Whoa! It's time again for a review of a year that was post! And, what a year it was!!!

2017 subtly, gently but surely nudged me out of my comfort zone in so many ways.

I did travel as much as I would have liked to, but almost none of them were alone. 5 domestic - Fort Kochin, Pondicherry, Wagamon, Tirunelveli and Mumbai (the one day trip - the only one I went alone on) and 1 international - China. Most surprisingly (probably only to myself) I immensely enjoyed the different kinds of company I had on each of those trips, and even feel that I wouldn't have liked/ enjoyed/ covered half as much had I been alone! Be it covering all the exhibits of the Art Biennale which I definitely wouldn't have done without my companion, Figuring our way through a foreign land, not knowing the language, feeling lost - that day, if it hadn't been for my friend who was able to keep a cool head, I would have broken down for sure or Lying in a tent on a hill that's almost where the clouds as the sky cracked open and poured down on us, as a girl friend and I giggled and laughed at our love stories, with no care about the downpour outside.

I was given incremental roles at work - things that required me to learn SO much more than I would have ever imagined, and more importantly, about things that I once believed were so far out of my scope of interest. If you'd told me just a couple of years back that I would be writing statement of works for drill kits, vices and what not (with the help of an engineer of course) and be able to do basic repairs in 3D printers, I'd have said you're high on imagination - but well here I am!
At the end of the day, as challenging as it was, I completely enjoy it!

Serious relationship! Now this one was and is a roller coaster - but I'm not alone, and hence it's so much fun! Yes I've been in relationships before. Even this relationship started last year, but it was just this year - almost starting from a conversation we had on January first, did the seriousness sink in. What initially seemed almost impossible is now a beautiful reality.
Long distance relationship - I've got a year of that left, so I'm going to just say that as long as there's enough love, it's not as bad I expected it to be at all!

Writing fantasy - this one was a pleasant surprise! I actually started working on my fantasy novel last year. I wrote about 5000 words then and paused. I realized this year that I was trying to extrapolate too much from my life experience and had to let that go. The world that opened up post that is extraordinary! I hope I do it justice in 2018 :)

All this, however, would not have been ever possible without the support system I had!
My family - old and new who have been sweet and great, My friends - they're rock solid and the best ever, My team - Best team ever!

Now moving on to some of my favorite moments of 2017:

1. Getting engaged. Funnily enough, the engagement of July 5th sunk in for me only on September 4th. ;)
2. The great wall of China, making it to there by train. Watching the sunset from there. Being there when it was pretty much empty - just about 5 others were there, and having a marvel and greatness of the endless wall sink in. That was fabulous!
3. Holding the hands of the tiny, minutes (less than an hour old) daughter of my close friend, after having stayed with her through the labor, calculating the time between contractions and waiting in front of the labor room. That's an experience that cannot fully be described! Got to mention that I went for a walk with the mother just the evening before :) 
4. Getting a phone as a gift from my sister! The little thing is all grown up, earning and even giving expensive gifts!!! Time flies. Proud moment :)
5. Getting picked up to go to a certain dinner by a certain someone. I had decided against going to that dinner because I didn't know them too well. However, I was picked up, and taken and made to feel at home. That car ride still makes me smile :)
6. Sitting on a cliff somewhere in Wagamon, watching the clouds pass by below and the sunrise above, as the plot of what happens in a world created within my head came to life 
7. Getting paati a new earring with Jeffy. It's sweet how proud grannies are of being gifted by her grandchildren.
8. Sitting on a swing and catching up with a friend of mine after almost 5 years. That was happiness. 
9. Meeting my team face to face in China this year :D
10. Craft - This year I crafted a lot of things beyond just dream catchers. It's been a whole load of fun. I hope I continue to do so!

Biggest regrets of 2017:

1. Mixing friends and money - lesson learnt: DON'T
2. Not going to Vascos for lunch :( I don't know why I don't do some things that I want to so badly sometimes
3. Putting on weight *cries*
4. Not writing more
5. Not taking better care of myself. Be it dressing up or staying fit. 

