We hit 10

On the occasion of our 10th wedding anniversary, we were true to form and did nothing! The day coincided with Diwali this year, unlike the year when we got married when it coincided with Dusherra. It was a quiet and relaxed day.
I made a cake
Chocolate with chocolate  walnut icing. Recipes for both can be found at the Party Food and Games blog.
Now I am gearing up for the move next month and may not be blogging for a while.

The Joys of Urdu Bazaar, Gorakhpur

If I had not traversed through these narrow streets and gullies I would never have believed the amount of stuff it is possible to pick up in Gorakhpur. Last Saturday three of my friends and I decided to venture into the interiors of the old market and were amply rewarded for our efforts.

We bought everything from plastic containers and mugs to cheap pearl earrings. From lace and appliques to material for kurtis. From card making stuff to curtain making stuff. From fridge magnets to a bartan rack made out of steel. It was like we were on a scavenger hunt.

And then not satisfied with the small street shops we headed over to the City Mall and did grocery shopping in Spencers. On the way back home someone had the bright idea of hitting the canteen and we did that as well.Loaded with shopping bags we bundled back into the auto and got stuck at the railway crossing for twenty minutes.

We left the house at ten in the morning and got back only at quarter to six in the evening. After which I had a splitting headache and went straight for a bath. After having washed off oodles of dust and mud I sank face first into the bed and stayed that way for half an hour.

The next day duly recovered from the trip I sat down and hand stitched a couple of window curtains using the cloth and the lace jhalar that I had picked up in Urdu Bazaar the previous day. And this is what they look like. The Photo does not seem too bright as I took it from my mobile camera and not with the regular one. Still I think it gives you a fair idea about what I managed to make.

 

This was a folder that I made for an Afwwa Competition last year. I thought I might share it with you guys too. The concept was mother earth on her sliver of green with the oceans of blue on which she floats. The tree was the symbolic tree of life which binds all creatures of earth. And of course the butterflies were to show the teeming life that flutters its wings in the world.

I wrote about all the stuff we did on our Baby's Day Out when the four of us went to Urdu Bazaar in my last blog post. As if once was not enough I went again the following Saturday. This time with an entirely new set of ladies. The four of us did not waste too much time this time round as we all knew just what we wanted to buy.

Plus this time round I was able to play guide and take them to the right shops all along the way. I picked up a beautiful Baransi silk sari for a friend of mine and was seriously tempted to pick up one for myself. Then I stopped myself, with great regret, and indulged in picking up a couple of embroidered suit pieces.

This time round the trip was not quite as long as we left the cantt only after 11 in the morning and were home by 5 in the evening. We missed lunch but managed to grab some roasted bhutta on the way. Each one of us claimed that none of our husbands would have ever let us go walking the streets eating bhutta and shopping the way we were.

It was a fairly relaxed outing as compared to the last time. I also managed to see the famous Geeta Vastra Vibhag, but personally I prefer going up to the Krishna cloth house bang opposite. the guy has more our kind of stuff than the Geeta Press people do. Picked up some pillow covers with nice bright flowers. Should cheer up the room. That's it for now.

And the Growing Pains continue

Being the mother of a six year old is a full time job. There is never a dull moment. In fact there is never a moment to spare. Here's what happened with Rehaan now. Since a picture speaks more than a thousand words I'll just leave you guys with this image.

He's okay now and the bandage is off. The swelling is down and he's back to school. So I guess all's well that ends well. I could do with a little less excitement of this kind in the future, but I don't know if I will get my wish.

What is Homoeopathy?

An alternative to Allopathy, the regular western medicine which an MD will give you.

Homoeopathy was founded by Dr Sammuel Hahnemann in Germany. He was a german physician who found the medicine practices of the day rather ineffective and decided to do some research on alternative drugs.

He found the basic principle of "Like cure like" of Homoeopathy. This means that a substance which produces the symptoms of a particular disease is likely to cure that disease. For instance he used the Peruvian Bark extract to conduct his first experiment.

Since the symptoms that this drug induced in the healthy subject were similar to the intermittent fever that is the primary symptom of Malaria, it was found highly effective in treating patients who were suffering from Malaria.

His experiments began in 1970 and by 1811 he had published a book. This book gave the outline for a new science of healing which he named Homoeopathy. He was criticized by the medical fraternity for his revolutionary findings.

