Saturday, August 18, 2012

Mommy and Sonny Visit the BirdPark

Last Sunday my husband was  not in station and it was just me and sonny at home.

My whole family truly believes that the most heinous crime that can be committed against me is asking me to sit all day within the confines of the four walls of the house.

V was actually busy and content.You simply do not get bored when you are three and a half and you just dont need a reason to be happy. An ant on the floor can give as much pleasure as a visit to Disney Land.
Hence though I declared to the big bad world that I was taking him out as he was getting bored, it was actually my own boredom I was escaping from.

Anyways, I have mentioned in some of my earlier posts about my son's addiction, craze or whatever you may call it to fauna. If there is anything that fills him with absolute glee its the sight of birds or animals.

With due consideration to the above fact, bird park was the choice as its close to my place and I decided to take on the herculean task!(Herculean? If you are wondering why, you need to take care of my little fellow for a day. Or for that matter any kiddo in the 3 to 4 yr range.Believe me, it sounds a lot more easier than it is!)

The weather-God smiled upon my quest to spend some quality time with my little boy and made sure that there were no irritating and troublesome downpours.It was bright and sunny throughout.

I just let the day go, moving in the directions he wanted to the tune of his childish pleasures.Whatever he wanted to see, however long it took!

The way his face lit up on seeing the penguin swim, the squeal he gave on seeing the pink flamingoes, it was bliss.

I realized that a simple thing like a hornbill flying from one branch to another could be the source of innocent pristine exuberance.

Every now and then he excitedly pointed at little things that he observed which were huge in his world...."Amma, the feather of the Pelican fell into the water. We need to stick". Luckily he did not insist that I had to stick it back immediately!

He spent almost three quarters of an hour simply watching the storks as they kept wading in the pool trying to find some fish while I sat on a bench nearby observing him. I doubt if any of us adults can get so much joy out of a simple scene as that!

Sometimes, its imperative that we take some time out and be with kids as kids. Just let them be themselves and relish in those little moments.Laugh when they laugh, run when they run and share a cone of icecream .They deserve it and trust me , the happiness it gives can be equated by nothing on earth.

There is a place called Lory Loft in the Singapore Bird Park. Its an enclosure for a flock of very colorful birds called lorries and visitors can feed some porridge-like substance to the birds which can be bought nearby. The last time we went , he was hardly two years. Then I was carrying him and he watched with curiosity as we adults fed the birds. This time he declared 'Vidyut give mum-mum(rice) to the birds' and he took the bowl from me and proceeded to feed his feathered friends. There are some subtle moments in life when the realization dawns on us that 'Boy, he is growing up!' . And I beamed in pride as I watched him carefully feeding the lorries without getting scared or spilling one drop.

The icing of the cake was the Parrot Paradise. For one, I was amazed by the varieties of parrots. Name a color and there was one in it- Purple, Blue, Red and even Black! As we wandered amongst their cages, I heard a familiar note amongst the cacaphony of their screeches. I went in the direction it was coming from and tried to concentrate. A yellow and green parrot was singing some rhyme that was very familiar. I moved closer and listened carefully. 'Haa-ppp-yyy B-urrr-ttt-daay' sang the bird.  I have seen them do in some shows, but on a hot afternoon, this parrot in a cage was happily singing away to glory. Leave alone V, I myself was terribly excited. Both of us pitched in. In the tranquillity of the greenery all around it was mother, son and a parrot singing 'happy birthday to you' without any care about who was listening to us. Actually we seemed to be the only tourists in that enclosure. 

The caged bird seemed to be preaching  "Happiness is the state of your mind, not of your surroundings"

After around five hours, I said to V that we needed to get going. I had been pushing his stroller and was a little exhausted. As I wearily headed to the taxi stand he turned  to me and declared without even an iota of tiredness..."Shall we go to the elephant park ?" I should have thought twice before giving him a name that translated to energy!


