CONVERSATION

Tell you what,I had this wonderful conversation this morning with my maid.(hitting the back button is it?)Its true .You can actually have good kind of conversation with them.I mean they are this powerful storehouses of energy (how else can you explain their working capacity in this bitter Delhi cold).So coming back to the conversation(see you are still reading- he he) I asked her when can I expect  my original maid (hate to use the word--should call them help).Well this one with whom I am conversing is coming/reporting/proxying)in place of her good friend -my original help.
Yeah surprise surprise.
me:  woh(my original) kab aa rahi hai?
maid: miss call mara tha didi par call nahi aaya.
me:   so usne to mujhe kaha tha chaar din me aa jayegi
maid: kya bataoo.thand bhi bohot hai .gao gayee hai .ab to thand kam hone par hi aayegi lagta hai.
me:  (gulp!!)  oh ! no!This cant be.tum tab tak karogi na??(please say yes!!)
maid:  didi mera do aur ghar bhi toh hai.
me:  ha mujhe pata hai magar...aisa karte hai agar woh is pure mahine nahi aati hai toh agle mahine se tum hi kar lena yaha ka kaam.(mean mean me!!)
maid:(NOW )  nahi didi gareeb hai na (her friend she meant).uska kaam nahi lenge.
       Told you these maids!!(helps)
me:  ok ok .so(a bit apprehensive about this maid's monetary status.)so who do you have at home?(expecting company working husband and a good earning)
maid:   admi hai .ghar pe hi rehta hai.  teen ladkiya .do ladke.sab school jate hai.didi pada likha loon.
me:   aadmi kamata hai?(now deep in the earning thing)
maid:  tailor hai .thoda bahut  kaam mill jata hai.
me:  gaon me kheti baadi?
maid:  are kaha didi.
me:  thik hai.chalo.chai peeogi(offering her for the fourth time in 5 days of her arrival to my place)
maid:  nahi didi .jyada chai se tabiyat kharb hove.subah ghar se peekey ati hoo.(refusing for the 5th time in 5 days!!!)
me: ( badly in need for my own hot cuppa) bahut thand hai -aaj sham ko rahene do.kal aana.
maid :theek hai didi.
 Goes off merrily.

Told you .
Got principles this one.Kudos.



HAPPY DAYS

Today is the day.I have had enough.I have to get started today.If I don't then it never will be.That said and done I am once again writing!!YIPEE!!
Last post was written a month back.
Had a wonderful vacation with kids and hubby.
Our vacation started with attending my husband's school reunion(with family) .And watching some forty -40plus school buddies meeting after 20 years was really a treat for the eyes  as well as the soul.It was fun from the word go.
No competitions or comparisions but sincere heartfelt comradeship.
So many success stories told and personal achievments shared and enjoyed by each with the spirit of friendship.
It was really great.

Thats Shantanu and me in the corridors of KV School Balco.

POSITIVE MIND

So now you have asked for it.!!!
You have decided to read this piece and i am sure you will only be too happy after you have finished .
Well to start with I will tell you to play a game.
Believe me it's simple and currently i am trying it out with both my kids for the last two days.Yes!kids can also be involved and asked to participate-good for the whole family.
To cut it short,let me tell you the rules.
RULE 1
Start by talking with each other-kids/spouse/parents/siblings--on any topic--preferably when most of the members of the house are present.
RULE 2
You can use any words other than the words indicating  or expressing any form of negativity.
RULE 3
Anybody who uses a negative word is out of the game.The person who stays on is the winner.
HINT
See basically there are various ways in which you can express your views.
eg.
1)Don't watch T.V now and go and do your H.W.
                         can be expressed as
It will be better if you do your H.W first and then watch T.V.

.
2)I don't get enough time to read the newspaper
                           can become
I will try and find time to read the newspaper from today.

So all the donts becomes do or some other positive expression.



Think of a house  deserted for a long time that is badly in need of repair  and every nook and corner of it is covered with dust and cobwebs.For some reason you want to make it habitable again .On entering you will want to open all doors and windows to let fresh air in.Then you will start the process of thorough cleansing.It will be made beautiful with pleasing fittings ,comfortable furniture.
The removal of unwanted dust (negativity's)and bringing in new possessions(positives)gives joy and comfort to the occupants -to-be.
I feel that all negative values can be shed through consistent efforts and the process once started with firm determination can give wonderful results.
A positive mind rejoices ,loves,forgives,and is ever ready to give.
A constant vigilance over our thought process I believe will ensure the desired transformation.

