A Companion & More!

And of course, the star of the show: my brother!

He is almost 2 years old now! He has grown up a lot.

His favorite things to do are create an enormous mess in my room!!

His eyes are big and hopeful, and he uses them beseechingly when I scold him

He is impossible to stay mad at, since his laugh is so charming!

He can say many new things like: Apple & Diaper,

But now he can say Aakka!!

I was so pleased with him when he first said my name.

It was the most heartfelt moment in my life.

Of course, now I almost regret he ever learned to say Aakka!

For not a moment of peace is left in the house,

Unless he is asleep!

My brother enjoys to play outside, and he basks in the sunshine.

A lot of the times he enters my room during my classes,

And enjoys being noticed by my teachers.

I can guarantee you that almost all of my teachers has noticed him at least once.

He breaks into my taekwondo classes, and tries to demonstrate to my teacher how well he can kick!

He learned to draw recently, and no piece of paper is safe from his abstract scribbles!

My brother isn't the smartest baby in the world to someone else... but he is to me!

The sweetest boy, the cutest boy, the most kindred spirit ever, is the baby who I have grown to love so dearly in the last year or two he has been with us.

Lots of love for my dearest friend and my loveliest adventurer, Guddu, (Svojas)

Fathers Day

   The sweetest day of summer, is a day of appreciation.

A father is a child's best friend, and a great role-model.

Which is why fathers and grandfathers deserve love 

 On this special day, we can show them,

How much they mean to us!

Fathers day was about 10 days ago,

But I would like to appreciate my dad,

Who started this blog for me, 10 years ago!

"Smiles and Jokes,

Funny faces.

Reading contests!

Harry Potter races!

A little bit of preaching,

Long lectures too.

Teaching me manners...

And Star Wars- oooh!

Sometimes I get mad,

You get upset too.

But I can imagine you saying,

"I only want to help you."

Help me improve,

At anything I do.

So here is a very well deserved:

I love you."

We love our dads!

Sunshine of Mine!

 

  All seasons are remarkable! For when a new one arrives, new feelings, styles, weather and activities come with it! Summer has sashayed into our midst, so let's welcome the warm days with open arms!

                                                      Summer is a remarkable season!

                                                I can surely give you more than one reason.

                                                        Of why Summer sparks up delight!

How the summer sun can melt away one's plight...

The First Reason

Is that a student in Summer is such a happy sight!

Kids can relax on many days, and grown-ups alike!

Summer grants refreshing holidays 

So we can swim, fish, splash, laugh and bike!

The Second Reason

Is the warm Summer breeze!

In a blue warm sky, a kite can fly

With the greatest of ease!

Summer is full of ice-cream and ice-candy..

Isn't having a cool treat simply dandy?

Hop jauntily with loved ones

On a splendid summer day!

We will seize Summer together!

Hip Hip Hooray!!!

Summer is Here!

 

                                        Welcoming Summer!

The school year is finally over, and what an odd school year it has been....!

If I had to choose a word for the past year, the word would be: Determined!

Determined is a strong word. A word that could positively encourage you, just by reading it. Yet this year, determination was hard to find. Especially due to the pandemic. It seemed like clouds of loneliness and isolation were spread all across the globe. However, one can never be lonely for long since life is a wondrous thing. I was very lucky to be able to learn at all this year. It was very fun, strange and troublesome to go to school online, but my beloved teacher, Mr C, helped us work through it! 

I have so many memories from this year.

But now it is summer and time to play!

Happy Summer!

                                                         My Black Belt

It took me years of training and classes. Ever since I was a white belt. The idea was that I would learn diligence and patience, I have learned that and more. Buckets of sweat, dozens of bruises and lots of hours spent training. Finally. I ran my fingers over the black belt, which to other eyes might seem like a dark piece of fabric material. To me it seemed like an award. An Oscar or a Grammy. I stared at the screen, with unbelieving eyes. My KJN (teacher) was busy announcing the names of the students who would be 'graduating' from color belts. I could barely contain my smile! KJN has a strict and sharp voice. His words fly out, with no hesitation. Now the words were flying out, but it wasn't commands or the names of attacks, it was names of students. I anticipated my name, silently praying he wouldn't skip it by mistake or because I did not make it...! 

      When I first joined the online meeting, my teacher commanded us into our stretches. I did this with ease, for we have done the same stretches for 5 years. We then began the test. The test to see if we would make it to black belt! My heart pounded in my chest, but my parents- and Guddu- stood in the hallway with a thumbs-up. "PALGAE 6!" My teacher shouted. I scrambled into the beginning of the form. I had been doing this form for nearly a year, but it seemed so very cloudy. Knife hand... rear leg front kick... double punch... repeat! I finished the form, sighing heavily in relief that I hadn't done some silly mistake. "PALGAE 7!" was the next command. I was doing a little dance, in such joy that I had finally made black belt! "ATTENTION!" I stood at attention, but not with my feet firmly at the floor,  but like a bit of plastic flimsily flapping in the breeze. I knew that if I was at the studio, instead of being at home, my instructor would come and push me over to see how I was holding my ground. I started off my form with great ease, and a goofy smile on my face. When we reached the part that my teacher calls 'The Crossroad' I accidentally mixed up Palgae 6 with Palgae 7! I grimaced, my face turning a light shade of pink. My teacher excused the mistake, and asked us to redo Palgae 7. I gave a silent 'Thank You!' At the end of my test, I was panting heavily. The whole class took a swig of water. "Hi!" said my brother sweetly. He has learned to always say 'Hi!' to a device, because most of the time he sees us talking on calls there. In the pandemic, we do meetings on our devices, and my brother has grown up knowing only that. 

