Special Guest Presentation at Mustard Seeds Library

By Rahul Basu

Bobby and Sunny are two library members who also come sometimes on weeknights to learn basic computer skills.  Last week we were working on a Power Point presentation all about their rabbits and we had the idea to introduce the rabbits to other library members.  My mother and I went over to Bobby and Sunny's house to meet the rabbits  and to talk with their mother about doing a presentation with live rabbits at the library.

At 11:00 we all left the library session and went to collect the rabbits.  We placed their hutch on the verandah when we got back and showed the Power Point presentation to everyone.  My mother, Mauraunty, explained that we do not want to scare the rabbits in the new place so everyone should be gentle around them.  People liked how we made the rabbits hop around on the Power Point show; and they like to see them hop around the library too!

We all tried our hand at sketching the rabbits, some people did real-to-life images and others drew cartoonish images.  We all would have been more satisfied if the rabbits stayed still and posed!  It was fun to watch them groom themselves and relax with their legs spread straight out behind them!  At the end, Mauraunty put all the rabbit pictures together like a sandwich between two sheets of yellow paper.  She stapled them together and wrote "Raja and Rani Go to Mustard Seeds Library" on the front cover.  Raja and Rani (King and Queen) are the rabbits' names.  We presented this book of rabbits to Bobby and Sunny to say thank you for introducing us to their loveable little pets.

Letter from a Visitor

Random Sunday at Mustard Seeds

The following is excerpted from a note we received from two young girls who visited our library while visiting relatives in Kolkata:

Dear Mustard Seeds,

Than you very much for loaning us the books!  I managed to read almost all of them.  I had to stop halfway through "Eats, Shoots & Leaves," which I must say is incredibly interesting.  I very much enjoyed the other books as well.  It seems ironic to me that back in the US we have a city library with thousands of books, yet I found the selection in this little library far better.

The board game was also great fun.  My sister and I had an excellent time with it.  Plus, now I finally know where all the cities that people talk about actually are!  I hope your kids enjoy it as much as we did.  Hopefully, we will be able to get it in the US and play.  Mom, in the end, did not play with us (which you probably could have foretold), but even with only two people it was still great fun.

Thank you again and best wishes for your library.

Tara and Maya

I bet some of you didn't know that in addition to great books, we also loan games out at Mustard Seeds!

MOSAIC DEMONSTRATION

M Seeds welcomes mosaic artist, Barbara, and her daughter

We thank Barbara and her daughter, Coco who visited Mustard Seeds Library a few Sundays back to give us a quick demonstration on how to make a mosaic with cracked tiles, broken cups and saucers, marbles mirrors and white cement.

All members helped to glue pieces into place and Barbara carefully applied the cement once the pieces were dry.  Cement can get into your eyes and be very dangerous so she used gloves and asked us to protect our eyes.

The result is a beautiful little wall hanging that we have on display in the library!

tiles after placement

covered in cement

finished product

One Million Giraffes

onemilliongiraffes.com

Last week at Mustard Seeds Library we spent our activity time making giraffes in all shapes, sizes, and media to send into the One Million Giraffes site. A zany kind of guy has created this site because he made a bet with his friend that he would try to collect 1,000,000 giraffes over the course of the year. It's a nice effort and so we thought we'd  enjoy giving him a helping hand. He's also asking that everyone who participates spread the word so that he reaches his target number. There is an underlying goal: to get people to be creative and use their hands to create things, so no computer generated giraffes allowed. I think all the kids came up with great giraffeworks and you can view our gallery online at:

http://www.onemilliongiraffes.com/search?name=Member%20Of%20Mustard%20Seeds%20Library

I WOULD LIKE TO GO

Mustard Seeds Library will be closed from 16 May to 19 June. We will be on a trip.

In his excitement of the upcoming trip, R. Basu, age 9, penned a nice poem that takes the imagination to great heights!


