One of a kind experience

 So I did something I had never done before. K and I left the girls and went away! 

Now for the details...

K and I work for the same company. Every year we have an away weekend, where the employees are taken to a fancy spa resort or a retreat to have the Friday afternoon and Saturday to chill with fellow colleagues. And also there are the usual company updates. But there is also unlimited bar, a total of six free meals, and the scintillating opportunity to wine and dine with fellow comrades of the workforce.

None of this is my jam AT ALL. I hate company updates when I am listening to them remotely; imagine listening to them in a big hall, live! I would not hang out with my colleagues if my life depended on it. They are colleagues, they are to troubleshoot bugs, to approve my code, and to say good morning and bye in meetings. I have zero interest in wining and dining with them. Speaking of wining and dining, I don't drink alcohol. And there are only so many cups of coke and coffee one can consume! In fact, food is not my motivator ever. I can happily live on tea and toast with butter till the end of days.

But…all of this is K’s jam, totally. He is not a social butterfly, but he likes the company of others. He likes hanging out with people and finding out what's up! He has been in the company for five years and has met a fair share of folks. He likes the general catch-ups. He likes food. He likes drinks! Beer in particular. There are a few boxes ticked there, but then despite it, there are moments when he's left alone. When the catch-up dries out, when the beer has been drunk. And to fill this emptiness, this time he had me! He did cajole me to come last year as well. But I set a firm no since I was relatively new to the company. This time around, love won. Yeah, the man wanted my company for the away weekend, and I was being pushed to say yes. My sister came in as the biggest enabler. She was like, “Go once, you may like it and would regret missing it. You may not like it and would be happy to have tried. Either way, the win is yours!”  OK, that is very sound logic. On the emotional side, I know my kids love her and gel really well with her. She adores them, and I was certain she would ensure they would be spoilt sick. So I acquiesced.

The Friday for the travel came up. We had opted for a car ride since we did not want to be tied in with company transport. The car would give us the flexibility to drive back under some unforeseen condition. My sis came in in the morning of Friday. She had the meals planned. There was salmon and pasta for Friday dinner followed by boba tea. Saturday, they had plans to go over to the city centre, have some yummy burgers at a new chicken place, shop for some craft materials, have some Japanese pancakes, and make their way home. It sounded such a swell plan that I was jealous. 

While they had this weekend lined up, K and I made our way to the venue. It was not far from our place, but the road works and speed restrictions made the journey longer than it needed to be. We reached just in time for the all-hands meet.  Since it is a low-hierarchy company, we were sitting with our co-owner. He was a real chill guy with whom we had some lovely conversations. He was the one who had interviewed me eight years ago when I had first tried for this company. I had not cleared it then, but the company and his ethos had left a mark on me. I would have loved to state this to him, but then shyness and the inclination to remain quiet took over.

Once the all-hands meet was over, we went to our room. Boy, it was fancy!  We had some time to chill before the evening event of some award ceremony and dinner. I caught up with the girls who were enjoying their boba! Once ready for the evening, we made our way to the hall again. The food was horrible to say the least. But I bounced with some people whom I had worked with when I started. We had some quick catch-ups. After that, I was ready to call it quits. I made my way to our room while K socialised for a bit longer. 

The next day we had the sauna booked. People could opt for various activities and we were lucky enough to get the sauna. It was a bit daunting to strut around in swimwear in front of coworkers but after a point the body shame went away. And K and I concentrated on having a relaxing session. After that we worked up the appetite for lunch. K was keen for a walk after lunch but all I could think of was a nap. It was super refreshing to take a nap after the sauna and the food. I slept guilt-free for God knows how long. 

Once I woke, I was quite refreshed. K and I decided to take a walk through the sprawling grounds. We ended up taking a longer than intended walk since we got lost! Seven kilometres under our belt, we made our way home 😂 We came across some cute cats and had a hell of a time petting them. Detox done, it was time for the last supper with colleagues, with some karaoke and other entertainment I was least interested in!

Wrapping up dinner, I was looking forward to heading back home. My girls had had an amazing weekend, pampered by their aunty and having all the freedom (within reason). I had a different experience. It was an all-expenses-paid luxury stay, which was one of a kind. But it was not entirely my cup of tea and perhaps not something I would do again. But I was happy to have done it once!

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The first fortnight of the ber months

 Done with a fortnight of the "ber" months. It was only recently that the months from September to December are called the ber  months. It seems obvious but when I found there is an official term for it, I was quite impressed. So I am going to use it where I can :)

The kids went on to school in the first week of September leaving a much quieter house. It was a nice short week which allowed us to settle into the routine. The Friday of the first week, K and I undertook some volunteering work at the Leeds Docks. There is a charity which maintains the area around the docks. There was some lime mortar repointing to be done. Though it sounds like a hugely technical activity, it was quite idiot proof. It was satisfying getting down on our hands and knees and getting the lime mortar within the pavements. It was tiring on hindsight :) though while doing it we did not feel any fatigue. The weekend promised good weather and we made a trip to the nearby city of York. York has been made hugely popular as a result of Instagram. It has blossomed into a foodie's hub. By itself it is quite a clean and quaint place. We undertook the journey to York mostly to savour the viral food places. And must say none of them disappointed us. They were viral for all the right reasons which is nt the case with most places that go berserk on the internet. It was quite a refreshing weekend leaving us recharged to get on with the rest of manic week.

