Timepass

And Now..

2011-08-24T12:19:00.003+05:30

The dhinka chika mama is appearing on TV for some mosquito repellent ad..Punch is playing around and gives me the wrong impression that she has not noticed him on TV.

The bell rings and the Mr. arrives..

Punch opens the door and says Abba Abba very seriously

He says, what happened?

She says: Abba, Dhinka chika mama ko mosquito ne bite kiya

He just cannot understand what is going on...and asks me if dhinka chika mama is really not well!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Punch is playing with her toy resembling an infant. she calls it as Baby S

Punch: Amma, S baby so gaya

Me: Kyon?

Punch: Usko thookam (sleep) aa gaya, isliye so gaya

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Punch's friend had gone to attend a wedding in her native place and Punch kept on asking about her

Punch: Amma, where is G ( friend's name)

Me: She has gone to her uncle's kalyanam (wedding)

Punch: I will also go, it is my V babba (uncle) kalyanam

Me: But V babba kalyanam is over

Punch: Ok then I will go to R thatha kalyanam

Me: That is also over

Punch: Then I will go to P paati kalyanam

The intention is to attend a wedding, so what if the grandparents need to get married again!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Punch: Amma, you be a good girl and listen to me, then your Happy Birthday will come again and if you are good, I will buy a cake for you

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dropping In

2011-08-01T10:13:00.002+05:30

Dropping in here just to say

Do you know the Dhinka Chika mama?

we see him daily on TV doing Dhinka Chika ae ae ae

Hi All

2011-06-26T14:01:00.002+05:30

First of all, thanks for your comments and emails in response to my previous post. I forgot to update the post and mention the reason behind that post. The Mr was kept under observation in ICU due to high Blood Pressure, he has since recovered and doing good now.

On the Punch front, she is her usual busy multi-tasking self...which means she never does one thing at a time..I have enrolled her in music class with the hope that she sings atleast some bhajans and she easily earned the tag of the naughtiest student. She never sits and sings, it is always a combination of jump/run/play with toy/do yoga pose/scream and then sing. No amount of threatening/bribing/scolding works out. Needless to say, wahan bhi ho gaya izzat ka falooda..

Punch has now joined Nursery class in a nearby school and she was eagerly awaiting the first day. She kept waving bye to us after taking every 2 steps inside the school. She looks forward to go to school and insisted that we put her on the yellow colour school bus. Her teacher told me on the second day " She has settled down well, no tears at all". I wanted to say " Madam, this indicates trouble for you and may lead to tears in ur eyes too!" but could not do so. Then we get another compliment " very naughty". Not to mention the loss of ID cards, water bottles, tie etc.

Yesterday, Punch's music teacher had arranged a small function where all her students sang. Punch had to sing two small 2-4 line bhajans, and both me and the teacher had no expectations from her. But surprisingly, she SAT peacefully on the mat, took the mike in her hands and sang flawlessly looking at all directions. So much that the teacher asked her to sing a third song which she promptly sang.. So, that was her singing debut as well...

That's it from me for now..

Help from unexpected quarters

2011-05-24T15:02:00.003+05:30

I did not expect a relative of a patient (lying in coma in the ICU and hovering between life and death) to offer to look after my naughty 3 year old till I visit my husband inside..

I did not expect that the security guys sitting outside the ICU will offer to show videos from their mobile phones to keep my child occupied while I visit my husband inside..

I did not expect at all that a person to whom I lent my phone charger remember to give it to another person and ask me to collect it..fyi this man's son consumed pesticide and gave up the fight for life and he comes to me and says " Mazha mulga sampla..tumcha charger varti aahe.." meaning my son is finished, your charger is upstairs.

Least of all, I did not expect one unknown person who seemed to be an avid IPL watcher to offer to change to cartoon channel for the sake of my child.

and of course not to forget the night shift security guard who asked me where is your child, I have not seen her today, how is your husband.. when he could have easily kept quiet..

and also the friendly neighbours and office colleagues who offered to stay back and help in whatever manner possible.

God teaches us lessons in so many ways...I have learnt to be humane and humble from this experience..Its really great that you offer help when you are yourself not in a proper mental state (struggling with the health status of a loved one)..Thanks all, I do not know your names, but I pray for the good health of your loved one in the ICU.

Tongue Tied

2011-04-04T16:57:00.000+05:30

I often warn Punch that she will have to listen to me and stop making mischief if she wants to go to playschool. One day, this same conversation was going on and I told her that since she is not listening to me, I will not send her to playschool that day. She replies casually " Amma, I will go to ABC (new school which she will be joining in June) school".

When Punch lies or does something wrong I tell her that God is looking at you, he will pinch your eyes. One day as I was trying to put her to sleep, she said " Amma, you have a black spot on your nose, has god pinched your eyes? what did you do?"

What else can I say except...Meri billi mujhe hi meow..

Chimdan Tales

2011-03-16T15:15:00.003+05:30

Me: Punch, did u eat tiffin at school today

Punch: Yes

Me: what did you eat ( purposely)

Punch: Dosa, but chimdan spilled the sambar

FYI: I give her maximum 2 spoons of sambar in a tight container and I don't know chimdan spilled whose sambar?

Me: Punch, when is ur happy birthday

Punch: May tonty (20)

Me: what are you going to do that day?

Punch: Cut a big cake

Me: who will come to ur birthday?

Punch: A, B, C, D etc

but amma, chimdan will eat all the cake

so i will not call her

FYI: Chimdan is Punch's version of Simran, her classmate.

Damsel in Distress

2011-03-04T15:10:00.000+05:30

Punch was having a nice time in the play area of our apartment complex. As usual, she protested when asked to come home. I finally had enough of her " 2 minutes" and "3 minutes" and I lifted her and carried her away from the play area. She started screaming " Mujhe Chhod do, Mujhe Chhod do" much to my amusement. What a talented nautanki we have here..and till two months back she did not know a word in Hindi.

Where are we moving towards?

2011-02-27T15:45:00.002+05:30

Two recent happenings make me think so...

1) I had been to a temple and there was a puja going on..I was standing behind the last row as I was about to leave. All chairs were occupied with people waiting for the puja to begin. An elderly couple holding hands together for support were escorted by one of the volunteers and they were finding it difficult to stand. Can you believe none of the women/children seated in the first couple of rows wanted to part with their seat..Finally the volunteer left and the couple stood in one corner helplessly. It was of no use if they got a seat in the later rows as they would be unable to view the puja. After some time, one teenager got up and her mother offered that seat to the couple, they refused to sit there..Who would?

2) We were standing outside a shop waiting for an auto to go home. A small boy of Punch's age and height came up to us and showed some colouring books @Rs 20 each. He just said BEES RUPAYA (20 Rs) and showed the books. Its really sad that children are made to earn money at this age.

The Great Divide

2011-02-17T20:01:00.003+05:30

KP (Known person) 1 (from chennai): so you moved to pune?

Me: Yes

KP 1: So, what do u eat? Do you get RICE there??

KP2 (also from chennai): So you moved to pune?

Me: Yes

KP2: Do you get SUN TV there?

Me: Yes, on local cable network itself..

KP2: oh, I thought u need DISH to view OUR channels...

Everyone knows we get all Indian items in foreign ( I mean USA only since the word foreign covers only the USA , not even Canada can be included )

I say this because a visit to any other country is as good as staying back in India itself! (in the eyes of ur relatives, neighbourhood and the local grocer and carpenter)

Unfortunately, our people fail to understand that within India, most of the time all groceries are available. So KP1 and KP2, I still live in my country and get fruits, vegetables n groceries in abundance and at almost the same rates as in Chennai.

My Hansa

2011-02-14T21:55:00.002+05:30

We have a Hansa (Khichdi fame) in our house, only difference is our Hansa is fond of Hindi and here is why she is Hansa

me: Yeh kya hai (pointing out to the glass of milk)

Punch: Yeh Paal (milk) hai

me: Yeh kya hai (pointing out to the slide in the park)

Punch: Yeh sarkumaram (slide) hai

What a diplomatic way to hide the fact that you don't know what to say for milk n slide in Hindi..

Playing with words

2011-01-30T17:50:00.005+05:30

I hereby confess that already Punch overpowers me with words at every possible chance..so, she does not take after me in this department too.

e.g.

1. I tell her patiently and lovingly that I am your friend, you must listen to me, I will get you your favourite things etc etc and she retorts back..yes amma, you are my friend, do not scold or hit me, then I will cry no, ok

2. Punch likes shortcuts such as peeing on the floor instead of going to the bathroom when she is engrossed in seeing TV. Inspite of many reminders, she just does not listen to me..but the smart girl she is, she gets up and puts the doormat over the pee area and then comes to me and says amma, get me another dress, this dress is wet and pretends to be deaf when i ask how did it get wet.

Any special tips for me to overpower her?

Want to feel Pampered?

2011-01-18T11:50:00.002+05:30

Then come over to our house.. where you can get free service (namely trimming ur eyebrows and a hair cut)

yes, Punch is now in this business..

It all started with a visit to the beauty parlour for her haircut where she had a chance to see the above mentioned services being done while waiting for her turn.

