Now :(

2011-02-15T12:23:00.002+05:30

Note: The following is a very personal post. I felt like venting out my frustration and hence chose to blog. Although it is a few months since the incident happened, the hurt is still there..

Then-Year 2008

After marriage, MIL demanded to know every month if i got my periods and when i said yes, the following speech was given:

1. I know you are an educated, modern girl but having a baby soon is very important.

2. What is your problem, are you infertile?

3. All my relatives are asking me. I am feeling ashamed to answer their questions because of you.

After 5 months of marriage, i conceived and delivered Oviya within a month of our first anniversary.

Now- September 2010

When Mama'a boy EA blurted out to MIL that my periods got delayed by a few days, MIL calls me and the following speech is given:

1. What the hell is wrong with you?

2. Are you not an educated woman?

3. Dont you know the forms of protection or should i teach you?

4. How can you be so careless?

The periods finally arrived a few days later and i heaved a sigh of relief!

What i fail to understand is how can my MIL interfere in something that is personal to me and EA. Having a baby should be my choice and not dictated by anyone else. This kind of behaviour only makes me hate her more and avoid seeing her as much as possible. I dont think any other girl in my place would have quietly tolerated such mental torture. I spent many days crying over this and even now when i think about it, i feel angry and irritated..:(

Star Struck!!

2011-02-09T11:14:00.004+05:30

During Pongal, a notice was put up in our apartment that there would be a film shooting in the apartment premises and all residents were requested to co-operate. Vijay TV and Radio Mirchi had also shot some programmes in our apartment a few days back and I was a little excited. I didnt expect big stars and when EA said he saw Y G Mahendran, i wasnt too excited.

I went to the library the next day and when the librarian asked me if i saw Vikram and Anushka, i was speechless!! She told me that they were shooting in one of the flats and were even seen in the apartment premises. I never expected even in my wildest dreams that such big stars would come to shoot in our apartment. I convinced another lady and the 2 of us(with Ovi of course) went to the flat and stood outside waiting for a glimpse of the stars. When i saw Anushka, i was just dumbstruck. She is soooooooo beautiful!!

I called EA and my family and gushed about seeing Anushka. That evening i looked out of the balcony and i saw Vikram walking towards our block. A scene was being shot in the terrace of our block and i took Ovi and a handycam and trudged upto the terrace. There was already a small crowd. I was warned not to take any pics by the Safari suited bodyguards who had strict instructions from the director who didnt want the look of the stars revealed.

It turns out that director Vijay of Madrasapattinam fame was shooting his next film(tentatively titled Deiva Magan) with Vikram and Anushka. Vikram seemed to have lost a lot of weight. He was cheerful and signed autographs. The director too played cricket with the kids. Anushka too didnt seem to throw any starry tantrums. She was dressed in a dress that resembled the one Kareena wore in the "Shukran Allah" song from "Kurbaan." Apart from the kids, even the adults in the apartment were star struck and we all hung around watching the shooting. It is now that i realised how difficult shooting a movie is as every scene had to be shot perfectly. I really feel these stars need a lot of patience. There was one scene where Anushka rides an Activa and parks it. That seemingly simple scene took almost 20 minutes to be shot perfectly. The apartment gates were closed and no outsiders were allowed inside and so we could peacefully watch the shooting.

So, that was a memorable Pongal...waiting for the next shooting in my apartment!;)

Break Ke Baad...

2011-02-06T20:44:00.002+05:30

At Hyd now..for 2 weeks...

The past few months have been hectic...FIL was suddenly diagnosed with the worst form of cancer and all of us were left shell shocked..the radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions have started and it is gut wrenching to see a once healthy person reduced to bed-rest :(

We take life for granted and usually assume that diseases like cancer will not affect us.The truth is nowadays there is an increase in the number of cancer cases and it can strike anyone whether or not they have a history of smoking,drinking etc. One of EA's colleagues 4 yr old daughter is a cancer patient.

FIL is the best relative i gained from my marriage and it is very sad to see him suffer. He is the most soft spoken and kind hearted person i have known. He has always treated me like a daughter and has been my well wisher even saving me from MIL's torture on many occasions. He was a very active person and was very careful about his food habits. The unbelievable part is he retired on 30th November, 2010 and by December 9, 2010 he was diagnosed with cancer. What started as a sore throat ended in him losing his voice.

FIL has been staying with us as it is closer to the hospital and it has been hectic managing a baby and him all by myself. After all that he has done for me, i can do anything for him.

We are all hoping and praying for his recovery but chances are slim. The situation at home is tough and depressing. Also with EA having to go to the hospital on most days and spending nights when FIL is admitted is definitely straining our relationship and we dont get to spend quality time together. It is a testing time for us to see how we support each other during a crisis.

Oviya is doing fine and now that she has started walking, managing her is a task by itself. She speaks continously in her baby language, waves "Bye" and even dances when her favourite song is on air.

Oviya's first birthday!

2010-11-07T13:17:00.003+05:30

Its almost a month since Ovi's first birthday and as usual i still cant believe she has grown a year old..her 1st birthday was celebrated at Hotel Sukh Sagar in Anna Nagar. She was a bit cranky and cried a lot. We cut a beautiful "Little Mermaid" birthday cake. She received some cute toys as gifts. She has 5 pattu pavadais now! She hasnt started walking by herslf but she holds on to everything and walks. She pushes chairs and moves. She uttered "Amma" yesterday and even said "Book". She holds the phone to her ear and speaks in baby language. She climbs on to the Diwan by herself.

Her head tonsuring and ear boring ceremony was done in September. Will blog in detail soon. BYE..

Thank you Mr A R Rahman.....

2010-08-08T15:56:00.004+05:30

for composing "Omana Penne."This song has become a one-stop solution to calm Oviya if she throws a tantrum while eating or even if she wakes up suddenly at 2 am and starts bawling. As soon as she hears the music at the start of the song,she starts smiling!

Another amazing(according to me and EA!) thing that she does is that when she wakes up and finds the door closed(i dont lock it) she pulls the white cylindrical door stopper behind the door and manages to wriggle out of the room! Previously, she used to stay behind the closed door and cry not knowing how to open it but somehow she figured it out one day.

She seems to have an exceptional talent for acting! When i am trying to feed her, she acts as if she has fallen asleep and when i try to put her to bed, she wakes up and plays for another hour before falling asleep!

When my sis came home last weekend, she pulled her hair when she was asleep as a result of which my sis covered herself with a blanket from head to toe so that she could sleep in peace. EA and me had gone to Dominos about a month back during the Germany v Argentina WC Match. I was carrying Oviya in the baby bag and we could finish dinner in peace. We went to the same place recently and Oviya was so restless that she wouldnt stay put in the baby bag. Finally, we took turns watching her and finishing our meal!

The most difficult part about babies is that they never stick to a routine. One day they will sleep at a particular time and the next day they will play actively at that time. One day, they will eat a particular food and not even have a bite of it the next day. Uffff..raising a baby is a realllllllly bigggggg responsibility. At times, i feel envious of friends who have someone to do the hardwork of feeding and cleaning a baby while they are able to get back to work. I guess the grass always looks greener on the other side!

Oviya is 10 months old!!

2010-08-08T01:08:00.002+05:30

Hmm..time does fly so fast..Oviya is going to be a year old in just 2 more months!

Life has changed completely from being a carefree girl to mother of a toddler..

Oviya is as active as ever crawling rapidly all over the house and putting microscopic objects into her mouth..she wont even open her mouth and even when she does, she tries to bite my finger while i try to pry out the foreign object from her mouth!She has a little tooth coming out of her lower jaw. She holds on to chairs,the Diwan and even the gas cylinder and stands up. She may start walking in a month i think.

Mealtimes have become a nightmare with her trying to jump out of my lap after just 3-4 spoons..even bath time which was a breeze earlier is getting difficult with her trying to jump out of the bath chair, pulling the soap/mug from me etc.

Her favourite actress seems to be Genelia! As soon as she sees the Garnier Light Moisturiser ad with Genelia saying " Sach bolne wale fairness creams so rare na!", she starts smiling!!She even loves the Fanta ad of Genelia with the flying car. Another favourite ad is the Pothys Aadi one where a little girl tells about saving 500 rs.

When she is in a jolly mood, she says "Akka." I keep asking her to say Appa/Amma but she suddenly picked up Akka on her own. EA laughs and teases me saying Oviya wants to be an Akka i.e she wants a sibling, and i glare at him!!!!I am already struggling with 1 kid. Having another kid is just crazy! Hats off to all u Moms who have more than 1 kid!

As soon as i open the fridge or any of the cupboards, she crawls rapidly to try and pull out something but i ensure she doesnt. She doesnt allow me and EA to eat and so we take turns managing her and completing dinner.

EA is joining a new job from Monday and i am a bit tensed as i have to cook breakfast and lunch for him. Till now, he used to have his breakfast and lunch at office.

A lot of functions are round the corner-our 2nd wedding anniversary, my 26th birthday, Oviya's head tonsuring, Oviya's first birthday etc.

My lil sis completed CA this time and we all are really happy coz no one from our family has done it so far. Amma and Appa are happy that both their daughters are professionally qualified.

Sometimes i do feel bad about working so hard for my qualification and then sitting at home. Then i realise it is not my fault. If u want to get back to work, either u must have supporting inlaws or ur parents must be in the same city or willing and able to relocate to ur city or u must have a reliable maid/day care. If none of these factors work out, u have no option but to stay at home and take care of ur baby whether ur a CA or a PA!

So thats the update for now..

Hey there..

2010-06-20T17:02:00.004+05:30

Hi people...i know its been a long time since i posted on this blog and was so happy to see 2 unmoderated comments!!

Well, the reason for this break is just the plain old "I didnt find time!!". You see, i was managing a baby on my own along with the cooking, cleaning, feeding and bathing baby etc as i didnt find a maid for almost 1.5 months after we moved to EA's flat..its been just a week since a maid has been appointed..i know many women manage all household chores including handling a baby easily but i seem to be finding it pretty difficult..things seem to be better now.

Oviya has started crawling and zips through the house in search of me..i seem to have become her latest addiction and she wants to be around me at all times..i have had to make her sit in the baby carrier and carry it to the kitchen to complete my work.She doesnt seem to mind that there is no fan in the kitchen as long as i am within her sight.Newspapers are her favourite not for reading mind you but for chewing!It takes her 5 seconds to chew a newspaper bit and swallow it.She is trying to stand up and i am really anxious that she may fall and hurt herself.Today,she cut her upper lip and there was a small drop of blood on her lips.That was enough to make me teary eyed and lose concentration and drop a whole vessel of boiling water on the floor.Luckily,i jumped out in time otherwise i would have scalded myself. Some days back i was shocked to find her perched on a basket trying to reach out for some Johnsons' oil which i thought were way beyond her reach.I still cant believe she climbed the basket.Her food intake is not great and she is underweight for her age.The Doc says she is hyperactive and so she is not gaining weight but i am fed up of answering people asking about her weight. Last week, i bought some Palak from a door to door vendor and kept it on the Diwan to get some cash to pay the vendor. In the 10 seconds that i was away, Oviya managed to hold on the edge of the Diwan , stand up, grab a leaf of Palak and chew on it!!!We had shifted the mattress to the floor as everyone warned us against making her sleep on the bed. Even the mattress was a bit high for her and she would roll over and cry. We have now got a large quilt kind of thing and that seems to have solved the problem.

We had a few outings for some functions in Chennai. We went to Thirukadaiyur for FIL's 60th birthday celebration. We went on a surprise trip to Hyderabad and the look on my mom's face when she opened the door is unforgettable!Oviya seems to have forgotten my parents and sis and when EA and me went out, she kept crying and so we couldnt go for any movies. We couldnt get return tickets by train because of the heavy summer vacation crowd and had to catch a flight in the last minute shelling out a whopping amount.So Oviya had her first flight trip at the age of 7 months.She didnt create any fuss and slept immediately after take-off.I had my first flight trip at the age of 2 months and the next one was when i was 23!

I seem to have finally improved my cooking skills and EA cant believe it. I have reached the stage of making even Chicken Biriyani and Mutton Kurma apart from the regular rice, sambar, veggie!!

Life in the new flat is good. I am now beginning to realise the efforts our Moms put in!When EA eats outside without informing in advance, i keep shouting at him about my wasted cooking effort and then i remember the number of times me and sis have eaten outside without informing Mom!

So thats the update for now..hope i find time for blogging..its been ages since i checked my mails too..i wonder if my life will ever be the same again!Having a baby changes it forever!:)

Oviya completes 6 months!

2010-04-07T20:45:00.002+05:30

It seems just like yesterday that i went for a scan and found that my amniotic fluid level had reduced drastically and i had an emergency C-Sec within 2 hours and delivered Oviya!She is going to complete 6 months tomorrow and as usual, i cant believe how time flies!

In the past month, the major change was the shift to Chennai and luckily Oviya seems to have adjusted well. She is getting naughty day by day and tries to grasp everything within her reach.When i bathe her, she tries to grasp the mug. She has started "double triple rollover" i.e she rolls over once and then rolls over again and again such that someone has to watch over her to ensure she doesnt bang her head. She moves about so much at night that i sometimes find her in the corner of the bed near the wall when i put her to sleep in the middle of the bed!

The battle with food has started and it is a very tiring process forcing her to eat. She never threw any tantrums at Hyderabad but now it is a tough job. She listens to "Hosanna" and "Omana Penne" from VTV and only then starts eating!For the past few days, she doesnt swallow the food and keeps it at the back of her mouth and spits it out suddenly. It takes me about 45 minutes or more to make her finish a small bowl of Cerelac. The Doc here advised cow's milk and Oviya hates the taste. She had a quarter of an idly today and i hope she doesnt refuse it tomorrow. A few days back, as soon as i started the ritual of putting her on my lap and tying a bib around her neck, she realised i was going to feed her and gave me the cutest puppy face and tried to cry to stop me from feeding her!

Her outings this month were a trip to Ammamma's place for Thatha's 80th birthday celebration. She also visited the Putlur temple as my MIL had prayed for her there. Many of EA' s friends and relatives have come to see her and she has received 2 more Johnsons kits and lots of clothes.

Her smile is the sweetest part about her.Every morning as soon as she wakes up, she looks at me and gives me the cutest smile! Even if a complete stranger smiles at her, she smiles back.

So that was the update for this month. I used to meticulously plan which photos to upload on this blog but this month i havent been very regular in taking her pictures and also i misplaced my data cable. I am beginning to realise the difference between staying at your parents' place and staying with inlaws. Although MIL loves Oviya, the main work of feeding,cleaning and bathing Oviya is done by me leaving me no time for anything else. I went out just once without Oviya that too for about half an hour only. At Hyderabad, i went for movies and shopping but all that seems a distant possibility now.

Happy 6th month birthday, Kuttu!:)

7 things that you dont know about me!

2010-04-06T23:03:00.003+05:30

Apu tagged me to mention 7 things about me that people dont know.I kept pondering on the topic for about a day and got about 10 points about EA and MIL but only 3 points about myself. After another day of thinking, i think i am ready..so here goes:

1. I am pretty emotional and sensitive although i try to act as if i am strong externally.Only those who are very close to me know that my eyes well up with tears very easily.

2. I love to sleep and i am not a morning person at all. Now that Oviya wakes me up at any time of the night, EA jokes that Oviya is able to do something that he never could i.e. "waking me up!"

3. I am terrified of cooking!I never entered the kitchen before marriage and now i manage to cook something edible.If it turns out to be fine, i wont be able to tell you the ingredients and procedure by heart as i blindly follow the diary in which my mom has written recipes for me. I seriously hope i better my cooking skills soon!Thankfully EA has been very tolerant about this aspect of mine!;)

4. I am a hoarder unlike Apu. I hate throwing away things and keep thinking that it will be of use some day. I have some of my pre-pregnancy clothes which are not going to fit me in the near future unless i slog in a gym for atleast 2 hours daily and since that seems a distant possibility, i hope i discard those clothes.

5. Although i have a valid car licence, i am terrified of driving a four-wheeler, i dont know why. I am most comfortable riding a Honda Activa.Its been 3 years since my Dad made me learn car driving in the parking lot opposite People's plaza on Necklace road. Apart from driving at the licence centre, i havent touched a steering wheel.

6. I am not very particular about ironing my clothes everyday. Unless it is an important function or meeting, i wont bother to iron my clothes if it looks ok. EA, on the other hand, will not even step out to get a newspaper without wearing a crisply ironed T shirt!

7. Although i belong to a non vegetarian family, i eat only chicken..that too boneless only. I am not addicted to non vegetarian food and can manage perfectly even with curd rice. EA is the exact opposite in this matter. I sometimes struggle when people prepare mutton or fish assuming that since i am not a Brahmin, i would eat it.

So..that was something about me that you didnt know..Anyone reading this blog who is interested in taking up this tag is free to do so..

