Banjara Baby

Happy Birthday Nana!

2012-01-22T22:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Happy Happy Birthday Nana!!! Here's wishing you all the happiness in the world. We love you so much. And thank you Annu maasi for this delectable brunch treat of anda paridoo - just the most yummilicious way to kick off Nana's special day.On his birthday weekend Nana got all his favorite tasties - home made mutton and chicken biryani, Beard Papa cream puffs, and strawberry ice cream cake. It was a delicious weekend.Thank you everyone for making the day special with your presence. Now if only the 49ers had made it!

Pajama Day!

2012-01-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

Student and chaperone showed up in matching pajamas on the much-awaited Pajama Day at school! They were definitely the talk of the class :-)

Chinese New Year Flower Market

2012-01-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

No we're not in China - just in Chinatown for the annual flower market fair in preparation for Chinese New Year. Pedi, Hari V, Anoushka and Talinn visited the flower market together this year. The kids got a $10 budget to spend as they pleased on Chinese trinkets. They picked a whole bunch of garden stakes but made it clear that the budget for those would come out of our pockets and not their allowance. We walked through quite a bit of the fair until it got way too crowded to handle. After much browsing and mulling, the allowance was spent on a panda and bear wool cap with a built in scarf and mits.
Talinn wasted no time decorating the front yard with his New Year Market goodies the next morning. The stakes have all been dug into the garden. I don't want to jinx this but we've had the most fabulously bright and warm January. Let's keep it that way! Happy Chinese New Year!!!

2011 - 2012 Journey of Love

2012-01-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

2011 was a year of LOVE. We received so much love from Talinn this year - loud and vocal - "you're the best mamma ever!", "you're my best friend forever", "I love you the mostest in this world", "I love spending time with you the most", "you're always going to be in my heart", "best friend Ammamma"... and countless expressions to a similar tune. All accompanied with the tightest hugs and countless kisses. It's as if he's returning all the love we showered on him as a baby, with interest. We'll take all this and more because I hear that this public display will not last forever.Talinn's amorous expressions were not contained within the family. He found love in Anoushka pie and followed it up with a quick marriage proposal. He collected a slew of admirers at school out of whom he finally chose little Minou to be his future "wife". His love dramas have occupied a significant part of his school life.Of course this was year of the family. Talinn shared so much love with his ammamma and nainamma and all our family. It was a truly special summer with many indelible memories. Drama took center stage as Talinn immersed himself in costumes, set designs, and direction. He also attended his first drama camp last summer. This is the year he began music lessons, as well as soccer and karate, and performed tap dance on stage.How big he's become! - with girl friends at school, ability to express opinions, process thoughts, analyze situations, understand different languages we speak, and think independently for himself. Sometimes we forget that he's big enough to completely tune into our conversations, until he shocks us with his reactions and unsolicited inputs. And he's always watching. When we do things unthinkingly - he's there absorbing - ready to reproduce or tell on us when we least expect it. This is when we realize he's no longer a baby in the background but a participating, almost-adult-like individual in the household.Yet at other times, he's really our little baby - pure, innocent, loving, emotional, naughty, free from negative ideas and ill thoughts of any kind. He cares deeply, expresses loudly, loves passionately, and shares generously from the heart. True he's a brat - it's his way or no way at all - but I hope he will learn with time. I love that he has very few needs but he also does not value what he has enough. Tall orders for a little kid I suppose.Talinn will start Kindergarten this year. We have lots of reading, math, and homework to look forward to with a double whammy in French and English. Hopefully he will be as lucky as always to spend lots of time with family and forge many new bonds and learn many new skills. Happy 2012!!! It's a leap year with an extra day to love! So love away because nothing else matters - and travel travel travel!
P.S. All pictures in this blog post have been taken by Talinn (including the self portraits). Much like discovering a hidden journal, I found these pictures in a kids digital camera that he got for his 4th birthday. I've seen him click away without ever paying much attention to what he was capturing - until now. What can be a better expression of his love for all of you!

The Day After Christmas

2011-12-26T23:57:00.000-08:00

We barely had time to recover from the Christmas day revelry and it was time to party again. Nana's childhood friend Verghese was visiting from London. So we hosted a get together of childhood buddies who have grown up with each other since grade school days in Hyderabad.Talinn's day was made since his friends Eesha and Reeya also came over. As luck would have it, the girls are as interested in performances as Talinn. So they taught each other songs in French and Chinese and put on many shows for the adults.

