Learning Every Moment (Part 4): Where does My food Come From; How’s it Made?

by Rashmie on February 25, 2013 · 3 comments

in Nature Learning,Nurture & Culture

learning every moment, how's molasses made

In the Malnad (hilly region) region of Karnataka (South of India) that Avie belongs to, jaggery is a very important ingredient in every dish – no matter sweet or savory (check out this banana bread recipe I shared earlier). The form of jaggery that’s used here is not solid but viscous, quite like black strap molasses In fact, if you were to have a look at it (or taste it for that matter), you’d most likely think of it as Black Strap Mollases rather than jaggery. Even during the making process only one step separates the black, lustrous Mollases from the thick, dark, viscous jaggery that I’m talking about.

As much as we love the semi-liquid, humble jaggery (called ‘Bella‘ in Kannada) for its finger-licking taste and nutritional value (it’s packed with iron, calcium, copper, manganese, magnesium, and many trace minerals), it’s the process of making it that’s fascinating beyond doubt.

Each time we visit Sagara (this is where my in-laws live), if it’s February or early March, a visit to the Ale Mane (sugar cane house) is a must-do.

In this 4th story of the Learning Every Moment series, I want to share about our experience of seeing where our food comes from and how it’s made. In cities, this is one big and important link that we and our children miss. We go to super stores, purchase our food in packets without ever getting a glimpse into the stage where the food (raw) is grown or processed into its edible form.

Knowing what goes into the making of food in the hands of the farmer will probably lead our children to appreciate its value much more than they may otherwise do. I know that’s happened for Pari. She always loved eating bella, as a dip, with her dose or idli or utttapam, but ever since she’s she’s seen how the bella is made – with so much labour of love, it’s become precious for her. (She’d seen a few times in the past few years but this time around, due to the age she’s at – 7 yrs – her understanding and appreciation of it has been stark.

So, why don’t I share the whole process with you. I think, you’ll love seeing the pictures and reading about the steps involved in the making of jaggery or black strap molasses.

Get the full dose of curiosity!

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Learning Every Moment (Part 3): Visiting Grandpa’s Farm and Reliving the Stories

by Rashmie on February 22, 2013 · 3 comments

in Nature Learning,Nurture & Culture

Visiting my father-in-law’s farm is nothing short of a festival for each of us – Pari, Avie and me. Like every year, we went to the farm last week with Avie’s family – his parents, younger sister (including her hubby and daughter) and youngest brother, who got engaged ten days back. Being with the whole family is a beautiful experience in itself. But, going with them to the farm where they spent their childhood means opening up a treasure chest of stories that each has to share from their childhood days. Avie was born on the farm and lived there for nearly 10 years. No wonder, he has the most intense and loving memories associated with the farm house.

In this 3rd part of the *’Learning Every Moment’ series, I’m sharing a bunch of pictures from the farm and with each picture, a little tid-bit about its history, my folks, their life and work, the nature and more. More than anything else, I want to reflect on how heartening real-life stories can be. Especially the stories of parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, parents’ friends, culture, native lands that we share with our children. (*read part I: Curiosity and Part II: Slow Living).

Talking about my father-in-law’s farm – I love this place and the nature that’s part of it – the hundreds of coconut trees, wild berries and local fruits, the spice and other plants (cardamom, pepper, cashew nuts, areca nuts, vanilla).

Hope you’ll love reading about this part of the world and the way people live. And, I’m saying this for my Indian readers, too – those of you who live in cities and have never been close enough to a village life, but may want to know.

Get the full dose of curiosity!

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Learning Every Moment (II): Slowing Down When in the Company of the Sea, Sand and Star Fishes

by Rashmie on February 19, 2013 · 5 comments

in Creative Play,Nature Learning,Nurture & Culture

slow living natural learning

Learning was the last thing on our minds when donning our swimming costumes we made a dash for the silvery sands of the Varca beach, in Goa. We never set out with any remotest agenda that we might learn about the sea creatures; about how to brave the rising and crashing waves; about the saltiness of the water and whether that makes swimming easy or difficult compared to fresh water.

And yet, in the middle of all the energetic playing and bathing and jumping in the waves, the amount of observation and conversation that ensued makes me wonder at the magic of natural, unplanned, unscheduled learning. The same kind of learning that I wrote about in Part 1 of the “Learning Every Moment” series: Learning on the Railway Platform.

In this post, I’m capturing some deep and tender learning moments from the silvery Varca beach of Goa.

Get the full dose of curiosity!

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Learning Every Moment (Part 1): Learning Needs NO Scheduled Time, Place or Curriculum

by Rashmie on February 18, 2013 · 10 comments

in My Travelogue,Nurture & Culture

natural learning homeschooling India unschooling

Our month-long journey across different towns, cities and country-side began exactly a week back. As I sit down to capture my thoughts about our journey so far, and especially the part about learning by traveling – remember, I told you in my last post that I’d be sharing our travel with you through a series that I want to call “Learning by Traveling” – I’m unable to decide where to begin, what all do I write about, which learning moments do I present to you and which ones can I skip. For the reality is – each and every moment came wrapped in oodles and layers of learning. And we unwrapped those moments enthusiastically and made them part of our life….

