I misplaced my wallet last fortnight.. and faced with the fact that it has been persistently missing since then, I have finally deigned to accept that it is actually lost for good. Now, being the extremely closeknit and warm family that we are, we make light of incidents of even this magnitude and stand by the victim in rain as in sun. Like here, I am not sure of how mundane families react to such situations but we definitely wasted no time mourning the loss, being overly busy in fighting and bickering. The husband proudly recounted all the debit/credit cards, cell phones and other such trivia that I have lost till now, so many times, and each time before a new set of people, that I have lost count. I obviously took it in the right spirit, and fought back with zest.. It began with name-calling and innocent blame-gaming but went on to become a full fledged war. Both of us tried to prove that the spouse had lost more stuff than self, and skeletons tumbled out of closets. In hindsight, the debate did serve an important purpose.. we both now have sufficient insight to prevent us from questioning our not-so-great financial state.
The wallet was not the only thing missing. While looking for the wallet, we realised that my passport and pan card were also missing. This made me as good as a newborn, actually worse, since I don't even have a birth certificate and more importantly, the flawless baby skin. I had no identity proof left on me, no credit/debit cards and no cash. Thankfully my Driving license was due to be issued the following week! I started with getting the bank cards blocked. Anybody who has an experience of banking over phone would vouch for the royal pain that it is. The 'customer care'-- all it cares to do is frustrate the customer to the hilt, till the poor man pulls his hair off his already troubled head. They usually begin with asking for the credit/debit card number to be blocked. Now, in my humble opinion, whoever is meticulous and careful enough to note down his card numbers and keep them safe for contingency, would be the last person to misplace them or his wallet as a package. If somehow you manage to get that right, they test your patience by asking endless personal details, like your date of birth, mother's maiden name, billing address and so on. I usually am able to answer most of these satisfactorily, except for the addresses.. what with having switched 4 jobs and 5 houses in the last 6 years, which provide me with 20 'workplace+house address' combinations to try on the telecaller. I ususally take 4-6 tries to scrape through. And then comes the showstopper-the last 3 transactions, which I cannot remember to save my life. Moreover, these cannot be approximate. The amount has to be accurately stated to the second decimal place, along with the exact date of transaction. Getting the cards blocked is no mean feat, sometimes you can spend the entire day on the phone and still not manage to get 5 odd cards done away with. However, this time, it turned out to be different. I accomplished this seemingly impossible task in less than hour. Thanks to Yodlee MoneyCenter! Yes, I work for Yodlee Infotech, and that is the whole reason why I ever added my accounts to the aggregator. Disclaimer: I don't work for the sales team and I do not get a promotion for promoting the product. It helped me during a real crisis, and I am acknowledging that.. plain and simple. I got all my card details from the MoneyCenter, and I literally floored the telecaller with my quick and accurate replies :-) And yes, stunned the husband the same evening, by recovering the passport and pan card, hold your breath, from the dear man's own and super-personal drawer. Ahh.. the sweet taste of revenge ;-)
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
What would you do..
..with a 2.5 year old, her mouth stuffed with food, her nanny chasing her all over the place with the dinner, and her father blaring at regular intervals- 'Finish karo', when she lovingly places herself between the laptop and you and screams-'Mama, mujhko bhookh lagi (I am hungry)!!!
Or the same little one, who scampers off to fetch her dupatta and drapes it religiously around her neck when you take her out to buy vegetables.
The child who pulls a chair all the way from the far end of the dining table to sit next to you, and after all the hard work, plonks herself in your lap.
Who screams 'This is very bad' in a matronly manner every time the husband is sighted within 5 feet in your vicinity and strategically places herself between the two of you. And corrects you every time you call the maid by her name--'Shaila nahi bolte, didi bolte hain'!!
Who snatches away the calculator from you and complains angrily-'mera alligator chhoo raha hai'.. God knows, I wouldn't have touched it had I known it is an 'alligator'.
The imp who observes you curiously while you dress up gaudily for Karwachauth, before asking- 'Mumma, aaj tum ka saadi hai kya'... aargghh.. not again..
The greedy chick who peeks into the tin of Haldiram Gulabjamuns and squeals with delight -'Laddu swimming in the water'!!
