One of the best things being in a boarding was that we had lots of friends or children to play and we learnt a lot of games. In this series of childhood games, I am going to explain each game, and if it comes with a song, the full lyrics of the song too – at least as far as I remember.
As children we used to play the sing along games:
Off I went to the butcher’s shop and couldn’t stay any longer…..
Shall we go round the mulberry bush…..
The farmer’s in the den….
Here come Mrs Macaroni…..
Rip to the mango poly mango….
Three Jews came riding…..
In and out the sparkling blue bells…..
We have come to see Jenny-Jo….
Oranges and lemon sold for a penny…..
There is a little sandy girl sitting on a stone….
Ice cream soda, sugar on the top…..
What is the time Mr. Wolf?
Fun songs only
She’ll be coming down the mountains…..
Pontius Pilate King of the Jews….
Formal games
Basketball
Badminton – shuttle
Kho kho
Tug of War
Volley ball
Baseball
Tennikoit
Throw ball
Cricket
Kabbadi
Fun games
Sand or Stone
Police and robber – one team of police and another team of robbers
Hide and Seek
Four squares
Catch
Aeroplane
Budge
7 tiles – (plus a small ball)
Skipping – with a song
Dancing
Paper boats
Swing
See-saw
Created games
Kuss kuss
Pillars
Modified – What is the time Mr Wolf.
Teacher
Shopkeeper
Catch - using the sliding board.
Home
Business – something like monopoly
LIFE
Scrabble
Monopoly
Kanjiyum curryum
Fishing
Coconut collection
Bird watching
Marbles
Top
Bubbles
Indoor games
Police and robber
Names, places, animals, things
Card games – Grab, caterpillar – memory game
Swapping stories
Tamilnadu
Thaayam – 2 long dices
Pallaankuzhi
Present games
Monopoly
Facebook games
Blooming gardens
Kaleidescope
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Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
THE STORY OF CREATION
Once upon an eon, in heaven, God was in a meeting with the Creation Committee Angels, discussing at length, about one particular family. The prospective parents had barely begun courting, which had taken place only after a big heavenly intervention, and yet to receive their bonuses – children.
The CC Angels were concerned that if these children were continued versions of their very soft hearted parents, the family would be doomed in the Technology boom Age, when it would be difficult to find people with a real heart themselves. So God permitted them to be tempted with a few strong vices. Once that was concluded the much difficult task of which vices to be given them were entered into with glee. You might wonder if these CC Angels were actually Angels.
The children should of course continue to have generous portions of the goodness of their parents, along with temptations of vices like stubbornness, a hot temper or slow anger, indulgence to gluttony, laziness, stories (bending backwards to help people with sob stories), addiction to movies, games etc. Their redeeming factors depended on how far they would outdo themselves in goodness. In fact it was decided that if they gave in to these vices, it should be turned around to their good, based on their hearts, then the children would stick together as a family and save their parents at specific times. The parents of course with their goodness and the fact that they are parents would keep the children on track. Each team should complement the other. The sub teams were to be decided upon at the next meeting.
Since all three sisters would have a character of their own, their spouses were all selected with a lot of farsighted thinking. A soft one, needed a strong hearted spouse, an overlooked child needed a spouse who would dole out lots of attention, a strong one needed to be tempered with a soft hearted spouse. Taking into consideration that the children are all girls, and the parents being soft-hearted, the Angels decided that this family needed a protector – someone brave and bold. Not another girl for sure, 4 girls would turn anyone mad. They threw in a brother with a heart of a warrior, who would delight the girls in their childhood with his naughtiness, and be their life line at a later stage. God smiled at this solution. He however insisted that this family is special and that the children’s characters were to be molded with a fair share of life’s trials. As a final clarification, one of the trainee Angels asked if it was ok, if the children fought amongst themselves, He asked them to limit them to arguments after a certain period, and only if something good came out of it.
The meeting was adjourned.
Live Life! Be yourself.
