In Delhi Fog kills 6 on the roads and gets me another scar December 30, 2008
Posted by preetischronicle in this is me.4 comments
I am scarred for life. What does a bad foggy day and a bad driver do to you? The car bumps on the footpath or some big roadside stone and topples you on to something sharp to get you a big scar right above your left eye. Thats me now.
I left home with little V and the maid yesterday morning to creche and then work. The driver was driving pretty rash, I didn’t say a thing to him, coz little V was just about to doze off and I wanted him to get his sleep so he could have a fresh start at the creche. In a flash of 5 seconds the card rams into something and little V starts howling, I am busy checking on little V, to make sure all is fine with him and then suddenly the maid tells me, didi aapke ser se khoon nikal raha hai (blood is gushing out of your forehead) and I notice the wetness on my eyelashes and some liquid streaming down my cheeks and forming puddles on my palm, and it is my BLOOD! Withing seconds a swarm of people surround the car and in panic I am driven to a hospital, while I ensure the maid and Little V land at home and not at the hospital, I wanted little V to be away from me and the hospital.
I come back home with a stitch that runs accross my forehead into my left brow and a very swollen left eye. The only saving grace Little V was unhurt *ward off evil eye* and the maid was saved too with just a swollen lip.
Some people may attribute it to back luck, positioning of stars, good luck (since something worse could have happened) but I solely blame it on the driver, it was his negligence, period. At least the rage I am in now, I can’t think of anything else I can blame it to.
our aus trip December 28, 2008
Posted by preetischronicle in holiday time.4 comments
Before the sunny memories and the beach waters fade away from a workaholic, baby doting, home managing mommy’s robotic brain, its time to make the Australia sojourn into a post that she could come back to once in a while and relive them. Robotic, yes that’s what having a baby and a job makes you.
Little V and mommy embarked on a plane journey to the land of the kangaroos to be with daddy, who thanks to the Australian babes wasn’t missing us much *wink*
We had our flight scheduled for 12:00am on the night of 6th Dec, and I wasn’t too comfortable that day for the reasons I mentioned here. All went very well with the security at our IGI Delhi airport, but for the very upset and cranky little V, who wanted to be held by mama and didn’t want to see the sight of his pram. So, I was running crazy at the airport, dragging a very crying little V, a stroller bag and two handbags. So much for my claim of packing light. I had decided to send off most of the stuff with hubby dear to be able to travel as light as possible, but how much can one pack with another week to spend alone back in India with all the essential stuff like baby bath seat etc. yet to be packed along. (ok, I can see I am boring you with all the crappy details and to that… there’s more coming).
The V in little V’s name is pretty smooth sounding pleasant name, but somehow caught the oh so vigilant eyes of the security personnel at the airport, so thai refused to check in our baggage without the two of us going through the immigration queue. It was funny to see the customs guy suspiciously look around for one Mr. little V next to me, only to be directed to a much tired and sleepy baby resting in the pram (after all the crying episode). And then we were allowed to check in our stuff.
The flight was smooth, little V was the most friendly person on board and smiled at just about everyone no cranky behavior, no cries and absolutely zero trouble baby. Except that he wanted to sleep in my lap through the journey.
We landed at the airport, and were greeted by daddy holding a rose for mommy and a big balloon saying welcome to Australia for little V.
If there is heaven on earth its in Australia. (ok well, I have been to Switzerland, heaven is there too…but if one goes there one feels like all Indians made it to heaven) ( and I haven’t been to New Zealand yet).
The sight of the harbour bridge on one side and the opera house on the other was absolutely thrilling. The Opera House is built on water and the scenic beauty is simply out of the world. The area around Opera House is called the Circular Quay (pronounced as ‘key’) and has numerous cafes which are usually bustling with people in the evening out for a drink or coffee. That’s the thing about Australia, the Australian way of life. Eat, drink and be merry. No matter what day of the week it is, one can see all of Sydney and Melbourne cafés spilling with people out for some good time.
