Reflections Of A Desi Mom

It has been a long long time I wrote a happy, cheerful post.  Not that I am continuously being unhappy or sad about things.. but more often than not, unpleasant things keep coming my way.  Yes, absence of ample sunshine and exciting activities derails me from my happy-go-lucky sense in this season... but positive things keep me going usually.  A couple of years back I fought depression just around about this time. The factors that helped me wade my way through and back to sanity are the same factors that are so unpleasant this time around.  Impossible? No. I have always felt life is very relative. What is Ok to 1 person can be horrible to another and what is slightly uncomfortable to 1 being can pose profound sadness in another person's life.  Sometimes I feel, I was just happy being ignorant. Happy that there was so much positivity around. Happy that problems were there but I was willing to deal with them head-on. And for more rea...

Kem Cho? Kevi gayi chokrao ni rajao??  Didn't understand? Its simple Gujarati. If you cannot read Gujarati ..sorry you cannot read further.  Puzzled?  Don't be! It's coming from the bitterness that I experienced this week.  I took almost a month long sabbatical from blogging, I had thought when I write after school re-opens it will be fresh and  energetic just like I was feeling.  But this experience not only hurt me as a Mother but also a resident of this prestigious society I am living in.  Since the time we came and lived here in Pune, I experienced caste discrimination.. Yes in a metro city like Pune!!! After  living abroad, you tend to get into the habit of greeting people in public places, even if you don't know them. I used to  unknowingly do the same. But I was often answered by stern glances and worse tilted necks. Slowly I gave up. Gradually  I understood, it was not me. It was my NON-Mahara...

It's that time of the year againnn!  No matter how hard I try or say with full dertermination that next year I won't do any decoration for N's birthday but I  am just not able to stand by my own thoughts..  This year she had decided that she wants to hv a masti bhara birthday with her friends in the newly opened playzone  nearby. And we are all upto it.. Everybody including N kept reminding me .. "Vaise bhi you don't want to decorate this  year na...!! "  As much as I used to nod .. I couldn't wrap up my head around the thought as the month of May began. Upon asking  what kind of cake she wants this time, prompt came the reply - "UNICORN!" (yes, kids n parents like us definitely add to  the upcoming economy!) Nevertheless, we shortlisted the cake designs and decided to proceed with the baker as the date came closer.  But I just couldn't let go of the thought that I want to do something special for her.. N loved my surprise b...

What is a sure shot of bindaas masti..fun n frolic for kids?  A SLEEPOVER..  And when the sleepover is for the entire girl gang plus their elder siblings and of course cool mommies (that come by  default) on a hill station.... you know the Joy just did a summer-sault and landed on a mountain of squeals and  laughter!! Last week was 1 such a sleepover mini-trip for my girl gang. Organized with perfection and diligence by our  Financial experts P and V.. it was such a treat for 16 estrogen filled ladies of all ages...  White 🏠 Panchgani The journey began with the famous Peppa Pig waiting for the girls in the bus.. OMG the squeals could be heard on the  2nd floor of the next building when the girls saw and realized whom they really saw! We were only scared that passers by  are gonna think someone is abducting children in the curtain clad mini-bus! LOL! Nevertheless the girls.. big and small  bade their goodbyes to him with...

Summers are here.. and so will be the mangoes along with the camps for little and big children thronging the nooks and  corners of the city.  Its almost thrilling to see soo many options to entertain and keep our children busy through the scorching heat. Growing  up I never saw/read/heard something like that in my then small city.  As a new Mom, I was fascinated by the dearth of options I had to choose from. Be it phonics, swimming, craft, quilling,  dance etc etc.. I literally had just about too much to choose from. And mind you - it was overwhelming!! I remember the first summer that we were in Pune, I was just happy that my mermaid could enjoy in the tub and pool  with her cute lil flower swim suit. Of course, finding the right Playgroup was on the top of my mind..It seemed such a  huge decision then!  Then came the next summer. When we both had got used to 2+ hours of structured time in play school. Yes I was happy...

Class 2 officially ends for DD and her class mates today.  I don't know about N, but I sure felt the pang while sending her off today.  Its simple, some of you might say.. way of life...1 chapter is over another begins.  Yes I can't wait for summer vacation..  Yes I can't wait to shut my alarm clock for 1+ months... Yes I am exhilarated on not making 2 dabbas for the next 50 odd days..  But Yes I am also sad that my child grew out of the 2nd grade soo soon. A part of me wants her to grow out of this rebel phase and wanna be able to do big girl things with me.. Another part of me wants to hold on to this bubbly..silly..full of inquisitiveness phase a little longer..!  She hated to study some subjects and loved others.. Her interest in EVS flourished and dwindled in English. With fingers crossed I hope that 3rd grade brings about positive changes as far as curriculum is concerned.  But I cannot go further wit...

After my last long post, I felt a lil void. Perhaps it was also because my Mom stayed with me the longest this time and then she left. The void continued into another week when J was traveling and with new formed routines with N. Will talk about that in some other post..  Today there was an image that I came across and I was hooked to it.  It was a picture of a 'Keeper' .. A young..charming and full of grit girl posing as a 'Keeper' in the game of Roller Hockey. I didn't know her when I saw the pic for the first time.. Never knew what inevitable role the person plays who wears that gear.. But amongst all the images that N's Skating Coach sent on the parent group - this one struck out to be the most powerful one! See for yourself!  (PC - The beautiful and bright girl -Aastha & Sonia's Photography) What I felt ..  Her gear took most of the frame... still you can see her shining through! She knows she is being clicked, but she do...

J and I are hooked to 2 songs from #URI. N tried resisting it cos we were playing it non-stop .. in loop!  Finally she gave in... Y'day evening when I was humming #BehChala - she is like - Can u please just play the song  already?? I am sick n tired of you humming it ...😌😆 As the phone played the beats of #Challa - her inquisitive mind started thinking about what I had told  her about URI.  This is the conversation that followed -  N - Mom, is URI real? Did it really happen?  Me - Yes beti. It really did.  N - So in real the soldiers sang these songs??? Me - Noo.. songs and dialogues are only in the movie. But the incident really took place. Terrorists  from Pak came in our country and killed our sleeping soldiers. It's against the rules. If in war its ok.  But soldiers are not supposed to kill unarmed people.   N - Do they get to sleep?  Me - Yes they do sleep in batches. At every ...

Remember the Art Mela that was orchestrated in the movie Taare Zameen Par?  I, J and my mom had the privilege to experience that in its full glory and charm at my daughter's school concert today.   The teachers and their team broke the monotony of performing in the auditorium and brought the thrill of performances in their own Open Air Amphitheater.  What a charming atmosphere we were welcomed to!  But wait - this sounds a little abrupt. Let me start from the last month or so when N began talking about the concert practice.  Initial days were the same old routine "Bore ho raha hai Mom.. Same old practice we have to do so many times.. Can I skip school today? etc etc. " (Honestly, even I was dreading less routine and more practice) It slowly progressed to exciting sharing of practice anecdotes. Toward the end of the month long practice sessions, her version had completely transformed to excitement, thrill and can't-wait...