However since his methods seemed to work, he also attracted a number of students and volunteers. Based on his experiments on these new volunteers he was able to produce the book of Homoeopathy Materia Medica.

Translations of this book still form the basis of treatment in homoeopathy to date. He was also credited with actually investigating the effects of a drug on the human body for the first time. It was truly ground breaking work.

However widespread acceptance of his work came in only after the Cholera epidemic that Western Europe faced. His medicines were far more effective in controlling the diseases and were given preference over the regular drugs.

From then onward Homoeopathy has reached many more nations and is practiced as a alternative healing medication by many. Unfortunately there is no standard training for a Homoeopathic Doctor and the skill of the doctor greatly determines his success with the discipline.

While an experienced Homoeopath will be able to instantly cure many ailments with the right drugs, an inexperienced one will also be able to cause more suffering by not recognizing the right drug for the treatment of the disease.

So while the medicine is said to have no side effects and is great for treating minor ailments of children, for the more serious and chronic ailments it may be better to get the opinion of your regular allopath.

Law of Attraction and Angel Therapy

Law of Attraction and Angel Therapy have a whole lot on common. Essentially both get you to think your life better.

The power of the human mind is as infinite as the universe itself.

The mind is a wonderful thing. One second it is looking at the chair you are about to sit down in and the next it will flit to how you sat on your mom's lap when she sat in that chair. One minute you are looking out the office window and the next you are thinking of how nice it felt when you were tucked under your warm quilt in your bed this morning.

The mind can literally take you places in a matter of a few seconds. It can be fickle and difficult to train. It can also be a great tool to get what you want out of life once you decide what it is and focus on it. That is called the power of attraction. You use the mind to play with the law of attraction to bring from the universe that which you want.

Law of Attraction

The law of attraction states that you can bring what you want to yourself. You think about something long enough and wish that it was with you and viola the universe will attract it to you in a matter of time. The fact is that while it sounds fantastic at first you can actually see that it works just fine it you give it a chance.

It may be difficult to control your negating thoughts when you say I want a million dollars. Instantly your inner mind will recoil with a thought that says yeah, like that's going to happen. The universe will sense that you don't really believe that you can get the million dollars and then it will not present it to you. So start with small things and work your way up to get less skeptical.

Angel Therapy

Even to manifest small things by your own self can be a daunting task. That is where manifesting with Angels helps. You see yourslef as weak, and angels as all powerful beings. So you project your desire to them and then wait for them to bring the object of your desire to you.

Thinking that it is not your mind, but the power of the angels that will help you make effective use of the law of attraction. Plus you don't negate your wishes as you know in your heart that angels can overcome any problems that may be in the path of manifesting your desire. That is why it is all the more effective to use the law of attraction along with Angel Therapy.

