Quotidian Tales

That's me. A gawky girl with a head full of frizzy hair and a heart full of woolly emotions. An adolescent, in essence. I' m waiting for my school bus to arrive. Yes, I'm still left with putting on my socks and shoes but that was just a minute's job. The moment captures the one activity I did every single day before I left for school. Though I'm smiling in the pic, it was a forced one back then. Simply because I was not interested in getting myself clicked. But right now when I look at it, I feel so happy and grateful that my father had clicked us together that day. The white puppy with fiercely intelligent eyes (I know I'm being the bragging mom here!) and a really wet snout was Zen. I called him by that name the day he came into life. Of course, I can boast about the Zen philosophy here and put in some profound thinking that was behind the dog's dubbing. But no, nothing of that sort happened. Rather, a car called Maruti Zen had been...

To be proud of one's identity! A cceptance of the self and others through appreciation and empathy lies at the heart of Sarah Porter’s book I’m Mixed and I’m Me . And while the subject seems one that needs to be pondered on, the presentation is just the contrary. A delightful read, it can aptly address tender minds and enable them to imbibe the message, which is crucial and compelling. The book begins with Snacks introducing himself and his sister, Wiggles, and promising to tell the reader "our own story," which he admits is rather unique. The first thing that we get to know is that their parents are from "different places," an aspect that gets starkly noted due to their obvious difference in skin color. Nonetheless, black lips kiss as softly as white ones and both parents are similar in showering love and shaping lives. Click HERE to buy the book Snacks assert that they are lucky to have dissimilar parents as that allows them to go on ...

I read about humanity and wanted to share it with you T oday, walking by the road, I saw a white note in a plastic bag. It was hanging from the lamppost. I went by the lamppost and read the words. It said, "I have lost a 50 dollar bill around somewhere here. If you find it, please can you return it to me." And then below it was an address. I went to that address and found a very old and feeble lady resting on the front porch. Hearing my rustle, she called out, "who is there?" I quickly went forward and told her I came to return her 50-dollar bill that I found by the lamppost. She instantly burst into tears and said that at least twenty other people had come to give her back the money and even so when she hadn't written the note on the lamppost. I insisted that she keep the $50 bill from me. She genuinely thanked me and brought me a glass of water from inside. When I was about to leave, she, in turn, requested that I tear up the note on the lamppo...

A compelling story for teaching a child to say "I choose to do" and develop the practice of Positive Thinking… D on't we all have a difficult time getting our kids do simple chores? Don't we feel upset when they refuse to listen to our instructions and be productive? Don't we wonder what we could tell them to help them take right decisions and develop the right attitude towards life? Then this book by the versatile author, Maggy Williams , has the perfect solution to our complications and concerns. Click HERE to buy the book Through lively illustrations and a conversational presentation, we come across the daily dilemmas of a girl called Grace and how she usually responds to them. Till one day, her Dad explains to her that "…most times, we do have a choice." The word "choice" acts as a trigger and she feels "an inner shift" and from that moment, every activity that she accomplishes is her decision and not a co...

The takeaway is that while the industry is imperative, you will thrive only if you are adept at unlearning, hustling, and aggressively finding solutions in a world where AI is taking over even before you are aware of it. S undays for me are laidback and without any alarms or reminders. I had just completed my yoga, mostly breathing exercises minus the rigor that a flushed Kareena Kapoor inspires through hers when I received a YouTube video in my really close friends' WhatsApp group. The one who sent it mentioned that it had pertinent information for parents and being on a roller-coaster ride with my teenager, I intended to at least skip and watch through it sometime. With the post-breakfast coffee in my hand, I started listening to it. Before long, I got so hooked on the ideas discussed and directions doled out that I was totally convinced to share them with others. To sum it up in a single word, it is all about "Newness," which the dictionary defines as th...

The tale of an adorable floating Hippo who eventually make good food choices. T his book , its illustrations, and the story are a sheer joy to young readers! Have you not had this conversation with your kids and asked them to make good food habits? That whole conversation becomes easy when they read about Harvey, their hippo friend, touring the entire world and finally deciding to pick healthy food options. Crisp rhythm, friendly tone, and valor reside throughout the tale of Harvey. The floating part of the story bring kids into a pleasant aura where they can feel free and light while connecting to their little friend. Read other books of Harvey the Hippo Moreover, how author Abby Pete tours Harvey through the different cities around the world instills curiosity in a kid's mind about cultures and food habits in various parts of the world. We cannot disagree that it harvests awareness about food and health in diverse setups. Click HERE to buy the book ...

The book "Power Down & Parent Up," by Holli Kenley - says it is all about cyberbullying, screen dependence, and raising tech-healthy children. T hat reminds me of what my six-year-old had asked Santa as his last year's Christmas present - a tablet. Santa might give her a tablet this Christmas, but that keeps us, parents, on our toes thinking about whether it will be appropriate for the little one. Presently, technology has become a boon and a curse in itself. No wonder parents struggle to understand what to do and what should be the limitation imposed on kids to use it. It's a constant hassle between kids and parents. Let alone when it becomes a demand and addiction for these little ones. Can you even imagine the vast virtual world they get exposed to and how vulnerable they are there? Holli Kenley 's book analyzes, resolves, and tackles such daily hassles giving parents the upper hand when dealing with kids and technology. A book you can pick up...

I was born and brought up in central Calcutta, schooled in central Calcutta, but then grew up to become the core Bengali who had an American childhood! W e Bengalis know the characteristics etched in someone from central Calcutta. Her strings are pulled from both ends. She owns the traits of the more settled in old North Calcutta while desirous for the contemporary South Kolkata (Eastern Kolkata wasn't so prominent then.) We still lived in our hundred-year-old rented homes with 20-inch deep walls and cut-glass floors. But, we went to the top schools in the city. We religiously fed the street dogs, cats, and cows but reluctantly swapped our indoor plants for lack of water. Though I have been a Central Calcuttan all my childhood, I was never pulled by either of these strings. I held on to an American fiber that tugged me on and off! My mom's best neighborhood pal was an American lady! Well, I know you could expect someone of British descent at that location and era...