Unfairness

This week has not been kind on us.

Computer, you have almost beaten me, again, but the kind people at Suntrom snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. It then became defeat from the jaws of victory and finally victory again. Faster, cleaner, smoother computer running again. However, to get to that point meant standing in a queue at the computer shop on Saturday, being computer-less until Tuesday evening, having the computer startup and then crash on Tuesday night, returning the computer to the shop on Wednesday morning and picking it up again on Wednesday night. Laurie from the shop says hi!

Aside from above strain, I've been working extreme hours for my standards. 12 to 13 hour work days are not popular, with me, Deepti or Naina. Those hours have been part work then more at home, which makes them bearable.

But today was not good. When I got home at 8pm, having left 12 hours earlier, Deepti and Naina had already eaten. This I can handle. But my disillusionment with all things free-market and capitalistic and publicly listed reached an all time high when Deepti informed that Naina had gone to bed nearly an hour earlier.

Why I need to get home earlier

Melbourne

Chapter 1.
She adored this city. She idolized it all out of proportion...no, make that: she romanticized it all out of proportion. Yes. To her, no matter what the season was, this was still a town that existed in black and white and pulsated to the great tunes of George Gershwin. Er, tsch, no, missed out something.

Chapter 1.
'She adored the City. To her, it was a metaphor for the decay of contemporary culture. The same lack of individual integrity that caused so many people to take the easy way out was rapidly turning the town of his dreams in ...' No, that's a little bit too preachy. I mean, you know, let's face it, I want to sell some books here.

Apologies to Woody Allen. I loved Manhatten.

We live for Saturdays

There was a time, not too long ago, where I used to work every second Sunday 8am to 5pm. This meant a truncated weekend every 2nd week and a mad weekend everyother weekend. While Deepti and Naina were in India and the Canberra loan gone, it was time to give it up.

Every Saturday now truly feels like the best day of the week. I suppose that's the same for all of us (though Friday does give a run for its money), Saturdays, in our house rock.

Firstly, Saturdays are not for shopping. They are for eating, exploring and sitting in the sun. The first Saturday we had free after Deepti and N returned we wandered into the city. Within a few minutes of getting off at Flinders, we ran into a movie set. Illegally taken images of "24 hours in Melbourne" (a Kanneda or film from the state of Karnattaka in India) to follow:

The lady in blue was the leading actress.
Gawping gophers looking on.

Damn paparazzi, won't let me get my make-up
done in Swanston St without hassling me for photos.

Deepti tried to take a front-on picture - city of Melbourne grouchies ordered her "No photos". Paparazzi or curious onlookers. Eh. Surely if they didn't expect people to take photos they should have taken filming to somewhere else apart from Swanston St on a football day? We have no idea who any of the actors were. We don't watch Kannada films.

Melbourne's best Japanese at Kaneda (I'm noticing a pattern) was next. Bento boxes all round. Naina's hooked on smoked salmon, raw salmon and miso soup. She tends to miss out on these things when Deepti and I cook. Got some hot chocolate at Max Brenner and then home. FedSq had a busker - but thankfully not Stairway to Heaven.

Arizona Jones was good. He had the decent sized crowd wrapped. I won't describe his show too much, but involves a lot of man-love jokes, whips, fire and juggling.



The following Saturday was Zoo or Crowne. Crowne won. Though once again grouchy Melbourne security told us we couldn't go into the casino proper. (Wow, baby on the table, hey that's good luck etc).

Hamming it up at Pub at Crowne.
I've never worked how N gets her ability to
make a face for a photo. She may get it from me.

Keys 1, camera Nil...

Down by the boardwalk

Don't jump young mum and young baby;
the food at Crowne wasn't that bad.

Last Saturday was a temple visit - inordinately long drive to Carrum Downs, some prayers to Shiva, N getting scared by the same priest as last time (nearly six months ago, no idea), dosa and utthapams at South Indian and Indian Chinese for dinner.

Japanese is on the menu again...

Eating noodles

Naina's #1

Whilst family were here, an impromptu party occurred for N's #1.

Naina's outfit was my mistake - Deepti had organised a lovely lahenga for Naina, but I insisted it was too cold to only wear the dress. The bottom half disappeared somewhere through the gift unwrapping.

The choice of presents was overwhelming.

Grandparents were happy though.

Breaking news

Yesterday, N couldn't walk. Today she can. And I think she knew it was something special, because once she believed she could, she took off, with her winning smile.

At first three steps, in order to chase her plastic ball. Within a minute or two, it was 15 steps without need of dangling carrot/telephone. Within 20 minutes, she didn't want to stop and started walking around in circles. Falling over never seemed so much fun. Excited calls have been made to both sets of grandparents.



I didn't notice why N was walking yesterday - now I see it. Turn down volume to avoid stupid excited parent commentary.

Birthday number 1

N turned one and my parents and sisters came to celebrate. It was quite a mad week; there were trips to the airport and fancy dinners and takeaway, too much cake and lots of fun.

I guess the highlight was the trip to the Langham Hotel for high tea (capitalized?).

For a decent price, we had all we could eat smoked salmon sandwiches, cake, tea and hot chocolate. Seriously, worst diet parents in the world. N ate through three pieces of smoked salmon, a little bit of chocolate and way too much Perrier.

We paid for it later. I think hyperkinetic is how I would describe the effect.

Other changes

N's one now; still young enough to not want things when she can't see them, but old enough to know how to climb on to the coffee table. Which aint bad when you can't walk and are 72 cm tall.

She's picking up things so quickly now I some times feel like I need to stop cussin' and shouting at the TV, in case she starts doing so as well (mental note, stop cussin at TV from rocking chair). And I don't think it is mere mimickry, she actually does understand what she's doing.

N started exploring the lounge. In our lounge, we had a futon on a base. The base finally gave way, so the mattress was kept and the base chucked. Enter covered coffee table (protecting N from minor head trauma from its pointed edges). N worked out how to climb onto the coffee table from the futon and then... fall off the coffee table. Twice.

Cut to unrelated scene last Tuesday, where I am showing N how to climb up onto our bed. My hands under her feet, she drags herself up on to our bed.

So next evening, she is wondrously climbing onto the coffee table without futon assistance and... falling off.