This summer, in India, I’ve done a lot of crafts. These range from painting, to crochet, to embroidery, to balloon animals. They’ve all been a ton of fun and so I thought I’d go in detail about some of the fun things I’ve done this year.
Crochet:
I started learning how to crochet from my great-grandmother, who is a pro at it! We started small, with chains, then rubber bands, flowers, stars, and worked up to super cute bear keychains! I’m really proud of how much I’ve been able to learn in these 2 months.
Painting:
Using paints from my aunt, I first started painting in a coloring book. Currently, I’m working on a sunflower painting, but flipping the colors to their complementary versions (yellow is purple, green is red, etc.). I also painted a t-shirt using fabric paints! (also from my aunt).
PAPERCRAFTS:
Papercrafts are these dolls you can make! A game that I enjoy a lot- Project Sekai- offers up templates for these papercrafts for free, so I got to make a lot this summer! (8 in total).
Embroidery:
I started an embroidery project this summer, using a kit! I’d never really done embroidery before, but using instructions from my grandmother, I was really proud of the end product!
Balloon Animals:
This summer, I bought a balloon making kit. I learned how to make a balloon dog and balloon flowers! I got really good at making them and I still have a bunch of balloons left so I can’t want to keep making more.
Recently, I went to see Chennai Music Academy’s Mid Year Dance Festival. I went on the second day and watched both Lekha Prasad (disciple of Guru Priya Murle) and P.V. Adithya (disciple of Guru Sudharani Raghunathy) perform a 4 item margam consisting of a varnam and a thillana, the other two items being unique to the performer. I enjoyed both dances immensely, especially with the more intimate area, with a smaller stage and a live orchestra.
The first dancer, Lekha Prasad, started off with an invocatory item composed by Chirumanavoor Muniswamy Mudaliar. Next, she performed a 45-50 minute varnam called Sami nee Rammana Ve composed by Tanjore Ponnayya. Her aadavus were clean and I especially liked how she used her eyes in the abhinaya sections. Her poses were also well done and were once again, clean. Her angashruti was really good. After this, she performed an Ashtapadi- Yahi Madhava- composed by Jayadeva, then ended with a thillana composed by the Tanjore Quartet. I enjoyed her performance a lot.
Next was a performance by P.V. Adithya. He started off with a Kriti composed by Mysore Vasudevachar, in which his angashruti shone. Next was a 50 minute Varnam- Sami ninne kori- composed by the Tanjore Quartet. I really enjoyed his aadavus, as they were crisp and clear. Each aadvu was completed fully and even the faster speeds were clear. I also enjoyed his abhinaya. In conclusion, I really enjoyed the performances from the Chennai Music Academy. They were both well put together and presented and I am incredibly glad I was able to see these performances!
I started the year in India. We didn’t really do much that first month, but it was a good and clean beginning to the new year.
February:
We took a quick staycation in Downtown, which was definitely a lot of fun. It was a great opportunity to relax while staying in the city.
March:
We went to Miami this year which was a lot of fun! We got to see a lighthouse and also got to visit Calle Ocho, which I had been learning about in school. I also visited the science museum which was a fun experience. We also got to see Hamilton, which was awesome. I loved watching the songs come to life and it was overall a great experience.
April:
I did two dance performances this month- an annual recital for Bharatanatyam and my first ever Mohiniyattam performance! I also got to watch an arangetram which was a new experience for me.
May:
We went to New Mexico which was really cool! I really enjoyed viewing the Carlsbad Caverns and the Petroleum Museum, as well as Monahans Sandhills State Park. Our school also put on Matilda the Musical and I really enjoyed watching it, especially as a lot of my friends starred in it.
June:
Right before 7th grade ended, we had our schoolwide International Peace Festival, in which my friend and I put together a project on gender equality. During summer, I went to India which was a lot of fun, as usual.
July:
I went to Delhi in the beginning of July, which was a place I’d never been before. I really enjoyed visiting The Taj Mahal, Qutab Minar, and Isa Khan’s tomb, as well as other places. I came home from India early (☹️) to go to Leadership Camp, hosted by my Leadership teacher for 8th grade. I really enjoyed camp and definitely made a lot of memories there.
August:
I started 8th grade around the middle of August which was an incredible new experience. I also competed in a duet and a group Bharatanatyam competition and won first place for the duet!
September:
I celebrated my birthday this month and turned 13! Other than that we didn’t do much, but I really enjoyed celebrating my birthday and cherished everyone in my life that day (and month).
October:
I started the month with a roller skating party for everyone in Leadership. At first, I was a bit shaky, but I eventually got the hang of it and had a lot of fun! I also got to see another musical- Hadestown, which was inspired by Greek mythology, which I love. After that, we had Homecoming, which is definitely one of my highlights this year, as I got to have a lot of fun that night.