Chatting Shorthand

If you chat as much as I do online this is the kind of dictionary that you need to make sense of what your friends are telling you.
AFAIK =» As Far As I Know
AFK =» Away From Keyboard
ASAP =» As Soon As Possible
BAS =» Big A$$ Smile
BBL =» Be Back Later
BBN =» Bye Bye Now
BBS =» Be Back Soon
BEG =» Big Evil Grin
BF =» Boyfriend
BIBO =» Beer In, Beer Out
BRB =» Be Right Back
BTW =» By The Way
BWL =» Bursting With Laughter
C&G =» Chuckle and Grin
CICO =» Coffee In, Coffee Out
CID =» Crying In Disgrace
CNP =» Continued (in my) Next Post
CP =» Chat Post(a chat message)
CRBT =» Crying Real Big Tears
CSG =» Chuckle Snicker Grin
CYA =» See You (Seeya)
CYAL8R =» See You Later (Seeyalata)
DLTBBB =» Don't Let The Bed Bugs Bite
EG =» Evil Grin
EMSG =» Email Message
FC =» Fingers Crossed
FTBOMH =» From The Bottom Of My Heart
FYI =» For Your Information
FWIW =» For What It's Worth
GAL =» Get A Life
GF =» Girlfriend
GFN =» Gone For Now
GMBA =» Giggling My Butt Off
GMTA =» Great Minds Think Alike
GTSY =» Glad To See You
H&K =» Hug and Kiss
HABU =» Have A Better 'Un
HAGN =» Have A Good Night
HAGU =» Have A Good 'Un
HHIS =» Hanging Head in Shame
HUB =» Head Up Butt
IAE =» In Any Event
IC =» I See
IGP =» I Gotta Pee
IMNSHO =» In My Not So Humble Opinion
IMO =» In My Opinion
IMCO =» In My Considered Opinion
IMHO =» In My Humble Opinion
IOW =» In Other Words
IRL =» In Real Life
IWALU =» I Will Always Love You
JMO =» Just My Opinion
JTLYK =» Just To Let You Know
KIT =» Keep In Touch
KOC =» Kiss On Cheek
KOL =» Kiss On Lips
L8R =» Later
L8R G8R =» Later 'Gater
LHM =» Lord Help Me
LHO =» Laughing Head Off
LHU =» Lord Help Us
LMAO =» Laughing My A$$ Off
LMSO =» Laughing My Socks Off
LOL =» Laugh Out Loud
LSHMBB =» Laughing So Hard My Belly is Bouncing
LSHMBH =» Laughing So Hard My Belly Hurts
LSHTTARDML =» Laughing So Hard The Tears Are Running Down My Leg
LTNS =» Long Time No See
LTS =» Laughing To Self
LUWAMH =» Love You With All My Heart
LY =» Love Ya
MTF =» More To Follow
NRN =» No Reply Necessary
NADT =» Not A Darn Thing
OIC =» Oh, I See
OL =» Old Lady (significant other)
OM =» Old Man (significant other)
OTOH =» On The Other Hand
OTTOMH =» Off The Top of My Head
PDS =» Please Don't Shoot
PITA =» Pain In The A$$
PM =» Private Message
PMFJI =» Pardon Me For Jumping In
PMP =» Peed My Pants
POAHF =» Put On A Happy Face
QSL =» Reply
QSO =» Conversation
QT =» Cutie
ROFL =» Rolling On Floor Laughing
ROFLAPMP =» ROFL And Peeing My Pants
ROFLMAO =» ROFL My A$$ Off
ROFLMAOAY =» ROFLMAO At You
ROFLMAOWTIME =» ROFLMAO With Tears In My Eyes
ROFLUTSROFL =» Unable to Speak
RTFM =» Read The F****** Manual!
SETE =» Smiling Ear To Ear
SHID =» Slaps Head In Disgust
SNERT =» Snot-Nosed Egotistical Rude Teenager
SO =» Significant Other
SOT =» Short Of Time
SOTMG =» Short Of Time Must Go
SWAK =» Sealed With A Kiss
SWAS =» Scientific Wild A$$ Guess
SWL =» Screaming with Laughter
SYS =» See You Soon
TA =» Thanks Again
TGIF =» Thank God It's Friday
TCOY =» Take Care Of Yourself
TILII =» Tell It Like It Is
TNT =» Till Next Time
TOY =» Thinking Of You
TTFN =» Ta Ta For Now
TTYL =» Talk To You Later
WAS =» Wild A$$ Guess
WB =» Welcome Back
WTH =» What/Who The Heck (or sub an 'F' for the 'H')
YBS =» You'll Be Sorry
YG =» Young Gentleman
YL =» Young Lady
YM =» Young Man

Genesis, a new start

A new beginning is what the word means. That is literally what it is for my mom. My mother has made a radical shift in her life from being a Research Fellow perusing her Phd at NIRI to becoming an Army Wife and now an Owner of an Interior Decorating Firm.

An artist, she always was. Now she has finally come into her own and started this new company with a couple of friends. All of them are Forces Wives and have been shifting base with their husbands for more that 20 years each. Make that 30 years, in my mother's case.

There was no stability to set up shop anywhere for their talent. The paintings, murals, foil work, arts and craft that they made usually ended up being appreciated by all close friends who saw them. Usually gifting away their original work and being happy with an occasional order for a painting was their way of life.

Then they met up and the three of them got organised. They formed a company called GENESIS and struck out on their own. This was in 2008. The first two exhibitions that they held in Chandigarh had been moderate successes, giving them more motivation. Their third exhibition in Ahmednagar did much better.

