Intro to Sleep

When interviewing for jobs in my senior year of college, I had carefully rehearsed my answers.  If asked about my favorite class at Brown, I'd respond with one of my senior level Economics courses in which I'd earned an "A."  When I was interviewing with Andersen Consulting, I slipped.  I got into a casual conversation and answered "my Sleep seminar."  The interviewer, a Brown alum, looked at me puzzled and asked, "Sleep Psychology?"  Realizing my faux-pas, I swallowed and said, "Right, it's a Psych course."  Thus, ended that interview.

That's how I realized what my real favorite class was.  Psych 55: Introduction to Sleep taught by Professor Carskadon rocked!  It was a three hour seminar on Mondays from 3-6PM.  The time slot was brutal.  If anyone was caught dozing off, the professor would call on them...by name...in a 200+ person class.  Aside from our naps, her pet peeve was when we pronounced REM sleep as R.E.M. sleep.  We were an alt-rock school and it was difficult to break us of this habit.  But, the class was fascinating.  It gave an overview of sleep from regulation to physiology to disorders. 

Little did I realize that Intro to Sleep was only the start of my sleep education.

Getting Little N on a sleep schedule was the bane of my existence for the first 9 months of his life.  I read no less than five books on baby sleep, including Ferber's book and the popular with parents "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child."  It has been a torturous process and nothing worries me more than making sure he has good sleep habits from early on.

To that end, I just read "Nurtureshock: New Thinking About Children."  Chapter 2 "The Lost Hour" details the importance of sleep in children.  The science in it is solid.  Quoting the research of several Brown staff members, including Dr. Mary Carskadon, it concluded, what I've preached for some time, that sleep is crucial to a child's maturation and can even alter brain development.  [FYI...I had no idea that Brown is a leader in sleep research.  So glad I took that Sleep class!]

The authors cite the main issue: children are averaging an hour less sleep at night than children 30 years ago.  This loss reduces academic performance, affects emotional stability, and increases the risk of conditions such as obesity and ADHD.  Unlike adults, children cannot "catch-up" on sleep.

Key Points:

• A sleep deprivation study on a group of  sixth graders showed that missing one hour of sleep a night caused them to perform in class at the level of a fourth grader.  
• The more a child learns during the day, the more sleep is required to consolidate the memories associated with the information learned.
• Children who are sleep deprived are less able to recall pleasant memories 
• Lack of sleep increases the hormone that signals hunger and reduce the hormone that suppresses appetite.
• Teenagers undergo “phase shift” in their circadian rhythms which keeps them up 90 minutes later.  Teenagers are still producing melatonin when they wake up for school and are prone to falling back to sleep, usually in school.  This early schedule affects their grades and SAT scores. In fact, it is believed that the lack of sleep is also related to  “moodiness."
• Only 5% of high school seniors get 8 hours of sleep at night.
• The typical "A" student averaged 15 more minutes of sleep than a "B" student and so forth.  
• Teens in Minnesota showed dramatic increases in SAT scores (+56 points in Math, +156 points in Verbal) when their high school changed the school start time  from 7:25AM to 8:30AM.

Fiction Writing and Gujarati Proverbs

Thanks to my finely honed Internet surfing skills, I found a Desi fiction contest at a Bay Area magazine called India Currents.  In two weeks, I've written (and re-written and edited) a 2000 word story, which will be ready to submit by the March 20th deadline.  Just a few more edits to go and I will be ready.  It is excruciatingly difficult to relinquish the editing process.  You could edit and edit forever.

Short Story Synopsis:  A woman reflects on her life, moving from India to the U.S. after getting married.  Her life takes a drastic turn from the life of privilege she had expected.  Despite the unexpected course, she persevered and worked hard to give her family a better life.  Her husband passed away and now she has an estranged relationship with her son.

In doing research for the story, I found these terrific Gujarati proverbs.

Bhens aagal bhaagvat

• Literal: Reading Bhagvat Geeta to a buffalo (is a waste)
• Tailor your speech to your audience.

Chapti dhul ni jaroor pad

• Interpretation 1-Sometimes only a pinch of sand is all you need.
• Interpretation 2-Sometimes you do need a pinch of sand, too.
• Even insignifcant people have their importance at times.

Khakhra ni Khiskoli Sakar no swaad su jaane

• Literal: A squirel who eats dried chapatis would not know the taste of sugar.
• Good things in life cannot be appreciated by someone who has never experienced the good things. 

Laxmi chaandlo karva aave tyaarey mo dhova na javay

• Literal: When the goddess of wealth comes to give you a blessing, you should not go to wash your face.
• When opportunity knocks on one's door, one should grab it.

Mor na inda chitarva na pade

• Literal: You don't have to go and paint the eggs of peacocks.
• It suggests that great art,culture,skills comes in blood.  As peacock is beautiful, so are its eggs, you need not to paint them separately to make them beautiful.

 Na maamo karta kano maamo saaro

• Literal: Having an uncle with one eye is better than having no uncle.
• Something is better than nothing.

Jhajha hath ra Liyama Na

• Literal: Unity is strength.
• More the merrier

Date Night

My husband B. and I met in fall of 2006.  We had our first date in NYC at the Flatiron Lounge on October 20, 2006 to be exact.  Since then, we've had lots of great dates and adventures.  Here's a look at some of the best.

The first movie we saw together was the James Bond film Casino Royale at the Union Square cineplex.  An hour and a half in, the movie reel disintegrated.  After a failed attempt to get it going again, the staff announced that we would receive free movie coupons to return at a later date.  After worming our way through the mob scene to grab two tickets, we dashed down to the second floor to catch an screening of  Casino Royale that was running about 40 minutes behind the movie we just left.   Great movie!  And we have yet to use those free movie tickets. 