Punch uses superior quality threads for threading i.e. the plastic thread from ur friendly utensil cleaner (brush).. I was subjected to this world class state of the art treatment..so be assured that she uses all hygienic equipments!

and our Mr (remember him) comes back late from work but feels rejuvenated after trimming his hair daily..first Punch uses imaginary spray on him ( with full audio support) and then proceeds with the hair cut and finally shows him the mirror ( and thank god not the main door).. and then the Mr is ordered in English (yes) " All the children, dance"..

So, when are you fixing an appointment? its all free so hurry up..

Ka Hua

2011-01-07T12:16:00.002+05:30

This is Punch's first word in Hindi..

I wish it would have been Kya Hua..

and also she would have first asked me..

the lucky recipient of this question was her stuffed toy Doreman.

Now she also says Ye Lo ( take this)

I Had Already Told You..

2010-12-29T16:19:00.002+05:30

I had already warned you about this here and here..

Yes, I have moved..

This time to Pune..

Punch is fine and started attending Play Group sessions since a month.

P.S: { Will you believe me if I tell you that a new building is being constructed (about 75% complete by now) about 2 houses away from my Chennai residence?}

Reporting from undisclosed location..

2010-09-06T16:03:00.003+05:30

Why am I reporting from a secret location?

Because Punch spared no efforts to make my izzat ka falooda..

We took the biggest risk of taking a one week trip to 5 places in Karnataka/Andhra Pradesh alongwith Punch. Daily showdowns were an integral part of the trip. some izzat ka falooda moments were:

Punch refused to get down from the train..we travelled only through train and boarded 5 trains and each time she shouted and screamed and refused to get down

If you happened to see a screaming toddler at Bangalore's Total Mall and Forum (Whitefield) mall last week, it was Punch of course..she refused to come home from both malls, Total Mall witnessing more footfalls that day due to Punch's free tamasha of rolling on the ground and screaming and refusing to come out of the play area..upar se since it was raining, more people took shelter in the mall and got to see free tamasha

We were on the a 3 hour train journey to Hospet and Punch had skipped her afternoon nap, so it was tantrum time..she screamed and cried and jumped so much for so long that finally a co-passenger told me to console her somehow and make her quiet since it was causing disturbance to all others..this was my izzat ka falooda moment.. thank god myself and the Mr did not react otherwise and many many thanks that my father was not accompanying us! that's because had he joined us that day, we would have witnessed a murder in that compartment!! how can anyone dare to say this about his dearest grandchild..

The only good things being a peaceful and long pending pilgrimage (inspite of bad weather and high water levels in Tungabhadra river) and a visit to my birth place.

Recent Happenings

2010-08-19T11:56:00.000+05:30

Punch, me and her grandpa went to buy a small silver plate at a jewellery shop. She was her usual naughty self and insisted on selecting the plate herself. She took one plate and asked the salesgirl "bill". The salesgirl asked her to give money. Immediately, Punch put her fingers inside grandpa's pocket and took out a 5 Rs coin and gave it to the salesgirl..This is how we shop at throwaway prices..

Punch is very fond of travelling in buses and trains and we do that often. She can clearly differentiate between the AC buses and non AC buses and insists on getting into an AC bus irrespective of whether the bus goes to our destination or not. She calls a train as Engine No 9

( from a rhyme of the same name) and does not want to get down from the train.

Mention Happy Birthday and Punch runs and gets her small chair and chota table and sits on the chair and asks for the cake for cutting it and singing the birthday song..We attended a birthday party where we saw a magic show and since then she keeps telling magic magic and simply swings her arms.

A Peek Into Punch's Busy life..

2010-08-03T14:14:00.000+05:30

How to access the Kitchen sink

2010-07-26T07:26:00.000+05:30

Punch has this hobby of doing the dishes...initially she used the to drag the dining chair to the kitchen sink and start off her work with opening the tap..To stop this, I put away all the dining chairs in a room and locked the room. Next, she pushed her rocker all the way from the hall to the kitchen and I replied by putting away the rocker too in the room.

Our hall now has just the sofa and showcase (almost empty again), the small stool also being put away lest it serve as a handy tool for her. Whenever we open the room door, she manages to squeeze in from nowhere to pick up her rocker/cycle/chair to use it to play in the sink. Then she started using a small 15-20 cm toy chair to stand up to be able to reach the tap. Next was her father's lunch bag followed by a plastic cover! Next was the dustbin. I forgot to mention that the same items are alternatively used to attack the washing machine too.

Yesterday was the height of all mischiefs.. we both were in the kitchen and she was as usual pulling out things from the drawers and I was cooking. For a moment I did not look at her and then what did i see? She had opened the small wood cupboard below the sink, used its partition to stand and then sat on the door like how a bike rider sits.. it was hilarious as well as dangerous and she even posed for pictures..another poor victim was the chota 1.5 litre pressure cooker which was put upside down to serve as a stool for her..I just do not know how to stop her..any ideas are welcome.

How To Break a mirror

2010-07-20T07:36:00.000+05:30

Punch's way of breaking a mirror..

go to the kitchen, open the drawer and pull out the wooden buttermilk ladle (that looks similar to hanuman's weapon)

run to the bedroom raise ur arm and say jai chi naam ( jai sri ram)

aim on the mirror and throw the ladle and the result is

the mirror breaks and glass pieces spread all over

true hanuman style

P.S: thankfully she did not get hurt and she managed to do this inspite of two adults ( me and Mr) present in the room

and the icing on the cake is

she insists on taking the broom and sweeping when i got the broom to pick up the glass pieces

she insists and nearly fights with me to mop the floor after sweeping

and behaves as if nothing has happened (inspite of two spanks)

The Hangover Persists..

2010-07-13T14:21:00.000+05:30

Apni Punch faces a severe hangover of "Happy Birthday"..she has been imagining things to be cakes and cuts them and sings the birthday song..

Recently, she was rummaging the pooja area and was sitting on a chair when she thought of a brilliant idea..she took a scissor and kept it at its maximum length and then started making a cake cutting action and singing the birthday song..I was in the same room and did not even dream of what she imagined to be a cake..it was the gopuram of the pooja cupboard that was her cake for the day...

Recording my Sins

2010-07-07T20:34:00.001+05:30

Momo's Ma and Ambuli's amma tagged me to list out my sins against gender stereotype..So here I go, but mind you I am keeping it short and sweet..

I do not use nail polish and other cosmetics

I do not visit the beauty parlour

I have no interest in jewellery and dressing up

I don't know the names of sarees or materials

I don't have the patience to sit and do craft work/embroidery

I can stand for hours in queues to pay bills

I have a really short temper

I don't have a soft and soothing voice

I have been the only female in buses so many times

I can keep secrets!!!

Anyone not yet tagged, please consider tagged by me..

How to Ring a Bell??

2010-06-30T16:42:00.000+05:30

when you don't have a bell with you?

Punch has a solution..

ask your father to remove his necklace(she means chain)

take the necklace and go near a steel dustbin

keep thrashing the necklace on to the bin so that you hear sounds continuously

and then sing

ding dong bell...ding dong bell

So What's my age?

2010-06-21T02:55:00.001+05:30

I came across an article featuring my college classmate (who is now supposed to be a small celebrity) in a reputed magazine. We are not in touch since a decade but once upon a time we shared the same bench in Business Management classes.

The article mentioned her age..exactly five years below my current age....I am sure my dob is correct, so obviously her parents had admitted her to school when she was born? or did my parents admit me in school with a false age (surely not possible)?? I am confused, pls help..

The Red Marker Blogathon

2010-06-15T11:20:00.001+05:30

I am jotting down some of my experiences in response to Sue's post..I have come across many people throughout the country who insist on speaking English their way and not the correct way. Irrespective of the language in which they are spoken to, some people insist on answering in English but unfortunately are not able to convey correctly what they want to say..whereas some people directly translate sentences from a vernacular language to English resulting in this confusion..

1. A funny incident that happened when I was in college- A professor was taking his first class after recently joining the college. He recollected his experience at the administrative section. It seems he did not have a pen and he asked a peon " If you don't mind, can I have your pen please?" to get a reply " Have it, I have no mind"..

2. When we visited Chennai and southern Tamil Nadu as part of our vacations (before I settled down here), I would hear kids and people coming to a shop and asking for " 1 colour"..I often used to wonder what is that colour only to realise that it is the local pen name for Cool Drinks such as Limca, Coke etc..

3. I worked in the customer service cell of a share transfer agent/registrar some time back. My job was to reply to letters and answer incoming phone calls from customers. I had trouble understanding the content of some letters in broken English. One of my colleagues could not speak English fluently but he would insist on speaking it the way he wished..Once he answered a call for a query that he was not in charge of..he replied " THE Miss XYZ is there, you talk to HIM afterwards" instead of saying "Miss XYZ is in charge of this section, please call later and speak to her".

Bar

2010-06-07T06:28:00.001+05:30

Its night 10.30 PM and Punch is chatting with her father on the bed ( lights off so that she slowly drifts off to sleep)

Punch: Abba, Babba (uncle) phone

Mr. calls Babba

Punch speaks to Babba, then Babba speaks to Abba (abba forgets to put off the speaker)

Babba: I am going to ***(name) Sports Bar tomorrow

Mr: what? bar? Sports Bar?

