A Calendar too Crowded – Book Review

To be very honest, I was not to keen about reviewing this book.Reading, absolutely keen upon, but reviewing, not so much. Because it is not very often, and in my case, never happened that the author is also a very good friend. And I wasn’t very sure how I would be able to express my honest opinions about something that was my friend’s baby.

And I still have no idea what made me go ahead and pick it up anyway, knowing very well that in 7 days from that day I would have to read the book, and also go ahead and write the review. And of course, I promised myself that I would not be biased and would go ahead and say what I felt unabashedly.

But guess what? Sagarika Chakraborty ensured that I had to face no dilemma. For me, it was a winner from the word go. And I am actually surprised that I had expected anything less from this person, whose writing I have always admired.

The book deals with the oft spoken and written about theme of womanhood (as the blurb states). I wondered why it didn’t say ‘gender bias’ or ‘inequality’, and instead used the blanket term ‘womanhood’. I had to read all the 22 stories to understand that. And I guess that’s what makes this different from other feminism based titles I have read.

Yes, of course there are stories dealing with the more prevalent topics that we hear of when it comes to women. Female foeticide, Rape, trafficking, widowhood, there are stories dealing with all of this. But what stands out in my opinion, are the stories which deal with being a woman in general, not necessarily oppressed or down-trodden. The ones which do not just remind of cases you’ve heard in the news or read in the papers, but of someone closer, even yourself. Where there wasn’t any injustice doled out necessarily, but there were choices to be made, dilemmas faced, judgments passed by outsiders, and comments made by those who had no idea of the facts or the person. The independent, educated women of today, who in principle are treated as equals, but still have their own share of stories. My personal favorite was ‘Finding an ideal mother for my Unborn Child’. Blame it on my current role as a new mom, but I could relate to each sentiment as I read it. And I doubt if there is any other story out there which actually deals with a topic seemingly so simple and personal, but extremely important to every woman who is a mother.

The words are strong at times, making you cringe, but it serves the purpose of showcasing facts the way they are. The language is easy to follow and poetic, and even someone who is not so much of a book enthusiast would be able to read through it comfortably. This I think is a feat. Because though the topics dealt with are heavy, the writing never is.

What would have made this work even better? Perhaps concentrating more on the hidden biases which escape our sight most of the time, instead of the blatant injustice, about which a lot is spoken about. I am not undermining their relevance, but the stories which dealt with the former issues somehow left a deeper impact on me. But this is a strictly personal opinion.

Would I recommend it? Of course. And the fact that I am able to say this with no guilt of any bias whatsoever makes me one happy person!

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Letter to a 3 month and 6 day old

Dear Zoey (What, I totally get to tweak my baby’s name however I want!)

Mumma is one lazy lady. This you’ll know as you grow up, but if I put it down here, atleast you will not be able to say that I didn’t warn you. And honestly, Mumma does hope that she changes for the better as time passes by. Till then we’ll adjust with what we have, ok?

So this would be my first official letter to you. I thought of adding another chapter to Zokipedia, but I thought I would give that a break. You see baby, you turned 3 months old on the 14th. A huge milestone this is. In fact in the line your Mumma and Papa are, closing a quarter is a serious deal, and you just did that. Kudos to you for it!

A lot has changed in the past 3 months. From being a tiny, helpless, squealing little thing I had no clue what to do with, you’re now a not so tiny, pretty much still helpless, screaming little thing, that I still don’t know exactly what to do with. But I try, and you know it more than anyone else, and I am guessing this will take us somewhere eventually.

You are slowly sinking into a schedule of your own. How much does it work for us, well, it is too early to say that. From sleeping through half the day, and pretty much most of the night, as long as you have been fed, you’ve graduated to a whole new system now. You feed for half an hour, play for the next hour, sleep for about 15 minutes, and then you’re ready to be fed again! In short you have taken after Papa in your sleeping patterns, and that my dear baby is super tough for Mumma.