71 comments:

  1. I have seen the Malaysia one and I m afraid I behave a bit like your son when I get to see birds!

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    1. Hi Mridula,

      Ironically when we were in KL(2008-2009) we stayed at a ten-min-drive-distance from the Bird Park yet we never got to visit it! :)

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  2. Awww V is soo cute and boy he is growing. It's an amazing feeling to act like a kid with a kid.. It is sooo much fun.. When I'm with my niece or nephew I get utterly excited that people around me have to remind me of my age :P .. but it's one of those feelings you don't want to let go. Small things give you joy. It's nice to see you had a good time.. Cute post :)

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    1. Thanks CS . Its definitely a feeling u dont want to let go . But these fellows grow up so fast . Before u realize they move from one phase to another :)

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  3. Ah! That's the whole point of life - enjoying the moment like a kid! Lovely post Jaish!

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    1. True Suresh . We adults have so much to learn from these little ones :)

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  4. You got it right, Jaishree. We need to be with kids and be kids to be able to see and enjoy what they do. I am glad you had that kind of time with your son. Looking forward to the excursion to the elephant park :)

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    1. Thanks Zephyr . Ha ha he has been asking for it almost every day after our visit to the bird park . :)

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  5. I love the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore - have been there at least 3-4 times and I never get bored of that place...And you are right - it is important to be a kid around a kid :) :) Does wonders!

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    1. As u said it's a very nice place Divya . This time I found an artist roaming by herself there and creating some pictures of the birds .

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  6. Beautiful post, Jaishree. When I read the post I remembered the one in Malaysia and I see someone else has mentioned the same in your comments. I made a guest post on my visit to the Malaysia one for a travel blog. I too like bird parks and sanctuaries a lot

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    1. Hi TF

      We stayed two whole years in Malaysia but somehow missed visiting the bird park there! Thanks for the comment. Do share your link for the guest post on Malaysia :)

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    2. My guest post

      http://www.shadowsgalore.com/2012/03/bird-watching-in-kualalumpur/

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  7. This sure exciting. Wonderful images.

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  8. Sweet post. Very nice pictures... How wonderful would the kids feel when we become a kid and be on their level? You did the right thing...sure, he is vidyut...:)

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    1. Yes FIF we need to do that to develop the bond as well. Its such a simple thing but it can bring about so much joy in their lives :)

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  9. They're tireless aren't they? :)
    Nice pictures. When I saw the headline I thought, the park would be Jurong. I so want to visit the place; couldn't do it the last time we were there.

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    1. They are indeed tireless Divya :) Do visit during your next visit. Very nice place

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  10. What fun time you shared with your son. My son never tires of going to the zoo umpteen times :).

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    1. True Rachna. He would be ok even if we went everyday :)

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  11. Children are really a fountain of joy,one misses their kiddiehood when they grow up.

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  12. Wow! that seems like a fun place to be in. I agree handling a 3-4 year old is lot tougher than anything else in the world. Loved the post Jaish. :)

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    1. Thanks Jas . It is a fun place ESP for taking kids :)

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  13. It must have been great fun Jaish:)V is a lovable boy I would say due to his love for nature:)
    A nice post indeed along with fine pictures:)Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thank you . :) we need people who love nature don't we ? Considering the amount of damage being done daily !

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  14. Jayshree,

    This is a lovely post...:))
    Thank you- its so true the simple things can be memorable and wonderful. Loved the little one, and all the beautiful pix. Now, waiting for the next blog on elephant trip :)))Thanks!

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    1. Thanks Panchali . Yeah, that trip is still pending ha ha

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  15. The flamingos look beautiful and so do the parrots ..

    and you both have a great time then ...

    Bikram's

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    1. Thanks Bikram . These birds have an assortment of colors in their plumage !

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  16. Lovely write up .. The narration and description was so good that I felt like I was watching it all live! And it was well seasoned with the truths of life featuring every now and then :) Fabulous pictures too.
    I feel the biggest blessings in life are these simple pleasures ..
    Enjoyed reading :)

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    1. Thanks for the lovely comment Arthi . We should take time to stop and relish these little pleasures :)

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  17. woww.... jus amazing.... i really feel like going der now... good work.. :)

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  18. Whether humans or animals or birds, I am in favour of freedom of all species. I detest zoos. However, I have been to the Singapore zoo/Jurong bird park as I was forced to go accompany my friends. There are lot of visitors to that place. I remembered people crowding around the flamingoes and the area where they make the elephants all kinds of tricks. Some good information about various species are mentioned there. It is in sharp contrast to other areas in Singapore. It is very difficult to see any birds in Singapore. I had to go to a canal area to see a couple of egrets.

