Baapu

Am pretty sure all my readers have eyes glued to every word here.

What would I write here after hearing to  controversial news about Mahatma Gandhi and some old book, in Times of India?.

NO-Am not writing anything BUT just posting below picture that my 6 year old tried today. She took great fantasy about "baapuji" after reading about him in her school book and tried this sketch. I thought I will share it here!!

To view more shots from all over the world for the grand ABC Wednesday or to participate in this meme click here ;

Just a smile

How simple, but how difficult to follow? That is not the case may be when all things are gong pretty fine.Yes. But on a bad day/bad time, upon slightest disturbances at times, is it the same? A tough person also might stumble and forget that just "one smile" can brighten your day/time or the disturbance that haunts you. Easily said than done? It does cost some effort though.

Yes. It is right to or necessary to nurture mixed feelings, and all kinds of  sensitivities perhaps. Similar based thoughts appear in my older posts too here  and there . Mind is a wanderer. And each one has mood swings in various doses, slightest to major. Sometimes we like to let go off the mind to wander. Its nice that way too, remember, we need to catch the reins soon. This is the catch. Life is not a garden of roses after all. Go through the thorny bushes too!

HOLD ON- Am not continuing on philosophical lines. We are all ware of such tricks & treats to capture our vulnerability.

At times I simply .....remember -'simply forced a smile(no-not a fake smile either)' and this made my life pretty easier. I breathed easy,  hummed my favourite number. Some things at times that made me mad clench my teeth, made me smile too. 
It just hit upon to kick start a smile on my face to put off my anger on some events like......WHEN-

1. Someone grabbed my parking while I still indicated & was heading to it!
2. Am driving but my hubby or/any XYZ is a side seat driver!
3. A bunch of neighbouring kids made hell lot of noise in my apartment corridor!
4. I notice any guile person exploiting a weaker !
5. I notice someone abusing waiters in restaurants !
6. I catch my kid whining over a breakfast I packed she dint like!

SMILE-and it costs nothing but few lesser muscles to work on than a frown is what I had been reading in books since school days. What ever is the math about the energy, the smile does make a difference to us. Doesn't it? Believe me, smiling always is an art or an born gift to some people. Pleases the opposite person too. At least me. The positivity, the inner thrill that it spreads is worth rejoicing.

Mother Teresa says-Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love. 

Had read something like this long back in some book [cant remember it sorry]- A bland or a fake smile acts like a green light at an traffic signal, it feels good , but you forget it the moment you're past it.
But some smiles touch your heart straight. They sustain and can be cherished always.

Has anybody listened to Charlie Chaplin style smile number?. I like it a lot.

I want readers to notice the yellow smiling guy heads all the blues of frowns. One smile can brighten up your rough times.
Lets share this with all our dear near ones. Say Cheese- SMILE- Click.
Cheers.

Learning the death?

I was always apprehensive about how my pre-adolescence aged daughter will grasp the concept of death.
Similar  might be the case with many of you ? I wonder how do you all take this up and react with your kids of different ages? Let me know your views.

In my old post "Thank her Whys"  I did mention an incident when she [my daughter] had reacted to this fact as if it was a simple joke. She was hardly 6 then. But familiar with the "term death".

In may 2010, she constantly saw the live news of the Air-india Express Dubai-Mangalore Plane crash  [ vedio ] along with us at home on television. We were booked on the Air -India Express two days after this incident, to fly Doha- Mangalore. A rare scene for me, her expressions where her smile threw signs of some shock, fear, insecurity. Then I faced many "means what", "what then" types of queries from her.
It seems funny now, as I recollect this incident. We flew as per schedule two days later. Incidentally due to very heavy rains at mangalore, the plane could not land immediately after announcing the arrival at the mangalore airport.  It dint surprise me much to see an old co-passenger pray with folded hands!. But what took me aback was when Jui retorted "Amma- why the hell is he not landing. I know hes going to crash and we will all be dead"!! Believe me, the innocent child had fear in mind but a  faint smile on face. Listening to this another co passenger gestured a smiling "Hi" , "come to me" to Jui and tried to involve in some introductory talks and she liked it. I positively made it a point to explain and expel her fear.

Over this period, I see her trying to understand the meaning of death in different manner.
Different circumstances makes her react differently with this fact of death. Taking up the matter with her is a challenge for me and my hubby.

