2016 -- The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Well, 2016 was a roller-coaster ride. Lots of lows and a few non-lows which I must now consider as the highs of 2016 as the year comes to an end. This year, my temper got the better of me most of the time. When I was not feeling overwhelmed by my anger and the guilt that followed, I needed to be practical, understanding, thinking on my feet, accomplishing a lot, etc etc but I felt I was doing everything in slow motion. Like doing everything underwater or while zorbing.

The Good

• Kuku talking - a lot. Whole bunch of new words instead of pointing and crying. He frequently says "Amma please stop talking" so he gets my full attention and he talks to me. He does not articulate some words clearly but folks other than his parents can now understand what he says. He also says "Kerpeech" for kerchief and "bo-loon" for balloon.    
• Kuku going to school without fussing. Initially he did not want to go to school, but soon he was interested in going to school.    
• Hiring someone for our team after a month long round of tests, interviews, and more.
• Losing 2 Kgs in the last month of the year without any effort :D   

The Bad

• Deaths: George Michael dying at 53 on Christmas weekend; Jayalalitha's illness, death and the conspiracy theories surrounding her death; Balamurali Krishna's death; Cho's death;
• Getting all sentimental and crying whenever I listen to beautiful music: Yesudas singing some old favorites, John Denver, bala murali krishna, etc.
• Not keeping in touch with friends, family, and generally feeling like I was stuck in a boring routine

The Ugly

• Deaths in the family: MIL (March) and Grandma (November)
• Two dreams died in 2016. Not sure if I want to re-visit them again ever but never say never. So, lets see.
• Struggling with my impatience, temper, and the resultant guilt.

Well, 2016 was hardly a favorite. Looking forward to 2017. Hope it is way better than 2016.

Merry X-Mas -- Wordless Wednesdays

X-MAS Tree at a mall

Kuku on the Roundabout

New Record -- More posts in 2016

Spent the morning comparing posts published per year. I found to my surprise that I had published more blog posts this year in comparison to the number of posts in the last four years. Yeah!! And the month is not over yet :) 

Even if I do not publish any more posts, 2016 has been better than 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012. That implies that I have not ignored my blog too much this year :D Happy!

    

Another song and another trip down memory lane - Feeling Older

I was humming while making tea and realized that this was the other song I heard on the Auto- "Dil kya cheez hai janam apni jaan tere naam karata hain". This was another popular number and I could not recall the movie name or the actors. For a long moment, I thought it was Akshay and then realized it was before him. Finally, gave up trying to figure it out and googled the song: Akka India Janta hai.

The movie is Jaan Tere Naam and stars Ronit Roy and Farheen Khan. Realized at the same time that we have seen her (Farheen) in a Kamal movie, Kalaignan. One of my all-time favorite Yesudas songs, "Enthan Nanjhil Neengadha..". It was pictured on Kamal and Farheen.

These movies are at least twenty years ago - Gosh! How time flies. No more trips down memory lane for me :D

Trip down memory lane -- old Hindi song

It took me a while to get an auto, today. I kept walking and waving my arm to stop an auto but most were occupied and some refused to go where I wanted them to. I was wondering if I was going to reach office after lunch when one auto driver stopped. After arguing about the fare (an usual occurrence), we set off. He was playing some Hindi songs on his player and just like that, I was transformed into a school girl.

One song, I could recall and almost sing along was "Hawa Hawa". It was not a favorite but I was surprised I could recall so much of that song. "Hawa hawa" was sung by Hasan Jehangir (a Pakistani pop singer) and was a popular number in the late eighties and early nineties. If you cannot recall the song, you can check this video which you maybe hard-pressed to remember:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgkPsgm_d5w

I struggled to remember the actor in the video. I still cannot recall who he is. All I remember is that this was a very popular song. I knew most of the lyrics which is very surprising :)

Maybe the singer's video will help, it didn't help me though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35hA0E5Vm5k

Sports Day for Kuku -- Wordless Wednesday

Before the Race

Ready Steady Go

Activity during the Race

Frooti and Eclairs -- After the Race

Nov -- 1 post to sum it all

November was tense, hectic, weird, upsetting, I-hate-you worthy, and otherwise routine.

We started the month with demonetisation. I usually have ~5000 bucks for monthly expenses etc in 500 and 1000 rupee notes (the denomination that is no longer valid). Suddenly, I was worried about how I would get to office the next day. I finally borrowed money from my dad for my day-to-day travel expenses for a week and asked him to keep an account so I could repay him sometime in the next 15 days. We suddenly realized how much of our day to day transactions was done using cash. When you walk up to your local grocer to buy chillies, you do not swipe, you pay in cash. He will burst into laughter when you ask him if he takes cards. When you get a hair cut for the little one at the local barber's place and not at a salon, you pay in cash. You pay your presser (guy or woman who presses or irons ur outfits), in cash. You pay the auto driver in cash unless you use an app like paytm or use ola autos. The chuntu shop that sells bindis etc accepts only cash. The list was endless. However, most folks agreed to wait a bit for their money and others gave us change without biting our heads off. Nice!
      
At work, I had a hectic schedule. We had a position open and we had interviews almost every day and there was co-ordination, collaboration, meetings, and oh so many interviews. We had to reach office on time, or earlier and I was praying for miracles almost every day. I had no time to work as I was hardly at my desk. I sent updates once a week and it felt like that was all I focused on. After all that, you would think we had multiple good candidates but the results were mixed and I started praying for the second miracle. Grim and really hectic.

