Raising Ira - Post 3

Ira is growing up real fast. And with her the pile of stories is mounting too – the silly kinds, the funny ones, the touchy ones, the high energy ones, the milestones, the anecdotes that I would like to look back fondly upon. Therefore I have decided to document these little incidents as and when they happen, for posterity lest my memory fails me. 

 

Date: November 14, 2013 – Thursday, Pune

Our Ira believes in a clear desk policy. We arrived at this judgment after consistently noticing her pull down things from the table onto the floor and being extremely happy about it. Also, the fact that she invariably gets drawn to any object that is placed on the table within fraction of seconds of it being placed and then actively endeavors to dump the object  ‘not-so-neatly’ onto the floor – only corroborated our theory.

Therefore, we avoid keeping anything that is fragile on the table. This is the unsaid rule between Vikram and me in the house. Now being humans, we do tend to forget these rules every now and then especially after a hard day’s work at office, sometimes even a harder after work hours at home amusing Ira - only to see her giggle and smile and forget our tiredness and worries.

Anyway, in one such occurrence of tiredness and forgetfulness – Vikram had laid out his mobile phone on the center table which was well within the little devil’s reach. And before Vikram or I could blink she was right there grabbing the mobile, while I stood squinting expecting to hear a loud thud on the ground any second with the battery and back cover disintegrating and no surprises there , she did just the expected - picked up the phone in all her excitement flinging it around once and then twice AND there it was next to her ear as though she is answering a call and looking at Vikram expectantly to say something, say ‘hello’ perhaps…!

Vikram and I stood there speechless, at 9 months how did she know that it was a talking device meant to be placed next to the ear to listen in.  I guess, this was a milestone – for Vikram and for me!  

Raising Ira - Post 2

Ira is growing up real fast. And with her the pile of stories is mounting too – the silly kinds, the funny ones, the touchy ones, the high energy ones, the milestones, the anecdotes that I would like to look back fondly upon. Therefore I have decided to document these little incidents as and when they happen, for posterity lest my memory fails me. 

Date: October 29, 2013 – Tuesday, Pune       7.00 pm

I had barely managed to reach home after picking up Ira from the day care when my phone buzzed. I somehow accomplished to seat myself up on the sofa with the little one on my lap but only to realize that I had missed the call. I checked my phone and saw three missed calls and a couple of messages all pointing to a meeting which had started 20 minutes back for which I was to be the speaker.

I gave out a long sigh but smiled immediately to see Ira fast asleep – that meant that I could attend the call without getting worried about her. So I prepped up and dialed into the call with all enthusiasm, apologized for my delay and got immersed into the discussion. I was talking on and off therefore I hadn’t put myself on mute. Suddenly, in between all the chatter on the phone I heard a soft snore – sounded like that of a child’s. I smiled to myself and thought lovingly of a child who would have fallen asleep in their parent’s lap, parent being one of the participants on the call. With all these thoughts going on in my mind I tenderly turned my view to watch Ira fast asleep in my own lap  and lo behold  SNORING softly and in sync with the one on the call !!!!

The moment the call ended, I dialed in to check with one with of my colleagues if she had noticed the snore on the call – and she said, as a matter of fact she did, but apparently there was also some other baby noises in the background before I joined the call. I heaved a sigh of relief for not being the only one in the circle of suspicion!

Raising Ira - Post 1

Ira is growing up real fast. And with her, also mounting is my pile of stories – the silly kinds, the funny ones, the touchy ones, the high energy ones, the milestones, the anecdotes that I would like to look back fondly upon. Therefore I have decided to document these little incidents as and when they happen, for posterity lest my memory fails me.  

Date: October 30, 2013 – Wednesday, Pune

I had a call scheduled for 9.00 pm. Having known this engagement well in advance I was prepared with the works – such as print out of the document in question (lest I am not able log on if Ira refuses to sleep and there was not a doubt in my mind about not having the laptop near Ira because of the way she attempts to pull out the keys from the keyboard) and my writing instruments. Well my planning paid up as Ira indeed refused to sleep and was quite playful and active at the time my call started.

I sincerely logged in at 9, thanking my foresight and planning, with the confidence that I would just have to listen in with no participation required from my side, whatsoever. I was so bloody wrong – and at that minute I thought of Murphy and his abused law!

Anyway, I unmuted myself carefully – after being relieved to see little Ira (9 months) playing peacefully by herself. I started participating and jotting down notes. And then suddenly something was mentioned on the call l for which I couldn’t find the supporting document. I looked frantically through my print outs. I know I couldn’t have missed it. And then I see my little Ira – little little tiny Ira waving at me with a half torn , quarter crumbled and another quarter chewed paper and grinning ear to ear!!!

