Living in Gurgaon

Suparna Ka Aangan in Gurgaon

2012-01-22T23:15:00.000+05:30

I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to get caught up in my own life with all its big and small activities and transactions and to-dos and joys and sorrows and problems and relationships and all that good stuff. If I ever sit down to count the number of things I do in a week, I'm sure I'd hit 4 digits at least! And though I'm constantly aware that I'm a very fortunate person to have a house and warm clothes and food and health and that I owe it to myself to give back to the world, this is something that often goes down on the to-do list and I tend to become complacent.

It was during one of these pockets of complacency that I came across a place called Suparna Ka Aangan. It's an orphanage started by a lady called Suparna Sethi and is located on the Ardee City road...the road on which Scottish High and Gold Souk and Epicenter are located. I was amazed at how much good is being done in this one tiny little place. They're managing to house, feed, and educate 80+ kids of all ages who either don't have parents or have been abandoned by them. They've also created a small clinic that provides free medicines and very basic healthcare to kids and other people in that area. They also have a creche initiative running at various construction sites in Gurgaon to care for the children of construction workers.

They have some dedicated staff and some volunteers who work very hard to make this initiative successful. Kudos to them for the work they're doing - it's really inspiring to see people who aren't as complacent and I tend to get and who have made it their life's work to do good for those who've been knocked around and really need support.

Talking to Mrs. Sethi, I realized there's a lot we can do. Of course, they always need financial donations. But in addition, if you have clothes, shoes, toys, books, stationery items, unused medicines, or old furniture (such as tables, book racks, etc.) that you could donate, that would be welcome too. Or you could contact them to go and spend time with the kids - reading and talking to them or taking some classes.

You can contact them through their website, their facebook page, or their facebook group.

Zambar at Ambi Mall, Gurgaon

2011-12-23T00:49:00.000+05:30

A couple of months ago on Onam, a good friend of mine, who is originally from Kerala invited me to a traditional Onam feast at her place. Having never been to one of these before, I didn’t quite know what to expect, though knowing her, I knew the food would be great. What amazed me was the huge spread she had put up. The sheer number of dishes on the table was mind-boggling. It made me realize how little I know about south Indian cooking. Most of the South Indian restaurants I had ever been to were basically Sagar Ratna duplicates with the same menu of dosas, uttapams, idlis, vadas, and a couple of other similar stuff we’ve all had a thousand times. Of course, it’s not that I don’t find that yummy. I do, but the lack of variety in a typical Sagar Ratna menu has meant that I have been quite ignorant of the range of amazing dishes that South Indian cuisine has to offer.
After the Onam feast that afternoon, I got lucky once again because I discovered a place called Zambar in Ambience Mall in Gurgaon. Thanks to them, I don’t have to wait till my friend invites me again if I want to satisfy my craving for great coastal food. I’ve been there several times now and just love everything about it. The first thing I like is the way it’s done up. It looks and behaves like a good, fine-dining restaurant. The ambience is lovely, they use very nice crockery, they put in visible effort to plate and present their food beautifully, and they even have a fairly long alcohol menu. I’ve never seen an alcohol menu at a South Indian restaurant before!

The most important thing, of course, is the food. There are a lot of options to choose from and all the ones I’ve tasted have turned out to be very nice. My favourite there is the appam and stew. My husband’s is the King fish fry. My kids haven’t broken out of the Sagar Ratna mould yet and insist on their plain dosas, which is a challenge because Zambar only has dosas and idlis on their snacks menu, which they serve from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. So, we’ve literally had to beg the waiters there to break that rule and give us just one dosa between the two kids so we can enjoy our wine and our meal in peace. Luckily, the restaurant staff has been very cooperative…maybe they all have kids too and know how valuable that quiet time at the dinner table can be!
The downside, if any, of Zambar is that it is expensive. A meal for two with a glass of wine each will cost you around Rs. 2500, on average. Of course, this will go up by a fair bit if you order some of the expensive fish or prawn dishes. So, I guess you can’t really go there terribly often – not as often as Coco Palm or Sagar Ratna (or my friend’s place!), but it’s definitely a great option for those evenings when you want to eat something different, comforting, and yummy in a pampered environment.

Note: This article originally appeared on merinews.

English language classes in Gurgaon

2011-11-21T16:52:00.001+05:30

So, I recently started working again. Working for money, I mean. In addition to the slaving for no money but lots of joy from my grubby brats and other delayed benefits that I’ve yet to discover that I’ve been doing for a while. These delayed benefits better be something really great to make the parenting job hours and stress worth it! But I digress, as always.

Back to the point, the company I work for is in the area of English language learning and as part of my interaction with them, I’ve come across a really great place called the WordsWorth School of English Language. It’s located near Sector 14 on the Old Delhi Road. That’s the road on which Payal cinema and the Apollo clinic are also located. The school offers English programs for different groups of people – from domestic help, to children, to pretty much anyone wanting to improve their spoken English and confidence in communicating. In addition to general English, they also have other programs on grooming, soft skills, story-telling for children, preparation for IELTS, and so on.

The lady who owns and runs the place is an experienced English teacher herself and has taught at Shri Ram for several years. She’s done a really good job setting up the place and you can tell when you walk in that she’s a perfectionist. The school is extremely well set up in terms of infrastructure with a very clean, very organized, and well-equipped lab, an activity room for kids, and a couple of conference rooms or large classrooms. The lab is used because the English learning program is largely computer-based, using specialized software to teach English.

They have a Facebook presence and a website that you can look through if you’re interested. You can also call the owner, Natasha Kalaan at 9810158274. As always, do leave a comment if you have any experience with this place or any other feedback you’d like to share.

Fancy Dress Costumes

2011-10-17T22:15:00.001+05:30

So those of you who have school going children and are seasoned moms and dads have probably already figured this out, but this one is for new moms of big school kids who are a little foxed with all the requests the school diary brings on a pretty regular basis. Seriously - these schools are wonderful and experiential learning is great but its the job of frazzled and performance anxiety ridden parents to make sure they send the best of whatever the current class project demands so their little ones don't feel left out in class. Sigh. What are we doing to our kids? Let me not get started on that though - last I checked, this wasn't a parenting blog. Although it so easily could be, what with the author's million and one opinions.

Anyway.

The most recent request was for my son to be dressed up as a bear. And bring feathers. Yeah. Lots of feathers. Where would I get feathers? We do have some fairly annoying pigeons who live on our air conditioner....hmmm, I thought. In the interest of keeping experiential learning within limits though, I guess I needed a place to buy feathers. And a bear outfit. Turns out, Vyapar Kendra on the DLF Phase IV road (leading from Golf course road to Park Plaza) has all the answers. There's a store there called Fancy Look (Shop number 28 or something on the upper ground floor) that rents out fancy dress costumes. They have everything! And not really as dirty as I thought rented outfits might be. I was so relieved that they had a bear outfit and in his size too! By the looks of the shop, they'll be able to give you whatever outfit you might need and cater to your kids' classteachers' every whim and fancy. In fact, they even solved my feather problem - I just bought a few feathered masks and plucked out the feathers (as my pigeons breathed sighs of relief).

