Nov 26, 2009

The Bucket List

Tagged by The Print Lover

Who doesn’t have it in their list? – Travel the world. Yes, not just one place or country. The world – on all different possible modes of transport. That would be fun. Needs a lot of money, but there is no rule to a wish list, right? For now, I have a Passport. Thats all.

This one is going to be just me I think. I want to become a ‘subject matter expert’. This needs some explaining. Have you noticed the studs? The geeks? I was thought to be nerdy when I was in school and I had a tough time living up to the reputation and other people’s opinions of me. But I knew within myself that all I was doing was skimming the surface of my reading material or anything – and I just got lucky. I didn’t have to try or work hard. Now, what that has brought me to is, that I seem (to myself) to have a shallow knowledge about many things like art, politics, finance, cooking but no depth. I feel I thrive on mediocrity. I want to develop one area of interest where I can talk like an expert on the matter. I am not old yet and I believe I have a lot of time, but I want to be there. A place where people around me feel that I know the ‘subject’ in and out. I can answer all their questions – solve it for them. What I don’t yet know myself is what ‘that’ subject is.

Just. Stop. Being. Lazy – and some people will hopefully comment on how I have changed. I have no idea who those people will be. But they will speak well of my metamorphosis. I will then strike this off my list.

Turn heads at least in my thirties – I have always been this ‘gundu/ motu/ fatso’ girl so bleddy far in my life. My husband and I were really good buddies before things took a turn. So looks were not the first things we liked in each other foremost. After Aditi, I put on so much of weight that I morphed from a fat lady to an obese one. Thanks to a friend, who also was out of pregnancy then and who was more physique conscious, I started going to the gym and exercising with her. I lost a good amount of weight to start fitting into L sizes (you have no idea how big an achievement it is for me)! Now, I guess Sri was so attracted – he knocked me up, again! LOL. If all is well, I want to get back to working on myself again – I have 3 more years to officially turn thirty (I am so young and I have to rub it in). This time around, I want to look really slim and glam. Sigh!

Will I be able to learn to swim now? Okay, at least after I turn glam, I will have some confidence to change into a swimwear and learn this life skill. I really have to learn this.

Get drunk. Smashed. I have only gotten to the point of just slightly tipsy – so damn slightly that I remember what I said or did to not reveal my state. I want to break that jinx (I just need to have another drink) and spill a lot of beans. Or just sing with Sri. That will be amazing.

Read non-fiction. Actually just get back to reading. If possible turn into a voracious reader that I’ve always aspired to be. I don’t know why I haven’t had it in me to appreciate non-fiction. I just want to give it a shot and see if I really know why I like or dislike them. I think I have formed this 'non-fiction is not for me' opinion, without giving the genre any chance. However, I still have this big no for self help books. I may never change my opinion on that.

Take baking classes and be a star ‘baker’ in the family. Even if I just take classes also, I will be the only star baker in my family as of now. The others are only learning the art now. I am a slightly advanced learner. LOL. I have had an eye on this place for a long time now (over 2.5 years).  I would like to be baking like her.

I want to make my own vadAm and just not stop at only appreciating age old skills of making crisps (vadAm) at home. There are so many more traditional and contemporary dishes which I have to learn, some from my grandma, ma, and some from my mother-in-law. My sis-in-law swears by Mallika Badrinath. Maybe I can check her recipes out too. I am a foodie and I read somewhere that only a foodie can also cook well. So far I’ve pleased a good bunch ( 2 or 3 is a good bunch) with my culinary skills. I want to do better. I want to learn to manage time well enough to host a party with everything cooked by me. To me, the best appreciation will come when my kids bring friends home and all their friends polish off the food/snacks I prepare. I’d love to implement new ideas and also love praises. No, I am not going to make this a good enough subject for point no.2. I may change my mind later if I fear that I am getting really old but am nowhere close enough to even identifying any ‘subject matter’.
 