The first full week post summer holidays seemed daunting. But it somehow had things flowing nicely. By God's grace the rains did not cause much mayhem. The pick ups and drops went swimmingly. At the end of which we felt invigorated to take on another weekend activity. As I had mentioned the girls have become quite used to long walks. So we decided to undertake the longish walk to the city centre. My sister hosted us for lunch after which we went shopping for some craft supplies. Inevitably we got distracted and ended up shopping for clothes first :) Craft shopping went meh cos we didn't find what we were looking up. To make up, we decided on cakes and coffee. Which was great call!

We made our way home and it was an amazing Saturday and were looking forward to the Sunday which would bring in the preparations for Ganesh Puja on Monday. This time around my sister was also with us, and we put in a united front to prepare for the Big One's birthday. We decided the menu, added in the decorations and happily waited for the Monday. The food came out amazing, the girls were enthusiastically involved. It  was a truly lovely Ganesh Puja.

The first fortnight of the ber months have gone well by the grace of God. Looking forward to the rest.

Summer again

 This summer holiday has been unique in so many ways. Touchwood, it has been easy. It started off looking quite boring and uneventful. But in due course, I was able to savour this stage of the kids where they are way more independent. They would wake up, grab some breakfast, and get on with some activity. Be it reading, playing a video game, or doing some craft work. They found the treasure trove of Netflix games this summer. And it was a full-on family activity playing a bunch of those games. K, to be honest, is very competitive when it comes to these games. 

Since the girls have built some stamina, we were able to go on way longer walks. So instead of short walks every evening to keep them engaged, we could enjoy really long walks. Be it in the area of a trip to the city centre via walk or be it a trek. It was quite wonderful to have the company of these young girls and walk around. There were days we would chat about random things. Other times, they would listen to their choice of music. Again, a huge advantage of having them in this stage is that they are quite independent to have their own taste of music so that they are not dragged to listen to someone else's playlist. We also use this opportunity to swap music titles of each other’s favourite artists. 

Since Chiyaa is nearly 15, my sis and I spoilt her by watching Squid Games. It was a really thrilling and enjoyable watch. Again, reaping the benefit of having a bit older kids is that we can enjoy a lot of shows together. We have been regularly watching an anime called The Way of the Househusband. This, in turn, inculcated a desire to cook, and we have been trying to dish out a few of the items. A huge success was cheese croquettes :) Talking of dishes, the girls have been keeping super busy cooking, baking, and Chiyaa has become a pro in making ice creams. They are really thriving in making different dishes and enjoy feeding people around them. They have also tried to keep up with their instrument practice, though it has been the toughest habit to push this summer.

I have seen such a progression from the days when I used to dread the holidays and keeping kids entertained. We have come to a point where we thoroughly enjoy them. Apart from our plans we have been graced with celestial events such as the solar eclipse and the Perseid meteor shower. We love the raucousness in the house, the mess in the kitchen and bedroom, the absolute anarchy in the living room, and the total fun in spending time together. As the lovely six weeks of switched-off alarms, lie-ins in the morning, playdates, walks, shopping, lots of cooking, and lots of eating draw to an end, all I can do is wait for the next one next year :) 

Moma

 The summer vacations are on for my girls. For me, as a child, summer vacations were a trip to Cuttack to Moma's house. Moma - my maternal grandma. Our family used to make the overnight journey from Rourkela to Cuttack to spend the summer at her house. My cousins used to come down as well; they were days filled with games in the big house, eating enormous amounts of food, and totally pigging out on mangoes.

Moma was a school teacher, and some days she used to take me to her school. Because I had nothing better to do. :) I was adored by the staff, her colleagues, and her students. I sat in the staff room with other teachers and spoke about my school and teachers in Rourkela. Someone would order a chocolate for me, someone else would order an ice cream, while yet another person would get some samosas. It was pure royal treatment. She used to take me to her classrooms as well, and the children there just loved me. Moma taught the higher classes, so most of her students were older than me. The girls treated me as if a golden retriever had walked in. I was totally adored; they fought over wanting me to sit with them. Someone would give me a fancy eraser, and yet another girl would give me a little notebook. I felt utterly elated at this special treatment.

The way to Moma's school was through a bazaar. It was full of all sorts of stuff, and Moma would stop to buy some vegetables and groceries on her way back. I loved how the shopkeepers all knew her and were so respectful of her. Being a teacher, she was referred to as didi by them all. I would say that was my first impression of true woman empowerment. My Moma, a petite widow in a white saree, navigating the big bazaar, bargaining, shopping, and even deflecting big bulls (real bulls, the bazaar was full of them, and I used to be super scared of them. But Moma never flinched and would deftly manoeuvre and come out from the shops with her purchase.

