Cockroaches

The word itself gives me the creeps.

And, here there is a whole new research and use which is thought out for them. I always knew they are hardy and are known to survive in the most unearthy conditions and terrains, but a use for cockroaches... I am not sure I can ever be a part of such a research team. Maybe it is good that I decided to not go the biology route, who knows what anthropod I would have to hold squirming in my hand!

This article brought me to that time during my summer vacations in India, in the midst of the monsoons, where we have all the creepies inside the house, and most often inside the bathroom. And this being the time when I was around 9 - 10 years of age, I was petrified of going into the bathroom to relieve myself, in fear of a flying assault.

And, I know there are many who would not even know of the flying breed of cockroaches, but trust me, they exist. And they do not fly about, rather sprint more is what I would call it, than fly. But since their flight is so short and they do not really know how to manage their flight, its very often that they will come and brush against you or even worse, land on you! And once, just once if they latter has happened, I don't know many who would not have the kind of fear and creeps about this insect.

 Anyhow, I remember this one incident wherein, there was a flying cockroach which had escaped from the usual recess in the bathroom, and entered the bedroom. And, this had to happen only around 9 pm, when there was no way of finding this insect, or creating a overdose of insect killer in the air and leaving the room for a few hours. It was time to get to bed. That one night, with temperatures in Trivandrum being scorching in the summer months, still had be covered from head to toe, with the cover tucked in from all sides, and yet unable to sleep. The next day morning, I woke up with a fever thanks to the extra layers and heat which I had subjected myself to.

Would I do something different today?

I doubt it. 
I still am petrified of cockroaches.
But, being a mother, I am usually the one now responsible for the extermintaion procedures at home
And during those few minutes, I know how my heart thumps and hand become clammy.

Some fears just reside.

A charity drive at home

I have been told time and again to clear out unwanted items and create more space, be it walking or for stocking. And, I must say, I do have a tendency to hold on to my things, and more importantly my way of doing things, which really need not be right,  but it is what I thought of and came up with as an answer. Being a little stubborn, it just makes it so much more difficult to change.

Anyhow, T's old clothes, toys are the ones which were in need of immediate disposal and the ones taking up the maximum space. There were so many clothes which just were small, some in worse condition had been already used as mop cloths. T has a no toy for more than a few months policy, and this means I try to recycle her toys to ensure that she gets something different every week, but there is only so much that she can be happy with her year old toys. And now, in fact I do not buy her the usual run of the mill toys. She plays with it not even for a few hours and I am left guilty for the money wasted. One such toy was a Thomas train which speaks and moves ahead. I got this toy only because she loves Thomas, and she played with it maybe an hour on the day she got it, and that's about it. So, it was time to get things cleared up and segregate toys into 'Want to store' and 'For someone'. Clothes were simpler and the toys got a little tricky with Missy wanting to play with everything and not let go of anything! But, that was easy to get over with her favourite book and father and she being confined to reading sessions on the bed.

Now, where to or rather whom to give is a pertinent question when you have huge bags filled with clothes and toys, and you also do not want it to be all unpacked by the kid soon! I spoke to many homes but no one was interested in clothes, and some had specifications for clothes only for older children. Then, I came upon Shishu Mandir and they were more than eager for any help in any form.

Shishu Mandir is a old children's home which has been in Bangalore since 1983. Below is a small excerpt about them.

The Shishu Mandir Home was established in 1983 in the premises of the Ashok Nursing Home at Ulsoor, Bangalore. At the Shishu Home children were admitted from the slums who were seriously sick and requiring intense medical treatment for many months. When they recovered, some expressed the wish not to be sent home again, but to stay on. Hella could not turn away from that heart-rending request and thus she began to create a Home for them. She followed the idea of a big family where everyone's individuality is recognized. The children live as in a large family, and everyone bears a certain responsibility. The atmosphere is conducive and warm, there is no physical punishment. Children of school-going age are admitted at the Shishu School.

