W for water

For my W post I have chosen something that has no colour - water referred to as the elixir of life.

Water takes the shape of it's container and the colour of it's contents or surroundings. We cannot change what happens around us or what those around us do. Some things are totally not in our control. But like water we can beautifully blend and adapt ourselves. I don't mean to say give in to anything and everything and be a scapegoat . Like it's mentioned in many self help books what we are in total control of is not the situation but how we react to it.

Water reminds me of the beauty of the seas and oceans on our planet and the magnificent world of sea creatures.  After all we the humans with so called 6th sense occupy only a fourth of earth. These beautiful fish, sea plants , whales , sea horses , sharks, jelly fish , octopi and millions of water based plants and animals dominate the remaining three quarters .



Earth day just went by. Let's all do our part in reducing the havoc we are causing in nature . Reduce reuse and recycle. 

V for Violet

Violet reminds me of the rainbow. As kids we used the acronym VIBGYOR to remember the colours of the rainbow.

After pink I think it's the second most important colour in which all merchandise related to girl children are designed .

I get reminded of the poem

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

sugar is sweet,

And so are you.

U for umbrella

A standard part of my kids ' colouring books are umbrellas. It's fun coloring them too as they , like balloons, do not have any color restrictions. You can be as imaginative as you can.

Being able to carry their umbrellas on their own is like a huge achievement for the little ones. 

I have been amused by a scene where a father son duo keep their umbrella upside down in the rain , let it fill with water and use it as a lake for their paper boats while they get drenched in the pouring showers . I am not sure where I saw it, on TV in a commercial perhaps!

In Singapore since it can rain throughout the year an umbrella is a very common accessory men and women carry .

I do hate those times when your umbrella meekly pays obeissance to the strong wind, flips over and  drags you along . Lesson : Having an umbrella in the rain is sense, if the wins is so strong staying put at home is more sense !

T for turqouise

Turquoise is a beautiful blue green color. There is a precious stone going by the same name. We even used to get inks for fountain pens in turquoise color.

As she waited alone,
The dull blue of her heart  resonated
The turquoise gems on her that shone;
A glimpse of him and now elated ;
Oh No! Turqoise ! Her glow cannot be outdone!

S for Saffron

Today there is a lot of realizations and social media preaching about the harmful effects of artificial food coloring .


There are some natural food colours that add not just vibrance but also nice aroma s to our food .

Saffron an expensive spice, that comes from the flowers of a plant known by the same name , adds a beautiful orange or yellow shade to food . It's mostly used in sweet dishes or in rice while making biryani .

In Tamilnadu there is a belief that drinking saffron flavoured milk during pregnancy results in babies with fairer skin .

Saffron is expensive because every flower has only three threads of the spice and hence it's a lot of work .

Another food colour generously used in indian cooking is turmeric that's supposed to have medicinal properties as well.

What natural food colours do you use ?

R for red

Red - there are umpteen things that are red under the sun.

Traffic lights , ink used by teachers , roses , chilli powder, apples, strawberries etc.

Red is associated with extreme negative ends in today's digital world. Red spells danger ! Red means stop.Ironically today's media and social media seem to be obsessed with red alerts and showcasing the world as an absolutely horrendous place of existence .

There is a phrase that has become a common colloquial quip in Tamil these days .

" Unakku vantha ratham enakku vantha thakkaali sauce a " which translates to " if it happens to you it's blood but if it happens to me it's tomato sauce ?" :D The flow and humour in the quote is of course lost in translation.

It refers to people who make it a big deal when they are in a particular situation, but belittle it when others go through the same. Another way of putting it is , we will know what a person is going through when we actually go through it ourselves . It's easy to get judgemental or opinionated .

We say in English also right?..we have to put ourselves in others shoes . Without that,it's very easy to point fingers and get all high, mighty and accusatory.

Red is an important colour in Asia. Especially here in Singapore, when it's time of Chinese New Year we will see red decorations everywhere . All malls would have figure of the zodiac animal pertaining to that year in red . There would be red lanterns all over the place. Red is meant to bring good luck and happiness .

After all that red, I decided to wear red to work today . Beware ! Stay Away ! :D

Q for quilling and quilting

Quilling is an art that has gained a lot of popularity of late . It involves rolling and pasting coloured paper to create beautiful designs . I think it's an activity that we can get kids involved in. It will boost their creativity , increase their attention span and above all it sounds like pure fun.

It does require some patience though .

Quilting is sewing together multiple layers of fabric in beautiful patterns to make quilts . I read in a book recently about people pursuing it as a hobby. If I remember correctly in last year's April A to Z challenge there was a blogger who shared her quilt work .

I never learnt to knit though I am quite fascinated by the way a yarn of wool can transform into beautiful sweaters and scarves .

Then there is good old sketching and painting of course . I like to draw sometimes though I don't do it often. A blank paper with some colour pencils fills me with a lot of excitement . It's a beautiful feeling.

Art can be therapeutic. It's a tool which helps you focus on something completely and in the process helps relieve a lot of stress that's bottled up inside.

Is there any art that you indulge in ?