TGIF!!!!

        TGIF - The most popular phrase used by many after a hectic workweek. It actually stands for "Thank god its Friday" and the dawn of a Friday undoubtedly kindles every person's sagging spirits to welcome the 2 day weekend. Growing up in India where the concept of a two day weekend is still not popular (except in the techie community),  we as kids in the 80's era would wait for sunday to watch goldies like "Ramayana","Mahabharata" and later the ever famous "HE-MAN and the Masters of the Universe" during the day in our beloved DoorDharshan.(I still remember their famous logo "Desh ki Bhavanaoo ka Dharpan-Doordharshan"-roughly translated Doordharshan is a mirror of the country's sentiments) . It would be followed by a heavy lunch and the ever beloved snooze with the family at noon. Life then was quiet with less distractions sans video games, shopping malls, multiple TV channels(barring DD1 and DD2), Email, Net surfing, and more precisely Facebook. 

        Cut to today's scene in the United states where a 2 day weekend starts on friday evening where my 6 yr old hurricane H storms into the house negotiating whether he'd be allowed to play games on the  IPad or his favorite Wii Game. He would smartly give me only 2 options, with him always ending up the winner. Home Kitchens would be invariably closed on Friday night to dine out or order take out (mighty "Pizzaaa"). Saturdays would end up in jetting up H back and forth to various classes(read extra curricular) and Sunday would be the day for catching up with friends (post on the famous Potlucks coming up later). Though there is nothing much significant happening in the weekends it is still a welcome break from the back breaking routine of the weekdays which inevitably includes waking up early( I suck at it.).

         Eventually today being a Friday i am mostly relieved by the thought that i would not have to plan and get two lunch boxes for my husband and kid for the next day. Planning kid approved snack and lunch boxes for school children in United states involves so much creativity and planning for moms that the job would rival that of master chefs(no pun intended) in the food industry. The issue becomes even more complicated in packing vegetarian lunch boxes added to the fact that the kiddo never takes sandwiches to school.

        So by all means i have the luxury of  not worrying about packed  lunches for 2 days and before signing off an update about Chennai that i have promised to stick on to. The news is out that phase 1 of the coveted Chennai metro rail project would be completed in 2015. Though it still implies the fact that chennaites would still have to brave another 3-4 years of traffic congestions due to the construction activities, the arrival of the metro rail would undoubtedly put Chennai in par with its rival metros in India. For more information please check the link http://chennaimetrorail.gov.in.     

                              Have a Happy and Fun filled weekend.