Punch: Milky Bar...( she loves Milky Bar chocolates)

This is a sneak trailor of the eavesdropping Punch does..

She's got Mail..

2010-06-01T01:10:00.000+05:30

The Mr. is busy working on his laptop when Punch interrupts him

Punch: Abba, papa computer

Mr: Abba is busy, Abba has to check mail, not now dear

Punch: Abba, papa computer

Mr: Punch, don't disturb Abba, I am checking mail

After few seconds..

Punch: Abba, Papa mail check

wonder who has mailed her..

Q & A Time

2010-05-24T10:19:00.000+05:30

Have a look at our Q&A time..

Me: Punch, where did you go yesterday?

Punch: Auto la Bye

Me: What did doctor do?

Punch: Papa oosi ( shows the spot where she was given the injection)

Me: How did u cry?

Punch: uuu uuu uuu

Me: Then what did amma do?

Punch: dacha payam (dry grapes)

Me: then what did u do?

Punch: umm ummm ( symbolising eating dry grapes)

Me: Then what happened? ( I expect her to say she stopped crying)

Punch: amma unnum dacha payam! ( amma gave more dry grapes)

So, I will get this answer till we cover the number of dry grapes she ate..

E-Book and Punch's Latest talent

2010-05-19T07:51:00.000+05:30

This blog has been included in Indusladies' Mommy Bloggers ebook. Its nice to be part of this initiative. Thanks to Punch who is nowadays the fodder for all posts.

Punch is doing fine now, the cold has subsided. Day before yesterday, when the maid was cleaning the ceiling fan, she insisted on doing it herself and we had to oblige ( the maid carried her so that she could reach the fan and Punch happily dusted the fan). When the maid came yesterday, Punch immediately ran and pulled a chair below the same fan cleaned the previous day and asked the maid to stand on the chair so that she can carry Punch and Punch can clean the fan..This is how we get entertained at home without switching on the TV.

Medicine

2010-05-14T08:59:00.000+05:30

Punch has caught a cold since few days. She refuses to co-operate when we give her the drops. So brilliant me and the Mr thought of an idea and this is what we did..

Me: Come on Mr, open ur mouth, i will put medicine
Mr: no no, i dont want ..aaaa ( pretending to cry)
Me: It is so sweet, come on taste it
Mr: ok, (I pretend to put the drops in his mouth and he pretends to swallow it)
Mr: It was so nice..
Me: Ok, now u r done, who's next to take the medicine?

Punch was a silent spectator to all this drama and the moment i asked the above question, she replied " Amma"

There goes the 1st instalment of my brilliance.. I pretend that all is not lost and still ask her " Ok, after amma who?"

She says " Abba"
Now, did you hear me saying the I am brilliant, it must have surely been an illusion or a dream!

Award

2010-05-07T08:20:00.000+05:30

Apni R's mom has generously bestowed me with this award.. Thks a ton..

Now the format for announcing the award..

1.. Thank the person that gave this to you....

Thanks once again, R's mom

2. Copy the award and put it on your blog.

Pl. see above

3.List three things you love about yourself

a) I am easygoing and follow "Take it easy policy"

b) I am a very big miser when it comes to buying things for myself
c) I get sudden bouts of activeness which results in tasks getting done fast ( rarely happens though)

4. Post a picture you love

This is for Swaram and Pooh..

note: scene recreated from one of Punch's adventures..Hope you remember this..

5.Tag 5 people you wish to pass this award
well, I will not tag 5..I tag all the readers of this post..

Harpic

2010-05-01T12:20:00.000+05:30

The groceries bought from the supermarket were lying in the corner when Punch woke up from her afternoon nap. As is her habit of raiding things, she went near the bag and starting pulling out all things. I had purchased a Domex Toilet Bleach bottle, she held it in her hands and said " AApic, Aapic" I could not understand anything and then she made an imaginary circle with that bottle and said "AApic AApic". She was demonstrating the use of the product as seen in TV. She meant to say Harpic..I am surprised to see her memory nowadays.

Bangles

2010-04-27T15:10:00.000+05:30

Punch was playing with her soft toys one night. She was talking to the toys like how I talk to her. She chanced upon some bangles and told the monkey toy "come wear bangles, show your hand". Now our backs were facing each other as I was doing some task and I did not bother to look back. The toy in question is a monkey (stuffed toy) holding a banana in one hand. Next she put the bangles on the monkey and said " Say Thank You". Now I got more curious and had a look at the monkey only to laugh aloud..Punch had put the bangles around the banana and not the monkey's hand!

Ceremonial Welcome

2010-04-24T06:13:00.000+05:30

Punch's father got a ceremonial welcome from her one evening..

He was just back from work and was sitting on the diwan when Punch suddenly ran inside the kitchen. She came back armed with a big plate and the next thing she did was to nazar utarofy her father and put an imaginary tikka on his forehead.. a welcome befitting a war hero!! Lucky man..

Necklace

2010-04-18T06:38:00.002+05:30

Punch can identify a necklace easily. She points out towards the necklace and says "Neckash". Once while shopping for a chain at a jeweller, the saleswoman showed us about 5-6 chains and before we knew, Punch grabbed all the chains and put it around her neck and proclaimed her love for neckash..

Yesterday, when we were in the car and waiting for the signal to turn green, suddenly Punch said abba papa neckash.. She was pointing out to the big poster of a necklace from a big jewellery showroom. The funny thing was she asked the man who drove the two wheeler and was standing next to the car "mama papa neckash"..Thank God he did not hear since our window was closed! So all who drive a two wheeler, pls watch out for Punch asking for a necklace..

Two recent episodes

2010-04-09T14:49:00.000+05:30

Punch likes to eat bananas. One day (some time back) after she finished eating a banana, we told her that the peel is for the cow. We usually see some cows wandering in our lane and feed them vegetable peels. Recently, when Punch finished eating the banana, I was talking to her and holding the peel. I told her to wait till I put the peel away in the dustbin and she immediately retorted.. " banana Maa Maa.." reminding me to keep it aside for the cow. I was surprised to see her remember this.

Usually, when I tell Punch to put a vessel in the sink, she promptly does that. But once she was insisting on seeing videos on her father's laptop when he had work to do. So, to divert her, he told her to put the glass next to him in the sink..she came forward and took it and then gave it to me saying.." amma, sink"..And I ended up putting the glass in the sink..

Music in the bathroom

2010-04-04T07:14:00.000+05:30

Please don't try to visualise anything before reading below!!

Punch inverted a bucket and said dum dum dum and then closed her fist and took it near her mouth and said peepee peepee and then again dum dum..

She loves to observe the nadaswaram party at weddings and tried to imitate them by inverting the bucket.

Another Princess

2010-03-30T14:25:00.002+05:30

Another Princess enters the blogworld..
DC has given birth to a healthy baby girl on 29th March.. Mom and baby are doing good..
Wishing the little one all the happiness in the world and best wishes to DC and C and family..

Punch's (secret) Trading Account

2010-03-27T15:53:00.003+05:30

Punch needs to have a trading and demat account..And thanks to that one person for thinking abt her..I have failed in my duty as a parent to open a trading account for her..here's how things went..

tring tring ..my phone rings and I answer the call.
Person at other end (X): Can I speak to Punch?
Me:what?
X: Is Punch available? I want to talk to her..
Me: may i know reg what?

X: I want to suggest to her to open a demat and trading account with my firm since I have a tie up with the bank in which she has an account..It will be very useful as she can do day trading from home itself and make good money..

Me: ( almost getting teary eyed as this one person is so good at marketing that he wants a 2 yr old to do day trading)..Ok, I will call you when needed.. (almost wanting to say she is not yet introduced to shares and stocks)

It's sad that Punch was asleep when the call came, else she would have spoken and discussed her future plans herself..or does she already have a secret account in Swiss??

Punch Chali Amica

2010-03-17T17:09:00.003+05:30

Punch has been told that her Babba (uncle) has gone in an aeroplane to America.. Since she was unable to pronounce USA we taught her to say America and she pronounces America as Amica.

Yesterday Punch was sitting next to her father and suddenly she said " Amica Amica come" meaning she wants us to take her to Amica..She kept on repeating the words and when asked to get ready she promptly went to the shoe rack and wore her father's formal shoe in one leg and sports shoe in another and went and stood near the main door to go to Amica..

She seems to be in a hurry...

Punch's style

2010-02-24T16:51:00.005+05:30

Punch destroyed the lower portion of the matchbox that houses the matchsticks.the kanjoos that I am, I put the surviving matchsticks in a plastic container and take a stick from the box everytime I need to light a lamp..

Punch's style of playing..to dismantle the upper body of the toy within 2 days of getting the same as a gift

Two scenes

2010-02-19T16:30:00.002+05:30

Presenting two scenes from Punch's day..

Myself and Punch are walking on the road to the grocery shop 5-6 doors away..she sees a dog lying down on the road and promptly says TATA to the dog as there is no one else who she can say TATA to..before she could ask me to do the same..we reached the shop...thank god..

The Mr is lying stomach down on the yoga mat and in the process of doing some asanas..Punch suddenly gets two cook and serve bowls from the kitchen and places them on his back and pretends to cook and feed us..and throws a big tantrum when told to remove the bowls from daddy's back..so i got a new stove without asking!!

