Trying to Understanding Things Around Me

Swings and Slides

I sometimes wonder that which part of kids' brain, which feeling of adventure or what exactly makes kids so excited to go and play with slides, swings, jungle ladder, etc. They are so happy to be running around with their friends. 

Parents understand this excitement of kids and so they judge a park or even a school which invests carefully in the quality of play area and equipment. But, still looking at some carefully designed schools and costly play hardware, I realize that those who do not plan the play area properly cannot do justice to the leisure time of the kids. Merely buying costly stuff is not enough but proper implementation of a pricey idea leads to desired results.

(This image has randomly been picked-up from google images. The Url is http://i01.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/1223774373/Free-shipping-Large-scale-font-b-outdoor-b-font-plastic-toy-swing-slide-indoor-font-b.jpg)

1. I wonder which feeling of adventure, physical activities or just the feeling of developing their muscles gets them so excited that they can give up their sleep to go to park, swings and slides? 

2. Why does this affinity towards physical activities lays-off after the kids grow-up a little more (say in their teens)? (Approximately, till about 12 years of age, I have seen kids enjoying the slides and swings) Do they outgrow the swings? Does that feeling of adventure becomes less strong? Do they get diverted to other activities that do not want to swing anymore?

If you have an answer to this question please let me know through email or write a comment, post below. 

Creative Arts- Save Water Poster

This is the project I made with the help of my son for his school. The theme was 'Save Water'

Bottom part clear

Top part clear

French Party decoration ideas.

Just a little busy with a French Party decoration Ideas. I took out a list of 10 most important and prominent things for French people.

I found that for decoration their famous monuments would be a great idea.

2. A corner for Artists and Museums.

3. A corner for Cheese and Wines.

4. A corner for Tour de France. (the famous race)

5. Silhouette of Eiffel Tower (it is the easiest momument to be cut for decorations)

6. Their flag Blue/White/Red (or that colour combination to be repeated in the colours for the party)

7. Menu items were also written according to the colour theme (in French and English)

This is a part of table decoration.

Did many more things but don't have a photo for each one. If you need more ideas then you can write to me/ post a comment and I will help out.

Monster Party

In continuation with the previous entry of the Birthday Invitation card here I have photos of some decorations. 
This is the birthday banner (on a single ice-cream stick) for the cake.

Monster Cake Banner

This is the number nine cut and decorated on a full sheet. It is given a monster look with eyes on top and teeth in the place for the counter. If I get a clear photo then I will add that also to my blog.

Monster Party Decoration

Monster Party Decoration- Table Monster.

Monster Party Decoration- Table Decoration.

Monster Party Decoration

Monster Party Decoration- Monster Faces on Balloons

Monster Party- Straws.

Monster Party- Straws

Creative Arts- Printable

Just a little busy with my son's birthday. Here is a sample for the invitation card. If you need the printable version then you can freely download here. 

Creative Arts- Emcee Script

I was hosting as one of the emcees for a program which had its theme as I AM SHE. (Celebrating the essence of womanhood). I am posting the script here.

I am She

1.Introduction:

(First Emcee- dressed as Indra Nooyi walks in from darkness towards the spotlight)

I am a heavenly angel , i am the female divine

Until some foolish soul crosses the line

Then i can be nasty and i can be mean

A cold and unfeeling, cruel heartless machine

With barely a glance from my passionate eyes

I’ll quickly and wordlessly cut you to size

When angered, my tongue will spew acid and brine

The keepers of Hell have no fury like mine.

(Second Emcee- dressed as Kalpana Chawla walks in from darkness towards the spotlight)

 And yet I am gentle, I am limpid, I am calm

To soothe your anxieties my warmth is a balm

The heart in my bosom is a deep pool of peace

And after I arouse them, each senses I’ll appease

Mother of man, then his lover and wife

his strength and his weakness for all of his life

I am a witch, a diviner, a diva, queen bee

I am a goddess incarnate, in a word I am ‘she’

She is a corporate executive, She is a wife, She is a journalist, a dancer;

She is a soldier, an engineer, a doctor, She is an artist, a teacher

She is a ‘stay at home’ mom, She is one of us. 

                                                                                                    By:- Mrs. Sugandha Thakkran

Revered ......................, Respected......................., Esteemed,  We’d like to welcome everybody to today’s hosted by the impressive ........................... 

We are your emcees for the evening.

Hi! Kalpana

Hi! Nooyi. So, did you finish your BOARD MEETING about finding this year’s international slogan for PEPSI?

 As of now we have thought of ‘MAX your life, Max your taste.’

My name is Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi and she is my close friend the famous Indian- American Astronaut Kalpana Chawla. During the preparations for the ladies club, we have learnt a lot. We’ll like to share the lot we have gathered with ‘lots of you.’

Before I forget, I will like to say ‘Thank You’ to all of you. Not only because I have been given an extreme honour to speak in front of all of you but for the weeks of fear and unsettled stomach I have endured at the thought of compering here, before you all, has made me lose weight. Now, I just have to take deep breathes and convince myself that you’ll understand me better, henceforth.

