Accordion Book on bird shapes

At some point, I would like to pen the book “What the well-equipped child needs for school” on the lines of the article penned by Bertie Wooster.  If I consider the items my child has been asked to take to school over the years, apart from the regular school books and stationery, no doubt it will be quite a lengthy document.  

Over the years,  advising him on school assignments, I realize that such assignments are here to stay, and may only change in terms of complexity and content. The sooner the child gets exposed to working on a theme and creating an original piece of work regardless of how simple it may be in the initial years, the better.  Children are admirably open to ideas and are always willing to work hard. They are only bogged down if adults around them reflect such energies and it’s up to us to keep the energy positive and creative.  There are only two things I insist on – a.  be original,   don’t go on the beaten track just because everyone else does so, and b. never hesitate to go the extra mile because it almost always is worth it in terms of learning something new for oneself.

Almost always assignments need to be presented in the form of a document. We’ve tried out several kinds of documents, the standard stapled pages with thicker card stock on the covers, or using a twig and rubber bands, or charts etc. over the years. I’ve found that for young people, an Accordion Book is one of the best types of presentation formats especially when one is not sure how the document will eventually be displayed in the class – an Accordion Book can remain as a flat book, it can be hung up, or it can be displayed on a table with its folds opened out. 

Now comes the tough bit – contrary to its appearance, the Accordion Book has to be one of the most difficult books to make. I only realized this when I went for one bookmaking class a few months ago, and had taken along one of my accordion books to show the instructor. She pointed out several grey areas –  I had been completely ignorant of paper grain, the need to choose the right thickness of paper, and most importantly the need to fold the accordion pleats neatly(not easy without a bone folder which I did not have at the time). Although I did not learn how to make an accordion book in that particular class, I came away with some new knowledge, and promptly made use of it to make a blank book for Anant’s maths group project. Although I’m still not happy with the result because of the paper I used,  I think it serves as an example of this type of book and its uses. 

How to make an Accordion Book

I don’t want to reinvent the wheel – so I would advise the reader to go through any literature on handmade books to understand how to make an Accordion Book. The principle is basically using a sheet of paper/card with four folds and extending it depending on the number of pages required.  Just visualize a rectangular piece of paper kept in landscape fashion – fold the paper into half  to get a crisp crease, unfold, and then bring each small edge of the rectangle to the centre crease.  If you stand it up it and fold it inwards at the centre crease you have an accordion. Now depending on the thickness of the main paper, you may or may not want to attach thicker cardstock to the first and last folds.  It’s been pretty easy so far, but here’s the most important tip that very few sites mention. If you need more folds what happens? Of course logically, one makes more sets of four folds and attaches them. That’s where things get a bit messy because you need a bit of an overlap to be able to glue two sheets together, and the dimensions start going horribly wrong. The only redeeming factor in this present book is the folds – the instructor advised me to keep a quarter inch for overlapping sheets in order to get crisper folds  (it really helps to talk to such people – they can clear your doubts in a second). 

So my advice  - before you make the folds in a sheet of paper/card,   keep  a quarter inch margin and then make the four folds. In the first  sheet you may need to trim the quarter inch away, but in the other sheets, the quarter inch can be used to attach it to the previous fold neatly to be able to extend the Accordion Book.  This is really important to avoid ugly creases and having to patch folds up with strips of paper – it will never stand as well as it should then.

Theme and treatment

The theme for a summer holiday group Maths project was Geometrical Shapes in Nature – parents were expected to assist the group of four children  to come up with displays and documents to illustrate the theme.   I suggested that he could combine his hobby of birdwatching in some way for his part of the project work.   As we discussed it we realized that birdwatchers rely a lot on shapes and silhouettes for identifying birds. He sorted out his photographs and looked for birds where this is particularly vivid. Using his printouts of his own photographs of a few birds, he drew  accompanying illustrations and used a red pen to highlight the main shapes that are evident when watching the bird. Then it was a matter of referring to some bird books and writing a bit of text. The drawings were stuck onto the accordion book, and the text written into it. It was designed to be a hung up, but could also remain flat and open out like a book. I used thicker paper made of camel dung for the covers,  and a   bit of cotton cord from a paper bag as a closure. 

Proper consideration of paper/card thickness, paper grain and a paper folder are essential tools for constructing an Accordion Book

An Accordion Book can be kept upright on  a table. This present one was designed for hanging up so the text runs vertically. Be aware of how you would like the text to read before starting work.

An Accordion Book can also be used flat like a book. Pictures have been stuck with masking tape to create a "scrapbook" effect.

A view of the handwritten text.

