Year and a half in a jiffy

Bunty completed 18 months recently!

He is at the peak of his naughtiness, stubbornness, cuteness, innocence and whole lot of other things. We are running out of words and out of energy trying to keep up with him! It's been an absolutely fantastic journey with our little star.

Here are some funny things that he said/did during the last few months:

=> He hid the car keys in kitchen draw! We had to manage with duplicate keys for a couple of days until we caught him putting something else in the same spot :D And all this while, we kept asking Bunty "keys edi?" and he would say "keys" and bend down and see through his legs!

=> I was caught by surprise when he started pulling the laddu in Ganesh idol's hand calling it a ball. He also managed to give a hi-fi to Ganeshji's blessing hand. Kudos to his alternate perception.

=> One day I opened the fridge and found a comb in there. No prizes for guessing who did that!

=> I was giving Bunty bath the other day and he observed my hand and yelled Pulgu (he meant purugu, insect) suddenly. What do you think he was looking at? My mole :))

=> S often complains that we keep losing all the DVDs that we buy. He has no idea that our Bunty has stacked up quite a few DVDs under his toy car seat!

=> S's phone had gone for a toss and the home button wasn't working. Poor Bunty tried switching on the phone pressing the home button and said "battery ayipoindi" !!!

=> There was this one crazy weekend where I had to work from home and was totally busy. Bunty grabbed my VPN token (which is about half the size of a finger) and ran away. We searched the entire floor for it 3 days in a row and guess where it was? In his train chute! God save us :)

=> We did a fun survey of the number of words that he speaks (and understands). He knows about 120 words (30% Telugu, rest English + a few names)! And he is framing simple sentences these days.

Bunty loves to sing rhymes. His favorite rhymes are twinkle twinkle, wheels on the bus, Old McDonald, Five little monkeys etc. And he loves to dance with moosic. He grooves tirelessly until the music plays!

Bunty loves to cuddle up with mommy and play silly games. He loves it when his Pappa pampers him and reads colorful books to him. He brings the roof down with his hysterical laughter, tireless jumping, running around and endless expressions.

He has changed our world beyond imagination....loving every bit of it :)

Fun Trip to Mexico - 2

It took me almost an year to finish this write up! We went to another grand trip after this and preparing ourselves for this year end vacation...It's funny how life gets busier.

Simply put, this whole place was paradise. The room was lavish with modern furniture. The pool was right outside the room. And the beach few yards away. The whole place was super designed with all beach activities, hammocks and lounges. And the resort had a sports lounge, art centre, unlimited food/beverages at any time of the day, spa, entertainment shows in the evenings and lots more!

My favorite and most memorable time was when I spent my mornings alone at the coffee bar, sipping my cappuccino away, looking at the waves in peace. Pure Bliss!

I had planned outdoor activities on alternate days so that we could laze around rest of the days, which worked out perfect for us. I had plenty of time to click pictures and take care of Bunty while we also managed to do so much during that week.

On my birthday, we went to the Dolphin park. We took turns to play with the dolphins. I wasn't sure if my body was ready for a dolphin ride, but the thrill factor pushed me. So, I simply floated on water, waiting for the dolphins to pick me up! No sooner, two baby dolphins lifted me up in the air with their beaks (supporting me underneath my foot) and took me for a super fast ride before dumping me in a big splash. I thought I sprained my back after the fall but all was well, when I got out of the water! I'll remember this super ride for the rest of my life.

On a super hot day, we chose to visit the Chichen Itza. It was a guided tour and we ended up missing from the group, for atleast 4-5 times. They had to come back searching for us. Bunty hated the weather and he was all cranked up. Poor thing was not ready to bear the heat. We took our own sweet time to explore the surroundings and luckily got back to the bus on time. That was the only strenuous day in the entire trip and we were glad that it was over.

My favorite outing was to Isla Mujeres, a beautiful tiny island off Cancun. We rented a golf cart and covered the island in about 3 hrs. Driving along the sea coast is a beautiful experience. The boat ride to and from the island was breathtaking as we got to see the blue, green, turquoise colors of the sea and the gorgeous caribbean sunset. Exactly the moments why I crave for vacations :)

Rest of the days, we lazed in the pool or played on the beach and binged on food like there was no tomorrow. The fruits were the yum part. Bunty thoroughly enjoyed playing in the pool! We got some great pictures of him in this trip. We also got few family portraits clicked.