In the night, the understanding that the crib is something evil has somehow descended upon you. And you take to wailing till you’re picked up and placed on either Mumma or Papa’s tummy, which is when you magically fall asleep. Oh, and the bed doesn’t work for you either. I mean, why would one want a bed or a crib when they have customised beds in the form of Mumma-Papa?

You have taken to trying to eat the whole of your palm, even if your mouth is too tiny to fit it. So you try putting in finger after finger, till you gag on your own finger, make choking noises, sound like you’re about to throw up, and eventually spit up some of the milk on Mumma as soon as you’re picked up. But like a very sane person who’s been there done that, and is still doing it said, Mumma has accepted ‘The Stink’ as her signature perfume too.

All these tiny details aside, you’re a joy to be with now. It is surprising how much you seem to want to say. Ok strike that. It is no surprise at all. Going by how your Mumma has been all your life, this is perhaps the most obvious thing. You love your rattlers and musical toys, and spend hours cooing at everything that moves, and smiling in a manner which is getting more and more adorable with each passing day.

You obviously love the TV, and even more obviously, you’re not allowed to watch it as yet, so when Mumma Papa try watching something with you around, you crane your neck in ways I wouldn’t have deemed were humanly possible, just to catch a glimpse of the idiot box. For now, we make do with the rocker facing away from the TV, or a cushion in front of your tiny little head.

This is turning out to be Zokipedia again. But what is one to do, when there is so much happening, and I wouldn’t want to miss any of it! And I would have wanted this letter to be more of me giving you some life related gyan. So here goes;

- Eat well. There will always come a time when you will want to watch what you eat and how much, but that time isn’t now. Plus your monthly weight checks have become a nightmare for Mumma

- Sleep well. Ofcourse for yourself. Sleeping is a luxury, which will you will realise later in life. And also, since you love Mumma, you can also think of this as a favour to her right, knowing how much she loves sleeping?

- DO NOT eat your hands. There is no milk in them, and they are not clean, and no one eats hands for heavens sake!( What? It is a different matter that I keep saying I would love to eat your hands, but that’s a privilege Mumma has earned, being Mumma. Stop arguing with your mother!)

- Don’t stop smiling when you see the camera. I know it is fascinating, but it is terribly mean when to choose to stare at it open mouthed, and forget that you were cracking up a few seconds ago, when the huge camera has been brought out and set, just so that the moment can be captured. Did I mention how adorable your smile is?

- Oh, and ofcourse, now that you roll over from your tummy to your back (applause everyone!), ensure you do it only when you’re in the middle of the bed. Ok, fine, too much to expect is it? Fine, that will be a point to note for Mumma instead. Whatever.

- And yes, continue being you. You’re super cute, and I fall more and more in love with you every day. Sigh. There are troughs when you wail for no reason in the middle of the night, but once you smile, the love peaks again. So you know what to do right?

Anyway, that’s enough gyan for today. Now that you’re up after your 15 minute nap, and are vigorously sucking at your fingers, I can expect a gag anytime. So I will go pick you up. You ensure you remember all that Mumma tells you, ok young lady? She’s one helluva sane woman, and her friends will vouch for that.

In any case, no one can love you as much as I do. You know it.

Lots of Squashy hugs,

Mumma

7 Secrets of Shiva – Book Review

So the latest book on offer for review from Blogadda was the ‘7 Secrets of Shiva’ by Devdutt Pattanaik. And considering that I have been on a sort of a trend out here, reading and reviewing books with a mythological/historical bent, I immediately picked it up. And it took me a week to finish this relatively short book spread over 200 odd pages, in relatively large font, where every alternate page is an illustration.

However, I am in no position to blame this on the book itself. There was a small confusion with regards to the content of the same. You see, turns out, that though I do like my dose of mythology, and history, I need my facts presented to me in the form of fiction. Or rather, a story. Apparently, facts presented to me as themselves, make the whole effort of reading a wee tedious for me. In short, I am not the right audience for this otherwise well written book.

