V's parents are coming tomorrow from India and will be staying with us for a month! Oh, and the exclamation mark at the end of the previous sentence wasn't meant to convey exasperation. More like nervous anticipation.
Actually, to be fair, V's parents aren't bad at all. Although I lived with them for less than a week after we got married last year, I talk to them pretty regularly on the phone and they seem genuinely nice, affectionate and keen to make me a part of the family; rather than merely finding ways to coexist. Plus, there's the fact that V is so much like me. To the extent that we are shaped by our upbringing, his parents and mine must have a lot in common.
So, why the nervousness, you ask. Hmmm... it's something akin to the way you feel before an exam that you are well-prepared for. You are pretty sure you'll do fine, but it is still an exam! Years of social conditioning is now lending me with a similar feeling - they are still my in-laws! Plus, there is also the fact that talking to someone on the phone and living with them are two vastly different things. In a lot of respects they are still strangers with living habits, likes and dislikes which are sure to be different than mine. It's like getting a new room-mate!
On the bright-side though, I always did well on an exam I was well-prepared for and I have had many more good room-mates than bad.
Oh, and I'll get all that yummy food for a month! Aaloo-paranthas for breakfast on a weekday? Mmmm... divine!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Course correction?
It started with not having anything blog-worthy. And then I was lazy. But soon, my blogging-self was having something of an existential crisis - why am I blogging? Is it merely because it's the thing to do these days? If that, will I stop once the novelty factor (or whatever) wears off ...the way it did with posting facebook status messages? etc. etc.
Honestly, I still do not know what I am hoping to achieve by blogging. In fact, it's more like I do not even know if I am hoping to achieve anything.
Reading through my past few posts though, it seems that I have been treating this blogging thing as some kind of popularity contest - trying so, SO hard to be funny, indulging in exaggeration and hyperbole, sacrificing the thought for the punchline... ugh! And here I was thinking that I had grown up and left behind the insecurities of my school and college days!
But let me not draw you into the murky waters that I should be wading into only with my shrink. To cut a long story short then, here are the things we know about 15 post-old me:
- Tends to ramble
- Tries desperately to fit in by trying desperately to be funny.
I have no idea if I will stop doing any of the above right away. For all you know, I might just default to inane chatter of assorted irrelevance in my next post. But in the fact that even these 15 random posts may have held a mirror to my soul and helped me look beyond the fluff of a confident smile and an assured walk, I have a feeling that blogging may have achieved something already. What do you think?
Honestly, I still do not know what I am hoping to achieve by blogging. In fact, it's more like I do not even know if I am hoping to achieve anything.
Reading through my past few posts though, it seems that I have been treating this blogging thing as some kind of popularity contest - trying so, SO hard to be funny, indulging in exaggeration and hyperbole, sacrificing the thought for the punchline... ugh! And here I was thinking that I had grown up and left behind the insecurities of my school and college days!
But let me not draw you into the murky waters that I should be wading into only with my shrink. To cut a long story short then, here are the things we know about 15 post-old me:
- Tends to ramble
- Tries desperately to fit in by trying desperately to be funny.
I have no idea if I will stop doing any of the above right away. For all you know, I might just default to inane chatter of assorted irrelevance in my next post. But in the fact that even these 15 random posts may have held a mirror to my soul and helped me look beyond the fluff of a confident smile and an assured walk, I have a feeling that blogging may have achieved something already. What do you think?
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
There is them, and then there is me
Now that I stay at home full-time and have become a total blog-junkie, I often wonder about people who manage to blog everyday. Every Single Day! And some of them have been at it for years now. How do they manage to do it? And does it not take away from the joy of blogging, making it a chore that needs to be taken care of everyday? Or is it that I have gotten it all wrong and these folks blog everyday because they enjoy it so much? In which case, blogging leads to something akin to an 'exercise high', a concept which I anyway have trouble wrapping my mind around.
