“The rhythm of my body is the same as my mother language. It is in this rhythm where I find sanctity that I can return to my mother who is everywhere in the universe.” – Kim Hyesoon
My language connects me to my roots. It’s the blood of my soul in which constant inflow and outflow of thoughts happen. Language and culture shapes the human. They are intertwined. Language is a means to communicate values, beliefs. Culture to me is way of life, worship and thinking. Culture is the means to connect emotionally ,socially, physically to the living beings. And mother language forms the foundation. It defines my identity. I am privileged to be raised in the society where my mother language was not only the basis of my daily communication but also the foundation of my education and it was a given. Being away from my country and raising my kids in a society I dint grow up, teaching my mother language or any Indian language requires some efforts. Speaking daily in Gujarati with kids comes very naturally to us and this also helps strengthen the bond with grand parents whose primary mode of communication will always remain Gujarati. However ability to maintain this rhythm and continue to translate all our associations and ties with our country requires some extra efforts. Our food to celebrating our festivals with the understanding of how and whys to humming the tunes of our songs to our music and theatre. One of the first step in learning any language is letter recognition. Find creative and fun ways to build this skill! Puzzle is a great interactive tool to recognize alphabets, play sound and word games, develop hand eye co ordination, fine motor skills, turn taking and sharing.
I feel blessed to be able to provide the real life experiences around people who think alike, feel alike irrespective of their nationality. Culture to me is deeply rooted in its language and I am striving to maintain this balance and pass it on to the next generation.
Matru-Pedia 
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