O(h) So Entertaining!

OSO has outdone Saawariya at the BO. Although the two are completely different kinds of films, their names got linked together due to the simultaneous efforts of its actors', the parents of a couple of them and the director of one of the films to promote their respective efforts. Thus from a month before the Diwali release the television channels were invaded by SRK, Farah Khan, Deepika P, Ranbir K, Sonam K and their parents. Every music show on TV had the actors (and Rishi and Neetu parents of Ranbir) dance, sing, judge and finally politely ask the people to watch the movies. The news channels jumped into the fray and pitted the one against the other, and thereafter sat back and watched the fun. I think that it was a cheap trick, why compare the films and actors just because they are releasing at the same time. Why make the public feel that they have to choose one over the other. No one was contemplating victory for both, only one could succeed. This became so ingrained in a nation full of idiot box addicts that it has chosen only one of them. Anyhow I want to watch both of them. I am a very lazy person and I know that if the Mr had been around we would have watched one of them by now.
For the past one year or two (since the birth of our second baby put an end to prospects of watching a film in the theatre in peace) the man has been diligently acquiring VCDs or DVDs of the films that I want to see and taking out time for me to watch it. In fact he takes offence if I donot watch the films with him! I don't even know how to put on the movies either on the laptop or the VCD player!Which brings me to the topic of how much I miss the guy. today while coming back from college, I glanced out of the auto to see a man going about his daily routine of oiling his hair and the way his hair stood up on end reminded me of the Mr and I felt the tears come to my eyes. As you can see I am slowly becoming insane! Now I am not the mushy type, in fact I dont like men very much, but I don't know why I am so emotionally attached to this bloke. So much so that I want him to spend every waking and sleeping hour (outside of his office hours) stuck to my side. He cannot so much as venture out to watch a film without me throwing a tantrum.
He is labouring all alone in Bangalore trying to find a school for our daughter and a home for us while working terribly hard on his project. I hope everything will work out fine for us.

Diwali Fever

Well season change time and the entire household is under the weather. One can hear a chorus of sniffles and coughs and sneezes.The children are have fever. I am the fittest of the lot and apart from a few sniffs and snorts and the midnight chain of sneezes I am able to go about my daily business. The others are a bit slow and decidedly not themselves. I knew of a lady who used to give her children haldi (not the powder but the solid raw haldi) and honey all through the year and they never had a cold in their lives! Now I am happy if I can get two square meals and the morning and evening milk past the children's lips for they are very picky and choosey about their food. The elder one takes out any morsel that I might have quickly inserted in her mouth without prior notice and inspects it closely before reinserting or rejecting it according to her taste. The younger one also immediately ejects stuff that he does not like the taste of leaving me to clear up the mess so I know it is futile to try and get them to have haldi and honey and if I tried I would be letting myself in for some unpleasant clearing ups!
The elder one also refuses to switch to winter wear even if the nip in the air becomes very evident. She does not like to wear socks or sandles at home either, so she is running amok bare feet and clad in her summer skimpies well into November and the result is obvious!The little one catches it promptly from whoever has it first.My Father in law is roaming about miserably in a shawl and Mom in law is also complaining of headache. Ah well, winter will be here soon and put an end to our misery I suppose. However the in-laws barely survive winter as I do summer so it is still more misery in store for the poor things!

Heppy Diwali ji Heppy Diwali!

Delhi is always in high spirits (in both its senses) at Diwali. Our neighbourhood shop spills over with Diwali gifts on display andyoung shop assistants madly packing gifts of dry fruits, chocolates and crockery. To keep my daughter out of my hair I made her clean and colour some terracotta diyas that I had bought two years ago and am recycling successfully every diwali! The diyas and a terracotta plate have turned out very nicely.My daughter spent her last seven diwalis with her fingers firmly stuck in her ears, this time she claims that she will not seal her ears. The mite is also very much against noise pollution however when he hears a big bang he just turns around and asks "etkli mamma" (what's that mom?) and when I say it is a fire cracker he accepts the answer and does not show any great reaction to them.
I was born on Diwali day and hence the name 'diya' . Since my birth, my birthday was on diwali only on one occassion, ie my 19th birthday and I felt like the world was celebrating it. Generally all happy occassions fall on the full moon in the Hindu calender, this is the only festival that is celebrated on a new moon night. The full moon is considered auspicious and the new moon dark and evil, hence we worship the dark and delightfully unconventional Goddess Kali on this day. All this darkness adds to my mysterious quotient, according to me, and highlights all that is scorpio in me.So beware all!

