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Monday, February 18, 2008

This is the only way to do this...

Just read Sue's post where she scribbles from Madras - and decided that 'Notes' is the only way to summarize my Delhi trip (else I will just put it off until I forget):

1. Was Very Nice Weather. Cold but not too cold. Perfect for snuggling up with your baby. Especially if your baby curls right up into the C-shape formed by your arms, front and thighs when you sleep on your side.

2. Mum has moved into a new house. Is beautiful, ground floor and with a garden that has lovely trees, especially one mango tree which I wanted to climb immediately but didn't. Mum is doing it up very nicely, is a lot of work. More power to you, Mom! Don't ask me what that means, I don't really know, but it's a good thing.

3. There is a whole lot of junk that needs to be cleaned up. I did my bit by sorting out my old clothes from ten years ago, there is a huge pile that will make some poor young girls very happy, if somewhat out of date. I also undid all my helpfulness in my mothers eyes, by taking the initiative to sort out HER old clothes - made a huge give away pile but it turns out she wanted them all, for some reason. Sigh. No one appreciates initiative. Initiative ka to zamaane hi nahin raha.

4. My brother and sis-in-law were in town and met Peanut. They were quite the doting Maama and Maami, and had bought her a huge pile of board and touchy-feely books, and even one talking Nursery Rhymes book - I particularly love 'Meg and Mog' and 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' and 'Where's Spot?'. They are a lot of fun. Oh, must remember to share them with Peanut. By the way, Meg and Mog has a poem which the witches chant to cast a spell

'Frog in a Bog
Bat in a Hat
Snap Crackle Pop
And Fancy That!'

Isn't that lovely? I can't stop reciting it, once I start. It may even replace the Wombat stew poem for me! Well, that's pushing it, but still.

5. Peanut's Maama and Maami played with her a lot, and even danced with her to songs from Om Shaanti Om and Saawariya. That Deewangi song is nice. I must watch OSO. I am hopelessly behind the times, aren't I? Never mind. My brother and sis-in-law were quite sad to see us go, and there were talks of hiding Peanut and smuggling her away in their suitcases. All talk and no action, that's them.

6. We decided to watch a movie one evening at home, but couldn't decide at all - spent half an hour arguing until someone said 'Sholay'. Watched only the first half hour but kept singing the movie's praises and enjoyed the whole 'Wah, wah' session thoroughly. That is one classy movie! This is a public apology to my husband, whose attempts to watch it recently I have been thwarting, saying 'Not again'. You can never watch that movie too many times, I think. It was great, except that my brother kept saying all the important dialogues 5 seconds before and after the actor on screen said them.

7. I met just about everybody in my family in Delhi, which was really nice - all four grandparents, bua, masi, cousin, siblings... A few friends kept popping in here and there, too, which was also nice - but this trip was really about the family. Peanut took to everybody very happily and has suddenly become very social. Is stranger anxiety only supposed to last a week? Oh well, it's good, I guess.

Am so glad I did this trip. After an afternoon spent basking in the sun while eating oranges in the park, and chatting with my 92 year old Dadaji, I had a feeling that if this were my last week alive, I wouldn't have spent it any differently. Slightly morbid thought but an interesting perspective. Especially since I don't think I've ever been able to say that before. Pity we can't just live like that all the time. Or can we? I don't know.

I will not ruin this post and my mood by writing about the flight back over here. And how are all of YOU?

10 comments:

  1. haha, sounds like a good, fun trip alright.
    hana was the opposite with family this time around, wouldn't take to anyone, which was nice for me. you know how i'm always craving her attention? i got all i wanted and more, and am basking in the glow of it all.
    no peanut pictures of late?

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  2. Am enjoying my break too. First time I'm really so relaxed here.

    :)

    The mango tree sounds very nice. You must visit in summer, then! I miss the mango trees we had in Vizag.

    The Bhablet has a ponytail right now. :) Bang on top of his head.

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  3. Hmm, as notes is the flavour of the season :

    (a) Your Hindi has improved. 10/10.
    (b) Mmm, Delhi is great nowadays. You should have gone to the Zoo, if you like that kind of stuff. They have 9-month old tiger cubs there. Full paisa-vasool. And a giraffe.
    (c)Mango tree sounds great :)
    (d)Some people want old clothes et al as much as the new ones, to keep old memories. I can so relate to your mom, if that's what her "for some reason" was.
    (e) More power to you too, Y (it means something like "Attagirl", "Chak de phatte" etc etc)
    (e) You didn't miss much, if you havent watched OSO.
    (f) MISSED you!! Welcome backkkk :)

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  4. glad you had a good trip to Saaddi Dilli:)
    Missed ya!

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  5. Wow, lovely trip, lovely pictures :D

    Peanut has GROWN so much since the last time we saw her! She's a big girl now - omigosh!
    Can we have a picture of her eating a banana? Please? Your description got me all curious to see for myself :D

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  6. Stuti,
    It was really nice to know that you understand a bit of how I feel! You know, I asked Y thrice if the pile of clothes she had picked for giving away included a pair of jeans waist-size 34" and she steadfastly said "no". And then, lo and behold, I find those jeans right on top of the pile, sticking out like a sore thumb! I could not read the label without my glasses and asked Y to read it for me. When she said "W 34", I said that those were the only pair of jeans I had and were in perfectly good condition! Besides they had sentimental value for me -for another reason. So that is the story of the sorting she did - of my clothes, which I had already sorted actually!
    Y, by the way, you were supposed to try out a whole lot of clothes you had kept aside, so ... get back fast and try them on, OK? And I still have to take the stuff you sorted out as unwanted. Will go and give them to some organisation doing that kind of stuff.

    Y's Mom

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  7. Y,

    Sounds like you had a great time! What a lovely garden - didn't know Delhi still had lovely homes like that!

    If you liked "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" Eric Carle has a bunch more - all beloved of kids - mine really liked the Very Busy Spider and the Very Lonely Cricket.

    - M

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  8. good stuff...the garden looks amazing!!!!

    i know this was abt family and an ultra short trip so didn't pester you, but when u come next for a longer time.....please do touch base!

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  9. Y's mom - Thanks. You should really start your own blog, you know! And then maybe we will know the story behind the "W 34" jeans there :)

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  10. Dubba dubba duh duh duh
    [Doesn't Annie Lennox start one of her more famous songs like this? I think it's 'No more I love yous']

    Hello hello - did you miss me? Did you? Did you? Gooood! Well I'm most pleasantly surprised to find so many new blog posts here [3 to be precise]. And in the spirit of Wombat stews and Megs and Mogs here is my latest favourite poem/ song courtesy Homer J. Simpson:
    Spider-pig Spider-pig
    Friendly neighbourhood spider-pig
    Can he swing
    From a web?
    No he can't
    He's a pig
    Look out!!!
    He's a spider-pig.


    I'd be willing to sing it to you over the phone if you'd like.

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Hi there. Go on, say it. Well? WELL?