She was an amazing cook and would make the most amazing fare without using onions and garlic. She was an adept storyteller as well. She used to regale us kids with stories of Akbar and Birbal and from the Panchatantra. And once we had had our fill of them, she used to tell us stories of her life. Of her time growing up in Bombay and having the most fashionable life there. She used to tell of her touring days with her father and then later with her husband, our grandpa. And of course there were stories of her life with our larger-than-life grandpa.

Moma was inspirational, fun, and feisty. She had a few properties let out and she used to handle all the tenants and their requests for upkeep alongside chasing them for payments. She single-handedly raised three independent and feisty daughters who could take on the world. She supported their careers and established them. Moma was like no one I knew from her generation; she was well-spoken in English and Hindi (which is not our native tongue), she was a working woman, and she was a lovely, loving lady.

I used to cry a whole lot leaving her home and coming back to Rourkela. We used to take a rickshaw to the bus stand, and I would look back at Moma, the small lady in a white saree, against the huge house. I used to feel sad that she would be all by herself in that house, but I also used to feel proud that she could handle it all. When we were kids, we were asked quite often if my mum had brothers because having a mama was a big deal. But we used to say no, we have Moma :)

But time works its weird hand, and even the most strong edifices crumble. As days went on, her health deteriorated. She had to leave her big house and come and stay with my mum and my aunt. She made her peace, but she was always resilient and self-reliant. It was a pity to see her become a shell of her former self. But then it was such a pleasure to see her fiery self back again. When I met her in April this year, she chastised me for not wearing a bangle in one hand (as every married woman should!). She took on K and enquired why he had undergone the pain of getting tattoos. Her brilliance was still there under the patina of age.

My Moma breathed her last on Saturday, the 25th of July. But she still lives on - in the cardigans she knitted that are still in top condition and in spite of being passed down, are still wearable. In the independent stubborn streak her daughters have. In my own Chiyaa's unruly black shock of hair, which is the exact replica of Moma's. She will live in my thoughts as the true champion of women's power, where a lot just talk the talk. She will live in my memories as the one who gave those wonderful summer vacations. She will live on as the one and only Moma!

We have kick off

We have moved into the Summer Holidays. This year feels so different from last year. Last year I was facing redundancy and was on the lookout for a new job. By God's grace I had landed upon one and was about to accept it when some issues caused me to restart my hunt and I ended up in my current role. It is going to be a year in this job and it has been the most exciting and unique experience. This year is also unique in the fact that are no grandparents to be around and add to the life and joy of the days. We have always had K or my parents through the summer months. But this year without any of them, it will be different.

Pumpki's holidays started from Monday. She had a nice relaxed time just lazing around. She was a bit clueless without her sister, but was also determined to not do anything constructive and literally stare into space than be productive. We let her be because as she claimed it was a break finally after all the days of work. K did take her for cycling rounds in the neighbourhood and it was an amazing fun time for her.

Once Chiyaa's holidays started on Wednesday, it was the real deal. The alarms were promptly turned off. The wake up time pushed back. The girls slept like babies till 11am. But then lacking a proper motive and anything motivating, we can become restless and annoyed. And I could see that happening with Pumpki. Since it was day3, she was getting to the point of being bored. That's when I penned some mandatory activities which included reading, exercising, practising their instrument and generally tidying up their room. This was met with huuuuugeeeeee protest. And the protest was met with just as repressive telling off. There were lectures dished out by K and me. There was the air of resentment but I think eventually they saw the point. By evening as we were watching a documentary on TV, they realised the point of the diatribe. Peace was established, it was decided to follow a routine from next day.

Today, the girls have been cleaning their room. They have been playing with each other. They have been generally productive and peaceful and relaxed. Week 1 day 4, all seems calm on the front :)

Upcoming holidays

 The summer holidays are upon us again. In a week, the girls will finish their current year group and settle down for six weeks of relaxation. The last week at school has been madness, to say the least. Chiyaa has three days of summer school in a maths-focused school. She gets to be there and visit the city university and make a trip to a maths museum and activity centre. It is a huge opportunity. But it is also a whole lot of things to keep tabs on. Have to be mindful of what she's doing when, any changes in pick-up, selecting her meals on the days out, to name a few. She has one day of acting in a play by Shakespeare. She needs to be dropped in early and picked up late on the day. We made all the arrangements but in the midst forgot to buy tickets for the show itself. Got that sorted and now even we are all ready for the show!

These are secondary school challenges; primary is mayhem on another level. Last week, day one, Pumpki has a trip to a local bookstore as part of her school book club, then a ukulele performance in the afternoon, and I have to remember she's going to go in non-uniform to celebrate 400 years of the city.  Tuesday, it's tug of war, hence PE kit. Wednesday, it's water fight in PE kit and a change of clothes. Thursday, non-uniform again and board games day, so send her with games. And phew, Friday is one normal day!

