One more evening at Jogger’s Park in Bandra.

A cool sea breeze, a thirty minute brisk walk and relaxing to watch the sunset is the perfect way to while away the hours on hot summer days.

Summer Bonanza for kids at NCPA

Summer holidays in Mumbai, all the children are downstairs in the compound playing outdoor games, some are roller skating, some playing Dabba hide-n-seek and some have brought out their bats and ball and are playing cricket. But these children live in suburbs and would not like to go far in the city in this heat.

But those in South Mumbai are having different kind of fun. They have been enjoying film festival for children at Pedder road and those who missed out at Pedder road can now see it at NCPA too.

NCPA brings together an exciting series of festivals that promises fun and learning for kids and this includes a week of exciting children’s films followed by fun-filled workshops. Conceived to be an annual cultural event, the activities are aimed at inspiring creativity, encourage learning skills as well as provide entertainment at the same time. Summer Fiesta as a mini festival is meant to target kids during vacations and will occur on a seasonal basis through the year. The event encourages parents to come with their kids in tow and participate on this fun filled interactive platform.

THE PLAYS:

May 22, Saturday and 23th Sunday:
Time: 4 pm & 6:30 pm
Chitronki Kamal Machi Dhamal is a one-act play set in a classroom. The play emphasises the importance of giving art as much attention as other subjects. Because of his monotonous style of teaching, one day all the students decide to draw something from their own imagination. Watch this comedy to find out what happens on those canvases.

Time: 7 pm
Badmash Kahin Ka is the story of a naughty village boy who does not like to study. He is always getting into trouble with the villagers. There he meets a scarecrow that decides to help him out. Watch this fun-filled drama to find out next.

Film Screenings:
May 24, Monday
Halo (1996/92 mins/Kannada-Tamil/Director: Santosh Sivan)
Time: 12 - 1:30 pm
This is a story of the zany quest of a seven year old girl Sasha for her lost puppy named “Halo” through the terrifying streets of Bombay.

THE WORKSHOPS:
May 24, Monday
Time: 2:30pm - 5:30 pm
Let The Imagination Soar: With Manisha Lakhe
Travel to imaginary places with fantastical friends and let words take you on a super adventure...stringing words, making up fabulous stories creating room in your lives for creativity.

Film Screenings:
May 25, Tuesday
Chutkan Ki Mahabharat (2006/87 mins/Hindi/Director: Sankalp Meshram)
Time: 12 - 1:30 pm
A nautanki team (a Musical folk theatre) sets up camp in a village and the whole village is abuzz with excitement. Ten year old Chutkan after watching the nautanki, dreams of the evil Shakuni Mama and Duryodhan confessing to their villainy and relinquishing all claims to the kingdom.

Workshop:
May 25, Tuesday
Time: 2:30pm - 5:30 pm
Clowning and Improvisation with Puja Sarup
Unleash your imagination and your creative powers by finding the hidden stories and characters in everyday objects around us, in a fun-filled workshop of theatre games, clowning and improvisations.

Film Screenings:
May 26, Wednesday
Lilkee (2007/69 mins/Hindi/Director: Batul Mukhtiar)
Time: 12 - 1:30 pm
Lilkee is a 10 year old domestic help from Nainital brought to Mumbai by a young architect Bela. Lilkee finds it difficult to adjust to the city life.

Workshop:
May 26, Wednesday
Time: 2:30pm - 5:30 pm
Theatre Madness with Sunil Shanbag
Introducing young people to the basic art and craft of theatre and makes connections for them between their selves and theatre. In a session packed with games that help "self-discovery" young people get a glimpse of how theatre is an integral part of life itself.

Film Screenings:
May 27, Thursday
Krish, Trish and Baltiboy2 (Animation/ 2009/ 60 mins/ Hindi/Director: Munjal Shroff)
Time: 12 - 1:30 pm
Krish a monkey, Trish a cat and Baltiboy a donkey are 3 minstrels who take you on an exotic journey of Indian folk tales and music through three different regions of India - Rajasthan, Kerala and Punjab.

Workshop:
May 27, Thursday
Time: 2:30pm - 5:30 pm
Bhasha Ka Tamasha with Kumud Mishra & Gopal Datt
Language is a vibrant tool of dramatic expression. Through simple and fun exercises with diction, projection and enunciation through prose and poetry, we will explore how the spoken word energises theatre.