Now, we’d like to introduce our theme. Our theme is just as it sounds- catchy and different, ‘I am She’. She who is warm and approachable; She who builds beneficial relationships; uses diplomacy and tact to diffuse tense situations; she has a style and charm that immediately puts others at ease.

Kalpana: Without taking much of your time, we’d like to start the entertainment for the evening. We will begin our entertainment with Oprah Show. Oprah Winfrey needs no introduction. She is an inspiring, dynamic and arguably one of the world's most powerful and influential woman according to times and forbes magazines.

Nooyi: Kalpana do you feel some turbulence around here?

Kalpana: Yes, I do – the heart beats have gone up – and everyone is eager to sink into the depth of music, song, lights and joy. So, let us begin the show.

[OPRAH’S VIDEO WILL BE SHOWN AS HER INTRODUCTION]

1. OPRAH TALK SHOW

 Kalpana : Forbes has reported that this year you are more powerful than Oprah in the list of 100 most powerful women in the world. Congrats! You are in the 10th place. You know, I have always liked your Pepsi advertisements esp. the one with Aishwarya Rai and Amir Khan. I forgot the slogan and who was the other girl in the advertisement? Can anyone from the audience help me with this... please (we also have a prize for this.)

Answer: YEHI HAI RIGHT CHOICE BABY! AHA! With Mahima Choudhary. - prize

(GOOD Memory)

Nooyi: you joined NASA Astronaut Corps in 1995 and you were the first India born woman to go in Space. Right! I remember your hometown is Karnal but I forgot that from which college did you finish your graduation and which degree course you do while you were in India? Can anyone from the audience help me to find an answer to this question?

 Answer: bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College - prize

Thank you so much for helping me out.

2.

Nooyi: Kalpana you are both bold and beautiful, you have lovely long hair. (Thank you so much for the compliment). How about some make-up?

Kalpana: But, I don’t like make-up.

Nooyi: Why?

Kalpana: too messy and difficult to carry on.

I think, I can help you with this. Today we have with us Mrs. .................................. who is a beautician by profession and she will be helping us with some tips of eye makeup. You can sit back and watch it.

BEAUTICIAN’S VIDEO/ TALK

5.

Nooyi : Can u sing a song for me

 Kalpana : ( Lipsing)

Nooyi : i can’t hear u

Kalpana : in space u can hear this.

Nooyi:  Now let us hear a beautiful song by  Mrs.......................

Kalpana:  I still feel like lost in those melody dipped music notes.

Nooyi: Indeed it was very good. Well! then come back now. Let’s proceed towards our next program for the evening.

Kalpana:  I will request audience to help me with some more answers. I will give you hints about some of the famous Indian woman and you have to guess the names of those famous females.

1. First Woman President of Indian National Congress

Answer: Annie Besant

2.       Name the Indian female Human Computer.

Answer: Shakuntala Devi

3. Who was the first singer to win the Best Playback Singer Filmfare Award?  

Answer : Lata Mangeshkar

                                                                                                          

    4.      Which actress made her Hindi film debut in 'Sapnon ka Saudagar'?

Answer : Hema Malini

6.

Nooyi – Have u ever played Tambola in Ladies club?

Kalpana : No, but i have played it in my spaceship.

Tambola:

7. 

Now let us see team work skills of our shes ......

Please, look for your partners. The names of groups are mentioned with your tambola tickets.

.................................................................................................................................................................

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You all are given situations. According to the situations you have to prepare and put-up a show for 3 mins.

Preparation time: 5 mins.

Group Game: Duration: 3 mins

Each group will be called in order to perform and you have to perform when the group name is called out or else there is a negative marking.

8. Catwalk

Nooyi: Hi Nooyi have ever seen  or done a catwalk ?

Kalpana : No, but I have been spacewalking.

  

9. Prize Distribution

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Vote of Thanks by Mrs................

 Fillers

“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.”

–Arianna Huffington (AOL/Editor In Chief of Huffington Post)

Jokes

1. There was this teacher who was teaching young kids the different types of animals, she showed them the picture of a giraffe, and asked them what it was. Nobody answered.. So she gave them a clue, ''It has a long neck.'' One kid answered, "Giraffe!" Pleased, the teacher showed a picture of a zebra. Nobody answered it again, so she gave them a clue. ''This animal has stripes.'' "Zebra!" one kid answered. So she put up another one, that of a deer. The teacher could not think of a clue.. but suddenly she came up with one!..she asked them ''what does your mother call your father?'' Suddenly one child got up and answered ''HORNY BASTARD!''

2. Egg-Laying

Why does a chicken lay eggs? Because if she dropped them, they'd break

3. For all Beautiful Shes : Here r the AWESOME LINES..

"Be with SOMEONE who 'Spoils ur Lipstick' and NOT ur Eyeliner..??

3.

Mayawati came 2 lalu's house with an elephant,

Lalu- bhaiswa ke sath aaye ho?

