Counting in India, part, II

Hello,
Last week the siblings, Sagar, eight-years-old, and Sapna, four-years-old, went with their Grandmother in India for vegetables-fruits shopping at the local market.
They continued their counting, from where they left off.
Meera

Counting in India, part II 

Lorry = truck. Accepted in most Indian languages

Baer = a little fruit with an oblong or a round pit, depending on the variety

Chiku = a fleshy sweet fruit with brown skin

SIX women sat on the sidewalk with huge cane baskets.

One woman sold big squash-like papayas. She cut one open and offered a bright colored orange piece to Sapna. The girl shook her head and moved on.  Mummy had said: don’t accept food from strangers or ever eat an unwashed fruit, and in especially in India, never eat uncooked food.

The second lady separated guavas from an oblong as well as round fruits called baer.

The third woman offered a kiwi like fruit with a smooth-skin to Sagar. “Take, take, very sweet chiku, for you.” Sagar hid behind Granny and pulled Sapna with him.

The fourth woman had ripe mangos. Sapna stood by the basket and sniffed. “Granny, can we buy some mangos?”

“Absolutely, summer's the mango season.” They bought one dozen mangoes.                

Sagar whispered to Granny, “What, no custard apples?” 

Granny smiled and answered before moving on, “They come only in winter.” 

Sagar frowned. "Oh, too bad, I love those.” 

The fifth lady was rolling newspaper sheets to make packets of salted peanuts, roasted chickpeas and crispy rice, all mixed together.

The sixth lady sat with a basket full of bright marigolds, fragrant roses and jasmine. She strung them in garlands for women to wear in their hair.

SEVEN kinds of vegetables sat in neat piles in an old, beaten cart.
fresh, fresh, very fresh vegetables, just for you,” a man shouted.

Sagar and Sapna helped Granny pick some green beans, okra, sweet potatoes, carrots, eggplant and bunch of leafy coriander and spinach.

"Hey, Sagar, check out those ladies in beautiful saris.”

“Sorries? Oh, saris.”

EIGHT women wore colorful saris.

"But Mummy rarely wears one.” Sapna whispered to Sagar. 

“I think she finds shirts ‘n slacks more comfortable.”

“I guess so.”

At last they were out of the market. Sagar grinned and touched the two mangos in his shopping bag. Sapna had some vegetables in a bigger bag while Granny carried the biggest bag with the rest of the items.

Granny sighed, “Oh my, it’s hot and the bags are getting heavier by the minute.” She wiped her brows with her sari. “Let’s take a rickshaw.”

“We love rickshaws.” Sagar and Sapna said together.

They walked past NINE yellow-black three wheelers and stepped into the first one. Sapna sat in the middle, Sagar and Granny took the sides.
Once again the they weaved through the crazy traffic and reached near granny's bungalow. They stopped.
Sapna opened her eyes wide, "Look at those fat, black cows, Bhaiya."
Sagar laughed, "They are not cows, but Indian buffaloes. How about you count them?"
Sapna counted TEN buffaloes that kept their rickshaw from entering the bungalow.

At last the rickshaw stopped in the porch. Granny paid the driver his charges and they went in the house. Granny put different sized stainless steel bowls on the dining table and they emptied their wares into the empty bowls.

Sapna looked up at her grandmother, “That was so much fun.  I can’t wait till tomorrow to go out and count some more things.”

The End

© 2014, Meera Desai Shah

6: six: chheh: छह:  ६    O O O O O O

7: seven: saat: सात: ७   O O O O O O O

8:  eight: aath: आठ: ८    O O O O O O O O

9: nine: nou: नौ: ९         O O O O O O O O O

10: ten: das: दस: १०      O O O O O O O O O O

Going To an Indian Market

A Walk to an Indian Market

Sari = a wrap around dress for women                                                aroma = smell

Bhaiya = older brother (Hindi)                                                            sniff = to smell

Rupees = Indian currency                                                                   offensive = not liked

Footpath = sidewalk                                                                           biodegradable = able to rot                                                                                                          

“Come on kids, grab a bag, we’re marching to the market.” Granny said as she stuffed some Rupees in her bag.                                                                                                                 Four-year-old Sapna complained, “This minute? Why? We just ate our breakfast!”  

