Solving the Rubik's cube

My cousin Si had bought the Rubik cube for himself two years back. While he was packing his stuff before leaving, my mom noticed it and asked him about it. He asked her to keep it with her knowing very well that she would love to work on it.

After he left, my mom used to pick it up and try to solve it patiently whenever she had some free time to do that. She was able to place at least 7 or 8 cubes of same color near by but never able to place the 9 cubes. I used to tease her and ask her to just swap the stickers with the colors she needed 😀.

I even told her that there was a problem with the way it was manufactured since it was just not possible to solve it with the way the cubes were placed.

Finally two days back, she solved it. She was so excited and proud of it. Me and my dad were happy for her and took out the chocolates to celebrate it.

I sent in the picture to my cousins Si and K telling them that their periamma had finally solved the Rubik cube. They were glad for her.

K immediately sent me a photo of the Rubik cube that she had finished today by coincidence.

Aunt and niece do have a lot in common!!!

My tryst with the Japanese language

When I was doing my post graduation, we knew of a small IT firm that had hired our seniors in college. Majority of their customers where from Japan. It was mandatory that anyone who was hired by them had to learn Japanese language since that would aid in the projects they do.

We got to know that if one already knew Japanese, then chances of being hired by this IT firm was very high. One of my friend had already finished few levels at the institution that taught Japanese. Eager to get a job, I immediately enrolled for Japanese language classes in an institute. I got books for the first level and was asked to attend the classes in the weekend. 

I have some vague memories of my first few days at these classes. Remembering the vowels, the symbols that were used was really tough. I tried very hard to understand and remember what was taught in the classes. Let us just say that they went over my head. I remember reading out aloud and repeating what the instructor taught us in the class.

I asked myself if this is what I really want. It was going nowhere. I had no interest (apart from the fact that it would get me a job) and I had a hard time remembering the grammar. Finally I decided that I was just wasting time and I am never going to learn anything. I went back and told the institute that I was quitting. Although they tried to convince me, I had already made up my mind. I returned the books they had given me and they gave back some part of the fees I had paid initially. 

And that is how I had bid good bye to the Japanese language. The language was over whelming for me. At the same time it was interesting and was different. I wish I had the patience to learn that language.

I had lasted just two weekends!!!! 😄😄

Adopting a child

Many years back, when I got myself mentally prepared for marriage (that is when my parents were looking for suitable bride grooms for me), I was scared about giving birth to the child. The physical pain and the uncertainty of what I would have to go through scared me.

Later, as I reached 30s, I yearned for a child. I wanted to experience motherhood and go through the whole process. I had no idea what these words meant - trimester, epidural. I understood the concept. That is all I knew.

In one of the serious conversations that me and H had, we discussed about motherhood. While having the conversation, we touched upon the topic of adoption. H told me "R, you don't have to give birth to a child to experience motherhood. That feeling would come in naturally to a woman. It does not matter if the child is your own flesh and blood or an adopted child". It took me some time to understand the meaning of what she said. She told me of her friend who had adopted a child and went on to say that her friend did not feel different just because that child was not her own.

Well, we discussed in length that day about motherhood. We both yearned to settle down in life and experience that phase.

Unfortunately, till date we are both single women, still trying to get married. The yearning for bearing a child has only grown stronger in the last few years.

A few months back, I happened to come across an interview by an actor. She had adopted two girl children while being a spinster. She talked in length about the legal issues she had to face, the time she spent in making the decision and how it changed her world. I was envious of her. The courage and the strength she had in making that decision was commendable. The question was, can I do that. What if I remain a spinster the whole of my life. Too many questions that were not easy to answer.

Yesterday, R had shared a post on how a man who was single and under the age of 30, adopted a child in Mumbai. The story talked about the challenges he faced, what he went through and how happy he is with the child. It was a beautiful story. A story that needs to be talked about and told many times.