See There

2010-02-12T12:44:00.003+05:30

My cousin visited Punch during the Christmas holidays. She did not mix well initially but later started taking bits of chocolate from him and called him Mama. Recently, myself and the Mr were talking and Punch was sitting with her toys with her back facing us. As the Mr wanted me to see what she was doing, he told me " See There"..and immediately we hear Punch muttering

" Mama mama, choki"..in the same pose and without looking at us.

At first I could not understand why suddenly Punch spoke the above words, I then realised that See There rhymes well with my cousin's name and so she connected both the words together. So she did remember him after 2 mths..but another point to be noted ..she has the ears of a snake ..I am now very careful about what I speak when Punch is not sleeping!!who knows she might be hearing when asleep too...

Reminder Service

2010-02-01T06:22:00.001+05:30

Timepass: Punch, we are going out..do u want to come?
Punch: yes, abba bikeee
Timepass: No dear, we will go in auto
Punch: ummm.. Purchu Purchu ( Purse)
Timepass: Ok, what else do i need to take?
Punch: chayee (Chaavi/keys)
This is my reminder service...

Lucky Dog

2010-01-26T07:13:00.002+05:30

Yes, I mean it and am sure you will agree too once you read this post..

Punch's grandmas have this ritual of doing nazar utaro/drishti/suthi podu/warding off evil eye wherein they burn some camphor on a plate and rotate it in circles in front of Punch to ward off the evil eye..Punch repeats this by doing nazar utaro for all of us of course without burning the camphor.

Recently, she managed to clasp a couple of camphor pieces in her fist and we tried our best to make her give it back..As we were walking through, we saw some dogs on the road and knowing her fascination for BOW BOW, I tried to play this trick.. I told her to do drishti for the Bow Bow and the next moment, she did that resulting in all the camphor pieces successfully being thrown on the ground..

Isn't that doggie lucky? How many incidents of nazar utaro can we count for ourselves??

What's My Name?

2010-01-12T11:08:00.000+05:30

Punch has been trying to pronounce her name for some time now..she promptly says "Un tha" when told to tell her name..

As one of her uncle's names is easy to pronounce she says " Vaa Thu" when asked to say his name. Aunty's name " Thu Di" is also heard from her once in a while.

Coming to my name, she initially used to call me " Paa Yaa" when my mother used to call me in front of her. But of late, I have been promoted and she now calls me " Pai Tha" instead of Yaa..

Any guesses for finding out our real names?

Appu's Saree

2010-01-05T18:55:00.002+05:30

Appu is what my grandma calls Punch who in turn addresses her back as Appu.

I was showing a simple cotton saree with polka dots all over to Punch's grandpa and we were talking about a relative. Suddenly, Punch who was busy till then in mischief came over, pulled the saree down and started saying " Appu Appu".

The tubelight me then realised that my grandma also wears sarees in similar polka dot patterns and that is why on seeing the saree, Punch called out her name..wah..kya memory hai..

Shopping

2009-12-29T08:11:00.000+05:30

Its a delight to go shopping with Punch..She first says Decchu Decchu ( meaning dress) when she enters a garment shop and then proceeds to select clothes herself..after some minutes we see her holding so many hangers which she refuses to part with..then I tell the counter staff to bill the dress I have selected and she immediately repeats Bill Bill so that the dresses in her hands are also billed.

When we go grocery shopping, she points out at the trolley and I put her inside the trolley.she stands while I push the trolley and keeps her hands floating so that any rack within reach can be attacked.when she is on her feet, we get a whole assortment of things from her..she patiently gets juice bottles, maggi, fruits, tea powder and anything else she can find and puts all in the trolley. At the counter when I select the things I need to buy and give them for billing, she puts all the things she has selected too..and simply refuses to come out.. You can very well estimate the amount of patience I have and how much I try to coax her to come out without billing whatever she has selected..

Wishing all readers a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2010..

See you in 2010

Devotion

2009-12-17T13:57:00.000+05:30

As mentioned before, Punch loves going to the temple and feeding bananas to the calves. We taught her to touch the dhvajastambha and worship it and she does that..

Some days back, she was playing with grandpa and suddenly we see her touching the lamp-post on the road with great devotion..At first we did not realise what she was upto, but then it flashed that the structure was similar to the dhvajastambha..Punch thought the lamp post to be the dhvajastambha!!

But as God is everywhere, I hope he has blessed Punch from the lamp post..This act of Punch reminded me of Prahlad..

Dream Fixing

2009-12-11T10:49:00.000+05:30

All of us are aware of Match Fixing...Dream Fixing is what I term as deciding in advance as to who will come in your dreams..courtesy this conversation with Punch

At bed time, we pray to God and I ask god to give Punch Sweet Dreams and a good night's sleep..As per some elders, God shows flowers to children in their sleep..so I usually say "God, please show Punch lots of flowers"..the days I forget to say this, she reminds me by saying "Poo"..Since past few days she has also started saying "Thatha, Paapi, Thatha, Paapi, appu (great grandma) and ammu (great grandpa)" after I pray asking to give her Sweet Dreams.. It implies that she wants to see the above mentioned people in her dreams..Now twice thatha paapi means both sets of grandparents okay...

So what do you think about Dream fixing??

Punch and Bluetooth

2009-12-08T07:23:00.001+05:30

This happened about 5-6 months back..

It is evening time and my phone is ringing but I am unable to locate it..Finally after a lot of searching I found it in a kitchen drawer..obviously Punch's deed. The Mr arrives and as usual Punch follows him wherever he goes. once again I get a call on my mobile, I see that the call is from the Mr who is in the same room with Punch. I yell at him and ask " Why do you have to call me when I am in the same room?". He looks puzzled and says "When did I call you?".. We then see Punch holding the Bluetooth device and pressing something..so its her handiwork..

The one advantage of this call..The Mr realises that the last call can be redialled from the bluetooth itself!!

Is it Possible?

2009-12-02T12:19:00.000+05:30

Is it possible for an elephant to sit on a horse??

In Punchland, it is possible..

We got a horse (rocker) for her and after trying it, she (as usual) made her dolls sit on the horse for a ride and kept the small wooden elephant on it too.. At first, I had not noticed it, but when I actually saw, it looked so funny..

BTW what can be the possible meaning of Kacchhi ( Punch's language)..

Punch at 1.5 years

2009-11-23T23:25:00.000+05:30

Punch is now 18 mths i.e 1.5 years old. Like most mothers, suddenly I feel where did these 18 months fly away? But every day is a new experience and Punch entertains us with her daily dose of masti. I am listing some random things about her..

She is very observant and sees and hears what people around her do and tries to imitate the same..

When we speak on the phone and she is around, she tries to repeat the words.. later she picks the landline and starts talking by saying " aunty, mamam, bye"

Her aunty and uncles speak to her on the phone and she obliges only if in mood, else she will scream at the top of her voice. She offers to put nappy rash cream for them by applying it on the phone and gives a kiss to them by kissing the phone

Recently, the Mr sprained his back and I sprayed the painkiller on his back, Punch immediately took the spray and tried to spray it on him

She generally offers what she eats to others including some random person appearing on TV and the Mickey Mouse picture on her cycle

She uses one word to communicate and we are supposed to make sentences from it

The moment she hears the word "Temple" she says aana meaning elephant..We make her sit on the stone elephants in the temple and she loves it

If we ask her where do you want to go, she replies Kah and Bikee meaning Car and Bike..many times she has cried so much that her dad is forced to take her on a ride on the Bike..then she asks me also to join

Of late, I notice that when I am talking to someone, she screams and wants us to talk to her

She feels that whenever we go out it is always to meet her grandpa and great grandma(appu)

A peculiar thing with her..she loves to see her birthday pictures and video again and again many times a day

She always wants me and Mickey Mouse to wear grandma's specs

She has called out to an Auto and couple of autos have stopped to her call when we are walking

She has to be fooled and taken to a room when someone is going out, else she creates a big fuss

She is a terror whilst in the car and keeps jumping around the front and back and uses her legs to shut the small drawer

She points out to the walking stick and says " Ammu" (great grandpa)..and imitates him by using the umbrella/rolling pin as a walking stick

She loves to use the broom and mop..our maid does not wish to risk her life and promptly hands over the mop and broom at the first order from Punch
When she sees anyone crying on TV, she says Aunty uuu uuu and wants us to view something else

Now a small quiz for my errr Punch's friends

She says something which goes like

1. tintint aawww upppp

Can u guess it?? I give you two days time...(its so easy)

AAPHIS

2009-11-18T14:15:00.000+05:30

Aaphis is Punch's pronunciation of Office..

Thanks to her, we are all employed because when we ask her "where is ...(name)" and she is in mood, she replies Aaphis. By we I mean myself, Punch's grandparents and great grandparents too..Have you come across such a hardworking family anywhere???

Chapati

2009-11-11T08:13:00.001+05:30

Its time to make dinner and I ask Punch " Shall we make chapati for daddy?"

She immediately runs towards the kitchen and opens a drawer and suddenly I hear something falling down..the belan has fallen down.. and instantly, she picked up the belan and looks if I am watching her, then proceeds to put the belan on the floor and roll it to symbolise making of chapatis...here we go, my boss shows me how to make chapatis...

