Kumbakonam trip

Well my long time prayers were answered atlast. It was really a scintillating and on the whole a very new experience for all of us. The prayers were long time pending since the birth of my son which involved lots of complications.

We started around 6.30 pm on friday night along with one of our friends family. They have a daughter who is 2 yrs older than my son . God!!! They made quite a pair. They immediately gelled well despite few hiccups here and there (chaos are what guaranteed when kids meet and wats fun without few hiccups). This prompted me to have one more!!!!!!!! Lets see;)))))

I thought everybody were leaving chennai on one purpose or the other thro ECR. There was heavy traffic on that lane and it took almost 3 hrs to reach pondicherry. And though our original plan was to stay in karaikkal , we altered it and stayed in GINGER. It was worth staying there except for the food. Its truly a paradise for couples or newly married non-vegetarians. Vegetarians should stay away from the food though the rooms are good.

When my son asked for dosai they said we have to choose the side-dish among the curry items. It was a blow for my son who always has a craze for the sambar-chutney combo. Luckily he didn't fuss that day and adjusted with veg kurma. And when my truly dedicated tamilian aathukarar asked for rasam, the waiter gave a wary smile. Ist a crime to ask for rasam in south india, or does he always dwell on fried rice and noodles. When my aathukarar pointed that they serve rasam even in TAJ and PARK he then said that they dont have it there. Then why do they print vegetable thali on the menu. On the contrary, the room was spacious and ventilated with AC, refrigerator, shower working.

They have Landmark and Cafe day in their reception area which does quite brisk business. Nice marketing strategy.

Next day in the morning 5.30 we left for Thirunallaru. The drive was pleasant and we got to watch the sunrise amidst the waterways which was an enduring experience. After a long time i got to peruse my long time passion i.e clouds watching. Somehow, it fascinated me in my adolescent years. I always used to sit in our terrace (ours was an independent house) in the pretext of studying though my motive my altogether different(it was not clouds watching even ;))) ). I like to form faces and patterns and imagine things while watching them move. The first time in went in aircraft not even i wasted one minute in chatting. I was totally engrossed in the scenic view of flying above and among the clouds........

Hmm, its taking more time than i expected, let me continue later

Kiddie Talks - III

Yesterday, went to the doctors place cos my kid was having cough as well cold. Since, he had holiday declared by his school that day, he was in an upbeat mood.

After consulting doctor, we came outside to take our two-wheeler( more convenient in chennai). So , I asked him to move a bit and the conversation went as following.....

Me : P, koncham nagarnthukkoma naan scooty-ya thiruppanum.

Kid: Appo, naan unkooda varakkoodatha, ingeye thaan irukkanumaa?

Since, i wanted to tease him i carried the conversation in the same lines....

Me : Aamaam ingeye thaan irukkanum.

Kid: Ennathu roadleya, appo ethavathu vandi vanthu enna idichidume!!

Me : Seri , appoo ulla doctor clinic la poi utkarnthukko.

Kid: Appo, doctor enakku injection poduvare.

Me : Podattum. Pottukko.

Kid: Appo, naan azhuvene!!

Me : mmm. seri azhu.

Kid: Hmmm. Unakku enna paarthaa pavama illaya.

I was dumb-struck and didnt know what to answer....

Continuation of the Tag...

Hey I overlooked the post by Sathish and didnt notice the rest of the 50 questions.

Here goes the questions and the answers....

51. First sport you loved: kho-kho (loved playing it in school)

52. First pet: None

53. First vacation: To bellary where my mom worked. From there went to hampi and thungabhadra.

54. First concert: A kutchery by Mambalam sisters.

55. First crush: 1st rank holder in my class when i was in 3rd std.

RIGHT NOW:
56. Eating: Nothing.

57. Drinking: Water.

58. I'm about to: Cook.

59. Listening to: Chotta bheem on POGO TV which my son is watching.

60. Waiting for: My hubby to come for lunch

YOUR/FUTURE

61. Want kids? Yes.One more.

62. Want to get married? Already got married

63. Careers in mind? Teaching.

WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?

64. Lips or eyes: Eyes

65. Hugs or kisses: hugs

66. Shorter or taller: Taller

67. Older or Younger: of my same age

68. Romantic or spontaneous: Neither. Humorous

69. Nice stomach or nice arms: Neither.

70. Sensitive or loud: Loud

71. Hook-up or relationship: Absurd

72. Trouble maker or hesitant: Neither

for all the above the answer is just like my aathukarar

HAVE YOU EVER :

73. Kissed a stranger: Nope.

74. Lost glasses / contacts: No

75. Broken some one's heart: Yes. Cant help it

76. Had your own heartbroken: No. I always got what i want.

77. Been arrested: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

78. Turned someone down: Yes

79. Cried when someone died: Yes

80. Liked a friend that is a girl? I dont understand?

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

81. Yourself: Yes.of course

82. Miracles: NO, I don’t believe in Miracles.

83. God: Yes.

84. Love at first sight: Yes. Mine is the perfect example.

85. Heaven: AMR makes you believe in such things i suppose.

86. Santa Claus: Would be nice if we have one like that in our culture too.

87. Kiss on the first date? No.

88. Angels: Not really.

89. Devils: same as above.

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:

90. Is there one person you want to be with right now? Yes, certainly yes.

91. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? No

92. Wanted to kill someone ever? No

93. Among your blog mates, whom would you like to kiss? Absurd question.

94. Committed a blunder and regretted later? I don't think so.

95. Wanted to steal your friend's boyfriend / girlfriend? Noooo.

Associate with something you wear:

96. White: Kurtha

97. Black: Churidhar

98. Red: combined with black makes excellent salwar

99. Pink: a lighter version for nail polish

100. Posting this as 100 Truths? Good.

Hope i have given genuine answers

Second Tag.........

