June is always a strange month -- the heat slows you down, but your social life tends to get rather crowded (picnics, trips out of town, camp plans for kids...) and it's sometimes easy to miss out on the pleasure of just vegging out in the summer. Tell us how you plan for summer - what do you do over the warm months (except for those in the antipodes!) to make sure you and the kids have a fun but inspiring time out of school. Do you opt for summer camps, in which case at what age do you start, and for how long do you go? If it's travel, what are the most child-friendly places you've been? etc.
In our case, we've been suffering a very hot turn of events in NYC - the kids were exhausted with the 96° F temperatures. We spent time in the park with friends, and the sprinklers and bubbles proved popular, but we're definitely planning on more days indoors!! July brings a couple of weeks in South America. I'll keep you posted on how that goes. I personally took a trip down memory lane with a visit to Oxford, and I think taking a couple of days to be with yourself in a fun, soothing environment did wonders for my spirit. The five days by myself at the reunion (where I spoke, we all hung out and chatted about life, etc.) really recharged my batteries. Try it some time -- I was lucky to have my parents visiting, so that I didn't worry about the kids at all (and hubby is great with them anyway!) I'm able to plan their summer better thanks to the breathing room I gave myself!
Share your best and worst summer experiences, lessons learned, and advice!
Roopa
http://rooparecipes.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Bag to School
School reopens this week for most children in India. And along with the flurry of excitement that comes with entering a new class, comes the thrill of getting to school in their new finery—new uniforms, new shoes, new raincoats and umbrellas, as this is monsoon season. And of course new bags. Yes, this is going to be my topic for this column. The school bag. Whether the fancy ones with Disney and other cartoon characters embellishing their surface, or the plain canvas ones, long forgotten by the urban children but still in use in rural areas. Both with a single fact in common. Packed to capacity with books that often make the bag unbearably heavy to carry. Some children carry close to their own weight in books to school and back everyday. The average weight of a school bag in Mumbai is 9 kilos. And this is without factoring in sports kits and the like.
According to reports that come out in the newspaper, where intrepid reporters accost unsuspecting school children on their way to school, and weigh their bags, some bags weigh as much as 12 kgs. I kid you not. Have these schools not sensitised themselves to the sad fact that they are physically and psychologically making the children beasts of burden, weighed down under studies?
It is a common sight to see parents escorting their children and carrying their bags for them. And almost leaning over diagonally like human towers of Pisa with the weight. How would the child ever be able to carry the bag, one wonders? When the brat was in playschool, he was all of 20 months and he had a timetable, and books to be carried in his bag as per the timetable. Yes, it was a really horrible playschool, but nonetheless. Needless to say, the brat being the brat, half the books were tattered beyond comprehension and the remainder were a mish mash of edibles spilled and crayon work gone haywire, but the fact is that my heart broke everytime I saw him teeter across the building compound his school bag on his little back, almost as big as he was at the time.
Thankfully, his current school only has us send in a spare change of clothes, a tiffin box, and a water bottle, apart from his almanac. Making his load relatively lighter, of course.
But such schools are few and far between. Some schools have tried to alleviate the load of the child by having worksheets instead of rough books. Two sets of text books to be kept in class and at home (But that is an indulgence that the rich can afford). Sharing of textbooks by benchpartners, to reduce the load to be carried into class every single day.
But the fact remains that most children are tottering around like beasts of burden which school bags which could give a good trekking bag a run for its money, and god help you if you get side swipped by one of these. It could knock you out flat to a count of ten.
But jokes apart, what are the obvious problems heavy bags could cause? Back problems for one. Chronic back pain for another. If your child is constantly stating that he or she has a backache, pay attention. And take a good hard look at the school bag. It could be the culprit. I personally know of a case, a 13 year old girl sharing the room with the brat when he was once admitted into a pediatric ward for his febrile convulsions, a child in Standard IX who had developed nerve compression in her spine as a result of carrying a too heavy bag too long and too far, as she lived a long bus ride away from her school. Not pretty. In fact, it was very very scary.
Spine misalignment, wear and tear of ligaments, joint problems, stunted growth and much more are being cited by orthopedics as possible outcomes of consistently carrying around overtly heavy bags. Surely, our children deserve better.
Pediatricians recommend that the weight of the school bag should be no more than 10 percent of the child’s body weight. The bag should be carried on the back with two padded straps resting firmly on either shoulder to balance out the weight. And the school not make it mandatory for the child to stand with the bag during assembly.
For the parent, do check out the weight of the bag you are buying for the child when it is empty. If it is already heavy to start with, dump it, however attractive it may be. Do realize that lunch boxes, water bottles, etc are added weight for the child to carry, in addition to raincoats and umbrellas during the monsoon. Do look for lightweight options to everything. Buy 100 page notebooks for rough work rather than the heavier hardback 500 page versions. Ask if your child can get worksheets rather than books for rough work. Check if sport equipment can be kept in lockers at school.
Do weigh your child’s bag on a regular basis and check in with the school if you feel it is consistently too heavy, and if there are some items which can be reduced.
And last but not the least, do know that the government has stipulated that there is a fixed maximum weight to a school bag, which should not exceed ten percent of the child’s body weight.
The Indian Parliament introduced The Children school Bags (Limitation On weight) Bill, 2006.
The important points of this bill were that the weight of the school bag should not exceed ten percent of the child’s body weight.
Nursery and kindergarten students should carry no school bags.