Using original photographs and hand drawn illustrations by the young author gave a completely different dimension to this assignment.

It was wonderful to see how the assignment just grew under our eyes and took a life of its own.  It was incredibly  satisfying  for him to be able to use original photographs and illustrations and experiences for this assignment, however simple it may seem.  There was an honesty about it that could never be taken  from any readymade chart or book and for me that was a relief having read and heard of parents actually purchasing custom made projects for school holiday assignments from local shops. 

I would never trade in an opportunity to be part of such a process of creating along with my child and helping him understand the value of experiences and originality. It is so intimate and special and silent – nobody else might even guess at what’s happening – just  like planting a seed of thought in the child’s mind and you watch  them actually stretch out and reach upwards themselves.

Traveller's tales

Photographs by S. Dipak
Text by Namitha

There's still time for us to cut some poppies so our hands won't grow old within the monasteries of books. - Yannis Ritsos

It constantly amazes me that in these times we travel longer distances at more frequent intervals and we take more photographs and videos too, but we spend very little time describing these places we visit to those who were back home, unless people are as pesky as us. Many of these places we visit are significant historically or geographically  – there is always something interesting to recount… if you find a willing audience.

I remember finding these little slide transparencies among old family photographs, someone standing against monuments or in a sprawling garden…they seem so antiquarian now, yet at some time they may have sparked an ember of curiousity in a child – who might have longed to travel as well and see all these sights and have all these experiences.  I have faint memories of times when people who travelled abroad would give a slide show on a wall in someone’s house with neighbours and relatives and friends all gathered around to watch and hear the traveller’s tale. Yet, now we have the luxury of instantly sharing all these images but these are usually without human presence, without the seamless anecdotes and the little asides that may just bring more meaning to an image. 

Last week, after a  business trip to Genoa, and having visited Milan nearby, Dipak brought back interesting photographs of the bustling port town famous for being the place where Christopher Columbus set sail to try and find India. He missed by a long shot…but  looking at images of the port now, the ancient lighthouse, and the garden memorials to the three ships Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, one realizes that each city has its own journey within itself, commemorating the past, and yet not wanting one whit to be left behind. No sir.  So you will find McDonald's...except that in allegiance to the elegance of Milan and possibly the rules governing building facades - you will find that its trademark signboard is in black and gold. Incredible. You will find young girls marching with posters of Justin Bieber who was visiting Milan, just some distance away from strikingly constructed heritage buildings. You will find that there's a statue of Mahatma Gandhi raised just a couple of feet from road, almost like he's walking on it with you. 

These are moments that are captured better with images.

 Floral ships commemorating Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, the three ships that set sail centuries ago.

Genoa. The ancient lighthouse.

Lighthouse and a model of the light inside. A museum is housed inside the lighthouse.

Genoa. A bustling port still.

 

A familiar figure.

Genoa port.

 

Milan. The beautiful flooring in an arcade.

Fashionable McD in the fashion capital Milan.

A little quirky to find an advertisement for a perfume called Body, right on the facade of a cathedral. Then again, there might be a message in it.

Better than the models in the showroom. A real Ferrari.

Young girls marching with posters of Justin Bieber, a current teenage hearthrob, passing through roads lined with heritage buildings.

A memorial to Leonardo da Vinci.

A covered market place. It reminded me a lot of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. I was surprised to hear that Genoese workers were responsible for building the Galata Tower in Istanbul which I have visited.

Water "flowers" in Milan.

 The city undergoes a transformation in character at night. It's a photographer's delight.

Perhaps there will come a time when you can capture your thoughts and words which you experience at that instant in "bubbles"  and trap them into a photograph....and when your run your hand over it, these can be heard or seen. Till then, I'll be happy to make do with real humans giving me a running commentary as I thumb through the printed photographs. As much as it is good to travel oneself, I feel elated to hear to the chuckles and the awe and the excitement in the traveller's voice when each photograph comes into view. It's like saying, you couldn't come with me, but I've saved it and brought some of it back for you.

 

Delhi : Photo Essay 1

Photography by Anant 

Text by Namitha

Delhi bears its imprints on my life. Fifteen years of my life have been spent in this city - more than I've spent anywhere else continuously, even the place of my birth. My ten year old son has spent all his life here.   

I wanted to record our impressions on a leisurely Sunday of a curious city that seems to be a common transit point, but rarely the final destination in the lives of people.

It was supposed to be a casual walk in Connaught Place to take photographs of this city celebrating its centenary as the capital of India.  

Starting  out from Janpath we walked towards the inner circle of Connaught Place. 

