K's admission- FINALLY!!!!!!!!!

Well...WE ARE IN...THANK YOU GOD...out of the nine schools we had applied for, we made it to one and a half. One- Junior Modern, half- wait listed with Vasant Valley.

The lists were due to be out on the first of Feb and Vasant Valley duly released its list midnight, throwing me into a paroxysm of grief and fear. Grief, as we were wait listed, and fear, that we wouldn't make it anywhere else like last year. And it would've been the case, had we not made it to Junior Modern. I sympathise and empathise from the bottom of my heart with parents who still have to think about admissions next year as it could very easily have been us. We have been saved, but many haven't.

And we all have this completely idiotic system of school entry to blame. With every thing that happens in this country, we collectively prove that we are a nation of morons. The current system of school admissions was introduced to spare the poor toddlers the trauma of going through 'interviews'. So far, so very good. Now the moronic bit- how do u decide that this lot of parents make it and the other set does not? You introduce the point system and give the schools a free hand in deciding their own criteria for awarding points. So one school will give points for multi-cultural marriages of parents (we proudly fill in our details- still not even a call for interaction :-( ), the other school will be asking for your religious beliefs. And of course, as nothing in Delhi happens without contacts, you have to know the right people to make it anywhere- we are the freaks who along with some other freaks made it without knowing the 'right' ones!!

After having put a neighbourhood policy for schools, all it lacks for the government is to enforce it. And if the good schools all happen to be in one locality, we have parents giving in forged certificates for residence, forged certificates proving they belong to the economically weaker section (so what if the women are all Gucci toting dyed auburn haired Toyota driving babes), their children will make it to the right schools. And you can't blame the poor fathers for suddenly making it big from the supposed 60000 a year income that they have sworn to!

The Sriram school had a huge group discussion for parents- we flunked it- we must have! This school which promotes a no pressure policy and has a great feel about it, has the biggest quota for management that I've seen so far. So 5 parents I know made it to the school through this quota- two know someone in the management, the other two are expat couples who I seriously doubt know anyone anywhere. And they are on a short stay here. So on what basis have they been awarded seats for two years which could have gone to deserving Indian children, for whom it's a matter of the next twelve years.


So let me also talk a bit about the school we wanted Kabir to get into- Sardar Patel Vidyalaya. Anuj and I love the philosophy promoted by the school- of making well rounded individuals rather than machines. So when we weren't even called for an interview, even though we stay 1.8 kms precisely from the school, we went and met the principal. A very jovial lady, who I now firmly believe got totally pissed off that her school also has a price tag (me and my big mouth- mentioned that I had just the previous day seen a rate card for schools and her school also was on it and that we weren't the kind of parents who would pay up even if we had the money or know how to...long story short- I do believe now she thought I was bribing her !!!!!! I wouldn't even know how to..) everyone who knows me thinks I am too direct, and now I think I have the proof. Please forgive me Kabir if you weren't offered a fair chance for this school.

So we wanted her to know how sincere we were- we are not running scared of the first five years of hindi medium education, and we loved what they seem to be promoting with their method. But in our effort to prove our sincerity- my husband and I tried to meet her many times, we called- many times, we sent mails and couriers- all detailing the ways in which we as parents could contribute to the school, how much we loved it etc etc etc. All of it , contrary to popular belief, came to naught. The haughty lady, I do think believes those in 'rich' residential areas are just not worth the effort! Talk about inverse snobbery.

Well, I have been going on and on, still crossing my fingers that my son makes it to Vasant Valley.

p.s..a big well done to the website www.nurseryadmissions.com ..check it out

Abeer's first film and more!!

Well this weekend was certainly an action packed one and in a more or less good way!! Having spent all of Friday evening in deciding what to do, which show of which film to go for...we switched to Anuj going for K's birthday party shopping and finally settled on having lunch at Sagar (idli-dosa) and going t Qutb Minar. Kabir had made a Q M in school, so like all good parents- I'm sorry great parents , it was only right that we took him to see the real deal.
And having forgotten that it was a Saturday, we had also forgotten how crowded it could be and was owing to the weekend school crowds. And of course, this being India, one can't expect even the least bit of organisation- school children were running to get in, with teachers having no control- recipe for stampede- i really shudder to think what can happen!
Anyway, rejecting our first impulse that of turning the car around and running away, we managed to struggle in, promptly to be accosted (and this happens very very often these days) by a woman carrying a small girl. Now this woman in question is trying to force her little girl to shake hands with our barely-six-month-old-just-recovered-from-a-long-illness-boy, and mercifully the girl declines. But of course the mother does not give up, she then urges her daughter to touch the baby all over his face, to which I have a horrified NO- please don't touch my baby- he has a bad rash on his face!! And the mother promptly, hurt because of my rude behaviour, walks off.