PS: DI's tag was my first ever tag but since i am still not able to remember all my favourite dialogues, i shall take it up whenever possible.

Back to Chennai..

2010-03-20T23:29:00.002+05:30

Its been 2 days since we returned to Chennai and things seem to be settling down slowly.Oviya was a bit cranky yesterday refusing to sleep but today she seems to be back to normal.She is smiling at everyone and doesnt mind being carried by strangers.

The train journey was fine except for some bouts of crying at night. Despite the curtains, i had a tough time feeding her as i was very conscious of people around me. She woke up at 5.30 am as the train arrived at Central and gazed at everything around her.

EA's relatives have been coming home to see Oviya and more are expected in the next 2 weeks. I think there should be a ban on pink frocks for girls!!Most of Oviya's clothes seem to be pink. Also, she has received so many Johnson Kits that i think we neednt buy any of that stuff for the next 5 years!!

The weather here is sweltering hot and i can already feel the difference. At Hyderabad, you wont sweat so much as in Chennai. Despite the AC, even stepping out for 5 minutes leaves you drained out.

Hmmm..i guess i am missing my parents, sis and my lovely Hyderabad and so i am criticizing the Chennai weather!!

The most difficult decision of my life..

2010-03-13T20:33:00.003+05:30

After months of confusion, tears, frustration and fights, i have finally made the most difficult decision of my life. Although EA and me started discussion on this issue as early as July 2009, we couldnt arrive at a satisfactory solution. Finally, I have decided to stay at home to take care of Oviya. I am going to do a part time work from home job that will atleast boost my self esteem that i am financially independent. Although the pay is not like before, it is atleast better than nothing!

In my case, my parents are at Hyderabad and cannot come and stay with me at Chennai. The next option was staying with inlaws. The biggest problem here is that my office is too far and if i leave at 7.30am, i would be able to come back home only by 8.30pm. The horrendous train journey also scared me. Even if I got into the first class compartment, the journey time wouldnt reduce anyway. Even in an emergency, it would take me atleast 2 hours to reach home. We explored various other options too where i wouldnt have to travel too much.We requested my grandparents to stay with us(in a rented accommodation close to my office) and help manage the baby by supervising the caretaker. That didnt work out as they are both 75 and 80 years old and politely refused to take up such a big responsibility. We requested my inlaws to move to the city but it would be difficult for FIL to travel to office and also they were not keen on leaving their own independent house and move to a small rented accommodation. EA was very particular that we should not drop Oviya in a day care until she is atleast a year old. He also was very particular that we should not trust an unknown maid and leave Oviya alone with her.

So the only option left was me taking a break from full time work. My company had given me time till April to join back but i couldnt. I felt very bad for days often crying and fighting with my parents and EA. Everyone understood what i was going through but couldnt come up with any other solution. When i told one of my friends about my decision, she said," You are an All India First Ranker in CS. How can you of all people quit your job?" Needless to say, i spent another evening crying over the remark!

I read so many blogs about SAHMs and then realised i am not the only one going through this. My well wishers have convinced me that taking a break is the best decision that can be taken under the present circumstances. Everyone told me i had a good qualification and would be able to get a job easily. So here i am, ready to welcome a very big change in my life. Although i had never imagined not working, i am now ok with my decision. I dont think i would have been able to survive leaving Oviya when she was sleeping in the morning and coming so late that she would be too sleepy to see me. That too since i didnt have Saturdays off,there would be not much time to spend with her. Also, i did not want a scenario where she gets extremely attached to MIL and forgets me.

So the situation now is that i will be staying with inlaws for a month and then moving to EA's flat. The tenants have vacated and now the painting and woodwork is getting done there. It seems there is a gym and a library in the apartment premises. I know i will keep going to the library often but i only hope i go to the gym too!

My Uncle sent me the following mail which was an important factor in making my decision:

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - Work, Family, Health, Friends and Spirit and you're keeping all of these in the Air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four Balls - Family, Health, Friends and Spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these; they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same."

Its been almost 6 months since i came to Hyderabad and i am going back to Chennai next week. My return was delayed because of superstitions about the month of travel. I had to travel during the waxing moon and not waning moon and so on and so forth! I had a wonderful time here enjoying myself with no cooking and cleaning tension. I wonder how i am going to manage at Chennai. Also, i think blogging will also be difficult. Hope to continue blogging atleast after moving to the flat!

PS-Will conclude with a funny incident that happened yesterday. While i was telling EA about Oviya, he suddenly became very quiet. He seemed to be crying! He sadly tells me that after 25 years, Oviya would get married and go away!!!!! I couldnt believe my ears and burst out laughing. I told him not to worry. We will get a Ghar Jamai for her!!!!!!!!!;)

Oviya turns 5 months old on Women's Day!

2010-03-08T14:34:00.010+05:30

Another month passes by so soon and Oviya turns 5 months old today. For the past few days, she has been rolling over and lifting her head up by herself. Previously, she would roll over but being unable to support her neck, would bang her nose and cry!This was great news for my Dad who started carrying her without being scared of supporting her neck.

Initially, her rolling over was really exciting for us but now it has become difficult to manage her. She rolls over in 2 seconds, lifts her head up and tries to crawl! She has actually managed to move a few inches and we are not leaving her unattended and she is surrounded by about 4 pillows at all times. I guess it was easier when she would stay put in one place! When she wakes up in the morning, she is in the exact opposite direction to the position in which we had put her to sleep! Putting her to sleep has become a Herculean task and she is getting cranky day by day. She has started grasping things close to her hands and she likes holding her rattle by herself. Music seems to be one way of calming her and i have been using my Sony Walkman phone to full effect! The Doc advised Cerelac and so for the past 2 weeks she has been having some daily.Touchwood, she seems to be liking it and doesnt create much of a fuss. She had cooked and mashed apple today as a treat for her 5th month birthday.She has had a few sips of watermelon and sweet lime juice in the past month. As the input has become slightly solid, the output has changed too!!

She observes people and things around her and becomes bored staying in one room for more than an hour. We shift her from room to room to ease her boredom.Who knew a 5 month old would get 'bored' so soon! She seems to have developed the habit of sucking her fingers and doesnt stop even if we pull her fingers out of her mouth. She doesnt seem to be scared of strangers and smiles back at everyone. When one of my relatives started talking to her, she responded with "Eyy" leaving everyone laughing!

Time seems to be flying so fast. Just a year back around this time, i found out i was pregnant and now its 5 months since i became a mother! We are going back to Chennai in 10 days and i hope she gets adjusted to the Chennai weather. Dont know if i will be able to blog regularly from now on. Hoping to use FIL's laptop at night after MIL goes to sleep!

Happy 5th month birthday, darling!:)

PS: Happy Women's Day! Was really happy to see Kathryn Bigelow become the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Director right under the nose of her ex-husband James Cameron!

The impact of Budget 2010 on me..

2010-02-27T21:10:00.002+05:30

The announcement of the Budget has been an important part of my life for the past few years. During my CS course, we would check out the Budget to see the changes in tax rates that may be applicable for our exams. When i started working, we used to have discussions in office on the highlights of the budget to understand the impact on the company.

This year, when i checked out the budget,it was more from a personal viewpoint.The hike in petrol prices, gold and silver made me a bit anxious. The article that really caught my attention was about hike in diaper prices! Ever since Oviya was born,i have been cribbing to all and sundry about the high price of diapers and now for the first time in history, tax has been levied on diapers! When i cribbed to EA about rising gold prices(considering Oviya's wedding after 25 years or so!!) he jokingly said "Dont worry,honey. Anyway, your wedding jewellery is lying idle in the locker.We can use that!!!!!";)

Relationship issues

2010-02-21T15:21:00.008+05:30

The following is my entry for the "Indusladies International Women's Day Blog Contest."

I have chosen the topic-"Relationship Issues"

I may not be qualified enough to write about this intense topic as I have been married for only about a year and a half now. But during this short duration, I have learnt so much about relationships that I never even knew before.

I feel the following are the most crucial issues that affect a relationship:

1. Lack of mutual respect - I have seen umpteen cases where the husband doesn’t even care whether his wife has eaten or if she is sick. Women tend to be careless about their health and put family first. Some men feel that their wife is just a dignified servant meant to serve them all their lives. I know a convent-educated woman whose husband slaps her if she doesn’t cook according to his expectations and she quietly puts up with it. Her parents gifted them a flat and a car after marriage and despite this he dominates his wife. When she delivered a second son, he abused her for not producing a daughter! This guy is a professional who has even won the “Best Employee Award” in his company but is blissfully ignorant of the fact that the gender of the child is determined by the husband and not by the wife. I know another case where the husband forced his wife to undergo an abortion when she conceived too soon after marriage. I am sure he would have blamed her if she had problems conceiving later on. Luckily, she has 2 little daughters today. I feel both verbal and physical abuse would not be so prevalent if only there was mutual respect for each other.

2. Finance - This is a very important factor which causes a lot of distress in relationships. We have heard so many cases of men being careless about finance leading to a lifetime problem for their families. I personally know atleast 3 cases where the husband lost a significant amount of money by gambling, betting on horse races and reckless stock trading. In many cases, the innocent wife is left to shoulder the complete burden of finances having no way out. Some husbands hate it if their wives question about their spending habits as they feel they are not answerable. I also know a case of my school friend who is forced to give her salary to her inlaws and she also does all the household chores including washing everyone’s undergarments. The unbelievable part is that her husband and father-in-law are doing very well in their respective profession.

3. Dominating inlaws - I don’t think I have ever met a girl who has said her inlaws treat her well! I have heard so many horror stories in seemingly perfect families. My cousin in the US has been married for about 13 years. Her husband recently took an insurance policy and named my cousin as the beneficiary. His mother did not like it and forced him to change the beneficiary as herself! I was stunned to know this. I was mentally harassed to get pregnant immediately after marriage. When I didn’t conceive after 3 months of marriage, my mother-in-law asked me if I had an infertility problem! I love my daughter but I can never forget the insult meted out to me. In most families with a son and a daughter, it is assumed that the son shall shoulder financial responsibilities of the married daughter even when the parents are doing well. A fixed sum of money is usually given to the daughter every month along with clothes and jewellery on every festive occasion. This tradition is continued even if such contribution is creating a dent in the son’s finances and even if he has a family to support. The boy’s family usually looks down upon the girl’s side and expects to be treated like royalty even years after the marriage. As a newly wed, my mother was harassed by her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law who used to wait for an opportunity to gang up and abuse her for no fault of hers. The worst part about this is that the husband is just a mute spectator and doesn’t have the guts to support his wife in front of his parents or siblings.

4. Lack of trust - We hear so many cases where the wife is murdered by the husband as he “suspects” her of having an illicit affair. I know a case where a husband would come to his wife’s school every hour or so on some pretext or the other as he was suspicious of his wife. The marriage ended in a divorce soon. The guy remarried soon and the woman never remarried as she was fed up of marriage.

5. Ego problems - When the wife is equally or more educated than the husband or if she earns as much as or more than the husband, she is perceived to be egoistic and is harassed by some insecure husbands. There are very few cases where the husband is genuinely happy to see his wife do well. Societal pressure too plays a role here wherein a usually supportive husband is brainwashed by colleagues and relatives about keeping his wife “under control.” Some husbands don’t help out with household chores as they feel it is below their dignity.

Relationships today are very fragile and can be broken easily due to seemingly trivial issues which is why we see divorce rates increasing. I feel the key to a happy marriage lies in the hands of both the partners. Whether it is a love marriage or an arranged one, there is no guarantee of a successful relationship. If both partners care about each others’ feelings, keep their temper under control and think about the long-term impact, most problems can be sorted out. Most importantly, a problem must be solved by both the partners by mutual discussion without interference by friends or relatives. Also, both partners must be encouraged to go for pre-marital counseling so that they are better equipped to face married life in a positive manner.

One of my relatives has perhaps the best marriage that I have ever seen. Theirs was a love marriage with stiff opposition from both sides. Despite numerous problems, they have been married for about 40 years and their relationship is really beautiful. They both worked as marriage counselors in Canada. I would like to conclude this write up with the 3 golden rules that this couple followed to make marriage work:

1. Both partners must never criticize each others' family.

2. Money should never come in between.

3. Never carry work pressures home.

Thank you for reading my views and i tag DI, Swaram and DivSu to participate in this contest.

What a V-Day!

2010-02-15T15:41:00.011+05:30

Before i write about how wonderful this year's V-Day was, i have to mention the background story that happened after EA's Pongal visit to Hyd..

We had a major fight on a lot of issues and the worst part was MIL getting involved and me and MIL fighting over the phone.EA had blurted out every single fight of ours to his mother over the course of our marriage and now MIL was raking up issues which were dead and buried long ago by me and EA. The next 3 weeks were absolute hell with tearful phone conversations and angry smses exchanged at even 3.30 am.I was really frustrated and fed up of life in general. Before marriage, life was so blissful. School and college was fun. I completed my ACS at 22 and had a good job. I was given an opportunity to handle an IPO at Chennai and i moved there only to have the stock markets crashing and the IPO getting postponed indefinitely. I ended up getting married and settled down at Chennai. Life seemed good except for MIL who irritated me to no end to get pregnant. I used to dread the weekend visits to MIL's place where her only job was to taunt me if i had some problem. After the whole saga of getting pregnant and having a baby,MIL was now interfering in every personal matter that i thought was between me and EA. I discussed this issue with one of my relatives from Canada. This Uncle and Aunty have perhaps the best marriage that i have ever seen. Although they have been married for about 40 years, their relationship is really beautiful. They both worked as marriage counsellors in Canada and when i told her my problem, she told me that she and Uncle had 3 golden rules to make marriage work:

1. Both partners must never criticise each others' family.

2. Money should never come in between.

3. Never carry work pressures home.

Honestly speaking, the first two issues were responsible for our fights and gradually EA and me started speaking normally. EA had already planned a visit to Hyd for V-Day even before the fight and when he decided to come, i was really apprehensive as i didnt know how we would react when we saw each other. EA caught a Volvo bus from Chennai on 12th night and the bus broke down within an hour of journey.He spent the next 3 hours on the highway and then a replacement bus arrived.The other big news was that there was a Telangana Bandh in Hyd on 13th which i came to know only after reading the morning paper. I informed EA immediately but it was of no use as his bus had already been stopped at a place called Yacharam at 11am. I found out from Google maps that this place was about 65kms from Hyd. EA was cool and told me that he even saw Nagarjunasagar Dam!!I was worried by now and was mentally cursing the T agitators. Appa and me even thought of taking a cab to get EA. The bus eventually started and dropped passengers at Afzalgunj at 2pm. EA, who was supposed to arrive at 8 am came home at 3 pm.When we saw each other, we forgot to fight! It is so easy to fight on the phone! EA had lunch and got up from his siesta and we went to Tank Bund(the only 'beach' in Hyd!) and sat on the grass looking at the Buddha statue and talked for about an hour..we had dinner and came home by 10pm.Oviya was just playing calmly and didnt cry when i was away!

The next day(V-Day), we woke up early and went for a walk. After breakfast, EA gifted me a mug. I was a bit upset that it was completely black with no words on it. Seeing my reaction,EA filled it up with hot water and i couldnt believe my eyes when i saw a picture of me and Oviya on the mug!! We then watched some movies and it was time for EA to catch his train back to Chennai. He took me by surprise when he suddenly took out a diamond ring and presented it to me!! I started crying by then..the worst part was that i didnt get him anything!

Last year, i had planned V-Day with so much of enthusiasm..

So that was how V-Day 2010 was celebrated...:)

Oviya's 4th month update..

2010-02-07T10:49:00.016+05:30

Oviya turns 4 months old and i must say this has been the most interesting month so far!

The best part is that she has started sleeping through the night.She sleeps at about 12 and wakes up at 7.30am. I was so tired the first few months and i wondered if i would ever get a proper night's sleep.. She has started cooing and responding in baby talk whenever someone speaks to her.She has started drooling and people are saying that she will start speaking soon! She smiles at everyone as soon as they smile at her!She smiles at me whenever she sees me.it is so heartwarming to see her smile at me every single time. When i am around,she keeps looking at me and completely ignores others!She has started recognising people and when i am not around for sometime,she keeps looking around the room searching for me. She has even started watching TV and seems to be enjoying it!My parents and sis have become really attached to her and i wonder how difficult it will be for them when i move back to Chennai.. She rolled over for the first time on 5th Feb at noon. I had given her some medicine and was washing the dropper when i came into the room and found that she had rolled over! She had been attempting it for about a week. I was so excited that i screamed and called everyone to her room. She seemed a bit shocked but didnt cry. Bath time is something that she enjoys a lot. My mom used to put her on her legs and i used to bathe her. When i attempted to put her on my legs and bathe her,it was really scary as i thought she would slip. I realised i have to practise bathing her on my own as i will be moving back to Chennai next month. When my relatives took me to Just Born to select a gift for Oviya, i chose this cute baby bather..i have just started using it and i must say it is a lot easier this way! She hates being covered and does her best to kick away her blanket.She grips her blanket and pulls it to her mouth.She puts her entire fist in her mouth and sucks contentedly. I have become so attached to her in the past month that i feel a bit guilty nowadays when i leave her with my mom and go out.. Love u,Chittu!Happy 4th month birthday!:)

Movie marathon..

