Last weekend we bought some fresh ripe strawberry from the Farmer’s market. The very sight of them was inviting enough for anyone to gobble atleast a dozen.
Cantaloupe being an ardent strawberry sure enough ate her heart’s content.
As I saw her enjoy the strawberries, I was reminded of the time I was expecting Cantaloupe.
Strawberries were my favorite. Any time of the day, I was ready for them … mind you, I just had a mild liking for strawberry before I got pregnant. Somewhere, the pregnancy cravings kicked in and strawberries topped my chart of favorites at that time. I continue to eat them even now … but I am not crazy about them the way I used to be. Cantaloupe reserves that quality!!!
Also I had a distinct aversion to “Mustard seasoning” (tadka). I hated it … I would patiently separate out individual mustard seeds from the dish before I ate it. Thankfully Cantaloupe has not got this repulsion!! (again, I developed this dislike only during pregnancy)
Another friend of mine, when she was expecting said, she had developed a special liking for “Papads” and every meal HAD to go with papads. She also loved idlis and consumed loads and loads of them when she was pregnant. Sure enough … her little boy, is a true Idli fan. Anytime I know they are going to visit us, I make sure, I have soft idlis ready for the little boy!
I’d be interested in hearing any special likes / dislikes you might have developed during the “Special” period and see that your little one has inherited the same.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
My FIRST award - Schmooze Award
I have been awarded ... what ??? Me?? Am I sure??? When Noon mentioned "Cantaloupe" in the "Schmooze Award" list ... I was like, is that Me??? May be there is another Cantaloupe. And the good soul that she is, Noon sure left me a comment about my award in my blog, erasing any doubts that I had!
And so THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH for my FIRST and possibly ONLY award :))
Some how the word "Schmooze" made me unfortable for the first time I read it. Then online disctionary came to my rescue and cleared my dirty mind.
This is what is says:
verb (used without object) 1. to chat idly; gossip.
–noun 2. idle conversation; chatter.
Now I am more comfortable with this award ... (wow, I won it !!!) It really feels great, since I am newbee in the blogging world (not really ... I used to write under a different name) Thanks again Noon.
And now to spread the joy ... most of my fellow bloggers whom I enjoy are already awarded. (calm down Cantaloupe ... you are one of the last ones to get the award). Poppins, Usha, Noon ... these folks are already awarded and I miss SS.
But here are some fellow bloggers whom I enjoy:
Anita: She has a unique style of writing and her bloaps are definitely worth a read.
Kodi's mom: Her humorous style always leaves a smile on my face.
KT's mom: Simple style ... yet the message is sent across.
Pixie: Mostly relatable most ... perhaps because of similar upbringing.
Shruthi: She touches on various topics ... and writes beautifully. (in her blood :) )
Congrats folks !!
And so THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH for my FIRST and possibly ONLY award :))
Some how the word "Schmooze" made me unfortable for the first time I read it. Then online disctionary came to my rescue and cleared my dirty mind.
This is what is says:
verb (used without object) 1. to chat idly; gossip.
–noun 2. idle conversation; chatter.
Now I am more comfortable with this award ... (wow, I won it !!!) It really feels great, since I am newbee in the blogging world (not really ... I used to write under a different name) Thanks again Noon.
And now to spread the joy ... most of my fellow bloggers whom I enjoy are already awarded. (calm down Cantaloupe ... you are one of the last ones to get the award). Poppins, Usha, Noon ... these folks are already awarded and I miss SS.
But here are some fellow bloggers whom I enjoy:
Anita: She has a unique style of writing and her bloaps are definitely worth a read.
Kodi's mom: Her humorous style always leaves a smile on my face.
KT's mom: Simple style ... yet the message is sent across.
Pixie: Mostly relatable most ... perhaps because of similar upbringing.
Shruthi: She touches on various topics ... and writes beautifully. (in her blood :) )
Congrats folks !!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Our Songs
Noon tagged to come up with “Our Song” list and engagement story. I have already written about our engagement story.
Moving on to “Our Song” list … hmm, well, first a disclaimer.
“This list is written by me because the songs mentioned are “Special” to me … if BP is asked about it, the most likely reply would be “I love these songs … but are they “Our Songs??”