Been tagged by Satish again..........

I have tried my best to give genuine answers...


1. Last drink: Coffee

2. Last phone call: My kid's friend's mother.

3. Last text message: A message from my aathukarar.

4. Last song you listened to: "Nenje Nenje " while drinking coffee from FM

5. Last time you cried: May 7th. When my kid had tonsillitis operation
HAVE YOU EVER...

6. Dated someone twice: Didn't get a chance..

7. Been cheated upon? Cheated - many times by street-vendors and all the time by shopping malls.

8. Kissed someone & regretted it? Never.

9. Lost someone special? Yes, more than once.
Been depressed? Long time ago, not in the immediate past.

11. Been drunk and threw up?So far naaa.... ;)

LIST THREE FAVOURITE COLOURS:
12. White
13. Black
14. Orange

FIRSTS :
15. Made new friends: Yes, a colleague of my husband , now our best friend.

16. Fallen out of love: Not at all ... Still in love. Going steadily

17. Laughed until you cried: With my aathukarar its a constant phenomenon. Man.... He is incredible.

18. Met someone who changed you: My neighbours in triplicane. They brought the humour and liveliness in me out

19. Found out who your true friends were: Iam unlucky as far as friends are concerned. My aathukarar is my best friend.

20. Found out someone was talking about you: It always happens when u r the odd one out in the family.

HAVE/YOU:
21. Kissed anyone on your friend's list: Nope.

22. How many people on your friends list do you know in real life: Almost all, except 1 or 2. I have not seen them even once.

23. How many kids do you want to have: 2

24. Do you have any pets: No, Iam allergic to them.

25. Do you want to change your name: NOT AT ALL

26. What did you do for your last birthday: Went to temple with my family

27. What time did you wake up today: 5:30 AM.

28. What were you doing at midnight last night: I was preparing the project given to my son to
be prepared during the holidays. Topic is "ACTIVITIES DONE DURING SUMMER" I always do things in the last minute. And today being our wedding anniversary me and my aathukarar wished each other.

29. Name something you CANNOT wait for: To own a house with garden.

30. Last time you saw your father: Two days before.

31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life: I always think everything
happens only for the good. So no regrets in my life.

32. Most visited web page: My kids school web page

What’s your:
33. Name: Chennai girl

34. Nicknames: same as above

35. Zodiac sign: Capricorn

36. Male or female or transgender: Female

37. Elementary: SVSS

38. School: SVSS

39. Colleges: Ethiraj College

40. Hair color: Black

41. Long or short: Short

42. Height: 5 2"

43. Do you have a crush on someone? Yes I do.

44. Ever been in love? Yes, unfortunately married him too.

45. Piercings? Ears. When I was 1 yr old

46. Tattoos? Naaa..

47. Righty or lefty: Righty

48. First surgery: Only the C-section.

49. First piercing: Ears

50. First best friend: My childhood friend in school. Though no regular contacts we feel we have been in touch regularly when we meet.

