Sundar Narayanan : Desi Engineer in California married to a Desi Engineer. This is a log of my travel experience, food reviews and life's "little" quirks. . .
Disclaimer : My thoughts on this site are not intended to cause physical emotional or financial harm to any person or thing mentioned in this site or to the reader and I take no responsibiilty for the same.. So read at your own risk!! I also hope this font is large enough to be considered legal and small enough not to make my blog ugly !
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Jr. plays the Sax
Jr. has been learning the Alto Sax this year. They had their first performance for parents.
It is an expensive but beautiful instrument. Thankfully they allow us to rent on a monthly fee and if we rent for enough months we get to buy it! (Reminds you of Bama Vijayam, doesn't it?)
Took this HDR picture of the Alto Sax a few months ago..
Here is a video of her practicing at home after her first two classes..
Considering that we don't get to see her practice at home often (San's complaint that the thing is too loud!) and are limited to once a week, she did very well!
The plan is to encourage her better going forward...
When we went shopping for clothes, as soon as we landed in India, my thoughts on getting the kids matching outfits got a very critical response from the Mrs..
You are like Wagle in Wagle ki Duniya! Do you remember how he dressed his kids in matching outfits?
The comment initially drew a big blank from me because the time this serial was being telecast, yours truly was working hard to earn the title of "star maggu" in school and college. Nevertheless, my reasoning was apparently the same as Mr. Wagle! Save money by reducing cloth wastage! Per crude back of the receipt book calculations of three different Chennai tailors, one can save anywhere from .2 to .4 meters of cloth to stitch two salwars if you buy the "same" cloth for both girls.
After these critical looks and comments, we mutually agreed to do Wagle with a twist. Same pattern cloth, different color or design for the two girls. We get some level of matching but lose the cost saving bit.
Here is the first in a series of photos of the semi-matching outfits...
Blogging has become a luxury with the busy work schedule and the new early to bed, early to rise routine for the last 8 weeks..
Was going through old blog posts to see what we were doing last year same time and http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifsaw this post..
Last weekend saw us rearrange the kids closet and suddenly realized that both these pieces were still there! One was to be a hand me down to the little one and the other one was a fight to the end for the donate pile. Our kids will put top notch lawyers to shame when it comes to making a case for keeping their old clothes.
As usual, could not resist the temptation to do another juxtapose photo..
They really enjoyed dressing up and posing for this one!
This was taken when Jr. was 10 months old during her first India visit for her "mottai"..
The photo on the top wall is San when she was almost a year old!
There are 1000's of photos from 2002 August to 2005 that predate the blog.. we are having so much fun watching those photos and videos..
Going to see if we can fix up the old Canon Powershot and hand it over to the kids as their camera. Also planning to teach them Photography lessons every week for 30 mins or so. Today's generation needs photography skills as a default, no?
What with Facebook and Flickr possibly being a big part of their life in a few years?
Trying to impress grandmas and getting carried away..
Jr. and the little one both get a "ragam quiz" every night at bedtime. They can guess ~20 ragams from either a song I hum, the aarohanam-avarohanam or phrases or swarams I hum or sing.
They guess reasonably well, considering they have been at this for two three months already.
Every now and then, they pick a favorite and listen to the whole song till they memorize it and imitate it. While San thinks this is border line blasphemy, I encourage it. After all every kid is not going to be a super singer and the whole idea is to imitate and learn and this is my way of spending some quality time with them and having some fun.
The most important thing in learning, is learning how to learn! (if that has not been copyrighted, I am doing it right now)
So, here are the little Narayanan girls, doing their version of Vinayaka. They thought this was a rehearsal and did not know that the camcorder was on.
Don't know if the paati's will be pleased, what with the little one's novel concept of "variable thAlam" where she suddenly goes into a vigorous hand slapping to give herself some more energy to sing and Jr.'s attempts to sustain notes to try and get some semblance of a steady timing.
If they do improve over the years with lots of practice and training, they might look back at this and go "god, we have come a long way".. and if their interest in music dies out after some time, they might still look at this and go "we did try, didn't we"..
Getting these two to sit next to each other and sing in unison was in itself a workout for Daddy Narayanan. If they happen to sing this in tune and tempo eventually, will post that video as well...
Jr. sang on stage at her music school annual day over the weekend.
First time she is singing on stage. The kids were all giggles at first, but eventually settled down, got serious and started singing in unison.
It was a chance for them to show all the parents what they have learned, get to sing with a team, realize practice makes perfect and be exposed to stage fright. Although the intensity of the practice was initially making me go "Why all the strain. can it not wait a few years?", came round to the realization that this was a great experience for the kids.
Can already picture the beaming face of all grandmas in India right now, when they get to see this video!
Today when I picked up Jr. from school, she had a certificate.
It said something to the effect of "Congratulations on your birthday, etc. etc." and looked like a formal certificate with lots of colors on it!