2010-02-04T19:50:00.002+05:30

I suddenly felt like watching a movie last weekend and went to the DVD shop nearby and got Wake up Sid..when i went to return it,i brought Paa..some relatives came home and we went for 3 idiots..i have now seen 3 movies in less than a week!

Here's my review of the movies i saw:

1. Wake up Sid-Very fresh,Ranbir is too cute,nice songs..only couldnt understand how Ranbir says ILU to Konkana after just reading an article when he didnt express any emotion when he was living with her..

2. Paa-Touching,Big B's bestest ever performance..his body language and voice was unbelievable..Vidya Balan delivered a beautiful performance..didnt like AB Junior somehow..felt that media speech was completely unnecessary..when AB Junior mentioned about protection,i suddenly thought what i would tell Oviya had i taken her for the movie!(i know she is not even 4 months old,but a mom's mind will always wonder!!)

3. 3 idiots-Sorry to say this-but dont know if it deserves so much hype..agreed the message is good...the last scene was too good,Aamir acted very well,loved Chatur's acting...i hated the ragging scene,hated the fact that every now and then there were silly "pantless" scenes!!i went to the movie with a bunch of adults whose average age was 55,maybe i was more uncomfortable because of that..again wondered how i would tell Oviya the meaning of 'balatkar'..the delivery scene was unnecessary....another disturbing fact is the runaway bride syndrome in so many movies..i didnt like Love Aaj Kal because i couldnt believe Deepika gets married to Rahul Khanna and leaves him during the honeymoon..in this movie too,i couldnt digest how Kareena agreed to marry the same guy whom she didnt like earlier and then suddenly walk away when she didnt even know where Aamir was and whether he was already married..felt really bad for Chetan Bhagat..having read the book,i will say that it was unfair of the film makers to not give any credit to him..the basic concept of 3 friends in an engineering college, Raju's family background, Raju's fall(although due to a different reason), loving a professor's daughter, the professor's son dying unable to bear academic pressure, the scene where the question paper was xeroxed etc..

Planning to see Rocket Singh next!;)

The questions LIC asks!!

2010-01-30T18:42:00.003+05:30

So EA made me fill an LIC policy form today and i couldnt even imagine that such questions could be asked..here are a few:

1. Are you "mensurating" regularly?[note the spelling please]

2. Have you had a miscarriage?

3. Are you pregnant now??[WTF!]

4. Do you consume narcotic substances like snuff?[Do women use snuff in today's age?]

5. Do you consume alcoholic drinks?

The unbelievable part was that the last 2 questions even had sub-questions:

-Quantity consumed?

-Years of use?

-Date of cessation,if any?

If i ever meet the person who designed the questions in LIC forms...God knows what will happen to him![I am somehow sure it won't be a woman!!]

Oviya participates in a baby show!

2010-01-25T20:05:00.002+05:30

Yesterday,Oviya participated in her first ever baby show..we have an organisation for our community members and we have get togethers every year for Diwali, Pongal etc..This year for the Pongal meet, a baby show was organised after 10 years..a Doc examined the kids...there were no other participants in Oviya's category of upto 1 year..she was blissfully asleep during the doctor's examination..When her name was announced, she suddenly woke up and started looking around..she won a drum and some rattles as a prize..i know this is just a small event but i realised how proud i was to be her mom as i went on to the stage to collect her prize..:)

PS:Today,i just happened to watch the Ind v Bangladesh test match..i am an absolutely crazy fan of Rahul Dravid and was so happy when he completed his 29th test century...when he was on 111, i happened to watch him being hit by a bouncer and collapsing on the ground..i had tears in my eyes and just then they showed some girls in the audience crying too..hope he recovers soon!

A wonderful Pongal..

2010-01-18T18:48:00.003+05:30

EA arrived on 13th Jan for Pongal and we went for Avatar at IMAX.We loved the movie.It was an experience in itself. I think the 2 hrs and 46 minutes just flew by.Appa felt the story was like old MGR movies.i too felt that there was something Indian about the story. I read in the paper today about people suffering from depression after seeing Avatar that they live in such a materialistic world.It seems people want to live in Pandora!

The next day Pongal was celebrated with the usual rituals and food. EA and me went shopping to Shoppers Stop and i went gaga over the baby stuff...i dont know why-everytime i go to the babies section,i look at every single item and contemplate whether Oviya needs it!Especially the diapers section holds my attention the longest..!

On Friday, we had a get together for a few of my friends, Appa's friends and our neighbours at Nakshatra. Everyone loved Oviya and her unique name.Oviya was an absolute darling that day and did not fuss or cry.She slept peacefully for sometime and then just smiled and looked at people. It was her first outing to a restaurant.She had been only to the temple, hospital and my aunt's place before.

On Saturday evening, i took EA to Basheerbagh and we had the famous Balaji chaat.i was recollecting the days when my gang used to assemble there and have long conversations on our bikes eating the yummy chaat and having juice.We then went to Havmor which is one of my favourite eateries. I even remember the Sundae i had there when i was about 7 years old.We had Mexican pizza and a Toblerone shake. EA tried to resist the shake but when he took one sip,the look of satisfaction on his face was too funny!

EA left for Chennai on Sunday..looking forward to his next trip for Valentines Day..

My 100th post!!

2010-01-10T14:12:00.002+05:30

When i started blogging about 2 years back,i never thought it would be so addictive..i had moved away from home for the first time and started blogging to keep myself sane!

This blog has given me an identity in the online world and although i have made just a few friends,it has been fun..hoping to make more friends and read more blogs...

Thanks to all of you who read my blog!:)

Chittu is 3 months old today!

2010-01-08T15:04:00.004+05:30

I know i sound like every other mom..but i cant believe Oviya is 3 months old so soon! The first month went by so slowly that i thought i would never survive..these 3 months have brought about so much of change in my life..even marriage didnt involve so much change! EA and me went through a turbulent phase in our relationship with me suffering from baby blues for almost 45 days.Things are definitely better now.Our decision to have a baby was not well planned,i admit..it was based mostly on what MIL and other relatives would say/think about us..i know it was not the right rationale..things reached saturation point when one of my school friends that too a girl who never even passed in exams pointed out to me-"Yours was too soon,na!" But now after 3 months, i have realised-There is never a perfect time to have a baby. It is better to have one when you are young and can take care. Your relationship with your spouse definitely changes after a baby but i think the change is for the better. Both me and EA have become so much more responsible in these 3 months. Also, your career need not always get affected. I know i am not a perfect mom but i am doing my best to bond with Oviya. The joy she has brought to my parents and EA's parents is priceless. When i hear Appa telling everyone that he is a grandfather now, it is so heartwarming. When she smiles at me, my eyes fill with tears of joy. I know i get angry at her when she cries for no apparent reason at nights. I have not had proper sleep all these months and compensate by getting up late. I wonder how i am going to manage when i get back to Chennai. I am planning to resume work from April and i dont know how i am going to survive the night crying and still get up and reach office after a 2 hr journey.. Life has come a full circle now and i have no choice but to accept the change and move on.I am not the only woman in the world who has had a baby.I never knew the mental and physical struggle that a mother undergoes. I have to say-Motherhood is the most challenging part of any woman's life.Even the toughest deadline pales in comparison. Anyways enough of emotional talk..Wishing Oviya a very Happy 3rd month birthday!:)

The power of advertisements!

2010-01-07T12:59:00.005+05:30

When there is a baby in the house,each one uses a variety of nicknames to address the little one.The popular ones here are Chittu,Pattu Kutty,Kuttyma,Kannukutty,Kanmani.

The latest one to join the list is unbelievable. A few days back,Appa was playing with Oviya and he said "My dear Tata Docoma!!!!!!!!."The funny part is even Amma addressed her so without knowing that Appa had already used the same nickname!When questioned,both of them just giggled and said it was on their minds as they saw the ad so many times.

Although i dont like this nickname,i must say the Tata guys have been successful in their advertising..

PS: The New Year was welcomed by cutting a yummy chocolate cake at midnight.Even Oviya was awake and was wished by everyone.

2009-The year I became a mother!

2009-12-31T14:03:00.004+05:30

Hmm..as the year 2009 draws to an end...there have been some really memorable occasions this year..

1. January 2009-Won a prize after a long time for reviewing the movie Slumdog Millionaire on CNN-IBN.

2. February 2009-Celebrating my first Valentines Day after marriage and saw the actress Sridevi in Kumaran Stores.

3. March 16,2009-Finding out I was pregnant!

4. April 2009-Going for the second scan which was EA's first view of the baby.

5. May 2009-A year of knowing EA, First baby shower,saw Jeffrey Archer.

6. June 2009-A fun weekend to a beach resort with EA and his friends.

7. July 2009-A babymoon to Pondicherry.

8. August 2009-Second baby shower, first Ganesh Chaturti after marriage.

9. September 2009-First Anniversary, Reaching 25, Seemantham, Coming to Hyderabad.

10. October 2009-Having the baby a month before her due date, EA coming to Hyd twice in a span of 2 weeks.

11. November 2009-Baby blues and Oviya's cradle ceremony!

12. December 2009-Slowly enjoying motherhood and waiting for EA's Pongal trip to Hyd!

WISHING ALL OF YOU A VERY HAPPY,HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2010!:)

PS:My New Year Resolutions:

1. Lose weight!

2. Improve my cooking skills!

3. Relearn car driving!

4. Get a passport![Have delayed long enough!]

5. Watch more movies and have more outings this year without giving an excuse of Oviya!

The advantages of being a girl!

2009-12-29T12:15:00.004+05:30

Last week, i had to go to Punjagutta right behind NIMS for some official work..inspite of Appa asking me to take an auto,i decided to take the 14 year old Kinetic....the onward journey was ok but i could feel that the return might be bad..i even went to the Sai Baba temple with prayers that the scooter should take me home safely..i was fervently hoping that the bike should not stop on a flyover..i couldnt even imagine myself pushing the bike on a flyover..the trusted scooter thankfully transported me till my old school St.Anns..i decided to take a side road and not the main road incase it stopped...the Kinetic came to a halt about 5 minutes away from home..i tried my best to start it but couldnt...i dont know how to put the middle stand and kick..luckily for me,there was an auto fellow sleeping who was woken up by my frantic efforts and helped me by kick starting the bike and holding it out for me to get on and move away before it stopped again..i thanked all my lucky stars that day and i was secretly happy that i have a daughter!!:)

The new year is going to bring a brand new addition to our family-a Honda Activa!!

PS:Happened to watch Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani on Colors..the movie is a silly comedy but i guess it became a big hit because of the music and the extremely cute lead pair..

Kaminey..

2009-12-21T15:33:00.002+05:30

Happened to watch it on DVD yesterday..its a nice and different movie..but i dont know how it got almost 4 stars from many reviewers..it is a drug and mafia movie based in Mumbai..there have been many such movies..

Shahid Kapoor has acted brilliantly..even PC did a decent job..

Waiting how Ishqiya will be..the trailer seems interesting..

2012

2009-12-19T18:34:00.002+05:30

I know that i am too late to see the movie..but finally managed to watch it today at Prasadz..

The first half looked a lot like the other doomsday movies like Independence Day, Deep Impact etc but the second half was good..the Arks looked awesome..the story had an almost Bollywood feel with the lead actors managing to dodge every danger..

Wondered why Jimi Mistry staying in Vijayawada(according to the film) had to put on such an accent..also the picturisation of Indian research centres without even AC was a bit sad! Despite being the person who reveals to the world about the looming catastrophe, Jimi and his family is killed by a tsunami..

All in all-an entertaining movie..i found the emotional aspects of the movie much more entertaining than the special effects..

Love v Money in marriage..

2009-12-15T11:57:00.004+05:30

EA recently told me that one of his friends R was getting engaged soon..on further enquiry, i found out that he wasnt getting married to his girlfriend but a girl whom his parents selected for him..R didnt have the guts to convince his parents and went ahead with their wish dumping the girl he had wooed for months before she accepted to be his girlfriend..

The reason behind R's sudden change of heart was the fact that the girl's parents were desperate to get him as the horoscopes matched perfectly..also,the girl in question was supposedly fat and R wasnt too keen because of this..the girl's parents were offering property in Anna Nagar and a Skoda car..the boy's parents exerted pressure and he caved in..the boy's parents resorted to getting admitted in the hospital and emotionally blackmailing him into agreeing for the marriage..

I was shocked when i heard this story..i have seen this kind of dowry being offered a lot in Chennai..so many of EA's friends brag that they were gifted cars by their inlaws..these guys are perfectly capable of buying cars themselves..i noticed that this phenomenon of gifts from inlaws is more prevalent when the girl in question is not working..

Hmm..my heart goes out to R's ex-girlfriend..R has been going around telling people that he broke up with her coz she is too talkative instead of revealing the true reason..

I wonder whether such marriages which have their foundation in money are truly successful...will the guy really love the girl?

I'm back!

2009-12-13T19:39:00.004+05:30

I cant believe Oviya is 2 months old..the first few weeks were such a blur that i wondered if i could survive..things are definitely better now though sometimes i still argue with EA that he is relaxing at Chennai while i am having sleepless nights here..

Oviya looks at people with wide open eyes and listens attentively when we talk to her..she wants to be carried all the time and cries when put on the bed.she doesnt seem to like the cradle much..she is really adorable when she is calmly moving her hands and legs and looking around without crying..she has started smiling randomly and the reaction she gets from everyone on doing so is beautiful!

My maternity leave gets over this month and i can get an extension of just another month..i am yet to decide if im joining back work..everytime i think about it,i am not able to work out an appropriate solution..on one hand i think i should be at home for atleast a year..on the other hand,i am wondering if i will be able to find a good job after the break..EA has been his usual calm self advising me..its me who has to take the final decision..

i saw a bit of the Miss World 2009..was sorely disappointed that the standard of questions has gone down so much..i couldnt believe my ears when there were questions like-"What did you like about Joburg,Why will u be a good Miss World, the wildlife in Africa, your most memorable day etc."

Also,saw a bit of America's Got Talent-there was a guy of Indian or Pak origin who was dressed in formals and danced to "Ik Pal ka Jeena" from KNPH..his moves were nothing extraordinary and I was shocked when all 3 judges loved his performance and he was selected for the next round..wonder what the judges would say seeing the performance of all the Indian dance show contestants..

PS: I was shocked when i woke up one day to the news that a separate Telangana would be created..never imagined it even in my wildest of dreams..i have been at hyd for 23 yrs and i definitely dont want the state to be divided!:(

Baby Oviya!

2009-12-01T20:45:00.004+05:30

After months of going through names, EA and me finally decided on Oviya which means beautiful painting in Tamil...we had the cradle ceremony last Friday for which EA,MIL and SIL had come down from Chennai..the function went off without a glitch..Oviya was asleep throughout the function..

On Saturday, EA and me went out on a long drive after ages..had yummy kabab at Tank Bund and returned via Necklace Road..

On Sunday,we saw the movie "Kurbaan" at Inox in GVK One Mall..the movie was really good..i dont think Vivek Oberoi has acted so well before..its a pity that the movie is not a super hit..

My first proper outing after the baby!

2009-11-20T12:24:00.002+05:30

This week i managed to go out twice and had a wonderful time..it felt so refreshing to get out of the house and get some fresh air..the first time i went out with Mom and yesterday i went out with Sis..

Yesterday's outing would seem like a routine one for most Hyderabadis-going to Chermas,hanging out at Universal..going to Lifestyle and then having a Frankie for dinner..Sis and me had an amazing time doing nothing but window shopping..the funniest part is that whenever we reach the Kids Section, i first run towards the big packs of diapers to see if i can get the little one's size!!Phew,how life changes!

I read two very interesting articles in TOI and Business Line today..one was about new age grannies who do not wish to be burdened with the responsibility of bringing up grandkids..it had a wonderful title-"Who will burp the baby!"..in fact,in my previous blogpost,i had mentioned how i delegate the burping part to my Mom and Ammamma!

The other article was about New Age Dads and the role they play in raising kids today..i promptly sent the link to EA...

Life seems better now..am kind of getting used to the whole baby routine..

Sanity returns slowly!

2009-11-17T13:15:00.003+05:30

Hmm..in my last post,i had mentioned how emotionally draining the last month had been..i started reading books to divert my mind..i re-read HP-1&2 and read "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown..i am catching atleast half an hr of tv viewing too..its actually not impossible to bring up a baby but you need lots of patience and help and support from your family..i have Mom and Ammamma to take over the burping part once i finish feeding her..Sis also takes care of her for sometime and once she finishes her CA exams in 2 days she will be able to spend more time with the baby..Dad also chips in looking after her for short durations..i dont know how I will be able to manage once i go back to Chennai where i will have no help at all...