It was also cheaper than I thought to rent - I paid Rs. 140 for the outfit - ended up keeping it for 3 days but didn't even get charged extra for that.

Also, I'm ashamed to admit it but this was really the first time I went to Vyapar Kendra - felt like magic land! That market has every small thing in the world that you might need...I plan to explore it a lot now that the weather's better and will report as it happens:-)

The Heritage School, Gurgaon

2011-10-11T12:44:00.000+05:30

Last year, this time, we were trying to figure out which “big” school to put our son in. For a lot of parents, this can be a really stressful time not only because it’s a difficult choice and you just don’t know if you’re picking the right school for your kid, but also because even when you’ve made your choice, you still have the admission procedure ahead of you! Fortunately or unfortunately, we had a lot of other stress going on in our lives at the same time last year – so this problem seemed really small by comparison. I remember thinking in an odd moment how strange it is that I’m not worried or stressed about my son’s BIG SCHOOL ADMISSION when normally I would put in so much time and research into it.

Anyway, I’m glad that even with minimal research and prep, we ended up making totally the right choice for him. I’m very instinct driven on most things, and just knew that the two top schools on my list were Shikshantar and Heritage. My husband and I just liked the vibe from both those schools and could see our little boy happy in that environment. Our backup school was Ridge Valley, simply because it was a new school at the time and we knew admissions wouldn’t be difficult. So we figured if we didn’t make the lottery on either Shikshantar or Heritage, that’s where he would go. Of course, this was because we really did like the school – we just had some inhibitions about it because it was so new. (And of course, we’re the crazy parents who didn’t even put Shri Ram on our wish list! Snap judgement maybe, but I didn’t like their attitude.)

He finally made it to Heritage. It’s been a year since the admissions process and about 6-7 months since he joined school. I’ve been holding up my review because I wanted to be sure of what I’m writing. At this point, with what I’ve seen so far, I’m confident that this is a really good school and it’s already doing wonders for our son’s confidence and skills. In no particular order, here are some observations:

- The school is very easy going and non-aggressive. I was happy even on day one, when my son didn’t want to be left in a new class and was crying and clinging to me, his teachers were very easy about it. They asked me to leave my not even two year old daughter in class with him since they saw that having her around helped him feel a little more secure and comfortable. So I left her in there for almost an hour till he was settled. It made all the difference to how well he settled that day.

- They have a really good way of teaching. It’s probably not unique, but their theme based learning is very effective. They use their themes very broadly and innovatively so before you know it, your kid is coming back home with stories and knowledge about a whole gamut of things that you didn’t expect. For example, they used Goldilocks and the Three Bears to teach kids about all sorts of things such as families, relationships, sharing, relevant letters of the English and Hindi alphabet, numbers, and all sorts of other stuff.

- They’re not hung up about teaching in the “traditional” way…they never do the typical “A for Apple and B for Ball” sort of stuff. They don’t even teach the letters in sequence – instead, they teach the letters that are most prominent in the theme going on so they kids hear that sound all around and are slowly able to identify with it and apply it to other words as well. As a result, when my son learnt B, he was able to point out about 30 words starting with the letter B with hardly any effort just over the lunch table. He had just learnt what B sounds like and was easily able to apply it. It’s the same with Hindi letters. They’re learning to identify, read, and write letters as applicable in the theme – not in sequence. Eventually, they’ll learn all the sounds well and will have a pretty strong base in both languages. I know phonetic learning is not unique to Heritage – just that I obviously didn’t learn this way and am loving what I’m seeing with him.

- The school focuses on a lot of things other than the “curriculum.” One of the big things I notice is the spiritual bent they seem to have. The kids know their prayers, meditation, basic yoga, time of silence, etc. and take it very seriously. I really like this, though so far I’ve seen a strong Hindu focus on the prayers and stories. I’m hoping this is because of the festival time and that other religions will come up as those festivals come too. For now, I’m just happy that they’re being taught to give thanks and to breathe quietly once in a while! There’s also a lot of focus on our culture and heritage – as much as possible at such an early age at least. This is really helping build a sense of interest, curiosity, and even pride at such an early age, which I hope we can sustain.

- They don’t have a lot of homework and even what they do have is quite well thought out. Even at an older age, from what I’ve seen of friends’ kids who go there – the work they’re asked to do constantly challenges them to observe, think, create, and apply, and not just memorize.

- They seem fairly progressive and proactive in how they deal with kids. For example, I know of a kid in another class who, it was noticed, was becoming very quiet in school which was unlike him as he is a very outgoing and confident kid otherwise. They school was proactive in appointing the school counsellor to observe him and chat with his parents and teachers to try to figure out and resolve what was going on.

Overall, I’m just happy with the way my son is doing ever since he started going to Heritage. He’s much more confident, easy in group settings (which was a definite challenge earlier), and happy. At this stage at least, that’s all that matters to me.

I’d love to hear your experiences, good or bad. Hope this helps!

Vaango: South Indian Restaurant in Gurgaon

2011-10-07T00:03:00.002+05:30

My parents are here these days and my sister and I planned to take the whole jing bang - mom, dad, her kids, our kids, and us to eat at Vaango. This is a South Indian restaurant at the South Point Mall, next to the Genpact office, in DLF Phase V. If you don't have time to read my entire review, just read these three words: don't go there.

Now, if you have time to read the rest, here's why:

The management and staff have absolutely no idea how to handle a crowd. The manager on duty was totally lost about how to assign tables to people waiting, how to inform them about waiting time, and how to respond to their queries. As a result, people were just standing around waiting for tables, like you would in a MacDonald's or something. That's fine if that's the expectation set from the beginning. But if there is someone to help you find a table, then they need to do that instead of standing aroung cluelessly while people shove around for tables.
The service is pathetic. We were 10 of us, so naturally the order was a large one. Our food arrived after about 40 minutes of waiting (though we were told it would take only about 15). Even after the wait, only some of the food came. The last thing came about 20-25 minutes after the first thing. We got more drinks and less food than we had ordered. The waiter had no clue which drinks were which - the glasses all looked the same. Noone came to clear the table long after we were done, which meant we were just struggling to find place to keep our coffee. This, after multiple reminders.
The food is not terrible, but not good either. Everything is totally average - like an average food court South Indian counter. You eat. You forget. If you end up going there (because you're the kind of person who likes to live dangerously on the edge), just order an upma. That was the best thing on their menu. I hate to say it given the tone of the rest of this review, but fair is fair and that upma really was good.
The manager had no clue how to handle us when we complained about the poor service. I would expect him at least to have tried to make up for bad service when he saw how visibly disgruntled I was. Didn't happen. He just kept getting worse and slower. Finally, I asked him for a feedback form, which, of course, he didn't even bother to bring me.

All in all - terrible experience. True - it was a holiday evening and we were 10 of us. So maybe we were a little difficult to manage. But then again, isn't that what a restaurant needs to be prepared to do?