When S and Bunty were fast asleep, I used to take off to spend some ME time. Visiting the spa refreshed me unbelievably. I also got a chance to paint again, which I had long forgotten. Love, love, loved it.

This trip is special of sorts because S tried Bungee jumping. I had goosebumps the moment he jumped. A sense of anxiety mixed with excitement. So proud of him for giving it a shot. While he jumped, I went on a joy ride over the caribbean sea, parasailing. It was a dream ride with gorgeous sights all around.

But after having a baby, our mindsets for sure have changed. Realised it when S was prepping himself for this feat. We are definitely not in a frame of mind to dare such stunts without thinking through a million times. Parenthood, I say!

Towards the end of the trip, we were so pampered and royally spoilt at the resort that I almost cried while leaving the place. The Mexico trip was a super hit and we got so confident traveling with Bunty that we went on a Europe tour for 3 weeks with him in September this year. I must say, he is one little happy traveller...touchwood!

More about the Europe tour in future posts, when I get free again!

Fun Trip to Mexico - 1

After having enjoyed the baby phase down and under, S and I were eyeing on a little holiday….a tiny break from the routine, especially with my birthday around the corner. But the thought of taking the baby out of comfort zone, exposing him to the big dangerous world of germs out there was holding us back. Adding to it, I also had the difficult task of packing baby stuff.

Bearing all of this in mind, our plans started with a simple 2/3 day outing, somewhere closer. Since it was winter, we had limited options. In fact, just one option….indoor water parks with lodging. Really??? Pity on us parents with infants. The options are cut down drastically! It was definitely not like before…when we could just hop off randomly without having to worry about food, accommodation with kitchen, weather, infant-friendly and stroller-friendly locations, clean washrooms with diaper changing facilities, abundant time blahh …hell, yeah. It donned upon us that we were past the golden phase of easy travelling. It never was going to be the same. But, our spirits were the same….we were not to give up so easily.

I had to look for a place where we could relax, have plenty of time on hands to take care of the baby and see the places around. That’s when I bumped upon the all-inclusive packages in one of the travel sites. All-inclusive….the name itself was appealing and that too at Mexico, where the weather was moderate. Half my problems were solved. After weighing all the options, I finally narrowed down to a 5-star resort for a 7-day vacation. The resort was in Cancun, by the beach. It had plenty of swimming pools and indoor entertainment. The food, beverages were all free 24/7. I read the reviews and double checked if it was infant-friendly. It was all too good to be true! We went ahead and booked it without a second thought.

I started packing way ahead to avoid last minute rush. The little one’s stuff filled up 1 big suitcase! I wasn’t taking any chances…I packed up everything right from baby medicines, plenty of baby food, swim diapers to dishwashing liquid, microwaveable containers, flask etc etc. The list goes on and on. S was saying, “why don’t we just carry our home there?” :D It all came down to 2 big check-in bags, 1 cabin bag, a stroller along with the car seat and the baby, of course :D Oops...we also had the rock-heavy diaper bag!

Because it was New Year’s eve, the airport was bustling with people. We would have almost missed the flight, thanks to the long line for check-in.  It was a 4 hr flight and so, there were no bassinets for babies. We had to settle for regular seats with baby on lap. It was Bunty's first flight trip and we were pretty nervous about him crying during take-off and landing. But he surprised us like he always does. He not just enjoyed the flight, but had fun watching out of the window. During take-off and landing, I put him to sleep and he was alright. The journey was much better than expected.

After we got off the flight, we waited for a while at the airport for the hotel transport to pick us up. No sooner, we were on our way to the Cancun Strip and were dropped off outside the resort.

The moment we entered the resort, we were blown away by the interiors. The christmas decorations were still fresh. The lobby was huge. The interior decor was modern and chic. There was a coffee bar towards the end of the lobby overlooking the beach through glass walls. We could see the blue waters and white sand. It was like a dreamland!

The resort staff were very polite and friendly. They upgraded our package and gave us a villa accommodation! We were given a grey band. We were to wear it on our wrists all the time to avail the premium facilities at the resort. Our vacation had started with a bang!

2010 Travels - 1

2010 has been the year of travels. We were literally on wheels. Especially with both the sets of parents dropping in at Shagun, we couldn't ask for more.