Balamurali Krishna passed away. Just when I was accepting this news, I had a shock closer home. My grandma, who was a happy octogenarian fell sick, was admitted in the hospital on Friday and passed away on Saturday. She was a progressive thinker who loved life and wanted the best for her children and grandchildren. While I feel sad that she is no more, her surgery and subsequent illness was very tough on her and so maybe this was better. I will always remember her yelling "Killuuu" as I ran outside without drinking my milk. There are so many memories that tears blur my eyes and so I'll stop with this. Hate November, Hate 2016. Well.. not really, just a bit upset.

Waiting for 2016 to end. Hoping 2017 will be a better year.

23 Posts out of 31 -- Not bad

I wondered how long I would last - not bad, I managed 23 posts in October, including this one. I had two more posts planned but it just didn't happen. Better than last time when I took up this challenge. An improvement! Not bad at all.

Visaranai -- Movie Review

This movie was released in February 2016. We had heard a lot about this movie but it was last week that the movie was brought to our notice again. I recalled that this movie was India's entry for the Oscars in the category best foreign language film.

Pandi

Visaranai means interrogation. 4 daily wage earners from Tamil Nadu work in Andra Pradesh. They stay in a nearby park and somehow try to make ends meet. The movie starts with Pandi, who works in a shop. At day break, a few men stop at Pandi's shop and ask him for an address. Pandi recognizes that they are from Tamil Nadu and chats with them. The men are reluctant to part with information and then Pandi notices that one of them has a gun and stops chatting with them and asks them to leave. This group consists of policeman who are on a undercover mission. The day turns worse for Pandi as a policeman (not the undercover group) arrests him and he sees his friends: Murugan and Kumar also arrested.
Image Courtesy: www.thehindu.com

Unable to understand what is going on, the 3 of them are beaten up and tortured so that they can

Kumar, Pandi, Afzal, and Murugan

reveal where they hid the money. None of them know what is going on and are not involved in the robbery but no one seems interested as they continue to share that they know nothing of the robbery. They meet their other friend, Afzal, the next day who was tortured for their address and that is how the other 3 friends were picked up. Apparently, a high-profile robbery has been committed and the police has identified these 4 as the con men who committed the crime. The policeman want them to accept the crime in front of a judge. Because of the beatings and the torture, all the others, except Pandi, are willing to plead guilty for a crime they did not commit.

Image Courtesy: http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/visaranai-is-indias-official-oscar-entry-10-facts-you-must-know-3044732/

When they are brought in front of the judge, Pandi proclaims their innocence. The judge, surprised at being addressed, and not able to understand Pandi, calls for a translator. The inspector on the undercover mission, who is at another judge's chambers volunteers. All four are released. The inspector asks them for help. They gladly volunteer. What happens to them after that forms the rest of the story.  

The movie is based on a real life incident and is based on a book by M Chandra Kumar (Kumar). There are quite a few scenes of violence as befitting a police interrogation. These scenes can be quite horrifying to watch so do not watch with children.

What am I reading this week?

I finished Rainmaker last week. I started on Lay Her Among The Lillies by James Hadley Chase, this week. I always liked JHC. The local library would cover JHC books with newspaper or brown paper so the cover of the books was not visible. JHC was essentially known for his catchy titles and lurid covers but the books were thrillers and I liked them. I am enjoying returning to JHC after a long long time.  

Milestone - Kuku goes diaperless to school

Kuku has pretty much off diapers at home, since April this year. However, we were unsure if he was ready to go to school without diapers. The school did not object to his coming in diapers. They told us that he will let us know when he is ready. We kept postponing the date even though we knew he was ready. Today, I sent him without diapers to school. He was totally fine. I feel so proud.

Birthday Celebrations - Cake and Dinner

Kuku's second birthday celebration was officially set to start at 5pm but thankfully started much later. Every time the door bell rang, Kuku ran to the door to welcome his Periappa. It was usually someone else. Everybody else was at our home by 7pm. We got started with the cake cutting at 8 pm, after Kuku's favorite Periappa  had arrived.

The Arien was determined not to order the usual pastry kind of cake this time. He wanted a sponge cake with cream on top. I was not too impressed. He opted for a 3-layered cake - each layer of a different color with angry bird design. When he brought it home, it looked far from impressive :( I was ready to cry and it was only the arrival of guests that took my mind of the cake. As always, Kuku was impressed that he had a cake and sang "Happy Birthday" to himself :D The biggest surprise was that the cake was fabulous. I mean, we finished two layers, during the distribution itself and after we started packing the cake, realized that we may not have any for ourselves - which is so rare :D

Dinner was order-in again from the Arien's favorite Biryani place. We have been ordering in from that place for years now. I usually order in for Chinese food when he orders from his Biryani place and that is what I did this time as well.

By the time, everyone finished dinner, packed some food, and left, it was 10 pm. Not too late but we were tired. Kuku started bawling when he saw his Anna and Periappa leave. The Arien was so tired, he opened a Gems packet and let Kuku have it all - in an effort to distract him. It worked. I tried to get a few Gems away but he immediately started bawling and I gave up. I was tired and hungry and so I opted to eat :) Kuku decided to join me and ate with me. I was glad he was eating so he decided to not worry myself over the Gems.