Do comment if you had a different experience than ours! And also, of course, if you have recommendations for other South Indian food places.

OLE Kids, Gurgaon

2011-09-22T07:02:00.001+05:30

My good friend, Shradha has the cutest and naughtiest little almost 3 year old son. He goes to OLE Kids school and daycare. She's a working mom and it was really important for her to find something that really works for her schedule and specific requirements. I asked her to write her thoughts and experience for this space and she was nice enough to send me her review very promptly! Thanks, Shradha!

Heres' what she said:

When Manika asked me to share my opinion on the school my son goes to, I did not know how to answer her immediately. I have been thinking and I believe that for all the parents who are looking for a playschool or a suitable daycare for their toddlers, there is no one right answer. To begin with one must recognize that there is no single factor that determines whether your child is ready to start his school. Only you can decide if your child is mature enough physically and socially to manage this new routine.

Decisions about where your child goes to school are very personal. It’s common and normal for parents to feel anxious about getting this decision right.So let me share my 5 simple selection criterion for deciding on a playschool. I am not referring to any school coz like I said – there is no one right answer.

1. The infrastructure needed to be close to my house/ office. Given the fact that I will have to manage the pick and drop along with my work schedule. Also if it takes a long time to get to school, your child may not be too excited by the time they get there.

2. School that offers small class sizes and low child-teacher ratios. This will ensure that the teacher can give right amount of attention to my child. Given the new environment and no mommy around- any amount of attention will fall short!

3. The class infrastructure: The classroom must have lots of toys, play area and certainly some open playground for outdoor activities. Make sure the outdoor area is well guarded and fenced appropriately.

4. The philosophy of school: Don’t want to elaborate much on this. Every mother has an instinct and will be able to judge from things like their websites, conversation with the staff and other small things like the menu plan, fees structure etc. Basically I just wanted to make sure my child was not going to a school just because it was popular (you know how some schools are more spoken of then they deserve!). At the end my instincts told me that the place had a sense of homeliness and personal care rather than process and rules.

5. Plan B preparedness: To me this was crucial. What did the school have in place to manage those crucial situations when nothing goes as per plan. You know like- you can’t get out of a meeting and can’t pick up the child on time or if my son falls sick and you are not close by, what will they do to manage the situation. Do they have an in house nurse; tie up with a hospital, day care and school extended hours facility…@ my experience, once you start work -I can’t tell you how many times I have been in sticky situations where the school’s flexibility has bailed me out.

Now on Ole Kids Early Learning Centre: My son has been there since last 10 months and I am happy with the experience.The school has high standards of hygiene, well thought through and planned meals, good friendly staff and very caring didis. Now I am sure this is true for many other schools in Gurgaon. But here are some special moments that I can share:

1. The way their keep the parents informed and involved is very beautiful! Not only do I get a daily activity note along with a weekly dairy updating me of what he is learning and has picked up in the week but what is special are the pictures they post regularly- they are priceless. I even got hooked on to Facebook thanks to Ole! During the summer camp, Fridays became more special because I would get see all the things that Jai had created.

2. Celebrations: Their philology of celebrating all festivals and getting the child to understand the reason and celebrating it with clean pure activities and no show off stuff is remarkable.

3. Relationship- I believe that a relationship is created when you believe that the school is not only credible in its teaching, but reliable and personal and that is what Ole has meant to me.

I will lie if I say that I have not had any complaints but they are far too minuscule when compared to how my son’s school is an integral part of my life. In the end – I just know that nothing can replace a home and all you are looking for is a place where your child is going to learn by having fun in a safe and clean environment.
Also don’t read too much and get influenced by reviews (like mine)- your instincts, situations and limitations will eventually help you make the best decision for your child!

All the best…

Manasvi: Fabric Store in Gurgaon

2011-09-18T00:10:00.000+05:30

I've lived in Gurgaon for about 6-7 years now, and have always been irritated that there are no good fabric stores here. I don't mean places like Meena Bazaar where you can go to pick up a fancy suit piece or lehenga. I mean the kind of stores I used to go to with my mom when she wanted to buy stuff I didn't understand like terricot and voile and suit pieces with dainty floral prints for my grandmother. Like a good, old fashioned fabric store.

Oddly enough, in all this time I've lived here and visited the Metropolitan Mall on MG Road, I've never really noticed an unassuming little shop called Manasvi. It's on the second floor, in one of the corners and it's exactly that kind of store. Only better! It's got a huge (very huge) range of prints in running fabric - that's their specialty, though they do also have some suit pieces. They have another shop right next to this one, under the same name, where they keep all their plain cotton and voile and other good stuff. The owners and sales people are really nice to talk to and also very efficient.

I was so thrilled to discover this store because I was itching to buy some cute material and sew stuff myself for my little girl who has discovered that pretty clothes make her feel pretty and girly (had to happen, didn't it?!) I've been practicing my sewing skills. It's not going too well, so the fact that the prices at this store aren't terribly high helped. How much money can you really justify wasting for a hobby, after all?

Anyway, next time you need to buy a piece of fabric, definitely pay this place a visit. If you have other favorite fabric stores you visit often, do leave a comment here.

Intellitots Preschool, Gurgaon

2011-08-14T23:20:00.007+05:30

I had reason to visit Intellitots, which is a preschool near Vipul Square in DLF Phase IV recently. I was interested in checking them out since they have recently moved into a new location which is a dedicated school building and have been developing themselves a lot since they first started with mostly mommy and me kind of programs, which I had written about at that time.

Some info and impressions:

The management of the school is putting a lot of thought and effort into developing the individual programs. This was visible in everything I saw - from the way the groups are classified for maximum effectiveness to the level of detail in the curriculum that they have developed to the way they have done up their classrooms.
Their preschool is divided into 3 different age groups from toddler to about 3-4 years of age. Before a child goes into a toddler group, he/she can be part of an infant-parent or toddler-parent program which involves the parents as well. In addition, they offer several enrichment programs on things like reading, drama, science, etc.
The curriculum is developed in house and they're not really pretending to follow one or the other fixed approach with a fancy sounding name as their education philosophy. They're developing things based on common sense backed up with experience since many of their teachers and administrators have a lot of experience working with kids. This lets them be very creative in their themes as well as the activities they do to support their themes. I had a chance to look at some of their theme material and was impressed with the level of detail and planning to execute each one of them.
The infrastructure of the school really supports their goals. Since the school is in a nursery school building, there is ample indoor and outdoor space for the kids and the administration of the school. The building does come across as a little "raw" still since it is waiting for a final coat of paint and a couple of finishing touches. I guess they need to wait for this rainy season to end and school to close for holidays before that can happen.
At this time, they do not offer either transport facilities or in house meals. Kids need to bring their own tiffins from home.

Despite my overall good impression of the place, since neither of my kids has actually attended Intellitots, I did not feel totally comfortable about my judgement of the school. I ended up sending a questionnaire to one of the Intellitots parents. Below are her responses, edited only for length.