Celebrating Christmas

2011-12-25T22:39:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas day with at the Nemalis. Thank you chinna atta and Naresh mama for hosting this holiday and making it so much fun!These photos capture the good times and good memories of a holiday spent in wonderful company. Happy times! Cheers!The kids spent a lot of time outdoors - this is why we love California. It was a gorgeous day and the adults joined in the ball game too.Chinna atta served up an elaborate Christmas day feast. We also downed way too much wine that day :-) Lunch was followed by dancing and then a movie for some down time.The most exciting part of the day of course was opening all the presents. The adults spent the evening playing texas hold'em poker. Check out the poker faces...and special get ups :-) I wish all our Christmases are as merry and bright!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

"Look mommy - Santa came to our home last night!" Merry Christmas! And Christmas morning was every bit as Talinn had expected it to be - minus the snow (which he was sorely disappointed about). Apparently Santa had come down the chimney, drank all the chocolate milk, eaten half the cookies, made a lot of mess but left presents for Talinn. Being a good boy paid off after all!Time to open prezzies! Santa brought Talinn exactly what he wanted. Plus he got a boatload of stuff from us. Everyone was thrilled with their personal loot.Here's Talinn trying to match his Nana in every way possible - down to shaving with him with his very own personal shaving kit acquired just that morning. Time to get ready and head to the family celebration.

Christmas Lights

2011-12-24T19:36:00.000-08:00

It's a tradition! A walk through the glittering holiday streets of San Carlos before Christmas!Even though Nana kept commenting on how low key things were in comparison with past years, I had a different opinion. Either case it made for a festive family walk as always.We had a very relaxing Christmas eve in the company of family watching movies back-to-back. Some in the theater, some at home. All in great company. The kids had non-stop play marathon. And then it was time to go home and wait for a certain special visitor! Merry Christmas!

New York Botanical Gardens

2011-12-23T22:20:00.000-08:00

The day we were leaving NY was rainy and grey. We had planned to visit a holiday trains exhibit at the NYBG and we decided to stick to our plan despite the dreary weather. Thank you Apsara peri for taking time off from work to drive us all the way to the Bronx and then to the airport.Every year the botanical garden does a holiday exhibit where miniature New York landmarks are interlaced with railway tracks showcasing toy trains running through this fantasy city. This pixie city includes all bridges connecting Manhattan with other boroughs. Each building is made entirely out of natural materials found around the botanical gardens. Some of the buildings take a year to build. The pictures really don't do the whole exhibit any justice. Every inch was spectacular and worth drooling over.If only we had more time, we could have spent an entire day at the NYBG. There were many holiday crafts and shows happening in other parts of the park. We did however manage a quick jaunt around the children's area where we stopped to admire a fairy tea party area and say hello to the very hungry caterpillar. Talinn enjoyed the toy gingerbread house at the park. And another special exhibit had these elaborate cakes on display showcasing talents from different bakeries around town. Talinn was most reluctant to leave, he so wanted to stay and play all day. But we had a flight to catch and return home for the holidays. Bye bye Neelu, Vedhu, and peris - see you all very soon.

Holidays in New York

2011-12-23T14:39:00.000-08:00

There's no place like NYC for the holidays. It's not very far from stepping into a romantic Hollywood movie - ice skating rinks, gorgeously decorated trees, chestnuts roasting on the streets, trendy scarves and gloves, and a million people floating about enjoying the spirit of the season. It's just magical!My favorite places to visit at this time of year are the lovely Christmas markets filled with eclectic trinkets. I recognized many of the vendors from last year like the puppet guy from whom Talinn got another puppet this year - a mermaid. Despite the joy of the markets, it was freezing cold and a couple of hours later everyone was too cranky to walk. So we made a beeline for chocolate at the nearby Chocolate by the Bald Man which was too packed to even stand. So we got the most divine waffles and crepes, drowning in chocolate, to enjoy in the crisp outdoors. Anything is tolerable with chocolat, n'est-ce pas?Apsara peri decided that was the end of all our walking and gave us a driving tour of the decorations. Talinn was way too wonder struck and kept up an endless chant of "wow" - there was a new surprise for him at every corner! The horse drawn carriages straight out of a Cinderella story, the cops on horseback, Christmas trees everywhere, and the stunning Times Square. Talinn was dazzled by it all. Nana promised to show him the Lion King theater in the vicinity and Apsara peri drove around so could catch a glimpse of the poster. Talinn later claimed that Times Square was his very favorite part of NY.Decorations everywhere you turn, so many that Talinn remarked that this was way better than Foster City - I concur. We stopped to gaze at the tree at Rockefeller center and the ice skating rink. This is where Mickey Mouse appeared out of thin air. Talinn ran to hug him entirely out of instinct and it was all magical until Mickey stuck his bag out for cash. Nana thinks that shattered the fairy tale but this is no Disneyland. We also met and filled Santa and Elmo's charity bags in exchange for photos and hugs.The cherry on our holiday decoration sightseeing sundae were the spectacular show windows of different stores. Each told an elaborate tale with a special message for the holidays, revolving around themes of belief, hope, love and kindness. Talinn did not want this fairy tale journey to ever end, as we walked from store to store, story to story. NY is a magical place for kids at all times of the year, but there's just a special sprinkling of fairy dust in the air during the holidays! So lucky we got to stand under it! Thank you peris!

