An update, and a poem by the daughter

And slowly, the work at home is winding up. The carpenters, painters and plumbers are out, and the electricians are currently working on the fixtures. We're not doing any major changes, just replacing the tired old white tubelights with warm, yellow light. The builders have been much remiss in their wiring work, too, as we discovered on finding that many of the 'outlets' provided had no electric current, and that called for a major revamp. We've already had the cleaners in, who did an excellent job of cleaning up the major spills of glue / paint / polish, etc., that the workers had left behind. Now it is up to us to sort through all our stuff. The stuff collected over more than 20 years of marriage, and 12+ years as parents.

pic courtesy bookgivingday.com

And of course, the books - that is going to be a project in itself. It was International Book Giving Day on the 14th of February 2014. I have been putting books that we no longer need, to give away.

While all this has been happening in the background, there is much else on the writing front, though not of any great consequence. No, that book still has to wait.

Articles and book reviews on Women's Web.

Book reviews on Goodbooks. Two of my reviews feature on the current slider - do take a look.

Articles for The Alternative.

And someone really thought I would do as a panel member for a writing contest in which I shared space with published authors. A participated in the contest, making sure there she did not show me her entry until after the contest was judged, or even tell me anything about it, as she knew I was one of the judges, and shouldn't carry any bias. Here is her entry. Feeling very proud of her.

Here's her entry. Do go to the site for the judges' comments.

WHEN SANTA CAME HOME

He came in the dead of the night
When the blue of the sky was deep
He sailed so silently over our world
When every person was asleep

He floated through the starry sky
Past the gleaming moon
He must hurry, for he was running late
The sun would be rising soon

Ours was the last town he visited
And mine was the very last house
So he began climbing down the chimney,
Quickly, but as quietly as a mouse

After visiting so many children
And eating their cookies and cakes,
Santa was rather full, and hadn't realized
How much effort chimney climbing takes

He sucked in his belly as much as he could
And began to wriggle down
But he was stuck, well and truly jammed
Yes, that is what Santa found

But here is what Santa did not know –
Our house was enchanted
Our house was home to a number of elves
A number that cannot be counted

They found poor Santa in a soup
They told him he needn't worry
They set about their elfish work
And soon they ceased to scurry

They had dug the sides of the chimney
Till Santa Claus could go through
But where they went after that
Santa wished he knew

He climbed down; it was easy now
He soon reached the ground
He tip-toed towards my stocking
Without making a sound

He stuffed in the presents
Oh, and what presents they were
Then, he was finally done with his job
He exited through the front door

Those elves loved snow more than any else
But they could find none here
And our guests were just temporary,
For they stayed out of fear

Of the wicked, oh, so wicked
Froozotapplegadeese
Who would search for and feast on
Just such elves as these

Santa, of course, was grateful to them
He owed them a major debt
He knew that quick workers like these
Were difficult to get

So he sought out the elves and said to them,
"Come with me to the North Pole
You'll find plenty of snow there
For it is freezing, and that is mighty cold"

You will be safe and sound from the
Froozotapplegadeese
For, if he comes to look for you,
I can tell you for sure that he will freeze

I would like you to do me
Another tremendous favour
And in exchange for I will give you
Snow cream of any flavour

Could you help me with the presents –
Could you make them and then wrap them?
For I know that elfish craft
Is certainly a gem

The elves were delighted – this deal was great!
They all jumped into the sleigh
Santa was pleased, and he smiled and said,
"Up, up, and away!"

That is how Santa got his trusty elves
They make each and every toy
For Santa to give as gifts for Christmas
To every little girl and boy

I wonder what became of the
Froozotapplegadeese
Did he go looking for the elves?
Tell me, did he freeze?

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My reading, in the mean-time, is going along in spurts. Will post about a challenge I feel the need to participate in, soon.

A mixed bag of science tricks

The Edinburgh Science Festival. It had been a long awaited event, and was happening for the first time in India, brought to Bangalore by the efforts of mycity4kids.

We went on Sunday, with some friends - a couple with two children. It was quite a long drive to Bhartiya City, which had rented out their extensive grounds. The directions were easy enough, and when we reached there around 11am, there was already a crowd, and a long line at the ticket counters. Fortunately we had booked tickets online the day before, so we had to stand in a much shorter line to get them. Fortunately, too, as the tickets were sold out just around noon, and many people had to be turned away despite having come long distances, if they had not booked in advance, online.

First, the good.

There were large tents around, which housed the different exhibits. These were arranged quite far apart, with plenty of open space, interspersed with pavilions that had small tables and plenty of chairs.

Drinking water and large garbage bins were placed at convenient places.

There was a food court at one end, with plenty of eating options, from pizza/ sandwiches/ burgers/ frankies, to dosas, biryani, parathas, fried chicken, some Chinese stuff (that didn't look too good), as also tea/ coffee/ fresh lime sodas/ ice cream. You don't have to carry any food or water at all.

The exhibits themselves were in three categories.

There were the shows that were put on every hour - two different shows that alternated throughout the day. These were on an open stage, with plenty of space to sit/ stand in the front. In the format of a play, many scientific principles were explained, and the children in the audience were encouraged to participate and interact with those on stage. This was easy for even 5-6 year-olds to understand.

Next, there were the exhibits which were in tents, but open to both the children and the adults. Many of these were presented by some wonderful people from Indian organisations like mylearnbuddy, Fun Lab, ScienceAdda, and ScienceUtsav, whom I discovered thanks to this festival. The presenters were very knowledgeable, and could satisfactorily answer any questions, and had a way with words that kept the children engaged. Since parents were at hand, even little kids were permitted inside, and yes, they, too, were encouraged to interact and ask questions.

Third, were those that were only for children. These were the most interesting, and the most in demand.

1. Forensic Science - Be a Spy, was presented by Indian Forensic Organisation. The children went in here immediately upon entering the campus, and thoroughly enjoyed solving a murder mystery.
2. Emergency Room. This was facilitated by Columbia Asia Hospitals. Children wore the disposable green gowns that most hospitals use these days and actually performed surgical procedures on life-size rubber dummies. Removing a cyst, removing gallstones using scissor forceps and a laparoscope, and cleaning and treating a realistic deep thigh wound were some of the things that A reported doing. The gowns were their souvenirs.
3. Splat -Tastic. What child does not enjoy playing with something that adults find slimy and yucky? This one was about physics and chemistry dealing with viscosity and stickiness of substances. The kids even created some of their own and came out with slimeballs in paper cups to take home.
4. Pongy Potions. The very name got A thinking of Harry Potter, Severus Snape, and Potions classes. Unlike those, though, these were great fun. This one is about scents and smells. Fragrant and stinky. The children had great fun messing around with them, and came out with fragrances that they had created using veg oil base, and an array of essential oils. What did A use? Lemongrass, vanilla, and patchouli. Why? She said she liked them the best.
5. Sound and Light shapes. This was very interesting - at least what the children described was. One of the things here was a row of flames that were connected to a recording of a piece of western classical music, and the flames danced in response to the decibel levels. Sounds interesting.

Next, the not-so-good.

