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Opinion

IT’S ALL RELATIVE

Sometimes casual conversations with our kids lead to pertinent discussions. Like the other day, a simple topic of ants led to an intellectual exploration of the concept  “it’s all relative”. You know the – ‘your yuck could be my yum’, ‘boring to you could be interesting to me’, ‘silly to you could be offensive to me’ – sort of talk. But coming back to ants – We were all in the van headed out for breakfast. One thing led to another, and soon we were talking about these friendly six-legged insects.  “Do you know a… Read More »IT’S ALL RELATIVE

NINETEEN

NINETEEN   On Sunday, Oct 6th, 2019, I turned 1 Ultra, 4 Full marathons, 11 half marathons, and 19 medals old. By 2020 maybe I will turn 20. I am never going to be an elite runner or break any records, but as the year winds down, I feel thankful for making room for running in my life.    It was the Rock N Roll half marathon this past weekend. I hadn’t prepared as much as one should, but the distance was familiar. And familiarity counts for a lot when you are out there counting… Read More »NINETEEN

Book signing at Costco Sep 21st 2019 report

  On Saturday, Sep 21st, I had a book signing at Costco, Coleman Avenue, Santa Clara. Given the reach Costco has, it was no doubt exciting. I arrived a few minutes early, found my table and arranged my books and my cards, eager to start the day. I catch myself wondering sometimes about the ROI of attending book fairs, book readings, book signings. (It’s hard being a writer with a financial background!) But I have realized that often it is much more than just the numbers. It is about the connections you make. It was… Read More »Book signing at Costco Sep 21st 2019 report

CREATIVITY

We have a problem in our house – a paper plane problem. There are paper planes in the living room, there are paper planes in the bedroom. I see them swishing through the kitchen during the day, I see them buried under my pillow at night. They fly like the blue angels in the backyard and float on borrowed water receptacles in the bathrooms.  Two little hands stay very busy milling out these paper planes. They belong to my five-year-old. Like any great artist, my son is versatile in his art form. There are paper… Read More »CREATIVITY

MOTIVATION

It was one of those days when lethargy takes the better of you. The summer heat was on full display outside. All I wanted to do was to sit, legs outstretched, on my sofa and sip on a tall glass of cold lemonade. But it was the summer holidays, and I had two energy balls, a.k.a my five-year-old and seven-year-old, with me at home. The energy balls had other plans for the day. They wanted to go swimming. “Come on,” my seven-year-old goaded I groaned. “How about we take a nap instead?” I proposed to… Read More »MOTIVATION

Some information- ICC summer camp Mela

I am always scrambling in the summer looking for things to do for the kids. So when I saw this event I wanted to share it. Bay Area  If you are looking for camp options for the summer, check out the ICC Summer Camp Mela on May 4th, 2019 from 11 AM to 2 PM at India Community Center Milpitas. Get all your information in one place at one time!

CONFIDENCE

Published on KQED(NPR) Perspectives on May 7, 201 Sandhya Acharya would love to have the soaring confidence of her six-year-old. Who wouldn’t like to believe that everything about you is just great? One afternoon, in my son’s schoolyard, I watched a little boy talking animatedly with his sole audience, a little girl in pigtails. I walked a little closer to observe. He bubbled up and down, his eyes dancing with excitement. “Watch my muscles,” he gloated. He flexed his thin arms with an emphatic “Grr.” The little girl looked at him straight-faced and said, “You… Read More »CONFIDENCE

MOMMY CLIMBED A MOUNTAIN

Climbed Mt Kilimanjaro. With ragged bodies, but high spirits, reached Uhuru peak at 5,895 meters i.e 19,341 feet. Mission accomplished! Sometime last year an audacious goal crept into my vision board – Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. At an altitude of 5,895 meters I knew it would be a multifaceted challenge. It would be a test of physical strength, endurance, mental resolve and I would have to contend with the wild card of altitude. Having had it in the past, altitude sickness was my biggest fear and also one least in my control. Nevertheless, I set out a… Read More »MOMMY CLIMBED A MOUNTAIN

HAPPY NO VIRUS TO YOU!

This time, our household heralded the New Year with a different kind of late night partying. One that involved 3 loads of laundry from 2 to 6 in the morning. The score is 3-0 as my 2 sons and husband lie in different stages of surrender to the unwelcome norovirus in our midst. I have survived long enough to record the sordid details, but who knows, we might be at 4-0 by tomorrow. So while the world raised toasts to new beginnings, we went straight to the ill effects of non-alcohol induced hangovers. While the… Read More »HAPPY NO VIRUS TO YOU!

BEST GIFT EVER

Each fall as the leaves make their final journey to rest on earth, my heart fills with dread. I know what is coming. The cold air will nip my fingertips. The landscape will forget its green, its yellow, its orange, and don a singular grey. The sky will turn dark even as I pick up the kids and rush home. Windows will be closed, backyards will stay empty and parks will be haunted. But this winter, my heart is singing a different tune. Even as I watch the winter waltz in, I am hopeful. Instead… Read More »BEST GIFT EVER

ARE YOU LISTENING?

  Having a conversation with my six-year-old can be challenging. My voice just doesn’t get through all the distractions he submits to.   I ask him to wear shoes in the morning, but he can’t hear me over the ‘swoosh’ and ‘whoosh’ of his imaginary bay blades in action. I chide him about his half-eaten lunch, but he is busy commanding two giant yellow leaves into battle. I try to pry the details of his day from him, but pokemon Hyno has him in his rapture.   Hence a few times a day, I find… Read More »ARE YOU LISTENING?

It’s raining candies

I am loving the vivid imagination of my 4-year-old The stories that he weaves are part magical and part hysterical. Here is this morning’s one.

As I lazed on my bed this morning, somewhere in the region of delicious half awakeness, I heard the urgent pitter-patter of little feet. They were loud as they passed by my door and then softer as they scattered around the house. Little A had woken up. I knew something wasn’t right. 

A mother’s promise

It was my aiding day at my son’s school. I was already done with my morning slot. The children were finishing up with their lunch and I was waiting to go home right after. The bell rang, it was time for the kids to go back to class. They ran in hordes like the migrating animals in Serengeti. From the slides, the monkey bars, the four square courts, the tracks; from different directions they swarmed into their respective rooms. The play structure was quiet and empty now save one person. It was a fellow mother,… Read More »A mother’s promise

Indian American panel at Books Inc. Campbell

Browsing a well-stocked bookstore is such a pleasure. Books Inc. Campbell has not only a plethora of amazing book titles but also some amazing employees who really believe in the power of books and pushing local talent. Thanks, Robin! It was my first time being on a panel for indian-amerian story time on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi on October 2nd, 2018. I was lucky to be on the panel with authors Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan and Ravin Singh. They are amazing authors, great readers and also such interesting individuals. There was so much to learn from each… Read More »Indian American panel at Books Inc. Campbell