Summer vacation!!

I know that we have left the hands of summer and are now in the arms of winter, but my clear and warm memories of summer are still alive.

We enjoyed the summer this year more than any other year .... or maybe, I say this every year!!

Since our complex pool was under repair, we took membership in the community pool. Going there every evening, me with a book, the kids and hubby swimming, it was so relaxing!! I read a lot of books that way this summer!

Our trip to Vancouver, Canada and Portland,Oregon was very good. Vancouver is such a beautiful place. We went there before and I remember writing about it before too. But this time, the excitement was different!! There is a hanging bridge there which is over a river, called capillano river. It is literally hanging and swinging from side to side and we had to cross that to take the kids to the tree-house. The kids were brave and so wasmy husband... but it took my breath away. I wanted to come back from mid way, but Soumya was with me, as Prasad was already walking way ahead with Shreya. Soumya is so considerate, that seeing me scared she said, ok lets go back... but I felt guilty and overcoming my fear, we walked through the whole one mile of the hanging bridge, holding Soumya's hand. I know it seems silly, but I have always been scared of heights and when I saw that we were so high above the water and the bridge was swinging..I was very scared. Of course, the tree house was good, the climbing the hill up and down was good too. Surprisingly I wasn't scared while coming back!!But I think such thrills are worth it as we remember those moments for a long time!

Portland is known for its waterfalls. there are a lot of them. We decided to visit three of them as we had to cover the rose garden and the kids' museum too in three days. The drive from Seattle to Portland seemed endless. We reached there right in time to see the Rose garden. Oh! what a beauty it was! So many colours of roses with their excotic smells were spread acroos acres, giving a relaxing massage to the eyes and the nose. I couldn't have enough of it... I crazily clicked pictures trying to capture the natural beauty, but believe me, none of the pictures are as good as the live show of the roses. Rose has always been my favourite flower and so many of them togather, it made my day!

Next to the Rose garden was the Japanese garden... it was a small green garden with little brooks of water and small man-made falls. Just walking there in the garden was so relaxing, a kind of divine solitude, I would say, with the sound of water in the background and the greenery all around!

The kids enjoyed the museum and learned some science too. But the best part was the long drive to the waterfalls. We drove on the mountain way which overlooked the river below, amazing scenery! I was reminded of the ghat road we went on, in childhood from Sunabeda,orissa to Visakhapatnam to catch a train to go to Nellore, to our grandparents' house.Everytime we went on he ghat we would think that this would be our last trip as the ghat road was so nausiating and tiring. I told my kids about our ghat road journeys when we were going on this scenic ghat road to the falls.

Thanks to Hubby and Kids!!

I forgot to mention about my birthday celebrations this year,2010.

It was the best birthday ever! ( Do I say this every year? Maybe I do.) But I swear, I never had such a relaxed and free birthday ever. Thanks to my loving husband and my lovely kids.... I didn't enter the kitchen at all. I woke up to my favourite smell, that of coffee, made by my hubby dear. Then, maggi was cooked by my little one with the help of my husband. The pampering didn't stop there, my older one made lunch ... she made jeera rice and rajma looking at my recipe. What a day, it was for me. I was feeling so overwhelmed and very proud of them.

A bouquet of roses, a beautiful card with meaningful words was presented by my husband. My kids made cards for me with their artistic hands, and they sang a song for me. My older daughter had put together a slide show with my pictures and wonderful captions to enhance them. I felt so emotional, not looking at the pictures, but at the thought of my daughter giving me such a thoughful gift.

In the evening we went to the temple as usual, and then from there we went to dinner to a new indian reatuarant, Mehfil, elegantly decorated with crystal God idols and lovely pastel color curtains. The food was not as good as the restuarant, but it was not bad either, just a bit bland, I guess.

So another year has passed by, making me another year younger at heart!!

