Rima, you are deeply loved

 

                                                Rima at Infinitea, Bengaluru

Dearest Rima,

I wish I wasn’t writing this letter to you. Because that would mean you are still amidst us in flesh and blood, being the amazing you. There is so much to say and there are such wonderful memories with you; that the mind seems in a kaleidoscopic phase right now, turning those moments, laughing, tearing up and just feeling overwhelmed.

The first time we met was at Palladium mall. Api and I finished work and she said, “you are going to meet one of my closest friends from Mumbai”. Little did I know that I would say the same, years later. I still remember you wearing the golden yellow printed salwar kamees with flowing dupatta, long hair, big bindi, a smile that reaches the eyes and heart; and of course the unabashed laughter and conversation. Over drinks and dinner that day, we spoke about your work at Karadi, how you both knew each other and about Mumbai, in general. It was a happy happy evening that brought you into my life. Will always be grateful for that day.

Over the years, Mumbai became synonymous with you. Would land in Mumbai, call you and say, “Oye Rima, tere shaher aa gayi. Kab mil rahi hain!” (Rima, am in your city. When are we meeting?). You would say, “Welcome ji” and the plans would begin.

Whether it was just walking the streets of Colaba and bargaining to buy earrings, then eating at Leopold and hailing the kaali peeli to go back to the hotel; or walking down marine drive to see Ganesh visarjan, you had a story for every occasion and the same excitement every time.

                   An evening to remember, watching Mrs.Chatterjee Vs Norway. Photo toh banti hain :)

Over the years, we had certain things that we did when ever we met, trying to catch a late-night show, going to Pritam da dhaba for dinner in the recent years and then ofcourse that one time when we literally raided Chhedas and picked so much snacks that we needed to buy new bags.

When in Mumbai, the trip is incomplete without Vada Pav. One of our iconic vada pav eating trip was to the one near Kirti college. We asked the cab bhaiya to wait, while we sat in anticipation of what was to come. You got all of us vada pavs and we sat in the cab, ate, chatted and guffawed away. Cab bhaiya was too polite and to give us space, stood on the side of the road and enjoyed his vada pav. That will remain the best vada pav experience ever.

Resourcefulness was your second name and nothing was impossible for you, literally. The one time when I was travelling alone and was dealing and figuring out all my intolerances, we lunched at this beautiful Bird Song Café. What stays with me from that afternoon is that you always had a way to make people feel loved and cared for, even while stating that, “yahan pe na tujhe dessert milega. Nahi mila toh koi naa, aur ek jagah hain…” (you will get desserts here, if not, there is another place). We did go to that another place and picked up desserts and then rushed to the airport for my flight.

You loved Mumbai in the night and we saw a few glimpses of it, through your eyes and with you. Last year, you wanted us to do a breakfast at Taj Lands Inn and made that happen. Sitting there for breakfast that day, enjoying the breeze and the slow paced breakfast, it almost seemed for a moment that we had left the worries of the world behind.

You being a part of Invicta over the last few years saw us working closely. Your meticulousness and ability to make even a session tracker conversation interesting made a mundane day bearable. You were a sounding board, who always had level-headed suggestions to give and your keen observations helped many of us only do better at work. When you sat through a session and picked up nuances that we had missed, we wondered why didn’t we see it. Even this week in a session, I kept thinking what would you do in that moment!

Adulting is hard by every measure, but the way you adulted in your most difficult and tumultuous moments, left us in shock and awe at the same time. You taught us that come what may, take things head on, trust what life has in store for you and just savor every moment. You love music and there was rhythm in the moment when you would close your eyes and enjoy a song. For someone with borderline music intelligence, I just enjoyed seeing you being in that moment.

A few months back, we were having a crisis day at work and we got on a call and you told me you were getting your chemo and so sitting there and sending voice notes to clients, kyunki to dos had to be done. You just said it as a matter of fact, there was no glorification of the moment and that was you, as real as it gets.