Schools should provide appropriate lockers in schools for the children to use.
The schools should issue guidelines on school bags.
To quote from the bill:
It shall be the duty of the appropriate Government to ensure that the weight of
the school bag to be carried by a child of particular class shall not be more than ten per cent
of the weight of the child:
Also, as part of the bill come the following stipulations:
(a) the students should use appropriate school bag with several compartments
to balance the weight and broad padded straps for symmetrical distribution of weight
on their spine;
(b) the students should always use both straps for carrying school bags and no
student is slinging his bag over one shoulder;
(c) the students should always keep the bag down while waiting for the school
conveyance or in the school assembly;
(d) the students should bend at knees with back straight while lifting the school
bag.
(e) the students should be told how to pack their school bags so that heavy
items should be close to the body and not carry unwanted items to school.
Schools which are found to be violating this rule, and which have not provided lockers for the children to keep their belongings, will be fined and if recognized, will be derecognized on repeat offence.
The bill has explained in detail the rationale behind its being passed as pasted under:
STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS
Small children often have been seen tottering to school with heavy backpacks. The
results of this excessive weight is more serious than ever expected. Some children may
develop a permanent stoop due to the heavy pressure on their spinal cord, which would lead
to permanent damage to their physical structure and back muscles.
It is a medically proven fact that lifting heavy burdens for a long time or distance is not
good for anyone, especially children. In the tender age, bones are delicate and excessive
weight can misalign the spine leading to offensive skeletal and muscle maturity. Carrying a
heavy bag on the back often results in aches in the back and shoulders. Forward bending at
the back makes the work of breathing harder. Children carrying bags weighing more than
10 per cent of their body weight have been found to have poorer lung function.
Yet, life goes on as before for most families even after they hear their children
complaining about pain in back and neck. Growing weight of school bag and its effect on
health of the children has became a matter of grave concern for every parent School authorities
have also been expressing their concern over the issue but nothing is being done to lessen
the burden of school bags.
Along with books, children have to carry their sports and other equipment with them.
If lockers are provided to children in school, it will allow them to leave sports equipment, and
certain books and notebooks in school. Further, the school should issue common instructions
to students in advance which books will be needed and which can be left at home and
teaching the child to put down the bag when waiting at the bus stop, in the assembly, and to
use both straps of the bag, etc. Some schools have adopted a way for reducing the weight of
school bags. They don't send all the books back home. Only those books are kept in the bags
which the students are required to study at home. This has been working very well for junior
classes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to enact legislation for the whole of the country
to save the children from carrying heavy loads on their back.
Hence this Bill.
VIJAY J. DARDA
Additional links
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/443633.cms
Children being children, will be tempted to carry along their entire quota of books every day to ensure that they do not leave behind a single book by mistake. Do keep your eyes peeled to check whether they're overloading their bags more than is essential.
You owe it to their growing backs.
According to reports that come out in the newspaper, where intrepid reporters accost unsuspecting school children on their way to school, and weigh their bags, some bags weigh as much as 12 kgs. I kid you not. Have these schools not sensitised themselves to the sad fact that they are physically and psychologically making the children beasts of burden, weighed down under studies?
It is a common sight to see parents escorting their children and carrying their bags for them. And almost leaning over diagonally like human towers of Pisa with the weight. How would the child ever be able to carry the bag, one wonders? When the brat was in playschool, he was all of 20 months and he had a timetable, and books to be carried in his bag as per the timetable. Yes, it was a really horrible playschool, but nonetheless. Needless to say, the brat being the brat, half the books were tattered beyond comprehension and the remainder were a mish mash of edibles spilled and crayon work gone haywire, but the fact is that my heart broke everytime I saw him teeter across the building compound his school bag on his little back, almost as big as he was at the time.
Thankfully, his current school only has us send in a spare change of clothes, a tiffin box, and a water bottle, apart from his almanac. Making his load relatively lighter, of course.
But such schools are few and far between. Some schools have tried to alleviate the load of the child by having worksheets instead of rough books. Two sets of text books to be kept in class and at home (But that is an indulgence that the rich can afford). Sharing of textbooks by benchpartners, to reduce the load to be carried into class every single day.
But the fact remains that most children are tottering around like beasts of burden which school bags which could give a good trekking bag a run for its money, and god help you if you get side swipped by one of these. It could knock you out flat to a count of ten.
But jokes apart, what are the obvious problems heavy bags could cause? Back problems for one. Chronic back pain for another. If your child is constantly stating that he or she has a backache, pay attention. And take a good hard look at the school bag. It could be the culprit. I personally know of a case, a 13 year old girl sharing the room with the brat when he was once admitted into a pediatric ward for his febrile convulsions, a child in Standard IX who had developed nerve compression in her spine as a result of carrying a too heavy bag too long and too far, as she lived a long bus ride away from her school. Not pretty. In fact, it was very very scary.
Spine misalignment, wear and tear of ligaments, joint problems, stunted growth and much more are being cited by orthopedics as possible outcomes of consistently carrying around overtly heavy bags. Surely, our children deserve better.
Pediatricians recommend that the weight of the school bag should be no more than 10 percent of the child’s body weight. The bag should be carried on the back with two padded straps resting firmly on either shoulder to balance out the weight. And the school not make it mandatory for the child to stand with the bag during assembly.
