Meoww's Musings

Middleschool Mishap! - Math Class :)

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:15:00 +0000

Mondays had Math periods just before the lunch hour. Middleschoolers loved their Math classes, but, my God! they were ravenous by the end of it and would be begging to be let sooner to rush to the dining hall.

We were tackling Fractions that Monday. I would keep the kids engaged by taking examples of pizza or cakes to demonstrate the "cutting into fractions". We had drawn a fully loaded pizza with mushrooms, yellow capsicum (we had some really specific likes and dislikes :), sweet corn, jalapenos and all the works on the blackboard. We had cut it into halves, then proceeded to cut one of the half into eighths and distributed the bits to some kids. We were figuring out which was a fair deal. The child who got the 3/8th of the pizza or the 1/2 of the pizza? The children were totally engaged, clearly engrossed in finding who got the best deal of all.

We then moved on to drawing another circle on the board to be cut out for the next set of students. Starting to cut the circle on the board, I asked a child as to what portion of it would she like. I knew that it was time to send them off to lunch when she responded that she would like a portion of chocolate cake :)

Cozy up with Crochet!

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 05:34:00 +0000

Crochet is a useful way to let down your stress. Something about the repetitive stitches and repeated yarn over hook actions helps you calm down, get down to the basics. It makes you so proud to create something useful for yourself. Just perfect for a middleschooler to create during the holidays! It is something that they can actually use and show off in their school. Entrepreneurial ideas can crop up with handmade items! Will making bookmarks make the middleschoolers pick up and read more books? Will they pick up on the Math involved in crochet? Why not just try it out?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIrtgPDytg8- Bookmark with pen holder crochet

AK's Good Bad Ugly

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Sat, 12 Apr 2025 15:31:00 +0000

Good

Walking is back in style, people!

AK struts looking delightfully handsome in his pointed grey beard wearing strikingly patterned shirts in bold hues. AK nonchalantly strolls with a burning bank in the background. Young AK swaggers through his flashback along with John Wick, The professor from Money Heist and Jang Dong-Soo.

Couldn't our aristocratic ambulator also be nominated for the campaign combating obesity? Some people walk the talk, some people walk the walk, our AK- he talks through his walk!

The classic yesteryear songs setting the tone for the fight sequences

Interesting to hear songs like the Sakalavallavan song giving us "meaning" for the fight sequences. Aaluma Doluma was doled at a whistle-worthy time :) Villain intro also set with a catchy song from long.

References to other Ajith Movies

References, references, more references, maketh the movie. Giving us a glimpse of all the AK movies that were pre-loved. I was expecting more Mankatha references, unfortunately didnt happen. The director has used a lot of movie and characters from AK movies along with others from movies from abroad. All that bringing interest and depth into the movie.

Bad

Why does every male villain need to have a bass voice? In the Lord of the Rings movie, Aragorn does not have a commanding voice. But then, he proves his stately presence and might by his actions. Voice is important but not the only thing that draws attention. AK's bass voice keeps us hooked. Giving all villains deep voice just makes the movie ear-splittingly annoying.

Touted as the GV Prakash Kumar musical, the background score was too loud and blaring along with the jarring voices.

The gen z video and online games have a long and confusing storyline like the Mahabharat! This movie also introduces the story and its so many characters with their confusing backgrounds, all with a background voice over. Gosh! Does it have to be soo knotty?

Ugly

Logic?

That's GBU, people, GBU!

Holiday Help through SCRATCHing

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 06:14:00 +0000

A Logical, sequential, step by step method to achieve a goal. Options to involve music and sound and a variety of fun characters to play with. Cool animations, loads of effects and a chance to let your imagination go wild!

That's Scratch programming for you!

With their never-ending supply of energy and an orthogonal thought process, it is vital to get the middle schoolers engaged during the holidays. Keeping them safe from the clutches of the mobile phone and social media is even more of a priority. Although a healthy sport in the playground would serve them well, a programming tool to let loose their imagination seems to a safe bet, inspite of the added screen time.

Scratch is a programming tool developed by the good fellows at MIT, which has been around for quite a long time. The newly upgraded scratch is user-friendly and very easy to use. A middleschooler would master it in a jiffy. Even if they have a hurdle, the super short, specific tutorials just make it so much easier to get them to do what they want to do.

Scratch teaches Problem Solving tactics. The middleschooler needs to first define an idea, look at the operations available and solve the problem using the given options. Embellishing it and making it awesome comes next! Even if there are roadblocks along the way, the debug tool on Scratch helps!

Scratch teaches them Patience- a value that this generation seems to be losing out on with their instant gratification needs. Starting out with a character, it is easy enough to see what it can do, but it requires patience and logical reasoning to get it to actually do it.

Any programming language needs the user to be logical in their approach to the solution to the problem. The middleschoolers can make fantastic outcomes with a logical start.

Sharing their work for the world to see is something that the children will surely enjoy, while boosting their confidence.

