The craziest start to 2014 !

January and February 2014. Oh I will never forget the awesome start to this year. Yeah baby, bring it on !

To begin with, in the month of January, our T.V took the suicide plunge. It was awfully overworked so I don't blame it. After 6 years of overuse in our gleefully T.V loving household, one morning in January, the picture tube went into flicker mode and soon there was nothing on the screen ! We actually spent a whole month without T.V and we learned so much about each other as a family. I wonder how it would have been if the Internet had decided to disconnect as well. We would have completely rediscovered the pleasures of living in the real world I am sure!

January 2014 - a.k.a T.V free month was a nice breather. We discovered that we could live without watching the shows that we thought we were addicted to. Of course we were still browsing on the Internet and using social media, but additionally we went back to reading the newspapers and enjoying some great laughs together and having a lot of conversations. There were lots of early nights too. The T.V screen would reappear on weekends but by then we had found so many other fun things to do that we just didn't want to watch T.V anymore :-) 

By the start of February, we acquired couple of new possessions in the house, a wall unit and a smart T.V. In a few days after the T.V arrived, my better half twisted his foot and an X ray revealed it was a hairline fracture. With his foot up in a cast, the onus of taking care of each and every aspect of the kids' routine was on me. My mom flew in to my rescue without as much as a second thought and my dad arrived a couple of weeks later. Along with their unflinching support, I managed to sail through. Hubby darling's cast came off early last week and though he is now able to walk without support, he still needs to be careful and cannot strain his foot at all !

But we lived through it. January was a fun month and though February was very tough on us, I am glad we stuck together and made it as a team. Stress, annoyance, frustration - every emotion crept in but I'm so happy to say that love remained victorious. 

Here's to many many more months of fun, surprises and teamwork in 2014 !

An Ode to my Nose :P

I have always felt that of all my senses, my sense of smell is the most acute :P and therefore this post is totally dedicated to my 'nose' :)

Let me now list out a few of my most favourite smells:

1. This one completely tops the list. I absolutely LOVE my baby's smell at any time of the day, but especially the smell after his bath when he is lotioned, powdered and in fresh clothes; and also when I change him into fresh clothes before his bedtime. I must also mention that I enjoy kissing the top of my kids' heads; it's a unique scent that connects us and the scent that only I know and understand, that marks them as mine! :)

2. Of course, hubby's manly scents. There's something different and cozy about the way he smells, and it's the scent that I know and I am familiar with. It evokes in me a sense of familiarity and a sense of belonging. Wow!

3. Agarbattis or incense, is used in our home daily. There are certain fragrances that are way better than the others such as sandalwood, jasmine and musk. Just lighting one stick and passing it around the house gives a cozy and warm feeling, and of course the house smells great too!

4. I absolutely love the smell of fresh jasmine flowers. I don't know if they add artificial scents but it always gives me a headache when I wear the 'gajra' sold here.  I much prefer the ones available in India because it instantly transports me to a family wedding and memories of when we cousins enjoy decking our hair with flowers!

5. I absolutely relish the smell of freshly brewed 'kaapi' decoction. I enjoy the way the whole house smells of the rich beverage; there's no better way to announce that it's a Tambrahm household! I literally inhale the smell, it is almost as good as drinking a cup of coffee.

6. I know when my favourite food is being cooked by just a whiff of the masalas. This especially holds true when my mother is wielding the ladle :D I don't know WHAT she puts into her cooking but there's a magical taste that only she can infuse into the food.

7. Smoky smells attract me a lot. Whether it is a 'havan kund' or a barbeque, it's the same. I love the way my nose fills with the soft yet strong smell of the grilling and burning/charring stuff. Weird right???


That's my list. What's yours? Don't forget to comment here! :-D

Welcome 2014!

Snubbing the Stubble!

Let's face it - hair is always omnipresent in unwanted areas. People who are desirous of having healthy hair probably go overboard with their prayers because they end up with every other part of their body being hairy, except the head! 

And speaking of unwanted hair, the next stop is getting rid of it and heck, staying well groomed. Which means, no stubble. Yes. Not only does it look icky, it speaks of gross neglect. Whether it's the hands, or legs or wherever, I hate that unclean stubble that some people just love to flaunt. 

By the way, there's a difference between stubble that's outright sexy and one that makes a man look like a roadside swarthy thug. Leave it on a day longer than it should be, and even a decent man would look like a potential rapist or molester. So men who are reading this post - keep that in mind!! ;)

Men who sport a ghastly, unclean stubbly face also look ill, according to me. Even if the man in question is a perfectly healthy individual, he still looks sick and depressed, I feel. I wouldn't trust a man looking like that with anything important and neither would I hire someone like that for an important post if I were in Human Resources. 