Our last video call was on the 27^th of December, 2023, while I was in Goa and you called from the hospital, while Api was there with you. Even in that moment, you enquired about us, how Joy was doing and then told about yourself. Api later told me that you sat and made calls and spoke to friends that day.

We can only imagine but never know the pain you went through. While cancer devastated your system, it could do nothing to your spirit and zeal for life.

Am sure there is a lot left untold and it has taken me a few days to pen this. The grief and pain has been deep and will stay for ever. What we can choose to do is remember you and cherish every moment with you. Thankful that life brought us together. Know that you are deeply loved and the world was a better place because of you!

Love and hugs always,

Madhu

 

#FriendsForLife #Memories #Gratitude

Let the imagination run tornado, the Ira way

Ira like all children was looking forward to get back to school after her vacation. And then, with rising cases, school moved online again. 

Yesterday I gave her  a little square piece of thick paper and asked her to draw what she wants. 

She drew a flowering plant in the ocean, the sun and  a tornado. She described the flower and its characteristics and also how it was losing its colour due to the tornado. Her imagination blew me away and I just smiled. She excitedly shared this with Dadu, Joy and Papa. 

Here is also the audio she recorded to describe her art. 

The story of the art

To letting imaginations run tornado, to telling stories and making memories. 

#Ira #Iraisms #IraAtSeven #StoriesAtSeven #ExperientialLearning #Observation #ArtByIra #StoriesByIra #Parenting #LittleHumanBeings #Memories 

Poke that Puri, the Pramadh way

                      Looking up to the sky

There is a lot that the last two years have taught all of us. For the ones who parent little children , it was about embracing the chaos and changes that were beyond our control. 

We at home realised even more through all this, the importance of giving our child experiences to remember, doing things together as a family. The key was appreciating what we have, anticipating a new experience, savoring it together as a family and making random, little memories that you will someday remember and it will bring a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your lips. Just like one fine morning while driving to school pick up spot, Papa talking about potholed roads and teaching Ira the concept of the path of least resistance! Each time we drive through that road in question, this conversation will be etched in our memories. 

Have actually listed some of the randomest and not so random things we did. Random because many a times these were unplanned, some of course planned keeping covid and safety precautions in mind. 

1. Cooking together- Get Ira to help with sorting greens, sauteing onions, cracking and beating eggs. We also progressed to having Ira make one Sunday breakfast a month. Simple sandwiches to pancakes from ready mixes. The idea was to enjoy the process. Being  a foodie, she did like it but was exhausted cooking for 3 people! 

2. Game evenings- Uno Flip, Ludo, Scrabble, Taboo, Pictionary Online topped some of the games we played at home this year. Most Mondays of the year were no screen days and we ensured we played a game together. But again, that was not the only day we played games. 

3. Drawing, colouring and some craft too- we drew, coloured and made things together. Independence Day evening we did a picture with our hand prints. Prompted by a family activity from school, we also did a dot art. We learnt some origami finger puppets and even butterfly bookmarks. We spent an evening this week colouring cupcakes and just imagining the different possibility was so much fun! 

       

4. Treks, parks and more- The last two years when covid was in control, we also managed some early morning treks. Read- waking up at 4am and leaving home by 5am. Ira loved being the trail leader and would pack her trek bag with all essentials, including first aid kit and her whistle. How do we manage such early mornings? We are all early risers and some time in nature is motivation enough. We also managed to visit cubbon park a few times. Walk in the park with friends and fur friends just made our day. 

5. Reading together- While our mornings begin with coffee and books, some recent happenings meant we changed our coffee time. But the reading habit continues and now is punctuated across the day. Ira got introduced to Harry Potter books this year and what a ride it has been. She is on the 5th book now, as I write this blog. And has also begun reading a book titled, The Vedas and Upanishads for Children by Roopa Pai, gifted by Mr. Chatterjee, who she recently met. 