It was the night we had arrived from India, after our marriage. For me, it was the first night, I was spending in the US. Being so far away from family, first time in a new land, new settings, I was going through a lot of emotions. As we settled down on our bed, BP came sat, beside me, patted me on my head and said he’d like to sing a song for me. The song was “Minchu hula, minchadiru ….”. I was soooooooo touched. I had never heard of the song before. (really felt stupid having missed out on such a romantic song till then). The lyrics of the song could not have been any more romantic. It is a movie song where the hero compares his girl to precious things and concludes, his doll (girl) is better than anything else he has ever known.
I had tears in my eyes … I had never imagined BP to be so thoughtful … he had just ensured a perfect setting for us to start our life together.
Another song which I consider “Our song” is yet another kannada song. This was again, during our initial days in the US. I knew BP was not trained in Carnatic music, he had a very basic understanding of that kind of music. Myself, being trained in music, I always had this habit of converting movie songs which appealed to me into music notes and recognize the “Raaga”. One evening, I was preparing our evening snacks, setting the table ready before BP came back from work. I was humming the song “Mellusire Savi gaana, Yede Jhallane Hoovina baana”. Then I heard BP surprising me with “Sa sa sa sa sa…. Sa sa sa sa” … basically he sang the same note “Sa” in the tune of the song Could not just control my laughter !! Even today, everytime, we hear this song, we look at each other and say “Sa sa sa sa …. Sa sa sa sa”.
Moving on to “Our Song” list … hmm, well, first a disclaimer.
“This list is written by me because the songs mentioned are “Special” to me … if BP is asked about it, the most likely reply would be “I love these songs … but are they “Our Songs??”
It was the night we had arrived from India, after our marriage. For me, it was the first night, I was spending in the US. Being so far away from family, first time in a new land, new settings, I was going through a lot of emotions. As we settled down on our bed, BP came sat, beside me, patted me on my head and said he’d like to sing a song for me. The song was “Minchu hula, minchadiru ….”. I was soooooooo touched. I had never heard of the song before. (really felt stupid having missed out on such a romantic song till then). The lyrics of the song could not have been any more romantic. It is a movie song where the hero compares his girl to precious things and concludes, his doll (girl) is better than anything else he has ever known.
I had tears in my eyes … I had never imagined BP to be so thoughtful … he had just ensured a perfect setting for us to start our life together.
Another song which I consider “Our song” is yet another kannada song. This was again, during our initial days in the US. I knew BP was not trained in Carnatic music, he had a very basic understanding of that kind of music. Myself, being trained in music, I always had this habit of converting movie songs which appealed to me into music notes and recognize the “Raaga”. One evening, I was preparing our evening snacks, setting the table ready before BP came back from work. I was humming the song “Mellusire Savi gaana, Yede Jhallane Hoovina baana”. Then I heard BP surprising me with “Sa sa sa sa sa…. Sa sa sa sa” … basically he sang the same note “Sa” in the tune of the song Could not just control my laughter !! Even today, everytime, we hear this song, we look at each other and say “Sa sa sa sa …. Sa sa sa sa”.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Moral of the story
Last night I was narrating a bed time story to cantaloupe. I was narrating the “Grapes are sour story”
Me: There was a fox who was hungry… found grapes …… etc etc …. And then the fox jumped, jumped again and jumped again but had no success … finally the fox decided that the grapes are sour and went away.
Me(to myself): I must add some moral to this story …. Hmm … ok
Me(to Cantaloupe): So you know, you must never give up like the fox … you must keep trying, anything you cannot get is not sour really.
Got it?
Cantaloupe: Oh yeah amma
Me(so proud of her): So what did you understand?
Cantaloupe: I will keep jumping in the class !!!! I will never give up, no matter what !!
Me: WHAT ????????
Me: There was a fox who was hungry… found grapes …… etc etc …. And then the fox jumped, jumped again and jumped again but had no success … finally the fox decided that the grapes are sour and went away.
Me(to myself): I must add some moral to this story …. Hmm … ok
Me(to Cantaloupe): So you know, you must never give up like the fox … you must keep trying, anything you cannot get is not sour really.
Got it?
