Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Another Mommy Moment

I am having a few mommy moments lately. Yesterday was a very strong mommy moment.

I am not sure if I consider myself ambitious. I know I like to be employed. Not sure why. Sorry to digress but I have always wondered....what is it about being employed. Do I love to work? Not sure. Do I love my job? Not sure. What does being employed mean to me? Is it a self empowerment? The power of earning money? I am not sure. I have never been deprived and if I stop working I dont think I will be deprived. Is it self confidence? Is it a snob appeal? I keep thinking on and off if I want to work. I am never sure. Many a times, I get tempted to call it quits. But I never do. I never know why. May be I need to be older, wiser, mature to actually analyse my feelings, sort out what being employed means to me and then make a decision. May be its only the case of grass being greener on the other side...
Which brings me back to my most recent mommy moment. Its a case of working mothers vs stay at home moms. Tuesday, I called in sick. I wasnt sick per se but had an infected eye. Had to visit the doctor. Suj had a cough. Had to take him to the doctor. Anyways, we wake up and since I was not rushing off to anywhere (read work), I was all set to brush Suj's teeth. He was so excited. "You are going to brush my teeth". "Wow". "You are going to mix my milk for me". "Wow". "You are going to give me a bath"."Wow". "I love you , mom" You are awesome. It was amazing. Is that all it takes to make my kid happy? I went and picked him up from school. We come home. Eat. Hug each other and snooze. What other way is there? We have rules in our house. Wanna sleep next to mom? Then hug and sleep. Luckily my baby is baby enough that he loves to hug. I am not sure how long that will last. Anyways, we wake up. Go and play on the swings. Play with mud and just run around like two children completely free. I am loving every moment. he is loving every moment.
I am having such a great day. I mean, I have this lovely child. He is a happy child who is happier one Tuesday in June because his mom is around. Doesnt that put things in perspective? Why do I leave this angel of mine at home, at day care and spend my day sitting in front of a laptop, gossiping in the coffee corner about how unfair my job is, cribbing about my manager or just discussing office politics when I can be having everyday like Tuesday and my son can be as happy every day as he was on Tuesday.
I am going to quit, I tell Sudarshan when he gets home. I had such a satisfying day. I feel so alive. I feel so great. I want to feel like this everyday. He just smiles and assures me that I am not made like that.After a week I will hate it. I will miss the social interactions, miss going to work. Hmmm...will I? Well, then, I postpone taking an early retirement. When we have another child, I say. may be then. He smiles again. We'll see then. You will still be happier going back to work, he says.
Who knows? Is it just a case of the grass being greener on the other side? I am not sure. But one day, I will find out. I hope thats not too far in the future. I dont want to spend my child's entire childhood finding out. Thats the sad part.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Slam Book Tag

The Slam book Tag!!!

Shantanu is right. It is indeed good to be a kid sometimes. I have slam book memories. Not all very good ones. But answering questions like these sounds like fun.