They have a new home which is near the Garden city college, K. R. Puram. It is set amongst the lakes and trees and a huge premise which has been home to many children till date. They also have a school and a vocational traning college in the same area which caters to educational needs of the students in this home. The trust undertakes many projects to benefit the village and to help the children in the surrounding villages. They have a large crowd to help and children in varying age groups. Help is accepted in terms of provision, baby items, furniture, etc. They can be contacted and they will let you know what is that they require immediately. It is a little out of the city, but if you can create a drive in your society or maybe just go by and drop by items once or twice a year, that would certainly be a worthwhile cause!

Blog-A-Prompt, Day 3 : Monday

This Monday, I made a plan for today, Wednesday.

This plan was made early in the morning on Monday for late night Wednesday. And today, being Wednesday and as the evening approaches, I am happy and thrilled regarding this plan.

A friend calls it ' A girl thingi'... well, that is what it is to be, a girls night out!

Now, the thrill and the happiness can be explained, I bet. I do not know what is it with girl's night outs.. is it just a western fad? But, I certainly do enjoy them so much more and it feels, in a strange way, great to be out. I am guessing this is a feeling which occurs when you have a 2 year old and to top it, one who is a early to bed, early to rise kind.

Now, night outs do seem to have a tendency to end up on dance floors, and that is where I am not too comfortable. I do not mind shaking a leg once a while, but in the usual crowded places, I rather just have my drink and enjoy the music. Lounge music is something which is great in the night, and one which is open to the sky does certainly have its perks!

So here is to a great Monday plan for Wednesday!

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Its easy to complain, so let me start...

There are so many things which I always never do right. I thought, why not list some here and maybe... a very far fetched MAYBE.. I will be able to get these towards the right side.


1. I have been eagerly looking to buy an oven and start baking some goodies. I thought maybe a course would help me put myself in pace with my idea and also help me get about it. But, I have not yet got the oven even though I have been looking out for options. Now I feel that I need time at my disposal and with so many things to do through the day, I have no time and moreover, no time for me to do anything peacefully. Most of my chores are done in such a planned out manner, and they are all chores. I have no time to browse through anything and I want to get this oven after a good research. That might just be the issue, but that is the way I am.


2. When I moved to my current residence, the only thing I was at peace with was the small patch of a garden which existed and at that time it just truly existed. I had to take out so many weeds, get the whole place sorted out and what not. But, now I have some plants... have flowers on and off, but I need to get myself to devote myself to the garden if I want to see it truly ' bloom' ( for the lack of any better word).


3. I never seem to take out enough time through the day. It is not because I do not have the time, but just that I end up browsing the web, or reading a book, when I know there would be many things which are pending. The issue is I have so many things which are forever to be done, that I want to just relax and take things lightly, rather than move from one to the next. But, if I do get myself to finish off all my chores/tasks, will I be free to sit around? I doubt it. I am sure there will be a another few items added to the list by then.


4. I have been forever trying to get on to some part- time work schedule, and I know I can do it, but I just do not. I have these above chores to finish with all the lazing around also involved, which results in the part- time work not figuring in anywhere. 


At times I wonder is this a by- product of having a kid, I doubt it, I think I am just a lazy person. B says I have a true leo... who likes luxury and lazing around, and the two do go well hand in hand. ;)

Working with my hands

Oh am I not glad to be working on some crochet after ages. I have been looking for yarn and finally got it through a friend who went for work to US. I do really believe that India does not have great yarn with different textures and wonderful colours. They are just boring and all the yarn is the simple DK, worsted kinds. 

I have been wanting to make a sweater for Tee, and finally found a great pattern for her sweater at Crochet me. In case you have not been able to open the link, then the name of the pattern is " Baby its cold outside' .. isn't that like a super cute name for the sweater itself :) 

I have some mow yarn which I asked my friend to get… in fact I think I did ask her to get a lot of yarn… its so horrible that you not get yarn here ( I repeat myself ) .Anyhow, I have another pattern also which I will be making for Tee, maybe after this immediately or maybe after some time… before I attend a wedding in cold chilly Chandigarh in January. 

Here is a picture of what I have done till now. Its not a lot, the pattern says I should take like 3-4 hours to make it. which I agree with, just that I do not have 3-4 uninterrupted hours! 

Does anyone else do Crochet? 

Day 45 - Postcards

 

 I have missed so many days... and here I start again..

Day 44 - A corner

I missed to post something yesterday, so there will be 2 posts today... one coming up towards the end of the day.

