All for a "new high !"

All gym goers would have heard this from your instructor that if your body is not aching at the end of the session, then you are not pushing yourself enough physically. The goal of your physical activity is to push the limits of your strength and thus strengthen your muscles. That’s how, 10 mins on a thread mill seems impossible on day 1, tiring on day 3, possible on day 7 and damn easy on day10 ..by now you should have moved on to 20 mins and set yourself a tougher goal to achieve …a new high !

I guess life is all about setting ourselves tougher targets and getting that new high ! (I have decided to use “!” every time I say new high ! , its after all a high ;)).

That’s how, after 7 years of absolutely comfortable life, 2 lazy ppl want a second kid to challenge their level of patience, operational and parenting skills….Just to get the new high ! of a new baby and to see a whole new world of siblings.

So were we not happy when Abhi was alone …of course we were ..

So…is it easy with a second one around …no way …then why ??? For a new high !

Thus, we challenge ourselves and struggle and make things happen ‘somehow’ :)) 

For me, thats a new high! in my life.

And just when the 3-ring circus of kids, home and work is barely on its way; we challenge ourselves more …how ?? By wanting to become fitness freaks or socially aware civilians, amateur cooks or members of local asociations

So we set about doing things which don’t come naturally to us, tire ourselves and ask the question ..was it worth it ?????

Totally !!!  Now that’s a new high ! for our souls.

Whenever we start reading a new book, we are hopeful its something like that ‘one’ book which was mind boggling …or a movie that gave the knock- out experience. We tolerate mediocre writing, poor movie making, challenge our tolerance level with a hope that …somewhere down the line a “Kahaani”, a “Barfi”, an “Eye of the needle” or an “Inception” will happen. A new high ! for our senses.

We spend evenings and nights and previous day mornings too :) and money and time trying to bake or make pani puri just to reach a culinary new high !

Life is all about change, if you stagnate, you are dead …as the amazingly gifted Javed Saab says in Zindagi Na milegi dubara

Dilon me tum apni betabiyan leke chal rahe ho,to zinda ho tum, Nazar me khwaabon ki bijliyan leke chal rahe ho,to zinda ho tum

Hawa ke jhokon ke jaise aazad rehno sekho, Tum ek dariya ke jaise lehron mein behna sekho
Har ek lamhe se tum milo khole apni baahein, Har ek pal ek nya sama dekhe nigahein
Jo apni ankhon mein hairanian leke chal rahe ho,to zinda ho tum, Dilon mein tum apni betabian leke chal rahe ho,to zinda ho tum

A Rough translation would be as follows, of course the essence or the joy of those beautiful Hindi words is lost in the English words

 (Zinda sounds so much more alive than 'alive' or Khwab sounds so much dreamy than 'dream', 'lamhe' is so lovable than 'moment' ...oh i can go on and on ...just ignore me, I am in love with Hindi and Kannada while I just 'use' English for convenience), but still …

If you have eagerness in your heart, it means you are alive,
If your eyes are filled with dreams, it means you are alive
Learn to be free like the wind, Learn to flow freely like the river,
Embrace every moment with open arms,
See a new horizon every time with your eyes,
If you carry surprise in your eyes, it means you are alive,
If you have eagerness in your heart, it means you are alive…

Humans like the rest of the nature have to evolve to survive, we need to better ourselves as parents, as friends, as kids, as partners, as human beings at being happy to rise above the normal of everyday to reach the new high ! of tomorrow.

 - Joey

Love what you do or do what you love ???

People often say that one will get both happiness and sucess if they do what they love. But then how many of us Are lucky to get that chance ...so we all try to love what we are doing and are somewhat happy and some what Sucessful in what we do. Now, when am on a break from work ...inspired by Ashu's mane haal ideas...i was thinking, If not tech specialist in Alcatel-Lucent..what else can i be ??? Things that i like are: 1. Interior decoration...after doing up our flat...am just too much in love abt interiors..but Am not professionally trained in that :( 2. Story telling - weird passion...yet true...when i read a nice book/watch a nice movie I keep thinking of telling it to some one rather than enjoying it. 3. Plan things ...event management kinds...schedules, trips 4. Travel..This should have been on top of the list i guess. I just love packing huge suitcases and go to places where we do t know anyone... 5. Write ...poems for my sonnu, blogs, short stories....basically tidbits Now am thinking...if i can make a career out of these...or once they become 'work' , will they stop being fun ??

