Chocolate – before and after!

The first ever reaction that comes to anyone on listening to chocolate is pleasure and comfort. It makes the world go round. It is the ultimate happiness that anyone can savour. We would all agree that everything is good if it is made of chocolate. Most of us would relate chocolate as a way to deal with feelings instead of to satisfy hunger. 

 

We were all super-excited when we learnt that we were going to learn about chocolate. And this is the first thing that we got to read.

 

 

Imagine our disbelief when we learnt that our delicious chocolate has been termed as something that is suited for the consumption of pigs! And then we learnt that what we read was one of the first detailed accounts of the original chocolate that comes from the History of the New World (1564) by the Milanese Girolamo Benzoni, who travelled in Central America. 

 

So the story goes like this. In the early days, before the 16th century, chocolate wasn’t this creamy, rich, sweet, sensuous, soft, decadent and super addictive food that we know of. It was extremely bitter, gruelly, coarse, crumbly and too heavy to eat. More than a treat, it was a treatment, used as a medicine or fed to soldiers as an instant energizer to prepare them for war. 

 

It is only through the human desire to improvise, innovate and derive pleasure that we got the chocolate that we know. It is a great example of human ingenuity in action.

 

So if you were born before the 16th century, your experience with chocolate would have been very different. So different that if you time travelled and reached this day in Switzerland and tasted chocolate, chances are you wouldn’t be able to make any association of one with the other.

 

And this is the short video about the history and evolution of chocolate that we watched,

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibjUpk9Iagk

 

Chocolate has been known and loved for many centuries, not only as food but also as medicine. The process of how chocolate is created right from the cocoa beans that grow inside the pods of the cacao trees that are native to central South America to the bars that we relish was worth learning. 

 

So the next time you find yourself craving some chocolate, don’t dismiss it as simply craving for a sweet treat. It could be an important signal that your heart is in need of love. Give in to the desire and buy yourself a big bar.  

 

Mehman Nawazi Of Rander

 

Mehman Nawazi

 

Today we decided to explore the long-lost gem- Rander. I have been in Surat for the past 20 years, but this part of Surat was unknown and untouched by me despite its proximity to our school. We explored and visited the various beautiful heritage sites and charming architecture of Rander. The history of Surat and the stories associated with it brought history alive. It felt like we went back in time. The Jain and the Muslim community living together with many temples and mosques next to each other showed us how the people here lived peacefully and happily together despite what is otherwise believed to be the case. 

The people here were so generous and welcoming, including ‘Abbas bhai’ who from his busy schedule gave us almost 4 hours to help us explore the place. He was polite, soft spoken, smiling and sharing with us all the knowledge about the place. Taking extra efforts to get permissions for places which were otherwise out of reach for us. 

After all the walking, we were not just ready but really hungry for the aloo puri and khawsa that we were here for. So the next stop for us was ‘Nakhuda Nasta center’. The place was brimming with aroma and enticed our tastes buds and we were welcomed here with a warm smile. We were first shown the process of how they make these iconic dishes. He took us to the kitchen, showed the making and answered all the questions. Someone revealing their business secret is something I saw for the first time. 

And finally we ordered everything they had on the menu- Aane do!- alu puri, cheese aloo puri, egg aloo puri, chicken aloo puri, rainbow aloo puri, veg khawsa, chicken khawsa, egg khawsa! After eating to our hearts content we wanted to drink something. He was really kind to get us drinks from another shop. This seemed like a local fav- RimZim which was really refreshing and reminded us of our childhood days. Next on our list was hand churned ice cream! And not just one flavor, Abbasbhai got us 12 different flavors! When the plates arrived on our tables we were all love struck- the colors and creaminess..After eating so much we were pretty sure we won’t be able to finish it but when we looked around after 10 mins all the plates were licked clean! 

“Atithi Devo Bhava “

Something I have only heard since I was a child, I experienced today. 

This Mehman Nawazi of Rander blew our minds and made the humble experience of eating aloo puri and khawsa into an unforgettable memory. In Rander you get not just good food but also truly authentic human beings!
This is the end of the story

Regards,

Payal Jain

Digging deep

Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching, and one must have those principles for themselves, but how to be consistent with this was something that could only be attained through effort and morality. There is often the case that we won’t be true to ourselves and we are the only ones who are aware of it, which makes none of the others point a finger at us, understanding the concept and digging deeper into it, I was able to find my grey areas where I can work on and move on to a path to make myself better than I am now. Working on the RAP sheet opened up a lot of blind spots of mine which need improvement, it helped me analyze the possibilities/outcomes and the impact of my action on myself, as well as the people around me.

