Minchu's Seventeenth Week - Adventures at Dammajjo's and Amma's Surprise Birthday Bash

July 19 - July 25, 2025

Greetings, dear readers! Your increasingly social and vocal correspondent, Minchu here, reporting from my seventeenth week of earthly adventures! This week was packed with extended family visits, religious ceremonies, Amma's surprise birthday celebration, and my very first restaurant expedition. I'm also getting much louder and more opinionated about everything - the adults are definitely noticing! Let me tell you all about these exciting developments!

🏠 Family Adventures at Dammajjo's

This week brought two back-to-back visits to Dammajjo's, and what adventures they were!

Saturday's Family Gathering

Met SO many family members - the house was bustling with activity
My cousin Aduanna and I had a vocal competition - and I must admit he's louder than I, for now.
Set up my joli on the ground floor window - what a perfect napping spot! I think even the adults wanted to nap, looking at me.
Was coddled by my cousins Nidhiakka and Ananayakka. They're so cool!
Came home late around 6 pm, Appa had his Veda class, but I went back for a party!

Sunday's Satyanarayana Puja

The next day brought an even grander occasion - a traditional Satyanarayana Puje!

Met EVEN MORE family members - and I thought yesterday was bustling.
Aruakka looked beautiful in a saree 😍, and Aduanna looked so grown up in a kurta!
The chanting and atmosphere were mesmerising.
I was quite the charmer throughout both days, sleeping peacefully in my joli when needed.
So many people wanted to come hang out with me, and my joli!

The adults were impressed by how well I handled two consecutive days of extended family time. I'm definitely becoming a social butterfly! 🦋

🎂 Amma's Surprise Birthday Celebration

And Appa had planned a surprise that I got to be part of!

The Secret Mission

Appa coordinated with Aditi Mhave and Maanyatha Akka for the surprise.
It was also Bheemanamavase (a special day for married women)
Ammamma and Appa prepared a lavish traditional meal for Amma

The Big Surprise

Appa secretly arranged for Thatha and Ajji to come from Bangalore!
A special pineapple cake was ordered from Maanyatha Akka.
Appa was acting all cool and casual, and we went to the temple to stall for time. I acted aloof, too, and kept Amma distracted.
Amma was completely surprised when she saw everyone - Thatha, Ajji, Damajjo and the family
The adults had a pani puri party, not very sure what that is, but it smelled delicious!

🍽️ My First Restaurant Adventure

Tuesday night brought my most exciting culinary adventure yet - my first proper restaurant tour!

Multi-Restaurant Expedition

We visited not one, not two, but THREE different places:

Roti Maharaj: Watched them make kulcha in the tandoor - fascinating!
Mumbai Chai: Experienced the bustling atmosphere and cheese pav bhaji preparation.
Corner House: Discovered the magical world of ice cream freezers!

Sensory Overload (The Good Kind)

I was mesmerised by all the lights, traffic, and bustling activity.
The tandoor flames reminded me of my fire ceremony experiences.
The ice cream freezer was a new sensation entirely.
Even though I was sleepy, I kept myself active to observe everything.
The different smells, sounds, and sights were absolutely captivating

The adults were amazed by how alert and engaged I remained throughout our dining adventure. I think I'm going to be quite the food enthusiast! 🍴

📊 Minchu's Week 17 Stats

Height: 67 cm (officially measured!)
Family Gatherings Attended: 2 major multi-day events.
Religious Ceremonies Witnessed: 1 Satyanarayana Puja
Restaurant Visits: 3 in one evening!
Birthday Celebrations: 1 surprise party (Amma's special day)
Volume Level: Maximum (I'm finding my voice!)

🔮 Looking Ahead

What an incredible week of social experiences, family celebrations, and new adventures! I'm becoming more interactive, more vocal, and more opinionated about everything around me.

The adults keep saying I'm "growing so fast," and this week proved their point. Seventeen weeks ago, I was just learning to focus my eyes, and now I'm a restaurant-touring, ceremony-attending, surprise-party-participating little person with very strong opinions about everything!

Until next week's adventures!

With restaurant wisdom and birthday celebration expertise, Minchu 👶

P.S. The joli at Dammanna's house was absolutely perfect for napping between social activities. I'm becoming quite the expert at power naps during family gatherings! 🛏️