I am still a bit moody and cranky and i sulked when Mom and Dad went out shopping leaving me at home with the baby..when EA told me he was going to see the movie "2012" with his friends, i didnt talk to him for a while..i guess i have to go out a bit..i have been going only to the Doc as of now..it just needs a bit of planning with some timely pumping!

A month of motherhood..

2009-11-08T13:04:00.002+05:30

So the little one completes a month today..the past month has been a real eye-opener for me..although i had read books and blogs about motherhood, the actual experience has been very profound..never did i imagine feeding a baby through sleepless nights would be so tiresome...the first week was fine and then the baby blues set in..that combined with sleeplessness made me a nervous wreck..i lashed out at EA at every given opportunity..i wondered "How do Indians manage to produce so many kids and still stay sane!"

Things are slowly improving..i am yet to feel that overwhelming sense of bonding with the little one..maybe i need to give it some more time...till then i just have to say-"Hats off to moms all over the world!"

Delivered a baby girl!:)

2009-10-11T18:55:00.001+05:30

I am back home today after a 3 day stay at the hospital.. The experience was surreal..neither me nor my parents can believe it happened so fast..i went for a scan on Oct 8th in the morning..it showed that the amniotic fluid level had reduced drastically in just 3 days..i went to the hospital and got admitted immediately and an emergency C-Sec was scheduled at 1.30 itself...i filled all the forms and sent my dad to get my mom n sis from home.. i was taken to the OT and given an epidural..i was numb from the hips but i was conscious throughout..at 1.52pm, the baby was delivered..by 2.40,the operation was over.. the baby is a bit underweight..although the scan showed 2.5kgs,her actual weight is only 2.04kgs..the reassuring aspect is that she is perfectly fine otherwise..she needs to put on weight thats all..she was sent with me and was not put on a ventilator..a lot of my relatives said that someone or the other in their family is facing this problem of premature and low birth weight babies...

A preterm delivery..

2009-10-05T21:37:00.003+05:30

From the beginning of my pregnancy, my BP has been a bit high hovering around 130/84..i was diagnosed with low amniotic fuid level almost 2 months back but since it was within manageable limits, i continued with my work till 33 weeks..

Today's scan has revealed that the fluid level is close to danger level and my doc has decided to go for a C-Sec this weekend itself..i will be completing 35 weeks this thursday..i am a bit disappointed not about the C-Sec thing but about the fact that had i been able to sustain a bit longer, the baby would have developed a bit more..luckily,i came to hyd in the nick of time..the rest at home has led to the baby's weight reaching 2.5kgs which is atleast ok..

There are many things you cannot plan in a pregnancy..my doc said that sudden BP during pregnancy is not under the control of the mother and it happens to some women..

So keeping my fingers crossed..i will be delivering the baby exactly a month before the due date..

Just a week and bored already!

2009-10-01T10:57:00.002+05:30

For the past 1 week that i have been at Hyd, i have done nothing but eat,sleep,watch TV, surf the net...still i am terribly bored..i guess i got so used to working that i cant just relax at home..i keep telling myself that this time will never ever come back and that i need to make the best use of it..

Hope i figure out some constructive way of spending time..its been raining here and i cant even go out for walks..never knew waiting for the baby to arrive will be like this!!

Reached Hyderabad....atlast!

2009-09-25T15:08:00.004+05:30

The past few weeks were really hectic at work..my parents arrived on the 18th and my Seemandam was held on 20th..the function went on well..my plan was to stay at home after the Seemandam to help with the packing and stuff since we were going to vacate the house..but i had so much work at office that i got relieved just 1 day before my train to hyderabad..till the Balance Sheet was signed by the Auditors, directors and me..it was really frustrating with everyone wanting to make last-minute corrections..i had to also train the person who was replacing me in just 2 days..my BP was a bit high and my amniotic fluid level dropped too...i was wondering if i made the right decision about working till 32 weeks atleast..yesterday, i completed 33 weeks and now i am at Hyderabad ready to enjoy almost 8 weeks of just eating and relaxing!!..by the end of the work, i was so physically and mentally stressed out that i just wanted to leave everything and walk out.. Luckily i persevered and survived till the last day...so looking forward to having a stress free delivery..:)

On my having arrived at the age of 25..

2009-09-12T10:34:00.006+05:30

So, yesterday i turned a quarter century old!

I cant believe it myself..even my parents can't believe that its 25 long years already..this birthday was also special as it is my last birthday before the little one arrives in November..

EA came to Chennai on 9th.He got me a salwar set as a birthday gift and also got me gold earrings for the anniversary.I havent gifted him anything yet!

The day began with smses from sis and close friends from midnight..then i woke up to EA singing "Happy birthday" for me..We then went to office as usual..In my office, they give a card signed by everyone and 1000 bucks as birthday gift..i got some sweets and distributed them among colleagues.Chithappa got me fried rice and chicken 65 for lunch. I reached home by 7pm and was watching the Ind v NZ match till EA arrived. We then wanted to go to a temple but all of them were closed.Luckily there was a procession of Lord Venkateswara in the adjacent street. Then we met EA's close friend and wife and we all went out for dinner to Rangoli.We had Gujarathi thaali which was really yummy. We came home by 11pm. So thats how the day went..

PS: i) I remembered a poem by John Milton which we had in Intermediate and so the title of my post is inspired by it!

ii) The sad part is that my birthday coincides with the 9/11 event. When it happened 8 years back, i was in Class XI and didnt know the news until i reached home. I was so disturbed that i just watched tv the whole evening...

First Anniversary..

2009-09-05T10:06:00.004+05:30

I spent my first wedding anniversary at home since we had a sudden holiday for YSR's death and EA was out of town...

I just lazed about at home, did some cleaning, made chole for lunch and relaxed.SIL had planned to take me out for lunch but her son fell ill and so she couldnt make it. FIL bought a cake to cheer me up and we cut it in the evening. Then, we went to a nearby temple. MIL had made some kesari and sent it to me. EA's relatives gifted me some chocolates. FIL and me saw my wedding video while having dinner..

My parents and sis had sent me a surprise anniversary card that got delivered at office 2 days in advance..

So thats how the day went by..wish EA was here..

To EA, with love…

2009-09-03T16:44:00.005+05:30

Its our First Anniversary tomorrow and even though it may sound clichéd, I have to say I can’t believe its been a year already!

We met on 25.05.2008, got engaged on 06.06.2008 and married on 04.09.2008. We were perfect strangers before that and didn’t even know about each others’ existence. I was at Hyderabad all my life although I was born at Chennai and moved to Chennai in January 2008 on a job assignment which I hoped to complete in a few months and return back to Hyderabad. You were a Chennaiite who moved to Lucknow in 2004 and returned to Chennai in December 2007. How God destined that you and me should be at the same place at around the same time!

As fate destined, we were both on the lookout for a life partner. I can never forget the day I bought that issue of Kalyanamaalai magazine because my parents asked me to and it was Ammamma who went through it and ticked your profile. Things proceeded and we checked out each others’ profiles on Tamil Matrimony, liked each other and decided to meet. After a few rounds of telephonic conversations, you came to see me at Chithi’s place on 25.05.2008.We liked each other and said yes. We got engaged soon despite all odds of not finding an engagement hall easily. We booked our wedding hall on 04.06.2008(even before our engagement) because we didn’t want to miss the only available hall.

The few months of courtship were a beautiful phase in my life. The endless phone conversations, the outings, the walks on the beach hand-in-hand, the stolen kisses in Sathyam Cinemas (!!) are unforgettable. The way we planned our wedding preparations-with excel sheets was so cute. We got married in Chennai, had a reception at Hyderabad and a beautiful honeymoon at Darjeeling and Gangtok. In the past 1 year, I don’t think we have had a major fight that threatened to rock our relationship (touchwood). We have had our share of disagreements but I think we have patched up in a day or two. I know we still need to work on our relationship and resolve crucial issues like finance on which we often have arguments. But, at the end of the day, we both love each other and want to be together.

We were thinking about a baby after 6 months of marriage and I found that I was pregnant exactly after our 6 month anniversary. Our baby is due in November and our lives are going to change forever. I am going to be at Hyderabad from October till March atleast. Six months of separation is going to be difficult for us. After that, the task of relocating our home and getting used to the baby in our lives is going to be a mammoth task. But I am looking forward to it all because I know you will always be there to support me. i love it when you say “Main Hoon na..dont worry about anything!”

EA, I love you..truly, madly deeply from the bottom of my heart. I never knew the joy of being in love…although we both have had broken relationships before, we discovered that true love does exist even in an arranged marriage..i can only wonder how God decided to bring us both together. We may be poles apart in many things, but there is something which binds us together. We are perfect for each other. We balance out each others’ negative traits. I am so happy that you also love reading and have an interest in GK and current affairs like me. I love you for being my unconditional pillar of support. I am so grateful that you have always supported me before your relatives to ensure I never get into trouble. I am sure i wouldn’t have found a better life partner even if i had a love marriage..

The days have passed by so fast and although I have shed a few tears (mostly due to my immaturity!) the laughter and smiles have been far more in comparison. The way we have laughed over silly jokes till tears come out of our eyes, the way we tease and pull each others’ leg at every available opportunity, the way we don’t mind calling each other Da and Di much to the annoyance of my parents..all this despite the 7 year age gap which many people said was too much in today’s age.

I had thought of so many things to do on our first anniversary and as fate had it, you are away on official work since a week and will not be with me . The past week without you has been terrible with me falling sick and managing a very stressful work atmosphere. It has been a sort of dress rehearsal for the 6 months that we are going to be apart. I had an important Board meeting tomorrow which I couldn’t miss at any cost and so I consoled myself that we both have busy careers and although we tried our best, we couldn’t even have dinner together. Suddenly, a holiday has been declared due to YSR’s death and I am left all alone at home which I think is more difficult to handle! I hope we can celebrate our first anniversary on Sunday atleast..

WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY FIRST ANNIVERSARY, SWEETHEART AND I PRAY THAT WE BOTH HAVE A LIFETIME OF BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS…:)

The significance of August 25th in a CS student's life...

2009-08-26T10:06:00.005+05:30

For all the students of the Company Secretaryship course, Aug 25th and Feb 25th are unforgettable days..this is because these are the days on which the CS results are declared..when i was doing the course, the results would be out by 4pm on these days..yesterday, for the first time, the results were out at 12 noon..

i was excited although it was not my results...i got nostalgic and remembered that exactly 3 years ago on 25.08.2006, i became a qualified Company Secretary!i was with one of my closest friends Kari and i couldnt muster the courage to look at the screen..i buried my face in my hands and was literally numb when Kari fooled me saying i hadnt cleared. i was so shocked that i looked at the screen at once and there it was-"Pass." The next few moments were a blur-everyone congratulated me,i called my parents who were waiting with bated breath..kari had also cleared the group she had written and we went to Dadu's to get sweets for the office..we then went to our coaching centre to meet our friends and teachers...

My parents were so happy that i passed..the past few months had been very difficult for them to handle. i had got ranks in CS Foundation and CS Inter and everyone expected me to get a rank in CS Final.i had put in my best and had written 9 papers(3 groups) in one go during the earlier attempt..by some twist of fate, i cleared 2 groups only..in the last group, i failed in HR (which i thought was my favourite subject) that too by 3 marks..had i got those 3 marks,i would have got a rank..i can never forget that day 25.02.2006..i was devastated with my result..i just couldnt believe that it happened to me-someone who had never failed in anything before..someone who was always a topper in school and college..someone who had scored district, state and national level ranks before..i couldnt muster the guts to go home..i just informed my parents in a trance and went straight to Necklace road..two of my closest friends Avi and Aditi sat with me..they didnt know how to console me..i was like a statue..i didnt even cry..i was just too dazed..i knew these things happen in courses like CS..but i couldnt accept it happened to me..i was going through a painful breakup at that point of time and that coupled with my result was just too much to take..i didnt go home till 10 in the night and i didnt even take take the anxious calls of my parents..when i went home,i just went to my room, didnt speak to my parents and didnt have dinner..i just cried for the next few days..i feel ashamed to admit that i even contemplated suicide..such was the pressure of academics at that point of life..

After all the hungama, i was terrified of writing my last group..the fear of "What if i fail again?" was just too much..somehow with the support of my family and close friends i wrote the exam..the wait for the results was also very painful..finally when i passed on August 25th, 2006..my life changed forever..whatever i went through was forgotten,the sweet fruit of success overshadowed every tear that i shed through those months..i became a completely new person from then on..as my friend kari says "It wasnt just change, it was transformation."..i was no longer the studious geeky nerd...i became a more confident person..i overcame my break up and started leading a normal life..i started working as a qualified CS and then i realised the value of the efforts i put in...i have had so many people come up to me and say that they have tried to pass CS for years but couldnt and that they were happy to see a CS who was just 22 years old..

So there goes my long life history..i am happy i blogged about it..i wonder how i am going to handle it when my kid goes through the difficult college years..

Ganesh Chaturti Celebrations-Chennai vs Hyderabad...

2009-08-24T10:02:00.004+05:30

EA and me celebrated our first Ganesh Chaturti after marriage at our inlaws place..last year, we had the bridegroom reception at Chennai on Ganesh Chaturti day..

We bought a mini clay Ganesha and decorated it with flowers..MIL made kozhukattai,sundal,vada,payasam and we had a yummy lunch of rice,sambar and rasam alongwith the above items..i saw only one huge Ganesh idol at Kodambakkam station..

I have lived at Hyderabad for 23 years and i was somehow used to the Ganesh pandals in almost every street..we used to visit the huge Ganesha at YMCA every year..if possible,we used to go to Khairatabad which has the biggest Ganesha in Hyderabad. I read in the papers that this year, the Ganesha at Khairatabad costs a whopping Rs. 30 lakhs..every Ganesh pandal whether big or small used to have something unique about the idol. Based on the flavour of the season, there were wonderful varieties. I read that one was even a Ganesha with a swine flu prevention mask! After the 10 day period, the immersion of Ganeshas in the Hussain Sagar Lake takes place. We used to be excited about getting a holiday for it!!

I felt a bit sad that i missed seeing the idols at Hyderabad..but life goes on..

*Edited to add: Yesterday, i saw a beautiful Ganesh idol on Venkatnarayana road..it was made entirely of something sweet and edible..laddu probably..there were also lots of cashews decorating the idol in an artistic manner..so Chennai is not so bad after all!:)

Pregnancy and forgetfulness!

2009-08-13T11:06:00.005+05:30

I read a lot of articles that said that pregnancy brings about forgetfulness in women because of hormonal changes..i didnt take it too seriously as i believed i had a fairly good memory(!!)

A few days back i had to go for a blood test early in the morning and i got up on time and was at the lab even before it opened.i was very pleased with my effort and only when i went in did i realise that i had forgotten the doctor prescription at home!!The lab guys insisted on it and so i had to go back home to get it.i couldnt believe i had forgotten to take it along.it just slipped out of my mind!

Another major goof up done by me was when i "forgot" to inform our ED about an important meeting. I mailed all the top executives about the said meeting and i dont know how i forgot to inform our ED. Fortunately,he wasnt travelling that day and he came to office. A colleague informed me that he was unaware of the meeting. I was totally surprised by my forgetfulness.I went to his cabin and informed him about the meeting just 5 minutes in advance and apologised. He was cool about it..

The other update is that i was having stomach pain at nights and was struggling to move from side to side. i am perfectly fine during the day.My doc decided to go for a scan to see if the short cervix problem was the reason. My scan turned out to be perfectly normal. The cervix hadnt reduced in length compared to last month. The only conclusion was that i am not getting enough rest and i should lie down as much as possible.

The second baby shower..

2009-08-10T10:55:00.004+05:30

We left for our inlaws place on Saturday afternoon itself after a nice meal at Murugan Idly Shop and yummy ice-cream from Arun. The next day we got up and went to the temple for the special Aadi function.We then left for SIL's place where she had planned a small 7th month function(as per Tamil calender). This was the second function after the 5th month function that Amma and Appa did for me in May.

I got to taste Koozhu for the first time.Being in Hyderabad for so long,i hadnt tasted it before. I expected it to be sweet but found it to be a curious concotion of ragi,curd,onion etc.I just had one sip but EA,MIL,FIL etc enjoyed it.It is supposed to be good for health but i couldnt drink it. We had lunch comprising of Lime rice, Tamarind rice, Tomato rice, Sweet Pongal, Curd rice, Peas and Potato fry, chips,payasam and ice cream. We were kept awake by my SIL's 1.5yr old son who is really naughty!Also, the expression on his face when he saw the Koozhu and refused to drink it was funny!

SIL gifted me a nice saree and we reached home by 8.15pm.

Today morning as i was leaving for office,i found that the grill gate near the entrance was locked!i called our neighbour and she said since the owners were out of station,they had decided to lock the gate thinking i had a key and had gone to their medical shop. EA had the keys and since there was no way he could come from Sriperumbudur,i waited for the neighbour's husband to come and open the gate.I reached office an hour late..

