My life in wide open spaces for I live neither in a farm land nor in a village
Pristine, fresh and green surroundings throughout
With only wind mills to give us company
And, our two native breeds dogs
Every new day starts bright and cheerful
So much of life and energy brimming around
It is here that I have started to learn, accept and live !
The past nine months, ever since I returned home from hospital with my new born daugher, I have been learning so many precious lessons on life. It is amazing to see how every baby is born with the basic survival instinct. She knows what she wants right from day one. When she was around three months old, our native breed dog gave birth to beautiful pups, but tragically died a month later. Watching over the two pups grow up without their mother taught me even more precious lessons on what life and survival are all about. Three months later, we bought home five newly hatched chickens. Watching them grow up is sooo much revealing.
Now that there are so many new borns around me, it has set me thinking on what education is. There is this strong voice booming in my head that says a rigid curriculum or fixed hours or examination and grading patterns are totally unsuited for a child. Will it actually help a child or would it just kill the inborn learning instinct in every new life?
The very thought that learning stops with high school or university is baseless. Learning continues throughout life till the very last breath. So Education is not about stuffing facts or knowledge.. it is more about kindling the passion to learn life long. It is more about helping her understand what she wants and making her sulf sufficient to learn what she wants life long.
Do any conventional or alternate school help with this… Or will practical life be the best environment for equipping her with these skills? Home schooling, and in specific unschooling and seem to make more sense now…!
Sculptures in South India are always synonymous with Rocks and stones. Bronze sculptures are unique and native to the ancient Tamil kingdoms. They are well known and can be found in museums and private collections the world over. The lesser known wooden sculptures are mostly confined to temple and doors.
Ancient wooden sculptures are mostly seen on temple cars (ratham or ther). Temple cars in India are huge wooden platforms fitted with mammoth wooden wheels. Idols of gods are mounted on these wooden platforms, decorated and covered. Using ropes, hundreds of devotees together pull the temple car. The wooden platform is adorned with wooden carvings and detailed artwork.
Source: Flickr – Anandamoy chatterji
The symmetry and details on wooden temple doors are a visual treat.
Source: Indian journeys
It is not only temples that can boast of artistically carved doors… Chettinad mansions have beautiful teak wood doors.
Source: Chennai First
The Dakshinachitra in Chennai exhibits a beautiful masterpiece door at the Chettinad house in it’s premises.
source: redscarab
The mantelpiece on top of this door is exquisite and matchless
source: Reflections of an art-o-holic
Typical wooden doors in the old houses of South India also have heavy wooden doors, though not as exquisite as the above door.
source: Flickr – Suchitra
Yet another, with a beautiful mantelpiece
Source: Flickr – Printz4u
I love bamboo home accessories. There are so many options available like trays, placemats, room dividers, closets, planters, chairs, tables, etc… But how about switch panels and wire panels in bamboo?
A tender bamboo variety available locally can be used as panels for wires… Is it not a cool way to avoid pvc plastic panels that have become the default option for wires (be it concealed wiring or exposed wiring).
Here is the picture of a ceiling lamp with bamboo cased wiring…
Bamboo wiring panels…
And this is a simple switch panel made of bamboo….
I love this simple and eco-friendly solution for wire accessories. All that is needed is creativity to turn simple natural materials in to aesthetic eco-friendly solutions. For details about the wiring solutions in the above pictures, please contact +91 9003013231.
They burst out of the earth… They are conquerors, winning over every inch of land leaving no space for anything else. They are known as weeds and grasses.
One of the oldest inhabitants of the earth, so much earlier than us humans. They continue to thrive.. nurturing the soil, animals, and humans.
They are beautiful plants… their beauty visible to those who are willing to take a closer look.
Looking at the earth from behind the grasses is a feast to the eyes.
Even the ever beautiful sky becomes more prettier when viewed along with wild weeds.
One of my favorite Zen quotes… “Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes and the grass grows by itself.”
To sum it up, Nurturing soil, pretty weeds, hovering bees, little flowers… , , , …beauty, silence, fullness, Nature.
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