All this with work and the heatwave has kept us on our toes. But the pang is the absence of parents. For the past three years, my parents were here. They added a degree of calm, love, joy, and happiness, which seems to be missing. It all seems boring without them.  There is an undercurrent of something not quite fulfilled. Looking forward to the  bittersweet six weeks 🥹

Gratitude

 Summer has officially started and all I can do is count my blessings.

* for the challenging work that keeps me busy

* for the stage I am in life where my kids are quite independent. I don't have to be the mom who is managing to be a developer. I am     finally a developer who is also a mom.

* for having a roof over my head and meals on the table while so many people are struggling with job searches, cost of living crisis and wars

* for having the love and affection of friends and family who genuinely care for me

* for having the time, the capability and the opportunity to exercise and indulge in hobbies

* for the ability to be able to engage in volunteering and charity and many of them with the kids

* for the health and wellness of the people I care about

Sweet nothings

 Another term holiday comes to an end tomorrow. It has definitely put me back in the groove after the unmatchable April trip to India. 

It was a public holiday on Monday, which means all of us were at home. It was a lucky hot day as well. We enjoyed the heat with some homemade food and the traditional pakhala, which is the ultimate must-have for every Odia. When I went to bed that night, I was filled with a lovely satiated feeling. It was the feeling of finding immense joy in the simplest of things. 

I have been toying with the idea of planting vegetables this year. I started them as they prescribe, first with seedlings in the house and then transferring them outside. It has been labourious and a proper test of my patience. But there is a small degree of thrill in it as well. A part of me is enjoying the small plants slowly finding their footing. While there is another part of me who is very anxious and wants to see the result soon. But it is definitely a very exciting journey. Keeping my fingers crossed every step of the way.

The girls had their holiday, and as always, it was super awesome to wake up late. I know it's a small pleasure, but I am not saying no to it. It always reminds me of the days when they were easy-going younger and I had to wake up super early to look after them. I was so used to missing having a lazy weekend. But it has been fabulous now that they are older and can look after themselves. Just affirms my belief that everything gets easier with time.

Work has been super manic. The challenges are very fulfilling but tiring. Can't have it all, I guess. But with the slow passage of time, I have only to thank God.

Waiting

 It has been over a month since our return from India. It has taken long to get used to the routine back here. I kept looking for ways to distract myself. But some things are healed by time. It took weeks of routine and IPL  to finally get into the flow. 

But the flow doesn't come without interruptions. My sister was informed of redundancy cycle in her organisation. This threw a lot of plans into jeopardy. We have so much of our future tied up to how things are in the present. We plan holidays and meet ups and events and so much more. Things are in a tizz for quite a while because of these developments. But then as usual time has lent its healing patch. Through the stages, we all finally reached acceptance. We are lucky to have the ability and the aspiration to go ahead. And go ahead we shall. As we wait for the results of the discussions to come forth, we try our best to continue as normal.

With this news in the background came her 40th birthday. Some people herald the age quietly some with a lot of fanfare. For her it was the former. The passage of time gives maturity to relish things without making a hue and cry of it. And that's exactly what we did. We made cake at home, we crafted gifts at home and we went for a quiet lunch. 

On my work side, I had a good rapport and camaraderie with a team mate. And I got the news of his leaving the organisation. I was quite sad because I do not share the same informal equation with anyone else. The current team is quite big and most of the people have been here too long. So much so they forget to make a new person feel at ease. In the midst of this there was this one team member who was always there answering my questions and being ever so patient. With him moving away there will be a huge lacuna in my work life. I have to put on a brave front and bear through the tough project. Again time will come with its healing salve and make everything ok. With my current colleague moving out, I have plans to catch up some old colleagues, because the few I have have been quite supportive for a long time. 

Things move on and time pacifies, time sorts, time heals and time helps. 

Its taking a while

 Its been over a week, still the weirdness hasn't gone. We have been through a week of school and work. We have done the usual additional activities over the weekends. We are planning walks over the upcoming sunny days. There is a placid flow of routine. The IPL season has added some excitement to the evenings. The mowing of lawn, the garden benches being out, the clothes being put out for drying - all these activities are something that fill us with joy. We look forward to enjoying the spring and the lengthening of days there of. But this year it seems a bit listless and filled with nothing. It seems a bit empty and mechanical. I am not sure if it is just the hangover of a lovely time in India. Or it is the absence of my parents who have been around for the past 3 years over spring-summer to make the days more fulfilling. Sitting on the outset of the bright months, I am filled with a sense of dread as if autumn was approaching. There seems to be nothing to look forward to. Even booking a trip or planning something seems meaningless. I still look at the time in India and think of my parents, what they would be up to. How the roads would be glistening in the harsh sun and our home would be a little, cool, welcoming shelter. A piece of my heart is still there and it is going to take a while for it to get together.

Have had this before

..when there are too many feelings but I dont think I have the words to express them. 

It has been 5 days since we are back. But the unsettled feeling hasn't gone away. The trip to India was so full and wholesome that it just makes everything seem meaningless. The inching back to school and office routine happened. It was relatively easy to wake up in the morning since our bodies are slightly aligned to the India time. The rush of a normal weekday without the hubbub back in India makes everything seem a bit hollow. 

