C'est La Vie;That's life

Two children. Two different styles. My older one always does things fast and my younger one always slow. What should i do? Take my older one, for e.g. You give her 10 things to do and tell her, "Slow down....take a deep breath. Don't hurry. Take your time." But, does she listen? No. She'll finish them all in 10 minutes and ask me, "Then, what should i do?". Now it's time for me to slow down and take a deep breath. Hand me some aspirin, will ya? My younger one is exactly the opposite. If you give her 3 things to do and come back an hour later, she'll look at you and go, "What? You mean i am supposed to them now ? You didn't tell me." And a couple of hours later, we'll be still on our first task. Snails and turtles can beat us anyday. While you're there, hand me the whole aspirin box, will ya? Thanks. So, what do i do? Split like an atom, is what i've been reduced to. One part of me chanting a mantra - slow, relax, calm ...

This is purely from a girl's point of view. For obvious reasons. So, who can be a good sibling for a girl? Brother or a Sister? I have two brothers, so i can give you some inside info. Let's see how i can put this gently....it's useful to have brothers. How, you ask? As fellows of the opposite sex, it's good to know what goes in that brain of the male species (though i suspect there is very little going on there) - what fashion and style works and what doesn't etc. Very handy, i tell you, especially if you're a teen. It's almost like having a spy at your disposal, letting you on all the secrets. But, wait...there's a flipside too. You'll have to be careful because there's a big chance of you turning into a 'tomboy', what with all the constant sports talk in the house, pillow fights, doling out punches time to time etc. And, no wardrobe to share - unless you count the stinky socks that'll come your way. But, having sisters can be eithe...

Nope. I have not even learnt, forget about mastering this art. Actually, me, moi, should be the last person on Earth to talk about this topic. I am a mono-tasking person, if there is ever such a word. It's very hard for me to do two things at the same time. The reason - i have to give full attention to whatever i'm doing. Very mundane chores are ok, but anything more, my ears and eyes have to be fully, wide open. Some sensory wiring issues, i guess. While driving especially, i hate to pick up the cell phone. So, if you hear muttering sounds when you catch me in the car, it's probably something you do not want to hear. And, I envy those who do multiple things all at once, and look at them with awe like a child gaping at a juggler - but, wait a minute. Aha, i have a petty thought. What about the quality of their outcomes? Are they really productive in what they are doing? How can you be good at all the tasks at the same time? Well, while it's comforting for folks like me ...

Where else on earth? Disney land, of course. The house where the richest mouse in the world holds the fort. Is there anywhere, in any part of the world, any other member of the animal kingdom this powerful? Wait. Don't answer that. We just returned from an annual visit to Walt's shrine. Parents who live in California especially, faithfully take their kids almost every year. You have to. It's the State law. You could be whipped and sent to prison if you don't. Anyways, this year we went on the day of Christmas. My logic was that everyone will be busy with their families and who would have time to go to Disney? Right? Well, was i wrong. Completely. In fact, there were families of people visiting and so the crowd was even more than usual. Mmm, maybe it's time my logic took a huge hike. This is what happens when you think you have a uniquely brilliant thought. Exactly that second, about 5000 other people have that exact unique thought. Very sad. For me, i mean. Back to ...

Which language to learn - French or Spanish? For who, you ask? - Me. Why? - Just want to do something with my rapidly aging brain. I can't do astro-physics. So, i'll settle down for a new language. How? - No online courses. I am quite a 'flesh and blood' person. Thank you. I need live teachers whom i can ask annoying questions. Now that i've covered the basics, can we get back to the topic? Which one to choose? Let's see. I've learnt French about zillion years back in high school and somehow have a liking for the language. Maybe it sounded so exotic when you are studying in a remote metro in India . Whatever. I love the language and want to learn more. So, that sounds like a no-brainer, right? Not so easy. After a long search for classes in our city, surprisingly, i couldn't find anything. Zilch. Nada. Spanish was my second choice. It's not hard to find classes that teach spanish because we live in a beautiful part of the country which once belon...