For the parent, do check out the weight of the bag you are buying for the child when it is empty. If it is already heavy to start with, dump it, however attractive it may be. Do realize that lunch boxes, water bottles, etc are added weight for the child to carry, in addition to raincoats and umbrellas during the monsoon. Do look for lightweight options to everything. Buy 100 page notebooks for rough work rather than the heavier hardback 500 page versions. Ask if your child can get worksheets rather than books for rough work. Check if sport equipment can be kept in lockers at school.
Do weigh your child’s bag on a regular basis and check in with the school if you feel it is consistently too heavy, and if there are some items which can be reduced.
And last but not the least, do know that the government has stipulated that there is a fixed maximum weight to a school bag, which should not exceed ten percent of the child’s body weight.
The Indian Parliament introduced The Children school Bags (Limitation On weight) Bill, 2006.
The important points of this bill were that the weight of the school bag should not exceed ten percent of the child’s body weight.
Nursery and kindergarten students should carry no school bags.
Schools should provide appropriate lockers in schools for the children to use.
The schools should issue guidelines on school bags.
To quote from the bill:
It shall be the duty of the appropriate Government to ensure that the weight of
the school bag to be carried by a child of particular class shall not be more than ten per cent
of the weight of the child:
Also, as part of the bill come the following stipulations:
(a) the students should use appropriate school bag with several compartments
to balance the weight and broad padded straps for symmetrical distribution of weight
on their spine;
(b) the students should always use both straps for carrying school bags and no
student is slinging his bag over one shoulder;
(c) the students should always keep the bag down while waiting for the school
conveyance or in the school assembly;
(d) the students should bend at knees with back straight while lifting the school
bag.
(e) the students should be told how to pack their school bags so that heavy
items should be close to the body and not carry unwanted items to school.
Schools which are found to be violating this rule, and which have not provided lockers for the children to keep their belongings, will be fined and if recognized, will be derecognized on repeat offence.
The bill has explained in detail the rationale behind its being passed as pasted under:
STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS
Small children often have been seen tottering to school with heavy backpacks. The
results of this excessive weight is more serious than ever expected. Some children may
develop a permanent stoop due to the heavy pressure on their spinal cord, which would lead
to permanent damage to their physical structure and back muscles.
It is a medically proven fact that lifting heavy burdens for a long time or distance is not
good for anyone, especially children. In the tender age, bones are delicate and excessive
weight can misalign the spine leading to offensive skeletal and muscle maturity. Carrying a
heavy bag on the back often results in aches in the back and shoulders. Forward bending at
the back makes the work of breathing harder. Children carrying bags weighing more than
10 per cent of their body weight have been found to have poorer lung function.
Yet, life goes on as before for most families even after they hear their children
complaining about pain in back and neck. Growing weight of school bag and its effect on
health of the children has became a matter of grave concern for every parent School authorities
have also been expressing their concern over the issue but nothing is being done to lessen
the burden of school bags.
Along with books, children have to carry their sports and other equipment with them.
If lockers are provided to children in school, it will allow them to leave sports equipment, and
certain books and notebooks in school. Further, the school should issue common instructions
to students in advance which books will be needed and which can be left at home and
teaching the child to put down the bag when waiting at the bus stop, in the assembly, and to
use both straps of the bag, etc. Some schools have adopted a way for reducing the weight of
school bags. They don't send all the books back home. Only those books are kept in the bags
which the students are required to study at home. This has been working very well for junior
classes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to enact legislation for the whole of the country
to save the children from carrying heavy loads on their back.
Hence this Bill.
VIJAY J. DARDA
Additional links
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/443633.cms
Children being children, will be tempted to carry along their entire quota of books every day to ensure that they do not leave behind a single book by mistake. Do keep your eyes peeled to check whether they're overloading their bags more than is essential.
You owe it to their growing backs.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Padma Venkatraman's Book Tour at DMC
Padma Venkatraman's writing is as multifaceted as her life: an eventful life that included wonderful experiences such as diving in the Indian Ocean, backpacking across Europe, directing a school in England, and leading research cruises on the Baltic Sea. She has written novels, biographies, picture books, poetry, scientific journal articles, and over a hundred popular science articles for children and adults. Padma Venkatraman was born in India but is now a United States citizen.
It is an honor to have her with us at DMC for her Book Tour Stop for her new novel CLIMBING THE STAIRS. You must have already read the review of this book by our dear member Praba, today she shares her experience of juggling writing and being a Mom with all of us at DMC.
Over to Padma...
Sandeepa, it’s great to be your guest blogger today! Thanks for hosting me on my 4th stop on my very first blog book tour!
And hello, desi moms! If there are any non-desi moms out there who are wondering who a desi mom is, desi is…well…anyone of Indian heritage…that’s pretty accurate, I think…and a mom is…well…what a mum is on the American side of the Atlantic.
A desi mom is one who most likely doesn’t need to have the words “Jai Hind” translated, and one who, when she reads The Protest March chapter of CLIMBING THE STAIRS, can hear the crowd singing Vande Mataram and Sare Jahan Se Acha.The first thing I want to say is Namaskaram, Namaste, and hats off to all of you parents – it takes a parent to really respect what a huge responsibility parenthood is and how much time it takes.
For a few years now, I’ve been juggling science and writing…but now, it’s science, writing and baby…and that really is a new skill. How does one write when a baby yells? Here are 3 tips for those of you with writing aspirations that interfere with yelling kids. Or it the other way around?