Hopes for 2018:

1. To not get lost in the vortex of wedding planning. Still have a wedding I enjoy.
2. To finish writing ATU
3. Go to at least one new country (please please please Travel Gods)
4. Find the gentle balance between Us and Me in relationships
5. Learn to wear make up
6. 58

If you stayed on to read all the way till here - Big hug and thank you :)

I hope you had an amazing year as well!

Do share a memory of your year here if you like :)

See you in 2018 ❤

Birthday Series: 11 Days to Go: My 28th Birthday

This is a guest post by Bragadeesh Prasanna.
I was having so much fun doing this series, that I wanted to share the fun, and get more people to join the party! :)

I have never written a guest post before. Ever. I feel privileged to be asked to write in another person’s website. And it is on a topic I adore. Birthdays. Well who doesn’t love Birthdays? Over the years, I have tried to make myself aloof on my birthday, to just go somewhere alone and reflect. This reflecting thing never worked for me. I found myself in the company of my friends every single birthday.

My birthday falls on the14th of April, which also happens to be Tamil New Year. So every year my birthday is a government holiday and a reason for everybody in Tamil Nadu to celebrate it as well. But on 2014, my 28^th birthday, it was a little more special. Anybody who follows cricket would know about IPL (Indian Premier League) and if they know about IPL, they should know about Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the club cricket team of my state and city. I am a diehard fan of CSK. Given the reputation of Captain Dhoni, CSK’s matches are mostly be scheduled on holidays to ensure maximum turn out at the stadium. Whenever there was a match on April 14^th , I cancelled all the plans with my friends and I cut the cake at home with one eye on the cake and the other fixed on the television to see the magic unfold as CSK played.

My friends let out a collective sigh of relief when the 2014 IPL calendar came out. CSK vs RCB game was scheduled on 13^th April. I was also happy that I could spend my birthday with my friends. It was a Sunday evening; as usual we had brought in bottles of Cola and Chips and settled before the television set. The match was between the so called arch rivals. Royal Challengers Bangalore had some great batsmen in their line up. Though Chris Morris removed the dangerous man Gayle early in the innings, Kohli and AB Devillers notched up enviable half centuries to take RCB to a decent total of 165 runs.

At 9:30 pm CSK started batting. We lost both our openers within four overs. It hurt particularly to see Mike Hussey back in the den as he was always at his best when it comes to Bangalore. CSK as a team always peaked at the end of the tournament. Though we were ready for a loss, it bothered me that the 12 O clock celebration was not going to be the same that year. Soon our local guy Badrinath joined Raina forming a pretty decent partnership. At the end of tenth over, CSK were 64 for two, almost needing 10 runs per over for the remaining 10 overs. When Raina got out to a short ball in the next over, in walked Dhoni. Jadeja shortly joined him.

By 11:30 pm, my mobile started ringing, because a lot of people wanted to wish me first and most of them were ready to stay on the line for half an hour to do so. The match had just gathered full momentum and I was not able to give my attention to both. One friend was hell bent on being on line and the match had reached its penultimate over. Dhoni decided to go big and got out. I was disappointed. He was the only hope we had and I couldn’t keep it out of my voice. My friend said “I will leave you alone for a while Brags. Call me when you are free.” That was the time the whole world was making fun of Jadeja, calling him Sir Jadeja and what not. The last over needed 16 runs for the win. With a six and four in consecutive deliveries, Jadeja brought down the equation to a gettable 6 from four balls. However, some decent bowling restricted him and the last ball needed two runs to win.

Jadeja had different ideas. He tried to cut an uppish ball, straight to the fielder in third man. The moment the bat hit the ball, Jadeja was off like a flash and but completed only one run. We, the audience slumped in confused. The RCB camp was celebrating and that’s when everybody noticed the umpire who had his hand stretched horizontally, meaning it was NO Ball, adding another run to CSK! CSK had won the match! It was one of the most ultimately thrilling finishes by CSK and the celebrations started exactly at midnight. I called my friend with such excitement only to get an earful about how CSK was important than her call. But, what a way to start a birthday!

You can watch the highlights HERE.

The whole of Chennai celebrated my birthday with pomp and celebration in 2014. Much like the match, my 28^th year was a roller coaster ride, from losing a job to finding a job again and going on to lead a BPO on my own.

