Category: ABC Wednesday

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S is for the Sparrow

As kids we lived in the crowded old city area. Despite the closely packed houses, we were used to waking up to the sound of chirping of birds. In the middle of our house was a courtyard with a Madhumalati creeper that reached up to the terrace. The tree was home to scores of sparrows.

To my extreme regret we never truly cherished those tiny cheerful chirpy beings. We would climb up to the terrace to look at their nests and we’d watch the babies learn to fly. We’d watch them fight (oh they were noisy) and cuddle and hop around fearlessly. Yet, they were so much a part of our lives they were barely a reason for much excitement.

By the 90s I’d moved out of my hometown but the sparrows remained a part of my life. I remember a friend came visiting form Chennai and was amazed to see them in our tiny balcony. ‘Look sparrows,’ she remarked awed. And I thought, ‘Yeah sparrows’, so big deal.

And then, I don’t know exactly when, I stopped seeing them around. Isn’t it strange how, over the years, we completely forget things that were once so much a part of our lives? Here in my new city we see more pigeons and mynas.. strutting, nesting, messy, aggressive and intrusive. (However, I’m not sure I wouldn’t miss them if I ever move away.) 

Last year (2012) I came across the Citizen Sparrow project launched by the Bombay Natural  History Society. The project invited citizens from all over India to document the presence or absence of sparrows in their area. The findings reported a decline in the sparrow population all over the country. To know more about the project click here. Worse still Google tells me the bird is disappearing all over the world, significantly in Britain and across Europe.

If you’re wondering why we should do our bit to save the sparrow read this excerpt from an interview I found at Rediff…

‘Mao Zedong blamed rats, flies, mosquitoes and sparrows for the failure of the 1957 grain harvest.
Mao ordered the massacre of 1.96 billion sparrows between March and November 1958, despite the objection of experts that sparrows were in fact the major defence of the grain fields against insects.
The killing culminated on December 13, 1958, when Shanghai residents reportedly destroyed 194,432 sparrows.
Like the sparrow extermination order issued by a Prussian ruler in the late 18th century, Mao’s sparrow-killing campaign had two serious consequences. First, insects destroyed more of the grain harvest than ever in 1959. Second, a generation of the Chinese youth internalised violence against the weak and defenceless as an acceptable behaviour in the name of serving the interest of “the people.”
The policy-induced famine of 1960-1962 killed 40 million Chinese.’
I didn’t contribute to the project, however I did start noticing and looking out for the birds. Isn’t it a wonder how they seem to actually like being around us humans, yet in such a non-aggressive way? Each morning when I’m wheeling out my scooter their happy exuberance makes me smile and I’m grateful for their cheery presence.

If you would like to do your bit and adopt a sparrow nest box click here.

Picture Courtesy: Pixabay

Linking to ABC Wednesday

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R is for (non) Readers

Some are born readers, some achieve being readers and some have reading thrust upon them… And then there are some who refuse to read even if it’s thrust and thrust and thrust upon them..yeah that would be my twins.We live in a house surrounded by books. I read. I have always read since we were kids. Our father would get these inexpensive Russian books for my sister and me and we would devour them within hours. Then we discovered Noddy and Enid Blyton and there was no looking back.. Amelia Jane, Malory Towers, St Clair’s, Faraway Tree then on to Famous five, Secret Seven….. It was like unlocking a treasure chest. We’d wait for our weekly library period at school. We were issued two books ( a fiction and a biography). We’d read them at supersonic speed and then exchange with our friends before the week was through.

We’d read during tiffin break, during the bus ride home, over lunch and at bedtime. Classics, comics, thrillers, historicals… I read them all.

When I got married it was wonderful to find duplicates of my favourite reads in The Husband’s collection, even though he is more of a non-fiction reader. Our bookshelf at home is nothing if not eclectic.

Since when the twins were babies they have absolutely loved stories. Beginning with Bubbles and Bruno I exhausted all the Doras and Noddys. I picked up stories from the Panchatantra. I trawled Indian mythology for interesting stories. They knew the Ramayana by the time they were three. And then tales of Lord Krishna and Hanuman.

