A smile a day - 1

 Wow, its been ages since I wrote. Not that people are clamouring for my words nor do I have words coming out of my ears. But, like many bloggers, I don't want to loose the habit of writing. For its a good habit isn't it.

So a self imposed challenge. A smile a day.I will write about something that made me smile in a day. Lets see how it goes and how long it goes :) 

Yesterday K came to the kitchen craving something sweet. There was a box of chocolates, which was stored on a higher shelf. He reached out to it but in the process, the lid came undone and he dropped the box. The cleanliness freak in me shouted "Come on ! What a mess!" K gently said "Oh no! Now I have to eat alllllll the chocolates on the floor" :P

And that's how the bomb was diffused and I even got a good laugh :D 

PS. I laugh easily

Did I mention this?

That I just love the summer holidays? And it comes to an end today :( The kids are back in school tomorrow and I feel the holiday blues.

I love reliving my school years through my children. So I was just as excited for the summer holidays as they are. The 6 weeks of the holidays might seem daunting to a few parents. But this year did not seem so bad. Both K and I were working from home. We had activities and leaves planned out. The kids were more independent. This was Pumpki's first ever school summer holiday too.  I was very keen to see how she was going to fare through this new phase. 

K was on leave the first week of the school hols. He took them around for the first couple of days, feeding them in restaurants and keeping them busy outdoors. One of the days, they stepped out of the house at 9 and weren't back till 1730. I finished work and had some time to put my feet up and read a book for 45 minutes! An unseen and unheard of feat on a weekday evening.

The next week the girls went for holiday club for 3 days of the week which was quite a good experience. They both were in the same club with a bunch of kids from other schools. Chiyaa did take the role of the being the person in charge, and Pumpki was very happy to be under her wing. It was a unique experience to have them both maneuver  a different setting. It was back to a more social set up too. On another positive note it gave K and me the lunch hour for our runs.

Week 3 and I was in charge of the girls. And me being in charge entailed a lot of walks :) There was a lot ice cream, milkshakes and pizzas too. It was super relaxing going on dinosaur trails and castle walks with the two munchkins who have become little ladies in their own right.

Week 4 the girls were left to their own devices at home. And did they manage themselves or what! They were drawing, coloring, reading and being just splendid by themselves. They started making a chain of paper dolls and kept going at it for 2 days.At the end of it, they had some 54 dolls strung together. We managed to catch up a few friends and also host a play date which was super enjoyable. 

Week 5 and the girls were back in holiday club. But I seemed to have an issue with my eye. It had been a recurring problem where there was redness in my right eye. I have had it on and off for over 7-8 years. But this time it was a bit more acute and did not go away with the usual remedies from pharmacies. I went in to the doctors with a very severe redness on the Saturday. There were quite a few invasive tests, including an injection in the eye. I was super uncomfortable. Once back I spent the day puking and just feeling very sick. I slept for close to 14 hours at a go. I was missing out on time with the gals, but getting better was imperative since we had a trip planned the coming Monday. I was on crazy medications and hoping that in the next few days I would be better. I had nearly no sight in my right eye. Not no sight as in black, more like as if I was not wearing my glasses. Monday evening by the time we stepped out of  the house, I was way better than I had been. 

The holiday was just so refreshing that I had no words for it. The drive was supremely scenic. The cottage we lived in was an idyllic quiet setting. We braved the weather and did a lot of outdoor activities. We undertook a very very scenic walk through the coast to a castle. The kids too enjoyed the walk and did not grumble about it even once. We have seasoned the kids into walkers which made things very easy for us. K and I both enjoy walking a lot. That is one of our primary activities during holidays. That the kids have also warmed up to it and borderline enjoying it makes it even better. They are not fussed about food and are very happy having the usual sandwiches and crisps and the occasional ice cream to keep their blood sugars up.

Week 6 done in the arms of a very scenic place, we were not at all ready to head off home. But that is where we had to get to since routine awaited us. Luckily I was meeting with an ex-colleague friend of mine over the weekend and spent close to 3 hours chatting with her which was super enjoyable.

It has been a very special 6 weeks for me. The first summer with two school going kids. The first summer with no parents around because we generally try to have them to spend time with the kids. The first summer when both K and I were working from home and could distribute child care duties. First "normal" summer post pandemic. A memorable summer in every way possible.

 

First fight

 I might have mentioned around this place that I learn Karate. In Karate I am more keen on the poses and techniques which are called kata. I never participate in any fighting since, well I am not a fighter. I am an escapist. I will avoid an uncomfortable situation instead of facing it. I  will play it safe instead of landing in a situation where I might need to fight. But the fighting and self defense aspect is the major reason why I have my kids and myself enrolled for Karate in the first place. I always encourage the girls to opt for fighting when the teacher asks - the Kumite aspect of Karate. 

