Memory Teasers

I have been having a tough time with my memory ever since I got pregnant. All the books I read and people I spoke to claimed that this is a common thing during pregnancy. So I just brushed it aside and just made fun of it. But now in my 16th month post-pregnancy, I still struggle to remember things. I am doing a little better these days trying to get more organized in a (ahem) ‘mature’ way with the help of tools like Google Calendar. And this is why the article in this month’s Reader’s Digest caught my attention; ’Memory Tricks You Won’t Forget’.
Here are my favorite tricks from that.

1: How do you remember names?

Trick: Pay attention and visualize the name and create memorable associations.

I am introduced to my new colleague, Bobby Sawyer. First I listen to his name attentively and then I start visualizing…. Rishi and Dimple singing..Hum tum (tara rumpumpumpum) ek kamare mein banda ho…..
Now every time I meet him in the hallway I exclaim “Hey Bobby, how is it going?” and my mind goes tara rumpumpumpum….and he exclaims “You always look so happy when I see you”.

2: How do you remember where you last kept something?
Trick: When keeping something always remember to tell yourself loud and clear that you are keeping it there.

I get back home and as I am entering I remind myself, to remind myself while keeping the key about where I am keeping it. Somehow reminding myself two times seems to work!

3: What else did I have to do today?

Trick 1: Use your body parts to remember things when you don’t have a paper or pen to make a list.

I have forgotten the Indian grocery list at home (nothing new) so I call B and ask him to dictate the list while I am driving. I go into the store and I try to remember what I need to get.
Head – Nuts
Hair – Cilantro (Remembering being teased a lot of times as ‘Nindu jutta illa kotambri katta’('Is that your ponytail or a bunch of coriander leaves') ,
Shoulders (Bhuja in Kannada) – Bhujia
Hands - Haldi (Turmeric) and Chandan(Sandalwood) (Remembering Vicco turmeric....nahi cosmetic)
Fingers – Okra
Butt - Battani (Peas)
Legs - Legumes

Trick 2: Roman Technique – In this method you associate your grocery or party invite list or to-do list with the rooms of your house or route to work, etc.
A task list for a day at work

Entrance - Enter the latest code changes for testing.
Closet – File papers in hanging folders.
Living Room – Attend a meeting for deciding a date for the project going Live.
Kitchen – Meet a colleague for coffee to talk about what is cooking in the office.
Dining – Book a conference room for a lunch meeting.
Bathroom – Update the release document.
Guestroom – Finish up the user manual when pretending to be busy when there are unwanted guests in your cube.
Bedroom – Manager has a meeting between 2 and 3, best time for a nap.
Backyard - Prepare stratergical explanations for back-logs.

4: What is my password?
Trick: Rhyme the numbers with words

To remember a password of 2349 I tried this

Who (Two)
said my memory (Three)
is not more (Four)
than fine (Nine).

40 weeks of you

These weeks were some of the best in my life,
With the feeling of housing a tiny life,
With the joy of meeting a part of me,
With all the excitement of a mother-to-be.

You gave me energy that I never had,
Nothing ever seemed too bad.
I was absolutely in love with life,
It felt like walking in someone else’s shoe.

I sang and my listener moved,
I danced and my partner kicked,
I ate and my buddy did a somersault,
I was never alone, and that gave me a confidence like never before.

My tastes were different as can be,
My reactions were strangers to me.
I could carry myself in anything,
I could make myself not worry about a single thing.

I have often wondered if I was being you,
Is that how you are going to grow up to be?
Whatever it is I can tell you so,
I totally enjoyed the 40 weeks of you.

Flying through Changes

We moved into our new home about eight months ago; we have a pretty cozy nest going here. My partner and I live together here with our 4 kids. With the numerous changes that have come over this place, many of our friends and family have left the city and moved to greener pastures. But we are more the city types, we enjoy watching all the activities that go on through the day and the food- it is really hard to even think of moving away from this variety. What else do we birds need anyways?

I have been having a lot of time on my claws these days as the kids have been learning to fly and hunt for food from their father. I don’t have to go too far for food as we live in one of the trees in the backyard of a house, so there is always plenty of food that comes from the house. Earlier when we lived on trees near a house we always knew when they were cooking something, the aromas never failed to get us prepared. Now we rarely get those aromas, we know when something is cooking when we here strange sounds, it goes something like bee-eeeeep.

When I was little and stayed with my parents, the house next to our nest was filled with fun kids. They came out everyday and sang and danced and played all kinds of games. I never had a boring evening back then, I had so much fun watching them and trying to imitate them once they were back in. The kids in the house now hardly come out; I still see them through the window though. They are always perched upon a large seat staring at something; I never have figured what it is they keep looking at. But they are boring and being a bad influence on my kids!

My cousin runs an association for the safety and protection of our community, and she was telling me that we should start looking out for safer homes. Cities are no longer safe for us, she has told me, and I agree with her. I have myself seen so many of our friends fly back home to find their homes have come down to the street. That is why we ourselves moved from one of the street trees to a tree in a home. Usually we were chased away in a few days by the home owners earlier, but we are having luck on our side these days. They never seem to look up to see that there is a nest in their backyard!