I have been thinking about writing this for quite some time. But am not sure how to put it. This may be a hafazard article jumping here and there. This is all about economics of house hold as I see from my point of view.
We have to spend within our means then we can live comfortably is the motto.
You save money so that you spend your retirment comfortably.
How much to save is the question.
My view is if you are earning 100rs. save 20rs. well that is great.
But when you are earning 1000rs. don't try to save on percentage basis that is 200rs. On the other hand don't save only 20rs. Find a via media and save a little more and spend a little more.
You can buy some property while young say house so that you can repay what ever loan you take. But this also you have to think properly. You can not just lose your today for the sake of tomorrow.
When I was young, I did not want to go for a house loan. I thought because of the loan, I might start thinking whether to give a cup of coffee to a guest who has come on a visit. This is what I call losing your present. This is just an example there may be umpteen examples which a loan might put a hindrance to.
I never go in for any instalment purchases. Even though you start enjoying the benefit of the product from day one of first instalment, the interest and hidden costs, even though they say zero percent blah blah adds up to quite a sum . It is better to wait and keep the instalment money in bank and then buy the product. This is especially true for products which are not utility items and which can be done without till you have saved the money.
But some house loans etc especially in India is beneficial for tax saving purposes. In that case the pros and cons have to be weighed and the benefits, repayment capacity, etc have to be properly calculated and then one can go ahead with the loan.
It is very very important to write the accounts every month. You will know where your money is going. It might look silly to write what we are spending. But when you look at your accounts in the month end, you will be surprised to see expenses which otherwise would never have been noticed.
Personally, I always feel it is very good to invest in gold, not in the sentimental way. Buy some jewels not the one with stone and intricate designs. If you are buying for investment purpose, buy gold ornaments with designs which use minimum wastage. Use it happily and when ever you need the money without any qualms just sell it to raise capital. This way you have the satisfaction of using the jewels also. This many may not agree but again, I find it very useful.
One should never be a compulsive buyer. I have seen the urge to buy things when we see them in shop is just too much to resist. some times we do buy and wonder later why we bought it at all. To out do the urge the best solution is you just tell yourself to go around the shopping area and come back again and then buy. once you are out and when you come second time I have found out, many times the urge is gone and you understand that you don't need that thing at all.
The maximum expense we make in modern days I feel is on clothes. We tend to buy them left right and centre and end up with pile of clothes in the house. since modern day clothes last longer because of good quality, you see clothes every where in the house. my hubby always says that my house becomes a mess because of the clothes I buy and he says our house will be neat the day you stop buying heaps of clothes. (I think) I have learnt some lessons and do not buy much clothes.
One another best way to save money is to stop wastage. We tend to waste so many things starting from electricity, water, food, groceries, and what not. Just by being not lazy and switch off the fan not needed will help you save. I don't mean to say switch off the fan the moment you get up irrespective of any other person sleeping in the room!!
I have seen people who had retired with lot of benefits, suddenly in problem when they fall sick, as medical expenses are quite high today. even tests cost you quite a lot.
Of course the medicare and other medical insurance is catching up in India, but still one has to have some savings to take care of medical expenses as the cost increases as age increases.
One important thing is money should not make you lose your interest in life. Life is to be lived is very important and if we just concentrate on creating wealth you end up not living your life at all.
But one should understand that for everything bottomline is money and surely while earning well it is better to save judiciously.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Thursday, February 09, 2006
silly childhood
Some mention by Vinu in his mail about an incident has inspired me to write this.
Well this is about a lakhsa deepotsvam at a local temple which my friend Saroja and myself went with my little brother Gopi and her little sister Radha. (They must have been around 4 to 5 years of age). It was crowded like any usual fare, and suddenly we wanted to go and lit the diyas. We asked the kids to sit in a place and went to the diyas. When we came back after 10 minutes hey and presto there was no Radha or no Gopi. We panicked, and we started crying profusely. Then some body suggested public address system which was used to render some music. So the whole, maidan was reverborating with Radha, Gopi where ever you are come here in kannada. Mean while we both started praying to God and bargaining with Him as to what all we will do and will not do once we get back our siblings. We were roaming here and there when suddenly we saw Saroja's elder sister. She was surprised to see us crying and the announcement. She chided us as to what the hungama was about. When we were perplexed she said Gopi and Radha are back home long back and you are here searching for them. It never occured to us that we should go home (which was about half a kilo meter from the temple ) and see if they had gone home.
We got good scoldings from our moms and our siblings got the same from us is a different story.
Even now when I visit the 'mallikarujuna' temple I just smile
Well this is about a lakhsa deepotsvam at a local temple which my friend Saroja and myself went with my little brother Gopi and her little sister Radha. (They must have been around 4 to 5 years of age). It was crowded like any usual fare, and suddenly we wanted to go and lit the diyas. We asked the kids to sit in a place and went to the diyas. When we came back after 10 minutes hey and presto there was no Radha or no Gopi. We panicked, and we started crying profusely. Then some body suggested public address system which was used to render some music. So the whole, maidan was reverborating with Radha, Gopi where ever you are come here in kannada. Mean while we both started praying to God and bargaining with Him as to what all we will do and will not do once we get back our siblings. We were roaming here and there when suddenly we saw Saroja's elder sister. She was surprised to see us crying and the announcement. She chided us as to what the hungama was about. When we were perplexed she said Gopi and Radha are back home long back and you are here searching for them. It never occured to us that we should go home (which was about half a kilo meter from the temple ) and see if they had gone home.
We got good scoldings from our moms and our siblings got the same from us is a different story.
Even now when I visit the 'mallikarujuna' temple I just smile
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
India trip
I am back from India. It was a nice trip personally.
I have some observations to make.
When I landed in Bangalore, it was not like going home, as I am always used to going by train and the restlessness which used to start when the train reached krishnarajapuram and started its snails pace (it was an express till then and used to become a passenger stopping at all sundry stations) was absent.
The roads in bangalore have become worse to say the least. This I noticed in national high way from trichi to palani also, which previously used to be a smooth ride. This was due to rains I understand but wonder when they will repair it.
The traffic in Bangalore has reached a nadir. I wonder when the whole city will come to a stand still. Our driver commented, that we might go and come back from tirupathi again, by the time we could reach home, in the city's traffic, once we reached the city limits. It might have been an exaggeration but it was a chaiotic traffic.
Chennai, when I alighted in the Rly. station in the early morning the visibility was almost zero. It was not even 'boghi' festival. I was told that for few days chennai was witnessing this fog, which I had heard about only in Delhi when vinu used to go back after his christmas holidays to Pilani. The result, for the prepaid auto we were charged 90rs. instead of the usual 70rs. One thing which is a blessing in Blore which has not changed is the auto fares and the good drivers.
We had a good darshan at palani and a new addition is the rope way (sky way). We went by it and the scenery was breathtaking from the carriages!(what is it called) They could have got a nice ones like Genting, what they have the rusted iron carriages which are not even painted brightly. The helpers or what ever they are called lock them mannualy and open then with a key . Maybe we have more man power.
We had a wonderful darshan in Tirupathi and thanks to the computer and the webcam, we could book our darshan time from blore it self. The climb was also nice with lovely shelter throughout and nice coffee shops and knick knacks and what not available on the way to the temple town. We were told the crowd was very very negligible and so we could have darshans on both days and our queue time of darshan was less than an hour for 50rs and 100 rs tickets. At one point I thought there may be a stampede as they let in too many people but while nearing the sanctum sanctorium the crowd was thinned out. Though we could have darshan for only a couple of seconds or may be one or two minutes, it was worth it because of our faith. It is a miracle that they manage day in and day out such a large gathering with such ease and I was satisfied with the darshan as hordes of people were waiting for their turn.
