The Mundane & the Profound

Mars is a crazy place

2011-01-30T09:48:00.001-08:00

As parents we survive by lying, lying to our children. How the hell does one survive otherwise? Those tiny creatures will bend your hand, chop you up and devour you in one single swallow if you are not ahead of the game. No? Or is that just my kids? Anyhow, ladies and gentleman the top few in random order.

Most commonly used: The finger that goes in the mouth will turn black, crack, disintegrate and slowly fall off! We follow this one up with the truth about germs and such but the finger will fall off your hand has more effect. What can I say, our children like a good visual!

For the getaway : Every time we need a break from the little (lovable) monsters, we tell them that we are heading to the furniture store and the kids joyously skip and run to the waiting arms of the grand parents. No fuss, no crying, no tantrums. They want to have nothing to do with the goddamn furniture store. Evil Place. Here is the backstory to be played out in black and white: Our living room couch needed an upgrade and we took them four times to various shops. What can I say, the husband is very picky! The kids (and me) hated every SINGLE minute. Furniture shops are not all that jazz. After a lot of soul searching (by the husband) and me yelling enough already pick some thing that has four legs and is preferably wrapped in some magic material (that can withstand the spits and the barfs and their ability to treat the sofa as a jumping castle) we picked one and lucky for us the kids (and not me) were traumatized by the end of it. Yay us!

There is hell and it is Mars: It was pitch dark and the wind howled like a bunch of coyotes hunting in the wild. The endless blood red barren land stretched for miles and in the yonder one could hear volcanoes spewing red hot lava! Even the friendly moon and betelgeuse with his shiny starry friends did not want to show up. It was just that kind of night! The only warm place was the soot coated but crisp square building. Inside the place was filled with white bright light, like the scary light at the dentist's office. Rows and rows of small children clad in tattered black jumpsuits waited for their turn to see the one handed spear wielding uniformed guards called Mondavis. All of them would be completely examined. Checked. Poked. Some would be sent back to their old home Earth, some will board the special space craft to the luminous Macaroni galaxy and some will just be sent down a dark tunnel to nowhere!

Is that too much? Too dystopian and crazy?

Anyways I have never ever told the children this lovely story about where they could possibly go for all the bad behavior but I have definitely considered it. It's by far my favorite!

The happiness list

2010-04-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

* Watching my three year old smile. It's the most radiant, from the heart smile to adorn a face.

*Walking down the aisles in a bookstore, preferably the kind that sells used old books with a flutter in the heart getting completely lost in the musty smell, sitting down at odd corners and taking home what will become a prized possession.

*A good cappuccino paired with some delicious chocolate cake in a sea of red raspberry syrup and oh a mint leaf to complete it.

*Reading a real newspaper on sunday morning with brunch, warm sunlight and random birds whose name I do not know for company

*Riding a horse with the wind on my face

*The earthy smell of monsoon

* Walking into a room, seeing my baby girl's face light up on seeing me. Motherhood seems sweeter the second time around.

*My mother's voice and my grandmother's ruby red bangles

*Prose that sounds like poetry

*Watching my husband play with my kids. There is nothing more sexier than watching a grown man be a child with my children

*The smell of mint, rosemary and sandalwood. Would that be too intoxicating?

Where Venus?

2009-01-15T10:22:00.000-08:00

Time: 6PM CST
Date: Jan 14th 2009
Place: Home

ACT 1:
Me: Arjun time to take a bath..
Arjun: NOooooo Noooooooooo... (lots of head shaking) ..bus puzzle...bus puzzle
So we did the bus puzzle for the 250000th time!
I played nice and reminded about the bath time again.

Arjun: choo chooo train (in a very loud happy animated voice)
Me: sigh ..sigh...(muttering some choice expletives..)
Arjun loves trains. (loves his Thomas and Percy. "Loves" would actually be putting it mildly, he is fanatically crazy about them would be more appropriate)
So there really was going to be no ignoring that...we did the train puzzle.

Me: Once the train is all done, we go upstairs for bath...okay Arjun?
Arjun just ignored me for the most part of that sentence.
Once the train was done and sufficiently admired by all..I carried him up the stairs kicking and screaming. We reached the landing, he stopped crying and just looked at me, like he just came upon a brilliant idea.

Arjun: Mama sleep...airplane sleep...Arjun sleep
This coming from a boy who never ever wants to sleep.
He climbs onto the bed and starts putting his airplane to sleep and waits for me to join him.
I was mostly shocked at this point, but quickly recovered and decided to play the waiting game.
I won...after about 2 minutes he was bored.

He jumps off the bed and runs to the TV room.
Arjun: Thomas train, play dvd...nooo nooo bath..nooo noo bath
At this point I was beginning to truly lose it. I was all ready to shake him up but better sense prevailed and I bargained with him. I negotiated for tv after bath. We had a deal . We even shook hands and kissed each other.

Now, if you shake and kiss I except you to not walk out of the deal. What do you think, after a really short walk to the bathroom..he changed his mind! He backed out of the freaking deal.
Exactly four more steps and we would have been in the bath tub..but no he changed his mind! He stopped, looked out the window, searching for something.

Arjun: Where Venus? nooo bath...more more Venus. (Doing the hand sign for more)
Translation, he wanted to see bloody Venus in the sky before taking a bath!! And guess what, it was a cloudy sky...so no Venus.

I laughed!!

PS: Note to self..don't teach him things he is not ready for!

The lady in the mirror - short story

2008-11-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

It was a gloomy night, no stars, no shining moon, just miles of velvet night sky. She sat on her balcony next to her dead basil plant. She held the unlit cigarette between her lips and just waited. She was waiting for the verdict. Her verdict on her 27 years of life. In the quiet of the night, she could hear the drum of her heart, the tumultuous din of her racing mind. She stared vacantly at the sky, absorbed in her own thoughts.

Her mind fluttered like a butterfly from one story to another. Her life seemed so wrong and yet so vibrant. Could it be possible that a life so lost, a person in such despair could have had an exciting life? Maybe it was the high-spirited life that had led her to this moment. She was through with the pain, the anguish and the utter helplessness. She was not a weak soul but her strength was draining. She was six feet from the edge, drowning and too proud. She remembered the day she got the basil plant home along with Myka. She was determined to have Myka, despite her hectic life and the basil plant was to be Myka's friend. She had laughed loudly at her attempt to match the weird buddies. There was life in her then, she could laugh at her self. She realized the world, her small world was laughing at her now.

