Happy Independence Day ! 2007

Last year my son was in a small shool. For Independence day, he was asked to come to school dressed in white. They tied a flag-scarf on his head, pinned national flag on his white T-shirt. With 3 more boys, he danced in this smart get-up to 'Suno O duniya walaon, Boori nazar na hum pe dalo' , in front of us - the adoring parent audience. They also sang the National anthem and cut a tricolor cake and had chips with it. Basically, it was an 'Independence day' celebration-Indian ishtyle!.

This year he goes to a big school. He got home a circular that conviniently declared it a holiday. Kids of Class 6 and above had programs. But we were not happy with this. So I asked the program from his school teacher, who was very happy to give it. We got up early, and reached the school at 7:30 a.m for the 7:45 a.m. flag hoisting ceremony. The senior children were practising to salute on instructions. A few parents were seated in the last rows. We sat down with them. The chief guest ( a retired army person) came on time and the children marched smartly, leading him to the stage. On instruction everybody got up. When our flag was hoisted the children saluted. Our little guy, who by now was standing on his chair for better visibility, saluted oh-so-seriously, it brought tears to my eyes. Then he sang 'Jana-gana-mana' with all of us and sat down when everybody did. (I am proud of you, little guy). Then of course, he behaved his age, 'Mumma, I am so thirsty.' 'Hungry' would soon follow, so we left.

I wonder how our independence day celebrations, turn out to be so emotional. In US, it is a long weekend, an outing and fireworks. For us it is a day to see our flag everywhere, in its wondrrous colors. It has the best color combination, among all the flags, I must say. And every color has its history. And listening to patriotic songs....That is what makes the day so sentimental. Our lyricists have done such a good job with their words, that I don't know how many more generations it will take to break out of their patriotism-inducing-effect.

Also contributing to the independence-day-feel are the news. BBC's week-long programs about India, NYSE's big banner of '60 years on Indian Independence' , 'the guardian' (UK) front page about India being the best place to be born in right now! While we crib about roads, water, electricity etc...the broader pictures seems different. To be in India now, an Indian now, is an envious position.

While waiting for my husband to take a driving test in the US in 2001, I had the opportunity to get chatting to 2 more ladies from 2 other countries. One was contemplating marriage to an American citizen, to stay in the country. The other was studying but was on a visa-that-has-almost-expired-sometime-back kind of doubtful situation. What one of them said struck me 'I am not going out of this country, till they kick me out. [country] is a terrible place to return'. Coming from country that is a blessing to return to, I felt a sense of intense pity for her.

This is probably the time, for which, our fore-fathers fought for. The time that our future generation will look upto for guidance. We are in that time! Let us make the most of it. Better it and leave it for our children 'Ab tumhare hawale watan'....the songwriters did too good a job, don't you think? Difficult to think new thoughts when their words fill up our heads and hearts.

Travel bugged

Looks like, this year, brought with itself an agenda to make us travel. Not that we are complaining. Me and family are ever-ready. But a slight hitch. After trips in US, we kind of underestimate the 'work' that goes into planning a vacation here, in India. Another US hangover is the mode of transport. Trains, buses are counted out. Cars are voted for. I don't know, how many more trips, it will take us to realize, that roads ARE BAD. No, it was not just the stretch here and there, through out, the roads are.......well. Infact, in patches they are good. But the freedom of stopping for coconut water, highway-cafe coffee days, singing - along with 'tere bina'(Guru)........are still winning.

So after the wonderful short trip to Belur-Halebid, in Jan and the long drawn relaxed trip to Ooty in feb and the pilgrimage to Tirupathi in March, we were not done. We drove to Coorg in May, with my family and then to Kodaikanal in June, with in-laws.