Meeting Neel and Vedh!

2011-12-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

Eleven months after their birth came our much awaited visit to meet Neel and Vedh. Four words for the darling twins: beyond adorable and totally edible! All those who have little babies, cuddle away. Waste not a second's squeeze or a single toothless grin because the wheels never turn in reverse (unless you're watching Benjamin Button). Five days of playing and cuddling and kissing were not nearly satisfying. I wish the boys lived around the corner in California and even then it wouldn't have been enough. Talinn could not get enough of the laddoos. As soon as he woke up each morning, he would bolt up to their room for playtime. Nap times were very disappointing for Talinn. He'd wait impatiently for them to wake up from their multiple naps, waiting to entertain them, sing to them, show them how to play with different toys, touch them, and hug them. They were his personal little dolls.As you can see, Talinn was absolutely unstoppable in his gushing love for the twins. He is over-the-top affectionate but still needs training in being gentle and less effervescent in front of little kids. He claims that he loves Neel so so much but "Neel doesn't like me" - true that Neel likes his space and screamed every time Talinn tried to smother him with love. Vedh, on the other hand, appreciated all the love and was ready to play rough as well.
We celebrated early Christmas with our New York family. The kids - or rather Talinn on behalf of everyone - opened up all the presents under the tree. Happy first christmas to our tiny tots!Here's hoping we don't have to wait this long to see you all again. And here's to celebrating countless more holidays together and becoming best friends with Vedhu and Neelu.

The Nutcracker

2011-12-11T22:52:00.000-08:00

Watching The Nutcracker production at the War Memorial Opera House in San Fran is one of the most beautiful holiday traditions. Nana and I haven't been in quite a few years but this year we knew Talinn was ready for his first show. Anoushka pie was Talinn's date.Snow in San Fran! You read right. There was snow blowing at the entrance to the opera house to get everyone into the Christmas spirit. The kids were wrapped in the magic of the moment - thrilled beyond words.It's great to see everyone dressed up in holiday finery, especially the kids in their beautiful outfits. The venue itself is so ornate and majestically decorated.No pictures are allowed during the show but it was a truly magical experience. The kids were mesmerized at the sets, costumes and dances. They later recounted their favorite scenes - the defeat of the mouse king and his fall into a mousetrap, the dance of the snow queens in a snow blizzard, the impeccable ballet by the sugar plum fairy, the dancers from different countries around the world, and many many more indelible performances. I hope this remains a favorite holiday tradition.

Visit to the Temple

2011-12-11T22:40:00.000-08:00

The family paid a visit to our favorite Livermore temple one weekend in December. We don't end up going too often, so this is an exciting outing for Talinn who insisted on dressing in his Indian clothes.The highlight of the kids (and our) trip were the gigantic prasad laddoos - super super yummylicious. Talinn was readily addicted to them and got his own bag just like his Nathan anna.

Arts Night 2011

2011-12-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

Time for the most awaited event of the school year - Arts Night. This year the theme was China. Every class put their creative spirits into paying a tribute to Chinese arts and culture. Check out their artistic genius - from brush paintings, miniatures, invention of paper, lanterns, masks, agricultural villages, tai chi, and other cultural and social nuances of life in China, Talinn's pre-K class created the above screen depicting a story of the adventures of a little Chinese girl. Each student dressed in traditional Chinese outfits, took pictures which they collaged onto an elaborately painted and decorated screen. It was so so beautiful and we were terribly proud of Talinn and his little classmates.All of Talinn's aunts - chinna atta, pammi pedi, annu maasi - and his cousin Nathan came to check out the art work. Thank you all - this means a lot to Talinn.The senior school is converted into a museum for Arts Night, anchored by a reception in the party hall. We hung out here later and enjoyed a glass of wine with hors d'oeuvres. Wonderful evening and outstanding job kids!

Tinseling up for Christmas

2011-12-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

The Saturday after Thanksgiving is traditionally the day we deck the halls. Since we weren't in town this year, we had to wait until the following weekend. Talinn set up our Guatemalan nativity set seen above all by himself. We found an unpainted barn at a local store. Talinn painted this first, then set up the baby Jesus family in their home. He also found miscellaneous farm animals as well as the trees, from his own toy sets to complete the vignette.Tired of the green californian not-a-white-Christmas look, we decided to bring home a new white frosted tree this year. Talking of white Christmases, Talinn had a hissy fit when he found out that it wasn't going to snow for Christmas. All my efforts to convince him about how lucky we were to have nearly 70 degrees of bright sunny weather were met with hot tears of disappointment. How could it be Christmas without snow?Holidays are all about love. So happy to have Apsara peri and Annu maasi to share the tree trimming with us. Talinn took great pride in hainging up each little ornament. With help from Annu maasi, he wrote a letter to santa with his wishlist. What a lovely start to the holidays... cheers!!!

