A Holiday Adventure..!

September has always been an eventful month for us........but this September has been so busy that we're still trying to catch our breaths from having survived one of the most hectic months of the year...so much so that its only in the third week of October that I have finally found time to put down a post on Onesatoraday!  

One big family wedding, one big birthday, two huge annual family religious events punctuated by my in-between-nannies phase (yet again!) along with our usual attendant responsibilities on the personal and professional front, proved to be a true test of my patience and I can't say that I came out with flying colours!

In fact, I even missed out posting on a must-post-day... my son's birthday that too I'm not sure if that's the way it will be, going forward, considering his transition into adolescence already turning tumultuous particularly with regard to our relationship, off late! If you thought early parenting was difficult, wait till your little one nears teen years....it's as they say full-blown "complicated"! Mind you....it's a confusing phase not only for your wannabe adolescent ..! While one moment you marvel at how grown up or mature he may seem in comprehending the ways of the world, the next moment he can rile you up with his lackadaisical attitude! Whether it's the increasing academic pressure requiring persistent 'follow up', or constant obsession with devices, or their jaded sense of entitlement towards everything in general, adolescent kids can literally drive you nuts..... and it always seems like you are the only one facing these challenges while your contemporaries have it a lot easier!

Anyway, I'm sure Abhay's and my love-hate relationship will continue through his teen years and if not anything else, it will probably yield many such posts on Onestoryaday!   While we marked the completion of his twelfth year, by acknowledging the fact that there are more than a dozen reasons to celebrate, it is also a matter of fact that there may be more than a dozen ways to handle this delicate phase of his life...........but patience is the key......and I'm hoping to work on my patience quotient ....with of course more than a dozen suggestions offered by my loving family! :-) Though it's a little too late to wish you happy birthday Abhay, here's wishing you a conflict-free, initiative-driven and  a contented thirteenth year ahead!  Let's hope your thirteen proves to be lucky for all of us!

Anyway, with Abhay's increasing irritation and my waning patience at home, it was a welcome break (for both of us!) that he chose to spend his Dassera vacations with his grandparents', resulting in the shifting of battleground from home to his grandparents' farm house "Shristi" at Dharmasthala :-) Hehe!....... Grandparents were also parents once....... (and still are!) .....right? :-)

So before he left for his grandparents', we managed to finally finish reading Shashi Deshpande's children's omnibus,  "Three Novels" a Penguin publication, which is a compilation of three of Shashi Deshpande's novels for children aged 8 and above. Incidentally, all three novels revolve around holiday adventures of kids, that too away from their parents. First published in the 1970s, from one of my all time favourite authors, each of these stories is a throwback to the times when life was simple and less equaled more. Reminiscent of   "The Famous Five" and "The Secret Seven" mystery series that we would devour voraciously back in our school days, Shashi Deshpande follows four cousins, viz. Dinu, Minu, Polly and  Ravi in their quest for something exciting during their school holidays leading to uncovering certain mysterious incidents in the big bad adult world. 

"A Summer Adventure", has the kids home alone with their maid in the seemingly quiet environs of their university quarters, recently turned unsafe owing to a string of robberies.  with a string of robberies which they try to solve. "The Hidden treasure" has the kids travel to their father's ancestral home in the village to experience the rustic rural set up, only to discover something valuable hidden from the past. "The Only Witness"  has the kids enamored with big city life in Mumbai as they  travel to their uncle's flat when they stumble upon an unusual connection to a spate of bank robberies. Having been a huge fan of the Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys series, The Famous Five, etc, I found the plots take a predictable turn, however the best part being the inter-play of various characters in the stories, encompassing  various elements like family ties, sibling rivalry, good humoured banter between the older and younger siblings, fostering leadership and responsibility, understanding consequences of one action and of course the thrilling experience of piecing together information to unearth the mystery ............in all  a wholesome read for everyone...... who wish time travel to the eighties/ nineties India.....when life seemed less complicated!! So Abhay....have your own little adventure ....away from your mad momma and come back home all refreshed! Enjoy! 

The feast of Ganesha Chaturthi!

Every year around the time of July and August, as I drive down some of the city’s roads like R V Road along VV Puram, I see rows and rows Gowri-Ganesha idols lined up …and my heart swells with a warm feeling that that Chowthi is here!  There are a few annual rituals that we look forward to and Ganesh Chaturthi has always been one such family event that we make it a point to join in the celebrations at my father’s ancestral home in Dharmasthala. In fact, the run up to Chowthi is even more exciting …… as we plan our trip, book our tickets or get ready to drive down and  connect with other cousins and extend family as who may attend and who else may give it a miss. As the day nears and we pack our bags and are all set to catch the overnight bus to Dharmasthala only to realize that the whole of Bangalore has landed at the Kempegowda bus stand intending to travel to their respective hometowns for the festival….. literally making it a nightmare to get out of Bangalore! J

Anyway, the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi as a family fosters a community feeling and helps to continue the family tradition and pass on the legacy to the future generations. It is delightful to see the next generation participate in the event will full rigour and enthusiasm and the new members involve themselves without any inhibitions and this only strengthens the family ties and relations…which is after all the true spirit of celebration of festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi.

Every year during Ganesh Chaturthi, we read a book or two about Lord Ganesha and other mythological stories, and this year I picked up a Puffin publication “Lord Ganesha’s feast of laughter” by Meera Uberoi. As much as I would have liked to read Ganesha’s stories to my little one, I felt that it would be appropriate for us wait a year or two for introduction of mythology to my two year old. So we settled for a chapter book from our favourite library “Kutoohala” pegged mainly for kids over eight years to read on their own, however can serve as read-aloud for kids above five years. This book is a compilation of over twenty three well-known and not-so-well known tales of Ganesha “dug up from ancient texts”, delivered in a breezy narrative so as to engage young children. In fact, I found that the language got a little too contemporary in some places (especially with the usage of words like idiot and moron) so as to get today’s kids to relate to the perspective and mindset of the mythological characters, however without diluting the underlying message therein. From the famous tales of Ganesha winning the race around the world, how he stopped Ravana from becoming all powerful and how Ganesha came to be known as “Remover of all obstacles”, the book moves to lesser known stories about how Lord Ganesha about how Ganesha is creator of the instrument of tabla and was responsible for the birth of river Kaveri, etc. The collection also includes stories a few ordinary people who attained immortality by their devotion to Lord Ganesha and the grace of Lord Ganesha, that always has a touch of shrewdness, humour and unmatched brilliance.  Season’s greetings to everyone this festive season! 