1. Write everyday, even if you don’t write everyday.Keep in touch with subject matter mentally on days when you aren’t able to write. Think about it – think actively and constructively about your manuscript – sometime every day – maybe not when you are driving to work, but perhaps at least when you brush your teeth at night. Why? It keeps the subject alive in you and makes it much easier when you finally do get time to sit and type at the computer. (Having lived in America for so many years, I feel almost compelled now, to add, WARNING – This tip is not to be practiced behind the wheel; dreaming about your book while driving can cause accident, serious injury or worse).
2. Don’t start at the very beginning. That’s a very bad place to start.Yes, despite that song about starting at the very beginning (is that from the Sound of Music, which even made its way into Arundathi Roy’s wonderful novel? I think so. If you are a desi mom, you probably know this non-desi movie and this desi book). Novels aren’t necessarily written in order. Some novelists do it, I’m sure, so if it works for you, then go ahead. However, especially after becoming a mom, I tend to just write whatever chapter I feel like when I finally get a moment. Whatever I can see most clearly that day. Then, I fill in the gaps. Does that work? I don’t know. I hope so. It has to work for me now, so I think it will. In 2010, when Island’s End is published, you can read it and compare it with CLIMBING THE STAIRS, and then you can tell me. Or maybe my editor (who says he is going to be reading these blog posts) will tell me long before that…
3. Don’t waste time worrying about rejection. You will get rejected. That’s part of being a writer. I mean, even after you are a published author, there will be rejections of different types. So, who cares? I try not to. Time is precious, especially when there’s a little baby around. And wasting it on the negatives isn’t a good idea. My editor thinks I’m a bit crazy, but after we got the first two reviews for CLIMBING THE STAIRS, both of which were starred, I told him I wasn’t going to read them. Well, recently, his assistant attended one of my readings and forced me to read another review which was also of the highest quality rating, in an important review journal. So I said okay, okay, and I finally read them. But I try hard not to let them get me too excited. Because in the end, if you are a writer, you need to derive your energy from the process of writing and the good that your books generate, not let yourself get too high or too low because of someone else’s critique.
My friend, writer Vijaya Bodach, who is also a writing desi mom had these words of wisdom: “Enjoy the kids. They grow up much too fast. Learn to write in-between the cracks. I started writing at the kitchen counter just 10-20 minutes a day, while my toddlers played on the floor and supper simmered on the stove. Although I started The Great American Novel, I put it away for smaller pursuits – magazine writing and short stories. I learned to write small things well and it has served me well for my bigger projects. One thing that helped me write *with* my kids was to include them in the writing. We’d all sit at the kitchen table for a few minutes writing stories quietly. Sometimes, I’d write a story and have them draw the pictures for it. Oh, take naps with the kids. It’s wonderful to drift off to sleep during the daytime, with ideas bubbling just under the surface. Then stay up late to write. Five years ago, this is how I carved out two hours of night-time writing. It sure beats writing in 15-min. chunks. Of course, all this changes once the children start school. Then you will have time during the day to write, when you’re actually awake and alert. So fret not when the children are little. Your time will come. After all, you can’t stop the children from growing up.”
She’s right. Holding a baby is even better than holding the very first copy of your debut novel in your hands. That’s saying a lot! Thanks for reading!
For those who want to look at the previous stops on this tour or the ones to come, the information is pasted below. And before I forget, if you want to look at reviews of CLIMBING THE STAIRS, here are some links:
http://www.padmasbooks.com/
http://padmasbooks.blogspot.com/http
http://www.projo.com/books/content/BOOK-CLIMBING-STAIRS_05-18-08_6HA2FQC_v7.b6a7bc.html
http://www.uri.edu/news/releases/index.php?id=4393
It is an honor to have her with us at DMC for her Book Tour Stop for her new novel CLIMBING THE STAIRS. You must have already read the review of this book by our dear member Praba, today she shares her experience of juggling writing and being a Mom with all of us at DMC.
Over to Padma...
Finding time to write when you are a (sleepwalking) parent
Sandeepa, it’s great to be your guest blogger today! Thanks for hosting me on my 4th stop on my very first blog book tour!
And hello, desi moms! If there are any non-desi moms out there who are wondering who a desi mom is, desi is…well…anyone of Indian heritage…that’s pretty accurate, I think…and a mom is…well…what a mum is on the American side of the Atlantic.
A desi mom is one who most likely doesn’t need to have the words “Jai Hind” translated, and one who, when she reads The Protest March chapter of CLIMBING THE STAIRS, can hear the crowd singing Vande Mataram and Sare Jahan Se Acha.The first thing I want to say is Namaskaram, Namaste, and hats off to all of you parents – it takes a parent to really respect what a huge responsibility parenthood is and how much time it takes.
For a few years now, I’ve been juggling science and writing…but now, it’s science, writing and baby…and that really is a new skill. How does one write when a baby yells? Here are 3 tips for those of you with writing aspirations that interfere with yelling kids. Or it the other way around?
1. Write everyday, even if you don’t write everyday.Keep in touch with subject matter mentally on days when you aren’t able to write. Think about it – think actively and constructively about your manuscript – sometime every day – maybe not when you are driving to work, but perhaps at least when you brush your teeth at night. Why? It keeps the subject alive in you and makes it much easier when you finally do get time to sit and type at the computer. (Having lived in America for so many years, I feel almost compelled now, to add, WARNING – This tip is not to be practiced behind the wheel; dreaming about your book while driving can cause accident, serious injury or worse).
