Favourite Lullabies I sing to my kids

I have always been very vocal with my children, be it reading stories, singing lullabies or ahem, yelling(sometimes). I used to be so tacit before I became a mother. But since my first baby was born, my vocal chords have been exercising a great deal. Ofcourse, I'm loving it!

Tip: You can control yelling by saying this to yourself : "she's only two, she's only two,.... " or whatever is your kid's age.

The following are the lullabies I sing most often at bedtime.

1. Jaamu raathiri, Jabilamma song from the Telugu movie KshanaKshanam. This wasn't supposed to be a 'baby' lullaby, but the lyrics are so meaningful . The protagonist(Venkatesh) sings this song to comfort the leading lady(Sridevi), when she's scared of the goons chasing her and apprehensive of spending a night in the jungle with a total stranger. Penned by Sirivennela Seetharama Sastri and composed by Keeravani, its a masterpiece that stands the test of time. This song is also one of the first songs my first born used to hum.

2. Twinkle, Twinkle little star; the full five stanzas. The original poem was written in England by Jane Taylor. But the tune as we know it was composed by Mozart to a French poem 'Ah, vous diraj-es, Maman'. Somehow, this tune was set to Twinkle, twinkle little star, contrary to popular belief that Mozart composed it. It is simply addictive.

3. Hush, little baby, don't say a word! This song lulls while teaching rhythm and sequence.

4. Lullaby and Goodnight! is a classic melody. A part of this famous composition by German pianist Johannes Brahms was taken from German folk poems and the rest was written by George Scherer. Though I haven't learnt to croon it well enough, I hum through. I usually play it on my phone for the little ones.

Singing encourages listening, self-expression, verbal confidence and an eagerness to communicate. While you bond with your children over some songs, it teaches them more than just music. Kids learn patterning, rhyme and rhythm. It promotes deep breathing, stimulates brain activity and strengthens memory. Start singing to your little ones, if you haven't already, with lotsa lovve!!

Student Rickrolls Teacher

Indian-American student Sairam Gudiseva inserted the lyrics of a Rick Astley song in his quantum mechanics essay. In fact it was an essay on Neil's Bohr.

He wrote it in such a way the lyrics all aligned to the left. It was smart and must have taken some effort. Wonder what grade he got for submitting this.

To 'rickroll' means to trick someone with a link to Rick Astley's video. The meme was made famous by Rick Astley himself appearing unannounced in a St.Patrick's Day parade. The act revived his career. The 80s smash hit, Never gonna give you up topped many international music track rankings.

Sunanda Pushkar's death

First reports hint at suicide.Death reported by Mr. Tharoor's staff. May be due to poisoning.

Why would a wealthy, beautiful mother of a 21 year old kill herself over marital disharmony? She was proud of making it big in a man's world.

I used to enjoy reading Tharoor's column in the Hindu Sunday edition and welcomed his foray into politics. He was a UN official at the time. The fog cleared when the erudite Stephanian started his 'cattle class' comments. He isn't any better than the other politicians. And then followed the IPL controversy of buying a team for his wife.

If a sportsperson dopes or fixes matches, he is banned for life and ripped of all his achievements. Why doesn't the same apply to our politicians? They just change their portfolios!This is a bit off-topic.

There's some similarity between Ms.Pushkar's death and that of Bob Woolmer, the South African coach of Pakistan's cricket team. He too was found dead in a hotel room. The investigators suggested suicide, poisoning and then ended it with a heart attack. May be he knew too much and was about to reveal his knowledge of match-fixing. May be Sunanda knew too much?

This is the stuff of thriller novels and media speculation. The truth will probably never come out owing to the case's classification.

The other side of the Khobragade Controversy: Who's the victim?

Looking at the recent revelations in the Khobragade incident, one is compelled to question who the victim is? Is it the nanny or the consul? Is Ms. Sangeetha Richard just another nanny or is she a mole? Did she spy on her employer? What did she take away with her when she left Khobragade's residence in their absence?

Though this maid ran away and accused her employer of maltreatment in June 2013, why did the arrest happen soon after the Indian PM left US after a visit? Did they wait till Ms.Richard was safely in the protection of the US authorities?

And when the Indian government reciprocated by calling for verification of the domestic workers of the American embassy staff, Sangeetha's family was quickly flown to the US. Why is this particular maid so important for the US authorities? There are many other underpaid immigrants over-working in the US.

