Living in Fear

Living in the United States has been drastically different post 9/11. News anchors try to scare you about anything and everything including and not limited to the state of security, the food we eat, the diseases we get etc. I was trying to remember if this was the same with media 6 or 7 years ago.

I still remember my first day in the United States 12 years ago. My cousin asked me to come and watch the news with him. Being exposed to DoorDharsan news in India, I was pleasantly surprised to find the headlines "one person was shot and killed in Allegheny avenue earlier today" a little tame. In India, death didn't make it to the news unless the count was in the 100's, or if children were involved. The media was not spreading paranoia in the United States in the late 90's, as far as I can remember.

Now that we have the internet to add to the media, it is a "scare culture" out there. Last month when we had the ultrasound test for my wife, we found out we were going to have a baby girl. We were also told that the "placenta was too low" and that this meant my wife may go through bed rest for 3 months !
We were also told that there was a possibility that the way the uterus expands, the placenta might come up and there will be no further cause for alarm.

We have probably prayed to every god we know and every god we don't know for the last 4 weeks. Finally, we found out yesterday that the placenta is not a concern anymore. One of the things our doctor told us was to stop reading internet reports from various official looking websites which just go on to scare the reader. My wife does have to go through another ultrasound next month, but at this point, we are relieved and happy.

Lesson learnt : No more google searches on "placenta previa" or "placenta too low".

The best part was my mothers reaction to the whole thing. "doctors tell you too many things in the States. In those days we got pregnant, went for a check up or two and then delivered without knowing anything about the uterus or placenta !". She may be right.

The Devil is in the details.

My total swimming experience is 8 hours long. I have taken eight, 30 minute lessons over the last month. After the first four lessons I had successfully learnt to float on my front and back. The next three lessons were aimed at getting me to

keep floating
kick my legs
move my hands
and
breathe

at the same time.

My last lesson for the series was today. My teacher figured out that while all the individual elements were fine, the combination wasnt working.
Today my teacher figured out something after watching my attempted swimming for the first 10 minutes of our lesson. While I was getting frustrated that one third of the time had passed and she was going under water trying to figure out what was wrong, she was facing a real challenge.

Finally she figured it out and when she explained it to me, I had a revelation. Just by arching my back a little bit and hunching my shoulders forward a few degrees, I was SWIMMING !!

Great teachers are great because they pay attention to detail. Kudos to this one !

She looks just like you Sundar !!

On sunday, we went to an Indian Restaurant we have not visited so far in the Bay area, The Thirupathi Bhimas. Great food. I will write about the food later.

As has become the norm these days, I bumped into a high school classmate of mine. We were catching up amid the yelling and screaming of kids around us. The last time I had met him, my daughter was a few months old and that was two and a half years ago. My buddy told me that he was doing fine and he had two kids!

My brain cells went into overdrive, trying to understand how the guy had two kids in a year and a half and thankfully, he hit the "ctrl +alt+del" for my hamster brain and said "We had Twins!". Then I introduced my daughter to him. His response :

"Sundar, she looks just like you!"

I have had so many of my friends and relatives say that to me, either out of ignorance or as a consolation !

I will now go on to put this to rest. My daughter is a carbon copy of my wife, who is a carbon copy of my mother-in-law. I provide you the proof right here.

For added effect, I have deliberately mixed up my daughters black and white photo with some scratches..











I tricked you! The photos in sequence are my wife , my mother in law and my daughter.

Guess the genetic material is pretty strong here on the maternal side. I am not upset that my daughter is a "mini-me" for my wife, but ..

I rest my case ...

What a difference 23 extra inches can make...

We are all set for the second baby.. in terms of Television is what I mean.

Our movie going experiences came down to near zero after our daughter was born.

we are sure it is not going to get any better after the second one.

In anticipation, we have FILLED THE WALL !!

See for yourself.

BEFORE

AFTER

Oh the joy!!

Me : Man, this action movie really rocks on the big screen. And I really have to watch the next available cricket series on the big screen.

My wife : Tamil SUN TV on the big screen. Great ! We should order food network, so I can see the dishes life size !

My daughter : probably having nightmares after watching the tamil TV soap opera actresses in the big screen. They fill the screen and they look scary !

"Mommy, i had a bad dream. I just saw radhika and sarita aunty on the big screen "

the joy continues ...

The Epic Battle.

Last week I was ordered by my remote command post (my parents) that we should call India every week instead of every alternate week, now that my wife is going through a tough pregnancy.

So got up early (8AM is early if you slept only at 2AM after watching your first movie on a new 52" TV) and called them.

The response on the other side ?

"Can you please call back in 20 minutes. We are watching

Mahabharat

? "

For those of you who are not familiar with MahaBharat, it is the great indian epic, a battle of good over evil, which was captured in over a gazillion episodes in Indian TV as a Mega Series in 1989. What is going on is the rerun !

I cant believe my phone call got bumped by a television series rerun. Not that much happens in these mega serials (soap opera's). Guy walks from the far end of the hall in the palace to the kings throne and the episode is over !!

Goes to show you the impact Soap Opera's have on every day life in india!