One thing which was lovely through out was the food we had in different restuarants. The annapoorna in coimbatore was nice and so also the arya bhavan in dindugal, and palani and the best was the kamat yatri nivas in hoskote on the way back to bangalore.
The fruits and vegetables in Bangalore Gandhi bazar was excellent with north indian gajar to mattar and mocchkkai and what not. The pomegranate was of the best variety which used to be available only in Delhi and was known as kabul variety. The cost was quite high but the quality of the products were really good.
So with mixed feeling I came back only to read in samachar the day I landed here that the airport authority employees were on strike and there was delay in all the international flights and utter confusion in the airports. I thanked God that the strike did not start the previous day.
I have some observations to make.
When I landed in Bangalore, it was not like going home, as I am always used to going by train and the restlessness which used to start when the train reached krishnarajapuram and started its snails pace (it was an express till then and used to become a passenger stopping at all sundry stations) was absent.
The roads in bangalore have become worse to say the least. This I noticed in national high way from trichi to palani also, which previously used to be a smooth ride. This was due to rains I understand but wonder when they will repair it.
The traffic in Bangalore has reached a nadir. I wonder when the whole city will come to a stand still. Our driver commented, that we might go and come back from tirupathi again, by the time we could reach home, in the city's traffic, once we reached the city limits. It might have been an exaggeration but it was a chaiotic traffic.
Chennai, when I alighted in the Rly. station in the early morning the visibility was almost zero. It was not even 'boghi' festival. I was told that for few days chennai was witnessing this fog, which I had heard about only in Delhi when vinu used to go back after his christmas holidays to Pilani. The result, for the prepaid auto we were charged 90rs. instead of the usual 70rs. One thing which is a blessing in Blore which has not changed is the auto fares and the good drivers.
We had a good darshan at palani and a new addition is the rope way (sky way). We went by it and the scenery was breathtaking from the carriages!(what is it called) They could have got a nice ones like Genting, what they have the rusted iron carriages which are not even painted brightly. The helpers or what ever they are called lock them mannualy and open then with a key . Maybe we have more man power.
We had a wonderful darshan in Tirupathi and thanks to the computer and the webcam, we could book our darshan time from blore it self. The climb was also nice with lovely shelter throughout and nice coffee shops and knick knacks and what not available on the way to the temple town. We were told the crowd was very very negligible and so we could have darshans on both days and our queue time of darshan was less than an hour for 50rs and 100 rs tickets. At one point I thought there may be a stampede as they let in too many people but while nearing the sanctum sanctorium the crowd was thinned out. Though we could have darshan for only a couple of seconds or may be one or two minutes, it was worth it because of our faith. It is a miracle that they manage day in and day out such a large gathering with such ease and I was satisfied with the darshan as hordes of people were waiting for their turn.
One thing which was lovely through out was the food we had in different restuarants. The annapoorna in coimbatore was nice and so also the arya bhavan in dindugal, and palani and the best was the kamat yatri nivas in hoskote on the way back to bangalore.
The fruits and vegetables in Bangalore Gandhi bazar was excellent with north indian gajar to mattar and mocchkkai and what not. The pomegranate was of the best variety which used to be available only in Delhi and was known as kabul variety. The cost was quite high but the quality of the products were really good.
So with mixed feeling I came back only to read in samachar the day I landed here that the airport authority employees were on strike and there was delay in all the international flights and utter confusion in the airports. I thanked God that the strike did not start the previous day.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Grand Parents
Vasu's post about sathabisekam has inspired me to go down the memory lane.
The first satabisekam I attended was of my great grand parents in our village. (my mother's grand parents) I was 8 years old and I remember my great grand parents were really old. Now a days 80 year olds do look much younger! My dad (was the only one) had a camera and we had some few black and white snaps with our great grand parent's vague picture amid smoke. That was my first visit to our village and I remember taking lot of 'elnirs'.
Later after my great grand mom passed away my ggfather came to live with my grand parents. He could never recognnise or remember our names and always used to call me 'karuppayee'or 'olakkayee', may be the names of some farm helpers from his village. This used to make my brother laugh so much and tease me to tears. my grand mother(his daughter in law) never used to talk to him and we were the mediators when my grand father went out for work.
The next sathabisekam was of my own grand parents (father's parents). This was when I was 11 years old. These two were much smarter and the function was held in the local choultry in Bangalore. (where I got married 8 years later). All the grand children were given 10rs. each and I had made a wire bag myself with that money and used it as my school bag. My grand mom liked the bag and wanted one for her which I made and gave her. ( she had kept it with her and used it for another 4 years till her death.) This grand mother wanted to use shampoo which I think had just been introduced in the market and was afraid to use it. So I helped her in shampooing her hair and I think she was thrilled though I don't remember her expressing it.
The next one was to my maternal grand parents who were very very close to all of us. As my mom was the only daughter all the seven of us siblings were the world to them. This was in 1983 and we all joined in organizing it, and was done in chennai with major contribution in organizing by my brother at chennai. We had lost our father by then and my mother was very happy that we all were doing this to her parents. By then I had understood the serenity of the occasion and what it means to live and see a thousand moons (which is what is said about significance of the sathabisekam)
Fortunate are those children who are blessed to celeberate the sathabisekam of their elders, which brings happiness all around.
The first satabisekam I attended was of my great grand parents in our village. (my mother's grand parents) I was 8 years old and I remember my great grand parents were really old. Now a days 80 year olds do look much younger! My dad (was the only one) had a camera and we had some few black and white snaps with our great grand parent's vague picture amid smoke. That was my first visit to our village and I remember taking lot of 'elnirs'.
Later after my great grand mom passed away my ggfather came to live with my grand parents. He could never recognnise or remember our names and always used to call me 'karuppayee'or 'olakkayee', may be the names of some farm helpers from his village. This used to make my brother laugh so much and tease me to tears. my grand mother(his daughter in law) never used to talk to him and we were the mediators when my grand father went out for work.
The next sathabisekam was of my own grand parents (father's parents). This was when I was 11 years old. These two were much smarter and the function was held in the local choultry in Bangalore. (where I got married 8 years later). All the grand children were given 10rs. each and I had made a wire bag myself with that money and used it as my school bag. My grand mom liked the bag and wanted one for her which I made and gave her. ( she had kept it with her and used it for another 4 years till her death.) This grand mother wanted to use shampoo which I think had just been introduced in the market and was afraid to use it. So I helped her in shampooing her hair and I think she was thrilled though I don't remember her expressing it.
The next one was to my maternal grand parents who were very very close to all of us. As my mom was the only daughter all the seven of us siblings were the world to them. This was in 1983 and we all joined in organizing it, and was done in chennai with major contribution in organizing by my brother at chennai. We had lost our father by then and my mother was very happy that we all were doing this to her parents. By then I had understood the serenity of the occasion and what it means to live and see a thousand moons (which is what is said about significance of the sathabisekam)
Fortunate are those children who are blessed to celeberate the sathabisekam of their elders, which brings happiness all around.
Monday, January 16, 2006
pasar malam
This word pasar malam always brings little smile to me. The first time I heard this, was from one of my husband's collegue's wife whom I had gone to visit in KL. It was evening time and she suddenly said Hum pasarmalam karenge. I did not understand what she was wanting to do. I said fine. Then she took me to an evening bazaar, the puzzled me got an answer from my hubby later that pasar malam is nothing but an evening market.(pasar is bazar in malay and malam is evening).
