Of Princesses and Peas

There has recently been a huge hoopla about gender nuetrality and gender stereotyping. While I definitely think it is a healthy approach, letting boys occasionally  play with kitchen toys and girls with Tonka trucks, I also think it's ok to let your girl be the girliest girl she wants to be and your boy be...well...just a boy!

My 6 year old has a severe case of what I like to call "Princessitis". She is currently Queen Elsa of Arendale, she informs me in a haughty tone...I literally "bow" to her wishes. She wants me to do an elaborate curtesy everytime I address her...I watch closely as she performs the requisite curtesy and yes...before you ask...I am crazy enough to follow it through! She wears my new blue dupatta like a train and I merely remind "Her Majesty" (as she naturally expects to be called) not to let her train dip into the toilet bowl when she goes pee-pee! 

Now some of you may call me crazy for indulging her like this, but I say "why the hell not!". Kids these days are fast losing their innocence due to an ever increasing exposure to the outside world and if I, by "indulging" her thus, help her hold on to her childhood just a bit longer, I say again "Why the hell not!" 

After all she is 6 just once in her life.  Now if she insists on wearing a tiara to high school when she is 16, rest assured I will definitely NOT indulge!!! But till the time comes when she herself,  is ready to let go of her childhood (which I suspect will not be too far away)... I am going to let her have free rein of her imagination and to a minor extent, my wardrobe. 

Now, if you will excuse me,  I need to go to the Royal Bedchamber and put a pea under "Her Majesty"s mattress,  so that she can test for herself whether she is a true princess or not! 

Where Hope Springs Eternal

The last couple of days saw an outpouring of Facebook status updates and blog posts commemorating the 1st anniversary of the March 11 earthquake in Japan. Some were poignant, some were sappy, some were touching and all were written by foreigners or "Gaijins" as we are called here. The Japanese prefer to mourn in private, rather than wear their hearts on their sleeves...or should I say their Facebook walls!

I too, spent the better part of the 11th, alternating between reminiscing about that fateful day and wondering how best to put it into words. The 1st brought back memories I would not wish on my worst enemy (ummm...well....maybe a teensy lil bit!!! :P) and the 2nd left me in a state of total confusion. After all how could I...how could anyone put into words the sheer horror, the devastation, the utter tragedy that was March 11 and more importantly how could one possibly express the indomitable spirit, the courage, the silent strength and the immense will power that is present in each and every Japanese. I had watched in mute horror as a mother identified the lifeless bodies of her young children with a single nod and a bowed head. The stark image of a young woman, holding an infant, her head held high, while her house with all her worldly possessions collapsed behind her, is also one I shall never forget.

There is a famous song by Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto, called "Ue o Muite Arukō" - which best describes the typical Japanese mind set. The loosely translated lyrics mean "I look up as I walk, so that my tears won't fall"- the song and its meaning send shivers up my spine each time I hear it and it always reinforces my awe of this wonderful race. This "never-say-die" attitude and resilience has helped the Japanese through countless rough times and this time too, it is one of the main reasons that a mere one year after the horrific tragedy, life in Japan has resumed its usual frenetic pace, albeit with a few changes . 

It's a given, that life has changed for us...in big and little ways. Prior to the earthquake, we would blindly buy produce believing that the fruits and veggies available here were second to none, in terms of taste and freshness; yet we now cast furtive glances at the place of origin...any produce coming from any prefecture near the nuclear disaster zone is hurriedly put back, lest mere contact contaminate us!!! Cooking with and drinking mineral water (at least for the Brat) has become a part of life. Friends have moved to other countries and we find our weekends empty of "adda" sessions, late night pizza parties but most importantly we miss the feeling of being a part of an extended family away from home. In what's becoming as natural to me as breathing, every time the earthquake alarm application on my iPhone (it is called "Yurekuru" for all those who want to download it) buzzes...I run a quick mental checklist... passports-check, money-check, various cards-check, Earthquake kit- check, Brat-check (as I am writing this another biggie is rocking my house...but by now I have learnt how to multitask- writing, mentally ticking my checklist, all the while assuring the Brat that we won't have to run down the stairs again are all a piece of cake for me now!!!!!!)

