“Future” by Nila

“Future” is arguably one of the most intriguing and thought provoking art work by Nila. This metallic brush point and pencil art work is believed to be created between 2013-2015 AD. Famous art historian and critic Roberto Huggies believes this master piece was first conceived on 15^th March 2014.

Roberto Huggies captures excerpts from an exclusive interview with the artists in his famous book “Art through the ages”.

RH: What is this art work called?

Nila: It is called “Future”. This is a card for Kavitha Mam you know.

RH: That’s very interesting. What do the mountains at the bottom right signify?

Nila: See - you have to listen patiently to understand this completely you know. The big thing in the right is an apple – it is a poisonous apple. Real apple is white inside. One can’t draw with white color in white paper you know. So this is in green and yellow. If it is green and yellow it will be poisonous.

RH: What are the patterns inside the apple?

Nila: First layer is the green mountain range. Then the yellow design followed by green Maggie noodles and yellow patterns you know. Above it is the imli (tamarind) layer.

RH: And about the flower?

Nila: Don’t touch it. If you touch the centre of the flower the petals will close you know. Can you see the butterfly – it has come to see the beach and saw the flower in the beach you know. The blue coconut tree is in the beach. Sorry I forgot to put some coconuts there. There are clouds and the sun – that is standard you know.

RH: Excellent. Why did you name it future?

Nila: It has beach, flower, sun, clouds and apple you know. It is the future obviously.

RH: Well, do you have formal art education?

Nila: Obviously I know it myself you know.

Roberto Huggies concludes in his book saying “The surreal poison apple contains everything – from mountain to mole hill. The tamarind signifies the mole hill. This is a warning that there is danger in everything. Clouds growing from the coconut tree express the optimism that anything is possible. This vibrant master piece stands for the artist’s cautious optimism about the future. This art work takes decades to soak into you. Each time you see it, you get a new insight. Generations have reinterpreted this artwork and more future generations will get intrigued by this master piece.”

Bishem Cotton

Nila was happey to were her Bishem Cotton (October 2010).
Etymology of Bishem Cotton: Nila has seen a photo of Shishir in his green Bishop Cotton school uniform. From there any green uniform became Bishem Cotton. Now a days any uniform is also called Bishem Cotton.

God is real?

Below was a quote from Shishir when he was around 5 years of age. Some how I forgot to note it down at that time:

God is imaginary but is very close to ground reality.

A sings Ba

We bought a phonics book for Nila today. She was looking at the S sings "snake" page and singing the below song:

A sings 'ba', A sings 'ba'

Every letter has a sound 

and A sings 'ba'

B sings 'ba', B sings 'ba'

Every letter has a sound

and B sings 'ba'

C sings 'ba', C sings 'ba'

Every letter has a sound

and C sings 'ba'

Every letter has a sound - who told it has to be a different sound. And some people claim she does not know phonics. Ha.

Unreasonable expectation

We tried to put Nila in Vidyasagar Nursery/KG school. She did not get through the interview for nursery. Below is a conversation at her day care center soon after:

Day care teacher: Why don't you put Nila in a good Nursery school. Vidyasagar is a good school in this area.

Me: Yes we tried there but we could not get through the interview.

Day care teacher: Oh is that so. Usually they take in the children if they call for the interview.

Me: They asked Nila to write alphabets and number names; they were particular that she knows phonics already.

Nila: They have unreasonable expectation you see.

Probably this is why the teachers at day care call Nila a 'Grand mom'.

Btw, getting into a good school seems to be a universal issue. Check this out.

Shishir and Nila Photos - 2010

Shifting to new house

Nila: Appa, are we going to Sobha Pechuna?

Appa: Yes

Nila: Will we take pink Barbie with us?

Appa: When we finally move into the new house, we will take pink Barbie and all other toys. You can tell which all we have to take to the new house …

Nila: We have to take all my toys, the TV, cot, bed, glass table, clothes, tooth paste, rice, vegetables, onion, rat, chocolate, kurkure

Appa: Rats?? Why rats?