Christmas Train Ride

2011-12-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

The day after our return from tropical 85 degree Cabo, we jumped right into the holiday spirit with a Christmas train ride. All that remained of our vacation were the braids and our tans.Apsara peri came to visit us this week. She accompanied us on our holiday train ride along with our local friends.The kids quickly got into the mood with candy canes as they ran up and down the brightly decorated train. This year the train did not stop midway for its photo pit stop, so it all seemed pretty quick.The VIP visitor Santa and his wife Mrs. Claus were the high point of the ride. The kids jostled with one another to snuggle with the special old man. I have to say they plagued him with a bunch of difficult questions about returning again for xmas, gifts, etc. All comes down to the one word for the season - Believe!

A Cabo Thanksgiving - Part 3

2011-12-02T11:27:00.000-08:00

So on the last day of our trip, we finally decided to stop being beach bums and get ourselves into a glass bottom boat for some sightseeing. Going to see the famous naturally formed rock arch "el arco" - where the Pacific Ocean kisses the Sea of Cortez - is the thing to do. So off we went riding the waves on yet another gorgeous day.The route to the arch surprises you with the coolest rock formations. The sea of Cortez side of the rocks harbor a small strip of beach known as Lover's beach. This is a popular site for snorkeling and spending the day away from the resorts. The waters are teeming with fishes visible from the boat itself.On the opposite side of Lover's beach, where the boat rounds the corner to the Pacific ocean, lies Divorce beach. Apparently the waters are way too rough to support any conjugal harmony, hence the name.Cabo is a pretty arid place with really little going on. The ocean and sea fronts have been capitalized by the resorts and that's where the buck stops. The slow pace and the lack of options forces much needed relaxation. This was an awesome trip!

The Model - Hamming it Up in Cabo

2011-12-01T22:54:00.000-08:00

Way too many pictures of the little ham - so here's a blog entry dedicated to his many avatars!

A Cabo Thanksgiving - Part 2

2011-12-01T21:37:00.000-08:00

Cabo San Lucas was a pleasant surprise. In my mind, no waters can match the Caribbean in color, warmth, and beauty. Last year the beaches in Honolulu surprised me and so did Cabo. We were lucky to stay at Medano beach - one of the rare swimmable areas in Cabo where the water is warm and pretty fun to enter.Sand Play!!!
Nana and Talinn got involved with some major sand construction projects during this trip.Picturesque Meals!
After four and a half years of life Talinn discovered the joys of Fanta during this trip - he was in orange fizz heaven anytime he wanted! However, Nana's rule is that sodas are for vacations only. Non-Stop Shopping Parade
Much akin to the beach shopping carnival at Copacabana beach is the non-stop shopping parade at Medano. Talinn got a real tickle out of saying "non! gracias" to the never-ending slew of vendors who came by from the crack of dawn to sunset. I loved it! It's eye candy and it's real life entertainment. Communal bargaining plays out full on with the knowledge of who picked up what souvenir for how much. Makes for great beach gossip for bums like me who like nothing better :-) And to top it off Mariachi singers are eager to serenade you at sunset.
The Good Life
Ah those afternoon naps on the beach!
Views Views Views Pool Time
Give the kid a pool and room service and we can be in our backyard. All Talinn wanted was the pool - all day every day. And the ability to order food (pizza, pasta, and fanta) anytime and anywhere.
Unforgettable Sunsets
One evening we went to the sunset beach sister property of our resort to view the famed sunset on Pacific ocean. Very splendid!
Partyyyying After Sundown!!!
Look carefully at the picture below and you will see me on stage. I was part of the entertainment act one evening. No really! I was chosen as a contestant in a sexy dance contest. Ya! And even though I didn't win (only because I thought it was a family resort), it was a memorable time.

The carnival on Saturday night was amazing. There were fire jugglers, stilt walkers, balloons, and lots of Samba dancing to Brazilian beats. Talinn had a ball at this party!

A Cabo Thanksgiving - Part 1

2011-11-30T09:52:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for my family - my adorable son who is the center of our lives, my precious husband who always makes sure that we're on top of the world, my mom who will always be my strongest support, my mother-in-law who is my BFF, my extended family that fills life with celebrations, and my beloved girl friends without whom life would not be so full of helium. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!Although we did not get to spend Thanksgiving with all of our favorite folks this year, Talinn, Nana and I had an intimate celebration in Los Cabos, Mexico. Just the three of us for five days - no ipads, no laptops, rarely books even - just the sea of Cortez, the sand, the pool, and us. And it was simply fabulously awesome!!!True to textbook Mexico, uber gigantic cacti showed off their height and weight as soon as stepped out of the airport. Oh and the warm air that stroked our faces as we stepped off the plane onto the hot tarmac. How I love that feeling of deplaning in the tropics! Such guilty pleasure when you step into 85 degrees at the end the end of November.So on our first morning at the Pueblo Bonito resort, early-riser-Talinn and I went on a cactus exploration around campus.Kids make little things look so exciting. It's all they need, the little joys. Here's some other stuff we found during our morning walk - a Christmas tree, two black swans, and a huge cruise ship heading straight towards us! What a brilliant start to a brilliant holiday.And thus began the endless loop of alternating between the beach, the pool and the restaurants - always with a fresh fruit drink in hand.It wasn't all play and no work - we tickled our creative energies with a bit of pottery painting. Talinn painted a turtle, I did a fish for Anoushka pie, and Nana painted a bowl.Talinn insisted that his hair must be braided. Unlike in Cancun a couple of years ago, he willingly through all the pulling and tugging.After a whole day of water activities, it's time to shower up and head down for dinner. Cheers to the good life!