Dance. Freak out. Again this is possible, IMO, only after I turn glam. Turning slim is not a criterion, because I have the enthusiasm I need to get dancing. But I don’t want to dance in a traditional outfit. I have a feeling http://www.highheelconfidential.com/ has spoilt me rotten. It’s gotten me thinking that a) I can get glam if I want – some fat women dare to dress the way they do and b) I may someday afford the Choos and Birkins. A BIG Sigh here! Getting back to the dancing thingy – my husband and I thought we’ll go learn Salsa, after Aditi turned two. Because we thought we were stuck in a rut. Sri opined that to enjoy the music, we should also appreciate the language. No regrets – we enrolled for Spanish classes and had a great time learning together – interspersed with some steamy moments, of course. Spanish + together – you should make the connection. Then we applied the brakes. We wanted some free weekends in between before we joined dance classes. What we do with the free time? Major fun – the result of which is for all to see in March 2010. This is one vicious cycle. You have moments of fun and there is this stuck again in the rut feeling.

I have to thank TPL immensely. I had some good fun doing this tag. So here it is – my official bucket list. All of the above are only for ME. I wanted this to be my bucket list – one I really wanted to prepare after I saw the movie. I am not doing anything with anybody or for anybody. I would die alone, for all you know. And the other person does the stuff without me anyway. So, everyone makes his/her own list and if we happen to do something together, we can strike it off together too. 

This is a tag, I am guessing, am doing really late and all of the guys I know have done it already. So I tag Sri (hubby), Nithya (sister) and Souji (friend). I don’t know if they will take it up, though. But I love the way all of them write, so I hope they do.

Nov 23, 2009

Nov 11, 2009

Not play time yet

So far Aditi has been very considerate about the other baby in mama's tummy. She keeps asking whens, hows, wheres and whats about the baby.
Last night, she declared to me "I not give baby my toys". I asked her why and she didnt answer but just repeated her statement. So I said I will buy you both toys and that you have to play with each other. She said "No mamma, I not give". I said "Okay, let the baby come out, ask you for toys and then let us decide". She seemed comfortable with that and left it there.
How am I supposed to handle this? She is okay to share only a select few toys of hers with other kids. I keep insisting that if she wants others' toys, she should share hers first. Maybe she's too young (3 years is not old enough, no?). I am going to just let her be for now.

Nov 4, 2009

No, I am not a Grammar Nazi

Far from it, in fact! I feel my English and vocabulary went to the dogs some time when I left school and have stayed there ever since.
But, that shouldnt stop me from hating
  1. the usage of "n number of times" - Guys, its "n times" - remember the Maths equations we solved with n as a number by itself?
  2. loose in place of lose - nuff said
  3. Off course for 'Of course!' - what are you thinking? Just because we stress the 'of' while we talk does not give it an extra F, puhleez

These seem to be the first ones that come to my mind now. If I decide to keep updating this, I think this will be one post updated most times. I just may not stop updating it.

While on this topic, I would like to throw open a question - aren't we Indians very judgemental about a person, the yardstick of measurement being his/her capability or otherwise to speak proper English? Snobs, huh!

Happy Anniversary

Wish you a very happy wedding anniversary, appa amma :)

Nov 3, 2009

All set to fly away eh!

There is this new Tam – Gujju family that has moved in to the apartment below ours and they have a son who is a year older than Aditi. You know, where this post is heading already, don’t you?
The boy, Preet has become this great pal of Aditi’s and she really loves spending time with him – either at our place or at his.
So, this guy comes home last evening and plays with her and after sometime tells me that he wants to go home. So, I offer to escort him downstairs. He says no he doesn’t want me, he will take Aditi instead.
I tell Preet’s mom that I will pick my kid up in 15-20 minutes and let them go. As promised, I go back to pick her up – and succeed after a lot of tantrums and hue and cry.
My progeny comes home sulking and in a fit of rage she shouts “NO, NO, enakku indha veetla irukka vendaam. Enakku Preet kooda avan veetla dhaan irukkanum” (meaning - I don’t want to be in this house. I want to be with Preet in his house)
I need to get ready, I guess!

Nov 2, 2009

Strange Inferences – II

Disclaimer – Not intended to hurt anyone
See Strange Inferences – I here.
Now, where have we heard this ’72 virgins waiting for you’ phrase? Okay you can all Google it. I am not revealing more. But my idea is that – I am sure no God is as resourceful to provide 72 for everyone just for one act worthy of heaven. Ahem, and my other idea is that – dude, after you are dead and gone, its only your soul there – what use will that be to the 72 virgins.
Final question – what if the 72 are destined to stay that way! Man, don’t do something to get there fast – God definitely has some hidden agenda in this plan and your heaven is going to be as good as hell.