The aforementioned earthquake kit (given by my husband's office, but also available at various stores) is a veritable cornucopia of essentials like a solar powered torch-cum-radio, bottled water, energy bars, blankets, playing cards (to while away long hours at earthquake shelters), basic medicines and the most interesting of all a portable toilet with toilet paper...yet another insight into the eye for detail that is so typical of the Japanese. I know....I know, I am sounding like the brand ambassador of Japan but it is difficult to live in this country and not be awed by its people.  

This is the country that saw me set up my first home, the country that saw me become a mother, the country that helped me develop a sense of independence and give birth to a braver me (believe me,  climbing down 14 floors of a violently rocking high rise with a wailing toddler in your arms does make you dip into your inner well of courage). Sure this country has it's negative traits too...the inflexibility, the blind following of certain archaic rules and regulations, an almost unhealthy obsession with punctuality (what's with that anyways!!!!!! :O), clinging to their mother-tongue as if life was a rapid and the language their only lifeboat...but at the end of the day the positives still outweigh the negatives by a large margin and I still feel proud to call this country my second home!

So here's to Japan in all it's myriad glory- a country where hope springs eternal and the Sakura blooms forever.

Happy Birthday My Baby!!!

Giggles and smiles
Naughtiness and wiles
That's what Kuhu's made of...


Sunshine to clear every cloud
Sometimes quiet but mostly loud
That's what Kuhu's made of...


A terror, a brat
Tears at the drop of a hat
That's what Kuhu's made of...



A bundle of sweetness,brightness & fun
The beauty of springtime, the warmth of the sun
That's what Kuhu's made of...



Laughter that melts your heart
A sloppy kiss for every hurt
That's what Kuhu's made of...


Twinkling eyes, a toothy grin
Mischief filled upto the brim
That's what Kuhu's made of...



Temper tantrums at the mall
The deadly calm before a squall
That's what Kuhu's made of...


A bear hug at the end of the day
Bubbling with words she can't wait to say
That's what Kuhu's made of...



A bundle of contradictions and often a tease
A creature of moods not easy to please...
That's what Kuhu's made of...



Mamma's joy and her father's pride
Taking life right in her stride
Today she is turning three
Just one thing to say -
"Oh Lord! Bless me!!!!" ;)



My Bucket List aka Things To Do Before I Kick The Bucket!!!

1. Learn how to bake.

2. Watch a revue at Moulin Rouge

3. Buy something hugely expensive and totally indulgent with my own money.

4. Get B-I-L married off!!!!!!!!!

5. Climb Mt. Fuji (naaaaaaaah...who am i kidding!!!)

5. Wear skinny jeans AND look good in them!!!

6. Ride the 'Palace on Wheels' in Rajasthan

7. Go to Las Vegas and lose a big amount of money in the casino

8. Win an even bigger amount of money the next day!!!

9. Witness a total Solar Eclipse

10. Go on a mother-daughter holiday when Kuhu is 16.

11. Learn to say “hello” in 30 languages.

12. Earn money doing something I love (My dream job: Food Critic!!!)

13. Take my mom on a holiday abroad and my in-laws specially F-I-L to England.

14. Eat at 'Four Seasons' in New York

15. See Venice on a gondola by night (without the brat!!!)

16. Own my dream home (with a patio & a skylight in the bedroom)

17. Learn to salsa

18. Visit the pyramids at Egypt

19. Fly in a hot-air balloon over the Serengeti at sunset

20. Learn not to say 'Yes' when I really mean 'No'!!!

21. Visit Kashmir and stay in a houseboat.

22. Swim with the dolphins

23. Learn to cook atleast 2 dishes from each major cuisine.

24. Become financially literate.

25. Eat clam chowder at Fisherman's Wharf, San Fransisco

26. Gift hubby his dream guitar

27. Get hypnotized (for real!!!)

28. Attend a Manga workshop

29. Get a TOTAL makeover- hair, clothes, makeup, body...the works!!!

30. Get a tattoo

31. Be the kind of mom to the Brat that all girls dream of...a friend, philosopher n guide in the truest sense.

32. Volunteer at an NGO for child welfare.

33. Come back to Japan with hubby for a holiday on our 25th anniversary if we are still not here then!!! If we are still here, then go and see the Northern Lights.

