The Balancing Act

The brother and sister, like all brothers and sisters have their moments of love and hate. The sister will go against the world to save her brother from trouble (mostly with me)and he on his part will happily give his darling sister a piggy back ride for every trip to the toilet and back!But those are the precious and peaceful times when they adore each other and all's well. But if only Life was so simple!!

'He's the worst brother in the whole wide world' or 'She's beyond annoying' are common phrases in our home. And before, when I was still the naive mom I was, I'd intervene and try to play judge. But I found that it only got me into trouble with either one of them and then the chorus would sing 'You are the meanest mother'!!So, these days, I just tell them that as they started the arguement they can very well end it too.

But after our move to Helsinki, I see these two getting together amicably for many things, very often. And more than willingly too! Vaibhav will make a face but actually help his sister set up her dolls house. Shriya is game for a round of soccer anytime. I'm often seeing two dark heads deep in conversation, possibly discussing old friends, influencing the other, compromising on choices! I wonder if this change is because they are spending an awful lot of time together (no school) or the fact that they still have only a small bunch of friends here. In any case, it warms my heart to watch these two even out their everyday differences and enjoy each other's company.

A few weeks back, when it was still Spring, we got their bicycles out. The brother being a pro (he started riding without training wheels, the day he turned 4) zipped past us and zoomed through all the little lanes in the park. The sister who still had a training wheel on was left behind. And I was no help as I cant ride a bike to save my life.

And then came her gallant 'guru'. He was patient, encouraging, ready and above all very confident in her abilities. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.
So, for every argument and fight they have these days, I remind myself of that precious afternoon and somehow it just balances it all out!

Nuuksio National Park- What an Adventure!

Finland is not called the Land of the 1000 Lakes for nothing.

Yes, there is water everywhere- suburbs, middle of the city, country side. And where there's water, there's a pretty picture that looks like its popped out of a postcard. If the city is charming with its ornate buildings and quaint trams, the countryside is simply spectacular.

We decided to make it to the famed Nuuksio National Park (www.outdoors.fi/nuuksio)
which is just about an hour away from Helsinki city. Our ideas about National Parks were man-made set-ups which were nice alright, but just wasn't all real. The Bukit Timah and Bukit Batok Nature Reserves were places we did frequent in Singapore but our heads always knew they were minutes away from a busy highway.

We'd gone to Nuuksio carrying a picnic but ended up walking a marked trail and covering over 6 solid kilometres. The kids were game for anything and soon equipped themselves and us with sturdy sticks for support. They became our trail leaders and led us up little hillocks, through gurgling streams and via some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. They climbed trees,collected pinecones, examined anthills, actively looked for the flying squirrels (apparently there's a lot of them, although we didn't spot a single one) and chatted non-stop all the way.

It sure was an exhilarating wilderness adventure. And they were such great sports. As expected, they want do another trail very soon not knowing that the Mommy is still feeling the after-effects of this one!

Am I still sane?

Every now and then I get these very sympathetic messages from friends and family.
"Poor you, 4 whole months with the kids without school. You must be going nuts"!!Occasionally I even get the appreciative ones which go " Well done, Harini. You've managed to push one month, its now down to three. How in God's name do you do it?"!

Well, I know it does sound pretty horrific especially in a new environment where the little ones don't even have friends to play with! I'll be lying if I said that I was not scared imagining how it would be. I was actually worried when I learned that the kids wont be going to school till August which is when the new term begins here. How was I going to set up a house without any help? How could I cook? What about my work? What'll they do the entire day? God, how did I get myself into this?

After nearly 2 months I can say that I had panicked for nothing. Things have a way of falling into place and the kids have risen to the occasion way beyond my wildest expectations.

The little ones pretty much take care of themselves -bathe/brush/dress, make their beds, get home-schooled in the mornings and help me out in the kitchen. Afternoons are for music, craft, balvihar, cooking and art. Its all done at a very relaxed and comfortable pace. They are learning tons and above all I feel we are connecting and bonding deeper with every activity done together. With me playing mother-teacher-instructor-playmate-friend, at times roles and boundaries do get a wee bit fuzzy. But that's the beauty of it all! I'm a friend teaching them Math, a mother playing soccer and a playmate teaching them a song.

I sometimes wonder if these 2 are the same kids who were used to a hugely different life and routine in Singapore. Besides putting their toys back in place and their plates in the sink, they did little else around the house. They had too many friends, attended way too many birthday parties and dabbled in a bunch of after- school activities. And with my crazy schedule thrown in, we never knew where the weeks went by.

Here in Helsinki, the pace has somehow changed- not sure if its because the kids don't go to school or because some of my work commitments like teaching have been put to rest(atleast for the time-being).And for the record, I've not gone bonkers! On the contrary, very much alive in the company of two inquisitive, imaginative and adventurous kids. We have been having a fantastic time exploring the wonderful museums, parks and major sights. Helsinki has so much to offer in terms of family activities and entertainment, that we have to actually prioritize what we want to do every weekend. Exciting times, indeed! And with a fantastic summer setting in, it only promises to get better. August is still a good while away :-)

Through our window....

After 2 months and 5 different residences we moved into our own space a few weeks back. We've stayed in 2 serviced appartments in Singapore and Helsinki, my parents' and in-laws' places in India, my aunt's place in Singapore.And we felt completely at home in each of these temporary residences where we found our favourite spots and fitted into routines of sort.

