Entitlement

Hey, I am crossing the one post only per week, on the book. Did not do any last week. So carry forward is okay I suppose this once.

Here is another different take and review of the book, by a blogger friend, Arundathi. And a review by Peapod here

Here is a doodle by S's little one.

And pl be there trow all you Mumbai and Blore people.

And any readers with Pune connections- watch this space!!

Yeh tera Ghar...

Hamara Ghar. In Bangalore. Coming soon.

Completed most formalities and our interior work begins next month.

Have decided to be more frugal and practical in the effort than the previous time.

Wish us luck!

Another kind of History

Wanted a bit of Art(navy) history to sink into the girls
So made a trip to my first school in Thanjavur with them.

Being a Sunday there was no one there except some memories....

Of LKG and UKG , of trees under which we played and ate, of putting sand in a corner of the tiffin box on days I did not finish lunch, of a skit where we danced for " Stomach aching....call the doctor"....

Onam Wishes

The girls and I attended the Hindu MetroPlus Pookolam contest held at Vivanta Taj.

Was taken up with the lovely colours and the smell of flowers
But also felt that it was a rather destructive way to create more beauty.

The process involves
- draw the outlines in chalk on the floor
- use flowers and leaves of many colours- only petals or post chopping petals them to a fine and equal size ( this ensures better / uniform spread)
- use a comb/ scale to neaten and tidy as you go along filling the 'colours'
and Behold a work of art!

Calling Mumbai and Blore again!!

Calling all kids and the kids lurking inside adults to join in the fun on Saturday, SEPTEMBER FIRST.

Did you miss the Blore launch? Make it this time!

At Easy Library, Kormangala.

Did you love it last time ( at Atta Galatta) and want more?- come again!!

Have you seen this Mumbai?

Do attend and have fun with Rakhee aunty, another good friend who is doing it for me.

At Mcubed, Bandra

SEPTEMBER FIRST. BE THERE!

Snakes and Ladder- Made easy and difficult

Shruti or Artsy Craftsy Mom has been conducting art/ craft sessions at  Anand Vidyalaya- a part of this organisation.

One of these sessions was about creating a Snakes and ladders board.
Here is Anushka's version of it, done all by herself , a couple of days ago.

So you see the board ends at 48. But that does not make winning easier.

She has adapted the game a bit.
She ( with her paati ) have generated multiple sets of 6 questions. ( on various themes- maths, animals, planets, etc)
The player needs to pick a number 1-6 at random and answer the relevant question correctly to be able to move those many points.

And there is more- the difficulty level of questions increases with the increasing numbers.

Cool huh?

Among other things

Anushka's school PTA and Aditi's observation happened last Friday.

Really good going by both the girls!

Anush could be more careful with her Hindi spelling and Aditi could be a bit less hasty about getting things done.

Both take after thier mother in these aspects I suppose.

*********

We saw Ek Tha Tiger some days ago. Even I, a Salman Khan fan, did not enjoy it.

There were no punchlines or his kind of humor to salvage it.

**********

And here is Anush's work on a day at the zoo:

 

The Chola Trail- III

These were the other temples we saw apart from the Big Three.

The Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram was a must do since Anushka is learning dance and due to the rahasiyam (secret)  which I had seen in some serial/movie years ago. The temple is located inside the town and is large and beautiful with many pillars and corridors. The shrine is possibly the only Shiva temple to have its main deity represented in the 'human' Nataraja form, instead of just a lingam. The reclining Vishnu, the gorgeous leaves like golden roof, the main diety all vie for the visitors' attention!

The Uppiliappan Kovil in Kumbakonam is dedicated to Lord Vishnu's form and is said to be the brother of Tirupathi Balaji.  All prasadam is prepared without salt to go with the story behind this temple.

Kumbeswarar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Kumbakonam's name is dervied from this temple. The temple is really huge in size and the lingam is not made of the usual granite and hence no offering of water or any liquid is made on the lingam.

And the temples all had elephants blessing kids in exchange for coins. Much to Anush's delight and Aditi's dread.

Pichavaram

Part of this Chola Trail trip was a visit to Pichavaram. It is the second largest Mangrove forest in the world, and is located near Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.

Apart from the size ( around 2800 acres) and beauty of the mangrove, the trees, mainly Avicenia and Rhizopara, are said to have protected the shore from the huge tsunami that struck a few years back. Hence the shoots are now being planted on the east coast near Pondicherry and Cuddalore as well.

The marshy water, never more than 3 feet deep, is filled with prawns and crabs. Small fish keep jumping up out of the water. Almost lyrical. Besides there are lovely birds one can spot if one is lucky and visits in the correct season.

