School's Out For Summer!

Another school year, lots of ups and downs, and Ana is bracing herself for the transition from regular school hours to no-schedule vacation days.

Unlike last year, she seems a little more aware and adjusted, as expected.

Not sure what we'll do over summer... last year we went to India for the full 3 months. I am staying home this summer to be with the kids - no work, possibly some play...

My childhood summers were very open-ended and lazy... and left to my own devices, I remember getting quite creative and trying my hand at cooking, sewing, arts/crafts. I visited my cousins and spent weeks with them in a different city, away from my own home. Leaves from the resident Ashoka tree got strung together with twine to make a perfectly great tribal skirt; leaves of the mango tree with some cardboard and staplers became the crown; a dupatta became the flowing cape/train fit for royalty. And I played alone most of the time but never felt alone. Just my personality, I guess.

None of the adults in the family fretted about keeping us entertained and occupied all the time. We had plenty of food, plenty of play time, practically zero television time, and we kept ourselves free of boredom somehow. And it was OK to sit out on the porch, sipping buttermilk or lemonade, watching the crows and sparrows, doing nothing... er, nothing visibly productive that is.

I wish the same for Ana.

However, the primary difference from my childhood is that even with nuclear family, there were always visitors dropping by, and extra-wonderful neighbors, I felt safe to play with the kids in my neighborhood, walk down to the neighborhood store to get a Popsicle, stay outdoors from sun-up to sun-down, when I knew I had to be home for the 'vilakketthal' - i.e., lighting of the oil lamps at twilight, a ritual my mom initiated me into, which signified the end of outdoor activities and quiet reflective time at home till dinner and bedtime.

Poor Ana does not get play-dates, no neighborhood kids her age to mingle with, has only little Oggie to bother/play-with, and looks to me for company and outings. Such is the reality we find ourselves in today.

My inner child fights with the responsible adult and gets thwarted when Ana invites me to play with her, citing authority reasons, not to mention monopoly of my attention in the face of Oggie's highly vocal demands, and the fact that age has successfully suffocated the little girl in me.

I don't plan to drill the kids much during the summer with specific structure and educational goals. After all, anything they do/explore can be educational at this age. And, if they don't get to be carefree now, when can they?

But I do hope I get to pack their memories with something worthwhile and sweet. I hope D can find some time to take us hiking/camping that we've always loved and enjoyed. With Mr.Golden Sun taking a vacation as well in our skies, it barely feels like summer, but, I am sure it'll all turn out as it should and we'll take what comes...

Spring Break 2010

Thanks to Ana's school closure for Spring Break, we were forced to interrupt our blasé routine - to stop and take a deep breath before moving on. And, much like last year, we went up northwards to visit Nana in Beautiful British Columbia.

Ana was very excited: she remembered the last trip being very much fun. And, when I gave her a small suitcase to pack what she needs for the trip, she got right to it. I told her just how long we were planning to stay, and sure enough, she packed just the right amount - mix and match, layers of clothes - and of course, her Enid Paapaa and Polly Pocket, plus her tent and sleeping bag, just in case we get to camp out.

The drive up and down was quite beautiful but taxing nonetheless, especially for the kids. Oggie got car sick promptly - am still trying to get the stench out of his car seat...

Nana is raising a few alpacas, donkeys, and chickens in the Slocan Valley. We got to meet them, feed them, and befriend them right away. They are very sweet. Kylie and Chica are the alpacas, Missy and Paco are the donkeys, Libby and Gabby are the hens that Nana hatched and raised from babyhood.

Of course, she also hatched and raised a rooster - we call him Kung Fu Rooster - he is quite aggressive and protective of his hens... sneaks up from behind and launches flying kicks and pecks! He got Ana once, and kept me at bay quite easily...

Watching us approach with handfuls of Carrots and Apple Slices, sweet little Missy would be the first in line... shy and pregnant Chica (light brown patch on back) would come around after she sees Kylie taking the snack...