Grandpa's chappals

2009-11-07T09:38:00.001+05:30

Punch's grandpa usually gives her company for a few hours till her afternoon nap. He was recently not in town and I had called the electrician to fix a new tube light at the entrance to our house. Punch was looking at what the electrician was doing when suddenly she noticed that his chappals lying on the floor. Immediately, she went to wear the chappals and started saying " Thatha Thatha (grandpa grandpa)". At first I could not understand but then I realised that her grandpa had a similar pair of chappals and so she thought that to be grandpa's chappals.... Isn't that proof of her good memory? I am now extra careful about what I speak/do when she is within sight..

Be Careful

2009-10-29T10:37:00.003+05:30

There is a naughty girl on the prowl..One of her favourite pastimes is to bolt the doors of the neighbours from outside and knock the door after that so that no one suspects her..She does this in a jiffy..

She is particularly fond of opening the main gate of the building and running away towards the next building without making the slightest noise..

Presenting...

2009-10-29T10:32:00.001+05:30

Yes, that's Punch in her new hair style trying to raid the showcase by standing on her rocker chair.

See the latest about me

2009-10-27T19:37:00.002+05:30

Yes friends, I am now on twitter and hopefully will keep you updated about the happenings here..the link appears on the right side of the blog..

Do You Have a Car??

2009-10-23T22:00:00.002+05:30

If yes, then please invite Punch over, she will clean it thoroughly for you without waiting for your approval.

Yes, this is the new skill she has acquired since some time..she painstakingly ducks the cloth into the bucket of water "n" number of times chanting "appa, appa" meaning it is hard to reach. She then goes on to squeeze the water from the cloth which by now has all the water that the bucket had..the next step is to rub the cloth (with the water dripping) on the car and then look back regularly to see if someone objects to her actions..there you go, she is a pro in car cleaning..All this when she has never seen the car being cleaned except for 1-2 occasions. Not to forget, she wears any chappals (except hers) lying beside before starting the cleaning process.

Fast fast, she waiting for your offer...

Appy Appy

2009-10-17T12:43:00.001+05:30

Timepass: Punch say Happy Diwali
Punch: Appy appy

Therefore Appy Appy to all...

A small update

2009-10-10T23:50:00.003+05:30

I finally sat down to clean Punch's Toy Boxes (2 nos) and this is what I found..3-4 clips of mine, pages of past issues of magazines, steel cups, a lid of one container and many other things that I stopped searching for long back..Now I can easily qualify to be called the laziest right?? I mean lazy in searching for lost items as well as taking it out from her toy box..

BTW Punch got a tricycle as a Diwali gift from the Mr. We got this for her as we noticed that whenever she sees one she jumps to sit on it and says "BUrrrr Burrrr" ( just like a vehicle) And her toys are enjoying more than her as she puts the toys on the seat and pushes the cycle around..all this within hours of buying the cycle.

Give Me Time

2009-09-27T17:51:00.002+05:30

I mean more time to complete all pending tasks..with the festive season, myself and Punch are visiting relatives all over the city resulting in tasks piling up at home..Also the past month has added a new adjective in praise of Punch..i.e. Tantrum queen..she has become very adamant and throws lot of tantrums and is really trying my patience..hopefully I will win!!!

The Mouse

2009-09-14T12:50:00.000+05:30

Scene 1 (Grandpa's house)

Grandpa shows Punch some nursery rhymes from youtube on his desktop PC. When one clip is over, Punch becomes impatient and grabs the mouse and does some random clicks to see the videos.

Scene 2 (Punch's house)

Timepass checks mails on the Mr.'s laptop when Punch demands to see Baa Baa ( Baa Baa Black sheep). But when Timepass does not relent, Punch chances upon a mouse in the Mr.'s bag and throws it on the laptop's keyboard and starts clicking..so that she can see her favourite videos herself.

What do u feel?

2009-09-08T10:53:00.000+05:30

Sometime back, I had written about this

Now, the said construction is almost complete and still here I am in the very same place ( that too I say as of now)

So, is the so called jinx broken this time?? Only time and myself( through this blog) will be able to tell..

Great Start to the Vacation

2009-09-02T11:34:00.000+05:30

How would u feel

when the cab supposed to come at 5 does not turn up till 5.10

when the cab finally comes at 5.15 and u speed off

when the cab comes to a halt at 5.20 on a bridge

when the cab's tyre needs to be changed

when the airline call center says u r not eligible for tele- check in

when finally the driver changes the tyre and drives to the airport at full speed

when finally u reach the airport at 5.50 and rush to check in and thank god u r in time

All is well that ends (begins as well) well...

Punch...

2009-08-21T07:00:00.001+05:30

Its been a long time since I wrote specifically about Punch. She turned 15 months old on August 20th. Tantrums are in full swing since some time now..she demands things and if we dont give her, she screams and sometimes lies on the floor..I divert her attention to some other thing to tide over this but am not successful all the time..

She co-operated well during our train and air journeys but found things uncomfortable as we did not allow her to walk freely due to space shortage. She insisted on rolling under the seats in the plane journey. The biggest surprise was she slept off while boarding the return flight and finally woke up when the plane was landing..that was the one snack I actually ate and not gobbled but alas just two mini paavs and bhaji and a sweetless mousse did not fill my big tummy.

Punch loved the camel and elephant ride in Jaipur and also loved feeding the pigeons. She kept on dropping one grain after other patiently to feed the pigeons and did not want to return the empty bowl to the shopkeeper. She loved walking around the malls in Gurgaon and imitated us by seeing things and putting it in the shopping bag..She had fun in the play area wherever available.

At home, she is her usual naughty self always waiting to create a mess once I clean it..She points out at the main door and says "KA" meaning she wants to go out in the car..She can imitate the sounds of a cow, crow, dog and cat well. Whenever the bell rings, she says "Thatha" expecting her grandpa..even in gurgaon she did the same when the bell rang. When we call her by various nicknames she correctly identifies who calls her what..For instance greatgrandma calls her Appu and so when she sees greatgrandma/her pic Punch immediately says Appu.. in fact when greatgrandma sleeps, Punch goes next to her and says Appu..My grandma must be the oldest to get a nickname i suppose..

She eats dal, rice, rotis, dosa etc but no guarantee that she will eat without a tantrum. Madam has a sweet tooth as well. In the puja room, she takes the oil bottle and tries to pour oil on the lamp. When we ask what next, she gives the match box. Since she did this, we are more alert and keep those things out of her reach. In fact almost everything is kept above the fridge, above the showcase etc. I found locking the room doors a good way to stop her from entering and messing up the rooms.

Phew, I have so much more to write but it seems never ending.. But this is all for now..

The Hangover..

2009-08-16T13:27:00.003+05:30

We are back from our vacation..Few things I would like to list down..

The first vacation after a really long time and glad that all went well especially with Punch
Added Akshardham (Delhi) to the (visited) list of Akshardham (Gandhinagar) and Swaminarayan Temple (UK)..can I hope to see Swaminarayan Temple (Chicago) too?
Sudden one day trip to Jaipur..so set foot on Rajasthan soil as well..
Travelled on one more Shatabdi train (to Jaipur), but dinner was not up to the mark
Almost sprained my neck looking at tall tall buildings in Gurgaon...they seem to be everywhere there.

As of now I can think of just the above..Punch's adventures will follow later..

BTW I realised I have this hangover when I was about to say " Aap pehle andar aa jaiye" to someone (whose entry I was blocking) at the supermarket after coming back..

Ab Dilli Door Nahin...

2009-08-04T10:02:00.004+05:30

We are back from a short outstation trip. Thanks all for your good wishes, I managed to successfully scrape through. The biggest challenge for me was to restrict Punch to half a berth as I was sharing a berth with her. As she is used to sleeping on a sprawling double bed and is usually found (in the morning) at the exact opposite direction of which she slept the previous night, I was worried. The first time it was tough, she kept on changing sides and banging her head onto my head and I was holding on to the suitcase below whenever she used more force..Thankfully, on the return journey, she was ok, I mean very less banging on my head...She kept on loitering around the compartment and made us very tired.

Now comes the next trip..Yes, we are off to apni Dilli for a short vacation..I need your good wishes this time too as it is going to be Punch's first trip on an aeroplane..Please send a silent prayer for the airline which is accommodating us and our co-passengers...Tips/ideas are welcome..So if you are in Dilli and you see a greedy fat lady eating chaat for breakfast, lunch and dinner and eating as if not eaten for ages and a troublesome baby trying to taste that chaat...then you have found me..

God Save This Compartment

2009-07-31T08:25:00.003+05:30

Punch is all set to embark on her maiden overnight journey in a sleeper class compartment...Please pray that all fellow passengers get sound sleep...

Why am I Awesome??

2009-07-25T23:33:00.000+05:30

Because...