So that was the weekend update.The Seemandam is due in September.Although i am looking forward to it,the only aspect that's a bit boring is the food-i have to eat the 5 types of variety rice for the 3rd time!!

Of Autos and a craving for sweets..

2009-08-06T10:51:00.003+05:30

For the past 2 weeks, i have been travelling by the dreaded autos of Chennai.Although my doc didn't ban me from driving the Activa, the resident doctor Mr EA hid the bike keys and insisted that i travel only by auto...

My irritation with auto drivers here made me start blogging and day after day i meet so many kinds of auto fellows that maybe i should write a book about them.One of the bad habits that auto drivers have is slowing down even when the person on the road has not given any indication of needing an auto.I get so irritated when i am struggling to cross the road during the morning traffic vainly looking for a gap between vehicles and these auto guys slow down and come close to where i am standing..this happens even when i have not had any eye contact with them and when i clearly appear to be crossing the road..the result is that the gap between vehicles is no longer there and i have to wait to cross the road..

Another aspect is the "area autos" which i dont like at all.there are some designated auto fellows allotted to a street and only they are the authorised ones to ferry a commuter.God forbid if an outsider gets hold of their area's commuters.Yesterday, i was beckoned by a group of area auto fellows who were crowded in a corner. I didnt feel comfortable with them and so i hired a running auto.This seemed to displease them and they stared at me with daggers in their eyes.

Next comes the bargaining part.There are a few auto fellows who will quote the standard rate.The majority of them play the game of quoting double the rate and seeing if our face registers any doubt. If in doubt,they will jump at the opportunity and cheat you royally.If you happen to know the standard rates,they will still try to get atleast 10 bucks more.

Another aspect is the acting as if the auto guy doesnt know the area you are referring to.I stay in one of the most crowded areas of Chennai.Still these auto fellows feign ignorance and even ask me directions probably to find out if i know that the destination is not too far away. I have had 2 bad instances where auto fellows dropped me off a few metres away from home because they felt i had misled them.

So there goes my auto rant. I have to depend on them for the next 2 months atleast till i go to hyderabad for my delivery.

And now for the second part of the title of this post. I have always had a sweet tooth and i have tried a lot to control it moreso since i had severe cough a few months ago and also because i didnt want to put on more weight. For the past few days,the craving seems to have hit me out of the blue.i have had 2 five stars,one cornetto and other assorted sweets and chocolates in the past 2-3 days itself.I hope i overcome this craving soon!!

Pregnancy hormones on overdrive!

2009-08-03T09:51:00.003+05:30

Sometime in April when i saw the movie "Abhiyum Naanum", i couldnt stop crying..now the blues have hit me again and yesterday it was terrible!!

It all started at 10 am when EA went out and i went to the kitchen to make some dosas for breakfast. The door to the kitchen is a flimsy one and when there is a strong breeze it just closes by itself.This has happened many times before and i was cool but can you imagine my horror when i found that somehow the latch got stuck and i couldnt open the door!!i panicked and i didnt know what to do..my mobile was in the hall and my only way out was to scream for the house owners to hear me. That also would work only if the owners leave their rear door open. I was imagining a scenario of having to spend atleast 4 hours just sitting in the kitchen. Out of desperation i pulled at the door with all my might and it actually opened!!i hurt my finger a bit and it bled a little..i was too stunned for words..the drama lasted hardly 5 minutes but i was thoroughly shaken..i called EA immediately and bawled like a baby.he was cool and said i should have thrown a few vessels out of the window and the owners would have responded!!

The rest of the day was normal and i was watching tv at night. There was a show on Times Now which showed some memorable ads of the past.The moment i saw the "Mile Sur Mera Tumhara" ad, i had tears welling up in my eyes. i remembered my childhood days when we had just Doordarshan and when this particular ad was one of my favourites. I had asked EA to get a burger for me and the usually careful guy somehow left the burger at the counter itself despite paying for it. He came home and frantically searched for it. it was too late to go back and get another one. i was a bit disappointed but managed to have some fruits and milk for dinner. EA felt sad too and couldnt even eat his favourite fish curry that his mom had made for him.Seeing that, i burst into tears again and hugged him and cried for 15 minutes till my nose looked like a swollen tomato!!EA just couldnt understand why i was crying so badly but consoled me nevertheless..

So that was the weekend update.I am perfectly fine today and i only hope i dont cry!!

Potter mania..

2009-07-25T10:03:00.004+05:30

My fascination with Harry Potter began in the year 2001. I was in XI std then and me and my friend were preparing for the Hindu Quiz that year. We found that atleast 2 questions from the Harry Potter books were being asked in all the quizzes in Young World. Since i was a bookworm, i was given the assignment of reading the book and memorizing the names of the characters. Once i read the first book,i was hooked..i became so fond of the series that i used to read the books within a day or two.i would just get up to have bath and eat!!

I saw all the movies as soon as possible too. I used to walk home from my Junior College and my friend and me would pick up twigs from the road and pretend they were wands and "practised" some spells!i am embarassed now to admit that one day i even wore a "lightning shaped scar" on my forehead to college one day.Some of my friends who were familiar with the books found it cool but my teachers thought i had hurt myself!!;)

With HP-6 releasing last week,i somehow got 2 tickets for last Saturday's show and forced EA to accompany me although he hated it. He was restless throughout and got up during the movie to get popcorn and coffee.Anyways,i enjoyed the movie and despite people asking me not to see "horror movies"[HP is not a horror movie!] during pregnancy, i went ahead as i absolutely wanted to see it and with my increasing tummy it may be a long time before i see a movie in the theatres..

Here's my review.It has the whole story so please dont read if you are planning to see the movie.

For all the Harry Potter maniacs like me, watching the sixth movie in the HP series-“Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” is a wonderful experience. For the first time, I saw crazed fans screaming when Harry first appears on screen. I had seen this phenomenon only with Rajnikanth movies!

The movie begins with a spectacular sequence showing the Death Eaters (supporters of Lord Voldemort) wreaking havoc in London-destroying a bridge and some shops at Diagon Alley. The next scene shows Dumbledore taking Harry to meet a person called Horace Slughorn (played by Academy award winner Jim Broadbent) believing that Harry can convince him to join Hogwarts as a Professor. Slughorn has the reputation of picking out talented students and inducting them into his “Slug Club”. Harry succeeds in convincing him to join Hogwarts. Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange (played exceptionally by Helena Bonham Carter) visit Severus Snape and he enters into an “Unbreakable Vow” (which if broken will lead to death) that he would protect Narcissa’s son Draco Malfoy and complete his task if he fails.

Meanwhile Harry reaches Ron’s house and they visit Diagon Alley. The picturisation of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, a shop selling amazing stuff for kids is awesome. Harry, Ron and Hermione follow Draco Malfoy to a shop called Borgin and Burkes where there are some Death Eaters and get suspicious. On the Hogwarts Express, Harry tries to eavesdrop on Malfoy using his Invisibility Cloak but is found out by Malfoy who kicks him and leaves him in the train. Harry is rescued by Luna Lovegood who uses her Spectrespecs. (In the book, he is rescued by Tonks)

Hogwarts is protected by more security to prevent the Death Eaters and Slughorn takes up Potions while Snape gets his preferred subject “Defence Against the Dark Arts.” Harry and Ron are told by Professor Mc Gonagall that they can now take up Potions despite their not so satisfactory OWL (Ordinary Wizarding Level) score since Slughorn is willing. As they didn’t purchase books, they take the used ones from school. Harry gets a worn out copy of the book (with the owner’s name as Half Blood Prince) which has several additional instructions apart from the text book material. This helps Harry become a master at Potions beating even Hermione. He even manages to win a bottle of “Felix Felicis” (Liquid Luck) from Slughorn.

This movie shows a lot of hormones raging and the students falling in love. Hermione secretly loves Ron and even “confounds” Mc Laggen to ensure the usually nervous Ron enters the Gryffindor Quidditch team. On the day of the first match, Harry acts as if he adds Felix Felicis to Ron’s drink making Ron perform exceptionally well. At the end of the match, Ron and Lavender Brown enter into a relationship much to the annoyance of Hermione. Harry seems smitten by Ginny who is seeing Dean Thomas. On a trip to Hogsmeade-Harry, Ron and Hermione see Katie Bell being suspended in air after touching a cursed necklace. Harry suspects it was Malfoy who gave it to her. Malfoy is often shown working with a Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement. Dumbledore starts giving private lessons to Harry where he shows him his memories with the aim of gaining an insight into the life of Lord Voldemort. In one of the memories, Harry sees Professor Dumbledore visiting the young Tom Riddle (Lord Voldemort) in an orphanage and offering him a place at Hogwarts. It shows how the young Tom Riddle (played beautifully by Hero-Fiennes Tiffin) used his powers to harass his fellow companions. In another memory, Harry sees Slughorn advising Tom Riddle about some dark magic but the memory has been altered and Dumbledore tells Harry to procure the real memory from Slughorn.

Harry attends Slughorn’s Christmas party with Luna while Hermione attends with Mc Laggen. He spends Christmas with the Weasleys and encounters an attack by the Death Eaters who end up destroying the Weasleys’ home. (This incident is not found in the book). Harry tries his best to obtain the memory from Slughorn but fails. Ron accidentally eats some chocolates spiked with Love potion and ends up falling for Romilda Vane. To cure him, Harry takes him to Slughorn who prepares an antidote. Ron recovers and Slughorn offers them some mead which Ron drinks and collapses. He is saved by Harry who shoves a bezoar down his throat. When Lavender visits him at the hospital, he murmurs Hermione’s name leading to the break-up between Ron and Lavender.

Harry decides to use Felix Felicis and manages to get Slughorn to visit Hagrid’s house for Aragog’s funeral. He procures the memory once Slughorn gets drunk. The memory reveals that Slughorn gave Tom Riddle knowledge about Horcruxes (an object into which a part of the soul is hidden so as to make oneself immortal until the horcrux is destroyed). Horcruxes are created by murder and Tom Riddle reveals that since 7 is a magical number, the creation of 7 Horcruxes would be ideal. Dumbledore tells Harry that Riddle’s diary that was destroyed by Harry (as seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) and another ring destroyed by Dumbledore mean that out of 7, 2 horcruxes have been destroyed and the rest have to be found so that Voldemort can be completely destroyed. Harry duels with Malfoy and uses a curse found in his Potions book Sectumsempra which almost kills Malfoy. Harry and Ginny go into the Room of Requirement to hide the book where they find the Vanishing Cabinet and end up kissing.

Dumbledore and Harry embark on an adventure to locate a Horcrux and reach a cave near the sea. They use a boat to reach the centre of a lake where the Horcrux is kept inside a bowl of dangerous liquid that must be drunk to reach it. Dumbledore drinks the Potion and feels sick. Harry manages to retrieve the locket which is the Horcrux but when he touches the water, they get attacked by Inferi (dead bodies bewitched by Voldemort). Dumbledore creates a ring of fire and they escape to Hogwarts.

At Hogwarts, Dumbledore is attacked by Malfoy who is not able to kill him despite Voldemort’s instructions. It is revealed that the cursed necklace and poisoned mead were meant to kill Dumbledore. Harry who is hiding sees that Death Eaters have entered Dumbledore’s cabin. Snape who sees Harry asks him to be quiet but goes on to kill Dumbledore. It is revealed that Malfoy mended the Vanishing Cabinet which enabled the Death Eaters to enter into Hogwarts from Borgin and Burkes. The Death Eaters wreak damage and when Harry tries to attack Snape, he reveals to Harry that he is the “Half Blood Prince.”

The movie ends with the students and staff mourning the death of Dumbledore. Harry reveals to Ron and Hermione that the locket was not the real Horcrux as someone named “RAB” had already stolen the real Horcrux to destroy Lord Voldemort. He mentions that he would not be returning to Hogwarts next year and that he would go in search of the remaining Horcruxes.

The movie has tried its best to stick to the book although some characters and events have been eliminated. I felt bad that Dumbledore’s death did not elicit the required importance. The important memory pertaining to the Gaunts has been completely left out. Since the next book is going to be made into 2 movies, I guess the producers felt they could cover up all the missing events.

So all in all a nice movie for Potter fans. For those who are not familiar with the story, it may seem long and boring.

The Eclipse..

2009-07-22T10:08:00.003+05:30

With all the media coverage about the Solar Eclipse today, EA and me were inundated with calls not only from my parents and inlaws but also other well-wishers who prescribed a series of Dos and Donts..even though my Doc said it was all just superstition, i didnt want to hurt my family and so took all the necessary precautions..

Yesterday evening, EA covered the ventilators with some old bags and clothes, he pulled the curtain beside my side of the bed,he put clips on the window curtains to prevent them from moving..i had my monthly check up with my Doc yesterday and she gave me a TT injection.I was not able to sleep properly because of this and i was restless from 4am itself.i wondered whether i will be able to stop myself from moving about too much.Fortunately, i fell into a deep sleep at around 5.15am and woke up only at 8am..i sprinkled some turmeric water around the house and on myself and proceeded with my work...

The Fourth scan..

2009-07-11T13:22:00.003+05:30

My doc had advised a 22 week anomaly scan and so we went for it on Thursday..the scan centre was unusually crowded that day..when the scan started, the doc told me that the baby had covered its face with its hand and asked me to walk for 5 minutes and then come back..when i came back,the sonographer said everything was normal and made us listen to the baby's heartbeat..she said the baby was quite playful and had its legs above its head!!(we couldnt make out much though!)..the only worrying factor was that my cervix was only 2.9cms long..the last time it was 3cms..

I consulted my gynaec and she has asked me to be a bit careful..i have been asked to rest as much as possible and avoid lifting weights..EA was a bit worried too..he then spoke to his friend's wife who is a gynaec and only then he relaxed..my problem is not very serious at the moment..the baby's weight is putting pressure on my cervix and i need to be in lying down position for as much time as possible..i havent been asked to be on bedrest so thats a relief..i have also not been asked to stop riding the Activa to office as it is only a 10 min ride...keeping my fingers crossed...

Babymoon at Pondy...

2009-07-08T13:18:00.004+05:30

We decided to go on a babymoon(a honeymoon before the baby arrives!) to Pondicherry as I was feeling much better without much nausea..so we set out on Sunday morning..we had breakfast at EA's friend's place and even stopped by to meet Ammamma and Thatha who were so happy to see us!

Our next stop was Mahabalipuram..the weather was pleasant too and we spent sometime admiring the ancient temple and the waves crashing behind it..we then reached Pondy after a beautiful drive through the scenic ECR road...

We checked into our nice hotel The Sunway GRT Grand,had lunch and a nice siesta and then set out to the beach in the evening...Pondy beach is no doubt beautiful but the only disappointing factor is that you cannot play in the water..you can only sit on the rocks and admire the waves...the reflection of the moon on the water was a beautiful sight..we met one of my ex-colleagues and talked about our earlier office..we then went exploring the local markets..it was a nice experience reading the name boards in French(i did French for 4 yrs during my Intermediate and Graduation)..we then had dinner at Hot Breads where EA tried a kind of baguette..i stuck to the regular veg burger..we took an auto back to our hotel..it was a bit late and the auto guy took some shortcut through some dimly lit roads and i started worrying..EA remained calm though...i was thinking of all kinds of defence tactics when we reached the main road and our hotel a shortwhile later!!We then saw the amazing Federer vs Roddick match which seemed to go on and on..i was rooting for Federer while EA supported Roddick..when Federer won, i was ecstatic but the tears on Roddick's face were too sad to see...the hardwork and the effort put in by him was clear for everyone to see...

The next day after a yummy breakfast, we set out to the Aurobindo Ashram...the quaint little place is like being transported into another world..the peace and tranquility one experiences there is out of the world..i just closed my eyes for 10 minutes and i dont know how-i felt calm and i remembered so many people from my life...we then bought some books and set out to the Manakula Vinayagar temple..there was an elephant at the entrance blessing little kids..we had darshan and then sat at the beach for sometime...then we left for Auroville..it took almost half an hour and when we reached,we were one of the last people to get a pass to visit the Matri Mandir..we set out on a 1km walk though the woods and reached the beautiful place..it is a huge golden sphere which houses a meditation centre inside..we gazed at it for sometime and then walked back to the Visitors Centre where we checked out some handicrafts..we then came back to the hotel,had lunch and dozed away..we got up to go out but then started seeing Jerry Maguire on HBO and ended up ordering room service for dinner..

The next day we got up,had a lazy,relaxed breakfast and caught a bus to Chennai..relaxed at home the rest of the day and i am back to office today...

It was nice going on this trip..once our baby arrives,it will be difficult to plan a trip..Pondicherry is a quiet getaway...it is a nice way of recharging yourself..

A big big decision to make..

