Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky

Do you think I am crazy? Well, may be!  I was collecting Chinnu's favourite rhymes to copy them onto a CD, and found this version of this nursery rhyme from youtube.  Until this point, I did not know that the song has many stanzas and I was so curious that I landed at Wikipedia to know more details of the song.

Love the way it is picturized in the youtube version and I have become a great fan of this rhyme (may be more than Chinnu is).

தங்கச்சிய நாய் கடிச்சுடிச்சு பா...

I'm irritated.  By a lady, by her questioning.  She asks me the same question every time we meet or talk.  She called me today to wish for Deepavali.  Then she immediately asked me "Why are you not seen at all?  I thought you must have probably been to India or so".  The weather is getting worse and she lives pretty much in the same city and I certainly dont know why is she expecting me to be wandering outside in this single digit temperature. 

When I meet her next time, I'm going to ask her myself "Wait, you want to know if I am in the city or not because you did not quite meet me all these while, right?"

Deepavali is here

It's Deepavali.  One day that every one irrespective of age, waits for!  A day full of events, full of fun with crackers, new clothes, sweets and snacks, festive food, family get-together, TV programmes etc etc.  Something to entertain everyone.  And it is one festival that every Hindu celebrates so a nationwide festival.  

How wonderful were the yesteryears? Until 16 or so, I would wait for my brother to apportion our share of crackers, would keep my share safe, would check it everyday, would admire my new clothes, would talk to friends about the purchases.  For the next ten years, it was more of a family celebration.  Around 9 in the morning, a Nadaswaram troupe would go to each house and play some songs.  By the time they would leave, kith and kin that live closer by would stop by to seek blessings from parents.  A short exchange of details of new clothes and batchanam would take place amongst the ladies.  Amma would bring in the batchanam to all.  All of us would have idli for breakfast (only day in the year when we have a breakfast-lunch routine).  Amma would go to the kitchen and make her yummy bisi-bele-bath.  And we would yell "amma amma, it's time for patti mandram".  Half of what people talk would not be heard because of neighbours bursting crackers.  And most of the celebrations of the day would end with the sumptuous lunch.  We would wait for the late evening so that the flower pots and chakkarams are bright and colourful in the dark.  Amma and appa would sit on the thinnai to watch them glow in the dark.  And the day would be gone; we would have to wait for another year for that fun.

Talks of Deepavali started by end of Vijayadasami, and believe it or not I started hearing that "dasu busu" sound of a new saree worn by amma.  This is the 4th year for us to pass through Deepavali away from home and 2nd Deepavali without that divine lady.  

However I want Chinnu to enjoy this day.  I hope we would be home for the next Deepavali at least so that he enjoys.  We got up late, but took bath early, cooked early and prayed early.  Chinnu is having some cold so he did not get a ganga snanam.  Its only a prokshane for him today.  He wore his first jeans pant and was not able to enjoy much because of his stuffy nose. He's having a nap now.

This year's deepavali will be ever in my memory.  As soon as we got up I was only thinking of getting things done quickly, so I attended to Chinnu's needs and went to take bath.  I cooked, offered my prayers and got DH's lunch ready, called up a few people that I missed to call last night, gave Chinnu a bath, put new pant and shirt on him, took his photos.  There was something missing...and I just then realized that I did not brush my teeth in the morning.  That's the special for this year's Deepavali :-).

Happy Deepavali.

Letter to Chinnu - #1

Dear Chinnu,

I started telling you stories this week. I have narrated the "kulla vyabari" and "singa raja" stories this week.  You did not want to pay the slightest attention to it.  Half the time, you were screaming to get you off the armless chair.  To calm you down I was singing wherever possible - we can call them as situational songs.  But the experience was nice.  I love to tell you lot many stories this way.  I hope you will soon understand what this is all about and will start to bug me "amma, katha sollu".

Love

Amma.

Westernization - for good cause

Chinnu dialed 911 yesterday.  Not just 911, but a number like 911PPP1111PP and so on.  And he knows how to press the speaker button.  So I got to hear the ring on the other side and immediately went to the phone and see whom did he dial.  I saw the number with 911 in the beginning and and immediately hung up the call - I wanted to disconnect before it get connected.  Unlucky me  - it was too late and it appeared that someone was on the line already.  I said "Hello"  and was answered "Whats the address of the emergency site?" I replied to him "Sorry Sir, there is no emergency, my son has pressed the number by mistake".  He was kind enough to excuse me not just once but thrice as I kept on getting incoming calls (dont know why) from the emergency and I had to get the battery off to put an end to it.

Later in the day, I was browsing the NDTV site and got to know that the bollywood stars had some Halloween party and was wondering how westernized Inda has become in the last few years.  We have imported everything from West to our culture - right from celebrating birthday, wedding day and any xyz day by cutting cakes and blowing candles to wearing all sorts of western fashion even in the least developed village in India.  The younger generation loves to listen to pops and rocks and their orkut, FB profiles list bands that I have not heard of, as their favourite music. The nerves in their hearing system are deaf to Indian classicals such as Carnatic, Hindhustani, Ghazal and the like. Change is the only constant thing in the world, is it not?

I dont know why we fail to see the other side of it and import some western procedures and policies as well that will improve the service rendered to the society.  Emergency service (though we have 100, we dont know how effective it is), Social security, the idea of school districts, library services, health insurance etc etc.- oh my God how nice it is to envisage an India with such facilities!!

It was in the news that the Manmohan Singh Govt. is trying to bring a system of identification numbers for the Indian citizens.  Dont know how far they have come along.  I do agree that it is very difficult to implement such huge changes considering the population that we have to deal with.  But I think we should plunge into action than keep worrying about the population.  I know there are so many of you who think like me and want to live in a healthy and wealthy India.  Until our politicians do it, let us day-dream about it living in America.

JAI HIND!!!

(Posts like this should end this way, ain't they?)