See you soon Ammamma!

2011-11-13T09:26:00.000-08:00

How lucky for all of us that ammamma spent over six months with us this year. Talinn was the biggest beneficiary and her biggest best friend. In turn, Talinn trained Ammamma in the art of theater and acting (not like she had much of a choice) - as seen in our home production below directed by TH of course.

We fondly celebrated ammamma's birthday with cake, treats, and dinner just a couple of days before she took off. Talinn told ammamma to quickly finish cleaning her house in India and rush back. He is quick to remind her these days that all her chores are done and it's time to return. I couldn't agree more.

End of Soccer Season

2011-11-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

Talinn's first ever soccer season came to an end on a high. He played very well during his last game since mommy came to watch - or so I shall presume :-)You don't understand what a journey this whole soccer season has been. No goals scored but just to have the kid run around with confidence and kick the ball was a huge victory. Kudos to no one but Nanu for persevering all these weeks.
Medals were awarded for the successful completion of the season and each player took home a portion of the team banner signed by the rest of their team mates. Hip hip hurray!

A Wizard of Oz Halloween

2011-11-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Talinn's favorite tale of the Wizard of Oz, we took to the streets on Halloween night as the Scarecrow (Talinn), Tinman (Ammamma), Lion (Nanu), Wicked Witch (Annu maasi) and Dorothy (mom).Our destination on this haunted night was the safe streets a.k.a. the haunted lanes of Foster City - a neighborhood cordoned off to traffic and home to the most creative, scary, and super fun decorations. Talinn really appreciated all the creative spookiness on display.Gotta talk about this particular exhibit (above) where just after we finished smiling for this photograph, the skeleton seated on the chair - that we had assumed was a dummy statue - came lunging at us with a mind chilling scream. Annu maasi, Talinn, and I must have screamed our loudest Halloween screams that night. It was a scene straight out of a scary movie. Since we shook in our pants, I can only imagine little Talinn's state. Later we laughed so much about it and both Talinn and I voted it as our favorite Halloween night moment.Yashi and Amay baby joined us for trick or treating towards the end of our outing. The boys returned home eager to hand out their own candy. To all the ghouls and goblins, Talinn laid out a clear rule - "guys take whatever you want from the tray, but you are allowed only one thing." What can I say, the scarecrow's a straight shooter!

Halloween at the Community Center

2011-11-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Our local community center hosts a Halloween gig for kids every year. Lots of costumes, games, crafts, and even a very spooky haunted house to enjoy!
So the haunted house at the teen center offers three levels of scariness; we opted for medium level this year. I was tempted to do the "very scary" version but the medium was a jolt enough for Talinn. Although when he came out, he claimed that he would do the "very scary" next year. Note that there was no insistence on wanting to do it that very day. Later he asked me how we everyone entered the same haunted house no matter what level they chose? Good question :-) We'll find out next year!

Halloween at School

2011-10-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

Talinn was Woody the cowboy toy for his Halloween parade at school. Unlike last year, when it rained right before the parade, it was a warm afternoon just perfect for the parade and party.The parade was followed by a class photo session against the hay bale decorations.And then the favorite part - snacks and goody bags filled with treats. Do other moms wonder about how fast these goodies are tossed aside and how quickly the thrill evaporates? Ask Talinn where any of this stuff is like minutes later and he has no clue, nor does he really care. I think back at my own childhood where I carefully treasured each novelty eraser, sharpener, pencil or trinket I ever received. And my mom has cherished my collections and preserved them for decades more. Hard to cultivate such sentiments in a society of plenty I suppose, where you receive way more than you can need or imagine.Anyway, Halloween parade is always held on the last day of school before the week long Fall break. So it's always an exciting time. I was thrilled that Ammamma was going to be at home this year to hang out with Talinn.