The Indian Freedom movement for today's children.

It’s that time of the year again when we see the mini-tricoloured flags being sold at the traffic signals. Of course, the Indian Independence day means a lot more than hoisting or flying the Indian flag, but it sure feels good to see the saffron-green-white everywhere from mini-flags to fashion merchandise to on-screen logos. Though it seems as if we are commoditizing the Indian tri-colour, symbolizing the patriotic spirit in tangible terms in a way helps imbibe the true spirit and pride of being an Indian, at least for children. Why….., as Indians living in the US, didn’t we embrace the blue and red hues on July 4^th? So, why get cynical on August 15^th and instead celebrate the India we love and the India we want to love!

That said, it has been increasingly felt that the Independence day celebrations has been reduced to mere symbolism or some sort of a cultural event for kids to show off their talents on the patriotic front, which they happily forget once the day is over. What does freedom really mean for the younger generation today? Is it a case of too much freedom today or too little value for the freedom once fought hard for?

The kids today are unaware that the independence we celebrate today was won by a long and prolonged struggle against the then British establishment. So much so that I was taken aback as Abhay asked me if Bal Gangadar Tilak  was a bad person as he was jailed. Of course, one may ask the same question about the recent events that had people  imprisoned on the grounds of sedition, but that is however question for another day. As of now, I realized that there is not much he knew about the Indian freedom struggle.  So for this year’s independence day, we picked out “A Flag, a Song and a Pinch of Salt” by India’s most prolific writer of history for children, Subhandra Sen Gupta and  brought out by Puffin Publications. While this is not a book that we could finish at one go, this work of non-fiction  takes you back to the beginning of last century when the seeds of Swaraj were sown, with people from different walks of life, from lawyers, to writers, to teachers, to businessmen, all joining in the movement…. …determined to make India free. While the main architects of  “Mission Freedom” have been featured, the book also throws light on some lesser know names and events that in their own way contributed to the uprising that culminated in India’s independence over seventy years ago. Written in a simple and contemporary narrative, interspersed with interesting anecdotes and legends, this book acquaints the reader about the extraordinary lives of freedom fighters from Mahatma Gandhi to C.Rajagopalachari, from Bikaiji Cama to Birsa Munda in an engaging and non-text-bookish manner. Though meant more advanced readers aged 12 and above for independent reading, this compilation nevertheless makes for an interesting shared reading experience for children who’ve just begun to get curious about what Independence day means. Happy Independence everyone!

Param Vir Chakra this Republic day!

We step into the New Year with a mixed note of hope and horror, given the recent terrorist attacks at the Pathankot Airforce station that shocked the nation. In the combing operations that followed, our brave soldiers fought hard and a few of them sacrificed their lives to save the country and protect its sovereignty. What does this have to do with our kids…you may ask. Though our kids are insulated from all such unpleasantness of the adult world, it doesn’t hurt to give them a reality check from time to time. While we take pains to acquaint them with the world of science, technology  and general knowledge, how about enlightening them with the inspiring lives of some of India’s most courageous and daring soldiers to whom we owe our freedom and sense of security.

Today being Republic day, we picked out the recently released title in the Amar Chitra Katha series “Param Vir Chakra The Ultimate Honour”. As you swell with pride watching the Republic day parade on television, this book takes the whole 'Republic day experience"  a little further and makes it an ideal read for anyone wanting to learn about the 21 bravehearts of the Indian armed forces who were awarded the highest military honour, ever since the award was instituted on January 26^th 1950.   Starting from General Somnath Sharma who along with his regiment fought till his last breadth and secured Srinagar in the 1947 war with Pakistan to Captain Vikram Batra who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his ‘lion hearted leadership’ and ‘selfless actions’ during the Kargil conflict in 1999, this book beautifully narrates the stories of the real heroes of India who didn’t think twice before putting themselves in danger for the sake of the nation. Each of the stories highlights their selfless and patriotic spirit that set them apart from their peers, throwing light on their early ambitions, the formidable tasks that they had set themselves to achieve and how some of them gave up their lives achieving the same. The reader is also let in on the attendant circumstances like hostile weather conditions or rough geographical terrain that the soldiers faced during many an armed conflicts involving the Indian forces, thus offering a peek into life in the armed forces, that includes the hierarchical set-up of the military establishment, numerous regiments commissioned, weapons and vehicles used during war-times and an end- note that answers the frequently raised doubt as to what do the armed forces do during peace time. Accompanied by vivid illustrations characteristic of any Amar Chitra Katha title, these inspiring stories are sure to captivate children of all ages and instill in them a feeling of pride and patriotism towards our country. Jai Hind!   Happy Republic day! 

Amma, tell me about Diwali!

First published on Parent Edge blog 

No matter which part of India you are in, it’s hard to ignore the festive spirit this season brings in! Whether it’s bursting crackers, or attending numerous religious or cultural events lined up in the neighbourhood temples, or the shopping frenzy and lightening Diwali sales put by all retailers, off-line or online, or enjoying the extended Dusshera-Diwali vacations with the kids, holiday cheer is everywhere!

While it’s our second cracker-free Diwali, it’s the first Diwali experience for the little one at home, which for a five month old, it would mean more than anything else noise emanating from the crackers!!  While bursting fire crackers, gorging on sweets and treats is fun, there’s more to Diwali than just the merrymaking, how do we get our children to realize the importance of the same? Here’s a delightful series that does just that and what’s more …it’s presented in a format that combines the power of story-telling with rich imagery to engage and educate our kids on Indian tradition and values.  Here comes the “Amma, tell me” series by Bhakti Mathur and illustrations by Maulshree Somani brought out by Hong Kong based Anjana publications. Comprising of a series of picture books on Indian festivals and Indian mythology for children between the age group of 3 to 9 years, these books are a great way to enlighten the kids on the stories and sentiments behind the observance and celebrations of our festivals. Besides many titles on festivals such as “Amma, tell me about Holi” or  “Amma, tell me about Ganesha” or the series on Mythology such as “Amma, tell me about Ramayan”,  this vibrantly illustrated series also presents interesting tales from the Hindu epics in a trilogy format such as the trilogy series on Krishna and Hanuman. 