6. Cycling with Papa- Ira also transitioned from a balance bike to a normal bike recently and Papa taught her some bit of road cycling. Wearing her helmet and mask and following directions, navigating traffic with Papa right behind her, she did rides upto 2.5 kms distance. 

7. Adventure, Climbing and Skateboarding- Ira had begun climbing classes but they were disrupted due to the second wave. Those 2 days in the week made her super happy. She has a fabulous coach and we hope to resume that soon. She of course continues her Karate classes. Ira has also begun learning skateboarding by herself and recently, we took her to a skateboarding workshop where she was coached. She now wants to join classes and we are figuring that out. Post that session she said she was hapiest to be out of home and do all this kind of stuff. And yeah, she skateboarded and enjoyed bum-boarding too :) 

     Fun bum-skateboarding

8. Travel- We managed to do some holidays within the state and all of them were in the Western Ghats. Perfect place to relax, do nothing and just be. Some of these places we managed long walks, short treks, a trail walk through paddy fields where we fell and feet got stuck in deep mud too. We also played in a creek and looked up at the open sky and counted the clouds in the mornings and stars at night. 

   We love travelling and love to pose in style

9. Pretend play and Do nothing days- The year was challenging for the Pramadhs in many ways and we found solace in little pretend plays with Ira. A restaurant scene, solving a mystery or travelling in an imaginary place. Also, do nothing days at home when we do nothing much. Sometimes, cook up a storm of dishes literally because foodies love such days. 

10. Journaling your experiences- writing happy chits to writing her little journal, the thought was to capture what am feeling, how am expressing it and why am feeling that way. This is a wip and our little human being reminds us constantly that there is so much happening in that little mind. 

So, as we brace ourselves for 2022, we look up to the skies and hope that this is a better year for everyone, we have experiences we learnt from, make the most of and cherish, also experiences we create because life is precious. So, next time you eat that fluffy puri, remember to poke the puri to make that little hole and then enjoy the goodness of it all, the Pramadh way! 

             Puri poking is serious business 

#Ira #Iraisms #IraAtSeven #StoriesAtSeven #Pramadhs #Happiness #Gratitude #Blessings #Experiences #LoveCooking #LoveTreks #LoveNature #LoveHolidays #LoveTravels #LoveAdventure #LittleHumanBeings #Parenting #Covid19 #Random #Memories 

Happy Father's Day Baba and Ira Ke Papa

The world celebrates Father's Day today. A moment for us to get together for lunch, click some pics for posterity and be grateful for this time together.

Today, I shall let the pics do the talking.

1. Ira made a card for Papa and gave it to him in the morning. Wished him every few minutes. Her current fascination is also to write the age of the person who is getting the card.

2. Mamma and Ira made a welcome board for the Father's Day party. Dadu, Dida and Joy were coming. We were all set.

3. The best cook in the world, as Ira proclaims made lunch today. Chicken biryani and Chicken fry on the menu.

4. We made sure we got this pic with Dadu and Dida. See this to learn the varying degrees of smiles :)

5. Bhai is the less expressive one amongst us and needs to be coaxed for a pic. Guess the gene runs in the Das men. So, for me this is a very precious pic.

6. My pillar of strength. My Baba.

7. 2 Dads. 2 Daughters. (Stealing this caption from HIM). The world needs more Dads like these two <3 nbsp="" p="">

8. Mango Icecream from Amul makes this a happy happy day for our little girl, who loves parties, making cards, random days and icecream.

#HappyFathersDay #Baba #IraKePapa #Ira #Iraisms #IraAtSix #StoriesAtSix #Happiness #Gratitude

Mamma and Ira and all things 'M'

Guess where Ira and Mamma went today?!

This was the first time that I took Ira to Mounts and I experienced an unexplained happiness, just to see her do some of the things I did 20 years back. 

She sat on the steps of the porch and walked down the drive. She jumped on the BBC stairs and asked me where my students were.

I wish Canteen chechi was still there and I could have got her the famous sugar donuts! And ofcourse walked by the famous Ditch. 