Most of these questions will never be answered in public media due to diplomatic secrecy. With John Kerry expressing regret over the way the Consul was dealt with and India taking a tough stand by cancelling star treatment to the American embassy staff, the severed diplomatic relationship might take a long time to repair.

The Khobragade Incident : India- USA in diplomatic Standoff

Ms. Devjani Khobragade, the Deputy Consul General of India in the USA was arrested on 12 th December, in full public view. As a matter of fact she was allegedly handcuffed on the street when she dropped her kids to school in New York City. She was then strip searched by a female officer of the NYPD before being jailed with drug addicts for company.

The Indian government took a tough stand against this treatment of their diplomat in a country which is a huge democracy, like itself. It accused the US of highhandedness meted out to Indian officials, while American embassy officials enjoy VIP treatment here. The road opposite the US consulate in New Delhi is kept clear for the safety and quick passage of US embassy staff. The barricades were withdrawn and all privileges given to the Americans in India were cancelled.

The US authorities, meanwhile, deny handcuffing her. They've gone on record saying that the strip search was standard procedure before taking a person into custody.She was allowed to use her phone for two hours after she was arrested.

The charges against Ms.Khobragade,39 were a) lying about her maiid's pay during visa declaration b)exploitation of the maid by over work and lower pay. The diplomat was served the sub peona on 11th December on these charges.

You may read the unfolding of events here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devyani_Khobragade

It is to be noted that Ms.Khobragade, the daughter of a retired highly placed Indian bureaucrat, had owned a flat in the controversial Adarsh Housing Society in Mumbai!She was one of the illegal beneficiaries in that scam. Her father was CEO of Maharashtra Housing And Development Association(MHADA).

The problem with some Indian bureaucrats is they are used(privileged) to go scott free for discrepancies in their work. They are used by corrupt politicians to flout norms and given their share of the loot.

People like these diminish India's national image all over the world.

If Ms.Khobragade had done the same in her home country, it wouldn't have been noticed at all. She just chose the wrong place to go wrong.

Yet, she should have been treated with dignity(consular immunity) and not stripsearched and dumped with druggies. Indian government should stop pleasing the US(for investments) at the stake of national interests. And the people of India must wake up and elect deserving individuals as representatives in the government.

The Hrithik-Suzanne Split and the Perfect Marriage Myth

Hrithik Roshan. The name takes me back to my 16 year old self being unable to put a face on the guy in my dreams. Humans cannot dream new faces. Then came the blockbuster hit Kaho Na Pyar Hain. Lo!! There he is dancing on the silver screen, Prince Charming...

Not just for me, I can safely say HR is the heart throb for a generation of young girls. Ofcourse, showbiz abounds with beautiful people and he's not the only one.

His marriage to Suzanne followed his successful debut. They looked like a normal Bollywood couple with their share of linkups and rumours. I refrain from judging these people because the two alone know what they've gone through.

Having a spouse in showbiz surrounded by good-looking people isn't easy. But infidelity is not an accident, it's a choice.

'Marriage is a gamble!'

'Marriage is a compromise, you lose some, you gain some.'

Relationships are not perfect all the time. They have highs and lows and they evolve. The same applies to marriage too. But the institution of marriage is a social necessity, without which our society would be in utter chaos.

Marriage is not a fairytale. It's where two people share their happiness and face hardships together, after the honeymoon is over. Mutual respect and trust are the foundation of a lifelong bond.

'Why mars and Venus collide' is a book I wish I had read before marriage or soon after. The single most important point the author makes is not to pin your happiness on your spouse. Do your own thing, have your own circle of friends etc and share it with your spouse. It's your responsibility to cheer and support your spouse to be the best he/she can be.

Marriage is about falling in love with the same person every day!!

The major culprits in marital disharmony are lack of good communication, proximity to friends of opposite sex, infidelity, emotional infidelity, finances and extended family issues.

Once you have children, you are parents first and their well-being is priority. I wish HR, Suzanne and their lovely kids,the very best of days.

Kidzania's take on American Gothic

We were at Kidzania last sunday with baby and toddler. It's a playtown offering a wide range of activities for children of all ages. The town has its own currency, kidzos. You either pay or earn kidzos for each activity.

Toddler had a good time in the playhouse which included a ball pit, kitchen and inflatable beds(serve as trampolines). The funky version of American Gothic adorned the living room of the playhouse which was also the parents' lounge.