IT ISN"T A CHILD"S PLAY

Last afternoon my kids Tia aged 6 and Adi aged 11 came home from school.As their winter timing makes the arrival and departure time  30 min later than the normal time,they usually reach at 3.00pm in the afternoon which is pretty late -specially for my younger one.
Anyway as the concerned mother I make sure that they change soon and have their food .
But yesterday they were so tired they literally plunged into the sofa and didnt show any signs of  changing and coming for lunch.This of course was not accetable to me .And I decided to teach them a lesson.But before I could even start with my strict mommy routine, I decided to change course and sat down myself along with them.After promising them that they could have lunch in front of the TV I asked them about school and how their day had been.
Oh!they really had a lot to tell.
Their annual function's practice were going on in full swing and that particular day they had toiled the whole day,ad not been able to eat their tiffin ,had not even taken rest ,were busy performing their respective items with their groups many times-the D-day being two days later.
Not that I didnt know all this .
My little ones were composed enough not to have comlained about the whole thing .
As I said it isnt a child's play .Should learn from them.
Hoping to witness a wonderful annual day.
Shall write about it.
See you.

.

KATORI CHAAT

A couple of days back one of my good friends(you know the kind who is always there to chat with you endlessly and listen to you for hours when you really need her to)called me over to her place to taste some katori chaat she had prepared .I was promptly joined by another friend to accompany me .

As you can understand three women and some wonderfully made chaat ;;;a wonderful combination.

We actually enjoyed the evening---gossiping and savouring the tasty and delectable chaat to our heart's content.I must say my friend had made the chaat really well----exact amounts of dahi ,hari chutney,mithi chutney,papdi,sev,and spouted moong ---she had made the mouth watering dish amazingly sumptuous.Her special ingredient was of course --something which does make a lot of difference to any food item being prepared.And that I feel is ---love.

When we make something with love--not letting the monotony of the process of  cooking coming in the way---but enjoing and loving the same--we do manage to put that extra ingredient in the food we are making.

Acually-right amounts of khatta meetha namkeen and right amounts of flavours.Life too holds for us these key ingredients--and makes it interesting and joyful.

bye

keep cooking ,eating and living joyfully.

love thy neighbour

In good olden days I still remember when i was a child,I used to visit our neighbour's  house with my parents.And that used to be so much fun.Parents used to sit, talk, laugh over cups of tea and snacks used to be served for us.We children played a lot --hide and seek,ludo,carom---or simply innovated games like--'dark room'(where we tried to find another friend in the darkness of a closed room,usually played in the night.)The electronic media --TV,computer games and the age of Nintendo ,psp,PlayStation's had not arrived.

Today i feel ,children still enjoy --play-- but mostly with some or the other gadget and parents do sit and laugh and talk(not necessarily over cups of tea???)

I feel in metro cities we have not only stopped visiting but also stopped caring about our neighbours.

The debasement of our relation with our own neighbours (immediate or otherwise) by a grossly commercial ,materialistic and insensitive world is a fact that we all have to accept and admit.

Last Sunday I was actually awakened to this truth and my hopes of spending a peaceful day with my family was shattered.

My maid ,in all her endeavour for a "Diwali cleaning drive"happened to drop some water from my 3rd floor flat on to the 2nd floor balcony .This had an immediate reaction from my 2nd floor neighbour.The head of the family-a respectable  50 + gentleman not only started screaming(which can be understood --out of shock maybe)but stated shouting,abusing,calling names at us.

It would have been simpler if he had just given us a chance to say sorry.

I feel we are losing contact with the -TRUTH.

We know,have heard several time "LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR"

To see the TRUTH does not depend on intellect.It depends on being with contact with the truth--and a silent and quiet mind to receive it.

bye. take care.

saturday's rajma chaval and my first post!

Just finished making rajma chaval for lunch and also successfully finished creating my blog.Have been thinking about doing so from a long time.To give direction to aspirations , dreams and pursuits...life definitely is all that and more.
The most important and necessary task of eating ,not depriving my family of timely wholesome lunch and trying to move ahead with life enriching it with good thoughts and deeds...does not seem to be a bad idea after all.
That there will be peace all the time and singing of cuckoo and spring prevailing is expecting something unnatural.
bye.
HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL .(indulge and enjoy).
GOD BLESS.