Good Shops in Gorakhpur

Name and City
Amazing World in Gorakhpur
It Sells
Amazing World is the only decent toy store that I have encountered in the city. Of course that may not account for much as I have been to only one main market of Gorakhpur.But believe me just getting to any place here is a tussle with the unruly traffic so I'm not too keen on getting adventurous. He's got a good collection of branded toys from Fisher Price and Disney and Hot Wheels and you name it. There is a small book's section as well stocked with not too great kiddie books. Better to go to Student's Corner if you are looking for books.
Postal Address and Some Directions to Get There
Amazing World, MP Building, Golghar, Gorakhpur
Cell - 91-9336407829
How I discovered it
Amazing World is the only place in town here that stores and sells Thomas the Tank Engine toys. And as everyone knows just how crazy my boy is about Thomas the Tank engine you can understand how fast we found the place. It was first mentioned to me by Renu Saigal when I was asking about a decent place to get a Christmas gift for the sonny boy and the rest, as they say, is history.


While a tiny city like this one cannot really boast of bargain shops as the book store is the only one in existence it would be useful to those of you posted here to know where to go to buy your novels and magazines.

Name and City
Students Corner in Gorakhpur
It Sells
All kinds of books in Hindi and English. You can also pick up the latest magazines of your weeklies and monthlies here. It also has a small greeting card section along with basic stationery.
Postal Address and Some Directions to Get There
Cinema Road, Golghar, Gorkahpur
Tel - +91 -551-2338059 residence 2330337
To get here continue straight onwards after you cross SRS Mall on your left. Don’t turn off at the Golghar crossing but keep going straight. On the left hand side immediately after Kabeer’s restaurant turn off you will see the shop right after a biryani joint.
How I discovered it
Being the only decent bookstore in town little wonder that I asked everyone I could to tell me about it. Deepika, Renu, Prabhjot and Deepti were all unanimous in their choice for the place to buy books. Was pleasantly surprised at the range of kid’s books and rather disappointed when none of the latest English novels were available. However the owner is businessman enough to specially order which ever books you want if you give him a firm order.

On to the next shop.

Name and City
Her Feet in Gorakpur
It Sells
Duh…shoes! It has both sandals and sports shoes for women. You can also take a peek in the back where they have a collection of expensive albeit easily available Lucknowie suits, kurtas and night gowns. There is a selection of handbags and some regular wear underwear as well. Nothing fancy but quite functional.
Postal Address and Some Directions to Get There
Shop no. 127 – 150, Rapti Complex, Cinema Road, Gorakhpur
Tel - +91 - 9452126144
If you have already found the shop above, continue down the same road for about half a minute more and you will see Her Feet on the left hand side as well. Fairly easy to trace.
How I discovered it
I had seen it passing to and from King’s Bakery, but it was not until Prabhjot told me it was a good place that I dragged Vidula there to actually buy something. Am glad I did. He has closed shoes besides sandals! Do visit the upstairs – single piece sale section as well. You may get lucky and find your size on sale.

To Tell or Not to Tell: That is the Question

I used to think parents who spoke of nothing but their kids were so boring and inconsiderate. After all who is interested in what they have to say about their kids’ eating and sleeping habits much less their entire daily routine. I used to swear to myself that I would never be like that. I would not bore people to tears with what my kid said and did. Then he was born…

All of a sudden I was being plagued by relatives for more information on him and his photos and the eternal favourite, “Who does he look like?” I had to answer all the queries with patience despite being so sleep deprived. Once I left mother’s house and came back to my own it got compounded with her wanting to know exactly what he did every minute. She was missing him badly and I couldn’t deny her the knowledge of his daily routine.

Then to my horror I realized that with minimal prompting I was going into unnecessary details with friends as well. They passed it off as the enthusiasm of the young mother, but I was sunk in depression. Here I was despite my best intentions not to talk about my baby, telling all and sundry about what a fussy eater he was and how he would never take a nap beyond 15 minutes. My efforts to curb my enthusiastic recital were met with concerned “Are you feeling all right?”

So after much angst I decided what I had to do. I had to cheerfully join the pack of parents who need no encouragement to talk about their kids. I had to do it without feeling guilty as everyone does it. Everyday there are so many things that my little brat does which I wish to share with family and friends. So why should I not do so? No good reason comes to mind, so I will now take it one step further; I will blog about my baby. At least that way those of you who are not interested in my child needn’t suffer unnecessarily.

Once that is decided I have a lot of catching up to do. So watch this place for more about my baby boy!