Road Trip Day 3 - Jaipur - Ajmer - Jodhpur

Day 3 could be summarized as loud and noisy! Noise of different kinds and types. Some tangible, some not. 

It started off at midnight with a tummy ache. Not me. N. Don't know the exact reason but maybe because of all the eating at so many places, the water and sitting for long hours. So in the dead of the night I walked to the parking lot to find Imli (tamarind) goli from the car. Two of those and some brisk walking in the room resulted in some burps and farts and all was well with the little tummy. Thank god it was gas and nothing worse.

We left Jaipur around 10 am. All the previous day's shopping had to be loaded into the car which takes time, you see. Drove straight to Ajmer Sharif with a loo stop on the way. 

On the way we passed a couple of toll stations and educated the toll walas on a statutory law which ensures that serving army officers and their dependent families are exempted from paying toll. Ex-servicemen are not exempt but serving officers and families are. I know the exact rule number too by now - Act 1901. It took about 30 minutes, looking through the official toll rule book, diverting an entire lane of 20 cars and trucks to other lanes, some noisy verbal exchanges between a dozen people to finally educate the toll company about the exact rule. All this happened because my dad works with a toll company in Punjab and knows the rules inside out and he couldn't tolerate someone twisting the rule to their benefit. Sigh! The downside of too much knowledge. 

At Ajmer Sharif the area surrounding the dargah is narrow, crowded and mismanaged. No proper parking outside. Dozens of people approach you to "help" with parking in multiple mini lanes and narrow restricted spaces. Once you are in there is no proper place to keep your shoes and again you can take any shopkeeper or flower seller's help to keep your shoes with them while you pay your respects inside. No guarantee for your footwear though. There was chaos, noise and I felt distracted. The entire process could be done in a whole lot of better ways but then faith and belief trumps everything, I guess. It was nice visiting the place again but I would have liked to remember visiting the place for reasons other than I do. There were no cameras allowed inside only mobile phones and so no pictures from that part. 

Reached Jodhpur at around 5 pm after a lunch break at a roadside dhaba. The food was a little spicy again but delicious nonetheless. 

Jodhpur brought back a lot of memories and we did see a few places in the army cantonment which we had been to earlier. 

Tomorrow we plan to revisit some more old haunts and maybe shop some too :) 

The commotion in the first half of the day resulted in peace, quiet and some sleep in the second half. 

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Rajasthan by road!

I have been travelling across countries and within India since last December. It started with the Sydney-Thailand trip last Christmas, followed by the move to India in Jan this year.
Once in India, I spent some time in Faridabad, Delhi, Bathinda, Bangalore and Chandigarh. Not more than a week anywhere though!
At first I thought I would get tired of the living-out-of-a-suitcase and getting-used-to-new-accommodations part very soon. But it has been pretty OK. It helps that the kid has grown up, relatively speaking, and is in general cooperative about seeing new places and meeting family (new people for him).

The next travel bit is a road trip to Rajasthan. It starts tomorrow and we plan to go from Bathinda, in Punjab to Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner, in Rajasthan. We have stayed in Jodhpur for 3 years when my father was posted there while he was serving in the Army. I was 10 years old then.  We did travel across Rajasthan that time too and so a lot of memories will be revisited.
The road trippers include me, N, my sister, mother and father. Dad wanted to take the family out for a trip. According to him it is not very often that we get together like this and so this is a perfect opportunity :) Both his sons-in-law are away on their own business/work trips. So it's just the 5 of us. I will try to do a daily post with the highlights and if possible (network speed permitting) daily pictures.

6 days, 5 nights, some 1350 kms, 4 grown ups, 1 kid and a Scorpio.
The music is ready, maps have been printed, bags packed, car loaded and munching stuff collected.
Now it is get, set and go in the morning!!  Looking forward to it!! :)

This picture was taken in Sydney downtown. It represents movement, travel, activity and buzz to me. Life is like this - it doesn't stand still, even if we do!!

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Busy Bee

Busy is good. Busy is fun. Busy is tiring too! We have been up to a lot lately :) 

I wrote a guest post for ShopHealthy's blog. It is my recipe for Oatmeal and Walnut cookies, a slightly healthy-er version :) Check it out here! For the un-initiated, ShopHealthy.in is an online market place for all things healthy!! They deliver to almost everywhere in India. You can buy everything at one place, check out recipes and share yours too. It is a blogger friend's venture with her husband, in their quest to pay more attention to what they eat. Like they say, eat well, feel well and live well!

N has started a 5 day week at his school/kindy (kindergarten, as a lot of us call them). His earlier schedule of 3 days a week wasn't going too well with him or me. It was actually a bit unsettling. It feels much better now. He gets to play, learn and burn out the testosterone! I get time to clean, cook, read, write and watch Grey's Anatomy (we shall come to that in a bit!). Weekends seem to be a bit busy with trying to fit in the visit to the library, beach (summer is here in NZ), play area, skate park and hiking but that is good! 

I have started volunteering at a local community shelter. For now, once a week. Its a new experience and something I wanted to do some day. I have the time and perfect opportunity now. I look forward to learn something, to share and to broaden my horizons. I believe every time we do something new we learn a lot about ourselves too - our strengths, weaknesses. We test our beliefs, value system and even add a new skill to our repertoire! 

