Reviews of Momhood and everything else

Hello pretty (and patient) people!

Been over three months since my last post, and Aarush is growing up at a crazy pace. 

I have barely a moment to spare, what with the home, office and family taking up all my time and energy. 

I wonder how other moms do it. Other moms are wondering how I do it. But the fact of the matter is, I am cracking up with all the stress. Motherhood is not for the faint of heart, body and mind - let me warn you that. It's a hell lot of sacrifice, personal and professional, mental and physical. You will go insane and one look at your kiddo will wipe the frustration away. You will praise him to the skies, and he will prove just how mistaken you are. Totally unpredictable, these li'l angels (or monsters, depending on what day it is).

Yet it's a fine day, and we shall talk about good things. 

Aarush is a darling. Here is a picture of him. Do bless him, won't you?! 

Can't believe it's been more than 8 months since this little munchkin came into the world making me a mother. I wish I could say a responsible, loving and patient mom... But I miss that mark by a huge margin. He has fallen off the bed umpteen times in my presence, I often find myself losing my temper on him and others, and there are times I wish I could run away from it all and just sleep or read or do nothing in particular. However, at the end of the day, I always find myself blessed to have this darling in my life who loves and wants me unconditionally and completely. 

Such a rare thing in this world. 

He's bursting with energy, and is constantly crawling or on his feet, trying to walk. (Thinking if his pseudonym ought to be "Duracell".) His curiosity and intelligence have me dumbfounded and I get overwhelmed when I see his sparkling eyes and adorable smile. Neither his father nor I are that good-looking; wonder where he got his handsomeness from. 

From heavens up above, I guess. 

Becoming a mother stifles conversation coz all the mom thinks and talks about is her lil bub, so let me alter the topic and not bore you lovely folks. I've been doing quite a few things and I owe you a few reviews.

First and foremost, if you haven't watched Baahubali, you're missing something. It's possibly the best movie I've seen in ages and there was not one dull moment in the movie otherwise void of superstars and fancy titles. The hero Prabhas makes the men and women drool, what with those rugged looks and muscular physique, while the graphics hold you mesmerized. The women play strong roles too, in a plot that is not 100% original but creative and interesting nevertheless. 

*** spoiler alert ***

Some scenes are absolutely mindblowing. Like the one where Prabhas' Rudraksh armlet breaks as he flexes his bisceps, and the one where Katappa places Baahubali's foot on his forehead as well as the one where a headless body walks a few steps into the dusk.

You can look up some amazing trivia about the film online, but all a layman like me can tell you is that the movie is something you just cannot skip, even if you aren't a movie buff. It is so well made and well told, that everyone young and old will enjoy it.

And I cannot say that about Bajrangi Bhaijaan that so many Salman fans are applauding. Yours truly is a Shahrukh fan, but of late, I'd started liking Salman for his style and charisma. I was quite entertained in Dabangg and Kick, but BB was a dud for me. Maybe coz I'd watched Bahubali before, and had a benchmark in place. Either way, the music, story and acting, nothing really made a mark. The little girl is cute, no doubt, but surely a super duper hit movie ought to boast of a tad more.

Who shall explain that to Salman deewanas?

I tried... But never mind.

Want to watch Inside Out and Minions, but not sure when and how, what with commitments at work, home and family. Will definitely tell ya if and when I manage to sneak them into my schedule. Right now, I just about get to watch recorded videos of Splitsvilla 8 on MTV - hideous bunch of youngsters this time apart from Prince and Utkarsh. Oggling at Rannvijay is all that keeps me motivated.

And moving on. Books. Did you know: There is a special term for the act of buying books and then leaving them unread - Tsundoku. Having committed this heinous act, inadvertently of course, I decided to set things in order and sincerely finished Chetan Bhagat's Half Girlfriend, something I bought in impulse (not a CB fan, you see) but fortunately didn't regret. I find his books appeal more to the Indian youth who do not pass off as real readers but folks who ache to share reading as one of their hobbies.

Well, that's quite an achievement CB, so no offence. Plus remarkable movies have been made on 2 of your books, so nothing I yap will take away your success. However, I confess I was pleasantly surprised when you decided not to kill the heroine in your 0.5 GF story, would've been too darned predictable. Although, I would've liked it more with a more realistic end where Madhav Jha doesn't get to meet Riya at the end. Yeah yeah, I know that would not go down well with the majority of your optimistic, romantic audience. Yet my twopence. Not a bad read at all. Well done.

I am now on Kavita Kane's Karna's Wife. A couple of pages down, and I'm impressed already with this Puneite author's vocabulary and writing prowess. Don't know if the credit goes to thesaurus or fancy editing, but good job and a good change for sure from the regular, repetitive 100-word vocabularies in most novels. I understand this book is fiction, but I am very excited to see how it unfolds. So far so good.

And have I told you about our favorite Ambience hotel in Model colony? I went there for my birthday on the 23rd and we ordered sizzlers (without sizzle or taste). I've been there a zillion times and we love the food there, but I advise you to give the sizzlers and desserts a miss and go for the starters and main course in Indian, Mexican and Italian instead.

What else? Well, in a nutshell, here is it all...

Sujata Mastani is yum, and so are Marvel cakes from Kharadi. German Bakery Wunderbar has decent service and food. Garnier, Loreal and Olay products don't seem to be doing this momma any good. I am a regular patron of Ola cabs, but their cabs and services are deteriorating in terms of quality and dependability. Ought to say the same about Autowale. Uber is a tad expensive but reliable. And you might as well avoid the fake multiplexes in Pune like Rahul, Mangala, Neelayam cos they charge almost the same as the rest, but have poor quality public, popcorn, screens and seats.

And on that note, I say good night. Got to take my tiny tot to a Healthy and Active baby contest tomorrow and don't want to be thrown out coz mom didn't look energetic and fresh herself thereby disqualifying the kiddo.

Muahh ya'all. Sleep tight. Snuggle in the covers with your loved one and dream away.

Cheerio!

Anuja