2. Don’t start at the very beginning. That’s a very bad place to start.Yes, despite that song about starting at the very beginning (is that from the Sound of Music, which even made its way into Arundathi Roy’s wonderful novel? I think so. If you are a desi mom, you probably know this non-desi movie and this desi book). Novels aren’t necessarily written in order. Some novelists do it, I’m sure, so if it works for you, then go ahead. However, especially after becoming a mom, I tend to just write whatever chapter I feel like when I finally get a moment. Whatever I can see most clearly that day. Then, I fill in the gaps. Does that work? I don’t know. I hope so. It has to work for me now, so I think it will. In 2010, when Island’s End is published, you can read it and compare it with CLIMBING THE STAIRS, and then you can tell me. Or maybe my editor (who says he is going to be reading these blog posts) will tell me long before that…
3. Don’t waste time worrying about rejection. You will get rejected. That’s part of being a writer. I mean, even after you are a published author, there will be rejections of different types. So, who cares? I try not to. Time is precious, especially when there’s a little baby around. And wasting it on the negatives isn’t a good idea. My editor thinks I’m a bit crazy, but after we got the first two reviews for CLIMBING THE STAIRS, both of which were starred, I told him I wasn’t going to read them. Well, recently, his assistant attended one of my readings and forced me to read another review which was also of the highest quality rating, in an important review journal. So I said okay, okay, and I finally read them. But I try hard not to let them get me too excited. Because in the end, if you are a writer, you need to derive your energy from the process of writing and the good that your books generate, not let yourself get too high or too low because of someone else’s critique.
My friend, writer Vijaya Bodach, who is also a writing desi mom had these words of wisdom: “Enjoy the kids. They grow up much too fast. Learn to write in-between the cracks. I started writing at the kitchen counter just 10-20 minutes a day, while my toddlers played on the floor and supper simmered on the stove. Although I started The Great American Novel, I put it away for smaller pursuits – magazine writing and short stories. I learned to write small things well and it has served me well for my bigger projects. One thing that helped me write *with* my kids was to include them in the writing. We’d all sit at the kitchen table for a few minutes writing stories quietly. Sometimes, I’d write a story and have them draw the pictures for it. Oh, take naps with the kids. It’s wonderful to drift off to sleep during the daytime, with ideas bubbling just under the surface. Then stay up late to write. Five years ago, this is how I carved out two hours of night-time writing. It sure beats writing in 15-min. chunks. Of course, all this changes once the children start school. Then you will have time during the day to write, when you’re actually awake and alert. So fret not when the children are little. Your time will come. After all, you can’t stop the children from growing up.”
She’s right. Holding a baby is even better than holding the very first copy of your debut novel in your hands. That’s saying a lot! Thanks for reading!
For those who want to look at the previous stops on this tour or the ones to come, the information is pasted below. And before I forget, if you want to look at reviews of CLIMBING THE STAIRS, here are some links:
http://www.padmasbooks.com/
http://padmasbooks.blogspot.com/http
http://www.projo.com/books/content/BOOK-CLIMBING-STAIRS_05-18-08_6HA2FQC_v7.b6a7bc.html
http://www.uri.edu/news/releases/index.php?id=4393
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Coming soon...Padma Venkatraman's Book Blog tour on DMC - May 25th!
Hello Desimomz
Want to share with you a little bit about Padma Venkatraman's ( the author of Climbing the Stairs) book blog tour that is starting today. Proud to mention that Saffron Tree gets the honor of being the first to host Padma.
Padma, despite her busy schedule around book signing events, has done an interview with questions and answers for Saffron Tree about her book, and her writing career in general.
Padma will be available to take questions from readers throughout today on Saffrontree. If you happen to stop by, please don't forget to leave a comment.
I want to mention that our very own Sandeepa is hosting Padma at DMC on Sunday, May 25th. Padma is doing a guest post on parenthood and finding time to write. How wonderful and relevant a topic for all of us moms who are serious about our own writing/blogging! Really look forward to that...:-)
Here's list of all of Padma's blogtour stops. As you can see, her stops include Desimomzclub and Blogpourri this week. What I find as a fascinating aspect of her tour is that on each stop she is going to be discussing a plethora of topics centering around both personal topics such as parenting, travel, her writing, research career, and general issues relevant to India and the world - gender inequality, Indian marriages, the role of colonies during World War II. Her tour sounds as multi-faceted as her writing and the novel! Dont want you to miss the discussions in the book/author blogosphere, and our own mommy blogs!
1. Friday, May 23rd. Exploring issues of faith, culture and colonization in CLIMBING THE STAIRS; Gandhi and Martin Luther King at Olugbemisola Perkovich’s blog http://olugbemisola.livejournal.com/ (author of Eight Grade Superzero, coming in 2009).
