It is almost two months since we travelled to India with the kids and it has taken my brain this long to begin to process the experience and start capturing on paper – atleast parts of it. What do they say about trauma and how it takes time for bits and pieces to surface and filter through the consciousness?
I think it is also because I am right now on another overseas travel and going through the security lines, immigration etc etc have dislodged (what seems like distant) memories. Also, I have time to write these things down as I sit in the KLM lounge battling yet another jet lag, passing time before my next flight. As they say in Hindi –“mauka bhi hai, dastur bhi” !!
Here are some memories that are flashing by -
While going through the security lines when they asked about taking out laptops & other electronic devices to be scanned separately, this is what Suvo produced:
1. iPhone
2. iPad
3. portable DVD player
4. kindle
5. noise cancelling headsets (hoping kids will be busy with the above and he can catch some Zzzz…..)
6. camera (hoping we will be able to capture some of these “tranquil” moments)
7. assortment of chargers, adapters, extra batteries, voltage converter etc etc etc
8. thank god I battled my intense need to bring my laptop along despite all the withdrawal symptoms. Otherwise that would have been another item on the list.
While Suvo armed himself with all this high-tech gadgetry (as any self-respecting 21st century Dad should) for the situation at hand, my reaction was completely opposite to his. I reverted to some ancient coding in my DNA as I transformed into a primitive woman obsessed with hunting & gathering (buying when applicable, but also begging, borrowing, stealing & smuggling) food for my young ones. Several million years old instincts took over and I was a woman possessed. Here are some items I managed sneak through –
1. kids water bottles (you are supposed to dump these before the security check)
2. milk
3. idlis hidden in pepsi cup
4. food provided in the plane which the kids did not eat – I hid and preserved these until it was clear where & what the next meal is going to be
5. following items smuggled out of business lounge – yogurt, banana, assortment of crackers, cookies & pastries along with coffee creamer & sugar (to mix in Aadi’s milk bottle to make the foreign tasting elixir more palatable for him)
In addition of course I carried the ‘legally permissible’ items like canned baby food and cereal etc. Also, we spent lay over time in airline lounges so we could replenish & refresh ourselves. The kids were thrilled to have space to run around as well as easy access to all the food. At one point, in Paris lounge – all this (what must have seemed like) looting & ravaging – disgruntled a cranky old fellow so much that he commented that “the lounge was for business travelers not kinder-garteners” ….. I was so furious, I walked up to him and replied to him in his native tongue – primitive woman knew just enough French for this !!!
Anyways, all of this preparation was to make sure the kids stay comfortable through the long journey and we stay sane. I am not 100% certain if we succeeded, especially in the latter goal.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Say Cheese!
It was probably my 5th or 6th shot ... to capture the moment for eternity :).
Talking To Nana
Aadi was playing on our deck - busy watching the wheels of his pull-cart as he swayed it back and forth. The phone rang ... Aadi's Nana called. Aadi kept playing outside mesmerized by the simple harmonic motion of the wheels of the cart while Ankur was talking to Nana. Suddenly he ran inside and said "I want to talk to Nana! I want to talk to Nana". I guess he picked up the word 'Nana' as Ankur was looking around for Diya so that she could talk to him.
For the next 10-15 min Aadi and his Nana had a very deep conversation ... the details of which will always be unknown to Ankur and me.
(click to enlarge)
For the next 10-15 min Aadi and his Nana had a very deep conversation ... the details of which will always be unknown to Ankur and me.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Big boy/ little boy
“Aadi, are you a little boy or a big boy?”
I threw this at Aadi several times in the last few weeks … as we have been working on weaning the bottle, potty training etc etc. The first few times he seemed confused and I explained to him that big boy gets to watch DVD but big boy does not need a bottle …. and so on and so forth …. so he sees the advantages of growing up and hopefully the sacrifices he has to make will seem minor.
The last time I asked him whether he was a big boy or little, he looked at me for a little bit and then smiled and replied confidently – “ I am Aadi”.
I was stunned. Here is what I heard in his short response:
I am Aadi. Do not tempt me with your labels. I do not want to be big boy or little boy or any other boy. I just want to be Aadi. I am happy with that and you should be too.
I threw this at Aadi several times in the last few weeks … as we have been working on weaning the bottle, potty training etc etc. The first few times he seemed confused and I explained to him that big boy gets to watch DVD but big boy does not need a bottle …. and so on and so forth …. so he sees the advantages of growing up and hopefully the sacrifices he has to make will seem minor.
The last time I asked him whether he was a big boy or little, he looked at me for a little bit and then smiled and replied confidently – “ I am Aadi”.
I was stunned. Here is what I heard in his short response:
I am Aadi. Do not tempt me with your labels. I do not want to be big boy or little boy or any other boy. I just want to be Aadi. I am happy with that and you should be too.
Friday, February 24, 2012
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!
Monday, February 20, 2012
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.
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.
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