Her eight-year-old, brother Sagar said, “Yep, if Granny says we go, we go. Don on your cotton clothes for the muggy and hot Pune.” 

“Okay, okay, got it Bhaiya, but why do we have to take our own bag? We don't carry bags at our home in the U.S.”

“’cause the Indian veggie-vendors don’t give us plastic  bags.”

Granny said, "Hey, children, wait and watch, even your US shops will stop giving the plastic bags. It just adds to the pollution."

Sagar said, "Granny, in California you have to take your own bags, it started some time back, and the rest of the country is following."

Sapana asked, "No more bags from the grocery store, then what will mom use for garbage?"

"She'll use the biodegradable bags."

"Oh, good. How about paper bags? They rot."

"Yep, my smart sis, paper bags work too."

Sagar and Sapna were visiting their grandparents in Pune, India. They changed their clothes, each picked up a cloth-bag, stepped out the bungalow and headed for the market with Granny. They waited on the footpath to cross the road.

ONE bullock cart filled with potatoes and onions, moved at a snail’s pace. Bells fastened around the oxen’s neck warned people to keep out of its path. A shiny sports-car trailed behind.

Sapna’s mouth fell open when she saw people weaving in and around a traffic of zigzagging bikes, motorbikes, rickshaws and cars.

“Bhaiya, wow! So many people!”                                                 

“Yep, India is the most populated country in the world, well, almost, we compete with China.”

“Oh.”  Sapna nodded and held her brother’s hand tight as they reached a busy square.                              

TWO lorries were going to the market with goods. Black coal filled the open one, and pieces

of hay stuck out from the other.

The trio covered their nose to escape the smoke-smell that spewed from the lorries. A sparkling black limousine crawled behind the trucks.                         

THREE buses, two red city buses and another smaller one plodded along as they waited with Granny in a queue at the bus stop.                                                                                               “What do the writings on the bus say?”

"It says, educate your children and keep your city clean.”

Sapna pointed to the pictures on the third one, “And that one’s about computers.” 

"Yeah, it takes people to their work.”  

The line from behind, nudged the trio ahead to get onto the bus. Sitting by the window, Sapna couldn’t separate the people’s chatter from the din of bicycle bells, car and truck horns, barking dogs and other sounds.                                                                                                               She pointed to FOUR boys with heavy bags swinging on their bicycles.  

“Where’re they all going dressed alike?” Sapna asked.                                                    
“To school.”

“Don’t they have any vacation?” 

“Sure they do, at a different time than us, because India's seasons don't happen at the same time as the US seasons.”

“Oh.”

They got off at the market. She pulled Sagar's shirt and shouted, “Look!”

FIVE two-wheelers were parked along the sidewalk. Sagar read the names of the motorcycles: Vespa, Bajaj, Lambretta, Hero-Honda and Royal Enfield.

“I wish I could ride ’em.” 

“Dream on kiddo until you are older.” Sagar patted Sapna’s head. 

“Bhaiya, what's this smell?” Sapna wrinkled her nose.

“That’s the aroma of fresh fruits, vegetables and fresh flowers mixed with the smell of smoke, sweat along with the fish smell from the meat market nearby. Which whiff do you find offensive?”

“Yuck, all of them.  I can’t tell the fresh ones.” Sapna covered her nose with her shirt-sleeve.
Granny walked on ahead. The duo ran to catch up with her.

contd.

Meera

1: one: ek: एक: १           O

2: two: doe: दो: २           O O 

3: three: teen: तीन: ३      O O O

4: four: chaar: चार: ४      O O O O

5: five: panch: पांच: ५     O O O O O

© 2014, Meera Desai Shah

You Need it in Peace but Not in War

Hello, 

The English language is funny; not funny as in ha-ha funny, but different; not different as in you are different than I am, but it makes no sense; again, makes no sense does not mean it has no meaning but it's different. Do you get it? No...I am not giving you anything but do you understand?
That's how this language is and yet it has so many rules, and it is often spoken without following the rules completely or partially. Some rules are easy to forget if you are not a native speaker and did not start with English in your preschool, but you say you  think in English. Well, if someone throws water at your sleeping body in the middle of the night, and the first words that fall out of your mouth are in English, then you think in English!

