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We all played Holi, the spring festival of India or we love to call it festival of colours, with great fun.

It was mostly with organic, non-toxic colours and lots of water. As a child "Oh my god", I used to hate this day. Colour clad uncles and Aunts used give me great shock. I could never understand the fun behind all these clowning. But then slowly extrovert me overpowered my shy-self and I started participating in the Holi affair. I was so little concerned about 'J' and told her two days before there is a festival like this and she said, "Yes, I know, I will play Holi".

On the Holi morning, hearing others coming out and pouring colours on each other she changed herself into old clothes and asked her papa to make colour water in a bucket and went out loaded with powder colours and liquid colours. I kept looking at her! 

Then came my new friends and after ten years of expat life I soaked myself in colours of my neighbourhood and Indian spring. 

It was great!

Recently arranged a book reading/illustration workshop at home, where books from Tulika publishers were showcased and Tulika's two talented writers Sowmya and Niveditha and illustrator did the story telling and illustration session.They did a great job and kids enjoyed it. Many parents were there too!

A detailed account is given here.

'J' is having holidays at school. She is spending time having fun, reading story books, unlimited play time, drawing and time to time her mother is trying to make her work on Hindi (mostly in vein though).

Today she drew a nice fairy and she decided to give it to a friend. Then she decided that she will make many such pictures and will give one to each of her friends.

"That's very nice", I said. "But you never make something for me now-a-days", I added.

She replied,"Don't complain mama, at least you get something to take photos about". Period.

Indian heat is reaching its limits, you can feel that your skin will get smoked at least in western parts of India. Only relief is that in the evening there comes cold breeze I don't know from where may be from sand dunes of Rajasthan and puts the heat away.

'J' is always making mess all around her, when told to keep things in place she reverts back that I am not that polite mother I used to be when we two were living in UK.

May be, I have more energy to care for the mess around me than I used to have then when after work, I never had any mood to clean up and seldom asked 'J' to do that. Or may be 'J' is really making a mess. 

Who will judge?

'J' has always shown interest in cooking and baking, she wants to do everything that she can do in the kitchen. Recently she is making tea and hates to allow any supervision. I stand there near to her and pretend that I am doing something else with my eyes stick to her when she pours hot water  into the tea pot.

On saturday mornings I try to arrange a baking class, where 'J', I and two other girls, from last week one other girl also try to bake some simple things like cakes, muffins, apple pie etc. I think along with 'J' these girls will remember me as an aunty who told them how to break eggs for the first time!

It is not only cooking they also learn to measure, take turns, share, bring new ideas and finally understand all the effort that goes into cooking. We try to take notes of the recipes we cook and those notes will soon participate in this blog.

For this week it is dedicated to cricket. The bustling India came to almost a stop, yesterday while India-Pakistan cricket match was going on. I and a friend of mine went for shopping during this time and we saw the emptiest roads in the middle of the day. Then when India won the match, the fireworks lit the sky as if it was a new year or Diwali!

Cricket world cup, just like Holi another festival I am directly into its ambience after many years.

p.s. While I am writing this blog, 'J' is making lime-water (Nimbu-pani) in the kitchen. Her papa has brought a lemon squeezer recently and 'J' is enjoying using it. I know kitchen will be messy after that, but this time I will overlook just like the way she said I used to do before.