The Lens

I always complain about Shomeek spending way too much money on his photography equipments for nothing, but I have to admit being very impressed with his recent purchase: the 17-40L Cannon lens. He purchased it right before we left on vacation and the pictures from our Canada trip turned out way beyond my expectations. However, the real reason for me liking the lens is - I think it does a good job when it comes to my pictures. I am usually not photogenic and very rarely like a picture of myself. However, this new lens (and of course Shomeek will kill me if I don't include his photographic genius) has surprised me each time and I am really beginning to like myself in photographs. So good job Shomeek and below is a shot from this weekend's Durga pujo that I really liked. Of course I was shunned by all the 'mashi's'...ooops 'didi's' actually for not dressing up to the occasion (meaning not enough bling).

Hail the Indian Super Hero!

Just thought I'd share some laughs ~

Pre-pujo depression

Yes, I did say 'pre' and no I'm not out of my mind, and a bigger NO, this is not a continuation of my postpartum depression and it is neither 'that' time of the month. The real reason: Sacramento is yet to see the face of Maa Durga and I cannot tolerate to see anymore pictures of my beloved friends on orkut, dazzling in their pujo attires. Which brings me to phase 2 of my depression - I have NOTHING to wear at our upcoming pujo this weekend. 2 reasons for that too - 1. None of my traditional clothes fit me post baby. 2. Whats the point in dressing up - my daughter will be drooling on the silk anyways! Well, usually I'm not that shallow minded as to have my attire dampen my spirits, but it doesn't help when we have Durga pujo after bijoya and 'Lokkhi'pujo (i refuse to say 'lakshmi').
Anyhoo...I will stop ranting now and maybe write about something fun for my next post, to get me out of this crappy mood.

A breather!

Who knew writing for the blog would eventually become a source of sanity for me. This past week was a whirlwind of deadlines and with the looks of it, seems like the next week will be equally crazy. When I made the decision to quit having a full-time job a couple months ago, little did I know that I would end up being busier than ever. My imagination actually entailed being able to spend quality time with my little one, read books, watch movies, listen to music, catch up with old friends. In reality I've done all (with the exception of reading, as I'm taking a break from after having read Shantaram recently which took me forever to complete)and much more. I teamed with my previous colleague and good friend Marcy (who I don't think reads my blog :() to start our own Graphic Design company while on the other hand I teamed with my friend Soma to start an Indian contemporary dance company. Both have been going well, hence my crazy work schedule. I am currently working on a corporate branding project and also choreographing simultaneously for two dance shows to be held a week apart from each other. Not to mention, I have to plan and communicate practice schedules, shop for costumes, prepare & rehearse, coordinate with organizers, create ads, go for client meetings, prepare boards for presentations, etc...etc...
Okay, before any of you get me wrong - this is not me whining, but me organizing my thoughts. I feel productive as ever, since I'm doing all the things that I've been wanting to do in my life. I'm glad to be free of the "be creative in your little cubicle between 8-5" work schedule while my daughter cried her lungs out in daycare. It just makes me so happy to be with her at home, and watch her grow ever day. Its like a miracle happening right in front of my eyes. I love my work and my family -and that I believe is my greatest motivation at this point in time.

Happy Durga Puja!

Its that time of the year again when my heart aches for my hometown Kolkata and I wish I was there with friends and family. I haven't been home for the pujas for 8 years now, but I can still smell the pujo morning air, I can still hear the beat of the 'dhaak' (drum) and my feet do their own little 'dhunochi' dance. I'm not religious at all, but the goddess 'Durga' has a very special place in my heart. It used to be the only time in the year as a child that where we weren't expected to do homework for 5 straight days- that makes her special to anyone! :) The 'pandals', the 'adda', the 'fuchkas' and 'egg rolls', the new clothes and competing for who got the most number of new clothes that year, the flirting and infatuations, all of these memories still stir my soul. It is the season to love, laugh and let go. So my friends and family - many many miles away from me - I would like to tell you that I love you and miss you terribly in my life.

Shobaike amader torof theke sharodiyo shubheccha!