1. How long have you been associated with Intellitots?

My son Rehan has been with Intellitots for the past one year and nine months (since Oct 2009) He joined in the parent toddler group and then “graduated” to the preschool in April 2010. The first stage in the preschool is called Baby Bears, the second stage is called Happy Hoppers and the last Busy Bees. Rehan is now in Happy Hoppers.

2. How has your experience with Intellitots been?

My experience has been great. Intellitots has not only met my expectations but exceeded them. For me, it was important that the “first experience” which Rehan has of the outside world (i.e. outside of his home) and of a school should be positive. It should make him love the very idea of a school per se. I feel that once a child likes going to a school, there are much higher chances of the child loving “learning” also.

At Intellitots, there is a lot of concentration on making the child feel loved, secure, safe and comfortable. Small things like giving a warm welcome every morning to each child by hugging the child, smiling and talking to him/ her, being always ready to listen to the children, ensuring that the kids are taken properly by the didi to the toilet etc makes a world of difference.

Rehan looks forward to Intellitots every morning. Since he likes the school, he loves learning and grasping things too. It’s amazing to see him talk about the things he learns at Intellitots - whether it be the songs, counting, good habits etc. He feels very comfortable with all his teachers. The way his teachers respond to him has made him so confident of himself. Even in other social situations like say at the doctor, or at the park in the evening or meeting relatives and friends, Rehan’s pretty articulate and confident and a large part of this is due to the environment at Intellitots.

3. Comments on Intellitots teachers, staff and infrastructure?

One word which immediately strikes me when I think of the teachers at Intellitots is – dedication. It shows in their behavior with the kids as well as with the parents as to how committed they are. The teachers are so energetic and enthusiastic; it’s a joy to see them in class with the children. Though each of the teachers have their own personality which they bring to the table but something which is common to all, apart from being dedicated is that they all are loving, caring, patient and humble people. I think to be a good teacher, it’s so important to be a good human being and Intellitots is lucky to have a wonderful team on board. The teachers are also very accessible. One can go up to them and talk about anything.

The staff is always polite and ever willing to help out. Right from the people in the office to the guard at the gate to even Savitri didi, everyone is courteous.

As far as the infrastructure is concerned, I have seen the school grow from the time it was in the earlier location to now at 4101, DLF phase IV. The infrastructure is getting better each day. It’s so apparent that the school wants nothing but the very best for its children whether it be the discovery zone with the books corner, kitchen, toys or dress up corner, the swings, the furniture etc. In my opinion, if I compare the sheer quality of each these things to other places, I would say that Intellitots is far ahead.

4. What do you think of the curriculum and the general philosophy of the school?

The curriculum is well researched and apt for each of the age groups it is meant for. The level of complexity increases as one progresses from the parent toddler stage to Baby bears and then to Happy Hoppers and even further as the children enter the last stage i.e. Busy Bees.

The fact that the curriculum introduces the children to numbers, alphabets, colours, shapes, visits by people from different professions like say a dentist, reading s book every weekend, concepts like opposites, fuits and vegetables, body parts, cookery activities, different articles in our houses, developing their fine motor skills by having the kids handle scissors etc make it extremely comprehensive.

The best part about the curriculum is that its enjoyable which in turn makes it extremely engaging. Children love the music and songs they play at Intellitots. Kids learn a lot and have fun learning and understanding concepts. When I hear Rehan sing rhymes and talk effortlessly about different countries, colours, numbers, healthy food, opposites etc, one can’t help feel anything but thankful to Intellitots.

As I perceive it, the philosophy of the school concentrates on transparency, openness, effective communication, fairness, respect for others, being humble and sincerity. The value of transparency comes across right at the outset when they offer you a free demo class. You can actually get to see a class and if you don’t like it, there is no compulsion on you to sign up. Parents can walk anywhere in the school and see for themselves how things are being run. That’s real transparency.

The entire vibe at Intellitots is so energetic, enthusiastic, happy, affectionate, positive that it’s a treat to go there every day.

5. What has Rehan’s experience at Intellitots been like?

Rehan’s experience has been very positive. Intellitots has contributed a lot to Rehan’s personality shaping into what it is today and to his knowledge as well and I must say they have contributed beautifully.

Rehan’s loves the idea of going to school, he looks forward to meeting his teachers as well as his friends, he likes to take things for the “show and tell” activity during circle time, he is curious and looks forward to learning as such, is confident and articulate, very secure as a person and its quite visible how, over the past nearly two years, Intellitots has added to his turning the way he is.

One of the factors for Rehan enjoying the learning at Intellitots is also the music and songs. Rehan loves singing and playing music on his keyboard thanks to it being such an integral part at Intellitots. That has made learning even more fun for him.

In the end I would just day that a good teacher can make not just a child’s life happier but also make a world of difference to the parent’s life too. Intellitots has done just that and I am so thankful that we chose it.

As always, if you have any experience of the school that you'd like to share or any further questions about the place, do feel free to leave a comment.

Juassa: Salon on Sohna Road

2011-08-06T12:10:00.000+05:30

Finally! There's a good parlor on Sohna Road! I've written about good parlors in Gurgaon before and whined about how everything is far away from where I live. At least that problem is now gone because Juassa is awesome! I had been wanting to visit the place but wasn't in the mood for a bad experience and didn't want to take the risk. Thanks to Vaibhav's review on Gurgaon Watch (Thanks, Vaibhav!) who said it was definitely worth trying, I went. And now I can stop going anywhere else.

The first thing I loved is how clean and nice and new it is. I hope it remains clean and nice even when it is no longer new. The location is pretty good - it's in a new shopping center called Ninex City Mart (right opposite Vipul Greens) and they have a lot of space, which gives the parlor a very open and spread out feeling instead of a small and cramped one. It's also done up very nicely with attractive colors and overall, you don't mind hanging out there for a couple of hours.

The people are very nice and friendly and luckily I've found a lady there who really knows what she's doing. All the people I've met there are very well mannered and the best part is they don't keep trying to tell you how bad your hair and skin is looking in an effort to sell you more services. For the most part, everyone leaves you alone to enjoy your head massage or pedicure or whatever while you flip through a magazine. In my world ruled by children's tantrums and other noise, that's a real luxury!

The prices are pretty standard as far as I can tell and obviously, they have a full range of services for men as well as women.

Finally, one of the best things about the place is their music! They play fantastic stuff - mostly classic rock...the kind of stuff I grew up listening to. I find myself humming all the lyrics without even realizing that I know them.

All in all, the whole parlor experience is really comfortable and pleasant. I'd definitely recommend you try it once if you're looking for a place on Sohna Road.

And of course, as always, let me know how it goes!

How do you define a "good" school?

2011-07-02T10:02:00.002+05:30

There are so many of us who have either gone through or are going through the angst of choosing the "right" school for our kids. Whether it's a preschool or big school or even a day care, it's so hard to figure out which one is just right...which school will provide our kids exactly what we would like to provide them ourselves - just the right care with the right attitude and a right mix of academics and sports and all the right nutritious food while imparting all the right values and life skills. Oh and the right distance from home! With so many options out there (thankfully), you just never know if your choice is right even once you've made it.