She was tired, she felt heavy carrying all the guilt. She walked across the hallway and saw her reflection in the ornate gold mirror. She had seen it in a flea market outside Paris. He lived there now. She had called it home for a few precious years but he lived there now and she can never go back. She carefully picked up the purple sateen pouch breaking her promise. This was not the first time but this would be the last. In that moment, she reached her verdict. Her lips formed a smiled, a smile of mockery and satisfaction. She safely stowed the sateen pouch back, maybe for the servants. That would be tomorrow ...but now she had things to do.

She counted them. Twenty in all. That would do the job. Her eyes closed, in her green silk camisole she was ready. She believed she was ready to begin another journey, hoped the next would be far less interesting and just mundane. Yes she wanted mundane and dull.

She held her breath and waited. She counted again. Yes there were still twenty. She tormented herself for being fragile, scared and more so for being a coward. When the last of her emotions died, she was ready to get on with the business.

The phone rang. A shrill incandescence that would not stop. At first she didn't hear it, she was in her own zone, her own world. The incessant ringing, knocked her in her gut, forced her to awake, open her eyes, stretch her arms. She took the light in, bewildered. She heard her own raspy voice say, "Hullo". The voice on the other end, was telling her to open the gate. He had been waiting for a long time, outside. She recognized his voice, she always did, no matter the time or the day. She breathed, two shallow ones followed by two deep ones. She wasn't just breathing anymore, she could taste the salt, the torrential downpour. She realized, she would be alright. The light dawned on her.

Beauty of the beach: All pictures from Key West

2008-10-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

Tiki huts and tiled benches, and the possibility of a glorious sunrise.

Hold your breath and wait......brightness will return

Take a leap of faith, and you might just reach across.

How many shades of blue do you see? Maybe a frozen beer in hand,would help with seeing the colors.

About me

2008-10-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

I got up this morning, and decided this day, was going to be all about me. Hence the title and post.

Iam from the land of hot winters and hotter summers. The place where power cuts were an everyday thing and water was sacred. This is where I learnt to draw water from a big deep water well and to read complete 700 page novels in (bad) dim kerosene light.

I have a love-hate relationship with the house I grew up in. When I think of my home of early years, I think of a rambuntious person with a multiple personality. In her bosom I learnt to walk, dream, think, rebel and belong.

My first grade teacher taught me to speak english and also danced with me. That was the first time I danced in someone's arms. She made a lasting impression. I truly believe she was the best teacher I ever had.

I had two cows, a dog and some stray cats growing up! I am sad, my son is a year and a half and has never seen a cow. And he loves cows. In all probability cow was the first word he uttered.
PS: All the animals were vegetarians:) Yes even the stray cats and that is a hard hard thing to do. My mother has talents, what can I say.

My other dog died on valentine's day when I was 19. Tragic!

My grandfather was not my real grandfather but he was in all possible ways my grandfather. His silvery white hair, cherubic face that was never clouded by anger and the lovely lovely cushion like belly. He was beautiful inside out. He was the greatest story teller who unveiled to me the magic of books. He held my hand while I slowly fell in love with reading and proudly looked on when I buried my head and got lost in a world of my own.

The first book I ever bought with my very own hard earned money was a huge grey dictionary.
It travelled with me on my voyage to the unites states and some where along the way I have lost it. If you find a grey british dictionary with my name on it, call me! I could use it right about now! ( I spell badly!)

I had a crush on a boy without ever meeting him. And then when I met him I did have a crush.
Needless to say, I was very young and juvenile.

I kept a diary from when I was ten to eighteen. Tan coloured, well worn with my lovely cursive and secret codes for highly secret stories. There were some juicy details but most of it was PG I think! I have lost that book. What a shame!
I now have small black book (a beautiful gift from a talented friend) with inscriptions from Calvin and Hobbes as preface.

My favourite quote is "virtue isn't better than vice, it's just different".

I still have to sky dive. I have been on a ultalight trike, a hang glider and a paraglider. I loved them all but enjoyed the hang glider the most. I wish I were a bird sometimes.

I was a bad cook. Then I watched a ton of cooking shows when I was breastfeeding. It felt like the appropriate channel to watch. Now I like baking and am half a decent cook.

I ran away when I was thirteen and came back five hours later. It wasn't all that glamorous.

I am drawn to the moon and the stars. I can stare into the sky endlessly for hours with no real purpose. It all started when I was six. One of the best memories I have, is of a 4AM sky on the way to grand canyon.

Maybe there will come another "all about me" day. Until then....

Conversations

2008-06-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

My most wonderful friend A, in a far away land, read my blog a few days back and we had a lovely conversation (via email of course, but none of the loveliness was lost in translation!)
I met him when I was in school, and to him goes the credit of introducing me to one of the things I cannot live without. He said, I was missing out on life if I didn't drink coffee and I have been hooked since then! What can I say, he is a true friend ,showing me the pleasures of life!

Well he is also a true romantic (in the more spiritual sense of the word) and his question on reading my post on love was "have we 'developed' so much that we're afraid to acknowledge emotions that make us human?" That got me thinking a little more on what I confess, was a very casually typed post.
If I were totally honest, I have to admit, I am not all that cynical about love, at least not all the time, but most times, I am more comfortable projecting an edgier cynical image.
Hence his question, quite touched something in me. Am I alone in thinking/feeling this way?
I read, hear, talk, look around and there is this mad quest for this perfect other half, the one soul mate who magically is going to complete your life, make it more cheerful and help find yourself. I object to both "perfect" and "one soul mate".Maybe if we spent less time, looking for someone else to rescue our soul and more time in introspection of our own we would never need another to complete our self. And then maybe, we would be perfectly happy with the imperfect but truly interesting and fulfilling loves of our everyday life.

Again as my dear friend A says, people are different, the meaning of love for each is different and there is no point in trying to explain what I think about it, because I never would find the right combination of words. It is what it is. As in the truth of life, the meaning of life, why we live, why we are who we are. We all think about these things, we have answers sometimes, but somehow the minute we try to explain it, the purity of the thought vanishes! I guess life and love are to be experienced and not talked about:)

Wise words from the one who once said you can't live without lattes: You say "What is love" ? I say "Why even attempt to define it?" Without further words, I am off to experience life and love with my one year old!

