http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/ IndusLadies is a global online community of Indian Ladies. Discuss and share ideas about topics interesting to Indian Women. They discuss about Cooking,Recipes,Pregnancy,Parenting,Shopping,Articles,Snippets,jokes,work from home,marriage and family,etc. en Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:01:52 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.IndusLadies.com/forums/images/006/misc/rss.jpg http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/ http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/close-encounters-with-questioning-mind-399/ Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:37:58 GMT My little one has just discovered the 4 Ws in life! Why?, Who?, What?, When? So there starts my second round with the close encounters of the questioning kind. My older one is a questioner too, and it started when he was three, he is 11 now and the questions have not stopped. Now I know why God... My little one has just discovered the 4 Ws in life! Why?, Who?, What?, When? So there starts my second round with the close encounters of the questioning kind. My older one is a questioner too, and it started when he was three, he is 11 now and the questions have not stopped.
Now I know why God made Moms, guess he would not be able to handle the gamut of questions that kids ask:spin.

What starts of as seemingly innocent questions, often lands us in trouble, embarassment, and what not. Often the same question wil be asked a 1001 times,( when the child is 4) and they expect the same answer. If once we answer differently, then oh no, we are in big trouble till we give them the answer they are looking for. Like for instance, my little fellow has asked me " Amma , what do the astronauts do in space? " a little over thousand times i think. I have to say they are doing science experiments without fail. If i say oh they are taking a walk or having fun, I am out of the game.
Its fun to see how our answers change as the kids grow too. A simple Amma , where does the sun go at night? Is answered differently for each age from 3 to 6 ( by now i think they know how the process works!)
The other day, the weather being nice, we had gone for a walk in the trail near our house . There were a few men jogging, bare chested. And my little one has to ask in the loudest voice possible " Amma , why is he running with his shirt off? " My hubby was looking for a place to :hide, and i was susshing him, and he was pretty insistent on knowing right then and there Why the man is running with his shirt off!!
A couple of years back, my older one then 9 , came home from school one day asked me . Mom what do they mean when some one is gay?" I got the shock of my life. I mean , there are two meanings right for the word Gay, and he is too young to know the "other " meaning. So i just told him , of course don't be silly, 9 years old and you don't know the meaning of Gay? it means to be verry merry and happy .. Ok he was happy with that answer, but then a few months later, he comes back with the same question worded a little differently. Amma , why do they call some men Gay!!. Gosh what do I tell a 9+ yr old boy about sexual orientation? So my most ingenious best, i told him that they were a group of men belonging to a special club that does not like to get married , and so they sarcastically call themselves Gay!!! Ha Howzzat??
Yes i got the usual question from the older one about babies too and how they come out and was satisfied with the usual " doc cutting tummy open" story , till his karate teacher took it upon herself to explain the process of normal delivery. His first question to me after the class, How come you did not tell me the correct way how the baby comes out? Hey there is such thing as C section , I am not wrongRant.
The day is not far when I will be confronted with the birds and bees question and i should be prepare for it. Hey these Qs are tougher than the boards!!
But in the meanwhile if any of you happen to see some " parundu poindurukkum maanam" ( means our honor taking a hike!!) , look closely and you will find my name written on it....:bang ]]> Vandhana http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/close-encounters-with-questioning-mind-399/ http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/memories-of-beating-the-retreat-161/ Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:00:26 GMT A few days back, while listening to a Western Classical channel, they played the " Abide with me" hymn on it. And rekindled memories past of our very own Beating the retreat ceremony held every year three days after the Pomp and grandeur of the Republic day parade.

I always preferred this one to the 26th Jan celebrations and those days Doordarshan to used to telecast it live. I used to be amazed at the mastery of our Indian Forces bands (Army , Navy and Airforce) in varied tunes and what perfection they had .Especially the drummers solo, where all the drummers from the different bands used to come together and perform. It was a lovely and solemn display, this ceremony.
But the most poingnant moment of the whole ceremony , was right at dusk ( around6.00Pm) , when after all the bands had finished playing, a lone bugler used to play a soul stirring tune( cannot recall ) , followed by the whole band( all the particpants) playing the Abide With me tune. Goosebumps used to cover my skin everytime I hear them play this ,its so moving. And as they played the last refrains, there used to be church bells chiming in tune from somewhere. The whole scene fills you with a sense of spiritualism similar to what we feel when going to temples.
For the grand finale, the whole road, Rashtrapathi Bahavan and the parliament house all lit up in thousands of little lamps. Simply out of this world.
I do think the song sums it up so well " Sare jahan se acha, hindustan hamara" ......

I do wish to see this in person some day hopefully.
Do they still telecast this live on TV? I searched in vain on you tube to see if someone had uploaded this . Hope fully this year........