Temptation ....

The Poet talks about living our lives henceforth through our off springs, in the ever green song from Kabhie Kabhie
You and me need to savour the nectar of life hence forth from their hands …we need to live in their heartbeats, live life through their breaths.
You spare your elegance and I will pass on my beliefs/trust. Whatever wishes/prayers we thought of; for ourselves …lets now bestow upon them ..
Am a poet for every moment (am immortal …)


Tujhko Mujhko Jeevan Amrit, Ab In Haathon Se Peena Hai
Inki Dhadkan Mein Basna Hai, Inki Saanson Mein Jeena Hai
Tu Apni Adaen Baksh Inhen Maein Apni Wafaen Deta Hoon
Jo Apne Liye Sochi Thi Kabhi, Woh Saari Duaen Deta Hoon
Maein Har Ek Pal Ka Shaayar Hoon...

I love these lines ..I guess this is how one more set of 'single-child-parents' falls to the temptation of another tiny little one at home !!!!!!!
Hmmm ..was never good with temptation …

That thoughtful boy ...

Place : Meghsagar near Sanky Tank
Time : 12:30 PM
Context : 2 college kids,a girl and a boy almost definitely in love ....smiling  at each other or no reason and having lunch.
In the next table, a middle-aged couple dressed quite shabbily ...look very rustic and troubled.
In b/w a lot of tensed conversation, having lunch.
The man finished his lunch and may be out of habit washed his hands in the plate. The waiter who was serving us walked to that table and shouted at the man saying, "you village bums don't know what to do and what not to do ...you shouldn't be washing your hand in the plate" and blah,blah, blah ......
The very embarrassed man said ...sorry didn't realize. But there was no stopping the waiter. Ppl around felt a little bad for them ...as they didn't really deserved to be humiliated that way. The lady was feeling very uncomfortable and was looking around to see if ppl around were all staring.
That was when, the seemingly jovial college boy did some thing very very nice.He waited until the lady  looked in his direction, caught her eye and smiled broadly- seeming to say., "Just chuck it, nothing has happened" . The lady grateful for an understanding gesture, smiled weakly and got back to her lunch.
The boy was not yet finished, he waited for the waiter to come to the table and right in front of him washed his hands in the plate. And looked up at the waiter, willing him to start an argument.
The girl sitting opposite ..a little worried ...but quite pleased .
The visibly irritated waiter said angrily, "yaakri kai tolitheera plate alli ?(why are you washing your hand in the plate?)". 

The boy just said "houdu, yen eega (yes i did, so what now ?)"
The voice was loud enough to carry to the adjacent tables and also to the manager nearby, who didn't want any tussle with college guys, came running and said ,"Just take the plate and get on with it ..no problem"

So out walked the college couple feeling on cloud 10.
You see, just being with Ashu, was  being on 'cloud 9' for me !I was in awe of the smiling, brown eyed ,deep voiced, big hearted guy that day and am still in the same state about a decade after this incident.

Rogue Elephant Terrace Bistro - An Extravagant Lunch affair .....

The Rogue Elephant at Koramangala is just at the corner of Abhi mane (@ NGV) and looked very interesting. So we decided to go there for a lazy family lunch.The lunch started with my sons excited comments about the jungle ! (The rogue elephant has a huge rock and waterfall outside and plants all over. This place also sells artificial water-bodies for homes and has a nursery ...so lots of water and greenery around !!)

They have an impressive list of wines. We however preferred a non-alcoholic Carribean fruit punch .
It was delightful !  A punch of vodka in it would have been heavenly. But there is no alcohol here other than wine :(((
Starters -  First one was the Classic Humus and pita bread with grilled chicken ...Just Yummy !
This got all 3 of us fighting over the last piece of chicken :)
Then came the really surprising starter- 'Mushroom A La Keiv' ...button mushrooms stuffed with herbed garlic and butter ...As our stewerdess Harini rightly explained...the mixture of tastes just exploded in our mouth.This coupled with the a very different 'Bombay Soup' got us all excited abt the main course.