I strongly believe in and follow Take it easy policy and Jaane bhi do yaaron policy..After all, its a small world and short life..
I faced the un-dreamable and I came out of that grief all by myself..but the heavy burden still persists..
I cannot be lured by temptation to do something which I feel is wrong/not needed..
I am very gullible and get fooled so many times but I move on quickly..
I am always available for people to share their sorrows/problems, but I never ask people personal questions/things that may hurt them/intentional questions unless they themselves start the topic and ask my view..I respect privacy of people.
I am very flexible and adjusting with respect to people as well as places..I have to do my duty come what may..
I cannot get tempted by good physical attributes to conclude whether a person is bad or good, it is the good heart within which attracts me..Yes, I believe in the saying "Beauty is skin deep"..

The Height of Obedience

2009-07-21T07:31:00.000+05:30

Scene 1

Morning 7.30 Am ( Mr is about to leave for work)

Mr asks Punch "Baby get daddy's shoes from the rack"

Punch immediately obliges and gets the (correct) shoes..

Scene 2

Night 8.30 Pm ( Mr is just back home)

Mr tells Punch"Baby put daddy's socks,shirt,kerchief and pant in the washing machine"

Obedient Punch does what is told to do..

But wait, this is not what she does always..

The Mr was searching for his new phone one morning and when we dialled the number from our landline, the phone ring was traced to the washing machine...and I was about to fill water and start the machine..thank god

The Mr was gobbling up dinner as he was very hungry and Punch was circling around him as usual..suddenly he asked her something (surely not what she ran to get) and she ran to the rack and got his shoes and insisted on keeping it on the dining table next to his plate..

As of now, her recent achievement is keeping her tiny shoes on the pooja cupboard by cleverly carrying the shoes in a bag and fooling five healthy adults sitting in the same room..

Aachoo Aachoo....

2009-07-15T06:39:00.000+05:30

This happened some time back. Saturday is the day when I can leave Punch to take care (! and Yes) of her dad for an hour or so and finish some tasks. I was about to leave for the Post office when Punch sneezed...I did not take it seriously but had to encounter a closed door in the Post office..Next stop was the bank where there was a longer queue than usual..maybe everyone wanted to visit the bank the day I chose to..so that job also left undone. As I was walking back, I thought of getting samosas but the samosas which usually arrive from the workshop by that time chose not to come..so I go home empty handed without doing a single task but know for sure it is not due to Punch sneezing before I left home.

The next day being a Sunday, no pending tasks could be taken up. But on Monday, I left home with Punch ( and renewed vigour) at sharp 8.45 AM to ensure that I am the first to enter the post office when it opens at 9 AM. Alas, it was a holiday that day..it shows that my previously average GK is nil nowadays..Obviously, the bank would also be closed so I returned home the way I went.i.e with unfinished tasks.

Now was this because of a sneeze when I left?? I really don't know what to conclude.. Finally all pending tasks were done after a couple days and yes Punch had not sneezed at that time!!

What to find where?

2009-07-05T13:07:00.004+05:30

In the Punch household, you will find..

Chappals in drawers and the washing machine

Utensils all over the kitchen floor

Some lucky utensils do make it to Punch's bed

Sweet limes/tomatoes/potatoes in kitchen drawers meant for utensils

Some lucky fruits/vegetables make it to the shoe rack

Fridge Magnets in the laundry bag

A 1kg packet of soap powder dragged all the way from the toiletries rack to Punch's bed..(by her good self)

House/car keys in kitchen drawers inside utensil

The bell used during prayer is safe in a bucket of water

Chapati ka belan in the rack meant for toiletries...

Need I say more??

Chappal Sambhal ke...

2009-07-01T11:54:00.002+05:30

Please do not come to any conclusion by just reading the title of this post...

When the Mr. opened the drawer to take out his purse, keys and ID card while leaving for work, guess what greeted him..Punch's chappal... The washing machine (semi automatic) was doing its work when I sensed something wrong with the sound..but I was not shocked/surprised to see the second chappal floating in the water.. Needless to say, its all Punch's work, inspite of keeping a round the clock vigil on her.

Missed One Bus, Hoping to Catch Another...

2009-06-22T22:50:00.000+05:30

With great regret I hereby inform that Punch cannot be sent to school...as she has already missed the bus..I am told that already many schools have closed admissions for the year Punch will be starting school in..(I mean that's what a friend said..)..not that there are no other schools around but i am keen on sending her to a school which charges fees of minimum one lakh p.a..where sadly admissions are supposedly closed..now how can i think of sending her to a school with lesser fees..i mean yeh to izzat ka sawaal hai..personal loans are so freely (on the phone i mean) available these days and our credit limit keeps increasing whenever a telemarketer calls us..so what is the use of having a high credit limit and not using it to pay even school fees??

I cribbed, brooded over and sobbed a lot that Punch will need to appear as a private student for all exams...then finally i decided to atleast do the next logical thing in order for her..i mean after school and college and job ( for which i lost the race) let me atleast find a suitable life partner for her now itself..what do u say?? better to have a confirmed ticket now itself?? yes, since she will be a private candidate for exams and not figure in any merit list and be employed either as a carpenter/mason/driver/watchwoman etc, I am expecting alliances atleast from few bache kuche non blue collar babies... hmmm my poor baby...

I am the Kitchen Sink...

2009-06-19T08:43:00.002+05:30

atleast that is what Punch thought about me...

We have recently started training her to drink from a sipper cup..once she finished drinking her milk, I asked her where is the kitchen..she correctly pointed out in the direction of the kitchen..and i took advantage of this and asked to put the sipper in the kitchen sink..she went off in the direction of the kitchen and I was lying down and proudly thinking of this accomplishment when suddenly she came back and dropped that sipper on my face...

so its official..I am the kitchen sink...

To B.... or Not to...

2009-06-16T21:17:00.002+05:30

Hello everyone,

Hope all is well. The past few months have been bit hectic for me( though I could easily have been more efficient..). Thanks to the bunch of people who thought of asking my whereabouts..and to those who must have thought about it but not asked..It feels nice to be enquired about..and also a good feeling that people are actually waiting for a new post.

The title of this post says B...wherein B stands for Blog..and yes I am wondering whether I would be able to keep posting here.. And can i dare to earn your wrath by not writing about Punch? The baldy taklu Punch is doing good and has a nice time making me follow her wherever she moves..May I request you to pray to God that she grows enough hair soon so that I can put on a cute clip on her..

The 25 facts Tag

2009-03-15T22:20:00.000+05:30

Here you go DC, this is the reply to ur tag..

I strongly believe in take it easy policy, jaane bhi do yaaron, bindaas..
I can merge and mix well with people at the lowest rung of society but feel uncomfortable with the higher rungs, don't know why ..maybe inferiority complex??
My views on certain topics will make people feel that i belong to a bygone era and not to the current generation and I don't say no.
I am a Maha Kanjoos aka Miser when it comes to buying things for myself
I feel shy to ask anyone for help, i don't know why but it makes me feel odd to ask
I dislike it if people pronounce names of people/places incorrectly
I am short tempered but hold that temper inside till highly unmanageable and show the anger on myself
I love chaat but relish it only if made in the right way
I yearn to visit my birth place, its been about 7 yrs since i last visited
I have visited Asia's largest slum Dharavi a number of times and each time I came out I thanked god for making me stay in the otherwise small single bedroom apartment and giving me the basic necessities of life that are inaccessible to lakhs of people
I have to read the newspaper the first thing in the morning as soon as i get up (sadly not possible since Punch arrived)
I regret the diminishing relations and contacts with cousins/uncles/aunties who were so close in the era of letters but now in the era of emails and mobile, they are drifting apart.
I just cannot speak and argue well even when I am right.
I find it amusing when people judge me just because i stayed in a particular city some time back
I cannot bear to see old people begging/ailing/suffering
I am not interested in jewels, clothes and shopping..in fact my wedding sarees were shortlisted by a gang of 7-8 people while i was sitting on a chair nearby and hearing them argue on which saree to select
I still choke when i remember that once a very old lady gave a torn saree to the tailor for mending it and he said nothing can be done to make the saree wearable..and she tried her best to make him stitch that torn saree as she had no other ones to wear
I love to pull my grandpa's ears..i mean I really pull his ears with my hands..and hear him call me donkey ..one of the pleasures of life
I need to get that 8 hrs of sleep else i feel something different..but past 1 yr i am doing good without that 8 hrs of sleep
I never discuss all my problems with others!! i mean not everything is shared
I miss my childhood days a lot but hope to give Punch a similar and even more better childhood
I just don't like it when people don't respect their elders and talk rudely to them
If I happen to understand the language in which people nearby are talking, i never reveal it till necessary..(yes that's very mean of me but i do this to avoid any controversies)
I don't like it when people talk bad about a particular place (in which i have lived previously) without knowing the facts
I generally don't borrow money from anyone but if i borrow, i cant rest till i return it back

and one bonus fact..
I remember all the bad words used by people on me..just cant forget it

Now tell me, would you like to know the identity of this foolish person?? That's why my identity is anon..(since some readers have asked why am i anon..)..

A Tag after a long time...