Kids' Palate

I never understand when someone says that their kids don’t eat this vegetable or that vegetable. I have two kids and my kids eat all vegetables and that too without me forcing them. I understand when an American says that, as they don’t have curries like us, they just boil the vegetables and eat or eat them raw, both of which don’t taste good, I agree. But for an Indian, saying that your kid doesn’t eat vegetables is not excusable.


We have so many different ways to cook, so many different varieties to make, to eat with rice or rotis, or just make yummy patties to make a burger. I think we have the largest variety of vegetables in India. Each vegetable can be cooked in 101 ways and the kids do like variety and sure appreciate spices rather than bland food.

Giving up is something we parents should never do. When a kid doesn’t like a vegetable it may not mean that he or she doesn’t like that particular vegetable, it could be that they don’t like it the way it is made. Next time when you use that vegetable make it in a different way, and you never know, your kid might like that vegetable very much. Trail and patience is all it takes to make a kid eat.

It is said that whatever a kid eats before it is one year old is not remembered, but from the age of one to five is the crucial age, when the kid develops tastes, likes and dislikes. This is the age when you should make them try all vegetables; make them try all varieties of food. It is a wrong notion that you should feed a toddler certain types of food only; they don’t digest all kinds of food. You bet they do! It is very easy for babies and kids to digest everything. There is a saying, “Kids can digest stones too.” Very true, though not literally. So never fear about the little tummy, it never troubles your toddler!

I never give my kids a choice of vegetables, whatever I cook, they have got to eat, though I do understand when they eat more of a certain vegetable and a little of another. If it is on their plate, they have got to eat it, that’s a rule. Well, incidentally, my kids love my cooking, and so the most unusual vegetable is also liked by them if I make it to suit their palate. No repetition of vegetables frequently, or stale food, I cook twice a day, and so the freshness of taste is the key ingredient. And of course, a generous dash of my love too!

NRI Mindset!

It is so strange that when people are in India, they don’t care for a lot of things! They don’t participate in many good causes regularly. They go about their life as normal as can be and wouldn’t even want to hear about these things. They say that they are busy! But, surprisingly, when they move out of the country, everybody is interested in things going on in India, they want to participate in everything, and they start forums and debates to support or go against every cause, every problem and every organization in India.


I have never understood this stand of an Indian. They donate to eye banks, they sit outside in some other country and send SMS to support some girl raped in India. They support all the religious groups back in India in all their endeavors. They send old clothes to some natural calamity like the floods or earthquakes in India. Not that this is wrong, it is a very noble cause, but why is it that to arouse your consciousness, you need to step out of your country? Doesn’t it come naturally to you when you stay in India?

One argument would definitely be that we earn in Dollars or Euros or Yens and so are able to donate. Agreed. But then that is just monetary help. What about all the support by word of mouth or by rallies and campaigns? Why don’t you do that on a daily basis when staying in India? Why do people come out to help only when calamities strike?

Take the case of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. For the first time perhaps in the history of India, common man came out on to the streets with a genuine cause of changing the political scenario, raising voice against terrorism. Not even Movie makers take time to make movies about these terror attacks. They would rather make a movie for the US audience about 9/11. Irony of life, indeed! You can’t wake up the conscience of an Indian in India, but want to show that you care to the US people? Why? Would any American even care to know whether you support them in their troubles? For them, you will remain an immigrant forever, even if you are a citizen. Some food to your thoughts guys!

Saddened heart....

Sometimes, life makes us so sad , especially when something unexpected hits you.I am always searching for old friends from school, college, university and also old collegues, on the inetrnet. On one such search, yesterday, I found one old friend's details and was happy for a few seconds. I knew that after school, she went to BITS pilani, but then I lost touch with her. I said that I was happy only for a few seconds because the next article I read where, they talked about her being the best singer of Pilani and then that they were condoling her death, I was shocked. I searched more about her and found that she was in New Jersey,USA and she died of Cancer in 2003. It is so sad to know that she died so young, and also that she has a little 3 year old daughter. Life is really a tragedy at times. I have no words to say how sad the news has made me.