1. What is your middle name?
Dont have a middle name.
2. How big is your bed?
Its a Queen bed. Regrettingthat purchase. Should have bought a super king bed. Sujay has been creeping into bed with us at all times and all of a sudden I feel something poking my eye. I almost shout at sudarshan and then realize that its my little baby. So have a queen bed but wish it was a super king bed.
3.What are you listening to right now?
Rediscovered "Killing me Softly" by Fugees. And of course November Rain (I made it my ring tone as I never tire listening to it)
4. What was the last thing you ate?
Idli. And coffee
5. Last person you hugged?
Sujay. Luckily he is at a age when Mommy is still allowed to hug him.
6. How is the weather right now?
Awesome. Hate sitting in my cube. wish I was doing a nice long run. May be Nandi
7. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
Annoying salesperson from HSBC Bank selling me a gold card
8. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
His face
9. Favorite type of Food?
Mexican
10 . Have you ever cried over a love lost?
Of course. Whats the point of having a lost love without the drama of tears. A la Devdas
11. Last Movie you watched? Khoya Khoya Chand.
12. Do you have any piercings?
Yes
13. Favorite Movie?
Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version), Sound of Music, Wedding Date (only so that I can lust after Dermot Mulroney. The Story is bekar)
14. What were you doing before filling this out?
Attempting to finish something before my 2 pm meeting. but what teh hell. Isnt this more important?
15. Have you ever loved someone?Yes
16. Who would you like to see right now?
Dermot Mulroney. I can see him anytime.
17. What color are your bedroom walls?
Cream, My land lord is so boring. But if it was my own place it would be yellow or may be red and gold.
18. Have you ever fired a gun?No
19. Do you like to travel by plane? Sure.It saves time. Its like when someone asked me if I dont mind C-sections. Of course I dont. It saves time.
20. Right-handed or Left-handed?Right-handed.
21. If you could go to any place right now where would you go?
Lake Elizabeth, Fremont or Market Street, San Francisco or back in my living room in Milpitas.
22. Do you still watch cartoons on Saturday mornings?Yes- Something on Pogo or CeeBees. Last one I watched was NumberJacks
23. What is the wallpaper on your cellphone?
Sujay's picture.
24. Favorite hangout:
Airlines after a nice run @ Cubbon or mom's house.
25. 3 things you can't live without?
My thoughts, my freedom and my men ( Sudarshan and Sujay)
26. Favorite songs?
Always by Bon Jovi, November Rain GNR, Keith Urban
27. What are you afraid of?
Not being able to run!
28. What are your nicknames?
Meghs, Meghu, Megh, Mango (when Suj couldnt say Meghu)
29. Stuck on a deserted island, and can only bring one thing?
A good fat book-Gone With the Wind
30. First thing you'll save in a fire?
Sujay
31. What is your favorite color? Blue
32. What are the things you always bring with you? My phone
33. What did you want to be when you were a kid?A teacher
34. What do you usually do when the alarm turns on? Decide if I am running or going on the Elliptical
35. What do you think about before you go to bed?
Better Sleep as I a have to wake up and run

Monday, June 9, 2008

what is a blog?

I have been thinking. What is a blog? Is it my own personal page on the world wide web where I can rant and rave, crib and bitch? Is it a personal space? Should I be able to write well if I want to write a blog? Can I be political? Can I actually spill out my guts? What if I do and someone I know reads something that I dont want read? then does that mean I shouldnt have blogged about it? Hmmm....but blogging seems to be an addiction. I want to blog about every feeling I have. Blog about everyone I love. And of course blog aout every one I hate. It seems to be an awesome outlet to my emotions. A place where I can talk what ever I want without caring a F***who reads it. Although I know for a fact that there are some people who will read it. Infact, I always tell a few people when I have a new blog on. I want them to read it. But will I offend someone? Should I bother? Should I be totally non-challant and not care about who I offend?

Went to Wikipedia and tried to get the definition of blog. "A blog (an abridgment of the term web log) is a website, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video." Ok. So, the individual is me. I do make regular entries. Definitely regular since I am getting addicted to blogging. Commentry-this qualifies, I guess. Description of events- yes, I do that. Well, what do you know. I have a blog. Next step: I googled "blogger". Wikepedia defines blogger as a person who blogs. Well, again. what do you know. I am a blogger. Yipee.
Its taken me really long to start blogging. I had thought about it on and off. Some how never brought myself to do it. Many of my friends blog. I have read all their blogs. And their blogs are all so good. All famous people blog. Everyone blogs. I started feeling insecure. Do I write ok? Will anyone be interstested in reading my blog? All the demons inside my head started questioning my intent on writing blogs. Its not like I want to write about some great achievement. Nor do I meet famous people I want to blog about. Stop it. Stop it. I told all these demons who were putting me down. I started blogging. A huge step. Who cares who reads my blog. I am writing only for myself. I am writing to vent my feelings. I am blogging because I can say what ever I want and if people get offended well, I dont care a *&*&. If people like it, thank you is all I have to say. But I must say, I love it. I am addicted. If I have to stand in front of a fellow bloggers (all addicts, read BA: Bloggers annonymous, and say, I am MS and I am a blogger, well, I will.