Moving on to EI, emotional intelligence for me is having a balance or control over the emotions we feel and having the ability or awareness of how to react. Things seemed puzzling till I got to know the concept of amygdala hijack, and that’s when I realized why I react the way I do, it’s not me it’s just the adrenaline rush – Jk, learning this made things way simpler for me, as I am now mindful of this thing happening in my body is just a natural process and controlling the same becomes easier after knowing this behind the s-cience ;P.

All in all, the experience of going through this change in itself is a task, however, life class makes it an enjoyable and easier process and experience.

Knowing my emotions!!

Life class sessions are something that I always look forward to. It is the time when we are relaxed and shares our hearts. So far during Integrity & EI sessions, I could learn many things and one of the best things was being mindful. Knowing my emotions and being mindful about what and how I am delivering my thoughts. Being a person who is very emotional and hurting own self for every silly thing I could learn how can manage my emotions and control my actions for my mental peace. Indeed a wonderful session for being wise about my mental state.

Enjoyed the sesison

Here are a few things that I enjoyed the most, 1. The meditation we did, was a very nice and relaxing experience, 2. then we discussed awareness of one’s own emotions and what role the amygdala plays in it, 3. how the self-assessment leads to self-awareness, 4. The activity we did to practice mindful listening, 5. the movie we saw, was a beautiful experience and also reiterated all the things that were discussed in during the session.

Honesty when no one’s looking; Mindfulness is the key to success! – My Takeaways!

We began this year’s life class began with us identifying what integrity means which we then learnt was just a partial picture in our minds. The workshop enlightened us, showed us what integrity truly means with case studies, discussions and movie analysis. We shared our own life experiences, discussed where we had practiced integrity and how it impacted those around us.

For the ongoing Emotional Intelligence classes, (which according to me is the most productive and practical) we learnt a variety of lessons which will help us in our personal as well as professional lives. The Amygdala Hijack was an interesting concept wherein emotions take the front seat and drive our actions. We learnt how to tackle this with pointers, case studies and thorough discussions via each others real life examples.

 

With two more classes left, I am looking forward to learning more about Emotional Intelligence and learning tips and tricks that will go a long way.

Integrity & EI

Emotional intelligence is such a vast topic, I never knew. I always thought I am very mature with my emotions but I have eventually realised that being emotion less is not being emotionally mature. These 6 sessions so far have taught me so much about Integrity and Emotional Intelligence at a very deep level. Moreover the bond that I have made people around me which I always struggled to make have been stronger than ever. I have learnt having people around and feeling the emotions for them when they talk and listening is a very crucial skill which I have developed really well so far. I will be yearning to find a “FLOW” in my life and that’s the ultimate goal to achieve satisfaction with being emotionally intelligent. Meditation and self time is one of the biggest take away I have from these session. I always have felt that I am not very calm but eventually I have started loving myself, my roots and now it makes me appreciate everything and everyone around me. I still have this goal to be more calm and contented person which fingers crossed I will reach very soon. Thank you Fountainhead for this amazing opportunity, I never knew I will love these sessions so so much!

Integrity & EI

Knowing one’s fear and living a life with the same has become a common trait in today’s world, but identifying the root cause and finding ways to deal with it has never been a priority for us which stagers our overall growth and leads to an unsatisfied life. This year through Life Class, this problem of identifying different fears and dealing with the same has been enhanced to a great extent. What makes us hold back in several situations and why do we never want to face certain challenges based on our pre-conceived notions, these areas are highlighted with valid reasonings this year which makes us come out of it and strengthens us to make an action plan to resolve the same. I have understood that to have certain fears in life is normal and universal, some might show it while others may keep it within but what’s important is to feel empowered and to have the vision to face it. Different techniques and activities conducted during the life class helped me to broaden my understanding of fears and how it’s normal to be oneself without doubting the way we live. The classes we had so far have helped me to identify my fears and have motivated to create an action plan for the same.

Waiting for the upcoming sessions.

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