John Hunter: Teaching with the World Peace Game

perhaps some of you have heard of John Hunter and his 'World Peace Game'.  i learned about it for the first time today when reading a review about it and his new book. watching this TED talk made fueled my desire to engage kids this way.  the way in which he taps into all of the essential themes for gaining skills -- like critically thinking and patience while resolving an issue -- is beautifully blended with how he demonstrates his humility, respect and honor toward the students.  the game itself is genious.  ah! i just love it!  it's a phenomenal way of engaging children, allowing them the opportunity to learn how to collaborate to ensure that everyone in the game is a winner -- for the sake of humanity's well-being rather than an individual's!  this is an example of how to be an educator, how to impart wisdom to a child, how to stimulate their inner capacities and become a compassionate thinker of the great problems of our time.  every school needs an educator like John Hunter and a game like this..

Naw Ruz card exchange

thanks to All Done Monkey who initiated a Baha'i New Year card exchange, our 3 children were happy to make cards for kids their age who live in different parts of the world (Tonga, Australia and the US). 

everyone in the exchange makes a card, adds some kind of flower to it, even a photo of themselves if they like, and sends it to the address organized by All Done Monkey.  we don't have a printer for personal photos so we decided to add a special cared that has the Baha'i ringstone symbol on it as an added gift.

since we live in Ghana, we had to make sure that we made the cards well ahead of time so that by the time they are taken to a post office and mailed, they will arrive before March 21st, the Baha'i new year.

made by our 9 year old, with flowers from the garden

made by our 14 year old

 

Ayana pressed the bouganvillea and then covered them with contact paper

a medley of styles and ideas flourished amongst their various ages & our simple materials

what a great way to begin preparing for Naw Ruz with other Baha'i children around the world!  the creative process and gift-giving idea sparked our children's interest to wonder what they will receive, and from where and who it will come, in the weeks ahead.

the love of baking

i love baking.  it enables me to tap into my soul's expression of creativity.  whenever each of us has a love for doing something, it is best if we do it in the spirit of service so that it can be as an act of serving God.  this is the spirit in which i bake.  these days i can't bake anything without sharing it with others.  i walk down the dirt road with cut up slices of cake or cookie bars, or deliver them to our friends in the old neighborhood, or save them for visitors who pass by to see us..

at the moment, i am on a mission to learn how to make more cakes -- really good cakes, the kind that melt in your mouth when you take a bite, the kind that are sweet but rich in butter, cream and all the good ingredients that make them taste moist and homemade.  the kids might not know the difference, but parents and adults definitely do.

so many women have said to me that they would rather pay money for a cake that actually tastes good with an icing that is creamy rather than pay so much for a store-bought cake that is dry with an icing that is all sugar.  i am not a pastry chef and i haven't taken any courses on baking but over the years i have been developing an ability to bake through trial and error.  there are some 'secrets' to baking a delicious cake, but more than any tool, technique or skill, it's essential to have a passion for baking -- and whenever we develop a talent we have with passion or love, God enables us to create something beautiful.

a couple of years ago, my husband and i had a little carrot cake business in Cape Town it was called PJ Sweets.  i was able to bake an average of 8 cakes a week from my small oven at home.  it was sometimes stressful but mostly rewarding and amazing because customers were telling the restaurants and cafes that this was the best carrot cake they ever had!

we are now living in Accra and it is not easy to find a good cake.  a friend of mine has encouraged and inspired me to bake cakes to sell for the families at school because she likes everything i bake for her.  right now i am in the beginning stage of practicing new techniques and trying new kinds of cakes and icings.  having YouTube and other tutorials as resources are invaluable.  it's actually phenomenal that anyone in the world can learn just about anything from the internet if one persists with perseverance while trying to master the skill.  i recently watched a video about how to make 'royal icing'.  the step-by-step instructions with all of the fine details made what i read come alive in every important way in order to accomplish this kind of icing.  i'm easily impressed and amazed by so much!

this morning i made an icing using 'cream of tartar' -- an ingredient i have never used and which has intrigued me for years.  i added it to the lemon juice, cold water, sugar and egg whites over a double boiler.  it required beating for 10 minutes -- a very long time for my arms!  when the peaks were soft and the icing was thick, i had to remove it from the heat and keep beating it until the peaks were firmer and the icing was thick enough to spread.  when i tried removing the bowl from the heat, the steam escaped and almost burnt my wrists!  i had to figure out a way to hold the pot holders, the bowl AND the mixer without letting the steam touch me again.  somehow i managed to remove it quickly and toward me rather than straight up.  after the icing was thick, it was time to add a few drops of food coloring and blend them into the very white icing -- it was so beautiful to watch the swirls make continuous new patterns until it was all blended into a solid color.  this was when i felt satisfaction overcome the entire process.  what a learning experience it was, and i look forward to many more..

growing seedlings from egg cartons

about a month ago i brought a pile of used cardboard egg cartons to my neighbor, Monica's, home with a bag of seeds.  some jr. youth had brought a large bag of rich soil for us to use.  we started sprinkling soil and a seed into each egg holder and by the time we were done, we had made about 10 cartons' worth of seeds.

the benefit of growing them first in the egg cartons is to prevent the possibility of chickens coming and eating the seeds out of the garden before they have sprouted.  the family kept the cartons in a sunny area where the chickens couldn't fly to them; they also chose a place very close to where they hang out so when the rain came suddenly, they were able to quickly manage bringing them into shelter.

Monica's family took on the responsibility of caring for the seeds.  they watered them daily and within 2 weeks they had begun the process of transplanting the seedlings into their own keyhole garden which was made by Emil and Magdelene, ages 12 and 10 respectively.  it isn't a true keyhole garden but they tried their best and it is serving, for the first time in their family, as a formal garden dedicated to growing food.  it is simply beautiful.  the seedlings have taken root and are thriving now in Ghana's rainy season..

adjacent keyhole gardens made by Emil and Magdelene

Monica tilling the garden and removing weeds; beans plants are growing in the foreground

tomato seedlings growing in a cluster; the kids will transplant them to the completed keyhole garden across the road

Monica decided to replant some of the carrots i gave her to see if they'll grow bigger

boys' room.. imagination and ingenuity

this is dyami and domani's 'fort'.  it started quite small but after 4 nights it has become quite high and as fortified as they can get it.  they have used pillows, large soft animal friends, blankets, totes, and that chair (which they say has a secret window area that allows them to peek through).

there is something transcendent about this process that children, and perhaps boys in their own special way, experience as they build and create imaginary worlds for themselves.  it's as if their souls are longing to express those spiritual powers which emanate from the essence of who they are..as souls.

the process of making the fort -- and when they were younger it involved big objects that they could lift and move about to hide themselves -- releases such joy, excitement, spontaneity, and a creative energy that it makes me realize this is what childhood is all about at the simplest level of being a soul.  it is what lifts them up into their own realm of reality which is far removed from all of the rules, routines, responsibilities and other imposed regulations for their lives.  creating a world for themselves seems vital to becoming who they are and perhaps incomparable to any other experience a child has.

i am enjoying the fort almost as much as they are.  it's simply beautiful in its purest form.  it's inviting, magical, cozy, safe, and full of love (especially from their soft animal friends who share it with them). :)