Anushka at Euro Kids!

Here are the 3 wonderful ladies who have been very important in my Anushka's world. They taught her, looked after her and most importantly loved her. Anushka dotes on her Lupali (Rupali) Teacher, Bhavya Teacher and Zaitun Aunty! Joy and I are extremely happy that we chose Euro Kids for our daughter and that she found such wonderful teachers; we couldn't have asked for more.

My little darling finished Nursery and will be starting Lower KG at Maneckji from next Tuesday. Wasn't she born just yesterday! Today was the last day at Euro Kids; we were all teary eyed while saying our goodbyes. The first teachers are always very special and I want Anushka to feel that way when she grows up. As for me, all I will say, I wasn't this sad when I finished my school as I was with Anushka leaving Euro Kids... well, that's very typical of a mother. Surprisingly, I found a-very-much-in control-of-emotions Joy looking sad while picking Anushka from Euro Kids for the last time!

Age does matter!

In the past 1 month, on 2 separate occasions, I accidentally referred to myself as 'young' and 'girl'... the latter being the most embarrassing! Thanks to my presence of mind and a decent level of communication skills I managed to divert the topic and save my face! 

Well, no matter how much we want to feel young we need to act and say and do things that are relevant to the age; and that's the beauty of life! It did strike me both times and just made me realise that life isn't the same anymore. Guess I feel a little less odd that I am 39, and that it's ok to be my age because I have a daughter. But, I find many people around me who can't handle the fact that they are getting older! To me it's more important to be physically and mentally fit to stay "young" rather than behave stupid to prove a point (and make a complete fool of oneself!).

By the way, I had a 2-day birthday celebration this time! Anushka blew the candle, cut my cake, fed me some cake and had some herself, went to her favourite play area at a mall and had a blast! I couldn't have asked for more!

3 year old Anushka's tribute to the nation!

My 3 year old daughter Anushka is definitely one of the very few of her age to be so patriotic! Why not, she was born on August 15! Yesterday, when we went shopping for her birthday she sang "Jana Gana Mana" repeatedly covering almost the entire stretch of Lokhandwala (Mumbai) holding the National Flag in her tiny hand! Her rendition of the National Anthem, in my opinion, is the most heartfelt, though her words are not very clear. Watch the video to figure out for yourself! I don't know who to thank for this, the almighty or her lovely teachers at Eurokids? Whoever it is, I am a happy mother! She doesn't know what a nation is and why is there an anthem; for a child it's not necessary. I just hope she feels the same enthusiasm, and learn to feel the emotion while singing the National Anthem when she grows up. She also loves the fact that her favourite Robi Thakur (Rabindranath Tagore) composed "Jana Gana Mana"!

Sale begins and so does shopping!

How life changes with the passing of time....  I started writing this post while I was waiting in a huge queue at Shoppers Stop yesterday, and I'm finally finishing it now (I have no control over time)!

There was a time, not so long ago, when going out shopping meant buying stuff for myself and sometimes for others. Now, the focus of buying is only on Anushka. I walked the length and breadth of a fairly large Inorbit Mall, Malad Mumbai looking for things that are good and worth buying, but I didn't feel like buying anything for myself! It's not that I don't need anything; in fact, I badly need a whole lot of things! 

During the off season sale at malls the clothes, in particular, are not always that reasonable; they are often over priced and some of the stuff are unbelievably rotten! Wonder who designs them and who wears them! It's my baby's birthday next month and I have the onus of buying things on her grandparents' behalf. I went to Shoppers Stop and Lifestyle twice each and scouted like mad to find just a few things that interested me. I got tired and gave up, hence I'll have to go back again!

For now, I got two really cute dresses, a Snow White figure toy (one more to add to our Disney collection) and a Dora Snakes and Ladder game! I'm not sure if Anushka would have any interest in these beyond a few minutes, but I know I enjoyed shopping for these in spite of getting tired hunting around for something worthwhile! It's almost as if I am fulfilling my unfulfilled wishes and reliving my childhood again!

And the music begins...

At 2 years and 11 months Anushka had her 1st music lesson on the keyboard! She knows what are high notes and low notes, she identifies the black notes from the white. She can even identify groups of 2 and 3 black notes. She can identify all C's on the keyboard and also knows that there is a Middle C; she doesn't know which one is middle C though! The 10 minute lesson ended with a promise that I'll let her play the piano when she's 5!

The grind begins - school admissions!