Mayawati- dikhta nahi elephantwa hai.

Lalu- dhutt pagli hum elephantwa se puch raha hu.

--------------- ---------------

Girl:Nice mobile, Where did u buy?

Boy:I won dis in a running race

Girl: How many persons participated?

Boy: MOBILE OWNER, POLICE &ME.

--------------- ---------------

Teacher: can you defined who is leacturer?

Student: Lecturer is a person Who has a very bad habbit of Speaking when someone sleeping. 

Creative Arts- Doing It

Some of the works that kept me busy for past few days is some compering scripts, some calligraphy practice, some research work for my dissertation (is based on Tales of Punjab, By Flora Annie Steel). Well! let me show you what I have been making.

This is a decoration for my crockery Cupboard.

These are gift envelopes I painted.

These are the paper dolls I made for Chinese Style Menu Items for a function. I used ice cream sticks inside them to finally make them stand on potatoes cut and wrapped with aluminium foil (like a stand).

I made girls with attires from Noodle eating countries and also with the menu items I have written the names of female chefs famous for the countries.

Indonesian, Malaysia, Chinese, Japanses, Vietnamese and Korean. (The theme was Feminine so all the costumes are for girls only).

Indian Folk Art (Kalamkari)

So, here I proudly present the reason why I was missing for so many days. Any guesses ...

Well! I was trying my hands at Kalamkari painting (Indian Folk Art). The entire picture is too big as compared to my scanner. 

This is what my son (Herman, 8 years) has tried while giving me company.

Creative Arts

I really really like creative arts. One of the creative artists that I admire, like to see works for is Sanjay Patel, the Pixar Artist. His works are very creative, I like the use of simple lines, curves and dots. The colours, shadows, perspective are beautiful and above all are the sentiments captured. 

I want to buy his book 'The little book of Hindu Dieties'

To see inside the book follow the link below:
http://www.us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780452287754_PSP,00.html?sym=PSP

This is just the glimpse of his beautiful work. Visit his website for eyes-full treat.

His website is also very inspiring and pleasure to visit.
http://www.gheehappy.com

So, here is my version of Sanjay Patel inspired art work. 

Life as you take it

How fortunate or unfortunate is up to you to decide

Now, that I am sitting at home taking care of my homely matters, I am often left to decide about how lucky those people are to work outside their homes (basically because it is recognised and paid for). Both males and females who work are lucky not only to be financially independent, be an achiever but also progressive. Those who have the blessings do not realise. Ask me, the blessings. (I can name a few of them).

Now, when I compare my empty days, doing the daily chores, to the ones that I was working that I was working, I realise that all the anxiety, preparations, new assignments, responsibilities, duties, outings, chit-chat were the 'kind' payment that I got from my job. We don't go out of our comfortable spaces (houses) to have ego clashes, tease, look down upon somebody or something. When we meet those who are more knowledgable than us we are only exchanging ideas. An office itself is like a school for the grown-ups. (As my son aptly says, "I am going to office and papa is going to school.")

I certainly miss my worklife but I also know that I have no choice but to stay back and take care of the monotony of the daily works. I tried and filled my emptiness with zeal of my hobbies. Gradually, I tried to adjust my hours of hobbies with the jobs of the day such that my hobbies provide enough excitement for my for the whole day. Pursuing what you really like fills your heart with content and vacates all the garbled thoughts from the mind. (Anything that really holds your attention for enough span of time, is a kind of meditation. It helps you to focus.)

Matters of minds and hearts are very complicated and the more we know and speak about others makes us realise how little we know about ourselves. Well! I must confess, YOUTUBE is one of my major source of hobby caretaker. I have found profound videos about whatever I want to look for to develop my abilities. The internet is such a great friend who takes me to various website when I really look for 'the tasks to be accomplished.'

Now that I get time to pursue my hobbies (what I really like doing) I wonder whether I am fortunate not to be working outside or unfortunate to staying at home doing the mundane works. While thinking this I realised that fortunateness or misfortunate is a state of mind. These are two aspects that exist everywhere and it is YOUR perspective that matters. It matters where you are standing and looking at the problem.

I have also realised that none of the days of the life are completely happy or completely sad. It could be more happy and lesser sad or viceversa. Also, it is like our lives are like a flowing river, it matters whether you are standing with a SPOON or a BUCKET to fill as much life as you can.

Bottomline: Live your life, forget the worries, they will be set right on their own, you cannot change it, just be with it. Even in darkness the light dawns for those who believe. Have a attitude to be happy and not to take events in life too seriously.

This is it for today.

Woman

Thank God! For making me a woman.

I drew this image to show the different roles a woman plays in her personal, social, professional and religious life. Different dresses are used to show the different jobs that almost all females do at one or the other age. Women are strong. (I am not talking about the MUSCLES.) I am talking about the HEAD (this strength really matters.) I am talking about perseverence, patience, care, traditions, benevolence, etc. 

THANK GOD FOR MAKING ME ONE OF THEM!