Ecological baby footprints are all we need to start…..Elsie Gabriel

Ecological baby footprints are all we need to start…..

Meet Ridge Ferns, the little green man who just turned 12 and recycles his clothes very carefully. No, he doesn’t just wear a pair of jeans for half a day like most kids but he re-wears them for the second or even third day. No and there is nothing wrong in that, believes Ridge. Unless of course your clothes are soaking in sweat and are a dirty due to mud in the fields.

 What Ridge does comes from learning about ecological footprints and carbon footprints, all the energy that goes into washing, travelling or even making a dish. The less the item or product or dish ingredients have used energy ,the better it is, simply because it has used less energy. Most children and young adults simply redo and copy what they see, where behavioural patterns in recycling are concerned, therefore the next time you recycle or reuse ,'tell and show' your little ones….

Ridge will rise early and use his ‘power time’ to first water the plants in the front lobby of their home.He will also inspect and check each plant to see which leaves are dry or which plant has turned more towards the sun. Little details like these help kids connect to nature and have respect for planet Earth. Most children are rarely given the garbage bag to be disposed because the maid or elders in the house do that, traditionally male kids or boys in the Indian/Asian household are rarely taught about house hold chores. But collecting the weekly ‘dry garbage’ bag is what Ridge disposes off himself. Of course he is helped by the family, but then again Ridge is initiated well into recycling lessons from an early age. Ridge uses a timer while bathing and ensures that he puts the shower off while soaping.

 He also goes birding and rafting with his family. Ridge has a seed collection-'Seed Bank' from the fruits he eats. He segregates them according to germination and ready to dry to preserve, and then finds time to plant them in the garden.

Ridge even cooks fresh vegetable ingredients,teaching children to value vegetables from an early age can be a tedious job but none the less worth it. They learn that vegetables come from the offerings from the farm,the ‘mitti’ ‘dharti’ of Mother,so iniatiate slowly but try to buy local and eat local as much as you can.If you cant then simply be aware and you will be drawn into going green in daily life habits.Take them to a farm trip.Enable them to practise a little gardening on Sundays. Connect them to 'Earth'in every way you can...

End of the academic year,Ridge made rough work writing pads out of his left over school copybooks.He also took his school clothes and donated them to a charity where the concept of 're-purpose' was established without making him feel sorry for the under privileged kids he donated to.

Getting children to become green from an early age is good. Teach them to practice green daily like they would bathe daily or do homework daily, it is as simple as that. Ensure that all green habits are supervised and are healthy but none the less enforce them.

1]If we adults tend to preach and bark down at young adults to recycle suddenly in the middle of their teen years, they will snap right back, so tread cautiously.

2]So first of all, as an adult set a good example by not preaching but practicing recycling your self. You must remember to store away trash safely and be green also when no one is looking.

3] Help kids understand how recycling can save mother earth as early as possible. It does not necessary to fill your house with recyclable items just to achieve your goal. Not only making craft items or household gadgets of reused stuff but also connecting to deeply care for earth.

4]Let kids know-Recycling is one way of helping the earth to reduce waste and pollution that are filling the water system and the land as well. Involving yourself together with your kids to activities that promotes recycling is a fun activity for the whole family.

5] Enrolling your kids to programs and different seminars about environment can increase their awareness about recycling.

6]During your vacations take kids along to conservation sites and inculcate environment education which may later help them to take up environment as a career choice.

7]Only serve how much you can eat. Re-serve yourself when you want more. And store away food for the next day without a blink to re use …reusing food is no more a shame, thousands of people in India and Africa die everyday due to starvation. Thousands of garages and warehouses filled with grain in countries rot due to storage practices and hoarding. So keep a balance, eat fresh but don’t waste.They have more taste as the ‘’seasoning’ 'masala' permeates the dish and marinates the food.

8]Now there is no turning back, the only way is the green way, life has to come full circle.Tell your kids stories about the curd being set in earthen pots and grandparents using ‘kapde’ ke bags for the 'sabji mundi' and families using ‘patal’ leaf plates during religious and wedding functions..