I picked up Anushka's 1st school admission form today... I said 1st as I'll have to pick up many more so that she gets a seat in one of the good schools! It is not easy to get your child in one of the top schools in the city unless you are quite rich or famous or both! Joy and I are none! But, we will do our best to get Anushka in one among the 4 schools I have shortlisted. They are counted among the best in the whole of Mumbai and the most preferred and sought after in the Western suburbs of Mumbai. I don't know who needs more luck, Anushka or me? But in all of these tense moments, it is such a wonderful feeling that my baby is soon going to go to school! :)

Anushka turns 2!

I have been planning this day for a few months. There have been nights when I was awake, and thinking of all the things that we'd do on our little one's birthday. I believe in doing things myself, and that becomes quite a challenge often, like putting streamers, balloons etc. I had no idea that putting streamers along the edges of the ceiling can be such a task! I spent many hours planning how to put them, and imagined for a few more hours as to how will they look like, but my planning failed completely because of the shape of the room, the fans etc! Thank God, Joy was such a sport and my mother-in-law was around to help!

I wanted the birthday to be a simple one, but it had to have all the fun elements. Visiting Sneha Sadan is no plan, it has become a part of our lives. Even before I conceived Anushka, Joy and I had decided that we will visit either an orphanage or an old age home for her birthday, and also have a regular get together with family and friends. It was just by chance we got to know about Sneha Sadan right before Anushka's 1st birthday and we visited there. We didn't have to think or plan anything after meeting everyone; without saying anything Joy and I knew that it is this lovely home that we will visit whenever we want to! In the 1 year we have built a bond with the children and the sisters, and they will always be a part of our lives.

We went to Sneha Sadan in the afternoon as we organised lunch for them. The children decided what they wanted to eat and accordingly, food was ordered. I'm not too keen that Anushka cuts a cake at Sneha Sadan as I don't want to remind the children another time that they don't have parents to take care of them. I know their pain and hurt and regret can never be reduced, but I don't want too add to what's already there. So, the plan was to have another 2 children whose birhdays were in August too to cut the cake along with Anushka... everyone cheered and sang , and it was such a beautiful moment! I hope my Anushka grows up to cherish these extra ordinary moments.

There was an early evening get together with family, and some of my students who Anushka just loves! Anushka loves ducks, her bath time mates! So, Joy suggested that we have a duck shaped cake. After a lot of research we decided on  a Donald Duck cake from Birdy's (our favourite cake shop). It goes without saying that the cake was heavenly to taste!

I always wanted to play the piano while singing the birthday song for my family, but that never happened, and another 1st time experience in my life happened with Anushka!

Here's the video!

Anushka participated during a game of passing-the-parcel by moving her hands and legs, as if she was dancing, while the music played! I think she loves gifting people; that was one thing she thoroughly enjoyed... giving away the return gifts!

Anushka at 21 months!

My Anushka completed 21 months today! 18 months to now have been such a lovely journey, so many 1st times to add to the baby book! She started walking rather late, and while we were still worrying if there was some problem in her muscle development or anything else she almost started running the day she turned 18 months. And from that day on, I am running after her! She dances every time she listens to her favourite melodies; hums along with me when she is in a  mood; but most importantly, she always identifies any video or ad film she likes on tv or the computer!

Her (vocal) vocabulary improved quite a bit, but her gestures improved drastically! With about 16-17 words she can utter she explains almost everything to us with her hand gestures! She has a very strong mind of her own already! Her naw (no) can be heard quite distinctly every time she doesn't want to do something! Her yes is usually an 'uh' or a 'haan'. Her 'didu', Bengali for maternal grand mom is 'dzoo', and my mother just doesn't have a choice but respond to that!

I am trying to remember all that happened through these 3 months, but it's so difficult to list so many things. Oh yes, she can solve jigsaw puzzles that are recommended for children who are 2+. She can't completely insert the puzzle pieces inside the slot, but she never puts any wrong piece in any slot. If I am sounding a little proud I must be excused; I am just too excited... mothers with young children will understand me for sure! 

She ate her first pasta in tomato base, half moon-shaped chicken cutlets, fish-shaped fish cutlets; her favourite was a fish cutlet that looked like a face that had eyes made with peas and the nose and mouth were made using tomato slices! Well, I cooked all these especially for her. I never took much interest in cooking before! 

