"hey mom..........do you think you could be the monster in our power ranger game."
That was the request from my six year old son at his impromptu birthday celebrations yesterday. The theme was Power Ranger Party. Three eager faces peered at me, and I had to relent. The next half hour went away with me screaming and walking tall, and being beseiged by laser guns, power rays, socks, kickboxes, gamma rays and even a sneezing spell.
By the end of it, the power ranger monster morphed back into a 33 year old mommy. And yet, at the end of the evening I heard my son confide in a little pal, "My mum is mean, isn't she?"
Well, exactly my point. The poor power ranger monster aka mommy seldom gets a chance to redeem herself. Kids think she is too strict, dad thinks she is too lenient. Teachers think she is too pushy and other moms think she is competition.
Next on my agenda is the yearly scary event. The annual formal b'day party of the six year old. Meticulously organised, planned, and put down to the last detail. Then there are the little guests. Some who are travelling, others who have fallen ill, and the rest who are coming. With each 'no', my heart sinks a bit......what will happen to all that cake and return gifts....with each 'yes', i worry, 'will they kill each other by the end?'
Well, thankfully by tomorrow evening we will be over the hill, unwrapping gifts, oohing and aahing and feeling happy and satisfied. I will get a sloppy wet kiss for my troubles and will be dead to the world by eleven, aided by the manna for adults-alchohol.
In the meantime, the little tyrant who rules out lives will be taking a decision on what we have to do next year. I just hope we dont have a Harry Potter theme party,cos well, I'm just a muggle!
Friday, July 13, 2007
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
On the beach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The resort I stayed at a recent holiday in Kuala Lumpur seemed to be very popular with visitors from the Middle East. We found scores of families from various areas there, staying at the hotel. Apart from us Indian's of course :) !
The Sunway resort where we stayed had a man-made beach and lagoon. It had a lot of adventure theme parks and a water park with fun stuff to do for everyone. The day we spent there was memorable with the many rides and adventures we had. However, what struck me and cut me deep was a young woman in a Burqua on the beach.
By her body language I could make out she was quite young, and she was accompanied by her husband and two young chilren. The latter three were appropriately dressed in shorts and swimming gear for a day at the water park. The former, however, was covered from top to toe in a burqua and a veil for her face. The only visible area at the eyes was covered by sunglasses. In short, apart from her hands, there was no visible skin anywhere. This lady stood on that beach watching her family frolic in the water for a good three to four hours, at least till the time we were there.
Watching her in the searing heat, surrounded by other women of all shapes and sizes, in varying swimming gear, from bikinis, one peieces, tankinis, cycling shorts to burkinis even, felt odd. In that heat, her ensemble choice did seem out of place. Watching her somewhere sent a shiver down my spine, and perhaps left me thankful of being born in a more liberal country in more liberal times.
While leaving I wondered if she had ever felt tempted to throw off the restrictions and jump into the water. Sometimes the smallest things in life you take for granted make you pause and ponder.
The Sunway resort where we stayed had a man-made beach and lagoon. It had a lot of adventure theme parks and a water park with fun stuff to do for everyone. The day we spent there was memorable with the many rides and adventures we had. However, what struck me and cut me deep was a young woman in a Burqua on the beach.
By her body language I could make out she was quite young, and she was accompanied by her husband and two young chilren. The latter three were appropriately dressed in shorts and swimming gear for a day at the water park. The former, however, was covered from top to toe in a burqua and a veil for her face. The only visible area at the eyes was covered by sunglasses. In short, apart from her hands, there was no visible skin anywhere. This lady stood on that beach watching her family frolic in the water for a good three to four hours, at least till the time we were there.
Watching her in the searing heat, surrounded by other women of all shapes and sizes, in varying swimming gear, from bikinis, one peieces, tankinis, cycling shorts to burkinis even, felt odd. In that heat, her ensemble choice did seem out of place. Watching her somewhere sent a shiver down my spine, and perhaps left me thankful of being born in a more liberal country in more liberal times.
While leaving I wondered if she had ever felt tempted to throw off the restrictions and jump into the water. Sometimes the smallest things in life you take for granted make you pause and ponder.
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