Economist - 0, Farhan Akhtar - 1

I love listening to music. Perhaps good music might be the only thing in the whole world that the same affect on everyone (except my husband, more on that later) and today’s post is all about Sangrywords having fun at Dubai Music Week.

Saturday night was the most spectacular concert night that I have been to in a real long time. I was almost going give this concert a miss with us the house shifting, the other headaches surrounding it and the hubby travelling, there was no chance. But the lady luck smiled on me - The one sms to City 101.6 with an answer to a question got me premiere tickets to the concert. But the biggest surprise was the chance to meet Farhan Akhtar in person.

Even with tight schedules, the event manager in me made sure hubby landed just in time to head straight to the concert. In my anxiety to reach the venue on time I ended up 45 minutes early - as the saying goes, better early than sorry! Wearing a 5 inch stilettos waiting for the gates to open for concert must be easy-breezy for most girls but for a mum of toddler who is always in snickers or flat pumps, that was really a tough ask.

Once we got in of course there was another customary an hour and half wait before it all got going. So we managed to find a place to sit down and thankfully it was not on the floor. After a while, I saw my hubby plugging headphone to his iPod, and was nodding his head appreciating some good music, or so I thought. The truth is hubby is musically challenged, I mean it’s something that he does not really enjoy, he’d rather watch news channel.   The curious devil in me got me to ask him what was it that he enjoying so much and it turns out that he was listing to "The Bo Xilai trial: End of the road?" from the latest audio edition of the Economist. I can also reveal at this stage that my hubby is the arguably the only person in the entire universe with out even having a single song in an almost full 32GB Ipod.

The fun had just begun, when I was swiftly escorted back stage to meet n greet Farhan Akhtar followed by a photo opportunity. I did not miss this golden opportunity to shake hands and hug him. Feeling ecstatic I ran back to the darling hubby like a child who got her favourite gift.

Image: 7days.com

Pritam was a bit late coming in and hence he really was the cause for the delay, however it is understandable since he was wearing sunglasses at night, must have found it difficult to find his way to the venue.

Image: City 101.6

Image: City 101.6

Arijit Singh’s Kabira song and Neeti Mohan’s act, kick-started the night and even my musically demur hubby too was caught dancing (this time without the Economist audio edition in the background). Next was Benny Dayal, my first time watching him perform live and it was worth waiting every second of it. Benny and Farhan Akhtar are two supremely talented boys and add up to that, these pappus can really dance. Unfortunately we had to leave before Mohit Chauhan came on but it’s was for an even more priceless reason Smera. It was past 1:20 am and I was worried if she found us still missing from home then the baby-sitter would have had a tough time to placate her.

Thank you City 101.6 for making the evening so special for me and my hubby, it was a pure prodigious night to cherish!

Silly Saturdays: Turns out even good is not so good

For the last three years I have been on medication for hypothyroidism. One of the side effects of hypothyroidism is weight-gain among others.  And so from the day I was diagnosed with it, I have been religiously taking my medication just as the doctor ordered. Not only that, I even started regular workouts scared of putting on weight.

Once every three months I am due for a routine check up. The fact is that I have always had problems maintaining good habits and routines. I was really looking to hear good response on my recent visit to the doctor, the doctor reads the reports he asks me the following questions.

Doctor: Ms Sangeeta what is the dosage you are taking?

Me: Doc thyroxin 50.

Doctor: You seem to be really regular with your meds?

Me: (Grinning in my head) Yes doc, I don’t even miss a day.

Doctor: Then I would recommend you to skip any one day of the week, since your report is slight bordering towards hyperthyroidism.

I was thinking that he is going to commend me on the great job that I have been upto, while it turned out that I got into trouble for a being so consistent. Feeling silly ! 

