I am finaly in some control over here, as in, settled down to playing house nicely. The weather in Dubai is keeping us guessing if the cold is really over or not! The mornings and nights are still chilly (by our standards) but the afternoons are warm and balmy, almost tethering towards hot infact! Eight years of being away from the extreme climate of Nothern India has rendered me pretty useless in handling the cold. I am a person who thrived in the cold weather. Loved those winters of my childhood growing up in the north. Winters were for sunny days in the backyard, endless cups of tea, roasted peanuts, guavas, special sunday lunches....festivities in the air, preparing for Christmas, meeting up with cousins, oh the fun! Evenings spent in the warm heated rooms, sipping the soup of the day prepared by mother's cook or even better lounging in front of a great big log fire at my aunt's house gossiping and chatting away late in to the night. And not to mention the fabulous winter fashion- wear lovely knits, boots, bright colours and silks without worrying about melting away! In Dubai, I do wear silks someties because everywhere you go you will find it air conditioned, but in my mind I feel weird wearing it knowing that a silk saree is really not summer wear! :) Anyhow.
So this time in India, when I could not handle the harsh cold, I actually burst in to tears! Literally! When I visit my place, I make it a point not to complain about anything. It is a challenging country in every which way and knowing that , there is no point in cribbing really. I was disappointed by my attitude on this trip. I actually shut down. Froze! I might have stepped out of the house maybe a total of four times in almost 45 days of my stay there! That too, only when my sister arrived from Canada and I needed to spend time with her. My parents were very amused that I refused all invitations for Christmas/New Year lunches and dinners. I lived in my pj's and was simply too miserable to care. Mother tried cajoling me to go out and catch up with old friends and family, nothing doing. I refused to budge. That is sadly all I have brought back from my trip home.
I also attended my nephew's wedding in the city of Mumbai. Total wash out for me personaly. Yohaan had a raging fever throughout. The mosqitoes really bothered him, the humidity nearly killed me and hubtser fell sick too. A sick baby on hand doesnt make for much wedding fun. The two days we were there, I spent trying to keep him comfortable and not go bersek. high temperature notwithstanding. I had to travel to to my place after the wedding and I was in no mood to prolong 'our' misery. As a result of all the sickness around, I did not enjoy the wedding, an event for which I had geared the whole year. This was a first family wedding I attended after my own, so it was special. My cousin sister whose son was getting married is close to me...I wanted to make a serious effort to be involved in the celebrations. I should have probably known things wouldn't go well when the moment we landed at the international airport, Yohaan puked on me and then the baggage conveyor belt broke down four times before we could collect our luggage! Things were pretty downhill from there. A long qeue at the immigration control and I lost it. Screamed at nobody in particular and felt better. Got me some attention though....
The wedding was all that an Indian wedding is. Loud, colourful, music and dance filled, a thousand ceremonies. Gorgeous flowers, exotic silks, beautiful lights, amazing food, fabulous jewelry, endless cousins,aunts and uncles, neices and nephewes in all sizes, family gossip, late nights and 24/7 partying mode for all. I could be involved for all of maybe four hours. I was supposed to meet up a friend I made on FB and took a box of choclates for her from here. Couldn't. Was deeply disappointed. Had to say no to meeting another childhood friend who lives in Mumbai now. A first cousin sister who I met after eleven long years lives close to the wedding venue. The plan was to stay with her for a day and spend time catching up and going shopping with her and her family. I couldnt visit because not only Yohaan was sick and I was stuck in the hotel room looking after him but hubster was sick too, mostly from exhaustion of working a full day and travelling the same day. Also, my aunt who is battling lung cancer had moved in from her house in the suburbs ,with my cousin for the wedding and I did not want to expose her to Yohaan's viral infection. It broke my heart not to be able to spend more time with her, not knowing if I would see her again....