On a ferry ride from Circular Quay is a place called the darling harbor, which houses the Sydney aquarium and the Sydney wildlife. The Sydney wildlife has some lovely koala’s and kangaroos, which one can almost go touch and feel.
The feel of walking around on the darling harbor is an experience in itself. Watching people having a good time, enjoying the lovely sun and the quiet breeze, interrupted by a nearby cafés loud music, is better experienced than put down into words here. Very near to the circular quay is a place called The Rocks. This is a place one could pick souvenirs from. Built in a very English classical look, its fun to meander throw its narrow lanes and sudden ups and downs of its terrain and pick up gifts for folks back home. Two of the very famous beaches of Australiaare the Manly beach and the Bondi beach. The manly beach is actually quite small from the looks of it, but is famous for its water sports, water skiing and surfing. When we reached manly beach, it was raining and we couldn’t go to the beach. We enjoyed some coffee around the area near the beach and hoped for a better day at bondi beach the next day. And our wish was granted. Bondi beach was simply awesome, very picturesque. It appeared that the entire nation was out swimming or sun bathing. Little V enjoyed the sun and the beach as much as mommy and daddy and made quite a beach baby! And all the bikini clad women were smiling at him .. ignoring daddy, much to the relief of mamma.
We stayed in Melbourne for 2 days. Melbourneis a lovely city. Its lovely architecture and the way the yarra river flows through it, lends the city a very idyllic view. Melbourne has several auditoriums that hold art festivals and plays and one could see huge billboards all over the city about the shows on in them. Melbourne they say is the shopping capital of Australia and while hubby dear was busy for a day at meetings, little V and I spent quite sometime shopping for everyone and enjoyed ourselves to the hilt. We also went to the eureka sky deck, which is the tallest building in Melbourne and offers a view of the city from the 88thfloor. It was marvelous to see the sun setting in from the sky deck and the yarra river crisscrossing through other huge buildings of the city. We took a tour of the dandenongs in melbourne, which was quite thrilling too. Dandenongs are low mountain ranges near melbourne and offer great views of the melbourne city. We spotted several wild birds and managed to click pictures with them.
The Australian people are exceptionally friendly and have a penchant for enjoying life, come what may. Several young and old Australian people would often strike up a conversation with us. We were told that bollywood is quite a rage in Sydney, several bollywood theme parties are often organized and Australians enjoy hindi movies and music. Since I lived in the US for a few months after marriage and have seen parts of Europe. I would certainly rate Australia much higher, for its scenic beauty, its friendly people and for most importantly the Australian way of life.
I will do a pics only post for Australia shortly.
We are back and little V is 6 months December 17, 2008
Posted by preetischronicle in Little V.4 comments
Worthy of 2 different posts. A mum who juggles work and home, works on excel sheets, buys groceries and boils bottles with supersonic speed, the sudden imposition of ordinary life from the beach life of aus like being plucked out from a garden and planted to a bouquet kind of a feeling, prevented her from posting for little Vs 6th month update on time.
An update on my little sonny on touching the half way mark.
Some how everytime I begin to put up an update, I get flashes of the baby I once saw through ultrasounds and then held close to me when he was born, and can’t help but think, how time flies and how quickly he seems to be growing up.
- Little V loves attention. When in public places, sort of expects people to look at him, pass him a smile and yay! you have a baby all giggles & smiles for you.
- If you meet little V for the first time, remember to be soft in speech, calm in actions, else little V will take no time to show his displeasure on hearing your loud voice and noticing your wild movements. So be gentle in speech and in action, sure shot way to make him smile at you.
- Now that mum is back to work, little V demands (rather commands 
absolutely exclusive unadulterated uninterrupted attention from mum when she picks him up from the creche and they are back home. When she tries to walk out of the room, a screeching sound is heard and she can be seen running back (even toilet visits are not exempt).
