Thursday, May 14, 2009
Unstained
is my finger since I could not cast my vote yesterday. Its the first time since I turned adult that I was prepared to vote. I was in the Country and had stayed in the same address long enough to have all kinds of proofs to apply for my voter's id, which I did but unfortunately mine or Don's name did not feature in the electoral list.
I went to 3 pooling booths in the 40 degree C afternoon sun of Chennai to find out and totally confirm that our names aren't included. Though I know its the thought that counts I felt I had let down the country a bit by not being able to cast my vote. I really do feel a prick in the heart when i see the stained fingers of those around me.
A thought that crossed my mind while I was running around the polling booths was that how little we no I (let me speak only for me) do or get to do for our country. If only we all did a little more!!
I really do hope next time I get to vote.
I went to 3 pooling booths in the 40 degree C afternoon sun of Chennai to find out and totally confirm that our names aren't included. Though I know its the thought that counts I felt I had let down the country a bit by not being able to cast my vote. I really do feel a prick in the heart when i see the stained fingers of those around me.
A thought that crossed my mind while I was running around the polling booths was that how little we no I (let me speak only for me) do or get to do for our country. If only we all did a little more!!
I really do hope next time I get to vote.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
The Price of Children....
Literally...i dont know how true it is and also in the Indian context but I liked the thought somebody out into it.........I received it as a forward from a very pretty woman who is the mother of 4 daughters and is a single parent...I am sure you all will like it as I did...
The Price of Children
This is just too good not to pass on to all. Something
absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the
breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the
first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's
nice.
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a
child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a
middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't
even touch college tuition.
But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It
translates into:
* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week..
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't
have children if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just
the opposite.
What do you get for your $160,140.00?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm
cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the
boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:
* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.
* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under
refrigerator magnets and collect! spray painted noodle
wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's
Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your
buck. You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a
baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice
cream regardless.
You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* first step,
* first word,
* first bra,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.
You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your
family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in
your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren.
You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal
justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college
can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God.
You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the
monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a
slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without
limits, so one day they will, like you, love without
counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!
Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren &
great-grandchildren !!!!!!! It's the best investment you'll
make!
Andy: Dont you feel very Rich!!
The Price of Children
This is just too good not to pass on to all. Something
absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the
breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the
first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's
nice.
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a
child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a
middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't
even touch college tuition.
But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It
translates into:
* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week..
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't
have children if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just
the opposite.
What do you get for your $160,140.00?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm
cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the
boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:
* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.
* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under
refrigerator magnets and collect! spray painted noodle
wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's
Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.
For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your
buck. You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a
baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice
cream regardless.
You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* first step,
* first word,
* first bra,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.
You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your
family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in
your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren.
You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal
justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college
can match.
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God.
You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the
monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a
slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without
limits, so one day they will, like you, love without
counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!
Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren &
great-grandchildren !!!!!!! It's the best investment you'll
make!
Andy: Dont you feel very Rich!!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
My husband doesnt take much interest in .....
what i try on/ pick up/ buy/ wear or not wear and if I were complaining about it I have now stopped as of yesterday afternoon.In fact,especially after yesterday's incident i love my husband more for his ignorance/disinterest whatever.
I was at Lifestyle trying to buy something to utilize a gift voucher I had with the expiry date of 31.3.09. Footwear being something I could always have another pair of, I found myself checking out the Footwear dept.
Saw a guy decently attired in obviously branded semi formal clothes,browsing through the various models. I was happy to see him take so much interest in his wife's- similarly attired in jeans & kurtti, hair cut short in a beautiful cut and branded eyewear perched on top of the head- shopping till i realised it wasn't interest, it was instruction.
He picked up a shoe and handed it to her saying, this is what you want. Without waiting for her response he tells the sales guy to bring out the same in her size. The lady in many subtle ways try to hint him that she didn't like it....in words like "yeh mere us dress ke saath nahi jayega" or picking up another pair and saying "yeh wala acha hai" or even ignoring when the sales person came back with the said pair in her size. But the husband seemed adamant.
