SOULspace

Navratri 2012 is over for most South Indians. After marathon golu visits and sundal packets, the glitter and glamour ends today on Vijaydasami, the 10th day of Victory. An auspicious day to begin a new learning, be it Vidyarambam, or any other creative/musical learning.  This time, uncharacteristically my 10 days have been hectic, filled with something or the other, as varied as attending storytelling workshop on two days, to a story session at Whitefield, followed by guests over the weekend, and crazily driving my son to Gerry Martin's Farm for a nature camp, just because I felt this was long overdue for him. My aching back and sore eyes are testimony to the hardships endured!! But the crowning glory to festivities this year was being able to visit the Bombe Golu and Puppet show by Dhaatu at Banashankari. It is a not-for-profit, solely driven by the passion of one woman: Anupama Hoskere who creates, conceptualizes  directs and executes traditional...

This time I have something to show off!! Son decides to do Warli...inspired by what I was dabbling with ..... and here is what he did: So we got it framed and there it is at the centre of Golu 2012 Doesn't it look magnificent? Rangoli inspired by some wonderful pieces we saw on Commercial street, you can take a look at that over here  An enlarged view of the "pride of place' painting   Do not miss the little side Golu done by daughter and son Gandhiji celebrating Pongal at Sabarmati: conceptualised and designed by daughter The posters were also made by daughter at different times that she chose to pin up here, which so perfectly belong to the mood and theme of our current times Hope you enjoyed our Golu 2012 as much as we had fun, fighting, bickering, rearranging, assorting, placing, cleaning, and organising this season's Navaratri Hangama! 

"Do I really need to buy that (one more) toy?" "Gosh, look at the cost" "How long before he is going to ask me for another toy?" Do these mental conversations sound familiar? I am sure every parent has gone through that phase where too much is too less and and in an enthusiastic need to encourage learning in our child we land up buying way too many toys which our children outgrow too soon as well. Hold On Keep that thought. So why do we buy toys? Do they actually serve a purpose? Let us rewind a bit, and put things in perspective. 0-5 years is the crucial development period and most learning happens around this age, and most importantly learning happens as the child pro-actively engages with the environment through outdoor and indoor playful interactions. Children are used to playing with whatever is available to them...give them a plate and spoon and see how your toddler starts banging on it...and you don't even have to teach them. We ...

The day dawned pretty early, not withstanding the late night (we stayed up to watch the Garuda Sevai- a procession through the streets where the main Vigraham /idol is carried on a beautifully flower adorned Garuda all around the streets. My son thought the idol would actually be carried on the back of a real bird!! Alas the lack of knowledge of a city bred agnostic family! Though I have seen and participated in such late night jaunts by the Lord through the bylanes of Mylapore, for my son it was a brand new experience. Yet in a blink of an eye, the dancing boys, chanting Vadiyars and tall, muscular bearers passed by and we returned to our room; a memory to be stored), we got ready and made a quick visit to the Courtrallam Falls, along with another friend and the NalaBagam (server of divine food!)of our stay. @ https://sites.google.com/site/yokesociety/    The meaning behind a name and taking ownership and how we live up to our names formed...

This is where I had been   https://sites.google.com/site/yokesociety/ An onslaught of pictures follow; so beware...! I created a simple screen for a butterfly puppet dance  Followed by my friend and cohort, who always introduces the day's story and doings to the kids   Then I had kids write out their names and one quality in them they thought was most true This activity was a way to get children to become more self aware and also take some pride in who they are  So they wrote it out on triangular sheets of paper and we mad a Thoranam that we hung across the room Busy, busy, hands and mind, working on their little special note Followed by a story called Little Vinayak, about an elephant with a trunk toooo long Paper envelop puppets to make and show  We also made an Origami mouse Then wound up the day with an Elephant and Mouse story, that children made up on the spot! ...

How can I refuse a very tempting offer? An opportunity to tell stories, breathe in some wonderful village air and an open invitation to bring the kids along... I grabbed it with both hands!! An opportunity to share my passion for stories, books and and storytelling with children in a remote village near Tirunelveli came to me through a friend. Please drop into this website to see what a single woman and her passion has created https://sites.google.com/site/yokesociety/ The busy Tirunelveli junction was conspicuously clean compared to the bedlam and dirt that one encounters in large city stations. To my son's delight we were received by our 'driver', who had come in an extra large (I mention this, as I had a huge suitcase and bag and they were packed neatly and comfortably into it!)  auto rickshaw (a share auto-as it is called in Chennai)  to ferry us to the village of Kodaganallur. I kept my eyes pealed trying to soa...