Over the years I have learnt to appreciate and like the 'pasar malam' concept and I don't do a pasar malam but I do shop in this market. This is an evening market which is once a week affair, in different locations. Each location has a specific pasar malam day rather evening. The shops are temporary, set in a street (quite busy streets) on the platforms, with battery operated proper lights and tents like shops. You can get flowers, vegetables, fruits, meat and fish and any other non vegetarian items, cooked foods, both veg and non veg, ready made dresses, toys, utensils, knick knacks and what not. The shopkeepers bring their wares in vans and some times sell them from their van also. Each slot is earmarked and numbered the shop keepers pay money to the majlis or the corporation/municipality. Once the market is closed in the night around 10.30/ 11 p.m., the majlis cleans the whole area and the next morning there won't be any trace of the wares or kachadas generated by the shops and the street will be as usual busy buzzing with traffic . The beauty is even while the market is going on cars will be moving in the streets in a snail's pace.
The vegetables and fruits which I buy every week from the pasar malam is fresh and cheap compared to any other shops or super markets, which sell them. We get many times special vegetables which you don't see in the normal markets.
The concept of old santhai or shanty has been modified for the modern day needs and it is done week after week with perfect professionalism where people in mercedes come and buy the things, the place is left as clean as it was before, after the market is over.
We normally buy our urgent needs from our local pasar pagi that is weekly morning market from near by morning sunday market and for our special items, we go quite a distance once a week for our purchase.
This is indeed one of the unique things in malaysia.
Over the years I have learnt to appreciate and like the 'pasar malam' concept and I don't do a pasar malam but I do shop in this market. This is an evening market which is once a week affair, in different locations. Each location has a specific pasar malam day rather evening. The shops are temporary, set in a street (quite busy streets) on the platforms, with battery operated proper lights and tents like shops. You can get flowers, vegetables, fruits, meat and fish and any other non vegetarian items, cooked foods, both veg and non veg, ready made dresses, toys, utensils, knick knacks and what not. The shopkeepers bring their wares in vans and some times sell them from their van also. Each slot is earmarked and numbered the shop keepers pay money to the majlis or the corporation/municipality. Once the market is closed in the night around 10.30/ 11 p.m., the majlis cleans the whole area and the next morning there won't be any trace of the wares or kachadas generated by the shops and the street will be as usual busy buzzing with traffic . The beauty is even while the market is going on cars will be moving in the streets in a snail's pace.
The vegetables and fruits which I buy every week from the pasar malam is fresh and cheap compared to any other shops or super markets, which sell them. We get many times special vegetables which you don't see in the normal markets.
The concept of old santhai or shanty has been modified for the modern day needs and it is done week after week with perfect professionalism where people in mercedes come and buy the things, the place is left as clean as it was before, after the market is over.
We normally buy our urgent needs from our local pasar pagi that is weekly morning market from near by morning sunday market and for our special items, we go quite a distance once a week for our purchase.
This is indeed one of the unique things in malaysia.
Language
I have lot of nice memories about my college days and till today I am maintaining good friendship with my college friends. But this blog is not about those things.
When I sit and think about myself in those days, I feel I was very immature and silly compared to todays kids.
I distintly remember the days when the great language war was raging in tamil nadu. That was in late 60s. There was a big strike in Tamil nadu and it was called hindi agitation which helped DMK to come to power. The hatred was so much that a small time college student was able to defeat a big wig like Kamaraj in State election.
It had small repercussion in Bangalore also. There were lot of speeches supporting kannada, one's mother tongue and sanskrit! also. It was sort of anti hindi and ani english too.
Having brought up in karnataka, (bangalore) and tamil being my mother tongue I always had dual loyalty and love? so to say. Every summer holidays spent in Madras used to drag me into arguments with friends over there, supporting kannada and karnataka. I used to argue so vociferously that my grand ma used to scold me for being so boyish!
Back in Bangalore with my school friends some of whom used to childishly rag me for being a tamilian , it used to be a vociferous argument again but this time supporting tamil and tamilnadu.
Coming back to the agitation, we were so charged up, we refused to answer the roll call in english. Some of my friends answered in kannada and some others answered in sanskrit which I remember distinctly saying 'asmi boh' and I answerd saying 'irukken ayya' (which has been refined these days to 'ullen ayya').
Come to think of it, all those things were just emotional outbursts without thinking properly, just talking and doing things for the sake of doing them. It was all just superfluous ideas without actually going through the topics and things in depth.
Now at this age I can understand that language is for communication and each language has its own sweet ness and it is indeed a blessing to know many languages and to read the literature in each language with its naunces is indeed a great thing.
I wish I had such an understanding at that age and had some mentor who could have talked to us without instigating us with more raw emotions, and taught us how to look at life with a calmness.
Or is it a privelege only age can bring.
About today's kids I do feel they know what they want from life which we especially, I did not know. Some might call today's kids selfish, but if each one is to persue his life without harming others, this world will be a better place to live.
When I sit and think about myself in those days, I feel I was very immature and silly compared to todays kids.
I distintly remember the days when the great language war was raging in tamil nadu. That was in late 60s. There was a big strike in Tamil nadu and it was called hindi agitation which helped DMK to come to power. The hatred was so much that a small time college student was able to defeat a big wig like Kamaraj in State election.
It had small repercussion in Bangalore also. There were lot of speeches supporting kannada, one's mother tongue and sanskrit! also. It was sort of anti hindi and ani english too.
Having brought up in karnataka, (bangalore) and tamil being my mother tongue I always had dual loyalty and love? so to say. Every summer holidays spent in Madras used to drag me into arguments with friends over there, supporting kannada and karnataka. I used to argue so vociferously that my grand ma used to scold me for being so boyish!
Back in Bangalore with my school friends some of whom used to childishly rag me for being a tamilian , it used to be a vociferous argument again but this time supporting tamil and tamilnadu.
Coming back to the agitation, we were so charged up, we refused to answer the roll call in english. Some of my friends answered in kannada and some others answered in sanskrit which I remember distinctly saying 'asmi boh' and I answerd saying 'irukken ayya' (which has been refined these days to 'ullen ayya').
Come to think of it, all those things were just emotional outbursts without thinking properly, just talking and doing things for the sake of doing them. It was all just superfluous ideas without actually going through the topics and things in depth.
Now at this age I can understand that language is for communication and each language has its own sweet ness and it is indeed a blessing to know many languages and to read the literature in each language with its naunces is indeed a great thing.
I wish I had such an understanding at that age and had some mentor who could have talked to us without instigating us with more raw emotions, and taught us how to look at life with a calmness.
Or is it a privelege only age can bring.
About today's kids I do feel they know what they want from life which we especially, I did not know. Some might call today's kids selfish, but if each one is to persue his life without harming others, this world will be a better place to live.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Twin Tower
This january first while driving in the elevated high way, the sight of petronas twin tower gave me a very great feeling. I felt like telling the building 'hey you have made my day, rather year'. I don't know if any one can understand this feeling. I have always got a great attachment to this building which is at present the tallest building in the world. It is as if it belongs to me. I have been lucky in seeing it being built watching from our 14th floor apartment. I used to read a lot of titbits about this building. I remember reading that the crane operator who worked in such a heeeight was an Indian. Just to see that crane it self gave me a dizzy feeling is another matter.
This building has a character. If you see it in the day time the sunlight reflecting on the steel gives it a majestic look. If you see it in the evening, the lights reflecting gives it a magical feeling. I remember my friend telling me in New york while showing me the buildings in Manhattan that they have a character of their own. That does apply to this building.
The magnificient feeling one gets while looking at Taj while entering that Arch and looking upto it which is awe inspiring , is what I get when I look at this lovely Twin Tower.
While sitting on the front steps of this building, watching the small water fountain in front of it, I felt I missed my parents very much. This was three years back. That inspired me to coerce my brother to visit this place with my manni and I was so proud to show them the place which inspired me to invite them!
I never get tired looking at the building. Alas we have changed house and we don't have the 24 hours view which we had from our drawing room in our 14th floor earlier apartment. But every time we go out we do get the view and since we are much nearer the twin tower we go there often just to relax in the park around or shop in the shopping complex in that building.