As with any other time, we keep talking about how to make the next trip, what to do next, few short term plans and many long term plans. We will settle down eventually. We will get our rhythm and pace here eventually. We will get on with things but the lovely memories will always remain as a soothing balm. 

Home is where …

 ….Your favourite people are. And for me, they are here in Bhubaneswar. Our family is immensely closely knit, and it takes no time for us to revel in each other’s company. This trip to my home was a very novel experience for me. I have made previous trips with my kids being little, who needed constant attention. This time around, they are self-reliant. I could spend more time at home and more time with home. I was able to pitch in on some normal activities such as opening the gates for people who needed to come in or put the clothes for drying or make something quickly for us to eat. Most other times, I would be too busy looking after kids to indulge in these basic activities, which bound me so strongly to home. I had never paid much attention to how this home functioned, but this time around, I did. It bound me so tightly with this lovely home. I felt joy and beauty in every aspect of being at home. 

Luckily, K enjoyed Bhubaneswar to the hilt as well. With him, as well, he had never gotten to savour the city. We were mostly escorted by people to destinations or were mostly catered to. This kind of gives a second-degree exposure. This time, thanks to an India phone number and digital payment gateways, it was possible for him and the kids to roam around and have a blast by themselves. So much so that K just loved anything and everything about this stay.

After all this fun comes the pain. The pain of separation. I should be used to it, but I am not. I don’t worry about my parents because they are self-reliant people, and more importantly, they are good people, and I believe God looks after them. But I miss their company, their presence, the small activities with them. I miss their presence. I have always been absent from Bhubaneswar. I have studied and worked elsewhere.  I have been away from home for a long time, but I still feel the agony. Or maybe because I have been away for a long time, I feel the agony. 

Last night, I hugged my mum and cried a lot. I slept near her and spoke till midnight. About nothing in particular. She reminded me how I used to ask her to sleep near me before important exams. It seemed like the same last night. A terrible exam of going away again. 

But that is life, and that is the irony of it. 

The wonderful days rolling on

We were greeted by the great heat of Bhubaneswar. We somehow fitted ourselves into the car and went on our way home. Mummy was waiting super excited. The first thing everyone opted for was a quick shower. Shower done, all refreshed, it was time for the first bout of food. And the food in Bhubaneswar just hits different! It’s the most unique and delicious I have had in the world! Seriously, after having the food here, I don’t savour the food from anywhere else as much.

The evening was relaxing with some IPL and general chit-chat. The next day was pretty much the same degree of relaxation and food 😌 

Sunday we were invited by my auntie. My cousins were all there with their new babies. It was a very emotional reunion after eight years! It was splendid to see them with their little babies and the family growing! My girls loved interacting with their baby cousins. All this went hand in hand with some more gorgeous food 🥳

For the next three days, we had plans to visit the nearby town of Puri. We spent the next three days devouring some awesome out-of-this-world food. Enjoying some of the best and cleanest beaches. Soaking in culture and spirituality. It was a totally unique experience. Something I would love to come back to again and again. 

On returning, we had a few trips around to visit relatives. All was going fine till Chiyaa was hit by a stomach bug. She was fine by herself, but the trips to the toilet were not pleasant. For another lunch invitation, the poor girl wasn’t able to eat much! It was a cause of concern for all, and we consulted my uncle, who is a doctor. He prescribed some medication, and within a day, she improved. We went out shopping, and she just loved it. She was even able to indulge in some street food. 

We are 3.5 days away from wrapping up and returning. It will be painful for all, but I must say we are having the most wholesome experience.

The long journey home

 Finally it was the morning of 2nd April . It was one night before the travel when I was not anxious at all. I slept like a log and woke up with the alarm. I am generally an anxious traveller and am fitful the night before a travel . That was not the case this time . Because of the awesome sleep I was all raring to go and in wonderful spirits . We had a light breakfast and bid goodbye to super sunny for a day Leeds for the next 14 days. 

In Manchester our formalities got sorted real quick. We got some alcohol from the duty free shops and spent our time well reading books. The flight was a new one from the carrier Indigo flying direct to New Delhi. It was to be a gruelling 10 hours 30 mins long flight. We had extra leg room seats. They were relatively quite comfortable. It was not the best of the best flights. The in flight entertainment needed a lot of work. There was also quite mediocre food service. But as such it was worth the money one pays. 

We reached Delhi on schedule at 430am. Immigration though swift was marred by beuracratic red tape. There was some manual form to be filled but though there were many personnel around they did not seem forth coming with help. We being Indians were ok but we saw people from other nationalities struggling. I hope the officials are more proactive in ensuring a smooth landing experience for everyone. 

Immigration done we went through customs and made our way to the domestic terminal. It was a very smooth walk through the canopied walkway. In the domestic terminal K hit on his priorities. Idli.com was the first port of call where we gorged on some delicious idli, vada and curd rice. We spent some time people watching after which it was time to make way to the boarding gate.