I WOULD LIKE TO GO
- by Rahul Basu

I would like to go
Where ancient Egyptians grow
Their papyrus reed along the Nile
I would like to go there…
For a while.
I would like to see
Where the pyramids stand high
Against a pretty blue sky where the falcons fly

I would like to go
Where French people say hello
With a word that is “Bonjour!”
I would like to go there…
On a grand, grand tour
I would like to see
The magnificent Eiffel Tower
Staring back at me
And climb its mighty stair up into the air

MSeeds Goes to Watch the Latest Harry Potter Film

MSeeds Library • HPotter trip
Originally uploaded by dalbhat

The idea of taking all the older kids who come to Mustard Seeds Library was in my head since the ads first started to appear in the papers. When I looked at my upcoming weekend schedule I realized this was the day so on 1 August Srijata and I made a lot of phone calls and ran about making a list of all those members who wanted to come along. That evening, I purchased a total of 16 tickets and there was excitement in the air.

On Sunday (2 August), all the kids gathered in the library at 11:15, just as they were told to, and we walked over to City Center in a big gaggle to see the 11:40 showing of Half-Blood Prince. Although this movie was one of the darker episodes so far, it was thankfully peppered with humor and love potions so there was something for everyone. My how Harry has grown! We all had popcorn and drinks and were out of the theater by 2:15 – chit-chatting away as we made our way back home just in time for lunch.

Thanks to everyone for coming along, and especially to Srijata without whose organization skills we would not have made this happen -- we really should take ourselves out of the library together more often!

Earth Day 2009 T-Shirt D•Zine Contest

A winner!
Originally uploaded by dalbhat

Every year around the beginning of April Mustard Seeds Library gears up for its design contest and as the papers come in we start plastering the wall with beautiful earth-themed artwork from all of our friends. We did eco-tote bags last year and came back to the forever fashionable T-shirt this year. There were 20 entries this year from different schools and clubs and all of the work was extremely commendable – the perfect mixture of creativity and concern.

Each participant received a certificate of thanks and our winners received some interesting eco-prizes such as books on ecosystems, animals, weather, etc. and tote bags, etc.

Congratulations to our special winners this year!

Deepanwita
Sophia
Rithvik
Malini
Rahul
Sheesh
Sebastien
Kajia

LAL KALO

By Bapu

We went to watch a movie. That was in Bengali. The name was Lal Kalo. It means Red-Black. We all watched it wuth Calcutta International School at City Centre. It was about war with red ants and black ants. The red ants had a snake to battle with them, and the black had a mongoose. They found peace at the end.

And now for a poetic interlude

A Mustard Seeds Mother has given her kind permission to post some of her beautiful animal and insect poems. She believes a poem a day keeps the blues away...She may have something there!

THE SPARROW
Perched on sunshades,
narrow or wide
Turning its head
from side to side

It chirps all day long,
little brown bird
Often goes unnoticed
yet constantly heard

Flitting merrily
from wire to branch
Looking for grains
and worms to munch

Fluttering its wings
It bathes in dust,
A flock full of sparrows
Is a sight, that's a must

THE EARTHWORM
From dawn to dusk
in fields they toil,
The natural tillers of the soil

Wriggly, slimy soft in form
None other than
Our little earthworm.

Burrowing and turning
It seldom stops
The more it digs
The better our crops

Learn to know a friend
from foe
It's these who helps your garden grow
We owe so much
To this friend of ours
For draping the earth
With fruits and flowers

THE COCKROACH
Awfully ugly, sturdy
and brown
Hastily scurrying up
and down

The oven or
the cupboard door
Along the wall
Across the floor

Be it biting cold
or scorching heat
Survives all odds
Knows no defeat

For centuries it has
walked the earth
And even today
There is no dearth

Feared by many,
despised by all
Cockroaches BIG
cockroaches small

ODE TO A GECKO
Slithery and vigilant
the common lizard
No less a wonder
than a wizard

Elegantly glides
on walls and roof
Without the aid
of a broom or hoof

A single flick of its
long, sticky tongue,
To the insect world
Sure - death knell rung!
Glossy round eyes
Roving left and right
Be it day
or
be it night

Each step taken
is a cautious one,
every fly gobbled
as the battle is won

Every detective
Can owe his fame
To the tik-tiki:
It's Bengali name...

