Bye bye summer.. please

It has been quite a long hiatus. So much has happened :)

It has been hot, hectic, harrowing and yet utterly rewarding experience. They say change is good. IT has been good so far. In fact, now I have come to the conclusion that people should move just to get rid of unwanted stuff. keep moving to stay lean - works on all levels :D
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The calendar on my desk tells me that the Indian palm Squirrel is call "Funabulus Palmarum" which (i guess) literally implies that squirrels are funny walking creatures. Wow. Who says scientists are dull?

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I have to struggle a bit to keep up with the studies. The hardest part is taking out time. I dont like the idea of giving up having fun. Now that would be dull.

Semul

One of the topmost trees in my list of favorites is the humble semul/simmar/semal.

At home in arid dusty landscapes, it thrives in hellholes like Gurgaon as well. And I am very grateful for that I must add. Its vibrant red flowers mark the end of winters. Around this time, the trees totally lack any foliage but are full of fleshy flowers. In fact, I recall that we used to have a semul tree above our classroom in Nazira. And in April, the floor used to be full of freshly fallen as well as half rotten flowers. And yes, the nearby village was called semulguri. We could take a boat to cross the river and go vegetable shopping there. Sounds fantastic and it was.

:)

Of ancient songs

I love vacations. Well who doesnt :P

Unlike K, I prefer mountains to beaches. We have been on short trips on the Himalayan range a handful of times. And although I enjoyed every moment of our time there, I was always glad to back in the plains. Always. Having said that, I just want to tell that I am very thankful to the Himalayan range. Please dont get angry I dont feel at home on you (:P). I guess, its because I belong in your shadows.

Well, I dont feel so anxious on the Aravalis though. In a way I am intimidated by them. They somehow manage to hold their regalia despite being old and arid. They make me believe that I have been a part of them for a long time, longer than I can remember in this memory. The Aravalis are like an old person, very old and very wise. So old that time has given up on her and it doesnt matter how many eons pass, she is always going to be that old. So old that she has become a chronicle of time iteslf. Age has taught her to be forgiving of the pesky humans mining her flesh though ugly quarries. Age has also taught her that the best way to take care of life is to make it very hard to live in her care. And as a result, life is thriving and so is she. And together they sing songs where melodies mingle with dust and are carried far away and for a very long time. The Aravalis have so much to teach, so much to tell, if only we could listen.

Cultivate and Inculcate

You know what rocks? yeah granite and slate but also learning new things. And learning to use technology for actually improving your life.

So somebody initiated these cool things called podcasts. And bam! 10 years later, I finally started to listen to those. And audiobooks. Those rock too. Needless to say I am cooking way too often these days. :)
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Speaking of rocks, the other week we (I) finally settled on the stone for kitchen counters. They are grey with black specks on them.
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I have five plants on my office desk now.

Studying again

The neighbourhood park has some very lively tangerine trees. Over the years these have become my favorite. And the kids' too. These trees are always laden with fruit. And I mean ALWAYS. Literally hundreds of them.

But today morning, there was something new. The trees had blossoms. And they smell lovely. While walking past them I thought I caught a whiff of something I faintly recognized but couldn't place. On my way back, I stopped to smell them. (must have looked like a dork - a grown woman smelling trees) And I realized, they smell faintly like jasmine(mogra). Lovely.

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Some homes feel like vacations. At least on pinterest. I wonder if the people living in them are aware of this.

My idea of a vacation comprises the tropics, bougainvillea, big troughs of frangipani floating on water, can furniture and afternoon. Not at all unattainable in a house. Only if we could move to the tropics.

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I am wearing a sort of flowy sweater/jacket thing today. i feel like batman. :)

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Little T gave me a compliment today. He said, "Mommy, I love your petu. Its so soft and squishy". I said thank you. And I was. 

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I realize I should start studying seriously now. They say realization is the first step. Well I am glad to have a start of any kind.

Random

I like listening to music while I cook. Not that I cook so very often, but when I do, it sounds very good :P

My usual favorites are classics of course. But recently, I stumbled upon some old favorites of ours. And so Savage Garden is the flavor of the month. Nostalgia.. The funny thing is, although I havent really heard these songs for more than a decade, but I found (to my delight) that I was able to sing along those songs. ooh I want you, I dont know if I need you.... :)

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Ksh and I have started a self-help group. There are only two people in the group. We stop each other from losing our sh*t at the kids. I must say it is working pretty well. And we have the added delight of having a new common hobby.

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We are also neck deep in getting things finished for the house. I love crawling through the web to find something for the new place. Ksh likes to see the pinterest stuff I show him and somehow thinks I am going to be able to replicate it. :O

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I want to try my hand at woodwork. Like work with really professional tools. I want to become a furniture maker.

Birthday rants

Saw a parrot in flight today. It kind of looked like a swift while flying, a very pretty green swift. magnificent 

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"We are, each of us, a product of the stories we tell ourselves" - Derren Brown, Happy

I came across this book by chance. Bought it on a whim and started it in the middle of another one(The Pilgrimage by Coelho. I need more conviction to finish it though). And I have been so surprised. Its a wonderful read. More wisdom than I could handle at one go. So what happens it that I read a passage, marvel it for a while and then realize that I have to re-read it. And marvel it some more. It is a pleasure.

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I also turn 34 today. Thats a big number. And with age, I am surprised to find myself turning more and more "right-wing" and agreeing with people like Jordan Peterson. I am also scared that the world(at least the first / western world and by the virtue of being blind followers - the educated class of my own humble third world country) is inching towards becoming utterly useless. 

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Another bit of wisdom that I garnered is that I have to be more patient. And by Gods grace, my kids have an incredible ability to teach me patience.

Days to remember

Memories are fickle. They form and then fade, sometimes get distorted and tend to reshape themselves in a simpler manner loosing some of their flavor along the way and picking some false ones with time. Usually it doesn't matter much as long as its a happy memory. But sometimes you want to remember times exactly as they play out. These are such times. The other day K and I realized that although we are rushed all the time, these may be our halcyon days. No major worries, kids in the sweet age where they don't have acad pressure yet.

So apart from the others, here are some silly things I really want to remember:

- Little V learning to speak. His vocabulary expands every minute. Current favorites - more, big, eat, bus, truck, baby and of course NO

- T turning into a little boy from being my baby and so eager to grow up. He is obsessed with farts and keeps a daily count. Also, he takes pleasure in announcing whenever there is a count++ event

- Their favorite "hide and seek" games. V calls it the game of "paaiise". I kind of feel sorry for the family living in the flat below us.

- The way V asks me to play with him the moment he realizes that I am getting ready for work. 

- Night time story sessions. I suspect K enjoys them more than the kids.

I know that soon the kids will have friends of their own, they might not want to play with us anymore. But till that time comes...

For us

This year we had a long long new year's party. The kind you never want to end. But it has to so that there are justifiable reasons to have more parties. And so this one is coming to an end. 

It was one to remember :)

So here is to a very happy and successful year full of joys (big and small), and laughter and genuine smiles. May God bless us with good health and happy times. And faith.

Cheers