Thank you.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Change

Question: Why does change make us feel insecure?

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Women Power-RGI



Dec 16th 2007 was a sad day in sports. Bangalore Marathon was scheduled for Dec 16th but Crossover did not allow women to participate in the Full Marathon. Their excuse---not enough women runners running the full. It was pitiful actually. Lack of knowledge and complete ignorance on part of the organizers. It was indeed a shameful act on the part of Crossover.
Well, there are a lot of women who run full marathons in Bangalore and a more distances than a full marathon. The RFL conducted the first ever Ultra Marathon on the same day. We had s many women running 52K and one even completed 78K. Eat that Crossover.



Sabine then came up with the great idea. Lets create a running group for only women. And that is what we did. Runner Girls India was born. http://www.runnergirlsindia.com/. This group was not created to prove to anyone that women can run. It was not created to prove that we are better than men (we are, you know:)). It was created to bring more women into the family of runners.




A lot of women run. 1km, 5 km, 10kms, and even 100kms. Some run fast some run slow. Some walk. Unfortunately, many women needed a support structure to help them run. Some are shy to run on the roads and some are conscious to run on the roads. This group helps in bringing all kinds of women- young and old, fit and wanting to be fit, fast and slow together with the common goal-Running. Running to free ourselves, running to feel exhilarated, running to feel powerful, running to feel fit, running to feel sexy and running to prove that we can run. Thats Women Power. Thats Runner Girls India.




The primary goal of RGI is to bring more and more women into running. However, hopefully in the process we can achieve another goal- Running in a safe environment. Hopefully, we can run on safer roads without sex deprived men staring at us. Men with penises in their brains and everywhere else looking at our breasts (a la Baywatch) or men looking at out asses. Roads without men passing gross comments. That will be an awesome day.




On July 7th a group of 20 of us all women met in Cubbon Park for our girls only run. We met at 6:00 am . Started running at 6:30. It was just great. It was awesome running with women who are like me, who run like me and who feel a lot of things that I feel. It was a riot. We laughed all the way (thanks, Reena). Talked girly things, ages since I had done that. The nicest part of the entire run was that there was complete lack of competition. I love competing as much as the next person but this lack of competition was what created a kinship where we were all able to feed off the positive energy from our fellow girls and have a great run. Infact, it was so awesome that we are seriously thinking about adding more runs every month.




After the run, we went to Airlines. Had great dosa, idlis, bounvitas and coffee. Laughed and teased one another and created a great bond.




RGI-Run like a girl. Sexy and Fierce.






Thursday, May 29, 2008

Green bug!!! Why does it replace the red one.