My relationship in Series

Yesterday when I was sitting and watching Gossip Girl, it struck me that I have not been a very series person. For one, I do not always want to watch a series, and when I do, I am quite choosy about the shows I do watch. This made me think when was it that I started watching series on TV or else.


So, here goes, a chronological list of all that I have followed over the years.


As far back as I remember, the first series which I used to follow religiously was, Small Wonders, when it used to come on Star Plus. These were the days when Star Plus was the English channel which showed Santa Barbara, Bold and the Beautiful, Baywatch and such. I am guessing this would be 1993 - 94.


After this, the next series which caught my attention was Doogie Howser MD.  This was during the time when I had entered class 8 and was in a mood to become a doctor. Science, especially biology was something caught my fancy and this looked like a series which was contributing in my understanding to medicine and the difficulty associated with it.


After this series, there was a long gap till 2000 which is when I started to watch Friends. I think there are not too many people who would have not seen this series, and I have proudly watched all 10 seasons, and every single episode more than once. I think in college, this was more like a lifeline, short and sweet between all the studying and breaks.


In between, towards the end of college, I started to get bored of Friends and then decided to move on to Scrubs, again with my fascination with a medical series. I was totally taken in my JD and the mind talk which he was capable of. I thought this was a diff genre of comedy, infused with some serious mind share too to it. I watched all the 6 or 7 seasons, saw people change, get settled and move on with their lives. It feels good to know that life is such for each and every one of us.


Following this was the fantastic times when I watched every single episode of Sex and the City and was in love with each and every one of the characters. I have seen both the movies which were released and I think this marked the start for me into the fashion related series. I was introduced to all the fashion houses, brands and also started to keep a watch on what was being said about these fashioniastas at the current times.


Then came the era of the Desperate Housewives and they made a huge impact with a completely different set of problems, and their problems seemed not related to our lives at all, but nevertheless it was amazing to see the lovely 5 women strong and capable of taking care of their families. I wonder was this the woman in me being awaken... I guess not, as this was the series which I got off the fastest! I followed through the first season and maybe parts of the second, but I lost complete interest, and has not been watching it ever since.


After I lost interest with Desperate Housewives, then came the time for The O.C. This was a typical family drama set amongst the families residing in Orange County, California. Being in the last years of college, with a lot of free time, I did watch all 4 seasons of this series, and I liked the theme music a lot. I used to find the lead actress very pretty and her stylist always did a good job too. I think I watched this one solely for the fashion and drama value.


Then there was a huge gap, where was just watching re-runs and movies were occupying most of the time.. series had taken a back, so as to speak. Next came along Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia , both of them I watched simultaneously and were very similar also. The fact was they both ran on two diff channels in the US, so could afford to have a different set of audience. Both were suggested by a friend, and she was very sure it was something I would love. This again had a woman centric theme, three very successful corporate women, their friendship and relationships. I think it was something which drew me to it the most, considering this was the time when I had started working and was just getting acclimatized to the corporate world and its problems. Both these series ran just for 1 or 2 season(s), though I must say, these were really nice. And, if I was asked to choose a winner between the two, it would have been Lipstick Jungle. Anyhow, they never continued either of these series.


And then now what is that I watch? I watch Gossip Girl. Started watching it sometime over the last year, and have been following all the recent episodes in Season 4 too. It is a New York based high society drama, with the kids of the families at the centre and their lives and loves as they move from school to college et al.


Something which I have been planning to starting to watch is Modern Family. I have been hearing some good reviews about this series and yet to decide whether to start on this or not. Another few which I have been thinking of trying are How I met your Mother and Grey's Anatomy.


So now that you see my trend in TV Series and what kind of stuff generally tend to draw me, what do you suggest?

The lunch box issue

There is a lady in my office who likes to have soups! And she likes to make the same in the microwave, using my lunch box. This is the second time it has happened, and I do not understand how can it be so difficult to get a bowl if you can remember to get the soup packet.

I do not have an issue someone using my lunch box ( though I do not know why would someone want to do that, unless its urgent), but the soup cooked in the microwave leaves a red stain on the plastic, which I do not like. I had a clear plastic lunch box, and now I have an orangish tinge all over it. She has again borrowed the lunch box, and today I am going to inform her that I can not give it anymore!

