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Monday, July 29, 2013

Have you had your child's haircut? The horrendous haircut that scarred my daughter !!

The start of the hair story!
my baby girl's hair at 8 months
When I had my baby girl, she was born with quite a bit of hair on her head. By six months it was long enough to tie up little small ponytails. Yes it was a little fuss...but I would quickly put her in front of the TV...do her hair and that was it. Usually by another few hours it was a mess...with the hair covering her eyes...and still I didn't want her very first hairs cut off.  By nine months the hair grew near shoulders with small curls at the end and I absolutely loved them but doing the hair was becoming a more surmountable task.

The aunt who loves cutting  hair!
It was around this time my aunt-in-law from India made her first visit to London to stay with us. I was a bit nervous because she happens to be very career oriented and savvy interior designer in Chennai. I was relieved to find out that when she is on holiday she tends to take a step back and have fun. We loved having her over and as I have grown to know her more - I think she happens to be a closet hair stylist - I say this because every time she is here - she either wants to cut my hair or my daughter's. So while her first stay here, she was adamant that she cut my little girls hair so after a while I conceded. So as I kept my little girl busy, my aunt in law chopped of her hair and we realized she looked much cuter with her hair short.

The lady barber who scared my daughter!
 So from then on, every few months as they grew, I took my daughter to the lady's barber who does my husband's hair. My daughter sat on my lap and the lady cut her hair. So far first trip no problems and I was happy that I didn't have to bother about doing up her hair anymore. I think it happened to be her third visit to the barber when she was a bit petrified of her hair being cut in front and wasn't too happy about it falling on her face. So she started to cry when the lady went right to her face and in her polish accent militaristic voice loudly told my daughter  Shh...shh...shh..NO! NO! NO! .stop crying stop crying....now my daughter was even more petrified that she started balling away. More so I  haven't been a situation like this before I wasn't sure what to do, I tried to pacify my daughter but the lady kept on telling my daughter shh...shh...KEEP QUIET!! We were nearly done with her haircut and I just wanted to take my daughter home. After a few months I went back, hoping my daughter had forgotten about the event but she took one look at the lady and she refused to have her haircut. She pulled out such a tantrum that I had to take her home. We have tried cutting at home but the event for now had scarred her from anyone approaching a scissors through her hair.


Friday, July 12, 2013

Delving into some happy heartache memories of my younger years

It's well past bedtime, the windows are slightly ajar to let the cool air in and as I lie here I can hear the whoosh of the cars zoom by. It reminds me of happy times in another place in time when I was young in India. Every morning we woke up to noise, there was no such thing as double glazed windows to drown out sound. I usually woke up to cackling roosters or to the children reciting in loud voices the multiplication in Kannada. I would cringe and try to roll back to sleep because I was on holidays from boarding school. Reluctantly, I would wake up to face the day.
My parents both lived and practiced medicine in rural India. They had their own little hospital and with only two doctors on staff and a few nurses,their life was very busy. I usually strutted up by 9 year old self to the hospital once I was ready. Most often I would trudge up to the attic sort of accommodation for the nurses and hang with the off duty nurses. I always either irritated or teased them plenty and in turn they made me favorite food kanji -probably just to shut me up. When I got bored I would go back home and play with my toys or do some reading. I always knew to keep myself entertained being the only child around. I never went to summer camp or a play-date.If anything, my parents would send me to stay at some of the nurses home. Actually I was a lot bored and begged to go to nurses homes, only because they had TV. We didn't have one because my parents were morally against having TV at home. Most evenings I had dinner at 7 pm and was left with the nurses. My parents went for their 2 to 3 hour walk. When they returned it was bedtime. Yes, life was very simple and a bit banal in my perspective then.My parents didn't spend much time with me, it didn't bother me then. I just thought this was the norm. I always felt their love for me and that's what mattered to me. We were together that's what made me happy and cheerful as a child. I never asked for much and I treasured the times we spent together. But life always throws a curve ball just when things are happily nestled in. A year later, I was told I was adopted and another year later my parents divorced. For a long time I blamed myself, trying to fathom where I went wrong. I believed it was me they didn't want and thus separated. But now when I look back to those days, I believe they were my happiest because they were the only times we were together where I felt their love profusely and I loved them and I treasured the memories we made together.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Sweet n chilli pork belly - a quick dish made by novice cooker


 Who would have imagined that I would someday becoming a better cook? Not me surely and not my husband either - I am one of those who runs in the other direction if any topic associated with kitchen or cooking comes upon. I usually let the other people do the work, I even prefer to clean up then cook. Although I love browsing yummy recipes and fantasize of making them, I haven't made any effort in that direction. But for the past one year, being a stay at home mom, i finally made some initiative although not by choice. Being a stay at home mom, now I have the responsibility of making the dinner for my household. And so along the way I have picked my some culinary skills. I was initially looking on sites to make pork belly dishes but the recipes take far too long and most of the ingredients needed weren't in my pantry. I like to be in and out of my kitchen in an hour. So this dish is in an experimental one that came out stupendous and thus I thought the need to share it.
I had my cousin and his thai girlfriend staying with us for awhile, before they moved into a place of their own. I essentially watched and learnt from his thai girl friend how to make some nice Asian dishes, most of which  required some soy sauce (thick and thin), pepper, chilli powder, salt, honey,coriander, garlic and ginger and all those go in this dish. Now the utensil I used to cook my pork belly was the pressure cooker( usually used in most Indian household). 

So what goes into this pork belly dish.

