Birthday

It was my hubby's birthday yesterday :-) The second one after our marriage. I really wanted to plan something nice for him. But it was not that possible. Because it was a working day. But then I thought a surprise cake will be a good idea. In the morning itself, I ordered for a cake and planned to leave office a little early so that I could go home, on the way pick some fresh flowers, and prepare for the surprise. I had to drop that plan as I had a meeting which went on for an hour after office hours. So I had to drop the plans of flowers.

On the way, I picked the cake, candles, and rushed home. And added to the chaos, hubby called up and said that he'll be home early. This was one day I really hoped that he would come a little late so that I could arrange everything neatly. But No! I reached home and just took the cake out of the box when hubby rang the bell at the front door. I started to panic. I quickly pushed the cake into the fridge, threw the candles, cake box and wrappers into the kitchen cabinet and hurried towards the door. He wasn't suspecting anything. Lucky!

The rooms were a mess following the weekend laziness. I quickly cleaned up the rooms and kitchen, mopped the floors, took my bath, and was ready. We went to the temple, spent some time there, and came back. Hubby said that we'll go out for dinner. And then I started arranging the table to cut the cake. He was indeed, very very surprised when I took out the cake. Wow! That surprise and happiness was all what I had hoped for. We pre-heated the griller and warmed up the lovely cake, lit the candles, took some pics, blew the candles out, cut the cake, gorged on it, and had some drinks. Yes that was it. I was the one who was the most elated.
The day followed by a nice dinner and coming back home a bit late.

What followed was the worst :-( I have fallen sick. Throat pain and the beginning of a fever. I was unable to sleep properly the night. Hubby was too kind and caring enough to come down with me at 2 am in the night and help me prepare some hot water. He waited very patiently as I washed my face and neck, gargled a bit of saline water to soothe the sore throat, and prepared a little bit of hot drink to my self. Today I am at home. That definitely was required, as I could not sleep properly the whole of the night and my body feels a bit weak as well. But I do have work to complete and I am working on that.

So ended my hubby's birthday!

Now time for some of the pics from the birthday!

An year!

On Monday (Jan 31st), we celebrated our first year of a wedded life. It was amazing to turn back and look at all those events of the past and how soon an year flewwww by. It was a great year. Hubby was the best thing that happened in my life :-)

We had our celebrations on Sunday (the day before). With family and friends we went out for dinner and spent some good time with them. And right at the stroke of 12, wished each other :-)

Monday, both of us took a day off from work and spent time to being all by ourselves. Started the day by being lazy and waking up a bit late. We went out, had a small brunch and headed off to the Commercial Street. And guess what - he bought me a biiiggg bag full of YARN. I was way too happy and excited. We roamed around for a while more, came home, took rest for a short while, and headed off to a movie.

In the evening, went to the temple and spent some time happily in the calm premises. The day went forward by being with our cousins, a late, but wonderful dinner, and then ended the day blissfully and wonderfully :-)

Leaving behind 2010...

2010 was one of the greatest year of my life; got married in the beginning of the year, got job with a great company, had some wonderful outings and events in my life, and the list goes on... The year has given me the best of my life till now and I am really hopeful of the one coming.

Today is the last day of the year and I am down in Kerala with my family. Looking forward to end this year wonderfully and start the new one with a great start.

Wish you all a VERY WONDERFUL New Year ahead! :-)

Shifting from our lovely nest!

As I mentioned here, we are shifting from the house where we are staying now. Now we stay in one of the best locations of Koramangala with easy access to the Ring Road, Malls, and everything. But we have decided to shift. The reason - I am planning a change in my career or rather the firm. The new firm is a bit far from our current place. So we have decided upon a spot equidistant for both of us. And finally we are SHIFTING!

It was not too long back when we started staying at this house. It was right after our marriage. So we have stayed here for only 6 months. And that was a too short period of stay. This was a house both me and hubby chose together and moved in. It was the place we started our married lives to be specific. So we do have a special kind of attachement to it. Though there were a lot of not so good factors of the house like old fixtures, shabby exterior paints, and some windows which do not close properly, we love the house extremely. The foremost reason being that it is our FIRST place of stay together in Bangalore. Then, we spent a lot of time together in the company of each other, being with family and friends. Mittu loved the balconies of the house and I loved how the rooms were always lit up by natural lighting. My first experiments in gardening begin here; I believe I started crocheting well here (thanks to hubby's support); and a lot more things began here. I hand sewed curtains for some windows, upholstered our dining chair set, cooked, cleaned, washed (these three things go with me everywhere :-)), and did a lot to make this house our small home.

It was going on fine when one day suddenly we realized we had to shift. It was not heart-breaking or that sad a thing then. But now as days near by, we do have a little bit of sorrow somewhere down the deep corner. And yes, I know, this is part of life.