Diwali at School

2011-10-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

Talinn shared his Indian culture at school by throwing a special Diwali party for his friends and teachers. Ammamma and I coordinated the details by bringing in the food and fun. Here's a glimpse.Dressing up the Teachers
Talinn's teachers were most excited about dressing up in saris for the Diwali party, complete with bindis. Don't they look fabulous?Rangoli Designs
We taped rangoli templates onto plain sheets of paper and let the kids have fun with the colored powders.Painting Diyas
The kids painted their own earthenware Diwali diyas with acrylic glitter paints and embellished them with sparkly jewels.Bindi-Me-Up
After crafts, they headed to Ammamma's bindi and bangle station where they each picked a glitter bindi for their forehead and bangles for their hands. Even the most shy boys came up for bindis and bangles. Some parents later told me that their kids were pretty crushed when their bindis fell off later in the day.Snack Time
The kids enjoyed boondis for sweets, banana chips for savories, and mango juice for a taste of Indian yummies. The mango juice was probably the biggest hit.Chhamak Chhalo Dance Party
What Indian celebration can be rounded off without some chhamak chhalo bollywood moves. Talinn picked this rocking Akon ditty to set the tone for his class dance party. The teachers jumped in with the moves to lead the kids on the floor. Earlier that afternoon, we kicked off our celebrations with a mini talk on the traditions of Diwali and by reading the story of Ramayana to the class. Talinn even recited a Ganesha sloka for his classmates. I hope Talinn continues to take as much pride in his culture and heritage as he did at school today.

Diwali Parties

2011-10-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

We're lucky to be able to celebrate Diwali with so many friends, especially for Talinn who gets to experience the communal spirit of the festival. Here are pictures from Diwali celebrations at Mona and Minoti aunty's homes. Painstakingly elaborate traditional punjabi and gujarati menus made the evenings doubly delicious.The weather cooperated and it was warm enough to comfortably enjoy the festivities outdoors in the true Indian style. Happy happy Diwali!

Happy Diwali!

2011-10-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Diwali everyone! How I miss the hustle bustle melas mithais thalis of dry fruits and chamak dhamak of Diwali in India. Here our Rangoli designs jostle with the Halloween witches around this mega festival fall season. It is an exciting and busy time nevertheless and we try our best to make it as festive as we can. Talinn did some great decorations this year using the special rangoli powder dispenser and templates nainamma brought for him.We celebrated over several days this year - doing pooja, lighting lamps, and burning sparklers every evening during the week and attending parties over the weekends.

Talinn's most favorite part were probably the sparklers that he self-rationed each night so he could burn some every day that week. So glad Ammamma was here with us to share the joy of the season.

Carving Jack-O-Lantern

2011-10-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

This year we skipped many Halloween related activities because we had way too much going on most weekends. Plus school took take of the mandatory visit to the pumpkin patch. Talinn went on his first field trip ever - unaccompanied by any family member. The outing was a great success and Talinn returned home with a large pumpkin that he had picked at the patch.He had specific ambitions for his pumpkin when he returned with it. He wasted no time drawing the eyes, nose, and evil smiley mouth on the pumpkin with a black marker. Then he started to poke at his drawings hoping for the pumpkin to magically cave in those areas and create the hollows. Imagine his disappointment when I told him he'd have to work pretty hard to actually get the pumpkin to look like a jack-o-lantern with real holes.Nana was roped into the pumpkin carving project to provide muscle strength for cleaning and sawing. Talinn proved to be a good helper. My contribution was to clean the seeds, dry them, and oven roast them into a buttery, spicy snack.And there you have it - our scary pumpkin monster for this year. Happy Halloween!

Museum Weekend in San Fran

2011-10-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Love the family weekend in San Fran. Every year a bunch of museums around Yerba Buena are free to families and bursting with activities to encourage kids to enjoy their visits.Best buds Anoushka pie and Talinn (along with A's class pet Winston) visited many museums including the newly reopened Zeum - now Children's Creativity museum, MoMa, and the Contemporary Jewish Museum.Great day! The unanimous favorite was the magic show at CJM by Chin Chin. The adults were not expecting much but were equally, if not more, blown away.

Halloween Fun!

2011-10-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks before Halloween, we fetched all our decorations from the attic and no one was more psyched than Talinn. Holidays are so much more fun with kids around the house. I hope Talinn never loses his enthusiasm for decorating and celebrating.As you can see, we dress-rehearsed a whole lot of costumes which is really no novelty since Talinn is perpetually in costume on a daily basis. But specifically for Halloween he tried out a Curious George monkey costume with a real banana. Then he was the cowboy toy Woody on a cock horse. Then he tried his Scarecrow costume from the Wizard of Oz. Ammamma and I tried to complete the trio of the Tinman and Lion. The final decision was to pull out a new surprise outfit for different Halloween celebrations.

Caught!