Well how did you celebrate your 28^th?

I never knew this! Always nice to be a part of someone’s life a little bit by reading about it.

Thank you Brags for sharing such a fun memory!

Bragadeesh Prasanna lives a young adult’s dream. He’s an author/ entrepreneur. A social media marketer by profession,  Added to which, he is a voracious reader, and is a part of various clubs and groups. He is an active member of the community, and still makes time for all his friends.

His book “300 Days” published about a year ago is a hauntingly beautiful novel. [Available HERE]

You can follow him through: Blog (http://bragadeeshprasanna.com/)  / Instagram (mrniceguy467 )

Birthday Series: 12 Days to Go: Wish Upon a Candle

[We had a long weekend, and I was busy making a birthday gift for myself ;)]

Legend has it that the smoke from fires take wishes and messages straight to the heavens. Long ago in Greece, people believed that on special days like birthdays, a cake given as an offering to the Goddess Artemis, strongly associated with the moon. The cake was typically round, depicting the moon itself, and candles were lit on it, symbolising the light that came from the moon. When blown out, it was believed that the smoke that rose carried with it the wishes made, straight to the moon herself.

This is a custom still widely followed in many parts of the world.

Variations of this tradition include having as many candles as the age being stepped into, and having to blow out all the candles in one go for the wishes to come true.

Making that wish on the birthday candle is a glorious feeling. We wait eagerly for the song to get done with, and more often than not, one has their eyes squeezed shut - lest the power of the wish escapes through the gaps. I generally tend to repeat the wish at least a couple of times. Mostly three - got to make sure the Gods above hear it, y'know?

I don't remember most of my wishes. Probably momentary hopes and dreams.
However, I do remember that satisfaction right after the wish is made - Yes, I've handed it over to the universe now. It will take care :)

I've been pretty blessed I tell you!

Have you made a birthday wish? Even grudgingly if a non believer?

Birthday Series: 13 days to go: From another point of view

I read this somewhere, a long time ago, and it has stayed with me ever since.

It's about this alternate universe where, when a child is born, they all stand around it and weep and wail. They pity it for all the pains and difficulties it will have to go through in this lifetime.

When someone dies, they celebrate with aplomb - have a party and all that jazz, because they are freed from worries and responsibilities.

Interesting right?

13 felt like a morbid number, so shared a morbid point of view.
It doesn't feel so morbid now, however ;)

Wrapping up with some unconnected art work 😁

Birthday Series: 14 Days to Go: Gifts

Birthday gifts!

Anytime I think of birthday gifts, the first thing that comes to my mind is the vivid mental image of Dudley Dursley's pink face screaming "How many are there?", "Twenty Six?! But last year..last year I got twenty-seven!"

We may not all be that crazy or even close, but I'm sure we love our gifts.

Getting gifts for birthdays has been one of the oldest existing traditions - worldwide. Right from Jesus receiving His Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

Have you ever wondered why we get gifts though?

Why check a gift horse in its mouth you ask? Or gift anything!
Good point.
However, curiosity got the better of me. So I  went researching (Yes yes, a fancy word for googling), and I got 2 versions of the origins.

1. Some ancient Pagan belief that bad things happen most around big events, and big changes. The birthday being both - when someone turns to another age, they celebrate with gifts for good luck.
2. The second was a more psychological approach to it. Explaining that we humans are social creatures and gifting is the easiest way to instantly gratify someone. I agree.

Ah well, however way it came about, I love gifts as much as the next girl or guy. I sure am happy for this tradition!

Personally, my favourite gifts were when I was 17 and 27. Just realising that "7" connect there. For my 17th birthday, my mom convinced my dad that I was old enough to have my own vehicle, and I got a bike! When I turned 27, it's like everyone decided to go big. Someone dear gave me Twenty Seven purple gifts! Can you imagine that? Purple is my favourite colour, and he found 27 gifts in purple. My dad got me a laptop. Another friend was also hell bent on covering all the gifts on my list. That was one jackpot year.

I realised then that I prefer getting as many or as much as I can give back. Interesting isn't it? We dream of getting flooded with gifts, and when we do, we feel guilty. Humans :)

Have a good one!