The added bonus was an auto ride to meet a friend post that. Our little girl had a happy morning and Mamma is the one who is smiling ear to ear.

#SmallThingsBigHappiness #IraAndMamma #Ira #Iraisms #TalesAtFour #IraAtFour #Memories #Happiness #AlmaMater 

Creating 'Voting Day' Memories, the Ira way

"Mamma, what is voting?"

Voting is when you choose a leader who will take care of you and your country.

She did inky pinky ponky and solemnly declared,

"Then You and Papa are my leader"

Today was voting in Ooru. The excitement of standing in that queue, casting your vote, getting inked is always accompanied by a very strong emotion.

Ira accompanied me to the polling booth today and while I casted my vote, she sat and drew and coloured. She chatted with Ms. Pushpalatha and also coloured the Rangoli police aunty drew. The parent in me beamed with pride and Joy was like, "This is universal mother emotion".

Everyyear Baba ensures he has collected our voting slips and as I stood in line, he was there with me. Post voting,a selfie with Baba and Joy happened!

And once we were home, Ira also wanted the vote ink and drew it herself using a sketchpen! As we wait with hope for the results to come, we also hope that our little human beings who today seem so excited with that sketch pen ink keep that enthusiasm as adults and be responsible citizens and cast their votes in the future.

To creating 'Voting Day' memories, the Ira way.

#IVoted #GeneralElections2019 #Ira #Iraisms #TalesAtFour #IraAtFour #VotingConversations #Leader #LittleHumanBeings #Memories

Little things, Big memories...the Ira way

There is a lot I have been wanting to write about in the last few weeks. They are little things that have happened. Little things that have created big memories! Little things involving our little human being.

The pace at which our little one seems to be growing, her thoughts, her desires, her articulated speech, her want of privacy, her 'i am still a baby' , 'i can do on my own'...all this and more. The other day we walked into Nilgiris post her Karate class and she walked around the chocolate rack and picked a book! A part of me was thrilled. But I also think it is because she has been gifted a lot of chocolates recently. Still, that little moment made one big memory.

Our holiday last month had many beautiful moments. There is one that will stay with me forever. The way Ira took to train travel, marking her territory on the top berth with Papa and spending time reading and playing uno. They do surprise us at times, don't they.

Recently, she has been constantly wanting to be occupied. It could be a board game, an activity, story telling, some physical play...just about anything. Matching up to that energy can be exhausting. We took her to her first concert recently. We have relied upon moments when she helps clean methi and sort veggies, flying kite on a weekend morning and hoping there is wind, being all excited about diy projects. Recently, we got her some activity kits and with Papa's help, she made shells and gifted them to friends. Today we made a windmill.We have to as parents keep figuring out new things to do and in between those moments, Ira finds to do something different with the old toys she has. They form characters in her stories and they walk and play and dance and sing, while she speaks all their dialogues, ofcourse.

This weekend has been about doing little things, absolutely unplanned! Ira loves donuts and we do let her indulge once in a while. We also managed a relaxed breakfast over lot of chatter and excitement about stirrers! She actually loves to hoard them. The little pleasures of childhood. The little things that create big memories.

#Ira #Iraisms #IraAtFour #TalesAtFour #LittleThingsBigMemories #Happiness #Gratitude

Bees Saal Baad (20 years later)

  **Nithin Sagi creates magic and captures the afternoon beautifully in these pictures

When you relive memories, old time jokes and try to catch up on the twenty years gone by in the span of one cacophonic Sunday afternoon.
Recently,  a very diligent NPS classmate of ours formed a WhatsApp group and invited everyone. We all added whoever we were in touch with and soon it was a large WhatsApp group with all of us having stories and memories of school,  vibrant and in every hue. As happens with newly formed groups,  we also decided to have a mini reunion in Bangalore with almost 50% of us being here. After some intensive and exhausting planning and a pick of lots by a resourceful mom's kids,  we decided to meet at Miller's 46 this afternoon.