2. Saturday, May 24th. Travel, living in different Indian cities and different countries, how this has influenced my writing at http://blogpourri.blogspot.com/
3. Sunday, May 25th. Being a writing mom, finding time to write, parenthood and writing at http://desimomzclub.blogspot.com/
4. Monday, May 26th. Where were the British colonies during WWII? A few funky facts I unearthed while doing background research for CLIMBING THE STAIRS at author Laura Purdie Salas’s blog. http://laurasalas.livejournal.com/
5. Tuesday, May 27th. CLIMBING THE STAIRS. The process of writing the novel, weaving together the different threads. http://the5randoms.wordpress.com/
6. Wednesday, May 28th. Oceanography, research and CLIMBING THE STAIRS. Making my schizophrenia work to my advantage. My (at least two) personalities. What it’s like to spend your 21st birthday on a research vessel at author Greg Fishbone’s blog. http://tem2.livejournal.com/
7. Thursday, May 29th. What exactly is that dot on the forehead all about? Arranged marriages, Women in India in the 1940’s, Indian marriages today, gender equality issues in CLIMBING THE STAIRS, anything else you ever wanted to know about India at author Carrie Jones’s blog. http://carriejones.livejournal.com/ Friday, May 30th.
8. The grand finale. Moving to America, Becoming an American, Multicultural writing at author Mitali Perkins’s blog. http://www.mitaliblog.com/
Thank you all for reading!
Praba
www.saffrontree.org
Want to share with you a little bit about Padma Venkatraman's ( the author of Climbing the Stairs) book blog tour that is starting today. Proud to mention that Saffron Tree gets the honor of being the first to host Padma.
Padma, despite her busy schedule around book signing events, has done an interview with questions and answers for Saffron Tree about her book, and her writing career in general.
Padma will be available to take questions from readers throughout today on Saffrontree. If you happen to stop by, please don't forget to leave a comment.
I want to mention that our very own Sandeepa is hosting Padma at DMC on Sunday, May 25th. Padma is doing a guest post on parenthood and finding time to write. How wonderful and relevant a topic for all of us moms who are serious about our own writing/blogging! Really look forward to that...:-)
Here's list of all of Padma's blogtour stops. As you can see, her stops include Desimomzclub and Blogpourri this week. What I find as a fascinating aspect of her tour is that on each stop she is going to be discussing a plethora of topics centering around both personal topics such as parenting, travel, her writing, research career, and general issues relevant to India and the world - gender inequality, Indian marriages, the role of colonies during World War II. Her tour sounds as multi-faceted as her writing and the novel! Dont want you to miss the discussions in the book/author blogosphere, and our own mommy blogs!
1. Friday, May 23rd. Exploring issues of faith, culture and colonization in CLIMBING THE STAIRS; Gandhi and Martin Luther King at Olugbemisola Perkovich’s blog http://olugbemisola.livejournal.com/ (author of Eight Grade Superzero, coming in 2009).
2. Saturday, May 24th. Travel, living in different Indian cities and different countries, how this has influenced my writing at http://blogpourri.blogspot.com/
3. Sunday, May 25th. Being a writing mom, finding time to write, parenthood and writing at http://desimomzclub.blogspot.com/
4. Monday, May 26th. Where were the British colonies during WWII? A few funky facts I unearthed while doing background research for CLIMBING THE STAIRS at author Laura Purdie Salas’s blog. http://laurasalas.livejournal.com/
5. Tuesday, May 27th. CLIMBING THE STAIRS. The process of writing the novel, weaving together the different threads. http://the5randoms.wordpress.com/
6. Wednesday, May 28th. Oceanography, research and CLIMBING THE STAIRS. Making my schizophrenia work to my advantage. My (at least two) personalities. What it’s like to spend your 21st birthday on a research vessel at author Greg Fishbone’s blog. http://tem2.livejournal.com/
7. Thursday, May 29th. What exactly is that dot on the forehead all about? Arranged marriages, Women in India in the 1940’s, Indian marriages today, gender equality issues in CLIMBING THE STAIRS, anything else you ever wanted to know about India at author Carrie Jones’s blog. http://carriejones.livejournal.com/ Friday, May 30th.
8. The grand finale. Moving to America, Becoming an American, Multicultural writing at author Mitali Perkins’s blog. http://www.mitaliblog.com/
Thank you all for reading!
Praba
www.saffrontree.org
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Climbing the Stairs
Author: Padma Venkatraman
Age group: Young Adult(teenage)/Adult novel
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (May 1, 2008)
Not often do you get to read a novel set in historical, pre-independence India with a story so wonderful and riveting. Padma Venkatraman undoubtedly brings a wonderful and fresh voice to the world of young adult and adult English literature with her debut novel, Climbing The Stairs.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and found the story very touching. The book appeals to both young adults and adults alike. For both the groups, the story's backdrop can offer interesting insights into India's political and social fabric during World War II and the independence struggle.
Please allow me to offer a little glimpse of the story's plot and the characters Hopefully, I am not giving away too much so you can go and find out for yourself how wonderful the book is.
Vidya and Kitta cruise their young adult/teenage years with their everyday lives filled with typical family and school related happenings when all of a sudden a bad event in the family forces them out of their homes into their uncle's home. In their new home, the two deal with clashes in values and judgements with members of the extended family. Kitta makes some important decisions for himself in line with his own ideals. And when it's Vidya's turn, the story's key focal point touches upon her personal struggles, and family and social pressures. Eventually, it boils down to how she makes some very important decisions for herself filled with determination, courage and hope.
A fascinating plot, and such interesting characterizations and text that kept me glued to the book cover to cover. With Padma's writing so lucid and well-structured, the book is a real treat and offers a multi-faceted experience. And for the teenage group, there are definitely lots of inspirations to draw from based on an interesting plot, and fascinating characters.
I should also mention that it was truly a pleasure to read the characterizations of both Kitta and Vidya. I would be missing the point if I didn't recoginize the fact they were both equally strong-willed and important characters.