I can see how Zen-like it can be to just have these sweet animals around. But, if you ask Nana, she will also tell you how tough it is to wake up at freezing dawn to feed the animals, and to clean out their poop, and to groom and keep them healthy :)




We went on a couple of short hikes/walks - with Oggie tagging along, it couldn't be terribly strenuous. There were deer everywhere! We saw some deer bones along one of the paths we walked... which made Ana wonder who ate up the rest of the deer and left the bones...

And we enjoyed eating at Cedar Creek Cafe - which Nana used to run until she decided to pursue other interests. Charming decor with a stove providing the much-needed warmth, friendly and courteous waitress, plus a simple yet healthy and wholesome menu with lots of vegetarian choices makes Cedar Creek Cafe one of my favorite spots to eat out in the Slocan Valley... considering I rarely eat out :)



We took advantage of the beautiful weather and spent a quiet day at the beautiful Lakeside park in Nelson so kids can enjoy playing and making friends... we walked around on Baker street and around downtown Nelson rediscovering some of our favorite shops and getting introduced to new ones by Nana... we didn't have any specific agenda except to let kids have fun and maybe relax a bit...



The highlight for both Ana and Oggie seems to have been the Halcyon Hot Springs experience. Floating and splashing about in the hot sulfurous healing springs, which they refer to as "Hot Pool", out in the open, with a view of the mountains, was as much therapeutic to them as watching and splashing with them was for me.



Nana's spinning wheel turned out to be a favorite with Ana, and Jennie's Gardens book store turned out to be my weakness - I would've loved to park myself there and get lost in the books... Jennie's Gardens is the oldest book store in Winlaw, B.C., and imo, not to be missed... and so is Jennie's Book Garden blog.

Of course, Nana spoilt the kids by getting them quite a few books for their book shelves, and was nice enough to buy books of our choice for D and me! Thanks, Nana!



Now that we are settling back to the same old routine, it feels magical to sift through the 100-odd pictures and relive some favorite moments from the trip before it invariably gets pushed aside into the deep dark recesses of the brain, rarely getting accessed and reviewed...

Back at the nest, feeling undeservedly blest...

Branches bowed down by the weight of pears...
Bright green bunches of grapes in the small grapevine...
Plump red and yellow tomatoes kissed by the sun...
Purple luscious plums ripening by the minute...
Racket of early birds gathering breakfast...
Unrestrained happy purrs and meows of the kitties...
Cozy favorite comforter spread out on the bed...

lift my spirits enough to not let

Overgrown brown grass and weeds,
Piles of accumulated mail,
Lingering litterbox odor,
Dust and disarray from months of absence

take away the elation at finding ourselves back at this little patch of Earth we call our Home.

Briefly breaking a couple of 12-hour naps to answer Nature's calls, nestled within familiar walls, Ana seems to be getting back into the rhythm of things today.

Happy with a few bottles of milk for nourishment, guzzled down in half-dazed state, Oggie seems to have managed the first 24 hours at home with minimal activity.

While some (read D) like to dismiss jetlag as made-up hogwash, my system seems to have succumbed to it, thanks to a fairly tedious 9½-hour flight followed by a 10-hour flight, with associated check-in/transit/security formalities compounded by dragging a groggy kid attached to one leg and a screaming infant dangling on the chest, not to mention the diaper bag, activities bag, snack bag and change-of-clothes-and emergency-medicine bag hanging onto various body parts.

On an aside, I find that getting back from India has caused severe desynchronosis than the other way round, for me. Despite the 24 hour onward journey with the associated challenges along the way, I managed to get to my parents', rest till a decent morning hour, freshen up and head out for a short shopping trip with my mom... not so now that I am back.

Possibly the adrenalin charged me up on the way over, and knowing I was not alone probably helped sustain the spirit.

Staring at the pile of unsorted mail held for about a month since D's trip across the globe, now that I am home alone with the kids, I feel a bit overwhelmed dealing with bills, juggling the unavoidable chores of grocery-shopping, cooking and laundry, not to mention taming the garden and making sure its bounty is well-utilized (read: canning tomatoes, tom.sauce, plums and pears; drying the mint leaves and Thai chilies, gathering the fennel seeds), and generally getting the house back in order...