Getting into the mindset of logical programming with its problem solving tactics is a good option to get the children into this vacation, during those sunny afternoons when the phone can be "lost" :)

Here's a good place to start: https://scratch.mit.edu/mystuff/

Patterns, Puzzles and Poirot

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 10:30:00 +0000

Patterns, Puzzles and Poirot

Teaching basic operations in Math for the 5th graders

Pascal’s Triangle

Eye rolls, disappointment, frustration and just plain anger greeted me from the bunch of cute 10 year olds when I announced that I was planning to revise the basic operations that they have learnt in 4th grade Math before jumping on to the “new” stuff! Indubitably, it was followed by choice words to suggest that academics in Middle School needed a makeover, intense discussions on how life in Middle School would be boring if they had to practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and Division, yet again, for crying out loud!

Nervously, without facing the frustrated faces- some of which were buried deep into their palms, I start out writing the first six lines of the Pascal’s Triangle on the board, thinking of the ways I could explain to help them crack the pattern by which it was created.

“Use your little gray cells, mon ami!” Poirot intonates from somewhere within.

I just stare back at their hushed faces after adding a few extra rows without filling any numbers in it. I could see a sudden change in their attitudes. Curiosity? Bewilderment? Do I detect a wee bit of interest? Aha, Welcome to Middle School! ☺. I let the silence engulf them, rather than giving them instructions or asking questions. Within a few precious seconds, I am bombarded with queries, concerns and even skepticism. I deliberately, yet with a lot of restraint, hold myself from helping them out, keeping up my blank stare.

Few minutes later, one child sweetly volunteers with “There seems to be an icing made of ones. I think a 1 comes in the first slot of the row and in the last.” Dancing to the music in my ears, I fill in the slots with ones.

“I can see the numbers written slantingly in the increasing order, right after the ones.” “Yes!” I spout out, with more enthusiasm than I had intended to display.

With a little more time, lot more discussions amongst the little ones on the justification of the correctness of the patterns by which to fill a slot, (along with enormous amounts of self-control on my part to keep away from interrupting their train of thoughts and flow of ideas with my own questions and theories), we had observed interesting patterns by which to fill in the Triangle.

“Oh, yes, I am. Very odd. That is to say, I am methodical, orderly and logical, and I do not like to distort facts to support a theory.” Poirot continues.

The pencil scratching on paper doing some addition and subtractions, constant hum of the multiplication tables, long division to verify to see if the answer fits and the curses to find that it doesn’t but going through the process yet again because of the helpful voice of a friend providing an alternate hypothesis- all the sweet sounds of investigations that a Math teacher wants in her class! Loud chatter, chaos and confusion reigned, of course, but with a singular motive of filling the slots with the right number. Complicated patterns spanning over two different rows were discovered, with the repeated use of all of the basic operations.

“Bored? Pas du tout, Mademoiselle. There does not need to be present a crime for the investigator to thrive, non. Pas.” Poirot happily chirps.

Encouraging them to do an assembly presentation on the patterns they found in the Pascal’s Triangle set out a new wave of inquiry and exploration, much to my contentment. Next stop, Fibonacci Series.

What do middleschool children want in a Teacher?

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 06:49:00 +0000

The tweeners (10-12 years old children) are one of a kind! They are taking their first steps figuring out the ways of the world, understanding themselves and are itching to be independent. The love, support and guidance that they receive at this time will be vital in shaping their personality and character.

A Teacher, who is with the middleschooler for almost 8 hours a day, definitely plays a significant role in a middleschooler's life. It is very hard to please a-young-child-who-wants-to-be-treated-as-an-adult with their hormonal mood swings, the sacrosanct peer pressure and their fledgling knowledge of the world around them. The teacher has it tough as she needs to be sweet and understanding at one instant- wiping off their tears, giving them support and then transform into a rage monster the next moment to put them in place to obey the rules! All said and done, the teacher must understand that the tweenager's underlying desire is to please the teacher. The middleschoolers just don't have the control over themselves or their actions completely yet. And they

Authenticity

Middleschoolers sniff fake emotions easily and "just for the sake of it" consolations. They seek authentic and sincere connections in adults that fosters a long, trusting relationships. The teacher needs to show love and concern at all times. And it helps if the teachers seek them out if they find that the child is feeling a bit down or upset or extremely happy. The teacher basically needs to have an eye out for them at all times and make sure that they are available for the child at all times! (Overwhelming task, I know! But nontheless rewarding or atleast find ways to be there for the child when they see a difference in them)

Patience

This age group demands the teacher to be even more patient than the other sections of the school. Their inability to dig deeply and thoroughly before they act just certifies them to be a growing child needing an adult's guidance and tolerance. The hormonal dance in their body makes it even more confusing for them. And peer pressure takes the cake in deciding their half-baked ideas and thereby their actions. Thus the need for an composed teacher who can listen with patience, respond with sincerity and sensitivity and concern.

Fairness

The middleschoolers get a whiff of favouritism or unfair judgements by the teacher, then it is downhill all the way from there. It is important for the teacher to be fair at all times with children. It definitely helps the children to be aware of the consistent rules set by the teacher. The children will feel safe to approach the teacher with their concerns.

