With the weak monsoons in Mumbai making a retreat, the sun is once again breaking through the last few grey clouds in the sky.
I hope this marks the end of the grey days in my life too!
Happy weekend all.
Join me and other skywatchers share pictures of their sky here.
Today is Parsi New Year and Wow Dinga and Little Po are home as their schools are closed for this very special holiday.
The Parsis, as we all know are originally from Iran. They landed in Sanjan as a boat load of people wanting to escape persecution, looking for a place where they could peacefully practice their faith.
Luckily they were allowed to settle down in Gujarat and since then they have been an integral part of our diverse Indian family. Despite their shrinking numbers, every Mumbaikar knows at least ONE Parsi.
I do hope initiatives like Jiyo Parsi will get get their numbers up so that we can all enjoy genuine Parsi Bhonu with gems like :
One of my most delightful introductions to a dish was when Piroja and Darius came to visit . Piroja gave me two small packets of salli from the famous Camy Wafers down the road and told me that she specially wanted to share a great recipe.
Take these crisps and spread them in a non stick pan she said. Then you sprinkle some water and cover the pan so that the crisps become soft. Then add some chopped tomato and kothmir and mix it up with the crisps and again cover for a while. Then just break some eggs and drop them one by one , cover the pan, lower the heat and let them cook.
Wow! That sounded easy enough .
Salli per Eeda is a popular dish among the local Parsis who love eggs in any form. Eggs can be thus broken over a spicy tomato and onion concoction, or over spiced okra too!
Eggs & Crisps have become a staple in our home too. This is a great brunch idea but is perfect for a late night snack too!
This is just one of the many wonderful dishes that comprise Parsi cooking. There are typical restaurants like Britannia Cafe, Leopold and the RTI’s where you can savour these delicacies.
But while you are busy finding restaurants, I hope my Parsi friends are busy enjoying this lovely holiday.
Navroze Mubarak to all !
After a long hiatus of almost a year, the Itinerant Blogger is back on my blog. The past year has seen a lot of changes in her life hence the absence from my blog.
But she is back with a brilliant review of a book that ALL young mothers must read.
I bring you The Itinerant Blogger
As a first-time mother who leaves her daughter in daycare for ten hours daily, I often worry about my child’s development. To understand what impacts a child mind and subsequently what I could do with my child to enhance her development and prepare her for her future, I picked up this book. Little did I know that it would not only help me understand Miss Papaya better, but also my colleagues.
The authors, both professors, present a science-based framework on what children should study today to succeed in a future that is ambiguous and most likely filled with robots, artificial intelligence etc. 2nd, their source is children, and their analysis is peppered with easy to follow examples. 3rd, they also reassure modern day parents that sticking to the old fashioned rules of boundaries and respect still work.
The framework consists of the 6Cs – Collaboration, Communication, Content, Critical Thinking, Creative Innovation and Confidence. While the 6Cs in isolation are not unique, the four levels that show progression within each “C” are unique and helped me as a parent understand the mechanics of critical thinking.
I also began to appreciate why her 18 month assessment made a huge deal of the fact that Miss Papaya uses a block as a pretend phone – she was demonstrating very rudimentary pieces of critical thinking and creativity.
That an education centered on the 6Cs is important, so it is not enough to drill your child in numbers and alphabets, but also ensure you child has a high emotional quotient and creative quotient.
Each “C” has four different levels, and it is important to view the levels as a journey and not get hung up on achieving the top rung immediately.
When other parents share the numerous enrichment classes that they put their kids in, often to the detriment of their own sanity/schedules/budget, I will remember that as long as Ms. Papaya is exposed to the 6Cs, she is ok. That coveted soccer class on Saturdays is not going to ensure her success in the future. I will also not cave into pressure and buy her everything.
Finally, I will delay her exposure to screens as much as I can. I firmly believe she can always “learn” screens in the future, but she can never unlearn how to observe the world around her and socialize if she does not do it in her infancy.
Remembering the four levels, applying them. I want to revisit this grid every 6 months and plot her progress on it.
I also want to see if I can apply it to new jobs/other areas of my life and learning.
Book Reviews and interviews available online:
http://ecepolicyworks.com/were-not-in-reggio-emilia-anymore-kathy-and-ros-translation-project/
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I too have read this book ( part of my Book Reading Challenge for this year!) and strongly recommend it to everyone.
So go ahead and get yourself a copy NOW!
Twenty- five Seven 