For this festive season, however, we picked out “Amma, tell me about Diwali!”  which believe me, will have you and your little one feeling festive on the first reading itself!  As most titles in the series, it starts off with the little boy named Klaka excitedly waking up to a typical Diwali morning characterized by new clothes and gifts followed by the lighting of Diyas, fire crackers in the evening, and the family offering prayers to God for good fortune, prosperity and health. As the children wonder about the story behind the celebrations, whom do they approach? Amma…of course, who at bedtime regales them with stories that explain the significance of the festival of lights. While elaborating on the meaning of Diwali, Amma in the story also delves into the multiple dimensions to festivities that includes remembering Lord Rama and his triumphant return to Ayodhya on Diwali day, while also encapsulating a brief account of Ramayana.  Of course, Diwali is not only all dazzle and fun, but the children are subtly reminded of the value of honesty, hard work and dedication through the story of Goddess Lakshmi and the poor seamstress. The beauty of this book not only lies in free-flowing narrative and engagingly rhyming text, but also in the simple message that the author attempts to convey to today’s kids brought up in a consumerist world that we live in.  The colouful illustrations are not only striking, but also present an authentic setting of Diwali celebrations in a typical Indian household, and not to forget the amiable images of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, particularly when Klaka is shown seated beside Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth! As this series also caters to the Western audience, each story ends with a Glossary on Hindu names and symbols, which is quite educative to the Indian audience as well. Though a little pricy as compared to some of the Indian children’s publications, “Amma, tell me” series, is a wonderful “Mythology made simple and meaningful” that is sure to capture the imagination of young minds and will have them begging for ‘Amma, tell me more’!! Enjoy the festive season and happy Diwali everyone! 

Ganesha's sweet tooth!

Every year during this time, we head to my native town, Dharmasthala  where we join our extended family from my dad’s side in the celebration of Ganesha Chaturthi at the family ancestral home. This has been our family tradition ever since I can remember and so it was only natural that I continued the same post marriage and now have Abhay and in the future have our little one tag along with us! Barring the three years that we were in the US, we’ve been regulars at this annual family event and given our busy lifestyles, this is often the only time we get to meet our relatives and extended family. So much so that this is something Abhay has come to look forward to every year wherein he does not remain a mute spectator to the festivities but whole-heartedly participates in some of events surrounding the celebrations like the pooja and the bhajan session that goes on till the twilight hours followed by the visarjana next morning.  It feels nostalgic to see Abhay get into a competition mode with his cousins in the singing of bhajans, taking time off to rehearse the same in advance before the ‘final show’! Can’t blame him as I guess it sort of runs in the family as I used to exhibit the same spirit during my growing up years and I see the same vying attitude still displayed by my father and his hexagenarian brothers! :-)

Though it is more than a week since the festival, Ganesh Chaturthi festivities extend a whole ten days in many parts of the country with many neighbourhoods hosting their own Ganesha events around many cities, including Bangalore..…so the celebration of “Ganesha” is far from over. So my post on Ganesha Chaturthi (a must post occasion on Onestoryaday) can hardly be deemed out of place..isn’t it?? Anyway….there’s never a wrong time for good books and for this occasion, we read “ Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth” by Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes and illustrated by Sanjay Patel, an Indian American animator with Disney’s Pixar who has authored many books on the Hindu Mythology for western audience, whose retelling of Ramayana we’ve read before. Often deemed as a  hipster’s guide to Hindusim, Sanjay Patel’s books present the mythological tales in an entertaining narrative packed with tongue-in cheek humour and quirky dialogues mirroring the recent Disney flicks that we’ve come to enjoy. Aided with vibrant illustrations, the authors take the creative liberty of adding a few fun elements and amusing scenes, while retaining the overall essence of the legend. We all know the story of how Lord Ganesha broke his tusk that eventually proved to be a blessing in disguise for the great Vyasa to put down his story of Mahabharata in writing.  But did you know it was the “Super-Jumbo Jaw Breaker Laddoo” that was responsible for him landing with a broken tusk, despite being warned by his best friend, whom he fondly called Mr. Mouse? Or as Ganesha hurls his tusk at the moon in frustration, it lands on an old man who happened to be the great poet Vyasa looking for a scribe to pen Hindu Mythology’s most famous epic. With a little goading, Ganesha no longer resents his broken tusk as he realizes it’s true worth and with the able assistance of Mr. Mouse who helps Ganesha understand the “terms of agreement”, Ganesha sets out to do the formidable task….and the rest is history! We loved the authors’ contemporary presentation of an age old tale in a manner that the children are able to relate to. Of course, the graphic illustrations are the book’s piece de resistance, that are not only striking in colours and imagery but truly represent India’s rich and vibrant mythological heritage which sets this book apart from any other mythological series we’ve read before. So along with all the goodies and festive treats to satisfy your sweet tooth…bring home Ganesha’s too!! Enjoy the festive season everyone…!!:-) 

We Indians!

This year's Republic day has been probably the most talked-about public events in recent history, thanks to its high profile chief guest, US President Barack Obama! With India's military might and cultural diversity being witnessed for the first time by a US President,  no stone was left unturned to make Republic day parade 2014 truly special! But whether you consider this year's Republic day as special or not, you cannot but deny feeling patriotic while watching  the  spectacular parade of the armed forces showcasing the best of Indian defense ammunitions and equipment, or the first-ever all-women contingent of the three forces marching across Rajpath, the cultural tableaux  from all the states, or the awarding Ashok Chakra medals , or the bravery medals for children - all part of Republic day extravaganza of the one of the largest democracies of the world! 