For those who want to listen to the Abide with me Hymn, here is a clip from You tube:
Abide With me ]]> Vandhana http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/memories-of-beating-the-retreat-161/ http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/my-new-best-friend-224/ Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:19:42 GMT The past 10 years or so, I have been in Pursuit of the so elusive perfect figure. Now ladies, i think there are two categories for women: the first, ladies go back to their pre baby figures, the minute they give birth. the second, where we are saddled with the added baggage for the rest of our... The past 10 years or so, I have been in Pursuit of the so elusive perfect figure. Now ladies, i think there are two categories for women: the first, ladies go back to their pre baby figures, the minute they give birth. the second, where we are saddled with the added baggage for the rest of our lives. Sadly, i belong to the latter group.
My mom briefly took up the role of " Mammy" to my Scarlett and tied all the sarees , corsets around my waist and tummy ... to give me back the 17" waist ( ok I'll settle for 24 or even 26" :bowdown) . But net effect Nada, zero, zilch ....... my baby belly refused to budgeshakehead
There started my perennial Battle of the Bulge. Of course, after my second delivery , it turned into a War ( thats still going on!!).
Tried all the Abs exercises . Did hundreds and thousands of ab crunches, bought all the ab busters equipment that is advertised on " as seen on tv" , My video shelf has about 100 videos from belly dancing exercises to Boot camp . You name it I have it. But all to no avail.
Then recently , one day, at the store, I found something called the " Body Suit" . it promised to give the "perfect figure" I was looking for. So i succumbed and got one.
I got the chance to try it on the very next day, for a party i needed to go to...
Wow, baby belly where did it go????? I got those absolutely flat tummy, and looked great in my Black gown. :party And a lot of compliments too..

Gosh, i thought , where was this thing hiding all these years. What was i doing all those hours, and money spent.....:bang

So ladies, this Body suit is my new best friend. And to all the people who ask me what is the secret of my glorious physique. I nonchalantly tell them, that I work out 1 hour in the gym, do 500 ab crunches , 40 minutes weight training, and 20 minutes Belly dancing, 30 minutes boot camp and list goes on...... ]]> Vandhana http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/my-new-best-friend-224/ http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/kaapi-kaapi-tea-kaapi-143/ Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:51:52 GMT All the talk about Coffee by AC, rekindled the fond memories of those coffee and tea vendors of the railway stations back home. Its kind of an art form, the recitation of Kaapi, Kaapi, tea kaapi and so on. And yes, there used to be so many variations, tones, and tactics used for saying these two... All the talk about Coffee by AC, rekindled the fond memories of those coffee and tea vendors of the railway stations back home.
Its kind of an art form, the recitation of Kaapi, Kaapi, tea kaapi and so on. And yes, there used to be so many variations, tones, and tactics used for saying these two simple words to get the attention of the rail traveller. Not only just Coffee or tea, selling anything is an art form for these vendors. It used to leave me wondering.... A few times i have even called the vendors just to see what they were selling since i could not make out from their calls. One example was " skates" or something to that effect, on calling him closer i found he was selling biscuits . bonk
Language is no barrier for these vendors. Be it Chai, garam chai, garama garam in the North, to Kaapi.... in the south. Never mind the quality of the coffee or tea. Usualy made with some mixture of milk, water and condensed milk with nescafe added to it, or a tea bag:cheers
My most frequent travels used to be on the famous Dadar Madras express, and these vendors were good source of amusement, right from station one. Those were the good old days of train travel. Is it still the same. I wonder. Do you folks remember any specific rail vendor lingo? Do share it here
These days , i travel less by train due to time constraints, but I would give anything to hear a good old "kaapi, kaapi, tea...." May be next time :?
In the meanwhile, can we all imagine the immaculately dressed Singapore Airlines or British Airways Stewards coming down the aisle saying " Kaapi, kaapi, chai garam, garama garam kaapi.....":hatsoff ]]> Vandhana http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/kaapi-kaapi-tea-kaapi-143/ http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/trick-treat-candy-overload-time-48/ Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:10:37 GMT Folks, it’s that time of the year again. Halloween :boo:is just around the corner and I just dread this time of the year. Mainly for all the candy that is brought home beginning now till Easter gets over!! Gosh the numbers of fights with the kids to keep them from eating all the candy in one go.... Folks, it’s that time of the year again. Halloween :boo:is just around the corner and I just dread this time of the year. Mainly for all the candy that is brought home beginning now till Easter gets over!! Gosh the numbers of fights with the kids to keep them from eating all the candy in one go. It’s like Chocolates are the staple diet for the next 5 months.:bangcomp:
Like Birthday party and pizza, Halloween and Chocolates go hand in hand. Of course this is just the beginning. Just when the stash of Halloween candy at home is about to finish, along comes Christmas and invariably, we get another basket full of candy. Ok that’s bearable, but then within 2 months it’s Valentine’s Day (yes all kids get chocolate hearts from the classmates!! and then Easter (now its chocolate eggs). :mad:
Hubby dear always says that there is a MOU between the Chocolate makers and the dentists. See, Candy sales and Cavities, there is a definite relationship there. Go into any store now, its Candy, candy everywhere….. Aisles filled with about so many varieties from floor to ceiling, just looking at them, makes me Diabetic!:spin

