2011 South Asian Challenge

Just happened to read about the 2011 South Aisan Challenge from Monika and Swaram and I am so excited about it!

I have been a book lover for as long as I can remember.  Books are a big part of my life and I love surrouding myself with books though of late this is the only thing that I seem to be doing, surrounding myself with more and more books and not actually reading them. Still I can proudly say that at any point of time, I would be having at least a book in my current reading list.  Allz not lost yet!

So when I came across this Challenge, I thought of grabbing up the opportunity.  I have been reading more books by Indian Authors lately and this seems to gel in so well with my current interest.  (Out of the measly 12 books that I read in 2010, 7 are by Indian Authors!!) Its also such a great opportunity to come across new authors.  This is also the first time that I am taking up any kind of challenge here and really have no clue as to how well I will be able to progress with the time constraints.  But why to put limits ….. I am ambitious and planning to read at least 10 South Asian books in 2011!  Here’s a list I have drawn up immediately upon hearing of the challenge.  Longing to start working on this and to add more!

1)      The Mistress of Spices – Chitra Banerjee

2)      The House of Blue Mangoes – David Davidar

3)      Shalimar The Clown – Salman Rushdie

4)      Shantaram – Gregory David Roberts

5)      Saraswati Park – Anjali Jospeh

6)      Six Suspects – Vikas Swarup

7)      The Inheritance of Loss – Kiran Desai (This is a re-read partly.  I am not sure if it counts)

8)     Mahashwetha - Sudha Murthy

So while you read up more about the challenge, I will go ahead and sign up here.  Happy reading to you all!

Whats the issue?

This one from Appu had me rolling with laughter.

We were travelling from Oman border with cousins and we had to present our passports to the officials at the border. Appu took back the passport from my cousin and while flipping through it asks:

Appu – “A, did you have any problem in 2005?”
My cousin starts thinking deeply and replies: “No, why did you ask?”
Appu – “Then why is it written here date of issue 2005?”

A dangerous animal

Conversation yesterday between Appu and me while deciding on which animal to speak about at her show and tell on “Endangered Animals”. Appu’s choice was the Komodo Dragon whereas I suggested the more closer to heart White Tigers.

Appu – Hmmm… I think I could talk about you also!
Me – Wha!! I am not endangered!
Appu – Ya, but you are dangerous!
Me – Huh…so u are calling me an animal?
Appu – Know why, b’cos animals can harm me and you can also harm me!

My daughter sure has a high opinion about me!

Painting Competition

We had taken Appu and a friend of hers to participate in the On the Spot Painting Competition this year organized by the Indian Association and held at IHS, Dubai last Friday.

What could have been a thoroughly enjoyable and fun filled event turned out to be such a disaster due to absolute lack of planning on the part of the organizers. Seeing the huge turnout, I gave the benefit of doubt initially to the organizers who might not have been prepared for such huge numbers. Later I came to know if some of the parents that this is the scenario every year. Obviously, the turn out would be huge for a free competition open to all the schools and that too on a Friday!

The kids were divided into 4 disctinct age groups and understandably the rush was the maximum for the Grade 1 -3 group to which Appu belonged! The competition was open from 9am - 3 pm. And when we reached the venue at 9, the queue was almost a km long. Luckily, though, it as fast moving. We were able to send Appu and her friend inside at 9.30.

And the misery started from the exit from which these kids were to come out. The kids were coming out in a line with their names being called out by one lady and the gate manned by just one guy. None at all to control the parents who were crowding and pushing at the door inspite of the ladies requests. It was such a mess with the kids crowding inside the building and the parents worrying and shouting and pushing from outside. Some of the most impatient parents opended the windows and started pulling out their kids from inside. Someone called the police even (they did not turn up!!). Some of the parents (yours truly included!) made efforts to get the parents to organise themselves, moving them away gently from the exits and forming barricades. Finally, Appu and her friend came out at 1.30!

Apparently, all that they had to do was to colour (pencils and crayons) on a printed sheet which they finished pretty fast. And the highlight, Appu submitted a beautifuly coloured picture back to the teacher sans her name or any other identification details about herself!!!

Our picnic basket

This kind of weather is around only for a short duration in this part of the world. It is cool, with intermittent soft breeze. Very soon it will be replaced by chilling cold and even before you realize, the scorching summer will be here.

