Tina Basu's Blog, page 4

#AtoZChallenge 2016 Day 3 - C for Camera Shy

Camera Shy

We are living in the age of Selfies, aren’t we? Before anything else happens we take a selfie – at a mall, in your balcony, in your bed, washroom, and I don’t know where all. I myself am party to it. Some of my cousins say I am obsessed with selfies!! Like really??? I know girls who take 69 washroom selfies at a cinema!! I am much mellower than that. At least I post much lesser than what I click. LOL.

Just a few days back someone said in our family whatsapp group I should be named Selfie Tina. It made me laugh actually. It sent me thinking for sometime.

The more I see my son posing for selfies at 8 months the more amazed I get. The moment you hold the phone in front of him he knows it’s time to pose! He is a camera friendly baby. But his mom hasn’t been like that always.

If you see photos of mine from my childhood you’ll be surprised to see a kid who’s always sulking. I hated cameras, I hated flash, I simply hated the idea of gathering together and posing for photos.

During my childhood, we used to have these photo sessions at home. My dad has a friend who is a famous photo journalist and we have had many photo sessions with him. I was probably five or six when one Sunday we were all dressed up for one such photo session.

I particularly was not happy how my mum had dressed me up. I hated kajal, I hated jewellery, I hated stockings. I don’t know why but I just can’t stand stockings at all. I was not happy with any of the outfits I was made to wear. Then came the torturous lights, quite a nightmare for me.

All other cousins were super happy and excited about the photoshoot. They all loved posing and dressing up. And there I was sulking in all the photos, which was enough to face some wrath from my mom later.


This is exactly how uninterested I was while being clicked. I am in Red Shirt
But if you follow me on Instagram now or on FB you’ll know how much the little camera shy girl has come across. I still don’t know why I used to sulk in all photos in my earlier days.

But my bub ain’t camera shy!


Here's mom and son - Same Place, Same Photographer and Same toys!! he hijacked my teddies!!
Let me know if you are enjoying the anecdotes!

Until next time, Cheers!!

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This post is written for the A to Z Challenge 2016 for Day 3 Letter C. Visit A to Z, BlogChatter to read other beautiful bloggers!

#AtoZChallenge 2016 Day 2 - B is Braving the Bumble!

B is Braving the Bumble!
I like wearing freshly laundered and pressed clothes for work and I like ironing my clothes myself. But you know sometimes you are running late and need to iron in a hurry just before you step out.
So on this particular morning, I grabbed my formals which were drying out in the balcony and did quick ironing before I went for my bath.  
Husband was still asleep as his work timings were very different. I wore my trouser and was buttoning up my shirt when I felt a sharp pain on the back of my left knee. This pain was strong and painful enough to get me screaming and jumping half dressed. It woke my sleepy hubby who could only muster “you’re screaming so loud!!”

#AtoZChallenge 2016 Day 1 A - Anaesthesia Story

Oh My God first of April is here and I gotta write every day!!! Is someone trying to fool me today?? Well actually not. I am indeed going to write every day! Okay my theme this year for the A to Z Challenge is anecdotes and I am sharing glimpses of my life through several anecdotes.
Those of you know me on FB or are regular readers here know that I was pregnant a few months ago and now I have a little boy. [Who’s turning out to be a complete monkey]. Today I am going to tell you about my delivery story. 
A is Anesthesia!