2009-07-02T16:40:00.007+05:30

When i told people I was pregnant, every single relative asked me one question for which i had no ready answer-"What about your job?"...i knew that i had to take a big decision but somehow i didnt want to rack my brains about it in the beginning..i told people "I will cross the bridge when i reach it."

I am due in November and i have still not made my decision..Whenever EA raised the topic,i said we will decide after a few months...i called my mentor today(he is the one who was my teacher,my trainer and the one who got me my present job)..i told him i will be on leave from October..this is because i have to travel to Hyderabad for the delivery and i feel travelling too late maybe risky..

My office gives 3 months plus one month extension for maternity leave..even if i come back to Chennai in 4 months,i have no one to help me with the baby..my parents are at Hyderabad..my inlaws stay very far from the city and i cannot travel to work if i stay with them..i am very very confused right now..

Right after my XII std,even before the results came,i enrolled for the CS course(Company Secretaryship/ACS for those who dont know)..i then enrolled for CA too..my 3 years of BCom were a hectic time-i was managing CS coaching classes plus college..my day would begin at 6 am when i left home for my class,then i ran to College and then back to class and i used to reach home at 10pm..i used to stay up to finish the homework too..i had exams every 6 months..in my 3 years of B.Com,i finished CS Foundation,CS Inter, CA PE-I and CA PE-II..i even managed 2 All India ranks..not many people know about this course and that there are only around 22000 Company Secretaries all over India..

After BCom, i had to do my apprenticeship for CS and i started working the day after my BCom final year exams got over..in a year, i completed my CS and decided to drop CA as i wasnt too interested in numbers and also because i didnt want to join Articles afresh when i could work as a qualified Company Secretary..i started working full time at Hyderabad and then i got a challenging assignment at Chennai..and then i got engaged,married and now i am pregnant..maybe we could have delayed the pregnancy for a few more months,but MIL's pressure made us cave in..

I have reached a stage that is difficult for every working woman-Should i quit or start working after 4 months??I dont know if i can trust my kid with a maid...No one is pressurizing me to start work immediately..EA has left the decision to me..i have seen my SIL being a SAHM for the past 1.5 years..i know what she is going through...i know a friend who went back to work leaving her 1.5 month old kid at home with her MIL...she says "I struggled so hard to be a CS..i dont want to give up on my career."

We moved to a rented place close to my office 6 months back as i couldnt travel 4 hrs from inlaws place daily..If i quit,we have to decide whether we want to continue in this home or move to EA's flat which is also a bit far from the city..

I think i will make the final decision on Tuesday when i have a frank discussion with my mentor who is coming to Chennai..maybe i can work out some work-from-home job..i am really confused and anxious right now..two of my school friends are pregnant too and both of them quit their jobs after marriage..they have no such decision to take and are happy with their lives..they are telling me to enjoy this phase as it will never come back...

I wish my mom were at Chennai..:(

Pregnancy blues at 20 weeks...

2009-06-26T10:36:00.002+05:30

The first trimester went by without much of a strain-although i had the feeling of nausea i didnt puke much..the only unforgettable day was when i puked thrice in office after eating kurma the previous day..i avoided heavy food and managed with curd rice and idlies most of the time...i lost 3kgs in the first three months and the relatives who visited me said they couldnt make out any tummy!

When i went for this month's check up, i found out that in the past month,i have put on weight and my tummy is starting to show..my regular clothes are becoming uncomfortable and my gait has changed dramatically in the past 2 weeks..i have only told my HR at office regarding the pregnancy and i am trying in vain to hide my growing tummy with my dupatta..somehow i dont want the entire office to know about it so soon...at night,my lower back aches terribly and i have difficulty turning from side to side..i am feeling more sleepy than usual and am getting up late daily..EA has also noticed the sudden increase in the size of my tummy and has started teasing me about it...

I dont know how i am going to feel in the next few weeks...even if you read up everything about pregnancy,nothing can prepare you for the actual experience!

A fun weekend ..

2009-06-22T12:19:00.002+05:30

After weeks of planning,EA managed to convince his friends to go on an outing to some fun place on OMR...as 4 couples alongwith 2 cute kids assembled at our place, we had a quick snack of samosa,halwa and mirinda before we started in 2 cars to the venue...we got stuck in the wonderful traffic and were still at T Nagar after half an hour of starting..to beat the boredom, smses were exchanged back n forth with each car claiming to be close to the venue..the best part was exchanging smses like "Just crossed Samy Biriyani stall" and "Just overtook bus No.TN09 1356H!!"..although our initial plan was Mayajaal,we reached the area only by 8.30pm,so after a quick discussion,we decided to go to MGM Resorts..

I think that was the best decision we took...the restaurant was located on the beach front and it was the first time i had dinner looking at the beautiful waves crashing by...i guess the beach is the one thing for which i will give Chennai a better vote than Hyderabad!!..as part of their 15th year anniversary, MGM resorts had a "Hyderabadi Food Festival"...the buffet costed 600 bucks per head and although the spread was good [with almost 10 types of desserts,it has to be!!;)]..it was not the authentic Hyderabadi khana...especially for me who is a true blue hyderabadi,even the huge cutouts of Charminar couldnt disguise the taste of Biriyani and Kebabs which were no way close to authentic Hyderabadi food...anyways,we had a good time with EA and his friends catching up on past times and we women chattering away keeping an eye on the 2 cute kids...

After dinner, we went for a quiet walk on the beach..it was then that i had a fall on the slippery grass..although EA was beside me,i suddenly slipped and landed on my bum..the fall was not too bad and i could get up easily..i didnt have any pain or spotting but im still a lil worried..hope to see the doc soon and tell her about this..

We started at 11.30pm and reached home by 1..got up late on Sunday morning..went to EA's cousin's place and had lunch..we then left for the Marina beach in the evening...

So that was a wonderful weekend that went by..

The Dowry System...

2009-06-19T17:27:00.002+05:30

If there is one aspect that i hate about marriages,it is the concept of dowry..i fail to understand the rationale behind it moreso in today's generation when women are equally if not more qualified than men and when women earn almost as much as men...although we have laws against it,we still find that dowry system exists even among the educated class...in my community, the system of dowry is not very prevalent although we do hear of some cases now and then..i absolutely hate it and would have dragged EA to court if his side had demanded any!!..luckily EA and his family didnt demand any dowry..

Two of my colleagues in office are getting married...both the girls are well educated and have decent jobs..but what shocked me was when i came to know that dowry was demanded in their cases...it seems in their community of Telugus,this is a pre-requisite for marriage...

Case 1-The girl has done her MBA and still her family had to pay a dowry of Rs. 2 lakhs..i just couldnt digest this fact..here is a modern,educated woman paying dowry in today's age!we went for their reception recently and all i could think of when i looked at the groom was how he could accept dowry...

Case-2-The girl has done Btech and is in the cadre of Assistant Manager...she is about 26 yrs old and she informed us that she managed to get a software guy from Bangalore because they accepted the dowry demand of "3 lakhs in cash and 30 sovereigns of gold"..it seems her parents were willing to offer upto 2 lacs but since the guy's side demanded 3 lacs and since he was a "prized catch"..they accepted the demand...

The recent case of a woman committing suicide at Hyderabad was shocking..the girl in question belongs to a very rich family and she married into a very rich business family too...its sad that despite having so much money,the inlaws tortured her and that she had to take the extreme step of suicide...

It is incidents like these that make people worry if they have a girl child..its because of this that the female mortality rate is so high in India...its because of this that the sex ratio is skewed in many parts of India...

Even though today's parents welcome a girl child into their families,there will always be a nagging fear that they have to save up on a lot of money to afford to marry them off moreso if it is prevalent in their community...

I used to think that with love marriages on the rise, the concept of dowry is slowly diminishing..recently i read an article in TOI where a DIL was killed by her inlaws for dowry..the inlaws demanded more dowry as they felt their son would have fetched more dowry if he had gone for an arranged marriage..

I sincerely hope and pray that "all" marriages take place with respect for a woman-her nature, her upbringing,her qualification,her job etc and not dependent on material aspects like money and jewellery...

The prizes i won for my review...

2009-06-12T14:54:00.003+05:30

1. The book Angels and Demons..i already have the book but its nice to receive a prize!!The book costs 235 rs..

2. A sheet of tattoos pertaining to the movie...

Some of my childhood pics...

2009-06-11T17:45:00.001+05:30

1. Thats a pic of mine when i was about 6 months old i think... 2. Me with all the toys i got for my first birthday.. 3. Me with Rajnikanth-We had gone to Mysore on a holiday and we happened to see him shooting at the Mysore Palace..

Engaged a year back...

2009-06-09T10:07:00.004+05:30

Saturday, June 6th, 2009-1 year since EA and me got engaged...we went out for a quiet dinner and reflected on the wonderful times together..

We met each other for the first time on May 25th last year..once the horoscopes matched and both parties liked each other,it was a mad rush to get halls booked for the engagement and the wedding...in a place like Chennai, booking a function hall that too with just 10 days notice is a next to impossible task...we spent hours searching the net and calling people..every evening i and my uncle would check out halls after office to see if we could manage to get a place for the engagement..the engagement date happened to be the first auspicious date after the summer and we were met with sneers of hall owners who said that date had been booked 6 months in advance..i had called up Sukh Sagar in Anna Nagar who confirmed that the hall was available...when we went there, he denied it and said the hall was booked long ago..that seemed to be our last option and i was literally in tears...as i looked across the street and saw the Ayyappa temple,i heard the bells ringing...i do think there was some divine intervention when our next and last stop was Saravana Bhavan at Anna Nagar...we didnt have much of expectation as this was a very popular venue...but my aunt had called up and they confirmed availability...we still werent sure...when we went in and found out that the hall was indeed available,i was so happy...the function went on very well... The next step was booking the hall for the wedding..the date happened to be the first auspicious date after the Aadi season and we went through the same routine...this task seemed tougher than before...after calling up more than 300 halls,we had almost lost hope and were prepared to have the wedding outside Chennai maybe even at Tirupati..by some divine stroke, we found that a hall which was the "closest" to where i was staying at that time was available...as we rushed to the hall, the owner informed us that it was booked months back but due to some Visa problem,the bride was going to fly to London to get married and the hall became available...we couldnt believe our luck and the wedding hall was booked and everything went on well...with my parents at Hyderabad, the entire work fell on me and my relatives at Chennai..but somehow we managed...i did most of the shopping myself and got involved in every bit of detail...

Angels and Demons...

2009-06-06T10:13:00.003+05:30

We saw Angels and Demons last Sunday...i was very eager to see it because i loved the book...the following is the review of the movie:

When I saw The Da Vinci Code a few years back, I was disappointed that the magic of the book could not be captured on screen. Now, when I saw Angels and Demons, I was sad that the movie had many changes when compared to the book. I agree with Mr Masand that this movie is definitely better than the Da Vinci Code but for someone who has read the book, the movie will seem to have some differences. The beginning of the movie shows the death of the Pope and the resulting Conclave where the next Pope is to be elected. The movie then shifts to CERN, a scientific research facility in Geneva where the research team successfully captures antimatter in a small canister. The creation of antimatter was believed to be an explanation of the origin of the Universe. The research team hopes that the antimatter will help in solving energy problems of the world but unfortunately one of the canisters is stolen. The physicist Vittoria Vetra is terrified of the consequences as the antimatter can survive in the canister only till midnight and after that it would annihilate leading to a tremendous explosion unless the batteries of the canister are replaced on time. The Vatican summons Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) a Harvard symbologist when it receives a threat that 4 of the cardinals belonging to the Preferiti (the chosen ones to be elected as the next Pope) have been kidnapped by the Illuminati (An ancient order that opposed the church and believed in Science and which consisted of renowned persons like Galileo. The Illuminati were brutally executed by the church some centuries ago and this was believed to be their revenge against the church) and will be executed every hour beginning at 8pm that night and at midnight, the Vatican would be destroyed by a massive explosion. It is found that the stolen antimatter canister is hidden somewhere in the Vatican. Robert Langdon finds out that the Illuminati had some hidden clues in their threat and explores the Vatican archives to find out that the ancient path of Illumination (a path of churches in the Vatican that ultimately led to the meeting place of the ancient Illuminati) could still be traced. Langdon and Vetra embark on the thrilling adventure of locating the 4 churches using the data obtained from the Vatican archives. The first 3 cardinals are killed brutally and branded with ambigrams of the words Earth, Air and Fire. The fourth cardinal Baggio is saved by Langdon. An important character is the Camerlengo played by Ewan Mc Gregor who assists Langdon and Vetra in their search and even finds out that the Pope had been murdered. He insists that the Vatican be evacuated and that the Conclave be broken in the light of the Illuminati threat but his request is turned down by Cardinal Strauss who oversees the Papal election process. The Camerlengo is apparently attacked by the Chief of the Vatican police and is branded with an ambigram of 2 crossed keys. This leads to the discovery that the antimatter canister is hidden in Necropolis, the place where St Peter was buried and when Vetra finds out that the batteries cannot be replaced, the Camerlengo flees with the canister and flies a helicopter so that the impact on land is minimized. The antimatter explodes in the sky and the Camerlengo has a miraculous escape. The cardinals think about appointing the Camerlengo as the next Pope seeing his efforts to save the Vatican. Langdon retrieves a small golden key from the Police chief before he is killed for his attempt on the Camerlengo. The key opens the video archives of the Vatican and it is found that infact it was the Camerlengo who was responsible for the killing of the Pope and the cardinals. The Camerlengo later kills himself and Cardinal Baggio is appointed as the new Pope. It is revealed that the Camerlengo believed that the Church was supreme and refused to accept that science and religion could co-exist. He kills the Pope as he was broad minded. He creates an impression that the dreaded Illuminati was back and he hires an assassin to carry out his work. He ultimately gets the assassin killed by a car bomb. The Camerlengo believes that this episode will make people around the world unite and increase their faith in God and the church. For those who read the book, important characters like Max Kohler, director of CERN and Leonardo Vetra, father of Vittoria Vetra do not find a place in the movie. Also, Vittoria is not kidnapped by the assassin and Langdon does not travel in the helicopter with the Camerlengo. Also, the book ends with the marriage of Langdon and Vetra whereas there is no romance in the movie. All in all a good movie if you do not compare with the book!

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/winners-of-the-readers-review-contest/94274-8.html

The third scan...

2009-06-05T11:37:00.004+05:30

So,yesterday EA and me completed 9 months of being married and the best way we could have celebrated it was by going for a scan to see our little one!

The little one has grown nicely...last time,it looked like a blob..this time it looked a lot human!...we could make out the head,eyes,hands,legs,spinal cord,ribs etc....the baby was keeping its arms close to its face and looked as if deep in thought!! [most probably-y does mom not eat properly??when ammamma was here,i got such good food...this lazy mum eats curd rice most of the time!!!;)]it was moving about not sitting idle at all...EA jokingly said he wished the kid didnt sleep long hours like its mom...i was going to ask the junior sonographer about the baby's sex,but i couldnt gather courage as i saw some posters outside mentioning that sex determination is an offence....i was stumped when i was asked to sign a declaration form saying i wouldnt ask about it....so i guess it is going to be a surprise...i asked the senior sonographer whether i will be able to feel its movements but she said i have a thick abdominal wall and so it will take some more time...no wonder my doc couldnt feel anything when she pressed my tummy during the regular visits...my thick abdominal wall is to be blamed...!

Bye bye school...:(

2009-06-04T10:24:00.002+05:30

For all those who live at Hyderabad, St Anns High School at Secunderabad is a landmark...for all the ex-students of this school...St Anns is an unforgettable institution... The sad part is that a part of the school has been demolished for road widening and when my sister mailed me some of the pics,i was heartbroken... I studied there for 12 years right from LKG to Class X...even my sister studied in the same school..we used to stay very close to the school and we used to go by walk...those were the days when the only fears in life were exam results...no emotional tension,financial tension etc..infact my dad wasnt too keen on putting us into that school but it was my mom who was bent on ensuring her daughters got a "convent education"..it seems she just saw a long queue outside the school one day and managed to get an application form..turns out that was the last day for obtaining the forms...my mom then ensured i learnt all my alphabets, numbers and colors so that i could sail through the interview...at the interview,i did well..as a naturally talkative child,i answered all the questions..the only place where i got stuck was when i was shown a picture of an ox and i said cow.... Thus i got admitted into the school and there began a wonderful period of my life...the students of St Anns come out equipped with a sound educational background alongwith confidence and good English...Ex Miss World Diana Hayden is from this school..St Anns is an All girls school but we never felt awkward when we faced guys in college..St Anns was one of the first schools to have compulsory sex education classes..the emphasis on extra curricular activities led to all round development of the students...the annual literary events like elocution,debate,essay writing,dramatics etc were keenly competed and ably supported by the teachers...our Sports Day was one beautiful spectacle...the race for the Championship between the 4 houses-Daffodils, Pansies, Roses and Shamrocks was awesome...the drill displays were meticulously planned..we used to practise for months to get the coordination right... The last year in school was one of the best years of my life...i was elected the School Secretary and i was actively involved in all the activities of the school...i loved wearing the Secretary badge and loved it when primary school kids smiled at me and asked me for autographs!the year went by so fast interspersed with our classes and practice tests for the dreaded Board exams...at the beginning of the year, i was keen on taking up Science in Intermediate but as the year passed i felt my heart longing for anything which didnt have the dreaded Physics in it...i dont know y-but i hated that subject in my 10th...we also had an amazing trip to Goa which we can all never forget...i managed to get 5 shields when the annual awards were presented-English, Hindi, Telugu, Social Studies and Highest Percentage in Class X...i scored 90% in my Boards and although i scored 97 in Science...i took up Maths, Economics and Commerce in my Intermediate.. So there was my school story and i am kind of relieved that im not at Hyderabad coz i am sure i will burst into tears everytime i pass by my school...