 

 

We always make it a point to watch the Republic day parade on television along with our son with our own live commentary though the program. Though we managed to catch only the first half of the parade this time as we were travelling back home, our eight year old sure seemed as fascinated as ...may be ... Obama!:-))) Anyway, for Republic day, I picked up a book meant more for younger kids - "We Indians" an NBT publication  by Mehroo J Wadia. This book serves as a nice little introduction for young kids to the cultural diversity of our nation. Each page features children of different states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Bengal, Rajasthan, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, etc and offers a quick guide to its unique culture, throwing some light on the intrinsic differences like names, dressing style, and the state's cultural symbols. Aided by suitable illustrations, each page also carries a question for your little one to ponder over. For instance, Amarjeet Singh from Punjab who dances the Bhangra asks "which dance form do you like ?" or Unnikrishnan Nair from Kerala who likes coconut tree the bests asks "which tree do you like best?" "We Indians" is an ideal book to acquaint the younger kids with the Indian ideal of "Unity in Diversity"! Happy Republic day everyone! 

A Kite filled with hope!

Makara Sankranthi, also known as Pongal, Bihu, or Lohri  across  different regions, is the harvest festival of India that  also heralds a new phase in solar calendar.......bringing in new and auspicious beginnings in the year to come.  Sankranthi also marks  the end of winter ...however I am not sure of the same this year as its been unusually cold in Bangalore over the last few days!  Though personally our celebrations are pretty much low-key for Sankranthi, the first Hindu festival of the calendar year always takes me back to the days when as a little girl I would go door-to-door along with other girls distributing  the sesame seeds  mixture and sugar treats amongst our neighborhood.....almost like a "desi" version of trick-or-treating circuits that kids go during Halloween in the  US. However, distributing "Ellu-Bella" (as it is  traditionally called ) being a "girls only" activity, my eight year old son has never had that experience ....which explains the absence of Sankranthi-related posts on Onestoryaday so far!:-) Hoping that the year 2015 would be a special year in as much as signaling the arrival of someone to carry forward the "ellu-bella" legacy in our home..........  So, I decided to key in a post for this year's Sankranthi..... one filled with hope!:-) 

 

 

 In some parts of the country, the harvest season is celebrated by flying kites, with people roaming around streets and converging on roof-tops to engage in good humored battles with others' kites. This week's "Young World" a children's newspaper from "The Hindu" has a special on the kite flying activities in Gujarat. Going by the said tradition, we decided to pick up a kite story from Tulika publications titled  "A Kite called Korika" by Sharada Kolluru and pictures by K.P.Murleedharan. This is a story of a nine year old boy named Yellaiah who lives in a village in Andhra Pradesh. Sensitive to his surroundings, Yellaiah is fascinated by the sounds emanating therefrom – “Gala, Gala sala sala" of the river, “tingu tangu” of the bell over Lakshmi, the cow’s neck or “hrrrr prrrr hrrr” of the bees that trouble Rajamma sitting under the peepal tree. Yellaiah has little brother named Mallaiah who he feels is always trying to pocket his older brother’s belongings. One hot day  when Yellaiah sat with Rajamma under the peepal tree, a beautiful black kite descended from the sky. The kite had the sun, moon, stars and the blue waves painting on its four corners – in short it had the whole universe on it! Rajamma believes that it’s sent from God and felt it was best left in the sky. But when Yellaiah had no plans to letting it go, she told him to keep it but send it back with a wish for God to fulfill. So Yellaiah had to decide what to ask for – a cycle? But soon everybody had a wish for the “korika”, the kite’s new name. His friends had their own wish list – marbles, bangles, new shirt, new ribbon, etc. Mallaiah meanwhile wanted a school bag with his name on it. But before anything, Mallaiah fell sick with fever which many villagers believed that would take him to God. The doctor too had said that Mallaiah may not get well because he was scared and had to be brave to recover. So Yellaiah just knew what to do, and  decided to send Korika with a message to God to help Mallaiah get well soon. But what about the cycle - Mallaiah wondered, to which Yellaiah assured him that he could get a cycle from another such kit. So the next day, his father carried Mallaiah in his arms and both of them watched as Yellaiah wrote on the kite and tossed ‘Korika’ gently into the wind. That night, Mallaiah slept soundly tightly clutching his older brother’s hand. The next day Mallaiah woke up feeling better with his fear gone! Although Yellaiah’s friends thought his wish was not fulfilled, Yellaiah knew that it indeed was fulfilled! Though not a Sankranthi story, this is a heart warming story on sibling love and is in the spirit of Sankranthi filling one with hope and expectation of things getting better or new things to come in the coming year!  Here's wishing everyone a Happy Sankranthi!   

A Weekend with Ganesha!

It’s that time of the year again when RV Road or any market in Bangalore is lined with Ganesha idols of various sizes and colours… Yes….Gowri-Ganesha Chaturthi, one of the biggest festivals of Karnataka is here! Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations bring communities, neighbourhoods and families together…in a way that no other festival does…isn’t it? Besides worshipping Gowri-Ganesh idols at home, Ganesha can be found everywhere…….be it on almost every street of neighbourhood or apartment complex or one’s professional group/associations or a private Radio station, everyone has a Ganesha idol to call their own! Why? Even the Bangalore Civil Court complex boasts of Ganesha chaturthi festivities with a giant idol of Lord Ganesha …..!!! Of course…this has many knocking at our doors for collections/contributions with a promise of  “prasada” that is to follow….as if it were a bait!! :-)
Most celebrations also include cultural programs that range from music shows to story times and craft activities for kids, including making your own eco-friendly Ganesha or Ganesha made of leaves!

 

 

But whatever it is that is happening in Bangalore……we will have to give it a miss as we are off to my native village, Dharmasthala, like every year for the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations or chauthi as it is referred in the South Kanara region of Karnataka. Ganesh habba followed by the weekend……is more than you can ask for to …. feast, meet and for a refreshing retreat!:-)))))  

 

As far as Ganesha stories go, we remembered the apple resembling Ganesha in "Apple Ganesha" from Tulika's  Little Indians by Pika Nani, a story set in Kotagarh,Himachal Pradesh,  known as the Apple heartland of India. 

