Yes, I've written about trams before, in a post with the same name as this. But how could I go to Kolkata again and not create some more tram memories?My grandmother often told me about how her father always gave her the fare for first class tram tickets to college and back. Like so many young people, she took a second class ride and used the money she saved to buy little things that young people want but cannot afford.Now, travelling by tram to work or college is absurd. It takes at least twice as long to commute by tram than by any of the other available options, so really, the tram is just something you experience, rather than something you use.My flat-mate in Kolkata and I had once spoken about how these anachronistic trams could be retained without much loss to the city. "They should make a moving cafe and sell it as an experience for tourists," my flat-mate suggested. I … [Read more...]
Varsha and the Kerosene Stove
"So, Mamma, there's no geyser in this place and they've given me a kerosene stove to heat water. What to do?" "Hmm. Okay. What kind of stove is it?" "Mm?" "Does it have a pump?" "No." "Good. Okay. There's one cylindrical thing that's loose. Pull it off. Okay? Now there should be another cylindrical thing with holes. Leave that. There should be a knob on the side that gets the wicks up. Turn it. Did the wicks come? No? Okay. Take off the next cylindrical thing with holes. Yes, yes, there is another cylindrical thing with holes inside. Now turn the knob. Did the wicks come up? Good. Now light all the wicks." "No, wait. Where do I put the kerosene?" "Slosh it around. Check that it has kerosene in it. It doesn't? Okay. So the base is like a dabba. Open it. The kerosene goes there. Then turn the knob. Light the wicks."Attempt #1"Mamma! The wicks are just a millimetre high and refuse to … [Read more...]
Inspired by Taboo!
The next workshop I'm doing at the British Library promises to be fun!My father got a rubber stamp saying 'VARSHA SESHAN' long, long ago. I kept it safely. I visited a bookshop about six months ago and impulsively bought a stamp pad, but did not use it. I bought chart paper to make a lantern for Diwali (yes, five months ago) and never made the lantern.I put all of them together to make my own Taboo cards, using words that I found in books that are part of the Creepy House Reading Challenge. They look lovely; I'm waiting to use them!Suppose you have to get your team to say the word ‘breakfast’. You cannot act or translate. You can speak, making full sentences, but there’s another rule. You are given five words that you aren’t allowed to use! Without using the words ‘eat’, ‘morning’, ‘lunch’, ‘food’ and ‘dinner’, can you make your team say the word ‘breakfast’? Express yourself! Use … [Read more...]
The Butterfly Lion
This morning, I was reading Private Peaceful before I left for school. I glanced at my watch. Okay, one more paragraph. I read about Big Joe singing Oranges and Lemons in his attempt to pray for Molly. I glanced at my watch. Okay, one more paragraph. And one more. And one more. I just about did not get late for my bus.And so I decided to reread another favourite, The Butterfly Lion, which won my heart yet again.Michael Morpurgo, as always, combines innocence with wisdom to enchant both the child and the adult in me. Love, loyalty and determination - all these are age-old values that Morpurgo never turns into meaningless cliches.I know that as a writer, I shy away from stories which are pure and good. Yet, as a reader, I love these timeless tales. I love stories of goodness and nobility. When will I find the courage and maturity to write them? … [Read more...]
‘What happens next?’ at British Library
The afternoon's workshop at the British Library began with a presentation that helped the eight children understand the mood of terror. Sights and sounds, ghosts, enormous spiders, zombies, mummies and pirates found their way into ideas children expressed before they began to write.And then, I gave them their prompt - The crows cried out in the distance. Hundreds, thousands of crows perched on the roof of the old, empty house. Then, the door opened ...I was prepared for a creepy story. I got eight creepy stories.One wrote of the 'Door of No Return'. An old violinist opened the door ... A tremendous sound echoed. NEXT LEVEL! flashed the computer screen.Another wrote about three children being whisked away into a mirror in the haunted house. And then, the ghost of Mr Scribble Hopper wrote the names of the three children on a piece of paper listing the children he had killed.What … [Read more...]
‘Show and Tell’ at British Library
At the first of today's workshops at the British Library, children in the age-group 5-7 brought their favourite toys to talk about.There were two little creatures called Sita and Gita. A boy made up a story about how squeaky Sita and jingly Gita walked into his room while he was asleep. He was frightened, but understood when he woke up.There was a Lego space-shuttle. A girl made up a story about how the shuttle went to a place where aliens experimented on humans.There was a pink-roofed house with Lego girls. The house was, of course, haunted. The theme is Creepy House. And there was Croco - a crocodile whose teeth were yellow because no one ever brushed his teeth.What a delightful hour I had! … [Read more...]
British Library Workshop
The Illustrator of The Story-Catcher
I did not put up pictures from The Story-Catcher because the copyright isn't mine, but I found this on Rishi Bhardwaj's site and could not help sharing it. … [Read more...]
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Hermione Granger translates so well! I love her translations from the original runes.And of course, Albus Dumbledore's notes reveal his genius and insight, providing valuable information about interpretations of beloved fairy tales.J.K. Rowling, though, talks down to us Muggle readers, underestimating our knowledge of the magical world. … [Read more...]
Now
As usual, I judged a book by its cover and picked it up. An orange book, with two silhouetted figures - an old man and a child gazing at flames in the distance.Now promised to be more powerful than it was, or perhaps it just did not happen to me at the right time. The ideas there could have been deeply moving. A child grappling with guilt that does not have a foundation, similar to The Worry Tree I read not so long ago. An old man haunted by memories of the past, of the holocaust and the loss of loved ones. A child trying to be proud of the fact that her parents have sacrificed their lives to help people in Africa... but realising that more than pride, she feels rejection, over and over again.Now could have been more powerful, but left me with a sense of incompleteness. I wanted to be more moved. … [Read more...]