Jhalak ki Jhalak...(JKJ-Part 2)

         Meet the contestants who shall reload Jhalak Dikhla Jaa this year...

Yes, JHALAK fever is on and we are waitin with Batin Breath and with our hearts in our hands and eyes for the Entire show and Of Course for our favo Contestants!!!

Bloggers write when inspired and this one humble naari has become a JHALAKITE for the coming few months. We are already havin so damn much fun the whole day around and Instagram and twitter has become our Virtual playground. Netbaazi was neva so much lively and Connectin with the Stars was neva so eazy and rewardin…we are tweetin and replyin and bitten by a bug called DUBSMASH and so much we are bonding over posting and reposting on INSTAGRAM…Ok Colors TV and JHALAK  GUYS Bring it on…I can never match upto the AUDIO VISUAL MAGIC that you create but I sure as hell am loving every Pic that you send out for us. We are so eternally grateful and promise hereby to take part in every contest, suggestion you put out for us .Our Days are suddenly hectic and energetic.

I will chronicle simply as the show unfolds and how I felt and where I was mesmerised and where I was raised through ethers and beyond. I will drool ova the handsome Crew that will ooze the X-FACTOR for the Damsels and sigh at the silky Sirens as the hunkies watching drop their Jaws…

For you have a lovely group o peopaaalll out there this time…Starting with judges again. I cannot simply get over the fact that we have Shahid Kapoooooooor!!! Oh ma gawwwdd…He is a stunning intense actor and equally energetic and Volatile Dancer…so when he JUDGES it will be something arresting!!!! On Second thoughts…He is so sweet and reserved at times, I wonder howeva will he even Chide the contestants for anything and yet his eyes will appraise everything from Expressions to dancing Nuances along with Ganesh Hegde.

              Karan Johar is the one who has given industries “Stars to drool ” so His appraisal is discreet, but my heart will beat when he sizes up my favourite fella and felli….I am coming to it…I am a Woman and I take many Detours before I begin the real story… Lauren Gottlieb will bring sensitivity an ooommmphhh …ooohh…..lllaaalllaaa…She is a Cauldron of Talent and Style…we and contestants both will melt when the Host puts up his query of “How was the Performance?”…Why would we not have fever if there is so much Steam around???

                Environs will get a fresh spray with Mr.Manish Paul …I was kinda wondering who will he aim his Amorous digs at?? He has found the unsuspecting SCARLET…GOD HELP GOD…!

 YouTube and Colors handle is Abuzz with their titbits DUBSMASH and selfies…groupies and smiles galore…Each Contestant has their own unique turf and niche. Some are super social and generous with their pictures and activities and provide rich and varied information about their behind the scenes… about the rollickin fun they are having…So few contestants, I have become super acquainted with and some I am yet to know through JHALAK …I may write a little more about some and maybe a little less as I do not wish to share their already existing images and information but what they will bring to JHALAK ..   The best thing about JHALAK is It gives them a chance to revamp every background image the contestants come with and let the audience into a new and fresh side of theirs.

That is what This blog aims to gather…fresh perspective on each contestant from all that I see them doin in social media and a little bit o their Background. You needa facts you can go to Mr.Google and find their details…what I share is only what they evoke in me now that I have seen and observed them. ..and what do I expect…yet give a wide room for each persona to evolve in their true ways…and let their human quirks surface they always do…

Why would I embark on such an ambitious project? There is a Talent that inspires and ordains that I write for and express my Ek Kilo Dus Gram Dua …I dedicate and introduce with a Poem…

Vo hain….

Kachchi Khilti dhoop Meri …Palkon ko sehlaaye

Geerta uthta Jharna mera …Jaha bhi jaaye Baag khilaaye

Baagon mein phool kayi…ispe hi nigaah thum jaaye

Noor esa Dumke Mukhde se …hum dekhte hi muskaaye

Khuda ka Bunda mera…Khuda hi teri raahe bunaaye

Daaman me bus bhej rahe tujhe dher saari  Duayein…

A teen who has entered the industry with no Godfathers, no grooming and no clout. All he has at his disposal are two things that each one is endowed with. His Talent and willingness to work hard and Mould himself has won hearts over the last three years. I was not An avid follower of Tele Dance shows when he became a rage during his participation in Popular show Dance India Dance. I saw him and Became FAN FOR THE FIRST TIME of any Tele personality…when he essayed the character of young Maharana Pratap in a Historical show BHARAT KA VEER PUTRA MAHARANA PRATAP. What I see in people are eyes and his eyes hold enormous honesty and integrity. What he lacks in probably wise worldly ways he more than makes up with his humility and Boyish Charm. He is eager, earnest and willing to go that extra mile to prove that he Can Deliver. Be it acting or be it Dance …I have given him Names galore…I call Him

#Honeydrip for he is sweet and I always want to pull his cheeks…

#MasterPiece for he is perfection in all that he did so far for me at least …cry, fight, romance and dance…

#Caramelcodedsmile which can melt hearts and everyone ka hearts can go zooommmm…

For this season we will name him #EffortlessGrace as the promos I have seen he is a thumper alright…what does it mean?? Hello…there… Have a heart and understand he is a stunner and for us fans days cannot go fast enough and 11 JULY cannot come fast enough…He is marvellous at his craft and he cannot do much of a goof …I will love everything he does…yet objectively speaking I will give the same advise that I will give everyone…He is a  Sombre and Serious …rising phenomenon …you cannot but help notice the focus he brings into everything he attempts…I urge Industry Folks to be kind to him and recognise the immense raw Talent that resides within…  JHALAK is an enormous platform …Enjoy…Evolve…Enthrall!!!