With all the queries and comments on this forum about recommendations for good schools and reviews, I thought it might be a useful thinking exercise for us as parents to try and define what good means to us. What are we really looking for in a school or preschool? I'm going to try to put my list down here and invite you to add your definitions. The idea is to get a good list going that helps parents when they're going to visit schools and trying to decide which one to pick.

So here goes:

In a preschool, I want:

First and foremost that my kid should feel loved. A preschool is often the first place a child goes to that's out of the house. From the constant, individualized love that a mom or other caregiver provides, the kid is suddenly thrown into a group and I have no idea how that must feel. My guess is it's not so great right away and if I were that kid, I would just look for a mom equivalent to make me feel at home. If the preschool teacher doesn't understand and reflect this, it's probably not a great preschool.
There should be ample space and opportunity for play and exploration. By this, I don't mean fancy and expensive infrastructure or the latest toys - just a variety of environments, indoors and outdoors that keeps the kids interested and busy.
Cleanliness. Of course.
There should be a routine that the teachers follow because its hard to handle so many kids and unless teachers have a system for doing it by developing and following a routine that sets and keeps some sort of order in the group, the entire 2-3 hour preschool time just becomes about handling and settling unhappy children because you don't know what else to do. (As an example, I think Pallavan, Sohna Road does this really well.)
The atmosphere should be all about fun. I don't think this is a time for them to really "learn" any of the traditional school-y stuff. They do learn just by being who they are and exploring and watching and playing but that's all. If a preschool starts to get into teaching numbers and the alphabet in a serious way, it loses my vote.

In a big school, I want:

An environment where I think my kid will be happy. This translates into lots of things.

Loving teachers. That shouldn't change just because it's big school and the real world and all that.
A good, big and varied environment where kids have many different things to do - they're going to spend a lot of time over many years in that place, so it better be interesting and well developed.
A philosophy that sees the kid as someone who needs to learn and do things in every aspect of life, not just academics. Ideally, a place that doesn't view studies as the main thing kids do with everything else being extra-curricular and almost optional. Yes, I know they need to study and do well academically, but I personally don't place more importance on studies and less on sports and drama and yoga and meditation and debating and all the other fun things that life is made up of. It has to be at least equal stress - ideally.

The school should be friendly and approachable and should not have a big attitude just because it's good. Over the years that my kids have to attend school, I'm guessing there are lots of times when you need to interact with the people there. Unless the school is open to parents being involved actively as partners with them in their child's life, it just doesn't make sense. It's hard to judge how good a school is at this sort of thing from the outside. But the admissions procedure and their initial interaction with you on the phone is at least an indication. For example, I found Shri Ram to be extremely unfriendly and unapproachable. They weren't good on the phone and they were terrible even at keeping their website updated through all the uncertainty of last year's admissions process. I suspect this comes from knowing you have a great reputation and subconsciously thinking that everyone wants to get into Shri Ram anyway, so why bother being friendly. I'm happy to be corrected if wrong of course (any Shri Ram parents out there?), but this was my initial impression.
The school should have good "products" to show! I know this sounds weird, but when you see an older kid and you find yourself admiring him or her, it turns out it has a lot to do with the kids schooling (and of course parenting). For example, I have a real soft corner for a lot of people I know or have met from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Delhi. As a result, my opinion of that school is very high. Maybe this is not terribly logical, but it does matter to me.

This is not a comprehensive list, but it is what's top of my mind. I'd love to hear what you think.

Fun at Crazy Noodles, Galleria

2011-06-27T22:56:00.001+05:30

I'd been meaning to try out Crazy Noodles on the 2nd floor of Galleria in DLF Phase IV because a couple of friends had recommended it. We finally made it there this weekend and I loved it! It was the first time in a long time that my husband and I went out for lunch with just old friends and without any kids, so I guess that has a lot to do with my happiness with the place. Give me a chance to eat lunch without worrying about whether the kids are destroying the crockery or poking each others' eyes with chopsticks, and I'll write glowing reviews of anything! Be that as it may, it really was a fun place and I'll tell you why.

It's done up really cutely in very bright and crazy colors and makes you feel like you're in some funky teenager-y new coffee shop kind of place. Minus the teenagers, thankfully - at least when we went! The focus is on fun more than anything else. So they have these fun glasses that just won't stand still and tissues that are happy to see you (you'll only know what I mean once you go there and experience the tissues) and little mind twister games that the waiters bring you to play while you're waiting for your food.

The food itself is decent. They have a few different things on their menu, unlike a typical Indian Chinese restaurant. In fact, I was disappointed that they have no manchurian. My friends may laugh at me but hey, I'm a Punjabi and I like my manchurian, so there. But they did have some great thukpa and also noodles with a tamarind and peanut based sauce that I really liked.

I have to tell you that Crazy Noodles is definitely not fine dining. It's casual, fairly inexpensive, fun dining where you can go with close friends and with your kids and have some laughs and enjoy yourself and come back quite satisfied.

All in all, definitely give it a shot. If for nothing else, then at least to meet those tissues!

Panchatantra Preschool, Gurgaon

2011-05-31T09:14:00.002+05:30

Today's post is a little different from the ones you see here generally. For one, I haven't written it! I got my friend, Namrata to write a review of Panchatantra preschool in Sushant Lok, Gurgaon, since her daughter has been going there for several months and she has much more in terms of information and opinions than I would. Thanks, Namrata!

Here goes:

I had tried admitting my child in play school a year ago. She was 2 years then. I say 'tried' because obviously I was unsuccessful in getting her to stay! Maybe it was a bit too soon for her, maybe it was the repeated absences she had from school due to some cold or cough she would catch or maybe it was because her teacher herself was absent at times and that did not help her settle in. I am talking about one of the really good pre-schools in Gurgaon but I don't think it is appropriate to name them as I have a lot of respect for their founders and leadership team and I think they are doing a great job in general - just that the hygiene level maintained in the schools, which are franchised, is not really what I would want for my child. Too many children in a small class, rest rooms having a common towel that all children use, and other similar problems made me conclude it is certainly a big reason for my daughter catching repeat infections.

So here she was, my little daughter, 6 weeks after constant trial, back at home, happy with me! That of course meant I needed to continue to multi-task at home to keep my job and manage her growing curiosity levels. A good friend and ex-colleague of mine then mentioned that her son was in Panchatantra and she was quite happy with it. Now the thing is, that most mothers I have ever spoken with, are usually raving about their child’s schools but I would add more weight to her opinion as she was trained in the Montessori way of teaching and had recently surveyed all pre-schools in Gurgaon when she relocated back to India. So well, I decided to pay them a visit. Finding the school was a bit tough as it is certainly not in any main road kind of a place and I must admit I was a bit skeptical about the child’s safety but that was till I entered the school gate. It is not a large sprawling campus but the good thing is there were small lawns and a small outdoor play area. It is a multi-level school and the basement is creatively used for a school assembly area, has an art and craft (pottery included) center and an audio video center as well where I am told, children watch films though that is very occasional (good!). Their office, store and kitchen are also located there along with a small seating space for teachers to hang out.