And finally, the little Ms. Know-it-all, who looks at you with disdain, when you try to trick her into eating pasta by calling it noodles, and dismisses you - 'ye spaghetti hai, noodles nahi'.. If only the earth opens up now...
Or the same little one, who scampers off to fetch her dupatta and drapes it religiously around her neck when you take her out to buy vegetables.
The child who pulls a chair all the way from the far end of the dining table to sit next to you, and after all the hard work, plonks herself in your lap.
Who screams 'This is very bad' in a matronly manner every time the husband is sighted within 5 feet in your vicinity and strategically places herself between the two of you. And corrects you every time you call the maid by her name--'Shaila nahi bolte, didi bolte hain'!!
Who snatches away the calculator from you and complains angrily-'mera alligator chhoo raha hai'.. God knows, I wouldn't have touched it had I known it is an 'alligator'.
The imp who observes you curiously while you dress up gaudily for Karwachauth, before asking- 'Mumma, aaj tum ka saadi hai kya'... aargghh.. not again..
The greedy chick who peeks into the tin of Haldiram Gulabjamuns and squeals with delight -'Laddu swimming in the water'!!
And finally, the little Ms. Know-it-all, who looks at you with disdain, when you try to trick her into eating pasta by calling it noodles, and dismisses you - 'ye spaghetti hai, noodles nahi'.. If only the earth opens up now...
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Dussera Celebrations..
Pari had Dussera celebrations in her school last week. It is actually a playgroup, don't know why I keep calling it a school. Anyways, a note came from the Principal inviting all moms for participation. I was not so keen on going. I had some work planned for the day, and couldn't take it off. Moreover, I somehow always feel out of place in Pari's playgroup, nervous and naive. The other moms look so confident, and so grown up. Of late, I have been cursing my small built a lot. And the school gathering always triggers it. Actually I am not so small, Google tells me that the average height for Indian women is 5'1'', which means I am just 1'' short of the average. But then, I did not google the average weight, which might provide more clues. I have lost a lot of weight during the last year, and struggling to get to the 40 kgs that I was for most part of the last 6 years. No significant health issues other than the allergy, no drop in appetite and no increase in work load -- no reason that I can think of.. and still I am losing weight like there is no tomorrow. The last 3 months figures stand at 34.2, 36.7, 35.. and I feel just miserable. This is turning out to be a weight loss update more than an account of Dussera celebration. Excuse me for the digression, but this has been bothering me for some time now. Coming back to Dussera, the husband was more than eager to participate, but he wasn't invited. So finally, I decided to apply for a leave for the first half and work from home for the later half. Pari was required to dress up in ethnic wear, and we had a new lucknowi kurta/pajama just waiting for the occasion. The pajama was rather long for her, but you can always fold it and make do. As it turned out, the neck of the kurta was too small for Pari's head to pass through and the maid got it stuck there. It never occured to me that a dress which is clearly oversized for Pari can have such a small neck. I admit Pari has a rather big head, but still.. Anyways, we settled down for a lehenga. I wore a suit, counting on it to make me look older.. and off we went.
We walked down to the school, it is hardly 400 meters from our house. And it took us almost 20 minutes to reach there. It is always the husband who takes Pari for walks. I prefer taking the car even for small distances, like her school. So, I had almost forgotten how slow she walks, especially when there is so much distraction. Every parked car was noticed and its colour was reported diligently, umpteen attempts were made to pick all fallen flowers and all stray dogs were attended to, with extremely useful comments that provided deep insight like 'This doggy is hungry, ye dudu peeyega', and so on and so forth. It was almost like that sequence in Amelie where the heroine helps a blind man cross a street, all the while providing him with a rich description of the surroundings, that which was also reproduced in Ghajini. Honestly, I might as well qualify as a blind.. all these petty things gain significance if you look at them through a child's eyes.
The function started with some prayers, and then there was a dance performance by the children. They were all made to stand in a big circle, and given dandiya sticks to dance. Now, the kids did it fairly well, striking the sticks and dancing in the circle, all except Pari. She is actually the smallest in the group, looks the tiniest, and could only hold them sticks and jump all along. Despite a not so bright performance, she looked completely at ease and very excited. And suddenly, I felt my eyes well up... I really don't know why, I mean I am really not one of those sentimental moms but still. Before I realised, tears were streaming down my face, and the other moms were gaping at me. I guess babies do strange things to your psyche. On my way to the school, I had spent most of the time thinking of an excuse that would let me return home as quickly as possible and resume my work, but once there, I just didn't have the heart to leave early lest Pari missed out on one moment of the fun. So we ended up staying for the whole duration. Now, that was a pretty long account.. and to reward you for your patience, I'll leave you with a picture.
