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Archive for the ‘Field Notes’ Category

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Who says money doesn’t grow on trees?

In Field Notes on 26 August 2015 at 7:49 pm

Who says money doesn’t grow on trees… 🙂

A guest post by Peter of Appalagraharam Andhra Pradesh

After school and on Sundays, the village kids come to play with the AID “Toy Library” toys…
Each day there is a different scenario enacted. One day the space may be a market place, with the children, as small groups or individually setting up there stalls with various wares for sale … tea stalls, tiffin stalls, hair studio, scrap merchants, general stalls etc…
Another day it may be the anganwadi centre with a teacher (who always seems to be yielding a big stick… 😦 teaching songs and games to the children whilst somebody else is preparing meals for every one…
One of the favorites is “Birthday parties… one or more children are selected as “Birthday Kids”
All the other children collect leaves and flowers to lavish the the birthday kid and their mudpie cake…

There is one common thing that revolves around all the scenarios…. money. Read the rest of this entry »

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Liberté, Égalité, Non à l’intouchabilité!

In Field Notes on 14 July 2015 at 8:00 am

10 years ago today, I first used the cup. It helped me transform my personal fight against menstrual untouchability to a public one.

GrandCanyon123

Allons enfants!

What do you see in this picture?  Just a family enjoying a day out.  All day, I might add.  There was a time when I would have preferred to plan such an outing on a more convenient date – one when I was not menstruating. Read the rest of this entry »

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Happy Watermelon Birthday!

In Field Notes, What on 17 March 2015 at 4:43 pm

We had the pleasure of Disha’s company just as she was approaching the big 5.   She was traveling with her parents to the heart of the country and lucky for us they had a break journey in Mumbai.  We thrust a candle into a plump watermelon and burst into an enthusiastic chorus of “Happy Birthday” which delighted Disha to no end.  The Birthday Watermelon was sweet and juicy and we ate the whole thing!  Cheers to Disha as she sails through the final days of being 4 and three cheers for watermelon birthdays!

Disha enjoys a little watermelon birthday party :-)

Disha enjoys a little watermelon birthday party 🙂

Tip of the Day:   Yes, you can celebrate your birthday with watermelon!

Read the rest of this entry »

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Becoming Nanna …

In Field Notes on 4 October 2014 at 3:22 pm

Anand takes a moment to collect his thoughts on the journey to becoming Nanna to three-week-old Anagha. 

Anand's newborn daughter Anagha.

Anand’s newborn daughter Anagha.

Life has always been kind to me. Fortunately I never had a big testing moment and I think one of the biggest decisions if not the most for me was about the place where my baby would be making it into the world. Thanks to my friend Chetana Kulkarni, who is leading advocacy efforts on natural birth and breast feeding awareness as part of Banglore Birth Network, me and my wife Anusha Debbadi made an educated decision in choosing Healthy Mother Sanctum.  Their website is http://healthy-mother.com/.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Nothing can stop you!

In Field Notes on 21 June 2014 at 1:30 am

Dancer, Writer, Yogi and Mama, Mirabelle D’Cruz from Mumbai shares the secrets of her backpack, her sling, and getting back to “plurk” with baby in tow.

They tell you that once you have a decent job and get married, you will be “settled.”  Then they tell you you will only be really settled once you have kids. I was always critical of the settled business, though I can see value in the concern of those who talk about it. Even if you have a child, like my husband and I, when you truly feel ready, have been a party-holic, travel –holic and how can I forget work-a-holic and know you’ll have no regrets because you lived your life fully and don’t feel an ambitious desire for position, lifestyle or keeping up with the Joneses, the roller-coaster will only start after the LO arrives. This is not a complaint or judgment on parenting,  its an observation on learning, growing and most of all on integrating.

I’m sharing a little of my journey, as one of the possibilities to parenting, hoping it may provoke, inspire, help or just provide an interesting read.

Mirabelle

Mirabelle leads an energizing session on West African Dance

Read the rest of this entry »

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My vegan pregnancy and natural birth experience

In Field Notes on 27 March 2014 at 8:00 pm

Sejal, Amma to 1 year-old Shaurya in Hyderabad, shares her story of pregnancy and birth. Sejal is vegan and active in raising awareness about the benefits of a vegan diet for the health of ourselves and the environment.

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A Journey called Home

In Field Notes on 28 January 2014 at 4:45 am

Chetana, Amma to almost-four year old Disha in Bangalore, finds there is never a dull moment, right at home, a steady source of entertainment and comfort. 

I think for a long time, before D was born, I was under a misconception that staying all day at home could never ever be simulating, would be boring and it is for lazy people.

But D has shown me otherwise in more ways than one. For one – our home and neighborhood is all that she needs to stay happy, healthy and occupied round the clock! Painting MuralThe half-km radius around our house is enough for her and me to find our fulfillment in so many ways and we keep discovering newer ones everyday.
We travel quite a bit for pleasure or work or to visit people. And we love doing that. But coming back to home has its own charm. Read the rest of this entry »


Travel Rendezvous

In Field Notes on 17 January 2014 at 4:38 am

Swetha, Amma of 2 year-old Shishir in Irvine, talks about the joys of travel with her little one. 

First Train Ride

First Train Ride in Maui

We travelled quite a bit in Shishir’s 2nd year and to be precise, the travel adventure started when he turned one year old. Shishir and I went to India the day after he turned 1 and his dad joined us 10 days later. It was a very eventful trip and the main purpose was to introduce him to all of our extended family and close friends and spend some quality time with his maternal grand-parents. It was a month long hectic trip but Shishir really enjoyed meeting everyone and my family was very delighted to spend time with our little one. It made us realize how much he likes socializing. Read the rest of this entry »


Unbelievable Entertainment

In Field Notes on 17 January 2014 at 4:34 am

Sridhar, Nanna of Shishir in Irvine shares delightful moments from life with his 2 year-old buddy – who no longer fits into the palm of his hands, but never misses a chance to ride on his Nanna’s back.

Wow, has it been really that long since he came into our lives? Shishir, our “Litil Titil” (that very cute rhyme that my equally cute wife Swetha coined in his 2nd month) has grown up very fast that last few months – a little too fast for my imagination, but the bond between us grows stronger each day. I don’t think Shishir yet realizes the significance of a father…or Nanna as a relation.

Sridhar and Shishir1

Shishir meets his Nanna, Sridhar

Read the rest of this entry »

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Communication without Words

In Field Notes on 17 January 2014 at 3:16 am
Srihari, Nanna to 6 month old Vibha in Pune, writes about the looks and gestures that help him and his daughter understand one another without words.
Vibha with her Nanna

Vibha with her Nanna

Ever since I heard about elimination communication, I wondered whether it was possible for months old babies to communicate subtle feelings.  And if they can communicate, whether we adults can receive that communication, given how dependent we are on verbal and written communication.  It is said that 93% of human communication is non-verbal (largely body language).  But body language is not universal and can be misunderstood.  Still, having communicated with pets through my childhood, I was hoping something similar would happen with our daughter. Read the rest of this entry »

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