Out of focus

On a bright sunny morning, we decide to head out for breakfast under the shadows of world's tallest building. With warm sunny rays falling on my face, my heart yearned to get a click under the picturesque Burj Khalifa. I asked my hubby who was armed with his camera to click a nice picture, for my facebook profile and so he took a trial shot before getting me into the frame. This it looked!

Looking at the brilliant trial shot I swiftly went and stood right in front of it to get that all important perfect profile picture. This is what eventually came out courtesy my hubby’s creative and inquisitive eye for details.

Balancing Mr. George and my urge to purge

One of the biggest tasks in living in a rented place is the trouble of moving out. After three years of highs like having our daughter and lows like having our estate agent doing the vanishing act with our deposit, now its packing time. Our landlord sold this place to take advantage of booming property prices in Dubai and we have to move out of the place and make way for the new landlords who’ll call this their home shortly.

Now there is a huge task waiting for me at the end of this week. The last time I was subjected to this ordeal was three years ago (obviously) and I remember everything like yesterday. We had about 46 boxes, furniture and an assortment of bags and suitcases of different sizes. And back then we were moving out from a one bed room place and the size of the family was 2 – and this time around, each of these parameters as my hubby would like to put it has grown by 100 percent (that would be a 2 bed room house) and 50 percent (our little devil, Smera) respectively.

The packing bit is still easy (as we’ll have some help from the packers!) but it’s the unpacking (which I have to do on my own) that scares me the most. I hate it the very idea of putting things in the cupboards, making sure everything is set out right. I have to confess I have a bit of OCD, for me everything has to be in order or else I won’t let live anyone live in peace.

If hoarding is an obsessive trait, then mine is the exact opposite - that is purging. I am most certain, even this time around I will have much more to discard than to pack.  Initially I thought of asking the hubby to a day off to help me, identify things to keep and things to chuck. But then I realised we might end up at some counselling session to patch things up as he loves to hold on to certain stuff which is unlikely to be used ever again.

Having said that, my purging habit has occasionally caused me heartaches, I once donated my precious little black sweater by mistake and on many mornings have deposited hubby’s Financial Times into the waste bin even before he even got a chance to open the fold.

Please keep me in your prayers as I take on the battle to ensure that we do not go over-board, hoarding at the same time keeping my ‘urge to purge’ instincts at check.

Mammamorphosis

Every mother goes through different stages in her motherhood journey. Every mother is different and this by no means is a set classification on motherhood. That’s one thing about my toddler she does not give me the time that I could research on such a probable classification.

1. I started as a mother, who would cry louder than the baby if she got hurt or had fever or any other discomfort.
2. Suddenly switched to a panicky mom, when she started walking and reaching out to pull things from everywhere
3. Then became obsessed mom with experimenting unique ways to make her eat healthy food.
4. After that there was a slow transition to becoming a troubled mum, trying to coax her to get potty-trained and get rid of her thumb-sucking habit
5. Now I am currently at a stage where the little one is trying her best to push her limits, and I feel I have become a monster mom. So there would be frequent shouting, time-outs and then lastly I would resort to the silent treatment. While little Smera is much smarter than I would have speculated, there is some one who predicted this pattern a long time ago, the great Mark Twain.

Smera has learnt the trick of using the word ‘SORRY’, she would apologise with her most innocent face, fooling me to believe that she has learnt her lesson.

Maybe it’s just the troublesome two’s stage for her, but for me it’s most difficult as I feel guilty of being too strict with her. Just this morning, I got extremely angry just before dropping her at school. The whole morning, I was miserable and then a little conversation with husband, that still didn’t help much.

As I went to pick her up, she had forgotten the entire morning’s incident. She came running and hugged and asked me for lollypop. It just made me relieved to see her smile. It’s not that I have never got scolding or maybe even occasional spanking, but I find it really tough on myself to be so strict with her.

Love-struck once again !

I have a new found liking to Malayalam movies these days. It’s not that it’s the first time I am watching the Malayalam movies. It used to our weekend ritual growing up at home with dad on Asianet. There was only one problem then, even though I would know the story plot, but neither I nor dad would know the name of the movie.