I wore my own wedding reception saree on the main wedding day. A lovely red silk bandhini. But forgot most of the jewlery! For the pre wedding party I wore an orange pure chiffon saree with silver aree work done on it . But I was so hassled. In the wedding pictures I look rather plain and even tired! Hubster met most of my family for the first time since we got married and everybody wanted a piece of him. He ended up being rather popular with all who had gathered. So he was being dragged here and there and all over leaving me almost fuly caring for a sick child alone. I hated that. In my mind, it was my family wedding and I was supposed to be having fun and look who did instead! In India son-in-laws are a big deal, hubster is the youngest son in law in the family, from a different community and state. Speaks a different language. He was fussed over a lot. I was rather amused when all the elders complimented me for 'netting' a fine man! Hmmph! The younger cousins did not leave him for a second, the older ones wanted to know all about his work, especialy my brothers. All in all, I hardly saw the man. The little man, Yohaan, insisted on dancing away at every chance he got. I was worried about his fever and puking which invariably follows if he exerts hiself too much. But after a point I just gave up on both the boys. Let them be. Late in to the cocktail pre-wedding night party, my son danced like a boy possesed and fell asleep on the dance floor!! It is a miracle he didnt get trampled upon by all the wild dancers there! Was picked up by a guest and brought over to me. I was sitting in a corner nursing my diet coke and generaly feeling bad for myself. Hubster was missing in action, bonding with some cousin or the other, I think....
The only highlight of my entire holiday was getting to meet my sister in Canada- MSIN. I talk a lot about her here on my blog. I adore her to bits. In my mind she is the perfect epitome of a wife/mother/sister/daughter. Infact everybody loves her in our family. We met after three years and her two boys and husband. Her sons, I consider my orginal babies since they arrived much before Yohaan and I experienced a feeling closest to being a mother with them first. Not that I have spent much time with them but nevertheless, they were my reason for wanting to give birth to a boy first. They are adorable. The nephews of mine are incredible kids. Well behaved, gentle, kind and sensitive- exactly how I want Yohaan to be! I long to visit them in Canada, and am hoping this year we will be able to if finances permit.
I didnt do any shopping this time. Normaly I pick up a lot. But the weather put an end to all my plans. Yohaan ofcourse had a blast. He had tons of people to play with and boss around! Grandchildren are like these demi-gods in my family. Utterly spoilt and indulged. I was more than happy to let anyone/everyone step in and care for him. I simply slept and read. He was bathed, fed and entertained by the grandparents, maids, their children, driver, gardener, neighbour's kids and assorted uncles, aunts and cousins. Ofcourse, he was sick all along with some viral or the other but nothing could really stop him from having fun. He also picked up a lot of Hindi, my mother tongue, for which I am very thankful. He needed to hear some hindi being spoken around him and it did him good. Back home he still remembers all that he learnt in India and am glad about that.
Like I had said earlier, I stayed away from the internet completely. Was bliss. I have come back cured from my addcition to FB which is fabulous. I hardly FB now though I do login everyday. I love the new me! www had become a serious addiction affecting me in weird ways. That is over now. Which is always great no? And now I leave you with a couple of pics from the wedding.
So this time in India, when I could not handle the harsh cold, I actually burst in to tears! Literally! When I visit my place, I make it a point not to complain about anything. It is a challenging country in every which way and knowing that , there is no point in cribbing really. I was disappointed by my attitude on this trip. I actually shut down. Froze! I might have stepped out of the house maybe a total of four times in almost 45 days of my stay there! That too, only when my sister arrived from Canada and I needed to spend time with her. My parents were very amused that I refused all invitations for Christmas/New Year lunches and dinners. I lived in my pj's and was simply too miserable to care. Mother tried cajoling me to go out and catch up with old friends and family, nothing doing. I refused to budge. That is sadly all I have brought back from my trip home.
I also attended my nephew's wedding in the city of Mumbai. Total wash out for me personaly. Yohaan had a raging fever throughout. The mosqitoes really bothered him, the humidity nearly killed me and hubtser fell sick too. A sick baby on hand doesnt make for much wedding fun. The two days we were there, I spent trying to keep him comfortable and not go bersek. high temperature notwithstanding. I had to travel to to my place after the wedding and I was in no mood to prolong 'our' misery. As a result of all the sickness around, I did not enjoy the wedding, an event for which I had geared the whole year. This was a first family wedding I attended after my own, so it was special. My cousin sister whose son was getting married is close to me...I wanted to make a serious effort to be involved in the celebrations. I should have probably known things wouldn't go well when the moment we landed at the international airport, Yohaan puked on me and then the baggage conveyor belt broke down four times before we could collect our luggage! Things were pretty downhill from there. A long qeue at the immigration control and I lost it. Screamed at nobody in particular and felt better. Got me some attention though....
