How to be a Yummy Mummy

Photo courtesy:- www. ioffer.com

What you see here is a  Bat wing sleeve dress by Chanel.

I'm absolutely in love with this pattern. A fantastic design to hide that extra ugly flab, in style.

I was wishing  I could get hold of one of these to veil my newly acquired tire around the tummy.
Thats when I could not believe my eyes when I spotted a similar mint green dress at a  nearby boutique.
It was almost like I leaped forward, towards the only piece that hung on the rack, tried it on and immediately made it mine. :)

Believe me, it did help me make a style statement, even with the extra chub I now sport.

Machhbus & Maryam

Secularism.To many it may be a subject of discussion and intrigue but I was born and brought up in Mumbai, a cosmopolitan city. So for a fairly large part of my life I never realised some people did live a life otherwise. Even while being groomed in a convent school,each girl was taught to love and embrace the different cultures, traditions and values each girl brought along with her religion. We'd all merged into one big family, genuinely.

Our lunch break was all about girls flocking together in groups and sharing their lunch 'dabbas'. I can never deny that was the most favourite part of my day at school. I think those habits have just spilt over into the rest of my life. I don't think even after shifting away from Mumbai I have forgotten even one ounce of what the secular life there taught me. It's this multi-cultural background that makes life so wonderful. Am able to savour and revel in the variety that we find here in India, like nowhere else.

This is the consecutively 3rd post that will be mentioning my Irani pal Rose and her family. And that's how much I've grown to love them over the past 2 years. Rose will, hopefully soon, be marrying a Delhite Indian and we are all very much excited. Am also proud that yet another Inter-religion marriage will culminate bringing about the confluence of beautiful traditions. The fair damsel is as much Indian as Persian and has learnt almost all about our cultures and traditions as much as a modern day Indian girl would know. She already speaks Hindi, fairly fluently. She has picked up Indian cooking so quickly that she leaves me amazed. And I have enjoyed many an Irani delicacies at her place. Her mum's an excellent cook and now that she's back in Iran we miss her terribly.

However to fill in for Momoni's absence came Maryam from Kuwait. Respectfully and lovingly addressed as Khalla (aunty), the young lady definitely doesn't look like a mum of 1 adult and 2 teenagers. Fair and lissome she's a vision of kindness and loving warmth. Still sporting the Hijab, unlike most Irani's who have shed it in India, she always keeps herself busy. On my last visit, she welcomed me (fully aware that I am a BIG foody) with a Kuwaiti Biryani called Machbus. Of finger-licking goodness,each mouthfull of  the saffron coloured, spicy, tomato flavoured Biryani had some juicy pieces of boneless chicken. One spoon after another I scooped my plate clean and could have hogged some more.For my weighing scales' sake and out of good table etiquettes I controlled my gluttony pangs.

Here's a pic she clicked for my blogpost.

A Hair-raising story

Which wasn't terrifying one bit.
My long locks are my prised possession and I'm very finicky when it comes to letting somebody snip through it.
I may avoid going for a trim until I'm sure I'm going to the right hair stylist.
Junior stylists at good salons are too much of a trying experiment for me!
Just before Diwali I got really lucky as my best gal pal's aunt, a senior hair stylist from abroad flew down (with all her equipment!)
And what I got myself was a jackpot of a transformation.
Here's my story of going from Ugly Betty to Rapunzel through pics.
Hope you enjoy them and are able to see the 'Great Change' beyond the filters on the fotos.

BEFORE:                                                                   AFTER:                                                                                                     

De'light'fully Different Diwali 2009

This Diwali was different in more aspects than I could ever imagine.

It all began with the preparation to welcome all the festivities. This Diwali my dear friend Rose from Iran decided that I needed A Makeover and that's what I exactly got. Her aunt from Kuwait is a senior international hair stylist and she really did a miracle with my forever tousled, unruly, thick, bushy hair. And many thanks to her, I can now call them my black, streaked, well-groomed long tresses!Wallah...