November:
I started November off with my UIL theater class performing twice, once for parents and once at a competition. I had a lot of fun both times and I can’t wait to do it again in the spring! After that, we went to my last musical of the year- SIX the Musical. I also saw two of my friends there which was such a fun experience! Then, during Fall Break, we went to Boston and I saw a lot of historical monuments, which went perfectly with what we were learning in US History. Lastly, I ended the month with Fall Show, a performance organized by the dance teachers so we can show off what we have learnt in the first semester.
December:
Our school’s first semester has ended, meaning we’re halfway through the school year. This was also the first year I had to do midterms, because I’ve started taking high-school level courses. As the semester ended, I went to our school’s winter concert, as I had many friends in orchestra. I really enjoyed watching them perform and they did great! Lastly, I closed the year off by going to India for winter break.
Recently, I got to visit the Taj Mahal, in Agra. It was a marvelous opportunity and I really enjoyed walking around the grounds and learning the history of the magnificent tomb Shah Jahan had built for his wife.
The Taj Mahal, along with its surrounding architecture, took 22 years to build (around 1632-1648). This work was completed by around 20,000 artists along with a team of architects who supervised them. These dedicated and hardworking builders lived in small rooms constructed around the Main Gate. The building itself combines Persian, Islamic and Indian styles, as Mumtaz (the wife Shah Jahan had built the tomb for) was Persian. In the tomb, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz are buried together, deep underground, in a small cavern that visitors are only allowed to see in the spring months (the month fluctuates as it is decided based on the Islamic calendar).
During this time in which the Taj Mahal was being built, Shah Jahan didn’t pay much attention to the politics and how India was running. Because of this, his son, Aurangzeb, put him under house arrest in the Agra Fort, where he could see the Taj Mahal being built. There is a tradition that states that Shah Jahan wanted his own mausoleum, made of black marble, opposite Mumtaz’s. Unfortunately, he was imprisoned and therefore was unable to ever construct this structure. Therefore, he and Mumtaz were buried together.
This summer I got to spend some time with my cousins! It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it a lot. During this time, we went to the beach and we got to fly kites! I really enjoyed this experience, so I decided to write about it.
Windy beach, kites flapping through the clouds, dipping up and down then up
Strings, reeling out as the kites fly high over the waves, up and down
Laughs, as we run side to side, hoping the wind will move our kites up
Tired, ending the day with games, winning small prizes, thrilled with this fun day
Recently, while I’ve been staying in India, I’ve been doing a lot of crafting. From crafting kits to crafts made from old pieces of paper I’ve found, crafting has been something I’ve done every day. It’s been a perfect way to show my creativity and a great way to relax. Arts and Crafts are often regarded as unimportant, but this is a view I believe should change.
Students who study art are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement. They are also 3 times more likely to be awarded for school attendance. I think crafting (and arts in general) is an important part of both school and our daily lives and should be implemented more because of the way it benefits school lives and mental health.
Many people don’t realize how studying art or at least taking part in it is extremely beneficial to the studious part of their lives. In countries that mandate the arts, like Japan, Hungary, and the Netherland, schools are often regarded as some of the best in the topics of math and science. In The No Child Left Behind Act clearly mandates the arts (for example music, languages, and art) as core academic subjects. Multiple studies have also shown that extracurricular art activities/studies help keep students in school longer. Brain research also shows that crafts improve skills in math and reading, as well as promoting creativity, social development, and self-worth.
Crafting is a simple, yet effective way to improve mental health. As stated in the last paragraph, crafts promote creativity, social development, and self-worth, 3 major influencers in mental health. Art (or crafting in general) is proven to help you recognize feelings lurking under the surface, greatly boost your self esteem, and relieving your stress. Furthermore, creating things gives you a healthy coping mechanism/outlet which isn’t destructive and allows you to create something you can call your own. Creating art also takes your mind off of your everyday life and therefore provides a distraction from things that could be worrying.
As you can see, crafting is a useful and simple way to both elevate core skills and improve your mental health. Because of these reasons, I believe crafting should be implemented more and become a daily part of people’s everyday lives.
Since I’m now in Chennai, I decided to write a poem about my how wonderful it is to be back. This poem’s style is called Tricubes. The only rules are that each line should have 3 syllables, each stanza should have 3 lines, and each poem should have 3 stanzas. Therefore it is perfectly balanced with threes. I hope you enjoy!
My home in Chennai, a safe haven
A place to be free with no regrets
Surrounded by people who I love
What’s a place that you can escape to and will always feel safe in?
When I was in India, my grandmother showed me how to make a quick and easy chocolate. The recipe was so simple, yet delicious. Now, back in the US, I decided to try it out again. It turned out really well, so I decided to share it with you!
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk powder
2 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp butter
Water
Grease a plate with a bit of butter.
Sieve the milk and cocoa powders together.
Soak the sugar in a bit of water, then bring it to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Keep on heat until it reaches a one-string consistancy.
Turn off the heat and add the butter and milk and cocoa powders.
Stir.
Once fully incorporated, pour into the plate and let it set.