But for this year's Ganesh Chaturthi, we first picked up picked up "Ganesha" in a bi-lingual format by Appu series that explains how Ganesha came to have an elephant head. Another read on Ganesha is the Amar Chitra Katha publication, "Ganesha and the Moon" that features five different stories on Ganesha. We all know why the moon earned Lord Ganesha's wrath for laughing at Ganesha, but do we know the story of Ganesha and Atmalinga, or the story of how Ganesha wrests the Chintamani from the arrogant Gana or lastly the legend of Shami and Mandar, whose fate is sealed due to a curse, the effect of which that Ganesha helps temper down. It demonstrates that if Ganesha can be touchy enough to curse the moon, he can also be benevolent and shrewd enough to avert the impending danger and save the world! Hope this Ganesh Chaturthi destroys all obstacles and brings peace and prosperity to all your lives! Happy Ganesha Chaturthi! 

Freedom Run!

 As our nation turns 68 today, like many Indians, we too watched the Independence day celebrations on television and keenly listened in on our Prime Minister’s maiden I-day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, New Delhi and also followed it up by attending the flag hoisting ceremony in our community neighbourhood. Over the years, Independence day celebrations have gone beyond the traditional flag-hoisting- patriotic-singing ceremonies and the emphasis is more now on celebrating India in all its pride, history and diversity. So from Tiranga halwa at I-day buffets to I-day discounts and offers and I-day children’s story-hours, its “Happy Independence day” all the way!

I so wish we could attend the Independence day special story time organized by friend and fellow blogger Cuddles and Reads, but due a prior engagement, we had to make do with a freedom story at home!:-) While Independence day is a time to reflect on the struggles and sacrifices our forefathers who fought for India’s freedom, it is also a time reflect in other freedoms we need to fight for today. I remember the centerpiece of  Independence day celebrations at our school was always be a map of India with  question “Is India free?” Going by the same issue, today we read a story that throws light on the plight of the forgotten children of ….Khamaria in Uttar Pradesh where the children are made to work all day at the carpet looms. “Freedom Run” by Subhadra Sen Gupta and Tapas Guha  is a level 4 reader in a comic book format brought out by Pratham publications. Meant for slightly older children, this is a moving story revolving around three children Kallan, Mansoor and Gokul who are made to work at the carpet loom to pay off their parents’ debt. All of them long to be free from the drudgery of knotting carpets for Mir Ali, the loom owner at whose hands they suffer physical and emotional abuse. It is only when they meet Munna Bhai, a social worker, that they realize that it’s illegal to make children work to pay off loans. Munna Bhai even offers to take them to Sewapuri where they can study and earn by weaving at the same time. But the question is how will they get to Sewapuri?? Meanwhile Gokul’s brother Rahul tries to rescue him from the evil clutches of Mir Ali and his associates…..?? Do the children manage to escape to freedom?? Will they be free like the rest of the children?? Read on as your young reader ponders over the harsh realities of life and goes on to understand the value of freedom…which we all take for granted!!! Lets hope this Independence day brings freedom to many such children who are victims of circumstances……!!!

Happy Holi!

Holi, the spring festival of colours though not traditionally observed in South India has now caught on with Namma Bengaluru witnessing both spontaneous celebrations in local colonies alongside various paid events organized around the Holi theme. As usual everyone on the retail side is jumping onto the bandwagon and cashing in on the Holi spirit! Hey….even some of the Kannada serials are running Holi specials! J Anyway, it was a quiet Holi this time (actually it was always quiet except for some random colour splashing by neighbours!) as the festival of colours this time happens to fall inconveniently during Abhay’s final assessment week! L Added to it…..Holi is not yet officially a Government holiday in Bangalore. So in between getting him to revise his division and his Kannada vattakshara and my regular Monday Court schedule, splashing colours is not exactly a priority! J

 

But thanks to Bubble ink, we get to vicariously experience the festival of colours through the medium of books! “Festival of India” was a book I had picked up for today’s prompt “Holi-colours”, but since Abhay had just finished his EVS assessment wherein he’d already read the story of Holika, and Radha Krishna, he vetoed this one L We are talking about colours, and so what better book on colours than the Quentin Blake classic titled “Patrick”!  This is a story of a young man named Patrick who set out of his house one day to but a violin and finds it in Mr.Onions’ junk shop and buys it with the only silver piece he had and Boy! he couldn’t be more pleased! He ran as fast as he could to the fields and blew out the dust and sat by a pond to play the violin when colourful fish in the pond began to jump out and fly, dancing in the air! Just then two kids named Kath and Mick amble over to the pond and enjoy the music and Kath is delighted to discover red ribbon appear around her hairdo and Mick finds his boots turned into blue ribbons! The three of them walked down the road together and come to an apple orchard and when Patrick played his violin which changed the green of the leaves to all kinds of colours. Instead of apples, the trees began to grow pears and bananas and cake and slices of hot buttered toast and the children were thrilled to savour all the goodies.  As Patrick and gang continued on their journey, they are joined by a flight of pigeons and a herd of cows who also begin to sprout beautiful colours, a la Patrick and his violin!  The colourful entourage met a tramp who looked unkempt and had whiskers and smoked a pipe puffing out smoke from it. As he enjoyed Patrick's tune, he was transformed into a man wearing colourful clothes and the sparks from his pipe got bigger and brighter until they were a shower of colourful foreworks. They all continued on the road lead by Patrick, the fish, pigeons, the cows, the whiskery tramp puffing out fireworks from his pipe paint town red and spread music and cheer to the people around! Isn't holi about spreading colour and cheer in everyone’s lives …..here’s wishing everyone a very happy holi!!!!!

Little Indians on Republic day!

What does Republic day mean for kids today? Is it just another public holiday or a holiday lost (as Republic day happened to fall on a Sunday this year!) or a day to attend the Republic day celebrations at your locality or apartment complex or a day on which you are allowed unbridled TV time only to realize that its restricted to watching the Republic day parade on Doordarshan (India’s public television) and not the Republic day special movie running on other channels or a day to go shopping at the Republic day sales running in each and every mall in town?  Gone are those pre-cable TV days when we would eagerly wait for the Republic day parade and sit through the whole show all ready for a pop quiz on “Who was the chief guest at this year’s program” or “What was the running theme of this year’s tableau from Karnataka”? (My over-enthusiastic mom subjects me to the quiz even today!:-)  While we made it a point to have Abhay sit through the display of our country’s military prowess and cultural kaleidoscope at the Republic day parade this morning, we were a tad disappointed to notice that Abhay’s interest seem to wane off even before the cultural tableaux began! Regularly fed with the daily diet of “Ninja Hattori” and “Transformers’, I guess, our little Indians need a bit of prodding to appreciate and admire something that is indigenous and our own!