Though there are many new developments some of the old habits still exist. She very strongly dislikes her pediatrician, though he is one of the nicest doctors I have met; she still takes several hours to have her dinner, the sleep time is as bad as ever no matter how hard I try. But in spite of all the crazy things she does that makes me sometimes want to just give up and cry 'cause my body and mind just can't take the stress, she still keeps me going. Becoming a mother at 35 is not always an easy thing if one is not physically fit, and I am not. I have quite a few health problems, body ache being the worst of them all. But after becoming Anushka's mother I think I can run a marathon someday!

P.S. Anushka's father got her a book and a set of puzzles for her 21st 'monthly' birthday! :)


Here's the video where she works on her puzzles!

It was a lovely evening of music, dance and poetry at the Lokhandwala Garden to celebrate Poila Baishakh and Rabindra Jayanti; two very special days for Bengalis. Many Bengalis from Andheri to Kandivali gathered here to be a part of this 'Bonghomie'!

It's been 16 years since I last performed Rabindrasangeet on stage, and I thoroughly enjoyed singing. Also, I wore a Dhakai saree, a first-time ever! This evening was special as I have missed not singing all these years, plus I performed with my father  for the first time! 

My father, Ranjan Mitra, was the first Bengali, if not the first Indian, to have cut western music albums (in 33 rpm) with HMV back in the early 70's. He was a regular performer back in the day, and sang with many prominent musicians including Louiz Banks! Besides singing he loves playing the harmonica. It was wonderful accompanying him on stage today!

Another high this evening - my daughter Anushka sang 'tata-tata' the moment she heard 'Mamo Chitte Niti Nritte'! We were pleasantly surprised as to how she instantly recognised the song that she occasionally heard at home, and she is only 20 months! 

 One of the youngest in the audience!

It'll be great if all 3 of us perform together one day. It's not very common to see 3 generations performing together!

Anushka singing?!

Anushka may still be too small to sing, but she looks as though she is! By the way, these days she hums along with me , of course, when she is in the mood for it!

Ummeed waali dhoop, sunshine waali aasha...

After a great day yesterday I woke up this morning in horror when my sister called to say they were trapped in  fire in the building. I am still getting goose bumps while writing! She sounded so helpless, yet worried as to how will I come with my little baby! I literally pulled Anushka from sleep, took some cash, mobile and the house keys and ran out of the house when I met a neighbor who dropped me till my parents' building. My 5 minute drive was scary. I managed to call the police helpline who confirmed that the fire engines reached the building which was some sort of a comfort, but I was still worried about my parents. 

When I reached the spot it was such a relief to find that things were under control; and everyone was safe. Sadly, my parents and sister had a tough and scary time as no one informed them about the fire, and when they realised that there was a lot of smoke outside they couldn't go down, instead they had to rush to the terrace. Since there was no one around they were obviously very scared, and in great difficulty they managed to go to the other wing of the building crossing water tanks! It was everyone's great luck that the fire could be extinguished rather quickly as the fire officers acted fast. But thinking about the whole thing was so scary that we were unable to brush it off our system! Need less to say that the Mumbai buildings need to be a lot more organised!

The whole day went off, but we all felt the strain till suddenly my 17 month old wonder broke into a little dance  with her wobbly legs as she listened to the new Coke tv commercial. We just couldn't help laughing watching her, and for the next 30 minutes or so we kept playing the video on YouTube and watched Anushka dance to it! How children can bring relief to our lives when we least expect. And, what a wonderful tv ad this one is... 

"Ummeed waali dhoop, sunshine waali aasha

Rone ki wajah hai kam, hansne ke bahane zyada

Zidd hai muskuraayenge

Khush rehne ka hai waada..."

I wish and pray that there is sunshine in everyones lives!

And so this is 2012...

Another year got over and a new one has just begun! 2012 is the year that I have been waiting for 3 years now. This year both my parents and in-laws complete 40 years of being together in marriage; Joy and I complete 10 years of marriage; my favourite cousin turns 18; Olympics in July, a few vacations planned, one can be international too; and a few more things to make 2012 a year to remember!

About 2011, it has been extra ordinary as I have lived almost every waking moment with my baby! I have experienced the joy of watching my little one grow! I felt special, I couldn't have asked for more from life...

To everyone, I wish a great 2012! May there be peace and happiness in this seemingly chaotic and unpredictable world.

Anushka's Birthday Celebration at Sneha Sadan!

Anushka's 1st birthday celebration began on August 7 by visiting a home called Sneha Sadan in the suburbs of Mumbai that takes care of girls who are either abandoned or orphans. Anushka, along with Joy, my mother and me, spent time with the children there, and we indeed had a very good time! Though Anushka was initially a little quiet, she gradually warmed up to the children! Here are some of the photographs taken.