I'm Turning Green. Are you?

by Pujarinee Earthinker

Last Friday, I found an old notebook from my Environmental Science (EVS) class and I came up with a great recycling idea. I decided that instead of just tossing it away, I could staple the pages I had already used in the front of the notebook and begin to use it like a brand new notebook from those pages onward. I knew this was a fantastic way to save precious trees.

But when my teacher saw the notebook, she said I needed a new one for her class. Puzzled and a bit saddened, I asked her, "How can you say this -- YOU are the EVS teacher!" She smiled and told me I should bring a new notebook next time.

If adults are not willing to change their attitudes so that we can protect the environment, how can we children be expected to really make a difference for our future? We cannot do it alone, though we really want to DO SOMETHING. We hope that adults will cooperate with our efforts and ideas for helping take care of the planet we all share.

Talking about Books that Speak to Us

Mango Smiles: Magic Tree House
Originally uploaded by dalbhat

A quick glance at our sign out book shows that the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne includes some of the most popular books at Mustard Seeds at present. I decided to ask Tapaswinee and Rahul a few questions about the series to get the inside scoop.

When did you start reading these books?
Rahul: When I was six years old, in 2007.
Tapaswinee: When I was eight years old, in 2007.

What do you like about Magic Tree House?
R: You can learn a lot by reading these, like what it was like in olden times when there were knights.
T: They have such exciting adventures, like in Ghost Town at Sundown when Annie and Jack went to a place with a cowboy. They had to save a little pony.

Tell me about the character Morgan le Fay...
R: She's the Master Librarian and the tree house actually belongs to her. She asked Jack and Annie if they want to be her librarians in order to free her.

What is your favorite book in this series?
R: I have probably read about 14 of them. Dinosaurs Past Noon, Knight at Dawn, Mummies Before Breakfast and Dolphins Past Daybreak are my favorites.
T: Well, I am taking out Hour of the Olympics today. There are 25 or 26 books in the series.
R: I think there are 31.

Whose the author?
T: Mary Pope Osborne. Will Osborne is Mary Pope Osborne's husband and he helps her write the research guides that you can now get too.

What kind of personalities do the main characters have?
R: Jack always says, "EEKS!" and suddenly he disappears. Jack is always checking his notebook and keeping notes. Annie always says, "Come on, Jack!"

Tultuli's Birthday

by Jhimli


It was the third of December, and we had a good move towards the gift shop because it our friend's birthday, Tultuli's birthday. We bought some gifts for her, wrapped them up, and went to her house, well dressed. After a few moments, everybody else arrived, all the children -- Sroyona, Srijata, me, my sister Pujarinee, Tatai, Nini, Rudrani, Makhon, Malini, Bapu and everybody -- we sat playing the singing game known as Antakshari, quizzes, and a bit of dancing!

After that, Tultuli led us to the dining table where a cake stood. It was shaped like a book. She cut it and gave a piece to every one of us. Then we enjoyed playing Paper Dance and then sat on the table to have our dinner. Sheela Auntie served our food and we ate with a heavy heart and did not stop until we were full. Then we took our return gifts from Tultuli (nice soup bowls and chocolates), and headed back home.

*Paper Dance is a game you play by folding a piece of paper over and over again, dancing on it until you cannot stay on it anymore!

The Picnic

by Puja


On 31st December, we packed for a picnic at Nalban, a boating park which neighbours Nicco Park in Salt Lake. We packed our things and boarded an Ambassador for going there. We had no idea who would come for the picnic because it was our first ever with the "Vidyasagers!" We met one of the girls of Vidyasagar whose name is Rinky. She introduced herself to me, my sister, and my friend Piu. We enjoyed playing bandminton with her. After that, we were called for our breakfast which consisted of a light meal of 'luchi' and 'alur dom.' We enjoyed eating this together with our friends. Feeding the Goat was a funny game we played too: you had to find goats and feed them. The one who could feed the maximum number of goats was the winner. Then we had our lunch with fried rice, a chicken curry, vegetable curries, and chutney. We played Ghost in the Graveyard after that. It was real excitement and enjoyment until we finally returned home in the evening, happy and tired.