I laughed to myself, grabbed the paper and blew her a kiss.  In no time I finished the call and then it was play time with Ira.

P.S: Come to think of it – why didn’t I ask Vikram to watch her while I attended the call, well this was the time when Vikram was away for two weeks to Mumbai attending his induction for a new job.

Ink Review - Diamine Asa Blue

This is the first time I am writing a fountain pen ink review. After having spent a lot of time on the net searching for and a lot of money experimenting with various shades of blue – I finally came across the shade ‘Asa Blue’ within Diamine range of blue shades.

To my mind, this is one the loveliest blues that I have seen as far as fountain pen inks are concerned. The color is just about right on the brightness quotient – not too bright like the turquoise blue. And the price, well I won’t call it inexpensive at INR725/- for an 80 ml ink bottle, is definitely reasonable when compared to some of the other brands available in the market such the Pilot Iroshizuku Kon Peki which costs approximately $35, roughly about INR 2100 at the current rupee-dollar exchange rate.

I received the parcel along with some other stationary items from Pens Avenue. As usual their service, packaging, delivery and confirmation was excellent this time around too. After I received the parcel, I simply couldn’t wait to fill up my brand new Sheaffer fountain pen to full capacity to get started. And since then I have been using this pen-ink combination for all my writing activities and I must confess I still haven’t gotten tired of it. I have always believed that for the complete writing experience one needs to have the right combination of ink color and the writing instrument – sometimes it just happens, accidentally. While there are times when a certain amount of trial and error is required to get to the right amalgamation.  This time around, I can safely assume in having found the right combination just by fluke.

The writing is buttery smooth and the color is very pleasing to the eye. It is bright and catchy and makes the writing stand out. And the beauty is that it does so with subtlety. The ink lays down consistently on the paper giving a uniform shade all over to my writing. I haven’t noticed any feathering or bleeding – I find it quite a performer for long and fast sessions of writing.  As for the pen, the first thought that comes to my mind when I hold this writing instrument is its weight – This is really heavy. Almost feels like a vintage grandfather’s pen. I love it! It is nice to hold and is pretty big – although it feels a tad too heavy after some time if the cap is placed on the rear end. The nib is of ‘medium’ grade which allows a certain depth to the writing – I find it right for my taste, not a big fan of very bold or very thin writing.

Here’s scanned image to get a real glimpse of the color and texture:

 

My score for Asa Blue ink - 5/5

My score for Asa Blue ink and Sheaffer 300 M grade combination – 4/5

(The only reason I am rating it at 4 is because of the weight, which to me is a good as well as a not too good thing , depending on the period of writing involved)

Until my next review, happy writing!!

The 9 month spell of goodness….

Well well well, it’s been almost 4 months since my last blog. A lot has changed between then and now. I have changed drastically – of course intrinsically I am the same person; or so I‘d like to believe. But a lot of external things have changed for me - my size for example. Gone are the days when I could just slip into anything from my wardrobe – these days I need to think a lot. Getting into clothes, perhaps I can still manage – it’s the “getting out” part that worries me.

Another thing that’s changed for me is the “looks”. Every time I go out I get these “looks” from people; looks full of sympathy, full of empathy, concern and kindness. Not to mention the motherly advice. It comes in plenty from all walks of life - right from my office colleague to the house keeping staff to the local auto driver to my domestic help and even strangers at shops and malls. Mothers get reminded of their pre-natal days when they see me.

 I still cannot forget the day when, for the first time, I was asked to step aside from a line meant for security check at one of the malls. The lady gave me a kind smile and let me pass through the gap between the scanner and the glass door (for the uninitiated, scanners or any form of X Ray radiation is not good for the fetus, hence the precaution). Now it has become more of a norm. I get offered chairs at shops randomly by strangers – even if I don’t feel the need to sit.

I have always had this complaint about, we Indians not being courteous enough. One such example of un-courteous behavior is that you rarely find people holding out doors for you – in fact if you hold it out for someone coming behind you – you are likely to get stranded at the door itself for no one else would bother to carry on the responsibility as long as they get to pass through. However, all this has changed for me – I no longer have to face the slamming door. In fact, I have been receiving preferential treatment. People actually hold out doors for me and I am kindly allowed to pass through them first.

If that was not enough, I have had auto drivers tell me to sit in the middle of the cart to avoid a jerky/bumpy ride. And just the other day, when I stepped into local circulating library with my mother –in-law, because our very own “Just Books” was shut, I had the guy suggesting me to pick up a copy of the book “what to expect when you are expecting” !!!

After all this I have come to think that this world is really a kind kind place for mums-to-be, don’t you think?? Life seems so much more accommodating ever since the baby bump has started to show visibly! :P

Anyway, on the personal front life goes on as usual – with some occasional pains and aches. I have had quite a normal journey so far and sincerely hope to have a normal end to the entire process. Just got done with the baby shower function – and boy did I feel the shower!! It was overwhelming. Thanks to my parents-in-law, without whom I wouldn't have had this experience.

