Yesterday I had the opportunity of watching the 'saptha swarangal' program in sun tv. It was amazing. Little kids under 12 years of age were singing songs from the old movies to the latest hits. Even the accompaniments like, drums, key board, flute etc were also handled by kids. It had to be seen(heard) to be believed. What a talent. Really India is a big country with a big population. But I am able to see the talent is also very very vast. I see lot of yougsters singing carnatic music which is of very high quality. They all achieve this by lot of practice and hard work and talent.
I watch one more program 'arattai arangam' which is a program where common people are given a chance to voice there opinion. It travels from place to place from small towns to big cities and even to foreign locatins where tamilians live. I am amazed to see the rural people talking so authoritatively voicing their opinion and lot of good work is also being done through this forum of arattai arangam.
Another program is achamillai achamillai which is anchored by actress laksmi in jaya tv which also covers a lot of social and cultural issues. some of them may be hyped but many of the episodes are good .
Apart from the movie based program which is aired the whole day there are these good programs which are watchable, which makes me feel proud to see so much talent in our country.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
science and religion
Lot of controversy is going on about the evolution theory and the biblical theory of independent design. I can not understand how religion can be taught under the heading science or vice versa.
I read a lot about people saying that brought up with religious belief that God created mankind, evolution theory should not be taught in science classes as the independent design theory has enough proof as it is written in Bible. They can not accept the evolution theory which contradicts the biblical theory as to how the world was created.
I am not very much aware of the independent design as I have never read bible, but one thing is certain that I know that evolution theory based on which the the whole biological science is built has lot of proof and it should be taught under science.
I do believe in God and Super natural power or what ever, but that does not stop me from studying science as I am clear that Science and Religion are in different level. When one is science the other should definitely come under philosophy. My religious belief does not stop me from studying science and I don't understand where the controversy is.
Why should independent design be taught instead of the theory of evolution in the heading Science. Let the evolution theory be taught under science as it has scientific proof and the independent theory can be taught under philosophy.
We in India have so many philosophies which just exist side by side and we never have any confusion or moral guilt while studying science.
Just changing the curriculam in school and not allowing the study of theory of evolution is another form of fundamentalism.
I read a lot about people saying that brought up with religious belief that God created mankind, evolution theory should not be taught in science classes as the independent design theory has enough proof as it is written in Bible. They can not accept the evolution theory which contradicts the biblical theory as to how the world was created.
I am not very much aware of the independent design as I have never read bible, but one thing is certain that I know that evolution theory based on which the the whole biological science is built has lot of proof and it should be taught under science.
I do believe in God and Super natural power or what ever, but that does not stop me from studying science as I am clear that Science and Religion are in different level. When one is science the other should definitely come under philosophy. My religious belief does not stop me from studying science and I don't understand where the controversy is.
Why should independent design be taught instead of the theory of evolution in the heading Science. Let the evolution theory be taught under science as it has scientific proof and the independent theory can be taught under philosophy.
We in India have so many philosophies which just exist side by side and we never have any confusion or moral guilt while studying science.
Just changing the curriculam in school and not allowing the study of theory of evolution is another form of fundamentalism.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Shopping trolley
Yesterday I had been to the local chain of super stores here which is called as Carrefour. This is a place where you get almost anything and everything from tv/computer to vegetables, fruits, to your clothes and mops.
While in the parking lot I could see some change which I had not seen earlier. I could see lots of shopping trolleys here and there scattered. I thought may be coming from US which is much more orderly place I am making up things.
When we went inside, I was waiting to take the trolley out with a one ringett coin. This shopping complex has a unique way of having all the trolleys lined up one behind the other connected with a chain. once you put an one ringget coin you can take out the trolley. when you finally finish the shopping and if you keep the trolley next to an existing one and connect it your one ringett can be taken out.
My husband said that the one ringett coin has been taken out of circulation by the Govt. and only an one ringett note will be there and no more coins. So we can just take the trolley without the need to put in the coin.
Now it dawned on me why I saw so many trolleys here and there at the parking lot. The human tendency!!! The people who used to meticulouly keep the trolleys in the place designated for them so that they can take out their one ringett, no longer bothered to keep the trolley in the designated place.
But I have to put it in records that Americans still meticulously keep the trolleys in the designated place without any of the coin system. We Asians have to learn to become real developed (country) I suppose.
While in the parking lot I could see some change which I had not seen earlier. I could see lots of shopping trolleys here and there scattered. I thought may be coming from US which is much more orderly place I am making up things.
When we went inside, I was waiting to take the trolley out with a one ringett coin. This shopping complex has a unique way of having all the trolleys lined up one behind the other connected with a chain. once you put an one ringget coin you can take out the trolley. when you finally finish the shopping and if you keep the trolley next to an existing one and connect it your one ringett can be taken out.