The above-listed ones were what the adults had been looking forward to most, but we were disappointed to be kept out of all the fun. These also had the longest lines. After sending the kids in for Be a Spy, we adults had chilled out under one of the nearby pavilions with some cold drinks. That was our mistake. After a while, we realized that the lines at all the exhibits were beginning to grow like Hanuman's tail, and if we didn't do something about it, we would end up having a wasted day on our hands. So we decided to make full use of our mobiles, and stood in line in pairs. The husband and his friend together, and the friend's wife and I together. As soon as the children got out of one place, they were ushered in for the one where we were closer to the entrance. Lunch time meant that I went to stand in a very long queue at the frankie counter (the children's choice of meal) and got one for each one of them. A quick munch between two exhibits, and they were sent on to the next one. As soon as we were sure they would be able to enter The Emergency Room, that had the longest duration, of 40 mins, I went to stand in a food line again, this time for parathas for the adults. We had our picnic sitting on the grass near the tent when they went in to do their operations. Hot sun above, shamianas for shade for those standing in queues not yet put up at all places - it tired us out a lot. Between us, we consumed more than 10 litres of water (we bought the water bottles there, as the drinking water drums were set up sometime around 4pm, and I kept a count), probably the only reason we lasted out there under the blazing sun all day. We hadn't checked the festival site properly, and had not carried the requisite caps, etc.

Verdict.

We were there from 11am to around 6pm. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves, no doubt about that. They learnt much of science in a fun way, as science should ideally be learnt.

There is stuff for younger kids as well as for older ones. Actually for most 6+ year olds. Some, like Be a Spy, are for 8+ kids.

Be ready to do the kid-sitting. No use trying to get into exhibits where adults were permitted if you do not have a person with you who is not really interested, and who will agree to stand in the queue while you go take a look. Or at least be prepared with a book, to take turns at queuing up and going to learn some science.

Take caps, hats, sun protection - we've come back with some really painful sunburns. Unless the weekend was about teething troubles and the shade-providing shamianas for queues are now up.

The shows, though very kid-oriented, can get kind of boring for adults. Be ready to sit through it with your children, or sit it out at a pavilion with a cold drink and a book/ some socializing, while the kids enjoy themselves.

Book your tickets in advance online. So that you don't reach there to find them sold out.

Weekends can get a bit crowded, but most exhibits can be covered in the whole day. A visit on the weekday may not really work if the venue is very far for you. The day is for schools exclusively, and the gates are open for families and the general public from  4,30pm to 8pm. That might not be enough time. Not unless you study the list of exhibits at the festival website, choose what interests you most, and target those in the time you have. Evenings can also mean rain, so although the exhibits are in covered, enclosed spaces, arm yourself for the rain while you sit it out at queues or having a drink.

The actual festival in Edinburgh is a much more extensive one, with more than 200 exhibits, with the whole town joining in joyfully. While the one in Bangalore is nowhere near that, it is at least a beginning.

I also wish more people were interested in this sort of thing. I expected more familiar faces. Among all those who attended on Sunday, the only other face I recognised was that of A's science teacher at school. While malls feature high on most people's lists of places to go to on a weekend, science should, but doesn't.

One thing that struck me was - if we develop a similar infrastructure, and if there is political will, we have our own wonderful scientific communities, who can put up something comparable. Now that's a thought worth mulling over.

12 years...

...is called a 'Tapa' in Sanskrit literature. My little one, not so little anymore, turned twelve on the 18th this month, and I cannot let the month go by just like that.

So. We're currently big time into cooking. A little different from assisting mamma in the kitchen. Though, of course, it has to be a food item that she likes that she takes charge of. That, and the current interest in the ongoing Masterchef US, meant that the theme for a party was already decided.

Taking the DIY idea forward, I let her take charge of everything except deciding on and planning the actual contest, so that she could participate as a contestant in all fairness. She decided on the return gifts and the prizes, who to call, and the format of the contest. There were 9 girls, including her, so we decided on having 3 teams of 3 each, decided by drawing lots. The winning team from among these would then go on to round two, so that we would have three dishes again. The winner among these would be the masterchef, and there would be one runner-up.

Prizes? The winner would be presented with an apron on which we had hand-painted the masterchef logo in red. As also a copy of The Usborne Little Book of Chocolate. Lots of history and customs about chocolate, fun facts, and easily do-able recipes, and plenty of yum looking pictures.

pic courtesy usborne.co.uk

Runner-up would get a copy of The Deadly Royal Recipe, written by Ranjit Lal, published by Duckbill books.

pic courtesy saffrontree.org

The rest of the participants were to get a copy of Subhadra Sen Gupta's book, The Secret Diary of the World's Worst Cook. Wonderful book- historical fiction on the background of the Mughal period.

pic courtesy penguinbooksindia.com

Now, I am not sure about the comfort levels of the invitees' parents while working with knives, fire, etc. So I decided to keep it fairly simple, with an adult assisting.

Round 1: The best and yummiest class of food that could be prepared with a bit of planning were the chaats. I made the imli chutney and the green chutney at home. Got the veggies chopped up in the morning - onions, tomatoes, boiled potatoes, fresh coriander. Bought a few packets of murmura(puffed rice), sev, farsan, paani-puri puris, khara puris, etc., and was all set. I also kept a few bottles of unrelated stuff like ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, chilli garlic sauce, etc. Of course, if they incorporated any of that in their recipe without messing it up, they could!

The judge was a neighbour, a friend who is a wonderful cook herself, and who is also wonderful with kids. Having a grandchild a little younger than A, she knows how they tick.

So there were the kids, having donned their aprons.  We told them the rules- about adult supervision, teamwork, and about cleaning up after getting their dish ready. And then the fun really began.

The winning chaat entry - tikki chaat. A's team made this, and went to the second round. The three children in the winning team went on to round two.

Second in the chaat round. Paani puri and sev puri.

Third in the chaat round. Bhel puri.

Round 2: The winning team went on to Round 2. Now they worked individually. The three of them had to put together three desserts from the ingredients given. There were sliced cakes, fruit of different kinds, ice-cream, waffle sticks and chips, sprinkles, jams, honey, dessert toppings, cooking chocolate, and then some.

The winning entry in the second, dessert round. I didn't get to taste this, but was told it was slices of cake topped with fruit, covered by strawberry ice-cream, and garnished with gems and chocolate sprinkles. Pic taken after all entries were judged, hence the messy, melted ice-cream.

A's entry for the dessert round. Two servings of banana split. Second place. Oh, and for those interested to know, since she already has a copy of The Deadly Royal Recipe by Duckbill books, we drew lots to give away the copy bought for the runner-up to one of the guest children!

Third place - Sponge cake slices stacked with layers of peanut butter, covered by chocolate icing, garnished with gems. coloured sprinkles and waffle sticks.

And the birthday cake. Red pumpkin cinnamon bundt cake baked by me, covered with vanilla icing by the kid!

Happy Birthday, my little one!

A day to celebrate books and reading

World Book Day is celebrated in the UK and Ireland on the first Thurday in March, which would make it today, 7th March 2013. Internationally, it is celebrated on 23rd April as World Book and Copyright Day, declared by the UNESCO to promote reading, publishing and copyright.