I have even greater trouble understanding how daily-bloggers manage to be that and still lead normal lives. My point is that if you know in advance that you are going to blog about something (in the case of a daily-blogger, it has to be something from their day), then it'd be really hard to not let your reaction to / experience of that particular thing get coloured by this fact. Of course, it's possible that I again have it all wrong and the act of blogging might actually make people less passive - will I observe a sunset more keenly if I know that I have to describe how beautiful it was on my blog? Although, this still remains an example of when an experience might get altered because of the subject's blogging self.
And then of course, there are some people who will sometimes blog about anything, just in order to get it done for that day. I wonder if that is what I am doing right now?
I have even greater trouble understanding how daily-bloggers manage to be that and still lead normal lives. My point is that if you know in advance that you are going to blog about something (in the case of a daily-blogger, it has to be something from their day), then it'd be really hard to not let your reaction to / experience of that particular thing get coloured by this fact. Of course, it's possible that I again have it all wrong and the act of blogging might actually make people less passive - will I observe a sunset more keenly if I know that I have to describe how beautiful it was on my blog? Although, this still remains an example of when an experience might get altered because of the subject's blogging self.
And then of course, there are some people who will sometimes blog about anything, just in order to get it done for that day. I wonder if that is what I am doing right now?
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The one where I give too much information
I keep getting this mild fever every few weeks that has had V worried for some time now. So, he finally dragged me to the doctor yesterday when the said fever returned.
The sweet doctor patiently listened to my long and winding story (yeah, this blog isn't the only place for those) about how I get a low, recurring fever every few weeks, how it starts in the morning and is almost always gone by the evening, even my feeble joke about how it was my "morning sickness" (again, this blog isn't the only place...); and then declared that what I was describing sounded pretty normal. Normal?! Really??!! I do not know anybody else who gets a fever every couple of weeks that does not stay long enough for their husband to come back home from office and see for himself that the thing which made them not do laundry (yet again!) was actually a fever and not laziness (ok, well... not JUST laziness)!
My indignation not withstanding, apparently this fever IS normal - it is my body's response to hormonal changes. Which, by the way, is another way of saying that the fever is my PMS (just in case you are wondering, I do NOT get PMS every 2 weeks. The cause of the fever alternates between PMS and ovulation, more on which later, hopefully never).
So yes, back on topic. I am aghast! I used to pride myself in not ever getting a PMS. And now it turns out that not only do I do, I get it in the form of a fever!!! So, I don't even get to be cranky? I just get to lie in a corner and moan?
I tell you, life isn't fair!
The sweet doctor patiently listened to my long and winding story (yeah, this blog isn't the only place for those) about how I get a low, recurring fever every few weeks, how it starts in the morning and is almost always gone by the evening, even my feeble joke about how it was my "morning sickness" (again, this blog isn't the only place...); and then declared that what I was describing sounded pretty normal. Normal?! Really??!! I do not know anybody else who gets a fever every couple of weeks that does not stay long enough for their husband to come back home from office and see for himself that the thing which made them not do laundry (yet again!) was actually a fever and not laziness (ok, well... not JUST laziness)!
My indignation not withstanding, apparently this fever IS normal - it is my body's response to hormonal changes. Which, by the way, is another way of saying that the fever is my PMS (just in case you are wondering, I do NOT get PMS every 2 weeks. The cause of the fever alternates between PMS and ovulation, more on which later, hopefully never).
So yes, back on topic. I am aghast! I used to pride myself in not ever getting a PMS. And now it turns out that not only do I do, I get it in the form of a fever!!! So, I don't even get to be cranky? I just get to lie in a corner and moan?
I tell you, life isn't fair!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Funny in my tummy
Browsing through Facebook, something made me stop
it was a friend declaring that for lunch she had Bibimbop.
"I wonder what that is", I inwardly mused
till (as usual) by Wiki, I was rescued.
I am told that it is a Korean lunch,
and this rice-veggie medley packs quite a punch.
So what if the name sounds funny?
the taste will be worth your money.
Thus began thinking of foods with a funny name
although a blog about it might be pretty lame.
When has that deterred me, though?
And so I shall give it a go...
Long ago, when I was barely 3 feet tall,
mommy used to make this sweet dough ball,
and even though that was back in the day,
I remember calling them gulgule!
An old room-mate's mum used to make the same
and they had an even funnier name.
