About Changes & Milestones!

That, Arnav is going to school is old news. I have cribbed; cried, vented & shared the news here last week so won’t bore you with it again. But with him joining school a lot of small changes have happened around me

• My waking up time from 6:45 AM has moved to 6:15 AM which I am now trying to improve. Trying to get up at 6 from tomorrow.
• The lunch & the breakfast now are ready by 7:15 AM. I want it to be ready by 7 thus the need to wake up early.
• Once I am done with the kitchen chores I take on the brat who has started getting up early and 99% of the time he wakes up on his own. We go through the rigmarole of brushing/ potty/ bathing in a jiffy. He who used to do nakhra over brushing & always had a trouble over potty is a changed boy *Touchwood*. With a history of constipation we always had serious issues with Arnav’s bowel system but my 15 day break has helped him a lot. I managed to potty train him and thankfully with little persuasion & by dangling the carrot of “I will tell you the story of Lightning McQueen” I drag him to the loo. Rest as they say is history.
• Another big change that has happened is with my Father in Law. He had learned driving 4-5 years back and though he never did really enjoy it but he used to drive in Jabalpur. When they moved in with us he used to drive occasionally but once we moved to this new place he had given it up completely. No amount of persuasion/ requests from Hubby, MIL or me would budge him. His excuse was I cannot drive/ the roads are not good/ traffic is too much etc. But 3 days before Arnav started his school he said he will drop him and there was no need to go for a bus service. While were ok with it the big question was how would he manage during rains? Needless to say we had assumed that he was planning to take him on the scooter. To our utter amazement & surprise he said he will drive the car. Without going into the finer details, let me tell you that in flat 3-4 days he was back to driving and though he feels he needs more practice the truth is that he has done what we had deemed as impossible. Trust me it has lifted such a big weight off my shoulders that I cannot tell you. As far as he is concerned he feels that he is doing something meaning full and in his own words because of this one activity his day has become shorter.
• As I get ready early I have started leaving early for work and thus try to come back early. Flexible timings are being used nicely by me ;-)
• Because of the changed timings I start feeling sleepy as the day closes to end. Arnav, who used to drain me out by taking hours to sleep, now sleeps within 10 minutes. Benefits of going to school ;-)
• Not related to brat’s resuming school but a big change that I am trying to bring in me is that I have started taking green tea in evenings. This effectively curbs the impulse of having a cappuccino in the afternoon and I also reduce the calorie intake a win-win situation. That reminds me of the GM Diet. Sorry for not updating about it earlier, I managed to complete 6 days and gave up on the 7th because I knew that one more day of only paneer would have killed me. I managed to lose 3 to 3.5 kgs.
• I am also planning to change my blog template. I feel it is time for something new. What say?
• There are many changes that are happening in Brat but that deserves a whole post in it self. But to put in few words, he has started enjoying school No crying, he just latches on to me or in his words "aapse chippak loon" just before leaving but otherwise gives no trouble and takes no trouble. He has even started finishing his dabba.

Will you believe that this is my 497th post? Ha!!!! I should plan a celebration for 500th post but I might forget that I am publishing the 500th post so let me take this occassion (because I remembered) to thank you guys for...

For being my readers & more.

For hearing me out.

For listening to my sometimes juvenile stories.

For reading through my Salman Khan love.

For being patient and coming back even when I didn’t update regularly.

For commenting even when I have not been replying to your comments. It means a lot.

For being there with me.

This place is nothing without you guys!

Price-struck!

I mean what the heck! Bloody French Beans 99 Rs/KG!!! The day I make that vegetable not that I have made it in ages (for God Sake I cannot afford it) everyone eats with a frown and then I am made to pay that much? I might as well not have it.

This is just one photo I will tell you other prices

• Onion        Rs. 24-26/KG
• Potato       Rs. 18-20/KG
• Tomato      Rs. 40-45/KG
• Bhindi        Rs. 50-60/KG
• Cauliflower Rs. 100/KG

Such is the mayhem of prices that I have started experimenting as far as dinner is concerned (I make Dosa/ badi ki subji/ stuffed paratha's/ masale waali daal/ legumes etc).