Film Screenings:
May 28, Friday
Mahek Mirza (2007/75 mins/Hindi/ Director: Kranti Kanade)
Time: 12 - 1:30 pm
11-yr old Mahek wants to be the best in everything, but she doesn't know what she's best at.

Workshop:
May 28, Friday
Time: 2:30pm - 5:30 pm
Open Up Creative Channels: With Tarun Singh Negi
Theatre is a therapeutic experience for children and helps develop confidence, overcome stage fear, develops leadership and team skills and opens up creative channels, using theatre as a tool for personal growth.

Film Screenings:
May 29, Saturday
Foto (2007/91 mins/Hindi/Director: Virendra Saini)
Time: 12 - 1:30 pm
This is the journey of an eleven-year-old boy called Foto who lives in a quaint little town set in the hills. Join him on a journey from his shell of isolation to his flight on the wings of imagination, across the multi-hued sky of 'Cinema'.

Workshop:
May 29, Saturday
Time: 2:30pm - 5:30 pm
Gadbad Ghotala: With Shaili Sathyu
Explore the world of Hindi poetry for the young-- a wonderful mix of traditional rhymes, folk songs, contemporary translated and original works, poetry by youngsters themselves and even nonsense rhymes. The text shall be explored through improvisations and, games.

Plays:
May 29, Saturday
Time: 11 am
Bhim and Hanuman
This puppet show is based on a story about the Pandavs from the Mahabharata.
This play premiered at the Festival of India in France in March 2010.

Film Screenings:
May 30, Sunday
Sunday (1993/60 mins/Hindi/Director: Pankaj Advani)
Time: 12 - 1:30 pm
Junior is a fun loving, carefree and highly imaginative little boy and a seeker of adventure.
In collaboration with Children Film Society, India (CFSI)

Workshop:
May 30, Sunday
Time: 2:30pm - 5:30 pm
Leap Into A Story: With Chatura Rao
Examine those stubby growths on your shoulders. Could they be Wings? Dust them off and leap from real life, straight into Story.

Workshop Details:
Admission on Registration. Children in the age category of 7- 12 years are eligible for participation. Registration Fees: Rs. 500/-
Contact: 66223749/ 66223802 to register.
On the spot registration available at the venue.
All plays are ticketed.
Source: http://www.ncpamumbai.com/

Shop for Change

Look for Shop for Change Fair Trade label on Tribe Mother Earth

Mumbai’s climate is such that we can be comfortable only if we wear cotton. We are lucky that cotton and other such products that we use everyday come from farmers in our own backyard. But it is pity that the people who produce these products cannot access market directly and they have to sell at lower price which is hardly sufficient to meet their ends. Behind the products they produce there is often a trial of missed opportunity, economic hardship and environmental mismanagement. In bleak circumstances like these, the fair trade initiative by the NGO Shop for Change Fair Trade comes as a blessing.

Some of the well-known designers and businessmen are making an effort to bring their product directly into the mainstream with the maximum profit to the farmers themselves. More than 2,400 farmers from Maha-Gujarat have signed up for fair trade certification.

We also have weekly Sunday Market in Bandra, where the farmers are invited to sell their products direct to the consumers.

Look for Shop for Change Fair Trade label on Tribe Mother Earth

Shop for Change Fair Trade certified cotton tops and dresses are available at AND outlets and selected Central, Pantaloons, Lifestyle and Shoppers Stop stores.

By supporting farmers we are indirectly discouraging from mass suicides. We lead a comfortable life in urban areas, let us help make their life a comfort too....lets all go eco-friendly.

View from a Bus Window

Bus ride is never boring in Mumbai, nah, not even when there is traffic jam.

With the cool air and Bollywood music, you can enjoy a ride in the AC bus in Mumbai, just looking out of window to watch the Mumbai streets

Shivaji Park declared as the Silence zone

The residents living in that area are happy, because they will now enjoy the peace and tranquility of Shivaji park that will not be used for rallies and public gatherings.

Shivaji Park in Dadar is the park where Sachin Tendulkar and many other famous crickers practiced cricket in their childhood. The park was created in 1925 by the Bombay Municipal Corporation, during the days of British India.

This move has upset many political parties because now they worry about the future venue for their rallies in Mumbai. What they don’t understand is that besides making noise pollution these rallies holds the city at ransom, firstly, there is so much traffic jam in Mumbai city and these rallies add to our frustrations.

It is an important landmark of Mumbai, so glad that it is finally given back to the residents who can now enjoy their peace.