The celebrations continued in Goa! Here are the links:

http://chandrimaroy.blogspot.com/2011/08/palolem-one-of-most-beautiful-beaches.html?spref=tw

http://chandrimaroy.blogspot.com/2011/08/goa-in-monsoon.html

Goa in the monsoon...

About 3 months ago I decided that we'll celebrate Anushka's 1st birthday in Goa. Joy and my parents readily agreed, and so did my sister after a little cajoling! As a start to the preparations I called my Goan friend who is now a resident of Hyderabad though, and asked for the things that we could at this part of the year. His first reaction was why now, go in October. It took me a few weeks to make him understand that it was because of Anushka's birthday that we were going to Goa, and that cannot happen in October!

Sometimes I feel happy that I don't just listen to what people have to tell me; I have drawn a lot of flak from various quarters for this though! Many other friends and acquaintances warned us, discouraged us, all saying that it's going to rain, and you guys will have to stay at the hotel throughout your trip!

It did rain, sometimes there were little showers and sometimes it rained quite heavily. But to our great luck the rains did not affect our plans not even once... maybe I can call it 'Anushka Luck'! Light grey skies, with a drizzle once in a while, greenery in abundance, comfortable weather, just a few people on the beaches, lovely food... what more could we have asked for! Little Anushka was also enjoying I guess... her food habit and sleeping habit just changed during those days... she was an absolute darling!

Do I still have to say that we had a wonderful time through the four days! :)

Happy Birthday Ms. Anushka Roy!

There are different ways by which one can interpret the essence of songs. Songs can set different moods  for different people. When I was thirteen I learnt Top of the World by The Carpenters, and I had categorised it as a love song; I never thought it could represent anything else. 

Today, as I sit down to write something for my daughter who turned 1 today, the song is ringing in my mind, and I feel the words are so apt to describe what I feel!

Aanya darling, this song is for you! 

"Such a feelin’s comin’ over me

There is wonder in most everything I see

Not a cloud in the sky

Got the sun in my eyes

And I won’t be surprised if it’s a dream

Everything I want the world to be

Is now coming true especially for me

And the reason is clear

It’s because you are here

You’re the nearest thing to heaven that I’ve seen

I’m on the top of the world lookin’ down on creation

And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I’ve found ever since you’ve been around

Your love’s put me at the top of the world

Something in the wind has learned my name

And it’s tellin’ me that things are not the same

In the leaves on the trees and the touch of the breeze

There’s a pleasin’ sense of happiness for me

There is only one wish on my mind

When this day is through I hope that I will find

That tomorrow will be just the same for you and me

All I need will be mine if you are here"

Happy Birthday my love! All my love and blessings for you. This is your 1st birthday gift! Baba (Joy) you can sing along (in the right key please!)  ... Mama :)

Little Anushka Roy striking the piano keys!

Here's a pianist in the making! 

My Trip To Kolkata

Well this took me a while, to write about my trip to Cal. Cal is always fun, but this time it was indeed special. We went to celebrate Anushka's Annaprashan. There were 4 events for her, and surprisingly, she took all of them really well, with minor discomfort and crying. Great job for a 6 and a half month old!

I celebrated my birthday in Cal after 10 years, with family! I went to Tangra ... after 6 yrs! In fact as a family we went to eat in Tangra after probably 14 years! We even forgot the name of our favourite restaurant and ended up going to another! Kim Fa and Kim Ling don't sound too different, do they ;) I felt nostalgic while driving down the lanes of Tangra.

Joy and I went to Henry's, a very old Chinese shoe store in New Market. Joy needed to buy shoes. Sadly, the store is no more the way it used to be, the glory days are gone. Joy and I did our usual walking on Park Street , Free School Street; it's like a ritual walking on these streets, eating chicken rolls! This time we also went to Braganza's... don't remember after how many years! Also, walked past Uncle Anto's house, just that he is no more.... We spent an entire afternoon on this side of town and headed back home taking the metro rails, another one of our favourites!

Through the 4 events, I met a lot of relatives, friends, some of them after about 10 years or more. Felt at home in fact. No matter how much settled I feel in Mumbai, Cal is still home. that's where my heart belongs.

After a 2 week stay at the place I belong, I had to pack multiple bags, for me, Joy and Anushka, and head back to Mumbai, with lots of fond memories, hundreds of photographs, Anushka's gifts and her 55 new dresses! :D

Travelling begins again!