On a different note,

I am constantly reminded of a string of incidents from many years ago. Fellow students in my Grade 10 classroom in India, the typical breaking-into-the-mid-teenage-years boys who used to giggle at the mere mention of a boy in their midst needing to shave. It was a big macho thing for them and they saw it as a initiation into manhood.

Mooch Nahi toh Kooch Nahi...? ;-)

(This post is a part of the Protest Against Smelly Stubble Activity in association with BlogAdda.)

I have picked up a tag from Richa who blogs at Clouds, Rain and Sunshine. I would like to tag Subha, Pallavi and Rosemary to write a post with a minimum of 200 words and maximum of 300 words using either “I hate that unclean stubble” or “His(My) clean shaven look bowled me(her) over” and weave a creative story around it. You never know your post could even win. Also if you are writing a post in response to my tag, PLEASE mention the same at the end of your post. 

To know more on it see -Protest Against Unclean Stubble Activity in association with BlogAdda.

Appa : Dad : Father Figure || Happy Birthday || :)

Very recently I had the opportunity to handcraft and paint two beautiful cards for the two dads in my life, my father and my father-in-law. One I have known since birth and the other I have known since the day I became his daughter in law 10 years ago.

My father has always been a huge inspiration in my life. He has been the one to shake me up on the days I have felt too complacent and snuggled inside my comfort zone. He has taught me the value of time and that how time waits for noone. He has inspired me to shrug off my lazy blanket and get moving. In the literal sense he tried to push me into joining the gym with him but me being me, I just couldn't keep up to his enthusiasm and commitment.

But in other arenas, I am just glad I have been able to steer my life in a direction that he is now proud of. He has always instilled in me the love for education and has supported me and motivated me towards gaining more knowledge and for that I will be eternally grateful to him. From him I have learned how important it is to stay positive and look ahead instead of moping around wondering about 'what if' and how not to keep crying over spilt milk. Yes, the milk was spilt due to carelessness or lack of focus or just bad luck but hey, wipe it and either fix another glass of milk for oneself or just drink something else or walk away : But Do Something about it :) Is what my dad taught me and I follow it till date.

On the other hand, there's my quiet and unassuming father in law. I have only known him in the last decade, much lesser than I have known my own father but trust me, he is so inspiring in ways that he truly does not realize himself. His spirit of kindness and his compassionate nature are known by all who know him personally over the many many years. If there's a person who can help in any situation, it is him. Whether it is direct or indirect, it does not matter but He Will Help. Like my own father, my father in law is also deep in the quest for knowledge  and he enjoys reading and discussions. We enjoy our own chats and we also enjoy analyzing people and their personalities. He has inspired me to change my attitude and always keep smiling no matter what, just like him. I enjoy that he is only able to look ahead and see the positivity in every situation, regardless of how bleak it is.

My father is turning 60 in December and my father in law just turned 70 in November but both of them are ageless, according to me. Age is all in the mind, the numbers don't matter. What matters is our thirst for life's many surprises and how many of those gift boxes we want to open and let reveal to us so that we can enjoy them - these are life's lessons taught by these two wonderful men I have known.

Happy birthday to both Appas and may you both live strong and healthy for many many more years :) :)

Compilation of some recent mehndi designs done by me

|| Shubh Deepavali ||

Yet another Diwali passes by. You know Diwali is around the corner when the air gets a festive tinge. Women in households are busy looking up new recipes for sweet concoctions, shopping for new clothes, rangoli powder, making and painting new diyas - it's ALL happening!

As every year, my inlaws visit us during this time of the year and the children literally bask in the warmth of having their grandparents around. This year MIL and I made cashewnut barfi and wheat-cocoa laddoos alongside the traditional thenkuzhal and ribbon pokodam. 

And of course my gorgeous shiny rangoli this year, a design put together using traditional motifs :) We also got together with a friend after a really long time and spent the evening embracing some old memories and enjoying some warm laughter together. A forgotten story, a shared laugh - that was our Diwali this year!

How was yours? Do share, I'm waiting to hear your stories! :) Better still, write a post and let me know, I'll hop over to read!! :)

From our home to yours.... here's a glimpse of our Diwali this year :)

A mehndi design that I came up with to decorate my palm and feet this year :)

....And some home decoration to add to the festive spirit :)

It's been a long time..

I can't believe I haven't blogged in a month! Well, that's testimony enough for how busy my life has been since we got back from our super extended India trip!!