You know I was always of that school of thought that we earn to eat and we shouldn't compromise on food but there is limits to everything. As it is you do not get very good choice of veggies in summers and then add this price twist ek aam admi khaaye to kya khaaye. I cannot even imagine the plight of daily wage earners, how do they manage? Even the other daily use items are so bloody expensive that things are becoming worst from bad.

Add to that no increment!!!! Hey God why do you do this to a common man? Show some respite please. If nothing give us a hike if you cannot do that then at least make the situation live able for every one. Wait let me draw a wish list so that if you are listening you can note everything that I want at one go

1. I want a money tree in balcony. It should be always loaded with money that cannot be counted.
2. Access of the above only to me :P
3. Loads of time so that I can do everything that I want to
4. Loads of guts to me so that I can do all that I dream of.
5. Loads of himmat to my sonny boy.
6. And a little less nautanki from him
7. Now that you have given good rains please do not go over board with it. Control Paaji Control.
8. Weight Issue? Do I need to remind you of my wishes on that? Please respond ASAP on that.

Errrr have I gone overboard here? *re-reads the post*

*cough-cough*

I have!

Not that I don't do it often!

But in keeping with the serious note of this post stop smiling and tell me how are prices in your city. Are you also feeling the pinch?

There May Be an Asterisk Involved

Title: There May Be an Asterisk Involved
Author: Vedashree Khambete
Price : 299
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Hachette India
Pages : 216

From the blurb

When it comes to advertising, somewhere, hidden in the fine print, there may be an asterisk involved...

'For all the advertising awards the agency had won over the years, the J. McCarthy office also had a pool table in the lobby, beanbags to sprawl on and a small glass cabin where you could go and scream quietly when you started getting scary daydreams about dancing sanitary napkins.'Ira Bhat, copywriter by day, sleep-deprived copywriter by night, has only one goal: to not go utterly bonkers as she negotiates the perils and pitfalls of a career in advertising. These include, but are not limited to: comma-obsessed clients, award-obsessed bosses, obnoxious marketing executives, high-strung creative types, impossible deadlines, obscure briefs, fiercely competitive colleagues, the death of many a big idea...and the ever-present danger of falling in love with the new account planner. Sounds doable. But is it?'

My Verdict

This book landed on my desk last week when I was busy finishing Sea of Innocence (review up next). That was a bleak book and I needed a sunny book to change my mood so I picked this up and fortunately it didn't disappoint me.

The writing is smart, crisp, to the point & most importantly it entertains you. What I loved most about the book was the fact that every character here has a past story and has been given equal importance so even if Ira is projected as the protagonist we have several other characters to fall upon for entertainment.

It is a time pass book, a light read & gives an insight in the world of advertising. In fact the book has loads of asterisk's thrown in and initially I they irritated me, I mean who needs to know the meaning of Marijuna but when I started reading the explanations I was laughing out loud.

Take these two for example

Sameer was Ira's other best friend at J. McCarthy. It was one of those bizarre relationships where two people have the utmost regard for each other but each also considers the other a total moron when it comes to most things in life*.

* In some cultures, this is called 'marriage'.

Artworks*

* The final version of a print advertisement is called an artwork, regardless of whether it actually qualifies as art. Before being sent to the printer to be, well, printed, an artwork needs to be checked and signed by the copywriter & the art director who've worked on the ad. That way, if an ad is released with any mistakes in it, nobody can look up the ceiling innocently & say a big boy did it & ran away.

What makes this book different from other contemporary works is that the emphasis is more on the work life of the protagonist and her colleagues and trust me it is like a breath of fresh air. All in All a wonderful entertaining read. Go for it.

My Rating 3.5/5

Some Bullets Errrr A Bullet Post!!!!

• It has been raining beautifully and I am stuck in office.

Water & Greenery!

