Mindfully, With Appu

During my school days, I struggled with classes which involved fine motoring skills. Embroidery classes, titrations, physics labs etc gave me night mares.

Few days back when Appu wanted to do some embroidery related homework, I offered to pitch in. Sometime during my last 11 years of parenting, I realised that I struggled in school with activities in which my mom and dad were not good at.

Though my dad is not insecure about the skills he didn't have, my mom is an insecure person. If there was anything she didn't know, she panicked.

I'm not criticising my parents. Just sharing some experiences. I always feel grateful to have been born to my parents who did everything possible to give a good life to their kids. What I love the best about them is the fact that they were very open. Even at a very old age, they were willing to correct themselves in matters which they felt they failed.

Coming back to embroidery, I didn't want Appu to know that I didn't like embroidery until we started with it. I acted confident in front of him when we started with the first youtube video. In between when I observed that he is doing well, I did tell him that his Amma was very poor in embroidery during school days.

We started around 5:30 and took almost 2 hours to finish this much. I was happily sitting with him watching him doing his embroidery without any kind of distractions.

Appu spends a lot of time on his computer and phone. But, when we sit with him to help him with his activities, he cooperates well. Like my parents, I have started liking spending time with Appu for his school related activities which he comes to me with. And, he enjoys that time too.

What I was trying to mention was about a video which I recently watched. Mayaleela had created a video about mindfulness recently & throughout this activity, I was telling myself that I am not liking the process of embroidery, but the fact that I am spending time with Appu is something I am enjoying. The video is worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BGg57M7FqI

It is in Malayalam. Sharing it in the comments section as well.

Another quick recipe

As his Amma is returning to work after a 10 day’s leave, packed this with love ❤️

Another quick recipe.

We are a family with an acquired taste for authentic Kerala food. Not that we do not try anything else. But when it comes to regular food, if there is no Kerala food on the table for more than one or two days in a row, no one takes food here. And that includes me.

Whenever I work, food is a problem. Except when we used to be fortunate enough to have good cooks.

When it comes to cooking, I don’t enjoy doing it for all the three times and round the year.

I do minimal cooking and most of my recipes are half an hour recipes. It helps me to stay in touch with my kitchen and my cooking skills.

As I bid goodbye to my kitchen for another 3 or 4 months, I am excited about this. This season, I am moving out with another quick recipe which I know Appu will ask me to prepare again. And that is the best feeling you can get out of knowing how to cook. ❤️

Irrespective of the gender, cooking is a good to have skill. No other skill can fill your heart like the feeling you get when you serve self cooked food to your friends and family. ❤️

White Tiger - Reading Experience

31st Oct, 2022

After Appu was born, the pace of my reading has been slow. Mothers like me who bring up their children without much support have to work like a clock to ensure that their kids get to eat when they are hungry. Your kids don't go to the school if you are late in waking up by 5 minutes. They will stay naked or stay in soiled clothes if you don't help them change. It is hard to find some uninterrupted time to read when you are in the the mid of responsibilities like these.

It was my schoolmate and friend Dhanush's tip that helped me complete this book. It was his suggestion to read at least 5 pages a day. I started reading this book on the 1st of January, 2022. And, it is only today that I am finishing this book!

Premith had recommended this book to me in 2012. I always wondered why he recommended this book to me. After finishing, I sense that it was because of the condescending tone and the tone of privilege that I had in my writings those days (and even today) that he recommended this to me.

Sometimes when you read a book, there are lines you just wait for. And, here is something I found which I waited for. And, that is Balram Halwai speaking to us, the readers.

(Btw, bro A, thanks to you for lending me this book. After around 3+ years, I am finally in a position to return this to you)