As we were approaching there was a call for K. He was escorted by an air line staff . There were some prohibited items in the bag! It came as a surprise but we were assured by the airline staff it would all be ok. A CISF personnel came and checked . It so happened we had got some perfumes and similar for relatives . It ended up being in the same suitcase and the alarm was raised cos it seemed to exceed 2 litres. They checked and calculated and we were given the clean chit . K did confess that the suitcase was packed very well and now it had all been super messed up!

Well that was interesting. After that we queued up for boarding. Suddenly one person came up and asked if a phone belonged to someone . It was mine! I have no idea how it had ended up where it had ended up! But it was like a miracle and I was  super fortunate to find my phone.

The domestic flight was quite good where we slept like dead bugs. We finally landed in Bhubaneswar after close to 24 hours of journey. We were hit by the harsh 35 degree centigrade heat upon emerging from 18 degrees in the flight. The sight of Papa at the gates made me realise I was finally home!

All agog

 I intended to write this yesterday as a final adieu to the long drawn March :) Though I had the time, I did not have the mental state to pen my thoughts. So anyways March is done and though it took its own sweet time, I felt I had a lot going on and I appreciate all the things that happened to me ( the anarchy in the wider world is something that is so messed up, no single month can make or mar it)

Since I last wrote things have definitely happened. I cleared the exam I was intending to write. We were getting some bathroom renovation we had undertaken and it was all wrapped up. It was in full usage till one day I went in and flushed the toilet. There was a loud noise of water flowing. We panicked and called the builders. The plumber told he would come in immediately. While he was on his way, there was a leakage in the kitchen. It was pure madness. But once our plumber came in, he was able to fix it in 15 minutes or so. He gave an explanation for the occurrence, and it made sense. :) I will leave the technical details from this post, but as a developer my kudos to him for having fixed a bug in production!

My close friend from Nigeria was making a trip to surprise her dad on his 80th birthday. Her brother and her had an elaborate ruse planned. I go on a weekly walk with her and used to swap notes about our upcoming trips. We were both super excited for each other and for our respective trips. It was amazing to have one final walk with her before she started on her journey.

As our trip to India loomed over, packing started getting real. I had to start cooking less amount of food so that there was absolutely no leftovers :D It was difficult because I am a fan of meal prep. So my natural instinct is to cook a bit more so that there is always some spare for any mid schedule eating. So curbing my natural way was hard. Plus I like coming back to a clean place so there was a lot of cleaning and scouring, ironing and additional tasks which made the run up to the holidays a bit harder.

After a couple of cancellations we are finally making a trip tomorrow. A trip to Bhubaneswar after 8 years. The girls remember nothing , they don’t remember the house , they don’t remember the layout . They have no idea what to expect and are filled with excitement and anxiousness. I am sure my parents back home are on the edge of their seats. There will be a lot of meeting of extended families and second cousins and a lot of eating and a lot of experiences which will be enriching for a lifetime. I am super excited. Sometimes to the extent of being overwhelmed. Its not a bad kind of overwhelming feeling, but a good kind, a pleasant kind :) 

What a March

 This March has been a bit of a tizz. There was just so much happening. Yeah there are a million memes regarding this on social media. But really there was so much happening in the month of March, that it seemed like a year to me :) 

My company prides on being a tech for good company. As a result social values are highly ingrained into our ethos, being something that is encouraged from everyone. In the beginning of the month there was a chance to volunteer in a school to give a presentation about careers in tech. I love teaching and engaging with young minds. It is something I have been naturally drawn towards, perhaps given the huge number of teachers in my family. So I was not going to miss this opportunity. And the cherry on the cake, it was in Chiyaa's school. Of course! I was going to go for it. It was a wonderful presentation which made me feel quite fulfilled at the end of it.

With our imminent travel to Bhubaneswar in April, it was finally all feeling real. The suitcases were brought down from the attic, the clothes were collected, lists were made and last minute shopping commenced. In the midst of all this anxious excitement, what we did not need was the world leaders to start a new war. With the war came flight reschedules! I did mention that it had been rescheduled once and it was cause of much panic. Fortunately deferring a January problem to April was a good thing. Cos this time the rescheduling has given us much more time to make our transit. K definitely heaved a huge sigh of relief. So did I but let me paint him as the more panic stricken one :) 

Work was pure madness with some tricky bits being implemented by me not getting the adequate support. But we eventually made it after what seemed like a nightmare of changes and reviews and changes and reviews :) While all this was going on, I decided to add extra pressure on myself by signing up for an AWS certification. I was working towards it and somehow in spite of breakneck work had managed to get some momentum. I did not want this to break with our trip to India and me having to start it all over again. So I booked my exam which meant my evening were full of stress going through the study material and giving tests while thinking about packing and flights and work and kids and what not. You get the drift :D While my mind was going through all this, my body decided to throw in the towel as well. So I have an auto-immune condition called uveitis which results in me getting a redness in one eye. Its essentially my body attacking the outer white layer of my eye (very specific taste I know!) This can become serious if not treated quickly. I had a bad episode in 2021 and I thought it had been laid to rest. But then last Thursday it seemed to be back. Again with all the juggling balls up in the air, I did not want to loose sight (haha seems like a joke when I read) . So a call to the doctors and I was urgently seen by the Ophthalmologist.   It was diagnosed as another episode of the same and I was put on steroids for the next week. I was satisfied with an early diagnosis and remedy and hopefully should be all good by the time India comes calling :) 

Well after this proper madness of a month I am really looking forward to the 2 weeks of rest in India. I know it will not be a rest, there will be meeting family and lots of eating and chatting and the weather will be a test in its own. But I am so looking forward to it finally and hope that it all goes well. 

