We have an eccentric mom

A debut blog of Shreya and Shivansh 

We have an eccentric mom. Not that at almost two months we have seen many moms to compare and conclude that but her behaviour is defintely not normal. We mean who stares at sleeping people and that too for hours. Being concerned is one thing but to just keep staring while we try to dream of the little world we've seen so far. It totally is not cool mom...makes us uncomfortable.

You take shots of our hands, feet, cheek, ear and here we thought you had some photographic aesthetics. We fear the day you will be taking shots of our poop, talking of which reminds us please stop discussing our poop with the docs...it's totally embarrassing.

And yes, stop googling about every little problem that you think we might have.

And then the other day you were howling while we were getting the vaccination. You know we panicked all the more to see you like that...this was just our first and there will be, not that you don't know, many more to come. 

We know that look when someone else tries to handle us (which you actually think is mishandling) and you totally conceal your anger with a forced smile. Chill and a get a life. Do your Starbucks and movies with pops and trust us we will be fine.

While we waited inside you, you promised that you will be the coolest mom and now you show little signs of it. It's a total breach of contract and we can't even go back inside now.

We hope you do understand that we will have our  wings sooner than you like and we will fly...and we don't want to do that always thinking of a leaving an anxious mother behind. 

Mom, you can do better than this.

The overnight mom

Isn't it obvious? Obvious that my blogger instinct peaks on becoming a mommy.

But it's strange that I didn't become a mom during the 9 months I carried my babies. I was only too relieved to have become pregnant and gotten rid of the self inflicted burden that I carried for so many years. Neither did I become a mom the first time I saw the babies, which apparently was lying in the OT getting myself stitched up. I spent the first night getting painkiller shots, trying to sleep and wondering how long my incision was. My babies stayed in the nursery that night.

The next morning they arrived with their angelic faces and so did a string of visitors. They slept through most of the day and allowed me to nurse my growing pain and inability to walk. But what followed at night...was totally unexpected. The babies cried and howled and I had no clue how to calm them. I felt responsible and extremely responsible...I was desperate to take care of their needs. It was then that a realization came...Sumit and I had made a commitment without even knowing we did. A commitment to our babies and that too for a lifetime.

When they grow up, I don't want them to be burdened thinking of the sacrifices I made or that I had been a cook, maid, driver, and what not for them. Why blame them for a choice I made and which they didn't ask for?

I'd like them to know how I became the overnight mom. I want them to know that I never believed in love at first sight...still don't.  But they defintely made me believe in love at first night.

To bare and what to bare - The social media dilemma

Social Media is confusing.

No seriously.

Even for an aspiring social media analyst like me.

Trust me, the writing below is not a sarcastic bantering of some people but a genuine confusion.

Like I don't understand why do people, when wishing birthday or anniversary to a friend, have to post picture of themselves with that friend? Is it a loud cry of association proof?

Why do people have to post gush, mush, dush messages for ma, pa, hubby (I hate the term), sister, brother...basically people who live under the same roof? Is the intention to let the larger humanity know?

How can people post pictures in the same pose everyday? The pose being sideways, one leg up (like doggie peeing), and the famous pout? Is it to prove their proficiency in that pose?

Why have people made status updates a regular outpour of their emotions? Like promotions (dude, humility) or someone in their family being hospitalized (I think the person needs you more than Facebook!).

It's a free world and I am no expert on preaching online social boundaries. But I guess some common sense never hurt anyone.

Reminiscing Maggi

After the whole world has exhausted the RIPs, memories and comeback rumors of it, I don't know what prompts me to write about it. But I dare not question the creative streak that is such an infrequent visitor.

Maggi evokes so many memories. As a child, a sincere thanks to my mom, I was often known to have the most interesting lunches. From idlis, macaroni to sandwiches, I had it all. And of course there were the lucky days of Maggi. There was such immense joy on days that you found the cold blob of dry noodles waiting to be slurped away with everyone around salivating for the snaky wonder. And the unbearable pain of parting when a classmate asked for a noodle or two.

And as though that wasn't enough, the greatest adventure for my cousins and I was to cook the 2-minutes wonder together. Of course, it never took 2 minutes and left a kitchen so messy that definitely wouldn't take 2 minutes to be normal. But we discovered new recipes like butter Maggi and tel wali Maggi together and raced towards licking the plate clean (only if schools had a scoring system for that I wish).

Somewhere along my teens, I discovered the addictive taste of raw Maggi. Every time I needed to make a packet and a half of Maggi as half of it just vanished - you know where. Till I consumed the last packet of Maggi ever, I loved the raw version as much as the cooked one. I even got my cousin to try it who was scared to have a stomach ache after it but nevertheless couldn't resist.

Sounds clichéd but Maggi was the only thing I could cook (if it qualifies as cooking) unless cooking became a necessity.

It made the perfect dhaba dinner on the cold and wintry outings with Sumit when you didn't know whether the smoke from the mouth came from the hot Maggi or the chill.

Whenever it plans to be back, I wish it can evoke the same trust and memories as I've had and am sure most of us live with. 

Believe

I learnt the most amazing word after watching 'The Polar Express' (yes I recently saw the 2004 animated movie) - believe. Why, as we grow, do we doubt and mistrust so much?

In case you haven't seen the motion picture or don't remember it, its about this boy who doesn't believe that Santa is for real. There comes the 'The Polar Express' to take him to the North Pole, elves and Santa on Christmas eve (I wish I could board the express). And begins his journey of fun and adventure with the friends he makes on the train. As he reaches the North Pole, neither does he hear the Bell from Santa's sleigh nor does he see Santa as he still doesn't believe them to be real. But as he believes them to be real, he sees them all. Santa asks him the present he'd like for Christmas and he asks for the Bell. The movie ends with the boy saying that as long as we truly believe, we can hear the Bell.

Though we're far from Christmas, if Santa was to ask me the present I'd like for Christmas, I'd choose to be always super positive and never stop believing. Life can be so simple if we can always think like children. So, close your eyes and believe.

I am considering migration

I am considering migration.

Here, Maggi has high lead and MSG. Milk is adulterated with detergents and fertilizers. Cow's milk is toxic. Butter and ghee are adulterated with animal fat. Cooking oil is spuriously low quality and often bleached. Olive oil is fake and so is the extra virgin variety. Fruits and vegetables are injected with nano particles. Wheat flour contains
benzoyl peroxide and calcium peroxide. Chocolates are often found with worms or high toxic lead. Eateries serve substandard food camouflaged with bouts of cheap cheese, cream and dalda, which is the most notorious of the lot.

I thought I'll survive on water.

But yet again. Tap water is contaminated with sewage water. Bottled water contains all kinds of live creatures and is stored in plastic bottles infested with fungus. Mineral water has no minerals and is really filtered tap water.

I thought I'll survive on air.

But that is the worst. Who doesn't know of the horrific air quality?

So, I am left with no option but to consider moving to a saner land.

It's time

The epicenter of the recent quake was at a distance of roughly 1223 kms from Delhi. A flight to Kathmandu is, approximately, 1 hour 45 minutes and perhaps another some hours to the place, which was the epicenter. Nature's wrath, for the same distance, took a few nano seconds to reach Delhi.

Humans are so instinctively greedy and assume to be most powerful. We acquire lands, build structures and shrines. And then, we fight for all that. We have ammunition to reinforce the power and consistently claim every inch of this earth assuming it was all meant for us and will, forever, be there for us.

As I look at the pictures of shattered man made faith, temples that became naught and idols that now are rubble, something tells me that it's time we stopped assuming, it's time we stopped fighting, it's time we stopped acquiring and it's time we stopped wrecking.