Today I read an interesting article in Gulf Times- Explaining death by a child developmental professional. This hinted me to share my thoughts with you all and I await your views on this too.
The reading put me on ease since my methodologies of taking up the theory with Jui convinces me now.

After 30 Syndrome.

Why does the old always look good and the new also looks good. Hump!. I mean the old is gold but new also is nice. This sounds fine.Time flies. Where to. We needn't stopover to complaint on that.

Amidst discussion with my best pal Shehnaz over our adding on years & kilos, the expected hair greying soon, etc etc, we decided who cares. Life starts after 30 Sush, I am no more in number game she said. Alright. The idea of writing this, thus flashed into the frame of my mind.

Shes the friend with whom I solved loads of crosswords of the last page of "Women's Era", [check out this one]  between free hours of our work. Shes the one with whom I chatted hours without full stop or comma ....laughed over silly things too. This post is dedicated to you Shehnaz .

This was in the twenties, happily married with kid(s), dreams of a home, a successful career..so on. Anticipated, as we hit the 30 mark the journey slows down. All in slow motion. You are settling in a dream villa, children have no time for you, a job and handsome salary......But that was not  what was in store for us.

What the life of 30's showed us is a different world the earlier decade dint dream or perhaps plan of.

Hmm of course new fears of a fat 40, but new hopes, renewed energy & enthusiasm. Learning the current world, unfolding fresher thoughts, dusting off the clogs called mental blockage.
As for her, she turned into a new leaf abandoning her teaching profession and joining her husband in coffee business at Coorg- Karnataka adventuring and problem solving amidst huge business hurdles and 2 kids at home .
For me, my daughter does have time for me, teaching me board games that I dint see at her age. My career still soars & I add on my Masters degree in 30's. I rent apartments to live while we are happy and busy shaping our living and not the building! [ Pssss(whisper) We have post phoned the "home" project for retired life perhaps]

Why, I made discoveries within myself. At times perplexed, is it me?. The new me.

The metamorphosis includes replacement of hobbies, choice of attire, ways of thinking in  technology era, urge for younger today. At age 6, may be I have lied I was 7 or 8. Today when my hubby turned my birthday candles from 32 to 23 I jumped  like a real 23.

"It" the 30's syndrome proceeding towards the 40's  was indeed not a journey slowing down. It was a wake up call for a new journey, perhaps the faster this time.

 

Good bye, Uncle Pai

The news reached my ears very soon as it was all on air. Pappa [father] told me specifically on phone about this. Then I happened to read this in The Hindu.
Uncle Pai is no more amongst us.
I saw Satishs Page repetedly where he depicted Uncle Pai in his art of cartoon.
Have any of  us as child missed reading any Amar Chitra Katha? or a Tinkle Digest?. Every single fun of reading them was connected to the legendary creations by late Mr. Ananth Pai who is adored by whole nation as Uncle Pai.
He is no more today, but the innovative wave created by him that was so much adored specially by children  still soars.Well age group is just a lame reason, I still love flipping pages through them. Why Atal Bihari Vajpai Ji is a big fan of it! The Tinkle  features its  mission as 'Where learning meets fun". Indeed it was. It has been over 3 decades since this came into market and captured the hearts.  Its filled with comics, real incidents narrated by children, puzzles, stories, humour & lot more.

There was a time when I purchased and read all issues of it [they were serially numbered] and they are still bound & maintained at my study by my parents. It was like a treasure. My pappa never missed an issue of Tinkle, or the Russian book "Misha" in my school days which was how I fell for reading.
Recall an incident of  one summer holidays when my Amma [mother] proposed to me an idea for organised sharing of my Tinkle  & other books with my friends. [Pssss-there were demands/fights amongst friends for  borrowing 'it" always]. Alright. We [me &  my sisters] lined up all the books. Made tags of -my name and a very nominal "rent" that any friend would pay me for borrowing it. How exciting it was. Holiday library it was indeed. This offer  remained whole summer holidays open to all my friends of the colony where I stayed. It was fun when the Tinkle went hands to hands on demand and the small amount of royalty I collected in order to organise this book fair went straight into our piggy bank.

The collections of Tinkle characters & the information presented are just priceless.