Coorg we stayed in a bungalow, amidst a coffee plantation. The drive was enjoyable. Of course, we were blissfully ignorant of what awaited us. The mud/stones/rocks path, (hence forth will be refered to as THE PATH)that lead the Qualis from the main road to the actual house that was half way down a mountain,was steep in the steepest sense (I don't know what that means? But understood, right?).We endured The PATH cheerfully. But when we saw the Bhoot Bangla, we were so ready to return. But we are a brave pack, not ones to turn tail on the money already spent (it was not cheap, mind you). So we stayed. The best part was we were enough people. We were 9 of us, and and we kind of managed to occupy a large part of the large house. We endured power-cuts, defunct generator, a scary looking care-taker (really!) and a cook who did not understand any of the languages we spoke ( between us we have a collection of 11 languages, including German which my appa speak)s. We soon realised that THE PATH was the only path to food(restaurants) AND sight seeing. There was no other way. Of course we could have sat in that beautiful garden, cooked in the farmhouse-ish kitchen and returned. But as I said we are a brave pack and maybe a little lazy to cook on a vacation...maybe. And as I also said already, were enough people and we were just family. So we cracked scary jokes about the house, ganged up to get the generator working, sight-saw and had a giddy,gaudy good time.

Then we went to Kodai, and pushed our luck, that little much, too much. We ended up watching a combination of mist, fog, drizzle and downpour. To be honest, the sun used to be bright till 10:30 in the morning. But by the time we overcame our we-will-not-be-hurried-on-a-vaction indignation, and cooked for my Tambram son, we had lost the sunny window. But again, it was just us, just family, and we laughed at our inertia, fumed at the weather, realised we were morons for planning this at the beginning of a never-fails-to-stick-to-it's-timing rainy season. And cycled. Rented cycles, in all colour, size and shapes were available in plenty (Maybe because all the smart people had vacationed and left, already).

We returned a week later than my son's school re-opening. It is a small, kind KG school. Secretly, for me, till he went there, he would be a 'baby'. Left to me, I would send him to school at the ripe old age of 6. Directly to class 1. But, I have succumbed to his need for interaction with his friends in his 'office'. (That's what he calls it). But being the only kid in class? Yep. We realised, that all his nursery classmates had moved on to the big schools, and he was the only child, in his class. Suddenly my idyllic theories seemed stupid. It was time to take stock and charge. Take charge, I mean. Fortunately, we got admission in the oldest, established school in our Layout. He has to wear uniform. Tough on me, but he has already become school-proud and uniform-proud. My small doubts of whether my baby has been shoved into boy-hood before he is ready for it is dispelled by him, constantly. "Ma,see, I can switch on the fan!! I don't even have to stand on my toes!!!! Look!!!!! I am now a big man!" . Hey ! hold on there..not so fast.

Bangalore in 2020 !

B'lore in 2020: 40 degrees and rising

It would have surprised me if it had been otherwise. Of course, the blame is being laid fair and square at the IT/BPO industry. Do they deserve it?

Unfortunately, I think they do. This industry which has been the positive result of our tough education system has however lacked in it's social role. The people at the helm lack the vision and foresight. Of course, they have been successful in building business, but the absence of perspective on the societal role is a major flaw.

Most of the buildings that house these units are monstrosities in glass, and more are coming up. A fully glass exteriors create a perfect green house effect inside. It was probably thought , that this would let light inside, but the cubicle-design effectively negates it and the buildings require artificial lighting in every nook and cranny. The heat that enter get trapped inside, (green-house effect, ofcourse) and require AC for the inmates to survive! The AC's are conviniently placed outside and increase the outside temperature.

The BPO's have specially failed in the transport section. Small vans and cars to transport workforce is probably the stupidest thing one can think of. The neccesity to draw up such a plan should have been warning enough.

Many industries have been set up, that are far more, dangerous to the common man. They have been done with a certain plan and vision. Leave aside the public sectors, for they had, full committees and governments planning for them. Take for example a Jamshedji. Building an entire township to house a steel plant. Now that takes time and patience. But it will stand the test of time.

Bangalore has moved from a AC-ed city to the hottest. The place is still the same. Geography placed it high on a plateau and blessed it with a climate, radically different from it's neighbhors. Even the IT/BPO sector was attracted to Bangalore, primarily because of this. But instead working with the climate, it has chosen to shut it out. 2020, is just 13 years down. At 40 degrees, imagine the amount of electricity, that will be required to keep the AC's and lights on (without which, these offices can just not be used). Of course, the big powers will move-in generators, UPs, inverters...which will contribute to operational costs and more importantly, the temperature.

The only way, from this vicious circle, is to throw open the windows. Literally. Bangalore is still user-friendly for most of the year. Yet. The software sector will manage any rise in temperature. AC-ing the house, car and office. But they owe it to the society. The ones that help make their life easier, but is already thirsting for shade, today, in 2007.

