It hits you as soon you get off the plane... the heat that the A/c desperately tries to cool down. A sweet looking lady with a smile, big red bindi and a chandan dash stamps our passports as Suprabhatham plays mildly on a player on her counter.
As we walk out the airport, we see happy familiar faces. My nose picks up sweat, sandalwood, urine and jasmine all at the same time. My older one giggles at a paid public toilet remembering a comical scene from a Tamil movie we recently watched. Little one is thrilled to ride in the front seat with Thatha.
I point out the dilapidated building which was the RTO where i got my learning license. We pass the IIT campus where I spent two glorious years of my life and the street down which a good friend lived. My eyes search for the building that used to be the Adyar NIIT center. My dad asks, 'do you remember this temple?' Of course, that's where we did the pooja for my kinetic honda. i see bus stops where i've spent countless hours waiting for 47s, 29s and 5s. New stores and construction take the places of old familiar spots. Ramprasad Hotel is now Zon...something multi cuisine. Rukmini bakery is still there! My home...Happy Home... the jasmine creeper, the new car, the clothes lines on the balcony. my room... posters of Anil Kumble and fido dido replaced with my daughters' pictures.
As i sip a cup of amma's filter coffee, appa brings back Sambhar Vadai from Rambhavan. Now the welcome is complete...
Friday, June 3, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Fever
I thought I was immune to it. I was wrong. I mean, I had not caught it for more than ten years now...since i moved to USA. Back in India, I used to fall prey to it frequently, missing many a school, college and work days. My mom used to go crazy when my dad, my brother and I all caught it at the same time. She was immune to it. Still is. It won't touch her.
This time, it was obvious from many friends' status updates that they had caught it early on. Phone calls to home and cousins in India made it clear that it was already rampant there. You couldn't catch it over the internet or phone...could you?
But then, co-workers started showing symptoms too. Well, how much damage could they do? After all, I only work part-time.
I am pretty sure I caught it from my brother and his wife who came home on a weekend visit. I knew the minute they stepped into the house that they both had a full blown case of it. It was waking up my brother in the middle on the night. Hubby had apparently tried to mask his symptoms all this while.
But by mid-week of spring break, even I could not keep it under wraps. I had the fever - the cricket fever! All symptoms came back flaring right on time for the India - Pakistan show down and the finals. My daughters were annoyed that mom and dad were hogging the computer and the TV. They were dumb struck at their parents high fiving and dancing around in circles in the family room. They can't believe that we watch highlights after highlights after highlights of the same matches.
It's been an awesome feeling catching the cricket fever all over again. Guess this time around, what with the IPL and all, it is going to last a while. I just hope it lasts long enough for my daughters to catch it too...
This time, it was obvious from many friends' status updates that they had caught it early on. Phone calls to home and cousins in India made it clear that it was already rampant there. You couldn't catch it over the internet or phone...could you?
But then, co-workers started showing symptoms too. Well, how much damage could they do? After all, I only work part-time.
I am pretty sure I caught it from my brother and his wife who came home on a weekend visit. I knew the minute they stepped into the house that they both had a full blown case of it. It was waking up my brother in the middle on the night. Hubby had apparently tried to mask his symptoms all this while.
But by mid-week of spring break, even I could not keep it under wraps. I had the fever - the cricket fever! All symptoms came back flaring right on time for the India - Pakistan show down and the finals. My daughters were annoyed that mom and dad were hogging the computer and the TV. They were dumb struck at their parents high fiving and dancing around in circles in the family room. They can't believe that we watch highlights after highlights after highlights of the same matches.
It's been an awesome feeling catching the cricket fever all over again. Guess this time around, what with the IPL and all, it is going to last a while. I just hope it lasts long enough for my daughters to catch it too...
Sunday, March 6, 2011
TV vs. Books
i know research says watching TV is not so good for growing children's brains. But I am a tv and movie fanatic and will watch anything that has even a remote story line - although movie songs, crime drama, avatar (for now) are my favorites. I used to fake sickness and bunk saturday half day school so that i could watch the regional film that DD used to telecast on those mornings and i didn't even understand the language! I used to refuse to go out with my mother on Friday evenings in order to catch the ever famous 'Oliyum Oliyum'. My mom used to say, "if only someone invented a small tv that can be worn around the neck, i would get her one!"
And mangoes don't fall far from the tree. my daughters crave their tv and movie time. We watched tonnes of movies (thanks to redbox) over the summer and became iCarly and Avatar fans. iCarly was subsequently banned as my younger daughter picked up a lot of objectionable language and attitude from that show.
But coming to the subject, of late, i've been thinking how watching tv is so much better than reading books - especially from a mom's point of view.
TV comes to your home. Books have to brought home from the library in heavy bags.
The TV sits in one place. you never have to go looking for it(hunting for the remote, however, is a different issue). Books seem to get all over the place and you can never find it when you are in the mood to read.
The tv shows actually have healthy ad breaks, during which time, the kids can use the bathroom and do small chores around the house. It is very hard to get them to put a book down once they are into it.