• The column  "It hap penned to me' based on real time incidents narrated by children was always thrilling to read.
• Just loved Kalia the intelligent Crow, Shikari Shambhu the lazy hunter, Tantri the Mantri the wicked minister of King "Raja Hooja".
• Silly Suppandi was/is my favourite character.
• The "Tinkle Tricks and treats" and "Tinkle Tells You Why"  cradle the tickling minds of growing children, presenting facts and information like general knowledge, science related, or activity based.  

The list is very huge.

 The conceptualisations of Uncle Pai and his team found a special place in every home. For me and my family too it was..and continues.

 This is  some of my daughters collection today.

Just this and that

 All I wanted to write was that its been few months now since I am glued onto marathon blogging that today at strike of Cinderella time of midnight I am wide awake trying to post this writing. 

Many of my  friends are calling me over for tea and coffees while am off work, before I catch my train again.

When I work I don't need a watch. I don't have time to see the time!!

Had been shopping today. Me and my daughter only. My  workaholic husband had been late at work and instructed  my daughter we could carry on without him. No offense, he likes it being called this way, only by me-fingers crossed! hump.

Coming back to shopping,  it was some small  "shop" my daughter pointed right beside Qatar Airways main building. Had never noticed before, but what a collection!  She got herself a Tom Jerry school bag and few stationary. 2 riyals sharpener OK, 3 riyals new stencils.OK mummy wouldn't mind ..is how she goes about it. Ha ha

Today had been  a nice day because -

1] I discovered my favourite cousin via blogger . You too Amithoo? But we dint know bout each others blogs! I love the way she calls  me sushum. grin:-)

2] I chatted with the 12 year old little girl whom once I had seen last as an infant. Her mother was my best friend who passed away and the motherless infant grew with father. I discovered her on face book and my eyes were wet looking at her picture.

But wait- before my only readers sign off too bored reading this I will say good bye.

Wait for my new post to see what am up to.

What was it with the teeth fall and water?

November 2009 it was. My sister came visiting us at Doha and we all were at the Sea Line Beach Resort for a weekend. As my daughter swam in the baby pool, she squealed with a facial expression of  typical as if someone had stuffed in a whole lemon inside her mouth! Out came her first baby tooth...yeah. She was not even six but fall out of her deciduous teeth had commenced.

First tooth

She was prepared for this phase to rejoice rather than try hiding them or worry over friends teasing over the empty space between teeth.

Thanks to technology era and we had our cameras ready to capture the lost tooth as well.

Next, her second baby tooth too chose to give up in a water body. That was in bath tub as she had her relaxed bubble bath on a Saturday.

When the time for third came...yes again it was in Sea Shore of "Malpe" in Karnataka[India].

We now did notice this sequence of co-incidence. But lo and behold, the interesting thing was that the fourth tooth chose to fall out as she took her swimming lessons in "Oryx Rotana" Hotel at Doha, Qatar.

And that's it. The fifth thankfully broke the chain and chose to fall out in our car. Three of us laughed  in chorus.

Interesting things related to the baby teeth fall of my daughter was like:-

 "Do you remember me ?, ohh your teeth have fallen?". These questions were heavily repeated by every other relative or friend while on our holiday to our native place, said Jui and we all had to laugh.

 Too eager to show off the fallen teeth that she kept grinning often.

 Maintenance is a challenge yes, and ........... she's big girl now.

With this I have today crossed a dozen blog posts since I started this new hobby.

Ace and Angel

check out their video

Feel its been just few days since we brought home Ace and Angel 2 years back  as Jui 's[my daughter's] birthday gift. But the bonding developed is worth sharing with you all. A pair of a green [male-named Ace] and a blue [female-angel] lovely love birds are they.

Ohhh what  a day it was. She had always requested for pet at home. Our work schedules and routines stopped us to have any thing more than these harmless caged birds.So it was, they came home royally seated in our car, one summer evening of 2009.

The formal entry of these was anything less than a new bride entering husbands house or so. We were all so overwhelmed and the whole house echoed with their chirping. Locked in a pink [pink- remember it belonged to my girl] cage they seemed frightened on day 1. Perhaps they understand the difference in the environment ?.

