United by COVID
The status of the pandemic varies greatly depending on where you are, but Sandhya Acharya says the world is united by COVID more than ever.
kqed perspectives
Raising a good loser
Published on KQED Persepctives https://www.kqed.org/perspectives/201601140598/sandhya-acharya-raising-a-good-loser Sandhya Acharya contemplates being a good loser – on the playground and in politics. Some time back, I was witness to a kids’ plank showdown. Timers were set, poses struck, seconds counted. But when it came time to declare the winner, a chorus of voices, including my son’s, broke out into complaints. “My jacket slowed me down!” “He moved!” “I wasn’t ready!” I watched from the sidelines, cringing. A question troubled me. Are we raising good losers? On Jan 6, 2021, we saw the damage a bad loser could do.… Read More »Raising a good loser
All Better
Published on KQED (NPR) Perspectives Sep 3, 2020 https://www.kqed.org/perspectives/201601140236/sandhya-acharya-all-better When the first day of school rolled in, the teachers had a surprise planned for the first graders. We stopped at school to wave and say a socially distanced hello and collected a plastic box full of tissue wrapped packages. The kids were instructed to only open it with the whole class a full four days later. We kept the box in the car to make it easier for the six-year-old to stay away. Several times a day he came and asked how many days were… Read More »All Better
LOVE AGAIN
Published in KQED https://www.kqed.org/perspectives/201601139805/sandhya-acharya-we-will-love-again We were savoring the last spoonful of a new brand of yogurt. “Thank You,” I exclaimed to the maker of the yogurt, calling out the name that was emblemed on the packaging and added, “I love you.”. My eight year old immediately piped in “Don’t say ‘love’. What if she gets coronavirus?” I suspect he already knows virtual transmission of the virus can’t happen, but this was his first reaction. Lockdown in coronavirus times means no playing with friends, no four square, no following lizards, no jumping on logs until the… Read More »LOVE AGAIN
THE HOLIDAY GIFT
Published in KQED https://www.kqed.org/perspectives/201601139350/the-holiday-gift Holidays are also a season of giving. As we embrace the spirit, more so today, on #givingtuesday, here’s a bit of holiday humor from my household.THE HOLIDAY GIFT Come October, its festivity time at our household. Diwali, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years; the holidays come in quick succession, the more the merrier. We bring out the diyas from the storage. Warm candles find cozy corners to nest in. The old Christmas tree is dusted off and decorated with ornaments and shining blue and golden “Merry Christmas” signs. The entrance of the house is… Read More »THE HOLIDAY GIFT
First! (on NPR)
A piece of mine is on KQED Perspectives this morning. If you are near the radio, listen in at 8.43 AM How do you cope with the obsession of coming first in your children? https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/2017/07/01/first/ Recently, I was finishing a half-marathon. Several runners had already come in. Some had won in their categories, some had made PRs. They posed, took pictures and collected their medals. Finally my son spotted me. He rushed to welcome me and then somewhat sadly asked “Did you come last?” Lately, my 5-year-old has been a bit obsessed with ‘coming… Read More »First! (on NPR)
An Invitation to Tea
A new immigrant in a new country has a lot to learn. The practical things are easy to master. It is the cultural differences that is the real challenge. Here’s a personal account of how an innocent invitation to Tea could get misconstrued in ‘translation’.
invitation to Tea.
Many-mes
Aired on KQED on Oct 04, 2016 06:43 AM Recently, I gathered with 454 applicants from 61 countries to pledge allegiance to the United States of America. I stood there, nervously examining my voter registration card, passport application, a notebook of the U.S. Constitution. Ahead on the stage, the proud flag – red, white and blue, 50 stars and 13 stripes — beckoned me. I remembered a conversation I had had with my four-year old son a few days back. We had spotted a flag on our way to pre-school and I had excitedly pointed… Read More »Many-mes
Naming rights – KQED
Perspectives Naming Rights Sandhya Acharya Feb 10, 2016 06:43 AM By Sandhya AcharyaFEBRUARY 10, 2016 SHARE It was evaluation day at preschool. I shifted uncomfortably in the little toddler seat feeling like Goliath at Lilliput’s table. My 3.5-year old’s sincere teacher spread out a sheaf of papers of work and grades. “This is your son writing his name,” she announced. She showed me incoherent scribbling. Interesting shapes, but no semblance of an alphabet. I grimaced at the 9-lettered challenge facing my son. S I D D H A R T H. It is a beautiful name… Read More »Naming rights – KQED
When Dad Friends you
Published on KQED (NPR) Perspectives on Apr 19, 2016 https://www.kqed.org/perspectives/201601134325/when-dad-friends-you Pe I woke up one morning to the petulant ping of a Facebook notification. It was a friend request, from my father. I ignored it, shuddering to think what it would mean to have my father as a friend. I would have to stay away from controversial posts, reveal judicious little about my everyday doings, filter my comments. The idea that my father would have a keyhole to peer into my life, was unnerving. Over the next few days, I got other disconcerting notifications. My… Read More »When Dad Friends you