That being said, I did read it. The book deals with the myths and legends related to Shiva, the more well known stories that we are told as kids, the stories that we never heard of, and the various cultures and their representation of the mighty Shiva. The 7 secrets that are explained in the book deal with 5 of the most prominent names with which Lord Shiva is hailed; Lingeshwara, or the Shiva Ling , the form in which we all worship Shiva, Bhairava, Shankara, Bholenath and Nataraja. The remaining two chapters are about his two sons, the much loved Ganesha, and Murugan.

The information that each Chapter gives us is abundant, and well researched. I particularly liked how, though the representation of The Lord differed in each form, and for each culture, it eventually represented the same truth. The illustrations on every second pages, are rare pictures of Paintings and sculptures, which enable us to understand the view points even better. Each illustration is labelled, explaining its significance. For me, these pictures and their explanations were the best bit.

The book also tends to stagger a bit into spirituality, but then, we are dealing with God here. Through the various stories, pictures, forms depicted, the author eventually tries to convey what life is all about. However, while dealing with topics like immortality, soul etc, I did tend to get a bit lost, and once again I would blame it on the genre and the fact that it was I who was reading this. Apart from the pictures, I also liked the stories that made an appearance throughout  the book, making it interesting for a person like me, who like I said, thrives on stories.

I would not go beyond this to give my opinions. The language is easy to read and follow, and hence it possible for anyone to pick it up for a read. However, if you were to ask me if I would venture into this genre again, probably not. But for someone who likes factual books, with a mythological bent, this is a must read, and perhaps even the other books in the same set. For me, I think I have had my dosage of spirituality for now!

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

The Dirty Picture

Its 2 and a half months (almost) since I had baby Zo. And I stopped going to work a month and half before that. So technically, I haven’t been working for a whole four months. And this probably is the longest time off I’ve had since, well, forever considering none of my school/college vacations were for more than 2 months.

So the thing is, I had been looking forward to my maternity leave since I got married. No, wait, even before that, when I saw the maternity leave option in the Leave Management System at work. I was all like, whoa, that should be fun! So much time off! So much time to myself! It’s a huge vacation!

And vacation it is. Agreed, babies aren’t easy, and even if you have help from family, you’re always alert and ready, because the baby might need you anytime. But still, you’ve no where to go, no deadlines, no bosses, no meetings. Like I said, vacation. And I always thought that towards the end of the vacation, I would feel really depressed, like always.

But turns out, not really. I am actually looking forward to get back to my 9 to 5 routine. Ok, here I am calling out for some really judgmental comments. I know, I have already heard them. As in, people saying ‘ Are you sure you want to go to work?’, ‘How can you feel like working when you have such a small baby back home!’, ‘You’re a mom first, work can wait!’. But fact is, I need to work. I need to step out. I need my 9 to 5 routine.

And no one knows this better than Baby Zo herself. I mean, she is the one who spends most of her time with Mumma right? And I have no clue how. Thing is, I have really really, let go of myself. While I never was the chic kind, I was never totally gross either. I couldn’t be, I worked. So come what may, I had to have a bath each morning, wear clothes that made sense, control my hair, and head out each morning at a particular time.

Now that that’s not the case, I seem to have totally given up. I can’t believe I am putting this up here, but frankly, I stink. I know it. Horrible. Of milk and sweat and what not. And ofcourse it is gross. I have a bath when I have time, which I would like to believe is not as much, though frankly, it’s all about priorities. I can totally have a long bath and freshen up whenever Zo is asleep, since her Grandmom takes care of her, but I choose to surf, blog, or veg out in front of the TV, because I know she’ll be up in another hour. So I don’t. The last time I visited the parlor  was before Zo was born! So technically, I look like an ogre. And I tell myself that it’s ok, since I’m not going anywhere anyway.