I NEED TO TELL MYSELF…I NEED to stop…I cannot write another Book on him…

Master Faisal Khan…

Prove your mettle and reflect my trust in you with your performances...I am Waiting with my heart in my Hands when You shall come on stage…

So we move on to my another favourite…She is the stuff Legends are made UP OF…

I was thrilled to know, she is there in the show. If anyone deserves a place in the JHALAK  Platform it is her. She Twirls on ONE LEG and puts us who are fully endowed with all our faculties to bow our heads in awe and respect in equal measure. She was discovered by INDIA’S GOT TALENT and I remember crying after each of the performances she doled out…

Look deeply into her eyes and you will see a serenity…the eyes of a Doe gently frolicking in her greener arena … of being sure in her inner self. She has found herself…tried and tested by destiny she has gently thwarted unpleasant plans by circumstances. She did not allow a calamity to become a hurdle but braved it and turned it into an example par excellence. She is every bit of feminine charm in her Promo that I saw and once again few Tears Dribbled out and I kinda found my lumpy throat desertin ma voice a little…heyyyy…do not mistake me for shedding salty residue from ma eyes outta Pity or Sympathy…I would never disrespect the heights she has scaled…

These are tears of Pure joy and pride like a Momma Dear and if I ever Get a chance to Meet you Dearest Subhreet Kaur….

I shall want to kiss your forehead and …not tell you a word you do not need my wisdom or anything…My #SteelNCotton…for you are sparkling in your beauty and reflecting Resilience in every step you take and soft as cotton …purity imbibed in your moves and a fibre that will mould into several yarns and tales we shall proudly recount later… I look forward to every performance of yours …my message to you Illuminate… Inspire …Ignite …If anyone can only you can do it…

When something so serious is discussed we would like to call upon CHANDRAMUKHI CHAUTALA to disperse all sentimental fluff…Herald O Kavita Kaushik!

 and her Brand of Dry Humour. She is known for that and has earned her fame for that. We are so used to her dead pan expressions and skirting the real issues with a witty repartee and a clear line of control that says “ My personal peeves are ma business and I show them to only a FEW” Rest shall be greeted with Generous dollop of earthy jokes…Like in the Interview when the choreographer is earnestly tryin to tell the viewers how she has been injured at various places and a reluctant Kavita slides in “This is nothing…parts o my hearts are so injured” I have been lately admiring her sense o humour through DUBSMASH that she has been sharin with her cute little padosi …he is so adorable and she is so cute…So she shall bring in her earthy charm to her performances and she is so sure she cannot dance…but I think she does dance…so JHALAK  will give her this chance to Let loose and let go…my advice to her is the same…relax…revive…roll…

Another pair of fun is The super-fast Rapper Raftaar…

He made me breathless with his supa fast rap and well he sounds so much fun…I do know very little but I already like him for selfish reasons…He retweets all my tweets that I send his way…heehee…even the interview that I saw carved him as a very happy-go-lucky person…He reminds me of that notorious class kid who is all new and ready to please and do whateva that will please the teacher…He has this attitude that “ I will cross the bridge when I get there until then I can allways have fun…” So to this ssupafast hunk we shall advise…Laugh..leap…lol…heeheeehee…he is so cute in a big sort o way…I am eager to see his before and after reactions and something tells me they will be lot of fun…His choreographer too is cho Petite and demure…together they will cook up a storm…

Another Fellow who needs Raftaar ‘s fun attitude ruboff is Ashish Chowdhry…

I know him as BOMAN from the movie Dhamaal and he endlessly getting slapped….maybe a residual helplessness he has where he apologetically tells his audience how he is endlessly convincing his son that its ok I may not win…Now winning is not the point…Boman would neva be so down over his own self…You will do just fine, I know you  won KHATRON KE KHILAADI…you do have a streak of winning and getting there…Pull up your shoes and just give it your supacool shot…who knows what future has?? My advise to you…Smile…surrender…shakeup…Your DUBSMASH and subsequent pictures have shown you are having so much fun…

We also have another tall and wellbuilt MOHIT MALIK leaving a tele show to join JHALAK  guys…