A Listening Ear

Most of the problems of a middleschooler can be solved if they have a person to whom they can vent out their feelings without fear of being judged. Most of them don't even require sympathy or ideas to solve the problem. They just want to be heard. An active conversation with them, ofcourse, will be beneficial for them, if they listen to it :)

Forgetful Nature

One of the most important characteristics of a middleschool teacher is to possess a selective forgetful nature. Everyday is a new day and every child is a new child on that day. They might have aborbed what they experienced yesterday or be up there in the school with a totally new perspective. It is vital for the teacher to forget the misdemeanors done earlier and approach them with a fresh attitude everyday. Isn't it the right time for the child to make mistakes and learn from them? Why reproach them for days?

5 min Lectures

Middleschoolers have very low attention span. It is in the interest of the teacher to give them a short yet comprehensive advice within a short period of time. (This saves a lot of time and energy for the teacher too!) It helps if we keep reiterating the same fact at different times in different scenarios, again, in a quick sermon :)

A Cool, Solid Head

Oh, the ways the tweenager can get under the teacher's skin! They endlessly find different ways to push yout buttons! It is upon the teacher to not get ruffled by these taunts. A cool, clever and if possible, a funny response might save the day rather than a punishment. It definitely will gain the trust of the student.

Updated Lingo

The middleschool lingo seems to be ever-changing. The teacher who understands and responds in kind catches their fancy and trust easily. They will be so proud, even take it upon themselves to teach it to them, if only the teacher shows any interest.

Do you think there are other nuances that a middleschool teacher must possess?

A Holistic Learning Curriculum for Middleschoolers

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 10:45:00 +0000

Middleschoolers are amazing. Fresh out of the sheltered elementary school, middleschoolers are yearning to be independent. They have found their voice, they understand their environment, they can make choices based on their likes, dislikes, their learning and they are all about having fun! But this age group is also the most vulnerable as they come across so many hurdles in the form of peer pressure, parental inclinations, social media. Yet, this age group is also when they start to lay the foundations of their life.

Middleschool children typically spend 8 hours a day in the school. The school takes an important place in moulding and educating them. So, should it just be giving Math and Science lessons? Or should it take a greater part in preparing the children for their future? These are some of the aspects that have to be taught in school to make life happy for all:

Self-preservation a key item that is vital in a growing child's life.

Taking care of themselves, eating healthy, understanding their growing body
Defending themselves in case of danger
Finding the right ways to support themselves and others in case of physical, emotional, psychological crisis

The middleschooler will be ready to face the world better if he/she was given a heads up to the world of finance and money management

Understanding that money is important but not everything in life
More about careers choices and income that will help navigate through life
Knowledge about taxes, investments, insurance that has become the basics of life

Nature conservation and protection of other species in the world should be inculcated into the children at a young age so that they will grow up to value the Earth that sustains us

Our dependence on Nature is absolute. Yet we destroy it, pollute it and choose to not care about it.
Is it even possible to bring back the hundreds of animals that we have driven to extinction?
Don't we want to give the same Earth as we have received and enjoyed? Shouldn't we be making the world a better place for the next generation?

Respecting others as we want them to respect us and the world around us would transform this place a happy place!

Simple acts that are mindful and in compliance with the laws of the land like driving in your own lane or not cutting the queue will make the whole process of life a little sweet :)

The school should be a place of holistic growth for a child. Academics is important. But more important is life itself. Let us make way for the child to have a happy life!

The Blackboard and Middleschoolers

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 10:23:00 +0000

If I were to pick a tool to help the child learn, with me, in the classroom then, I would choose the blackboard anytime!

Yeah, the projector with the computer can show the volcano erupting or the close-up of the sun, but the blackboard beats them all with all the fun in the long run!

It is there for all to see:

All the students in the class, even the ones who are busy doodling in their books will have to look at the board that occupies the primary spot in a class room from time to time. It is easy for the teacher with her diagrams or flowcharts to effectively get the attention of the middle schooler. Just drawing the Pascal's Triangle with minimal numbers on the board made the whole class come together in populating the numbers of the triangle.

Seeing it on a Bigger Screen:

When the middleschoolers see the data on a bigger screen, things just make sense for them. The usual routine of writing the date on the board turned out to be a discussion in prime numbers! (eg., 5/7/2017) Another one was found to be a palindrome (20/6/02). These start up a discussions that are spontaneous that clearly reassures the teacher that her teaching methods are working!

Ask Questions or Question Answers:

The versatile blackboard can be used for both asking questions or explaining the answers to the students. It is a breeze to assign a student to write the answer to a Math question on the board while it helps the teachers and others question, analyze and check their answers as well. Indepth analysis and explanations can be done effectively on the blackboard, in full view of the students. An easy long division problem on the board started a string of revelations about the whole division process itself, bringing in different ways to solve the same problem!

Blackboards can be effectively used for interactions:

An important aspect of education is peer interactions and peer learning. Getting the class involved in a topic is a sure way for the children to increase interest, spark curiosity, dig deeper into the subject and get the children thinking. Putting up an interesting or a famous quote by an author or even the latest hot headline of the day is a sure-fire way to bring in different perspectives, spark a debate or bring in a consensus.

