Being yourself

it's been forever

Yes, it's been forever since I wrote on my blog. And, while I would love to promise and make a commitment to write each week, I think I am coming to grips with the reality of my new life with Vehd. In the meantime, I will keep trying. Lots has happened since I last wrote almost 2 monts ago --

- Vehd has become 2 months old and a delicious 11 lbs. in weight. He was born at 6lbs 6oz and getting his weight up was one indicator of decent growth. I was delighted when he weight in at 11 lbs, this week. For a detailed Vehd update, send me email.

- My grandmother visited and we had a wonderful visit with her. She helped me through one of the most monumental experiences of my life. We shared in understanding and learning Vehd, reading together, sewing and knitting, starting a vegetable garden and exploring my journey going forward as an educator. Not bad, with a newborn, eh?

- We've had several firsts after Vehd's arrival -- Vamshi and I got out on our first date, we got out to the first of several parties, Vehd had his first restaurant outing -- not that it meant that much to him but it means that we can resume our social life, we had our first dinner guests and we cooked for/with them, Vehd visited the golf course.

- I am starting to run again, this time, with the goal of getting back to my usual fitness level and then doing a half marathon. Anyone interested?

- My mother is visiting again. Her trips are always fun -- she and I accomplish projects I never think I will get around to. I am excited about what we might do this time.

Several other things have happened, many of which my postpartum brain cannot recall. In a nutshell, it has been a joyful ride!

khana khazana (food treasure)

Over the years, I have come to realize that I am quite a food fan. I like eating good food, I love trying new cuisines/dishes and above all, I love to cook. If you had told me about that one when I was 17, I would have protested like every liberal teenage girl in India was doing then. Cooking has and is still dominantly a female activity and when I was growing up, I protested having to do it. Circumstances however forced me to start cooking at the age of 10. At age 18, I was thrown into a situation where I had to cook for 16 people for 4 days in the Himalayas. So, despite all my resistance I was introduced into the world of cooking. Once I got there, I stumbled, bumbled and slowly but surely learnt to do what I had watched my mother and grandmother do so well for years. Now, I have been teaching a cooking class for 1.5 years and have had many an Indian cooking session for non-Indian friends. Hard as it is to admit, I really enjoy cooking and won't spare a single opportunity to learn something new.

All of this came to the forefront yesterday as I was reflecting on how I tend to spend my time -- what I do when I have no pressure to do anything -- cooking was right at the top of the list. I was surprised then that despite the avid interest, I have no consistent mention of it on my blog. So, the new list on the left. It is my hope that it will serve as a place for me to share my new explorations with food and in return invite contributions from fellow food lovers.

design

I have said many times that I was born to be a Program Manager (the title of the job I did in Microsoft) -- someone who organized, communicated and above all designed! No surprise there in some ways -- I was born to two architects. I was surrounded by concepts of good design. All the toys I owned had good purpose and were well-designed. I let my father pick out my clothes until I turned 18 because he has good design sense and even today, he is the only one I will allow to buy clothes for me. I learnt early on to appreciate utility and not just looks. Our home in Bombay has gone through endless renovations and I was part of all of them (except the recent one). What I am saying in so many words is that I grew up on food, water, sleep and design!

So, when the students asked for a class on Design -- how could I ever resist? You mean, I get to be at PSCS and do the part of my Microsoft job that I loved the most? No way!

We have completed a week of the class and talked about bad design and good designs. This made the critique in me pause and think about my favorite designs. In some ways the choices were obvious -- i love my iPod and above all, i love the bug. Interestingly, they are both icons of excellent design and I happen to own both of them. Leaving aside what others have to say about them -- I think they have the best balance of utility, looks and the ability to evoke positive emotion. I am particularly affected by how they 'move' me -- I am happy to own both these products and I have noticed that it makes other people happy when they see them. I am yet to see a person frown at me when I am in the bug -- despite of my driving -- which is a lot to say. It always evokes warm, fuzzy feelings and looks of awe from onlookers. Now, that's the kind of product I think is well-designed. Many have said that there is a categorization for people like me that are drawn to products like the iPod and the Beetle. I wonder what that is .... people with good taste, anyone ;-)?

Parivartan (Change)

It’s a warm day in Hyderabad, India
India - my birthplace and home for 22 years.
Much has changed and then again not much,
As I think this, my mann it wanders ..

The sun is bright in this peninsula country,
And cloudless climes are the norm.
The earthly smell is must and plenty,
And, the breeze is swift and warm.

Rickshaws, scooters, buses and cars
Swarm the streets from wee hours.
The warm air carries their incessant beeps,
And people dodge their crazy weaves.

The cooing cock and door bell tring,
Welcome the day for us desis.
Milkman, newspaper, the bai and bhajiwala,
Are all family in so many places.

The Times, Bollywood, Coffee Days and Nike,
Chai cuttings, Sarees, Ghazals and Shaguuns.
Have made our zindagi a cultural dhun,
One that is danced to every pal by every mann.

Microsoft, Orange, the Birlas and Ambanis,
Are waving flags of khoob-sara paisa.
They are calling to us for a gleaming ‘morrow,
But poverty and abaadi are still yesterday’s borrow.

It’s a time of change, a change of yugg,
For this land of the tri-color and plenty youth,
This youth needs to pause and ask itself;
What amiri do we want – of paisa or the vedic “self”?

Be

If you want to run, be a runner
If you want to golf, be a golfer
If you want to teach, be a teacher
If you want to climb, be a climber

If you want to live, be alive
If you want to care, be caring
If you want to feel, be sensitive
If you want to love, be loving

It really is about the state of mind

- anoo (Feb 1, 2004)