I was introduced to the wonderful idea of having a day set aside for books when we were in the UK all of 9 years ago. (That long ago, hmm? Feels like yesterday sometimes, when I remember all the lovely times A and I had there together.)

A went to a montesssori there, and one day, we received an envelope addressed to us in her school bag. It contained a book token for one pound, and a list of age appropriate books that we could choose from to buy through the school. We could choose one book from the list to buy with our book token. Not only that, we could choose more books from the list at a discount, as the school had a tie-up with the local indie bookstore. We would then receive our treasure package on World Book Day.

I was charmed by the whole thing. Every school child in the country would be extended this privilege. That, in the UK, would mean almost every child above school going age, unless one is living under a rock. Schooling for children there is subsidized after 3 years of age; even free in certain schools. World Book Day, then, served as a wonderful means to introduced a child to the pleasures of actually owning a book. This is different in many ways from actually being introduced to books - possible for any child as County Council run libraries are free and usually well stocked. And there were libraries everywhere. At least until a few years back when many faced closure due to lack of state funding. Lack of funding for these libraries due to budget cuts coupled with negative attitudes like Terry Deary's would further deplete this wonderful resource if things do not change. Sad.

Which brings me to India. Our country. We are far far away from a utopia where we have such an extensive network of free libraries, let alone book tokens for an affordable amount. There are some people doing some good in this field, though. Pratham Books, with their Read India Movement, aim to put a book in every child's hand. This is what they say in their mission statement:

"At Pratham Books, we believe that every child has the right to enjoy good books.  And we believe they should have stories set in surroundings familiar to them and in a language close to their culture. We believe that to make books accessible to every child, the price points have to be very low. Pratham Books is a brand of story books as Indian as the children who read them. As a not-for-profit publisher, our dream is to see a country where every child wants to read, is able to read, and has something good to read.
With a range of stories created to excite children with different likes and tastes, the books are illustrated by some of the most enthusiastic and talented illustrators. Our aim is to have something good for every child, in every part of the country, and in the process spread the joy of reading far and wide."

This vision has had them creating books like these, wonderful books for throwaway prices. For example, this exquisite book, my favourite from the Pratham stable, has loads of stuff to see, read about, talk about, and so many possibilities for activities. At Rs 35 for an English edition and Rs 25 for an Indian language one, it is a steal. Pratham books also are available in most Indian languages, and there are books that feature the everyday life of ordinary people. They are also more rooted in reality than those of other publishers whose book are for a similar demographic. As a result, any and every child can identify with these stories, and can be encouraged to pick up these books. The low cost, local language, and quality reading values make these books ideal for 'putting a book in each child's hands'.

Let me tell you of an experience - I volunteer at a school for special children. Among other things, I also read stories aloud. (On an aside, yesterday, 6th March 2013, was World Read Aloud Day. Another way to spread the joy of books to those who can read, as well as those who cannot.) Many of these children have difficulty in imagining much beyond reality, and fantasy, mythology, fairy tales, etc., are a big no-no. I often find myself pulling out a Pratham books publication to read to them, which they enjoy thoroughly as they can easily visualize things that commonly happen at home, in schools, or in any other 'real' setting. I find myself struggling to hold their attention with the books of many other publishers, unless that book matches these criteria. This makes these books so much more inclusive.

There are many other players who are doing good work in this kind of an initiative. It would make for a separate post altogether, which is a positive thing - the fact that these activities can provide more fodder means that there are good people out there. I would like to dwell on a recent such initiative before I sign off.

Bookalore, in Bangalore, is founded by a group of writers working with children's books. They describe themselves as Bangalore's Big Little Book Club.

"Bookalore is an independent group of children's writers, illustrators, editors, librarians, teachers and filmmakers. Its monthly fun-based events for children and young adults will be held across Bangalore at libraries, schools, bookshops, art galleries, museums, theatres and other public spaces."

They share wonderful book and reading related links on their Facebook page, and these links would make me a fan even if I wasn't in Bangalore. Their sessions are free and open to anyone, though they do require you to register the child's name with a parent's email for a session.

As the area of publishing for children in India opens up more, grows, and matures, hopefully, so will the outreach of books and reading to all our children. For every child needs to have their own books to love. Or at least a library at which books can be accessed.  

Standing up...kid style

There has been a lot of standing up for oneself and setting of boundaries that I have been reading about at Starry's blog. Made me think a lot about my own behaviour in the matter.

I had been quite a militant feminist in my teen years. Somewhere along the way, I have morphed into a closet feminist. Somehow got stuck in a rut of my comfort zone. Have been taking baby steps towards getting out of it, but not sure how long I shall take to get even close to getting there. I owe it to my child.

So the child is growing older and needing help dealing with peer interaction. As always, we turn to books- our best friends.

Last year, the tooth fairy (oh, yes, we still believe in those, and Santa, a la The Polar Express) got A a book that she has thoroughly enjoyed. It has been her constant companion over the past year, given that peer interaction is becoming more and more important. Thanks to her petite built and a possibly outdated interest in books and such, she is often the target of those who think they know better. As parents, we keep talking to her about it whenever an 'incident' happens, even stressing on the fact that every person is special in their own way, and that a lot of what those girls say doesn't become true even if it feels like that. That she has so many wonderful gifts that a lot of those girls do not have. That she just needs to ignore most of that behaviour. And at times, stand up for herself and what she thinks is right.

So when she came across this book on amightygirl.com, the tooth fairy thought it would be good thing to get her.

pic courtesy amightygirl.com

Stand Up For Yourself  & Your Friends
Written by Patti Kelley Criswell
Illustrated by Angela Martini
Published by American Girl Publishing
Ages 8+

We begin by defining bullying. It can be many things, but it is mostly about power. And not all bullies are the stereotypical big, tall, loud, intimidating person. Think Miss Agatha Trunchbull from Matilda. Oh, no, they come in different packages, and at one time or another, any one of us could bully someone else.

The book then goes on to deconstruct the politics of bullying as it occurs, and the strategies to handle it. It is peppered with real incidents reported by real girls, the way they handled it, and a lot of expert-speak on each incident. There are short, snappy, two-page chapters on each topic, with full colour illustrations.

There are also many quizzes the reader can take, like 'Is this bullying?' on identifying which behaviours would qualify as bullying, 'What's your speak-up style?' on how you would deal with a given situation and 'What do you stand for?' on your beliefs about friendship. The very practical and easy to apply tips by experts and kids themselves make for a much appreciated 'cool' factor. Or at least I have been informed so by the kid, who dips into the book often for inspiration.

There is also plenty for the bewildered adult who might be the bystander, the authority figure who may have to tackle a potentially explosive situation, or the parent who has to deal with either end of the bullying episode- the bully or the victim. Much that can be used by the adult in their own interaction with power struggles among their peers too.

A book that can be applied at all levels, with sound strategies that can be extrapolated to situations even beyond the scope of the book. And even though I place it at 8+, younger children can benefit from it too- as more and more, these things happen at a younger age in today's world.

The book has an accompanying journal that I'm sure the tooth fairy is currently considering. A journal full of quizzes, checklists and charts that I'm sure the child will enjoy working on with her own experiences.

Crossposted at Saffrontree.

