Cheesy Situation

I like cheese. Well not the smelly blue cheese kind of thing but I like kraft cheddar. Friend from UK was down and she was going on and on about her wine and cheese sonot to be outdone I said I also like wine and cheese. Think I was trying to show off that I lived there and ate wine and cheese for a bit of my life some time back. To be frank all that I ate was the big ball cheese which you get here anyways (while I was secretly longing for kraft cheese).

So friend comes back last month with a whole load of cheese. I mean all kinds u name it, it was there. I felt like crying since anyday I would have preferred a handbag or some make up instead (Yes I am vain). Tried the cheese and it was sick I could not find one kind that I liked. So gifted it off to another friend who loves cheese and was laughing her head off (since she gets the chocolates n I get the cheese) . I know the best would be to come out clean and tell her that I detest the cheese but don’t want to cheese her off…

Religion and Life

Had to go for a wedding of my mom’s cook’s daughter last week. My cook had got a good proposal for her daughter and the girl is going abroad. The only thing was the girl had to convert to get married. She is a born Hindu. My mom was a bit upset that this girl was converting religion. I was quite and listened to her and told her that I don’t find anything wrong with her converting. Quite frankly if it was a choice of life and religion she would obviously chose life.

If converting from being a Hindu to another religion is the only ticket for that. She might as well do that and have a strong belief on the religion that gave her. For once, my mom was forced to agree with me that it did make sense.

I have this unhealthy relationship with religion. Unhealthy meaning I pray far too much and then get annoyed when my prayers are not answered and not pray for long periods. It’s very childish but that’s the way it has been.

FB N Me

I think I am one of the last in the civilization of internet users to join Facebook. I don’t know why I never bothered to for the long time that FB has been existent. One fine day just joined to see what my class mates look like. I know the usual reason should be to keep in touch with friends but I am bit weird like that curiosity of seeing people from school and college made me join FB.

Really no point in me praising the wonders of it. Since all who use it know, I have got in touch with some friends who I have not heard in years from. I could go and on but better stop about that now. Now that I have become a regular user I get all kinds of invitations from unknown guys. This must be the usual scene if you are single (which I am not). Sometimes for a mad moment I wonder if I know these people and can’t remember of what so I proceed to check their profile out. Surprisingly the profile of these men is full of women. This has happened like three times now. These guys must be really filling their facebook with girls who they don’t know or randomly clicking girl sounding names or something. Giving the benefit of the doubt maybe these guys are really nice people and want to strike up a friendship ( don’t think so!)

Eat, Pray, Love

This is the book by Elizabeth Gilbert that I picked up in Chennai and have been reading the past few days. I have finished the Eat part only. So far its been funny, sorrowful and makes you think about life in general. I read a lot of Chick lit stuff and no this books not like that. Its different and made me think about different bits in my life.

It’s about a woman’s search for different things in life. So she travels to Italy to learn the beautiful language and enjoy the pleasure of eating. She goes to India to learn about the spiritual side of life and then on to Indonesia to find out about love (I think love since I have not got to Pray and love yet)

All my life the one place that I have wanted to visit is Italy (ok well make it two places add Spain as well). So reading this book made me really want to visit Italy. When I took up my job last year the one condition that I had requested is that I wont travel on work very far since I never wanted to leave the kids and travel for more than a weekend. I do travel extensively within Sri Lanka. Now, I have decided that I shall change my stand and on the traveling work related bit and take up whatever comes across. Since I doubt I am going to be able to afford to visit all over the world on my savings on vacation. I have to thank the book which made me make this decision that I am missing out on life by not traveling.

Customer Care

I always have this feeling that some of the Banks in Colombo have crappy customer care. I had to eat my words when I was in Chennai since our Banks give much better response than those guys do. Call the bank up and check what time they start working and they say come at eight thirty. Just to be on the safe side I get there at nine thirty and the counter that I needed to get some work done was not operational until ten. There were a bunch of other staff around in other counters but they will not even answer or help any customers. (oh they have a fancy May I help you? Board but the guy does nothing just says ask the next counter).