Like fat little brats going out to play,
they were called tuntune munmune!
If there ever was a food-name competition,
Bhatura would be my submission.
Another favourite is naan-khatai
and wonder if there might be a tie.
As I write this, I also wonder
if the namer's mind had gone asunder?
Why langda was the name he chose?
Had he never eaten mangoes?
Oh, but I ain't here to deride
so I shall no longer be snide.
In fact I stand and hail thee -
the coiner of a cute name like sushi!
And while at it, I also bow to you -
for coming up with shabu-shabu.
Puchka is also in the fray
along with its twin - Golgappe.
I am certain there are many more,
though I can think of only 4 -
lady's finger and eggplant are two
although they make a real nice stew.
And when have they failed to regale:
the names of, and the name cocktail?
Last on my list, though it isn't a hoot
I think the name wonton is quite cute!
I know my list is kinda small
but for right now, this is all.
So, gentle reader, I request of you
to expand my list by adding a few!
it was a friend declaring that for lunch she had Bibimbop.
"I wonder what that is", I inwardly mused
till (as usual) by Wiki, I was rescued.
I am told that it is a Korean lunch,
and this rice-veggie medley packs quite a punch.
So what if the name sounds funny?
the taste will be worth your money.
Thus began thinking of foods with a funny name
although a blog about it might be pretty lame.
When has that deterred me, though?
And so I shall give it a go...
Long ago, when I was barely 3 feet tall,
mommy used to make this sweet dough ball,
and even though that was back in the day,
I remember calling them gulgule!
An old room-mate's mum used to make the same
and they had an even funnier name.
Like fat little brats going out to play,
they were called tuntune munmune!
If there ever was a food-name competition,
Bhatura would be my submission.
Another favourite is naan-khatai
and wonder if there might be a tie.
As I write this, I also wonder
if the namer's mind had gone asunder?
Why langda was the name he chose?
Had he never eaten mangoes?
Oh, but I ain't here to deride
so I shall no longer be snide.
In fact I stand and hail thee -
the coiner of a cute name like sushi!
And while at it, I also bow to you -
for coming up with shabu-shabu.
Puchka is also in the fray
along with its twin - Golgappe.
I am certain there are many more,
though I can think of only 4 -
lady's finger and eggplant are two
although they make a real nice stew.
And when have they failed to regale:
the names of, and the name cocktail?
Last on my list, though it isn't a hoot
I think the name wonton is quite cute!
I know my list is kinda small
but for right now, this is all.
So, gentle reader, I request of you
to expand my list by adding a few!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Mother no longer keeps the solar system in order
I have always been a sucker for mnemonics and memory-aids in general. The good thing is that when I was growing up, I used to make them up instinctively and with a natural ease, and boy! did I have an elephant's memory.
I am sure pretty much everybody used the Pandit Badri Prasad Har Har Bole mantra to learn their trig ratios back in high school and the nifty little 'VIBGYOR' for the spectrum. I still remember memorising the top half of the reactivity series of metals using this sentence: Kalu Ne Baba Ka Magga Almari se Zameen par Fenk diya (K, Na, Ba, Ca, Mg, Al, Zn, Fe). Thanks to this mnemonic, I not only remember that something called a reactivity series of metals exists and I had studied it in school, I actually remember the series itself (well, ok -- the first half of it). And it's been more than 10 years!
My favourite mnemonic though, has always been something I came across when I was much much younger - the nine planets mnemonic. Not only does "My Very Earnest Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets" work like a charm in memorizing the names of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in the right order, I used to totally dig the fact that it actually contains the words 'Nine Planets' (you know, just in case you get carried away making up mnemonics and need help keeping them straight!). Which is what brings me to why I started writing this post in the first place (took me a looong time getting here, didn't it?). I was listlessly surfing channels this morning when I came across some show about the solar system, making me remember this mnemonic. And then, it suddenly dawned on me that poor Pluto's having been stripped of its planetary status renders this gem useless! Wikipedia tells me that the new version goes - My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos. I suppose you could use this...but the 'nine planets' was the best part :(
To make matters worse for the generations of students to come, the "new" solar system contains not just the 8 planets but also the 3 dwarves - Eris, Ceres and Pluto. So, the cool new mnemonic ( courtesy Wikipedia) is: My Very Exciting Magic Carpet Just Sailed Under Nine Palace Elephants.