- Little V recognises his bottles, if he is hungry, mum and dad better be careful of not bringing the bottle anywhere in the vision of little V lest they have a baby crying even more fiercely for its grub! he is a lion at that.
- little V and his daddy are best buddies. Little V knows daddy is home on just hearing daddy’s voice even if he can’t see him. And once in sight, they are the loudest rowdiest bunch of pals.
- even when little V is asleep, and daddy says something, little V opens his eyes a bit, looks around and gives a 2 second flash of smile to dad before dozing off again.
- Little V seems to be having a sweet tooth. He loves his cerelac and banana. Does’nt like dal ka paani. Is fine with boiled mashed vegetables though. Mum tried khichdi with him, but khichdi isnt sweet you see.
- If mum, dad and little V are out for dinner or off to a cafe, while mum dad enjoy their stuff, they must ensure there is something to entertain little V, it may even be just a straw.
- Little V can ‘devour’ a newspaper in 20 minutes !! It will be in 20 pieces in 20 minutes.
- Little V has started to drift to mum in his sleep and keeps pushing her until she is almost ready to fall off the bed. And daddy dear misses being close to both of them from the other edge of the bed.
- Little V is the new king of thailand, ok that sounds weird but he is certainly the new king of the dutyfree at the suvarnabhumi airport at bangkok. All the women, and I say ALL the women at the duty free shops were mesmerized by little V. Some willing to become his slaves, others willing to take him away. (this made mum very very cautious and she wouldn’t let go of the pram for even a nanosecond)
- Mum and Dad do a cake cutting on Little V every month birthday and mum let little V splash his hands on the 6th month cake.
- Little V can put both the thumbs of his feet in his mouth.
- Little V knows where the tv is in the room and any sound or music will make him turn his head towards the tv to check if its coming from there.
- Little V is the tara of mum dads eyes, the most social, happy, yummy, chummy, cuddly, cute baby you could have seen. Here’s to you dear son, blessings and love and hugs on the half way mark. Time is flying by too fast, I want to hold it tight in my palms, or rather in my arms! my son! we love you.
I will do a post of the aus trip shortly.
a trip down under December 5, 2008
Posted by preetischronicle in Little V, my country, this is me.6 comments
Hubby dear is in the land of kangaroos, Australia. He’s on a official trip, so little V and I are planning to join him next week, hubby and me have taken the week off from work to enjoy the beaches and the sun away from the Delhi winter. Well, I am not particularly fond of the delhi winters or winters anywhere for that matter, especially now that I have little V. I don’t quite enjoy the chill that makes me feel like lazing too much under a quilt, I like to be up and about.
So it all had to happen now, coming together of all things wrong. I have a flight on 6thDecember, the date that marks the anniversary of the babri masjid attacks and the day a hijack attempt has been planned at the airports of Delhi/Bangalore/Chennai. These airports are on high alert (whatever that means, I refuse to give in to any sort of ‘alertness’ of our country to anything now!). My trip is via Bangkokwhich was just reeling with protests and stranded passengers. And the status will be clear tomorrow morning.
I am scared to visit the airport and all kinds of what ifs are floating in my mind. That is the kind of hysteria that comes to you, when attacks like the one in mumbai take place. The only thing that makes me wanna go to australia braving a late night flight, a city under threat and an airport under attack is to run to safety of the arms of the man I love. I would have just stayed put right where I am in the comfort of this blanket, but damn! my country doesn’t even make me feel secure in my own house, I want to be with him. At some corner of my mind, gory pictures appear of the massacre. And again the angst refuses to settle down even a bit. Will I be living with the memory of this terror all my life? Will every trip to the airport, the railway station, a crowded market remind me of just the killings. I hope not. I am missing the excitement I would have had of looking forward to a fabulous break, which came quite unexpectedly and so soon after having joined back work. But I am just trying to be my safest best for tomorrow. And praying that I have a safe journey and land myself in the other half’s comforting hug! I am coming honey.
