Being the mother of a three and a half year old, attending music concerts 'live' is almost like a luxury for me. It was the Children's Day weekend and our apartment complex was hosting a wide variety of sports events for the young as weel as the 'young at heart'. My kiddo participated in a couple of games and so did hubby and I. The exhausting activities during the day did not actually dampen our spirits and I'm really glad I was able to go to this particular concert. We reached the Venue (St. John's auditorium, Koramangala) a little ahead of the scheduled time of 6pm. What this meant was we had ample choice in where we wanted to sit. We picked a location neither too close to the stage, nor too far from the exist.
The stage was beautifully done up with colorful flowers and some fresh green plants at the corners, against an elegant blue backdrop. The organizers were getting ready with bouquets to welcome the performers for the evening. By now, our little madame, who'd been closely but silently monitoring the bustle of the organizers close to the stage, was beginnging to get quite inquisitive. In her characterestic non-chalant and loud manner, she asked : "Appa, Sanjay Mama engendu Varuva, left side lendu aa, illa right side lendu aa?", "Mrudangam mama enga okachipa?", "Sanjay mama ceiling lendu parandu varuvala?". A couple of our neighbors looked our way with much besmusement.
Trying to suppress a chuckle as well as slight embarassment, I gently chided her - "Ved, when the concert begins, you need to maintain silence, or else the other mamas and mamis won't be able to listen to Sanjay mama singing", to which she promptly rejoined "Illai, we can speak softly no?"
The gentelman sitting right ahead of us, unable to contain his amusement any more, snapped our little exchange short with - "Oh my God, she's such a doll", and directing his affectionate attention towards Vedika, egged her on saying "Nee onnum bayapadadei maa...unaku enna venum naalum pesiko, enna venum naalum padiko" :-)
Meanwhile, the husband had wandered off in other direction and was deep in conversation with an elderly gentleman, when Sanjay walked on to the stage with his entourage, to a warm but prolonged applause. Vinod later identified the gentleman as Mr. Suresh Subrahmanyan, Sanjay's uncle, whom he had happened to get acqauinted with during his visit to Chennai last December, during the kutcheri season.
After the customary welcome speech from a member of the organizing committee (Nadasurabhi Cultural Association), the concert commenced with a lively varnam. Over the next 3 hours, we were drenched in a melodious ocean of raga and laya. Sanjay is known for experimenting with a lot of unusual ragams especially for the main piece / RTPs. But, for this concert, he stuck to the popular but offering-tremendous-scope-for-variety Shankarabharanam, for the RTP. The main piece was in a not-very-often heard ragam called Kumudakriya.
Sanjay was accompanied on the violin by Vidwan S Varadarajan, on the Mridangam by Vidwan Neyveli Venkatesh, and on the Khanjira by Vidwan Guruprasanna.
The song list for the evening goes something like this :-
- Sami ni rammanave – KedAram - Thiruvottiyur Thyagaiyer
- Ra Rama intitaka – AsavEri – Thyagaraja
- enta rANi tanakenta – HarikambhOji – Thyagaraja
- Ardhanareeshwaram – kumudakriya – Dikshitar
- Anandavalli – Neelambari – Swathi Thirunal
- Marugelara O raghava – JayantasrI – Thyagaraja
- RTP – ShankarabharaNam
- GOpala bhaktim – Bageshri – Swati Thirunal
- Nanda Tanaya Govinda – Bageshri – Purandaradasa
- JanAdi Rama – Sindhu Bhairavi
- Bharata sarajya sakhi – Desh – Mayuram Vishwanatha Shastri
- Paniyin VintulipOlavE – Harikambhoji
- MangaLam – SaurAshtram – Thyagaraja
Monday, November 14, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
7 signs that your kid loves you :-)
1.Your newborn stares into your eyes.
He's actually working hard to memorize your face. He doesn't understand anything else about the world, but he knows you're important.
2 Your baby thinks about you even when you're not around.
Between 8 and 12 months old, he'll start to scrunch his face and look around when you leave the room — and he'll smile when you return.
3 Your toddler throws wicked tantrums.
Nope, those screaming fits don't mean he's stopped loving you. He wouldn't be so hurt and angry if he didn't trust you so deeply.
4 Your toddler runs to you for comfort when he falls down or feels sad.
Kids this age may not truly understand the meaning of "I love you," but their actions speak louder than words.
5 Your preschooler gives you a flower picked from the garden, a finger-painted heart, a sparkly rock, or another gift.
6 Your preschooler wants your approval.
He'll start to be more cooperative around the house, and he'll look for chances to impress. "Look at me!" will become a catchphrase.
