New Place, Old thoughts

So here i am , at the not-so-tender age of 32, sitting in the living room at my apartment in Germany, wondering whats coming into my life in this new year. The past two years have been full of activities and events that, the loneliness of the present amuses me!. I have resigned myself to the role of a full-time MOM to a hyper active 21 month old toddler. Needless to say, its not an easy job, frustrating at times. I can't help but wonder how my grandma managed to take care of me and my brother, single-handedly, while my parents were away at work. I never remember my grandma ever feeling tired or burned out , in all the years that she took care of us. Kudos to her!
Away from the chaos that is India, the silence of a German suburb, is new and unexpected for me. I never thought I would miss the noise that makes up everyday life in India. Right from the car-cleaner ringing your doorbell at 7 A.M, to the servant rattling away as she cooks and cleans, life in India is "full". I never thought sunlight was so rare for people in some parts of the world!. The sight of the sun rays streaming down your window is a welcome sight here!. On the flip side, its clean and green. We never have to worry about power cuts or water running out in the taps.
These days, away from work, the only sense of self-achievement comes from the dishes I cook everyday. Each day,I try out a new recipe or a new way of cooking an old one. Cooking is as fascinating as chemistry to me. We mix, grind, blend, saute, fry and deep fry all kinds of ingredients. It makes the mundane routine of daily life more appealing.

Anyways, while i'm here, I plan to master a few recipes, travel a bit and spend quality time with my son. A good exposure on my work front would be a bonus!. Lets see whats in store for this year!.

Green Spaces in Hyderabad City

Vengal Rao Park, Hyderabad

Playtime with my One year old

My 1 year old is a busy body. He is always on the move, picking up things, throwing others around and  tasting everything he can get his hands on.
Playtime with my son are especially special!. Its amazing what little things can amuse a baby!.. For instance, the other day, i had lined up all the stainless steel spoons/bowls/ tumblers/ plates along the kitchen floor, that he hammered to his heart's content for a good half an hour. The "Kitchen Orchestra" is one noisy game!. But beware of irritable neighbors when you do this, least you have someone calling you over the intercom!. Another favorite with my son, is "See- Saw", on my legs- it works as play as well as good  exercise for the last few pounds of fat on my tummy." Dressing up Teddy" is fun too- he hates sharing his clothes- the game invariably ends as "Undressing Teddy".
Simple distractions like ringing a bell, playing with jingling key chains and making dance patterns to smoothing music on a blank wall with a torch light are a hit with my son.
A terrace ladder is fun too!. Its like an infant "jungle gym". He goes dizzy with happiness as he sticks his head in and out between the ladder steps.
An evergreen play idea is "Peek-a-Boo". He never tires of it.
Babies don't often play what you want them to play!.. Watching them play is fun too!. My son can go on for ages just pulling things out of boxes and throwing them back in!.

The Resurrection

I'm back!..after 9 months of child bearing and 1 year into motherhood.. i can finally say.. what a year it was!..The joy of carrying my son in my arms on the hospital bed soon progressed to sleepless nights, endless sessions of breast ಫೀಡಿಂಗ್, changing diapers and later running after a crawling infant. Surprisingly, the memories have faded fast- i can hardly remember how i coped with those "colicky nights|" or balanced my work and home. Of course, I could not have done it without the support of my mother- i shall forever be indebted to her. 

The cuckoo shall call again! ಶೋರ್ಟ್ಲ್ಯ್!

Scale down the Security checks!

Ever been to a 5-star hotel today for dinner of late? Ever been through the rigorous security checks at the entrance? I just had one bitter experience at the gates of a star hotel today- the guard questioned me at length about where I was headed, had me open the car hood both front and back,switch off the engine and open all doors while a "commando" dog sniffed along the compartment. Only then, would he open the gates!. I can imagine that some of you many be very satisfied with this protocol and argue that all this is necessary in this time and age. Something better than nothing my friend said, as I narrated this experience.