Boating opens around 9 am till about 5pm. You can choose between row and motor boats. You can opt for the basic ride or agree to be taken into the labyrinth of waterways ( for an extra fee) which is what most people opt for anyway. And if you wish, there is a small beach, about six kilometeres away in the water. 

The boat manager's number in case of need is 9176995838.

The Chola Trail- I

The Artnavy family headed to Tanjore ( Thanjavur) and Kumbakonam this weekend. We travelled by train to K'konam which was our base and stayed at this really nice resort called Mantra Vepatthur.

We used a car for our travel there. We spent only two days and hence had to be selective of what we could cover and keep the kids engaged as well.

Let me begin with our main agenda- the three magnificent UNESCO site Chola temples by father (Raja Raja Chola I)  , son (Rajendra Chola)  and a later descendant ( Raja Raja Chola II) i.e.

- The Brihadeesvarar / Big Temple in Tanjore,

- Gangaikonda cholapuram and

- Darasuram- Airavateeswar Temple

They are all Unesco sites and their Vimanams tower over the entrance Gopuram.

All the three are gorgeous examples of workmanship and the art historian Fergusson captured it well - when he said of the Cholas that they ‘conceived like giants and finished like jewellers’.

They differ in the later influences that characterise them today. A touch of Vijayanagar here and some blows from some of the non Hindu plunderers there-  all add to the present day character of these monuments which are also active temples.

The Brihadeeswarar/ Big temple in Tanjore is indeed BIG. But it was crowded and we had to run across really hot bricks to reach the Nandi and the main sanctum. Felt bad for kids and elderly folks doing this. A complete coir/ jute mat or a grass path would really help.  This place holds a special place for me because of the huge Nandi ( now under restoration) which remains one of my strongest childhood memories since I spent the first 4 years of my life in Tanjore. We visited the kindergarten school I went to - more on that later.

Gangaikondacholapuram is well maintained, though it is in an obscure village. The name is derived from the King who built this- he was the one to victoriously conquer lands upto the Ganges. The Gopuram is a bit shorter and the decorative tiers more rounded than the Big Temple. The Nandi's head is a bit small for the body and not in black stone unlike the other two temples. What excited the girls most was the bird life there- it is as mesmerising as the temple itself.

Darasuram/ Dharasuram was what we liked the most and it helped to have a good guide in Dorai ( 09944312150). The temple offered glimpses of Konark, of oil lamps of yore and symmetrical pillars. There was a food deity where the crown and the vessels were hollow ( in stone) while the rest of the statue- i.e. the body sounded full. We saw a miniature Ganesha and Shiva with much detailing. Even the Nandi here is smaller but prettier.

These three were enough to make the trip worthwhile. But I will  share what else we did in a while.

Adittys

Navy-  Why do I love you so much baby?
Aditi- Because you dont love me little Appa.


Me- Why do you ...... is often answered with
Aditi- Because the sky is so high ( credit for this goes to my father)

Anushka turns Seven

Seven Wonders of the World. The Saptarishis. Sapta Swara. Secret Seven.
Do you know any more?

You turn seven today, my sweety pie. I am not sure how much you will recall of the year that went by, when you grow up to be seventeen. Here is a summary for the future:

About you at 7:

 

To eat: Bhindi 7 days a week is your idea of a great menu. You added mild Masale Bhaat to your list of likes, you eat almost all veggies and fruits , but still go easy on spice/ chillies. You are not much into junk but have discovered Fanta! ( still only a party indulgence)

To read: You love reading about  the earth, the environ and animals. You enjoyed Samhita’s Mahabharatha as much as you liked Dr Suess. You read to Aditi when she lets you. You amaze me with your memory. You learnt to recite Miller of the Dee so well and so quickly.

To do:  Kenken, anagrams on miniclip, maths questions, association games, Uno, art/ craft of any kind, skating, cycling, swimming, chess, hoola hoop, badminton, dribbling the ball ( they have all been part of your year). Key board, dancing, singing , traveling (Hampi, Goa, Hyderabad, among others), writing ( progressively lesser) and unfortunately watching TV ( Chota bheem has been dislodged and Amazing Spies are your favorite)

At School:  You enjoy school and fit in well. You have begun folk dance and continue chess. You are not particularly athletic. Your teachers' review of you has been great as a good student and more importantly a concerned classmate. You won the general proficiency award/ Golden Child recognition to prove that.

Socially: Your friend T remains your most cherished one. But you are beginning to make new good friends too as your bday list shows.