In the confusion that ensued from having to set the baby loose, remove the baby carrier from person, empty pockets and send bags through conveyor only to have the ultra-sensitive detector at Frankfurt beep at the token Thaali that I wore for the India trip, as I watched helplessly desperately imploring for someone to please watch my loosed-infant running at top-speed putting a good 8 feet between him and me, several not-so-good things happened, the worst of which was that I left all 3 passports behind and didn't even realize it until after boarding the plane and strapping the kids in for take-off!

Well, long story short, the trip back was a slightly less harrowing experience than the onward one, and all I can say is that thanks to the sincere prayers my mom and dad sent heavenwards, I felt a divine presence by my side bringing us home safely.

This post would be incomplete if I didn't send out my sincere thanks to Dad for bringing us home from the PDX airport without much fuss... and Mom, thanks for staying an extra day to help us out as we recover... too bad you had to leave... Wish you could've stayed with us till your son gets back home...

Many sentimental and sweet thoughts from the India visit are ringing in my head waiting to get moulded into nice little posts, but, they have to be on hold for a little while longer till I can get organized here and handle the next few weeks alone...

As I focus on attending to things here, I am beginning to countdown the days till D comes home so the kids can settle down to a familiar and comfortable routine, knowing both Amma and Appa are there at hand when they need them. 'Til then, I'm sure all the fresh tomatoes from the garden completely justify eating salsa fresca for lunch with home-made chips (pieces of chapathi crisped in the toaster oven), and tomato salad for dinner, while feeding tomato soup and tomato rice for the kids every day till the bounty runs out...

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p.s: I was trying to remember the last "vacation" and realized I had recorded it - feels nostalgic reading about it - Ana was just about 2 yrs old and Oggie wasn't anywhere around... it was sort of a relaxed tour but we managed to see a lot of new places and things... but I do remember it being quite a bit challenging traveling with Ana despite having D nearby.

Trying to get the groove

After only four visits during the last 18 years away, I do feel strangely displaced in my own city. Yes, my city. My Own Madras.

While I find it easy to

...slip into salwar kameez or saree and do the shringaram with bindi, bangles, flowers and suchlike effortlessly,

...juggle various dialects and accents of Tamil while in Tamil Nadu, and get by well with a neutral Hindi while in the north, even though I haven't spoken it on a daily basis for nearly 16 years,

...read my favorite variety of local magazines and newspapers in Tamil, poring over recipes and kolams and embroidery instructions,

I must admit that I find it quite challenging to get used to

...slippery tiled and mosaic bathroom floors,

...wet WC and sandpaper TP,

...not enough clean public restrooms,

...Indian-style toilets (enough said),

...frequent unscheduled power cuts,

...Heat and Dust.


Many things that nagged me 18 years ago, still manage to irk me now

...the unfairly exorbitant fares demanded by auto-drivers; the constant haggling to get a fair deal; the recklessness of road-users

...the way everybody tries to make it their business to tell you what(not) to do

...the way people get upset by the merest things and get heated over trivial stuff

...the abject poverty that drives many fellow-(wo)men to seek charity, sometimes even panhandle

On the other hand, where else would

...a full-grown man, our watchman at my parents apartment complex, almost prostrate and touch Oggie's feet simply because he truly believes babies are Gods

...neighbors do Ganapathy Homam and bring over a bounty of prasadam items to share

... a variety of fruits and vegetables make it tough to choose between seasons? Even, many varieties of the same fruit - like rasthali, poovan, majal pazhams (varieties of bananas), and the many varieties of mangoes, not to mention sapota, guava, nagapazham, nungu and the elixir par excellence called Coconut Water?

Watching Banumathy dancing while singing Azhagana Ponnu Thaan (Ali Baba), in her characteristic minimalistic movements with that smirk-like twinkle in her eyes and smile on her lips on TV the other night opened a floodgate of memories... I did have a liking for songs from my mom's generation, maybe because she liked them so...

The heat is bringing out the worst in me... Being mindful of electricity bill for my dad, I refuse to run a/c all day - so, just a few hours in the afternoons when it is unbearable, and at nights (bio-sleep) at the highest setting (not the coldest) so kids get a good night's rest is all I can bring myself to incur.

