Saturday, December 01, 2007

October update





















Ever since getting me interested in animals, Appa has had this burning desire to show me live animals in a zoo. So, when uncle Neeraj had come to Singapore and wanted to visit the zoo, Appa & Amma jumped at the opportunity to go there. That was a real fun experience. I saw lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, zebras.. u name it. I was able to put a face to all these animals. The highlight was of course, the feeding of the elephants.. After the show by Komali (the lead elephant) and his friends, there was a feed your pet elephant occasion. Appa & Amma thought it good to buy a basket of fruits to feed the elephant. But when they gave it to me to feed the elephant, I wanted to eat it myself, being hungry and all... Then Appa lifted me and put a banana on my outstretched hand and the elephant picked it from my hand with its trunk. That was some exciting stuff..Then, the elephant started thanking us by showering us with water from its trunk.


Uncle Neeraj, Amma, Appa & I also went to a couple of other places Clarke Quay, Vivocity and Annalakshmi restaurant. There was a Bavarian band at Clarke Quay doing the Oktoberfest routine and we all had a blast. We then went to a fashion show in Vivocity that Appa got me to see by lifting me up on his shoulder.


My vocabulary now includes Paa (paal in Tamil for milk), so i can communicate that i need milk. It also includes uncle... every big (not so elderly) male is an unka. I can point out at lights and say "aaha". My favorite evening pastime is to stand in front of the idiot box to see whats going on.

1st Birthday


























Just like everything else with me, my first birthday was also celebrated twice. Hey... who's complaining?? I had my first birthday in traditional style at Bangalore. This was in accordance with Hindu nakshatra tradition. As wished by Thatha, Appa & Amma conducted an 'Ayush homam' (literally, a pooja for longevity). Gauri athai, Raghu chitappa had flown down from Mumbai. Many of my Bangalore based relatives joined the function and wished me the best, some of them I was seeing for the first time. Vinod chitappa entertained us with some songs. I had a flower garland around my neck and for some reason, (maybe the heat due to the homam), I found the flowers in the garland, very tasty indeed and proceeded to take the garland apart while at the same time, eating off the flowers.

I then visited Ambikapur, my Amma's hometown in deep interior 'naxal-infested' Chattisgarh. visit to ambikapur via mumbai & raipur. In Raipur, I met Hari mama and his parents. Once in Ambikapur, some of Amma's students and kids came to play with me. I guess I like the VIP treatment I got here.

I had my 1st birtday party, all modern style, with cakes and balloons and dancing. There was some great entertainment from Shubam, Sonai, Jumma, and the rest of the gang. Jumma has taught me some nice rhymes which I hope to remember. I am told Jumma has mellowed down dramatically in the past one/two years. A visit to the local Ambika temple followed, where I saw goats (bakri) for the 1st time. It was a strange sound, yet fun. Also followed was a visit or two to Paati's school and I started loving the school so much that I wanted to go with my Paati everyday to school. I also was dressed up as Krishna for the Janmashtami function and Appa made me walk along the kolam depicting little Krishna's footsteps. Ganesh chaturthi was fun too...

Among my favorite activities in Ambikapur, clinging to Anita's back within a sling should rank #1. The cows make the regular mid-morning visit to the road. Deepak bhaiyya took us to the nearby waterfall, my 1st waterfall visit. Paati also gave me my daily massage early morning. I love this so much that I have come to expect a massage from Amma everyday.

The whistling of the steam pressure cooker ranks up there as my most dreadful everyday experience.

August Update


Tenthouse Rock!!

So.. this is how you dismantle the tent
me with Kaikai, my neighbor from my older apartment

Kaikai, Amma & Appa's first pet

Om, & Kaikai (with respective Amma & Appa's)
Alternate career
One of my favorite haunts
So.. this is whats called Colgate
Pepsi or Coke or Virgin... The true Cola!!!!
Is this comfortable or what?
Innocence is a 9-letter word
Yo-ho ho and a bottle of rum!!!
At the balconyPeekaboo... Appa



Amma & Appa are slowly getting tired of people calling me a 'girl' each time they see me. They patiently explain that I am actually a boy. Its good that these well-meaning, (ignorant) people have not tried talking to me as if I was a girl. I am not so patient.
Amma now combs my hair into a choti, tying the lock of hair on the top of my head together

with a rubberband, that looks really cool. The fashion is oh-so retro!!!
I now boast of a few new toys!! I am now the proud owner of a talking parrot as well as a tenthouse filled with balls of various colors. I like playing with the balls as well as overturning the tenthouse. I also can now say 'ball' for the spherical contraption that is able to roll and which Appa & Amma keep throwing towards me.
I also like to push & pull the shopping trolley so much that I could even try doing that for a living!!
15 Aug is actually a pretty important date. Its the day South Korea celebrates its national day. Its also the day that India celebrates its Independence Day. Its also the day Amma dressed me as Bhagat Singh and took me to the Indian High Commission where kids slightly older than me were singing what they call patriotic songs. Its also where I met Sathya athai again.

Kaikai and his parents came home to visit me. Kaikai's the biggest fan of Ultraman, Superman, Spiderman, and he's also Appa & Amma's first pet kid. It was great to link up with Kaikai again and learn the latest about the superheroes. I know I don't care too much for them right now, but Amma & Appa are sure that its just a matter of time for me. I am sure this knowledge will not go to waste!!