Nostalgia!

This blog was operational a long time ago, temporarily. My blog site at http://vidhur.rediffblogs.com had kind off konked off. I had then, started this site, as had many of those whom I used to network with. But had returned once the problem was sorted out, more because I was comfortable with that ones, modus operandi.

However, now decided it was time for a fresh look and lacking the time to write an entire code, I have now restarted this old nook.

Those interested in reading about mom stuff can visit http://measinmummy.blogspot.com/

Http://vidhur.rediffblogs.com

My thoughts and dreams are now penned in : http://vidhur.rediffblogs.com

A step in this journey called - life

Chennai mail, is at platform number one, announces the board at the Bangalore city station. As we enter the platform, our coach S-6, is right in front of us. We board it and find our seats. It is a lower and middle berth and we arrange our luggage below. ‘I will see the list and come’ smiles my husband. ‘Ok, also get a water bottle and come fast’, I reply. I have to tell that. There is something about railway stations and the genteel gender (yes, in my family the males are the genteel ones) in my family. They act like kids at a theme park.

He returns with a water bottle, a novel and a magazine for me. An elderly couple settles in the seats before us. A couple of guys occupy the window seats. There is a stream of people finding their seats, mixed with people, who have come to make sure their relatives really leave.

On time, the train gives a jerk and moves. Send-off-ers hurry to get down. As the train gathers speed, some people run with their bags to get on. There are always those. However late the train may be, there will always be a group who come late and have to make the ungainly dash. It is hilarious to watch, when one is not one among them.

The lady in front of me is having a monologue with her husband. It is about their relatives they met during the wedding they had come to attend at Bangalore. I am all ears. It is amusing; the way people talk their hearts out in trains, believing they will not meet their co-travelers again; the comfort of anonymity. My husband and the guys have the tickets in their hands. It is almost 11 p.m. and all are sleepy. We will the TTE to come and finish checking the tickets so that we can start our slumber.

The TTE comes with a flourish with a small crowd of RAC-ticket holders following him. There are very few ego-boosters that can compare to a respectful motley of people following. Thus boosted TTE checks our tickets, with a glare each. He moves on with his troopers and we settle down.

I snuggle into my shawl on the lower berth. Movement of the train, that can put out even the hardcore insomniac, lulls me to sleep. Some time later I am awakened. I realize there is some movement in the darkness in the space between my berth and the opposite one. As my eyes get accustomed, I figure a young woman is spreading a cloth after moving our footwear to one side. Then there on the cloth, among our footwear, she lays down a baby. The baby immediately crawls to a chappal. The confident way in which she is settling, leaves no doubt that the TTE has been taken into confidence. ‘Why don’t you book your tickets” I ask her angered. She just smiles. I bristle, having been woken up, having to find a baby trying to sleep among our footwear, having to fight with my conscience. I try to turn the tide.’ How can you put your baby in a position, where she has to sleep in this dirt’. She smiles again. She cuddles her baby and lies down. The baby makes some gurgling sounds and dozes off. All is quiet in the darkness below, as the mother and child sleep fitfully. I spend the rest of the journey awake on my berth, under my shawl, discussing whether I should have adjusted the seat with them or not.

I check my watch at 3:45 a.m. and doze off. The train is scheduled to reach Chennai at 4:30 early morning. So many trains are late so many times. However, hoping the driver l would slow down and reach at a decent time of 6:30 a.m. is futile. It is almost like the driver derives a wicked pleasure in reaching on time.

As I step down groggily from the train, I see the young woman and baby. She, however is fresh, among a big group, and chattering excitedly. I smile to my self. I have learnt a new lesson; it is called ‘chillax’. I will probably forget it soon and will have to be reminded many times about it, in this journey called life.

Happy New Year 2005

Saturday, January 01, 2005

Wish you all a very happy, prosperous, joyous and a wonderfulNew Year 2005.God bless all

Posted by Vidya GKK on 12:54 AM
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Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Life is fragile, Handle with Prayer

Watching the cold waters of pacific, from the cliffs of Torrey pines en route to San Diego, we were discussing the beaches of India. Goa, Kerala and chennai with warm waters and hot sands. Little did we know that those very shores of Chennai would witness the largest catastrophes ever. I was going to write a post about Christmas in SanDiego, but cannot.The ripples of the Tsunami have crossed the seven oceans and overwhelmed me too.There are so many images...gut wrenching.
Following are the lines of a poem by William Cowper,I read in school. Although I cannot quite understand it right now...Something to hang on to till the world straightens itself out a bit..