 

Birthday Celebrations - Lunch and Cake

As always, Kuku has two birthday celebrations. For the first celebration, we opted to order-in lunch at my aunt's place so my grandma could also be part of the celebrations. My family junta were all gathered at my aunt's place by the time we landed with lunch. Adit was waiting to cut the cake and so did not want to eat lunch. He opted to stay hungry and cranky and murmered "Cake" if anyone offered him food. We ordered from High Note. Everyone liked what we had ordered.

The cake I had in mind was the rainbow cake - the one with all the colors of the rainbow and covered with white cream on top. I wanted the baker to add a caterpillar on top because Kuku loves the hungry caterpillar. He agreed to create a simple caterpillar but at the time of collection, he just added a simple number 3 on top and gave the cake to us. Apparently, adding a caterpillar on top of the cake, required the cake to be of at least 4Kg. This was utter nonsense. I was quite put out.

Anyway, the cake was very very sweet. Everyone, including Kuku, could manage only a small piece.

Kuku had fun. We all returned home absolutely tired. Tomorrow, we had another round of celebrations. We are so glad it is dinner and not lunch.

Bhajirao Mastani - Movie Review

Saw this movie over 2 sittings, at home. Wanted to watch this movie because I enjoyed Sanjay Leela Bhansali's (SLB) Goliyon ki Rasleela Ram-Leela. The visuals are as stunning as in any SLB's movie. Somehow, the passion that I expected between the lead pair, was strangely lacking in the Bhajirao-Mastani movie.

Mastani (Deepika) looked very pretty and it was easy to see why Bhajirao could fall head over heels over her but somehow that is not brought out very well in the movie. In fact, from the display of passion, I almost felt that Kashi (Priyanka) was his beloved and Mastani his wife. The dialogues, supporting characters were good. Tanvi Azmi as the mom who opposed the relationship was pretty good.

Image Courtesy: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bajirao-mastani-its-a-wrap-on-my-most-incredible-film-experience-says-deepika-padukone-ranveer-singh/1/509973.html

It was a movie about a brave warrior who won all of his 41 battles but lost the war in his home. He

obsessed over Mastani and her rights and hurt Kashi with his behavior. Priyanka did a fantastic job as the good wife. Deepika's role was not well-etched and seemed to me: one-dimensional. She was a warrior but too tame as a lover and mistress. Apart from a few dialogues that hinted at her tough interior, her behavior at other times was frankly a bit better than a door mat.

Image Courtesy: http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/ranveer-singh-to-be-feted-as-maharashtrian-of-the-year/

Kashi, showed a lot more fire even though it was not expected of her. Ranveer, caught between the 3 women in his life, and his role as a brave warrior who wins battles, showcased his vulnerability and bravery very well. A good performance. Priyanka walks away with all the honors though. Her performance was understated but pretty good.

Image Courtesy: http://www.catchnews.com/bollywood-news/priyanka-chopra-finally-revealed-that-why-did-work-in-sanjay-leela-bhansali-bajirao-mastani-despite-the-fact-that-it-is-all-about-ranveer-singh-and-deepika-padukone-6-interesting-answers-priyanka-chopra-gave-1450349217.html

Shopping! Gift Wrapping! Hiding! -- I want another Sunday!

It was a no-fuss birthday but somehow we ended up shopping a lot. First, we had to agree on the return gifts for all the kids in his class. Then, we had to get the same gift for all the kids. If the number did not work, we had to go back and choose another :( The number was not huge but most places did not stock so many of the same item! And, then after we lugged the gifts home, we had to wrap them and while the number was not huge, it took a while to pack the gifts for each kid. Then, we had to hide the gifts from Kuku as he gets all curious and may want to rip open each packet thinking it is a gift for him.

By the time, we were done, we were totally exhausted but Kuku was in a fun mood and refused to fall asleep till 11:30 pm. He kept singing "Happy Birthday to youuuu" and called out "Amma", "Appa", in the middle just to check if we were awake.

I wish tomorrow was another Sunday!

2 weeks completed -- Yeah!

When the Arien suggested we watch Kabali - the Rajnikant movie, I wanted to say No but I actually said Yes. The movie was not bad but was far from good or great. I really do not have the heart or the mind to review the movie and so kindly adjust maadi. I cannot believe I actually sat through two sittings of that movie. 

The good news is that I completed two weeks of daily posts!! Yeah!! Calls for celebration but not of Kabali variety :(

What I am reading now?

I have opted to stay away from classics for a bit. This week, I started Rainmaker by John Grisham. I thought I had read it before but after reading a few pages, I realized that I hadn't read this book at all. I found it interesting and I doubt I will be able to finish this book before next week. I was a big fan of John Grisham novels a while ago and so I am unable to believe I hadn't read this book earlier. Anyway, its good. It reads like a very early novel and I like it so far.

All about Kuku -- Birthday Month Challenge

If you are suddenly wondering why this month's posts are mostly about Kuku, its because it is that month of the year. Yeah Yeah - you guessed it right! Kuku is turning 3 this year in a few days. We do not have anything major planned. His school celebrates birthdays in a very simple manner and I like that. Kuku has been singing "Happy birthday to youuuuu" for the past couple of days and so the Arien asked the teacher what is expected of us. The Arien wanted him to bunk school so we could take him out. I do not want him to miss the school celebration. So, we are actually sending him to school on his birthday. 

