It’s been my constant endeavour to have my children – yes, I have two of them now – revel in the joys of new experiences. As adults, we spend the rest of our lives reminiscing about the “first time” we experienced a specific phenomenon. If we’re lucky, we also get to add some “first time” experiences through our adult life. Either way, memories of those experiences bring a sense of satisfaction and joy that knows no limits.  That’s why, every other week or so, I try to do something different with my daughter, instead of just going to the nearby mall each time.

Last weekend, was particularly eventful.  With the arrival of Tiger into our lives, the past few weekends had not been leisurely by any standards.  That meant we had some serious catching up to do!  Soon, a discussion with a friend culminated in an elaborate plan for the Sunday to come.  He also had a four-year-old girl – Chiya – who he was keen to go out with and do something educative and fun!  She was about the same age as Pumpkin.  So, we both hoped that the two could enjoy each other’s company and soon become friends.

We would first take our respective daughters to see “papa’s office”.  Then, introduce them to each other.  After they’d warmed up to each other a bit, we would head off to an exciting food court at a nearby mall, so they could choose from an infinite variety of cuisines in a noisy, child-friendly place.  After finishing off lunch, we’d head to Nehru Planetarium for a sky show, and finally head home.  This was the plan.

And, it worked like a charm!

Sunday came.  And, we were all excited about the day that lay head of us.  Pumpkin was excited to go see papa’s office!  She even insisted on having her “mini snack” on my revolving office chair at my desk.  Then, we went to see Chiya and her papa in the adjoining building.  A small colouring session with the office highlighters soon followed, and the two girls got to see each other’s colouring talents at work.  Soon, we headed off to the food court for a sumptuous meal of noodles, fried rice and chicken in black bean sauce.  Of course, that was followed by generous portions of chocolate truffle and black forest. Finally, it was time to head towards the planetarium.

In our enthusiasm, we reached the Nehru Centre half an hour ahead of time.  The “Discovery of India” exhibition was a short walk away.  So, off we went to give the two four-year-olds a glimpse into their past.  The most visually-interesting exhibits were those of cave men in prehistoric times and the prison life of freedom fighters in pre-independent India.  The two girls were fascinated by what they saw there, even going “behind bars” for a bit!  Once that was done, we made our way to the planetarium’s dome.

When the time finally came to enter the planetarium, my friend and I were both keen on explaining the concept of “where the stars go in the day time” to the two little girls.  We were also keen on preparing them for the fact that once they enter the big dome, it would get dark and they would be able to see stars in the daytime!  In their enthusiasm, the girls deduced that, in the day time, all the stars go inside the big dome!!!  Be that as it may, the celestial trip was well worth the effort.  A dazzling star show, huge photographs of the landscapes of Mars and the Moon covering several feet of the wall, large scale models of the solar system, etc. etc.

I don’t know how much of this day, or such experiences, my little Pumpkin will remember, in the years to come.  Some of my fondest memories of my childhood have come from a few such experiences I enjoyed with my father when I was just a young boy. 

Who knows?  One such visit may just spark her interest in becoming an astronaut or a physicist, some day…