7 Your little one trusts you with secrets, like his first crush or his most embarrassing moment.
You're his confidante, even if he shies away from your hugs in public.
From - Babycenter.com
He's actually working hard to memorize your face. He doesn't understand anything else about the world, but he knows you're important.
2 Your baby thinks about you even when you're not around.
Between 8 and 12 months old, he'll start to scrunch his face and look around when you leave the room — and he'll smile when you return.
3 Your toddler throws wicked tantrums.
Nope, those screaming fits don't mean he's stopped loving you. He wouldn't be so hurt and angry if he didn't trust you so deeply.
4 Your toddler runs to you for comfort when he falls down or feels sad.
Kids this age may not truly understand the meaning of "I love you," but their actions speak louder than words.
5 Your preschooler gives you a flower picked from the garden, a finger-painted heart, a sparkly rock, or another gift.
6 Your preschooler wants your approval.
He'll start to be more cooperative around the house, and he'll look for chances to impress. "Look at me!" will become a catchphrase.
7 Your little one trusts you with secrets, like his first crush or his most embarrassing moment.
You're his confidante, even if he shies away from your hugs in public.
From - Babycenter.com
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
A pleasant evening..
I rushed back home quickly after my carpool ride from office. Reached home around half an earlier than my usual time. I had some pending work, so quickly switched on the lappy, freshened up and started off, while my lil sweetie was fast asleep wid her thatha.
This was precisely why I rushed, coz I knew once she was up, I would have not a sec to attend to anything else but her :-)
Work I did for around 15 mins then Vedika was up. Did my usual ritual of having chai that was readily prepared and served to me by my sweet MIL.Then twas fruit-time for vedika. Each of the meals that I have to give her gets done faster for her as well as me when we are down in the basement in the company of "beeg car (read corpio), small car (read sift)" bike, etc :-)
After that, I changed, dressed up lil ved and we were off to the play area. She loves playing there with the sand so also in the swings, slides and the merry-go-rounds. Ahanya, Neeya, Ria are some of her fave friends!She keeps me on my toes literally when I'm wid her playing. She keeps running and dodging between the play-area, the gym, the club-house and around the swimming pool. Yea, she loves going into the gym for 1 thing..can you believe what? to check her
weight! Yea, you can be sure where she got it from :-)
Right in the middle of all this, I was suddenly stopped by Cylin, she's one of the mammas that I meet daily. Today we had a different talk. She told me she's inviting all the kiddos and the mammas home the coming friday evening over for coffee. And guess what the reason could be...she's starting a saloon at home!!
Also, she made it very clear to me that it will not be the crappy kinds like Anabelle Saloon that we have in the neighbouring lane..(Anabelle is actually a really good saloon that provides quite a decent service). She has had previous experince working in India as well as abroad in five star and seven star saloons. So, we could expect wonderful service, she assured!! Whoa!!
Meanwhile hubby got home early and I happily handed over lil Vedika to him while I could catch up on some more gossip with other ladies around. I met Julia and Reshma. We had been planning to call the ladies trainer for swimming for quite sometime now, but was getting postponed for some reason or the other. We quickly got together and put down the list of ladies interested in joining, called them over the intercom and confirmed their presence for the class the coming weekend. Hope to have a good splash soon
This was precisely why I rushed, coz I knew once she was up, I would have not a sec to attend to anything else but her :-)
Work I did for around 15 mins then Vedika was up. Did my usual ritual of having chai that was readily prepared and served to me by my sweet MIL.Then twas fruit-time for vedika. Each of the meals that I have to give her gets done faster for her as well as me when we are down in the basement in the company of "beeg car (read corpio), small car (read sift)" bike, etc :-)
After that, I changed, dressed up lil ved and we were off to the play area. She loves playing there with the sand so also in the swings, slides and the merry-go-rounds. Ahanya, Neeya, Ria are some of her fave friends!She keeps me on my toes literally when I'm wid her playing. She keeps running and dodging between the play-area, the gym, the club-house and around the swimming pool. Yea, she loves going into the gym for 1 thing..can you believe what? to check her
weight! Yea, you can be sure where she got it from :-)
Right in the middle of all this, I was suddenly stopped by Cylin, she's one of the mammas that I meet daily. Today we had a different talk. She told me she's inviting all the kiddos and the mammas home the coming friday evening over for coffee. And guess what the reason could be...she's starting a saloon at home!!