We walked down to the school, it is hardly 400 meters from our house. And it took us almost 20 minutes to reach there. It is always the husband who takes Pari for walks. I prefer taking the car even for small distances, like her school. So, I had almost forgotten how slow she walks, especially when there is so much distraction. Every parked car was noticed and its colour was reported diligently, umpteen attempts were made to pick all fallen flowers and all stray dogs were attended to, with extremely useful comments that provided deep insight like 'This doggy is hungry, ye dudu peeyega', and so on and so forth. It was almost like that sequence in Amelie where the heroine helps a blind man cross a street, all the while providing him with a rich description of the surroundings, that which was also reproduced in Ghajini. Honestly, I might as well qualify as a blind.. all these petty things gain significance if you look at them through a child's eyes.
The function started with some prayers, and then there was a dance performance by the children. They were all made to stand in a big circle, and given dandiya sticks to dance. Now, the kids did it fairly well, striking the sticks and dancing in the circle, all except Pari. She is actually the smallest in the group, looks the tiniest, and could only hold them sticks and jump all along. Despite a not so bright performance, she looked completely at ease and very excited. And suddenly, I felt my eyes well up... I really don't know why, I mean I am really not one of those sentimental moms but still. Before I realised, tears were streaming down my face, and the other moms were gaping at me. I guess babies do strange things to your psyche. On my way to the school, I had spent most of the time thinking of an excuse that would let me return home as quickly as possible and resume my work, but once there, I just didn't have the heart to leave early lest Pari missed out on one moment of the fun. So we ended up staying for the whole duration. Now, that was a pretty long account.. and to reward you for your patience, I'll leave you with a picture.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
How do you spend your Sunday??
Preparing the list for Sunday grocery shopping..
Applying lipstick to buy groceries..
Applying lipstick to buy groceries..
.. and reviewing the effect so very carefully!
Reading Sunday Times huddled with Papa..
and joining him later for some serious Xbox gaming.
Taking pride in cleaning the house..
...and celebrating a job well done!
Reading magazines..
and finally.. levitating!??
Monday, August 24, 2009
कुछ और ज़माना कहता है
कुछ और ज़माना कहता है
कुछ और है ज़िद मेरे दिल की
मैं बात ज़माने की मानु
या बात सुनूँ अपने दिल की...
ये बस्ती है इंसानों की
इंसान मगर ढूंढें न मिला
पत्थर के बुतों से क्या कीजे
फरियाद भला टूटे दिल की
कुछ और है ज़िद मेरे दिल की
मैं बात ज़माने की मानु
या बात सुनूँ अपने दिल की...
ये बस्ती है इंसानों की
इंसान मगर ढूंढें न मिला
पत्थर के बुतों से क्या कीजे
फरियाद भला टूटे दिल की
A bad hair day!
I had a haircut last Friday, and now, its like the shortest hair that I have ever had. So much that if I pull it together and try tying it, it behaves spunky, and the poor rubber band is expelled in a matter of minutes. Did I tell you how much I hate keeping my hair loose, I am now forced to do that. Thankfully, it is too short to even reach the nape of my neck so I am still sane.
And yesterday, less than 30 hours after the bad bad haircut which has the husband still steaming, I got a call from Dove. They said that I have won a free hair make-over at Lakme. The phrase 'hair makeover' had me in splits. Literally. The poor telecaller got really confused and hung up quickly. He probably thought that having never won any freebie in my current and past 7 lives, the news has shocked me crazy, and I am already jumping with joy. Well, the first part is actually true. I have never ever won anything free, never been a 'lucky winner' as they term it. And there lies my agony. Damn, I cannot even celebrate my first win, or bask in the new found glory. Its just so ironical. I have a cool voucher worth some 800 bucks, but no hair left to use it, sigh! If my hair is cut any further, the husband will certainly file a divorce. That is if he could resist shooting me at sight. On second thoughts, he doesn't have a gun, so it could be smothering, strangulating, poisoning, pushing off the terrace.. anything.. it matters little as long as it kills me.