What is Love? Wikipedia defines love as "an abstract concept love usually refers to a strong, ineffable feeling towards another person." Shakespeare had his Romeo and Juliet. Is this love? The tragedy, the sacrifice. Eric Segal had Love Story. Is this love? The tragedy yet again. The sacrifice yet again. Scarlette O Hara and Rhett Butler. Is that true love? Or is love what happened between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Or may be its Rekha in Mukader Ka Sikander or may be Hema Malini in Sholay. Wow.
I am a sucker for romance. I can watch anything that has romance in it. Read anything which has romance in it. I have cried my share of tears when I watched QSQT and read Pride and Prejudice at least a dozen times, hating that the book ends with Lizzy and Darcy getting married. No. No. I needed more reading. I am reading Gone with the Wind again. Love that Rhett.
Anyways, we have been bombarded with so many examples of love. I am a modern woman. Fell in love with Sudarshan 12 years ago. And loved him ever since. The most handsome guy I know (yeah, yeah, I lust after Dermott Mulroney or Saif every now and then). Sometimes, though I wonder what is love? Is it what I feel for Sudarshan. Should I love him like all the great lovers that I watched on TV or movies or read about. Is that practical? I want that. I want to love him like that. Want to be in a state of euphoria where nothing can replace the love, the sacrifice and the need to be in love. More than anything else I want him to love me like that. He will argue that he does. He will argue that I am the one and only. he will argue that I have the best legs. Hee hee hee (poor sucker). But then what are we looking for? If we have the love, are we looking for sacrifice? Yes. Yes. Yes. That s what we want. Thats what we believe shows that one person loves the other. THE SACRIFICE. After all, didnt all the heroes and heroines sacrifice something either for love or for their lovers. Will I believe that Sudarshan loves me only if he sacrifices something BIG for me? Am I ready to sacrifice something for him. AND this sacrifice should be completely unselfish, right? Whats a sacrifice that is selfish. Rhett would have frowned on me.
Well, what is this sacrifice? As per me, its the fact that Sudarshan is training for Leh Marathon and I am not. Why am I not? Both of cant. We have Suj. So thats my sacrifice. In the middle of love. Unfortunately, its not a true sacrifice for the one I love. Infact, its where the green bug comes in. I am so jealous. I want to be running. I want to be running in Nandi hills. But no. I am home because I need to baby sit. So I am jealous that he is running. I am supportive. Its not that I am not. but Ia m also very jealous. I want to be in Leh. Why are we making decisions as far as our family is concerned that will affect only me. Take the 10k for example. Bangalore was obsessed with it. But my body was not in B'lore obviously. Didn't it realize that the 10k was coming up. What ever. Suddenly had a few days when we thought I was pregnant. I thought what! but the 10K is just around the corner. Sudarshan thought wow! a baby. So cute to hold and love. Mars and Venus, I guess. Then came the 10K. My body was in a mess. It felt like I was running a full marathon. Finished in 1:06. I was so disappointed. Sudarshan did it in 59 mins. He had a goal and he achieved it. I should have been happy, right? Thats how Lizzy would have felt. But a small part of my was jealous. resented it. He was happy. I was not. He was not going through what I was going through. I resented that he had gotten away scot free and I was the one going through changes. Thats when the green bug bit again. Why does the green bug replace the red one. When I am so in love with someone, why am I resenting his happiness? Am I not in love like I should be? Or do the great books and movies not reflect true love. Love in all its glory. Love with all its sides. I wonder....Thats going to always be a mystery. I know however, that no one will be happier than I when he comes home with his Leh Marathon medal and meets all his running goals.

The Sound of Music-passing on the batton



Yesterday was a big day for me. I have always been a huge fan of The Sound of Music movie. Watched the movie many times. Infact, got Sudarshan totally hooked on it and he even sings the songs now. Anyways, back to yesterday. I was at work. My phone rings. Sujay tells me he has learnt a new song. It was "Do Re Me". I was engulfed in so many feelings. It was like i was passing on a batton. My son loving the same movie that I love. Was it the same as passing on a family tradition? An heirloom?
It was evening and Sujay wanted to watch the song. I had promised him that I would let him watch the song. He was fascinated. Who was Maria? Were they her children? He had so many questions. He hates movies but he was glued. we watched "Do RE Me" about 4 times, "So long Farewell" about 3 times. All other songs we watched at least once. It was a huge moment for me. It really felt like I was passing on a small part of myself to my son. I felt this weird closeness when he was sitting on my lap and we watched Maria console the children in the rain, when Leisel got her first kiss, the children fell into the lake and when the nuns were singing about Maria. What a moment!
I always wondered what I would do with a son. Can I play ball with him? Well, I suck. Can I play cricket? Well, I suck big time there too. Sudarshan, though is good. They share these really nice "father-son" moments. Talking about "what a shot" or "is that a good ball". I think sometimes, am I missing out. Oh god! why cant I play cricket. the whole country does. I am not a girly-girl, granted. I run and play. But its not the same as doing something with a four year old. Hence, I was all the more touched when we bonded over Sound of Music. Not sure if I can watch it three nights in a row but at this point I am not complaining. Thanks for a great Mommy Moment, SOM.