This building has a character. If you see it in the day time the sunlight reflecting on the steel gives it a majestic look. If you see it in the evening, the lights reflecting gives it a magical feeling. I remember my friend telling me in New york while showing me the buildings in Manhattan that they have a character of their own. That does apply to this building.
The magnificient feeling one gets while looking at Taj while entering that Arch and looking upto it which is awe inspiring , is what I get when I look at this lovely Twin Tower.
While sitting on the front steps of this building, watching the small water fountain in front of it, I felt I missed my parents very much. This was three years back. That inspired me to coerce my brother to visit this place with my manni and I was so proud to show them the place which inspired me to invite them!
I never get tired looking at the building. Alas we have changed house and we don't have the 24 hours view which we had from our drawing room in our 14th floor earlier apartment. But every time we go out we do get the view and since we are much nearer the twin tower we go there often just to relax in the park around or shop in the shopping complex in that building.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Televsion programs
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.
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.
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.
Monday, November 28, 2005
cricket and we
Well first of all I wonder whether I should also join in the fray by commenting on this game. But I am reading too much nonsense ( it is a strong word) in the media, I had to have my say.
Majority of the people will not share my sentiments but I would definitely want to air my opinion.
Once upon a time I was a great cricket fan, coming from the family of great cricket playing brothers, (three of them being the captains their college team) and used to miss college to hear the radio commentary.( those days tv had not yet come into existance).
But once the scandal of the match fixing hit us with a big bang I felt like a big fool, who had watched in tv every single cricket match. When it was proved that there was indeed match fixing, I felt why I did waste my time watching it when the players (some of them at least) were not playing for the game but for money. It was such a disgusting feeling that I stopped watching cricket even though I was a great fan of the game and of some great players.
Till today I don't watch the matches and feel that undue importance is being given to the game because of the foolish fans (read it indians) while the executives of board of cricket control are rolling in the money they are getting out of advt. (I remember how only 4 balls in an over is shown in the tv , the first and the last ball of the over taken over by some advt.) and players are also getting exorbitant amounts. Be that as it may, let them have money my grouse is not that, my point is , why not they be professional.
Till last minute we don't know who the captain is. The captains, if they are not the blue eyed boys of the board or the influential members, can be just booted unceremoniously after just a match or two like what happened to Venkata raghavan's captaincy long ago.
The latest row about fans wanting the arrogant young(is he young any more) Ganguly to be taken in the team just because he is from Calcutta is too much for me to take. To add to the fuel some stupid coach who happens to be from some other country does something with his finger and almost riots are erupting in our cities.
We should stop playing this game for some time . Once Salem starts quacking we will get the concrete details about the match fixing. This sport which has become an underworld's game and the game of the Board of Cricket control who think they are some demi Gods. If they have to wake up, every body should stop watching this game. It can be done only when people stop watching for one's principle of not being taken for a ride, the game can come back later with a better respect for the people who watch it and make it such a big game in the first place.
But we don't have such collective wisdom of boycotting such things which insult the public.
So cricket will be played as if it is a fiefdom of some few big wigs.
Majority of the people will not share my sentiments but I would definitely want to air my opinion.
Once upon a time I was a great cricket fan, coming from the family of great cricket playing brothers, (three of them being the captains their college team) and used to miss college to hear the radio commentary.( those days tv had not yet come into existance).
But once the scandal of the match fixing hit us with a big bang I felt like a big fool, who had watched in tv every single cricket match. When it was proved that there was indeed match fixing, I felt why I did waste my time watching it when the players (some of them at least) were not playing for the game but for money. It was such a disgusting feeling that I stopped watching cricket even though I was a great fan of the game and of some great players.
Till today I don't watch the matches and feel that undue importance is being given to the game because of the foolish fans (read it indians) while the executives of board of cricket control are rolling in the money they are getting out of advt. (I remember how only 4 balls in an over is shown in the tv , the first and the last ball of the over taken over by some advt.) and players are also getting exorbitant amounts. Be that as it may, let them have money my grouse is not that, my point is , why not they be professional.
Till last minute we don't know who the captain is. The captains, if they are not the blue eyed boys of the board or the influential members, can be just booted unceremoniously after just a match or two like what happened to Venkata raghavan's captaincy long ago.
The latest row about fans wanting the arrogant young(is he young any more) Ganguly to be taken in the team just because he is from Calcutta is too much for me to take. To add to the fuel some stupid coach who happens to be from some other country does something with his finger and almost riots are erupting in our cities.
We should stop playing this game for some time . Once Salem starts quacking we will get the concrete details about the match fixing. This sport which has become an underworld's game and the game of the Board of Cricket control who think they are some demi Gods. If they have to wake up, every body should stop watching this game. It can be done only when people stop watching for one's principle of not being taken for a ride, the game can come back later with a better respect for the people who watch it and make it such a big game in the first place.
But we don't have such collective wisdom of boycotting such things which insult the public.
So cricket will be played as if it is a fiefdom of some few big wigs.
Culture
I have been getting lot of questions in my mind about culture. What is a culture? Is it a feeling felt by a group of people. What can we identify specifically as Indian culture? Is it is the food habits? In that case India has innumerable variety. what about language? Again we have so many. When I was much younger I used to think the temples are the connecting thread as Rameshwaram in south and Kasi in north plays a big role in connecting North Indians and South Indians. But I know now it is just Hindu culture and India is made up of people of other major religions. Is it race which has a specific culture. But we are told that we have Aryan and Dravidian Race and there are different religions within these two races. So my confusion continues.
According to Anand there is nothing which can be specifically called as a culture as it keeps on changing and we get assimilated over the periods of years and years of absorbing and incorporating many things which we call as our culture.
Till the period of British invasion, where the Britishers kept a strict distance between the rulers and the ruled, I think all the other conquerors by and large merged with the local culture(?)and mixed what ever their habits(?) with the local way of life and a new culture(?) emerged.
On a lighter note I can say that when I was much younger while in punjab I was sort of surprised that they did not have any specific marriage sign. like what we south indians have the 'thali' or mangal sutra. when we asked some one he said it is the lipstic and being modern, the girls have also started using it which is strictly to be used by married ladies. This evoked a great laughter among us and used to be one of my anectodes of Jullundar days to who so ever cared to listen for many years.
But now I am at a loss. Is mangal sutra the real symbol of marriage. But many don't wear it in their daily life any more and use it only for some special occasion! it does not make me raise by eyebrows any more to see many not wearing it. Girls /Women go for work in westernised outfit to office and feel that, t his does not gel.
So I can see during my life time itself some thing which I thought was a symbol of culture, no more seems that it is.(Again another question to myself does culture need any symbol?)
Incidentally in vedic period there was no 'thali' and even today until a man and woman take the 'sapta padi' (seven steps) around the fire together, according to hindu marriage Act they are not considered as man and wife legally . The significance of it being any two people taking seven steps together is considered as friends. So basically according to vedic rites a husband and wife is primarily considered as friends.( This concept I simply love very much)
Well I have digressed and am still wondering what is culture? Especially when hue and cry is being made about tamil culture by the self proclaimed guardians of tamil culture in the name of protecting it, but in turn encouraging barbarism.( I am referring to the Kushboo issue)
Like hinduism I think culture is also a way of life, which keeps on changing from time to time and the feeling of good ness we get when we live in a certain way without affecting the sensibilities of others may be called as culutre. When a group of people live in a similar way is this the culture?
A simple thing like cake cutting in a wedding can become a ritual after some years and in a thali tying, tamil wedding it would become a part which no one would realize was borrowed from western culture say some hundred years from now. This may be a trivial thing but that is how culture develops I feel.