Amma effect..

2009-06-01T14:42:00.002+05:30

Before u think my post is about Jayalalitha,let me clarify that this post is dedicated to my mom whom i call Amma...

Amma came to Chennai 2 weeks back to meet her darling daughter who was managing a home on her own...for the past 2 weeks,i did what i enjoyed the best-slept for long hours!i woke up at 8.30 am without having to worry about cooking...Amma made sure i got to eat all my fav foods and the best part was that she fed me most meals..i had the biggest weapon in my hand-my pregnancy...my mom took care of me as if i was a school kid...she gave me my morning glass of milk, plaited my hair and packed my lunch for me..we had an amazing 2 weeks of quality mother-daughter time and i realised how much i missed her and her cooking...she took care of the cleaning of the house,folding washed clothes, supervising the maid etc etc...she re-arranged everything in the kitchen to ensure it looked neat and spacious..we went for walks in the evening and visited some temples and the local market..we went to Joy Alukkas for some window shopping...we went to all the saree shops at T Nagar to choose the Seemandam saree...

Appa joined us on 27th and we had a small function at home on the 28th..the function went on well and i had a nice jadai done by Athai...

Amma and Appa left for Hyderabad on Saturday..as the train left the station,i let out the tears i had fought so hard to control in front of my parents...i moved to Chennai last January without the slightest idea that i would be settling down here..now,i am married and pregnant and i miss my parents' place terribly....its so unfair that girls have to move out of their parents' place while guys continue to live with their parents..

A year of knowing each other...

2009-05-25T16:23:00.002+05:30

Life is really unpredictable...exactly a year back on this day-May 25th..EA came home to see me for the first time...the ponnupathufying happened at my chithi's place...EA said yes immediately...we said yes after a day...

After that life took a turn which i had never expected...we got engaged on June 6th and our courtship started...we met atleast once a week...we went for movies..we went to the beach...we did some of the wedding shopping together..before we knew it,it was Sep 4th,the day of our marriage...

Life after marriage was a complete learning experience...for someone who has never stepped into the kitchen before...i managed by cutting veggies and my MIL used to cook...

Once we moved out to a place close to my office,i started managing cooking and other house work..

I got pregnant exactly 6 months after marriage and now we are looking forward to our bundle of joy in November...

So this year has been so eventful for me....hope the future brings a lot of happiness too...:)

IPL 2 ends..

2009-05-25T10:05:00.003+05:30

For the past few weeks, watching IPL matches was my favorite pastime..especially the last few matches were too good...in one of my earlier posts i had mentioned that i was supporting 3 teams-CSK,DC and RCB...to my joy,all three teams qualified for the semis...

i saw yesterday's final match with lot of enthusiasm...when Dravid dropped Symonds' catch,i was too disappointed...but when Kumble got him out, i was sooo relieved!...i think the bowling by RCB was good except for the expensive overs by Praveen Kumar..had that been avoided,RCB wouldnt have lost that too by a mere 6 runs..

DC did a good bowling job and they kept taking regular wickets..the only bad thing was Symonds taunting the batsmen..the aussies will never stop sledging i guess...So there goes..my favourite city in India wins the IPL-2...but there is still a twinge of sadness-that the team with my favorite Rahul Dravid didnt win!!

Marks goof up during 11th std..

2009-05-22T12:08:00.003+05:30

I suddenly remembered this today and thought i should blog about it lest i forget...

This happened in the year 2001 when i had just completed my 11th std board exams.. i took up MEC(Maths,Economics and Commerce) in my Intermediate...in my college,our maths classes were combined with the MPC(Maths, Physics, Chemistry) students as the syllabus was the same..the only difference was that though the maths paper would be for 75 marks,the MEC students will be valued at a total of 50 marks per paper..so 2/3 rds of ur marks will be taken..the unbelievable fact is that-I DIDNT KNOW THIS RULE!

During all our internals we were given marks out of 75..we had 2 papers in maths totalling 150 marks while MPC students had the balance 50 marks as practicals..

I did my Boards pretty well and i went to my friend's place to check my marks..she was an MPC student...i got the shock of my life when i saw my Maths marks...47 in Paper A and 50 in Paper B...i got 91 in Commerce,90 in Economics,89 in English and 99 in French..i was too shocked for words..my friend got some 60-65 in her Maths papers..her mom saw my marks and exclaimed-You were good at Maths till your Xth std..what happened now?

I quietly went home and locked myself in my room..i didnt tell my parents anything..i enrolled myself for Maths tuition the same day(for the record-i have never attended tuitions before!)...i didnt take the calls of my friends...the next day i wanted to bunk college but i wondered how long i could avoid it...i went with a sad and depressed face...

All my friends greeted me and i didnt even smile...suddenly one of my friends said-"Sri, Maths marks are out of 50 and not 75..congrats u have topped the class!!"

I couldnt believe my ears..as soon as i went home,i informed everyone including my friend's mom...i discontinued the tuition within a month...

I couldnt vote!:(

2009-05-14T11:39:00.002+05:30

EA and me left for our inlaws place on Tuesday evening itself so that we could cast our votes the next day...FIL had submitted all the papers pertaining to inclusion of my name in the voters list at Chennai..he even got an acknowledgement for the same..this process was carried out last November itself...so u can imagine my shock when my name wasnt there in the voters list!!apparently,they never updated the list...:(

EA,FIL,MIL,SIL,BIL went to cast their votes....it was to be my first ever vote and i couldnt do it..felt really bad...i wanted to post a pic with the inked finger on this blog...

The only consolation was when i found out that Kamal Hassan's name wasnt in the voters list too!!;)

Seeing Jeffrey Archer..

2009-05-12T12:39:00.006+05:30

EA is a biggg fan of Jeffrey Archer and has read almost all his books...even i have become a big fan after reading EA's collection of Archer's books...exactly a year ago,during the ponnupathufying ceremony,EA told me that he missed seeing his fav author...so this year,when Jeffrey Archer came to Chennai to promote his latest book "Paths of Glory"..we decided we must go and see him at Landmark, Nungambakkam...EA got the book a month ago and i finished reading it in 4 days..i must say the ending brought tears to my eyes...

We reached the venue by 7.40pm because of terrible traffic...the venue was jampacked...we could just catch glimpses of him..we stood for almost an hour listening to him talk..he came across as a very humorous person...he answered the questions with a lot of enthusiasm...he even mentioned R K Narayan as one of the best writers..he said the traffic in India was what irritated him the most!he also said he would love to see his books being made into movies..he said that he has never suffered from "Writer's block" and that his home at England is named so!Finally he said even though he has met a lot of fans,he has never seen crowds like in India!:)

After that,people started queuing to get his autograph on his book and we got a chance to see him clearly...we were too tired to stand for the autograph..we browsed through Landmark..got 2 DVDs-Malgudi Days and Panchantantiram...i made EA get me a Bournville..the taste is good but not as great as the ad proclaims it to be...we had some juice at the adjacent 'Fruit Shop on Greams Road' and returned home tired but excited at having seen Jeffrey Archer...

PS: On the way to the venue,we saw a function hall with the following banner-"Circumcision ceremony of ......" EA and I were too stunned for words and giggled for a long time!We didnt know the ritual was carried out with so much of fanfare....

My experiences with cooking-Part-IV

2009-05-11T10:26:00.005+05:30

Its been 5 months since i started cooking and although i am no expert,i am improving daily!With the morning sickness,i am not able to cook as much as i should be and i hope this phase gets over soon... Yesterday, EA suddenly announced that FIL would be coming home for lunch..i panicked for sometime and didnt know what to do..i did some quick planning and went about executing it..though it took me almost 3 hrs, i think for an amateur it was a pretty good show!!;) I made the following: 1. Rice 2.Drumstick,brinjal and mango sambar 3. Carrot and beans poriyal 4. Rasam 5. Boiled egg 6. Buttermilk. EA and FIL were really happy with my effort and said that the food was good...i was also happy that i managed all this on my own...if i tell my parents,i am sure they will be so happy!!!!!!:) After a nice siesta, we decided to go to Besant Nagar Beach..we got stuck for sometime in some political rally but reached our destination by 7.30..we had some mirch bajjis and sundal and stood for sometime with the waves washing over our feet.. We then met EA's boss and had dinner(Chole Bhature at Adyar Ananda Bhavan) and returned home by 10pm..

The Indian Judiciary and Kasab...

2009-05-07T12:41:00.002+05:30

Ever since Kasab was caught red-handed after the Mumbai attacks,i have been waiting for the news that he is going to be punished for his heinous crime...its 5 months since 26.11.2008 and what has happened-Kasab is still alive and being housed in a secure jail and being fed out of the tax payer's money..

When his photo has been captured with the menacing AK-47,why is the seemingly "open and shut" case dragging on for so long??????Precious time was wasted communicating with the Pakistani Government who simply refused to accept our version..infact we even goofed up while sending some DNA details to them...had the same thing happened in an Arab country,the accused would have been stoned to death or shot dead immediately...agreed we are a peace loving nation and we believe in a sound judicial system that gives adequate opportunity for the accused to defend himself...but all this at what cost???we have become a laughing stock in the eyes of our own people and other countries for not being able to punish a criminal...the appointment of a lawyer for Kasab took ages...a female lawyer Anjali Waghmare was appointed who then had to withdraw as she was defending a 26/11 victim..then another lawyer was appointed...To determine Kasab's age,it took 2-3 weeks...despite Kasab revealing his age during the previous interrogation,when he denied it in court,he was sent for tests to prove his age..

WHY IS THE JUDICIAL PROCESS IN INDIA SO SLOW????

I was shocked to read the news some weeks back that Kasab wanted perfume and newspapers...are we not stretching our limits of hospitality???It seems during the court proceedings,it was found that Kasab was absolutely chilled out..he was even smiling during the hearing...!

HAD THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN PAKISTAN WOULD THE INDIAN BE SPARED FOR SO LONG?

Yesterday,Kasab has been found guilty of his crimes,but he has pleaded "Not Guilty"...he has the right to appeal and i read that the process could go on for 6 more months atleast and 1200 witnesses including FBI officials will have to be examined!!

JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED ISNT IT??

If u consider the Srilankan example,their Government made a decision of eradicating LTTE from their country and they went ahead without worrying about anything..i am not saying their act is human,but they took a decision and stuck to it despite opposition from the world because they did what they felt was right for their country...here we are,despite having so much of evidence against Kasab and still he is alive and breathing...with the excuse of giving a "fair trial" are we not forgetting the sacrifices of brave policemen like Hemanth Karkare and the hundreds of innocent victims??

Have we forgotten the sight of the Taj Burning??

Have we forgotten the tears of the little baby Moshe?

What about the brave policeman who got killed while trying to capture Kasab unarmed??This policeman managed to capture Kasab who had an AK-47 while he himself had only a lathi to protect himself!He would have thought that he is doing a supreme sacrifice for the nation by capturing Kasab but little did he know that Kasab would still be alive after 5 months...

HOPE JUSTICE PREVAILS SOON...

The Second scan...

2009-04-29T10:25:00.003+05:30

Yesterday, i went for the second scan as advised by my Doc..EA picked me up from office and we were one of the first to arrive..my Doc had advised a Nuchal Translucency Test which is done between 11-13 weeks...its a screening test for Down's Syndrome...i was a bit tensed..

The junior sonographer carried out the preliminary scan and everything was normal..she showed me the baby which had grown pretty big compared to the previous scan..she asked if i wanted EA to be present..so she sent for him..he was actually nervous as he thought there was something serious...he was stunned seeing the baby..he just couldnt believe his eyes when he saw the baby moving about..even the heart beating wildly had him stumped!!...i was perfectly normal and was asking questions..then the senior sonographer arrived and she said the NT Test was normal and that there is nothing to worry about!!!...EA and me were so relieved...we collected the report and went out for dinner...i stopped by at the TTD temple on Venkatnarayana Road to offer my thanks to God...:)

Murugan Idly Shop

2009-04-28T17:30:00.002+05:30

My relationship with Murugan Idly Shop(MIS) on North Usman Road started in January last year when i moved to Chennai from Hyderabad..i was staying in a hostel at that time and i depended on MIS for breakfast,lunch and dinner!!...my office was located exactly opposite MIS and so i found it most convenient..the first time i had the soft idlies,i got addicted to them..the price of the idly is Rs.8 per idly but somehow it felt safe to eat..i think i have had almost every item on the menu!!!..the only problem with MIS is the quantity of the food is too less..even the prices are a bit high..i have had the South Indian meals for lunch and found it very homely and tasty...after 6 months of the food,i got fed up..i couldnt bear the sight or smell of anything from MIS!i had moved to my aunt's place by then so i didnt have to depend on MIS...

Yesterday,after almost a year,i went to MIS to pack some idlies for dinner..being Akshaya Trithiya day,the hotel was jam packed and people were waiting outside..since i had to take a parcel,i went in and came out in 10 min..when i went home and had the idlies i realised that i still love the MIS idlies!!In Hyderabad,i loved the Tajmahal hotel idlies and i am happy i have found a nice place at Chennai too that too close to my home...

Akshaya Trithiya..

2009-04-27T11:36:00.003+05:30

The craze for buying gold on Akshaya Trithiya day started some 5 years ago i think...my mom used to buy atleast a small gold coin on that day..i dont know if it is really auspicious or not but i dont want to hurt my mom's feelings..EA doesnt believe in it at all but i somehow coaxed him to accompany me to the jewellery store..

This year i read that for Akshaya Trithiya, "white" is the auspicious color..so ur supposed to buy silver, diamonds or platinum...but, I went ahead with the conventional gold..yesterday,we returned from inlaws place at 8pm..then we went to GRT and browsed through numerous earrings and finally at 9.30pm found a simple jimki costing 7000 bucks...i will be taking the delivery today and i wonder if there will be too much crowd..i even read that there is going to be traffic diversion at T Nagar today because of Akshaya Trithiya..mom n sis too have visited the GRT at Hyderabad and bought some gold..

IPL 2009

2009-04-24T15:08:00.002+05:30

I have been a fan of cricket since the year 1996 when the World Cup was held in India...when we reached the semi-finals and lost,i was sooo sad..i still remember how Vinod Kambli cried!!i was in the 6th standard then and my fascination with cricket continued..i used to watch India matches even before exams..i used to work out Maths problems sitting before the TV...as i used to manage to get the first rank,my parents didnt object to it...i think the days are gone when cricket used to be everyone's passion..i vividly remember when we had Jadeja,Robin Singh etc and we used to watch them bat with bated breath...nowadays watching cricket is a rare thing..

I am a biiiiiiiiiiggggggggggggggg fan of Rahul Dravid...ever since he made his debut after the 1996 World cup,he has been my role model because of his humility and technically perfect batting..i am still crazy about Dravid and cant bear to see him get out..one of life's ambitions is to meet Rahul Dravid...i wonder when it will come true..

The IPL has captured everyone's imagination since last year..This year, i have started watching almost all IPL matches...i loved the first match that Royal Challengers won against Rajasthan Royals and when Dravid was the MOM,i was sooo happy!the RC have lost their next 2 matches and im a bit sad..the funny part is that i dont know which team to support-Chennai Super Kings(coz im now at Chennai) or Deccan Chargers(coz i lived at Hyderabad for 23 years and i love the place) or Royal Challengers(coz Dravid is there)...

Yesterday's match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight riders was one of the best IPL matches i have ever seen...the last few overs were simply awesome..the reaction on Ganguly's face was worth seeing..i never thought it would end in a tie..the super over was something unique..ultimately,when Yusuf Pathan won the game for Rajasthan Royals,i was ecstatic!!!!

So looking forward to the future matches and sincerely hoping any 1 of the three teams i support wins!

MCPs..

2009-04-09T10:45:00.005+05:30

Case- I-EA has a friend S who was his colleague...S seemed to be a decent guy who was friendly and of a helpful nature..in fact he helped EA locate our present house...EA and S used to go for morning walks too....i have been to S's home a few times..his wife is a soft spoken, traditional lady who was always clad in a saree and she made excellent coffee..they seemed to be a happy family with 2 little sons...S had also won the "Best Employee Award" in his previous company..