Nila: Amma have to kill them no.

Who is the fool?

Shishir: Amma, which movie did you go yesterday?

Amma: Tees Maar Khan.

Shishir: You went there because of Sheela?

Appa: Is she a fool?

Shishir: Appa, you went there because of Sheela?

Shishir Photos 2010

Aditi likes Shishir a lot. Shishir is little too shy of the attention he got from her. 

Are you listening to me

Nila: Bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla
Appa: [In his own thoughts] 
Nila: [turns appa's face towards her] Appa, listen to me 
Appa: Umm … 
Nila: Are you listening to me? 
Appa: Umm … 
Nila: Say yes or no. 
Appa: Yes, yes … umm yes 
Nila: Then tell me what I was saying.

Nila Photos 2010

I speak South Indian

Unlike Shishir, Nila likes speaking in South Indian. Yes, that is the laguage spoken in South India if you did not know till now. It is a simple derivation from Enghish where every word ends in a 'U'. Some sample sentences:

Amma, Iu lovvu youvu.
Wateru givvu

Blue gate-u veedu vendam (After coming back from Pune she had problems coming home - she wanted to go back to Pune house)

Lessons to Anna

Shishir: Amma if you are planning to give me milk, give now.
Lalitha: (shouts) Shishir, I'm doing work and don't disturb me now.
Nila (with no intention of having milk): Amma, after you finishing your work will you give me milk?
Lalitha: Yes dear.
Nila: See Shishir, you have to tell like this.

Wicked Nila

Lalitha: Aravind, your masal dosa is hot now. Have it soon.
Aravind: Just give me few minutes.
Nila (with a wicked grin): I'm switching on the fan.

Beauti Fool

Aravind: Who is the fool in this house?
Nila: Me. Nila is beautifool.
Next Day, proud father in an attempt to display his daughter's skills: Nila, who is fool in this house?
Nila a little irritated shouts back: Big Daddy!

Animals

Nila is not afraid of most animals: kokodile, erifant, arse (horse), deeba (zeebra), kola-bare, pana, ippo-podomos
The only animal she is afraid of is sqilil.

Mirror Mirror on the wall

Parents like to show off the genius of their children. We are no exception. One day I asked Nila to tell the "Mirror mirror on the wall" poem. She ofcourse is not the one who does anything on your request. She angrily told the poem:

Mirrel Mirrel what she is asking
Mirrel Mirrel you should broke one teath

PS: Still everything in this world is a "she".

Aatualleee … only … no

Oflate, Nila use the following template for most of her sentences:

Grammar: 

Aatualleee statement only [no?] 

    Aatualleee: Actually, all sentence start with this word only.
                Actually, anyone who knows a bit of English should know this only no?
    statement: the only variable part in her different sentences
    only: Actually, all sentences end with this word only.
    no?: Actually, all questions end with this word only no?

Examples:
Aatualleee, I want to sleep to you amma only. (Means: "I want to sleep next to you amma")
Aatualleee, Amma wearing like to me only no? (Means: "Amma, are you wearing similar dress as mine?")

Om sweet om

This happened when Nila was around 2 and a half years. Nila and me were traveling back home from her day care. She was surprised that I picked her up instead of Lalitha.

Nila: Amma om?
Aravind: yes. Amma om.
Nila: Shishi om?
Aravind: yes. Shishi om.
Nila: Mona aunty om?
Aravind: yes. Mona aunty om. Every one is back om. Om sweet om.
Nila, angry: Bad girl Appa. Why are you telling "om". Tell "om".