Finally, even with all the goodness around because of the visible bump, I cannot help getting restless to get it off me and hold the little one.  So the countdown begins as I wait for the D –Day. Or rather, in my case, I count the number of movies I can catch at the theater before the D – day  for I know once the baby arrives it would be a far away dream at least for two long years.

Ah, does that sound like a complaint? Well, for now it is – not sure if I would have the time to think about movies later….. As for my next blog, I shall be back soon!!

My Expectations....

Names for a baby girl:

Pia, Bela, Nindiya, Raga, Nupur, Jhinuk,

Name for a baby boy:  

Dev Roy Kini

Well these are the names that Vikram and I have thought of for our child that is due to be delivered sometime in December.

While it is indeed “good news” (pun intended) but the whole experience of parents-to-be is quite nerve wrecking to say the least.

As we understand, this is going to be a big change for us; therefore, initially the idea of having to grow up to be parents seemed  somewhat like the experience of working for 9 hours every day – day after day- in the first job straight after college.

Not to mention the scary stories that we have heard about sleepless nights, no movie theatres for at least two years, having to watch all possible cartoon channels – fresh episodes and re-runs (especially for someone who is not too fond of animated stuff), changing diapers, watching your diet, cleaning up baby poo, having to deal with the screams and noises after a tiring day at work and endless other things…

It is a whole ball game altogether – when compared to watching someone else’s cute toddler and fondling their cheeks and saying ‘ Oh what a cute baby’  - I guess we are slowly getting an estimate of the amount of work that goes into making that baby cute!

Anyway, for better or for worse, we are gradually coming to terms with reality that life is going to change.

To find some solace and some answers Vikram and I went to watch the movie “What to expect when you are expecting” – and this was after reading the book with the same title which was affectionately gifted to us by our neighbors as they are expecting their second one. 

While the book is increasingly becoming our bible because of the information that it holds, the movie was just hilarious to say the least.

It’s about a bunch of couples who are expecting and the story revolves around their experiences through the rigorous nine months. It covers the entire stretch of initial excitement of becoming parents to the real nuances of this period - without missing some of the weirdest hormonal characteristics like flatulence and being emotional!

On the funnier side, having completed my first trimester, I shared the news with some of my friends and on three out of five occasions, I had to congratulate them back because they told me that they are expecting too!! Looks like – it’s raining ba-bi-es, hallelujah !!!

Watch this space for more…as I get hormonal! :P

Cheers!!

England Diaries [Manchester: Friday , 5th August 2011]

It has been long since I visited my blog, and the reason for that is - I have been in the UK (primarily London) for the past few months.

My stay has been very pleasurable to say the least. However, I did miss writing.  Or Did I?

Well, here’s a compilation of the emails written to my family where I have tried to capture some of my most cherished experiences during my first ever visit to  a foreign country.

1 of 4 - Manchester: Friday , 5^th August 2011

Hi there,

 I finally got some time to write. So have you all been?? Well, as for me the past few days have been quite eventful! I am sure Vikram would have kept you all updated on most of the things. And in some cases, he must have added his own updates. Like the “accent” part is definitely not true!! :P

My visit to London has been good so far. The apartment that I am staying in is at a very nice location with a lovely view. I will send some pictures as soon as possible. My office is at a prime business location too. We are surrounded by Citibank, Barclays, HSBC and NatWest.  Truly the financial centre point!

There are so many things that I have to tell you all that I don’t know where to start from :P

My first interaction after I landed in London was with my taxi driver who turned out to be a Pakistani.  In that 40 minute long drive to the apartment he told me about his six children, what each of them were studying, about terrorism in India and Pakistan, he also gave me an update on the kingpin behind the recent Mumbai blast, showed me the Buckingham palace from outside (with some insider information about what the queen was up to that evening), the London Eye , the Big Ben, the church that witnessed Princess Diana’s wedding and recently held Prince William’s wedding  and the London Bridge.

Well, I would have been happier if he would have just chatted to himself and had let me do the honours of listening.  But tough luck there; for, he turned out to be quite inquisitive about India. He wanted to know if love marriages are more popular in India, whether girls wear western formals like skirts and trousers, if I have any children and so on. On being asked if he liked staying  in London – his response was “ it used to be very nice years back when all  the Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Indians were in majority and lived happily together – magar abhi yeh Europeans ne aake sab bigaad diya hai”. I couldn’t help smiling :) And I gave away the award for the most bizarre answer to this one!

