Aashi's first competition

Aashika's first Competition

The posters read "BABY TRIATHLON" inviting kids below 24 months categorized in two different categories 12months to 18 months and 18 months to 24 months. We were interested in Aashika taking part in that. So we enrolled for the competition with her latest photo. (see attached photo - get set go pose only)

We had a month's time and the advertisement read that the kids have to by pass small hurdles and reach their destination. We started Aashi's practice for running and thought her to cross small hurdles like box, sticks etc. Then we went to buy a shoes for her so that she is convenient with it while running.

We were keen on her performing well and so my in-law would daily make her run over in our lawn practising her to her best. We were quite confident about aashi but only factor was if the race involved unknown hurdles then how she will handle on the spot. We cudnt guess how the competition would be. We waited for the day to come. Meanwhile we were called and told that aashi's participation in the race is confirmed.

We packed everything for us and Aashi to go where the competition was held. It was a mall and we thot it would happen in open space. Not to our imagination, it was on the Second floor where they arranged runways for 4 kids with different colors and kids were already crowding that place.

When we went to that place, the first set of kids were already in the race and we were curious to know what the competition would all boil down to. The compere announced that 3 different races would be given.

1. Crawling to the destination

2. Enter through tunnel, pick up the ball and hit over the blocks and run to the destination

3. push the walker pick the birds and throw them in the bucket.

Only one person can help out/direct the infants to perform the tasks given to them.

There were many mothers and we were a little disappointed on knowing the different races.

We expected something more bigger and it was very cool.

Then we asked Aashi to crawl. But being the toddler, she refused to crawl. Then looking at other kids she crawled and was first to finish the race.

In the second one, we thought she would never go into the tunnel, but I made her crawl through the tunnel and my in-law from other end of the tunnel call her off to wade through the tunnel.

In the third, she finished her walker and started picking birds and when asked to throw it in her bucket, she refused to do so and then she finally put them all in one time.

Aashika's name topped on the board for coming first in crawling, second in Tunneling.

It was a team effort to make Aashi participate in the competition and when she won, my husband, my inlaw and me were very happy as if we lifted a gold medal.

My first smartphone Iphone4 - Feather touch

Recently we bought the much hyped Apple's iPhone4. I am a little shy to reach out to people who have an iphone old series and take a look at it. Internet gives many pictures and posts on iphone4 but damn the first touch its really most lovable experience for me.

After a 3 hours waiting in a long queue, my husband got the iphone4 to home. The excitement of handling the iphone4 was too high and was awaiting for its arrival. When I got to look at the box, I started to compare the box with my old mobiles. They boxes used to carry all accessaries for the mobile and would be bigger of size. The iphone box was as small and handy.

The charger is of dual purpose. The first time I could see a 3 pin plug head having USB port whereby the mobile could charge via USB and could do a transfer via USB also.

The first touch was smooth and like a feather. The navigation wasnt to my control. It was so kiddish that I started playing with the navigation controls like the paintbrush given to my 1 year old daughter.

I tried to add contacts and would retrieve the numbers from the call log and it would get connected even before I could stop it. It happened twice, one to my husband's office number and other to my home landline number. I thot I stopped dialling but I was wrong and realised that I had ringed to them and they gave a call back to me asking if I had forgot to inform something.

I had to wait for a day from the carrier provider to activate the connection for me. I have still not had a look at the micro sim inside the iphone. I could no wonder say " World is in my hands" with 12G data plan - Internet on the go.

I proudly placed my iphone on my office desk and raised my collars to have the first iphone4 in the whole office and offered everyone to take a look at my new gadget.

Still lot more to explore, but slowly would get used to the new age smartphone. Lot more applications to install and utilise smartly.

Sooner to post its picture.

My first Ramadhan Fasting

My first Ramadhan Fasting

September 1 2008 - My first ramadhan fasting after my marriage. Its my first ramadhan fasting for my lifetime. And to add to this speciality I was pregnant 7 months. People advised me not to go for fasting as it is not mandatory for the pregnant ladies.

But I was much awaiting for this day to start off my fast. My monther-in-law and my husband supported me in the fasting. Something which I couldnt do was the 5 times prayer. I could only do Fajr and then go for Isha, which was very much irking for me even if i think of this today.

We prepared for the sahar and woke up early at 4.00am and all three of us had sahar and started off our first day fasting of the Ramadhan month.

I was a little excited to get the feeling that with me my little one is also gonna fast and its her first ramadhan too. Dedicatedly I managed the whole day at office and was advised to come home early by 6.30pm to break the fast.

My husband prepared for the first iftar and he reached home by 6.45pm. I prepared myself to leave home to end my first ramadhan fasting. It takes 45mins for me to reach home and I managed to start by 6pm from my office stating the reason. They were kind enough to give the excuse only for that day.

I walked down to the bus-stop and got into the bus at 6.15pm aiming to reach home by 7.00pm to break the fast at 7.10pm. I was a little tired and slept in the bus. As the bus headed towards a junction, there was heavy traffic and moved as slow as a caterpillar could.

It was 6.45pm when I was woke up by the phone call from my husband waiting for my arrival. I told him that I was just 2km away from home and would be reaching in 15mins thinking that the traffic would get cleared off. But to my dismay, the bus never even moved till 7.00pm and I did not know what to do. I could not even take a taxi to home as nothing moved and everything was standstill.

I was with much joy to join my husband and mom-in-law to break my first fast and would always cherish those happy moments, but it never happened at all.

I was advised to break fast atleast by drinnking water as it is manadatory to break the fast at the right time, else we dont mean the ramadhan fasting. I carried nothing in my hand to break my fast and I rushed to the driver to get his help. He cudnt understand me and didnt help me out at the first move.

Then I explained him that I am fasting at my pregnancy period and would need atleast water to break my fast and it needs to be done at the stipulated time. Then he gave the drinking water he carried in his flask and helped me out.

After that the bus moved on and I reached home at 7.45pm. My husband and mom-in-law were a little worried for me as I was pregnant and had suffered a lot for breaking the fast.

Since then they advised me to carry Water and dates with me always for the rest of the month to use it for breaking the fast if I am caught up in such situation.

My first lifetime ramadhan fasting experience relishes me forever.