The Lush Backwaters of Kerala

It had been a really long time since I had been on a holiday and I had been begging my hubby for one . Surprisingly he didnt need much convincing (as is the wont usually) and we together surfed the net for a suitable holiday spot . After a lot of searching - scanning we booked a houseboat in the lush green backwaters of Kumarakom with overnight stay in the houseboat  . It was a 24 hour package and I must say totally worth it . It was a lovely brush with nature after a long time of being in the concrete jungles of Hyderabad.

We boarded the houseboat at Kumarakom at around 11AM and were immediately given a welcome drink which we thoroughly enjoyed . I was surprised at the interiors of the houseboat which were much more posh than I expected .My son had a great time running around the entire houseboat which even boasted of a first floor .The entire houseboat was well furnished and beautifully maintained and we fell in love with its interiors.

First floor

Lazing away and taking in the beautiful scenery as the boat set sail, we spotted all kinds of birds which we had never seen before . The entire stretch was dotted with coconut trees and sparkling waters .After a relaxed time came the best part - the freshly cooked lunch on board the boat . Being strict vegetarians we were treated to more kuzambu, sambar , cabbage thoran , raw banana fry , olan , curds and an array of cut fruits .I wanted to click a picture of the food but being too hungry we promptly tucked in. The scrumptious meal  made us want to doze off but we didnt want to miss any of the scenery . We spotted a lot of fishing boats and chinese fishing nets and I envied the fishermen who could bask in the backwaters daily .

Evening bought with it piping hot masala tea and freshly  prepared onion pakodas We finally halted near a tiny village at dusk. It was pure serenity untouched by humans and the view where we halted was breath taking .

The night was event free except for a few insects found on our boat .After a blissful sleep , we awoke to the most breathtaking morning view which was almost like a divine experience. My son absolutely enjoyed himself jumping off the boat and wandering into the village where we halted . .We took off after a light breakfast and savoured as much as we could before arriving at 10 AM back to the spot where we took off .
A student going to college by boat , breath taking houses and a a host of other things were a feast to the eyes as we sailed along.

Lucky Student !

Village

                                     

 It was truly one of the best travel experiences I ever had . Rejuvenating , refreshing and totally one with nature , I was awestruck by the beauty of the backwaters of Kerala. It is pure bliss and definitely ought to be experienced . Though a bit on the expensive side, it is totally worth it , if you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life . Hubby , myself and son felt totally refreshed and we would recommend this once in a lifetime trip to everyone . Only word of advice and caution is to look for a genuine houseboat which is well maintained and always go in a group since the village where the boat halts is a totally isolated one .It leaves us in no doubt as to why Kerala is called 'God's Own Country 'Bon voyage !!

Exam Stress

I am filled with excitement anticipating a family function I've been invited to attend. I eagerly await the day when I would meet all my relatives and chat away to glory . Upon arriving, I notice all the teenagers are missing especially the ones in high school. Model exams,coaching classes,tuitions are the responses I get from their parents on enquiring about their absence .
This leaves me pondering ..Are our youth so hard pressed for time that they cannot spare a day to relax and attend a family function. And this was not even the exam month...
One of the most disturbing factors noted among the young in India is the enormous pressure on them to perform well academically . Majority of the students in their teens are eternally confused and have conceded to the fact that their worthiness in school and society is to a large extent determined by their academic performance . Coaching classes for competitive exams like JEE , AIEEE have mushroomed now as early as class 6  and parents make a beeline towards such centres . Academics to a large extent is equated with science and maths in such a scenario. A disturbing trend in India is where students commit suicide unable to keep up with academic pressure.

This kind of stress isn't limited to any particular course or college. Right from premier institutes like IIT to a student who fails his regular school examination, the problem is widely prevelant.Majority of schools in India lay exclusive emphasis on academics and advertise for admissions with poster pictures of exam toppers . How many times do we see schools advertising a student achieving in sports or the arts for their admissions .
Comparison of a student with the over achieving siblings or neighboring kids could also spell doom to their confidence . If a student conveys to his parents about being interested in arts like music or fashion designing he or she is met with scorn and is told to do something useful like computer science .
Right from kinder garten where children are 'interviewed' upto college the student is guided in a fixed path of excelling in academics ,choosing a course with science and graduating preferably with a campus job.
Activities like sports , music take a back seat and are viewed as distractions from class 9 and stopped.
.Boards like CBSE have been making an effort to ease the burden of students by doing away with ranks , reducing excessive study portions and so on . More emphasis could be made right from school to make education less text book dependant. Subjects like science could be taught on a practical basis and the way to test the students learning could be through interesting projects rather than homework . Instead of viewing arts , sports as extracurricular activities students could be given the freedom to choose their area of interest like a sport or music and monitored for progress in their area of interest alongsideacademics.
How is it that in a country where such importance is given to academics , we hardly have any Noble Prize winners or cutting edge inventions and discoveries . Top US universities give a lot of weightage to CCA and extracurricular activities where they want people who can add value to their universities through their activities. This definitely boosts the confidence of youth and is also a great stress buster . It is time our education system eases the burden of exams on students and helps them in attaining all round growth and build a confident personality rather than a stressed out individual who refuses to take any risks.
Parents should also realise that placing undue pressure on their children would only unnecessarily stress them out. They should encourage their children to pursue activities they are interested in. Encouraging them to put in their daily hour of physical play at the playground would go a long way in inculcating physical fitness in them as well as act as a stress buster. This should be continued late into their teens and even in college. These steps would go a long way in making our country a world leader in all disciplines.

