My grandmother was a disciple of sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan, and recalled, often, how Pandit Ravi Shankar called her a 'child prodigy' when she performed at the Allahabad Univeristy Music Conference. Here is what the press has to say about her: Last and not the least Kumari Ratnam Mahadeo's Sitar recital should be commended upon. She played a sweet 'Malkosh' and showed her masterly treatment of 'Tal' ... The promising artiste, Kumari Ratnam Mahadeo kept the audience spell bound with her Sitar demonstration. She executed some difficult "Toras" in fast 'Laya'. … [Read more...]
Memorabilia
Sorting out my grandparents' things, we come across all kinds of things. Expenses incurred during my father's wedding. Details of my father's birth - time, place, date. Hundreds of bank things. Greeting cards. Invitation cards. Newspaper articles. Here's one of many. Somehow, I don't seem to have it preserved. … [Read more...]
Vocabulary Workshop at Magarpatta City
Now moving to a new venue - JustBooks, Magarpatta City! Vocabulary Workshop for Children Dates: 18th and 19th October, 2014 Time: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Venue: JustBooks, Magarpatta City Age-group: 8-12 years Registration fee: Rs. 500 … [Read more...]
David
I rarely read something that is 'Not Suitable for Younger Readers' and, to be honest, I did not notice that David had this warning. Yet (or maybe because of that) David struck a chord with me. In Florence in 1501, it was essential to know what your political inclinations were. Either you supported the republic, or you supported the de Medici. Yet, things were not as simple as they seemed on the surface. Gabriele, drawn into politics against his will, found himself adhering by principles he did not entirely agree with. He found himself aligning himself with political ideologies that he did not quite endorse. More than anything else, what hit me was how similar things seem to be today. Everyone must have an opinion. You may know nothing about politics, and you may care less. But somehow, you have to have an opinion. If you don't you are somehow heartless or unfeeling or selfish or stupid … [Read more...]
Frederica
I was standing at the bank reading Frederica because even though it is not true that I 'cannot' put the book down, it is true that I don't want to put the book down. There is nothing like a book that is addictive. It makes you want to read: during that one minute when the computer is booting, during the thirty seconds when your bottle is being filled, during the twenty seconds it takes for someone to pick up the phone. Back to the bank story. I was standing in line, waiting for my turn and I read about Felix, who is not a 'little boy', but an abominable 'thatch-gallows'. Felix's sister Frederica warned him not to plague Alverstoke into taking him to see a balloon ascension. But, you see, Felix was not 'plaguing' Cousin Alverstoke; he was just 'asking'. And that's not the same thing, is it? A bubble of laughter rose to my throat, but how could I laugh, standing there in a mundane … [Read more...]
Day Two: Vocabulary Workshop for Children
Time flew by at the second day of my vocabulary workshop, so much so that I hardly even took any photographs! It was a day of frantic word-hunting in the dictionary, attempts to communicate an idea with a single word, and word-building. Here are a couple of pictures, taken before the frenzy began. … [Read more...]
Day One: Vocabulary Workshop for Children
"Both my daughters keep saying Varsha didi - Varsha - Varsha ... I had to come and see what magic you do with them." Probably the loveliest comment I've had so far I can't decide what I like better - children I've met before coming back to me for more, or new children with new ideas and experiences. With word puzzles, team games, charades and drawing, we had a wonderful morning with words! Contact me if you would like to join in for Day Two of the Vocabulary Workshop for Children at JustBooks, Wanawadi! … [Read more...]
Workshop this Weekend!
Vocabulary Workshop for Children Dates: 27th and 28th September, 2014 Time: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Venue: JustBooks, Wanowarie Age-group: 8-12 years Registration fee: Rs. 500 Workshop Overview: JustBooks Wanowarie, in association with Varsha Seshan, brings to you a vocabulary workshop for children. The playground is the best school. In a spirit of healthy competition, children will work in teams and individually to demonstrate their language skills and express themselves. Workshop Highlights: 1.Building your vocabulary and discovering the joy of new words 2.Individual games and team games to test your vocabulary 3.Theme-based word activities 4.Dictionary usage … [Read more...]
White Dolphin
Who does not like animal stories? As a child, I wanted to be an environmentalist and a vet. The problem was that I was afraid of biology and dissection, so I contented myself with animal stories, knowing no other option. Gill Lewis's White Dolphin filled my heart. It was a story that jumped out of the pages and touched me despite the fact that I knew nothing about the particular problems it addressed. White Dolphin is a story of humane humans and their attempts to be what human beings should be - kind, brave and generous. Questions remain unanswered even at the end of the book, but there is no feeling of dissatisfaction there. Because life is like that. There are no clues leading to all the most beautifully crafted answers. Sometimes, you have to move away from the question to reach another, more important question. During my last workshop, we spoke about how lovely stories are … [Read more...]
Vocabulary Workshop at JustBooks, Wanawadi
My reading workshop at the British Library is over; it's time for the next workshop! This one is on my side of town this time - at JustBooks Wanawadi. Vocabulary Workshop for Children by Varsha Seshan Dates: 27th and 28th September, 2014 Time: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Venue: JustBooks, Wanowarie Age-group: 8-12 years Registration fee: Rs. 500 Contact me for more details! … [Read more...]
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