*Puja wrote this piece one year ago when she and her sister were still quite new to Mustard Seeds Library. Now they are both very regular members!!
* Wondering what alur dom is? A tomatoey potato curry with coriander leaves served with little round fried breads called luchi.

Of a Library and a New Friend

by Tito

They say a good thing is always followed up with something equally bad. And sometimes...though not quite that often, mind you...it gets followed up with something good again. Take this for instance. I met Shreya, a classmate of mine, online. Met her, in the sense, that I got to know her really well. I had met her before...but its only now that I realised just how great a friend she actually is. And we got to talking on a plethora of things...we tended to drift away from one topic to another quite often. And on one of these 'drifting offs,' I suddenly got reminded of Mustard Seeds, and she being a book lover, how much she'd actually like becoming a member.

So, on one fine Sunday, she came over and we made our way to Maura's place (I missed out on the 'Aunty' intentionally. I call her that, but it sounds better to call her just Maura in print). She'd get back a few minutes later. Gautam Kaku was there, and so was the same library I had grown up loving so badly. Shreya summed it up best: she told me she could spend an eternity sitting amidst and surrounded by all these books. We book lovers, all of us, are sort of like that! It's like...we get lost in this mystic land in our minds, and frankly, I can't think of a better place than Mustard Seeds to do that. The homeliness and this cosy feeling you get really fills you up in a strangely simple way.

And then Maura came over and I introduced Shreya to her, and we got to talking again. It was evident from the look on Shreya's face how much she really liked the place and Maura already. And me, well, I got reminded of how I'd felt almost the same way around 6 years ago! Some things never change.

After a few rounds of 'Parcheesi' with Boy Basu, who, by the way, had also already ridden on me, and made me carry him around for a while (I was only too happy to oblige), Girl & Boy Basu, Shreya, Maura and yours truly then sat down to watch a DVD I'd given Maura earlier: The 'Concert for George'. We warmed up to the songs pretty quickly. Maura and I are HUGE fans of George Harrison, and amidst sing-a-longs of 'My Sweet Lord' with Gautam Kaku playing the 'khol' alongside (the fusion sounded uncannily beautiful) and 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' with Clapton's wailing guitar solo in the background, we had loads of much needed fun. 'Much needed' as I had a test the next day, and this happy moment surrounded by goodness was all that stood between a happy Arnab, and a dismal grouch.

As the saying goes, All things MUST passs, and it was time to go home. Shreya had made a new friend, and I had introduced a new friend to an old one, and Mustard Seeds had a brand new member to boot! Oh, and might I mention that the test went great too, after all!

So, I miscalculated: ONE good thing got followed by TWO good things this time!)

PLEASE DONATE to people in Nandigram

nandi-donate
Originally uploaded by dalbhat

Mustard Seeds Library is now collecting specific items for the people in Nandigram to take to a relief center that Mahasweti Devi has set up.

-------------------

An email from a very reliable source writes the following:

I managed to speak directly to Mahasweta di this morning and here is what she has asked me to circulate:

1. Her address IS being used as a collection and despatch centre for relief materials for Nandigram victims. For those who do not have it, it is:
W 2C, 12/3 Phase 2, Golf Green, Kolkata 700095.

Children's warm clothes, new (not secondhand) lungis and dhotis for men. sturdy saris in wearable condition, rice and dal are welcome.

2. If money is being donated, it should be sent to Account no. 24941, Canara Bank, Sealdah branch.

3. Mahasweta di has been focusing on working with a doctors' group at Nandigram. The contact person if anyone wishes to help with the health centre there in any way is Dr Devapriya Mallick, 9830510911.

------------------------
I encourage everyone to bring their donations to the library, and we will take the load to the drop-off point on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Although we mustard seeds are small, we can make big efforts together!

