Weekends

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I try very hard every weekend to post, but it’s usually an exercise in futility!

I am so looking forward to the school holidays when I will have some sort of breathing space and then there is my super short holiday at the end of the year to look forward to – 12 days of eating, sleeping, lazing around, shopping, playing with the kids – bring it on…

A typical weekend for us during school time goes like this:

Saturdays:
Wake up at 6 am and quickly start on cooking breakfast. Wake up GG, BB & S around 6:30, hustle them to get ready and they leave the house around 7:45 for their Hindi lessons. I then finish cooking and my helper takes over with the cleaning. Then I relax a bit till it’s time to bring them back home. We leave around 12ish as the class ends at 12:30. Then come home, give them lunch and let them relax a bit. Then the next part of rushing starts. Leave around 5:15 pm for music classes followed by GG’s ballet class at 6:45. Back home tired and exhausted by 8ish, then just time enough for dinner, some TV and bed.

Sundays:
Sundays are relatively easier, with just GG’s ballet class in the morning. Most days it is S’s job and once GG is at her class, BB and S will go and do some boy thing, usually involving the car! Once they are back, it’s time for lunch and then a nap! Evenings will mean finishing up homeowork, school work and studying if there are exams in the horizon, otherwise, we may go out.

So, what’s your weekend usually like? I’d love to hear….

Quarrelling, Fighting, Loving….You know, the usual…

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BB & GG fight. A. Lot. I don’t know if this is because they both are the same age and hence don’t like to give in to the other, or if it is because they are of different genders or some other reason. But some days, I am so close to snapping that I have to keep warning them that I will withdraw privileges if they continue to fight. Having said that, they also can’t live without each other. If one does not see the other for more than 30 minutes, they will consciously make an effort to go and find where the other is and what is it that they are doing. I remember saying this to people who used to ask me how they lived with each other – “They can’t live or live without with each other”. This line sums up GG and BB perfectly.

Most days when they fight, I try to keep out of it and intervene only when it gets physical. I usually tell them, “This is your problem/issue, sort it out between yourselves”, but lately they’re beginning to get physical with each other also, which is slightly disturbing to me.

When they were younger, GG was the aggressive one – she has always been the leader between the two and she used to lead in fighting also! If she wanted something, BB better give it to her, or God help him. I used to wonder what would happen to BB once he started school and if he faced any bullying, but these days, he gives as well as he gets. In fact, because he is heavier than GG, she is at the receiving end these days.

Today’s post is short because I don’t feel like writing anything. Feeling sleepy, so will catch up over the weekend. I am glad this stint of blogging is working out for me, I’ve blogged almost everyday in September, hope this continues. I’ll also post some more Chiki and Chica stories. Ever since I’ve started this, GG & BB ask me for a new story every night and also want to check if I have written it up here. So now I am about 2 stories behind and tonight will be number 3.

R.I.P Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011)

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When you use your iPhone, iPad, iPod or Mac today, take a moment to reflect on the genius that was Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs, inventor and innovator extraordinnaire passed away early this morning (Singapore time). Now I am not a techie by any stretch of imagination and don’t even use an Apple computer, but I do use a iPhone and am very seriously thinking of buying the iPad 2 and that is the reason for this post.

The iPhone is so simple to use that even people like me can use them for so many things. I don’t think I can ever go back to using a normal phone! It has everything I need for my life right now, so thank you Steve Jobs. My condolences to his family, friends and loved ones. The world is indeed a poorer place today without you in it.

Here’s a video that’s been doing the rounds where Steve Jobs talks to the class of 2005 in Stamford at their commencement ceremony about “How to live before you die”

Ven Pongal

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During Navratri, I do not use either onion or garlic in my cooking and so finding different things to make daily is a bit of a challenge. After all, how many days can one make idli and dosa? Having two (actually make that three) fussy eaters in the house does not help.

I made Ven Pongal yesterday. This is a traditional South Indian breakfast dish which is incredibly filling. There are two versions of Ven Pongal – a sweet version called Sakara Pongal which is generally used as a neividhyam (offering) to God and the savoury version called Ven Pongal.This has a creamy buttery taste and it is traditionally served with coconut chutney. Here is my version of Ven Pongal.

Ingredients:

2 cups rice

1 cup moong dal

2 tbsps ghee

2 tbsps broken pieces of cashewnuts

a small bunch of curry leaves

2 green chillies, chopped

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

1 tsp pepper powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

salt to taste

Method:

In a pressure cooker, dry roast the moong dal for a few minutes till it lightly browns and a nice aroma is released. Then add the rice, water and salt and cook it for around 4 whistles or till it is finely cooked. Once the steam is released, open the cooker and mix well. At this point, check for the salt and add more, if needed.

In another small pan, heat the ghee and fry the cashewnuts till they are crisp and brown. Drain them and put them into the rice/lentil mixture and using the same ghee fry the cumin seeds, pepper corns, curry leaves, ginger, green chillies and pepper powder for a few seconds. Then add this to the rice, mix well and serve hot. I served this with coconut chutney.