Wordless Wednesdays -- Kuku at the Gopalan Mall

Fun Day at the Mall

Dashing Cars at Gopalan Mall -- Kuku has fun

It was a holiday for the Arien and me. Staying at home with Kuku is not an option anymore. The moment he knows both of us are around, he insists on going out. We decided a visit to the mall was a good option. I thought we were going to Phoenix Mall but we ended up at Gopalan Mall. Apart from one ride-on, there is nothing of major interest in the Gopalan Mall was my thought. There was a play area on the top floor and so we decided to visit that place. The Play Area did not match the ones we have been to at Phoenix or VR malls. It smells like a place stuffed with people and machines - not a nice smell. The only positive was that they allowed Kuku on the Dashing cars if he was accompanied by his Dad. That had him absolutely happy and excited. At every other place he is not allowed even with an adult for company.  Nice day!

1 week completed - Yeah!

Working from home most of this week because Dad had his cataract surgery last week (Friday). He has to avoid dust, TV, stoves because of their flames, etc. The last time he had this surgery was before Kuku was born. Everything was a lot easier because I could fully take care of him. Now, with Kuku having holidays and Dad with all the restrictions post surgery, it is a miracle I have not gone mad yet. I do lose my temper often :(

Well, this one is a short post and is mostly an update on my daily blog post resolution. 9 posts - good going! Lets hope I can do as well next week! All the Best to me!

Kuku and his anna -- Weekend Melodrama

Kuku loves playing with his anna (older cousin brother). When his anna comes visiting, Kuku is very happy. He will insist on showing his anna his latest toys, his puzzles, and go on races with him on his ride-on till they both tire of it. When anna has to leave, Kuku gets very upset and cries bucket loads of tears. Its a very difficult situation to handle. Everyone feels very guilty for separating them.

This weekend, anna and his family came home around 10:30 pm. Because it was quite late, they had planned on a short visit. Kuku had difficulty coming to terms with this and before he started crying, the Arien requested his brother to let Kuku's anna stay the night and whole of next day with us. Kuku's joy knew no bounds as he prepared the bed for anna.

Sunday was fraught with episodes that I find funny now but I was struggling with at that time, that I have to list them here:

• Kuku wakes up pretty early irrespective of the time he falls asleep. When anna is around, he pretty much does not care if we exist. With great difficulty, we stopped him from jumping on anna's stomach to wake anna up.
• Kuku refused to brush or drink his milk. Finally, after all our patience was totally exhausted, we told him anna was going home. Immediately, he offered to allow us to brush his teeth and also drank his milk in no time. I hate emotional blackmail but we were fighting a losing battle.
• Kuku believed that anna had left while he was having his bath. No idea why he felt that but he cried and hiccuped for an entire hour screaming "Anna Anna Annnnnnaaa". The whole crying episode was so ridiculous especially since anna was watching TV, in plain sight, and came running in response to his cries. Anna was not hiding. No one understood what had happened.
• Kuku insisted that Anna play only the games he himself wanted to play, so anna was a bit bored after a while.
• Anna was also forced to sleep when it was Kuku's nap-time and the poor fella struggled to fall asleep (he is an active 13 year old who hates to waste time sleeping). 

What a weekend!

Visiting Relatives over the Weekend

For some reason, it is very difficult for me to get going on a weekend. When we meet my relatives for lunch, we are usually the last to arrive. This is usually my fault. The Arien hates being late and so is usually ready before time. I find it very difficult to be like him. Kuku can be ready quickly or will throw the spanner in the works by shouting NO when I try to get him ready and so that day is doomed.

Last week, we visited my uncle and their family around 12:45 and came away by 2:30. However, I realized that that timing does not work for all especially since we are not meeting at their house for lunch. It actually disturbs everyone's routine and delays lunch. My lunch got pushed by 4 hours because I could eat only after Kuku finished lunch and was put to sleep. While Kuku was cranky, so were the two of us. We thankfully, did not visit anybody else that weekend.

This week, we decided to have lunch at 12:25 and leave. Kuku insisted on eating breakfast very late around 12 and so we were sure we could manage till 3 with fruit and light snacks for him which we packed. We visited my aunt this week. Reached home around 3:45. Kuku was given lunch and he fell asleep at 5. I was more relaxed as I was not hungry but the Arien was tired as he did not get his siesta. Hmmm..

This happens only over the weekend. I don't struggle so much on working days or on days when there is school. Next week, we will be visiting another aunt and I hope we find something that works for all of us. Right after breakfast works but I should get ready by then. Well, lets see.  

Does this happen to you? How do you work around it?

Re-Reading Classics -- An update

Went back to reading but was re-reading mostly Agatha Christie and other whodunits, as usual. Finally, re-read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Amazing. Liked it a lot but it took me almost two weeks to complete it.

It had 899 pages and there were moments when I wanted to skip a few paras when I found the content a bit repetitive and trying to force a point that was already made. But, the characters were full of life and it was so true even today that made me want to continue reading it. I cannot review a classic but the book made a profound impact on me.

The other classic that had such an impact on me was 451 Fahrenheit. The Author is Ray Bradbury and the book was published in 1953. An office colleague lent me the book last month and I was simply blown away. I could not put the book down and finished it in two sittings. Not a big book but it kept me engrossed for all of it.