So we should not look upon others way of living from an elevated platform and say our way is the best. Everything is a way of life I suppose.
According to Anand there is nothing which can be specifically called as a culture as it keeps on changing and we get assimilated over the periods of years and years of absorbing and incorporating many things which we call as our culture.
Till the period of British invasion, where the Britishers kept a strict distance between the rulers and the ruled, I think all the other conquerors by and large merged with the local culture(?)and mixed what ever their habits(?) with the local way of life and a new culture(?) emerged.
On a lighter note I can say that when I was much younger while in punjab I was sort of surprised that they did not have any specific marriage sign. like what we south indians have the 'thali' or mangal sutra. when we asked some one he said it is the lipstic and being modern, the girls have also started using it which is strictly to be used by married ladies. This evoked a great laughter among us and used to be one of my anectodes of Jullundar days to who so ever cared to listen for many years.
But now I am at a loss. Is mangal sutra the real symbol of marriage. But many don't wear it in their daily life any more and use it only for some special occasion! it does not make me raise by eyebrows any more to see many not wearing it. Girls /Women go for work in westernised outfit to office and feel that, t his does not gel.
So I can see during my life time itself some thing which I thought was a symbol of culture, no more seems that it is.(Again another question to myself does culture need any symbol?)
Incidentally in vedic period there was no 'thali' and even today until a man and woman take the 'sapta padi' (seven steps) around the fire together, according to hindu marriage Act they are not considered as man and wife legally . The significance of it being any two people taking seven steps together is considered as friends. So basically according to vedic rites a husband and wife is primarily considered as friends.( This concept I simply love very much)
Well I have digressed and am still wondering what is culture? Especially when hue and cry is being made about tamil culture by the self proclaimed guardians of tamil culture in the name of protecting it, but in turn encouraging barbarism.( I am referring to the Kushboo issue)
Like hinduism I think culture is also a way of life, which keeps on changing from time to time and the feeling of good ness we get when we live in a certain way without affecting the sensibilities of others may be called as culutre. When a group of people live in a similar way is this the culture?
A simple thing like cake cutting in a wedding can become a ritual after some years and in a thali tying, tamil wedding it would become a part which no one would realize was borrowed from western culture say some hundred years from now. This may be a trivial thing but that is how culture develops I feel.
So we should not look upon others way of living from an elevated platform and say our way is the best. Everything is a way of life I suppose.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Grandma story 2
I am just going to record just one more story of my grandma which has really helped me to always have a positive attitude about life. I feel this story is more about Courage and being fearless, than about Victory as the cursory reading of the story might imply. Before I proceed to the actual story I want to record about what the great Second World War Heroes, Roosevelt and Chruchill had to say about Fear and Courage.
Roosevelt: The only thing to fear is fear itself.
Churchill: No matter how bleak the forecast, courage would carry us forward, for courage is the essential virtue because it guarantees all the others.
Now the story.
In tamil she used to give the heading as 'jayamulla varai bhayamillai' which has become a motto for me in any bleak situation and I always believe there is jayam. If you translate it, it means 'So long there is Victory there is no need to be afraid'.
There once lived a sage in a forest. One fine day Jayadevi the Goddess of Victory came to him and said from today onwards I am going to be with you always. He said fine, but when you leave me you need to come in front of me like this and tell me you are leaving. She agreed to this condition.
He just wanted to test if she is really being with him. So he went to the court of the King and pushed the King from his throne, which is just unthinkable for any body to do. At that very moment the bar in the roof came crashing down where a few seconds ago the King was seated. The King was indeed very moved and was very thankful to the sage for saving his life and asked the sage to be with him as he can protect him always.
After a few days, the curious sage wanted to know if jayadevi is still with him went to the 'anthapura' the family quarters of king and went into the bed chamber of the King and Queen. For any body to do this foolish act only attracts a capital punishment! He dragged the King and Queen out of the bed chamber and within few seconds the whole room was engulfed in fire as a small fire had started beneath the bed without any body's notice. After a couple more incidents like this, the King never allowed the sage to leave him.
One day the King and his men went to the forest for hunting. The sage was also accompanying him. After some time the duo got separated from the group and got lost in the forest.
The king got tired and was taking rest under a tree. The sage was sitting next to him. He saw a Cobra lurking in the tree which was about to strike the king. He did not want to disturb the king and drew out his sword to kill the cobra. At that very moment Jayadevi said Ok time is up I am leaving you. The cobra got suddenly distracted and just dissappeared in a jiffy, the very same moment the King also got up. To his horror he saw the sage with a drawn sword and got so worked up and said 'oh how long have you been waiting for such an opportunity to be alone with me so that you can kill me and become the king yourself' and got him arrested once his troupe joined him.
The sage laughed loudly and was not perturbed by this turn of events. The King was surprised and asked him to explain why he was laughing. Then the sage explained to him all the turn of events and how jayadevi left him at that moment and how he was misunderstood. The wise King understood the sage and he let the sage off . The sage went back to the forest to continue with his usual activities.
Why should we be scared for every damn thing we do. Think always that 'jayamulla varai bayamillai' and keep doing what you feel is right. If you are scared and afraid you just can not do anything. I always like to think that way and jaya devi is always with me and keep doing things if not bizzare things but at least what ever I want to do.
Roosevelt: The only thing to fear is fear itself.
Churchill: No matter how bleak the forecast, courage would carry us forward, for courage is the essential virtue because it guarantees all the others.
Now the story.
In tamil she used to give the heading as 'jayamulla varai bhayamillai' which has become a motto for me in any bleak situation and I always believe there is jayam. If you translate it, it means 'So long there is Victory there is no need to be afraid'.
There once lived a sage in a forest. One fine day Jayadevi the Goddess of Victory came to him and said from today onwards I am going to be with you always. He said fine, but when you leave me you need to come in front of me like this and tell me you are leaving. She agreed to this condition.
He just wanted to test if she is really being with him. So he went to the court of the King and pushed the King from his throne, which is just unthinkable for any body to do. At that very moment the bar in the roof came crashing down where a few seconds ago the King was seated. The King was indeed very moved and was very thankful to the sage for saving his life and asked the sage to be with him as he can protect him always.
After a few days, the curious sage wanted to know if jayadevi is still with him went to the 'anthapura' the family quarters of king and went into the bed chamber of the King and Queen. For any body to do this foolish act only attracts a capital punishment! He dragged the King and Queen out of the bed chamber and within few seconds the whole room was engulfed in fire as a small fire had started beneath the bed without any body's notice. After a couple more incidents like this, the King never allowed the sage to leave him.
One day the King and his men went to the forest for hunting. The sage was also accompanying him. After some time the duo got separated from the group and got lost in the forest.
The king got tired and was taking rest under a tree. The sage was sitting next to him. He saw a Cobra lurking in the tree which was about to strike the king. He did not want to disturb the king and drew out his sword to kill the cobra. At that very moment Jayadevi said Ok time is up I am leaving you. The cobra got suddenly distracted and just dissappeared in a jiffy, the very same moment the King also got up. To his horror he saw the sage with a drawn sword and got so worked up and said 'oh how long have you been waiting for such an opportunity to be alone with me so that you can kill me and become the king yourself' and got him arrested once his troupe joined him.
The sage laughed loudly and was not perturbed by this turn of events. The King was surprised and asked him to explain why he was laughing. Then the sage explained to him all the turn of events and how jayadevi left him at that moment and how he was misunderstood. The wise King understood the sage and he let the sage off . The sage went back to the forest to continue with his usual activities.