2 chopped red onions
500 gms of pork belly (chopped in cubes)
1 cube of frozen garlic ( about 4 cloves of garlic)
1 cube of frozen ginger ( about 1 root ginger)
1 chicken stock cube
200 ml water
4 tablespoons of sugar or honey
1 tablespoon of hot pepper sauce( optional - we like things a bit fiery at home.)
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp of chilli oil(optional)
2 tablespoon thick soya sauce
1 tsp of pepper
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
salt to taste
few  pieces chopped coriander 

1. So in goes the chopped pork, thick soya sauce, sugar or honey and chilli oil into the pressure cooker.
Now to have the pork belly, soft and nice using the pressure cooker  - I would put the stove on high, wait for the first whistle which happens to be in about 5 mins or and then turn the heat to medium level so it can simmer in there for 10 to 15 mins. ( a tip i got  through pinterest  )
If you don't happen to have a pressure cooker, then cook the pork in tighly closed dish, cook on high for 5 mins and on medium for it to simmer for 20-25mins.
2. On another cooking dish, put in the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, chilli powder,pepper,salt,chicken stock cube and water. Let the water come to a boil and then simmer till the pork is ready.
3. Add in the pork belly from the pressure cooker to the cooking dish and let it simmer for 10 minutes.If the dish happens to be watery add in some cornstarch for thickening.
4.  Check to see if the chilli, sugar and salt taste are in sync and if you need it more spicy add some hot pepper sauce.
5. Add in some chopped coriander for garnish and Voila! the dish is done!


Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Sightseeing in Bath on a sunny hot day last weekend! How do you spend your sunny weekend in UK?




History always surprises me at times. Its absolutely amazing to be in a place where just 1000 years ago, the whole scene wouldn't have been quite different. We always trudge down to historic monuments when we have family come by from abroad. They want to see the touristy parts of UK and I entirely don't mind. I say I don't mind because my  husband doesn't happen to be a history buff and I am not the least either but I do so more than him. I do find history much more fascinating than he does.  Most of our folks when they come down here would most likely only see most of what is in London but occasionally we have some family members who are quite particular to see other parts of UK as well. Oxford and Bath happen to be not a long drive away and it does become the second fondest place we take them to. Recently my aunt arrived from India and was keen to see Bath. So just last weekend, we visited Bath. I have to say its my third time coming here. Among the several things we saw in Bath, I love coming to the Roman baths. I think the Romans too found the hot water springs most engaging that they set up to build the baths.

The monument and the architecture just of the left over building is quite beautiful and on a hot sunny day it was even more lovelier. We were advised not to touch the hot springs water, it happens to dangerous, but at the end of the tour we do get to taste some of it. They have guided tour sets for both adults and children. My 23 month old daughter absolutely loved holding on to it, it made her feel much like an adult. We observed the hot springs, the cold ones, the roman artifacts, listened to the history and dropped some coins for good luck. Later on we trekked onto see all the other touristy spots such as the Royal Crescent, Circus, Pulteney Bridge and the Jane Austen Center. We were not very clever on how we organized our walk trek. Although the Roman baths and Pulteney Bridge are closer, we walked up to Royal Crescent and  Circus after viewing the Roman baths and back down to see the Pulteney bridge and up again to the Jane Austen Center.We had an exhausting walk but breathtaking nevertheless. Next time we will make sure we a better walking plan for our excursion.


Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Do you worry about your health? I do !!! Taking control to work out my negligent health concerns.

Lately there have been a few things worrying me especially about my health. With trying to keep it all together I believe I don't look after myself well. And slowly the pieces are falling  and I am barely catching on it. I usually think the worst case scenario when it comes to my health but here goes to all the health dilemmas I am facing now which is slightly scaring me to the till.

The Hair Dilemma
I think this has been happening for quite sometime after my little one was born. I hardly noticed in the beginning but within the past few months - my husband has duly noting the fact that I am losing an amazing amount of hair - at the least I have been ignoring it every time he brings it up. But its gotten to a point that there seems to a small bald patch looming on my head. So finally  I have taken some control of the situation  I got myself to the GP and got some blood tests done and am anxiously waiting for the results.

The Hearing Dilemma
I never knew when I partially lost hearing but it first came to light only when I was sixteen but still I didn't need hearing aids. I could still hear enough to participate in conversations and I had got my first hearing aids only when I got married. The hearing thing has been a bit of a battle for me - more of self denial - the thought that I am not normal like everyone out there when I feel so normal  ( I do hear and it doesn't feel like I don't hear) upsets me. Lately now though my hearing has worsened and there has been some embarrassing situations - where I have heard it all wrong and spoken about something completely different from the conversation my friends are having.  I have taken another hearing test and my new hearing aids will likely arrive in few months but till then I am going to speak much less since I hear much less.

The Liver Dilemma???
This weekend we went over for family gathering and it seems to have been noted there are some patches of discoloration on my right cheeks - and to my dismay  they suppose it could be due to some live problem. Just hearing people scares the living out of me. I don't understand why people have the propensity to deduce health problem when they are not qualified. Now I have been occasionally touching my abdomen wondering if my liver is all right. Its another one that I need to take account on - hopefully my skin lesions on my right cheek has nothing to do with my liver.

The Rotten Tooth Dilemma
It was months when I went to the dentist for the nagging pain of my tooth and which has turned rotten. They gave me an account that to get it removed would cost me about £3000 pounds. I don't have that kind of money and was hoping I would get it done when I went to India. Perhaps there it wouldn't cost so much. But the nagging pain has disappeared and I have been keeping my rotten tooth so far but I duly need to do something about it. So far I have come across is that it might be cheaper with NHS and so I am eventually looking to get a nice white tooth there.

I always seem to undermine my health - hoping my body will take care of it and I will be fine. In some cases its good but I know when my body is telling me that it needs my help. I have been way too tired with just doing the minutest things and I finally need to take this under my control and that is what I am doing now.