Some planned some unplanned

The kids are back in school after the half term holiday and it definitely feels very weird. I have come a long way from dreading these half terms to being in a state where I love, enjoy and look forward to them. Working from home and growing up kids do take the edge off a lot of things. 

Rewinding to the day Pumpki came back from her residential, we had quite a bit upheavals. We are getting a bathroom renovated in our house. This means, a lot of mess, a lot of people coming and going, things being noisy and everything topsy turvy. Pumpki missed 2 days of all this since she was away. The day she came back, she was drenched and in need of a good clean. She went to take a shower and there was no hot water! After 2.5 days of messing about in mud and generally having unsupervised standards of hygiene I wanted to reinstate my authority. That started with a bath. But no hot water meant not a good bath. We called the plumber and he said he was  bit tied up and would be able to come in the morning. So there was no other go but go old school. Out came a bucket, 2 big kettles of boiling water and the frigid water from the taps. It was not a bath worthy of my exacting standards, but well! Something we had not anticipated, but had to deal with.

There were 2 more days of torrential rain before we could  forget school runs. Saturday evening I got a message out of the blue from an old family friend. We were quite close while starting out our UK journey. Since then life happened and we moved on. We have managed to keep in touch. The usual wishes over birthdays and New Years. They were in the vicinity and said would pop over in the evening the next day. It was something we had not planned for, and we definitely do not host people often in our house. I invited them over for dinner. It was quite a different experience planning and hosting a family over. There was a lot of work, cooking, cleaning, ferrying Pumpki for swimming and getting her back and ready. But once they arrived it was pure joy having them over. We reminisced the days past and it was a veritable trip down the memory lane. The evening had seemed daunting at first, but it was such a pleasant end to a Sunday and what a way to kick start the one week of holidays. Since there was food leftover, the load of cooking was way reduced. Kids enjoyed their time on video games and I was busy tackling some code bugs which was not fun :( 

Tuesday K had plans to get some Chinese takeaway and we had a blast gorging on some delicious food. It was pure coincidence that it happened to be the start of Chinese New year! There were no plans for Wednesday but Thursday Chiyaa had some outing plans to the city centre with her friends. All grown up in making those plans but still a baby when  it comes to executing them :D Since the weather was going to be a bit rubbish K decided to provide taxi service. Because they were going all the way to city centre, I decided to take the afternoon off and take Pumpki to my sister's house which is in the area. This was a sudden plan but it was a lovely plan. I was going mad with all sorts of issues in code and was finding it very difficult to switch off. Many evenings I would be up staring at the code and trying to get to the bottom of an issue. But taking that half day off and having the Friday  off was a real boost to my happiness. I felt glad just hanging out with the kids in the living room not thinking about failing tests.

February is Chiyaa's birth month. So we spend quite some time and effort scouring for gifts for her. Chiyaa is also a pasta fanatic. So Friday we had the day off to enjoy a pre-birthday lunch at an Italian restaurant. The lunch was a huge success with everyone enjoying their meals. After having the lunch we strolled around the city centre, notched a few steps in our kitty and made out home. When we reached home there was an unwanted surprise :( As I had mentioned we have the renovation work going on. The tiler was in and he was working when we left home. He would lock the house and go once he was done since we had another set of keys with us. But on reaching home we realised that we had forgotten to grab the keys! It was the worst possible outcome at the end of a fruitful but tiring day. We called the plumber and asked if he had the tiler's contact to give the keys. Luckily he mentioned that he was home and gave us the address. After a few fumbles with the address we reached the right home and collected the keys. Phew! 

So we had quite a happening half term. The coming term is a shorter one. And at the end of it we have the trip to India!

Away from home

 So the little one has gone on a field trip . She went yesterday and will be back tomorrow.

It was super exciting packing her stuff. In fact she handled most of it herself - my super independent 10 year old ❤️

There were some last minute packing and we sent her off yesterday morning. As she was wearing her shoes she was a bit teary eyed. I am sure she felt some degree of homesickness. Strangely I did not feel anything but was super proud that she was going on this amazing experience.

The work day passed as any other in the midst of calls and code and routine mundane stuff. When Chiyaa came back it was strange to just have her in the house. There was a lot less work with only one child to chase around ☺️But there was something lacking - a certain spark. Pumpki is not noisy or demanding . But she’s a little thing around who makes our lives so much fuller . 