Physically: You have lost around 4 - 5 teeth and grown even taller. You got your first pair of specs. And then post a review, few months later, the doc said you did not need glasses.

With family: You are a very loving and lovable accommodating child, a wonderful grandkid and exemplary Akka.

Being Amma, here is my two bit of gyaan-

- Stop bruising yourself so often- be more alert and aware, but don't stop dreaming and questioning

- Be less diplomatic- take a stand, even if it is to disagree with me ( except I have the final word as of now)

- Stay happy always and learn to chill out a bit more. Just so that I know you are seven and not thirty seven.

And you know what? .......ok- let me say it - Love you too much!!

Amma.

Freedom to be!

Sister Act on Independence Day!

Anush has mastered Jana Gana on the keyboard and almost there with Vande Mataram. We have been subject to Aditi singing along (with her own words inserted often) a zillion times since morning!

Pictures speak

The Food

The decor

The activities

The takeaway gift with the bag

R's Mom Says so

Here are R's mom's take on THE book and also ITW's take.

Anushka's Seventh Birthday Party

Since the party happened before the birthdate day, my post to Anush awaits its turn.

Decor

The young lady wanted an eco theme.

We tried using only one side paper as much as possible for the decor.

We found some balloons which were supposedly eco friendly!

We found chocolates that did not use much wraps

Food

The cake was as usual from the Baking institute- yummy!

- pasta with a mild pesto sauce

- aloo- peas birds' nest

- sprouts salad

- green spinach/ palak murukkus, oatmeal cookies/ pista rolls

- dry fruits, kiwis and cucumber - 'trees'

Activities

We had a tree hunt with seven clues.
A friendly potter added to the fun

And so did running cycle tyres with a stick.

The scooter rides for all the kids was a last minute and much enjoyed activity but not very green though.

There was smelling spices in potlis and identifying them to occupy the slightly older crowd.

Guests
Apart from Anush's and our friends and bloggers turned friends from Blore, we also had a bookworm blogger from Hbad join us.

Return gift

Apart from a couple of guests, all were excited by the 'return gift' as well- a nice cotton bag with a hardy plant in it. Bags are made by an NGO Vandanamu-  run by a friend- with material I had chosen from Pantheon road , Chennai.

They also got to carry back their 'pots' made with the potter's help.

Flower Power

The girls and I went with my cousin (from Delhi) to her zany workplace in Blore for lunch followed by a visit to the Bangalore Flower Show 2012 at Lalbaug. Wonderful time was had by all - though I cannot understand why the ducks could not have yellow or orange floral beaks  and why the pandas which had such gorgeous structure could not have been created with white flowers .....

Strand Book Sale

If you like travelling, go here for my latest review at Saffron Tree.
Maybe I could write one for Chennai!

Peeked in at the Strand sale during lunch break and ended up spending on the kids books only. Bumped into fellow ST members- Arundathi and S.

And could not help noticing copies of  the book at the Tulika section.

Thank you!

Here are a couple of pics from the book launch that happened in Bangalore and in Chennai on Saturday.

A huge THANKS to Tulika, Atta Galatta, Pappadum and Praba!

At Atta Galatta, Blore

At Pappadum, Chennai

And thanks to those of you who made it and those who bought the book as well.

Flip!!

I promise I will not do more posts on the book here.
Well, not more than once a week at least.

The book is available on Flipkart as well.

Pics of the books are not up yet, so make sure you choose the correct language combination.

Just saying, because- my Bangla friend ordered a Malayalam copy!! On the flip side, she gets to gift the book and spread joy.( See me smile!)

And go to ST for an interview with the illustrator- Roomani. Her new book 'Come!' looks very inviting.

Tastea!!

Finally made a trip to Infinitea in Blore. Loved the little touches and the shorts eats as much as the hour glass timer they gave us for the tea to soak into the water and the service itself.
Wish they would do a Japanese Tea ceremony sometime as well.

There is one in Kochi waiting for me - Tea Pot cafe hope they are willing to part with a few of the kettles at least.

While on tea, there used to be a nice place in Adyar called Cup and Saucer long ago. Long gone now.

There is of course Chaipatty and have just heard of Elma in Delhi!

Calling Bangalore and Chennai !!

Calling all kid book lovers and parents of kids....

Come and join me for a book reading and some fun at Atta Galatta, Kormangala, Bangalore, 4.30pm - 5.30pm, on 4th August, Saturday. 

Here is what a very gracious friend, ST founder and story teller, is doing for me in Chennai, the same day, at Pappadum, Teynampet, 12 noon- 12.30pm.