God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a better taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

William Cowper

Posted by Vidya GKK on 09:40 AM
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Monday, December 20, 2004

Made in ....?

In the movie ‘Fatal attraction’, as Dan Callagher (played by Michael Douglas) stands in the rain, struggling with an umbrella that has blown itself backwards, Alex (his nightmare-to-be played by Glenn Close) comes out of an office building and looks at him and asks ‘Made in Taiwan?’ Such an innocent question…but then look again is it?

Oh, no I am not discussing the movie or the cast. Sorry for misleading…this post is about, outsourcing. A topic, that is on the top for Lou Dobbs. He can barely contain his angst, while discussing about China or India. This is a topic that Americans have strong opinions about depending on whether they belong to a company that is outsourcing or a person who has lost his job because of it.

Oh, no I am not discussing the politics of out sourcing either. Let me skip the preamble and let me come straight to…what my experiences are, about out sourcing.

‘Oh no, I don’t, Thanks bye’. It seems to be the umpteenth time; I am having the same conversation. It is always the same girl at the other end. ‘ Ma am, I am calling on behalf of SBC. Would you like to change your phone connection to SBC..we are offering ….’. I am tired of refusing her offer of a connection, which would give us cheaper rates to call our folks in India. I have begun to dread the phone. So, why not change? ‘It will be cheaper’, I say. “Because, we already have SBC”, says my husband. What? Let us overlook the fact, that I am irresponsible enough, not to know, what phone we are using. Think about the poor girl, doing her job meticulously, awake at night a continent away(to catch us during our day time), wasting her time and companies money... equipped with a faulty database. So next time she called, I told her the same ‘I am sorry, but we already have SBC.’ A pause..Then she replies’ Oh sorry, Ma am. I think this list is probably not updated’. ‘ In case you need any info..’ she continues in American accent. Nothing to score, but unwilling to abandon her post. I cut to the chase ‘Hey!’ I say smiling‘ What is your name? You know mine.’ She gets it. Ashley Smith, real name Madhu.” Now we both are good friends..and she calls me to just talk shop!

Oh and then there are the products. Among the goods flooding the market, for Christmas, searching for a ‘Made in USA’ tag, is like..is like..*Blink* searching for a needle in a haystack. On a shirt as I see a tag reading ‘ Made in Austria’ I remember…Two years back.. we were shopping in the busy Chickpet area of Bangalore. We had found this small shop that was exporting shirts and they also catered to the local populace. As my husband was scanning the shirts, he read aloud ‘ Made in Austria ? Do you import or export?’. Sheepishly, the salesman says..’It is made here, but different tags have different market, so we export with the tag the customer wants’. So the shirt that is in my hand now.. may have been made in an export garment unit in Bangalore ?!

Smug that my country is self sufficient and can manufacture what it requires, I look at the Chinese group who have boarded the plane in Taipei, en route to Los Angeles. As, I take out a stainless steel flask, that I have bought in Bangalore, a man across the aisle takes out an identical one. Whoa! I think, so we must be exporting to the great exporter, China. His face breaks into a smile, and points to my flask and says ‘My company makes’. What? When did this happen?

But then it is bound to happen. The world is becoming a smaller place and all that. Even Brigade road (Hang out place – Bangalore) is not spared. Half the young ‘uns there speak in American accent and the rest in British accent!

Oh incidentally if you cannot find ‘Fatal attraction’, you can watch the Hindi version ‘Pyar Tune Kya kiya‘. Hmm. ..So America is also exporting…film stories. But I think they are upset, because they are not getting paid for it, hahn?

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Wednesday, December 15, 2004

'Kurai ondrum illai..'(I have no worries/regrets..)

