Fresh Start - Project and Presentation

The past 2 days have been quite eventful.

29th Jan 2008:
The morning was nothing but ordinary. The usual rush to get Cantaloupe and BP ready (yes, a constant reminder of time is required for him as well. If not reminded he gets engrossed in his morning mail routine). Once they left, the office work was as usual as well. Later that evening, I was busy playing with Cantaloupe … our usual routine every evening. I heard my cell phone ring. I usually ignore phone calls when I am playing with Cantaloupe. It’s the only time during weekdays that I get with Cantaloupe and I want to give her undivided attention. I ignored the cell phone. Immediately I heard the home phone ring and it was from my office. I couldn’t ignore this one… so picked up. I was informed that our project was put on hold and all of us were released from the project … What ??? I gasped … after all the hard work we had put on this project for the past 8 months, this was too sudden a decision. I thanked the person who had informed me about it without any delay. Now my project hunt will have to begin all over again … its not something I enjoy! But somehow, I am more relaxed than other times I have been in the same situation.

Later the same evening, Cantaloupe and BP went to home depot to buy new light fixtures to the guest room. They came back after what seemed like eternity to me (even 10min past dinner time seems eternity to me) BP calmly disclosed the reason for their delay … “Our car was hit by another car” … BP was coming back from home depot, and had reached our apartment complex when he saw a car in reverse speeding towards him. BP sensed danger and stopped moving any further and just waited. The speeding car ended up hitting the side of our car. Then the insurance exchange formality and other discussions were completed… hence the delay.

Past dinner, BP was setting the bed and Cantaloupe was ready for her bedtime story when the door bell rang. An odd time for anyone to come home. We were pleasantly to find my sister and BIL … She told us that job hunt had come to an end and she had got her first job!!! A huge moment of joy for her and for us!! She had been longing to earn ever since I can think of her … she got married within 2 months of her Engineering and had to locate to the US. At that time, she had 2 options: Study further or Start job hunt. Though her heart was to start job hunt, she convinced herself that higher studies was a better option and that would open better job opportunities as well. Besides the job market was not very encouraging. Anyways, now she has found a job and will be starting next week!! A huge treat pending from her side now J

That was 29th Jan.

As mentioned earlier, Cantaloupe’s school had “It’s a small World” day yesterday. I was nervous about the presentation I had volunteered for. Thanks to some of the tips from blogging friends, I found my way. I took print out of various pictures, including the Tiger (to represent the National Animal of India), Camel (as I talked about Thar Desert), Peacock (National Bird), Taj Mahal, House Boats, Palaces, Himalayas etc. I took colorful pictures of Holi and Diwali as well.

I started the presentation by saying “Hi” to them, the Indian style … “Namaste” … the kids repeated my act and said “Namaste”. Their involvement during the entire presentation was great … they listed to what I had to say and looked at all the colorful pictures I had taken along with curiosity. I made the presentation a lot interactive by asking them questions frequently which they enthusiastically answered. For Eg: When I asked, do you like going on Vacation? They happily nodded and said they went only with their family. So, that set the context for me to tell the vacation spots in India like Taj Mahal. Similarly I asked them the festivals they celebrated and gradually introduced them to Holi. They were delighted to see all the colors … I don’t think a lot of kids in the US have seen farmers in their fields. Agriculture being an important occupation in India, I showed them green fields with farmers working hard. They loved the greenery. One of the kids had a question for me “Aren’t there frogs amidst the fields?” (he saw small streams of water in the fields which explains his question). I was dressed in a bright purple Salwar Kameez, complete with Bindi, bangles. I made Cantaloupe wear some bangles as well and dressed her in an Indian outfit. Cantaloupe’s bangles were a hit among her friends … they loved the jingling sounds. I had also prepared an Indian flag and had cut out Indian map.

Overall the presentation went smoothly and I was glad the kids were paying attention and were involved during the entire presentation. Later that night I asked Cantaloupe, what amma taught her at school … she said, “Namaste, Tiger, Peacock, Desert, Palace, Holi, Diwali and House Boat” … not bad, something has registered in her mind … thought this satisfied mother.

Its a small world

Cantaloupe's pre-school is celebrating "Its a small world" day on wednesday. The past few days, the teachers have been discussing about the cultures followed in different countries around the world.
On wednesday, the school requested few parents to volunteer and talk to the kids about their home country. I signed up hoping I'd be able to work on something over the weekend ... as predictable I could not get anything done.