Then there is my hair. I have mentioned how it is when not straightened, and since that couldn’t be done when I was pregnant, it is in the saddest state ever. Curly on top, straight at the ends. Seriously, it is not funny. It would take me a half hour to use the iron and put the hair in place, but apparently I choose not to. I comb it once a week , or it stays as a messy bun, and not sexy messy, sick messy. And the *beep* kilos I have retained from the pregnancy gain do not help matters at all!

If you think I can cut myself some slack, considering ‘it’s just been two months’ think again, it’s not that I do not step out. Hell, I’ve gone for two movies, and an awesome dinner already. So if I have time for all that, you’d think I would take some time to look better?

Apparently not. But I know what will cure that. Getting back to work, when frankly, more than The Dude and Zo will get to see me, and I doubt those people will be as understanding. So for now, I am enjoying the remaining month and a half of my unkempt state, and look forward to boring, bad work in February. For the sake of my own good health. And that of everyone around.

Two to Tango

Hello, Hello. Check Check. 1 2 3 blog testing.Oh there you are, all of you. Hi there. Er, I know I was supposed to be here yesterday, but kinda got caught up with stuff. Random stuff, you know. Like sleeping, and watching endless episodes of Pretty Little Liars. Yeah, I never said, I was proud of the stuff I did. Anyway, that was followed by a frantic search online about some other stuff, of course about baby Zo, as always. I mean that’s all we search for these days you see. So much so, that Google automatically throws up baby related information these days whenever either I or The Dude login. Seriously.

So, said deadline was missed. But here I am now. So first of all, all those of you out there are to wish little Zo for having completed 2 whole months in the Big Bad World! <Insert Applause>

Now moving on to the most requested item on our blog these days. On popular demand, we’re back with Zokipedia – Chapter 2

- A tantrum can be defined as crying extremely loudly, when we are not hungry, or sleepy, have been burped, and don’t even have a stuffed nose. It usually means, we want to to be picked up when on the bed, kept on the bed when we have been picked up, walked around with if Mumma or Papa are sitting, and immediately be seated if they are walking around with us.

- While we continue our peeing and pooping routine as mentioned in Chapter 1, another important thing to remember is that one needs to always pee when Mumma is feeding us. Also, if aimed correctly, it is totally possible to be wearing a diaper and still wet all of Mumma’s clothes and bed every time. That in fact is the right way of doing it.

- If you want the full attention of the adults and ensure that they leave all that they are doing and coo at you, while making really funny faces and sounds, all you have to do is give them your patent gummy, toothless smile. That’s all. If you want them to swoon altogether, give this smile along with a sighing sound. Always works.

- The right way of wearing body suits is curling your legs up, so that the pants of the outfit dangle separately. For making the whole experience fun, curl them up when Mumma tries to put the clothes on as well, so that it would be like a game for her. You can keep score of the number of attempts.

- The above game method can also be adapted while Mumma and Papa try putting on your socks. Move your legs as if cycling. Once again keep score of the number of times they try to lunge at your foot, with a sock in hand. Guaranteed laugh riot, this one.

- Whenever Mumma or Papa try to dance with you in their arms, or take you for a walk, fall asleep immediately. However, when they sing you lullabies and try to rock you to sleep, DO NOT fall asleep. it doesn’t make sense at all. Stay bright eyed and awake then.

- When Grandmom tries tricks on you to make you fall asleep, and closes her eyes to fool you into thinking that she is asleep, laugh at her brightly. Eventually, she will give up, and accept that you’re not falling asleep anytime soon. Of course, unless you’re taken for a walk outside to see the world.

- It is possible to have a conversation with anything, if you’ve made up your mind. So the humans aside, the lucky ones are Jiffy the Girraffe, Torty the tortoise, and the funny red parrot like thing that squeaks. Oh, and there is also the curtains, the fan, and the Egyptian paintings.

That’s all we have for now. It is almost the next day and if this is not posted right away, well, Mumma will have to change the beginning of the post again. So we’ll stop for now? Hope you found this chapter as informative and entertaining. Do look out for Chapter 3!