Morocco

In February last year we spent five glorious days in Marrakech. I never posted any pictures or wrote anything beside 'we are on holiday' from sheer laziness. I'm about to clear out my phone and thought I'd share a few pictures in lieu of the blank space this blog has once again become. Words are not far behind.

The first few are from obligatory sightseeing, although we only did touristy things on two days. The rest of the time was in this glorious hotel and its expansive grounds, far more expensive than was worth, but brilliantly quaint nonetheless. I'll let those pictures tell you how it went.

A year late but a memory refreshed from going through these today.

Random Mumbai conversation

Within 5 minutes of an appointment at a parlour in Mumbai the attending Lady has ascertained (in very direct questions) the following: so batao ji aap kahan se aaye hain? Aap kya kartein hain? Aapke Mr. kya karte hain? Aap kahan rehte hain/ kis type ka ghar hai? Aapke kitney bacche hain? Sirf ek kyon?

Now that I have answered all of these truthfully to the best of her knowledge (and I do use such occasions to create a lovely fantasy life - Monaco, Owner of a restaurant chain, CEO of a Swiss watch company, 15 room mansion, 1 {ok I let the truth out here} and because we are too busy and rich and don't want our children to fight over our wealth), my eyebrows are under attack.

And as I sit there teary eyed with pain she moves in with the killer questions, for which I have no answer: aapka beta bhi aapke tareh chubby hai kya? Waise aap itne chubby kyon hai?

15 minutes of my life I will never get back. But eyebrows threaded to match my glamourous (fake) persona and a new parlour pal with something to talk about.

I'm back.

Gong Xi Fa Cha

I am a few days late in wishing you for the start of the new Chinese year. It's the year of the snake.

We are in Mumbai on a weeks break, spending it with the in laws of all shapes, ages and sizes. Mother in law, father in law, two brothers in law, their wives and a child each. Eight adults and three children make for a very busy household.

Regular programming begins next week.

In the meanwhile feast your eyes on these fruit and veg that the kids spent an hour sticking and hanging up - the bright colours and symbolism of a full life - wishes for a wonderful year ahead.

A morning in Chinatown

Morning! Went for a wander down Chinatown way this morning. Started at the head of the beautiful yellow lantern snake and walked up and down all the lovely small streets ending at the tail of the yellow snake.

Bought a bunch of paper fruit/ veg shaped hanging decorations for the kid and his cousins to enjoy playing with next week. Also bought some little silk play bags for a cousin R and a friends daughter.

Home now. Tired and headachy but loving this Chinese New Year vibe that all of Singapore is giving off!

I do love to be by the sea

Today was a sparkling day, one that made all the trials and tribulations of a cross continental move worth it.

We spent the day in Pasir Ris park celebrating our nephew as he turned 5. He has another full blown superhero party later in the month but today was just about being with family, taking advantage of the breezy bright weather and the great outdoors. Four adults and three kids (he had a friend along for the day) and a huge empty park = mega day.

We ate a huge picnic and played and played and played. From football to tennis to swings and sandcastles, from scooting to aimless running. The brothers and their respective sons (who refer to each other as 'twins and best friends') and the mothers and their additional little friend had a blast.

It was not lost on me though that this is a bittersweet day for me. It's the day we lost my Muthasan two years ago. I still think of him everyday. And today I woke up knowing that we were about to have a day of celebration with little room for my mourning or thoughts.

Pasir Ris park is by the sea and there is a thin very uninspiring strip of beach. But I snatched a few minutes away from the excitement of youth to go and stand by the beautiful blue sea, my way of honouring a man who loved the beach and sea, and thinking about my grandfather. The sun shone, ships meandered past and a group of kids kayaked in a designated area. It was the perfect setting to stop and honour him. As the years go by it will no doubt get harder to remember all the little things that made the whole. But today in my fifteen minutes I recalled so many snippets of time and conversations that I had with him.

In every way it turned out to be a day of celebration. Celebrating a gorgeous little boy as he grows from strength to strength and the exemplary life of my grandfather gone by.