Taking a break from reading heavy stuff for a week :)  

5 Tips to Handle Your Lil One when they Throw a Minor Tantrum -- No candies involved

A tantrum is very much a part of the growing up process. Usually, it takes all your patience and your will-power to handle your lil one when they decide to throw a tantrum. The worst part is that it can happen anywhere- in public or at home, when you are with relatives or with strangers. Most tantrums are to get your attention or stem from being hungry, tired or hurt and frustrated. I am no super mother or child psychologist but I follow some of these tricks to help me handle Kuku's tantrums. I forget them at times and then have to go back and re-learn them :D

• Calm Yourself. This is important. If you are not calm, you react to his tantrum instead of acting on it. For instance, the moment we enter the house, Kuku wants us to take him outside on his cycle or his ride-along. We are both dying to have a cup of tea, coffee. Granddad wants to go to his home. Kuku has woken up from his sleep, is well-rested and ready for anything. He starts crying as his Granddad says Bye and then we have a full-on tantrum. Its very easy to yell at him at that moment (I have done that many times and am left with a lot of guilt) but the key is to spend some time with him. I walk into the play room and pick out his favorite puzzle and we play. In 15 minutes, he is telling me "goozob amma" which means "Good Job Amma"! Now, I can go make my tea while dad plays with him while drinking his coffee. In half an hour, Grandad is willing to take him downstairs to play.
  
• Monitor their Hunger and Fatigue Symptoms. Some tantrums are thrown because they are hungry or tired and want to sleep or from over stimulation after being around a lot of people. Even though Kuku loves his cousins a lot and has a lot of fun at their place, he either misses or delays his regular nap time and food when he is having so much fun. He usually falls asleep on the way back. But, he needs an hour of winding down or alone time by watching Masha and the Bear or Pingu on the IPAD before going to sleep at night. It is easier to finish visiting all the relatives at one go but it doesn't work for us that way. We have changed our plan.
  
• Distract them. At home, keep a few favorite toys that he no longer plays with in a separate bag that can be used to distract him. I keep Play Dough, Marbles, a Puzzle, a wooden whistle, a wooden top etc. If you are outside, keep your eyes peeled for distracting options - toy stores, ballons, etc. For instance, when we visit the mall, Kuku likes to go on the rides that they have on each floor. The moment the ride is over, he insists on going again or going on every ride at every floor on the way up and on the way down. As the Arien was beginning to lose it, I looked around and saw Hamley's. I asked him if he could see the Bear (a stuffed toy) and he joined us. Temper tantrum and all the tears disappeared in an instant. Because he is just 3, we do not even have to get anything at the store. He is happy looking at all the toys and riding on the ride-alongs, and spending sometime at the store etc. 

• Pick your Battles. For instance, can you delay bath-time by 10 minutes after he yelled "No" when you called him for a bath? If yes, delay it. If you do not delay it, the next 25 minutes will be nerve-wracking. Knowing your kid, factor in the delays so you are not late. When Kuku is watching Pingu episodes on the IPAD, he hates it when I ask him to switch it off and to come for his bath. I try to finish other tasks and then come back after 10 minutes. Most of the time, he is ready for his bath. If he is not ready, I try to push it for an additional 5 minutes but not more than that. He probably feels he has some control over his life when he gets to say when he will have his bath.
  
• Fake it. Pretend you are calm, and sing a song in your head as you attempt to fix the issue causing the tantrum. Sometimes, a smile or a joke can cause an escalation in their tantrum because they think you are laughing at them so do it carefully. Also, do not paste a very fake smile below your glaring eyes (that could burn anything in the path) and flared nostrils (trying to control the anger). Better to ask someone else to take over for a bit rather than to appear as a scary monster who will haunt them in their dreams :D  

If you think you are having the worst possible tantrum and you are going mad, read this article about other parents and the hilarious reasons why their kids threw a tantrum and you'll be fine: 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3819929/I-couldn-t-fix-cracker-Fed-parents-share-RIDICULOUS-reasons-toddlers-tantrums.html

Remember:

• Do not give in to the tantrum. You are implying that you will give them what they want only when they throw a tantrum.
• Do not bribe them with candies. Not good for their emotional health or their dental health.

Smile, this too shall pass :D

Wordless Wednesdays -- Before Dussera Holidays

Kuku in Ethnic Wear

Kuku's Latest Tantrum

Today, when I came home I found Kuku was saying something to his Dad, over and over again. As I edged closer, I thought he was saying "No Kool" which meant "No School" but he was actually saying "Go to Kool" meaning he wanted to go to school. I stared at him in shock.

The Dussera holidays began on September 30th and go on till 12th October. Its been barely a week since school has been closed for the holidays and it looks like he is already bored. When I told him school was closed, he started shouting that he wanted to go to school and threw a major tantrum.

The whole of June and July was spent in trying to get him to school while he cried, kicked, screamed, and shouted "Amma Amma". August was actually better and he was kinda settled in by September. I was worried that he would enjoy his holidays too much and not want to go to school but this was absolutely shocking to me. I did not know whether to laugh or cry.

I asked him if he was bored and he said "Yes"! I think I must plan some activities so he is engaged in the morning :)  Has that happened to you?
 

Theme Change

After a year, I finally changed to the all-green nature theme of this blog, which I changed on a whim. But, I now like it. The easy familiarity of my earlier theme is missing but I like this. I am thinking of setting a new trend of short, shorter, and shortest posts this month. This post is only about the theme change. Let me know if you like it. Did you like the previous one? Comments are welcome :)

Daily Post Resolution for October -- Wish me Luck!

Seeing the number of posts that I have published this year made me cringe! I realized it was time for a blog post resolution. Yes, I am renewing the daily post challenge for the month of October. The last time I tried it was when Kuku was turning 1. I managed 17 posts out of the 31 days. Hoping to do better this year! Wish me luck!