My reason was obvious one I can’t read Malayalam, his was he would always join right after the 1st scene would start off. For a while I stopped watching Malayalam movies as most of the movies were nonsensical comedies. Mass-movies, packed with silly humor but there were a few that still struck a chord with me. One of them being Achanurangatha Veedu (2006), this translates to ‘the house where the father doesn't sleep’.

Achanurangatha Veedu is a simple story of a man, whose wife passes away, leaves him to raise their three daughters alone. The story turns when his youngest daughter disappears, in search of the truth of what really happened to her and the impact it has on him and his other daughters.

However the scenario in the Malayalam movie industry in the recent past has changed dramatically. Some of the new generation of movies coming out of Kerala film industry might not to be blockbusters movies, but having superb storyline with a touch of realism to it.  

What makes it more special is that movies of these movies cast the new generation of Malayalam movie-stars. Dulquer Salmaan, Rima Kallingal, Fahadh Faasil, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Asif Ali, Nivin Pauly, Mamta Mohan and Samvrutha Sunil are few to name.  Even though being new comers but their work is just pure brilliance and I am no analyst, just a girl who loves to watch good cinema.

If you are keen a movie enthusiast and love watching world cinema, then why not try out some of these movies listed here, let’s support the good cinema within our country. This is a list of movies that I have really enjoyed watching in the recent past and I am sure you too would love at least one of these listed below.

-          Ustad Hotel

-          Ayalum Njanum Thammil

-          Traffic

-          Salt N' Pepper

-          Chappa Kurishu  

-          22 Female Kottayam

-          Theevram

-          Banking hours 10 to 4

-          Kerala Café

-          Annayum Rasoolum

-          Celluloid

-          Thattathin marayathu

-          Indian Rupee

-          Snehaveedu

I would really love to hear your recommendations too of your favorite Indian regional movies irrespective of the language, as they say language has no barriers and subtitles come handy! 


Images courtesy: impawards.com

Sweet memories

Have you ever lost someone really close? I lost my younger sister Anu exactly 10 years ago. But what I lost is much more than just a sister. I lost a friend, a partner in crime and companion and a confidant. She was joyous, bubbly and there was nothing that could have stopped her from having fun. My life came to standstill after that night.

I remember spending hours crying alone in my room or in front of friends, and then eventually even they got fed up seeing me like that.  I took me a long time to get myself to stop crying for my loss. But I what I also realised in all of this is true friends stood by me, when I really needed them. While some of my dearest friends distanced themselves saying they couldn't bear seeing me cry.

Then suddenly one day it dawned up that if she is somewhere looking down upon me and seeing me crying she would be pain. I thought to myself in 16 years of her life, she gave me numerous reasons to smile. Even on that last day, we laughed and smiled so much, somehow it still feels just like yesterday that we sat at the balcony and gossiped.

I miss her the most when the chips are down and I really need someone to perk me up or just when I wish to indulge in some harmless bitching. I missed her most on the day I got married and the day had my little one.

It takes a lot of effort to stop grieving and trying to live-up life long after your loved one is gone. Sometimes I feel guilty of not remembering her enough and then she would come in my dreams telling me that she is looking after me. Even though she was younger to me, but she was always there to lend me her shoulder to cry upon.

On tough days when you just need a friend to talk your heart out I do miss her the most. During the last 10 years, I have come in terms with the realisation that she must be in a better place.  And some days when I wake up from my dream, feeling like I had a good hearty talk with her, it just puts a big smile on face.

It took me a lot of time to reach the space where I can smile and remember her, because I am sure she is looking down upon me and our family she would want us to be happy for her.

Then there came a song from the movie Agnipath song – abhi mujh main kahin and I have to confess the selfish sister in me, wanted just one more day to spend with Anu. I know it’s not possible but the song still somehow gives me hope that one when I met her at the almighty’s place, we will have all the fun, laugh and cry and catch up on the years we have missed being with each other. 