Oggie being terribly demanding, I find myself meeting his needs more often than Ana's - proving the squeaky-wheel-gets-the-oil syndrome.

Ana is acting out her frustration and is getting to be quite a handful. I think she just misses her school, her friends, her dad, and her home. She has never been this difficult before - I understand her vexation, I do want to help her, but, am finding it rather tedious, so, I let her watch Chutti and pogo as much as she wants (no Tata Sky here).

The beach trips so far have been quite a hit. Sort of. Ana is never ready to leave when we are, and kicks up a huge fuss after all the fun.

While every effort has been made to put away the shaving blades, kitchen knives and scissors, pad the sharp corners of furniture, keep the bathroom doors closed, it is still not quite child-friendly here, making me constantly vigilant, leaving me terribly exhausted... Besides, Oggie is a tumbler, a rolling tumbler, in bed. Even pillows piled all around him can't stop him from spilling over to the edge of the bed.. he fell off only once so far, my fault for not watching. I miss his crib probably more than he does.

On the plus side, no cooking, no cleaning, no serious work except mind the kids. My mom, despite her back and knee issues, does all the work because they don't have any maids or helpers for doing the dishes and cleaning the house... they've had a string of bad experiences with help that they decided not to have anymore. My dad, the most generous soul I have been blessed to meet so far in my life, gives me everything I want for day-to-day endeavors with such a genial smile that it shames me to ask for anything more.

I am filled with mixed emotions now that I am here with Ana and Oggie...

Kids Art: Vikas Learning Colours (Fun with Stickers)

I now know what it feels like to be steamed, boiled, baked, fried, roasted and stewed in my own sweat alive, all at the same time, thanks to Madras heat wave. I feel awful for putting Ana and Oggie through this, but, we can't have everything, so, we take the good with the not-so.

We just got back from a harrowing short road-trip visiting some temples in South India that I wanted to take the kids to. In a NON-A/C car! Pure torture. Not intentional, just so happened that it needed to be done, timing seemed right and I didn't want to put it off till later in my visit. But, more about the trip later.

After two weeks of first-hand observation, my dad's nickname for Ana: Mowna Vratha Upavasini. It is a Sanskrit made-up phrase that roughly translates to Vow-of-Silence-and-Fast-Observer, on account of Ana refusing to talk much (claims she is shy), and not eating anything (claims she doesn't like anything we offer).

But, I am rambling...

It has been a bit of a challenge to keep Ana occupied here - she is used to doing a lot of stuff, quite independently, and now, feeling displaced and frustrated by the heat, plus missing her dad a lot, she is becoming quite a handful. So, my mom looked around and bought a few activities books that she thought might keep her engaged for a week at least. She finished them in 2 days :)

This here is one such activity that she took to easily and enjoyed. We found it at a local store, for Rs.40/-called Vikas Learning Colours. It is one of a series of books where each of the 8 or 10 pages has a printed outline of a scene, part of which has solid lines, and part of which has dotted lines.

The book comes with stickers marked clearly for each page. Simply peel the stickers for that particular scene in that page, stick it on the dotted areas correctly (pattern matching). Then, complete coloring the picture using crayons with suggested colors.

They have abbreviations for suggested colors printed on the picture like G for green, Gr for grey, Pk for pink, V for violet, O for orange, R for red and so on. So, it was also a good way for Ana to figure out what colors to use - of course, G she knew right away as green just looking at the picture, but Gr for grey was not easy to figure out for her...

It is quite a simple concept, and could be interesting for 3-4 year olds, if they are into stickers and coloring. The pictures are cute with bright colors when done per instructions. Initially, I showed her one - the bear picture - then she did a few entirely without help.

The only complaint I have is that getting the stickers out of the page could be a bit of a challenge for tiny hands. And, it didn't really teach much about colors like the title suggests, but, I am fine with that.

While stickers and crayons were not new to Ana, she enjoyed the combination of the two activities to produce a beautiful finished product, almost effortlessly, and as I found out, almost immediately :)