Well JHALAK  fever is such what to do??? He too retweets my tweets and then they become my lovey-doveys for obvious reasons..heehee…again…I love the DUBSMASH he put in where he poker faced send his choreographer away to break into a hilarious dance I had to repost it on insta for my entertainment…He is charming and am sure looking forward to him creating a lIttle Fire on the floor and get some really sexy numbers sensually flowin there…Hope I am not askin for too much…He does cut a lethal figure with his well-built frame…My advice for him…Sizzle…swerve…scandalise a bit…He gets along with his team mates like a house on fire…and I want him to set the floor ablaze with some sparks that we have not seen so far…

Joining in is a little butterfly is SCARLET WILSON…

I think from the pics I see she is definitely at the receiving end of the Amorous Attention of our Mr.Manish Paul …we just got a Pic of them garlanding each other…so he has decided to feign drooling over her and let loose those funny moments…She is good looking and dainty…made up of flowers and fairy dust a little. She looks so delicate that I feel she will break into two yet I have seen some attitude and tons o oomph unleashed by her. She will bring that light hearted sensuality I am sure. More grist to the mill of Mr.Manish Paul if she has an accent imported from yonder lands…we are in for lot of gaga and pretty moments with this maiden searing the Dance floor. My advise to her then would be tease…tickle and tantalise...

Then we have a damsel who almost broke into two with a rib injury while practicing for JHALAK…

she is capable of setting the floor on electric fire too with her swift moves on the floor…She is too known to us as the Diva…and is counted in the 50 gorgeous lookin women in the tele world by a popular magazine poll. Damn Right they are…and unfortunate for us if she has to give this season a miss…hope she recovers fast and comes to rock the floor and set it ablaze…SANAYA IRANI…

we request you to take care and pray for your speedy recovery and Come back…

Deepika Kakar is a sombre and soulful Daughter in law we all saw in SASURAAL SIMAR KA…

my image of her is all things Nice and Neat. JHALAK again will be a good exposure for her to change this set image we have from this soap. One thing is for sure…she is determined to shake off this Goody Image of hers. I too would like to see her do raunchy numbers and show us what she got baby…my advise to her is Stomp…Stare …Steal the thunder!!!

Another Diva that brings tons of raunchiness and can give  classy numbers is SHAMITA SHETTY…

She is the younger sibling of our Sexiness personified SHILPA SHETTY and this sure will give her to Step out of that bit of introduction and assert her own Identity. I have seen her give some sizzling numbers in many songs but till date I remember the one she gave in MOHABATTEIN clad in BLACK, she was awesome, Passionate and worth watching…My advice…CREATE THAT MAGIC …Woo the audiences with your GLAM QUOTIENT…GROOVE…GLIDE and GLAMORISE…

Another Larger than life persona VIVIAN DSENA…

He is so so coveted and adored by gals all around. No wonder he is the most exclusive and expensive participant to be taken on Board if a newspaper report is to be believed in…AND His first Promo looks POWER PACKED. Will he create the same electric magnetism as his previous MADHUBALA stint is to be awaited? We JHALAKites are yet deprived of his DUBSMASH …and behind the scenes fun …do oblige us Vivian…ur fans are waiting and so I wanna know you a Bit better…I have not seen you talk much or share more PICTURES…Please do and let us peek into that romantic Hunk we admired in your Previous Show…

Radhika Madan is another PRETTY MISSY… 

we have here joining in the JHALAKites Fancy…she is already popular as ISHAANI from her show on COLORS and has rich attitude..COLORS just let us in this titbit that she was a Dance trainer too…I also have just recently been pleasantly surprised to know that my hubby dear has secretly ;) subscribed to this lady’s Fandom…and well Then she becomes mighty interesting and worth Admiring…You have ruled the Tele scene for almost a Year…now rule our hearts …

Now peopaal…Before I am lambasted for not mentioning the choreographers…let me put in quickly…They are the foundation of every performance that will render the stage alive and crackling…for those two minutes when the celebrities weave their Dreamy lore…a lot and more has to be placed rightfully in the lap of the ones who conceptualise every step and move and flip. They are the ones who know the Contestants and so work at the mental and physical level to get their best foot forward and and conceal what needs to stay away from the audience. The Choreographers in the next few months are going to eat sleep and drink dance only and only to ENTERTAIN us…and keep us coming back for more every WEEKEND...I send salute to the esteemed Choreographers who will be the Dazzling shadows of every contestant they mould and train and hopefully forge a deep bonding for life…I promise to send my deep regards once I see each one of them in action. I want them to accept my heart-felt deep deep thank you for all that they will bring on stage…Gratitude for all the brickbats that you take…fatigue that you endure…apprehensions that you go through…creativity that you come up with…deadlines that you ought to meet…frustrations that you undergo…elations that you will feel when you achieve that 40/40

Here this JHALAKITE wishes all of you that you rock the show and wishing a warm glow suffuses every performer of JHALAK…

Have a Frollickin season guys…we are ready for #JhalakReloaded…Are you????

                                                                                   -Sonnal Pardiwala

 © Sonnal Pardiwala. All Rights Reserved.

The Writer claims no rights to the images used in this blog post. 