A favorite song sung by MS SubbulakshmiM S Subbhalakshmi passed away, and I am deeply saddened. Although my relationship with carnatic music is only third level…

Let me explain…in the top level, is MS and singers of her genre. In the second level, are those, lucky enough, to be able, to appreciate and revel, in the classical tunes. They are either, gifted by god to do so; or have pursued formal education, and can carry a raga, with ease themselves. My parents, and sister-in-law are in the second level. I am in the third level. I accompany them to concerts and hear it, when they choose to play it, in the house; but I cannot completely comprehend carnatic music. Watching the second levelers, I can sense, there is something significant in the atmosphere. Then, a string or two, in my heart, tunes in to this aura, that fills the hall and I become one with the serene, magnificent, positive, divine melody.

I feel MS had a special voice, magical. It satisfied the educated critics but also struck a chord in the junta, like me. There was ba certain timber. A certain openness, strength, appeal all at the same time. Her ‘Hanuman chalisa’ can put courage and faith in the feeblest of hearts. Many a gods, all over south India, arise in the morning, in response to her appeal in ‘Suprabhatam’. In Tirupathi, as the masses await 'darshan', shivering in the dawn, her rendition of ‘Vishnu sahasranamam’, warms and sanctifies them, before they enter the sanctum sanctorum.

At the Independence Day celebrations in 1947, Gandhiji asked her to sing ‘Vaishnava Janato’. She refused, because she did not know the language. He, reportedly told that, he would rather have it read out by her, than hear it sung by anybody else. So she sang in the celebrations. She received many awards and there are many inspiring stories about her. But somehow, somewhere, these have become incidental. The significance, I feel, is in the fact that as she practiced her ‘sadhana’ singing about the gods and goddess, they listened and rejoiced. We must be thankful, for being let to stand in the fringes and witness a miracle…

Posted by Vidya GKK on 09:02 AM
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Sunday, December 05, 2004
Hair Facts..

Most men and women I know advocate short hair. Even Oprah says, as a woman grows older, her hair should get shorter. According to that dictat, me, being of an age where the candles cost more than the birthday cake, should have what my generation calls ‘boy-cut’. But I am not ready yet. The fun to be had with long hair is many, and I am not ready to forfeit those. May be the day I discover a white hair…easier to dye…short hair…. but not yet. I have time.

Fun with long hair! Yep.. after the weight of hair has pulled your head back the whole day, and your forehead is ready to surrender and slip to the back of your head (gross?)……just put some oil and back brush it. The feeling is amazing. But do not hurry with it. It needs to be done properly. Sit comfortably, apply oil, or the back brushing will entangle your hair real bad. Then take a brush that is strong, and brush right from the nape to the forehead. Do not forget to bring the hair from behind your ears to the front too… This will either make you drowsy enough for one of the best sleeps you ever had, or make you alert enough to write a post for your blog!

Oh then there is the fun of applying curd/henna or what ever gooey substance is your favorite. The first coat cools you down real fast. Especially in the middle of summer, and you feel like sticking your head in a refrigerator, but can not..this works. Only after it dries…your head weighs a ton.

That brings us to the next fun thing you can do…Wash it. As the henna dissolves and runs down the bathtub, try not to worry about the cleaning that will have to be done later. Concentrate on the top, because it starts to feel real light. I mean real light, because it is not just the henna going, some of your hair is too.

The next fun part is drying. No not the hair dryer…that gives me a headache. Best is to sit in the sun. The moisture will slowly leave the hair, but will get caught in the strands and if you sit real still, you can feel tiny eddy currents of steam on the scalp, while the sun beats down on your head. And if you are lucky a slight breeze, a real gentle one mind you, will come and rustle your hair. The feeling is tickly, but to enjoy it you have to overlook the discomfort, of the sun burning your back. Of course, if a strong gust of wind comes and whips your hair around your face, you can try to try to get a ‘wind blown’ look. You will have to be real careful to gauge the wind direction and face into it. Or you will end up with just a ‘bad hair day’ look. Another way is to jump on a two wheeler and drive. You will get similar results and your hair will dry faster! But try combing it after that….