 Since Republic day is essentially a day to celebrate the rich cultural heritage and diversity of our country, what better book to read than Pika Nani’s “Little Indians” which presents interesting facts, figures and stories from across the different states of our country.  We had the honor of the author’s guest post on Onestoryaday last December.  Anyway, I had meant to feature this book on Independence Day last year, but could not do so. Expecting it to be a guidebook on different states of India for kids aged ten and above, I had bought a few copies for a few kids aged above ten, as return gifts at Abhay’s seventh birthday last year.  Little did I know…what a gem I was giving away….and thank God I had kept an extra copy of the book myself! Not only this could be likened to a “junior lonely planet” series on the different states of the country, but this book combines fact and fiction to produce some of the most endearing stories I have ever read to Abhay! Following a similar format for each of the fifteen states featured, the author highlights the unique landscape, life, people and the culture of each state, peeping into its history while also beautifully weaving a story around the various elements native to that state, with the young inhabitants being the protagonists. So while your little one learns about the many tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh, he also learns about the secret behind the “The Ghost of Bhedaghat” a story set amidst the famous Marble gorge near Jabalpur or while being enlightened about one of the world’s highest cricketing pitches in Himachal Pradesh, the story of  discovery of “Apple Ganesha” at Kotgaarh, known as the Apple Heartland of Himachal Pradesh, is sure delight your little one! Here’s hoping that our very own little Indians learn the fascinating facts about our country through “Little Indians”! Happy Republic Day everyone!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

" We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year"! 



 

This Christmas carol normally sung at the end of a recital, rings in my mind every year during Christmas.  Having studied in a convent school, Christmas has always been more than just a holiday. Christmas always takes me back to school - whether it is carol singing, or crib making competition  or playing secret Santa or singing jingle bells during Santa's appearance at the end of the Christmas program, Christmas was always special. When we were in the US, the spirit of Christmas was so infectious that it had us decorate a small little Christmas tree at home. Last two years have been rather quiet except for the mandatory appearance of our in-house Santa!  

 

 

 

This time around however, I found several reminders of the Christmas that used to be - non-stop caroling at a church  near my place of work ( a déjà vu of school days) or the Christmas party hosted by my boss in her house ( got me nostalgic about our party for friends in Portland) or "star" mounted houses along our drive  around Mangalore area where we normally spend our winter vacation(reminding me of the Xmas decorations on Peacock lane in Portland) - all this has me enveloped in the Christmas spirit once again! Merry Christmas everyone!!   

 

Ever since 2011, Christmas has always meant gifts from our in-house Santa and Abhay was glad that Santa didnt disappoint him this year!:-) This year for Christmas, I read a story that was featured in this month's Highlights Champs titled "A Motel Christmas" by Marilyn Christmas and art by Phyllis Pollema Cahill. Naresh is excited to drive to his grandparents' house for Christmas Eve along with his parents but are standed mid-route due to a blizzard forcing them to make a stopover. Naresh doesn't like to spend his Christmas Eve without his grandparents but they have no choice but to check into a motel along the way. As the motel owner Mr D'souza checks them into the last available room, Naresh  notices a nice little Christmas tree put up in the lobby. He compliments Mr. D'souza on the Christmas tree, he learns that Mr. D'souza had put up the tree with the hope of celebrating Christmas with his son and his family, whose flights were cancelled due to the snow storm thus making Mr. D'souza sad. Just as Naresh and his father brought their packed food from their car, Naresh hits upon an idea - to eat in with Mr. D'souza. Soon it was not just Naresh and his family, but other guests too join in making it a special Christmas Eve not only for Mr . D'souza but also Naresh that in a way made up for not being around at his Grandparents'. Christmas is not only about meeting family and friends but also spreading cheer and making new friends along the way! Hope u enjoy the Christmas vacation with your friends and family! Happy holidays everyone! 

 

Happy Deepavali!

It is the longest long weekend here with holiday on Friday for Kannada Rajyotsava on November 1^st followed by Diwali which luckily happens to fall on a weekend this year…..so four days off for most establishments!! What more could you ask for …during the biggest festival of India - Diwali or Deepavali as it’s known in the South. This year, it was Diwali sans fire crackers partly due to bereavement in the family and partly due to reluctance on the part of the kids in our family. I guess more and more kids are saying no to bursting crackers for various reasons – environment, protest against child labour, animal rights, etc. Though we had our own reasons for refraining from bursting crackers, nevertheless our Diwali celebration did have its usual trappings like tidying up the house the previous day, ushering the first day of Diwali with a traditional oil bath, lighting lamps in the evenings, family reunions and feasts! Well, whatever may be the reason, I feel there is much more to Diwali than bursting crackers! Diwali is the festival of lights and need not be the festival of noise..isn’t it?

This week’s Hindu Children’s supplement was a Diwali special and so I read the story titled " For Sparkling Diwali" by Fabiola Jacob. Akshay woke up with a start and was surprised that his neighbours had already begun bursting atom bombs when Diwali hadn't dawned yet! Akshay was keen on contributing his share with his umpteen boxes of fire crackers his dad had bought him. But before he could do that, he realised that there was something amiss today as his pup Spot hadn't woken him up. He searched all over the house, in the car park, garden but Spot was nowhere in sight! Akshay then started looking around the neighborhood by which time, the sound of crackers reached such a crescendo that he could hear his own voice and panic had set in! What if Spot could not be found and Akshay couldn't imagine life without Spot! It was dawn break but the streets looked like a war zone with all the smoke and crackers! When he made enquiries at the near by tea stall, he was pointed to the storm water drain and when bent down to look, he saw Spot wet and shivering with fright and too scared to come out! Relieved, he took Spot home and gave him a bath before getting ready for Diwali festivities. This is when a thought struck him - " what if Diwali was quiet and elegant with Diyas and sparklers minus the noise! " Diwali without noise will sure be easy on his grandpa,a heart patient who is forced to wear ear plugs during Diwali!  So notwithstanding the fact that he may be teased by the neighborhood boys, he asked for all his noise making crackers to be exchanged for sparklers instead, as he wanted Diwali to be fun and pleasurable for everyone, including Grandpa and Spot! Here's hoping that more and more people resort to celebrating an all inclusive Diwali meant for everyone! Have a happy and a safe Diwali everyone!

