Taking the plunge and Spending Quality Family Time

Its the small things that really do make the big difference and in that context spending quality family time is a big one on my list. But day to day life has its own challenges, particularly if the members are travelling or working in different cities. While technology is a boon when it comes to staying connected, it can be a real pain when people build walls around themselves and stay glued to their phones even if they are in the same house, or far worse, at the same table.

So I must share this true story when I deliberately used our time when we were forced to stay indoors at home in Muscat because of a high velocity tropical storm, Phet when the concerned authorities had sent out serious warnings and topped it by giving a holiday so that people didn't venture out recklessly. What could we all do as a family, I thought to myself? Something that would keep us all busy and engrossed as well as prevent us from getting hooked to the idiot box or then the bane of all of our lives, our phones.

It was really quite simple, we would play Monopoly, my mind told me and after a quick discussion, it was agreed- Monopoly it would be. I don't remember the last time all of us  sat down for about four hours and played a game of Monopoly as a family but that day certainly was. And when we had a marathon session  it was certainly a  'landmark'-by any stretch of the imagination.  

An extended session of Monopoly 

It's an entirely different matter that I was the first one to be knocked out but it was the sheer difference that it made to the way that an evening is normally spent. And for that we have to  thank Cyclone Phet, which raged around as we sat cozily at home, a big bowl of popcorn and our choice of beverage close at hand.

As the storm raged all around us

The previous evening had looked just as you can see in these two photographs  and the Government authorities had made sure that everyone was well informed and aware.Must add, that was the best thing they could have done under the circumstances!

Like I started off by saying, it really was well worth it. Thank you 'Phet', we loved our evening together.

The heart wants what it wants, right? Taking the plunge and listening to your heart, even if it is just for an evening really does have its advantages!

“I am participating in the #DilKiDealOnSnapdealactivity at BlogAdda in association with SnapDeal.”

Sometimes 'losing' isn't really all that bad- A true story

What is it that really makes someone's day, the week, or gives a new meaning to life itself?  This is something that I've dwelt upon every now and then, and I'm sure that all of you have done so too.And one of the key realisations that I've come to is that friends can really make the vital difference. In particular, the meaningful moments and interactions with them that can change everything and make life so much better. 

Another day, another opportunity

I let my mind go back in time and I remember myself in Class 2, at Modern High School in Calcutta. I was taking part in a 100 mtr race and was waiting on edge for my parents to arrive. But there seemed to be some delay, and as I came upto the start of the race I saw my only mother and brother coming in. The disappointment of my father not being able to make it was intense, but I was happy, just looking at my mom and brother.So much so that I didn't focus on what I should have been concentrating on. The race was about to commence and the Sports teacher blew the first whistle..

I was still looking the stands to see if my family had settled down.

A swift, sharp, second whistle and that was it. The race had begun.

But I was left behind, still staring as all the other little girls began their race. 

Goes without saying that I started and finished the race.And came last. 

Ironically, I was the girl who had consistently stood first in all the heats so far.

The disappointment was intense and I remember crying bitterly. 

I also remember a sweaty, grubby hand suddenly reaching out and giving me a deliciously cool peppermint toffee( my favourite).

And then I looked up, it was Christine, my best friend at that time and also my closest competitor in studies as well as sports. Christine had stood first that day and I was last.

But it suddenly didn't matter that day.Or forever after.We were friends and in that moment, Christine had reached out to me and in those moments, the pain, hurt and the ignominy of losing just melted away. I felt much better and realised that losing that race really wasn't the end of the world.

After all, tomorrow would be another day, and there would be another race...

And another...

As elusive as it may seem, optimism can be found all around - in the laughter of children, in the excitement on your pet's face when you get back after a long day, and in your friend handing you a peppermint after you have come last in the race!

Visit https://housing.com/lookup

Together- The Magic of Sharing a Cup of Coffee with an Old Friend

In the last couple of posts, I've written about our move to Delhi after a 24 year stay in Oman and how we are in the process of settling down. As is only natural, each move comes with its own share of challenges- some expected and many others, totally unexpected. So it goes without saying that there are good days and there are some bad days as well.

Coffee with friends- always a good idea

This story is about a bad day that turned into a good one- and here is exactly how it panned out. Our WIFI at  home ( MTNL) hadn't been working for the last 4 days and the frustration was topped by the fact that we were unable to register a complaint for the first two of those days because of holidays- 'Ram Naumi' followed by the weekend. The next day, a man came and did something but since we weren't at home to check, he went off telling our Jeeves that it had been done. Or so we all believed until we returned home to see that it was exactly as it had been- No WIFI and the official working hours over since it was past 5 PM.

So we had to wait for the next day, Tuesday the 31st of March. That morning I resolved that if I did just one thing that day, it would be to get the WIFI at home working. 

And so began the process of trying to register a complaint..all over again..

The reason? The complaint registered on the previous day had been marked as completed, therefore closed by the MTNL. After about one whole hour of trying, I finally managed to get through to the number and formally re- registered the complaint. That done, I was told that the person who would attend to the complaint would reach our place after an hour or so. I now had that time to fill and I really didn't want to venture too far in case he actually got there a little earlier. A quick trip to the local bank which took me all of 15 minutes and I was back on our floor. As I approached the corner, I saw that our neighbour's door was open and someone was polishing the doorknob. The time was about 1030 a.m, a reasonable time of day for a visit so I decided to ask him if Aunty ( a retired doctor and the lady of the house ) was available. She was and there was a bonus for me as her daughter, also a doctor and a very old friend of mine happened to be home as well!   

And I was invited to share a very welcome cup of coffee with the two of them. After having informed folks at home exactly where I was so that I could be told immediately when the repair man came in, I went back there. Over coffee and cookies, we chatted and how! Years of catching up packed into that one hour and so much of news and information exchanged. Time just flew and before I knew it, an hour was up and I decided to head back home- renewed,   refreshed and with a new surge of determination. 

Goes without saying, I soldiered on, dealt with the crisis despite all the odds and 'Project WIFI restoration' was accomplished 5 hours later that same day. Two days later as I sit down to write this story, the WIFI is still working but we definitely have our fingers ( and toes) crossed!

So there it is in a nutshell-Most times, it's the company that matters more than the advice, and that is the power of being #together.

Visit https://housing.com/in