Tuesday, December 11, 2007

HHG has tagged me to reveal 10 things I would like to do in the next decade of my life. I loved this idea! It got me thinking about all the wonderful things I've still got to do - very rejuvenating...

... 1) Like the thought that there is so much travelling I intend to move on with. Trekking in my native Kumaon, camping in all the gorgeous Kerala forests - especially Agastyagudam, riding a bike (ok I can dream can't I?) through Northern Karnataka and Coorg ... I also intend to do Mardi Gras and jazz festivals in New Orleans, visit cafes in Chicago, go sky diving in New Zealand and visit Baker Street in London. I also intend to make at least 10 trips to Pondicherry - its my favorite place in the whole world and I haven't been able to go for 2 whole years.

2) Ongoing effort in the next decade and actually top priority will be to be a better mother to my 4 year old and the new bundle of joy thats coming in May. I go to bed every night wishing I had more patience with my son and that I didn't have so many expectations from such a little tyke. Its a constant struggle against the way I'm made (demanding shrew in other words!) - but I really do want my kids to have memorable childhoods for all the right reasons!

3) I'm going to write a book. Cross my heart and hope to die. Its called "Red November" and its a work in progress ... ahem (i.e. been writing for the last 3 years with no end or publisher in sight :-D ).

4) I'll move back to Bangalore - with or without my husband! Be warned Tys ... its not an empty threat. Seven years in UAE feels like an exile and it gets worse every year. At the risk of sounding pompous, I do want to live, love and give something back to the country that shaped who I am. I dream of breathing Indian air sometimes ... and as filmi as that sounds its all too real to me.

5) Make a start towards helping my aunt in her Anganwadi projects in Kumaon. This means providing basic food (mid day meal)and education to underprivileged children. And there are any number of these in Uttaranchal. My trips back there are one heart breaking moment after another of deprivation and sad little faces ... too many for things to be any good. I do what I can when I'm there but its nothing without more time and yes the all important dedication. I'll get my little brood involved as well. I can't imagine a better lesson in humanity than this.

6) I intend to grow older gracefully. The way I look I mean - I shall colour and trim those tresses, take those bitten to the quick nails and actually go all elegant with them (French manicure ladies and er gents!), repeat said manicure every month or so(right now its an annual thing), stop wearing khadi and journalisty looking chappals as my mom so articulately puts it and try to do something with maybe gasp a dress or something. There, whew! I've voiced my secret desire and maybe I'll start looking a bit like those women my husband secretly ogles when he things I'm not looking!

7) Learn to swim - such a shame that I can't! And yet I expect my son to be some kind of junior swimming champ everytime he so much as hits the bathtuub. sigh ... work harder on point 2!

8) Spend much more time with my parents. They are wonderful company and they think that the sun shines out of my _______ . Time flies when I'm with them and my dad's creativity always challenges me to push the limits on my own. Plus nobody cooks food like my mom does. And oh yeah, I don't do nearly enough for a couple of people who have dedicated their whole live to me and my sister. And I want to.

9) Build a house in Pithoragarh and grow a garden just like my grandmother had. Peach trees, tomatoes and green green herbs (corriander, methi, green chillies). She passed away in Jan and with her gone I feel so insecure that my "pahadi" connection will go missing as well - and that my kids will lose track of their Kumaoni half. That house is a must.

10) And what I must immediately do of course is to tag Tys, Twinga, Prats and Vidya on how they're going to spend the next 10 years of course!

Good night all. This was so much fun!

15 comments:

Hip Grandma said...

A very cute list.Be patient with the little bundle of joy and all the best with the second one too.I can safely say this now that I am a grandmom.please don't ask my children for their biased account of me.They were brats that needed to be tamed!you also have a Part II of this tag coming your way.thanks for doing it.congrats by the way to you and tys and i hope it is a baby girl this time to complete your family.

Jaya said...

You are not alone in point 2 and 3 :) Nice list and hope you achieve them all! Congratulations to you and Tys for the bundle of joy coming soon.

Prats said...

Loved "your want to do's" and must say, i'm guilty of wanting the first one myself....
The lil tyke as u call him i'm sure, is gonna hold lots of memories...from all that we hear from both of his wonderful parents, so theres no doubting that..

I really hope you come here...maybe we'll get a chance to meet then...and a swimmer ....mmmmm

All the best for the bundles.....hoping for any kinds.....i'm sure it'll bring both lots of joy

And this sounds interesting...so instead of counting out my wants in the head...i'll try and put it down...

Tys on Ice said...

i do not oogle!!!!

and u r not supposed to notice, u monkey.

:) i really want u to do this list...next vacation , u and i are going biking across kerala...and as regards to getting back to india, do wht u hve to do...everything will fall into place...it always does, doesnt it? with us?

go forth and do it...i will support u in whtever way i can...in some, i wont be able to but u shud do them nevertheless...

will do tht tag...and hey, i like u in ur khadi and journalistic chappals....and if ur are planning on dresses, the only gasping u will hear are the oogling men who are being chocked by me :)

Sairekha said...

Hey! Very cute to-do's... Go for em!! :) Biking is fantastic for the spirit!! :) I used to work with underprivileged children in college... I miss the joy in their wondrous eyes!! I know how you feel:)

Also,husbands surely notice manicures and dresses though they play ignoramus mostly!! Go do it tiger!!:)

aMus said...

hey..loved this...hope you get them alll

sigh..i would love to go back to Bangalore but methinks teh hubby is very smart not to let me go where my poora khandaan is :(

As for parenting woes and the urge to be mother perfect...i think that is all in our head...

If ever u hav etime, do go thru this..

http://amus.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/12/wear-that-hood-well-my-take-on-parenting.htm

it was written in one of those moods after a lil tiff with my 10yrold...


looks like your next 10 years is going to be very busy and fun!!!i just realised my time's running out!!

have fun...

Prats said...

done....just listed....check it out!!

Madhumita said...

Hi All - thanx for all your comments! I've actually made a start on point 1. Going to Kathmandu for 3 days this month. It feels energizing to get up and do something instead of just dreaming about it.

Thinking Aloud ... I'm going to your link now for some inspiration on motherhood. Will write back :-)

aMus said...

have a great time in kathmandu..

as for inspiration...ahh well, won't say no to my five min of fame ;)

Vinesh said...

Kumaon! Hmm - interesting. Good luck with reaching back to your roots and doing good things there..

Have you been to that website 43 Things?

Prats said...

Kathmandu.....wow!!! dats a great start!! enjoy and live it up...its the beginning...of great things to follow

Madhumita said...

Vineesh, just went to your site and saw the beef noodle video.
:-D. Left you a comment.

Sulekha (hope I got that right), how old are your kids? You seem to have reached that stage of "learning to let go yet yearning not to" - you certainly wrote like you knew something about this. Hope I'll do ok when the time comes. For now its constant second guessing for me. Nice read by the way.

Prats, I'll tell you all about it when I get back.

Prats said...

Happy time out there...Merry christmas

aMus said...

sulekha happens to be another portal where i blog...it is a forum for would be writers and poets...That piece on parenting got selected as a featured pos so I thought maybe i did do sumthing right...

Have a great time holidaying...

and i did this tag...
do take a look...

Vinesh said...

here you go:
http://vineshks.blogspot.com/2007/01/to-be-happy.html

an old post of mine - just to give you context to the 43 things i was talking about. don't ask me why 43 and not 44 though :-)


Thats Me! Says V from Jap Talk :-)