4 days of Summer

Title of the post inspired from 500 days of summer - a pretty decent watch :) 

Well back to the main issue now. K has an exam to take, and like any well meaning exam taker, he decided to take some days off work to prepare for the same. And like any 'normal' student he spent the 2 days - yes - not studying :) But then I am not complaining since I got 4 splendid days! 

Thursday started top notch with us stepping out to just savor the sun. Yes it was 23 degrees Celsius and we ventured out full tayyar shayyar sun glasses and all. Woo hoo!! Ekdum tashan main types  :) And what was our first stop? Well it was Daddad's day out so obviously it was the gaming shop. He got a bunch load of games and was grinning ear to ear like a kid berserk in a candy store. But I was not one to be left behind. Since summer had officially arrived, I cant do with the same pair of sunglasses you see. So yours truly had to get one more. Luckily I managed to get a very nice one very quickly! After Dad and mom it was the lil ones turn. But tough luck - no shopping for her. Poor dear she had to get her vaccinations done. We marched off to the local health center and Chiyaa got her second set of injections. Brave lil girl, she cried just because she was roused from very deep sleep and was so miffed that she literally head butted the doctor :D 

Quick pit stop at home to give the lil one some rest. Evening we had a dinner planned with one of K's colleagues family. It too went splendid and we rounded off an amazing day at 2200. 

Friday our daughter needed the much deserved attention. We went clothes shopping for her since she has crossed the 0-3 mths clothes set. So it was now up for some 3-6 mths one. Boyyyyy kids grow fast (Yes yes every parent says this on and off) And while shopping for her clothes (Goshhhhhhhhhh girls clothes are soooooooooooooooo cuteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I had to restrain myself from heaving whole shelves) I eyed upon some decent women's wear. Now that I have totally gone the Aishwarya Rai way - yep totally chubby and proud :D ( ahem I am also enjoying motherhood ;) ) I am still in most of my maternity clothes. And I got just 4 of them - which bores me and bores K too ;) So finaaaaaally I was able to snuggle into some normal clothes (Yayyyyyyyyyyy) I am 2 sizes over my own - but then we will worry about that later. Naye kapday yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. To celebrate that, we tucked into some Nando's chicken. The ladies of the house had had their share of fun, so K was not to be left behind. He decided to get a fancy haircut. Well haircut was'nt fancy - just the shop looked a bit posh. I seriously dont see any difference that a haircut makes to a mans face but still somehow men seem so crazy for them! Anyhoo, we lapped up the sun and trekked back home.

Since we had spent the 2 days entirely out of the home, we decided to take it slow on the Saturday. Caught up with family, watched a movie and generally spent time with Chiyaa which is a treasure in itself. Sunday we just ventured out for a treat from the promotees from K's work. Then it was time to relax and gear up for (urgh!) Monday. 

I was really nostalgic as I watched the city lights from our bedroom window. It was just some months ago, that I was a bundle of nerves waiting and watching for any signs of Chiyaa. Those were such nervous days. And the early days with her were so different. Somehow we three have reached a rhythm. She has somehow blended with the two wackos who are her parents - Thank God for that.And we just love being parents to the kitten :)

Wo shaam mastani :D

*Giggles* Yep I do not believe the cheesiness of the title :D But somehow this struck and now this is stuck :) 

Enough of my pjs. Let me come to main mudda. Hua yun ki yesterday K came home early. *Giggles* And I was like yayyyyyyyyyyy. After 4 years 3 months and 6 days of marriage, his coming back from work fills me with glee. And if he comes home early its like sone pe suhaga. I literally welcome him like a puppy welcomes its master. (Yes he does call me puppy/poppy). So yesterday when he came home early (with K's schedules normal time is early) but yesterday he was really seriously early. I could not believe my ears when I heard him turn the lock in the door. And when he stepped inside, I gave him the widest grins. It was raining, the weather was murky, everything was damp, dull and cold. But when he stepped inside - it was absolute yayyyyyy. :) (You can see I am at a loss of words - I was that happy!) 

Since I had daddy taking care of darling daughter, I had some time at hand. He had asked me since quite a few days to make some vermicelli kheer. I was always hard pressed for time for the same. So I took the opportunity to make some. And we always make it a point to make some special dishes extra so that K can hand some over to his bachelor friends. So I made quite a big load.We savored some amount of the hot pudding. Then it was time to video conference with the grannies back in India. After spending some time, I went off for a little walk within the apartment. Day in and out I do most of the stuff at home myself and also manage to take care of the baby. But with K around yesterday I realised, how much of a help an extra hand was! I had time to myself, to just go blank. Flipping through the pages of the novel without having to keep glancing at what the kiddo was doing, was in itself a blessing. Bless him!

Now a dark, dreadful and depressing rainy evening deserves one thing - yep - Ginger TEA! So I spruced up two nice cuppas. We all huddled in one cosy bed - K reading comics, Chiyaa cooing and playing and I investigating my new phone. (Let me take this opportunity to reveal that K gifted me an iPhone 4s. I am a technically challenged person and centuries behind the latest gadgets. But I have my sister and my cousins mentoring and tutoring me and making me slowly but surely hooked onto the phone.)

We barely noticed how well and how swiftly time just flew. As the clock inched towards 2100 hours, we made our way to the living for it was time for The Apprentice. Episode done, it was nighty night. After a truly wonderful and enchanting evening - in spite of the rains :)

Beatrice and Virgil

Ever so often I come across a book which rankles something inside. Beatrice and Virgil happened to be one of them.

I picked the book at the library since it came from the author Yann Martel - the writer of " The Life of Pi" which is one of my much loved books. The back cover of the book says " This is the story a donkey named Beatrice and a monkey named Virgil. It is also the story of an extraordinary journey undertaken by a man named Henry." Bizzare eh? It is. The way the author uses animals to communicate about an important event is stirring, unique and very very original. 