Those memorable Summer vacations

As my son's summer vacation approaches, I am at my wits end as to how I would keep him engaged for a period of two months. Options are aplenty with everblooming summer camps or a fancy vacation to some exotic place. After spending a small fortune for experience coupled with fun I am sure he would be delighted .I indulgently asked him if he was happy.
"Amma leave me alone.I hate all this." he said.
This leaves me pondering ..How did the parents of yore engage their children during their summer vacations .It also brought back refreshing memories of my own childhood where devoid of summer camps or luxurious visits abroad ,we had the time of our lives enjoying the little pleasures life had to offer us .As I sit back and recollect , a wave of nostalgia sweeps through me and takes me through a scintillating journey of my childhood .

Greenery galore

Every year as children we eagerly awaited our summer vacations as it was the only time we could play with our friends without any time restrictions .Our activities involved indulging in board games in the morning .We relished the cool lemonade served by my friends' mom to quench our parched throats.The evening were spent playing games in the sand of construction sites nearby .
Each day would pass eagerly anticipating the announcement of our trip to our native lace,Palakkad where all our cousins lived. And lo and behold, once it was announced, we packed our bags not leaving behind even petty stuff like marbles!We always took the slow chugging passenger train from Coimbatore to palakkad which took an hour and a half to cover . Till date after having travelled in closeted flights I could say it was the most enjoyable journey we've experienced. Munching on peanuts,vadas or anything edible that was sold we took in the sights and sounds of the lush greenery that began once we entered Kerala .Halting at Palakkad junction, I was always fascinated by the aroma of the banana chips sold there. The buzz in the air was palpable and in sync with our excitement.We slowly made our way to my Grandmother's house and the fun began .
The following month was spent with compulsory visits to the nearby temple every morning and evening . The feel of the cold sandalwood paste as I applied it one my forehead was enchanting. We spend the days playing in the small coconut grove adjacent our house sipping on endless supplies of tender coconuts .I was totally in awe of my local cousins whose idea of a bath was wallowing in the ice cool water from the well ,something which a city child like me could never dream of . Evenings were spent visiting each relative residing nearby and I would eagerly anticipate the goodies they'd offer . Sometimes the local temple had small festivities and if we were lucky we got to perch atop decorated elephants.All our meals were traditional Kerala fare and there were yummy delicacies like jackfruit jam which we tucked into. By any means if we fell ill, the treatment pertained to only grandma's remedies.Our outings included visits to the nearby single Theatre or the tiny Summer Fair . Before we knew it, time had sped by and we reluctantly bade goodbye taking the passenger train back home . Every year it was the same visit but it left us so refreshed and longing for more. We returned to school highly energized and with lingering memories to last a lifetime .

Temple

Today I wish I could take my son there and recall each wonderful experience . Unfortunately most relatives have migrated to greener pastures . I wish he could experience all the joys I did back then forgetting about TV,cartoons and summer coaching .Of course times have changed and we need to embrace the change . The remaining academic year can be dreams . Right now is the time to indulge , to laze away and experience the simple pleasures of life which would persist in his imagination for a lifetime .There will be no fancy vacations...I will take him to a village this summer.

Developing reading habits in children

As I struggle to get my seven year old to read and remove his prying eyes off television,  I wonder how I took to reading at a very young age. As far as my memory goes,  I was never advised or forced into reading by anybody but discovered the joy of reading entirely by myself. However among the current generation reading books has a  huge competition in the form of television ,mobile and video games . Our curiosity is aroused and imagination is kindled making us visualise each scene only while reading a book. Children are attracted to the visual media like video games which kills their creativity and imagination.

Studies show that reading has great benefits for children and it is good to inculcate the reading habit from a young age.Regular reading habit gives a huge advantage for children over their peers. Reading is also a stress buster and could well help children in their later years giving them strong mental and emotional stimulation.

Besides improving their concentration levels and imagination,  it improves their linguistic skills, confidence and general knowledge. A child who reads with interest can interact with others with high self confidence.

Inspite of knowing this parents find it increasingly difficult to get their children into reading with so many distractions around. A well read child is definitely a smart child .So how do you get a child to read in such a challenging environment?Here are some ways you can employ. 

Get them to read in a calm environment like your own garden or at a park.  This kind of a surrounding away from gadgets kindles their interest. The quieter the surroundings the more interested they would be.

Get their friends to join them too. Encourage them to discuss what they have read.This creates a mutual interest and challenges them into reading new books.

Spend some family reading time together. Alternately, reading out to them from a very young age will kindle their interest. Also surround them with some interesting books at home which interests them.Attractive books around them will make them want to choose and read them.

Tell them interesting stories or tidbits which you've read in a book and let them be tempted into reading. This would also prove as an inspiration to them. Parents should set an example if they want their children to read .

Take them to a library . They can find all genres of books and it encourages reading habits. They can always select their favourite authors and the wide variety available is sure to interest them 

Never force a child to read. If he is rebellious and refuses to stop watching his favorite program arrive at a compromise allowing him a time frame to finish his favorite program and then read.Setting aside a regular time for reading in a busy schedule would be a more sure shot way to make sure your child reads. Reading should be a pleasure and not become a chore.

Appreciate him when he completes his book and praise his effort. He would try more to please you.Gift him books as a surprise. Books as gifts are the best gifting options and can be cherished and treasured by all.

Do not force him into reading a particular book.  Let him select his genre. However do try to introduce him to different genres and let him choose.Slowly your child's tastes would develop and he will be confident to choose his own books.

Lastly do not expect him to be an avid reader like the kid next door. Each kid has their own speed and do not be disappointed if he is a mild reader.Early reading habits help in identifying if reading problems exist and patiently help your child overcome them

From a very young age start reading out to your child and slowly as he grows older introduce  and indulge him into this useful habit which could be one of your biggest gifts . Watch your child grow in knowledge and self confidence by introducing him to the wonderful world of books.