What is it about us, that makes us genetically insensitive as a race? Why can't we understand that there is personal space allotted to each individual that is not meant to be breached? Why is all idiotic behaviour cloaked by 'well wishes'? Anyway that had kept me occupied- fuming that is, for most part of our visit which lasted all of fifteen minutes.

Ad then we went for 3 Idiots- the new Amir Khan starrer this morning. It's a fabulous movie, with Amir K giving a stellar performance. Didn't really expect this kind of a film from Vidhu Chopra- maker of 1942 a love story. The film was enjoyable most of its 2 and 1/2 hours or so...it does drag a bit in parts and improbable where they show amir k delivering the opponent's (the director of his college) grandson...but what the hell- it is an Indian film!!!

Since it was a big mental see-saw on whether to take Abeer or not, a big thanks to him, for sleeping through most of the film...well done and of course, we finished it off with a great lunch at the Newscafe...

All in all, not a bad weekend, now the week starts again. In this week- the world book fair, the suraj kund mela, kabir birthday planning and most importantly- K's school admission lists which come out tomorrow.

Birthday party themes...

my husband made me delete this post...he made me go forward and back...not sexually just the button on my laptop and he thinks he's so cool :-(
So my initial post was all about planning for K's birthday party or rather the lack of it...Am normally so organized, this time just have nothing...not even a theme...his admission lists are looming large just two more days to go and then we get to know which school he gets into...please God, he's a good boy...

Curing Salmon

Anuj says he's going to get me my very own web space- to write about my recipes...till then...

I finally managed to cure the salmon- which was cured mostly. Mostly, because I left the sides a bit salt less so they remained a bit 'cured-less'. And then Anuj had this brilliant idea to grill it salt and all- result- fabulous grilled semi cured salmon!!!
Write back for the recipe :-)

Roadside Romeo...woof woof

Well with this animation film, we have proved without any speck of doubt that we are morons- I wish the maker of this Yashraj film for children - Jugal Hansraj, is listening.
Anyone who sees this film (I had to because of my four year old) and doesn't know what I'm talking about- this one is not for you.

It is not a cute animated film about dogs for the kiddos (no- leave that to Hollywood to make fabulously funny flicks like 101 dalmatians etc), we have to make our poor 'galli-ke-kutte' also talk like, well our filmi 'galli-ke-kutte'!!! The film is a love story between Saif (who voices for the part like Saif) and Kareena (who tries to voice like a sexy bitch- pardon the pun- and fails miserably, probably because her voice stands unaided by her on screen 'beauty'). There is also the mafioso ' charlie anna' played by the ever so talented Javed Jaffrey - the only grace of this otherwise miserably made movie. No confusion here- it is a c grade Hindi film, with a fallen from grace spoilt dog learning to be street smart falling in love with the Don's love promising to get him the girl saving the don and being given the girl- please excuse I can't be bothered with exclamation marks.
And just one more thing please don't expect decent language just because this film is aimed for children- pee, shut up, idiot, sasur ka nati and all the epithets that are omnipresent in a film set in mumbai meri jaan are right here!!!

I really didn't want to spend more than 10 minutes warning other poor souls and that time's up. Enough time wasted seeing the film as it is!!!

Retail Therapy :-)

And I did it again...went to the mall and spent a bomb a mothercare, buying things which are two seasons too big for both my boys. Reason for this madness- huge sale, or part of it was on huge sale. Result: lots of money spent, satisfaction of not having to spend full money or the tension of not looking out for Kabir's clothes...patch up with hubby dear...all for a good cause :-)

And as for the cooking thing...nothing today, am looking for mackerel recipes though!!!

Food blogging :-)

By the way, according to my new resolve, am going to try and write about the food I make or the lunches I arrange for Anuj...tomorrow it's plain aloo sabzi with chapatis.
I think the salmon has been successfully cured!

