New Year deeds.

Two weeks already into the new year and I haven’t posted anything on my blog- which essentially means that I’ve been busy. I had to fire my maid cum babysitter for reasons that her monetary demands started increasing by the day. Then started a series of maid hunting and background checking which took a lot of my time and patience. Like one of my friends said, it’s more difficult than finding a life partner.

December is the most beautiful month of the year, accounting to the celebrations and food, but it is also the month in which time flies at the blink of an eye. May be no one realized this yet, but it is true. You buy a Christmas tree, decorate with stuff even costlier than the tree, put up serial lights – thanks to very informative electronics classes back in college, and there , Christmas mass it is, and before you know it, its new year’s eve. After that, the tree looks outdated and it literally calls out to be dismantled. There, it’s all over and before you know it, you are there in front of the mirror, sluggishly wearing that identity card on top of a dress which you can’t decide is formal or casual.

By the way during one of our cake distribution visits at a friend’s house we saw an exquisitely decorated white Christmas tree which my son set his eyes on. After coming back home he wouldn’t even look at my humble tree like it was anything special, and chances are that he might have even thought that it came with the house or was an extension of the living room furniture. Sigh for all the effort I put in to hang those little shiny things. But one should always look ahead. Two decades from now if he asks, ‘Mama how did I celebrate my first Christmas?’, I will tell him how he let me down by not being excited about the Christmas tree I set up just for him and add on a few crocodile tears. Yes in fact I am very optimistic when I say he will ask me that. No way, I know : D On a realistic note I will mostly end up pulling him by the collar and say…You have no idea how much effort and ideas I put into this tree to celebrate your first Christmas and then he will probably give me those ‘Are you leaving my collar now, or…’ look and I have to look for ways to escape.

I just realized that I have nothing worthwhile to write here. Anyway last day I got a call from the maid I fired few days back, asking me how my son was doing. I suddenly felt few pangs of regret, but I tactfully tried to hide it with words and expressions. I also told her that my Mom would fly down to Muscat soon. I also invited her over to meet my Mom so she can spend some time with my son too. (Even though I fired her I am thankful to her from my heart for taking good care of my son). She was excited and happy to hear that and gracefully accepted my invitation. Everyone is jealous for money, and so was she. So are we! Don’t we all shamelessly bargain with the HR once the interview is cleared? Yes we do. I thought, God could have created me like her, and made me clean vessels too. Instead He gave me education and a good job. So there…we are not expected to judge anyone who works for us. She might have called to know whether we hired someone else…or may be for some other reason I can’t think of…but when I invited her to my home to meet my mother I can say from her voice that she was pleased.

And yeah, I might have started the New Year on a bad note, but I managed to undo the damage too.

RED Christmas !

Its that time of the year again. Jingle Bells ! I remember writing a very home-sicky post last year as I couldn't be home for Christmas. Its not like I am not home sick this time, but its Aaron's first Christmas and we are celebrating it in every possible way. I have put up a Christmas tree, just with red and silver, and he loves it ! So I am posting a picture of my Christmas tree, which gleams in the corner of my living room, with small round white lights which shines subtly in the darkness of the night.

Merry Christmas to everyone here at blogger, the ones who read me and supported me :) I am really thankful ! Another year of blogging has passed by, and this could probably be my last post of 2011. So here is wishing all a happy, peaceful and blessed 2012 and may the movie 2012 NOT come true :D

Luck By Chance !

There always comes a hurdle or two when I try to send gifts for my sister. 

My sister who is very lovable, genuine and witty, is also notorious among us at home for being slightly pessimistic and calling herself unlucky for even trivial coincidences.

 Last I remember, it was this cute little woolen jacket which I found at a store. I bought one for myself, as I was unsure whether my sister would want a similar one or not. So I displayed it to her on webcam, she loved it, and off I went again to the same store to pick up another one for her. The store had like tens of it in different colors, and I picked up the black one which she wanted, and waited at the cash counter in a queue which seemed to move at a snail’s pace. Finally after around forty odd minutes, when my turn came, the cashier guy nonchalantly threw the jacket into the basket nearby and heartlessly mumbled that it does not have a price tag, and printed out a bill for the other items I bought. My rage took the better of me and I argued with him, only to invite cold stares from people waiting behind me in the same queue and some were close to pointing a knife to my head. I left the store, weeping all the way home. I decided to give my jacket to her which she pleasantly denied.