So, this weekend, we bid farewell to our first house in Bangalore and take off into a brighter future. The house will be really missed for sure :-)

How Time Flies

It was hubby's b'day last to last Sunday (May 23). No, we didn't cut any cakes. He didn't want to. But we all had a nice time. Enjoyed the day off and was very happy to be together.

We had another occasion also last week - my parent's wedding anniversary. It's 30 years since they have been together! Wow, I just wonder how time flies off. We decided that it was something to be celebrated. We ordered a cake. Thats all. And you know what, they remember their anniversary when I wish them! I keep track of some of these dates every year.


Let me tell you something more about my parents. They were married in 1980 and yes it was a completely arranged marriage. My dad is dark and my mom fair. At the time of the marriage, dad was a tall, dark guy with very curly hair and mom a thin, fair, small girl. I always ask my mom this question as to how she liked him when she saw him first. And her reply always is a smile or a big laugh.

This anniversary I initiated the question and she told us the story of how they got married. It was interesting to watch her and her expressions when she told the story. I have never seen them fight or argue over things. They completely understand each other's thoughts and feelings well. Over the years the trust and love have grown. And I would say that they are the best couple ever!

My new friend!

I did mention that I took a new two wheeler in an earlier post. But I didn't tell u anything about the new vehicle rt? Okay, let me tell you. A black Suzuki Access 125!

The vehicle, I rather prefer to call it as the Black Lady. Don't know why but I prefer to. So this new black lady is a lot different than my old friend. She is not slim and sleek light my Kinetic. Rather she is a bit bulky and plump (may be to match my physique ;-)). Though bulky, the weight is not much. This was one thing I was concerned about before buying. If the weight is more than that of my Kinetic, I would take some time to get adjusted to balancing it. But to my surprise, she was more of being "light weight".

It is not even a week since I got her. So we are still new to each other. But we had a small adventure ride a few days back. It rained heavily that day and in the evening when we returned, a stretch of the road was completely under water. And when I say under water, the lady's tires were fully immersed in the water and the mat was wet! I had to do it as I was already late and there was no other way to get home. With lots of apprehensions and fear, we crossed. There were lots of risks involved - the tar was missing at some places, there were pebbles and stones on the way, and worst of all there were pot holes in the road. These were risks because I could not see what was where other than the water. Added to it when the big vehicles came from the opposite side, it was like waves coming off to our side. For a moment I felt I was on a boat ;-) But yes, we managed to the other bank of the road rather safely and without any problems. Thank God! Phew! My nerves were about to burst owing to my tension.

I was telling you about my new black lady rt... Initially we did have some problems or rather mutual understanding was less. If I had to be a bit harsh on my old Kinetic, this lady just senses it on my touch. So I took two days to get adjusted to this spontaneity of her. And once that was over, we became a bit more friendly. In many aspects she is similar to my old Kinetic. She waits patiently for me, understands me, and we have started loving each other ;-)

So that was it about my new lady. Two days more and she will be a week old. Are we planning to celebrate? No, we have to go to office :-)

A Break!

Finally I have managed to take time off from office. Its almost over two years since I had an off more than 5 days. This time, for Christmas I finally managed to get 15 days off! Phew, lots of hard work involved ;)

This is a long awaited vacation actually. Long to be back home, relaxing, and doing nothing :)

The worst part is the travel. 13 - 14 hrs sitting numb in the bus, the blanket which either covers ur head or toes, but not both together, an uncomfortable night's sleep to be interrupted by the incessant cry of small kids and hefty guys snoring, the horns of the bus and other vehicles on the road, and so on. But somehow I love that moment when I wake up clumsily in the morning and see in the early dawn the boards of the shops which reads the names of places in Kerala. I become very anxious and eager as if on a trip first time to my home.

But unexpected things do happens. And whenever it happens I would be a part of it! :( Last time when I was travelling home, I woke up and saw that we were just three hours long from my place. I was all set to reach home when suddenly the bus stopped. After five minutes of halt, I heard the dreaded words - Breakdown. It took us another seven hours to reach, after changing two buses. :(

I hope nothing goes wrong. I am ready to sleep all cuddled up adjusting to the length and breadth of the blanket, the seat, and ignore the noises foregoing a night's sleep. All to reach home in time. :)

Things I miss badly

I miss all these:

1. Trivandrum
2. My room at our home in Kerala
3. My cousin, Raji
4. Reading
5. School Days
6. My friend, Anupriya
7. SunTec
8. My hostel, MTTC
9. College days
10. And what else I don't know

What I feel I must actually do at this point of time - Keep those memories fresh and start building new ones.

My Mittu - Boxing

My Mittu playing boxing with Pappa.

My Grandma's Dentures

My grandmom, Janaki, had been the victim of our pranks. We - Raji and me, we were the pranksters then. Everyday we would be caught up for something or the other. But the scoldings never stopped us.