Our new home is a sprawling( after the match box homes we're used to in Singapore, anything over 1500 sq feet is sprawling!!) 2500 sq feet appartment, over a hundered years old bang in the middle of the city. It has the oldest and most charming elevator in all of Finland (that alone was enough to get me nodding). It faces a 150 year old church and a playground that are both ensconced within a larger park. On the other side is the statue of Sir Lonnrot (still have not figured out who he was or what he did..everything is written in Finnish!!)who also happens to lend his name to our street- Lonnrotinkatu.

There are huge bay windows in nearly every room. But my favourite one is in the formal living room. The windows are so broad and large that its like a moving picture of the outside world. I love to take my cup of chamomile and the kids their milk and we sit on one of the ledges and watch the world go by for a few peaceful minutes.

And what do we see?

The afternoon sun streaming through the sparse tree leaves, gently caressing everybody with its golden rays.Bright yellow and pink flowers fighting their way out of the earth after the long winter spell. Large sea gulls circling around the church spire and occasionally landing on the grass below looking for a tasty tidbit. We hear the beautiful peals of the church bell while we see bottle green coloured trams ambling their way across the park. A flurry of weddings (esp on Saturdays)with the bride and groom running out of the church amidst showers of bubbles and rice . The lush green lawns, dotted with a motely crowd of people- an old couple walking hand in hand, a lady in jogging gear running with her dog, a bunch of girls returning from the icecream shop (on the far end of the park) with delicious looking flavours atop waffle cones, kids in overalls making a sandcastle in the playground, a teenage boy and his friend showing off their skateboarding skills to the world, groups enjoying picnics, an old woman sitting on the park bench and knitting away.

Our windows back in Singapore meant nothing to us. We were greeted with sad sights of hard working men toiling away in the construction site and hear jarring sounds of the ugly crane and drill pounding away. I wonder if our new window seems like a live television set to the kids sans the remote! So much we see happening and yet nothing of big significance. These sights and sounds fill me up with an inexplicable sense of well-being. They are familiar, ordinary and yet reassuring. We are silent spectators watching strangers go about their everyday lives.And I find it all very relaxing and in many ways absolutely calming. Knowing that the world around me is fine, just the way it should be.

Indulgences

Its been a while since I blogged and unfortunately I can't blame it on shifting, setting up house or settling in. All that was done in a matter of 3 days. The Dad and I stayed up nights- with the kids in bed, our favourite music playing in the background, we worked at a rapid and continous pace and had the house looking like home very quickly. No, we are not masochists neither were we trying to set some kind of wierd record!! It just got to our nerves looking at boxes everywhere!

So, the reason for this ..well lets call it indolence, is that I could not tear myself away from what I'm currently reading. Its a story I've heard countless times. My grannies have narrated it to me a million times over, I've watched the movie and the series on television, I've read the abridged versions and yet I could not stop reading it this time. The Ramayana by Ashok Banker is a series of books covering this epic in his own trademark style.

I knew the story but not the details, I knew the characters but not their personalities, I knew it as a religious epic not as a literary delight. Banker is a narrator par excellence who etches the characters offering delicious minutiae and manages to keep the reader turning the pages inspite of the known plot.

The past few months, I have been drawn to Indian epics and life histories of Gods and Godesses re-narrated in English. Some such books that I relished:

The Palace of Illusions- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Its the Mahabharata through the eyes of Draupadi, Kunti and Gandhari. A completely and very different take to any version of the Mahabharat I've read/heard before

The Immortals of Meluha- this is a trilogy
The story of Shiva and what a story it is!!


I'm nearly done with Banker's series and have one last book to go. I'm savouring every word and drinking in all the particulars I never knew before. What a treat to be reacquainted with Rama and his troop and see them all in new light!

Spas, I love but not quite addicted to them, desserts I can happily do without, shopping, I've had enough of that these past few months to last me a lifetime! Uninterrupted ME time = A good book along with a good meal = top on my indulgence list.

What's yours?

Oh So Easy Palgova!

My kids have acquired quite a craving for palgova! They got their first taste at Murugan Idli(Singapore) which flies in fresh Sriviliputhur palgova everyday! And after that initial intro to this calorie laden bomb of a delicacy my little ones demand some everyday for their dessert! I'm thrilled that their taste buds crave yet another Desi sweet (they also love mysorepak) but I just couldn't see myself slaving over a pot of milk waiting patiently for it to transform into palgova!

I was lamenting about the situation to Amma one day and she surprised me with "even Paati and I dont make thiratti pal the traditional way anymore. Microwave palgova is so easy"! What?? I always ate home-made palgova with a side order of guilt.... imagining my poor amma stirring the milk painstakingly for hours while she was actually merely flicking her wrist to switch on and turn off the microwave!

Well, of course amma was right. Why waste time when it can be done faster without compromising on taste. The recipe is so easy that my kids do it themselves with a wee bit of supervision. Here goes..

Microwave Palgova

1 tin condensed milk
1 tbsp natural yogurt
a pinch of cardamom powder
1 tbsp ghee

Empty the condensed milk in a large microwaveable dish. Add in the yogurt and whisk together. Place it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Take the container out and give it a stir. Repeat the process another 2 times. Stir in the ghee and the cardamom and keep it in the microwave for another 2 minutes. By this time the mixture would have already gained the thirattipal consistency. Depending on how brown you like it, place it in the microwave for another minute and then let it just rest for half an hour.

The milky goodness would have done away with all the excess liquids and what remains is just pure joy!