2009-03-09T17:32:00.007+05:30

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? God planned it..
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Let me think..
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?Happy and scared
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU?No
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? Top Secret!!!
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Home Test
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? The Mr.
8. DUE DATE? 23 May 2008
9. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?No
10. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?Nothing.
11. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? The long wait
12. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD’S SEX? Female
13. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? Not really
14. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?18 kgs
15. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?Yes
16. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?I knew
17. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?Yes
18. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Apollo First Med Hospital, Chennai
19. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? Five
20. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL/BIRTH CENTER? The Mr and my parents.
21. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? The Doctors
22. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural
23. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Yes but was of no use
24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?3.48 kg
25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ?20th May 2008
26. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN THE DOCTOR ANNOUNCED THE SEX OF THE BABY? Nothing
27. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST REACTION ON SEEING THE BABY? Happy to see a healthy baby
28. DID YOU CRY? No
29. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Punch
30. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY She will be 10 months old on March 20
And now her pic.. I know I will be asked why this pic where she is facing her back to the camera...but what to do Punch is really particular on people seeing her face aamne saamne only!! Besides this pic which was taken a couple of months back showcases her talent too..

P.S: I might take off this pic if I feel like doing so...just intimating in advance..

Advance Intimation

2009-03-03T05:55:00.000+05:30

Lest you keep thinking why suddenly no posts from me ..this is one of the reasons why i would not be blogging (once it really happens)..Yes this is the humble deed of Punch..she poked out the eyes of this poor doll within minutes of getting it as a gift..

Punch at 9 Months

2009-02-26T02:48:00.000+05:30

Punch completed 9 mths on February 20th. She is in the normal weight and height ranges for her age. Our family has labelled her as a super active baby who never rests nor does allow us to rest (read sleep)..

Nowadays she has become even more sensitive than before to sounds. So we need to take care that no disturbance happens when she sleeps..I ask her " where is grandma/grandpa/dad/puja room/pressure cooker/oven etc" and she looks in the correct direction. As long as someone is physically present in a room, she plays by herself but the moment we leave the room, she senses it and comes out. Her crawl is peculiar in the sense that she bends just one knee and keeps the second knee straight..its funny to see her crawl that way..She is quiet and observant when we go out and particularly likes to see children and smiles at them..

She loves watching cows that are frequent visitors to our street. Her day begins in the morning whenever she finds convenient to get up, then she plays for sometime..A small nap is possible between morning and noon and between noon and evening. She loves bananas and also eats boiled rice porridge, apples, mosambi juice and boiled carrots. Sometimes I give her mashed dal with ghee and salt. Her clear preference for sweet items shows that she has a sweet tooth like daddy.

The moment she senses that one of us is going out/opening the main door, she crawls at lightening speed to come up to us..She can stand with support but still has a toothless smile! She loves making noise with plastic covers and cups etc..when we say lie down, she lies down but only for 2-3 seconds..she keeps on a pillow. When the fridge/cupboards are open, she is present from nowhere to rummage into them.

All in all, a wholesome backbreaking demanding family entertainer is what I call Punch... If you happen to come to a house with toys strewn all round, newspapers all over a room, puja items in all corners of another room, a battery less TV remote with the batteries in north and south direction, cable wires strewn all over, all neatly folded clothes lying hither tither on the floor, cups and utensils all over the kitchen without an inch to walk and suddenly realise that someone is behind you and trying to stand up by holding you, welcome to my home...I guarantee you will not dream of coming even by mistake the next time!!

New Record

2009-02-24T08:53:00.000+05:30

Punch set a new record by sleeping for 2.5 hrs nonstop in the daytime!!!

I got really nervous because she has never slept continuously for such a long time..

Its Really Difficult...

2009-02-19T17:20:00.000+05:30

First you read blogs where new mommies say they are working out and losing weight and getting back into shape..

and then you clean the dining table only to notice the heap of wedding sweets and namkeens lying there...

and you also think about the forthcoming weddings where your share of sweets and namkeens will be forced on to you... and the good person you are, you will eat the sweets religiously else the giver will feel bad no...Yes people, I devour them since the sweets and namkeens are better off in my tummy rather than in the bin..

hmmm...very difficult times indeed...

Not Just a Mere Chip...

2009-02-16T08:09:00.000+05:30

I was sitting with Punch in the waiting area of a dental clinic when this unidentified lady came up to me and punch and asked " Is she the Mr. (name) 's daughter??".. I was stunned/confused whether is she talking about the Mr or someone else with the same name?? But the lady asked me the same question again and mentioned the in laws names correctly, so she was indeed right. She turned out to be an old neighbour in some rental house decades back but who still remembers the then baby face of the Mr.

Now what can I say..she's the whole block of the Mr and not just a mere chip of the block... yes i am very jealous that no one has till now asked a similar question about me!! All because the lucky Mr has lived in the same suburb since birth..

Calling for New Stock

2009-02-12T15:12:00.002+05:30

This is to inform you that Punch is soon set to exhaust all stocks of Baby powder, shampoo and soap shortly. The said items were given to her by generous visitors who knew very well that Timepass would otherwise give them a stinking baby the next time they met her...So, here we call upon our generous friends to kindly do the needful...arre bhai i mean powder, shampoo and soap de do...I cannot find more good words now to indirectly come to the point...

3M's

2009-02-03T11:30:00.006+05:30

wherein the M's mean Marriage, Masala news and Mosquitoes in whichever order you prefer..

Punch decided to get a new aunt and so got her uncle married recently. Punch being the good hostess that she is, she quietly slept off (which was surprising knowing her penchant for remaining awake all the time) during the main rituals..But nevertheless, she was attacked by some very very nice people who insisted on pulling a crying child from her mom's arms and carrying the child themselves and also the next nice category of people who love to pinch a crying baby's cheeks very hard. Yes, dear friends..the world is beautiful because of such lovely people who do this knowing very well that the child cannot backfire..

And yes, I would love to mention about the lovely people who stand in front of you and say

"Guess who" ..(arre bhai only if we meet regularly I will remember you, on top of that distant ka distant relatives cannot be stored in my memory..so how can i remember you unless u tell your name and how we are related..)

I attended ur wedding and u forgot me..( arre so many people attended my wedding..and why do you want me to remember my barbadi ka din people???)

You were slim but now u have become fat..(yes yes yes..don't you have anything else to say?? I welcomed you with open arms and this is what I get in return from u??? did i ask you how come u became FAT? which HAIR DYE u use?? why do u wear anklets that suit a kid when u r a grandma?? )

Mosquitoes came in full strength to bless the couple and stayed on to please(torture) the guests staying at the hall..this inspite of putting the AC on.. and yes as in every wedding, here also, apna old aunties who try to show off that they are not old had their gracious presence felt..there was a good conversation about who is wearing what and the history of that Saree/jewel... and yes the match making bureau was working overtime to find who has eligible girls/boys for marriage..

Punch is now crawling fast and is all over the house. She has started to try to stand up with whatever is in front of her..eg..chair, box, sofa or when one of us stand before her. And yes, she has inaugurated the kitchen drawers by throwing cups all over the kitchen. I have two more weddings in about a month and I am kept reminded by family as to how will I manage this busy bee at those weddings..God give me the strength..

One point which I better mention else my head will burst..

A not so well to do guest gifted Rs 51 which is acceptable, but if the same amount is gifted by a person who is well to do, is a family friend since decades, comes well decked with jewels and whose sons are abroad, I just do not know what to say?? Maybe, the person was running short of change that day!! Sukhi raho janta...

Please Ask Me Directly

2009-01-21T17:01:00.000+05:30

instead of asking Punch

where did u go yesterday evening?
did u go to ur grandma's house?
does ur mom take care of u?
are u ur mom's/dad's pet?
what did XYZ give u as gift?
when are u going abroad?
etc etc..

Punch can reply to these questions only when she speaks, so if you are willing to wait till then, I have no issues..pls wait..but if you want the answers now itself, you have no other option but to ask me...

Harvest Time

2009-01-08T00:03:00.000+05:30

Like our farmers, I am pleased to show you the result of my toil..my harvest for this season..

Punch had very less hair at birth, and this disappointed me a bit..On top of that, relatives visiting us would always say.." Oh, you (Timepass) had lot of hair when u were born". Of course, I did not really care for it. We joked that she sported a military cut..

The daily coconut oil massage has slightly paid off and I am pleased to show you the results...After tonsuring her head when she turns 1, we hope to get a bumper harvest!! Your good wishes are very much needed..

The Tale of the Torn Note

2009-01-06T13:45:00.004+05:30

Sometime back, Punch got a cash gift in the form of a single note. The very second she received it, she tore it into two pieces even before we could take the note from her. She has never done it before, infact she would hold on to the note tight or drop it after being given such gifts. I am not sure if she tore the note just because it was a 50 rs note ? What do you think?

Does Inflation really exist??

2009-01-05T13:29:00.000+05:30

I thought that inflation has hit consumers very badly etc etc but when I see the crowds in the jewellery shops..No one will dare to agree with the above statement.. Jewellery shops are more crowded by the day and I see people cribbing about the high gold prices on one hand and buying jewels on the other hand..And I see lot of 1000 rupee notes only with people coming to buy jewellery..The T.Nagar area never seems to have a dearth of shoppers..but generally people say everything has become so costly..we are unable to make ends meet..(while shopping for jewels of course..)

(P.S: If u ask me what was i doing in the jewellery shop, yours truly was accompanying a potential buyer..) And yes there are people who are really hit by soaring prices..