Khalle`as she is referred to with respect in Persian, is on her first visit to India. And to express all my happiness and gratitude for the fresh new look she's given me, I invited their family over for Laxmipujan on Deepawali day. It was such a beautiful feeling to see them take such great interest in our culture and traditions. So me and my hubby celebrated our Diwali-2009 with so many new guests. Beginning with our little 9 month old son, we also had in our company my friend,her father (whose also visiting India after many years),her younger sister,her elder brother and their beautiful aunt.

They wished me to put the kumkum tika on their forehead as they entered and their broad smiles lit up my home even more. Vermilion looked so beautiful on Rose's fair,delicate temple! Mashallah! They looked genuinely so very happy to join us at this occasion and reveled in our traditions like sugar in milk.

Here's a pic' she clicked of the diya at our doorstep.

With my toddler getting increasingly naughty by the day it was just so impossible for me to sit down and draw a Rangoli myself. I had to go and purchase those stickers to decorate the doorstep. Then I got this brainwave to go all out and make it entirely different so instead of lighting the traditional Samai, I fixed wax Roses on each pod of the Samai. Lo & Behold! It made quite a trendy piece there. Rose loved it the best for obvious reasons. :)

This year's lighting ideas were also very different. We replaced all our interior lights with LED bulbs and tubes. Used only LED wallwashers and strips instead of the old rice bulb garlands.So I'm proud to say we made it a GREEN DIWALI! I made our contribution towards conserving energy.

The sweets had traveled all the way from Bangalore and with each succulent bite I was longing to send B back and ask him to fetch some more. Teeeheeee....

I had to offer Laxmi Pujan at the office and my In-law's bungalow too so before the muhurat could get over we had to travel to Lonavala. By 8.45 I had succesfully and mind you, devoutly completed a hat-trick!

After a tummy full of  wonderfully yummy food at B's favourite Tejas Dhaba, we drove back to Pune.

As we re-entered Pune we could literally see the air was thick with smoke from crackers. The night sky however looked gorgeous with pretty lights bursting into bright flowers like reaching out to touch the twinkling stars.

I was soaking in the warmth and happiness I was feeling at that moment. B and I were being showered with so much love and respect.  This Diwali has truly been beautiful, I  said to myself.

I really had wonderful fun what with the giggling company of Rose, her younger sis' who dreams of becoming a Bollywood face some day and Khalle'. Conversation with Khalle' is very difficult 'cos she can't speak any language other than Persian. So all through out Rose had to play intrepretor and she's extremely good at that.. In her sweet voice she would translate all that I wanted to say to Khalle'. In this process I have learnt quite a many phrases, words and expressions in Persian. Besides the body language that can say much more, Khalle's eyes speak so much. She's a very loving, caring lady. Always ready to give. As we bade each other goodnight at the gates of their home in India, Khalle' came upto me, linked her arm in mine and exclaimed in English 'Sisters!'. She turned and gave me a hug and 3 kisses!

Dellam Baratun tang misheh! (I will miss you'll)

To Heaven or Hell?

People scare you.
People dare you.
People who think,
They know everything.
The experienced,
The seasoned,
They know everything!

She’s been there
And done that.
So she proclaims,
The same stage I will be.
Standing where she’d been,
“You’ll see!”

Scared the day lights out of me.
How could she?
Was that a blessing,
Or a curse?
What she foresaw was adverse!

Is my life leading that way?
The path she walked,
That led her astray?
I wouldn’t want to live that way!

People know how things go?
People see what lies ahead for me?

What am I to believe?
My heart that denies,
I’ll face the same lies,
That she breasted.
Her life was wasted!

What am I to believe?
Her loss of faith,
In a woman’s fate?

People scare you.
People dare you.
People who think,
They know everything.
I say, stop preaching!
Life has its own way of teaching.
What was yours needn’t be mine,
For each there’s a different destiny’s design.
For good or for worse,
Time will tell.
My deeds shall see me
To Heaven or Hell!