View from the bus

• I have been yearning to eat Pakodi's but resisted. I think the resistance is now fading and tomorrow will be the D-Day
• I started writing this post and almost gave it up two minutes back. But then I changed windows and took it as a challenge to finish it off.
• I want to go home!!!
• I am sneezing like anything and I don't want cold!!
• This whole week I have been waking early and today I wanted to sleep a little extra as its Arnav's off day but he didn't let me. From saying Mumma uthne ka time ho gaya/ Please wake up to opening my eyelids he tried everything possible and the result was that I was up by 7:15 and out by 7:30!! Small joys of having a kid at home! HUH!
• With the risk of jinxing it, Arnav has settled in school and I say so because
• He didn't cry yesterday.
• He has started telling school related stories
• He sees a group of kids doing something in a book and says "I will do this in school"
• He has now started taking names of kids in his class
• Last but not the least. Yesterday he beat up a girl because she was not sharing the toys. In his own words, "Maine Muskan ki choti kheechi". :-|
• Read few good books lately & will be reviewing them soon but I will put in a word here.
• Jacob Hills by Ismita Tandon 4 stars
• The Sea of Innocence by Kishwar Desai 3 Stars
• There May Be an Asterisk Involved by Vedashree Khambete 3.5 Stars
• Seriously Sitara? by Nishat Fatima 3 Stars
• The Story Teller by Jodi Picoult 4 stars
• I have realised that it needs a few good books to be back to good old habit of reading. I am back to enjoying the reading time and will you believe that of the 5 books 4 were finished in a fortnight. Feels good though I am still 11 books behind schedule in Good Reads challenge but I am all charged up to beat the challenge.
• What plans for the weekend??? I just wanna enjoy the good old rains from home! Please gimme a break!!!

The Brat Goes to School!!!!

I have been wanting to update this space for a long time but just not getting the mood. Started writing two posts, wrote the title, the first line and then saved them in the drafts. Come to think of it all of May I was posting everyday and now I am struggling to write because Mood nahin hota. I am impossible but I have a justification.

It has been a tumultuous week and if you are on my FB list you have an inkling of what I am saying. Arnav started going to school and from the excitement on first day to denial on 2nd day, to protests which started just out of the class on the 3rd day and finally today "Don't want to go to school" immediately after waking up, things have changed. I am not saying that it has gone downhill because when he comes out he is not crying barring on day 2 when he was expecting me to be there when he came out. That too was my fault because I should have mentally prepared him for the scenario. But when you ask him "school main maza aya?" he either very feebly says "aaya" or very honestly says "maza nahin aya".

Day 1 bidding bu-bye to his cars. Very nicely he tells the car, you sleep I will come back soon :D

All set to go

Yesterday was his 1st full day at school 8:30 AM - 12:30 AM (Monday - Tuesday were test runs for 2 hours) so I took a leave. With monsoon hitting us nicely the weather too had been asking me to take a break so I did. I got myself a haircut, finished some long pending and then along with the in laws went to collect the brat. In his teacher's words he was ok and in fact better than the last day. When we came out of the school I had to repeatedly tell him that my coming to collect him was a one off event and that daily I would be going to office and it would be his daadu-daadi who will come to fetch him. I feel I have drilled that in him and it won't be a problem but the mother in me worries.

 

I & hubby feel that once he makes a few friends (I saw him very lovingly pat the cheek of a girl *rolls her eyes*) he will be all fine because he is a very mastikhor baccha and just needs a little encouragement. Plus no one can forget the fact that it his first time out of the comfort of his house and people. I remember that when my parents were going back after dropping me at hostel (for my graduation) I had a lump in my throat and it took me a month to settle down in the new place. He is just a kid and we had not put him in a play school so he will take time to get used to the new environment. But seriously ain't it tough? For the parents, kids, grand parents and the teachers who are handling the kids!!! I sympathise the latter the most. To handle strange crying kids, to understand them, to engage them into activities is no mean job. I salute them!!

 

Today when I left for work I felt an emptiness because the brat was not there to bid my bye. My in laws are worst hit because they feel that the house has got a haunted feeling without the brat.

 

Sigh!!! Life!!!! First you struggle to put your kid in a good school and then when he starts going you start questioning the decision. When you start coming to terms with the situation you realise that the kid loves the school & his friends more than ghar!!!! Strange creatures we are!!!

 

But here I must add that the brat is getting innovative day by day. Yesterday when we reached the school, the main gate was closed as they had opened a side gate. He sees that gate and says "gate is closed, the school is closed let's go back. Then today he says, "Madam is sleeping what will do in school." I cannot wait to listen to his excuses for trying to skip the school when he grows older. :D

 

Come share your Kids 1st week experience with me and console me my readers!!!