Why should we be scared for every damn thing we do. Think always that 'jayamulla varai bayamillai' and keep doing what you feel is right. If you are scared and afraid you just can not do anything. I always like to think that way and jaya devi is always with me and keep doing things if not bizzare things but at least what ever I want to do.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Snow
The first snowing of the winter has started today. I am just watching it from the glass window of anu's house. This is just the first few snow flakes falling on the ground. Since the ground temperature is above the freezing temperature, when it falls to the ground it is falling as water. It is so fascinating to watch this. These are like cotton flakes what we call 'panju podi' in tamil.
I always love watching rains. This is also rain (sleet?) falling as snow. It is just a beginning. So the roads etc are not yet filled with snow and turned white. It is just the snow flakes. This I am told is sort of dangerous to walk and drive as it will be very slippery. I am waiting for the snow fall when the ground temperature is also sub zero and the whole place will look white and lovely. This is what I wanted to look at so long ago in Srinagar. But I can afford to say this is lovely, as I am sitting inside the comfort of the house with a heater system to boot. All the others have to wear layers of dress, remove the sheet of snow from their cars and drive carefully which is such a pain. No wonder these people long for sunny days.
I always love watching rains. This is also rain (sleet?) falling as snow. It is just a beginning. So the roads etc are not yet filled with snow and turned white. It is just the snow flakes. This I am told is sort of dangerous to walk and drive as it will be very slippery. I am waiting for the snow fall when the ground temperature is also sub zero and the whole place will look white and lovely. This is what I wanted to look at so long ago in Srinagar. But I can afford to say this is lovely, as I am sitting inside the comfort of the house with a heater system to boot. All the others have to wear layers of dress, remove the sheet of snow from their cars and drive carefully which is such a pain. No wonder these people long for sunny days.
Grnadma's story 1
Well my grandma was one great story teller, which I have tried to pass on to the next generation(s). One or Two stories are a great favourite of mine which I feel has basic lessons of life inlaid underneath. Though the story is best heard in the original tamil, I want to try to translate it to Queen's language and see how it sounds/looks.
This story has a very funny heading. 'amma amma kozhakattaikku kannu (m)undodi' .ha ha.
Once there lived a family of parents and seven daughters. (I wonder if the seven was my grandma's idea as we were seven kids in our family or was it a norm those days to have seven kids like the two kid norm of today). One day mom prepared a sweet dish (called) kozhakattai. The elders all ate the dish and mom left exactly 7 pieces and asked each kid to take one each. (this is where you can introduce the little kids to simple arithmetic) All the kids took one by turn and when the turn of the (wicked?) 6th one came she ate one and since liked it very much ate the next one also and caught a little mouse and kept it and closed the lid of the container. The poor last kid came and opened and could see the eyes of the mouse. As she had not seen 'kozhakattai' before, she went and asked her mom the question 'amma amma....... 'meaning if the dish has eyes. The busy mom was naturally irritated and asked her to shut up and go eat the dish. She went again and saw the nose, came back and said 'amma amma kozhakattaikku mukkumundodi', now again the mom sends her back. Next the poor kid sees the tail, and runs back again to ask amma amma ko... vaalumundodi. Now this is the limit of the patience of the overworked mom. As the little girl had got scared and threw the lid open the mouse had ran away. So when mom comes and sees the vessel is empty. Mom thinks the girl ate the dish and simply irritating her. she throws a fit and throws the girl out saying get lost.
The girl keeps walking crying and sees a lot of small ants on the road. The little ants come and tell her not to stamp on them and this nice girl obliges and goes further without harming them.
Then she comes to some rose and jasmin bushes which ask the girl to help them as they are very thirsty. she draws water from a nearby well and waters the plants.
She trudges along and sees an elephant in agony with a thorn in its trunk. Since the elephant asked her to help , she removes it much to the delight of the elephant.
Now she has to cross a small rivulet. The river asks her not to make its water muddy and just to cross it carefully. She carefully wades out of the water only to come to a small house which as usual in other tamil stories belongs to a 'ammayar paati' a good old woman.
Here she is welcomed and the 'paati' says come little child you are tired you go and have bath, I will give you food. She asks the girl 'you want hot water or cold water' The girl replies politely not to trouble herself, and will have bath in cold water. But a hot nice bath is waiting for her. Grandma gives her two lemons and asks her to use one on her hair and the other she asks her to throw. She listens to her and hey and presto her hair becomes luxurious. Now when it comes to the question of food, again the question is asked what she wants freshly prepared food or the old food to be precise 'pazhaya sadam' you guessed it right, when she says she is content with pazhaya sadam she is given hot nice fresh food. The same thing is followed about change of dress where the girl who is content with any tattered cloth, is offered new set of clothes. Now she takes enough rest and next day starts her return journey knowing her mom's temper would have cooled down.
Now when she comes near the rivulet it is waiting with lot of 'muthu and pavalam' (pearls and coral) for not making it muddy. The elephant is waiting to take her on its back. On her way back she picks up the roses and jasmines, which are given to her in plenty and the ants give her a sack full of sugar (yes sugar) .
When she comes home and knocks, for a second, her mom is not able to recognize her. When she realizes the mistake, she welcomes home the little girl and now it is the turn of the wicked? one to go on the said journey. No points for guessing the further story line. This girl just does the opposite of her younger sister, by stomping on the ants, not watering the plants, and jeering at the elephant's discomfort and making the rivulet as muddy as possible by jumping up and down and comes at last to the 'ammayar paati's ' house.
Here the moment she enters, she demands loudly asking the old lady to keep hot water ready for her bath and hot food and good clothes. Old lady simply smiles and gives her the two lemons and the greedy kid who finds only the cold water tries to use both of them and looses what little hair she already had on her head. She is given the 'pazhaya sadam' and since she was so hungry she eats it and is given some old tattered clothes.
Now on her journey back the rivulet throws mud on this girl and the elephant gently lifts her throws her towards the rose bush whose thorns prick all over her and the ants add to her woes by stinging her everywhere.
Now she reaches home crying loudly and now the mom really can not recognize the battered girl.
She is taken into the house and the little one explains how she came back as a winner from her little trip. The sixth one has learnt her lesson and promises to share the eats and ony eat her share (hhaha) and they live happily ever after.
I have seen in life, many times it is the 'amma amma..' story syndrome, and when you demand something you don't get it and when you are prepared to accept and give the choice to the other person you get a better deal.
This story has a very funny heading. 'amma amma kozhakattaikku kannu (m)undodi' .ha ha.
Once there lived a family of parents and seven daughters. (I wonder if the seven was my grandma's idea as we were seven kids in our family or was it a norm those days to have seven kids like the two kid norm of today). One day mom prepared a sweet dish (called) kozhakattai. The elders all ate the dish and mom left exactly 7 pieces and asked each kid to take one each. (this is where you can introduce the little kids to simple arithmetic) All the kids took one by turn and when the turn of the (wicked?) 6th one came she ate one and since liked it very much ate the next one also and caught a little mouse and kept it and closed the lid of the container. The poor last kid came and opened and could see the eyes of the mouse. As she had not seen 'kozhakattai' before, she went and asked her mom the question 'amma amma....... 'meaning if the dish has eyes. The busy mom was naturally irritated and asked her to shut up and go eat the dish. She went again and saw the nose, came back and said 'amma amma kozhakattaikku mukkumundodi', now again the mom sends her back. Next the poor kid sees the tail, and runs back again to ask amma amma ko... vaalumundodi. Now this is the limit of the patience of the overworked mom. As the little girl had got scared and threw the lid open the mouse had ran away. So when mom comes and sees the vessel is empty. Mom thinks the girl ate the dish and simply irritating her. she throws a fit and throws the girl out saying get lost.
The girl keeps walking crying and sees a lot of small ants on the road. The little ants come and tell her not to stamp on them and this nice girl obliges and goes further without harming them.
Then she comes to some rose and jasmin bushes which ask the girl to help them as they are very thirsty. she draws water from a nearby well and waters the plants.