And oh by the way – I also found my long lost brother in him.  For when he sought confirmation that I was indeed from India, I asked him if he was from India too. His immediate response was “well I am from Pakistan, magar aap chinta maat karo – mujhe bilkul apne bhai ki tarah samjho”. So there you go!

When he was offloading my luggage I realized that I had forgotten to collect one of my bags at the airport.  So my Pakistani brother came to my rescue one last time when he connected me to the Kingfisher Airlines baggage desk at his own expense (quite literally).

It hadn’t even been three full days in London and I had barely unpacked that I had to pack my bags all over again and come to Manchester. The travel to Manchester exposed me to the underground railway (or the Tube, as it is popularly called here).  I had to change two trains to come to Euston and take a train (not the Tube) to Manchester. That is about 2 hours of journey. My train from Euston was at 11.00 in the morning and I managed to miss it. So I bought a new ticket (worth £ 69) which was also my first experience of a racing heart while swiping my card (with my mind engaged in working out the value in INR ).

That day, I had woken up pretty early in the morning to catch the train to Manchester, but it seemed like someone up there really wanted me to miss the train. Cause when I stepped out with my hand bag on my shoulder, my laptop bag on my back and my trolley bag in my hand – I realized it was raining!! And that was my first experience again - of walking in the rain in London. I didn’t quite mind it though . It was just a drizzle really.

So now I am stationed at Manchester until next Friday. It is different from London in the manner that you will see only shopping malls/centres and offices around and not much of greenery. But the buildings are beautiful. A lot of them are heritage buildings. And yes, just like the London Eye there is a big wheel here which is referred to as the Manchester Big wheel. My office (client office) is right opposite to that.

There is a general perception among the Indians in my office that people tend to get friendlier as you get away from London.  So I was fed in to believe that people in Manchester would be extremely nice and friendly – which I realize they are. However, I haven’t really had a bad experience (arising out of rude behaviour) in London either. 

Last night, I went to an English pub in Manchester with some of my colleagues. We were there only for a short while because we had to head back to our apartment which was quite far – but the experience was one of its kind.  In my mind I was transported back to one of those Hollywood movies J

Today being a Friday, we might just go out! My colleagues are planning to go to the Manchester United Football Club over the weekend (will post pictures for sure, if I decide to go with them) and there are a lot of places to shop from. 

So overall it has been good, I have had my share of adventure. I just hope this nice feeling  lasts till I am here. I do miss home terribly at times and that’s why I am looking for a SIM that would allow me to call India at reasonable rates. Will mail across my details as soon as  I get my hands on them.

For now, London seems to be a likable place :)

Well all that I have written above was common information for everyone, but I do have some specific things  for each one of you

@ Meeta: Hey I wanted to tell you that to my great relief bananas are not that expensive here. You  will get a bunch of 6 for one pound at Tesco! By the way how’s your packing coming along? Also is there anything specific I can get for you from London/Manchester? If you don’t tell me then  I am going to pick something of my choice and you will have no choice but to take it J

@Neetu:  Guess what?? I found a SPAR hypermarket here!! But the sad thing is that it is more expensive than TESCO/SAINSBURY :P  I saw some very nice shops that have an awesome range of cosmetics – so please let me know your brand J

@ Kavita: What can I get for you from here?? I  have seen  some very nice collection of office wear woollens. Do let me know if there is anything specific that you need – absolutely anything – I have six months to shopJ . Any update on the house warming ceremony?? My sister moved back to Bangalore. She is joining on Monday. I will ask her to give you a call. 

@ Moon:  Message me the list of things that you need. Offer valid only until Monday (8 August, 2011) And I am not letting you borrow any of my clothes :P

@ Guru: The location of my office is at Canada Square – which is in Canary Wharf.  It is very close to the old dockyard :) So like you had said – it is more of a Business Centre but there is an underground mall. And my place of stay is at Lanterns court – which is a residential area and is about 10 mins walk from Canary Wharf.  I should have taken your advice and should have carried an umbrella along.  Looks like I have to buy one here – wonder how much it is going to cost here.

@ Deepak: I inquired about the Beer Festival and have found a few enthusiasts within my office who are planning to go (subject to favourable project engagements) . I shall keep you updated on my plans. For now, I quite happy with Apple Cider J . Also I may need some tips on what Arhaan would like from Manchester. I know he is a big soccer fan and like I said I might go to the Manchester United Football Club but am really not into soccer. So I could use some tips from you on what to get.

@ Vinod: I can’t help giggling every time they ask me at the counter if its ‘to eat here’ or ‘to go’ . And I am tempted to tear open the packet and eat there, after having it billed as ‘To go’ !! ha ha  

@ Vikram: I will call you later :)

  

Take care everyone and do write in whenever you get time, Love you all and hope to see you all  very soon!!

Durba.