Ha, today's blogpost is not about the rules in English at all, but just a little quiz, solved after the first sentence by 99% of readers.

Meera

You Need it in Peace but Not in War

Thirteen-year-old, Sagar was doing his homework and his five-year-old, twin sisters, Suchi and Soori walked in.

Suchi said, "Bhaiya, what is p...u...t?"

Sagar said, "Put, as in put this book away."

Soori said, "Okay, what is b...u...t?

Sagar said, ""But, as in but I want you to eat this food right now and not later."

The twins pouted, "Awww..., he has heard these before. Let's get back to our room."

The twins left. 

Sagar smiled and welcomed his sister, nine-year-old, Sapna.

"Hey, sis, what is present in peace and not in war?"

Sapna said, "That's easy, it's happiness that's missing in war but found in peace."

"Nope. Try this. What's once in hell but twice in heaven?"

Sapna shrugged.

Sagar tapped his paper in hand, "Okay try this. Without it there would be no live, love, life, hope or friends."

Sapna crinkled her nose, "What is it, some sort of feeling? A letter? An emotion?"

Sagar said, "Feeling and emotion are the same, but yeah, something like that, you said it."

Sapna mumbled, "Feeling, emotion, a letter? I got it!"

"What?"

"Ask me more and I'll tell you."

Sagar looked at his paper, ""Okay, here it is, all emotional relations like Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Wife & Friends don't make sense without it."

Sapna smile, "Ha! I knew it. It's the letter 'E'"

Sagar smile, ""Right. You got it, sis."

Sapna said, "And I will tell you this... see, hear, smell, or taste as well as eye, ear, nose & tongue are lost and incomplete without an 'e'."

Sagar said, "Sapna, you are as smart as I am, now let me get back to my work. I give you an advice 'Go' without an 'e'."

Sapna also got up "Yeah, Bhaiya, your Eminence, I leave all the 'Ego' with you, I will just 'go'."

Sapna left.

The End

© 2014, Meera Desai Shah

Things to Make Life Easier. Easier?

Hello,

Every now and then I come across a column that tell me how to live or how to behave and so on. When I read some, I tell myself, that makes sense, I have read it before or I better remember this. Recently, I came across something about speaking, that made me feel, hmmm, this is nice and worth following. One person who read the points given here, commented, following these would kill some cultures!

Meera

Things to Make Life Easier. Easier?

Sixteen-year-old, Sagar, picked up an apple from the kitchen and brought it to the den along with the sheets of paper and sat in a comfortable chair. He started to read them.

Twelve-year-old, Sapna, walked into the den with the eight-year-old, twins, "Bhaiya, help me get these girls settled in a game or something."

Soori said, "Not a something,..."

Her twin Suchi added, "Yeah, forget the something, play a game with us."

Sagar looked up, "Guys, let me finish this that mom left on my desk."

Sapna asked, "What is it?"

The twins asked, "A plan for a game?"

Sagar shook his head, "Guys, sit down, and listen. I can make it simpler for you, these are seven rules of speaking."

Suchi said, "Speaking what?"

Her twin said, "We know the rules about not cheating and not stealing and..."

Sagar said, "Stop! Listen!"

"You don't have to scream at us, just tell us nicely."

Sapna sat between the two, "Girls, be quiet."

Sagar said, "Thank you, Sapna. The first one is, give up dogmatism."

Soori said, "We don't have a dog..."

Sagar glared at her.

Sapna said, "Girls, go to your room, I'll tell you the rules once I learn them." 

The twins left.

Sapna asked Sagar, "Bhaiya, even I don't know what dogmatism is. Are they going to be more and more difficult as you read the seven rules?"

"No, sis, I started with the seventh, the rest are easy, dogmatism is being rigid, stubborn, especially in an argument."

Sapna said, "Okay, I will try not to be stubborn."

"The sixth is not lying."