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And while on the topic of standing up - here is my review on Women's Web of Warrior in a Pink Sari- an autobiographical account of Sampat Pal and her Gulabi Gang.

Trips, books, friends, anniversaries and much else

I haven't posted for a long time now: my previous two posts had been scheduled. I had been busy with a lot of things that needed my attention. Just a quick re-cap.

A went on an 8-day school trip in early October. This is the first time that we had stayed away from each other for so long. In a way it was harder on me than it was on her. Children look forward- their life is just beginning, and everything that happens is just a new and interesting thing that is welcomed with open arms. As the Lebonese poet-philosopher Khalil Gibran has said, "...their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams." It is so much tougher on us mothers- so difficult to let go. I coped by making a trip to Mumbai, to my parents' place.

There, I met the wonderful R's Mom. This was a long awaited meeting. I've been reading her work for many months now, bumping into her at many friends' blogs, but had connected with her as one book-loving-mommy-blogger to another quite recently. She was all that I had imagined and much more. We met at a mall near my parents' place, she being so sweet as to make the longer journey from her home. What began as a couple of hours' meeting in the morning stretched far beyond the afternoon as we yakked away, until our rumbling stomachs got us to go get some lunch. There was of course a bit of book-shopping thrown in.

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CROCUS 2012 has just ended, and has thrown up a wonderful mix of Math and Eco-Science books that are now added to my wish-list. It has been six wonderful years of Saffron Tree, of which I have been a contributor for the last two-and-a-half years. During CROCUS, we had sent out a call for book donations for a cause- for an NGO KRANTI that works for a marginalised section of society, children of sex-workers.

Speaking of anniversaries, PaperTigers has a wonderful10th anniversary giveaway: a drool-worthy set of books. Do visit them and check out how you can win these books for yourself / your library. The giveaway is open for entry until midnight PST of Saturday, 10th November.

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A few of my articles were published on Women's Web. An article on Handling Parenting Peer Pressure that speaks of the pressure parents feel when faced with anther's parenting style that somehow feels better or cooler. An article about 5 family rituals for diwali that could be fun times with the kids. And this review of a book that deals with a women's issue that is not unknown to urban women. Quoting:

"We are often led to believe in the myth of innocence and simplicity in rural life. Our movies and popular literature often perpetuate this myth; but P. Sivakami debunks it in The Taming Of Women.

A gritty, hard-hitting and relentlessly abrasive novel, the book is a very realistic portrayal of life in a village on the way to developing into a town. The violence is just below the surface, boiling over at times, and overwhelming the reader.

The book offers a striking insight into the minds of the women – who are often pitted against each other in their battle for supremacy, yet co-operate at the unlikeliest of places to stand up against the man who leaves no stone unturned to subdue them."

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One last thing before I conclude- November is celebrated internationally as Picture Book Month. You may want to check out the wonderful posts over at Zoe's blog Playing by the Book all through this month.

Do check out these lovely picture book giveaways there, too.

Even though our reading here has moved beyond picture books, there are a few classics that we keep revisiting. As also some newer ones that are still relevant. Do check out the stuff in your own book-shelves that is worth re-reading!

Being the 'good bahu'

It has been a crazy week plus, and I haven't been able to find time for this space!

Among other things, I wrote this article that got published on Womensweb today. I had to fit the writing of it around a score of other things that I had to do.

A nephew has landed his first job in the city, and he and his mother, my sister-in-law were here for a week. She and I (with nephew and kid in tow if it was a holiday) would start out after breakfast everyday to scout for a place to stay for him. In the process, I learnt one thing- houses built here by the house-owner's design are terrible in terms of layout, ventilation, natural light, spaciousness, basic plumbing facilities, width of staircases that lead up to the topmost floor on which the 'house to rent' is usually placed, as an addendum to the independent house in which the landlord stays...the list could go on.

My pet peeve is the positioning of toilet/bathrooms. One gets inside the main door, and a door to one side immediately opens to a toilet. Followed by the kitchen, and then another room next to it. This is what Sangi had to say about this strange (to my Mumbai mind- we don't mind small rooms, but need the main door to open into a living room!):  It has do something with the fact that most South Indians need to wash their feet immediately on stepping into the house- a reason for the bad design!

I have also gone sari-shopping (GASP) with the sis-in-law who has bought some breathtakingly beautiful saris for what seems to my mind an obscene amount of money. Sigh! The books that I could have bought for that, or the people who could have been fed!

Both A and I have thoroughly enjoyed this visit by extended family. A has been having a wonderful time bonding with them, something she misses so much being an only child, and most of our relations in Mumbai or elsewhere.

The Harry Potter Chronicles 3

Today is day 2 of Harry Potter week over at Zealot Readers. Check out A's review of HP 2 at the site.

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The cover pictures on the first and second Harry Potter books are a tribute to the ubiquitousness of technology. Never mind the magic.

Witches and wizards have unique means of transport. Magical creatures that fly, broomsticks, portkeys, floo powder, magic carpets (Arabian Nights?) and of course, Disapparition. Why, then, should they require cars, trains, buses and such? And if there is a reason for that, what did they use before these technological advances came to be?

In the world of Hogwarts, too, there is such a thing as being underage. There is also the concept of having to learn how to disapparate-apparate. So those who haven't yet mastered the art have to use other means.

All the other means listed above have the disadvantage of getting noticd by muggles, thus breaching the Statute of Secrecy. So, to be able to travel without standing out, as well as having means of mass transport, the said vehicles must have been adopted. How, then, could a car accomodate more than its capacity? Undetectable Extension Charm!

And before these came along? Why, I suppose the magical people simply used what the muggles did- carriages and stagecoaches!

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In HP 2, we are introduced to one of the most loved characters of the whole series. Dobby. Children love him. My daughter does, so do I. He is the underdog, the enslaved house-elf of the Malfoys, who is serendipitously freed by Harry.

The book begins with Dobby getting Harry into trouble. Ostentatiously for his own good. For Dobby knows something due to his position in the Malfoys' household. The servant who is taken for granted, and who we never take into consideration when we openly speak about things. We take their loyalty for granted, and consider them less than human with no feelings of their own at the same time. This is a recurring refrain throughout the series. The house-elves Dobby, Winky, Kreacher, all with their different personalities, reacting differently to similar situations. A point to be discussed again later.

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HP 1 was all about introducing us to the world of Hogwarts, a child's view of it. Things become more serious from HP 2. Here, JK Rowling plunges headlong into her message about discrimination on the basis of birth. The whole refrain of pure-bloods and mudbloods that continues to the end of the series comes forth here. We had just a glimpse into it in HP 1, through Draco Malfoy's comments and behaviour, but that was just a child parroting his elder's beliefs. Here, it comes into its own.

JK Rowling has very obviously alluded to the Holocaust. The idea is woven very intricately in the books. The ganging together, the name-calling, the hatred that further breeds hatred and distrust, the muggle hating, the degeneratin of the whole thing into segregating of magical folk into death-eaters and those who are not. The sheer force of destruction that such hatred can engender.

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We have some interestingly named characters that come to our notice in this book.