Final Word: There are so many untold stories during World War II - societies and people in India already dealing with their own national political and social struggles. Thanks to Padma we got to hear one such story of young Vidya and Kitta whose personal challenges, and dreams many will find close to their hearts – a historical story so wonderfully told that it in fact is truly timeless in its appeal. Once again, many thanks to Padma Venkatraman for her fabulous new book, Climbing The Stairs.
Lastly, I think the book will be a neat pick for teenage book clubs, or for any bookclub reading for that matter. And if you are like me that enjoys reading juvenile/young adult fiction in order to compensate for those wasted teenage/high school years of limited non-academic reading... reading that came to a screeching halt (after Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys) during middle school, and later nothing-but-flirty-romance novels during college, I have to confess after a decade of being out of teenage, Ok...I will give it away - after 14 years of post-teen life, I am shamelessly going for young adult fiction with a vengeance...
I am not done yet - here's a little piece of advice for moms with pre-teens and teens - if you really want your children to read eclectically, and if you are involved in picking what they read, books such as these should be on top of your list! Books are indeed a great way to connect with our children and the world around us, isnt it?
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Not doing it all
I was on a rant in my blog about how packaged masalas (not the primary ones like chilli powder, but the "biriyani mix", "idli mix", etc.) never work for me. The post elicited some comments, including the following:
"Hi Roopa, How do you manage to do everything so well -a great job/two kids/a blog/work out etc.etc..just curious. Can you please write a post about that to help some folks like me an idea about your routine.Take care!!!"
I'm flattered, but I'm not sure I'd say that I do do everything. There have been choices along the way. Things I chose NOT to do, things I choose to focus on right now, things I've decided can wait a couple of years.
6:30 am: Wake up and stare into the fridge. Whip up a dish or two for the kids (this activity is put on hold every time a grandma is in town!)
7:00 am: In the summer, there is time for a vigorous swim before work (usually two or three times a week)
8:00 am: Off to work
6:30 pm: Try to get back from work, and hang out with the kids. Ideally eat dinner with them once or twice during the work week
8:00 pm: Start reading to the kids
8:30 pm: Three days a week or more, hubby will hang out with the kids as they fall asleep and I go down to the gym for 45 mins on the ellipse, or a crazy training session with Tracy!!
9:30 pm: Log back on and get an hour or two of work done
11:00 pm: Do a bit of blogging to keep my writing muscles alive
At least once a week, make sure to have a grown-up dinner and walk home with hubby.
Seems like a bit of a slacker life, if you ask me. Out there are are 17-year-olds writing novels, 30-year-olds millionaires , and single moms who struggle to make ends meet, give their children guidance and necessities .... I'm just a working mom, trying to make sure to be good to her family and herself; lucky in having a caring husband, fantastically supportive friends, family and colleagues, and the ability to access great schools and institutions in this metro. It's about priorities, circumstances and ambitions....
Tell me what you think about the following Boston Globe article. Initially, I felt the central assertion was questionable: that women are choosing not to pursue certain careers from aptitude, not just giving up given glass ceiling dynamics or personal circumstances. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to reflect a lot of my own choices. I did feel that the dynamics in India or China are quite different...
The freedom to say 'no': Why aren't there more women in science and engineering? Controversial new research suggests: They just aren't interested.
http://rooparecipes.blogspot.com/
"Hi Roopa, How do you manage to do everything so well -a great job/two kids/a blog/work out etc.etc..just curious. Can you please write a post about that to help some folks like me an idea about your routine.Take care!!!"
I'm flattered, but I'm not sure I'd say that I do do everything. There have been choices along the way. Things I chose NOT to do, things I choose to focus on right now, things I've decided can wait a couple of years.
- Rifle shooting -- now that was something I was pretty great at. But it took three to five hours of training four to five times a week. Not the kind of training that a mother of twins, with an NYC mortgage to contribute to can keep at, I decided. Funnily, I don't miss it...especially given I'd done it for about sixteen years with a real passion.
- Poetry -- I had dreamed at one time of truly taking time to read the greats, work with other poets, understand what it took to be good and evocative. Sports became the focus, coping with a new country and cadence became another, living life became a key distraction. It is not a passion anymore.
- Consulting -- engaging around an issue, solving it and working through an issue with absolute focus. I had felt like a fish that had found its preferred body of water, but travel and the hours can conflict with the deep urge to sit down and spend a couple of hours coloring rainbows. Choosing a sane work-life balance was a real priority, and my current role has allowed for that.
6:30 am: Wake up and stare into the fridge. Whip up a dish or two for the kids (this activity is put on hold every time a grandma is in town!)
7:00 am: In the summer, there is time for a vigorous swim before work (usually two or three times a week)
8:00 am: Off to work
6:30 pm: Try to get back from work, and hang out with the kids. Ideally eat dinner with them once or twice during the work week
8:00 pm: Start reading to the kids
8:30 pm: Three days a week or more, hubby will hang out with the kids as they fall asleep and I go down to the gym for 45 mins on the ellipse, or a crazy training session with Tracy!!
9:30 pm: Log back on and get an hour or two of work done
11:00 pm: Do a bit of blogging to keep my writing muscles alive
At least once a week, make sure to have a grown-up dinner and walk home with hubby.