Yesterday EA told me about one aspect of S that i wouldnt have imagined even in my wildest of dreams.....he told me S is very short tempered and that he "hits" his wife...i was stunned to hear that...even when EA tried to change his mind he would say-"Women should always be kept under control"...on one occasion,just because his wife put a little more salt in the food,he slapped her so badly that her face was swollen for the next 2 days...i am feeling so bad for the wife...she seems to be an ideal wife-very hardworking,perfect at cooking, soft spoken etc...i asked EA if she is educated and he told me she has completed her graduation from Loyola College...The other significant facts are that S's inlaws have "gifted" them:

1. A two bedroom flat in T Nagar

2. A Hyundai Verna car

While gifting these, i am sure the parents would have thought that the son-in-law will keep their daughter happy without making her cry...despite all this,he still hits his wife!!Both S and his wife come from ancestrally rich families...i fail to understand why S is like this...i also dont know why his wife is putting up with this nonsense...i am sure she can protest instead of quietly bearing all this...she doesnt deserve this....

Case-II-EA has another friend D who also comes from a rich family...he married a girl who was from a decent family but not as rich as him...i have met him and his wife and they also seemed like a happy family..they are blessed with 2 little daughters...EA told me that when D's wife got pregnant the first time,he "forced" her to undergo an abortion because he felt he was "not ready" to shoulder the responsibility of a child at that point of time...i felt so bad for D's wife...if D was not ready for a child,he should have taken necessary precautions...instead he forced his wife to undergo an abortion.....if D's wife had not been able to conceive the 2nd time,i am sure D and his family would have blamed her...luckily,D's wife gave birth to 2 cute girls...in this case too, D's wife had done her PG...despite being so rich,D is a miser to the core...when he wanted to send his pregnant wife by train, i was shocked...the journey from Gurgaon to Chennai would take more than 24 hours...

Case-III-EA told me about his Mama who was a college lecturer..he was infamous for his temper and on one instance when EA was a little boy,he saw his Mama kicking his wife in the stomach because she didnt cook food to his satisfaction...the lady in this case was a Tamil scholar who used to teach at the local school...

All these cases have prompted me to think why the women in question didnt express anything when they were being abused...all of them are educated,modern women...why are they not standing up for their rights???why do they put up with physical and mental torture??why are they willing to spend a lifetime with a person who doesnt respect them for who they are?

After all these cases, i have to say i am lucky i married EA who is a gem of a guy...he believes in the equality of gender and am sure would never hit me...he jokingly asked me what i would do if he hit me and i told him i would hit him back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cry baby...

2009-04-02T10:17:00.002+05:30

When i was in school,one of my closest friends wrote this in my SLAM book-"You are a cry baby with the brains of a computer!"..this was because i was known for being an emotional and sensitive person who would cry at the drop of a hat...on the last day at school,as one girl read out a farewell speech,tears started rolling down my eyes...the funny part was that since i was the School Secretary, i was standing on the stage in front of all the students from Class I to X and there i was wiping away my tears on stage infront of the whole school!

Gradually my crying reduced as i moved on to Intermediate and college but i could still burst into tears for the smallest things...when i went through 2 bad relationships,i was teary eyed all the time...so much so that most nights were spent crying on the fone...now,after marriage,i dont know how-but my crying has reduced drastically...i do cry but only if the situation warrants it!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday,EA and me saw the movie "Abhiyum Naanum" as he had a holiday.i dont know if it was my usual crying tendency or my pregnant state..i bawled throughout the movie...every single scene showing a little baby had me in tears!!...i was thinking of my parents and how i left them to move to Chennai last year..i remembered my father's tears when he saw me packing stuff to move to Chennai...the movie was good but could have done without some unnecessary songs...maybe in normal circumstances, i wouldnt have cried so much..i only hope i have my pregnancy hormones to blame and not my earlier crying tendency!!i also hope i overcome this phase soon and have a nice baby who is not a cry baby like me!!:)

A short and sweet trip to Hyderabad..

2009-03-30T11:30:00.005+05:30

I left Chennai on Thursday evening to reach Hyderabad on Friday morning..the journey was a bit tedious because of the change in seat numbers due to the side middle berth leading to confusion, chaos and me getting the dreaded side middle berth instead of the lower berth that i had ticked while booking my ticket on the Internet...my co-passengers were some young IT guys who refused to occupy the said berth giving excuses like leg pain,leg surgery etc...finally i got a side lower berth...

Dad came to receive me and i was so happy to be at my home..the morning went by chatting with Mom,Dad and sis and then sis and me went to BP to get our facials,waxing etc done...we got some Chicken 65 on the way back home and had a relaxed lunch..had a nice siesta..then my cousin and his wife came home...we chatted for sometime and then Mom and Dad took me to a Nagadevathai temple and a Guruvayurappan temple near AOC...both temples were beautiful and serene..

The next day I got up lazily,had a yummy breakfast of pani puri and ragda and then decided to go for Mohit's birthday party..Dad insisted on dropping me and picking me up because of my pregnant state(!)..i had a wonderful time catching up with friends and Sirs...after coming home and resting for sometime,my aunt came home..

Sunday dawned and i watched the movie "Enchanted" on Star movies..i wanted to see that movie since a long time...after that i wasnt feeling too well so i skipped breakfast and lunch(i am a person who cant resist Paradise biriyani and butter chicken...i never thought i wouldnt like its smell while being pregnant!)..got ready to leave for the station...had an emotional farewell with all of us in tears...Dad accompanied me to the station...... luckily i got a lower berth this time...reached Chennai today morning..missing my home very badly...life has changed so much for me...from living at Hyderabad fulltime to now "visiting" hyderabad a few times a year....

An unbelievable change in my life....

2009-03-26T10:47:00.004+05:30

The change that happened 10 days back:

Life was going on smoothly with me getting the hang of married life and cooking...days spent going to office and back and weekends with some outings...suddenly,out of the blue, i realised that i hadnt got my periods this time...as alarm bells started ringing,i coaxed EA to get a home pregnancy kit..i spent the evening in tears and didnt even sleep properly...i woke up at 3.30am and dragged a sleepy EA to the loo...when i performed the home pregnancy test, it showed a faint second line...so we werent sure if it was confirmed..i was very emotional at office and i went to the doc that evening itself...she did another test and confirmed that I WAS PREGNANT!!

As i told my parents and inlaws,i was congratulated by everyone and people started advising me on what to do,what to eat etc etc...the truth hasnt sunk into me yet..im still cool not worrying about the impending baby....EA is also very happy as most of his friends already have 1 or 2 kids...i dont know if i am mentally ready at 24 to be pregnant...i will be 25 by the time i deliver the baby...i cant say whether the baby was planned or unplanned...we wanted to think about a baby after completing 6 months of marriage but little did we know that "exactly" after 6 months of marriage,i would conceive...things are changing fast..first i left hyderabad to move to chennai,then i got engaged,then married and now pregnant all in a period of about a year...

yesterday, i went for my first scan and it was heartwarming to see the little thing with its heart beating..maybe it was at that moment that i realised that i have a little being inside me who is alive and kicking and that i am going to be a mother soon...when i told EA that i saw the baby's heart beating at 6 weeks,he was really emotional and had tears in his eyes...

So,there goes my story...i hope the pregnancy goes on without complications...my doc is slightly worried about the heavy dosage of cough tablets i took unknowingly...keeping my fingers crossed and praying that everything should be fine...Im off to hyderabad today as i have a holiday for Ugadi tomorrow..will be back to chennai on monday...

Another prize!

2009-03-14T10:19:00.001+05:30

Here is the link to a prize i won today and the review i submitted is my previous blog post: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/winners-of-the-readers-review-contest/87609-8-17.html

Revolutionary Road

2009-03-10T15:21:00.002+05:30

This Saturday, EA and me decided to watch Revolutionary Road..we had booked tickets for the night show at Santham..we wanted to have dinner at Pizza Hut but since we had to wait for a long time,we had dinner at Hot Breads...the movie was nice..a bit strong too...at the end of the show,the audience even applauded..

Here is the review:

The basic premise behind Revolutionary Road is something which almost every couple faces...after marriage, many couples realise that they have to sacrifice so many things in order to "run" the family...in this film, Frank Wheeler(Leonardo Di Caprio)is bored of his routine job and his wife April(Kate Winslet) is tired of doing household work and taking care of their 2 kids although on the outside, they are perceived to have a wonderful marriage...April comes up with the idea of moving to Paris because she believes that would make her husband discover what he really wants to do in life.. she is also excited about taking up a "high paying" job as a Secretary with some Government agency.. they go about planning to move out of their home while informing friends about it.. suddenly April finds out she is pregnant and she gets a home abortion kit to be used before 12 weeks of pregnancy as she feels she already has two kids and doesn’t want to give up on her dream...Frank dissuades her from going for an abortion..in the meantime, Frank gets recognised for his work and is offered a raise and he falls for it thinking that would suit his family condition especially since his wife is pregnant..April is heartbroken with the turn of events and she even sleeps with her neighbour..Frank has already had an affair with a Secretary from his office...even when he confesses about his affair, April is too distraught and doesn’t criticize him.. An important character in the movie is John (played by Michael Shannon in an Oscar nominated role)..he is the son of the real estate agent who sold the house to Frank and April..John is a PhD in Mathematics who has spent time in a lunatic asylum and he meets the Wheelers at the insistence of his mom..he has the uncanny ability to speak the truth irrespective of the reaction of others..the day he finds out that the Wheelers are not going to Paris, he blurts out a lot of truth about the state of relationship between Frank and April and he ends up saying he feels sorry for the unborn child..this outburst of truth sparks a major fight between Frank and April and April ends up saying she hates Frank..she spends the evening in the woods near her house thinking about the future...the next day morning, its like the "Calm before the storm"..April calmly serves breakfast to Frank and once he leaves for work, she attempts to abort her child even after 12 weeks...this sadly ends in April's death..ultimately, Frank moves out of the neighbourhood and takes care of his 2 kids... There is a lesson for all the married couples in the world that they have to communicate their ambitions to each other and that both partners should be adjusting to ensure that no partner suffers in marriage feeling like it has put an end to their dreams..

6 months of marriage..

2009-03-05T10:04:00.002+05:30

How time flies....

So here we are-me and EA having completed 6 whole months of marriage...both of us still cant believe it...we are no longer "newly-weds" i guess!!...though relatives and friends still treat us that way...it is said that the first year of marriage will be turbulent once the magic wears off and harsh realities come into focus..in our case, even thought the "harsh realities" like cooking,cleaning,managing expenses part has arrived...we are doing fine..there is the occasional flare up when either of us is tired or bored but on the whole the ride has been smooth...

We are understanding each other better and learning to make our marriage successful...We resolved that come what may we are going to solve it together...We had a rapid fire quiz yesterday where we asked each other some deadly questions....

The answers to "What is the one thing you would like to change in your spouse?"

1. EA-"Wish she gets along better with inlaws!!"[wish i could say the same thing to u,EA!]

2. Sri-"Wish he becomes more responsible about money matters!!"

We both know we need to put in some more effort so as to make our journey smoother...

So here was our 6 month update..i wonder what the 1 year update will say!

Oscar Mania!!

2009-02-24T10:26:00.004+05:30

The Oscars have always been an annual event i have looked forward to since a very long time..i guess it is because my Dad would be up at 6am watching them and then telling us about the winners...Though he never remembered the names of the winners the next day, he was excited to see this event...I also got hooked to it and i have rarely missed them..i even remember during my 12th standard boards, we had a holiday the day the Oscars were being telecast..i happily told everyone that i would watch the Oscars...i still vividly remember the look my friends gave me- as if i was committing a sin...i used to watch the Oscars but get back to studying after that..i remember i got 91 in Economics paper despite watching the Oscars..

When Lagaan got nominated, i was so excited and waited with bated breath to see if it would win...i wanted to witness an Indian receiving the Oscars...

Now when Slumdog Millionaire got nominated for 10 awards, i didnt want to let the opportunity go by..i was up at 6am..i cleaned my home and after bidding goodbye to EA, I sat down to watch the Oscars..it was so nice seeing the entire cast assemble on the Red Carpet...the kids did a fantastic job in the movie and it was so nice to see them all dressed up...the youngest Jamal and Latika looked really cute...everytime, Slumdog won,i would sms EA happily..when i saw A R Rahman winning,i was soooooooooo happy!!..i half heartedly left for office at 9.45 and i was in such a state of euphoria that i actually wore just one earring..i completely forgot about the other one..as soon as i reached office, people pointed it out to me and i said it must have fallen off near the bike while taking off the helmet(i was still doubtful whether i wore both of them!!)

Regarding AR Rahman, i have to say he has been my favourite music director ever since i heard Roja..i was 7yrs old at that time but the songs had an amazing impact on me..i used to pester my parents to get me audio cassettes of every movie for which Rahman composed music..i remember when Kaadhal Desam released..i was in 7th std then..the song 'Mustafa Mustafa' had become a big hit..i pestered my parents but they refused to get me the cassette nor take for the movie until i finished my Quarterly exams..the day i finished my exams,i made my mom a proposal-I would clean the kitchen attic and in return i wanted that cassette!!she agreed and i set about on the task..it wasnt an easy thing as it hadnt been cleaned for the last 7 years!!!(the attic was almost 1/4th the size of the kitchen and was like a room in itself..it was used for storing rice,wheat etc when my patti,thatha were alive and when there were always guests at home....afterwards, it was being used for keeping old brass vessels etc)

I climbed into the attic with a cloth tied around my nose and a huge broom..my sis was standing below ready to get something if needed...when i first saw the skeleton of a lizard and a rat, i screamed...my sis panicked and dint come into the kitchen...i was determined to get that cassette and i set about cleaning the whole place..it must have taken 3-4 hours...my mom n dad came in to see what i was doing at regular intervals...when i finally finished the task,my mom sent me for a bath and made tea and got snacks for me..just then my dad came in and handed me over the cassette!!!

So thats how crazy i am about Rahman's music and although Slumdog's music was not his best performance,i am happy he has got his due recognition globally!!

First Valentines Day after marriage..

2009-02-16T10:28:00.006+05:30

This is how the day went:

I got up at 5.45am with the intention of surprising EA with my Valentines Day gifts..when he went out of the room,i quickly arranged my gifts and got back to bed as if i was still sleeping..EA sat on the bean bag opposite my gifts..there was no light..suddenly he got up with a shock when he saw something glittering in the dark...i had wrapped the blanket on my head but was peeping from under the pillow to see what he was doing!!..i had arranged a Cross pen, a card, a little mug and a tiny heart shaped cake(i got the conventional plum cake from the bakery and cut it with a heart shaped bowl)he was soooooo happy to receive a Cross pen..he is absolutely crazy about pens, watches, perfumes,clothes..he guessed it was a Cross pen without even opening the package!!..although the pen costed 3150 bucks,the happiness and excitement on his face was worth everything...

We then went to office and he reached home for lunch while i was still at office..i had booked tickets for the movie-"He's just not that into you"..i got late at work but somehow we managed to reach the theatre half an hr late..it was ok as the movie was not good at all...it boasted of so many stars like Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson,Jennifer Connelly, Ben Affleck...but it was a mish mash of relationships and the movie kept on jumping from one couple to the other so fast that we dint understand what was going on..Jennifer Aniston looked really old..even Ben Affleck wasnt great..Drew Barrymore's hairstyle wasnt gud at all...

EA then took me to Fab India and got me a nice churidhar set..we then left for inlaws place....the next day we woke up at 3 am for SIL's housewarming function..i wore a pattu saree..i am not comfortable in a saree if tied by me....i had some 6 pins holding my saree in place...!!! the day went by serving breakfast and lunch to the guests...by the time we reached inlaws' home it was 4.30pm and we were dead tired...we had dinner and came home by 10pm..dats how this weekend went by..

Going to the beach on a weekday..

2009-02-12T09:52:00.002+05:30

EA leaves for office at 6.15am when I'm still half asleep...he gets home between 7pm and 9 pm depending on his work...Once in 2-3 months,he has to be night shift whereby he gets the next day off...so on Tuesday night, EA had night shift and got yesterday off...he came home by 8.45..dropped me at office,chilled at home and then picked me up from office at 6.30pm...we headed for the beach..it was a nice drive considering it was a weekday...EA also was happy that he was out of office at that time!!we reached the beach by 7pm and we dint go near the water as i have a bad cold and dint want to aggravate it..also,we planned to go to City Centre next so we dint want to look messy!we just sat on the sea shore,had some sundal and talked listening to the waves...after about half an hr, we left for City Centre and i had some chocolates from Cookie man(i know i shouldn't be eating them!!)..we then went to Landmark and browsed through books...EA bought some book on Entrepreneurship..we then went to KFC and got some dinner packed...

We are back to our regular office routines but yesterday's outing was really refreshing...wish we get more such opportunities..