-
Someday's Dreamer

Birthday Series: 15 Days to go: Age

What's age?
Tis but a number!
Does it change the way we feel,
Act, or how we see the things we see?

It should?
Or should not?

I'd like to say that it shouldn't
I am going to be 29 in fifteen days
I don't feel a day older than 26!
Some might even say I look 26 (Others, SHUSH!)
However, sometimes I feel 28 (That's how old I am now)
Somedays I feel 40 (sigh, I know)

Twenty Nine
Long ago, when I was in school
I used to think that 29 is the end of it all.
That I'd probably be married, have 2 kids
Have a home and be running around like a harried lady
But I don't
And I see that women with 2 kids, don't run around like harried women
They are collected (mostly) and normal
I don't have kids
I have the same family I had when I was at school
I have no regrets for being this way
Wishes and dreams, occasionally

I remember this:
An Audi by 30
A house by 35.
Will I get there?
House, I don't know.
An Audi ... I have my moonlight (my hatchback),
And she's perfect for now.

Regrets? None

-
My dad recently turned 58
He's as fit as he was at 57, and 54.
But he's retiring.
Because that's the "Policy"
You can't enter school till 5.
That's a policy.
Mid-life crisis at 35
-

Age
Numbers that mean so much.
29 - Last of the twenties
Last of the fun?
God, I hope not!

I want to say I wish I were still 25
Young and carefree, they called it.
But I'm happy at 28.
I think 28 is (almost was) an amazing age to be!
I travelled, I made friends and found something special
At 25 I wouldn't have had the courage or confidence to do the same
Or the finances ;)
I've also finally started saving
I love my job
I've tried so many more new things

Am I scared to step into 29?
A little bit
I haven't achieved targets I made for myself at school
Yes the family and kids one
Actually, I wanted to just have one kid by 30
I sometimes wonder if I made bigger life goals back then
And if I've lost sight of that, because of smaller gratifications now
Have I?
Maybe
Many of my friends seems to be on the right track
That set track
I don't have a big entrepreneurial story
Or a social cause to own up to in a big way
As an excuse for not making it to my goals
I just have a content life
Of being completely true to myself
That I can own up to
In some ways, that's the best part  

Birthday Series: 16 days to go: The Birthday CAKE !!!

The birthday cake is by default one of the first things finalized when planning a birthday - Birthday dress & birthday cake - they're the basics. It's definitely in the top 5 even for birthday parties.

Why a cake? Who started it?

Word is that the Germans started the tradition of having Cakes for birthdays. Cakes by themselves - sweetened bread - have been around for much longer, and was also invented in the Europe. You know, the Chinese made the ice cream, The Egyptians chocolate so the Europeans had to give their two cents ;) With a tradition as simple and gratifying as a piece of cake ( 😁 ) I'm sure it was quick to catch on.

Birthday cakes have became a lovely part of the birthday tradition.
Even if one doesn't have any plans at all, and is going to be spending just-another-day , cutting a cake purely meant for them makes the entire day special.
Add a candle on top, and a wish to go with it; just knowing it might come true is a satisfaction by itself, is like the cherry on top. (Who knows, the cherry might be on the cake too *wink*)

I know that in India, the idea of a birthday cake is fairly recent. By Fairly recent, I mean it's only a 40 to 50 year old tradition. However, the concept of having something sweet for the birthday (and other special days and festivals) has been prevalent for a much longer time. So the cake fits in that category I suppose. And we have cakes now! I ain't complaining dude. 

In fact, I love birthday cakes! These days, there are SOOO many kinds of them!

• The Pretty Ones 
• Like the doll cakes or castle cakes
• The yummy ones 
• Which are all about the amazing flavours and icing
• The photo ones  
• I still don't get why people like to cut and eat their own faces on other birthday - but whatever works for them!
• The innovative ones 
• Which are not really cakes at all, but other things like - Kesari, fruits and what not - set up to look like cake. With a candle on it of course.
• And, my favourite: The ice cream cake!!