The year started with a bang as I celebrated my birthday amidst thousands of people on streets at Vegas. The best birthday I could ever imagine. Vegas left me spellbound and made it's way right into my favorites list. But of course, so was the entire west coast of USA. Los Angeles, San Fransisco were no less. Amazing places! Even before I boarded my flight back home, I was damn sure that I would be going back there again.

Each city carries it's own unique identity. Let me tell you all about it...

Los Angeles is all about HOLLYWOOD. Every street, shop is named after Hollywood. The moment we walked out of the airport, the tall palm trees caught my eye. They stood on the sides of the roads as if they were welcoming us. They were everywhere! And there stood the HOLLYWOOD sign proudly on Santa Monica mountains, boasting of it's glitz and glamour. We visited the Hollywood studios and Disney Land. Disney Land is every child's dream! If only we had enough time, we would have enjoyed more at these places. We also went to SFMM (Six Flags Magic Mountain), a theme park with high intensity rides. For the first time in my life, I actually got scared in one of the rides 'Dejavu'. One heck of a roller coaster that was!

Hollywood walk of fame has this innumerable number of stars on ground with signatures from Hollywood celebrities. We ran like little kids all over, trying to find our favorite stars and pose for pictures. The Kodak Theatre guided tour was splendid, the place where the Oscars happen every year.

Apart from all this vibrance, the city also has a calmer side to it, i.e., the beaches. We headed to Malibu on one of the days and had fun playing in the Pacific Ocean. Malibu hindu temple was a surprise add on! Fabulous temple that is.

Apparently, "City of Angels" is too mild a name for the bright and beautiful Los Angeles!

As we drove from Los Angeles to San Fransisco, the route was spectacular with hills and nature. The moment we entered San Fransisco, I had already fallen in love with the place. Till date S teases me that I can't list many places in San Fransisco, that made me fall for it. But a strange connection did happen. I had a sense of familiarity with the place. Probably one of the reasons could be that I had grown up watching the golden gate bridge in "Full House", if you know what I mean.



The pacific ocean was too enchanting in deep blue. The ride on crooked street took the cake as we swayed in the car everytime the car took turns. The city itself is on hills and hence, the roads go up and down. The fisherman's wharf was bustling with activity and we missed taking a cruise on Pacific as we were late. Luckily we took the city tour bus and enjoyed the sight of San Fransisco in the dusk. The city skyline looks mesmerizing from the other side of Golden Gate. I still regret not being able to see the bridge in clouds, which I would one day! hmmmm....

Wait for my next when I tell you about Las Vegas and a lot more places!

Me and my S - Part 2

February 2007:

In the Karnataka weddings that I used to attend, I was always fascinated by the colorful decoratives displayed. A coconut wrapped and designed to make a peacock, a colorful handfan. There are gifted to the groom during the kashi – yatra ceremony. I wanted to make them myself with a unique design.

Mom, me and my sis paid a visit to the famous “raja market”, where we bought a wide variety of crystals, zardosi, stones, kundan etc for saree work. I used the same decoratives for the peacock and handfan. Of course, mom and sis helped me in getting a proper framework. Well, the final product was something like this..not very clear though.



Not to forget the bride and groom dolls made of wood. I dressed them up in rich wedding dresses and jewellery. Will try to get a picture of it, if possible.

It had been really a long time since I had met my college friends. I took some time off on one of the weekends and visited my friends. It was just so delightful. Probably, that was the last time when we got to spend some quality time. It really surprises me that all of us are in different countries now, as if thrown away across the globe. Wonder when we would really meet again…!

Most of my evenings went in decorating my wedding sarees. I had fallen in love with the rich colors and intricate designs on my sarees.

During lunch breaks at office, I had also started taking ‘car’ driving classes. My teacher was Waseem. He used to concentrate more on his girl friend and less on the teaching part. All the while, he kept handling the gears and clutches and I was under the illusion that I was a very good learner. I still remember his dialogue….. :D

“dheere se..dheere se…..varna gear haath mein aa jaayega”

My experiments with car driving are worth a post….will soon share them here!

In the last week of February, I and my Sis went to Hyderabad for some more shopping for S’s dresses. Believe me, we spent about 5 hrs in a mall to finalize his dresses. With so many brands around, S drove us nuts trying to make all possible combinations. My sister was on the verge of fainting by the time we completed the tedious shopping process. We also went to Charminar to purchase a ghagra for me. I had never seen such pretty ones in my entire life! It was so difficult to pick just one…but I had to!