What made me decide for the school for certainly the hygiene level I saw maintained in the school, including the cleanliness of the kitchen, which seemed to be personally monitored by a staff member who is fabulous at baking, I discovered later. It is not just that, it the overall appeal of the school – they obviously have spent a lot of money but it seems safe for children – the flooring, the toys, the swings – not run of the mill and yet safe.

Some pre-schools don’t serve food or they have strange menus which are fixed and have little variety, which is really random for a child, because, hey, the child eats random things when traveling, not on a daily basis! I like their menu, it has milk, fruits, rice, dal, noodles, pasta, porridge, you name it. I love the fact that it varies and it makes children taste different things everyday.

They do celebrate festivals like other pre-schools I think and I really liked their sports day. Children were made to practice for a month, given uniforms to wear and they practiced collectively as a school for some things. My daughter stood first in the race but I loved the fact that they had a medal for every child. I like the thoughtfulness of the school because small things matter to me as a parent. They wrote a note letting me know my daughter enjoyed baking cookies at school – I loved that!

The teachers – since I must not leave them out, are good. They are nice, friendly and seem well read – not the people who have taken to teaching as an after thought (though I have nothing against such teachers, really), and are trained in the montessori way of teaching (I don’t have data but that is my conclusion based on my experience of speaking with a few). I have been a part of a couple of meetings with teachers where they do like to share what the child is learning and doing in school and they maintain a very detailed report card for each child which is only for viewing and discussing and is not handed over to parents. We do get a summary report card of sorts, with some verbatims from the teacher.

And how can I forget, the core of our lives today, the didis. They are in uniform and I like that. They seem cleaner and some of them do seem to have a way with kids (not all but then we all know the situation on that front).

The school provides transport as buses, in which teachers travel with children but I chose not to send my daughter in one as I like to spend that time with daughter.

So there it is – the round up on the school. I would rate it a 4.5 on 5. What could they do better? They could be a bit more proactive and organized with their communication – sometimes I don’t get some emails and sometimes I wish they would send all their printed handouts over email and save some paper. But well, nobody’s perfect – but they do try and that’s what I like about them.

If you have any opinions or experience with this school, please do leave a comment.

What not to do when things don't work

2011-05-20T09:42:00.001+05:30

Allow me to vent a little - again. For some reason, even though I have lived in India for almost all my life and have experienced hundreds of times the fact that people, even those who don't know the first thing about how to do their job, will try to fool you into thinking they know what they're doing and mess up things even further and even charge you for it, I still get taken in and end up trusting fools and getting screwed again and again. Wow that was a long sentence. But I'm already feeling better.

Here's what happened. My AC stopped cooling. We looked at the yellow pages and called an "AC Guy." The AC guy came, looked expertly at the AC, pulled out a couple of meters and things to hook up to the compressor to figure out what's wrong. He confidently announced that my compressor was fine but the condenser was gone and also the gas needed refilling. It would cost about 2500 bucks. I told him to go ahead and do it. He did it, tested the AC for about half and hour, and went away with the money. That night, the AC didn't cool again. Next morning, the guy comes back and announced it's actually the compressor that's gone. This is where I started becoming stupid. I gave him the benefit of doubt that he didn't pick up the problem the first time. So I asked him to change the compressor. The choice was between a new one for 5500 or a used one for 2500. The new one came with a "warranty." He came in with an unbranded compressor which looked new enough but in a random cardboard box. I'm still very mad at myself for not throwing him out when he came in with that shady looking thing. Anyway, I'm embarrassed to report that I allowed him to install the new compressor and paid him for it. He went away with the money, handing me an even shadier warranty card which he probably printed at the local cyber cafe. Long story short: ACs not working, guy has disappeared, isn't taking his calls, we're all feeling very stupid.

Very expensive lesson learnt: Don't call random AC guys from the yellow pages. Call the AC company customer care and have them do the work, even if it costs more. Once you've had some quack come in and mess with your AC, you void any warranty you might have and also have no control over what they're doing to your expensive appliances.

But I'm not hassled because of only one bad experience with unprofessional and downright stupid people. The next silly thing I did is lock my cupboard and lose the key. It's a regular wooden cupboard with a godrej lock. My carpenter suggested the best way would be to call a key maker and get him to make a key for the lock. I drove around looking for a key guy and found one sitting at the turning to South City II on Sohna Road. He came in and rattled around for half an hour and announced that he couldn't make a key since it was a godrej lock and the best thing would be to break the lock using by inserting a chisel into the key hole and hammering at it. He assured me this wouldn't damage the cupboard. I was stupid enough to believe him. Again. He hammered away and then announced it couldn't be done unless I cut the side of the cupboard or something like that. Thankfully, my husband, who is a little better at judging people that I am, arrived at the scene and sent the key guy on his way.

Finally, my carpenter was able to break the lock and we were able to open the cupboard. My happiness at getting all my clothes back after almost a week of trying was short lived. The key guy with his over enthusiastic and what-have-I-got-to-lose hammering had pushed his chisel through the lock and then ripped the laminate of the shelves inside. A part of his chisel was embedded through my shelf and into the drawer below such that when I tried to open the drawer, the entire side of it ripped because of that chisel. I now face at least a couple of thousand bucks of repair work, and the hassle of getting my cupboard shelves redone.

What was I thinking, letting some random guy do this to my cupboard. I know it's my fault for allowing this, but on a defensive note, how would I have known that this guy who is making a living out of making keys and breaking locks really knows nothing and couldn't care less?

Lesson learnt: I don't know. Don't trust random key guys? Call Godrej? Trust your instinct if the guy doing your repairs seems a little dumb? Be less stupid?

Venting has helped. Now I need to figure out how to get my AC and cupboard fixed. I think I'll get to that after a few days and live in a hot room for a few days because I'm just about done with repair people for a while, thank you.

Professional Childcare in Gurgaon: Your Responses Needed

2011-04-13T19:19:00.000+05:30

Someone I know is starting a program that will certify nannies and child care providers by training them on professional childcare practices. (I, for one, can't wait for a reliable service like this to be introduced in Gurgaon so I can finally be sure that my maid/nanny knows what she's doing instead of stressing every time I leave my kids for a short while with her about all the small things that make up baby care!)

As they're going about designing the training program, they have put together a short survey to get inputs from people on what they look for in nannies.

Here's the link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KLPH8FN

Please click on the link above and respond to the survey. It took me about 5-6 minutes to respond.

Thanks!

P.S. Just out of curiosity, do you have any comments on whether such a service would be of interest to you?

Medanta - The Medicity, Gurgaon

2011-04-11T11:48:00.000+05:30

As luck would have it, we've had a few too many reasons to visit doctors and hospitals over the last couple of years. Too much of my family seems to be growing old at the same time. It is what it is though, and we're all just doing our best to get the best medical care possible. So, we ended up visiting Medanta a few times over the last 10 days or so. I had heard so much about the hospital and how they have collected the best doctors in every specialty and how they have such great infrastructure and so on. Based on this, I recommended that my uncle who needed to see a gastro specialist, travel from Dehradun and consult the chairman of the gastroenterology department at Medicity. I have to say, the whole experience was terrible. Medicity does not live up to it's name at all.

