Day 1 was relatively easy to accomplish, mainly because I had a surprise visit from a certain Mr Cold Virus. I spent the initial part of my time doing chores at work - prepared Idli batter, grilled green beans and pureed squash for Anish. Our nanny was around today, so that helped get a lot of things accomplished.
I started out to take a power nap for 10 minutes that actually ended up lasting an hour at least, but that really helped with the cold part. Then made some sambhar that will last till tomorrow at least. Anish got a lot more active compared to last week, he still walks with support, but walks a lot faster than before. He uses the walker quite well as long as he does not need to change directions, but starts playing around once he hits a corner. He has also started babbling longer sentences in gibberish as opposed to a word or two.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The 30 Day No Work Email Challenge
After looking forward to it for over 9.5 months, my parental leave finally started today. Now the real challenge is to spend my 28 days doing what I actually set out to do - spend quality time with Anish. To make sure I do that, I laid down some ground rules and things I want to accomplish.
- Not check work email through the course of my maternity leave.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Spend quality time with Anish
- Experiment something new.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
New Year Stuff
Its that time of the year again - time for making new resolutions. So far, I've gotten from breaking my resolutions the first day to keeping them around at least till spring. Hopefully, this year, I can stretch the mile a little longer. The wierd part is, while my brain says how immature the whole New Year Resolution funda is, I can help but pride myself on how mature my resolutions have become. I've moved on from reaching the stars to doing something realistic. So here are my resolutions.
- Time management: This has always screwed me in the past because I have this innate ability to commit to 48 hour days, not just at work, but the classes I sign up for and the social activities I plan. Now, I'm going to plan my day in such a way that I have not more than 1 social commitment and sign up for just 1 class at a time.
- Experiment: I need to do at least one thing new every month, be it eating at a new restaurant, trying out a new cuisine or at least visiting a queer coffee shop. OK, by now, you have realized I'm a food junkie. The list also extends to watching a new genre of movie, finding a good store to shop at or try to cook something new (Ah, here goes again...)
- Travel: I need to travel to at least two destinations this year, last year has been such a downhill on travel because most of my vacation time was spent back home in India, so this time I really look forward to visiting new places.
- Time management: This has always screwed me in the past because I have this innate ability to commit to 48 hour days, not just at work, but the classes I sign up for and the social activities I plan. Now, I'm going to plan my day in such a way that I have not more than 1 social commitment and sign up for just 1 class at a time.
- Experiment: I need to do at least one thing new every month, be it eating at a new restaurant, trying out a new cuisine or at least visiting a queer coffee shop. OK, by now, you have realized I'm a food junkie. The list also extends to watching a new genre of movie, finding a good store to shop at or try to cook something new (Ah, here goes again...)
- Travel: I need to travel to at least two destinations this year, last year has been such a downhill on travel because most of my vacation time was spent back home in India, so this time I really look forward to visiting new places.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Raising a Toast to (Again...)
I was reading thru this and suddenly loved it so much that I'm posting it again. New Yearz round the corner anyways.
To the fondest little memories
To the crappiest of the nightmares
To the storms that shook us
To the windfalls that caught us unaware
To the people we inspired
To the people who inspired us
To the best of our friends
To the faded memory of acquaintances
To the family we take for granted
To the strangers we accomodate
To the nostalgia tucked away in the cardboard box
To the mundanity we would miss a year from now
To the priceless lessons learnt
To the heavy prices paid for those lessons
To everything that teaches a thing or two
That makes us see tommorow in a new light
To the wilderness we never cease to explore
That is otherwise called LIFE!
A very very Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.
To the fondest little memories
To the crappiest of the nightmares
To the storms that shook us
To the windfalls that caught us unaware
To the people we inspired
To the people who inspired us
To the best of our friends
To the faded memory of acquaintances
To the family we take for granted
To the strangers we accomodate
To the nostalgia tucked away in the cardboard box
To the mundanity we would miss a year from now
To the priceless lessons learnt
To the heavy prices paid for those lessons
To everything that teaches a thing or two
That makes us see tommorow in a new light
To the wilderness we never cease to explore
That is otherwise called LIFE!
A very very Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Independence
Its Sun TV that reminded me about Independence Day this year. I remember my childhood years when we all adorned our white uniforms and the carefully polished canvas shoes every August 15th to go to school briefly for an hour. There was always a speech on independence, followed by chocolate distribution, the 10 ps (sigh, those days) chocolates were so precious at that point. As we sung "Sare Jahan Se Acha, Hindustan Hamara," we used to gloat as though we were right beside Gandhiji struggling for our independence. There was some cultural attraction or the other followed by prize distribution and a march past that we tried to escape out of. We used to come back right in time for the flag hoisting in Red Fort. That was a big family event where all of us settled right in front of the TV listening awestruck to the 21 gun salute every year and the President's speech. Immediately after that, there was a big line of contests planned for by the Youth Association in our colony, winning a prize or two was our sole motive. Later, they introduced a blood donation camp, and following a big fight with my dad and convincing him that they use disposable needles, we used to go donate blood. In short, August 15th of our childhood was festive in every way possible.