I was tempted to go to her and say "don't buy it if u don't like it" but then i know better than that. So just walked away from there before I could see how the drama ended.
I would rather go back with my husband, show him a few shoes, listening to him say sometimes with interest and sometimes disinterestedly "ya that's good", "nice", "ya will go with ur dress..." or whatever it is that I would expect him to say but finally buying only what I like or want.
And yes, I did remember to send a prayer up thanking God for my disinterested husband!!
I was at Lifestyle trying to buy something to utilize a gift voucher I had with the expiry date of 31.3.09. Footwear being something I could always have another pair of, I found myself checking out the Footwear dept.
Saw a guy decently attired in obviously branded semi formal clothes,browsing through the various models. I was happy to see him take so much interest in his wife's- similarly attired in jeans & kurtti, hair cut short in a beautiful cut and branded eyewear perched on top of the head- shopping till i realised it wasn't interest, it was instruction.
He picked up a shoe and handed it to her saying, this is what you want. Without waiting for her response he tells the sales guy to bring out the same in her size. The lady in many subtle ways try to hint him that she didn't like it....in words like "yeh mere us dress ke saath nahi jayega" or picking up another pair and saying "yeh wala acha hai" or even ignoring when the sales person came back with the said pair in her size. But the husband seemed adamant.
I was tempted to go to her and say "don't buy it if u don't like it" but then i know better than that. So just walked away from there before I could see how the drama ended.
I would rather go back with my husband, show him a few shoes, listening to him say sometimes with interest and sometimes disinterestedly "ya that's good", "nice", "ya will go with ur dress..." or whatever it is that I would expect him to say but finally buying only what I like or want.
And yes, I did remember to send a prayer up thanking God for my disinterested husband!!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
It came by post....
The reminder that Sunshine is afterall only the centre of my Universe and not that of the world and most certainly of a certain school(lets call it XYZZ).
After Don stood in the queue for 7 hours (4.00am -11.00am) just to get the application and then spending an equal time to return the filled up application, we got a letter from them saying 'we regret...........'and for what reason, none other than the fact that her name was not picked up in the lottery system that is used for selecting kids.
My first reaction was "how can they do this to my child?????????", then reasons started flowing in from all and sundry. One explanation was that since I was not of the same faith as my husband, which incidently is also the same as that of the school,we were rejected. I was fuming till Don(whose desire is was to see Sunshine in this school)vehemently said, if thats the reason then I wouldnt send my daughter to that place even if they beg me to.
Anyways I had Plan B in place and we are all fine but it really hurts to see the rejection of Sunshine even if its for a school admission and with no other reason but not being picked up in a lottery and to top it all something she is not even aware of...
Oh what agonies await me as she grows up and faces sometimes rejection, sometimes failure and sometimes heartbreak...when she herself finds out that she is not the centre of the Universe afterall.
Good Lord, be with her always!!
After Don stood in the queue for 7 hours (4.00am -11.00am) just to get the application and then spending an equal time to return the filled up application, we got a letter from them saying 'we regret...........'and for what reason, none other than the fact that her name was not picked up in the lottery system that is used for selecting kids.
My first reaction was "how can they do this to my child?????????", then reasons started flowing in from all and sundry. One explanation was that since I was not of the same faith as my husband, which incidently is also the same as that of the school,we were rejected. I was fuming till Don(whose desire is was to see Sunshine in this school)vehemently said, if thats the reason then I wouldnt send my daughter to that place even if they beg me to.
Anyways I had Plan B in place and we are all fine but it really hurts to see the rejection of Sunshine even if its for a school admission and with no other reason but not being picked up in a lottery and to top it all something she is not even aware of...
Oh what agonies await me as she grows up and faces sometimes rejection, sometimes failure and sometimes heartbreak...when she herself finds out that she is not the centre of the Universe afterall.
Good Lord, be with her always!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
How would you react
if you found out that you had a hobby that you weren't even aware of? Me, I reacted by first trying to psycho-analyse myself and then doing the easier thing of taking snaps and blogging about it.