The book is written in a very simple tone. It is so simple that it keeps you gripped. The book has just 2 main human characters. In spite of it, the writer somehow manages to keep the narration very taut - so much so that it feels like a thriller novel. But it is not. Another striking facet of the book is the eerie environment that the author manages to create. It does not have any ghosts or ghouls or evil spirits, but the way the author paints the picture of even a sunlit room - makes you apprehensive of what might be lurking in the corners. The same goes for descriptions of some scenes and scenarios. Without being verbose, the writer has many a times painted a soul stirring picture.

If I highlight the good bits of the book, I might end up putting the whole book here. But then I cannot finish this post without the wow parts. So there you go savor some

• Just as music is noise that makes sense, a painting is color that makes sense, so a story is a life that makes sense.
• In his entirely personal experience of them, English was jazz music, German was classical music, French was ecclesiastical music and Spanish was music from the streets. Which is to say, stab his heart and it would bleed French, slice his brain open and its convolutions would be lined with English and German, and touch his hands and they would feel Spanish. ( This is the author's description of the man who knew the 4 languages. I have not read such a unique comparison and explanation ever!)
• Life and death live and die in exactly the same spot, the body. It is from there both babies and cancers are born. To ignore death, then, is to ignore life.
• Creative block is no laughing matter, or only to those sodden spirits who've never tried to make their personal mark. It's not just a particular endeavour, a job, that is negated, it's your whole being. It's the dying of a small god within you, a part you thought might have immortality. When you're creatively blocked, you're left with - Henry looked around the workshop - you're left with dead skins.
• To my mind, faith is like being in the sun. When you are in the sun, can you avoid creating a shadow? Can you shake that area of darkness that clings to you,always shaped like you, as if constantly to remind you of yourself? You can't. This shadow is doubt. And it goes where ever you go as long as you stay in the sun. (This is a part of analogy between faith and sun and the juxtapositiong of faith and doubt. Simple yet so effective!)
• Once you have been struck by violence, you acquire companions that never leave you entirely: Suspicion, Fear, Anxiety, Despair, Joylessness.

Well... I have added some length to my post just by quoting the author. The book is not for everyday reading. But after reading its impossible to forget.

Fare thee well till we meet again

Friends are some of the dearest gifts in life. I am blessed to have some real darlings in my life. 

It was a chance trip to  Wales that ended up in me being friends with B. It started off with small talk, but slowly the boundaries and the hesitations were lost as we forged a new friendship. Our mutual interest for walks was a facet that bonded us. It started off evening walks and step up sessions. We then hit upon another common interest - cooking. So there ensued swapping of recipes, dishes, sites with recipes and the whole nine yards. She was wonderful company for shopping and we spend quite a bit of time strolling the streets. I am not into shopping but with her it was fun somehow. Her vivaciousness was contagious. I will forever remember those chats in coffee shops and the frenzy with which she used to take photographs. She never missed a moment and lived each to the hilt. There were many evenings over the weekends later once we moved houses, when even if we were not hanging out together, we spent long hours chatting over the internet. 

I will always remember the long weekend of Easter last year, where we spent every single day doing something fun.We in fact even spent a day studying! Ironically it was fun doing so with someone whose company you enjoyed. She was major help bringing me dishes I craved for during my pregnancy days. She was also a dear to load my iPod with good devotional music so that I did nt end up listening to only the catchy numbers I am generally hooked to :D She always reached out to me for advise and I always felt like an elder sister to her. I was at many times brutal in my advise to her. If I felt she was wrong, I did not hold it back at all. I hope she appreciated it :)I hope :)

The news of her travel back to India came as a surprise to me for sure. Somehow I felt as if someone who was as close as family was leaving. We spent a lot of time in the evenings towards the end. It was real fun chatting and discussing stuff. And she was an angel to cook  dinner for us while I took care of the munchkin. I was very glad that she chose to spend the last night in Leeds at our home. Though I was not able to spend a lot of time with her and chat till the wee hours, which I would have so loved - it felt nice that she was around. 

The morning of her travel came as any other. I was filled with a bitter-sweet emotion as I bid her goodbye. I know we will surely meet each other back in India. I know she would be with her parents and siblings in 24 hours time and would so so so love it. I know many better things would come her way with this movement. But then I was going to miss her terribly. 

Good luck dear friend! 

Of great weekends and sunny Sundays

For the first time I did not resent the Monday. In spite of being a full time mom, I still hate Mondays.

But not this week.

The gorgeous Saturday started with K being at home.So I got time to work on a project of mine. I was trying to make a decorative piece for my kitten now that shes started looking around. So while K minded her, I was able to complete my piece. It took a day and looks amateurish, but then I was happy with the results :)

Sunday was frigid but sunnnnnnnnnnnny!! And I LOVE THE SUN! So at once I suggested we make a trip to a park. Got ready in a jiffy and packed ourselves for the tour. We took a good long stroll for close to an hour in the park. Finally when the sun started shying away, we decided to make the trek home. It was again another splendid walk with the sun playing hide and seek with the clouds. We thought of venturing to the library, but noticed that the timings had changed. To make use of the time we had at hand, we spent some time in the local museum.

K loves museums and his interest is contagious. I tried to look around at the sections of interest to me. But then I got tired after a bit and took to being with my daughter on a bench. After K was done with his wanderings, we were both famished. We treated ourselves to buffet at Spice Quarters. The lil one was cooperative to some extent. We took turns eating and at a point, where she would not rest, I held her while K fed me. :) Thank God there was not much of a crowd else it would have been embarrassing. Food done, library was the last stop after which it was homie home. 

Sun, Sunday, scrumptious food and stimulating time - who is scared of Mondays?