Keeps the middleschoolers on their toes:

The pride that a middleschooler feels when she finishes solving the Math problem right for all to see is a also a wonderful tool for the teacher. Calling them to come and write on the blackboard makes them mindful of the whole process of answering the question, while keeping an eye on their handwriting too! There is also just the feeling of accomplishment and joy that the middleschooler gets when they are praised by their peers. That is a strong motivation for the others to learn and try as well. The children just love being called to add their ideas or even just to write their solution to the Math problem on the blackboard!

Test their learning:

A blackboard, to a middleschooler when effectively used, becomes a tool for collaborative learning. When they were introduced to the number Googol, (one followed by hundred zeroes) one child wanted to see how huge the number would be. So, he started writing the zeros while counting and was immedietly joined by his classmates to help him out when they figured the magnanimity of the problem. That's critical thinking! That's collaborating! That's learning! And that's music to a teacher's ears.

An apt place to show off their skills:

The artistic creativity of a middleschooler is set in full display if they are just given coloured chalk and a duster. Birthday wishes for a fellow student or a request for a free period, the middleschoolers usually bring in a compelling reasons along with imaginative creations on the blackboard!

Why on earth should I study?

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 07:49:00 +0000

An important question pops in every now and then from the children at school.

Why do we have to study? or more specifically, why do I have to study the life History of a person who lived many many years ago? or Why should I study Maths when I know that I am going to be a singer or a football player?

My answer to this age-old question asked by my children in school is simple: To live life happily.

The children are generally never satisfied with this answer. "How does learning History help us live happily?", they usually snap.

Learn about your roots and the legends and the culture and tradition that has shaped you. Learn from the blunders that people have made like the detonation of the Atomic bomb and the sufferings it caused. Are you feeling frustrated about living under a governance that doesn't seem to understand and respect its people? Learn how to negotiate peacefully and patiently like a Mandela or learn how to be an one man army to fight for your rights like a Greta or harness the power of the community to stand up against the governance non-violently like a Gandhi. This is why you study History, to learn how you can live your life happily.

The children are engaged, but still not completely convinced.

"Why do I need Pythagoras theorem when I am going to be a footballer?"

The shortest distance to score a goal, the hypotenuse way or taking the longer, right angled route to the goal post? The angle at which to kick to ball to the goal. Simple calculations, perfect results!

Eye rolls, huffs and puffs and they storm away. Yet, I know that they have started thinking... Maybe even a tad convinced. We are on the right track!

Homeschooling works!

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Wed, 25 Dec 2024 09:36:00 +0000

Homeschooling is where the parents take the ownership of teaching their children. Homeschooling works on the crux of "Parents know best!"

Homeschooling is when the parents involve themselves in educating their children. They enlist the help of friends and relatives and the community to help their child learn
Open-ended learning: Homeschoolers learn without restrictions of syllabus and curriculum
On Demand learning: Homeschooled children learn what they love when they are interested instead of when the curriculum demands it
Real world learning: Homeschoolers have more chance to learn what is required in daily living like sewing, using money, fixing the bicycle etc as they have more time dealing with the real world
Unstructured learning: Homeschooled children may learn at their own speed without requiring to do any prerequisites.
In Detail learning: Homeschoolers can dive deep into the topics they are interested in without any restrictions and for however long they want. It gives them a chance to specialize on their specific interests
Parental guidance: Parents are the people who set the stage each day to help the child get a varied experience and exposure

A school provides a social experience for the child by default. In homeschooling, the parents take the responsibility to let the child interact with peer groups and with others to give an optimal social experience
Parents who homeschool their children also take the onus to enrich the child's education by trying experiments with children so that the children learn by doing
Patience and repetition forms an important base on which the homeschooling parents need to interact with the child
Information is readily available in the internet. Homeschooling just requires the parent to package it all in such a way that is easy for the child to imbibe.

Homeschooling looks very lucrative for both the child and the parents as it will provide for an excellent bonding time and the parents directly see the child grow and flower; But it requires the parent (along with the help of friends, neighbours, community) to take charge to give holistic education to the child.

And there is always help for homeschoolers. Write to jollylearningforyou@gmail.com to get help on bringing out the joy of learning in children.

The cat, kitten and the dog

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:07:00 +0000

Its been an interesting few weeks at home, lockdown and all, but more so due to the pets at home. So, first of all, a fawn labrador retriever has become an important member of our family. He'll be 4 on April 10th. He's awesome- he understands every word we say or don't say. More about this sweet guy in a later post. But the hullabaloo a few days back was because we had an interesting guest at home. The stray cat who thinks she owns us and our home brought her little kitten who hadn't even opened her eyes! After an exciting photo session, she disappeared. Yet again.

Then yesterday she reappears but without her kitty. But she wouldn't stop meowing. We discover that the kitty has somehow lodged herself inside a tiny rectangular hole in the car!! Dh, quick and dextrous with hands was able to pull her out of the hole in the car. Again, after the mandatory photo op, she was showing off her baby when the mother-of-all-tests arrived. Dhrish, our lab, made an extensive check over the situation through a thorough sniffing test to the new attraction. The kitty passed and we have a consensus at home now. The cat, kitten and the dog are happy together.

Dh has kindly named the kitten. Mitten when she's still a kitten, Mat when she is a cat!

My takeaway from The Book Thief

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 16:35:00 +0000

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Death is a great equalizer.