Cantaloupe: Oh yeah amma
Me(so proud of her): So what did you understand?
Cantaloupe: I will keep jumping in the class !!!! I will never give up, no matter what !!
Me: WHAT ????????
Thursday, September 27, 2007
What it takes to get a bite …
6:30am – wake up – I am hungry … I need tea … but BP is asleep and both he and I want fresh tea. So decide to wait.
7:00am – BP still sleeping … cannot control hunger any longer and decide to wake him
7:15am – Sip a cup of tea – hunger satisfied temporarily
8:00am – Hot idlis ready for breakfast … but have a conference meeting… so cannot afford the meal.
8:30am – Conference ends – Cantaloupe has to leave for school at 8:45 and she has not had breakfast yet. Motherly duties – Cantaloupe fed breakfast and sent to school.
8:45am – Put idlis on a plate – Call from office for a quick discussion.
8:55am – Swallow the 3 idlis on plate … want more … but haven’t prepared them – No time to prepare either – another meeting at 9:00am
9:00am – Noon – Meetings / Office work
Noon – Cannot tolerate hunger anymore – put the rice on my plate when I get a call from Cantaloupe’s school that she has got an eye infection and that her eyes have swollen and are teary.
Leave my plate and rush to the school, bring back Cantaloupe, pacify her. Wash her eyes … help her rest on my lap for a few mins.
1:30pm – Finally get to sit with my plate of rice. As I am eating, Cantaloupe wants to share a bite … sure enough, share the food with her. One of those rare days, when there is no extra rice. So half meal!!!
2:00pm – Cantaloupe is sleeping and I continue work.
3:45pm – Leave home for the doctor appointment. Just want to be sure nothing is wrong with Cantaloupe.
5:45pm – Thanking God as there was nothing seriously wrong with Cantaloupe and then thinking about the food I would eat as soon as get back home.
6:45pm – Reach home. Turn on the tava and mix the batter for some yummy uttappa. One Uttappa poured on the tava when Cantaloupe wants to go to the rest room.
Attend her and come back to find a burnt Uttappa. Pour a second one … when I hear Cantaloupe tripping over something. This time, I am wiser and set the stove on low heat. Attend Cantaloupe and save my uttappa from being charred. Pour my next Uttappa when Cantaloupe has spilled the oil … clean up the oil and put my dosa on plate.
7:15: Finally settle down to eat.
One of those days when a hearty meal never seemed possible !!
7:00am – BP still sleeping … cannot control hunger any longer and decide to wake him
7:15am – Sip a cup of tea – hunger satisfied temporarily
8:00am – Hot idlis ready for breakfast … but have a conference meeting… so cannot afford the meal.
8:30am – Conference ends – Cantaloupe has to leave for school at 8:45 and she has not had breakfast yet. Motherly duties – Cantaloupe fed breakfast and sent to school.
8:45am – Put idlis on a plate – Call from office for a quick discussion.
8:55am – Swallow the 3 idlis on plate … want more … but haven’t prepared them – No time to prepare either – another meeting at 9:00am
9:00am – Noon – Meetings / Office work
Noon – Cannot tolerate hunger anymore – put the rice on my plate when I get a call from Cantaloupe’s school that she has got an eye infection and that her eyes have swollen and are teary.
Leave my plate and rush to the school, bring back Cantaloupe, pacify her. Wash her eyes … help her rest on my lap for a few mins.
1:30pm – Finally get to sit with my plate of rice. As I am eating, Cantaloupe wants to share a bite … sure enough, share the food with her. One of those rare days, when there is no extra rice. So half meal!!!
2:00pm – Cantaloupe is sleeping and I continue work.
3:45pm – Leave home for the doctor appointment. Just want to be sure nothing is wrong with Cantaloupe.
5:45pm – Thanking God as there was nothing seriously wrong with Cantaloupe and then thinking about the food I would eat as soon as get back home.
6:45pm – Reach home. Turn on the tava and mix the batter for some yummy uttappa. One Uttappa poured on the tava when Cantaloupe wants to go to the rest room.
Attend her and come back to find a burnt Uttappa. Pour a second one … when I hear Cantaloupe tripping over something. This time, I am wiser and set the stove on low heat. Attend Cantaloupe and save my uttappa from being charred. Pour my next Uttappa when Cantaloupe has spilled the oil … clean up the oil and put my dosa on plate.