Retarded Outlook

I am shocked that in a room where 15 people were sitting and having coffee/tea, they did not realize that the microwave was switched on for 3 minutes with nothing what so ever inside.

I have seen this happen many a times, someone keeps an X item for 5 mins and stops it in between at 3.5 minutes. They remove the X item and then shut the door, which results in the microwave proceeding to finish the rest of the 3.5 minutes with nothing to heat inside. Another variation of the incident which I have seen is that the person shall switch off the main power after removing the X item, which results in the microwave being set at 3.5 minutes, and the next person who wishes to use it being shocked to see the microwave start on its own when the door is shut!

I am sure it is not who ever uses the microwave does not understand the technology, its just that they do not care as its the office equipment!

This is such a retarded outlook to things!

A woman of 13

Just met a woman who was married when she was 13, and was a mother at 14.

Where do things stand now?

• She was advised by the doctors not have any more children due to an early childbirth.
• She went on to study and work as a lawyer.
• Her only daughter stays with her husband's parents, as they are the one's she is closest to and consider family.

I am not sure what I feel...

Bad luck, or maybe rotten

Its called bad luck, in fact rotten luck!

How many times is a bad thing if your boss finds you browsing through your personal mail/ Facebook?  I am not too sure, but I have been told twice, and he also added that he says it only every third time he spots me :( Now, that is certainly not good.

It is certainly not that I do not work, or I do not work hard. I plan my days, know what is expected of myself in a day and set to achieving it. But, I need my relaxations, and breaks, maybe quite a lot more than many others do. I usually keep thinking regarding my work as I might be browsing through Facebook, and in between I get back and jot down the thoughts which do cross my mind.

At times when I do think of it, I am not too sure that I like a work place which does not allow for some amount of personal place. Thankfully, my workplace is not that extreme, but maybe I am trying to push the limit a tad too much. Need to keep a check on my online activity.

Whats the situation at your work place?

Happiness

Many a times, some of my married friends have told me...you will learn with time that men just do not get the concept of gifting. They will take you out, spend money, all with no thought or issues. But, will they get something for you and surprise you...now that's something which they inherently are maybe scared of doing ( fear of us not liking it), and that is something which has an appeal to every girl, and that is something any amount of shopping together can never bring.

When these thoughts cross through my mind.. I feel maybe I am just being unnecessarily pesky and demanding. What is it that I can not walk and buy and feel good about it? There is perfectly nothing. I enjoy the surprises, so I should be the one planning and doing the needful to give a surprise... why wait for one! 

So, all said.. I think it is going to be a better tomorrow with less feeling bad and just happy about making him smile with my surprises.

Keep them nails pretty

Me being me, and me having always thought that I would know many beauty tricks... I am surprised I never ever thought of this before... well maybe prior to marriage I did not really need to know this.

When you cook, your nails tend to be slightly discoloured (courtesy the Indian spices) and then, you do not feel happy about it, not one bit...I hate having slightly yellow nails. The problem in wearing nail polish is that it tends to chip off easily and requires more time to be maintained. But, I recently realized that top coat, or colourless nail varnish is a great solution... it serves the purpose and doesn't chip off easily as its meant to be a top coat. Above all, it helps to keep the nails pink and white!!

Chickie Birdie

Here is something which I came across.. and oh man its classic! 

A little bit of me

I am a very possessive person, in fact I have always been that way. I like to keep those close to me, literally close to me, and I shall always strive to ensure that I make every effort towards it. Today, B is off for a fun drinking boys night out, and I pushed him towards it ( well, maybe he wanted to a lot himself too). He was meeting these guys after almost 2 months and I was sure he would love to go. But, he also knows how I would be bored and sitting staring ( or writing blogs) when he is gone. I am so proud of myself that I did finally give that last push and he decided to go for the get together. I bet he will enjoy alot... I mean don't guys and booze just spell out E-N-J-O-Y-M-E-N-T !!