Since we had social distancing removed on the 19th of July, we could practice fights. The teacher is very democratic and asks in class what we might want to do. Last Friday during training, she gave the option "Adults who want to practice ground fighting come onto this side." I was standing smug on the other side. When one of the teachers cheered me "come on pick ground fighting" I thought, well, how bad it could be? They are all civilised people. :D 

The teachers showed us some technique of ground fighting. The main aim of the game was to pin your opponent for 10 seconds or make them feel pain that they ask to stop the fight. There was just one other lady, so I had no other option but to fight her. She was a black belt- sensei. She knew way more techniques and grips and arm locks and even nerve chokes than me. I am still a "low belt" who knows basics. I shot a prayer to Gannu Bhaiya with a simple request " Dont humiliate me. Be with me". 

We sat back to back, ready for our fight. As soon as the "fight" command came, we turned to face each other. I had it in my head, that I wouldn't be pinned down. Cos during the demonstrations, I realised, coming out of a pin was not going to be easy. I made the first move and pinned her. But of course my opponent put up a fight. She tried to press some nerves on my neck and shoulder. I was not going to let my 70 kg weight go for waste (she was smaller than me) At that time, I heard the other adults cheering her (They were all higher belts, and of course cheered for their peer who was being pinned by a junior) That made me even more determined to just not give up. I pinned her shoulders even more. She was quite good at wriggling (which did not make me the winner) But I kept at it. 

At that moment, the main teacher came to our area and she shouted "Amrita use whatever you can to choke her" I was like yeah! Why was I thinking I cant just plain choke her just because I havent been taught? I have seen enough movies! I tried, but by that time we were nearing the end of the session. 

I fought her again, and it was more or less an action replay. Papa who played sports back in the day and quite a sports enthusiast used to say "Attack is the best form of defense" And his words just rung in my ears. 

The main teacher did praise my attack. She said, I started quite docile, but fought well :) That was high praise indeed. The next morning I woke to a mild shoulder pain and lots of scratches on my neck. I will not say I enjoyed it. I dont like confrontation. I am not competitive. It was quite a primal and raw feeling. But maybe I will try it again :)

My most favourite person

 Who's that? Meri Maa. Who else would get the coveted title? My mom is not just the super supportive, super clever and super chilled mom. She asks us for our opinion on things, regarding our thoughts as important as hers and Papa's. But the awesomely best thing about her is her constant encouragement to keep my sister and me striving for more and better. She always asks us to take that certification, do that course, go for the workout, do that meditation routine. Not just the professional side, she even encourages us to be better home bodies. Lately I have mastered the art of baking (I know I have bragged about it a few times in this space ;) ) . Mummy one day mentioned "You can bake now, try to make yoghurt too". Since UK has a colder climate, we tend to buy yoghurt since our numerous attempts at making it at home have failed. But there are things that can help, like a yoghurt maker etc. So she asked to find out and get it done. Since Mummy threw the gauntlet, I had to accept it. I got right on with the task of Googling. I found a few positive links and my first start was a "starter-kit" for making yoghurt. I have tried it around 5-6 times and its been working! I can thank the warmer weather at the moment for it too. But it is really amazing to have home made yoghurt. As long as the weather Gods are with me, its success! Once the dreaded darker months come looming, I will get on with further Googling and get some more science to my side. Till then, thank you again Mummy for pushing me! You are the best!

 

Dress Rehersal

 The summer holidays are 2 weeks away. As I have adequately portrayed in my posts, they are  a bittersweet experience for me. More sweet than bitter to be honest. I relish reliving my childhood through the summer hols of the kids. There is a lack of routine which is so relaxing. The bitter part, is the juggle of work. Any day I would love to tear myself away from work and just play play play with the kids. But there are office tasks and with kids being at home, there are a bit more chores at home.

Last week, we had the kids isolating at home. There were positive Covid cases in both Chiyaa and Pumpki's classes. (The schools work on a bubble system. Each year group is a bubble. If there in a positive case in a year group which includes students and teachers, that year group has to self  isolate for 10 days) So they had to self isolate at home for a week. It was a coincidence that there were positive cases in both classes, else one of them would have had to go to school - which would have been hard to manage! It was back to the norm of home learning, which is skill we wont forget in a rush I think :) It was also back to the norm of lot of playing for the sisters. It was back to the norm of stretching the bed times since there was no rush to getting up early and dressed for school. It was back to no more school pickups and drops. It felt like a dry run, a little pre-cursor to the lovely summer vacations that are round the corner.

The kids go back to school today and I cant wait for the 2 weeks to pass soon enough!

Happiness is..