7:15: Finally settle down to eat.
One of those days when a hearty meal never seemed possible !!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Numerous names of Cantaloupe
Moppet's mom wanted company in her embarassment ... boy has she found one !!!
I am always known for the nicknames I give ... be it a kid in the family, a friend, a professor etc. Some of them very appropriate (say Brainy for an intelligent friend) and some hilarious.
So when Cantaloupe was born, it was natural that I nicknamed her... but my Nickname innovations have far exceeded my own standards with Cantaloupe. She gets a nickname almost every week !!
It all started when she was born ... she was chubby, little girl and without much effort in trying to find a name, I came up with "Gundu Samosa" (gundu meaning chubby ... don't ask me why Samosa ... you will see many such silly names) ...also, by end of week 1, I had already come up with a little song ..
"Sona Masuri ... aha Gundu Samosa" ... hey "Sona Masuri ... Gundu Samosa" ...
Gosh ... this is so embarassing .....
I have addressed her anything but by her real name ... and 99% of the cases, her nicknames do not remotely sound like her real name. When I call her by her real name... it means, I am extremely angry with her and she knows!
Ok, back to nicknames ... she has been called Gopi (now, thats not too bad), Chikita, Nikita (thats a nice name. .. isn't it??), Soma, Gopala, Ghatika, (after her friend Ghatu), Soapika, Dunna, Vamana (credit to BP), Vamanos , Doreshwari, Stulambika, Shuntita .. the list is endless. I will stop embarassing myself.
The most often used of them all is Moosika / Moosamma ... (Moosu in kannada means to smell) She got that name, because she was always holding her blanket and covering her nose.
So, I came up with this song:
"Mangalarathi .... Moosu Maruthi ... hey "
The worst part, she thinks its a real song and the other day, when some friends came over to our place and asked her to sing a song, she instantly began "Mangalarathi ... " I could die of embarassment !!!
I am always known for the nicknames I give ... be it a kid in the family, a friend, a professor etc. Some of them very appropriate (say Brainy for an intelligent friend) and some hilarious.
So when Cantaloupe was born, it was natural that I nicknamed her... but my Nickname innovations have far exceeded my own standards with Cantaloupe. She gets a nickname almost every week !!
It all started when she was born ... she was chubby, little girl and without much effort in trying to find a name, I came up with "Gundu Samosa" (gundu meaning chubby ... don't ask me why Samosa ... you will see many such silly names) ...also, by end of week 1, I had already come up with a little song ..
"Sona Masuri ... aha Gundu Samosa" ... hey "Sona Masuri ... Gundu Samosa" ...
Gosh ... this is so embarassing .....
I have addressed her anything but by her real name ... and 99% of the cases, her nicknames do not remotely sound like her real name. When I call her by her real name... it means, I am extremely angry with her and she knows!
Ok, back to nicknames ... she has been called Gopi (now, thats not too bad), Chikita, Nikita (thats a nice name. .. isn't it??), Soma, Gopala, Ghatika, (after her friend Ghatu), Soapika, Dunna, Vamana (credit to BP), Vamanos , Doreshwari, Stulambika, Shuntita .. the list is endless. I will stop embarassing myself.
The most often used of them all is Moosika / Moosamma ... (Moosu in kannada means to smell) She got that name, because she was always holding her blanket and covering her nose.
So, I came up with this song:
"Mangalarathi .... Moosu Maruthi ... hey "
The worst part, she thinks its a real song and the other day, when some friends came over to our place and asked her to sing a song, she instantly began "Mangalarathi ... " I could die of embarassment !!!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Time sense
“Time and tide wait for none” … this is something I really believe in. So, if there is a party I am invited for and the time indicated is 6:30pm … it truly means 6:30pm, and I am at the party venue at 6:30pm. It embarrasses me if I am late …
But unfortunately the above importance to time is given only by me in our house. And this is the most cause of an argument between BP and me. When it is work related meetings, BP is dot on time… but he does not hold the same time regard for other matters.
