Hide the truth

The one thing that opened my eyes wider than my normal owl specifics was the fact that Im round as round can be for a 5 ft 3" mother of two who wants to call herself hep and lively in blue denims and a pink FabIndia kurti.

Well its not the mirror mirror on the wall that disclosed this naked truth to me, though I look into it every day, but the medical camp I volunteered at yesterday. There was a sea of people. Children, mothers, elders and many in betweens. Ten doctors, a team of para medical staff and a few of us were the champions of the day.

Nope, there was no required dress code and I don't know what exactly prompted me to go pink and blue for the day! And honestly, I didn't feel round at the camp at all. Nor when Dr Minni, who I was meeting after quite a while, asked very sweetly if I had gained or lost weight. She was kind enough to leave that as a polite enquiry. How I'd term the upgrade in my specifics is from 2D to 3D!

Well im not surprised the boys made way for me only to move around comfortably. 'twas more to stay clear of a safety threat than out of respect or love, I presume. And to be crudely honest, for a better view of what the denims contained!

Oh! and I still didn't feel round even after the camp was done and we packed up for the day. Neither after a blissful night that passed by with the usual dinner fights and group hugs. Nor when my mirror winked have a nice day, this morning, as I let my dupatta romance my neck as Kajol has it in most of her movies!

Just an hour or two ago the pictures arrived and I was on the job to post a quick report in our corprate intralink.. When lo! behold ... that was me... Me ... round as round can be in snap three...

My pink kurta would have looked better if I had it on after one more month of hop, skip and jump on my terrace. My dear dear followers of the FabIndia signature, Im sorry I've tainted the beautiful cause for which the pink kurta was exquisitely crafted by some of the finest hands in India!

No regrets. Just a new lesson for the day. A new reason to go shopping and why I'd wish my dear dear Vidya, who is happily enjoying her new-mom status in London, was here with me.

Here's a plea... don't believe your mirrors. They don't always reflect the truth. Take a pic of yourself whenever you can and hang it on the wall. Look no further, that's you.  This and only this my dear friends, can help us do justice for what clothes are made for....To hide the truth!

Thank you SONY

Anna turns two on 11 October. I was just going through our album from day one of her life with us. She was tiny, all of just 3.5 kilos. So dependent on me. And now she is independent as far as freedom means to a two year old.

She walks. Talks. Calls me buddhu (must thank Sony for teaching her that!) and then corrects that to Amma. I like the way she picks out a book for Ria, who loves to read lying on the sofa; and  picks out one for herself too and cuddles up with Ri.

Centre-Point, Bahrain (May, 2009)

I've kept all her glossy, washable numbers and pictures books right where she can reach them. And bless her soul, she keeps them back neatly (Not always though!) after she has had enough imitating Ri.

Ri is oblivious to everything around her once she gets a book. She even forgets that the small one is near her. There were several near misses, when either I or Sony end up yelling and Ri startles out of her trance. I guess all of us were like that when we were kids.

We get used to multi-tasking and multi-thinking much much later. Not until we are in the teens, at least,  I guess. In any case I can't force Ri to be looking after her sis as well as enjoy her book at the same time. That's quite sinful of me. Come to think of it, how cruel of me to delegate my task of baby sitting on a poor soul who would rather be running after butterflies in the garden, but has been forced to be indoors because the mosquitoes would make a meal of her!

When Ri was two, I didn't think time would fly so soon and that she would laze in a couch like I do with a book and some pop corns. Anna turns two, in another fortnight. And zoom... time would fly again ... Weekends fly the fastest!!

I have fewer pictures of Ri than Anna, as I didn't have a sporty cell phone or digital camera to cache them into our digital albums. Thanks to the techy gadgets and my wee bit of training in online editing, I have my enviable collection of our memories just as Sony has his collection of stamps and currencies. He teaches them world history with those relics, while I poke fun at ourselves in the ridiculous shots I have crystallised forever with the camera Sudhi and Rema gifted us from Kuwait a few years back.

I've been clicking Anna's pics from day one in 2008. Every now and then is what I actually mean, as I'm so obsessed with capturing these moments that would never come back to me again. It's such fun looking back at them. Ri and I browse through the day's pics almost every night. The funny faces and the places.

Added here's one of us three that we took a while ago at a Lifestyle shop in Bahrain.

For these beautiful moments and many many others....
Thank you so much SONY (I meant the camera!)

shtyle!

In less than 20 minutes of posting myself on shytle.fm I received 18 requests for friendships. I have not replied to any, cause its humanly impossible to reply to requests as they flow in by the minute. And I really don't think anyone really does reply either.

It's amazing to actually feel the speed at which we can connect. Definitely something unthinkable during our grandparent's age. Probably I should confess, I'm at snail pace in the present zapp age!

In the Malayalam movie, Achuvinte Amma, which I have to play for my Jia at any one of her meal times everyday, there is this character Muthumma. She is the grand old mother in a huge Muslim house where all the ladies eagerly wait for their husbands to call from the Gulf. Muthumma tells Vanaja, her neighbour, of how her husband left for the Gulf long long ago in a boat and had to swim to the shore. It took two long years to hear from him while she waited in fear and prayer. And look at two generations down! We can fly to our loved ones when we desire, call, mail and even see each other at the snap of a finger she shared with awe.

I agree completely with Muthumma. The earth sure is spinning and taking everything with it too. Im party to this new connect which lives by the phrase no distance too long, no time too short. Yes we are 3G ready! 

Incidentally my friend who send me the invite link to this site was totally unaware he invited me at all. It was just a site promo that reached my inbox. In any case, happy to be inshtyle just for this learning lesson of instant connect. I was actually stricken by surprise, amazement and slowly fear as the friendship requests kept ticking. But then it is our choice to respond or not.

A majority of the mails from a majority of the males had the same question : Hey babe, wanna chat with me?!

My tiny Professors

I wish I knew most of what I know today nine years back. I know what it means when Jia stares at me after her meal. I know what it means when she tugs my t-shirt after a short while with her toys. I know what it means when she pretends to burp when she has just a spoon more of her porridge to finish.

I guess being a mother the first time is like graduating a University Course. And the second time round, you know exactly every rule of the game. And there is so much to share with the elder one who looks at me in awe and sometimes anger, as I do everything so comfortably for the small one.

Ria hates my lectures. But I tell her to keep a close watch as every detail that registers in her mind would help her when she becomes a mother!! Am I taking her too far? Not exactly.

I like being straight with Ria and she often complains as we tuck ourselves goodnight, " Ma, I love you, but sometimes you are very strict." After joking around a bit, I end up telling her I can't be a friend always and at some point of time I have to be a mother too. Maybe that's when I'm deemed strict.

Honestly, my little ones have been teaching me so much. Eventhough I yell at them for every second thing they do or don't do, there is this quick realisation that I'm no saint and that I could even be responsible for an unhealthy script. Oops, I'd rather give them opportunities to learn, unlearn and re-learn just as I am with each day of my life.

I'm so thankful to them for the tiny lessons each day. And the best part of each day is the group hug we share after our evening prayer. I want this picture of our family tradition to stick on in their minds. And the hugs would get bigger and stronger as days and years pass. Amen.

Thank you, my tiny Professors!