Tidbits

There is so much excitement in the air! The world cup is one helluva tournament so far. The biggies have been upset - Australia, South Africa. South Africa has lived up to it's 'choker's tag, England is not to be seen beyond quarter finals (I strongly believe Bangladesh should have made it through instead). And now the mother of all matches - India Vs. Pakistan. There is so much excitement on my FB page and on the news channels. Although I have to say, the news channels are going a bit too far. India vs Pakistan is the match to see, but to invite the PM over? Come on! Why do we always do this? And sending buses to invite Pakis over to watch the match. India is such an emotionally charged country. The game should be treated as a game, for nothing more, this whole diplomacy angle is just stupid. Would Pak stop infiltrating Kashmir if they won this match? It's such a stupid idea to have the man over.

Other than that, the kids are growing by leaps and bounds. In a little over a month they have become very fast on their feet. N can climb stairs very fast, M giggles her way to the top. It's super cute to watch them in a race that they don't know they are in. N is getting better at eating. He's always been one to despise anything that is not smooth. He's getting the hang of chewing things and biting into foods. He often chokes on food still but it's better. So yesterday he was munching on something and he started gagging on it. So G and I rushed to thump his back. M sat and looked on. A little while later, we were all playing on the floor and N did a pretend gag. M came to him and touched his back. I didn't pay much attention because I was busy 'scolding' N about the pretending part. A few minutes later it happened again and M for sure patted his back. G and I started at her and this time we kept hoping N would do it again. Sure enough N did it again and M patted his back. We couldn't stop laughing.

There is proof that M listens to us when we tell her to not play with laundry clothes. Here's the proof. Yesterday I had a sweater in my laundry basket and one sleeve was dangling outside the basket. M walks over and puts the sleeve back into the basket and then doesn't proceed to throw the clothes out as she would've done last week!! Is she growing up too fast? She also stopped N from sweeping the floor with my sweater, which was lying on the couch and he was pulling at. She took it away from him and neatly pushed it back on the couch! *To say we were shocked is an understatement*.

One more 'MnNism'. They have a little elephant which is a shape sorter, the tummy has holes of different shapes and once the shape is put in, it comes out of the trunk. So the kids had a circle in their hand but were trying to put it through a hexagon. After a few tries they got tired, so M took the shape and put it inside the elephant through the trunk.

N knows he is stronger than M, so if can't get his way with her, he will grab her sweater or shirt or whatever and pull hard, till she falls and takes the toy away.

Ok, So I stopped writing this post mid-way the other day...we won against Pakistan!!! Thumping win too! Bowling them all out! Yayyy..what is with the political correctness all around? When we beat Australia, no one bothered to be PC, but we must be with Pak? Err..why? It's a game, the rivals are always treated with no respect..let's just keep it at that! So now the finals!! Woot woot!!! BIG ROAR!!!

So here's why I was happy with India in the semis . Bhajji finally got some wickets. He has been bowling excellently this tournament, but wickets eluded him..finally he got some! Yuvi was out for a duck, but true to form, he came back to get two wickets. He conceded lots of runs, but it is ok. Sachin, Sachin. What can I say about this man! Although his 100th century is not under his belt...he's been in exceptional form and I can't wait to see him win the cup. The one trophy that has not been his! I hate to hear anyone say these matches are fixed. There is so much effort being put into each match, the matches are so close, and it is such a big tournament, I don't think the matches are fixed. So please stop telling me that.

Ok Dhoni's men! GO GET THE CUP!!! WE ARE WITH YOU!!!! How sweet of Yuvi to say that he's playing this cup for Sachin! Isn't that what team spirit is about?!

Is this right?

If someone is not close to me, someone I meet or talk to once in 5 years or so, who is a cousin and I am atleast 7 years her senior. Does she have the right to make fun of my weight?  And if I am 10 years her senior then?

About the Mahabharat

When we were growing up, B.R Chopra and Ramanand Sagar did us a huge favor by making television serials out of the two most recognizable and popular Indian epic stories. Namely Mahabharat and Ramayan.
I was happy to hear the story and then read it but it wasn't like they stood out in my literary conquests!
Things have changed today. I was told to try and read 'Bhimsen' (Bheem's version of Mahabharat)
and 'Palace of Illusions' (Draupadi's version of the Mahabharat).

SPOILER ALERT!!!

I have to say that in both the stories, one common trait stands out. Yudhisthar was a scum bag! Yes, I said it! Despite all his virtuous ways and following the 'dharm' always, he was one conniving son of a gun!
- He made the rules about sharing Draupadi, and made sure he got to be with her the most.
- He pawned off his brothers and his wife.
- He fought a battle, which he didn't fight, others fought to make him the king.
- He got to heaven, others didn't!

I wasn't surprised to see how much influence the woman have on men in either of the three versions. Be it the mother or the wife. They had their sons/husbands well dancing on their little finger!

Both Bhim and Draupadi, in their respective books feel responsible for the war and feel bad about it. Draupadi more so and the way her mind works is interesting to read.

Another thing which I found interesting is that, the authors don't try to depict the characters as holier than thou and living on shrubs and such in the wild. Meat references are plenty and it makes me happy to think that Indian mythology did not purport Vegetarianism. 

Both are fun and interesting reads and both stick to the facts in Vyasa's Mahabharat. They both make their own interpretations, that is the fun of these books.

What I didn't like:
POL:  the author glosses over the most important part of the story. Draupadi's humiliation in the court of Hatinapur is the pivotal point in the book, but Divakaurni doesn't treat it well enough. Doesn't show how all hell broke loose on Mrs. Pandava. How she felt a few moments after she went back to wherever she went. This should have been emphasized more. It irked me no end when this part comes and goes away. There is too much emphasis on Karn and her non existent love story! I like the battle between Kunti and her for dominance, and D's realisations later in life. It's good to know that such battles happen even in the royal families ;)

Bhimsen, on the other hand. Seems more accurate from a guy's perspective in those times. His frustrations with his elder brother, his helplessness is a little hard to believe though. His lust for the wife, who he couldn't have every four years. His love for his wife Hidimbi, which he couldn't show much. The love he had for Arjun and the teasing he got from his cousins and brothers. The pleasure he got out of killing and in turn the pleasure it gave his wife.