Like for eg: The other day, we were supposed to go for a family outing over the weekend. The night before, BP and I were talking and he mentioned that we could leave after breakfast and spend the day at the zoo and the beach close by. So the time freak that I am, I got up early on a Saturday morning, prepared tea/ breakfast, packed snacks / juice / fruits for the picnic, cleaned the house and got dressed by 9:30am. That’s when I realize, BP has just woken from bed!! Already I was a little upset … BP then sipped his tea for an entire 30 mins (how can one do that? Isn’t tea supposed to be sipped when hot??? 30min of sipping !!) Once done with the tea, he went to the patio to water the plants. By then it was close to 10:30 … I was starting to get hungry too. (Since we get a chance to eat breakfast together only during weekends, I usually wait until all 3 of us are at the table) By noon, BP was finally ready and I was fuming … BP knew clearly why I was upset. So when he said “Relax … its just a weekend trip … the idea is to spend time together … whether we spend time at home or the zoo … how does it matter?” … I just could not take it. I mean, I could have very much relaxed and slept hugging my warm cantaloupe for longer … I needn’t had to rush all the chores … anyways, all I ended up remaining silent and gave a stern look … BP understood it all!
Come to think of it, most of my family members are pretty sensitive about it… atleast my parents are. My sister used to be, but is soon loosing out. But in BP’s family, no one really cares about the time factor. I was in for a rude shock the first time I went to their house after marriage. Dinner was served at 11:00pm !!! In my house we ate dinner at 8:30pm … sharp! Their disrespect of time really has no bounds … the other day, they had invited people over to their house. The invitation was for 4:30pm … but then nobody cared to clean up or get dressed or prepare snacks even when the clock showed 4:15 … I could not take it any more and asked them why they were just not getting ready when they said, “Invitation says 4:30, which means no one will be here before 6:30 …. Who comes at 4:30??”. I did not know what to say. Atleast BP gets ready on time when we are expecting guests, I thought.
Is it really wrong to be punctual? If we are invited to a friend’s place at a certain time, is it wrong to be there on time?
But unfortunately the above importance to time is given only by me in our house. And this is the most cause of an argument between BP and me. When it is work related meetings, BP is dot on time… but he does not hold the same time regard for other matters.
Like for eg: The other day, we were supposed to go for a family outing over the weekend. The night before, BP and I were talking and he mentioned that we could leave after breakfast and spend the day at the zoo and the beach close by. So the time freak that I am, I got up early on a Saturday morning, prepared tea/ breakfast, packed snacks / juice / fruits for the picnic, cleaned the house and got dressed by 9:30am. That’s when I realize, BP has just woken from bed!! Already I was a little upset … BP then sipped his tea for an entire 30 mins (how can one do that? Isn’t tea supposed to be sipped when hot??? 30min of sipping !!) Once done with the tea, he went to the patio to water the plants. By then it was close to 10:30 … I was starting to get hungry too. (Since we get a chance to eat breakfast together only during weekends, I usually wait until all 3 of us are at the table) By noon, BP was finally ready and I was fuming … BP knew clearly why I was upset. So when he said “Relax … its just a weekend trip … the idea is to spend time together … whether we spend time at home or the zoo … how does it matter?” … I just could not take it. I mean, I could have very much relaxed and slept hugging my warm cantaloupe for longer … I needn’t had to rush all the chores … anyways, all I ended up remaining silent and gave a stern look … BP understood it all!
Come to think of it, most of my family members are pretty sensitive about it… atleast my parents are. My sister used to be, but is soon loosing out. But in BP’s family, no one really cares about the time factor. I was in for a rude shock the first time I went to their house after marriage. Dinner was served at 11:00pm !!! In my house we ate dinner at 8:30pm … sharp! Their disrespect of time really has no bounds … the other day, they had invited people over to their house. The invitation was for 4:30pm … but then nobody cared to clean up or get dressed or prepare snacks even when the clock showed 4:15 … I could not take it any more and asked them why they were just not getting ready when they said, “Invitation says 4:30, which means no one will be here before 6:30 …. Who comes at 4:30??”. I did not know what to say. Atleast BP gets ready on time when we are expecting guests, I thought.
Is it really wrong to be punctual? If we are invited to a friend’s place at a certain time, is it wrong to be there on time?
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