The dangers of introducing a kid to calculators too early. In the night, with lights switched off-
RRJ : Amma, what is 0 minus 9
Amma: Hmmm, it is minus 9.
RRJ : But it should be 0, no? You have nothing to give.
Amma made some poor attempts at explaining the concept of negative numbers intuitively
RRJ : What is 3-5+2?
Amma: 0
Amma waited for the silence to break but slowly the dark room was resonating with snores from all corners of the bed. Amma also joined the chorus.
On the pathway in front of daycare
RRJ : Why is my tamil not so good?
Amma: Because Achcha and Amma don't know how to speak tamil.
Amma was a little apprehensive if she was asked the same question about Hindi, Malayalam or Bangla.
RRJ : When I become a big boy I will know tamil very well.
Amma: Yes of course.
Amma bade a hurried bye and ran to her office.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Chance pe dance
"Jhoom baraabar jhoom baraabar...." sang Shankar Mahadevan and I sat listening, tapping my toes to the beats while hundreds danced all around. Yes, the same me who has been craving to have a dance party for the longest of times. Now, if you know me you will not hesitate to agree that I am not exactly the partying kind. One who appreciates the night life of a big city and given a chance would go for discotheque-hopping all night but that surely doesn't disqualify me from having a thing for flinging my limbs around to a catchy tune. Tapping my toes I was wishing I had short sight or a terrible memory for faces so that the people all around were just a blurred mass of humanity. No students, no colleagues, no specifics please just a general blurred mass of humanity.
Songs passed by, frenetic tapping continued. Then it was that quick look at watch which told me it is now or (whe)never. Naheen naheen... yeh naheen ho sakta....I ran to the dancing zone like Jaya Prada hearing the dafali and joined the gals, that was it. I was transported to the days of open air discotheques of IITK dancing to 'humma humma', navratri-dandiya in Pune, dancing with friends in our kutti flatlet in TIFR, ceilidhs in Glasgow. RRJ also joined us after some time while kurta clad RRS couldn't be stirred out of his seat. Only until much to RRS's relief RRJ declared the need for attending nature's call, the big one. No outing is ever complete without that. While the boys made their way there was no stopping us. It was fun to have fun and just in time I knew how.
Songs passed by, frenetic tapping continued. Then it was that quick look at watch which told me it is now or (whe)never. Naheen naheen... yeh naheen ho sakta....I ran to the dancing zone like Jaya Prada hearing the dafali and joined the gals, that was it. I was transported to the days of open air discotheques of IITK dancing to 'humma humma', navratri-dandiya in Pune, dancing with friends in our kutti flatlet in TIFR, ceilidhs in Glasgow. RRJ also joined us after some time while kurta clad RRS couldn't be stirred out of his seat. Only until much to RRS's relief RRJ declared the need for attending nature's call, the big one. No outing is ever complete without that. While the boys made their way there was no stopping us. It was fun to have fun and just in time I knew how.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Touching base
It is never quite clear to me why, but it is incredibly invigorating to meet people who have known you well in the past. They seem to connect with that part of oneself which is not particularly obsessive about the current worries, definitely less opiniated, and most certainly a lot more accommodating. It is fun to relive the good moments and mentally extrapolate the image that you had of them before the meeting to what they are now. December had quite a few of them, 6-7 in person and 3-4 on facebook. Varying from family who have known me ever since god knows when, friends who I knew as 10 year old to people whom I first met 10 years ago as RR's better half.
About meeting spouse's friends there are two very characteristic features. First one, when introduced you are assessed and judgment is passed: you are too good to be true or what was RR thinking. Never neutral. The second one is that every next meeting is further confirmation of the initial assessment!
And yes finally I met the first person, my cousin, who thought RRJ's allergy to milk is a blessing in disguise. Already vegetarian and recently gone off milk as well she gave me all this information which has really soothed my worried soul. Today's oats porridge though milk less as usual had reasonable calcium content, with lot of powdered sesame seeds and almonds. For a change the healthier option tasted better too!
About meeting spouse's friends there are two very characteristic features. First one, when introduced you are assessed and judgment is passed: you are too good to be true or what was RR thinking. Never neutral. The second one is that every next meeting is further confirmation of the initial assessment!
And yes finally I met the first person, my cousin, who thought RRJ's allergy to milk is a blessing in disguise. Already vegetarian and recently gone off milk as well she gave me all this information which has really soothed my worried soul. Today's oats porridge though milk less as usual had reasonable calcium content, with lot of powdered sesame seeds and almonds. For a change the healthier option tasted better too!
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