Introducing Books to Kuku -- a fun experience

I love books and so I always hoped that Kuku would love it as much as well. However, he barely showed interest during his play school phase. While browsing at a book store, last year, I purchased "The Hungry Caterpillar". He really loved listening to the story and wanted us to read the book often. That was how we started with books for Kuku. I chose some of the common fairy tales like '3 Little Pigs', 'Goldilocks and the 3 bears', and 'Puss in Boots'. He liked Goldilocks and wanted to listen to it again but was not that interested in the other stories. 

 

Kuku started school in June. As part of his weekly schedule, the school gives the students a library book every week. Parents are supposed to read to the children as often as possible during the week. Kuku enjoys us reading to him and so even if we are bored by the re-reading, we try to re-create the enthusiasm with which we read the story for the first time. Surprisingly, I read a number of books written by Indian authors which Kuku enjoyed. These books are published by Pratham Books. While some books had an instant connection, he did not want us to read the others a second time. 

These Pratham books he really enjoyed:

• Where is my Bat?
• See you tomorrow
• Drip Drop Drip

Pratham web-site shares a couple of activities after you read the book. Some were a bit advanced for Kuku but I liked having access to the same so I could try them out when he was a bit older.

 Of the fairy tales, he enjoyed these two books: 

• The Magic Porridge Pot
• Chicken Licken 

He did not want to hear Cinderalla again or the Moon and the Cap story. Well, at least, its a beginning. What books do you read to your kid(s)? What kind of stories do they prefer? Leave your responses in a comment. 

Pink -- Movie Review

Two movies at the theater in the same month.. am I dreaming? Well, it happened. A friend at office came up with the plan and off we went. I thought it was a 1 hour movie but it was longer as most Hindi movies are.

The movie begins very well-You see 3 gals (Meenal, Falak, and Andrea) in a taxi, returning home from a party or some event, late at night. The mood is very tense, the girls are worried, and a bit terrified. The scene shifts to another vehicle, a car, 2 guys are worrying about one of the guys who seems badly hurt and bleeding. The hurt guy is more angry than hurt. Slowly, the events unfold and there is no misstep anywhere. The first half goes as expected - rather, as if a real incident was taking place n that was a relief.

Amitabh with his mask

Amitabh's introduction was actually funny thanks to his anti-pollution mask and various eccentricities. When you observe him watching Meenal at the park, you wonder if he is the villain for an insane moment. The movie introduces a number of stereotypes: independent working women, north eastern women, the neighbor who can easily think the worst about you, the policeman who asks Meenal to think before filing a case at the station, etc etc. None of them struck a false note.

Image Courtesy: http://www.hitmoviedialogues.in/2016/08/watch-pink-movie-official-trailer.html

The second half was a bit slow though it had a number of punches to throw. It was a courtroom saga

Andrea, Meenal, and Falak

that made several note-worthy points but felt a bit slow. Somehow I felt that the verdict could swing either way. While the points were note-worthy, I did not think legally they could have won the battle. But, again maybe that is how it works sometimes. A point that raised a lot of claps was about a woman's choice to say No. A very valid point but legally how could it be proved?

Image Courtesy:  http://hamaraphotos.com/bollywood/scoops/have-been-a-victim-of-eve-teasing-taapsee-pannu.html

Meenal

Most of the scenes were totally believable: When Meenal is threatened over phone, she retaliates in anger but then runs home after looking all around, terrified; When Falak's boyfriend asks her why she went with others and adds that Meenal would do this but why did you?; When the lawyer asks Meenal why does she live with 3 other girls instead of staying at her parent's place (When her parents live in the same city) and tries to insinuate that she was probably a sex-worker;When the men say that girls from good families do not drink or go with somebody whom they just met, and so many other gems.  

Image Courtesy: http://www.trendinfo.in/pink-movie-box-office-collection-7056.html

A serious movie but a good one. The movie ends with showing us what really happened that night which was one of the best parts of the movie. Liked it for some of the points made. Good to watch once.

Happy Bhaag Jayegi -- Movie Review

After a long time, managed to catch a movie at the theater. After Kuku came into my life, it has been

Daman Singh Bagga dancing

impossible for me to catch a movie in the theater and so I try not to miss any opportunity when it does come my way. The managers go on a trip to the US for two weeks, every year, and most folks enjoy the short break that that brings but this year we went for a movie. Felt like a school or college kid bunking school or college (Not that I did it - I had a miss goody-two-shoes reputation).

Happy Arriving in Amritsar at Bilal's house

I had read some of the reviews and was not expecting much from the movie but it was nice.

Beautiful Diana Penty, dependable Jimmy Shergil, Handsome Abhay Deol (you always want to see more of him), a charming Ali Fazal, Piyush Sharma as the comic element, a lovely Momal Sheikh looking very snooty but vulnerable, and a simple love story with India-Pakistan as the backdrop. It could have been amazing but not so. Dropping the section
Wah Wah because the movie did not have any Wah Wah moments. It was a light and fluffy experience.

Image Courtesy: http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/happy-bhag-jayegi-movie-review-abhay-deol-diana-penty-star-rating-2984719/

Wah

• Momal Sheikh initial hysterical reaction made me cringe but her snooty, aristocratic expressions and her vulnerability was nicely captured using subtle looks and simple scenes. A small role, but she was impressive.
• Jimmy as the guy who is left at the altar was genuinely funny as Daman Singh Bagga, the main villain.  
• Abhay, who is a joy irrespective of his role, was adequate. 
• Ali Fazal, as the boy friend, Guddu, had a charming simplicity that lent a nice touch.  

