Dutch WTF

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Name of a boat parked in a canal nearby : Royal Raand ! (I guess many rode the boat royally all through the Summer.)


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Lessons for my child

Now that Maithilee is here, I would revisit a few postings from my other blog :


Lessons for my child: Curiosity

Lessons for my child: Discovery and Spirit of Observation

Lessons for my child: Logic and Rationality

I have one more post to go in this series, perhaps over next week it will be written down...

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Putting Maithilee to sleep

To put Maithilee to sleep, I need to sing songs, do dance, rock her on my lap. I steal kisses, which she resists. If I'd give her one Euro for one kiss, she would soon be a millionaire!! I call her names (मिठू , ढूमकू, भीमसेन), tell her stories of her parents' greatness... and how it could easily have been much worse :p

If all this fails, I tell her that story from Sholay. Here is the result ! (btw, this photo was clicked at the first-month celebration party, Pandeys came over!)

Maithilee's Birth: some afterthoughts (Ashish)

Here is an excerpt from my recent email to a dear friend:

Maha did well, it took 9 hours of labor, after strong contractions started till birth. i was, of course there. It was quite scary to watch, frankly. ... she was shouting, breathing, humming, generally everything very well, so birthing was smoother. wish we could use hot water tub for 'water birthing', because hot water showers during labor made it much easier for Maha. We had one set up ready in our house, ultimately we just used it for a hot bath later on.
there was total bliss n exhaustion on Maha's face when Maithilee was finally kept at her chest. and, later on I held Maithilee too, she was the smallest bundle of warmth ever. It is such a surprise to hold a baby with its shallower-than-spoon-full breaths and louder-than-room-full of cries. And, she makes you run, jump, do things that you would not do otherwise. Man, i thought i had enough of poop with all kittens/ puppies in my life, but nope ! :-)


Maithilee would get Indian citizenship, the European laws do not grant citizenships by birth. if we stay for more than 5 years continuously, she can apply for citizenship, and she would get it...

we had lots of snow over week-end and it will continue over X'mas. so, Maha got to play with it, a little bit. tons of pics, of course. Maha even managed to fall on her bum once! Maithilee slept through two long rides during snow so far, damn...

On a related note: I always very much admired my women professors: having kids, taking care of them, then teach, have a PhD student, post-doc, then 2/3 grad students, and manage thrilling research. Now that I have a first-hand experience, my admiration has only grown. Ultimately, it is the 'fire in the belly' that pushes one, i have to ignite/ preserve it...

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Maithilee : Day 28

MiThu completes a month outside soon, and she already has a second chin. So, here are the latest pics, though you will not see the second chin i mentioned...













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Snow in Groningen, Dwingeloo, and everywhere in between...

It snowed here most of the last whole 7 days :O this is pretty huge for Netherlands. not many cars have been moved from their parked places, many people are taking buses (not cycles, they are also parked and not moved) and even more (like yours truly) are preferring to stay indoors.

Netherlands will experience a baby-boom 9 months from now: my best prediction so far.

This is Mahalaxmi's first experience with snow. First day (last Wed) i went to work, when it had snowed over night. There was so much snow on roads, trees, and just about everything in the sight. I clicked quite a few pics from John McKean's car...



















Dwingeloo telescope and the nearby forest:

Maithilee : day 22 -- can hold her gaze

Just noticed today at 930pm: Maithilee could track sounds that I (ashish) made. Then she held her gaze on our faces and watched our faces.





... then she cried once more :p

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Maithilee : Day 17

MiThu could track sounds: she appeared to follow the sound and turn her head. This was clearly seen today evening.

Maithilee: Day 12 -- can steady her eyes

Today (12th day) we notice that Mithu can focus her eyes towards her mum. i wish i could say to my direction too :-( but, she does seem to co-ordinate eyes with sounds.

She seems to say things in her own language, which are drowned in usual whines that preceed her bowel movements. She can also tell when we are going to give her a bath, when we are about to change her diaper and when she is about to be dressed again (so goes quiet again...)

For now, she has to be content with her baba's (bollywood) singing skills, his collection of Hindustani classical music, and assorted silly things he blabbers to lull her during 'burping' sessions. She has sworn her revenge, I am sure.

Maithilee (Day 6-9)

Here is the famed babe from day 6 to 9. sorry, the videos are damn too big to send via email or put them up on blogger. be patient, will upload them elsewhere :-)

Here we are with Yolanda (L, with Maithilee) and Kim. Yolanda works with Groenkruis, a post-natal-care agency in Groningen, and is a trained nurse. Kim was an intern, who will soon become a nurse herself. Both were helping us for the first one week, trying to understand what Maithilee does, may do and what we should/should not do with her. It was a blessing that they were there, since we would have really struggled with their generous help. Dank je wel, Yolanda en Kim !