And you can eat and watch tv at the same time. Although i've perfected the art of eating and reading a book at the same time, my kids have a long way to go. There are books in our house whose pages are stained yellow with turmeric.
When they watch a tv show, 90% of the time, i am watching with them too. So I can go stand in front of the tv when there is any smooching on and help protect my babies' innocence. But I can't control what they are reading. It is becoming increasingly difficult for me to read all the books that my daughters bring from the library before letting them read.
And watching TV counts as quality family time. you can laugh, cry, be scared and embarrassed as a family. how can four people read the same book at the same time?
And finally, until they invent a remote for our kids, we can indirectly control them using the tv remote! and which mom does not want that!
And mangoes don't fall far from the tree. my daughters crave their tv and movie time. We watched tonnes of movies (thanks to redbox) over the summer and became iCarly and Avatar fans. iCarly was subsequently banned as my younger daughter picked up a lot of objectionable language and attitude from that show.
But coming to the subject, of late, i've been thinking how watching tv is so much better than reading books - especially from a mom's point of view.
TV comes to your home. Books have to brought home from the library in heavy bags.
The TV sits in one place. you never have to go looking for it(hunting for the remote, however, is a different issue). Books seem to get all over the place and you can never find it when you are in the mood to read.
The tv shows actually have healthy ad breaks, during which time, the kids can use the bathroom and do small chores around the house. It is very hard to get them to put a book down once they are into it.
And you can eat and watch tv at the same time. Although i've perfected the art of eating and reading a book at the same time, my kids have a long way to go. There are books in our house whose pages are stained yellow with turmeric.
When they watch a tv show, 90% of the time, i am watching with them too. So I can go stand in front of the tv when there is any smooching on and help protect my babies' innocence. But I can't control what they are reading. It is becoming increasingly difficult for me to read all the books that my daughters bring from the library before letting them read.
And watching TV counts as quality family time. you can laugh, cry, be scared and embarrassed as a family. how can four people read the same book at the same time?
And finally, until they invent a remote for our kids, we can indirectly control them using the tv remote! and which mom does not want that!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
the joys of lullaby singing...
I get my love for singing from my parents. My dad had a grand collection of MGR and Sivaji songs along with Osibisa and Boney M. on cassette tape that he used to make us listen and he would sing along. We also listened to 'Ungal Viruppam' on the radio every morning. Oliyum Oliyum on Fridays and later Chitrahaar and Superhit Muqabula used to be our most favorite shows on DD. My mom had her own favorite songs from when she was younger and would hum those songs every now and then although she was generally disappointed with the practice of film songs blaring in the morning instead of 'Subrabhatham'. With this kind of influence, I had numerous film songs committed to memory that helped me win many rounds of anthankshari.
When my first one was born, I put all my singing talent to use. I sang her to sleep every single time. I got bored with 'Rock a bye baby' and 'Hush little baby' very soon and looked up my vast film song database for baby soothing songs. I ended up with 'Thenpaandi Cheemaiyile' (Nayagan), 'Kanne Kalaimaane' (Moondram Pirai) and 'So Gaya Yeh Jahaan' (Tezaab). My little one took a great liking to these songs and I used the same songs for my second one too.
It has been almost four years since i sang my girls to sleep when last week, one night, out of the blue, my little one asked me - 'Amma, can you sing me to sleep?' The girls and me were reading in my room, as do every night for about fifteen minutes before they go to their rooms. I was thrilled and I started with 'So Gaya'. As i finished that song, my older one, who i thought was reading and not paying attention said, 'Can you sing the 'Kanne Kalaimaane' song?' I did and with great pleasure, noticed her tapping her hand to the beat of the song. Before the song was done, my little one was fast asleep. I would like to think it was my singing.... not the fact that she was super tired from a 40 minute swimming lesson earlier that evening that lulled her to sleep.
When my first one was born, I put all my singing talent to use. I sang her to sleep every single time. I got bored with 'Rock a bye baby' and 'Hush little baby' very soon and looked up my vast film song database for baby soothing songs. I ended up with 'Thenpaandi Cheemaiyile' (Nayagan), 'Kanne Kalaimaane' (Moondram Pirai) and 'So Gaya Yeh Jahaan' (Tezaab). My little one took a great liking to these songs and I used the same songs for my second one too.
It has been almost four years since i sang my girls to sleep when last week, one night, out of the blue, my little one asked me - 'Amma, can you sing me to sleep?' The girls and me were reading in my room, as do every night for about fifteen minutes before they go to their rooms. I was thrilled and I started with 'So Gaya'. As i finished that song, my older one, who i thought was reading and not paying attention said, 'Can you sing the 'Kanne Kalaimaane' song?' I did and with great pleasure, noticed her tapping her hand to the beat of the song. Before the song was done, my little one was fast asleep. I would like to think it was my singing.... not the fact that she was super tired from a 40 minute swimming lesson earlier that evening that lulled her to sleep.
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