• Who ever thought of putting the three best things in the world into one is an absolute genius!
• Ice cream + Chocolate = Awesome
  Cake+ Chocolate = Wonderful
  Ice cream + Cake+ Chocolates+Nuts = Mind numbingly brilliant :D

My first ice cream birthday cake was in 2011 when my sister made it herself with a crushed Oreo base and to-die-for Belgian Chocolate Ice cream. Till date, it's been the best ice cream cake I've ever had.
As luck would have it, she started a tradition that has continued for the last 5 years. (A little secret here - Last year, I made the ice cream cake myself for myself. Jeff was away at college. So it had to be done, and somebody had to do it.I'm cool like that. )

Over the past years, I've been blessed with amazing friends who've been darlings and made me feel pampered on my birthday. How blessed would one have to be when I've had not one or two but FOUR cakes for a certain birthday, and had someone I love donate a cake to an orphanage so more people could join the merriment.

I'm so looking forward to the cake this year. Hoping for another ice cream cake [I know I know - this is not subtle at all 😋 ]

I'll let you know which in 16 days!
What's your favourite cake? :)

Birthday Series: 17 Days to go: Pregnancy

Wha...wait! What are you talking about dude? Pregnancy is before the birthday, and even if we're talking about what exactly leads to a birth, then it's sex first.
-You might ask.
Why am I writing about Pregnancy though?
Because sex is merely a facilitator.

There is this beautiful line in my developmental psychology book, which has stuck with me. It runs somewhat like this;

"The woman might be taking her morning walk, the man and woman might be sharing a joke or even having an argument over their morning coffee, She might be sitting curled up over a book on her couch or dancing to her favourite song. She might even be doing mundane things like putting away the laundry or working on her presentation or driving her car when it happens - when one sperm makes its way through and fuses with the ovum - and at that moment, another being is created in this universe."

Pregnancy might be called beautiful, scary, stressful, and so many other things. To me it's magic. It's the part when a woman creates something so wonderful out of almost everything. She nurtures it, not know how it will be, what it will be, - just knowing that whatever, however, whenever it is - it will be hers.

I've had some pregnant friends. One of my best friends is pregnant, and it's all "It's the size of a bean now" "Its heart is beating now" "It's got finger nails now" How achingly sweet is that?

It goes on like "It's got hands and feet now", "It's eating food now", "It's got a working respiratory system now" right up until "It's got to come out now"

With a lot of pain, anticipation, fears,
Smiles and tears
A new baby is born into this world
Crying with all the capacity of its newly functional lungs
Held up to face the world
Then held close by the mother
To let it know that it's safe
on its birthday

-
With a soft smile on her face,
Someday's dreamer

Birthday Series: 18 days to go: What's so special about a birthday?

Birthday

Just that word makes me sigh with contentment.
It's that one day of the year that's all yours. It's an event, your event, where you are the centre of attraction! All your friends remember you. Everyone's nice to you! Gifts, great food, CAKE! C'mon, how awesome are birthdays?!

Not everyone shares the sentiment though.

I was talking to a friend yesterday, saying I wanted his help in selecting a new phone which is to be my birthday gift from my sister.

He: I thought you wanted it for your birthday
Me:I do
He: So we have time
Me: Where? How?
He: Isn't your birthday next month?
Me: Yes
He: Isn't the phone for the birthday?
Me: Yes
He: So why are we picking already?
Me: Because it's for my birthday
He: -_-

Many people declare that their birthday is just another day. I do not get that at all. I have a friend who feels that, and I tried to force birthday cheer on her, but she just found my efforts funny and conceded to come to Subway to celebrate. I've kinda given up on her. Kinda.

Last year, I put my 50 day countdown for my birthday on my desk calendar as usual, and my friend (who is no longer a colleague :( )could not understand why anyone would start preparing for their birthday so much in advance.

So I decided to give this some thought, and figure out some root causes.

I've got three:
Family, Friends/ School & Timing

1. Family
My family is one of those families which makes a big deal out of birthdays. My mom definitely was. She loved birthdays and found new ways to surprise us on ours. We always had midnight cake cutting, and lovely gifts exchanged. My sister got that memo very late. However, being the youngest, she's had some of the best birthdays in the family - having everyone plan for her.
My extended family also all wish for birthdays. Our WhatsApp group is quite active on birthdays to be sure!