Sometime last year, a sudden itch to do something fun and hip took over me. OK, i am inching into 40's - if you have to know. Those of you under 35 wouldn't even remotely understand these urges, so please spare me the looks, will you? Thanks. And those above 35, you know what i'm talking about. Where was I? Yeah, i decided to get into the Bollywood hype. For someone who hasn't watched any Indian movie for almost a decade, this was a revelation and quite a journey. I had a hard time knowing the names, following the news, who's who etc. Most of the movies are copied from Hollywood, so no creative stories there. But, the songs with a mix of desi bhangra, rock or pop (what inspires these composers, i don't have a clue) are kind of entertaining. And, what i like the best of all is that i picked up a lot of Hindi along the way. Such a pity that none of my Hindi-speaking friends would let me practice on them, so i prowled around with a vengence. Ha, finally, picked out...

Yes, there's a big difference. Atleast in our family. My father was a spirited person. He gave us the greatest gift a parent could give a child - Reading. Not only was he a voracious reader himself, he would always make sure we have a huge collection of books at our disposal all times in the house - didn't matter that they were mostly used and tattered ones. And, he used to talk to us constantly when we were little. There would be debates on literature, science, philosophy, religion, travel - you name it. We have had discussions on just about everything. He loved it even more when we question on why's and how's and argue with him. To him, this was a sign of progress. Also, his sense of humor was unstoppable and infectious. Seriously. My favorite quote of his - You have been given a brain. Use it. My mother on the other hand always stayed out of these things and was always busy with household duties. Came time and when we grew older, she took charge. She is the most mat...

There's so much noise about stress everywhere. People are constantly complaining, grumbling, some taking it seriously and doing something about it or some proudly flaunting it because it's a sign to show that they're busy. OK. Enough said. My question is - is the primary cause of all this stress because of an immense pressure to be perfect in everything we do? Take parenting, for e.g. Have we created a myth of having to be perfect parents? Let's see - you have to help kids with their homework so that they get their straight 'A's, chaperone them to music and dance classes, sports, extra math, involve in the school PTAs, setup playdates, read to them everyday (wee ones) and the list goes on. Even as an adult, these tasks are so daunting. I don't even want to think about the kids who have to do all the above - with perfection. Well, they have to, right?? Then, comes the onus of being a dutiful son/daughter to your parents, caring sibling, affectionate sp...

I found the note in my child's backpack. A shiver ran through my spine. Our elementary school prinicipal had lost her 20 yr old son in the Iraq war recently. We read about the war almost every day in the news, but when it gets closer to someone we know, why does it just hit you like a ton of bricks? I went through a gamut of emotions - ranging from sadness for the family, empathy for a mother losing a child, to liberally bashing the Bush administration. Then, it came to how to approach the prinicipal and convey my feelings to her. This was an unusual situation for me. I gave this a lot of thought and ran through a whole lot of imaginary conversations that could convey my feelings appropriately. Nothing was convincing though. The next day, i was at school and honestly, i didn't want to bump into her because i hadn't planned anything. Suddenly, there was a tap on my shoulder and a familiar voice wished me with a smile. There she was, the very person that i was careful...

Maybe the Bard of Avon could answer this one. Meanwhile, it's a burning question in our house. Comes up when a birthday is around the corner. I can always see it coming - usually, it starts with a whine and a puppy-dog look, "Mommy, can i pleasssse have a pet? So, we begin with a list: Dogs - too much work and responsibility. Cats - let me just come out with it. I am not a cat person. There's no warmth in them. I thought pets are supposed to give you that feeling, right? Rabbits, Hamsters, Birds - Caging animals is not OK with me. Period. Fish, turtle - see above. Now, what?? We sit twiddling our thumbs. My 7 yr old who started this whole thing looks at me with a 'i-know-where-this-conversation-is-going' kind of a look. Throws in the towel and goes for the "big wail" strategy which she has completely mastered and lets out, "Mommy, can i pleasssse have a pet?. And the debate continues.