Moving counter to counter asking the same repetitive question I go through about seven staffs of three who are women. The women just stared at me and were really nasty, I think they can tell when u look and dress Indian even, they know it when u are NRI ( non resident Indian). So sat down to wait patiently for half an hour while these women were looking me up and down non stop. Was staring right back at them thinking in my mind should have worn a pair of shorts what would they do then. There was all Indian glory with my new shalwar new bindi and all madrasi look. I was slowly and steadily losing my patience so ask for the manager. Guess what the answer was ask the sodding next counter. After good one hour the man who is suppose to attend to this crap comes and I tell him that I am really disappointed with the service. He just stares at me as if I have come for a loan and says nothing. They make me wait for a good another hour and when I am out of it, thoroughly drained (or so I thought but the heat further drained me) to do much else……..

Lesson I have learnt from this experience even if our local banks have crappy customer service I will bear and be nice to them cause really they are not that bad come to think of it….

Two nights in Chennai……

So all this ranting and raving about my miserable life, took matters into my hand and went to Chennai for the weekend. Of course the whole trip was on a programme and somewhat work related. But you can’t have the cake and eat it. Getting of at Chennai airport gives me a feeling of happiness and sadness all put into one. This is where I spent some of my happiest years of College life. Sadness was something petty the heat was unbearable. We keep complaining about our unpredictable Colombo weather with hot sun and splashing rains but Chennai was Hot with a capital H.

The whole weekend was filled with activities and only relaxing time was spent shopping for a couple of hours and meeting with best friend (another post for that) from college. We were trying to catch up with too much in a short while and I left with a feeling of not enough.

Shopping in Chennai is a big improvement from what it used to be. U name it you get it (I mean there is Benetton & mothercare). I was only able to make it to Spencers run around buying clothes (then regret not bought enough). Then do more shopping to buy Gifts (bribes) for the kids who were left behind at home.

Watched a last show Tamil movie, with some college students making their own comments and reviews about the movie while watching. Hemm if it was done here I would get pissed off. In Chennai I was laughing along with them.

Alone with the kids

So I took the kids and went down south by myself over one weekend last month. When the kids are on vacation its like they can’t have enough of me and drive me nuts. The fact that I don’t get time off during the week is of no point to them at all. The minute I step into the house they want me to entertain them non stop. Maybe I am a selfish kind of mom who should get her act right and feel peaceful and serene when I see them.

Lying in the sun bed alone with a book it suddenly struck me that I am really craving for an adult conversation. I felt so lonely and miserable I had to wait for a few minutes for that feeling to pass. Hats off to moms who do it alone all the time. Another thing I notice is people have random conversations with you about the weather and the pool when u are alone and when they see the kids popping out from the pool and shouting mom they just look confused and say bye quickly and run off. Then the staring, having dinner alone with two kids could not help but notice happy families staring at me ( well the women at least). For a mad moment wanted to get up and shout I am not divorced or separated but I am alone most of the time with my kids, since the man is traveling ninety five percent of the time. I must be really losing my head if I wanted to do just that.

After numerous games of monopoly, snake and ladders and I spy, I could not wait to get back to Colombo. Slight guilt when I kissed them bye to go to work like I was escaping my own kids.

Stray Dogs in Colombo

There are a whole load of stray dogs in and around Colombo. Far too many for my liking, since I am really very scared of dogs. Usually when I go to my mum’s house when we see the pet dog I scream first and then the kids scream and we stay in a corner until the dog is sent away. It does sound a bit ridiculous, but ever since I got bitten by our neighbors pet when I was a kid, I am very scared of any dogs.

Friend and I were walking out of another friends place in nawala and noticed a group of stray dogs. I got panicked but my friend said not big deal just walk. One dog just ran up and started liking my friend’s leg. And then did the same to me. I really wanted to run and I think my friend sensed it she said don’t run. So held my friends hand really tight and kept walking. Then the dog put his paws on me and was licking my hand. I have never been more scared n my life. Then he just went away we got to the car and got in.

We just could not get over what had happened (my friend is also not a dog person). She suggested we throw a stone at the fellow (I hope pet rescue does not read this). No we did not throw stones at them but I did manage to take the car really close to them and brake and horn. Well by that point it was looking a bit silly and we drove off bunch of dogs. Seriously what would we have done if all four dogs had attacked us or bit us? Last thing I want is going for a visit and then getting bitted by a stray dog and get rabies.

Don’t the authorities have to do something about the stray dog situation (speaking of which there is a whole load of things to attend like our road drainage and what not)? Quite a few people I know at office have got bitten by these stray dogs and had to go the GH to get the rabies and that’s another headache all together.