The BIG move

Don't freak out - we did not move to a new house. However a major move did take place within our house this long weekend. Evani's crib was moved from our master bedroom to her nursery. She has been sleeping in her own room since Monday night. She is absolutely fine with it - basically because I don't think she can tell the difference. However both mom and dad are miserable (especially dad). We miss her terribly. The positive side to it is, our bedroom looks very spacious once again and we dont have to tip-toe to move around while she is sleeping.

On another note, Koko started eating apples since yesterday. She seemed to love it. I went all out to prepare it instead of giving her the store bought jars. Since I don't have a job now - I'm trying to save some moeny...hee...hee... We'll see how long that lasts.

Evani's first photo shoot

Our friend Kiran and Shomeek made a great effort at capturing some of Evani's cutest expressions ~

Some precious moments

Finally I was able to capture her rolling over. Usually she never rolls over when I try to shoot.



Enjoying her bumbo seat. For my friends in India - this is NOT a potty even though it looks like one :)

Koko's intro to belly dancing

This Friday we met up with some of Shomeek's colleagues for dinner at a Persian restaurant. Who knew that Friday night was 'belly dancing' night at that place. Koko was tired and snoozing in my lap when all of a sudden the music blared and out came the belly dancer with her shimmies ( i hope that's how its spelled!). Koko jerked out of her nap and while I was scared that she would start shrieking at such sudden intrusion, to my delight she was actually mesmerized. With eyes and mouth (that's a constant) wide open, she actually was unable to blink. The belly dancer was kind enough to spend some quality time dancing for her most intrigued audience despite the fact that the parents did not have a single dollar bill to tuck in for her. I think Shomeek might go back next Friday night just for that missed opportunity. For all of you who do not know Shomeek that well, he does not miss an opportunity to either pose with or take pictures of belly dancers (atleast this time he had a good excuse)...so here goes~

Solids

Evani started solids last night - Gerber single grain rice cereal mixed with formula. She was totally intrigued by the whole experience and did a pretty good job at actually getting the food down her throat. I wish I had some pictures, but I was too tired to take any.

India Day

This Saturday was our first performance after having formalized TranceFusion Dance Company. The event was 'India Day' celebrating India's Independence day on August 15th. There was a huge turnout of people from various parts of India. The featured charity was Ekal Vidyalaya, which runs schools in the remotest parts of India for underprivileged kids and adults. Photos were courtsey of Picmyfoto~

Another milestone

Today Evani rolled over from her tummy to her back for the very first time in her crib. All this while she was turning sideways when laying on her back - but never turned over. It was a very exciting time for us - both mommy and daddy felt very proud and gave our little Koko lots of hugs - but then she wouldn't do it again..ha..ha..

Here is a clip of her from Friday

Its all about me today...

Its been a while since I've written about whats going on in MY life. Don't worry, I will not terrorize you with picutres or video clips of me...ha..ha...

Evani's birth has been a life changing experience for me. I have learnt so much in these past 5 months and still constatnly learning something new everday. I feel I have changed in so many ways, some of which is good and some bad. I now seem to have immense patience and have learnt to let go of a lot of little things which would have driven me crazy during pre-evani times. On the other hand I'm an emotional wreck and realize how much I miss the presence of my mother. I constantly feel the need to be hugged and told what a good job I'm doing balancing baby, home and work. I know it sounds silly and is not in my nature to need such sympathy or reassurance -which then again brings me to think I have changed so much. I find myself constatnly thinking of my parents and friends back home and it makes me sad that they cannot be a part of my life right now and watch my little one grow.

On the other hand I have also been feeling that I'm not doing enough things that I'm passionate about -and one day I'll wake up and find myself very old and realize that I've lost a lifetime doing an 8-5 job. 5 days a week, and a bunch of chores on weekends and in the process missed out on these precious times with Evani. Hence, I teamed up with a friend and colleague and we opened our own design studio - Wacker Design Group. I pray we can make this work and I'm able to quit my full-time job soon.

I have also teamed up with my very good friends Soma and Sanhita to start TranceFusion Dance Company. We curretnly have 6 active members and we meet regularly twice a month for practise and hope to organize a fund-raiser end of next year. In the meantime we are open to performing at other events and might also start giving lessons.