I liked it and was just about to commit it to memory when I scrolled down and discovered that since this new mnemonic was coined (just over a year ago, btw), two more dwarves have been dicovered: Makemake and Haumea. The new(er) mnemonic? It's not coined yet.
I suppose that is just as well.
I am sure pretty much everybody used the Pandit Badri Prasad Har Har Bole mantra to learn their trig ratios back in high school and the nifty little 'VIBGYOR' for the spectrum. I still remember memorising the top half of the reactivity series of metals using this sentence: Kalu Ne Baba Ka Magga Almari se Zameen par Fenk diya (K, Na, Ba, Ca, Mg, Al, Zn, Fe). Thanks to this mnemonic, I not only remember that something called a reactivity series of metals exists and I had studied it in school, I actually remember the series itself (well, ok -- the first half of it). And it's been more than 10 years!
My favourite mnemonic though, has always been something I came across when I was much much younger - the nine planets mnemonic. Not only does "My Very Earnest Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets" work like a charm in memorizing the names of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in the right order, I used to totally dig the fact that it actually contains the words 'Nine Planets' (you know, just in case you get carried away making up mnemonics and need help keeping them straight!). Which is what brings me to why I started writing this post in the first place (took me a looong time getting here, didn't it?). I was listlessly surfing channels this morning when I came across some show about the solar system, making me remember this mnemonic. And then, it suddenly dawned on me that poor Pluto's having been stripped of its planetary status renders this gem useless! Wikipedia tells me that the new version goes - My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos. I suppose you could use this...but the 'nine planets' was the best part :(
To make matters worse for the generations of students to come, the "new" solar system contains not just the 8 planets but also the 3 dwarves - Eris, Ceres and Pluto. So, the cool new mnemonic ( courtesy Wikipedia) is: My Very Exciting Magic Carpet Just Sailed Under Nine Palace Elephants.
I liked it and was just about to commit it to memory when I scrolled down and discovered that since this new mnemonic was coined (just over a year ago, btw), two more dwarves have been dicovered: Makemake and Haumea. The new(er) mnemonic? It's not coined yet.
I suppose that is just as well.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Soul-blogging
Wow, am I on a roll today, or what? First, I completed my post from yesterday (yeah, got bloggers' block again yesterday :( ), then I did a fresh post for today, and look, I am back for more! Worry not, though - I am not going to launch into another long and winding non-story.
I stopped by to post the link to a wonderful blog that I recently chanced upon and have fallen in love with. So, just on the off-chance that you are reading my blog and haven't yet been to Life in Chicago, go do so now (make sure to come back, though!).
This blog is, there are no other words for it, a thing of beauty. I have read several blogs of late, but nothing made me feel connected to the author the way this one did. It actually feels like she invests a bit of herself into it; rather than merely stringing together a bunch of (mostly flippant) thoughts and observations (like I do). For example, check out this entry.
In fact, now that I have actually written these thoughts down, I feel like not posting them because it feels like I haven't really been able to capture in words what I really meant to say. However, never the one to be selfish, I shall go ahead and share the joy.
Alright, I will stop raving now. Until next time, then.
I stopped by to post the link to a wonderful blog that I recently chanced upon and have fallen in love with. So, just on the off-chance that you are reading my blog and haven't yet been to Life in Chicago, go do so now (make sure to come back, though!).
This blog is, there are no other words for it, a thing of beauty. I have read several blogs of late, but nothing made me feel connected to the author the way this one did. It actually feels like she invests a bit of herself into it; rather than merely stringing together a bunch of (mostly flippant) thoughts and observations (like I do). For example, check out this entry.
In fact, now that I have actually written these thoughts down, I feel like not posting them because it feels like I haven't really been able to capture in words what I really meant to say. However, never the one to be selfish, I shall go ahead and share the joy.
Alright, I will stop raving now. Until next time, then.
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