P.S. – If you do wish to leave a comment, I will request you to leave blessing for her soul to be in peace and be happy wherever she is. 

Silly Saturdays: A bigger pill to swallow

I got up this morning feeling a little under par and just as we were having breakfast, I mentioned this to my husband.

Me: I am having a terrible headache!  Actually my head is aching; Smera hit me with the Ipad accidentally last night!

Hubby: Ah then take a tablet!

Sure his sense humor helped a bit, yet leaving me feel a little silly. 

Tête-à-tear

Every night as I put Smera to sleep, we pray and talk about the how our day was. Today after the lights were out, hugging each other, I had a hearty conversation with my angel. I tried to explain why her mamma scolds her and she very quietly listened to each and every word as I spoke.

I told her Smera, “I want you to grow up to be a loving, sharing, caring and a well behaved child. Mamma feels very proud when someone says you are good child.” I was feeling really happy that my girl understood how her mum felt and with pride, I gave a kiss on her cheek.

As I gave her a kiss, I felt a drop of tear on her cheeks and I asked her, “Beta are you crying?” Smera in her whimpering voice says, “Mamma I don’t want to share my toys”.

So then I tried to explain her, “darling if you share your toys with friends and your cousins, they too would share with you and then you would more toys to play with”.

But that explanation still didn’t convince her, she said “no Mamma, maybe later when I become small” and so I decided respect her decision and ended the discussion with “I love you baby”.

As I came out of the room, smiling to myself I realised how clear her priorities are. Her toys are hers and no one is allowed to take them. While other’s toys are meant for sharing and should they not share with her, she would preach them, “sharing is caring”.  

Image: gettyimages.ae

Every indigestion has an equal and opposite reaction

Staying far away from home brings in a lot of challenges for young parents like us. We had just 2 months of grand-parental supervision when Smera arrived in this world. After that we were left to taking care of her ourselves. To ensure everything worked we divided our responsibilities in such a manner that none of us lost our sanity.

Most of the tasks were very easy to deal with when it comes to an infant, except two things – one when the child poops or when the child throws up. For better or worse, task one came under my KRA and second was assigned for the hubby.

In hindsight, with this arrangement, my hubby got really lucky, as little Smera so far has on hurled 3 or 4 times in almost 3 years of her life. While pooping is an everyday affair (thankfully) and it does not matter whether I am sleeping or ignoring her call, I am still have to make good my end of the bargain.

However, last night, Smera unfortunately ate a little too much and so everything had to come out. She just could not hold it in, good thing is that she got down from my lap to unload her discomfort. But that made me really sick in my stomach.

Thank god we didn't end up like this! 

With great difficulty I managed to help a teeny-weeny bit, by not puking on her, the rest was left for hubby to do. I have to admit that he did the clean up with considerable panache – using tissues to soak up the glutinous mix of chocolate milk, apple slices, dal, chawal and other unrecognisable good stuff. Later using baby wipes to carefully remove splatters from the ground zero and then I finished it off with a clean mop.

Back to what lead to the incident. My mother is always after me to make her eat. Every time she comes to visit us, she feels the grandchild has become weaker (patli ho gayi yeh!). Following her advice coupled with my motherly love, I have made running after her with the plate full of all things good as part of my daily exercise routine. I must have had a great work out during that fateful day!

The morning after the hurling incident she was really hungry, with an appetite of hungry lion. To be honest I was really skeptical, wondering if there would repeat of the same incident.  So for a change I was feeling really unenthusiastic about feeding her. Doubtful of her little tummy,I kept asking Smera to go easy on the food.

To this the hubby just could contain his laughter, ended up saying it aloud that,” I thought I would never see this day ever my life, you asking Smera to eat less.” 

It's really hard for me to digest...

Image: gettyimages.ae