Random thoughts

I had been very busy the past two weeks, A customer site training happened in Gurgaon. My first visit to Delhi/NCR area (not counting airport transfers). Knew that I was going to be busy so did not make plans to meet anyone or go sightseeing. The items that I got from there - Paneer and Lettuce only because the grocery store was next to the hotel.

Apple let me know one day that when I give her Apsara sharpner, I should give her Apsara pencils and not the Natraj ones as they are not compatible. After picking up my jaw I tested this theory and it turned out to be true. So in the flight to Delhi instead of thinking about how my presentation is going to be I was spending time thinking in which direction we are moving. Branding in such subtle and important ways that a 6.5 year old could figure this out. Post the trip it is only a para in a post instead of an entire post spewing fumes.

The world did not end today, it just did not feel it would end. I remember how in the very last minute we stocked water and essential items on 31st Dec 1999. How delayed we were in getting caught up in the frenzy as at that time too it felt like a hoax. We were in the US back then.

I have started using my regular everyday use stainless steel utensils in my microwave and they seem to be working fine. Is it another myth that is being busted here?. When we landed in videsh and were told that dishwasher is only for plastic and crockery and I had used the steel utensils that we had carried with us from India and they came out sparkly and squeaky clean with no issues whatsoever for the next 10 years - I think the same thing might come true for the microwave. Only thing is when heating the hotness of the food item is definitely more in the MW safe utensil Vs steel. In both cases the utensil doesn't get heated up. If you wish to try do so at your own risk ;)

I am reading Winner stands alone, feels different from the other Paulo Coelho that I have read so far.

Thats it everybody - Wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.








 

Summer reading program

 Summer vacation for me meant lazing around reading books morning and afternoon and taking a nice long walk in the evening to get more books from the library and if my mom was in an indulgent mood she would let us get curry puffs fresh from the bakery on our way home. Bliss in short.

Now activity being the main theme the summer vacations have changed too. Come Summer the Husband and I start thinking about which camps to choose for the kids and what activities to pick. Various camps offer various activities tailored per the kids age and their hobbies.

Reading and story telling is one of these activities that has survived the test of time and modernization, in fact it has become the accelerator for more inventions (think ipad, kindle etc). It is a skill that needs to be inculcated in little kids. If one happens to sift through the summer camps you will see that not many of them offer a camp for reading. So it truly is a commendable effort on part of UTBT to be doing a summer reading camp.

Her camp is being held at Treasurehouse in Hyderabad. So if you have little kids and want to teach them the enjoyable skill of reading,  get them to this camp. A great time to be a kid and an even greater time to have somebody putting in such effort into it!

An unexpected "story"

Yes, I am talking about Kahaani, just like everybody else seems to be these days.

The story line is superb and the subject, I don't think has been handled by Bollywood before. If this is the way Bollywood is growing up, it sure is on the right track.

I had heard from a whole bunch of folks that the movie is good, but was not paying attention to what genre the movie belonged to. I just assumed that it is a women oriented movie on a women oriented topic and so dragged my mom to the theater as a companion on a lazy Saturday morning. I couldn't have been more wrong. It basically is a thriller with one of the main protagonists as a woman.

Vidya Bagchi and Satyaki are just incredible. The lead actors are very convincing in the roles that they have played. There are enough clues in the movie to tell you what the suspense is going to be, but not enough time to piece all the things together as there is so much happening and has the audience immersed in it. It was fun to tie all these pieces together after coming out of the theater.

Overall a very enjoyable film,  go see it if you haven't already done so.

Books, More books

If you want to get Pratham and CBT books in Hyderabad, the place to try is AA Hussain book stores in Abids, they have a good collection.

Book selection center Sultan Bazaar, near Arya Samaj Mandir also has some CBT books.

Angel and Apple are now at a stage where they can read a single line page. We still do read aloud stuff where I am reading and they are just looking at the pages and listening. Yesterday we started the "Sister Sister where does the sun go at night?" and they enjoyed the book.

Saptaparini

After having settled in Hyderabad, V and I were both looking for Barnes and Nobles kind of book stores here. We found crosswords and a few others and did visit them a few times. But when the blogging world (ST, Tharini, StarryEyed, ItchingtoWrite and other blogs that I regularly visit) became all gung ho about Tulika books, I started looking out for Tulika books as well.

Unfortunately, The few places we had visited, Either did not stock them or worse had not even heard about them. I sighed and went about my life.

The one story that Tulika published, Ekki Dokki, my mom knows and had introduced it to A&A anyways, so life was good. What can I say I am not too greedy ;) or am lazy.

Google had thrown up one other book store in my various searches, namely Saptaparini, I thought of going there but never got around to. Remember lazy.

Today during lunch a couple of my colleagues said they are visiting the store (2 mins walk from my new work place, yes am back to the grind!), I said I will tag along and in I walk and what do I see 2 shelves loaded with Tulika books. Imagine my surprise. Picked up Ekki Dokki (but ofcourse!), a few Amar chitra katha which I still vividly remember reading as a small child, a couple other picture books.

Browsing around saw all the kreeda games there as well, maha impressed with the book store and do plan to go there again. Thanks blogging buddies, I knew which books to pick up right away as I had already read your reviews.

License Plate Gyaan

Read on the license plate of a car

Final score : Girls 8 Boys 2 Grandkids 21

Preventing children from drowning

Got this video link in an email. Sounds like an important skill to be taught to little kids especially if there is swimming pool or a pond at home.

http://www.childdrowningprevention.com/index.html