OMG

Hello,

I walk into the local public library in my town, and I see a big red concrete chair, and in front of it these words of Richard Scarry, "The more you read, the more you'll know; the more you learn, the more places you'll go."

Once someone asked me from where do I get the ideas for my stories? I divulged my secret: If it's written, I read. I read story books, I read newspapers and magazines, I read scraps of paper and the words behind the receipts I get from stores. I may not remember all that I read, but I keep in mind the words and stories I like.

The concept for this story came from one of the random readings I did in a magazine.

Meera

OMG

Seven-year-old twins wandered into their brother, Sagar's room. 

Suchi said, "Bhaiya, we want to ask you something."

Sagar looked up from the mystery book he was reading, "Okay, ask."

Soori said, "What are M&M's?" 

Sagar frowned, he realized the girls weren't looking for the answer---chocolate covered candy. He put his fingers on the temples, "I am thinking, I am thinking."

The girls smiled at each other.

Sagar said, "I got it, M&M's is Mars & Murie's, the last names of the candy's co-owners."

Soori said, "I bet you don't know what CVS is."

"Hmm..CVS...CVS...I know, it is Consumer Value Store."

Suchi looked at Soori, "I guess he knows what is WD-40."

Sagar smiled, "I sure do. It stands for Water Displacement-40th formula."

Soori said, "How do you know all the answers, Bhaiya?"

Sagar nodded, "That's because I am smart, girls."

Soori said, "I guess, you are."

From behind a door to Sagar's room, Sapna joined them, "Suchi-Soori, Bhaiya reads whatever written things fall in front of his eyes---books, scraps of paper, newspapers, magazines and even the Internet." 

Sagar made a face, "Aw---Sapna, you gave away my secret."

They all burst into laughter.

A very Happy 2014 to everyone.

Meera

Happy Holidays

Wishing Everyone Happy Holidays  ...............................

Meera 

Growing up by Yourself

Hello,

Often we, the humans, feel that we created the social order, after all, we are the the most intelligent beings in the animal kingdom. I say, Ha, to that.

One wonders who taught ants to walk in line? Who taught honey bees to make a perfect honey comb? Who taught birds to migrate? It is the older generation- the parents, the grandparents, the elders and the adults who teach the younger ones. Children will copy what they see. 

Recently, I read about a herd of young elephants that lost all its elders a couple of decades ago due to culling. Their decision making ability remains impaired due to the disruption in their social order. The social abilities of the young elephants is severely compromised, they fail to differentiate between a friend and a foe.

Human order is no different. We observe disruption in the lives of children either raised by one parent or worse, after the loss of both the parents.

Meera

Growing up by Yourself

Bhaiya = brother

ears perked up = listened more

Six-year-old Suchi and Soori played with their dolls.

Suchi said, "Let's make this doll an orphan."

Soori asked, "Why?"

"So she can do what she wants, eat what she wants and go to sleep when she wants."

Soori smiled, "Yeah, she is free to do whatever she likes."

Their older sibling, ten-year-old, Sapna's ears perked up when she heard the conversation. She ran to their big brother, fourteen-year-old, Sagar. "Bhaiya, the twins are talking about making one of their dolls an orphan. I don't like it."

The brother-sister came to the room where the twins were playing.

Sagar asked, "Hey, daring-duo, what's up?"

Suchi said, "Nothing Bhaiya, we are playing dolls."

Sagar picked up a doll that was sitting by herself in a corner, "And why is this doll sitting in time-out?"

"She is not. She is just thinking how to mess up the other dolls' play."

"Why does she want to mess up someone's game?"

"Because she is an orphan and gets to do her own thing."

Sapna said, "That does not sound very nice, maybe she too wants to play."

"Maybe, but she does not behave and---"

The second twin finished the first one's sentence, "And she always interrupts and messes up. That's how an orphan is."

Sagar said, "And girls, what is an orphan?"

The twins said, "A kid who does his own thing."

Sapna asked, "Have you ever seen an orphan?"

"Yeah, this new boy in our class is an orphan and he's always interrupting the teacher and messes up our work."

Sagar asked, "And do you like that?"

"No---"

Sapna asked, "What if everyone was an orphan in the class?"

The twins smiled at each other, "Our teacher would run away."

The other twin added, "And that would be so much fun."

Sapna asked, "Think again, you two, who'll teach you in the class without a teacher?"

The twins exchanged glances and shrugged.

Sagar asked, "How does that idea sound to you?"

The twins said together, "Not good at all."

Sagar said, "Yeah, not good at all. An orphan is a child who does not have any parent."

Suchi said, "Why would they leave him?"

"I do not know what happened to the little boy's parents."