2. Friends/ School
I studied at an all-girls school. Surprise parties are almost a necessity. And girls being girls, and when just with girls, find no issues with making a birthday a huge deal. I have another friend who has a big birthday calendar on her room always and checks it every day to wish people. She also does ..or has done 100 day countdowns to her birthday. So you can hardly blame my 50 day one!

3. Timing
Now this is a big one. You see, my birthday is almost in the mid of May. It's bang in the middle of summer holidays. So there is the: "Yaay vacations are coming! Yaay, my birthday comes with that"
There is also that, all through school, we spent summer vacations in my hometown - which meant no school friends, and a different set of vacation friends, mostly from the 8 families that lived on that street or from the 2 other known families from the neighboring street. That's fun by itself, but it has a catch. Back in my school time (probably even now - not sure what kids these days are upto) , we all had uniforms, but, just for birthdays we were given an exception - we got to wear colour dress !
That was one glorious day that birthday girls stood out from the rest of the pack. *Cue: Rose tinted glasses with rainbow bubbles blowing around* I never got to do that *Cue: Bubbles break* Making this situation harder was the fact that my sister's birthday is in June, and she got to celebrate just after school reopened. She also got to distribute chocolates in class and bigger chocolates for all the teachers! I never go to do that either. My mom though, sweetheart that she was, did her best to recreate this for me - I've always gone around giving chocolates to my neighbours on my birthdays (back in vacation time, not now) and the added perk was that it was a holiday, so I got to be freeeee! (Probably why I still always take the day off on my birthday, heh) She also told me (once as I was openly crying out of jealousy) that my birthday was better because all the family got to be there, and they all gave me gifts, I could play with my friends, and we got to eat everything I loved.

Do you see the allure of birthdays now? Can you blame me for loving them so much? Or for looking forward to them!

18 days to go :D

I'm off to select the phone now!

Yours truly,
Someday's dreamer

Birthday Series: 19 Days to Go: First Birthdays

Have you ever gone to first birthday party? And, while there, have you (tried to) hold the kid?

From those who attempted, some women might have succeeded, and others probably took the kid long enough for it’s decibel to reach new levels before hastily shoving it back at the mother/ father/ whoever/ whatever.

I recently went to a First Birthday of a family friend’s baby. It was a tiny thing, and hadn’t learnt to talk yet. Maybe it did, but it didn’t during the party.  It was buried in a bunch of red material – pretty dress it must have been, on the rack, I’m sure. The kid was lost inside that somewhere. But we could figure out where it …she was from the screams coming from within. It cried throughout. Too many people trying to hold it, it was irritated, unhappy and uncomfortable.

We essentially took a possibly happy carefree baby, and put it amongst a ton of strangers, in uncomfortable clothes just so we could all celebrate it. How ironic is that! In that birthday, they had not one but two pretty cakes. And, as the kid, who was finally coaxed to a whimper came near the cake, they burst a confetti blaster. That Boom was enough to set it screeching all over again. So brainiacs near by tried to  calm the baby down by bursting some balloons. Who in their right minds would think that loud unexpected noises would calm anyone, leave alone a tiny human being, is beyond me.

All the pictures had the baby caught in various stages of wailing. Much later, they changed its clothes and rocked it to sleep so they could take pictures of it...her with the cake.

I know that I’ve had a pretty fancy First Birthday too. I know only from the pictures I’ve seen where scores of people are standing around and my dad or mom are holding me. The cake was pretty – plain rectangle though, and there’s a picture of me blowing the candle. Don’t think I was crying too much there (either ;) ) .

For my sister’s first birthday, we had a Mickey Mouse cake. We had progressed you see. Apart from pictures of people, the most memorable one is one of her staring so lovingly at the cake. Many people might have lived and died without ever feeling such true love. Such was hers. That love affair lasted many a birthday (hers, mine, anyone’s with a cake;) ) However, the rites and songs had to be sung before the lovers united.

Luckily we’ve long forgotten horrors if any, that we might have endured during out first birthday celebrations.