Celebrating Children's day!

Although children’s day according to the United Nations is celebrated on November 20^th    here in India, children’s day falls today, November 14^th, commemorating the birth anniversary of our first Prime Minister Pandit Nehru fondly known to children as “Chacha Nehru”.  I remember how eagerly we used to wait for this day as it meant a school day sans uniforms and classes! Children’s day once again assumes significance as our kids experience the same excitement in their schools!  Children’s day is celebrated in many different ways – with schools organizing fun events for their students, the state machinery announcing various welfare schemes for the benefit of children, Google dedicating a doodle on children’s day, offices celebrating the children’s day spirit by allowing its workforce to come dressed as children, various social networking apps calling for display of one’s childhood photos, and some public-spirited individuals distributing gifts for children at local Anganwadis, etc. So you may want to relive your childhood moments today, or pamper your little one a little more today  or do something special for the children in your neighbourhood…..don’t forget to celebrate the child in you …..who never grows up and whom you should never let go! Happy Children’s day to everyone!

I wasn’t planning on keying in a post on children’s day today, but so touched I was by a story that appeared in this week’s “Young World”, children’s supplement of “The Hindu” that I decided to share it on Onestoryaday. The story titled “"Time to celebrate"” by Srikala Ganapathy is about a class VII student named Madhu who recently moves to town and is new to her school. Madhu feels lost in the new set-up and seems to lose interest in her school activities. Though a bright student, her grades come down drastically inviting her teachers’ ire and criticisms, creating a huge dent in her self confidence. A new class teacher Ms. Veena, is appointed to Madhu’s class. Ms. Veena notices Madhu looking dull and lacking enthusiasm. As she probes further, she notices that Madhu has a beautiful voice and asks her to sing for her. Madhu delights her teacher with her rendition of “Vaishnava Janato” and earns her teacher’s appreciation. Madhu then confides in Ms. Veena that she loves music but her parents are too busy to enroll her in a new music class after moving to town. Ms Veena finds that Madhu is good at singing and that she deserves to feel good about herself, and thus decides to help her out. During children’s day celebrations the next day, Ms Veena put up Madhu’s name in the program list and asked Madhu to come prepared. At the program, when Madhu is called to the stage, her classmates and other teachers wonder whether Madhu really knows how to sing but all their doubts vanish as Madhu begins singing. Madhu gets a standing ovation and she feelst like a champion, thanks to Ms. Veena’s understanding that children’s day is not just for merry –making but celebrating each child’s sense of self-worth and individuality! With the same realization, wishing all our little ones…a happy children’s day! J

Reading in Kannada!

Today is "Kannada Rajyotsava", a day to commemorate the formation of our state on the basis of the Kannada language in the year 1956 that was rechristened as Karnataka in 1973. Though I am a proud Kannadiga well versed with the spoken language, I confess I am not very proficient with the written word!:-(  The other day when my husband, (the in-house Kannada expert) worked late, it was a challenge for me to get Abhay's Kannada homework done! What was merely an inconvenience soon became a catastrophe when my husband had to travel on work for a couple of days right when Abhay had his Kannada test! Well, I could barely manage to read the Kannada newspaper, let alone coaching someone in Kannada, that too as CBSE II  language!  But the funny thing is that  amongst my colleagues at work....I am considered the best at deciphering Kannada documents!:-) Anyway, this got me thinking that if this is the language standard of people like me who are supposedly localities, what about others who’ve recently made Bangalore their home? Of course, one can’t expect everyone to be familiar with the Kannada script, but is it too much to expect an earnest attempt to speak the local language or at least accurately pronounce the kannada names or place? I have known so many people who’ve probably lived their whole lives in one place without knowing an iota of its local language!  What’s the false prestige in anglicizing the vernacular language when you can make the extra effort to  get a French or German word "right"!! So here's to all the people in Karnataka......Kannada Rajyostavada Shubhashayagalu!  

Today being Kannada Rajyotsava, we read a story in Kannada, but I was also on the lookout for a Kannada picture book that Abhay could read with assistance.  The Kannada version of “Ranganna” by Arthi Anand Navneet, illustrated by Kavitha Singh Kale and translated by S. Divakar was perfect for his reading level in Kannada. An endearing tale  of an elephant named Ranganna who lives in Dhobighat. Ranganna loves to look at the colours around him – whether it’s the colourful clothes left to dry, or the colourful flowers being sold near the temple, or the vibrant shades of the saris, dupattas or bangles or the rainbow painted across the sky or the nail polish worn by his little friends, Anushka and Adithi! So enamored he is with their nail polish colours, that one day he makes an unusual wish – to have each of his toe nails painted with different colours. Amused, Anushka and Adithi take an entire day to complete the elephantine task of painting Ranganna’s nails with eighteen different bottles of nail polish…..and Ranganna couldn’t have been happier……and well, who said elephants can’t dance?!:-) Complemented by vibrant illustrations and available in eight local languages, Ranganna  makes a delightful  read…especially for younger ones! 

 

Republic Day!

Yesterday was India’s Republic Day, a day to commemorate the day on which the Constitution of our country came into force. Republic day, a day to celebrate our status as a sovereign, democratic and a Republic State, is celebrated in a vibrant and colorful manner with a grand parade that starts at Rashtrapathi Bhavan passing along Rajpath and finally ending at India Gate. We all grew up watching the Republic day parade on television and how proud we felt as we watched the display of our military strength. I also remember how eagerly we used to wait for the cultural tableaux put up by the various states after the military parade.  As we grew into adults, Republic day assumed importance more as a universal holiday than for the parade except while scanning through the day’s news in the newspaper or on the television. But now as I’ve become a parent, I feel it is important to inculcate a sense of patriotism in our children as also to make them realize the importance of national holidays like the Independence day and Republic Day. So this time Abhay and I sat through the entire parade that was telecast live on Doordarshan, India’s public television channel and I felt a renewed sense of patriotic fervor over the contribution of our armed forces towards the security of our country and pride over our rich cultural heritage.

