Category: Life in India

OCD Or Covid Safe?

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She’s got OCD – it keeps her safe.

The world will end if the tendli is cut round, not straight.

OCD – it gives her control,

There’s so many rules – no one could take over her role.

She’s struggling these days because there’s no maid,

It’s hard for her to find comfort on this bed she has made.

And all that excessive hand-washing – it’s now our new way,

No longer OCD – we call it COVID SAFE!

 

Image by jacqueline macou from Pixabay

Sometimes the rules about the way homes have to be run, and the way housework is done can get fixed and rigid. And families can think there’s no other way, even when this makes life difficult.

It’s similar often, to the disruption that time consuming compulsive behaviours of OCD, like excessive hand washing for example, cause in the lives of people suffering with this illness.

PS : Tendli is an Indian vegetable – I think it’s Ivy Gourd in English.

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Do you want children so quick?

Do you want children so quick, or is it the pressure?

From family and friends who really should know better.

Who should let you do things at your own pace,

Take a little time so you have more savings and space. Continue reading Do you want children so quick?

The stages of my life

It used to be Baby, ‘cos they saw I was young,

The one they looked after when her parents weren’t around.

Then, it was Didi – the elder sister,

A young adult woman without a ‘Mister’.

But 2 years of marriage and that was all gone,

Then I became Bhabhi, their sister-in-law! Continue reading The stages of my life

Education policy : Why kindergarten children need assessments

Kharghar was already starting to be a location with a large middle class population when we moved here. And I was shocked to see so many middle class families where children had such poor education.
This post is about :

    • The factors that made me think this way.
    • Why language comprehension at age 0 to 5 is crucial.
    • The need for assessments at Kindergarten level.
    • A book review : ‘Mom Dad U R Wonderful’ by Dr Salma Prabhu, a wonderful handbook for parents, as well as for parents to be.

Continue reading Education policy : Why kindergarten children need assessments

Will I vote?

Should I vote for you or should I vote for your brother,

The one who will guide you when darkness takes over.

Or, should I vote for the winner, support the fair weather friend,

Who will swing different ways, depending upon who wins. Continue reading Will I vote?

The local bus

Have any of you travelled by the NNMT buses here in Navi Mumbai? They’re surprisingly reliable, and have very comfortable benches, unlike the air-conditioned buses which have the most uncomfortable chairs. And all that noise and rattling can be pretty relaxing!

Here’s a poem for those of you who have stopped travelling by bus. Hope it brings back good memories. Continue reading The local bus

Kharghar is burning

I wrote the following poem many years ago, when I had 2 years of laryngitis due to the burning of garbage on the roads outside our earlier residence. It was common, so an ENT specialist had her clinic details posted on the society notice board!

Diwali, a festival of new beginnings, is the time I don’t walk down the streets. Firecrackers used to start well in advance of the festival, but this year seems better, and I’m grateful for it.

Still, roads don’t usually get cleaned immediately after Diwali here in Kharghar, and the remains of firecrackers and the strong smell is a health hazard for many. This year seems a little different and people are starting to realise that we need to change and find new, non-polluting ways to enjoy the festival. I hope this trend continues.

 

Kharghar is burning and nobody cares.

There’s often a strong smell of smoke in the air.

Garbage collection is not a routine,

And waste segregation still is a pipe dream. Continue reading Kharghar is burning