Preschooler's Birthday Party

Today I went with my nearly-four-year-old son to one of his friend's birthday party. Considering the fact that we'd been there the last time as well; we knew just what to expect...big party in a sprawling mansion...2000 balloons, fancy gifts etc. And so it was bigger and better, if a little sombre *(if that's possible)...the theme- Alexander McQueen (no not the designer, the car).
Everything is Lightening McQueen including the bouncy castle and the return gifts must be more than what we gave the poor birthday boy! (by the way what the hell do u give a super rich boy who has everything?)
So Kabir goes on to have a great time except for the hunger- he's just not used to eating late; well at least late by my standards. How cool can a party be if most of the snacks being served are clearly 'adult' in their nature? Or if the cake takes forever to be cut or the food is nowhere to be seen? (Well it was great when it was seen finally, with different dishes for children) What do you say when your son who's just not used to soft fizzy drinks, asks for juice?

Well I'm not being mean, especially as this little boy's mum happens to be a real sweet girl. But it's just a difference in sensibilities, where we make sure at a children's party, it is indeed the kids who come first!

*though not a reason for the sobriety, I got to know later the mother had just remarried, literally a couple of days earlier; recovering from a terrible divorce from an alcoholic physically abusive husband! And if educated girls with super strong parent support take this kind of abuse from their husbands, what do the less privileged ones do?

What am I doing?

No, it's an update on facebook...just a 'profound' question about my life and what i plan to do with it in the near future besides what i'm doing with it right now...
So, I'm bringing up children, cooking lunches, baking cakes, planning dinners, fixing play dates, and massaging fragile egos, wiping tears, dusting rooms, washing clothes....and getting so bored. I feel so useless not working 'in an office'...and now i don't even know what was saying- my husband was quite upset that i hadn't told him- I was going to write a small paragraph everyday.
This is probably what i do- I ramble...and so i ramble on

'Cooker Cooker...where were't thou?

Yes, in the collective opinion of all concerned...I have gone bonkers!
Cooking with a passion like this...where did it all start from? Possibly form my mother who cooks like a dream- cooks only Indian food, but cooks like a dream. Maybe from my dad who would not eat out in restaurants- preferring to go back home and eat mother made dal-roti. Or from my grandmother- amma, who taught many a things to her daughter-in-law- my mom...
Well, for someone who only ever baked some pizzas or made some cakes, and who had no idea about the basic dals, I make a mean cook- and it's not just me who says it!

Oh so cold!!!!

Well, I've been battling with this nasty little piece of common cold for almost two weeks now...first with Kabir who got it so bad and now me...who got it sooo bad!
And on top of this , I don't feel like doing anything at all...like I used to before having a baby...the ONLY downside of having a baby (at least for people like me who don't trust in the collective powers of ayahs and grandmothers!) is that you can never laze around and be decadent as you used to pre-baby.
And then there is the added intrigue- which doesn't make your mental state any better- murmurs and rumours around selling this house and buying another one...my life or rather our lives seem to have taken a course beyond our control.
I wonder are all parents like Anuj's? No I know they aren't. Mine aren't. Neither are so many more I know. And it's not just a question of appearances. Most parents do talk to their children AND listen to them when they are making important decisions of their lives. Like selling part of their house for peanuts and then expecting three families to stay in the space for one. Not sharing their 'financial secrets' lest the wicked sons and their even more wicked wives (now that Swati is gone- wife) do away with all their 'hard earned money'. That the 'hard earned money' is a legacy of their own parents, kind of escapes their notice.
Well, just like our wedding which was a complete antithesis of what we wanted from a marriage ceremony, I guess we'll just have to make the best of this hash. I hope we do a good job.

Buying new books!

I guess it never goes away- the excitement that comes with buying a new (oh my god am I really going to say it?) TEXTBOOK? I am a 33 year old mother of a two and a half year old boy...am I really excited about buying a new text book...yes it is for myself!!!!! Well, I do happen to be a bibliophile and while the scent of new non text-books does get my heart going a strange rhythm; the idea of buying anything remotely 'textbookish' (and this includes dictionaries, atlases, maps- which I buy just to pore over etc) gets me closer to the edge.

So what does it make me? A fetishist of some sort for sure! Have I never been able to get out of school or has the idea of 'school' BECOME A PART OF MY PSYCHE?
Hang on why am I obsessing about buying a simple text book? Because I bought it- because I went ( and dragged my husband, baby boy and niece along with me) to the only bookshop that stocks it and which happened to be fifteen kilometres away? Because I am writing about it in my blog? Oh forget it...just my overworked brain finding a release in this foolish line of thought.

Well I have decided to take Delf B 1 and just have to work a little for it.
But that doesn't take away the fun of buying new textbooks.

Great weather!!!!