Black, White and then a splash of colour

2008-06-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

To sail away....

For my son, who loves birds

A setting sun

what is it they call love?

2008-05-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

I mean really, what does the word mean?

I have been guilty for overtly using it, probably a trigazillion (10 times back and forth from the moon) times. I wonder why my vocabulary is so limited and why I lack the art of expressing thoughts and feelings more clearly than just abstractly swinging the word love all over the field? I am sure I am not alone in this, why else would hallmark sales be so good?
Sometimes I walk through the card aisle in the grocery store and I literally need a brown bag to puke the contents of the morning meal and sometimes I am humored by all the plastic, well intended flowery words. And yes, I am a cynical bitch, my little sister reminded me this morning! What lovely compliments to begin the day with?

Anyhow, truly what does one mean when they say love? And yes I know it's not measurable but sometimes don't you wish it were?

Honey, add up those beautiful diamond earrings from three summers ago, the red boots from this winter, the many lunches I have lovingly cooked for you, (so you never die of hunger - which is a high possibility since you can't tell when you are hungry) the night when I held your head while you puked your gut out in the toilet, the countless number of times I have hugged you when you were down and blue and also all the episodes of sex the city you made me watch. Add all that up, and that's how much I love you. Wouldn't that be simple?

I have a little baby boy. He is no longer a baby, I have been told. I hear, they are babies for 11.5 months precisely and then just like that they are toddlers.My dad still says baby when he talks to me...I guess he didn't get the memo. I am rambling but all this question of what is love, and how much do I love thee, led me to ponder fleetingly on this - How much do I love my baby? Do I love him enough? Should I love him more? I acknowledge it is a slippery slope and that's why it floated in my brain for a less than a millionth of a fraction of a second. But there it was and I had heard it..damn my brain and it's crazy thoughts.

The little one with his own mind (imagine that), his own thoughts and feet and hands.How much do I love him? Do I love him more than any one else in this world? I should right, being his mother et all, I should love him to death. And I think I do. But how do I know?
I have changed countless diapers, sung really bad lullabies, held him till my arms ached and then some more till I no longer felt them, so he could sleep, hugged him tightly and prayed to make his pain mine when he was hurting. Do I love him enough? I sure hope so.

Sometimes I stare at him (when he is sleeping) for a loong time and I have tears in my eyes. I tell myself those are tears of a strong intense emotional reaction to this priceless little sleeping angel. But maybe, just maybe they were tears caused by prolonged staring!
Maybe you don't measure love. Maybe you just enjoy it , savour it , live it and move on to the next moment to enjoy savour and live. (Notice I didn't use the word love. I really wanted to type enjoy, savour, live and love). And maybe I will understand all of this someday. Isn't that why I am here anyway? (Another slippery slope and for which I lack the elouqence and more importantly the knowledge)
In the mean time , I will read and re read Siddhartha till I am blue in the face.

PS: And for the record, I am not smoking or taking any happy pills. And why then, these crazy notions? You would have to ask my brain.

Big Sur!

2008-04-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been there, you should! Pictures don't do justice but I hope these here will tempt you to pack your bags and hop on a plane!

Gushing waters, chirping birds, swaying branches, rustling leaves, rolling rocks...

Hmmm... speechless!

Isn't the sky the most beautiful blue there is ?

Sunset...when the sand and ocean merge, dance and become one.

Great spot to drink coffee, watch the seal lions, read Siddartha or just unwind!

My favourite picture is the 4th one..what's yours?

Journey

2007-12-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

Dancing on moon beams
countenance serene, smiling,
Her eyes twinkling blue stars.
Angel on wings, she beckoned;
Could this be the moment
Of truth never realised?
Last steps, fading voices
Luminous, lucid,enlightened
A journey ends, another begins..

Green day

2007-11-29T13:56:00.000-08:00

The day, sunny
The hour, twilight
The time, to reflect.

The sound of stillness, perturbed by the rustle of leaves
The pregnant pause in the air, fraught with chirping birds

The mind calm, silent, yet seeking..

Giving thanks

2007-11-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

The house echoed with chatter, aroma of saffron, garlic, ginger and turmeric whiffed through the air, a dozen tiny feet pattered around, the tiniest of them all gurgled and murmured in delight.

The friends mingled, ate, laughed, shared stories.The kids played, nibbled, ran about. It was warm and toasty on the inside, cold and windy outside. It was a perfect day to give thanks.

When the last of the friends disappeared in their fancy cars and the leftovers were packed, the family retired for the day. She curled in a corner read a book on circus and love and watched television.

There a magnificent lady called Oprah appeared and talked about giving thanks, echoing the thoughts of the lady on the couch. The lady they called O, talked about Angels, pennies, shopping and Kiva. Oh Kiva, that was a new word that the couch lady did not understand.

She searched and found this:. http://www.kiva.org/about
What a wonderful way to give thanks!

Kiva is a wonderful organisation that allows you to make an impact in some one's life in a very big way. Kiva, promotes people from all over the world, who need money to start a small business. You, lend them the money, as little as $20 and watch them soar. Most of the loans are repaid in full within a short time. You are not just helping someone, you are enabling them to dream and watching their dream come alive.Is there a greater pleasure?

A lot of people don't read this blog and Kiva is so interesting. Hmm, what do I do (wringing my hands and putting on my thinking cap). Brilliant...I am going to tag people. I tag absolute vanilla, sognatrice, jellyjules, wanderlustscarlett , sameera and any and everyone to spread the good word (Kiva).

Why do we work?

2007-11-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

I have deadlines and from where I am, it's a long snake whose tail I cannot see. Which brings me to the question "why do we work"? Is it to stimulate the brain, to learn new things, to have a goal, a purpose or simply because we enjoy it? Maybe it is to make a living, earn money, sustain life? Or may be it is to support each other, exist as a society, a civilization that needs workers?

We commute unpleasant traffic, work for a crazy boss, try real hard to meet unreasonable deadlines, spend time away from the people we love, forgo hiking in the woods, skip delicious meals that need to be savoured, limit reading to trains, never stop to smell the rose in the garden, miss the sunsets and never pause, just pause for a moment to enjoy the details. Why? why do we do that?