                                                             

Jhalak ki Jhalak...(JKJ-Part 1)

I am the Audience. I am the one who votes for the contestants. I am the one who tweets Non-stop to your Twitter handle to reflect the popularity of the show!!! I am the One who waits for Saturday and Sunday to literally get the Jhalak of the favourite contestants we are pitching for. I am the one who cries bitterly if my favourite contestant is ousted and rant and rave at the partiality of it all. Till my favo is in the ride, It is the best show eva and the moment he or she is shown the door it is all scripted …I am the one who tunes into the ups and downs of the show …cry and jeer both…

I could be anyone…a Miss or a Mrs …a Mr or Master …young or old …married or unmarried...goin to school or a House wife…working night shift or nine to five. I will be the one who will clap for you and at times send you tons of gratitude for making my weekends full of new stuff to ooh! and aah! and then fillin up my weekdays with grabbing bytes and grapevines about my Contestants…

That is what a Scintillating show...a Larger than life Show of the Calibre of Jhalak Dikhlajaa does, while it lasts for those few beautiful months. It is our escapade and entertainment at its purest…It is good for the family budget for those many weekends. I may not pester for vacations, exotic or otherwise …oh yes we can see the deferred live on youtube or the repeat telecast but nothing beats the excitement of catching the show as it appears and then tweetin about it and talkin to the virtual gang one Has made over the favo contestants and show. The silent delight if the contestant you tweeted for gives you an RT (Retweet) and the squeal if Shahid kapoor or Karan Johar retweets or replies that kinda will make for an internet remuneration and our two minutes fame…

This season there is a major major overhauling and brand new Judges shall dazzle with their brilliance and charisma along with the ones whom we are so so used to…read Karan Johar without whom we cannot spell Sophistication in a correct way…  

  He Exudes a Persona that symbolises some of the shows and have become daily usage in the Indian Dialect so we have important meetings referred to as “Coffee with Karan” to spoofs like “Tea with Taran” at local levels and “Chaas with Chagan” in local alleys of Gujarat. These are some of the ones I have come across. With his suave charm he has become A Permanent person to look for in the Jury of Jhalak. Can we conceptualise this Dance show without him?? I guess not …

The Makers of the show too take the cake with Larger than life sets and Massive scale of production Value. They leave no stone unturned in order to make this show worth every second to watch and Behold. For those two odd minutes we are transported to another world that the Contestants and choreographers Conceptualised for us. It’s a Dreamland that we shall enter every week. From some worlds we shall be dumped out mercilessly and from some we may never ever want to revive.

One such Reverie surely shall be Woven by the New entrants as Zanier and Jazzier Judges …new on the Panel The choreographer Ganesh Hegde…

It makes me stand up and await him. Ganesh Hegde has rubbed shoulders with the Biggy wiggies of The Industry and have made them groove to his instructions…he brings with him years of expertise and know how to look into the eyes of the contestants and tell them like it is…Wonder if he will be stern Taskmaster or A benevolent overseer? Time will tell and we are so eager to know…

But our hearts will go Flip flop for the young and happening Shahid Kapoor and Lauren Gottlieb. Does it matter that Shahid is all set to tie the knot and has moved outta reach of many a Maidens??? I guess not…we will await some outstanding and clean shakes from him since he is a Shamakite alright. Before being an Actor he is a Fabulous fabulous Dancer and BOY!!! We expect him to get the Energy of the stage few Notches higher. Do treat us with him opening the Stage with his Dancing shoes slidin and drippin chocolate on the floor. I wonder the MALE CONTESTANTS would want to hide in consternation after he pulls in few of his fast abhi yaha abhi waha routine…

And the judge panel could not have gotten anymore Sexier than the Lady we know as Lauren Gottlieb. She already won our hearts with her elegant moves in 'you name it and I do it' dance routine...be it any dance form or Indian...she brings sassiness and a special flavour which is unique to her and In one sentence if I were to Describe her “ She is Vivacious and invigorating to ma eyes” no more no less and enuff said.

Who can forget the witty and charming and the MAN WHO Cracks a whammy in the millionth of a second…if you are not sharp well…you just might miss the entire moment and humour. No one but our Manish Paul…

Truly yours and faithfully there to carry our show forward with sparkling humour and chortling laughter…We quite enjoyed the back and forth and completely in Vain Flirting and flattery with Madhuri Dixit …Wonder whose Pallo shall he catch this time around? Lauren in all probability shall have that part of wardrobe missing…

I am sure his faster than arrow wit shall cook up yet another storm for us to partake and leave us chuckling in between the performances. He will pull fast ones on many contestants for sure…Hope he finds an equally quicksnap Co host …though he does not need anyone to carry on the show with his frame moving from laughter to deadpan expressions after he has let loose his whammy on a poor unsuspecting soul …

The Jhalak season is back and it already feels like a Festival for us who do follow the show. All the long winding explanations of skeptics and cynics that it is being scripted and all voting is of no use will go out from my one ear outta another…