The most striking images were those that captured  the serenity and grace of the vendors on the road. The shoeshine man waits expectantly for people - does he wonder whether the footfalls will be down this Sunday  too? 

A paanwala preparing for the day before his first customers arrive, with  different containers arranged neatly in front of him. 

A lady sweeps the pavement, the grace in her motions  captured in an instant. A flashy red handbag sits incongruously in front of her on the pavement. What is it doing there? Is it hers? 

Cheeky captions come to mind about the following scenes. 

City for lost souls? Soles for sale? Trapped souls? Walking with the Gods? What is it about this city that you are on sensory overload the minute you step out beyond your home? 

By noon, the vendors have spread out their wares, women with bead necklaces, scrolls, and wandering ones come up to us with chess sets, toy snakes in baskets, or beckon you into their shops spilling over with souvenirs. 

Chattering girls go up to look at the magnets and other souvenirs and excitedly discuss what to purchase. Some owners are just opening their shops, performing the religious rituals before the start of the business day.

 

Still further, the architecture begs to be noticed. 

And then so do the stark realities stick out.

Over three hours later,  the two of us realised that our walk has “mentally” been sidetracked by Anna Hazare’s campaign – wherever we went, we could not escape the signs that something was happening in this city.  Spontaneous slogan shouting by topi-ed youngsters, motorists going past waving flags and apparently headed to the Ram Lila grounds. 

 

An urgency pervaded the atmosphere.  Even the shop signs seem to stand out like slogans. 

The Tantra shop which sells T-shirts with quirky, sometimes nationalistic, slogans had a single T-shirt in their shop window. Stark, black and white, which had the slogan Black Money-White Money on it. The popular street side shops have kept up with the theme  ...are they the barometers of social consciousness in present times?

The sceptic will question: are T-shirt slogans a reflection of the national psyche?  Have we become a nation of people waiting for cues to catalyse our conscience – waiting for  giant billboards to light up saying “Act Now” or for a T-shirt to proclaim what the next issue is? 

Even the staid Jain Bookshop has made way for books on corruption on two window shelves, the juxtaposition of titles bringing a smile to my lips. 

Still, the  images that mean the most are those that neither of us would ever photograph. They capture moments too precious, too disturbing, too stark, too fleeting or those that contain too much muchness… and consequently, we can only walk past on tiptoe, just letting the imprint stay in our minds forever.  In front of Wenger’s pastry shop, a lame beggar sits on the ground just outside the glass door,  a drink of Pepsi and one of Coke  clasped in each shaky hand. He thirstily sucks on the straw in  one glass – drawing up just the iced watery dregs of a drink belonging to someone who’d just stopped loving it, perhaps.   Is this a sign of prosperity – that instead of one non-biodegradable tumbler of somebody else’s leftover soft drink, there are two different ones in his hands? It is painful to be a journalist even in your  mind; the soul feels the ironies even while the brain thinks out a suitable caption for a photograph that never will be clicked. 

As we speed along the corridor trying to avoid the growing crowds of shoppers, I swerve for an instant to avoid bumping into someone, and notice  a man sitting next to a small rack of books propped up against the corner. The rack has only books on poetry – just Hindi and Urdu poetry. I recognise Faiz and  Sahir Ludhianvi among them. Two months ago in Bangalore, we had scoured about four large bookshops looking for books of English poetry and could only find one thin shop-soiled book by R.L. Stevenson which I did buy eventually. To find a whole rack of poetry just here in this fairly inconspicuous corner on the road was a revelation. The salesman did nothing extraordinary to proclaim his presence, he just was there sitting with his  poetry books in that corner, and if I’d walked by too fast, I’d have missed him.  He was real and live, making a statement by being there in that space and time.  He was not holding up a signboard with slogans like “read poetry” or “bring some poetry into your life”.  He disturbed me as much as Anna Hazare does, and therein lies the lesson for me - deep lessons, about noticing and being noticed, issues submerged and issues remembered, lone battles and group movements... 

Like any other large historically rich and politically significant city, Delhi is a large organic entity reflecting different facets in time and space.  To be able to understand it is to be able to judge the mood of a river.  Wandering about in this city raises more questions than answers sometimes.... yet, we walk confidently that we will find some reassurance just around the corner.  

Commentary: We took this walk on August 21 2011. Anant's favourite photograph he says is the one of the young boy putting the soft drink bottle in the dustbin - because "he was keeping the environment clean". My favourite photograph is the one of the lady sweeping the pavement for the sheer grace even while performing such a mundane task - coupled with an air of mystery over that red handbag sitting on the pavement. I really wonder what was in it. - ND