It’s Christmas, and this time I was way too determined for any ill fate or anything to come my way. I bought a dress for her. The next day, my colleague was going to India, to the same place as my sister and I decided to send the dress through him. So everything was well planned and I ensured that nothing could go wrong this time. The previous night (yes I am Miss. Procrastinator who waits until the eleventh hour to buy the gift)  I went to a neighborhood mall, and chose a dress which I thought she would love. We hurried home and I started packing when I noticed that there were no buttons on it. It was a damaged dress.

I was supposed to send it the next day. I couldn’t believe that all situations were only helping to prove my sister right. I hated myself for not checking the dress as I chose it, but made a mental note to get it exchanged the next day and give that lady at the store an earful.

Morning came, my reminder ticked off, telling me that its vaccination day for my son. Now this is a dreaded day not just for him, but for us as well. We left to the clinic in the morning, gave him the vaccine shot and returned home with the little one crying in pain. Now consoling a crying baby is no cakewalk. I carried him around, sang to him, showed him some moving objects, and finally lulled him to sleep. I gave instructions to my maid and fled back to office when my lead told me about a technical document pending from my end which was almost like a showstopper for a process. I sat down at my desk, trying to focus, but my head was spinning. I was mentally at my home, where the baby slept and I couldn’t imagine the hell that will break loose if he wakes up to his pain. At a corner, I am unable to accept that this time around too, a gift exchange with my sister will be a total failure. (Not that I cant send by courier or cargo, but it would take longer and I wanted this to be reach her sooner for various reasons). But I typed away, completed, and sent the document across to the people concerned.

Me and hubby work in the same office, so I decided to put the dress issue across to him, but when I walked out of my cabin, I caught a glance of him striding across the corridor with a few people carrying laptops, as if they were on their way to stop a major bomb blast. So I called a friend who offered to drive me to the mall and help me get it exchanged. She came at around 3:30 pm, and I waited for her at my home. She called me as she reached my building and as soon as I closed my apartment door, a shrill cry from the cradle startled me. My little one was in total pain. I apologized to my friend and hurried back home, fed and consoled the him, rocked him patiently and soon he fell back into a little slumber, and I put him down in his cradle. I made my maid watch over him. My friend waited, and we left soon after. It was almost 4:00 pm, and I was rushing through the store when my friend said, that the guy who was supposed to carry my parcel already left for home. . I felt shattered. She continued to say that he leaves for the airport only at 6:00 pm.

When I reached back to office, I found a guy there who offered to give the parcel to the colleague who was travelling that day. And my mission was finally accomplished.

The day after, I got a call from my sister and as I answered it, there were no words, just flying kisses! It was totally worth the adventurous day I had, the day before.

 See?  I told you no? Do you think she is “just plain unlucky” as she always says ?

An underrated picture.

This is a snap taken by my hubby on one of his "bachelor trips" to Salalah, a place near Muscat. It was the time he assumed bachelor status, as I had gone to India with my new born for the customary functions with subsequent pampering and eating spree( also known as maternity leave )  in which he had absolutely no role, so he stayed back and enjoyed his short term freedom to the maximum !

He has a passion - or should I say a growing passion for photography and had spent an astronomic amount for a camera, which supersedes my six month old in size and weight. Anyway, I should mention that he is not much into portraits yet, but some landscapes and nature photography which he had done is brilliant and I fished some of them out of the 'My Pictures' folder of his laptop.I think these are stuff which are to be shared, and not be archived under folders.

This picture, of two camels, one behind another is a momentary capture, and I guess that is the essence of photography . A minute later one wouldn't have got the same picture. So I am posting it over here as I am very proud of him for this picture. I also think it is the most underrated one, from his collection.