The Exciting World of Teaching: Some Thrilling Times Ahead

W1ell, the high spirits that unleash itself at the time of Diwali resulted in the unilateral calling off of the classes by my students from today. I am feeling utterly bored as a result. Blogging is good but the interactive atmosphere that prevails in class gives a different kind of high. The play of reactions in the eyes of the students as I discuss Japan with them is exhilerating to watch. I do not allow lolling in my class, if I see their eyes glaze while I am dictating notes I stop immediately and tell them how important it is to study History or some other stuff that takes their minds off the drugery of taking down notes. I have been instructed to give written notes because they fare quite badly in exams otherwise, but I try to make them do some research of their own. I also do not lose an opportunity to try to incite them express themselves more forcefully, participate in debates and discussions and generally make their presence felt in this world.
At the home front I am still struggling to make my daughter sit down to study routinely and without my constant supervision- and let me tell you I am succeeding slowly but surely.The little one is talking 19 to the doz and creating havoc in the lives of his grandparents while I am away at college!
This is my first diwali after my marriage without the Mr. My MIL also said yesterday that he will be away for the first time in many years. Saying I miss him will be an understatement, it is a strange emptyness that even he would not understand perhaps. I am trying to ignore this period in my life and thinking about the time when we will be starting a new life in a new city barely a month from now.
I have always liked change, I would be thrilled when my father got transferred and used to go about grinning to myself when my parents and grandmom used to ponder the pros and cons of it. Every transfer of my father's has been a learning experience for us. We have been exposed to a variety of people and have dealt with a lot of different situations and have been the wiser for it. My children will also be able to experience a different culture and a different city I am really glad. Thank God for this change.

Of Sea Changes and a Glorious Visit to the Sea

Long break because there are so many changes in my life right now that I could not decide where to start and how to end. But for the soothing visit to Mumbai and Tarkarli I would surely have had a nervous breakdown!
We went to Mumbai in the Garib Rath Express and I recommend this train strongly. The seats are a millimeter or so less than that of the Rajdhani Express and there is no pantry car however they serve a mean egg biryani (Rs 30) and the veg thali is also good, you have to pay Rs 25 for your bedding. In spite of this the fare comes to half of that of Rajdhani Express and it takes the same amount of time too.
It was great to just be with my brother in law's family, to see our children spend some quality time together, to see the two brothers (the Mr and my BIL) go off together for a boys' day out and exchanging notes with my sister inlaw regarding how to deal with the Mr and how to manage the children and generally about life. My little unfriendly one took hardly a moment to adjust to this calm and love filled atmosphere.
On the very next day we set off for our sea expedition. The Konkan Kanya Express was a little late but the children did not show any sign of exhaustion or impatience, inference- my babies are born travellers! The mite calmly settled down to the second night of sleeping on a train in two days. The elder one is a pro but i was not so sure of the little one. The Upma -shira the next morning was heavenly. From Kudal station Tarkarli village is an hour's ride on an auto. We proceeded to loll on three unspoilt and unique beaches over the next three days. We saw dolphins early in the morning in the Deobagh beach which is also the point where the Karli river meets the sea and is therefore an unusually calm and serene beach. The last day was spent splashing about on the bhogwa beach a refreshing and soul stirring experience. We also managed to squeeze in the fort -Sindhudurg in the middle of the sea that has a unique Shivaji temple and an astounding view of the sea.
We returned to Mumbai to find that the Goddess Durga had arrived in all her finery. We went through the routine of anjali and bhog. We visited the Shivaji Park puja the grandest one in Mumbai I think and spent a reflective moment at the Dadar Choupatti.
Unfortunately the trip ended on a sombre note with my sister in laws father passing away in Bihar after a prolonged fight with that painful disease cancer.
Back to Delhi and the Mr's transfer order was out and he is off to Bangalore for a four year project and we will join him in a couple of months with al the turmoil of a transfer, but I am looking forward to this change in our lives.
And wonder of wonders, my teaching career has also started! I bagged a one month teaching assignment at my ex college with the help of my ex prof. In fact I am filling in for her as she has taken off for a month due to health reasons. The job is perfect because I am here for only a month or so and would have been unable to take up a longer assignment. It is as if a supirior force were carefully planning my life. I have felt like this many times before and am sure that a fairy godmother kind of being is watching over me and throwing the right kind of opportunities at me at the right moment.
For the time being I am planning furiously for my classes and for the new life ahead of me and loving every moment of it. Thank you God