Praying and soothsayers

Went to this temple in Dehiwela after so many years. I don’t know why I have become so irregular with going to temples. Anyways get there and pray and come out feeling very peaceful and happy. Walking out I get accosted by a soothsayer. She kept on calling out to me saying sister. Just kept walking away she jumped in front of me and said I can see the unhappiness in your face.

Was thinking Yeah I am since you are not letting me leave with that happiness in praying. Try to get into the car the woman is right next to me. Too close for my comfort and she kept on blabbering. I know u are unhappy just listen to what I have to say. I was just going to lose my temper and yell at her. Thought I don’t want to create a scene and I have just prayed.

Now I am suppose to take the kids to this Chapel where they are having a fundraiser showing a movie. All the details of this are vague except I am supposed to meet up with a friend and a bunch of kids to go watch “chitty chitty Bang Bang”. My brother calls me up and wants to know what I am doing and when I tell him I am going for this movie. He says isn’t that an adults movie. I don’t know what my brothers imagining or been watching for that matter. I kindly reminded him that it’s playing at a chapel so I doubt its anything else. Think I have watched this when I was a kid but can’t remember. Anythings better than watching re runs of Barney and bratz.

The Word

The eight year old D comes home with a big story of a new word that she has learnt. Drop the coffee mug I did when she asked me what’s the “F” word. She proceeded to spell it out to me and I was seeing stars. The four year old is a like a parrot and quickly picked up and kept taunting “F’ word “F” word. Frankly, I use to use a lot of swear words and with much difficulty I stopped it after the kids. I do randomly use it when I am with friends or whatever, but hearing D say it was like a good slap in my face.

Then the conversation was going nowhere since she wanted to know the meaning. What are u suppose to explain to a child about the F word. Had to just tell her it’s very bad and she should not use it and some story that I cooked up. The curiosity with which she was looking at me I was bit confused who the mother was for a moment.

Called a good friend on advice, wrong move, she quickly jumped up to say oh see I told u don’t send her to an International School. Then she told me not to let D play with her kid for a bit since they should not discuss the word and gave a fake laugh. Right let me move on. Called another friend from the said school itself. She told me to just keep with the same story. Obviously the kid is too small for me to be having a talk of the birds and the bees.

A Category Food

Out on a girls night out found out some interesting new aphrodisiacs (herewith called the A Category) that I have never heard of. Why we wandered on to this subject where you could add endless lists I have no clue. Some of the common aphrodisiacs that I have heard of being asparagus, oysters, ginseng tea, strawberries and so on. Some of my cousins have told me that drumsticks also belong to the A category. Have no idea where that came from unless they were trying to increase the murunga market which has seen better days anyways.

So out with the girls and catching up with different topics, one girl said that Camels milk is major in the Middle East. I thought ok there are no buffalos and cows in the dessert, so probably they drink this instead. She went on to explain that camel’s milk has A grade qualities. Camels milk, was a bit flabbergasted that people drink a camels milk. This is a big time A category thing and there are sweets made out of it which are suppose to be a big hit with the men. Felt a big finicky thinking of eating camels milk sweet but it’s suppose to be like a soan papdi (Indian sweet).

April Fools Day

Few years back I used to be really obsessed about not getting fooled on April fools day and take great pains in fooling other people. Recently for some reason I don’t get bothered much about this little ritual.
This morning while getting ready to work D the eight year old comes up and says the nanny called and that she won’t be coming in. I was so panicked and was on high alert since this is disaster with a big D. Hurriedly call nanny to find out that it is not so but can she have the day off. Quickly say no and look at D who burst out laughing with I fooled you. I got so annoyed but did not say anything. Now, looking at it I feel upset that I did not hold the moment and join the laughter. Sometimes you get caught up with your own world and step out of a kid’s world…

Piece of bread

We had to visit one of the research places on work. While waiting at the lobby, we suddenly smelt seenisambol. Now with the ac in full force you cannot miss this smell. It just hit like a really strong wind. Looked up and the secretary was with a piece of bread in her mouth. I guess she has her breakfast in the morning at ten at her work desk everyday. Nothing wrong with that.

We went in for our meeting which lasted quite a bit came out and the woman still had a piece of bread in her mouth. So she has been eating her seenisambol paan for 2 hours or so. She must be very slow at eating or really busy (no way was she busy). How do these institutions get their work done if the staff sits with their morning breakfast for two hours? Won’t the woman get bored of this monotony of sitting with the paan for two hours…?