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    1. Hi sabyasachi

      Even I do not like seeing animals in cages . In some zoos like the ones here they try to make their enclosures with a close resemblance to their natural habitats but definitely nothing can match the freedom they get in the wild . Having said that I feel they are safer in zoos as compared to the wild where activities like Poaching are Driving them towards extinction !

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  19. Sexy photos yaar ... great work ... and yeah can u follow my blog back ?? http://sandystewartrip.blogspot.in/

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  20. We can never be tired of seeing animals and birds! And for kiddos..it's a big day!
    Loved the pictures of parrots..so colorful!

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  21. Lovely way to spend a day indeed! Beautiful images too!!
    Now onwards to the elephant park!!! :))

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  22. Its always a treat to spend time with a child and be a part of their joy. Lucky girl! You have to do the Elephant park next. Would love to see the pics.

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  23. Jaishree this is a very sweet post indeed which captures the innocence of childhood and associated pleasures.In Singapore there is no dearth of places for this kind of family fun and quality time with family and small children. Keep writing:)

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    1. Thanks Rahul . Your NZ posts were awesome . V would love to get a close view of dolphins and whales .

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  24. I have heard that Jurong is a lovely place to visit and a must-see for anyone travelling to Singapore.

    You have given a great account of the experience. Loved the pictures too. I am a bird-lover and happpy to know that the birds in this park have the freedom to fly about, instead of being stuck in cages.

    So Junior & Mommy had a great time. eh?

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    1. Absolutely Jayadev . We had a great time . If u r a bird lover u would really like the place . Some birds are in cages but the cages are quite big and spacious with trees and shrubs . Almost imitating their natural habitat . Thanks for the comments :)

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  25. Very nice way of spending quality time with your son Vidyut. Your post transported me back in times and i remember of the times when me and my sisters were taken to Delhi Zoo on outings by my father...it was pure happiness similar to what was encountered by your son!!!

    Lovely pictures too.

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    1. Thanks Engram . I stayed in Kozhikode as a kid and no zoos there . I do remember visiting trichur and Mysore zoos with my family . Thanks for the comments :)

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  26. I loved the first picture..! The rest are good too. But the first one took my heart away.
    Hugs to your cutie :)

    PS: You are a Mom, you look so young.*raising eye brows*

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  27. Very sweet post.....loved the mommy time you both had!

    The pictures are truly superb.....and loved the ending a lot :)

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  28. There is so much to learn from kids, isn't it? Spending time with them and being one with them is something that takes us out into a different world. This was an amazingly delightful post, clearly speaks of the fun times both of you had together! :)

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  29. Warm write up. Had me smiling towards the end of it.

    Cheers to your son!!

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  30. Replies
    1. Sure will Saru . I am sure the sights will make you spin pages of ur lovely poetry :)

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  31. All these days I thought u stay in Chennai but now I'm certain you're not :) Lovely post and the best part is you put words into an experience we all may never get to enjoy but with your post here, we enjoyed as much as we were present there :) Well done!

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    1. You have been so generous with your words of praise Haricharan . Thank you so much :) Chennai is home anyday :)

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  32. Hi, new reader here! Such wonderful pictures! You are quite right to want to go out; who would want to stay at home when you have such a beautiful place to visit every day? You are right about 3 yr old kids! The best thing you can do for them is to take them out and let them explore the world...they get happily tired out and you feel happy that they learned so much!! :))

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    1. You cant visit every day ha ha...Cost us both $40 dollars for one visit :D ha ha I get what you mean, there are a whole lot of beautiful places to visit! Thanks for stepping in and for the comment. :)

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  33. Such a lovely post, Jayashree. Loved the pictures. :) The way you convey the simple emotions of life through the innocent eyes of your 3 and a half year old son is very endearing. I wish I still possess the innocence of a child but this big bad world spoils us in more way than one.

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    1. Hey Akshay
      If all adults retained the innocence of children the whole world would be a better place to live in. Unfortunately its a big bad world!

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  34. Parakeets are adorable. Have you ever been bitten by one though? (God forbid)... Then suddenly they turn not so cute.

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    1. Ooh thankfully no ! I guess they won't be all that cute when they bite ! Hmm !

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