And when Death decides to narrate a story, not about a jewel thief (which is exciting and which would feed Him well) or a bread thief (which is heartbreaking but which will undoubtedly satiate Him) but a Book Thief, you kind of wonder why.

Is it because she's an innocent little 10year old girl? Is it because of her indelible encounter with Death so early in her tender life? Is it because of her selfless actions that help people around her cope up with the copious amounts of death and destruction around? Is Death in love with words himself that he finds The Book Thief interesting and exciting? Are the solid characters who tempt and tantalize The Book Thief an inspiration for Death? Maybe all of it. I think.

Set in a WWII era in Nazi Germany, the story unfolds the hardships and suffering endured by the Germans themselves as they toil and sweat through the drudgery of war. Though the story is set in melancholic times, it does have a fair bit of fun under the cloudy grey skies, a bit of romance with a person and a thing, a little heist planned and executed, and a lot of pain-killing words in books. A thriller under the Nazi flag under the stairs, unusual bonds from unusual places, strong, dependable unconditional love and a great many insults in German carelessly strewn about add up to make it a breezy read!

The words were loaded, interesting and metaphorical making it thought-provoking and reflective. I went through periods of gloom and despair along with feelings of optimism and rejuvenation of faith for the human race falling into the depths of this book. But I loved that this was my first read on WWII! I would cool off with a lighter, sweeter Gerald Durrell next though :)

Covid conversations

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 17:38:00 +0000

Talking to a workaholic dad about the MOAB virus!

The italicized words are the keywords that we've been hearing day in and day out ever since we've encountered the novel corona virus- covid 19.

March 10^th 2020 Primary schools closed in India

Dear dad, this new corona virus doesn’t seem to be relenting

Primary schools have been closed, maybe you should consider social distancing?

****!#!****

Of course, you should look after your customers, you should fulfill your obligations

Maybe you can try out phone call solicitations?

It’s just that the virus is going viral and the epidemiologists aren’t reassuring

March 11^th 2020 WHO declares Covid to be a Pandemic

Daddy, you know what? WHO has upgraded covid to a Pandemic.

It is important that you don’t venture out, definitely not to a clinic.

No more hugging your friends, just greet them with a namaste

Nor should we put our lives on the hands of farishte!

Let’s get started with it, dad- let’s stay at home, Let’s protect our rishte!

March 14^th 2020 America declares national emergency

Appa, Indians are stuck around the world including Atlanta;

They could have been in Florida, enjoying the fiesta!

No fun and games even though it’s the spring break,

Right now, it is just important we don’t ignore a throat ache.

The number of infections mustn't surge and flattening of the curve we must undertake.

March 19^th 2020 X and XII Exams are cancelled

Exams are now cancelled for X and XII and rightfully so;

This covid is a menace, but does it affect places that’s cold and with lots of snow?

No, daddy, no, that doesn’t mean that it won’t affect places that are hot

Better to stay away from information pollution and fake news than not.

The virus is bound to mutate, though, I hope it doesn’t find its epicentre in this spot.

March 22^nd Janata curfew

Oh! Daddy! India is trying something new. We are willingly going under a lockdown

No one is to come out of their homes even after sundown.

The infected people have been quarantined,

Masks and ventilators will soon be in high need.

Hope and pray that the people are washing hands and paying heed.

March 25^th National Lockdown India

What an unprecedented occasion, to mitigate a death-trap situation

21 days of #stayhome to #staysafe to overcome this condition

No herd immunity technique, not for us,

Oh, Look, Dad, maybe the hole in the ozone layer will close during all this buzz!

And we have more fika and connect with Nature in her superfluousness!

March 29^th Exodus of migrant workers

Oh dad, people are staying home, people are hoarding

Every day laborers have nowhere to go except their hometown- all the way, they've started walking.

How can we get them home safe and secure? When can we produce the antigen?

Can we try the Japanese Amabie to scare off the pathogen?

The world's completely gone empty, including the Eiffel tower and the Vatican!

(To be continued)

Changes in the World.

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 08:51:00 +0000

Some people lap on the daily routines, take sanctuary in regular habits, fall prey to the usual conventions. Not me, I thought. I like adventure. I crave change. I want different. Every day, every moment, no routine for me, no siree! Or so, I thought.

The change the world has brought to us isn't the change I wanted or craved or thirsted for, I guess. But then, can you have changes that you approve of? Can you set standards or levels for the change you approve of? Changes just barge into our lives. Sometimes as a sweet surprise of a welcome guest or sometimes just as a shocking discovery of an unexpected infestation. Sometimes we let the change in and let it reshape us, our attitudes and ourselves. Sometimes we bang the door on it, resist it and try to alter it. Either way, it gets in.

This pandemic, it's different, it is reshaping the world, it is scary. Though we have people holed safe, sound and comfy in their homes, it's is a difficult, dangerous, nerve-wrecking world for a lot many. But then, the change is here.

No point in wishing it away. Just need to do the next thing to do. The right thing to do. Let the changes descend on us and let the world recuperate back to its original glory.

Cut your Luck and Draw your Face!