Any one who find it interesting can tag themselves

Reminiscing about kancheepuram

After a gap of about 12 years i visited the city. So much has changed in the temple city. Its the native town of my aathukarars as well mine. Though we were born and brought up here , our parents and their parents were associated with this city.
The city is crowded with more number of one-ways in force, thanks to the likes of NOKIA and SAINT GOBAIN and all the mushrooms in the corridor. The land price has leaped forward from a mere 2 lakhs per ground to 40 lakhs in a decade. All Saravana bhavans and Saravana stores are queuing up to put their foot in the available commercial spaces. Car showrooms and Titan gold showrooms have made their way into the city with the sole aim of capitalising the tourism there.
All cars both big and small are zooming across the city. And regardless of the public transport which is aplenty , unlike chennai, share-autos do brisk business in this city.
Even as i say about the modernization of the city, the city still retains its charm with the ever-popular car-festivals and the Urchavams. Its still a treat to watch the thear and the pallakku of the perumal going around the city and the people thronging alongside to get the blessings of the perumal. And not to mention about the local holiday declared on garuda sevai. People's humanity is at its peak when they offer the home-made thayir sadams and puliodarais with the butter-milk. Living in apartment culture, it was a different experience for me to meet relatives and friends every step and nook and corner on the way to shopping. In my fathers co-operative society , all the staffs thronged to see his daughter, son-in-law and grand-son.Also,it was a new experience for me and my kid watching hundreds of people waiting in the temple grounds with all the kattu-satham and murukku .
But, we were unable to visit the moolavar due to the death of a little boy in the temple tank. That incident, they say is a regular every year. When they say it is a common one, why cant they make necessary arrangements to prevent them. By rather restricting the area after the incidents, they can cordon off the entire area during these festivals. And not to mention the cruelty rendered to the animals especially the elephants. I have this phobia, that is imagining all the ways by which things might go wrong.
Same thing happened with respect to elephants. When i saw the mahout beating the elephant with the sticks i started thinking " What would happen if suddenly the elephant gets mad and runs among the crowd" With the thinking cropping in my mind i started walking out fast with a hand firm on my kids shoulders. I was not able to breathe till the minute i was out of the vicinity of the temple.
The next day, there is this thanga pallakku oorvalam. On that day, the lord is taken around the city in the thanga pallakku and rested in mandapams on the way for few minutes for the people to get darshan. During this procession perumal would rest only in temple mandapams and this is known as "mandagapadi". In the whole city, our home is the only house where mandagapadi takes place in the big thoradu of our house, other than temple mandapam. The story dates back to my great-great-grandfather. He was a ardent perumal fan. And when after few generations they decided to stop the mandagapadi taking place in the house my great-grandfather went and fell on his stomach flatly before the perumal and requested to continue the practice. So till today the mandagapadi continues.
On the whole, it was a rejuvenating experience for me and my kid enjoyed each and every hour spent there.

Results

As I was following the 10th results for my cousin as well for few others my thoughts went back. I was reminiscing the d-day exactly 12 yrs ago.

Today literally my grand mother was chewing her nails and was before the tv to see the timings of the declaration of the results. I donot remember her the same way on that d-day. Still the scene unfolds before me clearly.


I was sleeping late and didnt wake up till 8.00 and suddenly heard my friends voice who had come all the way from velachery to my house to pick me up on the way. So, I went with her. And as i reached the school it was crowded cos in those days we didnt have the internet facility and we should only look for marks in the school notice board. So, when one of my friend told me that i had scored 85 % i was happy. For an above-average student like me it was a gift beautifuly wrapped considering my preparations... Know what i went to the cool romantic HUM APKE HAIN KAUN before my maths exam. Should i call it arrogance or over-confidence or careless towards studies. Whatever it may be i was glad and couldnt express my feelings, since i didnt know the value much.

But when i reached home it all fell flat on my face. There was no one to acknowledge in the least about my ACHIEVEMENT. Though my grandmother was happy she didnt really feel the impact of my CBSE scoring. Comparing with todays scenario its not a big score but that hardly mattered those days.

It was one of the early moments in my life where i really missed having my own family much, though i grew up in a joint family with more than 12 members. Nobody seemed excited nor impressed with my performance. Only when one of my friends mother came with a box of sweet to our next door tuition master did I realise how important the results were to the parents. And when he introduced me to his mother quoting my marks she gave me the sweets praising me this and that.... oh u have got such good marks in CBSE thts too wonderfullll......

It was the first sweet i got that day.....

I felt like laughing when one of my friend complained that her downstairs neighbour never congratulated her. I then thought about my house full of uncles their wives ....

Just reminiscing the past though i feel always its good to recall the good moments rather the bad ones. Sometimes, even the bad ones give you the morale booster for our climb in the ladder. Thats how i give a pat to myself.

It took me about a week to complete this post so the impact has been less.

Dilemma

Well, Its been a long time since i wrote my last post. Holidays for the kids are meant to keep the parents busy. And in addition to this the year ending finalisation too had taken the toll. Keeping my hands full.
My current biggest threat is TV. Whatever methods i adopt , iam unable to control him against watching TV. I have tried giving him paintings and crayons and other toys. How much ever i indulge him it hardly comes to 2 - 3 hrs and rest of the time he is into watching TV. In the evenings again after playing with his friend for 2 hrs again the same routine.
Naane avana TV paarka vidama irukkanumnu kashta pattundu iruntha ennoda aathukarar samatha poi avanukku oru TV video game vangi kuduthittar. Ahem!!!! Innum kekkanumaa ... Avvalavuthaan Pogo maathina chutti TV atha maathina Video games appadinnu TV ye gathiya irukkan.
Planning to put him from May in summer camp and some dance class. But again oru threat for my plan. Since he has adenoids, doctor has advised to go for a minor surgery for him. It has to scheduled in May. The very idea gives me jitters. Avanukku vaccination pottale enakku kanla thanni vanthurum. Athuvum enga paatti kekkave vendaam. En paiyanukku ethavathu illness na avanga one week paduthuruvaanga . So rendu peraiyum eppadi manage panrathunnu theiryala.Keeping my fingers crossed cos doctor said he would decide after seeing the x-ray. We should go and see him tomorrow again.And moreover, if i have to do this surgery i should keep him in rest at least for a week i suppose. Then i cannot put him in all these classes. So again after the surgery same old routine.

Enna panrathunne theriyala, paarkalaaam.....