Amazing Weather......after a long time..not really true...but feels like it all the same...sitting out in my garden...am wondering how long will i be able to enjoy this here in Jor B?
The past month has been so F*** ALL....and the months before that- so hectic that I have a feeling of having run all this while without sitting down to draw my breath...just a quick recap....getting a house reconstructed...dealing with in-laws...preparing (and I mean buying EVERYTHING) for Deepa's wedding...preparing AND travelling to the U.S. (finally after my elder sister's been there for 16 years)...hoping and planning lots of FUN...figthing with my baby sister-who could do no wrong in my eyes and whose wedding it is...and whose appt we are staying in...we don't speak for the rest of the trip which lasts all of FIVE days instead of the original TWENTY ODD days because, and this takes the cake...Swati DIED.... still can't believe it...sweet, gentle Swati...the person who was the warmest towards me and welcomed me like a sister when I got married and came into this cold cold house....Swati who's been a better friend to me lately than my own sisters...Swati who just listened and didn't criticize...I miss you...and I can't believe that you are gone....and we are laughing, eating, eating out...trying to make the children feel as if it's a part of everyday life to lose the person you love dearly so young...

So today I guess it's just become too much for my brain and it in turn took it out on my neck and gave me acute vertigo....and so I decided to sit ouside and enjoy this gorgeous weather while I still have the luxury of staying here in Jor B.!

Qutub Minar on a sunday!

Most of us, or so I'd like to believe, are strangers to our own cities and towns. Having lived and grown up in one place, we know the roads and the bylanes, the markets and the restaurants, but still sometimes remain ignorant of its charms.

My husband Anuj and I have long thought about why we've never visited the big tourist attractions of New Delhi and still could never come up with a suitably satisfying answer. Maybe because we took them for granted...maybe that's why it took me 23 years to see Taj Mahal!

Well having decided to be tourists in our own home, we planned on visiting Qutub Minar, a place we'd both been to as children and therefore wanted to look at it from a fresh perspective. Maybe we'd like to visit it more often?

The last of the beautiful Sundays at hand (summer is HERE!), having woken up sufficiently early, breakfast packed, camera checked, off we went prepared to be wooed.

And were we wooed! One look at the serenely imposing minar and we were bowled over. No childhood memory had prepared us for the eternal magnetism of the monument. The weather was so good at 8 a.m. that even Kabir- our 13 month old- was having a good time.

This time we took a good look around. The Alai Darwaza, the iron pillar, the mosque, the precinct and of course the Qutub Minar itself, took on a new meaning. As a child you miss out the grandeur of things. The construction of such monuments and for that matter forts and palaces leaves you wondering about the technique and art of construction in the times where nothing was easy- no electricity, let alone sophisticated weapons of mass construction!!! Maybe that's why everybody took their job so seriously and maybe that's why these palaces and forts are still standing compared to modern housing which leaks and crumbles at every weather change!
(And yes if the famous iron pillar shows some signs of rust at the bottom, it's taken some hundred years to do that...so please don't complain)

And while you are still wondering about the quality of the stuff, one more question pops into your head- it sure popped into mine- who were these architects who thought of such amazing structures and executed their making? We always read about such and such king who built such and such historic monument, but the architects almost always remain unsung!


Coming back to the subject-that of visiting the Qutub Minar, the grounds are well maintained, they even have ramps for people with babies in strollers and the disabled!
The only thing I miss is the challenge to hug the iron pillar backwards in an attempt to prove you can do it- the claim being that no one can! To prevent insensitive people from scribbling their names and generally dirtying it, a railing has been put around it.

To cut a long story short, it is definately worth one's while to head down there and spend some time getting acquinated or as in our case reacquainted with our own history. It certainly would do some good!

Bhakti Utsav

It's been almost a month since we went for this unique series of concerts organised by the Delhi government and Sehar. In fact we went for the first and the last day and I must say we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
More than us, our year old baby, Kabir, loved being out in the park with excellent music to dance and play to.

Out of all the excellent performances, Sanjeev Abhayankar's rendition of Krishna bhajans was superlative and set the tone for other brilliant performers. Two more set of musicians whose respective performances went straight to the soul were: Ustad Chand Afazal with Gurbani and the sufis of Dargah Yusufain from Hyderabad. The latter were rather unceremoniously asked to step down as the concert was running a bit late- when will Indian comperes learn to be more humble and graceful?

Overall, it was a commendable attempt in a long series of many more, by the Delhi govt to make music accessible to all, and much more importantly, to make Indian classical music maestros take their inimitable art to the general public, thus reviving what could otherwise be a dying interest in a musical tradition as old as our history!