- Grand mom used to let us play whole day and in school we had one PE class in a week. We used to make clay toys, bats, balls, utensils, table chairs, diyas for Diwali, fruits vegetables etc out of clay and put them for dry. In school we were given diyas to paint which at the end teacher would give a finishing touch to display. I wondered is my painting for meaning or aesthetics. I thought am not good in painting in school.
- Every day morning we would wake up in fear of getting late to school and rush things and yet be late times and stay out of class as punishment. in grand mom place every morning was so exciting , used to wake up early by 5 am and water plants , help in chores and put rangoli .
- In grand mom place no boundaries, whole village was a playground and we would come up with many games, role plays, drama, fun games and as well design props and make them for whole play to go on. In school we would play inside the fence and a game decided by a standard curriculum, volley ball, koko etc.
- It was so much fun to use hand pump and drink water, fill buckets for bathing washing and filling in huge tub for hot water. In spite of helpers we were allowed to take care and participate in everything. In school filters are filled with water by helpers, we just drink water. Everything is ready, wondered how water gets filtered but no one ever answered.
- I would gaze night stars sleeping under open sky, counting and discovering patterns of stars, grouping them and making my own patterns. wondering how stars twinkle , is it my eyes or its their shine, where does sun go , how is sky so dark, does the rocket touch these stars on way up, how does moon grow from half to full moon? Early morning when I blink at sun and blink eyes I can see colours patterns .are colours in my eyes or in air? I would live with these questions every day. In school we were taught sun rotation and draw moon in every stage and patterns of stars.
- In grand moms place to heat water we would put on a bricks and mud build U shape stove and to fire get dry sticks, straw and cow dung cakes, lit it and blow air from a cylindrical shaped wooden roll which would make fire big. In school we were taught properties of heat and precautions from fire. A trip to fire engine station too.
- In grand moms home we would put lot of rangoli designs, paint walls with designs patterns, In school we were taught to join lines and curves to draw circle and shapes etc.
- Grand mom would recite stories and we would enact them and wait for the time to know more stories. In school we were asked to stand up and read the lesson which was done in fear as to correct pronunciation, speed and correct reading with punctuations etc and teacher would explain story then we write down question and answers.
- In grand mom home we would collect leaves, pebbles and shells on river shore and sticks, bricks, count them to make a doll house. In school we were asked to read write 1 to 50 numbers and number names and had test on it.
- In grand mom place we would feed, play with hen, chicks, cows, dogs and cats, hear to birds chirping whole day, saw snakes, lizards, before sleeping made sure all chicks are inside its home .In school we were taught domestic animals and other.
- In grand moms place we would go rides on bullock carts and tractors and rickshaw’s, boats see humans pulling carts, trucks dumping rice and wheat to store rooms, in school we were taught modes of transportations and its uses.
- In grand moms place we would talk to whole village, all are chacha, chichi, mama , mami, bhaiya babhi, nana nani, , we could ask for anything anywhere , drink water , pluck fruits and flowers and when some elder person reminded its getting dark and time to go home, we obeyed. In school we are taught manners and respect elders with magic words like say please, thanku, etc.
- In grand moms place we played in rains , watched rain drops for hours , its music is still fresh in mind, made boats, cleaned wet floors, saw fields green , collected dry leaves , made toys of dry palm fruits , if summer drank coconut water and buttermilk .In school we were taught seasons and clothes to be worn in season and health precautions.
I can go on writing...but let me tell ,This is just a thought not to
prove any place good or bad but it is an experience which distinguishes between
knowledge and exploring .thinking and learning. Discovering and following. The beauty
is I still remember birds chirping, flower blossoming, rangoli patterns, music
of rain drops, dramas and role play in afternoon, but I don’t remember the
lessons I mugged up and wrote my exams. I lost the details of it. If at all I would
have explored all that discovering and exploring…may be I would have cherished
those moments all my life…may be….
