4

carbon foot print

Its all about it now! been watching it since standard seven. The other day we were supposed to change ' germ kill battery kit' to water purifier and i was terrified to see amount of plastic and other material removed as 'waste'.

every time i think about this modern 'safe' world, it takes me back to my childhood. we survived our childhood with far less things ( probably risking our lives) than today and not to mention but it was pretty a happy childhood: rather i would stretch it to say that it was much more nurturing childhood than what we get out of life from wrap packed products coming out of various factories.

i was talking to a dear friend of mine Girish Jathar the other day on same topic and he recalled one memory of his childhood that he used to ride a buffalow on the way to the well for his summer swim... nothing can beat this. i feel Girish has this wealth that no body can take away from him. I am sure it must be hurting him every day while cut-opening the plastic bag of homogenized packed 'pure healthy' milk. it hurts me too.

trying my hands on construction skills. we designed couple of sit-outs at new building at our school in Phaltan. Our creative teacher Kalpita Dandavate came up with an interesting idea about putting impression on the flooring of these sit outs. it was a great idea so we plucked some leaves of a Mahuwa tree and borrowed some wooden stamps from KG and created random impression. it was scorching sun, sweaty afternoon, temperature rose up to 42 C . our activity slowed the masons' speed but they were enjoying, looking curiously at the things we were doing .... and at the end when ice cream was served to everyone then they really enjoyed our presence in their domain for sure.

3

The water hole has really changed my approach to look at the living space i am trying to create. i am a real grassland lover and adore the ecosystem in its all forms, be it lush green of august or umber yellow under scorching sun in April May i love it. This little stream passing by the border of the plot gives a tangent to landscape as well as my thoughts.

was just looking back at the pictures! stones, me collecting stones and thought i should share it all. because i am sure there is an unanimous belief that not everyone can do it. but in this journey i wish to wipe away that. yes it is possible you can build your own house. skills you can learn, space you can design!

we go to work to do something we don't like to do ( in most cases), to pay someone else to build something where we will eventually live and call it our home. But we haven't lifted a single stone or 'dirtied' our hands to create 'our home'... i really struggle to find a logic in it.

2

We started collecting stones, the heap is tiny but the journey has begun. if half an hour's work is this much then there is a stronger determination that i can build it by my self with little help from friends and associates. This is the place where we plan to build the house. the edge of the grassland slopes into a beautiful stream which has some water in this time of year too!

This land has a lot stones... collecting all of them will serve enough for my basic foundation and some sit outs which i plan to build in stone.

picking up stone, looking at it, its shape, size, color is so pleasurable. I find every stone beautiful and unique. This land has the yellowish reddish stone i have to confirm this strength of the stone with Dattu ( my mason friend- who is now a building contractor).

walls partly build by this stone and partly by cob would look great!

This season is hot... summer is really showing up. I will have to get up early in the morning now to come here and finish morning work by 10 am and do rest after 4 pm.

vernacular values 1

it has been a while i am thinking... what are the things i really like and what are the things i really believe. couple of years ago in mumbai i got some answers, for some more i am searching... waiting.

i feel nearing them now and believe that those will be in mud, stones and the grassland.