I had a c-section because of some complications. Since my dad is a surgeon himself he offered to be present in the OT. The OB and dad are great friends. On the day of the surgery, I got a catheter inserted [which was quite a prick] and the anesthetist said “we are going to give you anesthesia now.” [As if I had anything to say in it.] I was getting a general anesthesia.
I don’t know when everything was blank and black or I was sleeping god knows what was happening. I felt something moving below my (then huge) belly! I could feel bells ringing around my head somewhere but couldn’t open my eyes. I could hear my dad’s voice somewhere in the distance. But what’s happening through all that loud rings and jing bangs! That’s when it struck me shit the anesthesia didn’t work! Not completely for I could still feel every damn thing!
The hand that’s moving near my belly what is that hand going to do?? Is the doctor marking the place for incision??? Are they going to cut me up now??? But I can feel every damn thing – I am in trouble, big trouble, I am going to feel all the pain – it’s going to turn in a horror story!!
I tried, I tried really hard to open my eyes, to speak, to move my hands, fingers, legs just about any damn thing in the body so that I could signal them I am not knocked off yet, you are going to hurt me, just stop with what you are doing. But nothing was working. The bells were now inside my head, someone was hammering inside my brain. I could hear people talk louder. I was still trying, relentlessly, to move my hands. I could hear people laughing around. Why the hell are these doctors laughing!! I am going to feel the pain!! Someone look at me I am trying to signal.
I could barely move my fingers and I concentrating on moving with all the strength I had in body. Black clouds moving white bright sun coming in. Yes I was close I was succeeding in moving my wrist maybe I could speak but something was stopping me. The bright glare just vanished ohh I could see… “ann….annn…anesth…anesthesia hoyni…. Stop… “(anesthesia didn’t take place… stop). I managed to utter with great difficulty.
But everyone started laughing! WTF! I am trying so hard and you guys are laughing! Dad…where’s my dad? That’s the only thing I could think that time. The anesthetist lady again laughed and announced to others “She is telling anesthesia didn’t take place!” Again there was a round of laughter and I could hear my dad telling from somewhere don’t try to speak it will hurt your throat.
“Stop, no anesthe…”
“Tina… surgery is over” said my dad hovering over my face.
“What??”
That’s when I got to know that everything was over and I was coming back into the senses and not getting knocked off!! The hand that was moving near my belly was my OB’s hands stitching me up. All that effort that I was putting in making a single finger move was all in vain and I felt like a complete idiot!
Dad came again and asked “are you interested in knowing about the baby?” That’s when it hit me ‘oh yes I was here to deliver!’
I can never forget how I made a fool out of myself. It was the first time I was having a surgery and getting a general anesthesia. Maybe things like this happen with others! Or maybe I should stop reading about anesthesia gone wrong stories!
It still brings a smile on my face on how I made a complete idiot out of myself. 
LOL


Ok I am not the only one! Source

Do you have any similar anesthesia story? Let me know. I’ll wait for your comment.                                                                                

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This post is written for the A to Z Challenge 2016 for Day 1 Letter A. Visit A to Z, BlogChatter to read other beautiful bloggers!

Three Words Wednesday - That Night

I am gearing up for the April A to Z. I am in the Planning and Scheduling stage (sounds like I am working on some product launch LOL) anyways. I want to be ready with 10 posts so that I have time in my hand. But hey, that doesnt mean I'll not write anything else! 
Got my Three Words Wednesday promt in my inbox. What a perfect mail to get me writing! 
There you go

That Night

She woke up with a heavy head. It was all hazy. Where was she? 

She could hardly remember anything.

The ground felt clammy, slimy insects crawling everywhere. Where was she?

Torn clothes... Bleeding nose... Her entire body was in pain.

She tried hard to remember... what had happened... She was at Sam's house party last night... 

How did I come here? Where am I? Joan couldn't comprehend anything.

She picked herself up... her eyes wandering around.

Morning rays were peeping in through the dense forest. 

Why can't I remember anything? Why am I in this godforsaken forest! 

She kept walking, trying to figure out a way out from the forest. Still tying to remember what had happened last night.

But she would never be able to remember... never remember who brought her here or how they were brutal on her while they violated her. Thanks to the new drug in the black market her rapists will roam free. 



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This micro fiction is written for  Three Words Wednesday  on the word prompts Brutal, Clammy & Dense.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#ATOZCHALLENGE 2016 - Theme Reveal - Anecdotes

Hello people, hope you guys are having a lovely Monday morning. So what are your plans for the day?? Like apart from the mundane stuff and going to work? You know sometimes I feel we are losing ourselves in the rat race of life. And if you are a working mama with an infant or a toddler I know exactly what your situation is. I don’t want to be in that rat race and sulk and complain. I guess I need to be doing something that will give me joy even if it’s a teeny tiny bit of joy. So I have decided I’ll do something new each day. That could be random stuffs like reading something new, craft, some new recipe, a new story for my son.
Anyways, April’s looking to be exciting and challenging. As promised I am back with my theme for this year’s A to Z Challenge! I am thinking of not doing a series of micro fiction this time. I have done that in 2014 already. You could check my 2014 A to Z Challenge here . I was thinking why don’t I share some of my experiences from life. Thirty years is enough to gather loads and loads of experiences I guess! [Are you thinking why I just mentioned my age??? I really don’t follow those mentality of don’t ask a girl/ woman her age!! I mean why should I be embarrassed to tell my age!! Absolutely silly].


