Voila lost 2 pounds..

Thanks to the "monday fasting" that I re-introduced after one year gap, I lost 2 pounds in a single day. No specific diet, other than no rice-made items on menu.

My Resolutions:-

1. To eat healthy and reduce the excess pounds. (I decided to go on south beach diet from feb)
2. To learn Tamil (I have a 30 days to Tamil book with me. Hope I finish it in next 365 days)
3. Read atleast one book in a month.

Finally me and my hubby dear...

are officially OVER-WEIGHT .
My BMI is 26.2. I blame it on pregnancy and its binges. Whatever the reasons are, I am in category "obese". I have to shed 8 pounds to bring my BMI into normal.My secret consolation is my hubby dear has to forgo his 16 pounds .

Fatty wars !!!

Went to Gyno for my first postpartum checkup.
Good Nwz :I lost 17 Pounds !!!
Bad Nwz : I have 18 more pounds to loose :(
Me : Can I go to Gym?
Doc: No, now heavy works.Only Strolling. U just had a c- Section.
Me : Can I diet?
Doc : No, You are breast feeding. It will affect your baby.
Me: How am I then supposed to cut my weight?
Doc: It took 9 months to gain the weight. It wont go that easily.
Thnx Doc. So much for consolation.
But, I am not discouraged easily. Just saw the weight-watchers ad. " Stop dieting, Start living". It looks pretty interesting. Maybe I should check its meeting. After all first meeting is free.

Already missing...

...my mother who returned back to India two hours back,after being with me for 10 weeks. She was my biggest support during the last weeks of pregnancy and after delivery. After she came here, she completely took over the household chores from me, persuading me to take rest all the time. She looked after the baby, when I was barely able to move from the bed after C- Section and even after my recovery. Despite, her illness she wakes at 5 Am (not counting the many times she wakes whenever my little girl decides to cry) and sleeping around midnight. I wish, I could have shared some of her burdens and not have taken her so much for granted. She is so precious and a lifesaver. I totally miss her. I hope, I could as good and helpful as my mother was to me, to my baby girl.

A Thing of Beauty is a Joy ForNEVER..!!!!

“She's beautiful, and therefore to be woo'd She is a woman, therefore to be won” -
William Shakespeare

There is no denying that it is the beauty that first catch the immediate attention of a person. Life is never fair. Some are lucky to be born with beauty and others like me strive hard to look beautiful. And in our stuggle to attain the beauty, the cosmetic companies give us due suppot. Beauty is addictive and every human being has a natural instinct to look beautiful. With the big cosmetic industry nothing is difficult. Spent some bucks and you can be the way you want...well..almost.

Cosmetics are are substances used to enhance or protect the appearance or odor of the human skin.(source;Wikipedia). A more accurate definition of Cosmetics is given by US FDA, The term "cosmetic" means (1) articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body or any part thereof for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance, and (2) articles intended for use as a component of any such articles; except that such term shall not include soap.- FD&C Act, Sec. 201 (i)

Why this much talk on cosmetics? That is because I read a review of the book "Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry -Stacy Malkan" here. The practices in the cosmetic industry really shook me up. The very famous and branded multinational companies selling the products with ingredients that triggers cancer, reproductive and neurological disorders, and hormone disruption, with full knowledge. I was shocked to know that Placenta is used in Skin moisturisers and toners.

With many campaingns many companies have come forward to sign the "Compact for Safe Products", which states that cosmetics and personal care products made by our company anywhere in the world meet the formulation standards and deadlines set by the European Union Directive 76/768/EEC to be free of chemicals that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects. If this is of any relief, I would like to braeak the relief that Several major cosmetics companies, including OPI, Avon, Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, Revlon, Proctor & Gamble and Unilever have thus far refused to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. List of the safe cosmetic companies is here.

Gerbera Died and Jasmine is in Coma : A lesson learnt :(

It was all my fault. I didn't take care of them the way, I was supposed to. With many other things running around the mind, their thoughts didn't even enter my thick head. I was inside the house, with the shades drawn, wearing two sweaters, and with the heater on. The poor things were standing in the balcony in this freezing cold, without food for last 4 days. Today morning when I suddenly remembered them, I ran to them with water. But by then the Gerbera was almost sunk to the base of the pot and the Jasmine was trying hard to stand straight with all its leaves shrivelled up. With pangs of guilt conscience aggravated with J's lecture on "fulfilling resposibilities", I tended it, pruned it, changed the soil, watered it and shifted them from patio to the bedroom window.
I had thought about bringing them inside last week but postponed it because I felt lazy to do it. I am feeling sooo bad ... "if only I had been a little thoughtful and brought them inside last week...". This incident taught me the importance of doing the right thing at the right time, but at the cost of my plants. I wish I could do something to make sure that the fragrance of Jasmine never leaves my home....

Am I too filmy ???

December 2nd holds special for two reasons. One, it was the first snow of the season and second, my home pregnacy test showed two parallel blue lines.

And when I told the positive news to J , who was banging on the bathroom door impatiently, his reaction was a "wow", with a big dazed smile plastered across the face.