The wedding was all that an Indian wedding is. Loud, colourful, music and dance filled, a thousand ceremonies. Gorgeous flowers, exotic silks, beautiful lights, amazing food, fabulous jewelry, endless cousins,aunts and uncles, neices and nephewes in all sizes, family gossip, late nights and 24/7 partying mode for all. I could be involved for all of maybe four hours. I was supposed to meet up a friend I made on FB and took a box of choclates for her from here. Couldn't. Was deeply disappointed. Had to say no to meeting another childhood friend who lives in Mumbai now. A first cousin sister who I met after eleven long years lives close to the wedding venue. The plan was to stay with her for a day and spend time catching up and going shopping with her and her family. I couldnt visit because not only Yohaan was sick and I was stuck in the hotel room looking after him but hubster was sick too, mostly from exhaustion of working a full day and travelling the same day. Also, my aunt who is battling lung cancer had moved in from her house in the suburbs ,with my cousin for the wedding and I did not want to expose her to Yohaan's viral infection. It broke my heart not to be able to spend more time with her, not knowing if I would see her again....
I wore my own wedding reception saree on the main wedding day. A lovely red silk bandhini. But forgot most of the jewlery! For the pre wedding party I wore an orange pure chiffon saree with silver aree work done on it . But I was so hassled. In the wedding pictures I look rather plain and even tired! Hubster met most of my family for the first time since we got married and everybody wanted a piece of him. He ended up being rather popular with all who had gathered. So he was being dragged here and there and all over leaving me almost fuly caring for a sick child alone. I hated that. In my mind, it was my family wedding and I was supposed to be having fun and look who did instead! In India son-in-laws are a big deal, hubster is the youngest son in law in the family, from a different community and state. Speaks a different language. He was fussed over a lot. I was rather amused when all the elders complimented me for 'netting' a fine man! Hmmph! The younger cousins did not leave him for a second, the older ones wanted to know all about his work, especialy my brothers. All in all, I hardly saw the man. The little man, Yohaan, insisted on dancing away at every chance he got. I was worried about his fever and puking which invariably follows if he exerts hiself too much. But after a point I just gave up on both the boys. Let them be. Late in to the cocktail pre-wedding night party, my son danced like a boy possesed and fell asleep on the dance floor!! It is a miracle he didnt get trampled upon by all the wild dancers there! Was picked up by a guest and brought over to me. I was sitting in a corner nursing my diet coke and generaly feeling bad for myself. Hubster was missing in action, bonding with some cousin or the other, I think....
The only highlight of my entire holiday was getting to meet my sister in Canada- MSIN. I talk a lot about her here on my blog. I adore her to bits. In my mind she is the perfect epitome of a wife/mother/sister/daughter. Infact everybody loves her in our family. We met after three years and her two boys and husband. Her sons, I consider my orginal babies since they arrived much before Yohaan and I experienced a feeling closest to being a mother with them first. Not that I have spent much time with them but nevertheless, they were my reason for wanting to give birth to a boy first. They are adorable. The nephews of mine are incredible kids. Well behaved, gentle, kind and sensitive- exactly how I want Yohaan to be! I long to visit them in Canada, and am hoping this year we will be able to if finances permit.
I didnt do any shopping this time. Normaly I pick up a lot. But the weather put an end to all my plans. Yohaan ofcourse had a blast. He had tons of people to play with and boss around! Grandchildren are like these demi-gods in my family. Utterly spoilt and indulged. I was more than happy to let anyone/everyone step in and care for him. I simply slept and read. He was bathed, fed and entertained by the grandparents, maids, their children, driver, gardener, neighbour's kids and assorted uncles, aunts and cousins. Ofcourse, he was sick all along with some viral or the other but nothing could really stop him from having fun. He also picked up a lot of Hindi, my mother tongue, for which I am very thankful. He needed to hear some hindi being spoken around him and it did him good. Back home he still remembers all that he learnt in India and am glad about that.
Like I had said earlier, I stayed away from the internet completely. Was bliss. I have come back cured from my addcition to FB which is fabulous. I hardly FB now though I do login everyday. I love the new me! www had become a serious addiction affecting me in weird ways. That is over now. Which is always great no? And now I leave you with a couple of pics from the wedding.
Yohaan, Moi and Hubster. Y was so cranky towards the fag end of the reception!
With some of my older cousins, neice, nephew and aunt.
My gawgusss neice and her brand new baby girl- which makes me err, grand-aunt by the way! Yohaan had high temperature !
And this is my nephew with his wife to be, dancing away at the pre wedding night. God Bless! I wish I had taken a picture of the Henna on her hands, it was absolutely lovely.
That's it folks. I will post again some more about my trip not that anything exciting happened! Till then, enjoy the pics.