She trudges along and sees an elephant in agony with a thorn in its trunk. Since the elephant asked her to help , she removes it much to the delight of the elephant.
Now she has to cross a small rivulet. The river asks her not to make its water muddy and just to cross it carefully. She carefully wades out of the water only to come to a small house which as usual in other tamil stories belongs to a 'ammayar paati' a good old woman.
Here she is welcomed and the 'paati' says come little child you are tired you go and have bath, I will give you food. She asks the girl 'you want hot water or cold water' The girl replies politely not to trouble herself, and will have bath in cold water. But a hot nice bath is waiting for her. Grandma gives her two lemons and asks her to use one on her hair and the other she asks her to throw. She listens to her and hey and presto her hair becomes luxurious. Now when it comes to the question of food, again the question is asked what she wants freshly prepared food or the old food to be precise 'pazhaya sadam' you guessed it right, when she says she is content with pazhaya sadam she is given hot nice fresh food. The same thing is followed about change of dress where the girl who is content with any tattered cloth, is offered new set of clothes. Now she takes enough rest and next day starts her return journey knowing her mom's temper would have cooled down.
Now when she comes near the rivulet it is waiting with lot of 'muthu and pavalam' (pearls and coral) for not making it muddy. The elephant is waiting to take her on its back. On her way back she picks up the roses and jasmines, which are given to her in plenty and the ants give her a sack full of sugar (yes sugar) .
When she comes home and knocks, for a second, her mom is not able to recognize her. When she realizes the mistake, she welcomes home the little girl and now it is the turn of the wicked? one to go on the said journey. No points for guessing the further story line. This girl just does the opposite of her younger sister, by stomping on the ants, not watering the plants, and jeering at the elephant's discomfort and making the rivulet as muddy as possible by jumping up and down and comes at last to the 'ammayar paati's ' house.
Here the moment she enters, she demands loudly asking the old lady to keep hot water ready for her bath and hot food and good clothes. Old lady simply smiles and gives her the two lemons and the greedy kid who finds only the cold water tries to use both of them and looses what little hair she already had on her head. She is given the 'pazhaya sadam' and since she was so hungry she eats it and is given some old tattered clothes.
Now on her journey back the rivulet throws mud on this girl and the elephant gently lifts her throws her towards the rose bush whose thorns prick all over her and the ants add to her woes by stinging her everywhere.
Now she reaches home crying loudly and now the mom really can not recognize the battered girl.
She is taken into the house and the little one explains how she came back as a winner from her little trip. The sixth one has learnt her lesson and promises to share the eats and ony eat her share (hhaha) and they live happily ever after.
I have seen in life, many times it is the 'amma amma..' story syndrome, and when you demand something you don't get it and when you are prepared to accept and give the choice to the other person you get a better deal.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
cowardice or tolerance
Where to draw a line regarding these two. We see lot of unrest and terrorist activities around the world. It is due to the intolerance of other 'religion, belief, people of different ethinic background, langauge, color, creed, caste add anything including gender'
This is leaving the people and youth in general confused as to how to react. If you just stop reacting to such things I personally feel that the violence will abate(reduce) as the theory of revenge 'leg for leg, hand for hand and life for life' will end up more people being killed. But what happens when we just don't react, and you end up being coward not standing up to the right cause. won't it encourage the person indulging in violence and increase it.
We in India have lost so much because of tolerance. We are putting up with corrupt politicians and officials, the harassment of local goondas and in the lowest denomination the black mail of auto drivers who either charge you exorbitantly or simply tamper with the meter.
How many of them you can fight every day for situations you keep encoutering in your day to day life. The irresponsible ration officer who thinks what you have is a bogus card simply because you did not draw your ration for few months, or the officer in the medical directorate who happens to be a medical doctor who harrasses you for an internship for your daughter by making you stand there for days on end just to harass you because he knows from your face that you are a brahmin and he thinks he is avenging for what his forefathers underwent under your forefathers. The list continues including the experiences in the Indian Embassies outside India where they treat Indian citizens as s...
Certain cases you are incapable of reacting as you need the work to be done and put up with all the nonsense.(harassment)
Some times you try to fight when you know there is no big stake which will be lost by fighting. (like in the autoriksha case the worst is you might get hit). Many a time you let your anger by shouting after coming home and sometimes there is some big argument among the family members (without understanding) who interestingly are saying the same point but in different ways and all shouting because each one is saying it in his own way. After making a big issue of such incidents we think we have done our share and get on with life without actually taking any action about the actual incident.
Is this Cowardice or is there a forum for common man where he can register his/her protest so that something comes positive about it.
Tolerance when we are on the other shoe this is what we expect. How can we explain a person who works for us at our home minimum 2 hours a day, without taking a single day of leave, we pay her a pittance of 500rs a month. we are paying per hour less than 10rs. We expect her to be tolerant and happy when we give her some of our old clothes and think that we have done a great charity. We expect her to be tolerant when we go past her with our latest cars and when she is walking fast to go to her next stop for 2 more hours of same cleaning and mopping.
But if every one stops becoming tolerant and starts taking law into their hands we will end up in anarchy. So I honestly don't know if we are cowards or tolerant and where to draw the line. So we take each issue at a time and react according to the situation , the importance to us, our mental make up at that time.
If each individual in Power dicides to do something which will make a difference to the common people the situation might improve or am I again passing on the responsibility as I am not in the Power circle.
This is leaving the people and youth in general confused as to how to react. If you just stop reacting to such things I personally feel that the violence will abate(reduce) as the theory of revenge 'leg for leg, hand for hand and life for life' will end up more people being killed. But what happens when we just don't react, and you end up being coward not standing up to the right cause. won't it encourage the person indulging in violence and increase it.
We in India have lost so much because of tolerance. We are putting up with corrupt politicians and officials, the harassment of local goondas and in the lowest denomination the black mail of auto drivers who either charge you exorbitantly or simply tamper with the meter.
How many of them you can fight every day for situations you keep encoutering in your day to day life. The irresponsible ration officer who thinks what you have is a bogus card simply because you did not draw your ration for few months, or the officer in the medical directorate who happens to be a medical doctor who harrasses you for an internship for your daughter by making you stand there for days on end just to harass you because he knows from your face that you are a brahmin and he thinks he is avenging for what his forefathers underwent under your forefathers. The list continues including the experiences in the Indian Embassies outside India where they treat Indian citizens as s...
Certain cases you are incapable of reacting as you need the work to be done and put up with all the nonsense.(harassment)
Some times you try to fight when you know there is no big stake which will be lost by fighting. (like in the autoriksha case the worst is you might get hit). Many a time you let your anger by shouting after coming home and sometimes there is some big argument among the family members (without understanding) who interestingly are saying the same point but in different ways and all shouting because each one is saying it in his own way. After making a big issue of such incidents we think we have done our share and get on with life without actually taking any action about the actual incident.
Is this Cowardice or is there a forum for common man where he can register his/her protest so that something comes positive about it.
Tolerance when we are on the other shoe this is what we expect. How can we explain a person who works for us at our home minimum 2 hours a day, without taking a single day of leave, we pay her a pittance of 500rs a month. we are paying per hour less than 10rs. We expect her to be tolerant and happy when we give her some of our old clothes and think that we have done a great charity. We expect her to be tolerant when we go past her with our latest cars and when she is walking fast to go to her next stop for 2 more hours of same cleaning and mopping.
But if every one stops becoming tolerant and starts taking law into their hands we will end up in anarchy. So I honestly don't know if we are cowards or tolerant and where to draw the line. So we take each issue at a time and react according to the situation , the importance to us, our mental make up at that time.
