Mee Mee Monica and updates

That’s the name of the kid’s store from where we’ve got a lot of S’s things. S- that’s my son’s name. Bah..no point in keeping it a secret – it’s Shantanu. Now many may find it old fashioned and too long for contemporary names but I liked it immensely and that’s what it is.

Anyway, an update on what’s happenening. I have shifted to my husband’s place two weeks back and taking care of the baby all on my own. Thank god for MIL – she is managing the kitchen.

When asleep, Shantanu is quiet (ha ha) but once awake he is quite a demanding baby and needs your constant attention, – either to talk to or play with, which I think is normal like most babies.

Just a couple of days back, he has started turning over to his right side and that makes him happy and pleases him to no end. He also tries to put his toes in his mouth but is unsuccessful though he takes a lot of effort at it.

Today we bought him a pram. I cannot say he took it up like fish to water but he did enjoy his first ride and looked around confused. That’s pretty much good.

His sleep schedule is still erratic. He sleeps anytime between 11 pm to 2 am and that’s not doing me any good. When he is awake, he liked to chat, that we must chat with him constantly. He also liked to play with his Tweety and Teddy and from their colours am guessing that Yellow is his favourite.

As an aside, I can’t believe that every time I make a best score on a game on Facebook, the net decides to die on me and I have to replay.

Updates about a new life

The office has unblocked blogs and am inspired to write. Yes! I have finally found a project, that suits my requirements task-wise and time-wise. I have started feeling useful again.

At home, things are hyperactive. Ever since my sis-in-law gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy almost three weeks ago, the atmosphere is very alive and happening. It’s amazing the energy, joy and pleasure that a new life brings to you. You are almost constantly charged up and bubbly near the little one; what with the soft traditional fragrance of Johnson’s baby powder and tiny little clothes. Of course, there are crying episodes and diaper changes but overall it is very exciting even when the baby is asleep. Everybody in the house has turned into a singer/composer – coming out with new songs every now and then; trying to put him to sleep.

I have been wanting to write an entire post about the D-day but quite frankly haven’t found the time and more importantly the words to pen down the happenings of that day and the feelings that we experienced during the entire period. It’s been a full house since the little one arrived and yes, we don’t have a name yet so I’ll stick to the “little one” for now. He demands almost all your time during his waking hours and you tirelessly comply. No matter how exhausted you are, you still find the energy and enthusiasm to do stuff for him. In fact, just being around him and taking care of him has a relaxing effect on you. Any worries, tensions or problems just vanish and you are right there in the moment, giving your full attention and concentration on the single act of loving him. There isn’t any other moment so genuine and so pure.

Weird Dreams

As you all know (well, all those who read my blog!), I haven’t been doing much lately. Nothing at all, really. Just sitting around idly twiddling my fingers and swatting flies, no, no, I don’t swat flies, cause there aren’t any here. My mind has become lazy but then only during the day. It goes into a hyper active mode though sub-consciously during the night. Yes, I have been getting these weird dreams lately. I have been dreaming a lot. Or maybe I always used to dream a lot and now I can remember them all. Sometimes it’s the same dream repeating frame by frame and I know what’s coming. And other times, it’s something very weird, not totally out of this world but very uncharacteristic. My dreams are vivid, colourful and very weird. Here are a few of them:

• I am riding with my father on his scooter on a road near our house and at a turn the scooter slips and I fall on my back and hurt my head. It’s one of the dreams that I have been getting since I was a small kid. I don’t know what that means. Maybe it means that my life is controlled by him and that hurts me somehow!
• I am living in this huge hotel with doors and rooms close to each other and there is someone out there who wants to kill me. I never see that person upfront just lurking around the corner somewhere and I run scared around the hotel everytime I see him. I am constantly in fear while staying at this hotel. This dream is probably inspired by one of those Agatha Christie books that I have read a lot. I don’t know its significance. I don’t get this one frequently, it just stayed with me somehow.
• I am travelling on this huge ship which is just too huge. Maybe like the Titanic. This ship is cruising in deep vast sea which has huge, giant waves. This sea somehow has huge sharp-end rocks and every time the ship dips into the huge waves, I fear it will get hit on some rock and I will die. This ship is sailing at breakneck pace taking in huge amounts of water. Everyone else on the ship seems to be oblivious to this fact and are enjoying and I am standing somewhere on the top from where I can see the giant waves and the rocks. I have been getting this dream a lot recently. I think it’s inspired from Titanic and The Perfect Storm.
• This one is the icing on the cake. It starts with a party at my house. I am having a large number guests at home. In the middle of the party, the police arrive with an arrest warrant. And guess who is it for. It’s for my sweet old little grandmother. She is sitting at corner having her ice cream. The warrant says that my grandmother is charged for assisting the terrorists in all those bomb blasts. That she supplied them with the bombs. We all get baffled by this, but my grandmother is just sitting in a corner quietly. We ask the police to give us some time to confront with her and they agree. We question her and she breaks down. She says that she didn’t want to do all this illegal thing but she was forced to do so. We wonder what is it that would force her to do something like this. We then get a call by some terrorist (?) saying that my grandmother is used to taking drugs (???) such as cocaine and is addicted to it. And that they blackmailed her saying they would inform her family about this unless she helped them. That’s it. This is where it ends.