And I stood there expecting for more reactions (P.S. We planned to be in family way since August) . Afterall that was what I saw in all films, (atleast when pregnacny is from wedlock).

Recovering from the surprise , J came near me and hugged me tight and I thought "now he is going to sweep me off the floor "(though I preffered any other room than bathroom for it ).

Hugging me he told, "Now that you are going to be a mother, be regular in your diet. Take food on regular time, never skip your breakfast, add more vegetable in your diet, avoid sausages and other junk food". (I am addicted to sausage). And he released me from his speech and hug, with final advice "always think good and dont think too much".

Now I dont know which is the most difficult part in his set advises cum orders, taking breakfast daily, skipping sausage or thinking good always. Well, I zero in on "thinking good always and not thinking too much".

Are we becoming too practical ? Is sweeping off the feet too filmy?

In almost all the movies I have seen , the scene will be either two of these.

Scene 1 : Husband returns home in the evening, tired from the days work. He finds in his house, either the parents or (in some cases,) neighbours sitting around his wife. He becomes tense and asks them the matter. The reply will vary according to the films, but most will be " you are not just two anymore" or "your wife will tell you" or sometimes some sly comments like "after doing everything you are asking us the matter" with a lot of giggling in background.

Scene 2 : The wife is sick, nauseating and dizzy. Dearest husband takes her to a doctor ( in most cases, lady doctor; with a poster of baby saying "shhh...." cellotaped in the wall), who conveys to him the happy news.

Whether it is the scene 1 or 2, the climax of that scene will be all the same. The highly elated husband, jumping with joy, picks his fragile wife from floor, raises her to the ceiling and rotate her till the wife begs to leave her down.

After J's " non - sweeping from the floor" and "we planned for it attitude" , I sat thinking (totalling going against his last piece of advice).

Is the mordern day marriages too open that there are no elements of surprises left ?
Are we too open and communicative that makes us predictable?
Isnt those filmy pantomime sometimes necessary? Doesnt it invigorate the relationship? Afterall this is once or twice in life occassion.

or is it as simple as this" I Am Being Too Filmy"...??

Bloated Cricket Team Vs Famished Hockey Team

You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins.” - Jim Stovall


The first interesting news I read today was that the Indian Hockey team is all set to go for a hunger strike irked by the double standards of Indian Central and State Government. Indian hockey team won the Asian Continental Championship early this month (that too without losing a single match).

Totally ignoring it there was announcements of US $2 million cash award for the Cricket team, apart from this there are a lot of individual prizes for team members notable of which are houses to all team member sponsored by Sahara, 1 Crore Rupees cash award for Yuvaraj Singh for hitting six sixes in an over conveniently forgetting that On 5 September 2007, ODI India Vs England, Dimitri Mascarenhas hit five consecutive sixes off the final five balls of England's innings in Yuvaraj's over (well, of course ODI is not equal to so called Twenty Twenty World cup) . Heard that he is also getting a Porsche!!!!

In the newspaper I read this news there was also a comment column " Do u think Hockey Team is justified to protest". Well I think every person is entitled to protest against unequal treatment. When it is totally unjust there is no wrong at going on a hunger strike, (after all they are following the Gandhism). I saw another comment from a hardcore cricket fan (so I guess) that it is not good for the Indian Hockey team to be jealous of Cricket team for their riches. Well, that was not a fair comment. Nowadays the cricket team is getting unjust enrichment. Hockey is our national game and it has its place (But I confess that I cant recite the order of hockey team player as I can do of cricket team players). The winning statistics of hockey is much better than that of our cricket team. The media attention and the hype the cricket community is receiving is far above from that of received by hockey or any other sporting event. It is the media attention that brought cricket into the spotlight. Every sport should be equally encouraged. Only then there will be an instigation to achieve more. Too much of overshadowing and giving over importance does no good. Thus I extend my full support to the hockey team.

Religion in Cricket: A 20/20 Review.

Kudos to the Indian team.
I love cricket. I still howl, scream and clap (and occasionally
whistle) when I see good cricket (one of the signs that marriage has not
definitely changed me :)) The final match between India and Pakistan, the
proclaimed arch rivals, in 20/20 world cup was a dream final to most of the
cricket fans and the finishing was a nail biting one.
Undoubtedly Pakistan also played a very good cricket. My cricket
craziness knows no boundary. Whilst watching the final I was admiring Misbah ul
Haq. The cool and composed way he played till the end of the match. It was
optimistic cricket.
But when Shoab Mallik , Pakistan Cricket Captain addressed the crowd,
he thanked for supporting and further, apologized to the Pakistani people
and to the Muslims around the world for not winning. That attitude
disturbed me. Why did he apologize to the Muslims alone? I am not a Muslim and I
love Pak cricket team. I like Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan... They play
good cricket. But why thanks and apologies to the Muslims alone? Aren't
other people entitled to support them?
The cricket players in a way represent their country. They are looked upon, admired and followed by many people, particularly the younger generation. So when they state something I think they should do it responsibly. They should set an
example of tolerance, rather than compartmentalizing the fans. And
Shoab Mallik is the cricket captain and I think the comment was highly
disappointing, inept, unwanted, unwelcome, unbecoming one.