Well it all started when a holiday planned went awry and I was left with a lot of time in hand. The time that forced me to hear the calling, requests, orders name it as you please that it has been ages since the cupboards have been aired, that there lurking behind that chaos might be clothes that haven't seen sunlight for sometime,that air/humidity/rodents could have destroyed what are in those cupboards.
With no more excuses to give I set out to do the task.There were clothes I didn't know I had, materials that hadn't been stitched, sarees not worn,books I hadnt read, music I hadn't heard, recipe book which I had another copy coz I didn't remember that I already had one, unused gift coupons past expiry,some currency in purses not used, bday cards not sent,gifts of Sunshine waiting for her to attain the age mentioned on them, lovely frocks waiting to be fit for her and the usual. The usual of course it is for the cupboards that Andy rules. But for one thing.
I found diaries and note book of various colours, sizes, shapes and I realised for reasons too coz I did manage to remember why some of them were bought. Wanna have a look at some of them...common...
This one I had picked to create a gift for a friend of mine. Luckily I gave her a adhoc gift(if it can be called that) else today 6 months after her bday I would still have not given her a gift. Note the pics of a cool , classy lady on the cover..well that's why I picked it up.
A couple of months after I had picked the Lady Notebook, I picked this one up and for the same reason. Coz I thot this one was more fun...pink, polka dots...what more could a girl want?
I have no idea why I picked this one up...5 Subject note...hmmmm hmmmm hmmm...no no I don't remember.
This blue note was bought for a class I wanted to join. I went to the institute, paid the fees, bought the stationery everything but they finally cancelled out the batch that I preferred coz of the timings. So this book is left untouched.
I fell in love with this Coffee Book the moment i saw it. It was so me. Coffee, brown earthy textures, recipes.....I don't know how to explain it but if somebody asks me what notebook would represent me(Why would somebody ask such a stupid question, beats me?)it would be this. I use it sometimes to jot down what I am feeling..but like my blogs they are few and far between.
Thoughts was meant for exactly that. when my pregnancy report first came positive, I went and bought this book to write down for my child what my thoughts were. However, things didn't go as planned and the book was shelved till after Sunshine was born.However it was not thoughts that I put into it..it was more facts, about her and her birth. The thoughts still needs to be put in.
This one I like to call Jatar Mantar. I picked it up at a bookstore when I felt I could be jotting down things to hand over to my daughter and from her to her daughter...you know something like a tradition...This notebook had that 'I am traditional/heritage' feel. Guess I should start using it before it becomes history.
Anyways, these are a few samples of what I found not to mention a host of calender diaries, notepads etc.
The psychoanalyst in me diagnosed that there are a lot of bottled up things in me that I want to bring out..maybe write out..so the gesture of buying these books to pour myself out on them. Very scientific na?
So whats your diagnosis doc?
Well it all started when a holiday planned went awry and I was left with a lot of time in hand. The time that forced me to hear the calling, requests, orders name it as you please that it has been ages since the cupboards have been aired, that there lurking behind that chaos might be clothes that haven't seen sunlight for sometime,that air/humidity/rodents could have destroyed what are in those cupboards.
With no more excuses to give I set out to do the task.There were clothes I didn't know I had, materials that hadn't been stitched, sarees not worn,books I hadnt read, music I hadn't heard, recipe book which I had another copy coz I didn't remember that I already had one, unused gift coupons past expiry,some currency in purses not used, bday cards not sent,gifts of Sunshine waiting for her to attain the age mentioned on them, lovely frocks waiting to be fit for her and the usual. The usual of course it is for the cupboards that Andy rules. But for one thing.
I found diaries and note book of various colours, sizes, shapes and I realised for reasons too coz I did manage to remember why some of them were bought. Wanna have a look at some of them...common...
This one I had picked to create a gift for a friend of mine. Luckily I gave her a adhoc gift(if it can be called that) else today 6 months after her bday I would still have not given her a gift. Note the pics of a cool , classy lady on the cover..well that's why I picked it up.