A word of warning…try the above in hot summer. If you do any of the above in cold, cloudy yucky weather…you can catch a cold…aaaaacchhooooo. The short hair theory ….may be..just may be…not so bad after all. aaaachhoooo! Oh my… aaaaacchhooooo Super cuts here I come…

Posted by Vidya GKK on 11:25 PM
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Wednesday, November 24, 2004

SMS SMS Everywhere, I need more time 2 thinkThe first time I read the board, near the road, I could not control my laughter. It said clearly, 'Right Lane Must turn right'. what? Where else can the right lane turn? Do roads have any choice?For a second, I thought I had read something wrong. In the next traffic signal, it was there again. I had no idea, why there was any need for the americans, to control their roads that way. I finally asked my husband, after my bout of laughter subsided. He knows that once I start laughing like that, anything he says would only send me into another fit. After that it made sense. What the boards meant were, that the traffic on the right lane should not try to cross over to other lanes after that point and must continue turning right. Wouldn't a simple addition of 'ers' make it more meaningful. "Right Laners must turn right". I am sure it would not occupy too much more space.

Then there is 'PED Xing". That is "Pedestrian crossing". The last time I checked, you had to put a dot, when you ate up half the word. That would be "Ped. Xing". Now that Xing... Maybe a "X-ing". I am not trying to nitpick here, but I find I am not the only one.

There was this news about the use of "ing" in the news as they reported election results. "Wisconsin going Kerry". What does it mean? We can make out that Mr.Kerry should be happy; something positive about Kerry and Wisconsin. But has it gone to him already, or is it going to go to him, or is it currently going but do not know about the future ?

These short forms and SMS are good, in the sense that they save time. However to put things in perspective, we need some grammar. " To go" means (at a restaurant) I want my order packed, so that I can take it with me. Agreed it takes longer in propah English, but we have that much time don't we ? But now, it is not about the time anymore. It is, just that if you say anything, other than 'here' or ' To go' in that instant, you will simply not be understood. I fear these short forms will become a habit and we will lose the freedom of expression.

I am not talking about the grammatical mistakes that people might make. That is OK. But cutting corners, slicing and chopping of words and vowels...

Ah! I have received mails that are so short that U have to search your screen for the message. One says ' t' and next line "O". That is, "Thanks" and the persons name beginning with "O". That, after I spent one and a half days to draw up an important report for this person! Can I have a regular "Thank You", please ? No, seriously, is it too much to ask?

BTW, what is this? 'By the way', is something that is used when you have something to add on a related topic. But, because there is a short form, I find it used indiscriminately. Well.. I am treading dangerous waters here,I guess. I know "BTW" is a favorite, so let's leave it at that.Whew!..Got serious there didn't I?

That is it. Thank you all who read my last post and sent in comments..I am searching for your blogs...

Posted by Vidya GKK on 11:10 AM
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Saturday, November 20, 2004

Choti Si Baat

I am desperately trying to teach my one year old son to say 'Hello'. Desperately because a lady in 'mommy and me' class told me over her 20 month old daughter ' Girls learn faster, she was saying hello when she was one'.

We are a living in California, in an area where, surprisingly, there are very few Indians ! My neighbhours include a Romanian lady who 'Spik no Englez'. So although I know an international language-English, national language-Hindi and regional language-tamil, I have absolutely no way of communicating with her. There is also a lady from morrocco. Her communication during our first meeting was her finger on her lips, head shake with 'English No'. Huh..I am a social person, but I can only try..

My son came equipped with a smile, and has now learnt to 'do' 'bye-bye'. Yeah,I say do, because he still cannot 'say it'. He waves his hands, like he is scooping icecream from the air, with fingers splayed.This, however seems to be enough in a world that provides no communication abilities to someone I know, who knows three languages. The Romanian lady comes out regularly to smoke. All my son has to do is walk towards her with his single action vocabulary(?) and she put her smoke down and waves back. The morroccan lady too finds the 'bye-bye' too interesting for words. These ladies can keep waving as long as my son wants. To me, it seems like hours...What else can you feel, when all you can do is smile in the background. Some times he wraps one chubby hand around my finger, and I am thankful for being included in the friendly scene. Other times he abandons me to go ahead and reward them with his smiles and cackles while his mommy hangs around here and there studying trees and flowers and ...bushes and....trees..(Ok that's all there is).

The minute he sees his dad coming up the path, he shouts with laughter and toddly-runs towards him. The ladies give me a smile as they retire into their homes. As I look up the path, I am thinking "He needs to learn to say hello..."

Posted by Vidya GKK on 11:25 AM
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