Most days, I do like my job. But sometimes I wonder if I really want to do this. So this is just a rant of how tired I am, of working. This too shall pass!
Maybe tomorrow will be another day and I'll be in love with my job. That is the hope:)

Five best nights of my life!

2007-11-04T14:34:00.000-08:00

I have been hiding - pondering about the five best nights of my life! That's a hard one to do, if you have lived for 30 years.Do the math that's about 10950 nights! Granted I don't remember much of the really early nights and some of which I do remember are sketchy at best. That still leaves about 9125 nights. A daunting task!
It took me three days (and nights), to come up with this splendid list. I could have gone with the ten best nights of my life but I was bound by sognatrice - I did steal this meme from her.

1. The night before the day my son was born. - March 17th or was it March 18th?

Technically it was March 18th but in my world whatever happens before dawn is still the night before. So lets go with March 17th 2007. It was a great night to begin with. My parents had come to pamper me. We had a lovely dinner at Chuy's (this is where one of the Bush girls was arrested? for underage drinking) and a round of world class mexican margarita's to wash down the spicy food. That night at about 12, I started having contractions..the painless kind. From that moment on, till my little one arrived it was an exciting night. I won't bore you with all the details, suffice to say I was on a high, floating in space even, much thanks to the pumping adrenaline (that no drugs or alcohol can substitute) and general euphoria that I was going to have a baby and no longer just be pregnant. (By then, I was super tired of being pregnant - I wasn't one of those gals who enjoyed carrying around a huge belly!) The whole birthing process, I don't remember vividly. I guess that's nature's own way of making sure people procreate...heck, otherwise who would subject themselves to this over and over again. But the night before, was pleasant as hell (pardon the oxymoron) and fantastic. So was the day after,when I got to hold him.!! (But we aren't talking about days here, are we?)

2. My first road trip with my husband (then boy friend)

We were young, carefree, in love and decided we had to see the Grand Canyon. Off we went, in a rental white Taurus..talking about stuff , cruising along the Arizona highway and generally having a rocking good time. And then, suddenly the car stuttered, stammered and coughed. Hm mm...we were rudely awakened from our general happy state by this ghastly noise. We looked at each other, looked at the fuel tank..God we were out of fuel!! Who does that??? A stroke of luck, we were close to an exit. We pulled over and that's just about all the fuel we had. We got out, sat on the hood, watched a glorious sunset , took pictures and waited. The stars started to shimmer, the moon rose from its slumber, we talked a whole lot over chips and cola and just waited for someone to show up. Finally an old couple showed up, with a can of gasoline in their car (lucky us) which they were nice enough to share. We spent a beautiful twilight together, thanks to my brilliant absent minded man!

3. New Year's eve 2000

The best party, so much so we still talk about it. Lots of flowing champagne, great rocking music, missing shoes, fainting people, hugging strangers, wild dancing, crazy bathroom stories, beds we'd never use again and did I mention flowing alcohol. I sometimes regret not having a single picture to remember the night by, but then again who really needs a picture when we got memories and stories that we have retold and relived a million times. A true legendary night - one for the grand children.

4. My 18th birthday

Being 30 and all, I have had many birthdays and all of them have been special. But the night I turned 18, will always be close to my heart. It was the last birthday I spent with my dear grandpa and the first diamonds I received, complete in a velvet red box. (How can a girl forget her stones?)
For this and more (much more) that night will always be precious, wrapped in a velvet red box and stashed away in a special corner. Now and again when loneliness or sadness engulfs, I slowly untie the the box, open the memories and I am happy again.

5. Family story times

We had frequent power outages when I was growing up. Those were probably the best nights of my life as a child. The entire family ( we had a huge family, complete with grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and dogs ) would hang out in the front yard. We played cards in the feeble lantern light. My grandfather told us stories of wars fought, Independence won, and tales from the great Indian epics. (The Mahabharata and the Ramayana). We gossiped about the crazy aunt, the drunk uncle, and the movie star who danced with my grand dad. This is where I learnt about my roots, my family tree, the hardships and triumphs my family shared and above all the strong bond and love that held everyone together. I hope to share these wonderful stories with my son someday so he can add his own and pass the parcel to his child.

Tell me now, what are your best nights?

A long way gone

2007-10-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

I was having lunch at this great Thai place one afternoon, when I ran into a friend of mine. We got talking and he told me he was done reading the book "A long way gone". It was my gift for his birthday.I had almost forgotten about the book, till he mentioned it.

I got this book, after watching Mr. Ishmael Beah on television. He was being interviewed on a documentary channel. He was well spoken, articulate and just fantastic! I was so moved after hearing his story, that I got his book.

It is a riveting memoir of a young boy caught in the civil war in Sierra Leone. What makes it sad and almost shockingly unbelievable, is that it is a true story. With his family killed in the war, Ishmael was pressed into the service of the government army as a boy soldier. He smoked a concotion of drugs, wielded AK-47's and became a part of the violent gun culture. Rescued by the UNICEF after almost 3 years of being in war, he was humanized and allowed to be the boy that he really was.

The book gives us a glimpse of what Sierra Leone was and life there before the war. The beauty and simplicity of life, before the war rendered the land useless. It ends with an uplifting message that children (and people in general) are capable of outliving their sufferings given a chance, with love and compassion.

Reading it, you are filled with dismay that we as a human race are capable of such horrors and at the same time infinetly greatful for the blessings in our lives. It is a great book. (Probably not a great idea to read it if you are already low in spirit)

If you like to see Ishmael Beah : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K4yhPSQEzo

As the sun goes down

2007-10-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Sunsets are moments for reflection. They make me thankful and nostalgic. Sunrises make me hopeful. On this particular evening, I paused took a deep breath and my mind stopped. Stopped thinking for a few minutes. It was exhilarating..just great, to just be and not do.

Sunset in Austin. I am not an early morning person, so I have missed a lot of sunrises...but glorious sunsets are my thing.

A glass of wine, music floating in the background, eyes closed for a moment to take it all in - that's my idea of watching the sun go down.

I baked - for the first time ever!!

2007-10-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

With a little inspiration and a lot of prodding from my loving husband I baked a cake for the first time ever in my life.Not just any out of the box cake mind you, but a real from scratch chocolate cake! Ah yes..about the inspiration, I stole the recipe from sognatrice of bleedingespresso. So thank you for your cooking inspiration. It is a wonderful coincidence that today happens to be her birthday and I baked her favourite chocolate cake. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Today my little one turns seven months old-he's almost a little boy now!