I do want to be clear that the doctor was fine and we have no complaints about his caliber. In fact, the same doctor had earlier treated my uncle at a different hospital and we were happy with him. But in any hospital, there are a lot of transactions you go through before and after you actually consult a doctor. There are appointments to be made, investigations to be completed, reports to be picked up, and so many conversations to be had. All of this requires you to interact continuously with hospital staff. This is where Medicity lost my vote completely. Their staff is terribly trained or rather untrained in how to deal with people. They have a very high handed approach and the general vibe you get from them is that they're doing you some sort of favor and you're somehow in a needy position because you have a patient on your hands or are a patient yourself. The number of times I met people who could not answer my questions and instead of directing me to the right person, just asked me to wait and then forgot about me is amazing. They also seemed to have no qualms in simply misdirecting me when they didn't know the correct answer. As an example, at one point, my uncle and I spent about half an hour looking for a particular doctor because people confidently kept pointing us to different places where he would be, only to eventually be told that he had left the hospital for the day. At one time, we were actually made to wait outside a closed door because he was supposedly inside completing a procedure. When I got tired of waiting and pushed the door open to see what was going on, it turned out the room was empty! My uncle, who was in terrible pain, was in this with me. When I asked the guard why he had misdirected me, he just stared dumbly at me.

Another time, I was waiting in line to pick up a report. In addition to the lady who was pulling out reports, there was another guy just bumming around and making jokes with the report lady. In the meantime, he got a call from a patient or attendant presumably asking for some information. Right in front of me, the fellow said he was too busy to talk because he was the middle of something and just banged the phone and then sniggered about this with the report lady. I can't believe that hospital staff, who are supposed to deal with patients and their attendants who are already so distressed by what's going on in their lives, are not trained to be more sensitive.

The other problem is that they don't have a uniform and good system for patients to make appointments and meet with doctors. For some doctors, you have to call the reception to get an appointment. For others, you have to call the doctors' secretaries. And when you do call the secretary, you realize he or she is all powerful and will decide if and when you get to meet the doctor. Even when you have an appointment, the secretary can easily bump others ahead of you if they have developed a better relationship with him or if he perceives their need to be greater than yours. We had a prior appointment for 8:30 pm. We finally managed to see the doctor at 10:45 pm.

On the whole, my experience with all the people other than the actual doctors I had to meet was so terrible that I literally had to force myself to go there the next time for a follow up appointment. I just did not want to deal with any of them. This is hardly the feeling one wants to get when thinking about a hospital.

Will I go back to Medicity? God willing, I won't have to. But given the caliber and seniority of the doctors there, if the need so arises, I guess I'll have no choice. But I'll go there with my guard raised and prepared for some unpleasant times.

People For Animals is looking for volunteers

2011-04-09T00:41:00.002+05:30

A while ago, I had written about PFA starting to get active in the Gurgaon area. They are now actively looking for volunteers to help with activities such as fund raising, shelter work, helping victims of cruelty, and so on. Please do make that call and reach out to see if you can help. The number is 9810321877. You can also write in at ann20073@gmail.com.

To learn more about the organization and the activities they are involved in, please visit the PFA website.

Please do share your comments if you end up calling and volunteering with them.

Cocoberry: I've found true love!

2011-03-18T13:46:00.002+05:30

Summer is almost here. Unfortunately, this hasn't magically resulted in me losing lots of weight and being able to eat unlimited amounts of ice cream. I don't think I'll ever reach a point in my life when I can just buy tubs of ice cream and keep them in my freezer knowing that even if I do give into the temptation to eat them all up, I'll be fine. Having to watch weight is a sad, sad reality.

On to happier things though...I may not be able to eat ice cream every day but once in a while, I can allow myself to eat something that's almost better! That's the frozen yogurt at Cocoberry at Galleria. They say it's fat free but it does have sugar, so you still can't go on an uncontrolled binge, but you don't have to feel too guilty about having a cup full once in a while. The yogurt is slightly tangy because it's fruit flavored and you'll have to decide if you have a taste for it. They have 4-5 flavors - original, berry blast, strawberry, blueberry, and green apple. Maybe a couple more that I'm forgetting. And then they have a pretty good selection of toppings - fruits, nuts, chocolates, and granola - that you can choose from. My favorite thing there is a the original yogurt with a topping of walnuts, almonds, and white chocolate chips. Yum!

I also like that they're not terribly overpriced. You can get a small cup, which is a good serving size, for 54 bucks. And add three toppings for another 20 bucks. That's about as much as most ice cream places, right? So you don't come away thinking you're having to pay extra just because this is a new thing in town.

Writing about this makes me long and yearn. That's what true love is all about, isn't it? :-)

Oodles of Noodles at Nooba!

2011-03-06T19:32:00.004+05:30

For as long as he has been going to work at Cyber City, my husband has been raving about a Chinese restaurant in his office building called Nooba. And creature of habit that he is, he always orders the exact same dish - the seasonal vegetable and seafood rice noodle bowl - and always talks about it with the exact same level of enthusiasm. Apparently, the waiters don't even bother to take his order anymore. I simply had to see for myself why this place makes him happier than any other...despite the fact that it's in his office! So we all finally made it there for lunch this weekend. I'm sure the waiters were chuckling fondly inside the kitchen at the sight of their most regular customer now also on a weekend.

So what did I think about the place? I loved it! I don't think I'll have the same dreamy look in my eyes when I talk about it as my husband does, but I did really like the food. It's not Indian Chinese. So don't go there if you're a hardcore chowmein and gobhi manchurian with some dhania for the Indian touch type of Chinese food fan (yum!). It's definitely Chinese Chinese. I take the number of Chinese people eating there to be a pretty good indication of the authenticity of taste at Nooba.

Good ambience, much like any slightly fancy Chinese restaurant I guess. Good drinks. Try the masala lemonade, which, according to the menu, is their house specialty. Hey, something has to be Indian at a Chinese restaurant in India, right? Good food. Served kind of like at Monk - with single serve noodle bowls or rice bowls. Good dessert. Try the chocolate roulade. Yum yum.

A meal for two with drinks and appetizers would be about Rs. 2500 or so.

All in all, definitely worth a visit. It's at Building 8C in DLF Cyber City, DLF Phase III. And if you do go, please let me know so I can tell my husband and smile when he gets dreamy about Nooba again!

Organic Fruits and Vegetables in Gurgaon

2011-02-27T08:11:00.001+05:30

I'm so excited to tell you this! I've been wondering where I can go to get my supply of organic fruits and veggies for the family, other than the super expensive and very limited sections at the grocery stores like Spencers etc. Just last night I found that there's a weekly organic farmer's market that's put up every Saturday and Sunday. The location is the Rajiv Gandhi Renewable Energy Park in Sector 29. This is behind the Leisure Valley Park (near Bikanerwala), and opposite the Kingdom of Dreams.