Soori said, "Didn't they love him?"

Sagar asked the twins, "I don't know. But think, if no one told you bed-time stories or took you to a zoo or played with you, how happy would you feel?"

"We'd be miserable."

Sapna said, "Girls, do you disrupt your class?"

"No--- because we know better."

Sagar continued, "That's exactly the point. The orphan boy doesn't know any better, doesn't know how to behave and so he messes up other children's play."

"No one told him how to behave."

Suchi said, "Soori, let's get this orphan doll back in the play, the other dolls can teach her how to be nice."

Soori brought the doll from time-out back into the play and they played with all the dolls until their parents came home.

What's in a Name

Hello,

The other day I had gone to a library and saw a little girl with a teddy bear. The librarian said hello to the little girl and asked her what was the teddy bear's name. The little girl did not answer. A boy who waited behind her in the line said that his dog's name was Scoobi.

I told the boy that Scoobi was a lovely name. The boy smiled and told me that his name was Victor. I said his name was lovely too. Victor liked to talk and told me that his name meant that he is a winner. I smiled and told him that he looks like a winner and I moved on.

This story comes from names.

Meera

What's in a Name

Five-year-old, Sapna came home from a birthday party one day and plunked down on a sofa in their living room. She opened the goody bag she had received at the party and then tossed it at the other end of the sofa.

Her nine-year-old brother, Sagar said, "Hey, sis, how was the party? Did you bring me some goodies too?"

Sapna picked up the bag, held it closer to her heart and said, "You weren't invited, it was for my friend's birthday." 

"That's cool, that's cool. May I have at least one candy from your bag?"

Sapna tossed the whole bag at Sagar, "Here, I don't really want any candy from the bag."

Sagar picked out a chocolate from the bag and peeled its wrapper. He popped the chocolate in his mouth and murmured, "Hmm...tasty. Why don't you want any candy?"

A tear rolled down Sapna's cheek, "They told me that my name was pretty and asked me what it meant?"

"So? What's there to be so grumpy about that?"

Sapna shed a couple of more tears. She picked up a tissue from the side table, " I don't know what it means."

Sagar said, "Big deal, at least you know how to spell it."

"Everyone can spell their name in my class. That's not a big deal. Nisha said he name meant 'night' and Faith said her name meant 'belief' and then they asked me, and I didn't know."

"Your name means a 'dream'."

"And yours?"

"It means an 'ocean'."  

"Everyone's name has a meaning?"

Sagar shrugged, "I don't know. Sometimes people make up names. I remember one day Dr. Melwani had come to our house and she said that one of her patients named her daughter, "Melwana'!

Sapna laughed, "So it's okay if your name has no meaning?"

"Well, it still is your name and what it means is---you. I guess Melwana means delivered by Melwani!"

"That's not the same as a real meaning."

"True. That's how new words are added to the dictionary. Besides, you don't name yourself, your parents do. Sometimes your friends can change your name if you are too tall or short, or smart or silly. You might hate it, and then the friends will use it even more, to make you mad."

"Bhaiya, I like my name, Sapna,  and I also like its meaning, a dream."

Sagar said, "I remember a story from Mom's class. She always called boys with a mister in front of it and girls with a miss. I would be Mister Sagar and you would be Miss Sapna."

"That's the story?"

"Sapna, learn to wait, be patient. Back to mom's class, once on the first day in her class, she welcomed a boy by saying, 'Good morning, Mister Michael.' The boy said, 'My name is Michael, not Mister Michael'. Mom smiled and said, 'I like your name, Michael, but in the class I'll have to call you Mr. Michael so that I remember it's you and no one else.' The boy nodded and went on to sit with the other children."

"That is a funny story. I know I am Miss Sapna."

"That's cool, that's cool. If you are from the south, the girls have two names, you would be Sapna Sargam (sargam = sir-gum, symphony). They have Lisa Marie, Dolores Rose or something like that and then people would call you by saying both your names together."

"Hey, Bhaiya, I'd like to be called Sapna Sargam."

"Okay, you can do that when you are eighteen, and that's the law. Just now you are Miss Sapna."

"Hmm...and I'll stay Sapna, I like it because it's my name."

Sagar gave a high five to Sapna.

What color am I?

Hello,

Cooking and eating traditional meals with family and friends is very special. I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving, This week I did not write anything profound to get the post out with "wise" words from my experience, instead, I wrote about a little conversation I had with someone, years ago, while watching a soccer game.

Most of the Indians have shades of tan in their skin tone, dark or light, depending on the melanin content. Some years ago a fellow-soccer-watcher asked me if I ever wanted to be white. I said, not really. She had a look of not believing me. She squinted and looked straight at me. I too looked back into her eyes and told her the following story. By the way, she was almost my color.