So, off I went to the grocery store, with entire family in tow.

Pillsbury all purpose four - 2.50 dollars

A tin of Nestle's baking cocoa - 3.25 dollars

12 pack of organic cage free eggs - 4.00 dollars

Packet of baking soda - 0.65 dollars

Small can of vegetable oil - 1.65 dollars

Sift, sift, sift

Whisk, whisk whisk

Mix, Mix , Mix

Chocolate cake, lovingly baked and greatly enjoyed - Priceless!!!:)

Original recipe did not have not nuts but If I were to do this again (which I just might) I'd nuts, raisins and a tad bit more chocolate.

My home - I thee miss!

2007-10-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

With nostalgia creeping like a vine, I write this. Maybe it's the gloomy weather in Austin or the sound of my mother's voice over the telephone this morning, but I miss home. The one I miss, is the home of my childhood, the 70 year old brick house that I lived in for the first 20 years of my life.

It was there I learnt to walk, had my first crush, saw a ghost, loved a tree (a huge Neem tree) and made life long friends. In a second, I can close my eyes, go back to the smell of curry being fried, the whistle of the pressure cooker, the early morning bhajans from the radio, my thatha's (grand father) voice and much more.

I miss the power outages, the long evenings where the entire family gathered outside, swatting mosquitoes, re telling stories of my great grandfathers, of riches lost , freedom won and daily nothings. Our house was on a huge lot, off to one side, with a green checkered gate and blue gray stone lining the path way.
When it was not hot and dry, we had the greenest grass, the ripest tomatoes, plump brinjals (egg plant) and slender plantains. As children our job was to protect these, from the herd of goats that would wander into our house, rest in the shade and make it their own for the day.

And then there was the Neem tree. The biggest tree, I have ever seen and the one I am most attached to. She blossomed and gave us flowers, seeds and shade. In her shadow we buried three dogs, a parrot, a monkey and maybe even a few stray cats. I am certain she watched over them and us.

Next to the Neem tree, was the cow shed. We had a cow named after the goddess of wealth- Lakshmi. She got lonely and had a calf; we named her Lakshmi, yet again. True story- we do name all our cows Lakshmi and all our dogs Caesar. (after Julius Caesar)

Near the shed was the wishing water well. Summer, meant a deeper drier well and longer time spent drawing water out. God, how I hated that! Monsoon was my favourite season. The water would rise and on occasion you could see fish swimming, circling , being happy. Night times, (bad) frogs stuck to the walls and croaked till their hearts popped out.

Stretching from the well to the house, was this long cement slab, were clothes were washed, pots and pans cleaned, dogs bathed and daily musings exchanged. Some where along there, I have seen ghosts..okay not ghosts but a ghost definetly. No one believes me but my old crumbling ruin of a home knows! She watches..she knows all.

blog action day : the enviornment

2007-10-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

I am really supposed to be working on my precious digital signal processor, lovingly designing it, making sure it works beautifully in it's final destination - cell phones. And besides I am getting paid to do that and so I really must be working.
But then I saw the post on Sognatrice's - bleeding espresso, and I am left with no option but take a break...environment, after all is far more important!

Here's my two cents...
CFL's baby! - Even walmart sells them. So we have no excuse...change your bulbs.Yes these are fluorescent but they have an average life-span of 10,000 hours and consume 75% less energy. You can't beat that! Our local Pedernales electric company gave us one for free! (Yes I am a sucker for free things!)

No paper for me - I am going paperless - for my bills, my newspapers , my pay stubs and everything else. It's seriously easy. Click..click ..click!!. Pay your bills online and subscribe to not receiving anything in your mail. It saves on clutter (think feng shui) and paper!

Commuter challenge - People at my work do this thing. You get points for biking to work, eating in during lunch, carpooling , taking the public transport ..whatever. And the winner gets a grand prize.(Thanks to Mr.Phil for this ingenious idea!). Start one at your work today!!

PS: Watch "The inconvenient truth". Make your friend/spouse/family watch it. Own a personal copy!
Watch again..remind yourself. It's easy to forget, to say no to plastic and hard to recycle but we got to try and remember. (I always forget - 'cause I am getting older and I have mommy brain- that's my lame excuse)

PS PS: My Mom loves Al Gore. and his movie....she lives in India. Now she's making sure all her friends (never underestimate the power of older women ) are into this. Go Mommy!

Provoked

2007-10-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

I watched two movies yesterday, Provoked and Georgia Rules. It was an uncanny coincidence that both movies were sad poignant stories of women (woman child in one case) who suffered abuse; physical, sexual and emotional abuse from husbands and fathers, the very people they trusted and loved. And there I was in bed, thinking...

"Why, why why?? "

I remember going to a "Vagina Monologues" show, they had a moving piece on abuse. The entire audience rose when asked if they knew of anyone who had been abused. My jaw dropped then . Yes, I was aware that abuse was prevelant in our soceity but to personally feel the number (not just read in an article or watch a movie) was hearbreaking!

It baffled me then as it did last night.

Is it a disease? Then surely there is hope for a cure. Isn't there?
Can we blame it on cyclical behaviour...abuse leads to abuse?
Is it a genetically inherited malignant trait?
Maybe its all the freaking testosterone! Yes I am making a sexist statement here but frankly the truth is, it's the women who are abused, almost always.
A power struggle perhaps to prove superiority. The need to repress. The thought "You are just a women", and by virtue expendable, extraneous.
Or maybe the (mistaken) knowledge that a women is powerless, not capable of fighting back, a harmless prey that can (must) be toyed with.
Or is it the need to exploit the love and trust, so lovingly bestowed.
Maybe it's just a desire to inflict pain?

I am still wondering, why, why why?

He loves me!!

2007-10-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for this magic to happen since the day I met him. It's been a longish short six months and here I am! He is insanely handsome, makes me laugh, causes me deep anguish, smiles with the faintest of dimples and moves me like no other.

His eyes flicker with a glint of mischief and depending on the tone of light they change from berry black to coffee brown to hazel whirpools of delight. Oh I love his eyes, they are always smiling.

I cherish the long walks; we watch the sunset, talk about the day - we speak different languages but are learning to understand.