The CC Angels were concerned that if these children were continued versions of their very soft hearted parents, the family would be doomed in the Technology boom Age, when it would be difficult to find people with a real heart themselves. So God permitted them to be tempted with a few strong vices. Once that was concluded the much difficult task of which vices to be given them were entered into with glee. You might wonder if these CC Angels were actually Angels.
The children should of course continue to have generous portions of the goodness of their parents, along with temptations of vices like stubbornness, a hot temper or slow anger, indulgence to gluttony, laziness, stories (bending backwards to help people with sob stories), addiction to movies, games etc. Their redeeming factors depended on how far they would outdo themselves in goodness. In fact it was decided that if they gave in to these vices, it should be turned around to their good, based on their hearts, then the children would stick together as a family and save their parents at specific times. The parents of course with their goodness and the fact that they are parents would keep the children on track. Each team should complement the other. The sub teams were to be decided upon at the next meeting.
Since all three sisters would have a character of their own, their spouses were all selected with a lot of farsighted thinking. A soft one, needed a strong hearted spouse, an overlooked child needed a spouse who would dole out lots of attention, a strong one needed to be tempered with a soft hearted spouse. Taking into consideration that the children are all girls, and the parents being soft-hearted, the Angels decided that this family needed a protector – someone brave and bold. Not another girl for sure, 4 girls would turn anyone mad. They threw in a brother with a heart of a warrior, who would delight the girls in their childhood with his naughtiness, and be their life line at a later stage. God smiled at this solution. He however insisted that this family is special and that the children’s characters were to be molded with a fair share of life’s trials. As a final clarification, one of the trainee Angels asked if it was ok, if the children fought amongst themselves, He asked them to limit them to arguments after a certain period, and only if something good came out of it.
The meeting was adjourned.
Live Life! Be yourself.
Monday, October 11, 2010
BREATHING LIFE INTO A SIDEWALK
I thought that I do not like politics but when I broke it up into simple fragments, I realize that most people who are passionate about it, started out to help the mass. If that is the core of politics rather than the other way round, then I could associate it with a lot of creativity rather than the bias I always have on my mind, when I think politics.
Ok, if I were asked to head the Housing community where I live, it is a small sidewalk by the road, which deviates onto one or two by-lanes, housing roughly some 20-25 households – from the quaint to the exotic. Apart from the general duties that come with the position, I thought that I would have loved to involve all the families on that sidewalk to gather together on a Saturday or even Sunday and plant some flowering trees on either side of the sidewalk. Yellow and purple flowering trees planted alternatively. It might start to flower maybe within a year or two if we plant 4 year old saplings.
The full glory might come in another 6 years when they would be towering trees with flowering branches converging above, in the middle. The mornings would be beautiful with a carpet of yellow and purple flowers on the sidewalk, accompanied by the sweet sound of birds. It would become the pride of the community. We might even be interested to get the houses painted in matching colours - maybe cream with brown roofs. People in the neighbourhood would begin to hear about it and might want to come take a walk there.
Soon in order to spend more time and admire such beauty, the community might decide to place tiny benches beneath the trees for admirers to sit. Vendors would begin to flock to sell their wares, of course the community people would get first preference. Being India, some film Director might even want to shoot either part of a song or scene on that sidewalk. If we are lucky, a whole film might be shot around this community, with some superstars thrown in. That would go down the history of the sidewalk as a monumental event.
This would make us famous, and our community to prosper. We might even inspire other housing communities close by to compete, thereby making our small town or city a beautiful place. Then the real money makers might like to have a hand in this community and begin their power play, and might even buy out most of the homes. Once most of them sell out, the heart of the project would begin to dwindle. Without the heart, the thrill would be lost and everything would be worthless. No wonder nobody tries to excel in whatever position they are in. It might become just a little too much to handle. But it is a beautiful idea, if only it could come true.
Ok, if I were asked to head the Housing community where I live, it is a small sidewalk by the road, which deviates onto one or two by-lanes, housing roughly some 20-25 households – from the quaint to the exotic. Apart from the general duties that come with the position, I thought that I would have loved to involve all the families on that sidewalk to gather together on a Saturday or even Sunday and plant some flowering trees on either side of the sidewalk. Yellow and purple flowering trees planted alternatively. It might start to flower maybe within a year or two if we plant 4 year old saplings.