2011-10-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

Fleet Week in San Fran

2011-10-12T23:35:00.000-07:00

The weekend of Jay peri's visit was also Fleet Week in the city when we celebrate our sea men in uniform. US Navy ships arrive in the city for the week and sailor uniforms can be spotted throughout as the men tour city attractions. The most popular event of this week are the air shows by the Blue Angels.We were lucky to set down a picnic blanket and watch the super impressive and loud air demonstrations together. But it was also a havoc week for traffic and we had to bear the brunt of this during all of our sightseeing.And here we are posing with the armored trucks strewn around for display.We crossed the golden gate bridge on this gorgeous afternoon and got some obligatory tourist shots.The next morning, we drove up on highway 1 for ocean views and spent the day exploring the piers and Ghirardelli square. Talinn stayed home with his ammamma to take a break from the long drives and traffic.I got a few men-in-uniform photos while driving around. Reminded me of vintage wartime snapshots - of course I have no photography skills but these are still evocative of another time and place.

Napa with Jay Peri and Parents

2011-10-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Jay peri visited us this October with her parents who were thrilled to hang out with Talinn. He was over the moon to have a house full of visitors again and did not waste a second bonding with his new friends.We took our visitors on a day trip to Napa. It was the perfect fall day filled with abundant sunshine and overladen grape vines. We toured many wineries (including our favorite V.Sattui) and drank way too much good wine.
Topping off the day with a view of San Francisco from Coit tower and dinner at Dosa in the Filmore.

Early Rains

2011-10-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

Much to my dismay, our first fall rainstorm arrived unexpectedly at the end of September-early October this year. On a positive note, it was still warm enough for Talinn to run into the rain for a splash.Plus the storm brought its rainbow friends along... so forgiven!

Legos

2011-10-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

Talinn has been into Legos a lot recently. His interest was rekindled this summer with building a "big boy" Lego camper truck he got for his birthday. Then Nana and him started experimenting with some complicated cantilevered structures together.Then in the fall, he got a chopper that he patiently put together. Recently Talinn saw pictures from his visit to Legoland nearly two years ago. He probably remembers nothing of it but was so fascinated that he wanted to go back. I think another visit is due pretty soon.

Durga Pooja 2011

2011-10-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

It's so cool that a local organization sets up a Durga pooja pandal right in our backyard and recreates my childhood memories. So neat that Talinn can share in my childhood experience even though he isn't growing up in India. Now if only they could burn an effigy of raavan somewhere - maybe we'll schlepp him to burning man one year to recreate that memory.I love the atmosphere of the poojas - the decorations, the incense, the drums, the sound of the conch, the gorgeous saris, the food.The evening aarti was followed by an evening of cultural programs including dances and skits by kids and songs by adults. Talinn sat in the front row and enjoyed every minute of the performances. Happy Navratris to all!

Glass Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

*Sigh*! Nothing says Fall like the advent of pumpkins, even the glass kind. Talinn was treated to his first visit to the hand-blown glass pumpkin patch in Palo Alto this year and he was blown away. Feast your eyes knowing that Talinn could not contain his joy, running through the pumpkin fields and really appreciating these unique works of art.

End of Summer Notes

2011-09-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

Summer, as packed to the brim as it was, ended way sooner than anyone likes. Before we knew it, Talinn was back at school in his new pre-K class. During summer, the movie theater nearby played $1 movies each week and we took Talinn for most of them. He watched Beezus and Ramona, How to Train a Dragon, Tale of Despereux, and even the Lion King in 3D. Here's a shot from his visit to the movies, mandatory popcorn et al.Nainamma brought a bag full of crafting projects and supplies for Talinn. Although we didn't get to them when she was here, we've been digging them out slowly and Talinn is enjoying them a lot.
We didn't do too many gardening journals this summer and that's because we didn't really have a bumper crop just a whole bunch of tomatoes, a weakly squash or two, a couple of small eggplants and a continuous supply of non-spicy peppers. However, Talinn is always interested in the garden. A few weeks into school, he learned about trees growing from seeds. Ever since, he's wasted not a seed, planting orange, apple, and many other "trees". He claims it's hard work just like growing the sunflowers he did right from scratch.

Soccer Picture Day

2011-09-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

Picture day photos from the soccer season this fall.

At the Circus

2011-09-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

It's one of those mandatory experiences that completes every childhood memory. I remember going to the circus as a kid in India and even here almost a decade ago. Circus is so old world, almost archaic given the advanced creativity in theatrical shows of today. It is also archaic in its treatment of animals which makes it almost distasteful.Kids are so intuitive; they have an instinctive way of picking up what's not correct. Talinn was not happy with the treatment of animals at the circus. Not surprisingly then, this is one type of show, our little show buff really does not wish to repeat.Anyway, here are snippets from what may be Talinn's last circus show ever.

Happy Onam!

2011-09-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

As tradition dictates every year, we were ready for the Onam sadya (feast) at pedi's house. This is the one time each year that I get to wear traditional malayali two piece set and I love it.What a joy to see the kids all dressed up in their Indian finery. They look so adorable but good luck getting them to pose for a decent group picture. They were way too busy playing hide n' seek with a certain monkey hiding high in the trees.Thank you Ammooma for laying out a lavish feast for us every year. Each dish was distinct and delicious. And this from a non-rice, non south Indian food consumer like me! Good times!