We dance on friday nights, both rambunctiously to loud dance numbers and slowly to Norah Jones. He loves Norah Jones. My, my isn't he a keeper ?

His hugs are the warmest, the ones I truly desire, the ones I cannot live without.

Even his temper is a delight to watch.

He adores my voice, my songs , my pitch and tone; Not everyone can do that! That my friend is love, right there.

He loves me ! Yes he does! He's not a man yet, barely a boy but my darling baby ..six months old in all and yes he loves me. I know that now.I see it in his eyes, feel it in his hugs and I just know it..I am his mom after all.

PS: This is one of the better days! There have been days when I have just wanted to crawl under the bed and sink deep into the covers. But, writing this has made me realize all the pains and aches is probably worth it!

An ode to friends!

2007-10-05T06:47:00.000-07:00

My oldest friend in the world is G. I have known her since I was in second grade. And for all those counting that's 25 years! That's almost all my life. Isn't that amazing ?
My most recent friend , I have never met! We email each other. She is fascinating. A cancer survivor, mother, work out junkie, vegetarian! And then, there are those in between who have shaped my life, my thoughts, my ambitions and made me , me! How can I thank thee ?

1.Thankyou for sitting on a wall, on a hot humid evening and assuring me I was incredible with or without a boy friend.
2.Thankyou for singing "My heart will go on" to entertain me, even when you knew I would make fun of you.
3.Thankyou for sharing your family with me. Made the life of a single child all the more fun.
4. Thankyou for the first stolen smoke that we ever heard.
5. Thankyou for lying down on the road with me (yes we did that - isn't that crazy) on a misty, cloudy night(or was it early morning)
6.Thankyou for all the trips we took together. All the bus rides we have shared. All the times we have cycled together. Those were the days!
7. Thankyou for the makeup tips, the dance moves and the recipes for a great meal.
8. Thankyou for taking care of me when I was sick. Truly I am grateful!
9. Thankyou for studying with me, for all those countless tests. (I have been in school for three-fourth of my life- Imagine the endless tests)
10. Thankyou for holding my hand, without ever having to ask.
11. Thankyou for opening your kitchen and your arms.
12. Thankyou for dancing with me in the rain.
13. Thankyou for being a part of my life, even when I have pushed you away.
14. Thankyou for all those great discussions- your thoughts have shaped mine, your passions I have adopted, your experiences I have learnt from.
15. Thankyou for cooking for me! Many of you are going to nod for this one. What can I say,I am lazy as hell when it comes to eating. I am changing - thanks to all of you.
16. Thankyou for teaching me about boys and men and to know the difference.(Yes, if you do come from an all girls school, you need a crash course!- they are a different species)
17. Thankyou for never judging me! - This is a big one. Thankyou again.
18. Thankyou for talking to me, when I was six feet from the edge, reminding me that this too shall pass.
19. Thankyou for the shopping sprees, the endless cups of coffees, the tall long islands and the mojitos.
20. Thankyou for lying to my parents , so I could sneak out at night.
21. Thankyou for yelling at the other driver, even when I was the one parking badly.
22. Thanyou for speaking for me at the school assembly in 11th grade. I had a sore throat and maybe even a lousy accent.
23. Thankyou for teaching me physics. I am sure you don't remember but you did.
24. Thankyou for hiking with me.
25. Thankyou for all the gossip sessions everywhere around the world.
26. Thanyou for never making it awkward, when we catch up after a long time.
27. Thankyou for walking with me to lab in the middle of the night.
28. Thankyou for loaning me your dress suit for my first interview ever.
29. Thankyou for stealing a wooden hanger with me from the store. (I lost the hanger of the dress I borrowed. So resorted to stealing! - Yes I am insane)
30. Thankyou for teaching me to drive a car.
31. Thankyou for telling me to walk away when I needed to.
32. Thankyou for inspiring me to be better everyday.
33. Thanyou for a youth that I'd never regret.
34. Thankyou for watching "friends", and the re run of friends" over and over again.
35. Thankyou for pretending to be my "girlfriend" in a bar to chase an obnoxious guy away. We did a get free drinks though.
36. Thankyou for giggling all the way while parallel parking for me (albeit with the help of a cop).
37. Thankyou for celebrating my birthdays. Each one has been special because of you.
38. Thankyou for valuing my opinion and asking for my advice.
39. Thankyou for sitting with me in the emergency room, before the finals. (test)
40. Thankyou for loving me!
41. Thankyou for checking out my first crush by pretending to be people from the TV channel. ( what can I say - totally ingenious)
42. Thankyou for listening to me brag about my child. ( I do go on about that, don't I?)
43. Thankyou for being my my mom when mine was far away. I call you "mommy" for that reason and more.
44. Thankyou for my sky high phone bills. I needed those.
45. Thankyou for the days on the beach. Walking on the miles of sand hand in hand, letting the waves crash while watching the moon rise, eating beach food from the cones- I miss that very much about home.
46. Thankyou for lounging with me on the sand under the trees, in the school campus during breaks. I learnt a whole lot about life there.
47. Thankyou for caring about my family, as if they were yours.
48. Thankyou for trusting me with your deep dark secrets. I have never told a soul.
49. Thankyou for all the sleep overs.
50. Thankyou for letting me be ME!

Yes, it's not a ode, sure it's not poetic and some may argue the prose is bad. But it sure as hell is expressive of an exalted emotion!
Obviously the list is big and the memories are fresh ..maybe another time, another list.

Gender specific colours!

2007-09-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent conversation from our doctor's office.

The nurse says,"Hello Mom." and she cooos "Hi baby...hey darling".

She turns to me and says "Oh...he's sooo adorable" (All this while my little one is giving her his best toothless grin)

Point to note here : She knows and recognizes that my little one is a boy!

She then notices that he has a pink pacifier. She looks shocked and quite confused and tells me, "You have to change the pacifier, Ms. Dee".

Quite perplexed I ask her "Is something wrong with that?. Here let me take a look".

She sighs,..a big one , shakes her head disapprovingly and says "You can't give a boy a pink pacifier..he needs a blue one". She almost added, atleast her expressions said, everyone knows that.

I, with great difficulty stopped myself from lecturing her on how lame the idea of gender specific colours really is (I really didn't have the time) and left the place as quickly as I could.