Okay coming back to the challenge – my theme this year is going to be ANECDOTES. Yes I am going to share little anecdotes from various incidents that have happened so far in life. These will be from childhood, to travel stories, to pregnancy and many more.
Source
I am not listing down the A to Z now, because who knows I might come across something funny during the challenge as well!

So guys visit back every day in April and know a little more from my life!

A TO Z 2016 - Here I come!!

Hello Peeps… you all know how much I love to write. But there are times because of various reasons I am missing from the blogging sphere. I have been wanting to come back and write more often. But responsibilities, duties, parenthood has been keeping me away from my laptop. The little gets jealous of the laptop and the phone!
Now April is almost here, so I am thinking of taking up the April A to Z Challenge 2016. What say? Since I’ll be participating I’ll be focused and I’ll know I’ll be putting up at least 26 posts! You do know about the A to Z Challenge right?
If you don’t, and you are an avid blogger hop skip and jump to Blogging from A to Z Challenge April 2016 right away. If you are not to late you can sign up.
You are seriously thinking about the challenge??? I’ll tell you what you need to do.        1.       Select a theme for your challenge        2.       Write and Post everyday throughout April minus the Sundays – i.e. 26 posts
    3.       Everyday the topic should start with the Alphabet from A to Z, starting from        April 1       e.g. April 1 – is for A, April 2 – B, April 3 – C and so on.
4.   Share, Visit, Read, Comment and you are all set to become a celebrity – (in       the Blogging sphere!)
5.   On Sundays enjoy a holiday!!!
And oh yes – if you don’t post for 5 consecutive days then you’ll be disqualified.
So tomorrow’s the theme reveal and I am organizing my theme and posts so that I am prepared!!
Last time I participated in the challenge it was quite fun. I did that from two of my blogs. Sunny Side and my cook blog – Twinkling Tina Cooks. And believe me people, posting everyday from a cook blog is a mighty big challenging task. It involves, preparing, clicking photos, editing photos, writing posts, sharing and visiting other posts!! Phew!!
This time too I am being very brave and participating in the challenge from both of my blogs!!! So guys wish me best.
Check out my theme and posts from AtoZ 2014. 26 Short Fictions on emotions from The Sunny Side of Life and 26 Indulgent recipes from Twinkling Tina Cooks. You can see indulgent & exotic recipes from Pana cotta, to Tea cake, to a banoffee pie to even a pizza or a quiche!! So don’t miss it!
See ya tomorrow! Visit back for the theme reveal tomorrow. I promise it’s going to be exciting this time around too.


 I am staking claim to A to Z Challenge along with Blogchatter community

Micro Fiction - The Old Barn by the Country Road

So in a mood to write today and since hubby is taking care of the little one currently I have some time to sit down and write! If you are a new mom you will know what I am trying to say!
Anyways here's a little story I want to write today.

***
The Old Barn by the Country Road


The long drive through the country roads came to an abrupt halt when the car stopped in the middle of nowhere. The sun was blazing on their head. Ray couldn't sit inside anymore. 
"Let's see if we can get any help".
Jen joined him in the heat halfheartedly. She rather walk under the sun than wait inside the hot oven.
The walk was long, tiring and sweaty through the vast corn fields. 
They stopped near the old barn hoping for some help.
"Hello, anyone here?" Ray called out.
They were only greeted by a deathly silence. 
Ray pushed the door the peep in. 
The barn looked vacant. Old broken pots lay scattered. 
"It's stinking in there, let's leave please", she pleaded.

"Wait, there's someone"... said Ray as he moved towards the corner of the heap of hay. "I think he's sleeping"

Some dilapidated rags, animal droppings, dried leaves were all that Jen could see around. She couldn't believe they were still searching for some help in this godforsaken place!

As he uncovered the rag he fell down in disgust. 