S started playing in a local cricket league, which I am very happy about. This way, he gets to play his fave sport, it helps him to stay fit, sometimes injured too (yes, when cricketers in their mid-30s try to take catches as if they were in their early-20s, they end up hurting themselves!!). He also gets some time away from me and N doing something that he likes which we all like to do in this family. 

I started watching this TV drama series - Grey's Anatomy which I have become hooked to ever since I saw Season 1, episode 1. Am totally loving it, finished Season 1 and on to the 2nd season now. 

I have been doing some fun cooking and a lot of cuisines - some new pastas, salads, pizzas,  frittatas, Mexican quesadillas and corn salad, desi gobhi parathas and dry choley veggie and grilled asparagus (yummy!). The husband says "I like it when you cook, keep at it." Why wouldn't he? He gets to eat all of it ;) 

N and I are doing pretty good this year in the 2012 PaperTigers Reading Challenge! Read details here... :) 

N has started reading and writing some words/letters. He is showing some great drawing skills too *Note the proud mommy effect*. He signed off Thank You cards for his birthday party with his name. 
He also co-relates things very well and has a fantastic memory in terms of things, places and people (but we do not r'ber mommy's instructions. Now that would make life so simple for mommy, and we wouldn't want it, would we?) 

Being busy is good, it makes vacations and days-off so much more fun!! Looking forward to a big, fun break in December with a lovely set of friends. 

Stay busy, stay happy!!

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N turns 4 and a tad cuter and wiser!

N turned 4 last week and with that S and I breathed a sigh of partial relief. Yay!! we made it through the terrible threes. But wait what might the 4s bring?
Then I read somewhere - " If 3-year-olds are busy, inquisitive, and fun, 4-year-olds are all that, magnified — yet with a budding maturity, self-control, and understanding of rules that help make life a bit calmer." I hope so. 
The 3s have been very demanding. But I can already feel the 4s being more pleasant :) 

When we were talking about how he would like to spend the day. He didn't really have a list of wants. He did not mention the word party. But he continued to scan every toy/gizmo/vehicle around him and let us know that he would like to get it as his birthday gift.  He was told to choose any 2 things - one from mum, one from dad. He did spend a lot of time thinking about what to choose using the phrases "Thinking", "Still thinking", "Still Still thinking" and ultimately chose some decent (subjective, I know!) gifts. On the actual birth day, we took him to an indoor soft play area that he loves. It was bright, colourful and happy and N enjoyed it with friends. 

We were reading a book a few nights before his birthday. It was about a boy named Angus who shares food from a goods train with people who need it rather than the rich and full, royal family. We do the "What did you learn/like/dislike discussion for the books we read?" And so N said "Mamma, it is a good thing to share things with people who don't have them. I would do that." That motivated me to walk in to my local soup kitchen/community kitchen for people who don't have homes, here in Wellington and I asked about what kind of donations they accept. They said pretty much anything was welcome. I asked N if he would love to share some of his birthday cake with them. He liked the idea!! So we ordered a big cake... 

... and decided to donate it to the soup kitchen after the party. We went to the kitchen after his birthday party and the staff and volunteers there were pleased and wanted to show N the place. His favourite part was the huge walk-in freezer, as big as our master bedroom. 

May the sharing and kind spirit continue. God bless you N!! 

I love this poem by Kahlil Gibran and I hope I can follow it while raising N.

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

~ Source here

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The best compliment ever

I visited a fellow blogger - Sarika of Kraftaria today evening and N tagged along too. 
Once we were there N said hello to Sarika and her daughters. And then proceeded to play with the younger daughter while the mommies were chatting.
He likes to ask names so his first usual question when meeting someone new is "Whatsh your name?" followed by "My name is N".  He did that with the girls too.
After a few minutes I got up to leave and told N to say bye bye.
He grabbed hold of a small stuffed toy and said "I want to keep dis back". Saying this he ran to keep the stuffed toy back at the place where he picked it from. Said bye to everyone and came and stood next to me.
At this point Sarika's elder daughter K says "He knows his manners aunty!"

You should have seen my face beaming with pride and happiness :)
Couldn't have received a more genuine and honest compliment - coming from a 4th grader it felt sweet as in hard-work-pays-off sweet!! 

Thanks K. You made my day!! :)

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A new beginning

Any new beginning is like a baby - you wait for it in anticipation, you love and treasure it, you give it all you have, you like to see it grow and prosper and you want the best for it always!
This is exactly how I feel about the RedRiver.
After a year long sabbatical from active work life I have joined the Red River in its goal to make lives better. It is a break away from my field - I was in IT earlier.
The Red River is a mission based organization with socio-economic goals. It was founded in June 2009 by a very dear friend - Kakoli Das. The Red River links weavers of the North Eastern India to sustainable markets, thereby increasing sustainable incomes.
We do home decor & lifestyle products, fashion accessories and corporate gifts.