28 years later, I look at the preview of the Independence Day events on Sun TV, and there is a long list of reviews of all the movies released on that day. Something got skewed along the way. In the USA, every July 4 since 1776 is a celebration where everyone in the county gathers in their local park for a fireworks display. The fireworks are the same every year, but its the spirit which drags all of us into the local parks, waiting for an hour to park and an hour to get settled in a corner. More than the festivities, thats one moment where our heart fills with appreciation for our ancestors who fought so hard and the feeling of oneness among everyone gathered. More importantly, it really feels like we belong to our country. I sincerely ask every reader (if anyone ever reads this) to dedicate that 1 day in a year to gather with your neighbours and celebrate our independence by just being together and i you want to stretch it, help the less forunate. If we don't appreciate our freedom, then who else would?
28 years later, I look at the preview of the Independence Day events on Sun TV, and there is a long list of reviews of all the movies released on that day. Something got skewed along the way. In the USA, every July 4 since 1776 is a celebration where everyone in the county gathers in their local park for a fireworks display. The fireworks are the same every year, but its the spirit which drags all of us into the local parks, waiting for an hour to park and an hour to get settled in a corner. More than the festivities, thats one moment where our heart fills with appreciation for our ancestors who fought so hard and the feeling of oneness among everyone gathered. More importantly, it really feels like we belong to our country. I sincerely ask every reader (if anyone ever reads this) to dedicate that 1 day in a year to gather with your neighbours and celebrate our independence by just being together and i you want to stretch it, help the less forunate. If we don't appreciate our freedom, then who else would?
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Survival of the Fittest
Animals in general are on my 10 least interesting list. I can occasionally go "Awww" at a cute pup or a kitten (as long as they are a mile away from me), but generally tend to stick to landscapes, plants and fellow humans when it comes to appreciating nature. However, this week was different in that there were 2 instances about animals which geared up my thought process.
Battle at Kruger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM
This is one of Youtube's most popular videos, with 5 millionish views as of June that soared to 7.5 million views in July. It was featured in the ABC's "I Caught" videos and is soon to be made into a National Geographic documentary. Its a heroic rescue of a calf (buffalo) caught between the lion and the crocodile by a huuuge herd of buffaloes. Set in the African Savannah, it truly brings alive Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest. Its mind blowing to see the lion look like a kitty kat when its near these giant buffaloes, especially when this buffalo throws a lion with its horns. Pumps up as much adrenaline as a Hollywood nail biter, making us wish for the calf to be saved any minute now.
The Greatest Migration
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1635827,00.html
Battle at Kruger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM
This is one of Youtube's most popular videos, with 5 millionish views as of June that soared to 7.5 million views in July. It was featured in the ABC's "I Caught" videos and is soon to be made into a National Geographic documentary. Its a heroic rescue of a calf (buffalo) caught between the lion and the crocodile by a huuuge herd of buffaloes. Set in the African Savannah, it truly brings alive Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest. Its mind blowing to see the lion look like a kitty kat when its near these giant buffaloes, especially when this buffalo throws a lion with its horns. Pumps up as much adrenaline as a Hollywood nail biter, making us wish for the calf to be saved any minute now.
The Greatest Migration
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1635827,00.html
In an aerial survey of Sudanese natural reserves, Mike Fay and Paul Elken stumbled into a mammoth population of 1.2 million white-eared kob, tiang antelope and Mongalla gazelles in a procession upto 50 miles long. This is considered to be a migration larger than Serengeti's. This area was hidden from the eyes of geographists for about 25 years, coz it was assumed that no species would have survived the civil war in Sudan. Darwinian, my friends!A colleague got his point across in a hallway debate and on the way out, he made a nonchalant remark lifting his collar - "Survival of the fittest, eh!" Makes me think what a skewed notion we have about the whole survival game. On one hand, we humans are increasing the carbon emissions, worrying about greenhouse gases, melting ice caps and eco friendly transports and still gloating over a great deal we pulled out of a sales rep. There is a silent revolution going on in the unexplored territories where the simpler creations are carving a safe niche for themselves. They survived in a place where the super smart humans spent all their decades killing their kin over a power struggle - 1.2 million wildlife species were parading along the same territory where there were 1.9 million civilian causalties. Do the super complicated gray cells make us miss the big picture?
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