Jr. said "are you proud of me, I earned that certificate"
Me: What do you mean "you earned it". You just had another birthday. You didn't work for it!
Jr. : Lived to be a year older, didn't I? (and makes a "duh" face, if you know what I mean)
Me : you lived to be a year older because your mom and me are still spoon feeding you, your breakfast and dinner and stuffing your leftover lunch in your mouth in the evening. If anything we should get the certificate.
Jr. : You are not fair. You are saying that because I got a certificate and I really earned it.
Me : !!!!!!!!!!!
Can understand people in gang infested neighborhoods feeling a sense of achievement for having lived longer and survived. But why would a seven year old living in a nice house with parents who spend 30 minutes a day with morning cereal and going to a nice school feel she earned a "birthday" certificate?
The hand did take a turn for the worse and limited activity for most of the day. After a lot of rest, got up this evening and tried taking photos. Options were restricted to indoor and that meant, the Christmas lights came out!
Like they say in Tamil "Yaam Petra Inbam" ... (the happiness I received, should be passed on, no?)
The camera modification
The setup on the dining table
A few shots which are better efforts than the previous one's posted earlier
Jr. is an amazing model. After getting hit by the flash a few times, she suggested that the picture be of the side of her face. It was a great idea.
Also, a tip. If you happen to try this at home, remember that 1000+ Christmas lights generate a lot of heat, when you pile them up in a heap. You are guaranteed to get your hands burnt if you unplug the lights and try to grab them off the table. It is NOT recommended under any circumstances, especially when you are recovering an already broken hand.
My kids asked me "how can you be so smart and stupid at the same time?"
Looks like Jr. is learning "letter writing" at school.
Earlier this evening, she was practicing it and both the adults were surprised to read the letter..
There has been a lot of frustration and anger in this house for the last few weeks. It is all behind us now. Maybe we will see the letters improve as well as the writing ?!
Was rushing to the checkout counter at Costco with the little one sitting on the cart and Jr. standing on it.
As we wheeled past the last aisle with all the medicines a question from Jr.
Jr. : daddy, are you going to buy Bengay?
Me : why?
Jr. : you buy Bengay for your mommy and daddy?!
Me : Not now. Looking for something else. When you grow up, will you buy Bengay for your daddy?
Jr. : (doesn't even think and says) No
Me : Why not?
Jr. : you are buying Bengay for paati because you are a boy. Only boys have to take care of their parents!
Me : do I treat you differently because you are a girl. I treat you the same way parents treat their boys, right? Should Amma and appa go have a boy? We have the two of you and you are our kids....(by now zapped by the realization that they have bad concepts in their head a little too early)
Jr. : okay daddy. I will buy you Bengay when you become old.
The little one watched this conversation with amusement..
Later we are at home eating Upma and the little one suddenly exclaims "when I grow old, I am going to make Upma for my daadu!"
Me :will you feed me Upma every day for tiffen? You know I like it
LO : but you will be far away though!
Me :!!!!!! (oru mudivoda dhan paa irukkanga)
Later San and me were wondering where this came from. Obviously their default world has grown up children leaving their parents and going away and grandparents only visit..
For now:
1. Bengay is a maybe 2. Upma is ruled out
god knows what else we have in store for us.. or should I say, what if any we have in store for us?
We were at a South Indian classical music concert this evening. Raghavan Manian was singing and he was doing a fantastic job. It was at a clubhouse in a residential complex and it was more of a social event than a rigid everyone has to be at their seat affair.
Jr. and the little one would come and sit in my lap for a few minutes, then disappear off to the back of the room to play with other kids and come back when they felt like it. Usually I never get to listen to concerts. Even if we do, I would be the one to walk out or run out with a screaming kid on my shoulder.
Today, after a long time, got to sit in one place and listen to a concert. That alone was a blessing.
Towards the end of the concert, he sang "Chinanjiru Kiliye" and at that moment Jr. came next to me and started dancing. (he almost sang it like a film song at places). Told her to sit down and she would not and to distract her, I asked "do you know who wrote this song?"
and she nods her head while dancing and says "Yep" I was surprised. Did not think anyone at home would have introduced her to Bharathiyar!
Went to WalMart earlier today. As usual, the little one enforced her new policy.
Cannot leave shop without buying her something, anything.
Today it was glasses. So the kids picked up glasses. Five dollars a piece. Considering all the long car rides that await us over summer, decided to buy them the glasses..
They did pose for pictures as soon as we came home
Indoors...
and outdoors..
Cool, no?
ps. Tonight at bed time, little one said "I was mad at you yesterday so did not say sorry. Can say sorry now and give you a kiss!" . Like WA said, this too shall pass..
The weekend was spent in San doing a traditional folk dance performance as part of a group of eight, a lot of quiet gardening and Jr. doing a coconut shell decoration.
The dance performance was impressive and so is the organization for which they did the dance. A separate post on India TEAM later.
As for gardening...
and for the artwork..
The week that started with a scare has ended nicely..