-Mauraunty

Harry Pottermania at Mustard Seeds

Yesterday Mauraunty picked up the MSeeds Library copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last installment of our favorite wizard series. We'll be making a list of who gets it after who...
And today, believe it or not, Harry showed up in the form of a Mustard Seed dying to know what we all think about the books (and films) so far. So here are a few of our comments as they come in:

Which was your favorite book so far?
Ruku: The Goblet of Fire. There was a lot of action and I really liked the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Harry and Cedric were mighty brave. At last, it is also an emotional book, after Cedric dies.
Puja: The Goblet of Fire...but I haven't read the last one yet. I like the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the Yule Ball.
Pallavi: Deathly Hallows -- because it answered all the mysteries and questions that were hanging from the other books.
Momo: Probably the third one, Prisoner of Azkaban. If you ask which is the worst one, I'd say Order of the Phoenix: pretty boring compared to the others. Azkaban is different from the others, really unique.

Did you look forward to the final installment?
Ruku: Sure, but I’m not so excited as everyone else because I don’t like the concept of the HP series coming to a finish.
Puja: Yes- because I want to know what happens to Harry Potter.
Pallavi: Very much! It was the ending and I have been a die-hard fan of Harry Potter and I was waiting to find out what happened at the end.
Momo: Not really. It has been too long a wait and I lost interest. Well, everyone in the world is excited about this last one -- even if they do not like HP!


How will you get your hands on the last book?
Ruku: As you know there is a nice and friendly library where I live so I never need to buy books.
Puja: From Mustard Seeds, after Ruku or Takai finish it!
Pallavi: I bought it. Well, my father bought it with money that I had saved up (Pallavi is one of her first members from long ago...all grown now!)
Momo: Through my school or Mustard Seeds. I'm fifth on the list at Mustard Seeds.

What do you think happens?
Ruku: I think Harry IS going to die because everyone says that if Voldemort dies, Harry has to die. Because when Voldemort went to kill Harry, by mistake, he inserted one of his qualities into Harry. That’s why Harry can speak Parseltongue so if Voldemort has to die, something will happen to Harry…I think Harry is the last of the horcruxes.
Puja: Voldemort dies and Harry lives, by conquering him.
Pallavi: I already read it. I thought Harry was going to die -- and Voldemort with him.
Momo: Well, I already KNOW what happens so I don't have to THINK what happens. But before I knew what happens, I thought that probably Rowling would jeopardize Harry. Just like Sir Arthur Conn Doyle did with Sherlock Holmes.

What do you think about the movies coming out? Do you prefer the books or the movies?
Ruku: The films are quite good but the best one was Goblet of Fire. I prefer the books to the films because the story has to be shortened up in the films so I don’t think they are complete.
Puja: The books. But I like the movies too because the acting is so good and when you watch, you get the exact feeling!
Pallavi: The book. But movies are actually a must for those who have read the books. After watching the movies, when you are reading the book again you can actually give a reality picture to the characters then.
Momo: The books! There is no question or consideration.

How do you think JK Rowling is feeling these days?
Ruku: She’s feeling quite sad on one side, and on the other side…quite excited because she herself cannot believe that she has finished seven books.
Puja: She's feeling sad since she's finishing the books. It is like somehow getting lost from a big world of fascination. She's quite a good author and she writes as if she herself spent time studying at Hogwarts!
Pallavi: She's feeling lonely -- parting from her very best friend. She's a mind-blowing genius!
Momo: I am not JK Rowling...that's a good question. OK, from my point of view she must be impatient and disturbed about the latest book coming out and what the reactions will be. As an author, she's attractive. She matches the style of the readers. Many authors just write as they themself would like the book to read, but I feel that she thinks about her readers and what they will like when they read the books. She's universal.

What have you learned from HP so far?
Ruku: I learned to have confidence in myself rather than to depend on others, and to be brave whatever I do, whatever happens. He has also taught that he always hopes for the best and is prepared for the worst! One girl in our school got a letter from Harry Potter, she wanted an interview. She asked about his hobbies, about the films, etc. and he gave all the answers; it was printed in our school magazine. Seems like a nice guy!
Puja: That evil can be conquered by love!
Maura: That it is fun for an adult to get carried away in their imagination sometimes too!
Pallavi: Courage and patience, and fate.
Momo: Orphans can be famous too! Oooh. tricky one. Courage! Simple living -- the life at 4 Privet Drive.

