Change

Ananya's visa finally came yesterday. Its official. We are moving in the next 2 weeks. The excitement is there, the anticipation of change is there, but along with that there is an uneasyness ... not for me or my husband but for my 2 and 1/2 year old baby.
Ananya has known one home (Thakur Village she calls it). She knows one set of people, one locality, one play gound, one set of friends, one school, one language and now we are asking her to change not one thing, but ALL.
She will have to call a new house her Home, she will have to get used to new people, new neighbors, new language, new accents, new faces and most of all a new school and new friends.
The word on the street is that she is at a perfect age where she can adapt easily to a new environment, she will learn a new language very quickly and make friends more easily. While I tend to agree to this not only because people are saying it, but because Ananya is a sweet, friendly and adjusting child, I am still fearful of the first step in this journey of change.
While i know in my heart that she will copy beautifully, i still want the transition to be smooth for her. She will miss her first home and all the people that she has come to know here. She will ask to "go home" almost everyday before bed. She will ask for her friends and wonder why they no longer come to play with her. She will miss her grandmothers parathans in the morning.
But she will also adjust to her new surroundings and learn to appreciate her new school and friends.
We are hoping that this move is the best move - for her and for us as a family.
We are hoping that my baby loves her new change !

No gadget day

So for a household of 2 (and 1/2) persons we have 2 smart phones, 1 iPAD, 1 android tab and 3 laptops (2 official) and most of these are on and running most of the time we are at home and connected to the internet.
So this obviously leads to one or all three of us using one or many of them almost all the time. Checking emails, facebook, playing games, stories or just adjusting settings to change the background !!!
Gadget addition is soon threatening to take over the Singh household. So we decided to make ONE day as gadget free day. Ofcourse we need to ensure that we take few steps to counter withdrawal issues and keep our body and mind stable !!! :-).
1. Hide all the gadgets away in a locked drawer and throw the key (okkk not throw, but hide the key).
2. Only keep phone for phone calls and messages.
3. Switch off wi-fi so that we are not tempted to be connected over the phone.
4. Plan your day so that we are spending some time playing. We have deviced games with Ananya from pillow fights to running races and hide n seek games. Lets play them all that day.
5. Resist temptations.
6. Go out for lunch at a fun place that doesnt have an iPAD as menu. (Have u seen those?? They are pretty cool... ok ok i am digressing)
7. Watch a good movie ( should tv be considered in the gadget ban..... ummmm... no).
8. Go swimming and hit the gym (when was the last time my running shoes saw light of day   sigh !!!!)
9. Brew a strong cup of tea in the afternoon and sit and enjoy a good conversation. How many times during the week do we even get to do this???
10. Resist temptations.
11. Go shopping (hehehe).

This list might look ordinary. One may think ... what? These guys dont do all of this now??? Yes we do, we spend play time with Ananya, watch tv, drink tea, go out. But i feel that we are constantly interrupted by our gadgets.
I check if my pictures have enough likes while drinking tea, suri wants to feed his cows on hayday or check if his team has sent him any emails, even Ananya takes a break by listening to a twinkle twinkle video.
We are ofcourse not at a point of no return, but there are times when you wonder.
I want to try this experiment soon... a NO gadget day. Maybe this saturday?
Its the attraction to the shiny screens and and well designed apps that do the trick. We are hooked. No time to think, reflect, converse. We rather send fb messages than pick up the phone and call. Whatsapp comes as a boon to keep in touch but how many telephonic conversations are we missing out.
I am by no means advocating that these are a bad influence. I love my gadgets and will continue to use them. But once in a while we need to take a break and breath in and relax. Too much of a good thing... :-)).

Aaji

I was 2 years or so old when i took my first trip from home to chennai with my parents and my granny (aaji) didnt accompany us. My mom says that i was inconsolable the entire journey and only quitened down in chennai when i saw another lady who looked just like aaji.
That was the kind of bond that i shared with her my entire life.
I wanted her when i was sick, when i wanted a good night story at night (which was every night), when i was scared to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and numerous other countless times.
She was a amazing person. Gentle but strong willed. Religious but not fanatic like many in her generation. Loved a good conversation and a good gossip as well. :-).
She was educated till the 4th std, but could read english by the time we were born. Being a staunch hindu brahmin, she still allowed mom to cook eggs for us. She always had a home remedy for all ailments and i so appreciated that when Ananya was born.
She led a beautiful life, saw her son and daughter lead fulfilling lifes. Saw her three grandchildren become successful and spend good time with her great grand daughter.
Since yesterday whenever i have closed my eyes to imaginer her face, i have seen a smiling aaji who is clapping with glee and getting enthralled with the antics of my daughter and realised that she had a smiling face most of the time.
She was 84 and survived breast cancer and did most of the house work till about a month before she passed.
Her house today is filled with people who have come to pay respects to a grand lady.. independent, sweet, egoistic, who spoke her mind, kind, considerate, emotional, loved to eat, had a sweet tooth, an innovative cook and someone whose 'sonamaaaaa' (private joke) i will miss like crazy.
Her son and daughter in law will miss her presence in the house for days to come and i am still thinking how to answer my daughter when she will ask 'where is choti aaji', but i will miss her sweet disposition and never die attitude and pray that i get to live such a fulfilling life and go with no regrets.
This sunday before Mothers Day, i will miss my 'amma', my 'aaji'... my other mother ! Love you Aaji. May you rest in peace.

My granny

When an elderly person passes away – you always think if you want to mourn their death or celebrate their life ….
My nani passed away this week, having led a quiet and fulfilling life. Like most kids my age, I used to spend the occasional summer vacation at my granny’s place. My memories of her of those times were of a soft spoken, bespectacled lady – busy in the mornings in the kitchen dishing out a variety of curries and fried items for the kids and sitting in front of a babble of more kids in the evenings giving them Hindi tuitions.
Hindi teacher – that was how she was know. 20 years ago, when we alighted from our 3 hour bus journey in the small town of Hindupur – all we had to say was ‘Hindi teacher’s house’ and we were taken there. One of the very few ladies of those times who worked for a living. She was a teacher of the Hindi language in the local school till retirement – and she continued to tutor kids of all ages till her eye sight started failing her.
A woman of few words; she lead her life dedicated to kids, especially her own. Ensured a full education for my mother and supported her son in all his ventures emotionally as well as financially. She by no means led an easy life and had her share of ups and downs; but she never let it show in front of us kids.
I saw very little of her in the last 8 years; only speaking to her every time I visited my mother. We would talk for a few minutes and she would always end by a blessing – wishing me and my family the best!
I write this tribute to the woman from whom I probably inherited my patience; a woman of few words; a woman who made a difference to the many that she taught; a woman who was my mother’s confidant; a woman whom I will always remember as my ‘Hindupur aagi’. Today I want to celebrate her life more than mourn her death .. as will many who will pay their respects to their beloved Hindi teacher.