Twinkle Twinkle

Nila at 2 and a half years age:

Twinke twinke auw-I saar
like-a like-a dimon sky
auw-I saar is singing meeeee

Nila at 3 years age:

Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wounder what you har
Hup-a bout-the world so-high
Like-a like-a dimond sky

Nila's Vocabulary

Nila believed that all words should have only 2 syllables when she was around one and a half years:

Bana = Banana
Ooka = Ookaru (sit in Tamil)
Papa = Papaya
Pana = Panda
Amma = Amma
Anna = Anna
Appa = Appa
Aban = Aravind
Tata = Tata (grand father) 

Few months later longer words found place in her vocabulary:

Mayithi = Mari Aunty

Gowithi = Gowri Aunty

Balakle = Bala Uncle

Gashaka = Aasha Akka

Ancha = Archana

Manmore = one more

Menda = Vendam (I don't want)

Naughty girl

When Nila gets angry with Shishir she tells:

Naughty girl Shishir. I'll hit you nicely. Bad girl. Dirty girl Shishir.

Shishir and Nila collage from the Buddha Tour

Laughing Gudda

Nila: Laughing Gudda is a Mami Jotha.

Legend:
Laughing Gudda = Budda or Mahaveera (in any mood or posture - laughing, not laughing, hands up, hands down, sleeping, standing, before enlightenment, after enlightenment, ...)
Mami Jotha = God (used to be only Hindu Gods before our Budha tour; she resisted first to include Laughing Gudda in the Mami Jotha list. Suddenly in Vaishali she got enlightened - even before we went to Bodhgaya!)

Asoka Pillar

Seeing the Asoka pillar, Nila said "Lion climbing pillar".

Sky has fallen down

Nila was sitting on my lap when our flight was taking off. She got quite thrilled when the flight picked up speed. She was telling the plane to run faster and faster. Once the flight started to fly - she wasn't sure what was happening. Then we were flying through the clouds. She asked me if that white thing around us was the sky. I said yes. After some time we had crossed the clouds and were flying above it. Then she understood what was actually happening. She exclaimed "the sky has fallen down".

Moon sleeping

Nila loves to gaze at the moon a lot. Every evening, she wants to look at the sky, gaze at the moon and try to catch the moon. Anything glowing and round in shape is moon for her ... like the staircase light in the opposite house, sun and of course the moon. She tries to catch the moon and says "I can't carry the moon".

One night neither the moon nor the opposite house light was visible. She was quite worried.
She asked me "Appa, where is the moon?".
I said "Probably it will come a little later today.".
She still needed an answer on where it was currently. After a little thinking she said "Moon sleeping" - she was satisfied with this explanation of hers.
I told her to look at the stars instead. She looked at the stars and started singing her favourite rhyme:

twinke twinke howi sarr
howi wonder singing me

The first baby that was born

Shishir: Tell me which baby was born first?

Lalitha: Don't know. You tell me.

Shishir: Gandhi Ji, because he is the father of the nation.

Long time no see

One evening, I came home very late that missed to see my daughter Nila before she slept. Next morning I had to leave early as well. When I came back home the second day evening, Nila came running to me. I told her "Hey Nila! Long time no see". She completely agreed. She pointed to her dripping nose and said "ya nosey nosey".

Lollipop Button

Shishir pointed to power button on the laptop and asked "What is that Lollipop button for?"

Liquid and Gas

Aravind: What is a liquid?
Shishir: The wet thing which we can't hold in our hands

Aravind: What is gas?
Shishir: That thing in our stomach

Red bag that sings

Shishir: Where is it?
Me: Where is what?
Shishir: that.
Me: that what?
Shishir: Uhm. Uhm. You are not understanding. That bag.
Me: Which bag?
Shishir: Red bag?
Me: Shishir - you are getting on my nerves. Which red bag? Can't you ask properly?
Shishir: I want that red bag which sings.
Me: I don't know any bag that sings.
Shishir: You got me that red bag. It has the white shining things inside which sings.
Me: what?
Shishir: those white shining circle things which sings.
Me: Go away - don't irritate me.

Shishir brings the red CD pouch from the other room with a grin.

