Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all the lovely bloggers!

Dear Blog
I have neglected you this year more than others. I dont know if I am running out of things to say because i am boring or lazy, it must be a combination of both. Hopefully I will get my act right and do something constructive next year!

Foot in the mouth moment(one of many)
Aunt : What do u think of Swamiji M
Me : I think she is not genuine
Aunt : I was having tea and an intellectual discussion with her just yesterday !

When It Rains!

It pours doesnt it? Its been raining in colombo, india, singapore and australia. The schools were closed in parts of south india yesterday. Then heard that the snowing in Europe and Canada is just as bad.

Dad was worried about the prevailing weather conditions and the world. He feels 2012 is coming up soon. So to cheer him up I sent him the news about the sea snakes rushing into town in Batticalo. Now i am getting calls by the hour about how worried he is about the whole situation.

The nights are no better with the wind howling like a banshee then one of the gate doors opening out wide and hitting on the wall and waking me and the whole neighbourhood up. I have been up from three am. I need some sleep or an extra shot of expresso.

December '10

What with all the christmassy posts doing the round, I dont want to be left out.

Some mean kid at school had told the seven year old that santa is not real. That came as a big shock and S was pretty upset. I did some damage control and told him that mean boy wont get a present from Santa. What to do that was the most creative i could get.

Met up with a close friend from school who is down on vacation and two other from school. It was a great lunch and a good change from the other backstabbing so called friends (another long post later on that)
My plans for december.
Meet up with the school friends again for the season
Do all the dinners for the year with all other sets of friends.
Try out new recipes and cook up a storm for the year
Continue my new found interest of the Zumba class, Its a real dance party I love it.
Do some charity work for the season.
Catch up with movies and shopping!

Exams!

I thought I had left school and university and done with these godawful things. Recently, I have discovered you dont really get out of if when your kids have exams. Teaching the 7 year old has been a traumatising effect.

A small example :

1. Riddle one : I am all around you. Breathe me in and out. what am I?

S : Ghost

The answer is of course air for the ones of you who have forgotten your year 3 work.



2. Can you eat cut fruit from the road. Expain your answer

S: yes

S: my mum eats mangoes from the road

The answer should be of course no. The food kept out is not clean.

The eleven year old Einstein was shocked that I could help with her work.
D: wow mom you actually can explain the work I am impressed
Me : I went to university
What does she take me to be some sort of idiot who only shops.
Thank God all this is over.

Delightful Experience!

This is one of the many names of the Strawberry place near the lake. The other name being No Vacancy. The chocolate coated strawberry and the Strawberry and cream was so delicious Yumm. I had quite a bit. Oh how I wish I could have some more now. So here goes some amateur pics of the trip.

The Long weekend!

Was in Nuwaraeliya with kids and their cousins. I started off very nervously since the responsibility of other peoples kids can be taxing to the nerves. Strangely a couple of the kids were knocked out on the way up and the others followed up closely behind. When i say knocked out they were sleeping, got up for breakfast at Ambepussa and slept again. I have not seen so much sleeping.

Its only later that I found out my cousin had given piriton to her kids so that they wont trouble and since a pair were out the others were snoozing as well. Went to Ramboda Hanuman temple. The temple was crowded since it was poya and ended up safely in the cool climes of Nuwara eliya. I cant say clean since it was so dusty and a bit polluted.

We did boating around the lake, horse riding and the visit to hakgala gardens where there were so many BLOOMING Flowers. It was well maintained and Crowded. After a long walk in and around the garden (must have walked for a good two hours) we were done for the day. Went into Humbug for the strawberry and cream and waited for half an hour and no order was taken. Decided to fore go the craving I had and went to the Grand Indian restaurant for lunch instead. It was such a bad meal. Seriously Nuwaraeliya needs some good restaurants, its miserable if you are vegetarian.

Nine days of Prayers! Navarathiri- Day seven!

So its Navarathiri again, which basically means nine days of prayers.

Three days for courage and bravery - Prayers to Durga ( goddess of courage)
Three days for wealth and money $$$, - Prayers to Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth)
Three days for education and excelling in music, arts and crafts- prayers to saraswathy ( goddess of education and music)

The fun and tedious bit of it is all your family invites all the women ranging from two to ninety year olds to come visit their shrine room. Some of the ladies go all out and do this beautiful set up with dolls and decoration. The others like me and my cousins who are caught up in the work world just do prayers in the evening.

Fun bit of it is you get gifts at every house you visit. So i have a whole collection of glass bangles and knick knacks. Each gift is given with betel leaves coconut and fruits. Also you get to eat all this yummy food. Which means in return I have to do the same.

I got some cute tiny kitchen weighing scales to give as return gifts, except i got distracted and bought some other unnecessary stuff. Never mind!