I am not so sure that we have done the right thing when the media went into a frenzy post 26/11, and pulled up star hotels for not keeping adequate security checks for visitors, with the objective to prevent more 26/11s. The point is "will all this security keep the terrorist out?" or "is it just a traumatizing experience for the common man as those it was intended for will sneak through anyway ?"

I am not too happy when I walk through the security check at the airport, and wait while a complete stranger scans my baggage. Neither am I pleased about being frisked in some tiny enclosure, and the lady in there, runs her hands suspiciously over everything from the chain around your neck to the house key in your pocket. Even multiplexes will not spare you from this experience!.. imagine a evening at the movies includes a metal check+frisk!

One also travels on the railways and in buses, where these measures are not employed, and its not like trains and buses are being bombed on a daily basis!

So, can we really scale down security checks!..thats my appeal. Shocking as it may seem.. I do feel that although we live in a time when, terrorism has become the fastest growing industry, individuals should be respected and privacy ensured. Anyone who walks into a hotel or gets onto a plane (in fact the vast majority!), will not posses any malicious intentions. There is no need to treat everyone like a criminal!.

I still remember as a child, going to the airport to see someone off, was as good as a trip to the circus. There was an enclosure at the airport, that allowed family and friends to watch the planes land and take off. There was real emotion when one saw a loved one wave that final good bye from the door of the aircraft, disappear inside, and minutes later the flight would take off for the skies. Nowadays, if you so much as go within a few yards of the entrance without a ticket in hand, you are hauled up by the security, for crossing the line!. And one is expected to put up with all this uncalled for abuse, because "it better this way, for everybody!".

Perhaps we can never get rid of it. but maybe we can do it more discreetly..

Life starts at 30?

Touching 30?.. don't fret... because life for some (like myself) is only starting at 30. For the first time in my life I have a steady salary, appropriate responsibility and freedom to live as I would like to. Thanks to my profession, I have been late to get on to this bandwagon of independence- but like they say- better late than never!.

I feel liberated at 30!. Its like reaching life's prime- at a time when you have the sense to enjoy life responsibly yet passionately!. What can be more wonderful?

For instance, I made a rather big (for me) purchase last week - an air conditioner- that I have been meaning to buy in a while. It felt good to be able to pay for your own needs. It felt good to be treated to a bit of luxury- something I was rather averse to when spending my parent's money. Yes , life is definitely beginning for me at 30!

My husband is also touching 30 (earlier than i am). He is also enjoying his new found sense of success. He is growing in every bit of confidence, becoming more obsessed with his appearance and more concerned about his career than he ever was.

They say, age is but a state of the mind. How true! If you thought that your 20s was the best part of life, think again, the 30s may just be better!. The 20s is like the thrill of driving a F1 car at breakneck speed down the convoluted race track with crashes/ near misses and sometimes podium finishes. The 30s, is like racing a Merc on an empty highway along a beach- thrill of a different kind, with you always in control.

Social Networking.. boon or bane?

I sometimes wonder if social networking is really a good thing after all.. on the good side it does help to reconnect with ol' friends and it is a easy interface to keep in touch.. but on the flip side .. like everything else about our times, i wonder if it is pressurizing people to look/act/feel a certain way, invading privacy, and making fake projections of people rather than show them in their true light.

For instance, who hasn't selected their best looking pics to upload on to their profile.. more likely ones that have been digitally modified in some way!. A weekend trip is now a photo shoot for some- just to take cool pics to post on their pages. There is always a constant pressure to "look" or "make a show " of being a" successful" or "cool" personality- and the best part it is not easy to "pretend" to be having a lot of fun/success. A ol' college batchmate- you didn't even bother giving him a second glance while in college- posts a pic of himself standing proudly next to a Merc- and you wonder how in God's name did "he " of all people shoot up the ladder of success so fast! A rather conservative girl from school posts a picture of herself in a revealing outfit-somethin' you could never think you would wear yourself!. Are these all fake?- you question yourself. Sure, people change- but why do they all love exhibiting it online?? This alarming attitude of many social net-workers to weave a blanket of "fun- success- money" around themselves and the pressure on their peers to follow up with the same is troubling.