Peeves: A peeve is something that irritates or causes vexation. Peeves, here, is a poltergeist who loves to play practical jokes, and is uncaring of people's feelings in the matter. He is the one character who is bold enough to be rude even to Dumbledore.

Argus Filch:  Argus, in Greek mythology, is a giant with one hundred eyes who was the watchman for the goddess Hera. Filch means 'to steal', usually in a sneaky manner.
So we have Argus Filch, who snoops around, steals around Hogwarts, patrolling its corridors, and trying to catch anyone breaking the rules. He is a squib, a non-magical person born into a wizarding family, and he is consequentially a disgruntled person. A passive-aggressive sort of personality, who comes fully into his own when assisting someone who is respectably evil, like Umbridge, in HP 5.

Gilderoy Lockhart: To gild means 'give a specious or false brilliance to'. Gilderoy is all words and no substance, the proverbial empty vessel. A show-off with no achievement of his own. The dandy who talks glibly, and takes complete advantage of the effect of his looks on gullible women!

The Books: a virtual tour

My very first feature on Women's Web. Please read and comment, folks!

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Here are some of my treasures that I would like to share. Pardon the relative disarray: I haven't got around to making bookshelves yet. These are housed in wardrobes that were cleansed of any clothes and other inconsequential stuff.

The teaser in the living room. Note the book on 'basic computer skills', declaring my lack thereof!:)

Books at hand that A has earmarked as 'to be read over the next few weeks'. Note the Bill Bryson book at the far right in the upper row: 'A Really Short History of Nearly Everything'.

Most of those that have already been read or to be read.

The other half of the same shelf. Harry Potter books and Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series are behind these. As is our collection of picture books by the Indian publishers. The thin red and white books obscured by the issue of Tell Me Why are our collection of the Amelia Bedelia books.

A mix of my books and her books. 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn' that you see here has been earmarked for our next read-aloud session.

Some more of the mix of books. Needs some organizing.

OK, most of these are my books. Except for a few. Notably the 'Big Book of Paradoxes, Puzzles and Problems' which is a must have for those who want to indulge in some lateral thinking exercise. For all age groups. We have had many an enjoyable afternoon racking our brains over these!

A mix again, and this, too needs some organizing. The big reference books are in a row behind these.

Leave no doubt as to my interests, do these?

My first love among writers. Enid Blyton. If she had been alive, she would have been 115 years old tomorrow, 11th August 2012. Quite a few of these are copies I have owned since I was A's age or younger. Will be my bequest to her, after the love of reading and books, of course. A bird's-eye view of the open drawer. Can't bear to have them higgeldy-piggeldy on shelves. Same for the books in the next picture, which are...

...the husband's beloved collection of vintage Agatha Christies and PG Wodehouses. I never lend these to anybody.

And of course, those by the inimitable Bill Bryson, as also the twin volumes of Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister, and a peek at Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. Part of the husband's collection.

There are a whole lot more, that haven't been organized yet. Also those that you cannot see in the back rows. And of course, my Marathi collection, which I haven't put up here.

Do you see any favourites here?

On reading!

First- a warning. This post has a bit of 'patting-my-own-back' flavour to it. So read on only if you love reading as much as we do here!

I recently came upon this article that speaks at length about the love of reading, and goes on to give many tips on how to get children enjoy reading books.

The writer speaks about inculcating a love of reading in a child, and how that helps in its development. A must read. (Pun unintended!) Some of the points she makes made me smile, and look back on our journey of reading at home until now. I'm glad I did quite a few things right there, purely by instinct. I hope I continue doing that!

Some points from the article that I would like to highlight- her words in quotes, in red, followed by my comments.

"What this means is that adults and caregivers should be working at home to develop a child's  motivation to read rather than teaching her how to read." - wish more people thought of reasons they could have TO READ instead of just teaching the kid to read.

"Pretty soon, your child will make the connection between the pleasure of undivided attention and the pleasure of reading." All kids like parental attention. So if you give it to them associating it with positives like reading, they won't try to get it with negatives like bad behaviour.

"Young children love rhyming words. They are fascinated by the rhythm and repetition of sounds contained in them." Dr Seuss certainly knew what he was doing. So did Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear and Spike Milligan.

"In addition to regularly reading to your child , keep books readily accessible to them at home.
If you can afford it, work slowly on building a good library at your own home." -maybe the reason my home has more books than anything else, everywhere possible?

"Read books that you personally like. Your enjoyment can be infectious."- Oh, yes, WE know about THIS! We're book mad, we are!

"Continue reading to your child occasionally even after she is an independent reader. She will love the interaction and it will help add to that special relationship you already have with your child. Use that opportunity to assess and steer introductions of new books." - So now you know the secret of my reading aloud the Harry Potter series to A! This is something that most parents lose sight of, once the child is off reading on its own. Oh, I wouldn't trade those times for anything!

Of school, friends, and Woman-Fridays

It is now almost the end of our second week of back-to-school. We are thrilled to be one grade up, and the children of the earlier grade seem like little kids. A la first chapters from any of Enid Blyton's school stories- "she couldn't believe how little the first formers seemed to her now!"

A fresh new year means a new set of the uniform, new books, new classrooms, new class-teachers, new classmates, a new sitting arrangement, new rules, new extra-curriculars,...the list could go on.

We have a size issue with our uniform, as A falls into a size between the one assigned for her age, and the one below it. So we have to necessarily make do with a size a tad too large for a few months until the inevitable growth spurt combined with the (also inevitable) shrinkage of the fabric finally makes it fit over the second half of the year. I have a bone to pick with this year's set, though. What prompted the school to introduce formal trousers a certain grade onwards, when they already had such comfortable and serviceable track-pants till now? And why the change in the design of the skirt? The earlier one was smarter, IMO. And what's with the sweater in place of the jacket? Now one has to choose between shivering without it, or cooking with it, on days that are pleasantly cool. With the jacket, one could just put it on and keep it unzipped if it wasn't so cold. :(

The books seem interesting, with more focus on 'think and answer' and research oriented questions in the exercises. We recognised quite a few of the chapters and poems from the English books as excerpts from books we already have/ have read. Math is getting interesting now, as is science. There is certainly going to be more work this year, but it promises to be interesting. We just need to start focusing. Something that has been a work-in-progress for a long time now.

The problem of peers. That, too, has been a work-in-progress for a long time, now. As A tends to put it, she isn't cool enough for her peers, what with her propensity to prefer reading over all the other pursuits of the cool gang. We have a self-esteem issue here that we have been tackling for over half-a-decade now. Keeping fingers crossed.

Extracurriculars seem interesting with theatre and violin classes in the offing. As also the Indian classical vocals after school classes.

Reading? Yes, we plan to a lot of that this year too. Some of it as an adjunct to the curriculum, but most of it not.

Looking forward to a new year of learning and living life.

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Met UTBT, fellow blogger and a wonderful and hugely talented co-contributor at Saffrontree. Finally. This was her second visit to my city. Choxbox managed to meet her the first time she was here. I missed her then on account of the kid's birthday party.

She is an elfin lady, and every bit as lively and witty as she comes across online. Have just received a gift sent by her through flipkart. Seems like she has taken the hugo-mungous hint I gave here! The parcel was grabbed by both hands and ripped open immediately...