I have submerged myself into establising the studio, dance and Evani and that has brought in a lot of positive energy in me. Talking about positive energy, I have also been going to a yoga fit class every Monday and Wednesday during lunch. That has helped me keep fit and control my weight. I only wish I could eat healthy -that is something I have no motivation in. In fact these days I don't give too much thought or time to food - which might be the reason my eating habits are detoriating.

I guess that gives a detailed snapshot into my life and activities which I have not been able to share with many of you in the recent times. I think I should also mention that my best friend, Sapto (the one who is in Canada) has been a pillar of strength to me all along and I wouldn't have been able to do anything without her love and support. I am also very thankful to my brother who is always there for me and who means the world to me. I wish I was able to spend more time with him.

Ohm!

Indian food with aunty Joy

Is she blogging?

This was towards the end of her keyboard mania and hence the crankiness. She started off having a blast. By the time we thought it would be fun to tape she was already losing interest. But I thought it would be fun to share anyways.

Annoprashon (Rice Ceremony)

In our culture there is a ceremony for when baby is about to start eating solids. The maternal uncle is responsible for feeding the baby his/her first bite of rice. The baby girl is dressed as an Indian bride. However in Evani's case she will not be starting solids yet. We just got done with the ceremony as last Sunday was an auspicious day for the event. BTW - hope you noticed that she got her ears pierced...YAY!!! The entire album can be viewed here

Here are a few glimpses~







And of course, what is Mala's blogs without some video clips?
Here is Evani with her uncle (my brother)getting ready for the ceremony to begin~



All our events is always about food, so as usual there was LOTs of it~



And here is Koko at her 'after party' with Baba~

Evani's time at daycare

Another fun-filled week/weekend

Okay - so this past week was jam packed with activities. Celebrations started from 4th of July at the McDaids residence. Koko finally got to meet Pauline - her grandma from London who sends her all the pretty clothes. Actually Michelle and Joss did an excellent job in surprising Pauline with all the babies. There were lots of cuddles, smiles and love to share that day. Thanks so much for making the day so special for us. It was a joy to spend time with all the cutie pies. And of course special thanks to Joss for some top notch grilling. I wish I could post some pictures from that day (there were over 200 taken - thanks to Joy) - but I forgot to load the memory card in my camera and do not have any copies of the pictures from MC's camera yet.

As most of you know that both Shomeek and I love to travel. Its been a while since we went on a trip which makes us very uncomfortable. So last week we decided to get away for the weekend. After a lot of research we decided to visit Mono Lake (close to Yosemite). We also called up this lodge and reserved a little cottage for ourselves. But next morning I woke up with a not so good feeling about making the trip with Koko - so on instinct we cancelled. I still don't know if that was a good thing to do. Instead we decided to make a trip to Fremont to visit my nephews. Honestly, I've never been so excited in my life to go to Fremont - but it felt like an major outing for some reason. So we packed our bags and set out on Thursday night. Koko slept trhough most of the car ride and was very happy to see her brothers, mama and ninni ma (uncle & aunt) when we arrived. She took the whole trip very well -which made us parents gain some confidence for future trips.




Here is Koko conversing with Ron dada



We got back Friday afternoon and took the rest of the day to prepare for what was coming over the weekend. Saturday morning started with shopping at the outlet in Folsom. We were the first ones to enter the Gap store when it opened. We were there to buy gifts for Ronav's birthday and my nephews. Fortunately or unfortunately we were unaware that the kids and baby section was now a different store entirely. So we ended up buying "few" clothing items for ourselves. So much for trying to save some money. But it was fun shopping for ourselves and the kids and Evani enjoyed the pleasant morning weather. That evening was Ronav's third birthday party at Kemp Park in Folsom. My nephews were also invited to the party, so their whole family drove from Fremont and was staying over for the night at our place. A whole lot of fun followed.







Sunday morning Koko was in a happy mood and spent time with every family member in the house. Josh took over the camera and clicked some pictures which I might say is pretty impressive.

