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!

Childhood travel dreams and memories!

My husband went to my Kolkata home a couple of days ago and I wanted him to bring some of my old books from there. While packing the books he had no idea what he was bringing, and what pleasure will I get out of one of the books. When I started unpacking the bag I found my first atlas. It was bought probably when I was in class four or five, a few centuries ago (kidding, I am not that old!), and I can't believe that I still have it! This is the twenty fifth edition of The Oxford School Atlas, and is not quite relevant in today's times as the maps have The U.S.S.R., West Germany and East Germany in them. But, this particular map above is a special one as this is where my dreams of visiting Europe began.

While learning the names of the countires and their capital cities I used to quietly tell myself that I will visit these countries someday. My first attractions were Italy and Sicily probably because of their shapes.  At the age of thirteen I guess that was a good way to choose favourites! My father taught me that Italy was the boot and Silcily was the football. 

While going through the pages of the atlas a lot of memories came alive. It was fun to note that I have visited six countries in Europe already, and my dreams are still alive to visit the boot and the football!

Worcaholic… who?!

Someone who works very hard with a lot of passion is supposed to be a workaholic. Please note, the word is referred to people working at work places only. It is okay to shun your personal life and the responsibilities attached with it if one is a workaholic. In fact, it is a matter of pride to be one. What will you call someone who works like crazy at home, as in, household work, taking care of family, home, the garden, etc? A maniac? Why is there a discrimination?

I know many people who hardly work at office, but spend a lot of time pretending to work, and they are often referred to as workaholics! There are some more that bring home work and spend a lot of the work time on blogs, facebook, twitter etc, but they are those famous (read infamous) workaholics! Those housewives, retired people who love their homes and take extra care of their household are hardly given any credit, and are hardly appreciated. An aunt is often asked to consult a psychiatrist because she cleans her house several times a day because she loves a neat and clean house. She is not a proud workaholic, but a maniac! Isn’t that funny??

Durga Puja... on a different note!

October 13

Today is Maha Shashthi. Durga Puja begins today. Like every Bengali I am all excited and enthusiatic about Puja. But this time, my Puja celebration will be different. Instead of going out, pandal hopping, eating out, I'll spend most of my time at home with Aanya. This is Aanya's first Puja, and I hope I'll be able to take her to the Puja pandal for a bit one of the days.

Since I won't be able to go out of the house leaving Aanya alone, my mother has made the offering to Maa Durga for Shashthi Puja on my behalf. It's a little odd that I am sitting at home instead of going out, but I am not one bit upset. There was a time when I used to be in tears if I had to stay at home during the four days of the Puja. Now, for Aanya, nothing matters but her! Guess this what motherhood does to women.

Today started on a good note though. I went to a Goonj volunteer's place this morning to drop some clothes and shoes. Giving things, reaching out to people is my way of living. What could have been a better way to start my Puja celebration?

The next 3 days I will try and blog besides spending some 'quality' time with my little one! Tomorrow is  Saptami... what fun! 

October14

Saptami is almost over, and I have finally found some time to myself. Aanya took her vaccines and polio drops this afternoon. She hasn't been cranky or anything but she sure feels a little pain; after all she had to take 2 pin pricks! She chose to be in my arms rather than sleeping on her own bed. 

Tomorrow will be different. I am going to the Puja pandal at Lokhandwala, may have some Bhog also.        

October 15

Maha Ashtami! I had many plans for this day, but they had to be altered. Never mind, I am going to make it all up tomorrow. The good things... I did have some bhog as Ma brought home some for me. Later in the evening I went to the Lokhandwala pandal for a bit, and guess what? Aanya went too! Just that she did not enter the premises, but stayed with my mother in the car. 

The Puja pandal looked as beautiful as ever, and I particularly liked the 'Pratimas' (idols). I also liked the yellow and blue lights hanging from the ceiling. In one of the Bengali news channels it was mentioned, that this time the Lokhandwala Puja is displaying works of Murshidabad, right from the decor to the dhakis. The sound of the dhak has a dizzying effect on me, and this evening it did help to set the right mood; I had goosebumps!

That was about Ashtami. Aanya turned 2 months today! And yes, we had another cake cutting celebration, and as usual, Aanya was fast asleep during the cake cutting and the photo shoot!       

October 16

Maha Nabami. Today it felt like Puja! My Mashi, Mesho and cousins arrrived this morning to spend the day with us. It's wonderful to have family around during Durga Puja. 

I got up rather early considering that I went to sleep past 7 in the morning. Aanya is a night baby and a morning baby, hence I am up almost all the time!  Anyway, I got Aanya ready and then I wore a saree (my once a year schedule), and then rushed to the Puja pandal with Joy. As we reached, we heard the announcement that the next Pushpanjali was to start in 5 minutes.