The second movie stub was from a viewing of The Natural at the Tribeca Film Festival.  I won the tickets courtesy of my job at ESPN and there was a special Q&A session afterward with director Barry Levinson by ESPN personality Jeremy Schaap.  It was a long, torturous interview session and Schaap should stick to his day job.  Fun fact, my last office at ESPN was next door to Jeremy Schaap's office.  

Below are the playbills to three shows we saw the summer before Little N came along.  First, we saw Avenue Q, which was pretty raunchy for a Muppet themed show.  Next, we saw In The Heights, which was amazing, and then Wicked, an electrifying production.

The first time either of us went to Carnegie Hall was for this Jazz concert featuring our good friend Thierry Arpino on drums.  Thierry's wife is one of my closest friends from b-school.  The group was so-called after Jean-Luc Ponty, the master violinist and musician who began the group.

We've gone to many sporting events and here are ticket stubs to our first Yankees game, a Red Sox game, and the U.S. Open.  We attended the 2008 Super Bowl but since my Patriots lost, I'm not including that ticket.

We're bigger sports fans than music fans but we have gone to a few concerts.  B's college friend's brother is in
 Gogol Bordello, a show we saw in WIlliamsburg at the famed McCarren Park Pool.  We caught Coldplay in Hartford.  Fantastic show!  Grand Baton is another one of Theirry's bands and the Knitting Factory is a NYC institution for underground music.

You can't say we don't appreciate variety - Art Institute of Chicago, Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, and International Spy Museum in Washington D.C.

Alas, the one good thing about our Super Bowl weekend was the ESPN pre-party.  Ludacris - not bad.

Bill Clinton is an articulate and engaging speaker and it is no wonder he was elected president twice.  That man has a master personality, as well as, being one of the most intelligent people I've ever heard.  Clinton spoke about the inter-dependency of all of the countries, the energy situation, health care, Aids, and poverty at home and abroad.

Upma for the Indian Mother's Soul

A popular breakfast dish all over India, Upma flaunts its versatility by also serving as a hearty snack, savory side dish, quick lunch, or light dinner.  I love breakfast that can be eaten for dinner!  Originally from South India (my son is half Telugu), this dish, pronounced "oohp-maa," varies across the regions on vegetables and flavors.  My mom did not prepare Upma when I was young, perhaps because we were such carnivores in our house.  My mom started cooking it in the last few years, though.  My sister-in-law's all-vegetarian family makes it regularly and so do my Southie in-laws.  Now, it's a staple in our household because of the straightforward recipe and healthy ingredients.  Much like Sheero, Upma has become a comfort food that reminds me of when my mom was helping me after my son was born.   It has become another cherished family recipe.

My version of Upma is a lunch dish that is soft, fluffy, and rich and made of roasted rava mixed with onions, vegetables, spices, and cashews.  Choose vegetables according to your taste.  In my lazy mommy version, I add the frozen mixed vegetable packages found in the grocery store to simplify the cleaning/cutting/dicing step.  In contrast, my husband's family eats it plain and with a smoother, more liquid consistency.

Upma Recipe

Ingredients :

• 1 cup Rava or Sooji from the Indian store --substitute cream of wheat from supermarket
• 3 tbsp cooking oil, i.e. canola oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 - 3 cup hot water (pre-heated in microwave)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 or 2 medium onions, chopped
• vegetable mix - peas, carrots, green beans, corn 
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 3/4 medium chopped green chilies
• 1/2 tsp crushed ginger paste
  
• 1-2 tbsp yogurt (optional)
• salt to taste
  
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews (for protein)
• fresh chopped cilantro or coriander to garnish
• lemon juice to taste

Preparation :

1. Heat  oil and butter in a pan over medium flame. 
2. When oil is slightly hot, add cumin and mustard seeds.  Add onions when the seeds begin to pop and fry until onions become translucent and soft.
3. Lightly roast rava about 10-15 minutes until it just begins to turn pink.  Stir constantly to prevent lumps.
4. Stir in hot water and salt.  Then, add mixed vegetables that have already been cooked for 5 minutes in the microwave.  Bring to boil.
5. Add turmeric powder, ginger paste, and green chillies.
6. Stir in yogurt according to your taste.
7. The upma is done when all the water is absorbed by the rava.
8. Garnish with cashews, chopped cilantro leaves, and lemon juice.  Turn off stove and close lid.
9. Serve hot.

Birthday Party #2

on Feb. 3, 2010

Measure in Love

My son is one year old today - a toddler, a little man.

He's moved on from crawling to taking several hurried steps from object to object.  He says "mama" although not "dada" yet.  He is stubborn and curious.  He bites you to make you listen to him.  He shows affection by wildly waving his arms and hitting you in the process.  He likes to touch your face.  He loves people except when they are gathered in large groups.  He's a bit of a bully with other kids his age.  His naps have vastly improved and he continues to sleep through the night.  He has memorized every inch of our apt and in any moment that I'm not paying enough attention, he will take off for one of his favorite things, such as the diaper pail or fan in his room, the toilets in the bathrooms, a wall hanging in the hallway, the nightstands in the guest room, the closet in the master bedroom, or the cabinets in the kitchen.  He is adorable.

My favorite song from the musical Rent (I've seen it twice) is "Seasons of Love."

525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - 

how do you measure, measure a year? 

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In
inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In 525,600 minutes - 

how do you measure a year in the life?
How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love. 

Seasons of love.

Birthday Party #1

on Jan 30, 2010