California Tamil Academy

Jr. is learning Tamil (Tamizh) at the CTA for the last two months. She has a lot of fun. Teaching her at home (and the little one on the side) is a ton of fun for me.

This Sunday they had a Deepavali celebration in the school quadrangle after class was over and they had all the parents and kids gather for some mehendi, villu paatu, song and dance.

The Mrs. joined in for an impromptu kummi adi performance with her kummi buddies at the end of the events.

Here are some photos..

We now have the Deepavali hangover.....

In other news, the hand has passed the Doc's criteria for making it to Physiotherapy! The bone bends around the screws and the break and has formed callouses. It was amazing to watch the x-rays. The human body is an amazing thing!

Next goal, be able to eat a pizza with my right hand!

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Sparklers

Now you know all about the kid in me coming out and having fun!

Sooooooo wish that we could burst bijili vedis here. Someday, someday, we will be in Madras for Deepavali and we will show our kids the type of fun we had growing up.

After talking to relatives in India, they all said two things that are downright baffling..

1. Only my youngest cousin who is 11 and my nephew who is 3 are into bursting crackers. The rest of them are happy with the good eats and watching TV or going to the movies!

2. A box of 10 sparklers (Kambi mathaapu) costs 2$ here and it costs 3$ in Chennai!!! Velai vaasi(cost of living) has indeed risen there!

At this rate, Cupertino might become New Chennai... much like they named New York, or New Jersey a few hundred years ago..

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A very happy Deepavali to all of you

Wishing everyone a belated Happy Deepavali!!!

Hope everyone had a great time on Friday night and yesterday. Here in Cupertino, the celebration is still going on..

We did get to wear new clothes, have vadai, paayasam, bakshanam from friends, have fun with some mathaapu (sparklers), watch a new release movie(daddy was sent to the theater on a cheer up mission) and have a fun time with family.

We also had a marathon session on the phone calling/receiving calls from all relatives on the land line, the Vonage phone and two cell phones!

Diwali was much needed in this household. It cheered me up a lot, enough to bring the kid in me out to have some fun! Seeing daddy happy, mommy and the kids cheered up as well.

Have a lot of things to catch up on with what is left of the weekend. Here are some photos.

Here's to lighting up all the darkness in our lives!

ps. Watched "Aadhavan". Vadivelu was at his best, but the movie was so-so. One of those movies where you watch the first half and if you walk out of the theater in the second half, you are really not going to miss anything.

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Happy Deepavali Wishes and ....

Wishing you all

a Very Happy Deepavali

It happens to be on a work day here and that means it will be celebrated this weekend in the US of A.

The MIL has already made her usual sweets and savories... and those cannot wait till the weekend!

Now for the "and ... " part in the title.

A recent conversation between a husband and wife

H : I just sold my Tamron lens
W : Just look at all the money YOU lost making bad decisions !
H : It was not a bad lens. Just not the best for taking indoor closeups of kids in the dark!
W : Still, bad decision and you lost money on it!
H : A new lens costs 300 bucks. Need to buy it before the kids birthday so we can take pictures
W : Buy the cheapest lens.. something for under 50 bucks
H : !!!! A canon digital SLR lens for under 50 bucks ? Maybe I can buy a 50 mm fixed focus.. still will cost me more..
W : Can't you take pictures without the lens ?
H : !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is management 101 folks, Dilbert style. I always loved Dilbert, but now I have been Dilberted in my own home. The H is still trying to answer that last question!

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