What is really wrong with a pink pacifier? Why do we have to confine little boys and girls to blue and pink? It is so hard to shop for a little boy in the States. All the clothes are boring and plain in either blue or white , not to boot insanely expensive.I love colours and I am searching for stores that actually have bright reds, tangy oranges, mossy greens, earthy browns, lemony yellows. Most times I just beg anyone who goes back home to buy me the colours I need!

Wines to make you happy!

2007-09-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

I know many of you like a good glass of wine and I have had many discussions with some of you on buying one that doesn't hurt the pocket!
Does it really have to be an expensive wine to taste good? I don't think so.You can say I am not a connoisseur. I drink to be happy, and if you are like me, you may find the list below useful!
I have reproduced the list I saw on Newyorktimes recently. If you know more gems like these, please do add to the post.
My personal favorites are the australian and the spanish wines. I am not fond of the American ones that much. I have also tried some wines from Chile that I absolutely love. They are a mix of merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and have an earthy spicy flavor.You should be able to get it HEB (the local grocery store in Austin)
Try some or all of these...maybe it's time for a wine tasting party!

1. Casa Cadaval Portugal, $8.99 ***Padre pedro 2002

Smoke, earth, cherry and spice flavors in a well structured Old world wine.

2. Domaine de l'Ameillaud France , $9, *** Vin de Pays de Vaucluse 2005

Mild tannins with attractive, lingering flavors of berry, cassis and olive

3.Viña Gormaz Spain Ribera del Duero , $9, ** Tempranillo 2005

Fresh and juicy with a lively spiciness

4. Georges Duboeuf France , $9, **Beaujolais-Villages 2006

Juicy, fruity and floral. Decent Beaujolais best served chilled

5.Altas Cumbres Argentina Mendoza , $9, **Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Lingering, jammy flavors of cherry and licorice

6.Wyatt California Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 , $10, **

Big and almost over the top with dark fruit, oak and spice flavors.

7.J. Vidal-Fleury France , $10, **Côtes-du-Ventoux 2005

Aroma of burnt rubber gives way to flavors of bitter cherry and spices

8. Domaine Monte de Luz , $7, ** Uruguay Tannat 2006

Rich and plummy with smoky, spicy cherry flavors

9. Ravenswood California Vintner's Blend , $10, *Merlot 2004

Fruit, floral and spice flavors; straightforward and pleasant.

10. Paringa , $9, * ½ South Australia Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Big and poweful with berry, oak and fruit flowers.

Ten ways my life has changed forever!

2007-09-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

Ten ways my life has changed since our little one entered this world.

1. I no longer sleep as long as I want!
My little one, is an excellent substitute for an alarm clock, without the snooze option. And invariably on weekends the alarm goes off earlier than usual. He always senses my desire to sleep longer and strictly prohibts such nonsense!

2. I am more organized!
With a 6 month old, everything requires planning, be it a trip to the grocery store for 10 minutes or the shopping mall for 2 hours. From packing his diaper bag, to planning our meals and scheduling dates with my husband, everything is thought out before hand. I nostalgically think of the days when we just decided we needed to go,and hopped on a plane for a vacation!

3. I worry!
It is with quite some certainity I can say I have never really been the worrying type, now that I know what it means to worry. I have always believed that nothing could go wrong (until it does)- maybe it was just naivete. Now I think of situations that could go wrong, even ones that may never happen (like maybe the fan will fall on the crib). It is all strictly related to my child though.I have still not become completely paranoid!

4. I feel the need to do things!
I am no longer content to relax on the sofa and watch crazy random things on the television.If I am awake, I may as well do something useful. (like learn a new language or cook or knit).This has led me to ponder about my career choices a lot. Maybe I need a new job..?

5. I communicate effectively!
I am responsible for my son. I am not around him 24/7. There are other people who take care of him and to make sure they take care of him, the way I want them to, I had to quickly learn to express thoughts lucidly. I manage people effectively now ..wow!

6. I read labels!
I actually read the ingredient list for things we ingest and don't buy products that have ingredients that I can't pronounce or understand.I have always made sensible food choices, but now I think more about the number of carbs and proteins that my family gets. I enjoy shopping for groceries now, earlier it was just a chore!

7. I bond more with other women!
I actually have a lot more women friends now. I share a deeper bond with my mother, cousins , friends and all the women in my life. Maybe it's because we all have something in common, and have more to talk, share, give, gossip, cherish and love.

8. I am more patient and I actually listen!
Maybe this has more to do with my husband..nevertheless I'll just add it to this list. He did have something (even if it was a tiny weeny bit)to do with our son being born!

9. I am less afraid!
I am more confident about talking to strangers, doctors, nurses, waiters, telemarketers, sales people, coworkers, well meaning but interfering family etc and letting them know what I want and more importantly not compromising on what I want!

10. I blog!

What I have read so far

2007-09-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

A list of books I have read, liked and recommend , in no particular order. I shall update this as and when I remember.
A few that are dear to my heart for various reasons-
Siddartha, Snow , The Selfish Gene, The God of small things, A long way gone, An equal music, The art of happiness.
I promise to write my reviews sooner or later for some of them at least.

1. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
2. The Blind Watchmaker -Richard Dawkins
3. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins
4. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
5. An Equal Music -Vikram Seth
6.Freedom in Exile -Dalai Lama
7. The Art of Happiness - Dalai Lama
8.The Da Vinci Code -Dan Brown
9.Tuesdays with Morrie -Mitch Albom
10.The God of Small Things -Arundhati Roy
11.Interpreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri
12.On Beauty -Zadie Smith
13. Freakonomics - Steven D. Levitt
14.My Name Is Red - Orhan Pamuk
15.Kafka on the Shore -Haruki Murakami
16.The Red Tent -Anita Diamant
17. The World Is Flat -Thomas Friedman
18.Night - Elie Wiesel
19.The Kite Runner -Khaled Hosseini
20.Life of Pi - Yann Martel
21.Snow -Orhan Pamuk
22.The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy -Douglas Adams
23.Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi
24.Lolita -Vladimir Nabokov
25. Guns Germs and Steel -Jared Diamond
26.The Namesake -Jhumpa Lahiri
27.Siddartha - Hermann Hesse
28.The girl's guide to hunting & fishing -Melinda banks
29.The inheritance of loss - Kiran Desai
30.A thousand splendid suns -Khaled Hosseini
31. A long way gone -Ishmail Beah
32.The Alchemist -Paulo Coelho
33.Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance -Robert Pirsig
34. Jonathan Livingston Seagull -Richard bach

Idyllic Thun and Bern City!