Apparently, they also stock organic dry groceries like dals, rice, spices, and even cooking oils. And also baked stuff. I haven't been there yet, but hope to go today. I'll be sure to post a comment if I make it.

Medhaam Preschool and Daycare, Gurgaon

2011-02-14T00:37:00.002+05:30

I can't quite believe that I'm already on the lookout for a daycare for my little one! Seems like just yesterday that I was doing this exercise for my son...and now he's all grown up and it's my daughter that I'm worrying about now. Sigh. Well, it is what it is and the good thing is that I'm sure she's going to love wherever I send her because she's super social and loves people and activity...maybe even more than she loves me:-) Naah, not really!

The first place I have looked at is Medhaam, which is in C Block, South City I. (It's somewhere between Unitech Palms and Signature Towers, if you just want a general idea.) In no particular order, here are my impressions:

The infrastructure is all very new and very nice. The school is on a proper school plot of land and built like a small school building, instead of a house converted into a school, which means they're not trying to make do with small rooms and awkward places. Their rooms are bright and sunny, especially the ones on the ground floor, and they're filled with a lot of cute furniture and cute toys and play stuff.
They have a decent size outdoor play area which is again very sweet and clean and green. It also includes a nice mid sized, shallow splash pool for kids to splash around in the summer.
As of now they offer a daycare facility, and toddler, pre-nursery, nursery, and kindergarten programs. They don't have a lot of kids enrolled yet since they started only in the middle of last year. This gives the school a slightly bare and unused look. This is neither good nor bad. I'm just mentioning it because I felt it. Unfortunately, I didn't go at a time when the morning school was in progress, so I saw only the daycare kids and not the preschoolers.
The lady who runs the place, Nita Datta, is very pleasant and warm. She was happy to show me around and spend a lot of time talking to me about the school and about my requirements for my daughter. Unfortunately, I didn't see any of the teachers except the daycare one, so I can't comment on their caliber, warmth, manner with children, etc.
I was most interested in their daycare since that's what I need for my little one right now. The good thing is that I have the option of enrolling her for the toddler class, after which she can go up to the daycare and spend the rest of the day there. The thing that's making me doubtful about the place is that I didn't get a clear sense of what my kid would be doing all those hours when she's not in the toddler class and just in the daycare. When I visited, there were a bunch of kids in the daycare room which had a couple of maids, a teacher, and a bunch of toys. But they didn't seem to have any plan or idea of what they were doing or what they were going to do next. I may be expecting too much because they're just little kids but some structure and some idea of what to do with the children rather than just hang around in the lap of one maid or playing with some toys with another maid would have been nicer.
The daycare room seemed a little bare to me. It wasn't as well set up as it could be, considering the kids spend their whole day there. However, they did have another room right next to the daycare room where a bunch of kids were asleep and a maid was watching over them. That looked pretty well set up and comfortable and I even saw some older school children there who go there directly from their schools.
The timing of the daycare is a bit of a problem since it starts at 9:00 am. If you're a working parent, you probably want to be at your office by 9 and so should be able to drop off your kid at least by 8:30 am. While Ms. Datta did say this was an option, it would mean you would have to drop your kid off to a maid instead of a teacher and also sign something saying you're okay with the risks involved with this.
Their food is cooked fresh in the school premises and I was very impressed by the menu they offer. The week's menu was up on the notice board and it all sounded very yummy and nutritious.

All in all, the place is definitely worth a visit if you're looking for a small, cozy and friendly preschool for your toddler. I'm still undecided on the daycare front because of the lack of clarity of what my daughter would be doing there, but more so because of the distance from my house. I'll be sure to post reviews of any other places I visit.

Here is some information about the Medhaam fee structure:

Toddlers

Age: 1.5 to 2 years

Timings: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

One time fee, annual fee, registration etc: Rs. 20,500

Monthly fee (tuition + facility fee): Rs. 4500

Pre-nursery, Nursery, and KG

Age: 2 to 5 years

Timings: 9:00 am to 12:30 pm

One time fee, annual fee, registration etc: Rs. 20,500

Monthly fee (tuition + facility fee): Rs. 5000

Daycare

Age: 1.5 to 8 years

Timings: Full day - 9:00 am to 6:30 pm; Half day - 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm; 4 hours flexi; 2 hours flexi; and per day flexi

One time fee, annual fee, registration etc: Rs. 5500

Monthly fee: Full day: Rs. 6200, Half day: Rs. 5000, 4 Hours: Rs. 4000, 2 hours: Rs. 3000, and per day: Rs. 350

Hello there!

2011-02-14T00:34:00.001+05:30

I'm back! After a long stint away from this blog by virtue of being away from Gurgaon and hence away from material to write about, I'm back in this weird old city and looking forward to filling up this blog once again. Although I really am pretty bad about posting regularly but hey, it's a new year and I might get better:-)

Thank you for reading as always, and for your comments. I'm also going to get a lot better about responding to those by the way!

Akshaya Patra | Feeding kids across India

2010-12-14T18:22:00.002+05:30

I was browsing around today and came across Akshaya Patra, a non profit organization that has has a simple agenda - feed India's hungry kids so hunger is not an obstacle between them and their education. If you live in India, or have been to India, you probably don't even need to be told that there are several million kids in India who do not have the resources to get even a single meal in a day. You've seen them...the chotus working at your favorite college dhaba, or your local mechanic, or even the saree shop your mom has been dragging you to since you were a kid.

One of the main programs run by Akshaya Patra is the Midday Meal program, which aims to provide kids with one healthy and fresh meal every day at school. The meals are prepared in centralized as well as decentralized kitchens across the country and distributed to schools every day. They work in partnership with several state governments in India, which are mandated to provide a mid day meal to all kids going to government schools by a 2001 Supreme Court order. They started small but are now feeding 1.2 million kids across the country.

I encourage you to read more about this organization on their website. If you would like to contribute, you can make an online donation or even volunteer in other ways.

People For Animals in Gurgaon

2010-07-20T20:49:00.001+05:30

People for Animals (PFA), Gurgaon is in pursuit of creating a team of animal lovers who are willing to participate actively in the rescue of sick or injured stray animals/birds and in animal welfare and play an active role in animal activism in the Gurgaon region.

If you're interested in getting involved, please call Anjali Pratap at 9810321877.

I'm thrilled to know that someone is taking initiative in this much needed area and can't wait to get involved myself. If you know of any other organizations who are working in the field of animal welfare in Gurgaon, or have any experience with the same, do post a comment in this space.

LONG Overdue Update

2010-03-31T21:24:00.002+05:30

I have been terribly lax about updating this space about the big changes in our lives over the last couple of months. Unfortunately, this blog will have to get used to some silence for the next few months since my family and I have temporarily relocated to the US till the end of this year. I hope to be able to write once in a while through some helpful (but a little lazy - you know who you are!) friends' guest reviews. In the meanwhile, I hope you continue to find the dated info on this blog helpful! Thanks for reading, and I'll still be hungrily logging in for your comments:-)