S had bought a gift for me for V Day. A pair of cute earrings. I was pleasantly surprised as I hadn’t expected it. I saved it up for wedding :)

Me and my S - PART 1

I think, it's appropriate to fill in my blog from where I left it.
So here goes my Saga to reach my "S"weetheart!

Things had started rolling between me and S, when we had first met in November, 2005. But we chose the Wedding to be after atleast 2 years as we had other important things in our priority list. Our families were more than glad to accept our decision.

On December 17, 2006, I moved back to India from Seoul (after a stay of 2 years). Enjoyed a complete full fledged vacation with my family until my birthday on 1st of January . S turns up all the way from hyderabad with an unexpected gift on my birthday. I was meeting him after three months. Celebrations and celebrations! The year ended on a good note. We knew when we were getting married. We had something to tell our friends and the ever inquisitive relatives.

January 2007:
A month in which everything got back from fresh to normal. I was driving to office on my bike as I used to before. I had new challenges at my workplace, but was not a herculean task as all my colleagues were there to help me out. Of course, they were also my friends. Apart from the oldies, there were quite a number of new faces. They all thought that I was new to the company! I started mingling with the newbies as well. Best part was my lunch breaks with Sum and Suma. We would chat about all the things on Earth. Take a nice long walk in the office premises and get back to work.

Meanwhile, I had chalked out plans for the wedding preparations. It was about 12 weeks time. And I had plans for every weekend from then!

First thing that we did was buy sarees for the wedding. We had to do a lot of stone work on those in the coming months. We had bought almost 6-7 beautiful silk sarees. I had started my facial beauty cycle too. A woman is said to be most beautiful on her wedding day. Hence my attempts to make it true!

I had started missing S terribly. We used to talk over the phone during nights. But the time spent for each other in a day had gone down miserably due to the new changes. Which was not the case in phone bills. I had a pre-paid plan and had to rush to the recharge center very often.

Valentine's day was coming up and I had to make some plans to surprise S. It's not that V day is any special, just another reason for us to celebrate :D There is this new plaster of paris idol trend in Bangalore these days. They have a huge variety of boy and girl figures with really cute expressions. I bought an idol which had a girl and boy looking into each other's eyes sitting on a tree branch with a heart shape. Got it packed neatly and couriered it to Hyderabad along with a beautiful card. I just love those greeting cards. Wonder how they make such pretty ones with such hearty messages! Given a chance, I would want to meet the people who design greeting cards :)

To Be Continued..

Good times

I very well remember the way me and Sum were having a ball around the same time last year at Seoul. Things have changed drastically in the past one year. After all that’s what is life all about :) I really wonder how it would be the next year and the next and the next…….! Am really looking forward for that…..
Now coming out of the nostalgic mood, it was a really pleasant week for me. Especially when the thought of visiting home tingles my mind and soul, it’s an awesome feeling. I just can’t wait to meet my loved ones. It’s the countdown time!

Things that made my week cherishing:

One of my dear friends took pain to post his wedding card all the way to Seoul. I hadn’t received any posts since a year or so. This one made me happy!

My close friend revealed that she is going to have a baby soon. Just couldn’t resist having a small party at home with my roomies! Isn’t that a cute moment?

And I was not ready to let go off the opportunity to celebrate Ganesh Chathurthi this time as it fell on a weekend especially. I am totally surprised the way things fall into place when we want to celebrate this festival. On Saturday evening I just remembered that I had some clay with me. And that triggered the idea of making the Ganesh idol. We weren’t sure as to how it would turn up. But definitely wanted to give it a try. As we proceeded making it, it slowly started shaping up in a lovely way. Then, I got more eager to apply colors to the idol. Finally we had spent a good 6 hrs to make it and it indeed was nice! The next day morning we set off on the flowers and leaves hunt just as we had done the previous time. Later on, we performed the puja in a truly traditional manner with all mantras and songs.
After the puja it was the food preparation. We managed to cook quite a few dishes. In the evening few of our colleagues joined us and we had a small tea-party at home. Haldiram’s Bhujia Pav, Pudina Tea and a bunch of mouth-watering hot mirchi bujjies added to the fun of the party. The most interesting part was the Ganesh Nimarjan. We performed it in cooker as that was the biggest vessel we had at home and that too with lid! Check out the snaps below to find out more….. :)