Namaste! We traveled to India in October and what fun it was! Our main focuses for the month were diversity, harmony, and light heartedness. I was able to explain to Henry that our neighbors across the street are Indian and celebrate some holidays we do not. We talked about how Diwali is coming up and what that means to our neighbors, how they celebrate, and how we can celebrate as well. We had a lot of fun crafting and enjoying learning about a new place.
I apologize in advance, the photos are not great this month. It seems I kept taking pictures at night or when there were lots of shadows.
A few of the books I had wanted weren't available from the library, but we ended up with several great options. Festival of Colors is all about Holi, which is celebrated in the spring. It's a great book for learning colors and Henry thought it was fun to see how they used the colors. Wheels on the Tuktuk non surprisingly goes along to the tune of the Wheels on the Bus. For that reason, it was not my favorite, ha. I really enjoyed P is for Pappadoms! as it goes through each letter of the alphabet is a great way to learn different Indian words or words that originate from India, like Chai. Our last book, Grandmother School is based on the beautiful story of how one village in India has done it's part to overcome the unjust laws that keep women from getting an education. Henry and Leo enjoyed the hot pink Sari's the Grandmas wear.
Well, we didn't watch a single thing from our list! Not sure what happened there. However, we did watch lots of Youtube videos about Holi and Diwali, which Henry loved! He was so joyful watching everyone celebrate in the streets, laughing, and being together. Disney+ has several Nat Geo shows on India that look wonderful and we still plan on watching.
Towards the beginning of the year Tyler and I decided to try ordering Indian food. He'd had it once before for work, but played it safe and I had never tried it. Um, it was life changing - it's now my favorite cuisine. I feel like we hit the jackpot as our local Indian restaurant is very highly rated, they deliver, and its just so good. I like to get the Papri Chaat to start which is fried wafers topped with spiced boiled potatoes, raita, tamarind, mint chutney, and pomegranate. Then for my meal, Mughlai Aloo - potatoes cooked in a creamy aromatic sauce - I get it mild. Tyler likes to have the Chicken Tikka Masala and add potatoes. Then we always get Masala fries (salty, spiced, and a little sweet!), Naan, and sometimes Bhatura which is a fried bread, like an elephant ear. If you have never tried Indian food I highly recommend it! It does not have to be spicy. I will admit, it doesn't look like much in this photo, but it's one of the best meals I've had.
We decided to try our hand at making our own Tikka Masala with potatoes. We'll share that recipe in another post, but I'd say we darn near nailed it!
I knew Diwali was coming up in November and I'd remembered seeing our neighbors decorate for it last year so we decided we should celebrate this year too! Diwali, the festival of light, celebrates light over darkness/ good over evil. People prepare by cleaning their homes and decorating with lights and Rangoli - art made on the floor to bring good luck. Families gather to worship, set off fireworks, and feast together. It is common to share gifts with friends and neighbors. It's a big, fun holiday that kids enjoy - similar to our New Years. Henry and I made a colorful paper chain which we will string with lights and hang outside. We will also use sidewalk chalk to draw our own Rangoli at our front door. Lastly, we have some treats we will drop off for our neighbor with a note. Henry is so excited about this all and if you ask him which Holiday is next he'll happily proclaim "Wali!"
We enjoyed our time in India so much that when I got November's books from the Library, Henry was disappointed to see that we were moving on. I think he'll change his mind though as he sees all the wonderful things we can learn about...The Indigenous People of North America!