I would look forward yet to know who will be the wild card entry to who shall groove in the “Teen ka Tadka" to who shall get in the danger zones and how soon. The speculation in the mad Fan world will be rife with spoiler updates letting the details out before the show is aired and some getting elated and some drowning in Despair for their favo got dismissed …some will hope he or she may be called back as wild card entry. Sometimes we shall shake heads at the news of someone getting fatally injured and rendered incapable of doling out the performances. We shall eagerly await what shall be the theme of the next week and how the contestants do justice to the task given…

Then there is the App of Jhalak that will help us know more about our favos…and the scintillating Guests walking in to promote their upcoming Films and some of them are Enormous Personas. Surely I wanna see Salman Khan to make in his appearance for BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN to occasional rough and tumble with Daadi and Palak from Comedy Nights…

Our Cup runneth over guys..we soo so look forward to this full on entertainment and perfect Indian Balanced Diet with its share of sweet spice and chutputta achaar and nutrition loaded for fans who wanna escape the monotony of life they have carved out and can do little about.

People might wonder why am I writing about Jhalak this Seazon..where was I all these Years? Oh ! I was here alright. I did follow the Show on and off..missed few episodes…caught few on YouTube…But this time there is a Special reason why I would not miss a single episode…but why shall I tell you just yet??? Do wait for the next serving of the write up like you wait for the next episode. I promise not to make you wait longer …I promise to be partial to only the two contestants I am super fond of and I will still put forward my observations on the entire episode…If you are a Mad pan like me Do join me on TWITTER at @Sonnalp74 or INSTAGRAM at @sonnalp or comment under this post. 

Do remember to be positive. I am not a social reformer or an Activist. I am a crazy Fan  and believe in Hulka fulka banter. For that is what I will do when I see jhalak. I will doubt nothing and No one. Criticise no one and wham no one. Simply Observe and put forth my views …take it..discard it…ignore it…or tweet with me endless and dip in this Make Believe Dream Land that every Jhalak participant facing the camera or behind the camera works for…OOH AND AAH Over the Lovely Costumes…sets ..themes…comments…gags send our way…

Its my regular dope for the coming few months …until then do guess who I ADORE ENUFF to pen this Ambitious Blog on Jhalak…Join me if you wish or Enjoy the Show without me. 
You will do just fine without me…

                                                         -Sonnal Pardiwala    

 © Sonnal Pardiwala. All Rights Reserved.

The Writer claims no rights to the images used in this blog post. 

                                     

         

A year into Homeschooling…Finding ourselves...

This time of the last year, we were frantic with anxiety over our decision and slightly excited with anticipation at what lay ahead. Every Hour we kept asking and replying, if we did the right thing. Every day, we promised to get the academics right and in place and kept a backup school going plan if needed.

We realised, we were in for new revelations and well kinda twelve month long vacation for self and kids. We began a new journey not only to give kids a happier childhood, freedom from enforced structure, but also rediscovering our own individual self and reclaim the dreams we thought we had lost in our race for winning the mundane life goals, we were given by society…

This Blog is as much for me as much for you. I am simply chronicling and documenting where our paths meandered and crisscrossed and made an intricate fabric of relearning for the entire family…Homeschooling is finding your own self too…

I do not plan to be preachy and put forward abstract dialogues and high flying philosophy. All I will do is pick each member of my family and state how we changed and grew and are growing…you take what belongs to you…for each journey is unique in its flavour. Our tale may simply speak of an alternative that can be…

So before we pick each person let us pick one aspect of our life and how it affected us

ROUTINE

Naturally, no school took away a lot of hurry from our mornings. Since we begin our class at two in the afternoon, we anyways never had to rush to work. But without the pressure of school suddenly a lot of time and planning was freed up. Previously, I as a mom, had a set pattern and it became so mechanical for me . I had to get up first and prepare the two tiffins...Modern schools are so loving they have two breaks…they care so much for the kids appetite. Frankly, all it added was trouble for me, as I had to come up with quick make kind of food. The Modern-age  schools love health so their dictum was  to send home made food…so all my Innovative and creative self, had to be called upon to Devise this home- made food in half hour regime and pack it while kids dragged themselves out of bed and bathed …sometimes later we had begun a system of bathing in the night so they could sleep more but of course there were last minute snarls with nature’s call…some material or note book they misplaced and socks that were wet …or such things…There was not much time left in order to hug or say a kind word to my kids, droopy with sleep.

Next when they left my whole existence revolved around catching up on a small nap and again creating a Lunch that could be packed to our class for the afternoon meal when they came back. So mornings were just cook, clean and pack routine with barely any time left to converse with my better half or even sit back and share tea. Even with tea in hand there would be vegetables to be cut …or conversation centred on what shall be the dinner…

At class, we had a small refrigerator and microwave for preserving the freshness of the food and serve it warm …and as soon as we reached the class, we diligently kept everything in order. Few hours flew by in classes and kids by and large managed themselves with lunch and covering up their whole routine of home- work and test and  assignments.

