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!

Recycling plastic bottles

I have been selling all used plastic bottles, boxes, and all other plastic things that are waste in my home to the local scrap buyer (kabadiwala) for many years. I know for a fact that if a kabadiwala is paying me money to buy old plastic then there ought to be a reason for it. I googled and figured that used plastic is crushed and processed to make different things, but I did not find a well written document which explained what really happens with all this plastic.

Just today, I read an article in the newspaper which gave me more reasons not to throw away the plastic that gets accumulated at home into the garbage bin. My husband sometimes makes fun of me, and my parents and sister think that I'm mad. Don't know what my friends would call me; I never discuss my recycling madness with them. I know what I'm doing and I'm happy being myself!

School admission dilemma!

Getting through to a good school in the Indian big cities is no joke. The reasons for this varies from one city to another.

Our main criterion for a good school is that it should be inclusive. School ranking etc. can be secondary as we don't even know what our daughter wants to become when she grows up. If she wants to study any form of performing arts in Berkley or The Julliard School, no elite Indian school can get her there unless she has the talent and we have the means to be a part of such schools!

For now, Anushka will go to either a regular (good) school, if she gets through; or, she starts at a pre-school.

2012 is ending...

The one thing I really wished for was peace and happiness in this seemingly chaotic and unpredictable world when I wrote my new year post early January this year. Sadly, through the year, in spite of many highs on the personal front, several unfortunate incidents happened all around the world, and all of those affected me deeply. The young Delhi girl who was brutally tortured only to die was no friend of mine, but her death has a deep impact on me, and I know the dent that has formed will take a long time to fill. Every time I muster some courage to get on with life something bad happens, and I am back to square one. I often wonder how will I bring up my daughter, what values do I pass on? No, that’s not the exact question… I am worried about how will I keep my daughter safe, and yet, give her a reasonably independent life? I am sure that most Indian mothers with young daughters have this question on their minds at this very moment!

Protests, debates, candle light march, interviews… they all happen, but cruelty towards people just keeps going on and on and on. Today, in spite of all the good and the bad things happening around the world, I am living my life just like any other day; just that I am a little more shaken inside.

Tomorrow when I celebrate the coming of the new year with my family and friends I will be a little unsure about what to expect of the coming year. One thing that I am sure going to pray for is safety for my immediate family first and then everybody else. With such amount of filth in the society who knows if my family becomes the next victim!

  

Diwali decorations!

I don't celebrate Diwali as such, but I like the idea of lights and decoration everywhere. Mumbai literally dresses up during Diwali. This year I decorated my house a bit as I wanted Aanya to know what Diwali is. Had I not fallen ill I would've done a lot more. I also want her to understand and appreciate the need to recycle things and value all that she has. Hence, most of the decorations at our home were reused, like the diyas, streamers etc. or recycled. 

I made paper diyas from some lovely paper I had at home. Here's one below!

I am not too fond of electric lights that most people put up in houses. I love the conventional diyas. But this year the problem was about safety. I couldn't put any diya where Aanya could reach. So, Joy stretched outside the ledge in the living room and placed the diyas, and kept reoiling them too! I stood on the ledge to take the pic below!

Recycled toy holder

I love cane baskets to keep things, and I planned to buy a big basket for my daughter to keep her toys in them. While cleaning up the house I found a lot of cardboard boxes lying around, and one of the boxes gave me an idea. I believe in recycling, and I spend a lot of time recycling different kinds of things. I didn't realise when this became a hobby. 

I pulled out the scanner-printer carton and cut the top flaps and it was ready to use. Initially I thought of putting colourful paper and pictures to make the box look nice. Later I decided to paste my 2 year old daughter's beautiful drawings to adorn the box. This I felt would make her toy holder look very unique and she'll enjoy using it. 

This is what it looks like!

This box may not last too long. But, this post will bring back childhood memories to my daughter when she grows up!

Kasab dead... is justice served?

Today as I read this I remember that night I was glued to the tv just hoping and praying that the terrorists are caught and life in Mumbai gets to normal. Later in the morning I fell off to sleep for some time only to suddenly wake up to the sound of the tv. The news of the dead made me shudder inside. I still remember some of the faces of people who either lost a family member or just survived by luck.

Four years have passed. Everybody has moved on in life, and so have I. But i know that I am not the same person I used to be. I live in fear of death every single day. No matter how hard I try the fear inside me is intact. I think I'm scared of losing someone dear rather than fearing about myself.

Ajmal Kasab is finally dead. Finally the martyrs and those who died on that fateful day rest in peace. Judgement is done. Just that people like me need to know of many more criminals' deaths to live in peace.

For the record, Ajmal Kasab's execution is believed to be the second quickest in India. Considering that the second quickest execution took almost 4 years I am not sure whether I should be happy or utterly astonished. 

My tribute to a genius called Jagjit Singh

Last year on September 24 I heard on the television that Jagjit Singh was hospitalised after suffering brain haemmorage, and in the next few days the news only got gloomier. On October 10 he passed away. He created a void in the music world, especially in the ghazal singing fraternity; he also created a void in my life. I haven't had the privilege of knowing him, nor even meeting him, yet I felt a huge loss in my heart. I guess that's what the 'greats' do. Through their works they become a part of your life, your world!

I was introduced to Jagjit Singh's music at home. I was about 7, when there used be endless small, informal parties at my place. There was always good food and drinks, and a lot of music. In most of those sessions Jagjit and Chitra Singh's music was played as their music was everyone's favourite! This was life for me and my family and friends and it went on. One day we heard about the death of Jagjit and Chitra Singh's son, and soon we realised that Chitra Singh would no longer sing. Like typical Bengalis, who like to discuss everything (almost), they discussed the tragic death, Chitra Singh's absence from singing etc. 

Many years passed and I had moved on to listening to more western music than Indian. It was just by chance that  I met a few people while I lived in Hyderabad, who quite unknowingly and unintentionally got me back into the world of Jagjit Singh's ghazals; and, this time I guess I became a more intense fan.

I've had the privilege of attending two of his concerts in Hyderabad, and what musical treats they were! The man was a genius! I remember the second concert that I went for, he was not well, but one couldn't tell! He was at his best throughout! We refer to him as a singer, a ghazal maestro, but what is hardly spoken about him is that of his performance style. It is rare that a singer from a serious genre of music entertaining the crowd while performing at the highest level. Most Indian classical and semi classical artists sit with a tanpura or a harmonium and sing and talk about the songs or the ragas only. Jagjit Singh would crack a joke and get back to singing some of the most difficult notes without any effort, leaving the audience spellbound!

Today, on his first death anniversary, I pray to the almighty that He keeps our dear Jagjit Singhji safe and happy. His genius is irreplaceable, but I do hope that there will be enough talent to keep his legacy going.

These 2 tickets are a part of my most treasured possessions! In fact, I went to Viceroy (now Marriott) in Hyderabad all by myself to watch this concert! It was a bit awkward to sit all alone amidst so many people around, but as the evening progressed with one gem after another I became one with the music around me. "Badi nashili raat thi..."