Celebration learnings

 

Today we had a unique celebration at school. The students and teachers ( belonging to 4 Houses/Groups) cooked Pongal ( a dish made of rice, lentils and jaggery). The uniqueness lay in the process. Students brought the raw materials. The school arranged for bricks and firewood.

The pot was placed on the bricks and firewood, twigs ,dry leaves were placed strategically to light the fire. A few drops of kerosene and ghee helped the fire to build. Oh it wasn’t easy! There was one teacher and a student who were constantly blowing into the fire/ fanning the fire. Smoke billowed all around causing to choke, spurt and become teary eyed. There was excitement as the milk boiled and the pongal was getting cooked. It was wonderful to see the students doing their part with enthusiasm.

It was specially interesting for me to observe others. A few students were good at delegation. A few were good at working on the job. A few were good ‘onlookers’. A few were being good ‘hoppers’ –hopping from one pot to another!

It was then it struck me how we take our privileges for granted. We cook on fine gas stoves and microwave ovens saving on effort and time. There are still millions of women who spend their lifetime in front of firewood stoves. One student remarked, ‘Mam this is so difficult ( fanning the fire), how do the village women do it constantly while cooking different dishes.’ Also the fact that they get affected by the smoke and the dust.

After almost an hour the Pongal was cooked gleaming with ghee, cashewnuts, raisins and and smelling so fragrant.

This proved to be a great teambuilding activity.