A couple of months after I had picked the Lady Notebook, I picked this one up and for the same reason. Coz I thot this one was more fun...pink, polka dots...what more could a girl want?
I have no idea why I picked this one up...5 Subject note...hmmmm hmmmm hmmm...no no I don't remember.
This blue note was bought for a class I wanted to join. I went to the institute, paid the fees, bought the stationery everything but they finally cancelled out the batch that I preferred coz of the timings. So this book is left untouched.
I fell in love with this Coffee Book the moment i saw it. It was so me. Coffee, brown earthy textures, recipes.....I don't know how to explain it but if somebody asks me what notebook would represent me(Why would somebody ask such a stupid question, beats me?)it would be this. I use it sometimes to jot down what I am feeling..but like my blogs they are few and far between.
Thoughts was meant for exactly that. when my pregnancy report first came positive, I went and bought this book to write down for my child what my thoughts were. However, things didn't go as planned and the book was shelved till after Sunshine was born.However it was not thoughts that I put into it..it was more facts, about her and her birth. The thoughts still needs to be put in.
This one I like to call Jatar Mantar. I picked it up at a bookstore when I felt I could be jotting down things to hand over to my daughter and from her to her daughter...you know something like a tradition...This notebook had that 'I am traditional/heritage' feel. Guess I should start using it before it becomes history.
Anyways, these are a few samples of what I found not to mention a host of calender diaries, notepads etc.
The psychoanalyst in me diagnosed that there are a lot of bottled up things in me that I want to bring out..maybe write out..so the gesture of buying these books to pour myself out on them. Very scientific na?
So whats your diagnosis doc?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A not so subtle hint!!
For about 2 years now I have been asking my husband to get me a desginer branded watch, a yearning I have had since I attended an interview for a job to sell ultra luxury products. My hints were very very subtle, " I want a branded designer watch." " When are you getting me that watch?", "Which store do you think we will have a wide range of choice?" ...... however Don, from Mars or whereever else his race is from, never got the hint. Last valentine's we came very close when we went searching for a store and unfortunatley they were closed by the time we reached.
Now, its not that yours truly coudnt afford to buy one for herself or accept it as gift from the more sentitive people like a sister or a friend who have been hearing me whine about the watch for loong... I just wanted Don to get it for me. Period.
But finally I decided 2 years is a really long time and if my hubby wants to act dumb about it I may as well hand hold him and make him do what I want. So the next time I was at a lifestyle store, I found just what I was looking for... No, No, dear when I say I want my husband to buy it I only mean he pays for it not to select it.
So with the brand new watch in its designer box and a single red rose in my hand I walk into my husband's office. He is shocked to see me in the middle of the day of a working day and with a rose at that. I give him the rose, kiss him and say, thank you so much for fulfilling my wish.I used the time he took to blink and close his mouth shut to open the box and show him what he has gifted me.
I thanked him again as I turned to leave but stopped to remind him that he needs to write out the cheque on my XYZ credit card and can put it in the dropbox by next week.I can give a not so subtle hint at times too!!
Now, its not that yours truly coudnt afford to buy one for herself or accept it as gift from the more sentitive people like a sister or a friend who have been hearing me whine about the watch for loong... I just wanted Don to get it for me. Period.
But finally I decided 2 years is a really long time and if my hubby wants to act dumb about it I may as well hand hold him and make him do what I want. So the next time I was at a lifestyle store, I found just what I was looking for... No, No, dear when I say I want my husband to buy it I only mean he pays for it not to select it.
So with the brand new watch in its designer box and a single red rose in my hand I walk into my husband's office. He is shocked to see me in the middle of the day of a working day and with a rose at that. I give him the rose, kiss him and say, thank you so much for fulfilling my wish.I used the time he took to blink and close his mouth shut to open the box and show him what he has gifted me.
I thanked him again as I turned to leave but stopped to remind him that he needs to write out the cheque on my XYZ credit card and can put it in the dropbox by next week.I can give a not so subtle hint at times too!!
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