34. Make exercise and healthy eating a part of my and my family's daily routine

35. Send the Brat to the college of her choice

36. Publish a piece in a magazine

37. Visit Yellowstone National Park, USA

38. Hold a live snake!

39. Overcome fear of heights and ride the rollercoaster at Fujikyu (Po wait for me!!!!!!)

40. Be less emotional during arguments!!!

41. Succesfully bid on something at an auction.

42. Appreciate more what I have got and work harder towards what I want...

43. Visit Hazaribagh (my Dad's ancestral home)

44. Create a family tree

45. Make a scrapbook for the Brat, filled with memorabilia that I will give her on her 18th birthday.

46. Be more organized in my day-to-day life

47. Own a DSLR and take atleast one great picture a week.

48. Learn to confront people when necessary

49. Go on a Caribbean cruise

50. Have a star named after me (hubby are you reading this??? :P)

51. Identify atleast 5 friends who I know will always be there for me no matter what.

52. Learn Reiki

53. See 'Cats' on Broadway

54. Take the Brat to Disneyland

56. Learn how to make the perfect risotto

57. Throw a surprise birthday party for Brat/Hubby

58. Watch the sunset over Santorini, Greece

59. Own a pair of Manolos

60. Attain as many goals as possible in my Bucket List.

Me, Myself & I....

1. I believe getting wet in the rain just for the heck of it; lying down under the open sky & counting stars; stealing a kiss when u know u can get caught and eating a big tub of ice cream all by yourself are experiences EVERYONE must have at some point in their lives....

2. I am a total morning person...just as long as my mornings start at 11 o'clock...

3. I love typing...the longer the words, the better. My husband thinks I must have been a typist in my previous life...I have to agree!!!! (I just deleted the word 'last' and typed in 'previous' because it's longer!!!)

4. I still can't believe I'm a mother at times and it's been 8 months now!!! (It took me almost a year to get used to the fact that I was married so I still have 4 months to go)

5. I have 'trash n flash' phases where I steer clear of any intellectually stimulating books or movies...

6. I always fantasized about getting married in a church ever since I was a kid...

7. I loved the marriage ceremony I actually had and wouldn't have it any other way (or with anybody else) ;)

8. I once sang 'George of the Jungle' straight for 3 days and drove everyone around me bonkers!!!

9. If I have an unfinished dream, I can continue where I left off the following night.

10. I love(d) looking into the albums of random people on orkut and hate the fact that I can't do it anymore because of the stupid privacy thingy!!! :P

11. I'm crazy about my husband....just thinking about him gets me smiling in a goofy way (like I'm doing right now) :D

12. I have always wanted a tattoo but I'm too chicken to actually get it done! PS: I hate fake tattoos...If I do get one it'll be the real deal!

13. I love watching cartoons, specially 'Tom & Jerry'...my baby likes action flicks!!!!!!!!!!!

14. I have a horrible memory where it comes to names and birthdays...I have committed some major gaffes thanks to my memory!!!!

15. Not a day goes by when I don't miss my dad and wish he could have seen his grand-daughter grow up...

16. I flunked my driving test the first time because I confused the brake with the accelerator and rammed into a lamp-post...subsequently I did receive my license but discovered that I'm too lazy to drive and would much rather be driven around!!!!

17. I believe chocolate can cure ANYTHING!!!!

18.I love taking blood tests...it's fun seeing the way the blood fills up the syringe!!!

19. I sometimes just stand over the crib when my baby's sleeping and wonder how I got so lucky!!!!

20. I think conversation is a fine art which very few people I know have mastered.

21. I once bought 4 tubes of L'Oreal lipper in my search for THE perfect shade...which I eventually didn't find!!! :((((

22. I think disposable contact lens is the best invention since sliced bread!!!

23. I think couples who say they never fight are just lying!!!! Same goes for people who say they have no regrets in life!!!