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 08:18:00 +0000

I was just shocked out of my socks when I read this report on today's The Korea Times! The gist being that young jobseekers in Korea have resorted to plastic surgery to look more appealing to the interviewers and now have also started to cut luck lines on their palms to make their palm lines stand out to induce luck. They even have resorted to injecting botox into their vocal cords to make them sound confident!

It is impossible to live in Korea and not to know about plastic surgery: How many times have I seen girls crouching in the corner of the "Chuk" or the porridge shop (typically a restaurant where you go when you are sick) with a bandages over her nose or eyes! It is impossible to miss the sheer number of ads and clinics promising immediate appointments, free consultations, easy payments, state-of-the-art equipment for the actual operations in Gangnam Gu, "the Beverly Hills" of Korea. It is not possible to miss the shocking discounts available enticing you to attempt for surgery on more than one part of your body. And of course, we cannot neglect the power of the "sobeesu" or the free/complimentary items available at your disposal after, you are done with the surgery. Korea maintains the worlds market share of plastic surgery by an astounding 24%. Almost 1 in 5 women have undergone plastic surgery in Korea and the stats are not very for men either. It is accounted that Korean women use 10-18 cosmetic products on top of their already perfected face. The results are not off. Koreans are the perfect-looking people I have ever seen! Even if they are out on the park on a lazy Sunday, they look perfect! All of them look good, all of them look like film stars!

Why all this obsession about looking good, all the time? Why this eagerness to look good for others? Why all this passion to please others? Why go through all this trouble, pain and money to please your interviewer, who might not be the one you will work for ultimately even? Where will this stop? Will you change your chin to please your supervisor, and then nick your nose for your manager? What will you teach your kids? " Don't worry, my dear, just Botox your voice to sound confident" or "Just cut your palm lines for an luckier life!"?

With a teenager about to enter the age group prone to do these stuff, I really feel sad, tensed and scared at the environment these young people are subjected to. Young minds should be raised to be at peace with themselves, confident of their bodies and abilities and be leaders themselves and not mere followers. I wouldn't want my son, whose nose, had it been shorter, the whole face of our world would have changed, coming in with a shorter cute little button nose. If he did though, he might also have to consider getting his palm lines stand out more, but I seriously doubt if it will help him in anyway!

Unique wedding ceremony in Seoul

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 09:24:00 +0000

I miss the Indian weddings. The colorful clothes, the delicious food, the gaiety of the relatives and friends! It is a wonderful feeling to get together, celebrate the couple, share their joy and indulge in ourselves.Traditional weddings conducted in wedding halls for three whole days, though must be a tense time for the parents of the couple, but a time of delightful cheer for the others. Though I might be missing the most expected weddings of two of my cousins this year :(, I got to witness an interesting wedding ceremony in Seoul.

It is not a Korean traditional wedding like I would have expected since we are in Seoul for the past three years. It was not a Korean Christian wedding like the one we attended of my husband's colleague before.We were invited to the wedding of the Taekwando teacher of my son, who is an Ethiopian with his fiancee from the US, who is an Eastern Methodist Christian. Now, the odds of me attending another wedding of this nature is probably zero. I was definitely counting on being part of the wedding and was devising ways to convince my boys who are my only link to the groom when, my younger one, excited about the wedding, was all set and ready on time, wearing his collared shirt without any complaints. The elder one was fairly enthusiastic to attend the wedding and was ready at the appointed time with his shirt on too!

We were there at the church, bang on time. As we knew just one person- the groom- who was super busy, in the entire wedding crowd, it was kind of awkward. But the whole situation was oh! so! worth it. The church was different from the other churches I have visited in my life. Beautiful paintings with copious amounts of golds on all of them, giving them a royal, venerable air. My elder one did give us a short idea of the Eastern Methodist Christians when the ceremony started.

The golds and the paintings!

The beautiful dome.

The altar

The birth of Jesus

The groom all dressed up, in-waiting.

Here comes the bride!

The Eastern Methodist wedding ceremony

The Ethiopian wedding ceremony with a lot of singing.

And dancing!

Interesting to see the add-ons to the couple's clothing- the white capes and crowns.

There was lavish Ethiopian style feast after the wedding. I really wanted to try it but we were late for another party and had to be off. Surely considering visiting the Ethiopian restaurant in Itaewon!

All that has been so far... in Seoul

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 00:36:00 +0000

Oh, it has been so long since I wrote in my blog. I blame the awesome food in India, unnatural weight gain because of that and the excellent outdoor weather we are having now in Seoul for my tardiness.

Having said that, the past few months have been so memorable in my life, I just want to preserve it in words.

The India trip was amazing. Met with a lot of people, feasted on all the good things I was missing, spent some time with my parents (and a lot of time shopping) which was so soothing. Bad things did happen, but I am moving on with my life and I will naturally cry about it in the upcoming posts.

I have been keeping myself busy with my new-found passion in life. Drawing. Now I understand all the greats who have said that the Passion is the oxygen of life! Passion is engrossing, captivating and mesmerizing. I really am happy and thankful to have found mine however late in life. Everyday is exciting and energizing! I am learning alertness, patience and humility all over again and I find it satisfying. When your creation is appreciated, loved and rewarded, there is just pure ecstasy. I got paid for a few of my creations and one of it was displayed in a gallery in Jayanagar.

