December 2018

Dearest Ceyone,

December was a very very exciting month for us! You were taking your first EVER trip to India at age 6 and spend time at Nana-Nani home in Bhopal. We were going to celebrate your 6th birthday at India with family and friends. There was much more to December!

Even I was very excited as I was going to meet my school friends after a long time in a reunion.

Your friend Samar's Nani invited us to their home for some samosa and Indian chaat snacks to celebrate Aspen Diwali Utsav back in November. It was a lot of fun to get together chit chat and connect over some delicious food that Nani cooked with love. 

We went to attend your classmate Sophie's birthday at Rhythm in Me. It was a fun filled dance party and we all enjoyed immersing ourselves in non stop fast moving dance. 

We went shopping for some warm clothes for you as it was the first time for you to encounter cold weather, in life! Other than the first 3 months of your life spent in Tokyo, you had not experienced cold weather. I myself found it strange to think that you did not have a single full length pants. 

I made a quick and short trip to see my college best friend Noopur at Pune. I think we were meeting after a decade! 2018 was an amazing year for me as I got to meet almost all of my best friends from school and college. I felt so lucky and blessed! 

Noopur's husband, Gaurav brought a cake for us to celebrate friendship where PNB stood for Payal, Noopur and Binish! 

Noopur's two cute children Advika and Divit!

Then I went to Goa for a work offsite and spent a few days there. It was my first time there but there was no time for sight seeing. I thought of returning with you! 

Meanwhile, the season of Santa was approaching. Aunty Deepti found an app where we could pre feed information and then Santa would talk to us. You boys enjoyed it so much after writing class one day and when Santa said your names in accented English you all nodded vigorously. You were very proud to claim that you had been nice throughout the year, ensuring your stakes at present delivery. 

We went to celebrate Santa visiting Aspen Heights, like we did every year. Santa gave you a robo lizard as you were deeply interested in reptiles. You even discussed with me that you wanted to start online reptile selling business and their conservation.

You also went to attend Christmas party with Tita and her friends. I was worried that you might get bored with all grown up women talking in tagalog but to my surprise when I came to pick you up after an hour, you were happily sitting, engaged.

There were year end celebrations in your class as well. There were some games and you all performed a nature conservation play which was extremely well done by all of you K2s. 

We went to see fake snow at Tanglin Mall with Aunty Deepti. All you boys had lots of fun, playing in the fake foam. 

On the last day of school I came to pick you up, before holidays. I made it a tradition to pick you up every time before holidays. I think I took this from my father who picked me up from school every single day when I was in nursery and kindergarten and I enjoyed a strawberry ice cream every single day after school. 

We went to attend Samar's 6th birthday at Playeum, Gillman Barracks. 

Finally, it was time for our India trip! We went to Bhopal via Bombay with a long layover in Bombay that stretched due to flight delay. 

We encountered some funny and fearless crows at Bombay airport that was not afraid to fly down and try to extract potato chips from a leftover bag. You found it very assuming. 

We were received with a very warm welcome at Nani's house late night with a petal bed. It was so heartwarming and both of us were overjoyed. They were some of the best moments. 

                                      

Nani did aarti for you to welcome you at home for the very first time! 

It was a week of pure bliss of enjoying Nani's pampering, delicious food and pure family time! 

Nana didn't speak much English but you both managed to have long conversations in partial English and Hindi. 

We went for grocery shopping at nearby New Market. It was fun to walk around the local market streets and people stared at us when we talked in English within each other. 

You asked for some of my childhood toys and surprisingly Nani had my first doll that my Nana brought for me from America and my first Barbie that my Dad bought me. It was an expensive possession in old times and had been kept with love for more than 35 years by Nani. 

We went to take a motor boat ride at Lake View and had fun riding through the Upper Lake at Bhopal. 

 

Nani had very cutely decorated our room with balloons and welcome signs. We enjoyed cozying up in the bed and you were even more huggable in your white fur jacket. I hugged you 10X more than I did in Singapore. 

We went to Van Vihar, the drive through zoo at Bhopal. You had a good time spotting the white tiger that came out to sip water just for us and walking through the snake enclosure.

Nana took you around his shop to see and showed you the workshop. He also took your measurement to size up your jeans, that you wore only for 5 minutes. 

We went to Amoeba, a games place at DB Mall with Swati and her son Aarav. You were similar age and had good fun playing together. 

Guddi Masi Nani invited us for dinner at her place and we were once again pampered heavily. Our welcome and food were both amazing. I was very grateful for her taking out time for us and taking such good care of us. You were grinning ear to ear when she handed over a box of marshmallows to you. I loved spending time with Mausi and my cousin Anshula. 

Guddi Mausi Nani and Nani looked like royal, peaceful sisters to me. She even gave a present to Tita. 

You spent morning snuggling up with Nana and Mamu in the rajai (futon) and listening to stories from Nana. 

You also fell in love with Chhole Bhature that Mamta aunty (Nani's temporary cooking help) made for us.

Mamu introduced you to games despite my threats and pleas to keep you ignorant for as long as possible.

My childhood best friend Dolly Mausi came from Delhi with her son Ayaansh for your birthday. Adnan, her and I went to see our school, All Saints' School. It was a journey down the memory lane and we felt very nostalgic. The school building had changed a lot but some parts were still the same. 

 

That was your 6th birthday party invitation, full of your then craze, reptiles. 

We had organized a lunch party with some fun games and activities. You enjoyed with your cousin Satvik, friends Ayaansh and Aarav. I was very pleased to see you make friends quickly and mingle well. It was a reunion for so many people, seeing familiar faces after decades. I had ordered a reptile theme cake for you and I had to negotiate with the baker to make cute looking reptiles so our guests would not get scared. 

We did a staycation at Jehan Numa Palace hotel with friends. You boys had a blast and it was a lucky coincidence that you were all similar ages and took no time to bond. You missed your friends so much that you often asked to see Ayaansh again and asked me many times that you wanted to go and visit him or invite him to Singapore. 

We came back to Singapore just before Christmas. Your next Christmas present was actual turtles. You named them Jaws and Paws and they were very cute and total entertainment for all of us.

We still had holidays so went for a cruise at Singapore river to enjoy the laser show and had dinner at the Four Seasons to celebrate year end. 

2018 was an eventful year, full of fun times that we spent together. I was looking forward to a like never before 2019 and wait for the surprises it beheld. 

Loving you more every year, 

Mumma