2007-09-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

About 15minutes by train from Interlaken, Thun is located on river Aare. It's a beautiful old town, with raised pathways, so that tiny old shops are below the walkways. You have to descend some rickety old stairs to get to the shops.
We ate some great falafals there for lunch. Freshly made, hot falafals followed by some hot chocolate. Yum in the drizzling weather!

On the right, picture of town hall at Thun.
Below is the courtyard of the old beautiful turreted castle at Thun, built in 12th century,I think.

Two great things about switzerland apart from natural beauty.The trains (ICE) were always on time.You could check it with one of the super accurate swiss watches. They even had a silent compartment in the train, were you get away and mediate if you chose to. Imagine doing that on a train! The other thing were the restrooms- they were quite simply awesome! For less than two swiss francs, you get the cleanest restrooms possible, five star quality.

On to Bern! - The capital.
We did a self guided tour of Bern- the old town mostly.
A lot of walking and cribbing (by me mostly) of the walking.
Passed by Einstein's house-yes Albert Einstein lived in Bern between 1903-1905.
Below is the picture of the clock tower, a major landmark in old town Bern

Trip to switzerland

2007-09-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

Long long ago..well atleast it feels like that, but probably a year ago we went on a trip to France & Switzerland! More on Paris later, but here's what we did in the swiss land. I have to admit, it is one the most beautiful places I have been to.

We took the TGV from Paris to Bern and then to Interlaken. We arrived there at about 12 at night. It was raining heavily (typical early May weather)and the platform was empty.
We had no idea where the hotel was, so we just stood there! (Don't know what we were thinking!).Luckily a friendly soul walked by, turned out to be an Indian. He shared his umbrella and walked us to the hotel. What are the odds of meeting a local Indian resident in Interlaken at 12 in the night!

The view from our room taken early in the morning.

A Thousand Splendid Suns - my verdict!

2007-08-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I just finished reading Khaled Hosseini's latest Afghan novel! I should admit it was quite the page turner and a quick read. I read it mostly at night, under my bed cover, with a flash light!.Yes with a flash light,did'nt want to wake my 4 month old who was sleeping in his crib in our bedroom. That added to the excitement, reminding me, of my adolescent years in Madras, hiding under the covers on a hot humid typical madras night.

The book starts off on a sad tune and holds the melancholy through out. But it's like a beautiful sad song. The final pages would be what is called a "bollywood" ending but then I would'nt have had it any other way! The two women Mariam and Laila (btw, I love the names) whose life journey is what the book is about, are fascinating, strong and such awesome mothers! The circumstances under which Laila gives birth (twice) were quite horrific for me having gone through one recently, and I was truly filled with such empathy for her.

Hosseini's prose is not what I would call almost poetry that just eloquently flows, but it is simple and weaves rich images of the characters, that linger in your mind long after the story is over. One specific part that I really liked was the way he described the Buddhas of the Bamyan valley, that I was again filled with deep disgust for what the taliban did. He also manages to capture the political turbulence of Afghanistan, making it look like less like a historical background and more like real life.

In short, a good book not an extraordinary one. It's not going to change you or your thoughts or ideas unless you are one of those, who has no idea where afghansithan is on the map!
I liked it. :) (If that means anything)

Me and the snake!

2007-07-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's a real python.And no it was'nt slimy much to the contrary, cool to the touch!

Our cenote guide had a few wild pythons and he asked us if we wanted to hold them. After much shrieking and yelling with excitement we did..hopefully we did'nt scare the snake!

Snorkeling in a cenote

2007-07-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

We drove down a beaten path with an overcast sky in this dusty old ..hmm what do I call it truck?? We saw a tucan on the way..everyone tried real hard to take pictures of the elusive bird.

And then we went down this hole..I am not kidding "a hole in the ground, descended a few well placed stairs in semi darkness and lo and behold there was a fresh water hole, complete with stagcites and stalagmites. We snorkelled in our wet

suits (the first time I had worn them in my life).

I sure needed them...boy was the water cold.

The picture here, does not do it justice, average camera, bad lighting...but believe it was an awesome experience to snorkel through caves and watch these strange formations.It was lovely!

Chichen Itza

2007-07-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

After much convincing, I managed to drag the gumbal to Chichen Itza. A long drive with stops for shopping and drinking many muchos fresca cocnut water, we arrived at Chichen Itza.

It was a hot humid day and by the time we climbed the 91 steps of the El Castillo we were drenched. The view from above was amazing and my husband took endless pictures and I gladly obliged:) Interesting fact: On the spring/autumn equinox, the sun casts a shadow that resembles a snake that's crawling downwards. We ofcourse did'nt see it but thousands make the trip every year to watch the spectacle.

Floating down the river

2007-07-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

After getting lost, asking for directions in spanish, getting lost again, we ended up in Muyil! Did I mention how every single person decided we were mexicans and insisted on speaking to us in spanish. And yeah we learnt a few more words...hola..hola...and gracias!

Muyil is about 25kilometers from Tulum (the greatest hippie place on earth) and is part of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere reserve. The Mayan groups began to populate this area around 300BC.
The land locked lagoons at Muyil are linked to the open sea by narrow canal systems. It's believed the Mayans used these canals for trade purposes. That's a Mayan outpost on the canal.

You can see a crocodile if you look hard enuough.

Our local guide, took us down the canal on a boat and then we glided down the river for a few blissful hours!

Cerveza!

2007-07-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

After spending countless hours browsing, we (my husband and our friends) decided on Akumal, Mexico for our vacation. The only spanish my husband wanted to learn was "cerveza". And strangely that was all we needed! August 2005, the week when Katrina descended on New Orleans was when we were vacationing in Mexico!

We landed in Cancun, picked up or car, stopped by the nearest grocery store and packed our trunk with beer..beer and more beer. It was hot...hot..hot! We drove away from cancun as fast as possible...away from all the touristy, college crowd.

The view from our rental condo was amazing! Michael our host was half drunk, half "happy" and totally thrilled to see us. He welcomed us in spanish, gave us coupons for drinks at the local pub and warned us not to drink water from the tap!