Jen screamed in horror to see the partially decomposed body of a man still in his boots!

"I told you to leave.... I am not staying here one moment... Let's go!" was all she could muster...


"Ray... Ray.... are you okay??"

"Can you hear me??"

"Somebody help....."

It was getting hazy... things around started looking darker and darker. Ray laid lifeless on her lap. The stink was growing stronger... her head was getting lighter.... 

Before she could realize what was happening she melted in the darkness. 

Three bodies lay in the old barn.... away from every one's eyes...

The curse on the land prevailed!
Source
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This micro fiction is written for Three Words Wednesday on the word prompts Uncovered, Vacant & Abrupt.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S. I have been trying to finish this post from last night but my little one is getting damn jealous of the laptop. I had to put it away to save it's life!

When do you become a mom?

Source: PinterestWhen do you think a woman becomes a mom? When she gets the positive lines on the test kit? When she feels the first kicks of the baby? When she gives birth? Is it that moment when she sees the baby for the first time?
As a first time mommy-to-be I was, till a very long time, (throughout the pregnancy) not quite overwhelmed with the fact that I was having a baby. I was doing loads of things together. Working from home, looking after myself, shifting temporarily to my hometown and god knows what all had kept my mind busy. I did talk to my unborn baby, thought whether I should chose a boy’s name or a girl’s name. It was not even after my dad told me that the operation was over and I have a son that I got that mom kind of feeling inside me. [BTW, my dad’s a surgeon and he was in the OT while I had my c-sec].
Am I weird? Was I going to be a bad mom? Why wasn't I still overwhelmed with the fact that I had a baby, a healthy bonny son with a wonderful birth weight and head full of long black hair? Am I not normal? Wasn’t the chubby cheeks enough to melt me?
I was asked this question by a lot of people (family and friends) once I was back from the hospital, how is it to be a mom now? My answer used to be a small smile. Because I didn’t know what to say! Yes I was happy inside… but isn’t it quite normal to have a baby once you have decided to plan a family?
There was something working inside me since day three of Bluey’s birth. (That’s what I call my bub). Since I had my C-Sec under general anesthesia my body couldn’t produce breast milk for 72 hours! Yeah that’s a long time. And I myself was too worked up with the pain and couldn’t think much. I had little relief in my head that there’s a nursery where trained nurses are looking after my baby and feeding him top feed whenever he’s hungry.
When I was back home with my baby the biggest challenge I felt was how to feed him. He wouldn’t latch nor would he try to feed. He cried, he howled, he was hungry. Everyone was up on their toes in boiling water, mixing formula doing whatever they could do to pacify him. But the only thing in my mind was – my baby is HUNGRY!
This is the most brutal pain, a pain that I cannot explain. This is the moment when I became a mother. Troubles of pregnancy, pain of C-Sec, post operative pain all seemed quite easy. But to see your baby cry because of hunger is the hardest. These are desperate times when you don’t know what you will do and you are willing to do everything in your hands to satisfy the hunger of the little baby.
Day after day I tried to feed my baby. But he wouldn’t take in any feed. I sent desperate messages to friends, cousins with young kids for help. I prayed, took medicines myself, I did everything but I could hardly make the situation different. There were days when I had meltdowns, I cried along with the baby. A majority of friends and family discouraged formula feed but I couldn’t let my baby cry of hunger. I was dying in guilt every time I prepared a bottle of formula. I cursed myself, I thought I was failing as a mother. The only big support I got was in my dad. He said just one thing – feed without a guilt, at least he’ll not sleep hungry.

Yes, it’s not easy being a mother. You are the ultimate care provider and have myriad emotions and thoughts. Mothers tell me when did you feel you have become a mom?
Source: www.simplyrealmoms.com