So a quick picnic was scheduled for the weekend (Thursday evening) to a neighbouring park. Appu enjoys the elaborate and always mouth-watering description of the picnics in Enid Blyton books. As a child, even I used to drool and imagine being to such a picninc with friends. So off we went to Jazeera Park, Enid Blyton style. Tomato and cheese sandwiches, hardboiled eggs, cherry cake, lemonade, marshmallows! Picnicked under a tree by the side of the creek.

Simple yet great fun! Must have more of these!

Sweet 16!

Prince Aarush turns sweet 16 months today! And in these month, he has become the apple of my eye and the clown of the household!

My first born was as docile and sweet as they come at sixteen months, happy among her toys, with a cheerful smiling face always. She was happy to sit in mama’s lap in the car or in her pram whilst we go out. Infact, I don’t remember her trying to climb onto our coffee table even. She was an absolute angel with a halo around her. But my second born seems to have the halo replaced with two tiny sharp horns! And I adore him because of those tiny two!

He loves climbing over all the furniture be it chairs, stools, bed, tables and has infact scared all our chairs up the dining table!!
He has 8 big pearlies which he flashes unabashedly at all!
He has a clear preference for his dad and call him atha, acha and when overwhelmed by love achachi! He says his name as aaris / aas / aath depending on his mood. His vocabulary is otherwise limited to amoomma, amma and aayi (bye).
He is familiar with parts of the body too and has developed his own style of pointing out to the parts. He squints to show his eyes, inserts a finger into his ear, sniffs to show his nose and grins to show his teeth.
He is a little finicky about cleanliness and gets upset when he spills his milk onto himself or gets his hand dirty.
He still drinks milk from bottle only though he is fine with the sippy cup for water and juices. He has a sweet tooth and biscuits are his vice!
He does all his job nappies still but makes a yucky expression after having done his potty and looks down after peeing. Can I take this as a first sign of readiness for potty training?
He hits and bites!  And kisses to make up immediately after that! 
He loves pencils and colur pencils and scriblled a few times on the floor which I was luckily able to wipe away. He has (ouch) made a few scribbling on the wall as well which, alas, I am unable to wipe away! Can’t believe that I let him do this as well whereas I was so strict with the girl on this!
He has even managed to learn a couple of bharatanatyam mudras! He copies his sis and poses in “mandi” with his hands stretched out in “pataka” and does a few steps singing theyya they!! He even folds his hands and does the Namaste prior to starting the steps! It is absolutely hilarious to see him do this.

Here’s a happy 16th month birthday to you my little rowdy!

Eid Holidays

The Eid Holidays just flew by as we were totally engaged!

The first day B was at work and mom had a party to attend at one of her friend’s place. So, I was left alone at home with the kids. When cousin A called suggesting a drive I more than happily agreed and we set off to the Mamzar Park for a while.

Second day was the more planned barbecue picnic to Zabeel Park. This was Aarush’s first picnic. He loved running all over the placing, playing badminton and generally being a sweetheart as always!

Third day saw us at the Alain Zoo accompanied by one of B’s colleague and his family. The drive was long and tiring. The Zoo was crowded and the parking was available only far away from the entrance. The queue at the entrance was long but not longer than the queue at the toilets where the stench was unbearable expectedly. But inspite of all this, we had a fairly good time. Appu loved the vultures and were awed by their wingspan! Aarush was thrilled at anything that would move and this included leaves on the trees as well. He was happy to run around, squealing all over the place. And I was not too happy to run behind him without seeing the animals properly.

There ended the Eid Holidays for me though not for B and Appu. On that weekend, we went to Musandam via Dibba with cousin A. The drive to Dibba was long and tiring again. Aarush was relatively well behaved. He is a terror in the car refusing to sit in one place and prefers to stand in the front dangerously distracting anyone driving! We were taken by a boat to Musandam. It was pleasant, the sea on one side and the mountains on the other. Though the duration was a bit too long and we got tad bored of the sea after sometime. After a while, we were taken by a speedboat to a natural cave among the limestone mountains. A fun ride which Appu enjoyed! The sunset was a beautiful sight for me and filled me with so much tranquility.

The down side, 1) food was horrible and that’s an understatement. 2) We did not get to see any dolphins as we expected. 3) It was tiring running behind Aarush who refused to sit in one place unless he was asleep and kept running around!

But enjoyed fairly well and got to spend some quality time with the little ones and that is what I desire the most!