I fail to understand how my mind could cook up stuff like this. But am sure it would make a very interesting storyline if I extend on each of these dreams, especially the last one.

Happy Diwali!!!

Although I’m not big on festivals or the stories behind them, I do love the happiness they bring into people’s lives all of a sudden. However, this Diwali, there was no real “feel” of Diwali. Other than calling everyone and wishing Happy Diwali on phone, emails and ecards, there’s nothing much I could do. Dussehra too went by without lights and no new clothes.

For the first time in my life, my house back home was dark on Diwali. Last Diwali, there was a huge celebration and I felt immense pleasure as it was going to be my last Diwali at my parents’ place. It held special importance and had a different feeling.

Back in India, back home, there must have been such great celebrations! But here in Singapore (or I guess anywhere abroad), the peculiar feeling that you get during a festive time is missing.

I miss reading the newspapers which state that Diwali is getting hazardous each year. I miss the racket created by kids on street especially in the afternoon with their pistols. Though am not the type of person who would enjoy Diwali by bursting crackers, and bombs, and a 1000 ladi, I miss all the noise this year, the discussion in the house as to how they should keep it down and light more diyas instead of crackers.

I have always loved looking at decorated houses, some with fiery lights, some with candles, lanterns, rangolis and diyas. An open yard with a garden around our home gave us enough space to draw huge rangolis. Recently, we even had competitions in our colony for the best designed Rangoli.

At home, Diwali would mean cleaning up the house, dressing up in new clothes, arranging the candles and diyas and decorating the house. While my dad was still working, he used to get a lot of gifts from his office during this time. So everyday I used to wait for him to come home with bated breath. What would he get today. Sometimes, there were delicious chocolates, sometimes, home decor items, other times, some utensils, appliances. I remember one year he even got a DVD player and what excitement that was!

This year am missing Diwali, am missing India, am missing home. I miss the smell of smoke that comes on igniting bombs and other crackers. I miss the beautiful houses. I haven’t even received any Diwali messages in my in-box 😦

Well, I have fussed enough about missing home, though I must mention that I did have the company of my parents and husband to celebrate. Mom had even got the sweets, gifts, rangolis, diyas and lantern. But it still wasn’t the same as back home. I guess the context and atmosphere was missing.

Top 10 Secrets

I got bored, again. So I lifted this tag from a certain blog which said if you want to tag yourself, do it, but secretly. Obviously am not naming the blog. The tag is to reveal ten secrets about yourself and tag some more people. I am already so secretive and mysterious. I haven’t written any personal quirks and stuff. Hence, everything I write down about myself would be a secret revealed. And I wonder who would be so interested to find out about me, that too, my secrets.

Here goes then,

*Applauds in my own head*

1. I am a very lazy person: Asked on how I would like to spend my day, it would be to lie down on the sofa and flick through TV channels and have someone give me meals in between. I would not get up unless it’s an emergency. If bored by the TV, I would read, listen to songs or simply doze off.

2. I am scared of lizards: I hate them. They make me want to puke. Once a lizard, a huge one, fell on my hand, and I washed my hand at least five times to get off that yucky sticky rubbery feeling. I still shudder at the memory.

3. I don’t like mangoes: It’s no secret to those who know me. But I don’t like to disclose this fact when visiting someone especially during summer. Yea, am one of the few who dislike it intensely. I used to eat it out of compulsion from mom, when I was a kid. But I started resisting it long ago. I somehow just don’t like the taste, it’s too sweet maybe that’s why.

4. I cannot have long conversations with people in person: I can talk to them for hours over the phone or maybe write to them at length. But something just puts me off if I have to discuss something important or serious either about them or me face-to-face. It’s got to do with the fact that things would get uncomfortable for me, if I discuss it on face and that’s what I want to avoid. That’s why my phone bills are huge and I prefer staying at home rather than meeting up with people.

5. I am too critical of myself and about everyone else around: Things and people constantly fail to measure up to my high standards which often leads to discomfort in the relationship. (Am working on it and trying to make myself better on this one.)

6. I am not a make-up girl: I hate doing make-up especially the lip-stick. When I was a kid, mom told me it’s bad for the lips and I have an aversion to them since then.

7. I like watching nature and sceneries while travelling in a bus or train: It would be best if there was a bus with huge glass windows that would take me around the country. I could just sit there watch the view outside.

8. I cannot say no to people: Yea, it’s a weakness. I find difficult to break their hearts by saying no to something, even if that meant, agreeing to do something against my wishes and choices. I may create a scene about it later but nevertheless still do it according to them at that time.

9. I love drinking coffee: Though am not an addict. I can drink coffee at any time during the day and even at night. Contrary to popular belief it does not affect my sleep schedule, in fact, it induces sleep if I drink a hot cup at night.

10. I sleep with my blanket covering my ears: It seems if my ears are warm then only I can fall asleep. I cannot have air blowing in my ears while trying to sleep.

There, now you know all about me, well, at least 10 things about me.

Now to mug a few:

The meme King – Ish

Amit

Blessen

Pooja

Mathi