Our main course was : Pesto pasta and Herb Roast Chicken with mash potato.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pasta was deliciately flavoured and had just right amount of cheese and the chicken just perfect !

To end our sins ..we ordered an apple pie with  ice-cream. Not the best I have had (that goes to corner house). But still a good one ...
So at the end of it ...we were in a state of bliss ...waking up only when the bill arrived ;)
A little steep ...but definitely worth for 'Once-in-a-while' extravaganza.

For more info :
http://bangalore.burrp.com/listing/the-rogue-elephant-terrace-bistro_koramangala_bangalore_restaurants/1616107148

Why don't I want a second kid ?

To Have or not have the second baby ??
(Had my parents decided against it, i wouldn't be here writing this blog today !!)

I wish and I wish with all my heart there was one right answer for the question which would fit everybody ...but its not so ...so each one of us need it figure it out for ourselves.
Whats very important to know is ...neither of the decisions is the right one or the wrong one.
What you decide is the best one for you ..which is not going to solve all the parenting problems- but it will be your approach to the life.

All this said, I still cant decide ...am pretty sure Ashu is in the same state of mind.
It's difficult to decide when one set of choices are very measurable (in this case the disadvantages which are my operational issues of how will we manage the second baby and not to forget the first one too :) ...full time maid, leaning more on parents and in-laws (poor ppl ...brought up their kids ...now have to do it for us all over again ! but God they still love it  ...miracles of love :), adjustment at office (or this time around should i just quit- if so, its pretty dumb thing to cut down one source of income when you are growing your family), cut down lot of other things ..hmmm its so predictable and so measurable.
On the other hand ...having another baby ...maybe another boy like Abhi ...or a daughter !
having one more of our kind to be with us all our lives, to bring up a new baby with Abhi, hopefully have well-bonded siblings for a lifetime ..seems all so qualitative ...not measurable and immensely priceless.

But what if it does not turn out so ??
- am i good enough to love both babies equally ...i just dunno ...
- what if both kids strive apart and there really is no such blood-bonding at all ??
- Today Abhi is my world, i shudder to lose that for another baby or anything else ...why the hell shud i risk it ?
- Am going to lose more and  more time being with Ashu ..as i will go crazy trying to be fair to both kids ...spend time with each of them ...same will be the case with him .....where will that leave Ashu and me ..
uffffffffffff ..scary ...
And thats why
I don't want a second baby...
Abhi has cousins ...friends ...so he is not going to be loner ...sure its not just not the same thing ...but its 'something' better than nothing.
So i chicken out of my decision yet again !
So this is my decision ..hopefully am going to stick to it ...

Will i repent for this in future ???
Of course I will ...when I see mothers and daughters shopping together, whenever I see an elder brother hugging an younger one...etc etc ... but am hoping we will have good days too along with the wistful ones .as i said its not the correct desision ...its just my decision ..seeming ok to me.

Wish me Luck !

Quick, Nutritious and Delicious Too - Dal Palak

Dal Palak

Toor dal (1 small cup) + Masoor Dal (1 small cup) - cook in a cooker for 2-3  whistles with lil exra water.

(dal should be well mashed..not kaal-kaalu, make sure u have masoor dal - the red coloured one)

Take 2 big onions - chop fine

1 big tomato- chop

4-6 - chillies- slit length wise

Palak - 2  small bunches …leaves + some stalk…wash and cut

Oggarne/tadka : Mustard, lot of jeera,  1 red chilli (broken into 2), curry leaves

Add onion and green chillies, ginger-garlic paste (optional, I actually add finelly chopped garlic and thin strips of ginger…u an avoid..if ppl don't like that taste at home), after its almost done,Add palak - cook on open fire(medium) for 2 mins, untill palak looks blanched

add tomato, add salt and turmeric now (tomato will cook faster)- palak should well fried by now

Add cooked Dal.

Check for salt and khara - u can add red chilli powder+ garam masala  if the dal seems bland. Add salt if needed.

Bring it boil

To it with corriander.

While serving, serve with raw onion slices, lime and maybe a hint of butter on hot dal.

If its left over, the next day …u can spice it up with one more tadka on top- this is dal double tadka !

Goes well with Phulkas or rice