Another thing which I wanted to put out there, a project my brother is working on, its a travel mug with replacable inserts. I think its cool, but then I am not much of a travel mug person. The inserts are washable, and it looks like something I would use if I drove to work, I guess thats the only time I might want to carry some coffee with me. But.. me and driving to work... I am sure that B would love to see that, and he would be even more thrilled if I would drive him around! He says he finds women who drive their men around.. HOT, and I think thats a ploy to get me to drive him around in the name of practice and obv to be HOT! ;)

The Egg factory

Egg Factory is a small quaint place located off St. Mark's Road, Bangalore. This is one place which I have been frequenting lately for breakfast on many Saturday mornings after I came across Egg Factory on Burrp when I was looking for some place to go other than Koshy's for a brunch on a Saturday. We went there and were so suprised to find so many variations with just eggs and vegetables as the prime ingredients.

The have omelettes, frittatas, pastas, sandwiches, biriyanis, bhurjis and rice and curry preparations. The options in each of these categories in itself are numerous. They open at 8 am for their early breakfast crowd, and are open till 11 pm. Over the many visits, the one favourite amongst us, is the Canneloni (tube pasta) stuffed with egg and bell peppers, this is certainly one item to visit this place for.

They also have some real interesting specialities all the way from the university town of Manipal. The various items are unique and the names are something I have not heard of not even once!

Here is the Parsi special egg bhurji called Akkuri

This is the Spaghetti with scrambled eggs, this was also yumm!

This is called the Keshto, a Manipal University special. They say it might have got its name from some ingenious student!

Planting time

The rains are here and I am so proud of the plants which I have suceeded in not killing.

I germinated 3 out of the 5 I have there right now. I do not know what the white flowers are called, I have tried googling it and asking people, but no one seems to know the name.

The ones that I have germinated are the croton and a verbena. I am posting some pictures.. the new saplings have been transplanted into new pots (and with a little extra water, hoping that dries up by tomorrow).

Dinner Time

Recently I have started cooking my own meals for dinner. No cook to come in to do the dinner preps, nor eating out almost every other day. I also thought that this would be a very simple way to ensure less fatty ingredients and to ensure a healthy intake of food in line with my health regime off late. I need to try a variety of items to ensure that there is a variety at the dinner table and also so that nothing overshoots my calorie limit.

This means I usually Google for a decent healthy recipe around 3- 4 PM and then follow to make a mental checklist as to what I would be required to pick up on my way back home.

Monday: Baby corn and Capsicum tossed
Tuesday: Batter fried Lady's finger ( that is not exactly calorie counting friendly!)
Wednesday: Spaghetti
Thursday: Paneer Burji
Friday: Soup and crackers
Monday: Pasta Salad
Tuesday: Pasta salad with more veggies and crackers also

Oh! Did I not mention that weekends are kitchen break days ( only for dinner) :D

Shimmer

I have successfully finished off my very first lipstick!

I am ..well.. happy and also quite sad as that shade does not feature in their catalog anymore! The shade is called Manish Malhotra Shimmer 2, and in fact I have the Shimmer 1 also, which is also bound to finish in another month. I believe this was the first time Lakme came out with the designer inspired line of cosmetics, and from then that has been more like a trademark for them during the India fashion weeks.

I have been looking out at a similar shade once I realized that I would be needing to replace my age old lipstick, and I have also been thinking (maybe because of the saving money streak in the air), why is it that when we have a perfectly nice cosmetic line at home, why did I always keep looking longingly at the Chambor and MAC counters? I looked up the Lakme webpage, and the entire range of products which they have, and I must say, I was quite impressed with the variety and also that there was a great deal more suited to Indian skin tones. ( Ya, I know that was quite expected!) The shades were similar and I already knew that Lakme products are good, infact after visiting lakme salons I know their service is also great! Adept and friendly staff.

This led me to think as to why do we need to pick up a Body shop or Lush product to feel good! There are certainly some products which I believe are not available with Indian brands, but why do we have a tendency (especially in cosmetics) to trust foreign brands over Indian ones?

Is it because of the head start they had? But then we could have learnt and picked up the tried and tested results of the west, right?

Is it because the models who adorn these products are way prettier? Well, we do not look like them, so maybe we should not try to emulate them, right?

Anyhow, at the end of all the reading and surfing, I decided on getting the Aquashine lip colour from Lakme, shade - Wine!