Since there seemed to be way less stuff to do Chiyaa and I watched some documentary which Pumpki would not be interested in. We wrapped everything quite soon and moved to bed. I slept with Chiyaa in Pumpki ‘s place. Most evenings she’s there with her laptop working on some story. As I sat in her place K went all emotional missing her.

Today again only one child to drop off so we were able to hit work way sooner. Evening it has been the same saga with us waiting for her to be back tomorrow with all her stories. 

Up and down and up and down

It’s the last week of the dreaded January. It seems never ending for many but somehow for me it seems to be flying by. Yes it’s been a while since last salary day in December 😂but January payment is round the corner. The bank account may not have seen much activity but there has been a whole torrent of activities in life. 

Last week was our anniversary week. K and I have this tradition of taking a long walk to the city centre , gorging on food and then taking a long walk back home( I might have mentioned this but forgive me for repeating. I never possessed a good memory anyways 😁) That was one day of leave from work and it could not have come at a better time. It was mad busy week for me with a bunch of fixes to be done for a previous project. In the midst of it , a day of leave did seem like a disturbance to the flow of work. It would have been better to get things done and dusted. But on the day I quite welcomed the relaxed feel. The days are very busy and one day of not sitting and working was more rejuvenating than I had anticipated. With a slow start to the day we set off to enjoy the walk followed by some amazing Japanese food.

After that quaint day it was break neck work. So much so that I quite forgot the advent of gorgeous Friday. My sis and I had booked tickets for the movie Border2. It was also the day when the final cut of our code would be handed over. After a demonstration in the morning where most stakeholders were quite pleased we looked forward to a relatively relaxed afternoon. But then some weird issues started popping during peer testing and it was again panic stricken coding 😣Alls well that ends well and I ended Friday with a high and one mighty code deployment. But it wasn’t time to rest on my laurels . I had to get stuff sorted at home- get the kids fed, give instructions for the next set of action for the evening and having bitten more than I could chew I had picked the day to change bedsheets across the rooms. This is a mega boring and Herculean task. And with added pressure of the movie in the evening there was extra zing to the activity. Somehow got it done and whizzed out of the door to enjoy 3.5 hours of patriotic fervour. It was an great experience for me stirring nostalgia and emotions. 

The weekend was a doozy with television and chilling and good food. 

And we kicked off a new week with lots more work. It was to be a super busy week again. But one never knows what around the corner. The kids were full of sniffles and cold. And today the heavens had opened up pouring cats, dogs and piglets. K and I took the executive decision that it would be better to give them a break and decided to keep them from school. Chiyaa is generally the one who wants to keep her attendance on point. But today she was willing to sacrifice it. The kids slept till 10. Parents worked. And around 11 am K was notified of an offer on a food delivery app. Well all that he needed was that nudge and we had noodles for lunch. It was therapeutic to forget the madness of work and just relax with kids for 30 mins during lunch break while the skies poured down. A busy afternoon for K and I while the girls rested and we called it a day.

Tomorrow routine.

Fielding set for January

 And just like that it's half of the first month of the new year done. In a matter of few days here we are in the full swing of things. A far cry from somewhere the same time in December when we were winding down. There were lots of card games, lots of TV shows, lots of food and lots of lazy mornings and days. We have still carried forward the card games, the TV shows, the food. The lazy mornings have of course been replaced by break neck school runs and the days have gathered their routine.

In all honesty it has not been as bad as we had anticipated. We did imagine things to be very murky but K, the girls and I have all felt that things have not been too bad. It was fairly ok to settle down. Personally I was dreading work since I had lots of dependencies in a new project.  I prefer working in an independent way without much hand holding from others. But somehow the timing of my joining a new project and the resource structure was such that there was a lot of inter dependent work. With that my progress with deliverables was slow which was a bit annoying for me. I spent a good week fretting and fuming. There was one small silver lining when I was needed for another task with a previous project. I felt valued and was looking forward to contributing in right earnest towards it. As they say when it rains it pours. Coincidentally on my current project at the same time there was some rejig of resources which led to much better synergies. So January was ironing itself out.

There was yet another curve ball in the shadows. I am making a trip to my home town Bhubaneswar. For the first time ever we could book a flight with Indigo which would taks us to our destination in quite a small duration. But then, the Indigo Gods acted up. Our flight has been rescheduled. This means our domestic leg from Delhi will be from a different terminal. Terminal change means more hassle and potentially delays. We went berserk. I literally bombarded everyone on my contacts list if they had any idea about changes in Delhi and if 2.5 hours would be enough to make it. There were some positive votes ( yeah you can do it!). Majority vote  were for its possible but with a lot of speed and stress. It was a lot of cognitive load looking through discussion forums, askind the all knowing (for now) AI platforms, going through different help desks and the lot. Finally we have given up to the best power in the universe. Dear God. He has brought us to it, he will take us through. With this another hurdle of January deferred to April 😂

So things have come out way and we have dodged some, deflected some and deferred some. Looks like an exciting year ahead!