While Maithilee is put to sleep, I do the dishes (the hard working, and only, man of the house)



As a payback, on the Day 9 Maithilee gave company to her baba. If Maithilee would not sleep, the pacifier would be in baba's mouth instead :-)






Here, Maithilee is put to sleep on the bed.




and Maha shows the relative sizes of their palms.




You can start working on palmistry by looking at her hand, her life-line, heart-line, and wealth-lines are VERY strong. So, I am going to really pamper Maithilee. So, when she gets rich, she can repay that back. Well, if she does not, I have her pictures a bath tub :p

Coming next, birth chart of Maithilee Asgekar, radio astronomy style...

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Copenhagen and Climate Change

We know the world is warming, on average by 0.74ºC during the past century, with most of that since 1970.

The negotiating process on climate change revolves around the sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP), which meets every year to review the implementation of the Convention. This year this process culminates in Copenhagen.

At Bali, Parties agreed to jointly step up international efforts to combat climate change and get to an agreed outcome in Copenhagen in 2009. Thus, an ambitious climate change deal will be clinched to follow on the first phase of the UN’s Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

I urge you to visit greenidol.in and take action.

Almost 70,000 people have already written to the PM, but we desperately need to get to 1,00,000 and more. I am sure if each of us writes to 10 people we can get to 1,00,000 quickly. Tell your friends to take action - http://greenidol.in/climate/tell-your-friends/

I want my daughter to see a livable planet, greener and more environmentally safe.

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Maithilee Day 5: Bath

Maithilee was tested for hearing ability, and her ears are fine. As the nurse said, that did not mean Maithilee was going to listen to us all the time :-)

She had her second tub bath. Although she hates getting ready for it, it's rather cold for her, she has enjoyed it in the water. On that front, she ranks right along her 'aai' (mother, who i suspect is a ex-mermaid.)









Mithu hates being dried, but when done, she is looks so adorable.



So, we have done her up with new top, and... The favorite maushi will notice something after a keen look at the pic, perhaps.



Maha is glowing as she did Mithu's hair...




Finally, time for a family picture !

Maithilee, Day 4

Maithilee's pictures on Day 4 (26 Nov):

Admittedly her mother does not appear here. I promise to rectify that mistake at the earliest.

मैथिली and baba !

On popular demand, oh wait -- i did not wait for one, here is Maithilee's pic with her baba. She still is fed with anti-allergic milk. Here, she is fed up with her baba's antiques to put her to sleep when she needs more feeding.

Maithilee

मैथिली आसगेकर

We are blessed. Maithilee came to us in our arms on Nov, 23, 2009. She was born naturally, and Maha is doing okay. First night (tonight) they will spend at the city hospital, where the delivery also took place. Here is Maithilee hugging her "aai" for the first time :tears:



Maithilee learnt and was breast-fed to her stomach's content, but the Dutch nurse insisted on feeding her with 'anti-allergic' milk separately.



Now, here is the thing: whenever I did shhhhh...shh.... during all her whining MiThu was pacified, and went to sleep peacefully. So, this is the girl who would respond to my voice distinctly when she was in her mother's belly. She is her father's girl; jeeze, I am so PROUD !!!

Happy Diwali, 2009, from Groningen !!

Shubh-Deepawali !

Here is our apartment all cleared up for a small party, an excuse to introduce Maha to some of my work colleagues, esp. those who travel with me daily.

Maha made this 'Rangoli' on our window-sil, we hung her lamp on top.





















The unsuspecting crowd that were exposed to hazardous amounts of idly's, chutney and sambharam ! they had masala chai, coffee and black tea to choose from as well.



It was Sofia who stole our attention, like only a toddler would.



Here are our pics before and after the party, which is which?





See the clean home, we have put 'unpacking' stage behind us.

Groningen, once again...

That is Maha's latest get-up. Check out the Patiala salwar, and zoom in to see the latest of fashion in shoes ;-)





We took a walk on the canal side on the weekend, you can see so many boats. Is Rad's boat anywhere to be seen, we wondered :p




Maha surveys the boat field...




So, we took a walk in the city park, a dense grove and golfing ground mixed up with a few lakes. Here is Maha posing in front of, what appears to be, the highest point in Groningen at 8 meters above local ground.




While taking walk, we saw a strange bird on the lake side, about 1 meter tall with dark cap-like feature on a white head.




Here is the closest I could get with my mobile camera, can you identify it, Shrirang, Radhika?



Unfortunately it did not take fancy of my attention (like some of my past flames) and took a flight across the water (again much like the above-mentioned flames.)

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