Memory Game

Exactly one year ago (the picture has a date of Feb 24, 2011) Diya made this memory game. I think this is the most challenging version of the memory game I ever played!

I remember playing memory game with Diya using cards - you know the one where all the cards are place in a grid face down; you can turn the face of two cards at a time to memorize them and then turn them back. And then if you get the 9 of Hearts in one turn, and remember seeing the 9 of Diamonds a few turns back, you need to remember where it was in the grid.

After playing a few rounds Diya said that she was getting bored and wanted to do something else. She was repeatedly losing. I concluded that 52 cards were a bit too much for a 5 year old - so we quit for that day.

The next day she came back to me and said that she has created her own version of the memory game!

Even with 20 "cards" I lost every round that day - even though she repeatedly explained to me what were the subtle differences between some of the similar looking squares and rectangles. :)

Magnifying Glass

With life rushing past us, I have been feeling guilty of not getting back to our favorite pastime - blogging!

The guilt doubled up this morning when I saw that Ankur found time to post even with her busy travel schedule.

Looking for a topic I started browsing through our pictures in iPhoto - silently cursing myself for not keeping a log on all the 'blog-perfect' incidents which took place in the last few months. There are so many pictures which are unprocessed. I have been fanatic about clicking the Edit > Enhance button in iPhoto for all the photos I download from the camera.

While enhancing this picture, I suddenly had a lightbulb moment. Ankur took this picture with her newly acquired iPhone during one of her shopping sprees with Diya. I liked the picture when I saw it first but resemblance with the iconic picture of Sherlock Holmes didn't occur to me then.

Anyway, thanks to Google, iPhoto and Picasa - I was able to put together a satisfying collage within a few minutes!

13 ominous signs you are traveling/working too much …

1. You rack up “gold” status on your frequent flyer program before Valentine’s day.
2. There is a permanent place in your wallet for your green card and a dedicated slot for the voltage converter and adapter in your jewelry box.
3. You start thinking that jet lag is actually an opportunity to extend productive working day (all those hours at hand and no sleep !!).
4. You don’t know what time zone you are in & frankly don’t care. (Eat when hungry, doze when tired and work all the time … )
5. You do not unpack your toilet bag anymore.
6. You have become a pro at dressing & packing for fastest way to get through security check points. Shoes with no buckles/laces/zips, no belts, laptop in individual sleeve, liquids in 3 oz containers in clear plastic … you even know which of your earrings have too much metal and they beep – you avoid them. You get through the checkpoint before the security personnel even finishes saying all these instructions!
7. You have a “regular” cab driver who takes you to airport. You know his personal history. You know he is an immigrant MBA student who is nearing graduation and looking for jobs ‘back home’ so he and his wife can be close to their family and get help raising their 4 kids. You advise him on interview tips. You feel slightly affronted when he leaves the country without informing you (apparently got that job!).
8. When you drive to airport yourself, you know things like – if you park in the “blue” ramp there is a shortcut security checkpoint to the terminal with much shorter lines.
9. You can’t find the seat adjustment lever in your own car … as you don’t realize you are driving your own car for once.
10. Your kids assume its weekend, if they see you are home.
11. Your kids have started helping you pack for the trips. You convince yourself that this is teaching them essential life skills of traveling light, packing in a jiffy and more importantly building the security that “mamma goes away for a little bit but always comes back home”. (You even make it sound noble … ).
12. You “pre-buy” gifts for your kids and hide them at home in advance so you have something to hand them when you return from your trip. (You know you will not have time to shop for them during your trip. Also, while you are at it you might as well buy for the whole year as there will be trips.)
13. You communicate with your friends and family through (fitfully sporadic) blogs and hope they will consider this adequate and forgive you for all the unanswered emails, infrequent phone calls and no contact even while you are traveling to their town/country.