My husband said that the one ringett coin has been taken out of circulation by the Govt. and only an one ringett note will be there and no more coins. So we can just take the trolley without the need to put in the coin.
Now it dawned on me why I saw so many trolleys here and there at the parking lot. The human tendency!!! The people who used to meticulouly keep the trolleys in the place designated for them so that they can take out their one ringett, no longer bothered to keep the trolley in the designated place.
But I have to put it in records that Americans still meticulously keep the trolleys in the designated place without any of the coin system. We Asians have to learn to become real developed (country) I suppose.
LA Airport
Well I am back in KL. I am so used to cribbing about my own dear India and its condition, let me crib about some thing (body) else.
I left Desmoines (Iowa) surrounded by snow and landed in LA taking another flight at Denver. All fine and great and I am in the Domestic terminal at LA around 10 p.m and am to take the Internation flight Malaysian Airlines which is at 11.30 p.m. Very surprisingly unlike any other major airport which I have seen (I have seen quite a few) the International terminal in LA is to be approached from outside about a kilometer or so. (something like in chennai, the domestic and international airport ) . I was told I can take a bus or simply keep walking towards the International terminals. As there was so many cars and other vehicles which were there to pick up passengers, I preferred to walk. I kept walking and arrived at a dark place which was supposed to be the place where I had to go. I found out it was arrival hall and was asked to go to the third level. When I stepped out of the elevator for one second I was really shocked to see a big pandemonium in a big hall. People, people every where and it was like a bus station or may be a fish market. I just elbowed everybody and managed to go towards the malaysian airlines counter. There was a big crowd waiting with lots of heavy suitcases and I did not know where the queue ended or for which flight they were all checking in. I was supposed to be a transit passenger whose luggage had already been checked in and all I needed was a boarding card. There was a counter for that but there was no one there . I just elbowed my way telling who ever cared to listen that I am a transit passenger and plonked myself squarely near the counter which was open. (when it comes to survival read it as catching a connecting flight you forget your manners and queue jumping and what not) By then I was quite agitated and worried. To my woe the lady at the counter was talking to the passenger about some hotel accomodation on their return journey.
I was like what is happening here??? At last I was issued a boarding card and when I asked the lady if this is what it is like every day, she just raised one of her eyebrows and said how long have you been waiting madam in a tounge in cheek expression.
Job done now I rushed out from the crowd in search of the entry point to the innumeable gates. Here again lot of people with lot of luggage and no end or beginning to the queue. All luggages have to go thro' the x ray machine and then only it is checked in whether it is hand luggage or the check in luggage. I managed to find a queue which was for people with only hand luggage by shouting transit passenger(again), and entered the checkpost. As usual we are the ones targetted due to our color at the supposedly random check they carry on and the chains and bangles we wear beeping like crazy and at last I was out cleared and ran to my gate. At last I could see that the passengers were not yet boarding and I could call anu and tell her that I have reached LA.
So conclusion every thing is due to the explosion of people. While catering to more people you end up in confusion. India is no exception with such large population to cater to.
I left Desmoines (Iowa) surrounded by snow and landed in LA taking another flight at Denver. All fine and great and I am in the Domestic terminal at LA around 10 p.m and am to take the Internation flight Malaysian Airlines which is at 11.30 p.m. Very surprisingly unlike any other major airport which I have seen (I have seen quite a few) the International terminal in LA is to be approached from outside about a kilometer or so. (something like in chennai, the domestic and international airport ) . I was told I can take a bus or simply keep walking towards the International terminals. As there was so many cars and other vehicles which were there to pick up passengers, I preferred to walk. I kept walking and arrived at a dark place which was supposed to be the place where I had to go. I found out it was arrival hall and was asked to go to the third level. When I stepped out of the elevator for one second I was really shocked to see a big pandemonium in a big hall. People, people every where and it was like a bus station or may be a fish market. I just elbowed everybody and managed to go towards the malaysian airlines counter. There was a big crowd waiting with lots of heavy suitcases and I did not know where the queue ended or for which flight they were all checking in. I was supposed to be a transit passenger whose luggage had already been checked in and all I needed was a boarding card. There was a counter for that but there was no one there . I just elbowed my way telling who ever cared to listen that I am a transit passenger and plonked myself squarely near the counter which was open. (when it comes to survival read it as catching a connecting flight you forget your manners and queue jumping and what not) By then I was quite agitated and worried. To my woe the lady at the counter was talking to the passenger about some hotel accomodation on their return journey.
I was like what is happening here??? At last I was issued a boarding card and when I asked the lady if this is what it is like every day, she just raised one of her eyebrows and said how long have you been waiting madam in a tounge in cheek expression.
