My Daddy - Strongest!!!

When I was a little girl, may be 4-5 years old, I am not sure....I would brag to my friends that my Appa ( Dad) is the tallest and strongest man in the world. Well, he was the tallest coz as he would carry me in his shoulders, the world looked really small from that height for lil 'me' and I used to think he must be really tall and big ( My Dad IS reasonably tall!)....I remember sleeping blissfully in his neck and I would nuzzle my head in the softness of his neck....I can vividly remember!


As for my Daddy being strongest ( there used to be an ad on T.V where all little girls would squeal 'My Daddy Strongest!, I used to love that Ad!)...I would very confidently boast that my Dad was the bravest and I would animatedly explain how he valiantly jumped in the middle of bullet-firing to save Indira Gandhi during her assasination. I even said they could see the mark on Appa's chest for proof!! I am sure my friends thought this girl is nuts!! The truth was that I had pestered my Dad about a mole he had...and he had jokingly said it was a bullet wound that he got when he tried to save the then Prime Minister, (Late) Ms. Indira Gandhi! I was so innocent and had so much faith in him that I really believed so! In my defense, it really does look like a hole and not a mole! To this day, it brings a smile on my face and peals of laughter from my Dad! ( which is a rare occurence!)



Handsome Appa in his younger days!

I am amused!

...as I flick through the pages of a Fashion Magazine ( only English magazine I could find!), I see this!

Pic Courtesy: www.elle.com

...I have seen a few women sport these pants in Paris, and often wondered what the hell can it be? I was really amused to find out that they are called 'Dhoti Pants' and of course, they do look like Dhoti!

*For the uninitiated, Dhoti is a long unstitched cloth wound around the lower body, passed between the legs and tucked into the waist, especially in the rural parts of India.

You can rarely see anyone in Dhotis in urban India. Its so great that the Dhoti has travelled so far....from rural India to HI-FASHION!!!!

I am proud to be an Indian!

...Snatches of conversations in Paris... S and I stroll across the open-air market in Odeon and as we are window-shopping, we found a shop that sold ties. Its an interesting package in a cute box that opens up to hold, a tie, cuff-links and a silk scarf or cloth or whatever people wear on their formal suits. S goes to office in formal suits and he often needs lots of ties ( not that I need any excuse to shop!). So we pick one among them...when the owner, a slightly old man...very excitedly...

Old Guy: Are you Indians? ( with a big smile on his face!)

Me: Yes! ( S conveniently leaves the talking to me, as always) ;-)

Old Guy (skeptically) : You are from the real India, not London?

Me: Yes !! ( amused)

He grabs my hand and very excitedly, shows me all the stoles.

He tells me all this is from your country, very beautiful, eh?

Me: I know! :-)

Old Guy: India is such a vast and beautiful country....He says 'Namaste' and folds his hands and bows!!

I am very pleased and we thank him. *******************************************************************************************
I am ravenously hungry as I have not had lunch so I stop by to have Crêpes, on the way back home from my French class. I spent a long time figuring out how to get there and all the tension to reach on time!! Its a really old lady who is making them and I feel sad as her hands shiver as she spreads the batter.( S and I often disagree with this, I feel sad that old people have to work at this age, instead of having a relaxed life while he thinks its good that they are independant and active!)

Crepe Lady: ( in French) So which country are you from?

Me: ( hearing the only word 'country', I get what she asks...) I am from India!

Crepe Lady (very excited and a big smile on her face!): Big country, lots of people....you speak 30 languages?

Me: I smile and say that there are about 26 states in India and each state speaks a different language! Oui! ( Yes!)

Crepe Lady: (speaks in broken English now)...You are very beautiful...all Indians are very beautiful!

Me: Merci Madame...

Crepe Lady: They are very intelligent too! Indians..very intelligent!

Me( amused): smiles...

Crepe Lady: You know Sonia Gandhi, she is from my Italy! Indian man married her...very intelligent!!!

Me: !!!!!!! ( now I know why she thinks we are intelligent)...LOL!

Jokes apart, I was very pleasantly surprised to know that she knows so much about India and is generally aware about other countries as well. I felt very proud. It feels good to hear such things about our country! :-)

The Monsoons and a challenge!

The monsoons are here and I love the rains! Of course, I would be in bliss if i could sit at home, reading a nice book while sipping tea or watching a movie cuddling with S! However, there is something called work to be done in an office and I have decided to sacrifice that during the week...but weekends will be a different story!! :-)
...While I am very happy about the rains and the monsoons and the weather ensures that I get up with a smile on my face, it poses other practical problems like commuting to work on my bike can be very problematic and a drenched me! For some time, S has been grumbling, complaining, begging, threatening and every thing possible under the sun to make me drive! I can drive confidently if he is sitting along with me. But I am shit scared to take the car all by myself coz firstly, its a big car and secondly, i dont want to cause any damages to the car or anyone else on the road. But I cant afford to remain scared forever and refuse to drive the car. I know that! If I can ride a bike like a pro, the car will be easy too, with practice!