To think of it, I have not had my hair cut short since almost 2 yrs. First, it was my b-i-l's wedding in Feb, 2008 for which I had to maintain a decent length. Then came my cousin's wedding the following December. Again, I just got it styled, but not at the cost of length. Yet again, last month, my brother decided to take the plunge. So finally, after important occasions had been attended, and all pics taken, proof enough that I did look pretty and feminine once upon a time, I got this haircut. What a perfect timing!
The voucher expires on October 31st. Please please suggest me some magic concoction - lizard's tail, frog's tongue, fly's artery, husband's nails.. any potion that can help me grow my hair to a respectable 'make-over'able length by then. You will have my eternal gratitude if that works, else you can walk away with the wretched voucher itself!
And yesterday, less than 30 hours after the bad bad haircut which has the husband still steaming, I got a call from Dove. They said that I have won a free hair make-over at Lakme. The phrase 'hair makeover' had me in splits. Literally. The poor telecaller got really confused and hung up quickly. He probably thought that having never won any freebie in my current and past 7 lives, the news has shocked me crazy, and I am already jumping with joy. Well, the first part is actually true. I have never ever won anything free, never been a 'lucky winner' as they term it. And there lies my agony. Damn, I cannot even celebrate my first win, or bask in the new found glory. Its just so ironical. I have a cool voucher worth some 800 bucks, but no hair left to use it, sigh! If my hair is cut any further, the husband will certainly file a divorce. That is if he could resist shooting me at sight. On second thoughts, he doesn't have a gun, so it could be smothering, strangulating, poisoning, pushing off the terrace.. anything.. it matters little as long as it kills me.
To think of it, I have not had my hair cut short since almost 2 yrs. First, it was my b-i-l's wedding in Feb, 2008 for which I had to maintain a decent length. Then came my cousin's wedding the following December. Again, I just got it styled, but not at the cost of length. Yet again, last month, my brother decided to take the plunge. So finally, after important occasions had been attended, and all pics taken, proof enough that I did look pretty and feminine once upon a time, I got this haircut. What a perfect timing!
The voucher expires on October 31st. Please please suggest me some magic concoction - lizard's tail, frog's tongue, fly's artery, husband's nails.. any potion that can help me grow my hair to a respectable 'make-over'able length by then. You will have my eternal gratitude if that works, else you can walk away with the wretched voucher itself!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Need Help!
This has been a terrible year for me in terms of health. So much that I have started dreading the day my company hands me the pink slip stating 'Medically unfit', on the sheer basis of the number of sick leaves that I have availed so far. Its only the 7th month, and I have nearly exhausted my quota for the year. Try comparing that with 2 sick leaves through the whole of last year. To set the records straight, I don't take off from work at the drop of a hat, which means I do not if I can stand unsupported for 10 minutes together, sufficient time for me to get dressed and get going. In case I cannot garner enough strength to carry the laptop, I work from home. The only exception to the said rule is made when the child or her father are unwell. However, this year, it has been the husband's turn to play the nurse, and take off from work to ferry me to the hospital twice a week. Its been futile so far, the only effect I see is probably the new section coming up in the Manipal Hospital, in all likeliness, funded by the money we have shelled out over the last few months.
I have been diagnosed with Autoimmune Urticaria, which, going by the statistics on the internet is a pretty common ailment. The doctors tell me it is due to my own antibodies acting against me, and has me breaking into hives every other day. The more painful part is the swelling that occurs in different parts of the body like the head, hands,lips or cheeks, which has me looking extremely weird for days together. Unfortunately, I do not know anybody who has had any experience of this sort. Do any of you know about this? I solicit advice, experiences, treatment.. anything. This is what my sidebar looks like.
With so many hits, I do feel hopeful!
I have been diagnosed with Autoimmune Urticaria, which, going by the statistics on the internet is a pretty common ailment. The doctors tell me it is due to my own antibodies acting against me, and has me breaking into hives every other day. The more painful part is the swelling that occurs in different parts of the body like the head, hands,lips or cheeks, which has me looking extremely weird for days together. Unfortunately, I do not know anybody who has had any experience of this sort. Do any of you know about this? I solicit advice, experiences, treatment.. anything. This is what my sidebar looks like.
With so many hits, I do feel hopeful!
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