All the planning, discussion and decisions came together symbiotically as the afternoon unveiled. 12 of us made it for the meet. One of them deserves a special mention because he just flew down from UK today and made the effort to join in. Well,  actions do speak louder than words.

We shared stories of what we all did post school,  what we are doing now,  spouses,  kids,  passion and midlife crisis. We spoke about our teachers and the absentees at lunch with vehement enthusiasm. We surely brought the house down with our boisterous conversations and loud laughs. Lunch was followed by some delectable desserts at a cafe and more gupshup. We did leave today with a plan to meet again soon! And I sure can't wait.

Bees Saal Baad... Life came a full circle.

#schoolfriends #reunion #memories #stories #NPSites

From one grandchild to another

Grandparents are precious. I have some very close to heart memories of my thakuma (paternal grandmother),  dida (maternal grandmother) and my dadubhai (maternal grandfather).  My thakurdada (paternal grandfather) passed away when I was too small and I don't have any memory I can recall, sadly. I have only been told how he was very loving and stayed with us at Ranchi when I was about a year old.
Last few days, I have been thinking of my grandparents and a chat with Amma (Ira's Ajji) brought back these memories flooding.

         Thakurdada- Thakuma (B/W pic) and Dadubhai-Dida (Colour pic)

My  Thakuma and Dida are the most beautiful women I have ever known. Conventional bengali beauties. As a child, I always wondered why that part of the gene I missed,  mostly the impeccable nose :)
My memories of them are about food or play, the ways they expressed their love. I vividly remember my Thakuma playing bat and ball with me at the veranda of the house in Mysore. She was to return to Batanagar that day by train with Baba. She passed away some days after that and I hold on to that picture of hers. I was about 7 years old and Joy was on the way then. So,  he hasn't met our paternal grandparents. But he walks and his posture is like our thakurdada.
My dida was as loving and protective as she could be. But I also always felt having 6 daughters, she had a weakness for grandsons. That didn't mean she loved her granddaughters any less. My biggest memories of her are when she always took my side, each time I fought with my choto mashi ; the maach paaturi with alu or begun (fish in mustard paste with potato or brinjal) she made. No paaturi I have ever eaten comes close to that and my Ma does make a kickass paaturi.  Dida was a brave woman who fought cancer, who embraced pain with great dignity. We lost her to the terminal illness and lost her young. Joy was named by her,  symbolizing her happiness at his birth.
My dadubhai was as cool as cucumber. A fabulous dad and a loving grandfather. My best memories of him are his letters to me in impeccable English and my letters to him in Bangla written in an inland letter or postcard. When I was in college,  he came to Bangalore to stay with us. While the weather didn't suit him and aggravated his asthma, the fact remains that he never complained. We shared some favorite dishes like soaking the hot phulka in Masoor dal and also bhindi bhaate with shorshe tel (boiled ladysfinger with mustard oil). We enjoyed the paan flavored Polo too. He taught me patience with cards. He was a pro at bridge but I could never get a hand of that.  He stood by me during some difficult emotional times during my teens and he was there with no judgement. I want to grow up to be a grandparent like that, whose silent support is strong,  as strong as the tight hug and the loud support-slogan screams.

Also, I want Ira to build such memories about her Dadu-Dida and her Ajji. And also her Mesho-dadu and Mashi-dida who are a part of her growing years as closely as it can be. I want her to have memories of food, of love,  of play, of conversations.  Memories are not about the gifts she gets,  they are about the fact that she plays pictionary with Ajji and learns Kannada; shares a cream bun with her dadu when he picks her up and tells him stories about her school friends; tells her dida how the banana stem is yummy and sings the ghumi ghumi song that dida sings; about how the karela dish is made by her mashi dida and playing with all her kitchen vessels; and about convincing her Mesho-dadu how kanakpura is pronounced and sharing her toys stories.
I hope she makes a memory box for her grandparents, when I give her the idea- a box that will unravel her most precious memories of them in their own little way.
As she builds on her experiences and her memories, I look with pride and immense happiness because grandparents are precious and she is lucky to have them in her life.
So,  this note is from one grandchild to another,  with love.