Sapna nodded, "Easy, mom and dad always tell us not to tell a lie."

"Actually, the fourth and the fifth go together. The fourth one is don't complain, and then making excuses is the fifth one."

Sapna scrunched up her nose, "I guess I just have to do my homework without complaints or excuses."

Sagar said, "Right, do not tell why you couldn't do it or complain about it, just do it The one before that is give up negativity."

Sapna made a face, "Uh...uh... negativity?"

"Yep, don't be pessimistic, I guess it means be enthusiastic when you talk. The one before that is stop judging."

Sapna raised her eyebrows, "Huh?"

Sagar laughed, "It means don't be excessively critical of your brother, don't tell him he's doing this or that wrong," He smiled, "And also don't be critical of your friends and others."

Again, Sapna scrunched up her nose.

Sagar said, "And the first one is do not gossip, don't spend your time speaking about others."

Sapna said,, "Hmm...I guess I'll have to find a way to remember the seven about what to speak and what not to speak. Do you remember them Bhaiya? Let's see, what are the seven to avoid? Hmmm...Gossip, Judgement, Negativity, Complaints, Excuses, Lying and Dogmatism."

Sagar gave her a high-five, "Sapana, you already remember them! I sort of do too. The hard part is following them."

Sapna nodded, "Right. I wonder how much of this the twins will understand." She took the paper from Sagar's hand and went towards the twins' room.

The End


© 2014, Meera Desai Shah

Father's Day

Hello,

This post is coming your way a couple of days early to get it out before the Father's Day.

The first Father's day celebration was sponsored on June 19, 1910.

Today I honor my father by mentioning the two phrases he always used, If you made the bed, you sleep in it and You can take a horse to water, can't make him drink it. The simple translation is, follow up your decisions and no one can make you do something you don't want to do.

Of course, I can always find excuses for not following them!

Happy Father's Day!

Meera

Father's Day

The eight-year-old twins, Suchi and Soori were talking while working on their art in the den.

Suchi said, "Bhaiya and Didi turned last weekend into a mother's day!"

Soori said, "No--- they cooked a special meal for us and made it into a twin's day!"

Suchi replied, "Yeah, a twins' day!"

Sapna chimed in, "Suchi-Soori, how about we do something for the Father's Day?"

Sagar joined in the conversation, "That's right, we can do something special."

The twins screamed, "Yeah, let's celebrate the Father's Day."

Sagar said, "Before that, I am going to tell you a story about the Father's Day."

The twins frowned, "Are you going to give us another one of your history lessons?"

Sapna said, "Shhh..listening ears, girls."

The twins pretended to zip their mouth and sat quietly with their hands in lap.

Sagar went on, "Sonora Smart Dodd, an Arkansas woman, thought of honoring her father, William Smart, a farmer, after she heard a sermon honoring the mothers."

Sapna said, "Then?"

Sagar smiled, "Suchi-Soori,  it is an interesting story. Well, William Smart's wife died in her sixth childbirth."

Suchi said, "Thank God, we are only five."

Sorri added, "I don't want anything happening to Mom."

Sapna said, "Kiddos, Bhaiya is talking about Sonora' mom, not our mom."

Sagar patted the twins heads, "Now listen. Sonora saw her father raise six children all by himself."

Suchi asked, "Didn't she help?"

Sagar said, "Yes, like your Didi, she was a wise girl." He smiled at Sapna, "Since Sonora was the only daughter, she helped her dad to raise her brothers."

Soori said, "Good for her."

"She felt her dad was special and should be recognised."

"Hooray for dads."

Sagar continued, "Anyway, in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued a proclamation recognizing the third Sunday of each June as Father's Day. Then in 1972, President Nixon signed the bill into law."

Sapna wondered, " "And when was it proposed?"

"1910."

"Two questions: Why did it take so long? Did Sonora Dodd ever see her dream come true?"

Sagar smiled, "Two answers. The proposal faded after 1910, until she sought help from several menswear manufacturers to promote the idea. Congress thought it was too commercial. But ultimately she did see her dream come to life because she lived till 1978."

"It's good that she didn't give it up." "

Soori asked, "So how do we honor our Dad?"