The full glory might come in another 6 years when they would be towering trees with flowering branches converging above, in the middle. The mornings would be beautiful with a carpet of yellow and purple flowers on the sidewalk, accompanied by the sweet sound of birds. It would become the pride of the community. We might even be interested to get the houses painted in matching colours - maybe cream with brown roofs. People in the neighbourhood would begin to hear about it and might want to come take a walk there.
Soon in order to spend more time and admire such beauty, the community might decide to place tiny benches beneath the trees for admirers to sit. Vendors would begin to flock to sell their wares, of course the community people would get first preference. Being India, some film Director might even want to shoot either part of a song or scene on that sidewalk. If we are lucky, a whole film might be shot around this community, with some superstars thrown in. That would go down the history of the sidewalk as a monumental event.
This would make us famous, and our community to prosper. We might even inspire other housing communities close by to compete, thereby making our small town or city a beautiful place. Then the real money makers might like to have a hand in this community and begin their power play, and might even buy out most of the homes. Once most of them sell out, the heart of the project would begin to dwindle. Without the heart, the thrill would be lost and everything would be worthless. No wonder nobody tries to excel in whatever position they are in. It might become just a little too much to handle. But it is a beautiful idea, if only it could come true.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
KARAOKE
A year or two ago, I visited one of my friend’s house in the next compound. It was a small get-together to wish farewell to one of our friends who was leaving Doha. After all the goodbyes, my friend the host, allowed us to sing songs on the Karaoke. There were English, Philipino, Hindi and Tamil Songs. I was thrilled. I looove to sing, especially the Indian film songs. To say that I had the time of my life is an understatement. From then on, I had been pestering my husband to buy a karaoke at home. Every month, we had something or the other on our priority list, and this being a luxury, was pushed to the back always, until we forgot about it.
One day, at another get-together at my sister’s place, my cousin brought his electronic stuff, we downloaded karaoke songs from the internet and again had a great time singing. This time when I went home, I put two choices to my husband – either let me go to India, or buy me a karaoke so that I will not miss my country so much. The next day, we got one. The first day, I sat singing songs till midnight, even though I was alone. The second and third day too wasn’t different. I re-discovered a part of myself.
I reminisced about my time in school when I was on the stage almost every other day either to present the prayer song, read the news or sing the national anthem. Even in college I had somehow found myself in the choir. I remembered more fondly the fun time our family had together singing our favorite hymns in Tamil, Malayalam and English during the half an hour "power cut" time in the evenings, in Kerala. Singing has always been a pleasure to me.
The only singing I had lately was in church and occasionally when I felt the need, I would sit at home and sing hymns from the church hymn book. Now, any visitor to our house had a go at the karaoke even if they are not great singers. They have a nice time and always promise to come back for more. Cheers for whoever invented the karaoke, it is like I found a lost part of my soul.
One day, at another get-together at my sister’s place, my cousin brought his electronic stuff, we downloaded karaoke songs from the internet and again had a great time singing. This time when I went home, I put two choices to my husband – either let me go to India, or buy me a karaoke so that I will not miss my country so much. The next day, we got one. The first day, I sat singing songs till midnight, even though I was alone. The second and third day too wasn’t different. I re-discovered a part of myself.
I reminisced about my time in school when I was on the stage almost every other day either to present the prayer song, read the news or sing the national anthem. Even in college I had somehow found myself in the choir. I remembered more fondly the fun time our family had together singing our favorite hymns in Tamil, Malayalam and English during the half an hour "power cut" time in the evenings, in Kerala. Singing has always been a pleasure to me.
The only singing I had lately was in church and occasionally when I felt the need, I would sit at home and sing hymns from the church hymn book. Now, any visitor to our house had a go at the karaoke even if they are not great singers. They have a nice time and always promise to come back for more. Cheers for whoever invented the karaoke, it is like I found a lost part of my soul.
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