Request creative people out there to give me ideas on what approach I should take to talk about India. I understand some props / pictures will draw the attention of pre-schoolers. I am running out of ideas ... plz ... plz help me

Event planning

Just as I had noted in the 2007 annual updates, BP was chosen as the committee member of a local club here. The initial few days saw no bounds to his enthusiam and thoughts. He had so much energy and ideas ... but there was a problem in store. Over the next few weeks, he realised that implementation of the ideas was not as easy. Firstly due to lack of time because of commitment at work / family, but most importantly because of lack of support from other members. Obviously other members had their own priorities. Soon, I took over a lot of responsibilities from BP. Thankfully I had my sister's support. (well, she had similar responsibilities shifted from her husband who happened to be part of the committee as well).
Now, most planning / implementation of the club activities are handled by me and my sister. To be honest, it is stressful with a full time job, house chores and a toddler at home. But I continue to work for the committee for several reasons. I don't want to let down BP's committee ... I'd not be happy if BP is responsible (even though partly) for not contributing to the continuation of a committee which was formed with lot of effort and hope to socialise. And to be honest, I enjoy organising parties, events, programs etc ... only I wish that was the only thing I was required to focus on.
We have so far organised a camping trip and one sports day. The next event is scheduled first week of february. This time again, I have been scambling some time to plan for the event. So far, I have been able to come up with a drama script (sis has been of great support), have come up with food menu, have decided on a game show (the details are yet to be sketched out), narrowed the theme for the drawing competition for the kids (I should not take credit for this one, the theme came from one of the passive members of the committee). The prizes have been purchased ... the event hall booked.

I am just hoping that everything will fall in place for the event ... just praying !!

Happy Sankranthi

Happy Sankranthi / Pongal to one and all !!

Reasoning ....

Its been a while since I last posted … reasons …

· Major cleaning / organization sessions took place in our house past 2 weeks. We got rid of a lot of stuff, donated some and re-arranged others. Spent quite some amount on the storage boxes … but end result is satisfying. Our closets look so organized that even BP is making a conscious effort to maintain it.
· Shopping: Went with the intent of buying some storage boxes … but couldn’t control the year end deals and ended up buying quite some. Afterall I was getting rid of a lot of clothes, so needed some new !! Bought a super cool griddle … dosa making is a piece of cake now … even so because BP loves spreading the batter and making it on the new griddle. The exciting part is we can make multiple dosas at the same time with little or no oil and they turn out perfect, crispy and large enough !! Why didn’t I buy this one earlier???
· We all had a cold / cough suffering days … so were not in the best of health.
· Cantaloupe was home (winter break) and kept us on our toes almost 15 – 16 hrs a day! BP and I were home too … so it was fun family time.
· Sister is back from India … which means I snacking on all the goodies almost anytime in the day. The weather has been on the cold side, so those Chakkalis and Kodbales and Chuda taste extra special. (even more so since they are home made). Tasted “Dharwad Peda” after almost 4 yrs and it was divine!!
· Scripting for a play to be performed in our local community club. Planning has been slow for the event … hopefully things will fall in place quickly. Feb 2nd is fast approaching.

Now there you go … I have all valid reasons for not blogging!!!

2007 : The year that was

Recollection of the ups and downs of 2007 …

January:

• Cantaloupe gave her first stage performance. I directed a dance drama for kids. The kids were 6-8 yr old … so you can imagine the proud moment BP and I shared when our then 2.5yr old daughter matched steps (??) with the others on stage. Though she was not perfect with her steps and did her own things a couple of times during the show, I should not take away any credit from her for just giving a cute/ spirited performance and entertaining the crowd. By the way, she had put on the costume of a baby sparrow and looked adorable!!
• One of my close cousins got married (31st Jan) … the whole wedding arrangement was done by my parents. Both her parents work, and they conveniently passed the wedding responsibility to my parents. Now, let me reserve the details of the same for another post.
  

February:

• My parents finally were convinced to travel, and agreed to spend the summer with their only grand daughter “Cantaloupe”
• BP and I debated quite a bit about changing schools … Cantaloupe was going to day care till such time and we finally decided that she was ready for pre-school. And so we went to get the pre-school application, only to realize all slots were booked and we were waited listed. (wait number being 50, 150 in the two schools we enquired). Apparently the applications are given out the first week of Feb and seats get filled in 2-3 days!! We went there around 3rd week of feb and obviously were late!! Now we had already given the notice to her previous school about discontinuing during summer (she was going to spend time with my parents). Instead of running the risk of not getting into any of the school, we paid her day care and reserved the slot for September. They agreed to refund our money back anytime we decided not to come back to them. (of course they would hold $100 fine)
• One of my close uncles, (mama) surprised us with his decision to visit us this summer.

March:

• Mama’s visa application was rejected. (L) Researched a lot before applying for visa again. (they had already blocked their tickets and we had planned how we were going to spend the 30 days together)
• Work front, cleared an important exam which added value to my resume J (I studied for a test / exam after a gap of 7 yrs … so it was quite an experience).
• One of my dad’s good friends ended his life … shocking news to all of us!
• BP’s brother transferred all ancestral property to his name … BP was hurt not because he was not given his share, but because he was not even consulted / informed about it until all legal formalities were completed. But BP maintained his dignity and did not speak a word of displeasure… just congratulated his brother.