Bah

• Happy's character is not well fleshed out. Why do all the men fall for her? Diana seems too sophisticated to be a typical punjabi kudi. Its a stretch to imagine her making aloo parathas for her boyfriend. I can imagine Kangana adding the necessary zing to the same character.
• Kanwaljeet's performance was a bit over-the-top. He is a very good actor and deserves a decent role.

Zoya walking up to Bilal's car

The performances were not fantastic, the movie was just ok but you wanted very much to like them and were hoping something will come up that will make you laugh - but no. The producer of the film is Anand L Rai, who directed Tanu weds Manu - you can see the numerous similarities in the movie and while Kangana was superb, Diana is just about ok.

Catch it at home on a lazy weekend and you won't mind it. For a change, after seeing intense movies or movies that make me sad, this felt ok.

Breakfast at Koshy's and Yet AnotherVisit to Cubbon Park, Bala Bhavan

Yes, I am back, again :) After a long time, we decided to visit Cubbon Park (Bala Bhavan) with Kuku. We were out of the house by 8:40 which is an achievement by itself and we actually reached Bala Bhavan ~9 am. It was at that time that we noticed the board that mentioned that Bala Bhavan opens at 10:30.  We walked outside Bala Bhavan in and around Cubbon Park. Kuku chased squirrels and crows and thoroughly enjoyed himself. Around 10, we decided to have breakfast and while we debated where to go, we opted to go to Koshy's.

Koshy's was as unchanged as ever. We opted for bread and eggs breakfast. Kuku ate most of his omelette and we packed the rest because he usually eats the rest an hour or so later. The Arien ate light too but the bill was not light :D The Arien mentioned that we should have eaten Idli-Vada instead! Bleeh!

We walked back to Bala Bhavan and all of us went on the Toy Train. There was a big crowd but we had fun. Kuku insisted on going on most slides except the really dirty ones, He kinda feels that the slide is his thing and he would prefer if no one joined him but lots of kids do and so he gets a bit cranky which goes away after he slides down for the first time. There is a huge smile of pure happiness with a bit of fear as he slides down which is very lovely to watch, He has to do this over n over n over n over again. By which time we both are bored and want to get home :)

It was a nice, lazy morning. Kuku fell asleep on the way back. So, instead of visiting relatives, we went straight home and tried to get some sleep as well.

Ex Machina -- Movie Review

I think I am making up for missing most of the movies released in 2015 by watching them this year :) This is the second movie I am catching and WOW! Ex Machina has been listed as #1 in most of the top 15 Hollywood movies for 2015 and I agree 100%. While it is essentially a sci-fi film, it is also emotional, thrilling, and unexpected.

Caleb and Nathan

The movie begins when a developer, Caleb, working for BlueBook (an Internet Search Engine company) wins a week long stay at the CEO's estate. The CEO, Nathan, is a child prodigy who started writing code at 13. When Caleb is dropped off at the estate, he is not sure what to expect. Nathan is not quite what he expects. He is given a key card which allows him access to certain areas in the house. The house also is a research facility and Caleb is taken totally by surprise when Nathan asks him to sign an NDA (Non-disclosure agreement) that seems very detailed and not standard. 

Image Courtesy: http://thecreativefoxden.com/2015/05/19/movie-review-ex-machina/

Caleb signs it but is not too happy. That changes when Caleb realizes that Nathan has built a female

Ava

robot with AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Caleb has to test if she exhibits true AI or is simulating human emotion - a test known as a Turing Test. The female robot is Ava. The interactions between Ava and Caleb are recorded and watched by Nathan except when there is a power cut. The conversations between Nathan and Caleb are not that of an employer with an employee or one between friends but weirdly personal. Nathan ribs Caleb about his quotable quotes and Caleb tries to fit in and comes across confused, curious, and very natural.

Image Courtesy: http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/2015/06/movie-analysis-ex-machina-themes.html

Nathan and Kyoko

Nathan's maid or girl friend, Kyoko, has very little to say or is mute but after appearing suddenly, she is there for the rest of the movie. She performs a choreographed and well-synchronized disco routine with Nathan and it is obvious from the way they dance that they have done this often. 

Image Courtesy: http://www.cinemast.net/ex-machina-movie-review/

I was trying to get ahead of the story and guess where it might go and I was surprised every time. The movie does not employ too many twists but each twist was crisp and later you realized that that was the only way to go. The ending was so unexpected that it stayed with me for a long time. It was not an ending I could accept but it was actually perfect. There is a fair amount of nudity and while it can distract, I doubt it was used for that purpose in the movie. However, because of that, I would not advise you to watch the movie at home with children, family etc. Watch it when you can and let me know what you think. If you have already seen it, let me know what you think.  

     

Burger King Visit -- Restaurant Review

CheesyItalianFries--Too Tangy

It was a day for completing a lot of necessary Bank work and so I left early from office. The Arien promised to pick me up from office and he did. After the boring work was completed, we found out it was too late for lunch and so we decided to walk into Burger King. This was our second visit but I really liked the options. Both of us were very hungry and went overboard. The Arien ordered the mutton whopper while I chose the regular veg whopper. We also ordered the Hi-fries (I chose cheesy Italian Fries) and the thick mango shake with it.

