Vidyasagar, Aishy's Puzzles

Visited the Vidyasagar (Spastic Society of India, renamed) exhibition last Saturday.  Quite a pretty array I thought. Bright colourful stuff in papier mache - bowls, fridge magnets, jewelery boxes, wall hangings etc. Pretty table mats made of dried flowers and stuff, jute bags, folders and other such things. Picked up a few things. The place itself was quite warm and reminded me of the college fests where all of us enthu students put up stalls and had a roll!  I enjoyed just being there.

Two stalls that really caught my attention:
 
-Aishy's Puzzles: An autistic girl who can solve complex jigsaw puzzles using just spacial concepts (without looking at the picture or reading the instructions) in a few hours/ days depending on the puzzle complexity. Her parents frame the puzzles that she has solved and they are put up for sale. I wanted to pick up one of those but the pieces that I wanted were unique ones and not for sale. However, her parents would let me know when the next set of puzzles are ready - I definitely want to pick up one.
-Another child who does such wonderful 'reverse paintings'. I picked up a Ganesha. The boy was sleeping when I visited the stall.

The children from Vidyasagar have made most of the stuff there and they were also present in their respective stalls and actively selling and billing. In one of the stall, there was this boy who would pick up just about anything I touch and run to the counter to get it billed. We all had a hearty laugh and he laughed along...

This is one of the few really useful shopping trips that has left me feeling so good ... Chennaites, please visit...I think it is still on...