And here goes one of the stories that was very interesting to us. Whenever we all get together, we still laugh at this incident. To say about my grandmom, she has dentures from very long, even before we were born. And till date she is shy to come in front of anybody without her dentures. We had actually tried a lot to see her dentures, when not intact. Even when she brushed, she never allowed us anywhere near us. So just imagine hw much our curiosity would be.

One night, after watching the 10 pm movie on Doordarshan, we developed a plan - to steal grandma's dentures... :-D. It was already something around midnight. All were asleep except we two. We briefly charted out the plan. First move was to remove our anklets. We tried hard but it didn't come out. So we pulled it up and tied it well so that no noise would be produced. One by one we tiptoed into grandma's room through the dark. I had already got a tickly feeling in my stomach as I suppressed my laughter imagining her face the next day without the dentures. We reached by her side. Raji leaned over and took the container in which the dentures were put. We tiptoed back into our room, bolted the door, switched on the lights, and gave a vent to our feelings. We laughed to our hearts' content. I placed the container safely in the cupboard, instructed Raji on how innocent we would behave the next day, unbolted the door, and slept.

Next morning, I woke up to the voice of my grandmom. She was calling to my aunt sleeping in the next room. When aunt (Radha Maami) answered, she said that her dentures were missing. Maami was all confused. She didn't respond for some time. A few moments later she called out, "Raji". Raji was fast asleep. I didn't respond. Next was my turn. After being called for two or three times, I answered in a very sleepy tone, "Yeeess, Maami". She asked me where the dentures were. I didn't respond. I didn't want to give it away so quickly. Even Raji was asleep. I didn't know what to do. Finally I said, "Its here in the cupboard". I saw my grandmom rushing into the room and taking away the dentures without uttering a word. I felt sad. All our efforts gone in waste.

A few moments later, Raji opened her eyes. I told her very sadly that the container was gone. To my surprise she said,"I know, I was awake". Thus we both were sad. What followed was a few scoldings for both of us from aunt and grandmom, and in secret Raji also received a few beatings from Maami. I was saved, my mom was not with us that time.. ;-)

Now what our effort has left us with is a sweet memory to cherish on forever... :-) And this is a picture of my grandmom. Look at her smile... :-)


And well, if you are really wondering who Raji is, read my posts categorised under the label 'Raji'. She is a wonderful and interesting character.

My Mittu

Those who know me well would obviously know who my Mittu is. Its none other than our pet parrot. He has been with us since five years. When Pappa brought him home, he was just a few months old. The ring around the neck was not there, the tail wasn't fully developed, neither could he eat properly nor make noise well. But within a few months time, he was a fully grown parrot with red patches on the wings, a long tail, ring on the neck, and even started speaking.. :) The first word he imitated was 'Pappa'. And no doubt, the person whom he loves the best is our Pappa.

Once I start speaking about Mittu, I become very talkative. Over these years he has become a very member of our family. When we came down to Bangalore, we him also along with us. Mittu is very posessive about Pappa. If Pappa holds any children or don't take note of him, Mittu gets angry and starts making noises. He responds to the voice of Pappa even when he doesn't to others.

Speaking about his fooding habits, he eats whatever we eat, even makes a try on the bones of chicken, but doesn't eat the flesh. Drinks tea with us from our cups, has breakfast, lunch, and dinner from our plates, snacks are what he likes the most. And his favourite nowadays are Minute Maid's Pulpy Orange, Sprite, Appy Fizz, and green chillies.

He doesn't like being locked up in a cage. So we have left him all free in the house. He sits wherever he likes and now has developed a habit of sleeping with us. Not in the whole sense. He comes and sits near us. We put him in the pullover sheet along with us. He is cosy being there.

On Sundays, we bathe him with mild shampoos and dry him by holding out in the sun. The whole process is very interesting to me. He looks entirely different soon after a bath, with all those spikes and angry eyes. Another thing he dislikes the most is touching his tail. Only Pappa has the permission for that. If any others touch the tail, Mittu starts grunting and growling. :) N guess what, I always keep doing that.

In our house in Kerala, we have a tree itself for our Mittu. A rope is tied from his cage to the tree. In the mornings, just after breakfast, he goes and sits on the tree and stays there till lunch is ready. And one cruelty what we do to him is that we cut the last to feathers of his wings so that he doesn't fly away. But since we have reached Bangalore, we don't do that since there are no trees for him to sit and so we don't leave him unattended. In the house, he is free to roam about wherever as desired.

Recently Mittu has developed a new habit for irritating us. Early by 6 - 6 30 am he starts making noises. Its so loud that we won't be able to sleep. Finally we all get up and start our daily chores. Then he goes into his small cage and starts sleeping.

The picture shows Mittu staring into the mirror. He quite likes sitting over there staring at himself (I thought only human beings do that.. ;-)) Lots are left unsaid about Mittu. Hope to continue it one of the following posts. Meanwhile, just have a look here, to see how Mittu helps my mom with peeling garlic.