S is travelling to UK for 2-3 weeks and the car is at my disposal. So we have a deal, if I drive to work in the car in this period all by myself ( I dont have a choice!), I get diamonds. The materialistic side of me is overpowering and the lure of the diamonds are strong! I have accepted the challenge....I have a lot to gain, diamonds and I will dispel the fear in me....If i lose, big deal...HIS car is damaged... ;-) (just kidding!!)...I know i WILL do it...

Flashback...

A couple of years back, when S and I were living in Bangalore, S joined a gym and I accompanied him. The gym instructor was the typical macho guy with biceps, triceps and the works…I went up to him and enquired about the facilities, timings etc. and he was actually quite pleasant…

The next day, S came back home, not looking too pleasant….so I asked him what happened…and this is what he had to say…
S was working out in the gym when the instructor was making small talk with him…
Instructor: Sir, do you stay near by?
S: Yeah, sort of...( he is not the type to make small talk, he is usually quiet unlike me!)
Instructor: I have seen that girl pretty often on the road…the one who came with you yesterday…
S (doubtfully): is it?
Instructor: I was wondering about her?
S: as in?
Instructor: Is she your sister?
S: NO! ( an emphatic one!)…She is my WIFE!!!
Lol…I couldn’t stop laughing for a long time. To this day, it amuses me when I think about it…for some strange reason, after several such incidents, people tend to think we are siblings. For the love of God, I don’t understand why, coz we have very different facial features…but we are both tall and round faced!

Incentives!

....I have a bad habit! When I have my coffee in the mornings as I read the paper....I forget to put the mug back in the kitchen sink. It just lies there.....For the love of God, I just can't understand how I forget this tiny little detail...( of course, later on if I do notice it, I will put it back at once)

S hates this habit....and repeatedly calls me to put it back. To help me remember, he has incentivised it. Offlate, I get a bonus gesture of affection from him when I do remember to put it back!

Lo and behold! Now i remember everytime!!! :D

Simple pleasures in life I miss....

..Having home-made esp.amma's thayir sadam(curd rice) with urulakizhangu( potato) curry or vethakuzhambu!

..Being reprimanded for running away with the cordless to speak with my friends and whispering our little secrets in a corner of the room....and at one such time, if appa is there he would say....enga pore? ( where are you going?) ingaye pesu( talk right here in front of me)! ...and I would tell my friend "my dad is here ya! I will talk to you later!".....sneak into the room later and steal the cordless to talk privately!! :)

..lying down on Amma's lap and smelling her saree with its distinct amma-ness and feel the soft material...nothing can compare to that fuzzy and secure feeling.

..Saving throughout the month a sum of Rs.100/- to splurge on miscellaneous junk jewellery in Pondy Bazaar....the anticipation, excitement and thrill does not come with the amount of money that I have now to buy the most expensive clothes! ( comparitively, I mean)

..Getting up early morning to go and play for hours together in Besant Nagar beach! ( I still prefer waking up late, the lazy bum that I am!)

..Reassuring hugs from Amma and Appa that emanate a feeling of security, love and affection. ( I can't receive them whenever I want to, coz I am married now and live away from them!)

..To come back from a long and tiring day at work to hot and come-cooked food. There have been days I have cried in hunger when I get back home, as soon as I got married..

The way my mind works...

Its another Monday and I come to office with my morning blues and realize that I have a late call that night. I discuss with my manager that I skip the call for various reasons and he agrees and asks me to send updates and inform my global counterpart regarding the same....I send a e-mail and I thought that's about it!

In some time, my manager pings me that he wants to talk to me about the e-mail I sent. He was busy right now and would come and talk to me post-lunch. From that point began the intense activity in my mind......what could it be? I did double-check before I sent out that e-mail? Did it sound rude? so I reassure myself that it was not rude by consulting with my colleague-friend.....does my mind rest now?

I go on with my work and continue my daily work routine.....a colleague asks me to proof-read his email and calls me, while my mind goes on 'what did I do wrong? what and why does he want to talk to me?'. My colleague brings me back to earth from my reverie and asks if something is wrong? I smile and nod that everything is fine while my mind is in 'panic' mode....'did'nt I check enough before i sent the mail out?'

My friend pings me for lunch and I diligently carry my lunchbox to the microwave to heat it up....and while I am looking for the sauce dispenser, look for my manager if he is around.....and can't simply concentrate on the lunch conversation while we eat....

Post lunch, we go for a walk and get back hurriedly lest my manager comes to my desk and can't find me? I won't know what the matter is?? I come back and can't stop myself from pinging my manager if I can come to his desk to discuss about the e-mail. He replies that he is in a meeting and he himself will come post-lunch!!! I am thinking, but it IS post-lunch??!! But he means post his lunch!! :)

So the clock ticks loudly in my mind and I check the computer time almost every minute!!! Finally, he does come and puts an end to the suspense!! Its nothing that kept me worried for almost the entire day!!! I heave a huge sigh of relief and laugh at my own stupidity and calm myself down.....by this time, I have already run the conversation in my mind numerous times and have thought of the various possibilities and devise my 'defense mechanism'!!!

Am i paranoid or what? Does any of your minds work this way??!!