We reached home at around eight thirty with so much baggage someone quipped “Are you coming from an outing?” For we had two school bags, two pair of uniforms bags as they changed clothes post school added to that there was the plastic boxes of afternoon lunch we carried…boy we had some packages with us. So, naturally when we came back home it was a flurry of activity of getting the dirty boxes in the sink, fixing dinner, cleaning, kids catching up on remaining assignments…and also reinvent stuff for next day. We had to pack the school bags for next day…before we knew it, it was midnight and we hit the bed restless ,little angry ,more tired and frustrated while calculating how many hours before we hear the alarm again???

Sundays then brought no respite for we wanted to catch up on the sleep,wash all the uniforms ,homework again …any social invites or outings looked like an impediment to limited hours of holiday that we would get…Atleast I wanted to hole up in my bed and sleep…my children wanted  to play …my husband wanted to watch his TV and when all this clashed…sometimes volcanic eruptions…

In order to deal with the stressful daily routine that seemed to promise to take us some where we made our life very structured and mechanically tight. We did this so that we could ignore asking vital questions to self about nourishing inner self or even consider thinking alternatives.

We looked forward to the round of stress that projects would bring or annual sports day or functions would impinge upon our daily tightly jammed schedule. WE had to be creative in fitting the extra pegs of puzzles that would be thrown at us due to exams or functions…We forgot self and were at times acidic at how life has been not so kind to us…at times blaming parents and other authority figures or government to blame…

So we were surviving up until we chose to HOMESCHOOL…Get kids out of school.

Life without school ??? Can it happen?? Yes it can…if you are sure and ready to understand learning as constantly happening process rather than what takes place in books or places like school.

Learning happens when you try something you have not till now because it interests you…

Learning happens when you question an existing order and ask if it applies to you or can you experience at different level.

Learning happens when you dig in your heels and say this intrigues me so much I will pursue it till my heart does not call it off and quits.

Learning happens when something new presents to yourself that is outside your diaspora of activities…and you develop a sort of accepting attitude as plausible and not reject it outright because it does not fit your system.

Learning happens when you accept wisdom comes from all corners and not only from people who are very senior to your age or authority…sometimes wisdom comes from my 14 year old…like today when I was fuming at a perceived insult and my 14 year old looks at my haggled frame and asks “But why are you so angry ? What is the issue? Why you think it is an insult? Why do you not see that she is ultimately doing publicity of your work…her motive you know but publicly as a record it is your praise that is going up…either acknowledge it at Face value or do not rise up to it…”Simple Wisdom but such deep thinking…I had yet to cultivate and extricate myself from just entangling myself into Dramas that are self made…He could think this way for he had LEARNED…Really learned to Think…not like me simply React…I stopped in my angry track…right there to thinkkkkkk….Anger still took time to evaporate but slowly it did…I am learning from all corners now…I decided to check…what happens if I do not react and chose to remain silent…like he was telling me to do…I learned to control temper…not through some grand anger management workshop but from a A Teenager who had grown up to question everything gently…and convert life circumstances to positive self- serving bends …I was proud to learn this bit for I had chosen to raise him differently

Learning happens when you live in the moment and think life challenges can be handled as and when they arise and not fret and worry and ruminate over it. We still do not have answers to what they will choose for a career but we are  realising that the kids have so much more time to explore ,choose,discard than a regular schooler would.

Shahen quickly finished reading all the academic books that we had purchased and we found it quite enlightening to discuss the language chapters and concepts rather than the routine one line answers or brief answers and give reasons geographical or historical…It was so much more healthy and active to animatedly discuss the reasons and motives of a historical figure for a certain event and then laugh at times to wonder…what does it matter as of now???

It was Hilarious to wonder if a yonder king were to build one monument each for all the queens he had married…so much drain on treasury…hmmm…it was fun discussing and ending up chuckling and building up funny imageries that could have changed world history…no attempt at making fun..only imagining a different ending to a certain event and wondering at their personal traits and illnesses and eccentricities…

So naturally after this a lot more challenging stuff was needed for their creativity to come out.
He took to blogging and sharing his views about schooling. 
He participated in a blogging contest and won it!

He was recognised by Indi blogger forum as the youngest blogger on board. 

He read books avidly and took to doing Video reviews of latest book releases.                                                                                  


                                                      
Shahaan too joined in doing one of a “ Roald dahl” book. Anything that challenged Shahen had to go through rigorous googling  and youtubing…forgive me..it is a by- product of Homeschooling..we realised we could invent words to suit our moods and mental states and jokes…we realised Language is a medium to express and it was ok if we were not perfect in it. In School we were so told to be particular with our punctuation marks and cross our “t”  a certain way…no more.

We learned it was ok to invent few words along the way and mix a little of two if needed. The idea was to express and make yourself understood…such relief. Finally no one was going to cut marks but at the max shake head at the comedy it creates…no need to prove you are a literatti!!!