24. My mom is the strongest woman I know...if I could be half as brave as she has been I would consider myself to be very lucky!

25. I sometimes like to say out words aloud just for the heck of it!!!!

26. I am a dog person...cats creep me out...they are too silent for my liking & they stare at you in a most unnerving manner!!!

27. I SUCK at math!!!!!!!!!

28. I think Google holds the answer to all of life's questions!!!

29. Living the life of Garfield highly appeals to me...sleeping in the sun, eating lasagna and a teddy bear...what more does one want!!!! :P

30. I believe God is a woman!!!!

School Days

I miss school...not that I was the most popular girl around, nor did I excel in studies or sports. Infact what best describes me during my school days is 'average'...I was average looking, average in academics (and to be honest, way way below average in math and geography, something which even today I deplore of), had an average amount of popularity amongst my peers (I used to get the most amazing goodies for lunch after all!!!) but I had more than average share of fun that's for sure!!!

Sneaking out with friends to the terrace where 5 or 6 of us would jostle over one forbidden can of beer (mom, if you are reading this please don't get mad!!!), eating spicy 'phhuchkas' till our eyes watered and our tongues went numb, bunking classes and going into the garden where we had our own 'private' spot- a small alcove behind the school gymnasium, those long long walks leading to nowhere; talking about things that seemed 'oh so important' to us: exams, boys, clothes, movies, boys, the latest food joint and you guessed it boys again!!! (hey! we did study in an all girls school so they were quite the unexplored territory so to speak!). School days were a fun-filled melange of living in the moment and having very distant dreams about what the future held for us.

I had no obligations, no need to worry my head over who would pay the bills, didnt have to wrack my head over what to cook for dinner, most of all didnt have the hugely frightening responsibility of taking care of a whole living breathing human being- my baby. But then when I look at her sleeping peacefully in my DH's arms, her head on his chest and his chin resting on her head...I know that this is my world now and I couldnt be happier. School days were fun no doubt but it's best left in the past...this is my now and my future and it's everything I could have hoped for.

As they say "The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift that's why they call it the present"...

A perfect summer day

Yesterday was one of those near-perfect days with lazy white clouds floating in a cerulean blue sky, the sun mischeivously playing hide and seek during the earlier part of the morning and coming out in full force by late morning. Yesterday was the perfect time for friends, fun and frolic and all three we combined by going to Tokyo Summerland (Tokyo's biggest aqua theme park). The merry lot comprised of old friends (R,P and their yummilicious baby girl M) and new (S&A) and ofcourse me, DH and my bro-in-law. As usual going by our code of IST (Indian Stretchable Time ie.) we left half an hour after the time when we were to have reached (if it sounds confusing to you, imagine how much confusion the situation created for us!!!).

The train journey (in Japan this particular mode of transport is the most reliable, except for when certain suicidal idiots jam up the train lines on busy monday mornings, but then that's another story) took the better part of 2 hours which we fully utilized by playing dumb charades and generally ogling a girl with 'Hello Kitty' nail art and knee length cowboy suede boots (in peak summer mind you). After reaching Akigawa station (atleast I think that was the name) and feeling as hungry as bears after their long winter hibernation, we quickly stopped at a 'conbini' (convenience store for the uninitiated) and stuffed our guts with an assortment of fried chicken, chips, pudding and icecream (feeling hungry just thinking about it!!!). We then boarded the bus for Summerland where we proceeded to spend the rest of the day in and out of various pools and onsens (hot springs Japan is famous for), enjoying various rides and ofcourse eating more fried chicken!!!

Tired but extremely happy, the train journey back home was spent mainly dozing and trying to calm down a hungry baby M...my own kiddo was home with her grandparents to whom DH and I are extremely grateful, since it is because of their reassuring presence that we are still able to maintain a semblance of a social life, which with a squalling newborn would have been difficult to say the least (not that newbie parents without parental support dont do it all the time).

Thanks R for goading us into going.....it really was the perfect way to spend the perfect day!!!! :)