Any other comments?
Ruku: Harry Potter is a very good looking guy!
Puja: Daniel Radcliffe is quite handsome!
(Editor: What's going on here????!!!!!)
Pallavi: I will go on reading them until I don't have eyes anymore! I don't want Daniel to leave the movies!
Momo: Hopes someone takes up the job of writing more Harry Potters! For example, the return of Harry Potter by MOMO!!

A Visitor from Portland

Another thrilling interview by Momo

Two weeks ago, when I visited Mustard Seeds I found new face in the library. It was Maura Aunty's friend, Shara Alexander, who was visiting India with her daughter for two weeks to explore Kolkata a bit. Since we have our blog going, and always need some new material I decided to grab a notebook and a pen, and get down to the business of interviewing our friend!

Shara comes from Portland, Oregon (northwest USA) and says that she likes India. This is, in fact, her second visit to Kolkata. In her previous visit she went to Darjeeling; and she visited Santiniketan during her stay this time.

When I asked her what she thinks of Mustard Seeds Library, she said that she likes the wide variety of books here, and she especially likes the relationship between all of the members.

I was wondering how Shara came to know Maura Aunty. Well, the answer to that is that Maura Aunty and Shara met in Japan twenty years ago, in 1988, in a Japanese-American exchange program in University. That's a good long friendship!

When asked about the PEOPLE of India, Shara replied, "they are humorous, intellectual, curious, innovative, and broad-minded." I also asked her about the population of India – and she said, "thank God she's going home!" What I think she means by this is that she is used to a less-populated place, so may get a bit claustrophobic staying on here. She also had some comments on the dirt and pollution here, when I brought it up, "Despite the fact thats India has a very rich culture, it has not developed from this angle of environment preservation and protection."

I asked her about Indian cuisine too. She said that she has taken up an addiction to the Bengali sweets, especially since the misti-wallah knocks on your door to sell them. One day he knocked just after she had finished a typical Bengali meal. That was synchronicity! She said Indian cuisine is one of the best in the world! In fact, she is planning to make a few dishes for friends back home upon her return.

I was also curious about where Shara came from so I asked a few questions about Portland as well. She taught me that Portland is also known as The City of Roses, and has probably the best transport system because everyone bicycles there. The city is primarily against the Bush government and there is a lot of citizen participation in making positive changes for the greater community.

What's her occupation? She takes care of rental houses, she looks after her two daughters, and she also designs gardens that are safe and intriguing for children to play and adventure in.

Since Portland seems like a very progressive place, and Shara seemed like a progressive thinker, I asked her what she would suggest about the problem of pollution in India - She replied that we should plant more trees, create more garden/green spaces, provide better mass transportation for everyone in the society.

Her final message to all the Mustard Seeds members (except for Maura Aunty) was... Keep Maura on her toes!

Patai talks about a big secret near him!

First I went to the shop in the complex where we live, and thought that we can make this place a secret hiding place! Then, I went insideit but I saw it was very dirty. So I called some of my friends and they said that they could help me. They asked if they could join me in cleaning it up. I said "Yes!" and "We can make a club but then you will all know the secret!" The secret is that cleaning it up was a special surprise for Maura Aunty.

Maura Aunty is my best adult friend in Vidyasagar and she always talks about cleaning the Earth, especially right around you. I think Maura Aunty will some day know the secret. Today is the best day to tell her.

* Patai (whose good name is Alokan) received an EARTHINKERS certificate for organizing the kids he plays with every day to clean up a section of our campus. Happy Earth Day!

We Did It!

Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to let you know this exciting bit of news since you have all been diligently dropping your coins in the RCFC coin caddy located atop the books on Japan in the library. Today we had a visitor from RCFC who came to pick up our contribution of Rs. 110. This money was not only collected from generous children who decided to pop in a portion of their pocket money, but also from the sale of our used stamps at the library.

Now the coin caddy sits empty waiting to be filled up again so tell people you know about the work of RCFC, which provides free medical treatment to village children with polio and other orthopeadic problems. They stay at the centre while recuperating and are offered food, education and rehabilitation that goes very far once they leave.

Keep up the good work!