Book Review: Without You by Preethi Venugopala

This book review has been pending for a long time but with my crazy schedule couldn’t post it earlier. The book has been a welcome break from all the new mommy hiatus whenever I read it (while my little kiddo decided to sleep). Right now all I can think is baby and baby related stuff, but a romance novel was a good break I guess. 
Sometimes simple stories are really refreshing and Preethi has given us such a nice warm story over here. Story of two lovers separated by fate.
What’s the story?
Ananya visits her grandmother in her native village - the beautiful Sreepuram. She falls in love with the charming Arjun, her cousin’s friend and a practicing doctor at the hospital. Grandma plays cupid in bringing the two together who until then were not aware of each other’s feelings. But life is not smooth all the time and misunderstandings, family politics keep the lovers at bay pushing Ananya in depression. Her family and friends help her through these trying times.
She accepts a job offer in Dubai to keep Arjun’s thoughts away and be far from the limelite. But can love stay alive even when you are not together? Will Ananya get back her love? Will Love win over everything else?
Without You gives all these answers and in a very picturesque warm way.
What I liked?
I like how simple people get entwined in complexities yet they come out victorious. The characters in the story are simple people yet they are multifaceted. I quite hated Arjun’s mother for her behavior. The granny is smart and modern in her thoughts though she’s not the regular modern city grandma.
Emotions are expressed so well and I applaud Preethi for that.
About the Author
It is always nice to see a friend coming out with her own book. Preethi Venungopala is a dear friend and a versatile person. An ex-civil engineer and a language enthusiast Preethi is a well known blogger in the Indian blogging circle. From building Metro in Dubai to raising a cute little boy she does it all. This is her debut novel. Previously she has been published in three other anthologies.
Wishing Preethi great success with her debut novel.you can visit her blog http://tulipsandme.blogspot.in/

Verdict – Nice light read – 4/5     
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Title: Without You Author: Preethi VenugopalaPublisher: Write India PublishersISBN: 978-93-84180-19-5Number of Pages: 198Price: 150 [INR]Genre: RomanceKindle edition is available too. 

New Kid in the block #MondayMusings

Hello beautiful people. How are you all doing?? I know I know I have been missing from the action for long… three and a half months to be precise! Well, is that the longest that I have been missing from action in my blog… I don’t know that actually.
Well this time this slumber is not out of laziness. This time it’s because of a great happiness, a little dude who is super energetic has been keeping me away from the laptop all this while! We’ve been blessed with a little bundle of joy this July and that’s where all my time and energy (if anything is left in me anymore) is being channelized since July.
My little man doesn’t sleep throughout the day apart from some 5 min naps here and there (that’s when I manage to eat and finish my bath) but the best part is he sleeps through the night! That is such a blessing!! Well I should keep all these stories for a new mommy blog maybe. What I am trying to say is I am hardly left with anytime to write. I have been trying to write this post for long and believe me blogging from phone or ipad sucks.. big time.
Do you remember I had written a post I mean who names a little baby Tomojit??? I would hate anyone calling me that if I were a boy!! And this was being suggested by my mom. Tina + Indrajit = Tomojit!!!! Yeah yuck yuck!!! However uncommon however Bengali it may sound I was not party to it. And rejecting mom’s suggestion is a huge task all together. I said no right away in the hospital bed when I was still going through the post-operative pain.
Then came other funny ones – Dhanush, Sharath, Subhojit etc etc I have lost count of them now. Indro had left all that to me, thankfully! I always wanted my baby to have a simple yet beautiful meaningful name which would be easy to pronounce. We searched a lot on contemporary names but all those resulted in things like Aadrik (by the time he reaches school he would become adrak for sure!! Adrak is Hindi for ginger, if you didn’t know) , Ansh, Arihant, Kinjal, Mayank, Ahaan, Ayan etc etc and I didn’t like any of them.
One evening when I was lying down in the hospital bed waiting for the painkiller to start working, I was thinking how special my tiny man was for both of us. We had wished for a healthy nice baby, a little part of us, our own flesh and blood. And he was right there in the nursery lying in his cozy cot with the tag 335 – S/O Tina Basu. That’s when I was sure I am going to name him Armaan. Indro was happy with it, which also meant my road is clear!
Now folks at home did oppose it telling – its not a Bengali name, someone said it’s an Islamic name etc etc. But me being me was quite adamant and had put my foot down for Armaan!!
And here he is all happy and healthy and enjoying his time with his mommy.


Well for me, being a new mommy is daunting, exhausting, and grueling at times – but it’s also very very cherishing.

P.S. I had started this post last night but could finish it only now. But I’ll try to post more often because even with so many things happening in life my hands itch to write type!!