Next was the naming ceremony. Huh, yeah, of course google. All 3 pairs of eyes[me, hubby and jui] stuck at the 17" laptop screen as pages scrolled by. This, aww...no that...may be this, perhaps that and finally Jui settled on "Ace" and "Angel". How lovely. We all clapped. You re welcome to guess how the naming ceremony was. Again 3 pairs of eyes following the cage- we all called them by their new names repeatedly and that's it. They ought to know their identity now. Haha..

Regular refilling of 2  bowls for water and food grains are constant concerns. There were serious discussions  over where they will be placed. Questions raised on whether too much of a.c will not be good to them, and if the open balcony exposed them to the harsh heat of Qatar?. So it was according to weather they were/are taken care.

Its going to be two years now. One of these cold winter evenings we forgot them in the open balcony and what a chaos it was amongst us. How could we forget? We blamed each other for forgetting ace and angels protection.

They pretty much mess up dropping out some food grains and fluttering their minute feathers of wings, and Jui now promptly picks them up and trashes. Thus cleaning partially is owed to her.

 As for Jui they are her friends who are shown any new barbie that she shops or some cards that she makes. One of the days I found her telling"Ace be good, stop screaming [chirping  she means] loudly now, and I will give you a.........." And yes she literally pasted a smiley sticker on the cage.

The tales go on and on  because they have now become a part of our family, a part of our routine, amongst us. Not just "pets" but favourite too.

Why not get angry?

Yes, last month I posted "why not argue?". Now I talk about anger in similar fashion.


Loosing temper could be common phenomenon amongst any of  us all. Getting an "anger outburst" and loosing the temper aren't the same. Dictionary will tell anger is ones psychological interpretation. Generally associated with some doing for which one anticipates as reflex reaction by anger. We all have many emotions, humour, jealousy, excitement, stress and so is anger in the list. Would it cause damage unless otherwise "it" is released in wrong ways? So is anger a friend or a foe?

I wonder is it only anger that can cause damage. No, it is the hasty anger or the rage, that commands human reflexes to commit wrong doings resulting in causing damage. Depending on circumstances anger may not be released, may be released softly/politely and so on.

Reasons for anger outbursts - my vary from person to person. For some the anger could be a inbuilt nature and reason for which just happens to be one namesake.
There could be different types of anger. Aggressive, hasty[sudden anger/rage], calm and normal anger.
Sum it up and it all points at the fact that anger management is that easiest dump of memory file that one misplaces out of prioritised portion of ones needs.

It is very natural to feel attacked and angry which is a necessity too at times in situations. Why not certain times one needs to feel the anger, show some defence in unjust situations. Helps one fight back for ones needs.
In itself anger is neither good/bad or friend/foe. Yes, it is upon one to actually control the hormonal fluctuation doses which simultaneously results in the way one reacts or rather releases the anger basically.
These feelings can poke reactions in one ranging from being softly to violently in various degrees. The strength of one plays role here and it is to some extent associated with ones cultural background, upbringing, surroundings. Suppressing a flaring anger or releasing the anger in most positive and ordinary fashion can be told as a real art. The adrenaline shoot ups cant be stopped but need to be released in positive methods. Does this look good enough a easy anger management theory? Easily said than done.

We might sometimes find us in situations where we don't place ourselves as angry personnel's yet have thrown away anger on someone destructively and then repented after calming down. So the adrenaline worked worse then!! So how do we go about handling "anger management?'. Especially while we declare that is not good but at same time "anger " in itself is not bad
Healthier ways of  letting our temper outbursts are definitely affordable if one anticipates the need for it & clings to follow certain self-instructions. Some don't forget to step on the weighing machine in the bathroom every morning but might fail to just say one or two optimistic phrases to self. Some meditate. Yes i know people who do so just in order to capture and organise their emotional outbursts.

There's a saying " Tongue pierces deeper than spear". Yes, it is.

Have we heard of people declaring anger on each other not communicating for long periods. Is this anger? No, it is egoistic display disguised as anger which would have actually subsided sometime ago.

Numerous methodologies may crop up if we discuss how to curb violent repercussions of anger/rage/temper loosing.  I do not want to discuss these at length while some easiest is to keep in mind "smile to yourself" when you feel that anger/ or release a clenched fist and count backward numbers ten to one and so on...these are simpest but quite effective ones! Open communications, handling situations are higher version in this topic but I will let go off the topic now.