April:

• Mama’s visa was rejected again … parents arrived here much to the excitement of Cantaloupe. They bonded instantly. (in about 10 mins time … considering she was seeing them for the third time, first time at her birth, second for a short period of 5 days when she was a year old … I should think this was great!!)
• BP elected part of the committee of a local community club.
• Cantaloupe discontinued day care.

May:

• We visited Mount Shasta and Crater Lake. It took us exactly 15 mins to decide we were going to drive to these places and within the next 30mins, we were all set!! It was fun filled experience with my parents and sister’s family
• Sister graduated with Master’s degree… proud moment for me and my family… couldn’t help a tear escape!

June:

• Moved to an interesting project at work… commute of 1.5hrs each way!!
• Traveled on office work for the first time after Cantaloupe was born!! Though I missed family, especially Cantaloupe a lot, I must admit, I enjoyed the being alone and solely concentrating on work!

July:

• Thanks to my parents and sister, Cantaloupe’s birthday was celebrated in a most memorable way.
• Continued to hog on rare delicacies …. Thank you amma.

August:

• Parents and sister visited the East coast. For most part of the month, parents at my sister’s place.
• Cantaloupe got admission in the pre-school she was wait listed just 2 days prior to school resuming. Yipppee !!!
• The old school ate up their words and refused to refund back our money … a loss of $1000 dollars !! (We are still fighting the case to get back the money … though our chance looks slim ... verbal assurance is hard to prove)

September:

• We went camping in the wild with Cantaloupe and parents for the first time!! Sleeping in a tent on a star studded night, cooking with minimum provision, campfire, dip in the nearby lake … everything was just perfect.
• Jet skied for the first time … Cantaloupe did great as well!
• Parents went back to India. It was hard initially especially for Cantaloupe …
• First complaint about Cantaloupe from her school. (she had not completed her art work and had ignored her teacher’s instruction)
• Watched "Chak De India" with BP in theatre... the only movie watched by BP and I as a couple for the past 3 years. (we have watched 7 movies in theatre in the past 7 yrs of marriage)

October:

• Organized a sports day for the community club. The treasure hunt and donut eating competition were instant hits with the crowd. Cantaloupe won the 2nd prize in fruit eating competition.
• Cantaloupe got her first “Line Leader” tag for being the best kid in the class.
• BP extremely busy at work with some POC(working 15 – 16 hrs a day)
• One of my dodamma (dad's brother's wife) passed away after prolonged illness.

November:

• Spent our anniversary relaxing at a beach resort.
• First time thanks giving black Friday experience for BP … he was so excited to buy the flat screen monitor and GPS system for great deals. (not to mention, he had resisted these items for the past 8 months … he was thrilled to bits)
• Work: Project I am working on came to a halt all of a sudden … surprised all of us in the team.

December:

• Cantaloupe got her first pre-school report card ... considering her aggressive / mischievous self, it was shocking to see her score quite nice in 90% of the activities. (she has been asked to practice paper cutting … we are working on that during the break)
• BP takes a week’s break from work to spend time with his dear daughter!
• Missing sister since she is in India for a vacation. (we meet atleast once a week … so this is hard for both of us and Cantaloupe)
• Ramp down of team at work … size reduced from 40 to 10 … glad to be part of the remaining 10.
• Can’t wait for the new year!
  
  HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !!
  

All in the name

Couple of weeks back I caught up with one of my good friends. She was planning her visit to India end of year for her Brother-In-Law’s wedding and was excited about the trip. She even shared with me the sarees / jewellery she planned for the wedding and the purchases she had planned for the wedding. She asked me for gift suggestions … games that could be played after / during the wedding etc etc … one thing for sure, she was certainly looking forward to this trip.

Over the weekend, I caught up with the same friend again and I could see a drop in her excitement. It did not take long before I found out the reason. Apparently her in-laws had taken the liberty of changing her last name to their family name and had it printed on the card. (The cards were not finalized …) What is strange is that both her in-laws are quite educated and do understand her preferences for her name. (There have been other instances where she has made it clear that she prefers her name a certain way) Another point that irks her is that her MIL, has not opted for the family name, she continues to keep her Sur name before marriage. When her MIL holds so much importance to her Sur name, why not give the same respect to my friend’s last name?

I can see my friend’s point here. I think the name change after marriage should be solely the individual’s decision. (may be the husband can pitch in … but wife should have the final say). I hold my name (Initial. First name, Sur name) in high regards. I have been known all my life before marriage by my name. My first or last name alone may not ring a bell to many … but together a lot of folks identify me and I like my name just the way it is. BP supported my decision wholeheartedly when I did not want to change my name after marriage. A lot of friends did change their name … most with their consent. My mom changed her name too, again her decision.

In the above friend’s case, she had decided to keep her name and her husband was just fine with it. Now, she is all excited about her BIL’s wedding, she has been upset over this name issue. When her husband pointed it out to his parents, they initially brushed it aside as being childish. Now they have settled down with just her first name being printed, while everyone else keeps their full name!!