Well being – Still, Silent, and Serene

Just a Small Observation

Feb 16, 2022Feb 16, 2022 Pihu

I wanted to post this article yesterday but I had some stuff to do and by the time I finished it, it was already 23:35, but mostly I am just super lazy. So, anyways I will post it today.
As you know from my previous article, I recently repotted my plant, which inspired me to take on the bigger task of starting a small vegetable garden. As I was looking for some good sunshine-recieving spots, I realized unlike before there were very few. Since we live in a flat and there is another flat attached to our east side, all the balconies are naturally west facing. Thus, before I think in the rainy season we used to get plenty of sunlight between 13:00 upto 17:00 in all the three balconies, it was the best time for my plants. Then came winter which was the worst time for them, almost 5 died due to lack of sunlight, everyday there was just a gray, gloomy bunch of clouds hanging over the city. But when the sunlight did come though, I didn’t notice it then, It had slightly changed its angle and we didn’t receive as much light in the main balcony as before. And in summer it has changed even more:- we have stopped getting any sunlight on all the three balconies, just a little spot in one balcony for 1-2 hours. Now it might sound like I am complaining but I am not, I am just telling it is such a subtle thing I never noticed before. The sun had just changed its route in the sky a bit we can say and I don’t know why it happens maybe because of Earth’s tilt and its rotation around the sun. If you think about it, it has absolutely no effect on our daily lives, on our work, or on our routine. And I don’t think so, I would have noticed it at all, if I hadn’t taken my plants more seriously. This is one of the many advantages of gardening. We inevitably get more in contact with and knowledgeable about our environment which is actually very critical. We understand many things which I have just started scratching the surface of like compost, good fertilizers, quality of soil, etc. So tell me if you are an avid gardener, what have you learned from it? And if you are not, do you plan to become one soon, I definitely do!

Personal

Repotting My Plant

Feb 14, 2022Jul 2, 2022 Pihu

My creeper was growing really well, So I decided it was time for it to move into a bigger pot. Now I must mention I had done nothing like this before, though I had a little bit of an idea because the guy in the nursery had tried to teach me how. So, I knew a few basic stuff.

First I started off by choosing a pot, but the soil in it had gone completely dry and hard. So, I poured water when that didn’t work I turned it around and poured water from the bottom. Finally the soil came out and I transported it to yet another pot. Now, I separated the soft mud and the dry mud(which I kept for later use. After filling the pot about 3/4ths I mixed in a little compost. Then finally I added the Cocopeat, now we are all go for the final step. Miraculously and with great difficulty I managed to shift the plant in one piece. And this is the Final result.

One reason that I wrote about this was because after many days I broke the routine and tried something new. And it made me feel really happy and satisfied. As my favorite saying goes:- “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” My answer as of 1 month before would have been “ I don’t remember!”, what is your answer? Please tell me in the comment section below. See you there!

Parenting, Personal, Well being

Unschooling Diaries #8: Busting the Biggest Homeschooling Myth

Sep 13, 2021Jul 2, 2022 Pihu

The most prominent question that I have been asked when it comes to homeschooling is:- Won’t it impact your social life? And the concern here is understandable since the kid spends a considerable amount of time indoors and has no structured institution to go to. But may I first ask how exactly is this so-called ‘institution’ helping in developing the child’s social skills? Do you meet new people? Is there any real exposure to the outside world? No, they don’t and no there isn’t.

Homeschooling or Unschooling on the other hand has real outside exposure. The lack of structure or timetable calls for unexpected situations and meeting new people. We learn who to trust and who not to trust. Some social skills that I have learned are:-

I have improved my English
I am not as shy anymore
I can talk to people more openly now
I now know how to dress properly and carry myself
I am more confident

Some things I hope to learn

To be more creative and resourceful
To get over my shyness completely
Be more direct

Meeting the same people every day for years won’t help you learn anything or gain life experiences. But getting out of your comfort zone -which you have to in homeschooling- most certainly will. So what do you think? Don’t you agree that social skills are important and they are in fact completely ignored in school? Please write your thoughts in the comment section below.

Personal, Well being, Writing

Unschooling Diaries #4: I Wrote A Poem!

Aug 25, 2021May 13, 2022 Pihu

Bittersweet Life

Oh! When I read a book, I feel a hole in my soul,

The longing for a thrill, a tale full of woe,

A countryside affair, or a tragical romance,

stories of armored knights, happenings in a magical land,

Every day can be an adventure, every difficulty a lesson,

We are delinquents, Slave to our thoughts,

When will we break free the mental prison,

And rise to see the paradise around us,

My experiences make me, my imagination defines me,

When my kingdom crumbles and laurels turn to dust,

Only thing I will remember, only one thing will matter,

The day I kept the book down and started living it

-Pihu

Personal, Well being

Unschooling Diaries #3: Impermanence

Aug 19, 2021Aug 19, 2021 Pihu

A continuation of the previous post…

Impermanence means inconstant, transient, evanescent, or in simple words ‘everything is constantly changing.’ This is one more thing I have noticed in my time as a homeschooler. Look around you, what do you think will remain forever? Family, Trees, the Earth, oceans, The universe, Nothing.

And I believe that there would be no reason to live if everything was always the same. Aren’t we already dead then? There is this one question I ask myself all the time: When was the last time you did something for the first time? Gets me always, and the answer is, I simply don’t remember. What is your answer? Tell me please, I am waiting for it like a child waiting for a freshly baked cake to come out from the oven.