#gratitude #grandparentsareprecious #Dadubhai&Dida #Thakurdada&Thakuma #Dadu&Dida #Ajji #Meshodadu&Mashidida #Memorybox

Bus travel and random memories

My memories of bus travel revolve around travelling to MCC from Rajajinagar and later using the University Bus during MSc days. Some 'busstand besties' are now friends for life. Bus travel memories also remind me of my tryst with the local language,  forgetting to collect 88 Rs. (which was a lot at that time),  when I had paid 100 for a Rs. 12 ticket,  getting pick pocketed on a shopping trip to Commercial Street.
Most recent bus memories are of 2013-14 when I travelled to work by Bus while expecting Ira and Prashant dropped me to the starting depot so that it ensured a seat. I also travelled consciously on some bus days,  4th of every month.

Today,  visited a friend in Electronic City. On my return journey,  cabs refused to travel from E city to Yeshwantpur citing that it is too long a distance. While waiting for a cab to say yes,  my friend says,  take a bus part of the way! And so I did and it was like travelling down memory lane :) As I sit in another form of transport to cover the rest of the distance home,  I thought,  why not do some blogging.
#micro-blogging #bustravel #busmemories #busstandbesties 

"Buttermilk is very good for summer"

March 9th, 2017 was a momentous occasion in the Pramadh household. It was our turn to make home lunch for Ira and her friends. A fabulous concept at Jackfruit House where the parents get the opportunity to cook a full meal for their child and his/her classmates. We are diligently told when our chance is well in advance. We then have to fill a form, mentioning what we are cooking: Starter, Main course and Dessert options. The home lunches previously done give all of us some clue about what works for the kids and we all create our permutations and combinations depending on our cooking skills and comfort levels. We have seen some super creative cutlets and colourful paranthas, uthappams with paneer and corn and paddus. While the kids must be having a blast, we mommies always wish we were invited for the home lunch too (It is mostly mommies who do the home lunch. In some cases, the papas are also there). Prashant and I love cooking and can easily dish up a meal for 15-20 people. Culinary skills aside, our love for food initially made us feel more ambitious. I wanted to make carrot paranthas for the kids. Making 40-50 parathas should be ok. Then we were told that we have to cook for 35 kids. Yes, 35! Suddenly, the thought of making 70-80 parathas seemed super ambitious. Sanity prevailed and we decided a simpler menu that we both can manage between us and reach school by 11.30am. We made cucumber, tomato, green moong sprouted salad; Buttermilk, Corn and Peas Pulao, Papad and Grapes for dessert (on the request of Ira).

All cooking done and we were all set by 10.30 am. We reach school and are told food time is 12pm. I guess the 11.30 time is to avoid late latifs. Discussing whether the kids will like what we made over vada and coffee, Prashant said that while we have cooked for foodie friends and passed the test, the moment is stressful in a strange way. We walked in with all the dabbas and paraphernalia. The teachers announce what the menu for the day is and the benefits. Eg. Buttermilk is very good for summer.

The excitement and the chaos creates a musical cacophony. Hands go up asking for more butter milk or pulao or papad. The blatant honesty of kids is what makes this experience of dining unique. Kids tell you what they liked and don’t. While some took multiple helpings of the buttermilk, many said they don’t drink buttermilk. Some wanted us to remove the sprout from the salad and some wanted extra corn to be separated and served with the pulao. Conversations accompanied the food and the hour went by pretty quickly. As we wrapped this home lunch and walked out of school, we began talking about….what shall we do for the next home lunch?! Ira, of course was happy to have mamma papa at her school and when her teacher offered to feed her because she was taking her own sweet time, she said, “No! I want to eat by myself”! Another Iraism we feel happy about. Wonder what Ira will request for next year!