Indian Flag

Aravind: What are the colors in Indian Flag?
Shishir: Orange, White, Blue, Green and Brown.
Aravind: Why brown?
Shishir: The stick.

Uses of parents and grand parents

Shishir's views on uses of parents and grand parents:

Tata is useless. OK - he is useful only for reading stories
Paati is useful for work
Amma is useful for home work
Appa is useful only for office.

Me: That's unfair.

ok. Appa is only useful for bathing and feeding breakfast.

Friend and Girl Friend

Conversation between Shishir and his grand mother (Patti) in June 2008.

Patti: Who are your friends?
Shishir: Karthik, Pradyun, Aditya
Patti: Are they no girl friends?
Shishir: Chi. We all don't have girl friends. Only Aditya has girl friend.
Patti: Who is Aditya's girl friend?
Shishir: Rhea.
Patti: Is she not your friend?
Shishir: She is my friend but not my girl friend.
Patti: She is a girl and your friend. So she is your girl friend.
Shishir: Chi Patti. You don't know anything. She is not my girl friend.
Patti: Then why do you call her Aditya's girl friend?
Shishir (very shyly): Because he kissed her.

Counting Vegetables

Shishir was forced to eat vegetables. To make the whole thing less painful he was counting down the number of vegetables on his plate:

Now I have Valentine
Now Shishir
One less than Shishir
Akash


Shishir's birthday is 13th and Akash's is on 11th.

Independence Day and Valentine's Day

Below is a conversation between Shishir and his Grandfather (Tata)

Tata: August 15th is our Independence Day
Shishir: So is it one bigger than Valentine's Day?

Below is another conversation between Shishir and his Mom (Amma), preparing for school exams:

Amma: What are the national festivals of India?
Shishir: Gandhi Jayanti, Independence day and Valentine's Day.

Sharp Dosas, wet Sambar and thorning beard

Shishir has many strange usages:


Sharp Dosa: means crisp dosa
Wet tomato Sambar: means rasam - as rasam is more watery than sambar
You beard is thorning me - means pricking me

Nila Laughing - March 2008

Nila Walking Videos - Feb Mar 2008

Starting to Walk	Pram Pusher
Hands of God	Mother Nila

Photos Last few months

JSL Birthday (Feb 2008) (Last Photo: Shishir with Ishan)

Red Nose (Feb 2008)

Shishir Birthday (Feb 2008)

Clapping (Jan 2008)

Sleeping Beauty (Jan 2008)

Camel Ride (Jan 2008)

Small Bully (Dec 2007)

Cousins (Dec 2007)

Nila (Dec 2007)

With Attai (Dec 2007)

Shishir (June 2007)

Mookushali Nila

Soap

One day while taking bath Shishir asked this question: "Why has god made us in a way that we grow from small to big but the soap from big to small?"

Shahrukh Khan is a cheater cock

Shishir's quote last year - he was 4 years then.

He was unhappy with Shahrukh Khan on the Sunfeast Pasta ad campaign. The advertisement is about a small plastic toy which is free with Sunfeast pasta.
He said: "This Shahrukh Khan is a cheater cock. He is telling that they will give helicopter for girls and airplane for boys. But they give us only cycles. They are cheating all boys"

Shishir's late realization: "they seem to be cheating the girls too - Rhia has not got her helicopter."

Similar postings

More family memories @ http://nomadsiv.blogspot.com/

Painting an aeroplane

This is my 5 year old son Shishir (SLA). Below is our conversation before going to bed:

Me: Good Night
SLA: No tell me a joke
Me: ok. I'll tell you the aeroplane painting joke. It goes like this: A stupid man asked another "aeroplanes are too big - how do they paint them?". The other replied "When it goes up, it will become small. Then they paint it"
SLA: Ha Ha Ha ... They are really stupid. How can they write many things on the aeroplane when it is too small!
Me: So the aeroplane really becomes small when it goes up?
SLA: The outside becomes small. The inside is same size because it is not moving.