You Are Height No...

2008-12-29T16:47:00.000+05:30

Yes, this is the compliment I received when I visited the Bank. And yes, the meaning of the title of this post indicates that I am TALL...As the banker was shorter than me, he requested me to open the cupboard since I AM HEIGHT NO!!!

For the information of my dear readers, I STAND TALL at 160 cms... and am happy that atleast one person says that I am HEIGHT NO..that no one will ever bother to comment on my weight is another matter since there is nothing good to talk about it..

Advance New Year Wishes to all from the sitting Punch and the tall Timepass..

A moment of Glory

2008-12-18T15:02:00.000+05:30

A decade ago, a young girl who had just written her Final year degree exams applied for a job in an MNC and got the job. A training session was held for 3 months and this was where the girl came to know that she was among the two people who had yet to graduate!, all others being PG holders. The girl felt very insecure amongst so many highly qualified people and at the same time felt nice to be sitting with such people. Most of the colleagues were polite and good to her but somehow she felt that some of them felt bad that they are made to attend sessions with an ordinary not yet graduated girl. The Production Manager was a very rude and strict person who used to spare no words to scold the trainees if they performed badly.

One day an assignment of preci writing was given to the trainees. When the alloted time was over and the answer sheets were evaluated, the manager came in as usual to announce the results. He was looking very very angry and he had the sheets in his hand. He picked out two sheets and called out the names written on the sheets, the first sheet belonging to the girl whom we are talking about. Needless to say, the girl started trembling and waiting for what the manager was going to say. The manager kept quiet for a couple of moments as if done deliberately to increase the girl's tension, she had by now prepared herself mentally that her job is gone.. and that she does not deserve to be among so many highly qualified double graduates and MBA's.

Finally the manager broke his silence to say.." Except for these two, the rest (answer sheets) are crap".. The girl just could not believe what she heard..After a minute, the manager said that this young girl is the higher scorer among the two. And he left immediately murmuring something...Immediately, all trainees pounced upon the answer sheet of the girl to see what was so special in it..The evaluator later said that only this girl and another trainee understood the true meaning of preci writing, the others just rewrote the paras again without reducing the size of the para.

P.S Yes, the girl mentioned above is ME ME ME..Now before I am the recipient of ur eggs/tomatoes/anything else...here I end this (silly) post..

Nowadays...

2008-12-08T22:55:00.000+05:30

I read the newspaper for the day after the next day arrives..( I mean at the stroke of midnight)

I eat..no no gobble up whatever little food crumbs come my way..

I do not know what is happening in the world or even my apartment..who has the time..

I have forgotten that something called an afternoon nap really exists

all thanks to sweet Punch...who keeps me on my toes all the time...

P.S: So I realise that I am a successful beggar after all..I manage to get 6 comments from 5 readers for my previous post!!

Inflation ka asaar..

2008-12-02T23:47:00.002+05:30

Yes Inflation is attacking me everywhere so much that I am getting fewer comments for my posts. Not that I used to get a dozen comments before, atleast a couple of comments would come my way from generous readers.. I know I blog very irregularly now and comment on very few other blogs, is that the reason? Is it that the posts I write are faltu and useless and everyone exits the screen cursing me??
Arre janta janardhan mujhpe meherbani karo..

Family Tradition

2008-11-25T16:30:00.000+05:30

I wonder whether my daughter will keep up my family tradition of:

Rushing to open the door to grab the newspaper the first thing in the morning

Fighting to read the newspaper

Looking out anxiously for the postman every 2 minutes when its time for him to drop the mail/Peering into the postbox whenever passing through it

Regularly alternating between the News channels to get the SAME news

Become a regular long distance train traveller

Just wait for the person seeing TV to vacate the seat and immediately occupy the same and see some boring channel (since the programme to want to see is a good 30 minutes away) for the only reason that no one else should occupy the seat. A better and oft repeated but successful idea is to pick up an argument with the person on that chair so that he vacates the seat after a good quarrel and you end up hearing him cursing you but you get the prized catch of the TV remote..

and many more traditions....

Half a Dozen Months...

2008-11-18T20:27:00.005+05:30

Of PunchMania...

Punch is now six months old. Her day begins at her chosen time, she wakes up and cries to alert us, but the moment she sees us, she smiles. She loves baths and starts saying aaa aaa the moment I take her to the bathroom. She loves it when water is poured over her and starts crying the moment I take her out of the bathroom. Initially, she was after the small mug but slowly graduated to demanding and pulling and even kicking the bucket of hot water.

She turned over successfully and can sometimes do the reverse too. She loves to play with pillows but does not like to be kept in the rocker for long periods. The moment we open the main door, she peeps out curiously. She just looks at the road and the vehicles passing by. At home, her favourite gadget is the washing machine. We have a semi-automatic machine and she loves to watch it in operation. She loves to stare at the microwave when it is being operated. She is a very curious child and keeps on looking in all directions.

Main Hu Ghatotkach still remains her favourite. So much that all family members have started talking to her by beginning with "Main Hu Ghatotkach". She immediately turns around to look at us on hearing the same. And yes, her hands seem to reach out for things all the time. Whilst in the car, she is very silent and keeps on peering through the window. But the moment there is nothing to see outside, she starts screaming. Once we were travelling in an auto and when the auto stopped at the signal she cried and screamed and we could not understand why. Then we realised that the auto stopped just at that one signal and was otherwise speeding away.

She loves to peep into the puja area and loves to hear the chants of slokas and ring the tiny bells. She turns around to search for us when we speak to each other and starts her own conversation of aaaa, aaaa etc. She sleeps very less during the day and her chosen bedtime at night is around 11-12 PM. And now, she is eagerly looking at me to come and play with her...so friends here I end this post and hopefully will be back soon.

Free Training Course

2008-11-12T05:37:00.000+05:30

Dear All,

This is to inform you that yours truly will be conducting a free training course on how to do household tasks by balancing a baby in one hand.. No fees will be charged and enough practical assignments will be given..For the more curious people out here, practical assignments involve balancing the baby in one hand and doing a variety of household tasks..And please do not ask me who has volunteered to do that..My dear ever enthusiastic Punch is ready to do the same as her hands always seem to reach out to things to drag, pull and lick..

Waiting for your response friends,

Aapki apni,

Sirf Timepass

Excellent Customer Service

2008-11-09T14:20:00.003+05:30

A small rat was creating lot of trouble for me..I was just not able to catch it inspite of using the locally available rat catching tool..Unfortunately one day, the rat passed away after entering the small hole at the back of my microwave. As I did not have the necessary tools to open up the microwave, I immediately called up the customer service and was assured that a technical guy would be sent to my residence on high priority basis.. This was at 9 in the morning.. I was supposed to get a call from them anytime..but that just did not happen..Inspite of three more reminders, no action was taken..So I approached the local electrician who promptly came and did the needful.

The episode does not end here..After 4 days, I got a call from the local customer service staff who wanted to know when they can come to attend the fault. Perhaps the date of registering the complaint was wrongly entered!!! I would like to recommend this company for the best customer service provider award, please join me in doing so... Yes I know, I could have kept the rat as it is till those guys came to repair and recommend them for another award but subject to me being alive after bearing the stench for 5 days...

Hello Hello Punch Speaking

2008-10-07T17:18:00.002+05:30

Hello Hello Mike Testing 1.. 2... 3...
Punch here..
My mummy would have given the usual excuse of me keeping her occupied as the reason for not blogging frequently..Hmmm

One of the first things mummy did after I was born was to....open a.......Email id for me..

I know that's one of the easiest things to be done but I fail to understand why a big issue is being made of this?? Relatives are making fun of mummy saying that she has already opened an email id for me..what's wrong in that??They say am I so advanced and hi-fi to get an email id so soon..aree bhai email id is free...FREE i mean.. If my mummy has bought a Spanish Villa or a diamond necklace for a 1 crore FD for me, I can understand but yeh to bas ek email id hai...

so here is my first brush with society...

Main Hu Ghatotkach

2008-09-22T21:43:00.005+05:30

Nahi nahi mein ghatotkach (s/o balwan bheem) nahi hu... Nor am I Jai Hanuman.. (Daddy sings these songs to Punch all the time and I remember them more than my name) Maybe to indirectly say that my figure resembles that of Ghatotkach (shhhh its a secret)

All is well with me friends..Lavs, thanks for asking..

Well, Punch (yes, that's how she will be known henceforth on this blog) is keeping me on my toes all the time. Before u ask why Punch, that's because she closes her fist tightly and blesses us with punches..( and also cause I am unable to come up with some other good name for her)

I am unable to write comments on the blogs i visit due to extreme paucity of time (and partly laziness) and also due to the fact that I want to use the time spent on commenting in one blog to greedily read another blog in jet speed before Punch gets up. Please bear with me friends, I am reading your blogs as I used to do before.

Punch is now four months old and a big bundle of fun. Her hobby of screaming at ten in the night still continues though she has taken pity on us now by sleeping at around midnight daily. More updates will be posted shortly.

I am now enjoying the experience of seeing four generations under a single roof now..If you want to have that experience, well, drop in anytime...but fully energised and charged (by drinking glucose etc) before u ENTER..cause u will be drained out in a short while...