If each individual in Power dicides to do something which will make a difference to the common people the situation might improve or am I again passing on the responsibility as I am not in the Power circle.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Preconceived notions
We tend to generalize everything. We have this preconceived notions about everything.
what I see here in United states of America a bout the common people makes me feel that my ideas about them in general is wrong. They are very family oriented and very attached to their family. We have this notion that every other day they just divorce for the sake of divorcing the spouse. The divorce rate may be high but that is not the general rule. There are scores and scores of people who lead a life like us with their family.
I always used to think that americans, 'oh they just send their kids out of the home when they turn 18'. It was as if they just say 'come on you are 18 so please get out'. It is not so. There are many kids who do their college as day scholars and only if they go to the university which is in a different place, they stay in a dorm or take an apartment and they do come home for holidays and week ends! They do live an independent life and try to support themselves as much as possible.
I had this notion that here every body will be up till midnight partying. Actually Americans are the ones who are really early birds so to say. They get up very early and evening they finish their dinner or supper or what ever they call it by 6 p.m. ( 3 p.m. is evening for them and 8 p.m. is night and bedtime) Which ever place I have been I see them getting out of the house by 7. a.m. and come home at around 4.30 /5 p.m. Since they don't have the benefit of extended family one of the spouses come back from work around 4.30 to be home when the children arrive from school.
They have a great regard for family values and give importance to family.
There will be always exceptions to rule and one should never generalize.
what I see here in United states of America a bout the common people makes me feel that my ideas about them in general is wrong. They are very family oriented and very attached to their family. We have this notion that every other day they just divorce for the sake of divorcing the spouse. The divorce rate may be high but that is not the general rule. There are scores and scores of people who lead a life like us with their family.
I always used to think that americans, 'oh they just send their kids out of the home when they turn 18'. It was as if they just say 'come on you are 18 so please get out'. It is not so. There are many kids who do their college as day scholars and only if they go to the university which is in a different place, they stay in a dorm or take an apartment and they do come home for holidays and week ends! They do live an independent life and try to support themselves as much as possible.
I had this notion that here every body will be up till midnight partying. Actually Americans are the ones who are really early birds so to say. They get up very early and evening they finish their dinner or supper or what ever they call it by 6 p.m. ( 3 p.m. is evening for them and 8 p.m. is night and bedtime) Which ever place I have been I see them getting out of the house by 7. a.m. and come home at around 4.30 /5 p.m. Since they don't have the benefit of extended family one of the spouses come back from work around 4.30 to be home when the children arrive from school.
They have a great regard for family values and give importance to family.
There will be always exceptions to rule and one should never generalize.
Team Work
The other day Tejas came home from school and said we all missed out on free time. I asked for what? He said we were all slow in cleaning up and so we all lost on our free time.
Yeah he was talking about his school activity.
I have been observing the kid from the day he has started going to school here. I find now that he automatically, trashes the chocolate cover in the dust bin, and automatically says thanks, when ever I give him any thing. Initially I was worried about his schooling here. He had done his first standard in India and he was able to write very well in cursive hand, he could say by rote the tables upto 10, and in addition he was able to write in kannada also. First few days of his schooling here I was disspointed with the methods of teaching here, and was thinking whether it is a come down for the kid .
Now I am slowly coming to understand that it is about the behaviour and way of life they teach here rather than lessons and they learn the lessons as a byproduct. Once again I have learnt lesson not to jump to conclusion.
The kids do every thing as a team. It is the class which behaves good or bad and not the individual child. He says our class will lose out if we do this or that wrong. Each child takes some snack for the class once a month (the turn comes once a month) so that he can share it with the class. He is supposed to take what ever he likes. So now Tejas searches to get what he likes and loves to distribute it to class in the snack time.
Each child is assigned a job and and jobs are named as door holder,(has to hold the door for others) line leader,(is responsible for forming a line while going to the class) calendar changer(responsible for changing the day for yesterday, today and tomorrow in the calendar), lunch box helper(should keep all the lunch box in a particular place) etc. Some days he comes home and tells me sadly I did not get any job today.
Some times he tells me that some body's mom comes and helps them out in writing and also in arranging the party (fall party for example for halloween day) I am told parents can do voluntary work in assisting the teacher in the class. How sweet.
Each child has a desk and four of them form a table.
No child is compared with the other. When I see his writings which he brings in his home folder (he does not carry any book just a folder called home folder and a lunch box) I ask him how the others performed. He says I don't know I did not see the other's paper.
By and large I see a lot of subtle but welcome change in his behaviour. When I saw him and other kids waving happily to the bus driver yesterday I felt real happy.
They make the kids think on their own. For subtraction he says each child is asked to arrive at the number 2. It is like a game. he came and played that with me saying 31 - 29 is 2 and so on. and was telling me when some kid started going to thousand and got stuck the teacher said it seems don't go beyond 100 . He said so we can not go beyond that number from tomorrow for other problems.
There are certain things which can be added from our system. The tables can be learnt by rote as it is so easy for kids to remember and it is so useful when they grow up. certain simple multiplication they can just recollect so easily because of the rote system. The kids have to be asked to write a little more as the importance is given to reading than writing at this stage here.
I heard a friend in K.L. who lived in USA telling me that once the kids in USA come to Grade 5 they really find it tough to write as they are not used
By and large children are taught to share and do things as a team without losing the individuality.
Yeah he was talking about his school activity.
I have been observing the kid from the day he has started going to school here. I find now that he automatically, trashes the chocolate cover in the dust bin, and automatically says thanks, when ever I give him any thing. Initially I was worried about his schooling here. He had done his first standard in India and he was able to write very well in cursive hand, he could say by rote the tables upto 10, and in addition he was able to write in kannada also. First few days of his schooling here I was disspointed with the methods of teaching here, and was thinking whether it is a come down for the kid .
Now I am slowly coming to understand that it is about the behaviour and way of life they teach here rather than lessons and they learn the lessons as a byproduct. Once again I have learnt lesson not to jump to conclusion.
The kids do every thing as a team. It is the class which behaves good or bad and not the individual child. He says our class will lose out if we do this or that wrong. Each child takes some snack for the class once a month (the turn comes once a month) so that he can share it with the class. He is supposed to take what ever he likes. So now Tejas searches to get what he likes and loves to distribute it to class in the snack time.
Each child is assigned a job and and jobs are named as door holder,(has to hold the door for others) line leader,(is responsible for forming a line while going to the class) calendar changer(responsible for changing the day for yesterday, today and tomorrow in the calendar), lunch box helper(should keep all the lunch box in a particular place) etc. Some days he comes home and tells me sadly I did not get any job today.
Some times he tells me that some body's mom comes and helps them out in writing and also in arranging the party (fall party for example for halloween day) I am told parents can do voluntary work in assisting the teacher in the class. How sweet.
Each child has a desk and four of them form a table.
No child is compared with the other. When I see his writings which he brings in his home folder (he does not carry any book just a folder called home folder and a lunch box) I ask him how the others performed. He says I don't know I did not see the other's paper.
By and large I see a lot of subtle but welcome change in his behaviour. When I saw him and other kids waving happily to the bus driver yesterday I felt real happy.
They make the kids think on their own. For subtraction he says each child is asked to arrive at the number 2. It is like a game. he came and played that with me saying 31 - 29 is 2 and so on. and was telling me when some kid started going to thousand and got stuck the teacher said it seems don't go beyond 100 . He said so we can not go beyond that number from tomorrow for other problems.
There are certain things which can be added from our system. The tables can be learnt by rote as it is so easy for kids to remember and it is so useful when they grow up. certain simple multiplication they can just recollect so easily because of the rote system. The kids have to be asked to write a little more as the importance is given to reading than writing at this stage here.
I heard a friend in K.L. who lived in USA telling me that once the kids in USA come to Grade 5 they really find it tough to write as they are not used
By and large children are taught to share and do things as a team without losing the individuality.
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