Weekend activities

We had a really fun weekend. Friday we were visited by aunts Courtney and Marcy and uncle Matt. We missed taking pictures with Marcy and Matt - sorry! You guys have to visit again soon just to pose with us...:)




Saturday, Koko got to spend a lot of time with Dad. They read books, played with her favorite teddy (actually tried eating poor teddy) and then went on a short trip from her playmat to our bedroom door. I think she was aiming for the stairs. It is so funny to see her kick her legs and travel from point A to B. It is her new found skill and whenever she is put down - off she goes!







Also, I just had to share these pictures. Koko loves books - so in hopes of her becoming very scholarly - her Baba got her two onsies from Harvard when he was visiting Boston some time back on a business trip...no pressure at all! ;)
Do you think she's blogging????

Working out with Baba

Koko enjoying the outdoors

So here is Koko in our backyard, enjoying the good weather. Shomeek failed to mention he was recording - hence me posing like an idiot in the beginning, thinking he was taking still shots. Oh! and by the way - for all of you who don't know I chopped off my hair - here I am with my new look. I was losing hair like crazy...and with the new style my life is a lot easier.

Daddy's girl...

...and why not? After all daddy is not the one changing poopy diapers and shoving the yucky formula down her throat. Nah! I'm not bitter - only a wee bit jealous...:) So Koko loves to hear Shomeek doing his baby talk which makes her burst into giggles. So last week Shomeek had to go on a business trip for 2 days to Boston and oh boy - how badly Koko missed her daddy. The first night he was gone, Koko came home and got super cranky not finding dad there. She kept rotating her head and looking around for daddy. She wouldn't drink her milk and kept crying. I had to call Shomeek and put him on speakerphone to calm her down.

Lately we find her in a super good mood right after she wakes up in the morning. We put her down in the bouncer where she plays with her stuffed animals while we go about doing our stuff. The moment she sees one of us she gets super excited, giggles and throws her arms up wanting to be held. It is so darn cute.

Today being Friday, I had the day off and was able to spend some quality time with her. We played with toys, read books, talked to each other and even danced around to some disney music. She thorougly enjoyed all of it. Recently I've been putting her tummy down on my legs and doing some crunches (that's about all the exercise I manage to fit in my day). She loves when I lift my head up and kiss her tiny lips all along swaying her back and forth with my legs folded up.

Here is a clip of her right after she woke up this morning. She does sleep on her tummy (i know...i know...it is not recommended due to SIDS - but that is the ONLY way she will sleep, so I can't really help it!) This totally makes my day! :)

Daddy's day

Our very first fathers day was indeed memorable. Morning started with changing into a cute 'I Love Dad' onsie followed by cuddle and conversation time with Baba. Baba received American Eagle t-shirts, movie tickets to Oceans Thirteen and brunch at Roxy. My entire visit to Roxy was surprisingly pleasurable. I was very entertained by the handsome waiters and my BIG eyes followed them whenever they crossed my line of vision (I wish Ma had recorded THAT). Pradeep mesho and Mouri mashi also joined us, which meant even more cuddles for me. I enjoyed my time with Baba very much.

Here I am, eyeing Baba's tomato juice.



Baba makes me SMILE



After brunch I decide to come home and entertain Baba.



I'm all dressed for Baba.




Posing...

Koko's conversations

So this morning she was in a very happy mood right after she woke up. For the last few days she has been cranky due to her early teething symptoms. However she seemed to be in less pain yesterday and had a good night's sleep. That must have been the reason for her early morning conversation.

Koko's spa experience

Koko is no different from us - she loves getting a massage. I tend to give her a full body oil or lotion massage ever alternate day (and I don't get paid for it!!!). Here is a glimpse of her enjoying it. When she grows older, she might kill me for posting her nude clip...hee...hee...

More pics!

I was on a roll this weekend. There are several more pictures - but I'm too lazy to upload them all here...hee...hee...

Friday fun!

It was a blessing to be able to stay home today and spend time with Koko. I am taking Friday's off for the next couple months. She clearly prefers to be home than go to daycare. She was a lot less cranky today and more playful. Here's what she was up to...