WEEKEND FUN
A story, a journey, a little something to make
TINA KHATRI
There are weekends that pass quietly, and then there are weekends that leave something behind.
A thought. A question. A new place to dream about. Or the simple pleasure of making something with your own hands.
This week, take a little time to pause.
Begin with a story about a grandfather, a balcony, and a lesson that is easy to forget in a world that tells us to keep moving, keep achieving, and keep accumulating. Sometimes, a meaningful life is not measured by how much we have, but by how much of ourselves we share with others.
Then, travel far beyond the familiar. Follow the clues of a riddle to a remarkable mountain in the Andes, where the earth itself seems to have been painted in seven colors.
And when the journey is over, return home to the warmth of the kitchen. With a few apples, a little cinnamon, and the comforting sweetness of brown sugar, create something simple enough for a weekend afternoon and special enough to share.
Read slowly. Think deeply. Explore curiously. Make something.
Because a good weekend does not have to be grand.
Sometimes, all it needs is a good story, a place to discover, and a little time spent together.
Your Weekend Fun Game
Turn the page into a little challenge. Read the story, answer the comprehension questions, solve the mountain riddle, and complete the kitchen challenge. Your browser can remember your progress on this device.
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A visual setting for the grandfather story, inspired by the warmth of Indian neighbourhoods and community life.
My grandfather's balcony
I grew up in America believing that a good life was something you accumulated. Education, a career, a house, financial independence, the quiet assurance that you would never have to ask anyone for anything.
India was something else in my mind: my parents' old country, crowded and chaotic, poor but somehow romanticized by the people who had left it.
Then I met my grandfather.
One evening, we sat on his balcony as the neighborhood slowly came alive below us. The house was modest, the paint weathered, the furniture worn smooth by years. Yet people kept appearing, neighbors dropping in, children calling from the street, someone sending over a plate of food.
I asked him if he had ever wished for more.
"More what?"
"Money. A bigger house. A better life."
He smiled. "Is your life not better?"
I told him I had everything.
He looked at me for a long moment.
"Then why are you always running?"
I had no answer.
He told me that when he was young, people came by every evening. They brought food, shared stories, asked for help, offered help. "We had less," he said, "but we had one another."
Something in me shifted.
I had spent years learning how to need nobody.
My grandfather had spent his life learning that needing people was not poverty.
Reading Comprehension
How to play: Try the answers yourself before checking. For open ended questions, your wording does not have to match the suggested answer exactly. What matters is whether your answer shows that you understood the passage.
- The narrator learns that a meaningful life is not simply about money, possessions or independence. Relationships, community, generosity and being willing to need and help others can make life richer.
- "Modest" means simple or not large, expensive or luxurious.
- The adverb is slowly. It tells us how the neighbourhood came alive.
Questions 1 and 2 are open ended. Different answers can be correct if they clearly communicate the idea from the story.
Rainbow Mountain, also known as Vinicunca, in Peru's Andes.
Guess the place
I wear seven colors, yet I'm not a rainbow,
I rise high where the cold winds blow.
Hikers climb to see my painted land,
Hidden in the Andes, I proudly stand.
What am I?
Want to explore Peru further? Visit the official Peru Travel website for destination information.
WEEKEND RECIPE
Apple Cinnamon Bake
This simple Apple Cinnamon Bake is made for a relaxed weekend afternoon. Fresh apples are layered with cinnamon, brown sugar and a little nutmeg, then baked until tender while still holding their shape. Serve it warm on its own or make it extra special with vanilla ice cream, yogurt, pancakes or waffles.
Ingredients
- 4 fresh apples
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 small pinch of nutmeg
- Butter for lightly greasing the baking dish
Optional: Use honey instead of brown sugar if preferred.
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Bake
- Prepare the apples. Slice fresh apples into wedges, remove the cores, and arrange the apple pieces in a lightly buttered baking dish.
- Add the cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle each layer with cinnamon and brown sugar. Add a small pinch of nutmeg if desired.
- Bake the apples. Bake at 375F or 190C for 20 to 25 minutes, until the apples are tender but still hold their shape.
- Serve warm. Serve the baked apples on their own, over vanilla ice cream, with yogurt, or alongside pancakes or waffles.
The apples develop a delicate floral aroma with a light cinnamon sweetness as they bake. For younger children, an adult should supervise the use of knives, the oven and hot baking dishes.
Make It Together
Turn the recipe into a family activity. Check each ingredient as you gather it.
Make the Recipe a Mini Game
Check each ingredient as you gather it. When all four boxes are checked, you complete the kitchen challenge.
Serving idea: Make the bake together, then ask everyone to describe the aroma, texture and sweetness using three different adjectives.
One Weekend, Three Ways to Learn
Read
The grandfather story invites us to read for meaning, notice vocabulary in context, and think about the values underneath a character's words.
Explore
The Rainbow Mountain riddle turns geography into a guessing game. Look for clues, make a prediction, and then check the answer.
Make
The Apple Cinnamon Bake brings learning into the kitchen. Measuring, sequencing, observing changes and describing flavours are all small opportunities to learn.
Reflect
After finishing the three activities, ask yourself: What did I learn, what surprised me, and what would I like to explore next?
Keep Exploring with Tina Khatri
If you enjoyed this combination of storytelling, English practice, hands on activities and interactive learning, these related resources on Tina Khatri's website are natural next steps.
Weekend Challenge Complete
You have read a story, thought about its message, solved a geography riddle and explored a simple recipe.
Good weekends do not always need big plans. Sometimes curiosity, conversation and a little creativity are enough.