So these past couple of years, I have vowed not to hand out chocolates to the Trick or treaters who come home. Instead I give them something else which may not be healthy, but at least my little bit to contribute towards decreasing the parent’s dental bill. I have a deal with my kids too. They do the Halloween dress up thing in School. No trick or treating in the neighborhood. Instead, we all go to dinner of their choice (where else but you guessed it Pizza!).

That has worked out well. No whining, no tantrums, no fights, and no playing hide and seek with the chocolates at home.
So ladies, if you would like some suggestions on what to give as treats other than chocolates, here is a list. I usually go to Costco (Sams Club) to buy in wholesale, works out more economical.
1. Juice Boxes
2. Variety pack of the small bagged cookies (I think you get around 30 bags in a box)
3. Variety pack of the Chips and similar snacks (Costco has huge boxes I thinks 40 bags in a box)
4. Nutrigrain bars
5. Rice Krispie treats.
6. Fruits (mostly apples)
7. Small boxes of raisins

Usually I keep an assortment of the above, and yes if I have leftovers, then I happily give it to my kids. ]]> Vandhana http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/trick-treat-candy-overload-time-48/ http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/whats-number-one-favorite-party-34/ Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:09:04 GMT What’s the number one favorite party food for kids? If you guessed Pizza:drool, then you are dead on right. This is the favorite here in the US, not sure about other countries. I learnt my lesson the hard way. Once for my older son’s birthday, I decided I will not serve Pizza, how about something... What’s the number one favorite party food for kids? If you guessed Pizza:drool, then you are dead on right. This is the favorite here in the US, not sure about other countries.
I learnt my lesson the hard way. Once for my older son’s birthday, I decided I will not serve Pizza, how about something healthier for all these kids? Wow, was I taken aback with the number of “aunty, why no pizza, we love pizza:omg:” etc etc…. So ever since, every birthday has pizza on the menu for the kids and something else for all the adults. Birthdays and Pizza go hand in hand.
The teacher in my son’s first grade class asked them to write about their favorite food. 90 % of the class turned in an essay about Pizza. All of them had written their concept of the perfect pizza. The one that took the cake was this child’s who wrote that his perfect pizza would have a regular cheese pizza topped with potato chips and drizzled with chocolate?? Wow how’s that for gourmet?
Ask most kids is Pizza healthy for you, the answer will be yes! My own son explains thus: “Mom, look the pizza has cheese, so you get calcium and protein, then the tomato sauce gives you the Vitamins and the veg serving you need, and of course the crust gives you the carbs. So it is a balanced meal mom. See if I have like, 4 slices of pizza, I meet all my daily requirements for veggies, and then you give a slice of fruit pizza and that will be a complete balanced diet for the day”:idontgetit:
I tried to explain to him, but to no avail. So these days, I have taken to keep my local Pizza delivery man number on my mobile. Any party I plan, the first item on the list will be Pizza!! So ladies, the way to a kids heart, and to become a “cool mom”, please without forgetting serve Pizza to your small guests at all your parties. :thumbsup
So according to me, the top 5 party foods for kids are (other than the cake):

1. Pizza ( plain cheese is the best bet)
2. Chips (or any other fried snack like Cheetos, Dorritos etc)
3. Chocolate chip cookies/Chocolate Brownies
4. Fruit Punch
5. Ice cream. ]]> Vandhana http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/whats-number-one-favorite-party-34/ http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/wheres-the-party-tonight-6/ Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:47:58 GMT Where's the party tonight, so goes a popular song from the movie KANK. But in reality, hosting a party becomes a real nightmare for some . So doing a first "boni " to IL blogs, i thought i would start a blog on party planning , tips etc etc....

So ladies and gents ( am sure you do plan surprise parties for your wives, and if not , please do read these blogs so you can host one:-)) , what about party planning baffles you? Choosing a Venue or theme, something different for kids and adults. what about the menu. And ofcourse the perenial problem of what to stuff in the Goody Bags:bang. :spin
So friends lets get to gether and create here a ready handbook for planning and partying that will create wonderful memories for us to last our lifetime. Please do comment on what you would like to see in this category, or if one of you has a nice idea for a party , then post your comments. And let see where this take us......

Vandhana ]]> Vandhana http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/vandhana/wheres-the-party-tonight-6/