Suchi said, "We can  mow the lawn."

Sapna said, "Bhaiya does that anyway. Nothing special there."

Sagar said, "Let's think of something, however little, that we can do throughout the year!"

Suchi said, "Let's ask Mom."

Soori said, "Good idea, let's ask her."

The twins rushed to Mom's room while the two older siblings made a list of things they could do to honor dad.


The End


© 2014, Meera Desai Shah

Mom is Sick, Let's Make Soup

Hello,

Today's post is about the culinary skills of two older children, Sagar and Sapna who take care of the lunch for the siblings and hopefully the dinner too, in Mom and Dad's absence from the kitchen.

Meera

Mom is Sick, Let's Make Soup

Sapna asked her sixteen-year-old brother, "Bhaiya, do you really want to try your hand in the kitchen?"

Sagar scratched his head, "Not really, but Dad is gone for the weekend and Mom is not feeling too great."

"What's wrong with her?"

"We better keep the twins out of her room, she has a fever, it's at 103 degrees."

"Shouldn't we call a doctor?"

"It's a weekend and she emphatically said not to call a doc. She asked for a couple of fever reducing tablets and told me to give her two every four hours."

With a tearful voice Sapna said, "I wish Dad was here."

"Me too. I talked with him on the phone and he said he's cutting his trip short and will be here later tonight."

Eight-year-old twins, Suchi and Soori came to the den. "Where's Mom? We are hungry."

Sapna said, "Mom's sick, so Bhaiya and I are in charge. We're going to eat tomato-soup and a cheese-veggie-sandwich for lunch."

The twins' faces fell, "Will it take long?"

Sagar said, "Not too long. Do something until the both hands on the clock are on twelve."

Sapna added, "That will be twelve noon and your lunch will be ready."

"Promise?" The twins asked.

"Yes, that's a promiset."

"Didi, we know how to tell time." Suchi said.

Soori added, "That's right. The minute and the hour hands are on twelve, so it's twelve in the afternoon. It can twelve at night also, but it's daytime just now."

Sapna gave a pat to her sisters, "Okay, okay, I'm glad you can tell time. Now if you want lunch, come later. Go..."

The twins made a face at their sister and left.

"Sapna, can you handle the sandwiches? Peel the cucumbers, slice the tomatoes and defrost the mint chutney from the freezer, and then get the loaf of bread and cheese-slices out."

Sapna tied an apron around her waist, "Yes, sir, you're the boss."

"And I am going to look for Mom's tomato soup recipe." He shuffled through the recipe index  cards. "Here it is. Let's see what it says."

Sapna came over to take a look, "Bhaiya, I can read the recipe, you get the things."

"Thanks, sounds great."

Sapna read the following recipe.

"Tomato soup

4 roma tomato--take seeds out
1/2 big onion-cut in strips
1/2 red bell pepper

3 garlic cloves
3-4 fresh thyme
salt and pepper
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
grilled at 400C

Remove thyme twigs, pury in a blender
and make a vegetable stock."

Sapna interrupted her reading, "Hey, I know Mom keeps the vegetable stock frozen in different sized containers, she labels everything that goes in the freezer with the date of preparation." She peeked into the freezer and took out one of the containers of the stock.

"Thanks Sis, that saves us time, the twins are going to barge in at any moment." He started the chopping and cooking of vegetables.

Sapna said, "No problem, they can set the table for lunch."

Sagar said, "Sapna, please let's see what went in the veggie stock."

"Here it is."

Sapna read it.

"Vegetable stock:

2 C water + one small potato + 1/2 onion + 2 garlic cloves + 1 bay leaf + ginger + 3 cloves

Boil simmer for 15 minutes

Strain the vegetable stock and add to the soup-tomatoes."

Sagar looked at his watch, "I'm glad Mom keeps the stock ready. It's already 12:15 PM, where are the twins?"

Sapna peered into the freezer again, "Did you know Bhaiya that she also keeps containers of frozen daals (beans)? Let's see, she also has..."

The twins sauntered in, "We are ready for lunch."