Also, she made it very clear to me that it will not be the crappy kinds like Anabelle Saloon that we have in the neighbouring lane..(Anabelle is actually a really good saloon that provides quite a decent service). She has had previous experince working in India as well as abroad in five star and seven star saloons. So, we could expect wonderful service, she assured!! Whoa!!
Meanwhile hubby got home early and I happily handed over lil Vedika to him while I could catch up on some more gossip with other ladies around. I met Julia and Reshma. We had been planning to call the ladies trainer for swimming for quite sometime now, but was getting postponed for some reason or the other. We quickly got together and put down the list of ladies interested in joining, called them over the intercom and confirmed their presence for the class the coming weekend. Hope to have a good splash soon
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Zindagii do Pal Kii is just sooo mesmerising....
Lovable. Wonderful. Romantic. Soft . A bit nostalgic. Warm. Soothing.... That’s Zindagi do pal ki. This song from Kites is worth listening to. KK as ususal has done an awesome job!! The way he sings 'intezaar kab tak..hum karenge bhala...' is totally mesmerising. I can keep listening to it continuously throughout the day!!
Rajesh Roshan has given wonderful music. KK and lyricist Nasir Faraz too have their fair shares in the superbness of the song. So here go the lyrics :-
Zindagi do pal ki, zindagi do pal ki
Intezaar kab tak hum karenge bhala
Tumhe pyaar kab tak na karenge bhala
Zindagi do pal ki..
Dil mein tumhare chhupa di hai maine to apni ye jaan
Ab tum hi isko sambhalo hume apna hosh kahaan
Bekhudi do pal ki, zindagi do pal ki
Intezaar kab tak hum karenge bhala
Tumhe pyaar kab tak na karenge bhala
Ik chota sa vaada iss umar se zyada sachcha hai sanam
Har mod par saath iss liye rehte hain ab dono hum
Dosti do pal ki, zindagi do pal ki
Intezaar kab tak hum karenge bhala
Tumhe pyaar kab tak na karenge bhala
Zindagi do pal ki, zindagi..
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Thapalai chaatam !
Here I am, back after a long hiatus....my lil doll kept me busy all these days..can u believe she'll be 2 the 21st of this Month? For her talking came sooner than walking! By now, she's quite clear wid the words she says and the way she communicates. She even speaks small sentences. Since hubby is from the palakkad side she is very quickly picking up the palakkad dialect. Sometimes, infact its me who learns some words from her these days :)
Last night, she suddenly called out to me: "Mummy ..Mummy..." and said, "thapayay taatam". At first I couldnt gather what she said. I asked her to repeat and she did. This cycle went on for atleast 4-5 times. When she realised that I'm not getting her..do u know what my sweetie did? She literally demonstrated to me :D .
It was only then that I realised what she meant...she showed me a froggy jump :) :)
She had actually meant to say " Thapalai Chaatam" which in palakkad dialect translates to "froggy jump" !!!
Last night, she suddenly called out to me: "Mummy ..Mummy..." and said, "thapayay taatam". At first I couldnt gather what she said. I asked her to repeat and she did. This cycle went on for atleast 4-5 times. When she realised that I'm not getting her..do u know what my sweetie did? She literally demonstrated to me :D .
It was only then that I realised what she meant...she showed me a froggy jump :) :)
She had actually meant to say " Thapalai Chaatam" which in palakkad dialect translates to "froggy jump" !!!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Thirty-two things that change when you have a baby
1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.
16. "You discover how much there is to say about one tooth."
17. "You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth."
18. "You now know where the sun comes from."
19. "You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have."
20. "You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers."
21. "You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night."
22. "Silence? What's that?"
23. "You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having."
24. "You discover an inner strength you never thought you had."
25. "You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule."
26. "You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one."
27. "Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog."
28. "You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late."
29. "You learn that taking a shower is a luxury."
30. "You realize that you can love a complete stranger."
31. You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place.
32. If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, now you do!
2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.
3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.
4. You respect your body ... finally.
5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.
6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.
7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.
8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.
9. Your heart breaks much more easily.
10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.
11. Every day is a surprise.
12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)
13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.
14. You become a morning person.
15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.
16. "You discover how much there is to say about one tooth."
17. "You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth."
18. "You now know where the sun comes from."
19. "You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have."
20. "You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers."
21. "You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night."
22. "Silence? What's that?"
23. "You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having."
24. "You discover an inner strength you never thought you had."
25. "You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule."
26. "You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one."
27. "Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog."
28. "You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late."
29. "You learn that taking a shower is a luxury."
30. "You realize that you can love a complete stranger."
31. You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place.
32. If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, now you do!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)