Seems like a bit of a slacker life, if you ask me. Out there are are 17-year-olds writing novels, 30-year-olds millionaires , and single moms who struggle to make ends meet, give their children guidance and necessities .... I'm just a working mom, trying to make sure to be good to her family and herself; lucky in having a caring husband, fantastically supportive friends, family and colleagues, and the ability to access great schools and institutions in this metro. It's about priorities, circumstances and ambitions....
Tell me what you think about the following Boston Globe article. Initially, I felt the central assertion was questionable: that women are choosing not to pursue certain careers from aptitude, not just giving up given glass ceiling dynamics or personal circumstances. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to reflect a lot of my own choices. I did feel that the dynamics in India or China are quite different...
The freedom to say 'no': Why aren't there more women in science and engineering? Controversial new research suggests: They just aren't interested.
http://rooparecipes.blogspot.com/
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mothers Day
with Maggi Noodles and a small picnic.
Friday was Mother’s Day Tea at S’s pre-school. It was a rainy and dull morning but that one hour in her school pepped me up. It has been a year since S has been going to this pre-school and she is comfortable there now, I too know most of her class mates and some Moms unlike last year. So it was a happy one hour accompanied with iced tea and munchkins, it was another thing that S devoured 2 of mine. They then gave us the surprises they had made for us.
I knew about the art, but the cute photo frame made of popsicle sticks and stick-ons with a picture of S in the playground was a real surprise.
A day before S had told me, she has a surprise for me at school and she was not supposed to tell me what it is. In the next 5 minutes she had whispered in my ears, that when her teacher asked, “Why she loves her Mommy”
she had said “’Coz Mommy makes good food for me” :-)
She had drawn me and herself going to the restaurant and eating noodles that apparently I had cooked. Huh ? This girl doesn't want to miss out on the restaurant inspite of Mom's cooking, maybe she likes to have a backup plan.
Today Little S wanted to go to the park and I didn’t want to go to a crowded restaurant either so we decided on an impromptu picnic. Since there was hardly any time in hand, I made Maggi Noodles with eggs and some veggies, a favorite in our home and D made some sandwiches with fish sticks, cucumber and mustard and off we went to the nearest state park where the day turned out to be apparently cold and chilly.
S had fun and I always like a green view better than anything, so it was not all that bad and a nice way to spend a lazy Sunday
Maggi Noodles is an easy and quick lunch for my daughter too and she likes it even when I pack it for school. Of course she need huge amount of ketchup with it.
Easy Maggi Noodles
Boil the Noodles according to the package direction. Do not add the spices/seasoning in the packet. Drain the noodles and wash off the starch in cold water and toss with a little olive Oil
In a pan, heat Olive oil, add sliced onions and fry till pink. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté till soft. Add an egg and stir to scramble it. Add veggies (carrots, peas, beans or whatever you have, which have been steamed) to this.Add chopped green chillies if your kid is ok with it.
Sauté for a couple of minutes and add half of the Masala/seasoning that comes in the packet. Add salt and the Maggi Noodles.
Mix well and serve with Ketchup.
This serves as a good lunch to be packed for kids too
Hope all you Mommies had a fun Mothers Day.
(This post shared with Bong Mom's Cookbook my other blog)
Friday was Mother’s Day Tea at S’s pre-school. It was a rainy and dull morning but that one hour in her school pepped me up. It has been a year since S has been going to this pre-school and she is comfortable there now, I too know most of her class mates and some Moms unlike last year. So it was a happy one hour accompanied with iced tea and munchkins, it was another thing that S devoured 2 of mine. They then gave us the surprises they had made for us.
I knew about the art, but the cute photo frame made of popsicle sticks and stick-ons with a picture of S in the playground was a real surprise.
A day before S had told me, she has a surprise for me at school and she was not supposed to tell me what it is. In the next 5 minutes she had whispered in my ears, that when her teacher asked, “Why she loves her Mommy”
she had said “’Coz Mommy makes good food for me” :-)
She had drawn me and herself going to the restaurant and eating noodles that apparently I had cooked. Huh ? This girl doesn't want to miss out on the restaurant inspite of Mom's cooking, maybe she likes to have a backup plan.
Today Little S wanted to go to the park and I didn’t want to go to a crowded restaurant either so we decided on an impromptu picnic. Since there was hardly any time in hand, I made Maggi Noodles with eggs and some veggies, a favorite in our home and D made some sandwiches with fish sticks, cucumber and mustard and off we went to the nearest state park where the day turned out to be apparently cold and chilly.
S had fun and I always like a green view better than anything, so it was not all that bad and a nice way to spend a lazy Sunday
Maggi Noodles is an easy and quick lunch for my daughter too and she likes it even when I pack it for school. Of course she need huge amount of ketchup with it.
Easy Maggi Noodles
Boil the Noodles according to the package direction. Do not add the spices/seasoning in the packet. Drain the noodles and wash off the starch in cold water and toss with a little olive Oil
In a pan, heat Olive oil, add sliced onions and fry till pink. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté till soft. Add an egg and stir to scramble it. Add veggies (carrots, peas, beans or whatever you have, which have been steamed) to this.Add chopped green chillies if your kid is ok with it.
Sauté for a couple of minutes and add half of the Masala/seasoning that comes in the packet. Add salt and the Maggi Noodles.
Mix well and serve with Ketchup.
This serves as a good lunch to be packed for kids too
Hope all you Mommies had a fun Mothers Day.
(This post shared with Bong Mom's Cookbook my other blog)
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