Sapna closed the freezer and said, "You'll get the lunch as soon as you set the table for soup and sandwiches."

"What do we need? A plate? A fork and ..."

Sagar said, "Kiddos, your call, you know what we are eating." He whispered to Sapna, "I am going to check on Mom, be back in two minutes."

The twins set bowls, forks, plates and napkins, they consulted with each other and asked, "Can we have croutons too?"

Sapna served the soup in bowls, "Sure. Girls, how are you going to eat the soup with a fork?"

Suchi and Soori placed the soup spoons by the bowls, "Can we pour the croutons by ourselves?"

"Sure, go for it. Remember, you spill, you clean."


The End


© 2014, Meera Desai Shah

Keep Your Limits

Hello,

Whenever a person stumbles in life, he/she looks for the reasons why it happened, whom to blame, makes excuses, keeps thinking about it and kicks self or just forget about it, saying that it  happens.

Frequently I come across quotes that make me say, hmmm, that makes sense. I must remember that. I am afraid, it lasts a couple of days and then I see something else and say, oh, I knew that, I read it before.

Here is a little conversation between two siblings about what the younger one wants to do and why.

Meera

Keep Your Limits

Sagar called Sapna to help him move a dresser so he could reach for the things like coins, pens, pencils and such that dropped behind it. Sapna did not come, she did not even give an answer. 

Sagar called again. No response. He took off his gloves, which he thought gave him a great edge in lifting weights at the age of seventeen. Of course, he gave up lifting weights in favor of Karate but did not part with the gloves. 

Sagar went to Sapna's room. 

She slumped at her desk. Her teary face and a bunch of tissues in the waste basket told a story that Sagar wanted to investigate. 

"Sis, what's up? How about helping me push my dresser a few inches to get my stuff out."

Sapna pouted, "I don't want to leave my room. Go away."

"Okay, I'll leave, after you tell me why you are so upset."

Sapna sulked and played with some tissue.

"Come on, sis, I am your friend." Sagar moved some tissue aside and sat on her desk.

"Mom says I can not take gymnastics, modeling and art."

Sagar frowned, "Oh, you want to drop your soccer?"

'Nooooo, I want to play soccer and take these classes too. All my friends are doing it."

"Hmm, that is tough. They all sound interesting. Let's see if we can sort it out."

Sapna looked up, "What's there to sort out? I want to take these and Mom says no, keep only two."

Sagar went hmmm again and said, "Well, you are going in the ninth grade after summer. That's high school, you'll be getting tons of homework."

"So?"

"Let's see a day has 24 hours. About ten go to sleep, two for eating, eight in school and that leaves four hours for soccer, gymnastics, modeling and art And your schoolwork."

"I don't need ten hours of sleep and I don't have all the classes everyday."

Sagar nodded, "True. Sapna, from what I know of high school, we do get tons of reading and lots of homework," He made a face, "And all that takes time. Maybe you'll have to rethink your choices."

Sagar jumped off the desk, "I'm going to let you think about it and move my dresser later."

Before Sagar stepped out of her room, Sapan said, "Bhaiya, I decided."

Sagar turned to face his sister, "And?"

"Well, I'll just keep soccer for physical exercise and art for relaxation and the school courses. I did so want to do modeling, I could have learnt so much about fashion and stuff."

Sagar smiled, "Fashion and stuff? Anyway, you made good choices. Randy Pausch said, 'Don't over-do, keep your limits.'"

Sapna wrinkled her nose, "Never heard of him, who is Randy Pausch? "

"A writer. He also said, 'No one is in charge of your happiness except you.'"

"He sounds sensible."

"Yes, he also said, 'Smile and laugh more' and ..."

"Have you memorised all his quotes?"

" No, just some. He also said, 'You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.'"

"Huh? That does not make sense."

"Never mind, think about it and listen to this, 'Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.' Forget about fashion and gymnastics."

Sapna shook her head, "Are you for real, Bhaiya? Throwing all these quotes at me! I still like gymnastics and I'll learn about fashion from magazines and stuff."

Sagar said, "Go for it, dear sis." He smiled as he left her room.


The End


© 2014, Meera Desai Shah

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