I’ve always wondered why celebrate first birthdays at all. The babies never remember it. It doesn’t make them any happier. But now that I’m older and wiser (shush with all the throat clearing there!) and with many friends who’ve given birth, I get that the first birthday celebration is not for the baby at all.

After months of toiling away without knowing the difference between day and night, having to carry huge bags everywhere, having to ensure that most things are clean around the baby, and the countless other things that take up so much energy from the parents – and rendering them almost completely asocial, the first birthday, I think, is like their coming out party. It’s about the parents declaring to the world in style (and with a worthy excuse) that “We did it! We survived this!” and in the process letting their friends know that they’re ready to socialize once again.

Birthday Series: 20 Days to Go: How it all began!

Different people have different favourite things. Books, gadgets, travelling, pizza, bags, shoes! - those are some things I love, as do many of you I'm sure. And we all have those few things apart from the normal that totally gets me excited! For my grandmother; it's watching kids' game shows, it totally cracks her up! She'd be amused for hours. For me? It's Christmas and Birthdays! I LOVE them! They make me giddy with excitement. Not just mine, I love birthdays in general. I've planned awesome surprise parties for my folks at home, I remember badgering a friend's fiance (now husband) who I barely knew back then, helping (read making) him plan her birthday surprise ;) We still pull each other's leg about it.
So with 20 days to go till mine (yes I know that you see the countdown ;) ), and since I've given myself the early birthday gift of this domain - I decided a Birthday Series would be perfect! That's how this series started.

This post is about more than that though - this is about the day I was born. I love that story. It's been told to me so many times over all these years, that I've internalised it and say it like it's my own - Like the wee little kid that I was (I was wee - less than 2.3 kgs little) experienced it and is narrating the experience. Anyway, here it goes :)

In Tamil Nadu (where I am from, and where I am born) people go to great extents to ensure that babies are not born in May. No mean intentions there. It's just very very hot in here around then, and giving birth by itself is not the easiest thing to do I'm sure - and to do it at 40 degrees is no laughing matter. So back in the days when air conditioners were not common, people came up with a simple solution: Superstition! Just don't sleep with each other in the Tamil Month "Aadi" which is roughly around June and July, and babies won't be born then. [Later that superstition blew up, and they generalised the bad luck to everything, and that's why people never start shopping for wedding or important events during that month. There are also many discounts then because shopping was discouraged - so now conversely, it's become the shopping time. That snowballed in a zig zag, but that's a whole other funny story for later]
So my parents too, I'm certain, were subjected to this Aadi thing. They didn't have to be though, as I was conceived before then, and I was due to be born in April! April 20th or 21st was when I was due. It's still summer, but a sliver away from the hottest month and all were happy.

The lazy procrastinator I am (See I started WAYYY back then! No one can say it's an acquired habit!) or probably because I was a bit too comfortable in the cosiness of the womb, I decided to just stay in there. C-sections were not the norm back then, so they decided to wait it out till I was ready. I overstayed a good twenty days and came out in May. Yaay!

My mum being the eldest in her family, and my dad being the youngest, there was entire welcoming crew waiting for me. I was well rested (20 days extra well rested) though, so when I came out I didn't see any need to cry. I think I was probably happy to be out - mentally prepared and all, by then. Humans, however, and their need for conformity (sigh!) were not happy that I wasn't crying. (Can't a girl be silent instead of crying for a change? apparently not!) So they went into a hulla bulla over that and finally - a cough, a sneeze and some tapping later - I was crying (Who wouldn't be, when subjected to all those expectations right from the get-go?)
Then all the relatives came in, and everyone wanted to hold me! All grandmas and grandpas and uncles and aunts and cousins (I'm still not comfortable with big crowds, and now you know why!) Someone who was peacefully sleeping away in the womb being man (and woman) handled so excessively will obviously rebel. So I stopped breathing for a bit, to take a break from it all you know? Again they weren't happy with the non-conformity, so they put me in an incubator for a bit. After that, at least when it comes to breathing and crying, I stick to social norms. Most of the time ;)

With all that fuss and drama, I came into this world 10571 days ago!
And that's how it all began - for me *wink*

Loads of love,
Someday's dreamer