First Soccer Season Kick-Off

2011-09-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

Talinn's first ever association with a sport - Nana's favorite soccer - kicked off in September when he joined the AYSO U5 division. His team is called the Foster City Sharks and watch out - they're out to make a killing on the field!That morning, the gigantic soccer field was radiating with energy and bursting with countless teams of every age group. All teams lined up with their banners for the grand march around the field while parents cheered. It felt like the opening ceremony of a championship - I so loved the whole vibe.We ran into our neighbors who were representing other divisions. Now before we get carried away I need to state that banjara baby is no sports prodigy. The weeks that ensued were not without struggles and uber dramatics in the family. But I will give Talinn kudos for his no-quit attitude. Despite all his trepidations and lack of confidence on the field, he never wanted to stop playing. And super super thank you to super dad Nanu for twelve persevering weeks of Saturday morning adventures.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2011

2011-09-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

Fast on the heels of Lakshmi pooja comes Ganesh pooja. Ganu buddy has always been special to Talinn, so he lovingly prepared for the prayers.Nana and Talinn - the boys of the house - completed the pooja together. After five days, we bid Ganu buddy a fond farewell and prayed that he comes again soon next year.

Varalakshmi Pooja 2011

2011-08-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

Talinn loves the ideas of poojas in the house - must be his brahmin genes. He loves to decorate and revels in the general celebratory mood.Like every year, Talinn helped with the rangoli and decorations the previous evening.And then he sat through the entire pooja, participating eagerly in all the rituals.
In the evening, we celebrated with evening aarti in the company of dear friends.

Calaveras Camping Part 3

2011-08-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

The next morning, all the kids went to attend the junior cubs and junior ranger programs at the park. The junior cubs got to learn all about spiders, make one out of playdough and go hunting for spider webs in the vicinity. They obviously had a great time.Then it was time to go back to our river and laze away the afternoon by its waters.Thanks to all the hard work by Hari V and Nana by way of hauling chairs to the middle of the river and heaving giant rocks for footrests, the ladies settled into a most comfortable recline with beers and snacks.Eventually, everyone found their favorite natural soaking positions. The kids were unstoppable in the water while the adults were unstoppable in their story-weaving game. This is exactly how you define the ideal summer afternoon.To top it all off, Nana started what I hope will become a camping tradition - making home made ice cream the old fashioned way with a hand crank, barrel, rock salt, and milk. The kids loved the whole experience. Some even went back home and reported that Nagesh uncle was a magician capable of turning milk into ice cream magically. It is magic isn't it? After the kids were packed off to bed, the adults sat around the campfire enjoying buckets of raspberry flavored magic.As always, it was a fabulous camping weekend. So long then, until next summer!!!

Calaveras Camping Part 2

2011-08-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

Later that evening, after we had rested and napped, the kids in the neighboring campsite offered to walk us through the meadow to their "clubhouse".Our new found camp friends - all of 6 and 4 years old - have been camping at the same camp site every summer since the past three years. Talk about establishing camping traditions. The "clubhouse" in the meadows is their prized discovery. And while Talinn was expecting something along the lines of Mickey's clubhouse, it really turned out to be a charming collection of fallen trees tucked away at the end of the magical meadow.Back at the campsite, our master chefs spun out some gourmet quesadillas appreciated thoroughly by the newly arrived gang of adults and kids.Post dinner, we walked to the campfire program which was one of the most entertaining ones I've ever attended. The kids got to sing songs on stage, participate in fun nature themed games, and take home prizes - while the adults sipped some wine and enjoyed the show.

Camping at Calaveras Big Trees

2011-08-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Right on the heels of our trip to Disneyland came our next favorite summertime activity - camping!!! Destination Calaveras Big Trees state park. Nana and I last took Chandini akka and friends camping here nearly 7 years ago, so it was a sweet return.We spent our first day at the campsite with just the Krishnans minus the rest of our gigantic gang. There were times, before the kids, when it used to be just us four adults. It was fantastic recreating the small group bonding. Even the kids found their moments of peace by the water. We chanced upon this lovely river stream during our morning hike and ended up waddling in it far longer than we had planned. Just sitting there on the rock gazing up at the trees against the sounds of flowing water - idyllic!Effortlessly we whiled away a couple of hours by the water. There's just something about water play that equally thrills adults and kids - especially on warm days.We continued our hike in search of an elusive bridge that would take us across the river. After nearly an hour of trekking, we declared ourselves lost, decided to turn around and just waded across the river.

So Cal Beach Time

2011-08-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

The day after Disneyland was the perfect day to be a beach bum. Perfect summer day at Huntington beach.Talinn had a grand time playing in the sand with Nana and collecting tons of shell treasures. We had a picnic lunch there and later walked around the beach town stores.