...and immediately browsed through!

Thank you, UTBT! We love the thoughtful gift! Cannot wait for the kid to come home from school and show it to her.

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My house-help had been ill for the past two weeks. She had been ill on-and-off for a couple of days at a time over the past two  months. I kept urging her to go to her doctor and get some treatment, to which she would say yes and ignore my advice. So this time when she became ill enough to not come for three days at a stretch (Amma is a dedicated, conscientious worker, who has been with me for many years now, and is my Woman Friday), I decided to take things into hand. I took her to the clinic we go to for minor maladies, one which has a reasonably well-equipped path lab.

After I spent a good half-hour acting translator between a Malayalam-Hindi-English speaking doctor and a Kannada-Telagu speaking Amma, miming some medical arguments my pidgin Kannada couldn't express, we got her to agree to a blood and urine test that she was mortally frightened of. The doctor gave her some tablets for symptomatic relief while we waited a day for the lab results.

Amma disappeared from the next day. There was no response to my phone calls to her home- the phone consistently happened to be 'out of reach'. Finally, I made my way to her house, and found an Amma who was now asymptomatic, but very weak. Her lab results and the doctors diagnosis mandated a course of antibiotics- it was a low-grade infection, that nevertheless popped up intermittantly, and was curable by a suitable course of antibiotics: an opinion with which I concurred.

Amma just could not be convinced as to the need for further medication. After all, she no longer had the symptoms, though still weak from hypoglycemia as she had not eaten properly over the last few days due to a lack of appetite and fear of throwing up. I finally made her see sense after enlisting the help of two other ladies at whose homes she works as well as at mine. We now see that she has her morning dose at my place, as she eats lunch here, and hope that she has the other dose at home after dinner! Doing some of her work myself for some time, until she has recovered completely!

Again, fingers crossed. I owe much of my free time to her attention to my home.

A once-in-a-lifetime day!

Met Ruskin Bond yesterday. The great man had come to Landmark, Bangalore for celebrating the joint 25th anniversary of Penguin India and Landmark, by launching his book on poems. It was an opportunity not to be missed after our failed attempt to meet him at his hometown of Mussoorie a while back. Re-posting this from that post of mine:


Last year, we had been to Mussoorie during the Christmas vacation, and A had looked forward to meeting one of her favourite (OK, one of my favourite too) writers Ruskin Bond. She had made a booklet of a few of her own stories. We wanted to meet him and present him with this booklet, and get our favourite books ( The Blue Umbrella for A and A Flight of Pigeons for me) signed. Unfortunately, he was out of town, and was to return only after we left Mussoorie. So we requested Mr Arora, who owns a bookstore where Ruskin Bond regularly signed books for his readers, to hand over the booklet to him to sign, and gave him our address. We were extremely disappointed on not being able to meet him in person, but there was nothing we could do about that!


Imagine our delight when, after a few weeks, an envelope arrived at our home, containing the booklet, duly signed by Mr Bond, with a few encouraging words from him. Her book, (never mind that it was an unpublished, handwritten one) signed by Ruskin Bond!

So when I got the mailer announcing the event, I marked it on my calendar. School day or not.

So yesterday we proceeded to Landmark, armed with our copies of The Blue Umbrella and A Flight of Pigeons.

As expected, there was quite a crowd. What was not expected, was the utterly inane comments by the MC, who was also quite rude in the way he kept saying- "OK, now that the cake is cut, kids get off the stage!" He also kept making cliched comments like "Mr Bond is here- not James Bond!" and kept nudging us to clap every few minutes, when all of us were hanging on to every word uttered by Mr Bond. And he kept calling him Ruksin Bond! Couldn't Landmark and Penguin get someone better between them? The photographers were also quite rude, pushing and shoving the kids around. Choxbox has described what happened, in this post of hers.

OK, now that I've got that off my chest, let me say that it was lovely hearing him speak. He first launched his new book, and with the kids present, cut the cake for the occasion, then read a poem from his new book. He was a gentle giant with the kids, most of who asked him questions, and he answered them without talking down to them. The hallmark of a great person. He was also very gracious with questions and comments from the rest of the crowd. To A's question as to what the inspiration for her favourite book-The Blue Umbrella was, he replied that he had once seen a local girl walking with a similar umbrella, and had wondered about what her story was. So now we have a little girl mulling on the many interesting things around her, and wondering what the story of that incident might be. Had quite an interesting discussion on that on the way back home.

When we all lined up to get our books signed, they called for the children first. I went with A as then we could get away- school night and all. She took her book and went up to him, and said,
"Do you remember the story 'The Rainbow Bird' that I had written and sent to you?"
And he looked at her and said,"Oh, yes, I remember. Was it you who had written it?"
"Yes," she said, as he signed first her book and then mine.
I thanked him for taking the effort to send it back to us by post, and then we had to move away to make way for the next person who wanted to have his copy signed. I wish we could have interacted with him for more than those few moments, but A was ecstatic. "He remembered my story!"

It will be an encounter that we'll remember always. Hoping to be able to meet him some time again.

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Yesterday was also once-in-a-lifetime because of the Venus Transit. A rare celestial incident that occurs just twice in a century, at a gap of 8 years. It happened in 2004, and yesterday. It will now occur again in 2117, 105 years from now- probably in the lifetime of our great-great grandchildren. So we got up early and went out to an empty ground near our home, armed with solar protection glasses, to try and catch it at 7am, before the school bus arrived.

Unfortunately, it was overcast for most of the morning, the sun peeping out from behind the clouds for just fleeting moments. The kid saw the sun, but not venus, as there wasn't enough time to focus. However, later in the morning, around 9.45, the clouds shifted for long enough for me to see it from my balcony, where I had parked myself for most of the morning.

How to paint a T-shirt

First, one signs up for a contest over at ArtsyCraftsyMom's blog. This is for the May theme - any art/ craft inspired by the child's favourite book. No prized for guessing that one here. Harry Potter books, of course! The entry has already been sent over. Just blogging about it here, in June.

So first we take a plain white T-shirt. We lay it flat on a whole sheet of newspaper, so that the floor does not get painted. We also fold another sheet of newspaper and slide it gently between the front and back of the T-shirt. Prevents carbon-copy-like effects on the back. Also helps if one wants to do some other artwork on the back.

Next, one decides what one wants to paint. The child was keen on the Sorting Hat, so the Sorting Hat it was.

So she drew an outline of the sorting hat on a sheet of stiff paper and cut it out. Then she placed it where she wanted it on the T-shirt and traced out the outline.

Next, one proceeds to draw the top of Harry's head just below the Hat, complete with round framed glasses, unruly hair, scar on the forehead and tightly closed eyes, worried about which House he would be sorted into. "Not Slytherin, not Slytherin", he says, as the Hat wonders where he is to be placed.

Then we proceed with the fabric paint, and fill in the picture we have just drawn. The Hat shouts out GRYFFINDOR!!! 

Capturing this moment just as the Hat shouts, and before Harry reacts too it, eyes still tightly closed!

Now all we have to do is enter for the contest, and wait for the T-shirt to dry, so that she can wear it.

Happy Birthday, A !

She'll be 11 today.