Having at least a 50% claim on the creation of my sons, I experienced bliss from that quarter too. I have never been the President of anything. I have no idea how I would have felt if I became one. Nevertheless, I am positive that nothing comes close to the floating-on-the-clouds feel that I got when my son became the Student council President. I was pushed even more so when his teacher declared him almost unanimously elected among all the contestants and that he is the first non-Korean and first Indian to do so. I was practically in space when I got the recording of his speech from another teacher just a few minutes after he had delivered it. It is quite tough to see him work hard even after I have slept at night and heart-warming to see him get accolades for his sincere work. I am loving the special stride my husband has when he walks into the school as he calls himself the "First Father". I am secretly loving being the "First Mother" too though I have to work on my special walks.

Just when I was claiming to be much fitter than the boys in my home, my younger one gets selected into the school cross country or marathon team and completes running around the football field in a minute and 6 seconds, even on his 7th round! I was able to run 700m before huffing and puffing down to a heap. And my husband makes 100km on his bicycle every week. And I find it quite sufficient to do 300 calorie workout which measures upto a 10km a day, for 3 days a week (at best) on my indoor bike. But let them try to convince me that I am not fitter than the others... one look from me can kill, baby!

Live and Learn

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 13:31:00 +0000

The last quote of the 3 Day Quote Challenge is to be a special one. One I have read so many times and one I have lived and learned :)

Importance of being myself

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 02:10:00 +0000

Another quote which jolted me into activity and put me in the driver's seat of my own life: .

I fully intend to live my own life completely without any regrets and enjoy every moment of it!

I find this 3 Day Quote Challenge an interesting way to reaffirm my goals and set me on the right path yet again. Do join in the fun Archana!

The Rules

Post a favorite and a different quote of yours for 3 consecutive days, from any book or author of your choice. It could also be your own quote.
Nominate 3 bloggers with each post to challenge them.
Thank the person who nominated you.

Never miss an opportunity!

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 11:03:00 +0000

Thanks to a sweet blogger friend Kokila of Sunshine n Blue Clouds, I am participating in a 3 Day Quote Challenge.

I want to start off the challenge with the quote that came as a shot on the head for me. The missed opportunities, the lost chances, the untried avenues. Never again!

I would like to nominate DNambiar of Tipsy from the Trip to join in!

The Rules

Post a favorite and a different quote of yours for 3 consecutive days, from any book or author of your choice. It could also be your own quote.
Nominate 3 bloggers with each post to challenge them.
Thank the person who nominated you.

Seodaemun Prison in Seoul

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 09:43:00 +0000

With the kids in vacation, getting up late, keeping me busy and messing up by perfect schedules, I decided enough is enough and pulled them out of the home to experience a bit of the Korean heritage. We just happened to choose to go and visit the Seodaemun prison which was built by the Japanese to confine the Korean freedom fighters. It was an interesting but somber experience.

The main building of the prison houses a complete history of the Korean Independence movement from the Japanese and the gory details of the torture and executions performed by the imperialists. We were not allowed to take pictures of the interrogation and torture and the death chamber. There were torture boxes in display - a small box where a prisoner was kept in had nails poking in in all directions to hurt the prisoner. The box was kicked repeatedly to make sure the prisoner got hurt. Another scary item was the torture tools used to poke the skin under the nails, mutilating the extremities and hurting the internal organs. Here was the first time that I witnessed the gallows. It really creeped me out. It was even more upsetting to hear the moans and cries of the elderly Korean couple who were visiting this place for the first time :(

Just off exit 5 from Dongnimmun station is the way to the prison.

The red brick-walled structure with the watch tower is the entrance to the prison.

The map of the prison.

Tiny entrance to the prison

The main building houses the torture chambers and the History of the Korean Independence movement.

The jail which housed the Koreans.

Worser crime calls for lesser rice :( The blocks varied in sizes to reduce the size of the rice portion for each prisoner according to the crime committed.

The prison cell that housed so many inmates under very bad sanitary and climatic conditions.

Solitary confinement cells. Even lesser space.

This is an exercise area where inmates where allowed to exercise but not allowed to talk to each other

I took this from where the warden could have a clear view of all the inmates.

This is an Execution building where the Koreans were sent to the gallows. We were not allowed to take pictures inside here. There is a popular belief that the poplar tree inside the building is spindly and frail while the one outside is sturdy because it witnessed the atrocities that has happened inside.

I have not been so close in seeing the atrocities of war or the Independence struggle movement. I am now terrified at the thought of Jallianwala bagh massacre, and I think I can understand and appreciate the millions of soldiers all around the world, fighting and enduring atrocities for something they believe in. It is going to be long night for me tonight... :(

Bubbling goodness

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 10:23:00 +0000

Yay! Summer vacation is here! I love it when my kids are around, waking up late, heavy breakfast at noon, playing and chatting until lunch time and continuing to play and chat until dinner. It is pretty fun and I am enjoying every second spent with them.