Pushpanjali is one part of Durga Puja I like the most. I feel it's a way of connecting with the Almighty. I am not a religious person, nor do I believe in doing Puja; however, there is something about Durga Puja that makes me think and feel otherwise. This is one ritual I have performed almost all of my life. The last 4/5 years Joy has started embracing this ritual too.

Aanya came to the pandal a little later with Ma, and then after a while she became the centre of attraction. Thanks to my mother's many friends in the Puja commitee, Aanya got to seek blessings from Maa Durga by getting on the podium and being there right in front of the Pratima! Almost all eyes were on her, everyone wondering who this kid was, while Aanya slept peacefully through the entire event!

Joy and I chose to skip Bhog as there was a huge queue, and it was extremely hot and sultry. After a short while we came back home, just my Ma and Mashi stayed back at the pandal.

Today was a wonderful day in many ways. Though I was tired and sleepy I enjoyed every moment of the day. It is Dashami tomorrow, the end of Durga Puja. I still feel sad when Puja gets over just the way I used to feel as a little girl. From this year on, Durga Puja will have more significance as I have Aanya in my life!

For the 35 plus first time mothers to be!

A little warning or a piece of advice, look at it the way you want to. Chances of a premature delivery is very high for the 35 plus first time mothers to be. I hate stereo typing and I chose not to read that particular page from my pregnancy guide book which discusses this problem. I had a premature delivery. The good thing was that it was detected early and my baby was only under weight. She was kept at the NICU, Neonatal ICU, just to ensure that everything was fine and that she gains weight; and she did.

Around the seventh month of my pregnancy my blood pressure started shooting up. That is an indication which I realised after my child's birth. Though I was taking pills to control BP, it was not coming down. And, 1 month and 5 days before the scheduled delivery day I had a C Section; fortunately, there was no complication. A friend had a similar situation but her water bag broke and dried up before the delivery. Poor thing, she and her son suffered quite a bit. By God's grace, both of them are doing fine now.

My darling Aanya is almost 2 months old and she is doing fine. I have been extremely careful with her from the time she came home, but now I have started treating her like any other normal baby.

Those self proclaimed photographers!

Everyone's a photographer these days, thanks to the digicams and phone cameras. Till a few years ago only those who took interest in photography clicked photographs. Today, it is an easy art, rather it's hardly considered an art, hence everybody is clicking!

I know a few people who are praised and raved about for their interest in photography and their possession of fancy cameras. In fact, a couple of them don't wait for others to praise them, they do it themselves... braggarts! Sadly, if you see what they click with their cameras you'll be shocked 'cause more than half of the photographs are either out of focus or blurred! Most of what I click are not too bad actually, maybe the light and the focus are not always in place, they are not blurred at least (you can see the photos on my blog if you don't believe me!)

I met a professional photographer a couple of years ago, a friend's friend, and boy, in what style he clicked our photos. I didn't realise how bad they were until I saw them on my computer screen! I once trusted a relative to take photographs for an occasion at home, and this person has a variety of cameras. Most of what she clicked were so bad that I can't put them up anywhere, in fact, it's embarrassing to show them to people. The worst part is that I can't complain because I don't want to hurt her, but the fact remains that those occasions are one-time and those moments will not come back in my life anymore. 

This blog may probably seem like I am complaining, maybe I am. People should know what they are good at and what they are not. It's important to acquire skills and practise well before claiming to be an expert; otherwise, it's an insult to the art. And, those self proclaimed photographers, it's about time that you guys take lessons in photography from the real experts, and stop bragging and making a complete fool of yourselves!

Commonwealth Games 2010

After the shoddy CWG 2010 preparations the opening ceremony was spectacular! I, like other proud Indians, have been left breathless!

Bravo Indians!

What kind of a traveler am I?

I read many articles, blogs etc. on travel and travelers and this question came to my mind a few days ago. How do I describe myself as a traveler? Well, the answer isn’t quite easy. I am not a backpacker for sure and I’ll never be one. Globetrotter, not just yet! I don’t think I’ll ever have that kind of money to travel in a lot of style. I want to see the world at my own pace and interest with a good amount of comfort and leisure, yet at a fairly economic price. Hmmm, how does one do that? Don’t know the answer to the last question now, but I might figure it out one day. 

I travel a lot in my mind; maybe I can call myself a mind traveler, eh that’s a bad one! The day I have enough resources to go wherever I want to, I’ll sure coin a name to describe myself. As of now, I know that I cannot go anywhere with my one and a half month old daughter. I am just waiting for her to turn a year old; I have of couple of travel plans worked out in my mind already! Hopefully the plans on the mind will turn into real travelling experience with a little bit of luck! In the meantime I am on this wonderful journey of life, called 'Motherhood'!