To find out more about what we do check us out
on FB - http://www.facebook.com/TheRedRiver
or at our website - http://www.theredriver.in/
or at our blog - http://www.onthebankoftheredriver.blogspot.com/

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Talk to me

"Come. Sit. Talk to me. What's your plan today mamma?" - This is what N said to me while gazing into my eyes.
I was surprised, bemused, amazed and laughing out loud - all at the same time.

Apparently this was S's version of man-to-man conversation with N while mommy was out shopping.

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N & emotions

I came back home from a mini-shopping trip. N ran up to give me a hug.  He smiled and said "Mamma, N love Mamma". This was after I showed him the 2 new books I got for him - wonder if it was the books or sheer love for me.

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Me watching some tear jerker on the idiot box - I think it was Masterchef India (well I cry at anything remotely emotional) so stop laughing. N looking at me and the tv set (think spectator watching tennis ball to and fro). N tells S (who is in the room, yet, miles away reading the newspaper) "Daddy cooking aunty sad, mamma sad also".

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N was read the riot act by S one evening. N walks up to his room and sits on his chair both hands supporting the chin, face glum. I ask him "What happened baby?".
"Mamma N not talking Daddy. Daddy loud. N upset".

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By The Water Cooler - our love story

It was my first out-of-the-country-trip for work. I went on an assignment to Los Angeles for my now ex-employer. I was enjoying the whole experience of being independent, being overseas and doing the onsite-offshore work thing.
                                                                                It must have been a few weeks into my trip when I was working late one evening. One of my team leads walked into my cubicle with a sheaf of papers in hand. I didn't work with him directly - we were on separate projects.

He - "I want to talk to you about something".
Me - "Yes, tell me."
He - "Not here, lets go to a conference room."

I was slightly perplexed about why would he want to talk to me. Then I noticed the set of papers in his hand - they belonged to a project I had worked on a few weeks back when I just landed in LA. The launch hadn't gone all that well and there were a few bugs found post launch.
             My mind started working frantically - he was going to tell me to pull my socks up. I should have been more dilligent about my work instead of being so happy to be in the US of A. I followed him; my head bowed down, my heart pounding like a hammer, twidling my thumbs. As luck would have it the conference rooms were all booked so we walked past them one after the other. He said "Lets use the dining area." I went numb thinking "Oh shoot! Now I'll be reprimanded in front of everyone!"
                                                           Thankfully there was no one in the dining area at that hour. We sat down - me as far away from him as possible. I am sure anyone within 5 feet could hear my heart beating. He started speaking " Since the last 15 days...." and I wished I could hide somewhere. Ofcourse I had been having fun since the last 15 days - trips to malls, lunch at a new place everyday, weekend trips with friends, work was the last thing on my mind.
                          ".....I have been feeling very differently about you. I like you." Wait a minute!!! Whaat! This is not what he was supposed to say. I sat gaping at him. I couldn't utter a word for about a minute, seemed like ages that time. He continued on with what was his version of proposing to me :))
I was relieved at first that this wasn't about me not working properly et all. Then came in the happy-in-my-heart feeling!

What happened after that is another story altogether (and maybe another post) but eventually we are together now with a very active 2 year old! Even today when I think of that day I end up smiling.
Our love story started literally by the water cooler ;)

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This is my entry to Parul Sharma's "By The Water Cooler" contest.  Check out the link for a sneak peek into what her new book is all about!

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Terrible Twos

"I swear I am not going to take N out with me after today!" This is what I was feeling at the supermarket today evening.
It was a crazy, embarrasing and feel-helpless kind of situation :(

N spotted a toy car that he wanted to touch and play with and then he refused to let go of it when we were ready to go home.

S & I haven't seen this side of him. Lately he has been throwing tantrums and showing resistance to our usual methods of distraction or discipline.

I felt so helpless. A friend's FB status came to mind - "At times I have to remind myself that I am the adult and I need to stay calm".
Finally we did shorten our trip and left the store. Once we were outside he was distracted by cars and buses and forgot about the toy.
Next time before we go out, I am going to talk to him about where we are going, what we shall be doing and what is allowed. Hopefully that shall help!

Have you ever faced such a situation with your little one(s)?

Any suggestions on handling the terrible twos?
:-|

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Lessons in life

Children teach us so much by being themselves!

They don't judge a person.
They are willing to give you a 2nd chance, even a 3rd, 4th and a 5th one.
They form their own opinions and don't go by what people say.
They don't criticise you.
They trust you with all their heart.

I wish I could do some of these things as an adult.

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Of thank you(s) and please(s)

N gets mango juice one evening - his treat after a tiring play session at the park.
I get back to whatever I am doing.
After a few minutes, N is standing at the kitchen door looking at me.
He says "Zaankyu, mama" in that sing song baby voice.
I grin from ear to ear :)
First time ever that N said thank you without prompting.
Modelling behaviour definitely works!

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Restless, overwhelmed

These 2 words describe me best right now.
Its been like this for the past few days.
There is this feeling of doing something, a spark somewhere and a dream to follow.
But there are a lot of thoughts too and I need to sort them and pick the one I love most from the pile!
I need to implement my vision practically and not lose this burst of energy and ideas.
Hopefully this phase shall result in something good and not crash like a big ocean wave!

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