Shahen took part In MUN(Model United Nations) at D.J .Sanghvi College of Engineering.He was the Delegate of Indonesia and spoke and debated about Human Rights Violation in Syria,Iraq and Libya by ISIS. He got the honourable Mention as one of the Best Delegates in the committee(Best five). He rubbed shoulders with students  who were naturally few years senior to him.

Shahen was so happy speaking that naturally when we had a media event at a reputed book store, he donned the mantle of AN Anchor and the compliment came from a senior person when he asked “Have you done a course in Professional Anchoring?”

   Pride and smile was the only reply, he could make. When we do what we love, it comes out naturally and brings immense satisfaction. He, then, went on to find a Tele Anchoring course that will smoothly blend in his need for facing the camera with an intellectual mix of ideas. Again need I say he is the youngest to enrol amongst the graduates who are chosen for the course The Decision came from an apprehensive faculty who gave a thumbs up after viewing his book reviews and happily raising brows at his marvellous albeit raw confidence…

While Shahen explored his preferences the young Shahaan is equally and playfully serious about asserting his  tiny intelligent self and finding his interests too.

 So as his elder brother he too read a book by Roald Dahl and put in a video review but went on to  realise it is not his cup of milk to read through patiently an entire book so he moved onto putting up reviews of Video games he played.

He had this love for animals and thought becoming veterinarian was a cool idea which later on he realised was a long drawn academic process. So he googled with his brother and narrowed his level of interest in becoming a Canine Behaviourist. His reasoning… ultimately, I want to work with animals specially dogs so this is the best way. Well whatever he ends up doing what makes me happy is that he is growing into a thinker and a human who is looking into problem solving. He realises that he ought to match his preferences and the Vocation he chooses in order to live a meaningful life. He, also, is a person learning to live in the moment and has wisdom galore especially during arguments that inevitably are a part and parcel of family life.

He is the peace maker in the family appealing to all members to forget and forgive and at times refrain from using confrontational language so further escalation of conflict can be prevented. So in a way, he recognises the oncoming crisis and has identified factors that would avoid an out- break. Well little later in life I do plan to discuss with him that once in a while it is alright to clear the Air but just yet am happy to amusedly observe his insights and musings on “I do not like anyone to be sad”

He is the chirpy happy go lucky Jack in our house without whom a strange silence would descend…for he is non- stop chatter on all the adventures he has undertaken with his tiny world.

As a Two some they explored dance and that too resulted in varied choices and decision as to what they truly desire . We chose two different environment and the revelations were interesting and dynamic…Since, sports develops a healthy attitude towards life and the kids dabbled happily from cricket, to tennis, to cycling, to skating(that, only for the younger one)...
We enrolled them into a Dance workshop of reportedly famous people attached to TV reality dance shows. These guys have earned their name and fame through this show. We had no such intention of pushing our kids towards any tele exposure but it was like if you are learning then learn from the Best. Three days workshop but kids came out disappointed .They learned dance but were not happy with the Ambience and company. In their words ,folks around there used too many swear words to be comfortable…the hair do each one carried was quite weird and at times offensive…many including boys had body pierced at unlikely places and long jewellery pieces hung obnoxiously …at times the course teachers looked at each other in the middle of the steps while dancing as they forgot what they had to do…all this cannot escape my two perceptive kids…They were cordial yes but they clearly expressed well defined views to me. The Elder one simply accepted “ Mom I may enjoy dancing in a party but It is not my passion” The younger one a little thoughtful “ I like doing it but it should be less crowded and the language should be cool” Ok, so we took in the feedback with a pinch of salt at having been a little hasty and carried away…

We promised to be careful to find a space that will be little more professional and less chaotic.

All this while, we were meeting our academic goals too but a little differently. Shahen finished his sciences ,languages and read tons of contemporary Indian authors and began putting up his you tube reviews . At the same time, he also stumbled upon Psychology Textbook .Though the textbook was a little monotonous it opened up his google search engines. Daily he would come up with different researches, being carried out that he was reading up and the ten thousand questions that would follow made me to look up in the area. Curiousity and discussions and debates are mom and son’s favorite time-consuming activities.

As individuals, Mom and Dad, that is me and my husband too flourished . As I put in earlier as the mundane uncreative lifted from our lives, we gave freedom to our inner creative self. We began daring ourselves to do what we never allowed ourselves so far.