There is not truth in the following story, but it's fun to tell someone who questions you about your skin-tone. The story can be turned around to suit any color---white, black or tan.

Any skin color is the perfect color, since it is the color of your skin.

Meera

What color am I?

A long long time ago God created people. He didn't know how to make them. He baked them. The first batch that went in the oven, came out too light---he placed them in Europe, where the temperatures were cooler and the sun was a bit less hot.

God thought the temperature was not right. So he increased the temperature of his baking machine---the modern ovens with precise temperature control were not invented during that time. His next batch of people came out a bit dark. They were place in Africa where the sun was hot and there was lots of rain and lots of trees to shade them from the sun.

God thought, perhaps he should lower the temperature of the oven. I think by the third time, the temperature-control ovens were in the market. He baked one more batch of people. That third group came out of the oven with a perfect skin tone. They could tolerate the cold weather of Europe as well as the heat of Africa. He put them in a place where the climate in the north at the feet of the Himalayas, was very cold and the southern tip was very hot.

That place was called India and the people from India are Indians, with the perfect tan of their skin.

The End



© 2013, Meera Desai Shah

Let's Make a Thanksgiving Tree

Hello,

To learn to say "Thank You" for the favors, large or small, is a lesson in courtesy. It becomes a second nature to be aware of the help that other person offers, whether it's opening a door for you or helping you pick up the papers you accidentally scattered on the floor. The habit gets cultivated from childhood. It does not cost you anything!

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday celebrated in the USA. You can always Google the whys and whens of the holiday, I have a story about what a family can do before this day arrives.

Recently I read a story about, Michelle Cannon*, a mom who has a tradition in her house of writing Thank You's. No, these are not the notes they write when someone gives them a birthday gift. The family starts writing their thank you's on the first of November.

The twins in the story learn to write 'Thank You'.

*You may find more of Cannon's ideas at www.thelanguageplayground.com

Meera

Let's Make a Thanksgiving Tree

didi = older sister

bhaiya = brother

parallel = two lines/planes that keep the same distance between them without ever meeting

Seven-year-old, Suchi and Soori came home from school with their school bags stuffed with books and art projects-feathers, pictures, dream catchers that they made for Thanksgiving. They ate a snack and finished their homework. They wandered into their older sister, Sapna's room. 

Suchi said, "Didi, we are bored. There is nothing to do in the house."

Soori suggested, "Didi, why don't you tell Bhaiya to take us to the park?"

Eleven-year-old, Sapna looked up from her homework, "Are you kidding? Bhaiya and I have tons of homework. Have you guys finished your homework and finished whatever art work you had from school? Besides, boring people get bored. Find something to do please."

Suchi pouted, "We did all the art for Thanksgiving at school. We don't want to do it anymore."

Soori added, "We'll say the things we are thankful for at the Thanksgiving dinner." 

Suchi said, "Let's go back to our own room, we'll find something to do."

Soori asked, "Didi, will you play with us when you are done?"

Sapna said, "Sure." She continued to do her work. 

Suchi suggested that they go ask their brother, Sagar.

Soori curled her lips and said that they go back to their room. She stopped at their door, "Suchi, let's make a list of things for which we are thankful."

Suchi nodded, and walked by a pile of construction paper on her desk. She picked out different colored sheets and turned to Soori, "I got it. Let's make a tree."

Soori raised her eyebrows, "A tree?"

"Let's get a huge sheet of paper for drawing a tree."

The twins walked out of their room.

Sapna looked up, "Hey, now what is the daring duo planning?"

"We want a big sheet to draw a tree."

Sapna gave them a huge sheet, "I'm glad you found something to do on your own."

The twins said, "Yep. We'll show it to you when we are done."

Sapna smiled, "Okay." 

The twins went back to their room, Suchi took a brown crayon and drew two parallel lines from one end of the paper to the other.

"This is a tree." 

Soori said, "It doesn't at all look like a tree to me, looks more like a road."

"We'll draw branches and put leaves on them---these leaves will have Thank You's written on them." 

Soori clapped, "I got it. We'll have our Thanksgiving Tree. I have an idea, why don't we cut out a lot of colorful-Fall-leaves and keep them in a box. Then..."

Suchi added, "We'll get everyone in the family to write what they are thankful for on one leaf every day and glue it on the tree."

Soori completed her sister's thought, "So, when the Thanksgiving day comes, we'll have a Thanksgiving Tree!!!"

They gave a high-five to each other and started cutting colorful leaves for the Thanksgiving Tree. They wrote.

"I am thankful for getting this sheet and a crayon to draw."