    I was so tired, and our instructors took a little break. They played some videos they had made about what it's like to teach online. In one of the videos, a female instructor was pretending to be one of her students. Whenever she did a kick or a punch, she picked up her cat at the end! My male instructor took a sip of water after he did anything! It was so funny. Then it was time for what they call the 'graduation ceremony.' I was practically singing. My teacher boldly announced the names of the newfound black-belts. "Saanvi! Hitlamani!" he said in his loud voice. I was squealing!!! I also ended up in the 'Academic Excellence Award.' For getting nothing less than an A or a B for a whole school year. At the end of the celebrations my parents grandly presented a cake for me! The garage, where I took my classes, was decorated with rose-gold streamers and balloons. A banner spelled out the words 'Rise Up!' which was the motto for 2020 Winter Black-Belts. The cake was lovely and moist, and my heart was filled up to the brim with happy memories. I couldn't believe I had done it. Black belt! 

My brother is a very big boy now!

His favorite thing is listening to music played by Dad

Whenever I go to backyard, he feels he must accompany me, like a little knight

A guardian angel baby

Wanting to sit on my lap all the time

He has learned many new things!

If I say; "Sit down, Guddu!" 

He'll sit with a smile, showing his pearly teeth

"Come play with me Guddu! Get the ball! We'll kick it!"

He'll toddle after the ball, pronouncing the syllables

"Ba! Ba!"

He is not able to make the 'L' sound yet. 

He is even a fashionista!

After noticing how Aakka and Parents put on shoes, he is determined to try

He will sometimes be seen with a slipper on only one of his feet, and he'll toddle around, so proud of himself

He loves to dance, and he dances so well

He used to do a little bouncing dance, bending his knees and then standing up straight. 

But now, after seeing Aakka training, for she has gotten her blackbelt, he tries to do the splits- but ends up doing a bit of a shuffle dance, moving his feet side to side. 

He has invented his own language as well! How funny!

"Bapum Bapum Ba!" means eat/eating. The command is: "Eat!" It may also mean something that tastes good, like candy.

He is fully able to say Mama and Dada, but often ends up shouting it, demanding their attention!

He struggles to say Aakka, though fully able to identify me, he will often smile at me cunningly. Often, I thought that I might be 'Buta' but Guddu sees me as 'She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' for he has no name for me!

                BOMB

    The name 'Little Boy' is very tame. However, when 'Little Boy' was being carried away by the plane, Enola Gay, the pilots were not oblivious of how it would change the world. When 'Little Boy' was released- destruction followed. BOMB is the story of the atomic bomb and how it was created. The storyline describes the physicists that were hired to create one of the world's deadliest weapons. It describes how no information was safe due to the Nazis and Russian spies. BOMB is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read.

    BOMB contains the names of scientists like Robert Oppenheimer, Harry Gold and Ted Halls.  Robert Oppenheimer was the ring leader of the Manhattan Project, the code name for the building of the bomb. Secretly, he believed in Communism, which was considered threatening at the time. Harry Gold was a spy for the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union, also known as the Russians, were allies with the United States. The United States did not trust the Soviet Union completely, though. They were afraid of any information getting leaked. Ted Halls was a young physicist hired to create the bomb. BOMB also contained what information the spies traded,  how the government reacted to the news of the bomb, why they chose Santa Fe as the location for the bomb building and what measures were taken to assure that the Nazis failed to create a weapon of mass destruction. 

    My favorite things about the book are the special comments from the physicists, scientists, victims and the spies themselves.  Every person had their own part of what happened and most of their stories came into this book. I can find out why they chose Ted Halls to work for the team in Santa Fe . The book covers the background of every physicist and scientist that was involved in the building of the bomb. For example, we would be able to read a brief summary of Robert Oppenheimer's childhood and learn almost everything about him. In the end, in the epilogue, we learn about what happened to the Soviet Union spies or the secret communists. The description of the disasters that occurred, like the impact the bomb 'Little Boy' had on Hiroshima can leave a reader wincing!

    BOMB is not only a book, but a time-travel machine. It can take you far back and it can teach you many many many things.

                                         It's a New Year!

               ✧ Let's let out a cheer, let's yell it so loud, that people in space can hear! 

                 Sure, 2020 wasn't a lot of fun... but that doesn't matter, for, 2021 has begun!    

        Phew it's such a  relief, but its not good to get too comfy, that is my belief.                      

                 Be connected to your loved ones, the people you hold dear, 

                            And I wish you a prosperous new year! ✧