 When your 9 year old comes and hugs you. You ask "What happened" And she says "Nothing just wanted to hug you :) "

Rasode main kaun hai

 Yours truly, aur kaun. :D

My kitchen journey is that of a typical 80s girl. I didn't cook as a kid cos Mummy was there. In spite of having a full time job, she never asked and in fact abhorred any help in the kitchen :) She used to work in her own pace and style. When mummy was transferred to another location and sis and I were living with Papa, I was forced to pick up one key cooking skill. Making tea! I was probably 13 years old then and quickly came to grips with the process of making tea. And I started making the most amazing teas! So much so that even if Papa had the time, he would ask me to make tea. The evening chai with a big serving of Milk Bikis and Thin Arrowroot biscuits was standard practice for us three. When mummy used to come on her holidays, she used to be shocked at the full mug fulls of teas we kids used to have. But the love for chai has stayed on with my sister and I. So much so, till date there is a debate who makes the better tea :D her or me :D . (Its me!) I can write a whole post on tea itself and my love for it. I have lived with many tea lovers during my adult life. I had a room mate who used to claim "any time is tea time". I did not have a pleasant stay with her, but somehow having the morning cup of tea before starting to work and the evening cup once back were the moments of peace and weird calm. I also lived with a bunch of Delhi girls once upon a time, who were ace tea makers too. But I cannot talk about tea without mentioning roomie dear who used to make a killer tea.  Every morning a really quiet but super recharging walk, followed by hot parathas  with an unhealthy portion of butter, a cup of tea and The Time of India shared between us. We never needed any retreat. We started every day as if we were in a retreat. Some of the very best mornings of my life!

The knowledge of making coffee kinda grew as a lateral learning. There was some science to boiling the milk to the right extent and pouring it in a certain way to get the right amount of froth. There was also the measure of coffee to make it "light" or "strong". Marrying into a Tamil household opened my eyes to coffee. Its a ritual. I am not ritualistic. But the taste of fresh ground coffee, that is something that words cannot describe. I embraced coffee drinking with as much passion as tea. And I managed to introduce "real" tea in the our circle. The proper tea ;) with ginger, little bit of cardamom, the right amount of sugar, tea, milk and water. Its heaven in a cup! 

Tea, coffee aside, I cooked only for survival before marriage. Cooking when it was my "turn" to cook or when the lady who cooked didn't turn up.  In fact, when K spoke to my mother for the first time, she even mentioned "Amrita cant cook". K replied "She will learn" I chuckled "hah dream on". I thought I was one of those girls, who couldn't and wouldn't cook. Cooking wasn't cool.

Entering a partnership with a foodie changes stuff. Rather entering a partnership with a man changes stuff for a woman. Cos most men value food. They may have different tastes, but I haven't met a man who doesn't place food in the higher echelons in terms of priority ;) kuch bhi bana do is not really kuch bhi bano do :) 

After marriage along with bringing in the delicacy of tea, I also brought in matar paneer, gobi aloo, kadhi, stuffed parathas and vegetables such as pointed gourd, red spinach and Malabar spinach. I also had to imbibe the fair share of kootu, avial and a wide variety of rice dishes. I never fancied myself as a cook, but cooking equated creating. And I am one who loves seeing a tangible output. This post for instance is an output of my thoughts and gives me immense pleasure. I don't bother about who may or may not read it, but I derive immense satisfaction in writing it. Cooking in the sweltering heat of Chennai also gave the same sense of satisfaction when I saw the spread on the table later! 

Migrating to the UK was another culinary exposure. Since I was the solo person in the kitchen ( a first! no room mate or mom or mil) I learnt stuff. I picked up dishes from all over India and started experimenting. K and my Indian palette never wavered much from our traditional Indian dishes though we tried the odd Italian, Mexican or African. We reserved those cuisine for outside dining. When kids came along with their taste accustomed to the European foods thanks to day care and school, we had to drag in some international items into the kitchen. 

All was fine and dandy, but there was one thing I couldn't do. I couldn't bake. I couldn't bake to save my life! Literally. When lock down happened, I felt brave and tried a no-bake tart first. It came out swell! Ahem, beginner's luck? The next step was a doughnut recipe from a channel BakeWithShivesh. That was a roaring success too. The kids loved it since I involved them. They loved watching the video and later making it. I was feeling brave. I was doing all this with weight measurements since I had a kitchen scale. But then I thought measuring cups would be handy. I got them and tried the Devil's food cake with a lot of anxiety. And it came out perfect! There was no stopping after that. From a non-baker, I evolved into one who owns a hand and mechanical whisk, a spring form baking pan, 2 normal ones to make layered cakes, muffin trays, and knows the difference between ganache and buttercream frosting and fresh cream  frosting and is also aware of  how to make them! :D 

Lock down make me find therapy in cooking! I have started making pickles and dry chutneys, nut butters and laddoos and a plethora of other items. I relish cooking so much that a regular complaint from K is "You are always in the kitchen"