"I am thankful for my sister who gave the idea for making this tree."

(In Fall, you can find a dry branch of a tree and hang the 'thank you' leaves on the "tree". Children can punch holes and learn to tie knots with yarn to acquire a skill that's gobbled up by Velcro)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Meera


© 2013, Meera Desai Shah

Let Us Accept the New Ways

Hello,

America, the USA is a country of immigrants. They came here to get more education, and then decided to stay, Often they come to the US as refugees. The immigrants say that they want their children to have better lives. At the back of their minds, they pine for the country they left behind. They want children to hold on to their, the parents' dream.

Recently, I read a story about a Somalian family which fled Somalia and settled in Norway. The parents talked about their Somalian roots with the children. Some years later the family made a trip to Somalia; except for the older child, the rest of the children aborted their Somalia trip to return to the comforts of their home in Norway.

The first generation immigrants stay connected with their country of birth as well as with the country they adopted.

In my last post a reader reminded me that descent and heritage are different---yes, sir, I stand corrected.

After writing this post, I thought of Britain, France, Portugal and other countries who went into other countries for economic as well s political gains and then stayed on. Talking about India, the British left behind their language, the railways, the postal system and the parliamentary system, lots of monuments and history. I wondered, if the British who were born in India but went back to their ancestral country, Britain, ever pine for India? Well, they took Chai and spices, a few words of Indian languages, a taste for Indian foods, and a lot of immigrants to their country. The English have made movies with Indian themes and actors. India remains a place to visit to rekindle memories.

Meera

Let Us Accept the New Ways

unison = together
diya = lamp with a wick that is dipped in oil 

Seven-year-old twins, Suchi and Soori changed into their pajamas and talked about their day.

Suchi said, "It was fun to take part in the Indian play at the India Society's function."

"Yep, did you hear the claps we received after the skit ended?"

Suchi agreed, "People liked our play."

Soori went under her warm covers, "They better like out stuff, they were all the parents." 

Suchi sat on the bed by Soori's feet, "Are you tired of all the Diwali stuff we have been doing?"

Throwing the covers off, Soori sat up, "I am Diwali-ed out." 

Both the girls burst into laughter.

They heard a knock on their door, Suchi rushed back to her bed, the twins slipped under covers. They looked at the door as it slowly opened.

Their older sister, eleven-year-old, Sapna peeked in, "Hey twins, what's the joke?"

Suchi sat up in the bed, "Didi, we are Diwali-ed out."

Soori joined her, "That's right, we want to be Americans."

Sapna said, "True, we are all Americans with Indian descent."

"With an Indian Heritage."

"Nope, heritage is of things, remember?" 

Sapna smiled, "Now you know two new words, heritage and descent, cool."

Suchi said, "Yeah, but Soori made a new word, we are Diwali-ed out."

"Are we going to do more Diwali stuff, Didi?"

Sapna sat on Soori's bed, "No Soori, not until next year." 

Suchi plopped down on the same bed, "Wheeeee--let's all celebrate by jumping on Soori's bed." She saw the frowns on Sapna and Soori's faces, "I guess, that's a bad idea." She sat by Sapna on the same bed. 

Fifteen-year-old, Sagar heard the commotion, "Hey, girls, what are you cooking now?"

"No cooking, this is not a kitchen."

Sapna said, "Suchi, he wants to know what are we discussing?"

Sagar pulled a chair by the bed, "What's going on? Mom and Dad have gone out, I am in charge, don't make any trouble for me or yourselves."

"The twins are Diwali-ed out."

Sagar counted on his fingers, "Diwali-ed out, huh? Let's see what did we do, we had the Lakshmi pujan-we prayed for the ability to use money wisely, we saw an Indian uncle start a new book of accounts, we lighted fire crackers, we lighted diyas to spread light everywhere, that's the light of knowledge, we had more fire crackers and loads of sweets, to celebrate a Diwali-party with our friends, we had a skit about one of the stories from the Hindu mythology and---"

Suchi and Soori said in unison, "Enough. We are Diwali-ed out."

Sagar said, "I agree, I am too."

Soori said, "Let's do something American."

Sagar said, "Girls, we do these things to learn about some of the Indian ways."

Suchi said, "But we live in America."

"True. It's always a good idea to learn about where the parents came form.""

Sapna said, "Okay, girls, let's be Americans. Halloween comes in three days. Have you thought of your costumes?"

"I want to be a pirate."

"I will be a witch." 

Sagar said, "I'll wear suit and wear my glasses to be a professor."

Sapna said, "Hmm..I am already thinking about Thanksgiving."

Meera


© 2013, Meera Desai Shah