gaelikaa's diary

What can you say about Monday mornings which hasn't already been said? Neil has recovered but is not quite ready to get back to school yet. Tests are in full swing and he's missed a lot of classes. It could be stressfull! He has to see the doctor today. Then we'll see...... Mel's half yearly school examinations are starting this morning. She is not feeling confident. I'm trying to get her into the frame of mind to do the best she can and learn from her mistakes. Particularly the mistake of not paying enough attention to her studies when the examinations are not on! Trisha was suffering from a sore throat this morning. She is not feverish, but as a person who knows the misery of a sore throat (it's the illness from which I've suffered most in my life!) I decided to keep her out of school just for today. I'll bring her to Dr. Shivani for examination along with Neil, when we go for his check up. Nathan has given us heartburn lately. He is so s

I've been busy all week taking care of my son Neil as he has been suffering with fever for the last seven days. I noticed that he had high fever on Friday night. I took him to see our neighbour Dr. Shivani who is an experienced paediatrician. After examination, she informed me that his throat and tonsils were very congested and wrote a prescription for some regular medicines, the usual antibiotics, syrup and paracetamol. I was quite astounded. It is obvious that Neil had been suffering with his throat for some time but had not complained at all. I had noticed that he had been under performing in school and that he was mislaying schoolbooks and copies. Obviously he had been perturbed about something. Well, some tests were coming up! By Sunday night, his fever was still raging. We saw the doctor again. She changed the medication. But by Tuesday, no relief was in sight. So the doctor ordered that some investigative tests should be done and that Neil should start getting

As I was seeing off my two daughters to school in their tempo, freshly ironed, bathed and braided..as the tempo rattled away I noticed a small girl on the opposite side of the road in the grey morning light. No more than seven or eight years old. A beautiful child, with curly hair and beautiful eyes - she was scavenging through household waste which someone had thoughtfully dropped on the road for the early morning sweepers during the night. The grey sack by her side gave the game away. A kid who should be in school already scraping out a living. What can you do for them? I went inside my house, got two biscuits and went outside and handed them to the child. She accepted them. Wordlessly. Seriously. Put them in an inside pocket. I felt so sad. Such a young child, and not a smile in sight. I had to remind myself that you can't help everybody all the time. But you can help some of them sometimes. In little ways.........

It feels as if it took at least six months to dry my last washload. We have had rain for the last four days, several times a day. Today, the sky is clear. Dare I hope for a few rain free days? I think it's time to start another washload I have the equivalent of three washloads at present ready to work on. I'd better get started!

This morning I woke up with a start! Late again! Fifteen minutes to get the girls ready for school! I woke them up, sent them off to wash and brush and dress while I made some tea in the kitchen. I went back to the room to see how they were progressing as their school transport was due to arrive any second...and what do you think? The two of them were fast asleep again on the bed! Oh, I really let them have it! It was a quick dash to have a cursory wash and change and I was making their plaits while they ate their breakfast and along arrived the tempo. What is a tempo? It is a kind of taxi bus vehicle which seats about six to eight people. It doesn't so much drive as rattle along the road. This is their vehicle for going to school. The driver was kind enough to wait while I finished getting the girls ready. Trish had to finish her hairstyle en route. I'm really lucky that the driver waited. I've been informed by our Delhi based relatives that school vehicles never ever wa

I've been Awarded The 'Fabulous Blog Award' by Melanie Trevelyan at Tales from a writer with three childen as well as SuE at Cosmic Chiq. The rules are: a) write 5 things you are addicted to. (Perhaps, my daughter can help me out in this - you ready, Mel?) b) pass it on to 5 deserving bloggers. Five Things my Mom gaelikaa is addicted to - by Mel! 1. Tea : She can't live without tea... her soulmate... 2. Books : She reads, but she doesn't get enough time to do so... 3. Music : She has an mp3 player and downloads Abba and Bee Gees songs off the internet, or rather, she gets me to do it! 4. Shopping : She doesn't admit it but she is a great shopper! 5. Blog : Mom constantly sits on the computer (when I'm not on it, that is) Of course she does everything else too, like... but STILL! I wish to pass it on to- Ayak Chicamom85 Emily Jazzy Debbie Yost I was Awarded this by SuE too! The assignment is- a)Write a few lines on how happy you are. b) Pass it on to

I heard this joke recently and it made me laugh out loud. I don't know if it would have the same affect on others. I'm going to share it and see what happens. Ram and Shyam, simple north Indian village lads, are discussing the latest Indian international sensation, the film 'Slumdog Millionaire'. This is actually a Hollywood movie set in India, starring Indian actors. It has been wildly successful internationally and has bagged a few Oscars. Ram: That movie 'Slumdog Millionaire' is a hopeless film. A total ripoff. Shyam: Why do you say that? It's a big international hit! Ram: So what? It's a big cheat. I sat through it for the full the full three hours and I saw slums, slums and more slums; and do you know what? There wasn't a dog anywhere! Funny or what(lol)? Well, what do you think?

We had rain for practically the last twenty four hours. It's hard to get the clothes dry. My spin dryer, to make things worse, is out of order! Welcome to the rainy season! I have to get my mobile recharged. I burnt out my balance calling Ireland. I have to cook dinner and visit the doctor to get a certificate for Mel, who has been off sick from school for the past week. A life crowded with incident! How can I bear the excitement?

Yesterday was Janamashtami, the birthday of Sri Krishna, one of the most popular Hindu gods, and certainly the most well known in the western world. At midnight, bells rang out all over our housing colony and the echoing of hymns, to celebrate the incarnation of the Almighty Vishnu, a major Hindu deity, born into the world around five thousand years ago to vanquish darkness and deliver the world from demonic powers. This is what Hindu mythology teaches us. As a believing Christian, I find this description very close to the Christian teaching on Jesus or Yeshua - God the Father's perfect son, born as a man to deliver humanity from slavery and darkness. I personally feel that the likenesses are not mere coincidences - there is something altogether prophetic in those ancient Krishna stories. Today - 15th August - was Indian's sixty second Independence Day. The 63rd Independence Day. The founding fathers of modern India envisaged a nation where all communities would live together

This is the first post of my new blog. There are things I want to write about that don't seem to fit into 'gaelikaa' anymore. My everyday life and reflections on things are quite separate. Today is a Hindu festival "Janamashtami". My husband and children are off school and work. Time for myself will be a rare commodity for the weekend because tomorrow is Indian Independence Day. Everyone is still on holiday. Then there is Sunday. Let's see how it goes!