After a year and two month break Joy and I start travelling again, but now, we have a new little member joining us! I think I am more thrilled that Anushka is making her first trip rather than the fact that I am going somewhere after so long.

Well, this time we are not going to any exotic location nor to a spell bounding scenic place, but to the place where we belong... our own city of joy! Going to ones hometown may not always be a very exciting option, for some it is so matter of fact. But, for Joy and me, Kolkata is no less than any great place; just that one has to have the eyes to look out and enjoy. 

We are going to Cal to celebrate Anushka's Annaprashan. Besides meeting family, friends and relatives, Joy and I have planned a few outings which we'll have to squeeze in as the days are going to be quite hectic. Looking forward to this trip as this is my first after becoming a mother, that is adding more excitement! Will come back and post about all the fun times that Joy and I are going to have!

By the way it's my birthday tomorrow, guess it's a good way to start a trip! Bon voyage to me! :)

Alo Amar Alo and Anushka!

'Alo Amar Alo' is a very popular Tagore song which almost every Bengali has heard once in their life for sure. I learnt it when I was two and a half, probably this was the second song I learnt after 'Tomari Gehe Palichho Snehe'. Thanks to the school I went to, my orientation in Rabindrasangeet happened at a very early age, and the sixteen years of constant learning and practice in school left such an everlasting impact on me that no matter how many different genres of music I enjoy listening to, singing or playing, Rabindrasangeet is closest to my heart.

The point of writing today is not about my immense love for Tagore's poetry and music, but it is about my little Anushka's love for Alo Amar Alo. I have been terrible all these months as far as singing lullabies are concerned because I find them, well hmmm, not so good. So, I started playing music either on the ipod and put it on the dock or playing music on the computer. She enjoys Whitney Houston, earlier songs of Mariah Carey and a variety of other music. Then came a stage, when she was about 3 months, that she chose to sleep in my arms and I needed to hum a tune to make her sleep. And, without consciously choosing any particular song, I started humming and later singing Alo Amar Alo. 

Well, the consequence, even after 2 months, I need to sing this song for almost everything, when she is hungry or she is cranky or when she just wants to go to sleep. I sing at noon, at midnight, sometimes even at 6 in the morning, and it's the same song, Alo Amar Alo! She doesn't like it if I stop for a moment to catch a breath, such is her immense love for the song, and trust me when I say that my renditions are nothing less than croaking, but my daughter loves it! I have sung this song more number of times in the past 2 months than I have in my entire life; I'm a one-song jukebox!

The real magic in all this is that the song works every time. I don't know how to reason this or analyse this for an explanation. All I know is that such is the power of Tagore's music. Little did Tagore know that his songs will have such an impact not only on younger children but even on infants! What makes me very happy is that in the day and age of cheap sleazy bollywood music blaring away at top volumes, good pure music is still alive.

Anushka's 1st Christmas!

She is just 4 months old, and she is not yet dreaming of a white Christmas, but her mother is already making big plans for her when she grows up! Yes, this is what mommyhood has done to me! 

Last Christmas, Joy and I were in Calcutta (it's still Calcutta for me, unless some political group starts to threaten and beat up people for calling Kolkata Calcutta). Getting back to last Christmas, both of us wanted to spend the evening on Park Street. I went to Park Street on Christmas Day after at least 11 years!

We first went to Music World and picked up a collection of Al Pacino movies, then strolled around Rippon Street, visited the Archies Gallery near New Market, and finally went to the Oxford Book Store; nothing that we hadn't done before, thought this time was laced with a lot of beautiful memories.

At the Oxford Book Store, we went through a lot of books and even bought a couple. Then we did something that we hadn't done ever before in Cal. We went to the cafe upstairs called Cha Bar for some tea. We are not tea drinkers at all, but the sheer excitement of drinking Darjeeling tea at the Cha Bar was something we didn't want to miss. We spent quite a bit of time there before we went to Roxy at The Park which was the main plan for the latter part of the evening.

Sumit and Rila were performing at Roxy. To our great fortune, the two of us were the only guests who stayed through their entire performance. It almost seemed that they were performing for us! From  Brothers In Arms to Yesterday to The Winner Takes It All to many more, Rila's beautiful voice and Sumit's out of this world guitar playing left the two of us mesmerised. Needless to say that it was one of the beautiful Christmas evenings of our lives. 

Looking back, Anushka was already in my womb, and she was as much a part of the entire evening as the two of us. Isn't that wonderful! And, as I write this, I am sitting with Anushka and Joy and sipping on my Bacardi. Merry Christmas!