2016 Week 22 Update

This week I officially complete one month of being a SAHM and jobless! In the last week or so, I did not even apply for jobs. I have started to get depressed about this, sometimes thinking that I will not get another job ever. I need to get out of this funk soon. Need to get my act together as soon as I am back from my holiday later this week.

We’re going to Yogyakarta, Indonesia for a 4 day trip later in the week. Yogya or Jogya as it is fondly called by the locals has two UNESCO world heritage sites close by – Borobudur and the Prambanan temple complex and I am eager to explore them and take load of photos!

We also went for Baby’s one month party yesterday and had a blast playing with him. My sister-in-law emulated the local chinese custom where they celebrate a baby’s full moon (1 month) and get everyone to see the baby at the same time!

Gotta prepare for our holidays and source for places to eat and shop! I’ll spam pictures of the place soon and also do a few posts on what all we did so anyone who is interested in this place will have some points to start with….

Have a great week folks!

2016 Week 21 Update

Week 3 of being a SAHM, and I have this sneaking feeling that I am getting to enjoy this. I better get my job search up a notch and get a job soon, otherwise, I am scared, I will get so comfortable that I will stop searching!

This week was quite a boring week, with nothing really happening. I seem to be the go-to person when Baby needs to go to see a doctor. My sister-in-law needed to see the doctor and also get Baby checked because he was crying non stop whe whole night. So my mother-in-law called me to ask if I could take them to the GP nearby. It was fun to carry Baby after almost a week, but I now realised that even a newborn weighs quite a bit!!

This week is the last week of school before the half year holidays. Both also have the parent teacher meeting on the last day so that’s something to look forward to…

Have a great week folks! 

Ode to a Saree

8e68083407d603b3a20f519a36735bc8The very word ‘Saree or Sari’ evokes a sense of pure bliss for the six yards of fabric which exude grace and elegance. This traditional Indian garment for women is in every Indian woman’s wardrobe, even if she is not a saree wearer, but she will wear a saree for very special occasions.

I used to love wearing the saree and have loads of memories pre-marriage of wearing them. Back in college, we used to have ‘Saree Day’ and ‘Traditional Day’ each year, where girls would wear the saree on saree day and either a saree or their traditional dress on traditional day. When we had official functions in college, again the saree would come out and those days the whole college would look so colourful with everyone checking out theirs and their friends sarees and accessories.

Even when I started work, sarees played an important role. Every interview was always in a saree, as this was considered formal wear for women and again when we had important meetings, presentations or visitors we’d all wear sarees to work. Another time the saree was brought out was during festivals. During festivals, everyone came in their festive best and during festivals like Navratri, where each day has a specific colour associated with it, all the women in the office would wear the same colour!

320px-styles_of_sariAfter coming to Singapore, my saree wearing slowed down and after having BB & GG, almost came to a stop! But in the last year or so, I have rediscovered my love for the saree again, what with seeing images of women doing everything in this garment on social media. I’ve now decided to wear them more often, though the heat does everything to discourage me. I’ve also decided to buy more sarees from India’s rich heritage and want to own atleast one saree from every Indian state – from the Bandini of Rajasthan to the Patola of Gujarat to the Kantha of West Bengal to the Muga Silk of Assam to the Sambalpuri of Odisha to the Pochampalli of Telangana to the Paithani from Maharashtra to the Kanjivaram from Tamil Nadu to the Mangalgiri and Gadwal silks from Andhra Pradesh to the Maheshwari and Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh to the Banrasi Silk from Uttar Pradesh to Mysore Silks from Karnataka. The rich cultural heritage of the various Indian states ensure you can never run out of sarees to wear!

Now I am off to arrange my small stack of sarees and make notes on what I need to buy to add to it!

2016 Week 20 Update

Week 2 of being a SAHM and what hits me hardest is how hot and noisy it is! This is really not an issue when you are in an air-conditioned office where the loudest noise is probably some people laughing, and even these get glares! When I was last in India, I commented on how noisy it is and this statement has now come to bite me! The constant cacophony of noises – people talking/fighting, various vehicles coming and going, the traffic and children playing are all guaranteed to make someone not used to this very irritable! I just hope I can escape this before I become too used to it!

The exams ended and I am looking forward to some time with the kids. I have some places in the city to see and visit and I am hoping I can do this soon. We’re also planning our June holiday trip and this time, it will be another neighbouring country – one of the cities which is supposed to  be full of culture, old temples and ruins – everything I love!! More on this when I finish the bookings.

Yesterday we had the naming ceremony for S’ sister’s baby, called Baby here on! Baby is such a sweetheart that I can’t resist holding him when I see him. He had such chubby cheeks when he was born, but that has decreased quite a bit in the last 16 days (that’s how old he is today). It was a fun, but hectic morning meeting the extended family. However, what was not so nice was wearing a silk saree in this heat! Whenever I wear a saree, I always wonder how my mum does it? I’ve mostly seen her in sarees, 24/7 and while I like wearing one, when it’s hot like it is these days, I wonder how she and all women do it? I should probably do a post on this versatile yet un-stitched Indian garment.

Have a great week folks!

 

5 Traits I wish on my children…

As you all know, it’s exam season now, with the last exam just a day away. I’ve been quite a naggy mom these days, especially since I am home all the time…

The other day I got to thinking about what advice I can give them that they can keep with them for the rest of their lives and I came up with a bunch of them. In no order, except in how I came up with them, here are some traits I hope BB & GG would internalise soon…

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Integrity:
I believe this is one of the best traits for a person to have. If you have integrity in everything you do, are honest in dealing with people you come across daily, then you can sleep easy at night. Your name and reputation is the asset you carry for your whole life and when you are honest, your name lives unblemished.

2861e2ePerseverance: Keep going and always persevere in all you do. Failure is just a stepping stone to success. There are many stories everywhere of individuals who were not the most (insert adjective here), but that did not mean they gave up, instead they stove on and reach the goals they set out for themselves. When you fall, dust the dirt and move on.

9ab18aa88e858e60360091f17dd28bb4Forgiveness: To forgive is divine! We’ve all heard this and this is true more than ever today. We meet so many people that make us mad, who in this dog-eat-dog world of today let us down. We carry grudges against them for years, making us mad, sad and hurt each time we think about them. Instead let’s forgive them and let it go! There are so many things which are worth thinking about, don’t create negativity in your lives by rethinking and overthinking negative thoughts.

0714f5ef33771aa46cc22b62e00b8c61Passion: If you love what you do, you never work a single day in your life. Most of us go through just working. Waiting for Friday evening and dreading Monday mornings. Instead try and find what you love doing – it could be anything in this world, or even something that no one has done before! Once you find your passion, you will strive towards excellence all by yourself and commit to 100 percent in that thing. You’ll be a winner before you know it!

quotes-lifeclass-gratitude-deepak-chopra-949x534Gratitude: Practice gratitude daily. Be grateful to your parents, your family and friends. Count your blessings and nurture them daily. Gratitude helps you nurture present relationships and cultivate future ones. Science has also proven that grateful people are more calm, less predisposed to illness, have increased self-esteem and sleep better. The best way to do this is to have a gratitude journal – before sleeping at night, write three things that you are grateful that day….