The burger buns were fresh and the size was definitely bigger than McD's usual. When McDs came to India first, their burgers were huge too though that has changed over the years. The cheesy Italian fries was a bit too tangy for me. Also, the whopper has pickled cucumber which adds a tangy taste and so it all became too much for both of us. The Mango shake was absolutely amazing - we ordered one between us and so it was manageable. It was very very tasty.


The Arien felt guilty about having an outing without Kuku. If Kuku had been part of this trip, we would have been two hassled parents running after him. This time, we ate together (that almost never happens), we had a bit of conversation (i.e we actually spoke to each other not announced stuff in the vicinity of each other), even joked a bit. I called this our time-out :P

Funky Monkey -- Kuku has fun

Kuku has been spending a lot of time watching YouTube videos of kids playing in these indoor play Centers. We started him on Rhymes and suddenly he was watching these kids videos (Videos of kids made by parents such as Toy Reviews, family play time etc) and now he refuses to let us guide him to the videos which we want him to watch, So, he pretty much watches any video he likes. Anyway, while watching the play center ones, I wondered if we had any in the city for a toddler and I chose Funky Monkey. Its quite close to my Aunt's place where we usually congregate for Pongal/Sankranti and my cousin was visiting with his 12 year old daughter. The age group was supposedly 0-12 years and so I thought my niece would like it but she is a grown-up twelve and did not want to enter the place. So, only Kuku had the most fun on that day.

They charge ~500 for 90 minutes and either the mother or father or a sibling must accompany small kid(s) into the play center or arena. That person must wear socks or buy socks from their counter. It was pretty crowded as a birthday party was going on as well. Kuku, of course, did not want to play on anything specific to his age. He wanted to go down the huge slide and he did so a gazillion times and sometimes in reverse i.e he turned around and sat looking to see if anyone else was coming after him. The Arien was fed up and completely exhausted at the end of 30 minutes :) We had another 60 minutes to go :( I cleverly opted out of going into the play arena with Kuku. It was fun for Kuku though. He was very happy.

We stopped for a snack at 'The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf". We ordered the usual stuff. All of them were good but their omelet was really good. The Arien said that we should have ordered that for Kuku instead of letting him feast on blueberry cake which though he loves he does not handle too well. We plan to do this again next month. Lets hope its not like our other plans :)

Wazir -- Movie review

First movie in a cinema theatre, after a really long time (Uttama Villain does not count, considering we watched the movie from the Exit steps while Kuku watched his Rhymes on the Arien's phone). It was a team activity and we were catching the morning show - the 10.10 one. I wanted to laugh but I also wanted to make it. It was decided that we would catch the movie at a mall which is quite close to my place. What happened that morning: Kuku on tantrum mode, sent him very late to his playschool and was at the receiving end from his teacher, no service road entry from my house to the theatre, no right turn at the theatre entrance, and no change for the Auto. With so many obstacles working against me, it was indeed a total surprise for me that I made it before time. I was at the Theatre at 10 am :D Now, for the story of Wazir.

A movie that had Farhan Akthar and Amitabh Bachchan had to be good. I had not read the reviews yet and so I had no idea what the story was all about. Well, it starts with the story of Danish (Farhan) and Ruhana (Aditi) - their marriage, their love, their child. A snap decision made by Danish results in the separation between him and Ruhana. And around that time, he meets Omkarnath Dhar (Amitabh), a chess enthusiast and an unlikely friendship builds between them. The friendship helps heal the rift between Danish and Ruhana. It also leads to Wazir.

Image Courtesy: http://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/wazir-review-a-revenge-saga-that-is-not-angry-but-devious/story-ZsKd1IQBRluKxwxFan8INK.html

The love story of Danish and Ruhana was edited well and in a few well-shot scenes, the love that they shared was there for the audience to see. The scenes between Amitabh and Farhan are entertaining with Shatranj or chess-specific metaphors thrown in. Not too many to bore the audience and so it was ok. The entrance of Wazir (Neil Nithin Mukesh) added a chill to the story. John Abraham was in yet another cameo. I almost suspected him to be the villain but he was not :)

Image Courtesy: http://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/wazir-review-a-revenge-saga-that-is-not-angry-but-devious/story-ZsKd1IQBRluKxwxFan8INK.html

I think we were waiting for some obscure twist but the movie was not trying to be clever - it was pretty straight forward. But, there was something missing in the movie. Maybe the editing was too slick for some scenes and too lax for the others. The pace was jumpy.

The last explanation video was not needed I feel. It assumes that the audience would not be clever enough (a way of saying they were stupid, in fact) unless smne actually spoke during the scene to say: "I did this and then I did that and then..." followed by the actual shot of the action. One of the two would have been sufficient.

Image Courtesy: http://www.bollywoodmania.co.in/2016/01/review-wazir-is-gripping-thriller-with.html

The movie was jes ok though it had all the trappings of a good thriller and whodunit but somehow the story meandered and did not do a good job. Ok to watch once. Aditi looked lovely and Neil looked venomous. 

Happy New Year 2016!

A very very Happy New Year to you all :D

January has proved to be quite hectic - a number of outings, get-togethers, lunches, etc. - so unlike 2015 that I am very late in posting about those happenings. After a lot of thinking, I have decided to back-post all the January posts so do not be surprised if you suddenly see a lot of posts for January after seeing nothing all month.

Have a nice day and nice year!!