And yet, I want to share a few wondrous moments to affirm how learning takes place, in its richest and purest form, when we take cues from our surrounding, get connected to our sense of wonder, let our imagination soar, allow our curious instinct to take the lead and give a free reign to our five senses – that will soak up the nuances of sound, smell, sight, touch, feel…

So, in this series titled “Learning Every Moment”, I’m sharing the first of our numerous favourite unscheduled, unplanned learning moments in the week that went by and the next few weeks to come.

Here’s our FIRST favourite learning moment – utterly unplanned but deeply driven by the curious instinct that every human mind is gifted with but loses along the way…

Get the full dose of curiosity!

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Was I Low on Motivation or Was It Winter-Churning?

by Rashmie on February 10, 2013 · 3 comments

in Holistic Living

motivation

I hadn’t planned it. I mean the hibernation (from blog) the past couple of months. All these days, I have – in my head – written dozens of stories, experiences and reflections that I would have wanted to share with you all here. But, when it came to actually writing down the articles, either time eluded me or motivation.

There I go. I said it. Motivation!

I’ve always had a consistent relationship with that word. It’s something that, I’ve believed, flows through my veins – like blood. Yes, I’ve counted that ‘M’ word (I call it ‘M’globin) as part of my lymphatic system – it more than makes up for the low haemoglobin count I’ve had since childhood. (okay, so that makes me anemic in the medical parlance but it hasn’t left me with low energy levels thanks to the ‘M’ cells.)

Then, whatever happened in the past couple of months? Was it lack of time? Or, hey, did my ‘M’globin actually run dry? Honestly, I myself don’t have a clear answer. I confess, as I’m writing this, I’m reflecting and talking aloud. And, I need your help to sort this out and understand.

Get the full dose of curiosity!

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Writer’s Workshop for Kids and Teens @ Mommy Labs

by Rashmie on January 21, 2013 · 5 comments

in Read & Write

writers workshop for children Delhi India Mommy Labs

Folks, I’m all stimulated to announce a new endeavour, something that’s been on my mind (and entrenched in my heart) for a long time now.

I’m going to start Writer’s Workshop for children – kids and teens, here, in the Delhi area.

The one thing that’s been my constant love since childhood is writing and the written word itself. And, no matter how often I’ve digressed from it and took different routes – in higher study or in my career path – I found myself at the intersection of writing, more than just once.

Studying Advertising and Mass Communication (after graduating in Economics) was the first time I listened to my heart’s calling. Starting this blog (and another one before this) was a way to keep that flame burning. Having a child who shares my love for reading was another sign, possibly? Homeschooling her and helping her nurture her love for the written word seems more than just a coincidence.

And now, after months of contemplation, I’m listening to another of those deep callings from within; a yearning to facilitate writer’s workshops for young people.
Get the full dose of curiosity!

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Give Books, Give Love: Celebrate Book Giving Day This February 14th

by Rashmie on January 14, 2013 · 6 comments

in Read & Write

international book giving day India Mommy Labs

[International Book Giving Day 2013 poster – to print (pdf)]

Will you celebrate International Book Giving Day with me, this February 14?

“Hey, but what’s a Book Giving Day? I thought Feb. 14 was Valentine’s Day!”, you might ask.

The Book Giving Day is dedicated to getting new, used and borrowed books into the hands of as many children as possible. 

I celebrated and wrote about it last year on Feb. 14. It isn’t as if the day has become as popular as Valentine’s Day. Not as yet. But thanks to Amy Broadmoore’s zeal and commitment (and to her worldwide team), the Book giving Day has gained plenty of support (and hearts) across the globe. And, it’s gaining momentum every single day. (Read on to see the number of bloggers, authors and illustrators joining hands for this day.)

I’d like to invite you all to join me in this beautiful celebration.

So, how can you celebrate Book Giving Day? And, in what ways can you spread the love? Find out…
Get the full dose of curiosity!

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This Mom’s Reflection (and Remorse): You Can’t Teach Children to Behave Better by Making Them Feel Worse…

by Rashmie on December 27, 2012 · 12 comments

in Holistic Living

Mommy Labs

On Christmas my family had come over to our place in the afternoon. Within minutes of their arrival, Pari wanted to go out and play. I said, okay. Play is very close to her heart. It’s a part of life for every child. And, Pari is only seven.

But, I told her to consider coming back earlier than usual (she usually plays for 3-4 hours in our residence campus) so she could spend time with family members. She said she’ll come back in 20 minutes! I knew 20 minutes is nothing. I told her, “you can play longer than that but don’t get too late.”

She came back after 3 hours!
Get the full dose of curiosity!

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Colors and Spirit of Christmas In Pictures, Poetry, Quotes

by Rashmie December 25, 2012

I have a peculiar way of relaxing and seeking some quick ‘me-time’. Browsing through the hundreds of pictures on my laptop – especially pictures that evoke memoires – give me inexplicable joy. That’s the reason I have my hard-drive next to my laptop – so I can plug it in anytime and sift through pictures [...]

1 comment Hurry up and read the full article →

Our Flamboyant Salt Dough Ornaments

by Rashmie December 20, 2012

Pari loves the entire process of making salt dough ornaments – measuring (flour, salt, water), kneading, rolling, cutting, baking, painting, thread the yarn or ribbon and then decorating the tree for Christmas! What a wonderful project it is from start to finish and offers so many opportunities for conversations, connections and learning – by living [...]

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