I began blogging on a tele series simply because it took my fancy and it inspired me ..nothing heavy only light and fun entertainment. Then I found the relevant fan pages of the tele show and a new wave of energy took over my life. Till now I was known as Nozzer’s wife, Shahen and shahaan’s mom, so n so teacher…Now I came to be known as SONNAL PARDIWALA the Author in a circle little wider and expansive than the Lane I was working. I may not earn money out of it but I earned immense recognition and deep satisfaction. People knew me now beyond my culinary and teaching and spiritual healing skills.Then my hubby dear turned the blogs into a colourful book which went on to become a happy tryst with a different world than mine… 

 I so so enjoyed the whole promotion and sale and the various interactions and the fifteen seconds of fame. It is a heady feeling and did wonders to lift my confidence as an individual. In my Kitty this was my personal individual achievement. Something, I did purely for myself and I was known purely for myself. It made me feel as if I exist. It was not like I did not but this was a different feeling altogether. I doubt if I can explain this. But I grew and I relaxed in my sense of identity. In accidental pouring out of a Blog post I found a world that would so complete my existence.I also had begun sharing my journey on home schooling just so that it helps some anxious soul into their dilemma. Even these blogs received happy recognition among its readers as well as it got featured on various platforms like Café Dissensus and Femina Magazine. So it was out an out journey establishing my worth as a Blogger and I love myself Immensely as each feedback I get that is positive and each recognition that gets me congratulations from many corners.

My better half is not far behind. He had already published his first book and now his articles found place in Parsi Times where he puts forward his gentle queries on accepting the NEW and Celebrating the Old and merging Diverse culture to attract happiness. His insightful takes on various human quirks and customs are a treat to read .That too got him his share of recognition and encouragement as an individual apart from being a diligent teacher, dutiful dad and dedicated Husband, he now is also an awesome and sensitive writer whose write ups are awaited…And he went forth and completed his second book all the while working on making my book available at various popular platforms like Flipkart India and making his-LIVE on Amazon. Soon his second book will be available in print form on flipkart too. 

With each research of his he betters himself ,coming up with new technologies and making it possible to dream and soar.

All of this we have been doing while we carry out our Teacher’s tasks systematically. That is one role we take very seriously and systematically.

Then comes … the May Vacations and once again my Husband throws in one of his rare ones at reinventing.

We still wanted to explore for our children Dancing and we admitted to ourselves that we had simply  chosen the wrong ambience and platform . So this time we decided to go to the Best and that was” Shiamak Davar” Dance stints that happen regularly. So we planned to enrol our kids into it. My husband dear goes in to pay fees for two and ends up enrolling the entire Family into it!!!!!!

Dance at 40??? I mean really?? With a group of kids half your age or even less?? I was appalled at the very thought. The eagerness on my children’s face was disarming and my husband’s charming argument won me over “What will we do outside waiting for both of them??” “It is our vacation time let us do something as a family instead of just going on a Vacation and wasting thousands”

That was true. In the sweltering heat, going for any place would be hectic and tedious. We came up with this cool idea of Staycation and enjoy life. Instead of later arguing over the money spent or place chosen we decided to do something different and drastic as a woman I met put in “Your husband is enrolling you in a dance class is such a big thing” hmmm…indeed…we live in a patriarchal world and I must be grateful for such a liberal hubby…thank you GOD!

We had a rollicking time for we had not gone in for any sense of competition or race. For the first time in my life I prepared for a stage show. So far I had arranged for the costumes of my kids at their school shows but here I was wearing a costume and going to the parlour for a hair style. I do not remember doing it after my marriage ceremony ever…but we as a family decked up cute and had a roaring time and life time of memories and realised laughing and giggling is more important than being perfect.  We left the arena of being perfect to those earnest ones who wanted to mark a career in the respective field.

The resultant elation was infectious to my kids too. They liked this ambience for all interacted decently in either cool English or clear and respectful Hindi. The attitude they carried was in their body as grace and there were no piercing jewellery hanging and dangling. Instead they asked us to wear no accessories so we could dance totally free. All in all it was a fun experience left us wanting for more and the general feeling was if we can we shall repeat this…maybe next vacation.

Vacations end brought in new revelations to each one of us. Academically elder one is gearing up to give tenth Boards through Maharashtra state board if all the long winding rules and regulations are taken care of and permit. He stumbled upon this Tele Anchoring Course actually meant for graduates but well we homeschoolers are a cheeky lot and we do not believe in age parameters. We have discovered a new talent…we can convince people to mend n bend a few rules and give a new thing a go…they agreed to take him in. he is the youngest kid to go in the course. However he fares he definitely is exposed to who is who of media and is learning diction rules and facing camera…a complete skill set he will learn…and I feel mission accomplished the idea is to create new boundaries for our kids to think about life beyond these academic limits set by our society and exploring …

We learned my kids have an advantage for they have started exploring young they can discard what they do not like and decide what they enjoy but cannot turn into livelihood…

We also learned to say goodbye to an emotion called “Worry” we also learned all things happen in time and we need not control everything. We discovered that we also learned to intervene less in other people’s lives. So we have less interest in what others are doing as we have so much more to discover about our lives that we are actually not too  hyper about how we are measuring up to our other folks.

It is such a relief that we have done away with the thing called Competition. So much stress moves away when you move out of this zone. The whole family dynamics shifts to positive notes and it feels relaxed as if we will find our way home smoothly and the paths we take will meander to pleasanter spaces …will add to our experiences and enrich the tapestry of life.

So when we sip our tea at the sunset of our life we can say we lead a rich eventful and yet adventurous life.  

                                                             -written by Sonnal Pardiwala.

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