Sumedh, who was an innocent little 10 month old before I took him to India, crawling around here and there - is now...a 13 month old curious cruiser of a toddler who will stop at nothing. His only agenda is pulling stuff out, yanking wires, opening cabinets, banging stuff on the floor etc. Well, good exercise for me I guess!

I have a big list of pending to-do tasks. To begin with I haven't updated Sumedh's baby book in a long time!! I have just printed the photos today and hope to write down some text and add some important dates to catch up on the lost months - pls forgive me Sumedh!We also don't have the cook who was with us in June - so it's me back  in the kitchen and whipping out basic meals for the fam. All in all, it's been exhausting but worth it even on the worst days when both kids are screaming together and I feel like I'll just disappear into the ground ;-)

What's mommyhood without its challenges? Moms are supposed to be able to do everything. We are expected to solve the mysteries of missing clothes, missing books and bring back some missing smiles too even on the days we don't feel like smiling ourselves. Life is tough for a mom :)

Somewhere in the midst of all this, I find some time to do some craft or just draw. I think it keeps me sane! I also read when I can to keep me connected :)

...and a year flew past! + a trip to Chennai and Pondicherry

SO much has happened in the last few weeks. To begin with, lil Sumedh turned 1 ! My lil bundle of joy is officially a toddler :) He babbles....says thatha, akka, kaa kaa (for crow), adhaaa (to exclaim 'there!!') and a series of sounds.

In true tradition of our music-loving family, Sumedh also sings and puts a thaalam if anyone says 'sa ri ga ma'. The best part is he flips his palm for 'pa dha ni sa' in the manner that it is officially done. He sets into putting the thaalam as soon as anyone begins singing the Carnatic notes :-) Makes me soooo proud!

I travelled to Chennai for just 5 days to meet family, and also to Pondicherry for just one night. There was much to do there but on such a short trip the last thing one expects is to encounter a bandh. That sadly happened to us. So we couldn't shop but we chilled out. Trip to Auroville was a big waste of time though. Firstly, the scorching heat, and secondly there wasn't much to see there and children below 10 years are not allowed in prominent places there. Even if we had booked to enter the Matri Mandir, we still wouldn't have been able to get in with Sumedh. Sigh! The design of the Matri Mandir and the planning that has gone into it is very interesting!!

Samarth surprised us with his streaks of independence. He was on his own in bits and pieces of time with grandparents, and had a great time. The lad is sure growing up!! :)

My India best-est :)

I arrived in Mumbai sometime mid-July for Jr # 1's summer vacations so it'll soon be a month now. A month gone and another month to go for our return back to the searing Middle East heat.

Officially the first time that Jr # 2 is visiting Mumbai and he's amazed by the crowds and groups of relatives and friends who treat him like the chief guest and coo around him :) He's enjoying all the pampering and attention! Oh and he is soon going to be a very grand 1 year old toddler, so preparations are on in full swing for his birthday :)

In all my visits to Mumbai so far, one thing has not changed and that is the city itself. The economic imbalance is so evident! It's so ironic that on one side there are all these malls that dot the suburbs and on the exact opposite side of the road there are shanties where you can see kids peeing and pooping everywhere whilst running around naked.

There are high rise buildings springing up everywhere and there are people who can afford to give out a pricey 2 crores to buy an apartment - Yet there are people who survive on a few rupees a day. And the latter even manage to feed themselves and a family in those few rupees.

One thing is for sure. In India, the common man's struggles never end. A swanky car sped past on the Mumbai-Pune highway, and nearby I could see a shabbily dressed man racing up the dusty, grimy roads trying to jump into an equally grimy public bus that wouldn't even stop for him.

Oh dear reader, before you jump at me for commenting because I don't live in the country any more - let me clear it out that I was living here before we went to live abroad. I have been a part of the daily rush. I have jumped in and out of trains and sped past stampeding crowds on railway platforms ;) I have been a part of the madness.

All in all this has me wondering if India would do well with a dictator at the helm. Or maybe even he would fail. There's a lot of money in the country but nothing for the common man. The population is now totally out of control so maybe that is yet another reason why any systems that are implemented fail every time?

But,

I was walking down a galli in the neighbourhood, in pouring rain. I tried to flag down a rickshaw but failed. As I trudged back home, I felt a strange sense of calm pervading my mind.

It felt like home :)

My first attempt at embroidery - Part 1

I had a really plain dupatta in cotton which I thought of giving it to the tailor to get some embellishments embroidered on to it. Then it struck me, that why don't I decorate it myself. I have never done any embroidery before so I was kind of nervous, but hey it turned out well !

Here are some images :)

I still have a long way to go as the duppatta's pretty big. Will keep posting pics as and when I complete it :)