Quick Math

My parents are here with us, spoiling my daughters rotten and enjoying it thoroughly. About a week after their arrival, one afternoon, my mom was trying all her best to get my younger one to finish her lunch, when my dad announced that he would give her a dollar if she ate her lunch.
She was done in a minute and was thrilled when my dad kept his promise. She hugged him and declared that he was the 'bestest' grandpa in the world. I only had one word for him - 'Beware'.
The next day, she collected another dollar and brought the two dollars that she 'earned' with her when I took her and my dad to the store. As I was driving, she asked me what she could buy with her money. I told her that two dollars will buy her some candy or some hair barrettes, maybe.
'How much will a camera cost?' - she asked. A camera has been on her wish list for a long time.
'A hundred dollars'
'How long is thatha going to stay with us?'

Kudumba Maanam (Family Reputation)

It was two years ago... the Tamil movie Sivaji came to town and we (me and my daughters) were super excited to go see it at the theater. my husband said it would be a waste of his time and our money. we ditched him and went with our friends and had a gala time. About three months later, the 100th day showing of the same movie came to the theaters. And this time around, our nephew (hubby's sister's son) was visiting us from India and we roped him in to see the movie again. Hubby could not refuse and reluctantly agreed to go. That saturday morning as we were having coffee, he said ' I had a dream last night... that you were dancing down the theater aisles during the movie...my nephew is shocked and he tells all about that to my mom and sister'! 'you are not planning to do anything like that... are you?' he asked quietly. News about what i did during the movie the first time must have come trickling down through some of our friends... not much.. just shouting a couple of open threats at the guy who says 'Sivaji must be hanged' or something similar and at suman who taunts Sivaji for being a bus conductor and a few high pitched howls whenever Sivaji uttered a punch dialogue. So that was what was bothering him. I just smiled smugly at him.

We were at the movie finally. At Rajini's first scene on the screen and every time he did something awesome (which was pretty often), i only had to look at my daughters... with all the accuracy that comes only with two weeks of practice, they threw both their hands up in air in front of them and screamed at the top of their lungs 'THALAIVAAAAA'!

Epic(s) Meeting

I told the story of Arjuna being the best archer to my younger daughter. About how he can shoot at the eye of a toy bird (it can't be a real bird... she won't let me continue the story...she will grieve the death of the bird for a day.) by looking at its reflection in a pond. The next day, it was the story of Vishwamitra asking Dasaratha to send Rama and Lakshmana with him to fight the demons so that he can perform his yagna. Dasaratha hesitates to send his young sons and instead offers his army.

Vishwamitra insists on taking the boys with him. She asks me, 'why can't he just take that guy who can shoot at the eye of the bird... did he live far away?'

The antibiotics of life

There was this Tamil movie i saw on DD when i was 12 or 13. Thengai Srinivasan is the hero. He is disease ridden and lying on his death bed with a side table full of medications. Lord Krishna, played by none other than N T Rama Rao is sitting on bed making thengai realise that he is suffering because of all the sins he committed in his life. This is the conversation that goes on....

Krishna: Do you realise why you are suffering like this?
thengai : Why?
Krishna: Because of all the bad things you did in your life...
thengai: I don't believe that.
Krishna: You are taking all these medications...
thengai: So...
Krishna: What is this one here called?
thengai: Erythromycin.
Krishna: Erythro what?
thengai: mycin.
Krishna: This one?
thengai: Zythromycin.
Krishna: Zythro what?
thengai: mycin.
Krishna: And this one?
thengai: Someothermycin.
Krishna: Someother what?
thengai: MYCIN.

And thengai suddenly realises what Krishna is trying to say.
This scene has played in my mind every time i was prescribed antibiotics over the years.
Last week, i was down with pneumonia and the doctor ordered a fresh round of antibiotics - and you know what, this time the mycins were much bigger than i ever remember.