Ridge at a cycle rally on no car day...

India was always eco friendly and suddenly the wave of new found wealth or may be fake modernism has gripped our society where we want everything ‘new’ and ‘more’ maybe ‘keeping up with the jones world’ or  through TV or the digital world.....just because…just because …period ..no reason….just want an instant coffee world and quick fix life……slow down …enjjoyyyyy, relish the moment…….get out more often..as much as you can....

So, if you want to learn more about, water foot prints, food footprints, carbon footprints or even clothes footprints, simply write in here at this blog and we will share.

The Pancha Mahabhuta culinary offering! Elsie Gabriel

The Pancha Mahabhuta culinary offering!

Elsie Gabriel

Innovative, classic and deeply embraced by metaphysics was my last meal…….the offerings made by Chef Parimal Sawant of Meluha the Fern ecotel Powai Mumbai India involved the five classical elements of life as the theme of every dish served up.

This concept Chef Parimal created came from the medieval system of five elements which are found in the  Vedas,  especially Ayurvedas, the pancha mahabhuta, or "five great elements", of Hinduism are Bhumi [earth], ap or jala (water), tejas or agni(fire), marut or pavan (air or wind), vyom; or shunya or aakash (space or sky). They further suggest that all of creation, including the human body, is made up of these five essential elements and that upon death, the human body dissolves into these five elements of nature, thereby balancing the cycle of nature.

These five elements are associated with the five senses, and act as the gross medium for the experience of sensations says Chef Parimal. At the table, elements of earth were created using all the five senses – hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell. There was Prithvi: Earth, Jal: Water, Vayu: Air,Agni: Fire and Akash: sky. Each element had a different counter decorated by theme and garnished to the hilt.

Explains Chef Parimal, “We have to surrender to the five elements and not let just one single element dominate.We must tune our minds and hearts to use each element effectively.”

For the Earth counter there was Ice burg lettuce,Roman Lettuce,Blanched carrot Baton,Blanched Zucchini batons,Balched Broccoli florets,Blanched Cauliflower carrots,Blanched Corn kernels,Blanched French Beans,Grilled Peppers,Grilled Eggplant,Grilled Mushroom,Grilled Babycorn and Sprouts. All of these could be accompanied by Black and green olives, Dry Roasted Nuts, Grated Parmesan cheese, Grated Cheddar cheese, Grated Emmenthal cheese, Honey Lime dressing, Maple Vinaigrette Dressing, Cocktail dressing

Balsamic Dressing  and Tobasco Chilli Vinaigrette.

For the Fire counter Chef Parimal laid out a lavish barbeque counter. Cajun spiced Chicken Piccata, Pesto Chicken Piccata, Mustard Lime Kingfish Darne,Thai chilli Spiced King Fish Darne, Tomato Basil Chilli Salsa, Roasted Pineapple Salsa,Citrus Fruit Salsa, Mint Yoghurt Dip, Cocktail Mayo Dip and Citrus Chilli Aioli.

For the Air counter there was a steaming array of Chicken Dim sum,Vegetable Dimsums all made with steam and air, served up well with Hot Garlic Sauce,Ginger Onion Sauce,Sweet Chilly Sauce, Honey Mustard Sauce and Chilli vinegar sauce.

For the water counter there were soups galore. Gazpacho Vichyssoise,Cream of Chicken Mulligatawny,Steam rice,  Lemon Wedges and croutons.There were also two lively fish holders,elongated horizontal zigzaggered tanks with colourful fish swimming inside them,which I found very innovative.

For the Sky counter,there were blue cocktails and mock tails to tickle you senseless.

Of course we eat these dishes every day, but how many of us take a minute to bow our heads ,fold our hands and give praise to the very existence of the five elements of nature. It was simply wonderful. A simple consuming thought that will remain with me for life!

The power of the five elements of the world well explained and recaptured at Chef Parimal’s table was a blessing, and an insightful learing lesson in disguise.Gracias!