When I see her, I remember the first time I saw her. Just a small speck going 'twinkle-twinkle' on the ultrasound screen, and I fell in love with her. At that point, I did not even know if it was a she or a he. All I knew, was that she was my miracle, one that had come to me after whole 7 years of marriage. I was overjoyed, yet worried. It was a tough world that I was going to get her into. I almost lost her along the way, and it was again a miracle when I had her in my arms, whole and healthy, after an excruciating 9 months.

She is today 11, emerging slowly onto the cusp of womanhood. My daughter, I am dedicating this poem by Sarah McMane, (one that I read at this post by Peggy Orenstein) to you today. My wish for you.


For My Daughter

Never play the princess when you can
be the queen:
rule the kingdom, swing a scepter,
wear a crown of gold.
Don’t dance in glass slippers,
crystal carving up your toes—
be a barefoot Amazon instead,
for those shoes will surely shatter on your feet.


Never wear only pink
when you can strut in crimson red,
sweat in heather grey, and
shimmer in sky blue,
claim the golden sun upon your hair.
Colors are for everyone,
boys and girls, men and women—
be a verdant garden, the landscape of Versailles,
not a pale primrose blindly pushed aside.


Chase green dragons and one-eyed zombies,
fierce and fiery toothy monsters,
not merely lazy butterflies,
sweet and slow on summer days.
For you can tame the most brutish beasts
with your wily wits and charm,
and lizard scales feel just as smooth
as gossamer insect wings.


Tramp muddy through the house in
a purple tutu and cowboy boots.
Have a tea party in your overalls.
Build a fort of birch branches,
a zoo of Legos, a rocketship of
Queen Anne chairs and coverlets,
first stop on the moon.


Dream of dinosaurs and baby dolls,
bold brontosaurus and bookish Belle,
not Barbie on the runway or
Disney damsels in distress—
you are much too strong to play
the simpering waif.


Don a baseball cap, dance with Daddy,
paint your toenails, climb a cottonwood.
Learn to speak with both your mind and heart.
For the ground beneath will hold you, dear—
know that you are free.
And never grow a wishbone, daughter,
where your backbone ought to be.

Life is tough, my lovely A, yet it can be so beautiful. My hope and wish for you is to find your own happiness, in your own special way.

Happy Birthday!


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My thanks to Ms McMane for graciously permitting me to reproduce her poem here.

Chasing Hugo- an experience of Murphy's law

That is what we did all this week.

Let me first make it clear that I am not usually very keen on movies, but with something extraordinary like the movie in question, and a tween on her summer vacation, I do make exceptions.

Let me also make it clear that this is a longish post, a rant at that.

Last friday we read in the papers that there was an interesting new movie running in town, one that A and I certainly wanted to watch.  The movie, HUGO, is based on "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," a book that we have been searching for for a long, long time. (Hint, hint, everyone! For both the movie and the book!)

So we searched the movie listings, and found out that there was only one place at which there was a day show-  Goplalan Cinemas, on Bannerghatta rd. So we made plans. I picked A up at noon from a summer camp she is attending, gave her some sandwiches in the auto that I had got from home as her lunch, reached the multiplex 20 minutes before the show and hurried up to the box office.

Disappointment! Yes, they had advertised about the show, (they even had a huge hoarding up next to the ticket window), but they had had some problem with the distributors, and had decided not to run it. (So why hadn't they discontinued the ad in the paper?!)

OK, so there we were, with full tummies, quite a distance away from home, with a remote possibility of meeting up with friends who stayed nearby, but no concrete plans. We decided to pick up some supplies needed for school and home from a nearby Staples store, and then spend some time at a Crossword outlet nearby. Browsed around some, then decided to have an ice gola from a Go Gola stall. Yum!

Undeterred, we decided to go to the evening show at PVR cinemas. This time, we even got some company- Choxbox and her FB.

So we made our plans for yesterday's 6.25pm show, and I decided to check if I could phone in for tickets, or get them online. Imagine my surprise when I found that now the movie was listed at 3 places; all the places except the one to which we had gone earlier. Clicked on the link for PVR cinemas, and as if by magic, the movie was not listed there.

That made me smell a rat.

I then tried to book through BookMyShow. On their site, the movie was listed at Cinepolis, Bannerghatta rd, for a 10pm show, and an offline listing for PVR cinemas. So now we were down to 2 listings from the original 4 I had seen just three days previously. Wondering what that meant, I got the phone number of BookMyShow from Just Dial services, and called them.

They confirmed that their listings showed just that one show at Cinepolis. When I asked them about PVR, they said that there was a 6.25pm show listed there, but they were unable to book for that multiplex as they did not have a tie-up with them.

I then tried calling PVR cinemas directly. They had one IVR options number, which did not list Hugo as one of the movies. The landline was not picked up at all, inspite of calling repeatedly over a period of half-an-hour.

I was now getting seriously annoyed. What kind of service was this? It did not make sense to drag the girls all the way to the cinema through the evening Bangalore traffic, especially with the threat of rain.

It was now 11am, and A would finish her class by noon, and, as was pre-decided, be got home by the mother of the other child who attended with her. I called up Choxbox, and she was neck deep in some work, with no chance of being able to go to the cinema to check in person. This was a movie we really, really wanted to watch on the big screen, and the only option left was for me to go personally to PVR.

I decided that if the movie was indeed running, I would just call Chox, pick up the tickets, pick up A and come back home with the girls - I could get a ride with the other parent. If not, I decided I'd take A out to Blossom Book Shop, a treat I had promised her for a long, long time.

I got ready quickly, and was off. Reached the box office there, and the people there had not even heard of the movie. I checked, and there was no poster of the movie anywhere, though many of the newest wonder- The Avengers. They looked very Hunger-Game-ish. Somehow I didn't think A would be interested. So I called up Chox to inform her, called up the other parent to tell her I'd be picking A up myself, (as it was almost time for them to be picked up) and went ahead to the class.

We were almost near Blossom, when I suddenly realized I had not packed my reading glasses in my hurry. Now, that was a real blow, as it meant there was no way I could browse at the book shop.

We were hungry, though, and decided to have lunch before doing anything else. At the place we ate, some popular songs were playing, none of which I knew. Except for Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' from The Titanic. Which is when I told A that a 3D version of the movie was playing in theatres.

Now, A has earlier watched the movie on television. So she was instantly enthused with the idea of being able to watch it on the big screen. Now, I had no idea where it was running. (No smartphone!) So, I called Choxbox again, and asked her to check and tell me. (Sorry I bothered you so much the whole day!) PVR was the place, again.

Now comes the high point of this extremely long narrative. We finished eating quickly, then reached the cinema a good half-hour early according to the show timing. Went to the box office and asked for two tickets for the show. The girl behind the counter looked at me and said, "We don't have that movie running, ma'am!" You could have knocked me over. "But, it is listed on the PVR site," I sputtered in some consternation. Yes, she said, it would have been but they had their last show on the Wednesday, and decided to discontinue it one day early to make space for a new movie that had its early release this week!

All this in a high-tech age where information is supposed to be at our fingertips, and it should not be necessary for one to go personally to far-flung places to find things out, let alone get them done. I understand our government and semi-government establishments are still stuck in some other era, but businesses like the entertainment industry?