On the occasion of the Republic Day, last week’s “"Young World"”, the children’s supplement of “The Hindu” did a special on Republic Day describing the significance and history behind this momentous day. I read to him a story featured in its “Quick Read” section titled “Parade of Greatness” by Kavita Sivaramakrishnan. Amit and Sneha were watching the Republic day parade when their neighbor Uncle Rao, a retired army officer, sat down to watch the parade with them. On seeing a group of children being given a ride on elephants, Amit and Sneha wondered what’s so special about them when Uncle Rao offered that these ordinary looking children had displayed extraordinary courage which is why they were being awarded bravery medals during the Republic day celebrations. Uncle Rao then explained that the soldiers too were awarded, even posthumously for their bravery and grit and also went on to regal the siblings with stories of these bravehearts who died fighting the enemies. Uncle Rao felt proud to be a part of the men in uniform whom he clarified were not like the rest of us, but that they are men of action and that their commitment and valour has kept the rest of the country safe and secure. They continued to watch the parade reflect India’s cultural heritage, unity in diversity, its advancement and progress over the years. Both Amit and Sneha were filled with patriotic zeal and pledged to be responsible citizens from now on! A great story for kids five years and above on the meaning and significance of India’s Republic Day. Hopefully, many more would follow Amit and Sneha’s pledge this Republic Day!

Happy Diwali!

The biggest Indian festival, Diwali or Deepavali as it is known in South India, is here as a culmination of the festive frenzy that has been around since Dassera! I guess, when it comes to festive season or the holiday season as it is called in the West, it doesn’t matter which part of the world you live in, it’s all the same when it comes to the crazy traffic on the roads, stampede threatening crowds at the stores, markets, malls, and cracker outlets. Man!….even the book store was crowded making me wonder if people are actually reading more during festival time! Anyway, last year, since we were celebrating Diwali after a gap of three years, we felt as if we were re-discovering Diwali in India. This time around, I can say we’ve become more seasoned. For instance, we are no longer annoyed when people burst crackers well past 11 PM or no longer shocked at how much a box of  sparklers or flower pots cost, and no longer upset when four out of six flower pots in a box don’t light up at all!

Anyway, my cynicism should not come in the way of celebrating the true spirit of Diwali and so we indulged Abhay with all the traditional trappings of the festival that celebrates triumph of light over darkness. After some confusion over when does Narakachaturdashi (the first day of Deepavali) actually fall on,  we decided to go ahead and celebrate it the day the State Government says it does, that is today! (whereas the Hindu Almanac declares it tomorrow!) As far as crackers are concerned, our house is probably the only one in which the roles are reversed. Abhay despises bursting crackers because of his legendary aversion to loud noises whereas we insist on lighting at least a few, in order for Abhay to be rid of his Bhay (fear)!

This is the most we could get Abhay to do!

 

As for picture books on Diwali, I must say that there has not been much progress since last year. This week’s “Young World”, the Children’s Supplement of The Hindu, has a write up about Diwali and the way it is celebrated across the country. “Titto and the Fireworks” a CBT publication by Mrinalini Srivastava and illustrated by Saurabh Pandey. I’d picked it up seeing its title but then realized that it wasn’t an ideal book for Abhay, given his phobia for fireworks. Anyway, Titoo is the naughtiest baby parrot who is always trying  to escape his mother’s watchful eye. Titoo is curious about the world outside and longs to fly out just like his brother and sister. Since his wings are yet to develop strength, Titoo’s mom forbids him from flying unaccompanied. Diwali is the day when most birds stay in their nests and so did Titoo and his family. But Titoo somehow manages to get out and perches himself high on a tree branch.  He reaches out higher and higher until he settles on the highest branch to witness what he realizes are fireworks. As he is startled by the sound, he accidentally loses balance and falls off the tree branch when he is caught by a fellow parrot who takes Titoo back home safe. Titoo’s parents though worried at first are relieved that their son had finally learnt a lesson. Not much of a Diwali story save for the message to stay safe this Diwali!” Happy Diwali to everyone!

Dassera Greetings!

It is time to feel festive again with the onset Dassera closely followed  by Diwali! Well, what does the festival season mean? It means school vacations, less traffic on the roads (at least on festival days), festival offers and sales doled out by retailers, a host of religious, music and cultural events organized at various temples and cultural associations, a time to take some time off work or visit friends and relatives to join in their celebrations leading to a sudden increase in one’s calorie intake! J At the same time, festivals are an important part of our cultural heritage, to be celebrated, carried forward and passed on to the generation next. While our work schedules may not permit us to celebrate our festivals in the same way our parents did, yet it is important to ensure that our children don’t grow up oblivious to the true essence and the value of Navaratri or Diwali. So whether you observe the Navaratri Vrat (fast), or exhibit the Dassara dolls at home or go dance to the dandiya tunes or perform the Ayudha pooja to your car, make sure to involve your little one too!

So in an attempt to educate Abhay the significance of Dassera, we took him to "Bimba, the Art Ashram", located on DVG Road, Basavangudi that showcased the age old tradition of displaying dassera dolls during Navarathri along with a unique rendition of the story “Anjaneya” through the medium of still theatre in miniature art. So if you are around Basavanagudi, drop by Rasalok at Bimba to witness this indigenous art form transport you to a timeless era.

Navaratri is described as celebrating our connection with the “Devi” or the Goddess, be it Durga or Lakshmi, Saraswathi, (names of some of the Indian Goddesses) So today we picked up Amar Chitra Katha’s “Tales of Durga”  by Subba Rao and illustrations by Souren Roy. This book comprises three stories – “Durga – The Slayer of Mahisha, the story of “Chamundi” and “How Durga slew Shumbha” – three tales featuring the Goddess as an embodiment of Shakti or courage and power that destroys all evil and upholds justice for all. Abhay certainly seemed fascinated to hear the stories of the great Goddesses. His favorite story is that of Ambika who springs from the body of Parvathi to later create Kali from her forehead who goes on to kill the asuras Chanda and Munda and hence renamed as Chamundi. Reading Amar Chitra Katha is a certainly a pleasant throwback to my childhood that was dominated by the same series. It is also a great way to introduce our little ones to the stories from epics and mythology, and orient them towards our rich culture. Happy Dassera to everyone!