What the Mom couldn't say

A distraught mom had brought her 12 year old to the parlour. - a confident young thing in short hair.

Her hair frames her face in fabulous wavy hair. The short bangs fall stylishly over her forehead and rest just above her long fluttering lashes!!
Distraught mom: Teacher at school says...use a hair clip. You cannot have hair falling over to your eyes.
The girl looks teary eyed at the 'parlour aunty'. I will never use a hair clip. I look like a kid...
Distraught mom: Can you cut it?
More teary eyed girl: Mom...I will look silly
The parlour Aunty....suggested a few solutions
comb it back
tuck it behind the ear
wear a clip
use a nice black hairband

The girl said No No NO for every suggestion.
I admire the Parlour Aunty
She put down her comb, placed her hands into her apron pocket and said firmly
Then leave school.
The girl was absolutely shocked.
The lady put it to her plainly....Look if you want to stay in school you follow the rules. Dont waste your time in such silly matters.

This sound advice came from a lady who made her living styling hair and improving looks!

The girl considered the suggestions seriously, accepted the hair band idea. Learnt how to wear it too.

Then the 'parlour Aunty' said, I will trim it just a cm. It will grow back in 20 days. Come every 20 days to get it trimmed. That way..... You look good...and Your teacher is happy.

Wah! I thought. Keen business sense. Straight thinking. And straight talk.
Maybe that's why this is a very popular parlour in 4th block Jayanagar.

Sometimes we Moms are too concerned about not hurting feelings and tie ourselves up in knots. Straight talking can simplify issues.
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A guru round every corner.

the grass is green and the rose is red

tinga-tinga-tin-tin...got up at 6.00 to turn off the alarm on my cell phone.
got out of bed at 6.15
zhhh...zzzhhh....brush etc done, light coffee heated for MIL, steaming tea brewed for us
some newspaper glancing
some grumbles at the political pranks
hot bath...for bangalore is pleasantly cool
chhoooin.....crisp doseis on the tava .... raw mango chatni on the side
clothes go into the washing machine. rhoiiin...rhoiiin...rhoiin goes the washing machine
wheeee.........the cooker whistles at me

predictable normal daily routine can be quite soothing...


and hey
thanks everyone for the suggestions. No, Ayn Rand is too heavy, but I am considering Chicken Soup. I called it chocolate chips...for all said and done
rogi bayasiddu halu-anna, vaidya heliddu halu-anna
I love going to the bookshop!!

A pile on the counter

Yet I donno what to give

My BIL's nephew has scored an admirable 97.4% in his 10th boards. So we decided to buy him a gift. Now I am partial to books so we went book hunting. I barged into Nagasri in 4th block, received a big Hi in recognition from Mr Venkatesh and dissolved into the shelves of the bookshop.
Soon piled in the counter were four books. A short story collection by Jeffrey Archer, Chicken soup, Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell, Change Anything...by somebody.

I came home and started reading Jeffrey Archer. I dont think I can gift him this one.
Chicken Soup I learn he already has
Tipping Point is maybe too tough a read for him.
Change anything proved to be quite adult.

So I returned to Nagasri and selected more books. You see I ...just have to give him books.
This time Think by Edward de Bono, a collection of Ratnana Padagalu, and something on Cricket came home with me.

Now I have fallen in love with Ratnana Padagalu. I am going to keep that.
Raju feels Think is more teacher oriented and less of an energetic 16 year old read
That book on Cricket has only statistics. I found it soooo boring. U think he will like it?

May be I will go to Nagasri again this evening. what say you?

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bayasidd saman bekaadange
irali illaden irli
thapathreyanakk thapiddalla
sullantha announ barali.

GP Rajaratnam says in this poem
Things that we crave for
if there...or not there
always trouble us
Let someone who thinks I lie, come face me!

Like the drinbk in the bottle, he says,
it troubles him when something remains in the bottle
and troubles him when the bottle is empty too!!