Anyway, we had already wasted much of our afternoon in what turned out to be a useless pursuit, so we decided to put the rest of the time before we needed to go home to some better use. Going to Landmark was ruled out because of my glasses.

I remembered I had a Rs 1000 worth gift voucher for Fabindia, so decided to go upgrade my wardrobe. Something I don't do as a matter of course. I don't like to spend good money that can be put to bibliophilic uses in buying un-necessary clothes or accessories. There was, however, the thoughtfully provided gift voucher from my brother (You know me, bro!) and the other little fact of a currently oft-expressed advice by my tween daughter- "Aai, you should wear some nicer clothes!"

So we went to Fabindia.  But, as they say in hinglish, "Mera bad luck hi kharaab tha!"

Saw a beautiful kurti in black with some exquisite embroidery in crimson and forest green. Tried it on- a perfect fit. Asked A to check the price tag as I had forgotten my glasses at home.

"Rs 435," she said. "Wonderful, let's pick it up," I thought.

Gave the kurti to her to hold while I looked around for some more to be able to use the whole amount. After a few minutes, the kid comes up to me and said sheepishly, "Aai, I read wrong. It is Rs 4350!"

:( Should have double checked. The piece was much too exquisite for 435! Had to put it back!

We did check out some more stuff, and finally I did find something that met her AND my standards, and bought it.

A wasted endeavour in many ways, but also one that gave A and myself some laughs, and some more mother-daughter memories of some crazy times spent together!

Not to mention the Fabindia kurti!

    

Of summer and lemonade

This vacation, we won't be travelling anywhere, and we opted out of keeping busy with summer camps. Except for one that will be held in May over a period of two weeks, at the school.

So the plan was to read a lot, practice our music, have meaningful social interaction with friends, ditto at home, do all the art and craft that we wanted to do all year, but couldn't due to more pressing matters, follow-up a bit on school work done in the past and to be done in the future- in short, just chill.

After two weeks of chilling out, A and a friend in the complex came up with the idea of some enterprise- they decided to cash in on the extraordinarily hot summer for my city, and put up a lemonade stall for an hour everyday.

We decided to use this as a learning opportunity while having fun. So the girls first did a market research. Facilitated by me.

First to decide on the days, time and place. After much scouting around and discussion, the girls decided on a week, everyday in the evening from 5.30 to 7, next to our clubhouse. The idea was to keep it to a manageable number of days, and to catch the crowd that mills around playing or swimming in the pool.

Then they made a poster (they spent the whole afternoon one day doing it in summery colours) and put it up on the main complex notice board.

Then we decided on a recipe for the lemonade. One that would minimize work and serving time at the stall.

Squeeze out the lemon juice and strain it. Measure it.
For every measure of juice, take three measures of sugar, in a thick bottomed vessel.
Pour in water just enough to cover the sugar. Heat, stirring till the sugar dissolves. Bring to boil, and let it boil hard for a minute or so.
Take off as much of the greyish froth that comes up and discard. This contains most of the impurities in the sugar. Switch off the heat.
Let the sugar syrup cool for a few minutes. Not too much, or it will start re-crystallizing. Pour in the lemon juice and stir to mix well. Add a bit of salt. (This is to taste.) Your lemonade concentrate is ready.
Cool completely and pour into bottles to store in the refrigerator. It will stay unspoiled in there upto a month.
While serving, pour a large tablespoonful in the glass, add water, stir. Add optionals like ice cubes, flavouring (we decided on offering a choice between ginger powder, black salt, chat masala, elaichi powder, jeera powder and original), and your lemonade is ready!

We then went to different shops and compared prices of lemons, sugar and paper cups. We decided on paper cups as a mean between convenience (we did not have enough washable ones- which would also need to be washed every time, with possible hygiene problems) and environmental consciousness (no disposable plastic. Although paper cups also have a minus, they are at least biodegradable! ) and bought from a place that gave us the lowest price with a fair quality. Flavourings were at hand at home, so I decided not to add them to our costs. (Maybe next time I will!)

So the stuff was bought after costing was done, and the concentrate was made under adult supervision. I went with them to the shops, cut the lemons open and boiled the syrup. Everything else was managed by the two.

So they were all set with bottles of chilled water, lemonade concentrate, paper cups, small boxes of flavourings, ice cubes in an ice box, a bunch of spoons to measure out and stir, a money box with some change for the customers, a notebook to make tally marks in. Each glass was to be sold at Rs 5.

Day 1: Novelty is king. Many people came over to check out the lemonade and had at least one glass. Some gamely tried (this group includes us parents and parents of friends) each flavour in turn. The first day was a success.

Day 2: Some more of those who had not had any turned up. There were those from the children in the age range 6yrs- 14yrs who came again. One of the boys appointed himself 'the marketing man' after negotiating with the girls for a free glass every day. Also, every 100th glass was declared to be 'on the house.'

Some feedback came in the form of- keep a larger glass option too, and service should be a bit faster.

Day 3: Time to act on the feedback. We got a set of slightly larger paper cups, and kept them as an option for Rs 8. Also, some bottles of ready to pour out lemonade was kept, to be dispensed when a large crowd cam all at once. Fairly good sale, but not so much as the first two days. Fewer of the grown-ups came, though there was one couple who came every day. The 100th glass was dispensed to one of the kids who was a 'regular.'

Day 4: No adults, except said couple and doting parents. The crowd of children, though hung around from the beginning to the end, digging into their pocket money for repeated cups in different flavours and socializing. It was a party atmosphere.

Day 5: Ditto day 4. This time, the girls put on another offer. Anyone who wanted to take home some lemonade for their family was to get their own bottle. A half litre bottle would hold 3 glasses and cost Rs 15. A one litre bottle holding 6 glasses would get a volume discount @ Rs 25.

A few children got bottles, and the sale became a bit more brisk. The 200th glass was dispensed.

Day 6: It started raining in earnest from 3pm, and the girls were worried, as the stall was held in the open. They discussed the possibility of putting up a notice that the stall would be held the next morning if it did not stop raining. An idea that was finally shot down. It was decided to hold shop just inside the clubhouse, sheltered from the rain.

The discussions delayed things a bit, and by the time the girls reached the clubhouse with their stuff, there was already a crowd waiting.

Sale- ditto day 5. The idea of bottles caught on really well, and they sold more bottles than individual glasses. Even the children who wanted to drink right there and socialize now bought half litre bottles and stood around guzzling from them. Some adults too returned.

Day 7: The shopkeepers declared at the beginning that it was the last day, and anyone who wanted to buy should do so at the earliest, before stock finished. The news spread around the kid grapevine, and friends' friends also came. A veritable social network was in action. We were sold out within the first half hour, and there was a clamour for more. Maybe some other time.

The girls put in their own pocket money as capital- Rs 250 each. At the end of the week, the profit was Rs 152 each. Not bad.

A good lesson in costing, sale, market dynamics, social networking, mutual cooperation (the girls did not see eye-to-eye on all things and there was a lot of negotiation), basic calculations, (calculating the change to be given to customers) time management, handling pressure and customer feedback, and a lot else.

A lot of fun, too.