I told them interesting anecdotes from famous scientists’ lives.. Archimedes and Newton.. Einstien and Edison. I even told them bits of Harry Potter.. broke up bits of the story like episodes. They loved it. And still they wanted more so I made up stories, scores of them.

And I waited for the day they would start reading on their own.. And nothing.. They just didn’t.

I brought them beautiful books.. ‘pop ups’ and ‘sticker storybooks’ and ‘colour your own story books’. They oohed and aahed over them, they stuck the stickers and coloured the pictures and then moved on. I tried leaving an interesting story midway. They would simply pester me till they drove me crazy and I’d have to read it to them.

Did I overdo the story telling? Maybe. Did I put them off by trying too hard? Maybe. I’d just been so excited and impatient to share it all with them. There really are so many wonderful stories to share. Sigh!

They have crossed their seventh birthday and I am afraid it’s already too late. I see hope for H.. He does pick up a book – not so much fiction but books on Dinosaurs and Sharks and other scary stuff (!!) yet I’m happy. N however, seems a lost case. She simply will not read.

One of those rare moments..

Oh I’m still trying and I’ll keep trying but I’m slowly beginning to reconcile myself to having a non-reader for a daughter and trying to be okay with that. The thing is kids will be their own people, will have their own personalities, their own likes and dislikes no matter how much we try to mould them a certain way. That’s not to say I won’t try to inculcate good habits inthem (Rather, what according to me are good habits).. but I have to learn to let go at some point.

It’s a tough lesson in parenting, but one I need to learn and reiterate to myself over time.

Linking to ABC Wednesday

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Q is for the Quintessential workaholic

Yeah that’s the Husband.

One morning we went out for coffee/chocolate shake and The Husband got an official call..

Here he is at the call.
Then he had an important message to send off.
H got bored waiting for him to finish and wanted to pose with him..
but The Husband didn’t notice.
then N had to have her turn and still The Husband didn’t notice
Then H decided to have some fun
By now both of them were enjoying themselves
… and some more!

That’s how focussed he is.

He payed a pretty heavy price for his work obsession, developing stress related diabetes. However over the last few months there have been some very positive changes. He has joined a gym and to the entire extended family’s complete disbelief he has kept at it for the past five months. He is at the gym six days a week, he has lost some weight, he is eating healthier and he keeps early nights.

Touchwood!

Five stress busters that work for us…
1. Spending real time with the kids. While they might be the greatest stress creators kids are also the best ever stress busters. The Husband enjoys squabbling with them. He has been putting them to bed more often and they spend ages chatting before they drop off asleep (While I get time to blog.. heh heh).
2. Rediscovering a hobby. Blogging works for me, gardening, crafting, listening to music might work for you.
3. Exercising. Walk, dance, hit the treadmill.. pick any. It works.
4. Meeting up with friends. While elaborate entertaining stresses us out a simple dinner or coffee with friends works just great.
5. Watching Television. Yeah I know TV is a much maligned medium and I’m no blind fan but sometimes sitting before it and watching a film or show and laughing together is just fun.

So what are yours?

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P is for Pintsized wonders

Since my Pint sized Progeny came along there never has been a Peaceful moment. My life turned into a Potboiler. Our home has lost its Pristine state and is now in a constant state of Pandemonium.

That’s not to say I wasn’t Pleased when the gynaec Pulled them out. I’d no clue they’d Planned to come in a Pair. They were just Perfect. While N was Peppy and Perky H was doing Poorly. He took time to get well.

Since then N has remained Petite but H has grown into a Prodigiously Playful boy. But then she’s no Paragon either. She matches him Punch for Punch. They are constantly Pitted against each other yet turn Partners in crime.

Can you believe my Plight then? No longer am I the Placid woman of my youth. Had anyone Pointed out to me that life could be full of Precarious yet Precious moments, I would have thought them Presumptuous.

I get to Play Plenty of roles – a Policewoman, a Pacifist and a Peacemaker all rolled into one. Sometimes I also need to Pass out Punishments but the Pint sizes never hold it against me. Then there are moments of Pure Pleasure when they’ve been good and I get to hand out the Prizes.

I quite enjoy it all.

The Pertinent Point is that the Precocious Pint sizes are indeed a lot of fun. Besides they are my contribution to Posterity!

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