Till then, the first home lunch memories are here to stay.

A toast to a bunch of women I met this year.

Behind,  beside,  alongside every successful woman is another woman or women who have encouraged her,  laid her fears to rest,  shared her tears and her joys,  had that cup of chai and samosa over unending conversations, have spoken of heartbreaks,  triumphs, tribulations. Have helped her find her inner strength,  find the wind beneath her wings. They have together laughed and reminisced about childbirth moments, shared daily nitty-gritty, they have grown together. They may know each other for a short time or for all their lives. But every woman,  has another woman or many a women.... who have been with her on this journey of life.
I am blessed and I feel grateful that I have fabulous women friends- independent,  strong, honest, loving and accepting. They have made me a better person and seeing all the good things about them,  I strive to be a bit of all that goodness and learn some of their magical evil tricks too. On women's day this year,  I would like to raise a toast to a bunch of women I met this year.

As Ira entered the walls of her montessori,  I stepped into the world of mommies, literally. I always wondered how it would be. An extrovert like me but I can be tongue tied in the most simple situations. As Ira made friends,  we mommies made friends too. Thanks to technology and the ease it promises,  we formed a WhatsApp group. We shared our anticipations,  doubts,  fears and our joys. This became a group where we discussed everything,  the holiday list,  the notices that came crumpled in our little ones little hands,  the PTMs, the celebrations and dress codes. We also had our share of tough discussions and disagreements. This group was like a knowledge repository and any KM (knowledge management) professional could take cues on the KS and KT (knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer skills). Finding the perfect tailor,  finding the poms poms for school functions,  the place with the softest thatte idli, the store for craft items and talking about lost items at school. We fervently discussed home lunch menus and memorized the rhymes our little ones said. This was like quora and wikipedia all wrapped into one. We mommies slowly began to know more about each other thanks to the breakfast meets and some shopping and occasional outings. We encouraged and shared the enthusiasm of anyone who began a venture,  anyone who got a new job and anyone who did something creative. For moments when one of us felt low, there was a bunch of us to lift our spirits and make us feel better. We made memories together that go beyond the forwards shared and the photos uploaded. As our babies grow  and complete a year of school,  we mommies have also come a long way. We have found soulful conversations,  common dreams,  matching hues to our stories. We have experienced the power of women friends through this new group of friends that we have made.
So,  happy women's day ladies!! Let's raise a toast to every woman in our life.
#mommies #happywomen'sday #memories

The day I took a Nobel Laureate on a guided tour of the Institute

Being a student at IISc, have had the opportunity to listen to many Nobel Laureates over the years.  There is always a sense of awe and admiration.  As a student and a researcher, your ears are keen, eyes are wide open as you soak up every word they say.

Today, the IISc Alumni Association hosted a special lecture by Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus on 'The Zero Effects of Social Entrepreneurship'. At some point, all of us would have read about his work on micro finance and the changes that the Grameen bank model has brought about in the lives of people in Bangladesh. Apart from his inspirational talk today where he spoke about how change can be brought about by encouraging every woman to understand her entrepreneurial abilities and how we need to be job makers, not job seekers for the economy to grow today.

Prior to his talk, once the introductions were done,  we took him on a guided tour of the Institute. I have deep love for the Institute and earlier as a student,  have taken visitors from other University also on campus walks. This request from him and a keen interest to see the campus just filled me with gleeful happiness to share all that I know. Talking about the expanse of the Institute,  the heritage buildings,  the new initiatives and the subway. Post the tour,  we took some snaps at J N Tata Statue and as we proceeded to the faculty Hall,  I requested him for a selfie and he was all smiles. We spoke in Bangla and I told him my Baba is from Farithpur and my Ma from dhaka. He also invited all of us to Bangladesh. The warmth,  the humility and the knowledge just blows you away. A day that shall be etched in memory.  The day I took a Nobel Laureate on a guided tour of the Institute.

#NobelLaureate #IISccampus #Memoryforlife