I remember so many incidents with her.She was friends with everybody and talked politely with everyone. She sang so good, she had a sweet voice. I remember her singing 'Jab deep jale aana' melodiously.I still remember her smiling face, she always had a smile on her face for everybody. And above all, I remember her as a super intelligent girl, who answered all questions that were asked in class.

I feel bad that I didn't get to find her when she was alive, as both of us were in the USA and it wouldn't have been difficult to meet either. Sometimes you are only left with memories of a person and nothing else. May she rest in peace and may God bless her family. My heart goes out to the little one who wouldn't see her mother again.

Celebrations and Festivities

We went out on Jan 1st for lunch and then did a lot of shopping.Our plan to go to Vancouver,Canada, didn't meterialize due to the pouring rain. We came home with a pizza and had a movie night! Yes, we watched 3 idiots, all the four of us and tredded ourselves laughing into the new year!FANTASTIC MOVIE, IT WAS! Usually I always feel that the book is very good, and the movie didn't do the due justice to the book. But for a chnage , when I saw the movie and then finished the book, I felt that the movie was faboulous and frankly, if I was to make a movie, I definitely wouldn't make a movie of this particular book, 3 point someone, as it is so boring!I definitely liked Chetan bhagat's One night at the call centre and the 3 mistakes of my life better than this first book of his.

On Soumya's birthday, I missed my little niece Ananya as it was her birthday too. Unfortunately, since she had a small accident , where she fell from the bed and hurt her lip and had 3 stitches too, she didn't have a birthday party. Poor thing, didn't have her first birthday celebrated! Like in the US, in India it is not customary to celebrate in the weekends, convenience is not the creteria there. Of course, so what if it is not customary, first birthdays are first birthdays, they don't come again ,right?

Anyways, my kids as usual always have two birthdays celebrated, on the actual day of the birthday which is usually a working day, and of course when we have the party in the weekend.So on Soumya's birthday, Jan 6th, I made a cake and cooked all dishes which were her favourite for lunch.After cutting the cake,  we went out to an Indo-Chinese restuerant for dinner. On Jan 8th,the friday, the beginning of a weekend, we had a party for her friends. They played games, did some painting of the wooden photos frames to take home, ate Pizza and Cake. Soumya was happy and felt that she had a great birthday this year too.

I made sweets and savories and prayed to God on all the three days of Sankrathi . I love special festival cooking, and love eating too on festivals. Unexpectededly, I made someone very happy on the bhogi day. Incidentally I remembered that it was one of my mama's birthday that day and searched for his email id and sent him a happy birthday note. He was both surprised and happy ,thanked and blessed me and my family profusely.Good that I could make someone's day!

Suddenly, I got an idea of making a slide show for my brother and sending it to him on his birthday. Actually we wanted to do it for ananya's birthday but it got delayed and so thought of finishing it for his birthday.After all which dad wouldn't be happy to see a slide show with cutie pie ananya's pics in it.Soumya was the one who made the slide and I edited some of the captions she had for the pics, my husband added a happy birthday slide for Rajesh and soon it was on its way electronically to my Dad. I called up my dad and asked him to show the slide show to Rajesh and Sudha.Glad that they liked it!

Happy new year!

I know I'm very late in wishing my readers a Happy New Year, but better late than never. So, Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year 2010.A new start. A new decade.

I don't want to know what's in store for me in future, nor do I look back and regret anything I have done so far. For me, life is an ongoing process.. a day at a time! No rewind buttons and no forward buttons! Just the play button. Maybe thats the reason that I am still a happy carefree girl. Yes, I must admit that sometimes my todays are boring, or stressed, but then it is just today. Tomorrow would be different,right?! Not that I look forward to tommorow and waste my today. Confusing, isn't it? Well, you've gotto be in my shoes to understand it.They are a size 6 as always!! No change there too...