Life Always Comes Full Circle

The week that went by was a package full of contradictory emotions. The little boy started his pre-school and for the first time he didn't want to be separated from me, yet he adjusted in the best possible way and comes back to me (except for one day) with a smile. Once we reach home, we talk about how his school was and he tells me, with his broken sentences, what he did at school.

Watching him, all ready for his first day at school, I realised that my little one was growing up. Way too fast? That's how I felt! My heart felt heavy seeing him this big as compared to the tiny newborn that he was. He is outgrowing his clothes on a fast pace and today, seeing how big his pants has become now, I felt a tug in my heart (I may sound stupid and it may still be small but it has definitely got bigger from the time he was born!). The last time I felt this upset was when he got his first tooth and I missed his toothless grin terribly! I was upset for a long time thinking that my baby was no more a newborn! I kept telling my friends this and each had their set of advices and explanations to give, ranging from how glad I should be that the little one is growing so that I could get over with the feeding and diaper phase soon to by the time I have my second (and maybe third) kid, I would not have time to think of such things. They may be right, but he is my first and emotions like these come like waves when it strikes me at the most unexpected times that my little boy is growing up! I will always remember that first moment I set eyes on him and it is that newborn face I will associate with him. Always!

Though I am glad to see him grow and I need to worry if he doesn't, I am sad to see him growing up so fast! And I realised, motherhood is all about contradictions. You want them to grow yet you want time to come to a standstill so that you can soak it all in. You want them to be independent yet when you are not with them, you worry your heart out. You are happy to see them off at school yet when they cry you just want to grab them and run back home. And a lot more.

Now I know why my dad refused to believe I was old enough to get married, now I know why my mother's eyes welled up when I went abroad to study and later when I got married, now I know why even now they worry so much about me, now I know why my in-laws worry about their son all the time. Now I know I will go through this same phase, because life always comes full circle!

A Visit To The Trivandrum Zoo

The zoo was one of our favourite outing spots when we were kids. We kids and our mothers used to frequent the zoo and museum during holidays and spend a couple of hours there gaping at the monkeys, looking through the tiger's cage, watching the hippo and rhino in wonder, taking a walk through the snake park and later, just sitting under the shade one of the numerous trees and eating snacks. We grew up, we had our own set of friends and places to chill out and the zoo got forgotten.  In fact, I don't remember the last time I visited the zoo. Since then, the zoo underwent several modifications and changes and I kept hearing about how beautiful the place is now. Now, with a kid of my own who loves animals and recognises most of them, I am again rediscovering my favourite childhood spots in Trivandrum.

So off we went to the zoo along with my friend, her mom and her two boys. The three boys had a lovely day together. We opted for the battery operated guide car (i missed taking its photo) to take us around instead of walking the entire zoo. The half an hour we waited for the car, the boys started getting bored. They poked each other, fought, made up and to entertain them, we took photos.

After all this drama, the car finally came and we got into the car all excited to explore the zoo. We started off by seeing the monkeys. Adhrith was way too excited to see the monkeys that he kept shouting "makkii"!

Then we saw pheasants, storks, vultures and swan. Of these, my favourite was this beauty in my favourite colour combination - white, black and red!

I was way too excited to see the hippos and rhinos. It rekindled old memories of the zoo and soon Adhrith too started calling "hippo".

As usual, wherever you go, you can't miss this large herd of deers. There were different varieties and our guide was excited to show us each, what they were called and how it is pronounced.

Then there was this beauty I never get tired seeing!

And this royal one too...

By this time, Adhrith slept off but it was ok (Thank god for baby carriers! If not for that, I would've had a bad shoulder and back for sure.) since there was just the snake park and the aquarium left. We thought of skipping the snake park but my friend's elder son was so excited about it that I didn't have the heart to say no to him. This park houses anaconda, a beautiful ornate snake, star tortoises, iguana amongst many others and is done quite well. 

The aquarium is a small one and we just did a quick round there. This was a great miss for Adhrith since he is a big fan of fishes. He would've loved all the "pishes" (as he calls them) around him!

Since we went in the afternoon, we missed the bears, since it was their sleep time as the guide told us. There was no giraffe too (I was looking forward to seeing the tall guy!) and we didn't see the lion and porcupine as well. I am not sure if we missed them or if they are not there anymore.

We spent around three hours inside the zoo and we never knew the time pass. The entire zoo is so neatly kept, taking into consideration the natural habitat for the animals and brilliantly designed keeping in mind the animals as well as the visitors. There is a lot of greenery inside the zoo, providing shade almost all the while and very neatly maintained. Plastic is absolutely prohibited and there is no litter anywhere. There is a zoo hospital inside the campus and you can make out that the animals are taken care of too.

This is one of the oldest zoos in India and I am sure this is one of the well maintained zoos in India as well. We had a very good time this time around that I am sure this place is going to be a regular in our list of things to do while in Trivandrum!

The Chirpy Heidi

Last year, one day, I decided I wanted to read again all those classics I read long time ago, when I was a kid and long forgotten now. It so happened that the next day I walked into a bookstore and they had this huge classic range with a buy two get one free offer. Without thinking much, I bought three and Heidi was the first of the lot I read. 

I felt like a little girl again, reading Heidi. Heidi had that power - to bring you to her age and see things through her eyes! I laughed, I frowned and I was even worried for Heidi every now and then. Heidi taught me quite a lot of life lessons too. There can be no one as innocent and wise as a child and Heidi reaffirms it.

The mountain is described so beautifully that you just want to go there, set up a cabin and spend a part of your life, if not the rest of your life, there - green pasture land, flowers everywhere, the mountain peaks, the rosy snow and the red rocks when evening sets in.

Each and every character in the book is touched by this innocent girl who changes many lives through her interaction. Her grumpy grandfather, more commonly known as Uncle Alp who stayed far away from the others and at odds with God and man was transformed once Heidi started living with him; in fact, one could see the love and concern the grandfather had for his granddaughter too. It was not just the grandfather whom Heidi touched with her charm - Peter the goatherd found company, Peter's grannie looked forward to Heidi's visits and her recital of the hymns which made her feel better, her friend Clara to whose house she resettled in between to give her company loved Heidi because of her chirpiness and found her amusing and of course the Doctor who had come to love Heidi almost like his own child.

What struck me in the whole book was, Heidi was happy wherever she was. And even when she wasn't, she tried to be happy outside so as not to make people around her worried. Also, I loved Mrs. Sesemann, Clara's Grandmamma, in the book. Some of my favourites quotes and gestures in the book was of Grandmamma's and she was a star in her own way in the entire book.  There were so many life lessons in the book that I am sure it will stay with me forever for the truth it imparts.

This book was undoubtedly my best read of 2015. It would have truly been a miss if I hadn't re-read the book because the way you view a book as a kid and as an adult is so different. As a kid, I loved Heidi just because Heidi was a happy go lucky charmer and the book was a happy read. Now, to me, this book is one with wisdom and beauty. And I can't wait for my little boy to grow a little bit so that we could read this together. See you again soon, Heidi!