Job done now I rushed out from the crowd in search of the entry point to the innumeable gates. Here again lot of people with lot of luggage and no end or beginning to the queue. All luggages have to go thro' the x ray machine and then only it is checked in whether it is hand luggage or the check in luggage. I managed to find a queue which was for people with only hand luggage by shouting transit passenger(again), and entered the checkpost. As usual we are the ones targetted due to our color at the supposedly random check they carry on and the chains and bangles we wear beeping like crazy and at last I was out cleared and ran to my gate. At last I could see that the passengers were not yet boarding and I could call anu and tell her that I have reached LA.
So conclusion every thing is due to the explosion of people. While catering to more people you end up in confusion. India is no exception with such large population to cater to.
The rains
I am a bit worried about the incessant rains which is lashing Chennai/ India again. Anand and me were chatting about this phenomenon and this lead to some interesting observations by him.
We are faced with such change in the climatic conditions all over the world and this year especially in tamil nadu it is rains and more rains. We look at this in a entirely different perspective and many a time I hear ourselves saying , 'ok at least next summer Chennai will not have water problem'
We refuse to see the big picture as anand pointed out. These are all due to the Global warming which is happening around the world and this rain and more rains is all due to many reasons, one of them being the difference in temperature of land and the sea to put it simply and the other major reason being the melting of the glaceirs in a fast pace due to global warming. This can be seen clearly from the satellite picture of Gangotri glacier which can be seen in the link below. (I don't know how to incorporate images in my blog)
http://www.gesource.ac.uk/hazards/images/1557.html
For some time it will be more floods, rains, this will result in the increase in the ocean level and some islands/lands will be submerged. After some time, once the glaciers runs dry what next, there will be no rains, no floods, no water and rains will fail which will lead to famine and draught. This may not happen in the immediate near future but clearly that is the direction we are heading towards . But we tend to think oh it may not happen in my life time so why bother?
It is high time we sit up and take notice and do something about this.
But alas it is the people who are at power who have to take action. But what do we see, America the biggest contributor to global warming is refusing to sign the Kyoto treaty, which is approved by almost all the countries in the world, to do some thing collectively to reduce the global warming. The major culprit is the automobiles. The 'oil' lobby is so strong in America which made the president go to war in Iraq and no wonder it is making him refuse to sign the treaty and stopping some fast action like putting a cap on the emission and other pollutants which is being set on the nature.
I would like to end this with a postive note though. Human race I feel has a tenacity beyond imagination, and I feel that the tapping of solar energy might be a major contribution in reducing the global warming . We need a lot of research in this field so that solar energy becomes cheaper for the common man to use. I only hope people understand the gravity of the situation and start
an awareness program. Let us start by going to nearby places by walk rather than use that automobile.
We are faced with such change in the climatic conditions all over the world and this year especially in tamil nadu it is rains and more rains. We look at this in a entirely different perspective and many a time I hear ourselves saying , 'ok at least next summer Chennai will not have water problem'
We refuse to see the big picture as anand pointed out. These are all due to the Global warming which is happening around the world and this rain and more rains is all due to many reasons, one of them being the difference in temperature of land and the sea to put it simply and the other major reason being the melting of the glaceirs in a fast pace due to global warming. This can be seen clearly from the satellite picture of Gangotri glacier which can be seen in the link below. (I don't know how to incorporate images in my blog)
http://www.gesource.ac.uk/hazards/images/1557.html
For some time it will be more floods, rains, this will result in the increase in the ocean level and some islands/lands will be submerged. After some time, once the glaciers runs dry what next, there will be no rains, no floods, no water and rains will fail which will lead to famine and draught. This may not happen in the immediate near future but clearly that is the direction we are heading towards . But we tend to think oh it may not happen in my life time so why bother?
It is high time we sit up and take notice and do something about this.
But alas it is the people who are at power who have to take action. But what do we see, America the biggest contributor to global warming is refusing to sign the Kyoto treaty, which is approved by almost all the countries in the world, to do some thing collectively to reduce the global warming. The major culprit is the automobiles. The 'oil' lobby is so strong in America which made the president go to war in Iraq and no wonder it is making him refuse to sign the treaty and stopping some fast action like putting a cap on the emission and other pollutants which is being set on the nature.
I would like to end this with a postive note though. Human race I feel has a tenacity beyond imagination, and I feel that the tapping of solar energy might be a major contribution in reducing the global warming . We need a lot of research in this field so that solar energy becomes cheaper for the common man to use. I only hope people understand the gravity of the situation and start
an awareness program. Let us start by going to nearby places by walk rather than use that automobile.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)