Today, we ventured out of our home even with the MERS situation hanging above our heads. Few people were wearing masks, there were sanitizers even inside the bus for public use, and antibacterial wipes everywhere. Maybe a little less crowd in the malls, and deserted restaurants. Everything is a bit gloomy and depressing here in Seoul :(

But we decided to try out something new today. We tried out the Red Sun restaurant in the Ipark mall in Seoul. Nice, clean, restaurant and the cute little drawers in the tables for the forks and spoons. Pretty neat!

The meal consisted of a platter with noodles, spagetti, topokki (Korean rice cakes), eggs and veggies along with a special sauce. The platter is then placed on the stove right on the table where everything cooks along with the sauce!

Assortment of items on our platter on the stove on our table

Bubbling goodness :)

We chose vegetables with our meal, there was also the seafood, ham or pork to choose from.

We had to have some more topokki extra to this amazing sauce!

The sauce was sweet-spicy concoction that tasted amazing! I also like the way we had to share from the one big platter. Lots of selfies, chatting and a full stomach, we left the restaurant thinking that it was a very nice experience. Something I would cherish forever!

W for Bubbling goodness Worth remembering for ABC Wednesday

The Moonlight tour of Changdeokgung Palace

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 05:13:00 +0000

There are five main palaces in Korea. I had been to the biggest and majestic Gwanghwamun palace which is a must-see for all tourists because of all the history involved. But for the prettiness, I must say the Changdeokgung takes the cake! I was lucky to get into the Moonlight tour of the palace coordinated by the Korea Tourism organization on the full moon nights. The palace is beautiful in the daytime but the night time view just took my breath away!

General public are not allowed for this tour. There is a form to be submitted and then 100 people are allowed to participate in it.The weather was so pleasant and it was a perfect night to visit the palace.

The program started out at 7:30pm, Korean precision timing, with the registration for the English or Chinese language tour guides. We were all given headphones to listen to the guide. Then, we were treated to the Royal changing of Guards at the palace gate.

Changing of guards at the Changdeokgung palace

We were given a pretty LED light to carry through the palace, just in case. Then came the pretty sights!

The traditional Changdeokgung palace surrounded by the hi-tech buildings of Seoul

Changdeokgung palace at night

The place stones for the officials.

The Throne room for the King. Check out the beautiful electric Chandeliers!

The pretty pretty palace at night!

The night time view around the walls of the palace.

We then reached the secret garden, which houses the beautiful lotus pond. The night time view of the pond was like a dream come true.

The lotus pond in the secret garden. Note the reflections.

While we were feasting our eyes on the lotus pond, there was also an audio treat performed by a local artist in a nearby gallery.

The love nest for the king

After a visual treat, we were then ushered into a open air auditorium in the palace where we were given ice cold omeja tea and some traditional Korean snacks, while we got to see the Korean artists performed. I especially loved the short presentation of the Korean version of Romeo and Juliet.

Pansori about the Korean love birds

I really had a beautiful time at my favorite palace in Seoul. And the tour also was so well arranged that I hardly noticed that it was around 10:30pm when we were out of the palace gates. We did finish a quick questionnaire and even received a free gift on top of our treat! This was indeed a romantic and even informative tour of the beautiful palace.

Seoul Brand

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 08:26:00 +0000

Brand names are quite popular and even a status symbol nowadays. Brand named clothes, shoes, are the most sought after items in anyones wardrobe. But I have never heard of a brand name for a city.

Seoul brand promotes the city of Seoul. This is a unique opportunity to improve the image of the city of Seoul and also promote the inflow of visitors to this magnificent city!

I am so happy to become one of those members to promote Seoul :) It is indeed an honor and a privilege to work towards a better and foreigner-friendly city!

Lotus Lantern Festival 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Meoww) — Tue, 26 May 2015 23:56:00 +0000

My absolute favorite festival in Seoul has to be the Lotus Lantern Festival. It is held every year on April 8th of the Lunar calendar for Buddha's Birthday. It is as though the city bursts into color with culture and beauty for these few weeks! I do love the delicately decorated lanterns displayed all over the city. The highlight of the festivities for me is the lotus lantern parade. The lanterns are exorbitantly adorned with lights that brighten up any mopey face! The beat and rhythm of the dancers during the parade add more fun and color to the proceedings.
This year, the lotus lantern festival was celebrated on the 16th and 17th of May. Seoul was basking in perfect Spring temperatures with flowers blooming everywhere and looking so pretty! More pictures of Lotus Lantern Festival here. This year I was not able to do the lotus lanterns with the monks but I had a great time doing it the previous year.

The Changgyecheon Stream with the lanterns on a bright sunny day!

The Beautiful stream as the dusk approaches...

Oh! The festivities are so addicting!

Lanterns for the year of the Sheep

I loved this lantern with a beautiful message!

The lantern mountains resemble the ones made by Minhwa drawings

The lanterns are huge almost 3 times the height of an average adult.

The peacocks were the highlight of this year's parade. Oh so beautiful!

My favorite flower of all time! The beautiful lotus. So pretty!

Beautiful fishie!

Beautiful Phoenix that would make Dumbledore proud

Another favorite of mine!

Love the paintings as well!

Dragons with smoke and fire spewing from its mouth was ofcourse the crowd pleaser!

The Hero :)

T for Tasty bit of Lotus Lantern Festival for ABC Wednesday